Question

Why did the booking clerk refuse to accept the money?

Hint:

Look for events or characters that are out of place or unreal, which often indicate a theme of illusion or fantasy in the story.

Answer 1

The booking clerk refused to accept the money because the protagonist was trying to buy a ticket for a journey to the third level of the train station, a place that didn’t exist in reality. The clerk, confused by the protagonist's insistence, refused payment as it involved a non-existent transaction.