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"...You mentioned something like this before, didn't you?" said Emiliana.

Gohvis just looked at her.

"Is this why you expressed an interest in his writing?" she asked. "Because you suspected that he might be able to create something... abnormal?"

"Mm. Such a vague suspicion would make for a rather safe bet, as far as that man is concerned."

Emiliana supposed that was true. "...Is there some kind of historical precedent for books like this?" she asked.

"Books like what, exactly?" said Gohvis.

Was he toying with her, now? She didn't quite know how to articulate her feelings regarding Ibai's book, and it seemed like Gohvis could tell. "Um... hmm."

Gohvis began walking, which prompted Emiliana to follow. "Books of a 'peculiar impact' have indeed been known to exist for some centuries. Perhaps longer."

"Do you, um... know what makes them this way?" she said.

"Their authors, of course."

"No, I mean... what is it about their authors that causes this phenomenon?"

The Monster regarded her from the corner of his eye for a moment. "There is a suspicion that the first books ever written were like this."

It took her a second to realize that he'd ignored her question. Why the heck did he have to do that so much? It was really annoying. She wasn't even sure if she should ask another one, now.

"When writing was first invented," Gohvis continued, "it was regarded as a dark art, of sorts. For multiple reasons. The most popular of which was simply that writing, for the first time in history, devalued the importance of one's memory. Many regarded this as an affront against nature or their god, and wars were fought over it."

What in the world? She had a hard time imagining such a thing.

"One of the lesser known reasons, however, was because written works seemed to have an ability to change people. Sway them. Turn them from their tribe and their people."