Who or what are you? Besides insufferably rude?

Fear and realisation of ignorance, strong medicines against stupid pride.

I certainly have had experiences of a sense of wonder at the world and a feeling that even though it could all be explained rationally, it still feels that there is more to it.

Touchstone watched, suddenly conscious that he probably only had five seconds left to be alone with Sabriel, to say something, to say anything. Perhaps the last five seconds they ever would have alone together. I am not afraid, he said to himself. "I love you," he whispered. "I hope you don't mind.

Clearly the Old One had the capacity to kill - or easily deliver some sort of final ending that sounded remarkably like death.

I have never known what to tell anybody. Except that it is better to do something than nothing, even if the cost is great.

There were also very special or dangerous items that had to be fetched in person, or even by large parties of armed librarians.