A clarification.

To Whom It May Concern,

I understand how it looks. Truly, I do. I only meant to explore the new city centre library on my way home, and not to spend an hour and a half in their giant red armchair with my feet up. You know how it is. These places are dangerous. You know you should pick up the scholarly Ron Hutton volume, but something else catches your eye, you flick through it and you become engrossed, and then you can't put it down until you've read the whole thing.

You're a regular attendee at the Moot I organise, and as I understand it you're looking forwards to the talk I'm going to give next month - the one on Vodou magic in theory and practice. I would like to assure you that I'd already finished writing my talk when you came over to say hello. Honestly. The printout was right there in that folder I had on my lap.

The fact I was reading "The Idiot's Guide to Voodoo" at the time is neither here nor there.

Thank you for your kind attention.

Love,
Nagini.