“After I ran across your friends, I had Tolkien on the brain. I’d been planning to do Elrond’s library for a while, so I decided the time was right. I dressed some of the manikins like Elves and put up a painted backdrop.”

I’m angry briefly, angry that they destroyed something I’d worked so hard on. That almost hurts more than my physical injuries. But the fear comes back quickly.

“They had tattoos of Tolkien runes. I’m not exactly sure how many there were, but they talked about Morgoth and smashing the Elves and picking sides. They had a weapon like what you found before.”

The look on your face is truly terrifying now and I’m afraid you’ll do something stupid.

“The police constable said to warn you about taking justice into your own hands. Karl . . . please don’t put yourself in danger.”