by J C Gilbert
“Which way now?”
“I know one house that will not be occupied.”
I did not ask how Elaine knew that it was not occupied as I did not think she would want to explain.
The city was built on an enormous scale. It was less like a collection of buildings and more like one large complex. Everything was made of rough-hewn stone. Adventurous vines clung here and there to complete the look. Elaine led me down the first alleyway we came to. The alley was long and narrow and was completely empty save for the occasional cat that fled at the first sign of us.
After a few twists and turns, we came to a wooden door. Elaine smiled and then launched against it. The door thudded but did not give.
“Are you sure that no one lives here?” I asked.
“Mostly sure,” said Elaine.
I grew nervous. I did like the idea of breaking and entering. I looked up and down the alley, expecting someone to come at any moment. Elaine launched again at the door. This time there was a crack in the lock, but it didn’t break.
“Third time is the charm,” said Elaine and she lunged one more time at the door. The wood cracked, and the door flung open. “There we are.”
She stepped into the building, and I hesitantly followed afterward. The house smelled like stale dust and old rot. I lit a small flame in my palm and held it forward to get a better look. I didn’t dare send anything else around the house as the whole place appeared to me to be a fire hazard.
“See,” said Elaine. “No one lives here. Come on upstairs, let’s see what we can find.”
Elaine led me through the house, up a rickety old staircase, and into a long-abandoned bedroom. Apart from the dust, you could imagine that someone had left this room expecting to come back only a few hours ago. A beam of light penetrated through half-open curtains. I moved to pull them the rest of the way, but Elaine touched my arm.
“Someone will notice if the curtains are open,” she said.
Elaine pulled open the wardrobe and took out some dresses that were hanging there. They were, if anything, more conspicuous than what we were wearing. They were all ornately adorned with ruffles and lace.
“So we’re dressing up like cakes?” I asked.
“No, we’ll have to find something else. I know. We will try the servants quarters. You wait here.”
Soon she returned with some simple linen dresses, all carefully folded.
“Put one of these on,” she said. “It doesn’t much matter how well it fits you or anything like that. It is only the most well-to-do that actually get clothes that fit them in these parts. It will help prevent us from standing out.”
I pulled off my maroon sweater and buttoned the brown calico dress over my other clothes. I surveyed the result in a tall mirror that was propped up against one of the walls. It looked awful, but at least I wouldn’t stand out.
“Help me out of this, would you?” asked Elaine.
She was still dressed in all her frills and black lace. I released the clasps on the back of the dress and turned away as Elaine changed into her simple clothes.
“God, it is good to be out of that thing. What was I thinking? If I knew that I would be dressed like that for all eternity, I would definitely have worn something a little more practical.”
“You’ve never changed?”
“Have nothing to change into,” said Elaine. “The dress was an enchantment anyway. It kept me clean and comfortable and never faded. I could have done worse, I suppose.”
I bundled my sweater into my bag as best as I could, and Elaine hung her dress up in the wardrobe.
“Where to now?” I asked.
“We have gotten past the riskiest part of the plan. I thought I would be caught long before now. If we can, we should get a room at an inn as close to the citadel as possible.”
“What’s wrong with this place? We could stay here.”
Elaine shook her head. “You know I’m not sentimental, but I have too many memories from this house. I would much sooner stay at an inn where we can get a feel for how things are in Avonheim at the moment.”
We replaced the door to the alleyway and made for the main streets. I still felt conspicuous with my obviously modern bag slung over my shoulder, but it was definitely an improvement having Elaine out of her dress. She seemed to me to be about half the size.
Elaine led me through the busy streets and toward the towering citadel. We reached a great lake and circled around it. On the far side, there was a large inn.
It was busier inside this inn than I would have expected in the middle of the day. The whole place was lit with candlelight and was warm from a roaring fire. The smell of deep-fried potatoes mingled with fresh bread. I addressed the innkeeper and secured a room for us both. I was about to lead Elaine to our new place of rest when my eyes fell on someone familiar.
“It’s Mason,” I said to Elaine in a whisper.
“He doesn’t look happy,” said Elaine.
“No. No, he doesn’t. Look, here are the keys. Go upstairs and get settled in. I’ll see what’s going on.”
Elaine nodded and retreated up toward our room.
I took a deep breath, did my best impression of a comforting smile, and lay my hand on Mason’s shoulder. “Sir Mason,” I said.
Mason looked about with a puzzled expression. Then his gaze met mine. Then his eyes grew wide.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Stephen!” exclaimed Mason, “what have you put in my drink?”
“Liquor, I’m afraid,” said the barkeep, “and I’ve been regretting it ever since.”
“Sir Mason,” I repeated, “it’s me, the Keeper of The Library. It’s Alex.”
“Why are there two of you?”
“I think that you’ve had too much to drink.” The man’s eyes seemed puffy and raw as if he had been crying.
Mason visibly tried to pull himself together. “It is you, good gracious, where are my manners? Welcome, welcome.”
