Pearl Cole lived in a bookshop. 

When most people said that, they meant that they spent so much time at the library, the theatre, or their workplaces that they felt as if they lived there. But for Pearl, this was not the case.  She did not spend her life in bookshops in general. She lived in a flat at the top of Cole’s Book Arcade, 299 Bourke Street,  under the rainbow sign that could be seen from as far away as  Parliament House. And although it meant she had to explain herself often, Pearl would not have given up living in a bookshop for any price. For one thing, living in a bookshop allowed her to read lots of interesting books.  

For another, it allowed her to read lots of interesting people. She was reading one now. He was a tall man, leaning on a shelf in the business section. A black walking cane, topped with silver,  rested at his side. Pearl held Treasure Island up to her face and watched the stranger over the top of it. He must be some actor  or magician, she decided…

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