The Bookman was after the other half of the book The Spells of Astoroth. He, like Miss Eglantine Price, was seeking the Substitutiary Locomotion spell. After having his henchman Swinburne "encourage" Miss Price, Mr. Emelius Browne, and the children to see him, he and Miss Eglantine Price decide to cooperate and trade each of their halves of the book. As he and Miss Price both come to the conclusion that they've reached another dead end, the Bookman mentions a passage later in his half of the book that talks about Astoroth's fate. He spoke of experiments Astoroth was performing to make animals more human. The animals rebelled, killed Astoroth, and took off for Isle of Naboombu which he said "Does not exist". The Bookman's basis for his claim of the nonexistence of Maboombu was that he checked geographic charts of every known place on Earth, and no such isle has been found. Then Paul says it does exist and brings out his children's book from underneath the covers of the bed. The Bookman wanted to see the book but Paul refused. Then he and Swinburne threatened Miss Price, Emelius, and the children at knife point. At that point Miss Price, and the children, climbed on to the bed. Professor Emelius Browne then told the Bookman that the bed and all on it would disappear. The Bookman said, "I'd like to see a cheapjack tenth-rate entertainer do a trick like that." That made Mr. Browne angry. Miss Price told Paul to have the bed go to the Isle of Naboombu. The Bookman ordered his minion Swinburne to get the book, but by then, it had already disappeared along with the bed.