“It’s good to see you,” I said, trying to ignore his drunkenness.
“Likewise, I’m sure.”
“Are you all right?”
“Yes, well, no. It has been a rough couple of months, I will not hide that from you.”
“Why? What’s been going on?”
“It is to my shame, my utter shame, that I have not been successful in returning my lady to her previous form. Don’t get me wrong, she makes a magnificent parrot, and I tell her that regularly, but I think that I can be forgiven for wishing she were otherwise. You see, Keeper, you will remember that I left you with Pickles and Tabitha with the hopes of securing the aid of the citadel in restoring her to her previous role as our ruler. I was distressed to discover, however, that not only did they refuse to recognize a parrot as the head of state of Avonheim, but they refused to acknowledge Tabitha as Tabitha at all. They threatened to lock me up, they did. They said that I was conspiring to control the government through avian means. So I said to them, Alex, I said to them, if you will not help me then I will find a way of restoring Tabitha to her original body myself.
“They laughed at me, Keeper. They laughed at me. And you know what? They were right. I haven’t found a single wizard, conjurer, reader of cards, accountant, or anything similar with any experience in turning a human back into human form. I would have thought it would be the first thing they teach you in wizarding school. But there you go.”
“Seems like you’ve had a hard time of it,” I said.
“Oh, you don’t know the half of it,” said Mason. “I got myself set up with a room in this fine establishment, and set about petitioning those who would rule over Avonheim for resources so that I may continue in my quest. You know what they said to me today? They said, ‘Mason, if you petition us one more time about your silly bird then we will have to turn you out of Avonheim forever. And we will enjoy it.’ Can you believe that? They called Tabitha a silly bird. I told her, you know. I don’t know that she understands
me, but I told her. So here I am as you find me, drinking as much as I possibly can, with the understanding that once I reach a certain level of intoxication, I will feel better. So far I have been betrayed, though I am beginning to cheer up for the sight of you, Keeper, and I don’t believe I have the drink to thank for that, unless Stephen there has more skill with his mixology than he has been letting on these past months.”
“I have some news for you,” I said.
“I hope that it is good news. I’ve had more than my fair share of bad news of late.”
“I’ve come back to Avonheim because I have found a way to turn Tabitha back to her human form.”
Mason’s mouth dropped open. He closed it again and then opened it again, looking like he was about to speak. He frowned. “You wouldn’t be pulling my leg, would you, Keeper?”
I shook my head
“Then there is no time to lose!” said Mason. He stood up quickly from his chair, turned about, tripped over, and fell face flat on the floor. “Ow,” he said.
I helped him to his feet, and as I did, I noticed the whole common room hushed to quiet. I followed the gaze of the patrons to the main stairs, and soon I was staring too.
“My lady,” said Mason dropping to one knee.
An older woman dropped to one knee not far from us, and then another patron did likewise, then another. Soon the whole room was filled with people honoring who they saw. I followed suit.
There, standing halfway down the stairs with Elaine beside her, was a woman, perhaps about Elaine’s age. She was tall and slender and had her auburn hair tied up in a messy bun. She took another step down the stairs and her eyes locked with mine.
She smiled at me. “My greetings to you, Keeper of The Library.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Good people of Avonheim, rise from your knees. I have returned to you all after great trials. Rise up.”
The patrons of the inn did as Tabatha asked in rising, still staring, still silent.
“Come,” said Tabitha, “let us talk upstairs.”
I nodded, looked to Elaine, and tried to read her expression. I could see that some great pressure had been released somewhere in the depths of her gaze, and yet still wariness haunted her looks.
Mason came walking alongside me unbidden. His joy apparently made him silent, how much his intoxication had to do with that I was not sure. Soon we were alone in a room that I supposed must have been Mason’s.
“We have not been formally acquainted,” said Tabitha. “My name is Tabitha, the ruler here in Avonheim, at least I was. And I understand your name is Alex?”
“That’s right,” I said, “Alexandria Reed. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
“Aren’t you lovely,” said Tabitha.
I didn’t know what to say to that. I felt I should say something about Elaine, but I did not know how to approach the subject. It would have been strange to say that the thanks lay with her sister when her sister was the original cause of her distress.
“All I did was return an old friend to her home,” I said. Hank punched me for calling Elaine an old friend, but what else was I supposed to call her?
Tabitha smiled formally at me. “Indeed,” she said.
“I understand that you used to be the Keeper of The Library,” I said. “I know someone who would very much like to see you again.”
Tabitha smiled again, this time more genuinely. “How is the Librarian getting on?”
“As well as can be supposed, under the circumstances,” I said. I could see that this conversation was about to get awkward.
“The circumstances?”
“The sorceress Vicious, you see, there was a storm in The Library.”
Tabitha frowned and looked at Elaine, “you mean my sister?”
“Sort of?”
“What do you mean sort of? Elaine is Vicious, Vicious as Elaine, didn't you know?”
I looked to Elaine for some help, but she turned her face away in shame.
