"Not so much a hobby as a necessity," said Faust, smiling fondly. Presumably at some stray thought rather than at Balem, who he'd only just met. "My work requires many unconventional ingredients. It would be much more convenient if I could simply purchase them... but I suppose the particular manner in which they must be obtained offends the sensibilities."

Not the skeleton's though; it had graduated right on to doing the graveyard shuffle over to a tombstone, where it began to pick at the hard earth.

"I suppose congratulations are in order. I heard that you and your friends have expanded their territory a bit." He was just guessing, but it seemed reasonable that Balem could be fae. Not one of those little pondskipper amateur witches, that was for sure.