The mage swept into the room, his assistant at his heels. This was his new lair, his new temple of evil. The thud of footsteps on stone echoed from the bare walls, the tap-tap of his staff, and the snarky comments from his apprentice....

"And what do you plan to do in this room, master?"

"This is my grand collection! The vast hall of my trophies, defeated foes, beautiful and handsome creatures, preserved in stone beside dozens and dozens like them, forever!" He said in a booming voice.

The Apprentice sighed.

"With all due respect, my master, you would struggle to fit a dozen dwarves or halflings in here. If they were standing on each others shoulders."

The Mage frowned.

"Well, yes, it needs expanding charms, magical lanterns and torches that never extinguish, pedestals, and so on."

"And statues."

"Yes, well, that would help. I'll vanquish a foe someday and put them here!"

"In that case you would actually need to find a foe."

The Mage waved his hand dismissively.

"Yes, yes. Maybe I shall start with evil deeds, petrifying some noblewoman or eligible bachelor, defeating whatever hero comes to vanquish us."

The Apprentice simply stared.

"But Master, that involves talking to people."

The Mage puffed up indignantly.

"I talk to lots of people! Like you! And, um, your uncle! The milkman!"

The Apprentice shook her head.

"Yes, but the milkman is hardly a ticket towards sparking great evil as the next archmage is it, Master?"

"He might be, Jeff delivers all over the place! And you have to start somewhere. Capitolia wasn't built in a day after all. Anyway, let us move on, we need to find a place to house the library."

The Apprentice nodded.

"Very good, Master. I have both books here..."