“I’m not sure that I understand it myself,” I said, “but they have split into two parts. The sorceress Vicious has no knowledge of us coming here today. We discovered that she is building something, or summoning something, or something of that nature. She has seized control over much of the multiverse and is restless in her desire to seize control over what remains of it.”
“She can travel through worlds then? And without the aid of The Library? This is troubling, indeed.”
“When Vicious and Elaine were still one, they used me to break into The Library to try and take power from The Library’s Heart. The spell failed, and in her anger she jumped into The Library’s Heart, causing the storm. It was not until recently that I discovered that she survived the jump, and it has only been a few weeks since I met with this Elaine.”
Tabitha shook her head. She glanced over to Elaine and then back to me. “You clearly don’t know my sister,” said Tabitha. “As much as I wish I could believe that she came here with the sole purpose of putting things right with me, I have been fooled too many times in the past. No, this is some trick.”
“I don’t think that it is,” I said desperately.
“Alex,” said Elaine. “Don’t. I have done many crimes, and it is time for me to pay the penalty.”
“She has had several opportunities to betray me on the road. This is not the same Elaine that you and I knew.”
Tabitha was unmoved. “My sister is infinitely more intelligent than either you or I could ever comprehend. It is possible that she is telling the truth, but it would be absolutely ridiculous for me to assume that that’s the case.”
“I have done what I had set out to achieve,” said Elaine. “Thank you, book girl. You should return to your friends.”
Tabitha frowned and shot Elaine sideways glance. “You see what I mean?” she asked of me. “She makes you constantly second-guess yourself. Right now I don’t know if she is saying these things because she wants to be left here so that she can make some mischief, or because she has actually repented. It makes me think that I should let her go from this place because there is a possibility that that would go against her plans. But maybe that’s what she wants?”
“And if she stays? What will become of her?”
“I honestly don’t know,” said Tabitha. “I don’t like locking people up, Keeper.
“You’re going to kill her?”
“No, goodness. That is monstrous. No, I cannot trust her out of my sight, though. Unless I want her to get the jump on me again.”
It was true that we had achieved what we had come here to do, but it didn’t seem right to me that Elaine should be so suspected by her sister. It made sense, but it didn’t seem right.
I slept alone that night in the room that we had paid for. I didn’t know where Elaine slept and was having trouble letting go.
The next morning, I met Mason at breakfast. He was stuffing his face full of bread and soup and didn’t notice my approach.
“You look happy,” I said.
“I surely am, sa! Couldn’t be happier.”
“How is she? Adjusting well to having arms and legs again?”
“As far as I can tell,” said Mason. “This is going to give the fellows in the citadel a shock. Can’t wait to see their faces.”
“Have you seen Elaine this morning?”
“The sorceress? No. Tabitha had her carted off somewhere this morning in the wee small hours. She will be no more trouble to anyone anymore, I can assure you.”
“I see,” I said, my heart sinking.
“You have a good soul,” said Mason, “you don’t like seeing one that’s done wrong suffering any more than you like seeing one that’s done is right suffering. It’s a good trait and one that our ladyship shares, but it will not do for the likes of Vicious. No, no. Things will be better this way.”
I could see that there was no arguing with the man. I’m sure if he had the opportunity, he would call
a spade a spade.
“I will begin my journey back to The Library this morning,” I said. I didn’t really want to go, but there was only so long that I could reasonably keep up the ruse that I was staying at Lilly’s.
“Yes! And I am to take you,” said Mason.
Hank did a somersault in my stomach. “When you say take me…?”
In a shorter time than I could reasonably have supposed possible, I found myself sat on the back of a giant duck who happened to be named Pickles. Mason had fitted Pickles with a new harness and hadn’t done a very good job of it. As Pickles waddled, picking up speed ready for flight, I wondered if I had made the right decision taking up Mason’s offer of a shortcut. At this moment, it seemed far more likely that I would die plummeting from the sky than braving the open road.
Pickles flapped his wings, and we swayed from side to side. He ran, reminding all the world why ducks were not meant to run. His great wings flapped faster and faster, and then we were up, Pickles gliding through the sky.
“Not so bad once you get used to him,” shouted Mason.
I did not reply. I didn’t feel there was anything I could say that couldn’t be construed as tempting fate. The distance that had taken Elaine and I several days to traverse took less than an hour of flight time on the giant duck. Soon we were gliding down toward the goblin encampment which was, thankfully, still empty.
“Looks like trouble!” called Mason over his shoulder
“It’s empty, we came this way, remember?”
“And the sorceress destroyed them all?”
“No, we found it empty.”
“A likely story. All right, I’ll set you down.”
Pickles began flapping again as he careered toward the ground. When his feet touched the earth, the whole saddle bounced off his back, and I was sure that we would fall off. When at last he came to a stop, I dismounted as quickly as I could.
Mason laughed. “Can be a bit of a bumpy ride sometimes, to be sure. But you have to admit, it cuts down the transit time considerably.”
“Thank you, Mason,” I said.
