Hakan, once a big name in the toy industry and the owner of Ackley's Toy Store, stepped out of the hard-sleeper car.
After so many days on the train, his chronic back pain, stomachaches, and knee problems all flared up at once.
These were all occupational hazards accumulated from his youth, when he'd neglected his health, working tirelessly on toys day and night.
After he became successful, with the help of Priests, they hadn't flared up in many years.
However, he suspected those Priests had held back. 'They could have cured me completely but deliberately left some underlying issues so I'd have to keep coming back for paid treatments.'
Because that's how he did business. The toys at Ackley's Toy Store were never made to be particularly high-quality, even though he was capable of it, and the cost wouldn't have been much higher.
But deliberately leaving parts that were prone to breaking was an effective way to encourage repeat purchases.
'Out with the old, in with the new.'
