Swamped

The ooze seemed to react when Mortimer was angry. It went back to normal when you flung a bucket of spit at him, though he also dropped the boot with the ooze on it.

So you spit in the cauldron. Nothing seems to happen - if that even works, you probably need more spit. But you're not going to be able to produce that much in a hurry. Maybe the bar has a spittoon somewhere?

Well, you don't have much time to look for one. If you're in a rush, you're better off finding the chemist...

A grebling suddenly charges violently at your leg. You see the same blank look in his eyes Mortimer had. Now you're starting to wonder if something's gone wrong with the plan.

Even in your advanced age, though, a grebling isn't much of a threat unless they've had training. They can be quite dangerous, but not so much if they're just flailing around if this one is. You grab him by the collar and try to figure out how to calm him down - preferably not by spitting on him.

The way he's dressed suggests this is the self-described chemist you overheard earlier. Maybe you simply didn't notice him because of his small stature. It's hard to say. You take a quick look around the room in hopes of avoiding other surprises.

You don't see anyone else. You do see something that gives you a hint as to just what the grebling was doing when you came in.