"Then I'm glad we finally get to meet in this way." I indicated the bookshelves, the luxurious furniture. "This is a far more interesting setting. Perhaps one day, after this is all over, I can come back and summon a spirit for you."
"Thank you! That would be fascinating." He frowned. "But what do you mean, after all this is over? Does it have something to do with shape-shifting demons and why you want to study them?"
I nodded and finally told him the story about the demon's release. "Dear God," he murmured when I'd finished. He removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "This isn't good. Not good at all."
"Jacob told me it's very dangerous."
He nodded and put his glasses back on. "It is. But...didn't he tell you everything about them? Why do you need to read books?"
"It seems he's not privy to some details. How is it directed, for instance? Is there another way to return it to the Otherworld? Which cultures know of its existence? That sort of thing. We hoped you might be able to help us while we wait for the amulet peddler to return tomorrow."
"Of course, I'd be happy to. My own knowledge of the shape-shifting variety is somewhat lacking but I'll tell you what I know and then we'll search the books."
"Excellent. Let's see...ah yes. Jacob thinks it can only be killed by a weapon that has come from the Otherworld. But what kind of weapon?"
"It must be a blade of some kind-sword, dagger, axe, that sort of thing. Oh, and the demon's head must be severed from its neck by the blade."
Ugh. "Next question, how does it harm people?"
"Through good old fashioned physical violence, but of course its capabilities are dependent on the form it takes. In other words, if it changes into a snail, it cannot claw someone's heart out. No claws on snails you see."
"Perhaps it could slime them to death."
He laughed, loudly. "Very amusing." He continued to laugh much too vigorously. I hadn't thought it that amusing, particularly considering the gruesome nature of the conversation but I didn't say so. He seemed to suddenly notice I didn't share his enthusiasm for my own joke and his laughter died. He cleared his throat and said, "Did you know it could kill ghosts too?"
"Kill ghosts? That doesn't seem entirely logical. Ghosts are already dead."
"What I meant was a demon can extract a ghost's soul." He tapped his chest. "From here. The soul can be quite literally pulled out. Not by us of course."