August merely smiled at Horace’s offer; undoubtedly, the man had a large library, but Checkley had some books as well, despite a far smaller supply. However, he had more than books; Ancient Egypt was, after all, a far more pictorial civilisation than many! There were the Hay and Laver relief copies that he had recently “borrowed,” for example. He'd wait before telling Granville of those, though. They were something he was too proud to part with at the present time.
“No, I have not forgotten your large library that you often remind me about. Sadly, I forgot the grandeur of it and shall need to visit soon, before your awful Council friends begin frequenting it again.” Looking away and rolling his eyes briefly, August then rang a bell to call Florence into the study and requested that she bring coffee and biscuits at once. Once she left them in peace, he addressed Granville’s explanation for his time away.
“Unfortunate,” he began. “The malaria – but visions considered,” Checkley grinned. “There might be some use in those, eh?” He leaned forward when his guest made it clear that additional privacy should follow in their conversation. “A thoughtful thing,” he began, playing with a button of his frock that had come loose earlier that day. “What I mean is – visions should be analysed. Only fools ignore them, and considering how many mediums London is accommodating, you’d fit right in now.” Checkley’s attitude was one of apathy, making it clear how disinterested he was by the affairs of London’s many mediums. “Tell me of your visions. Certainly they were more than those of some silly didikko.”