Foxholes might breed belief, but trench systems are full of fatalistic cynics. - Ben Aaronovitch

Do you feel guilty?"
"No," I said. "I didn't do it to them and I did my best to stop it. But I feel guilty that I don't feel guilty, if that helps.

The perennial problem for retailers the world over are the customers. Not only do they clutter up the shop, but they also demand to be reminded of the title of a book they read a review about in the Telegraph, given directions to The Lion King, helped to find a book their mum will like and, occasionally, purchase some actual merchandise. All of this customer-facing activity gets in the way of the shelving, merchandising, sticking, destickering, table pyramiding and stock returning that is necessary for the smooth operation of a modern bookshop.

I've loaded this particular gun with scrap iron," she said. "Now, I don't know if a shot to the head will kill you or not. But just consider how much fun we can have finding out.