In this illustration from "The Lair of the Clockwork Book" we see the Book itself, together with its assistant, in one of those quiet moments between clients when the Book and Tallie are free to make endless pots of tea and review the stories that are the Book’s reason for being. The Book exists to collect these stories: Tallie, on the other hand, thinks that it’s all about times like this. And tea. And, apparently, hats.
"The Lair of the Clockwork Book" is an illustrated, serialized story that will update at Thrilling Tales of the Downright Unusual each Monday and Thursday until it’s over. That should be sometime in April of 2012.
This version of the illustration is based on the one at the web site, and in the book, but has been re-rendered and overpainted in a much higher resolution even than the book’s version: 300 pixels to the inch, at 18 by 24 inches.