“Bast almost managed to slip out through the back door of the Guiding Stone tavern.” In fact, he was already on the street: with both feet outside the threshold, and he almost silently closed the door when he heard his mentor’s voice. Bast paused, holding on to the latch . He frowned, looking at the door, which was no more than a span away from closing completely. No, he didn’t give himself away by making noise. This he knew. He knew all the nooks and crannies of the tavern by heart: he knew where which board in the floor sighed under his foot, which window frame creaked..."