Raeki

I am in a shop. It is large and spacious inside, dimly lit with a dusty and slightly musty feel. There are large (covered?) windows to the street, the suggestion of sunlight creeping through, to give a quiet church-like feel. A long simple timber counter faces these and runs, with a break in the centre for access, across the width of the premises. The floor is exposed timber floorboards, again dry and dusty. Some junkie guy is trying to sell the owner (someone I know?) a small green plastic dinosaur. The owner offers him £51 for it. I get to examine the piece – it certainly looks very old and its sinister sculpted head sports a malicious grin – while the seller protests about the price. I gently push the dinosaur back into its (unusual, avocado skin-like) slipcase as the seller says something about it having a chipped tooth. He then, evidently dissatisfied, goes off to get his “mate". I go over and stand in the gap in the counter, explaining to the owner that should the pair of them try any 'strong-arm tactics' to achieve a better price then I'll be sure to back him up. (Has there been another sale/transaction before for exactly £51?) The “mate” is as I expected, a shambling, unkempt individual, moving as if underwater. He is totally washed out, his entire person faded to a khaki monotone. He has a wide, battered face topped with a thatch of unruly hair. Someone says he has a heart condition. From the very off his manner switches between put upon and confrontational. Indeed, at one point, things get physical between us and as we warily circle one another I take aim to nudge him in the chest (quite aware of his 'diagnosis'?) while he lamely brandishes a slender piece of timber trim-

(The altercation over/unresolved) I notice wide white shelving (that has just appeared in the dreamescape) over to the right of the shop. Of the huge, fat books on the left shelf I can just about discern 'The Stainless Steel Rat's Guide To Film', working back from the stylish ink drawing on the wide green spine. To the right on the middle shelf (of 3) I realise I am looking at some huge collection of AKIRA. Housed in three large, Scalextric set-esque boxes the books are split into volumes 1, 2 & 3, volumes 4, 5 & 6 (though I also read this as '6, 6, 6')and volumes 7, 8 & 9. I am sure the first and third volumes also contain accompanying VHS video cassettes. There's a circular orange tag taped to the shelf above that states the entire collection is reduced to £30 (by either £20 or 20p, I'm unsure). I say I was never told they had this in their stock and the owner comes over to explain that a guy from Pink(?) Street sold it to them so it's likely to be damp/damaged. He then dips his hand into one of the boxes and when he removes it it is dripping wet. He laments the fact that he didn't check it more thoroughly at the time. Last I recall is some accompanying magazine lying open on a (also just appeared) table in the centre of the space - alongside the text on the right hand page there is a two-thirds figure ink drawing of Kaneda, in his classic standing gun pose, the paper all wrinkled and warped from the damp-