"And now," said Uncle, "I think we may as well do a little visiting in the towers. I think we'll call on the Old Man and Eva, and then go right up to the top of Lion Tower to call on Captain Walrus."

The Old Man and Eva live at the top of Homeward Tower. The make medicines for a living.

Only Uncle and the Old Monkey went on this trip, and they took nothing with them but sandwiches. They got into an express lift at the end of the hall, and were soon whizzed up the two hundred storeys.

There was a big field at the top, and some gardens. In the middle of the field was a small house, with a sign which completely covered one side of it:


THOMAS CLATWORTHY SPENCER LIBERTAS
SWEETWATER CLANJOHN BREWAGE
TEMPLETONJOYCE GLEAMHOUND


His real name is Mr Gleamhound, but he is nearly always called 'the Old Man'.

On the other side of the house was another sign:


PURVEYOR OF DRUGS. PROPRIETOR OF GLEAMHOUND'S
HEADACHE MIXTURE, GLEAMHOUND'S HEADACHE
PRODUCER (FOR ENEMIES), GLEAMHOUND'S HAIR TONIC,
GLEAMHOUND'S HAIR REMOVER, GLEAMHOUND'S FAT
REDUCER, GLEAMHOUND'S FATTENING MIXTURE FOR
THE THIN, GLEAMHOUND'S STOMACH JOY, ETC. ETC.


They are all very good, but they act the wrong way. For instance, his Headache Mixture gives you a frightful headache, his Jumbo Bunion Destroyer is well calculated to rouse bunions on a perfectly healthy foot. His Jacob's Well Eye Salve can put your eyes out of action for weeks, whereas his Punishment Eye Irritant (for enemies) will often cure people who have had to wear glasses for years.

Sitting in the house was Mr Gleamhound. He was perfectly bald, and wore immensely strong glasses over his inflamed eyes. He had been using his own hair restorer and eye salve for years.