by C. A. Pack
“You’re right,” she said. “I’m tired. I apologize.”
Jackson put his arm around her shoulder. “Me, too.” He kissed her neck.
★May I interrupt?
Mal stood when he heard Pru Tellerence. “Of course. Have arrangements been made for transporting Johanna and Jackson home?”
★Yes. Are you ready to go?
Johanna looked at Mal. “Will you be coming with us?”
“I’m afraid not,” he answered. “My place is here.”
She threw her arms around him. “I always hate saying goodbye to you.”
“I’ll miss you, both of you. But as long as you have my diary, you’ll always be able to stay in touch with me.”
Jackson nudged Johanna. “And as long as I have your diary, I’ll be able to stay in touch with you.
“Use your cell phone. I need my diary back.”
“I don’t have a cell phone.”
“You still want you to return my diary.”
“Why?”
“Because I journal the day-to-day events in the library. Whoever comes after us will need that information.”
“Oh.”
Mal shook Jackson’s hand. “The next time we meet, I’ll present you with a diary of your own. You each have unique experiences in the library and see events from different perspectives. It will be beneficial for both of you to journal independently.”
“Thanks.”
★It is time. Give me your hands.
As soon as they joined hands with Pru Tellerence the trio disappeared.
*
Johanna and Jackson had only been gone for two days, but it felt like ages. The lights in the Fantasian library turned on automatically and warm air penetrated the vast space.
“Honey, we’re ho-ome,” Jackson said in a singsong voice.
“Too bad there’s no one here to welcome us, like a fluffy little kitten.”
“You want a kitten?”
“I hadn’t thought about it until I saw Mal again. When he first talked to me about being the curator, he took me upstairs to the residence and there was the cutest little kitten there named Ophelia. I think she was one of the reasons why I didn’t fight Mal tooth and nail about taking over his position. I really wanted a kitten of my own and sought the unconditional love we could have shared. But then when I moved in, there was no kitten. I guess she was a prop of some sort to illustrate what could be. And we’ve been so busy, I haven’t really thought about her. But now, I wish she had come with the library.”
★I had a kitten when I lived here. Pru Tellerence had a dreamy far-away look in her eyes. ★She was a silver miniature that went by the name Cassiopeia. I could swear she read minds, because she came before I called her, and led me to whatever I needed to find. She was the sweetest little thing.
“When you lived here?” Johanna raised her eyebrows. “Do you mean when you were a curator, because Mal had been the curator here for hundreds of years before we came along.”
★Of course. I meant when I was a curator. The libraries are all very similar.
Jackson’s curiosity got the best of him. “How long ago was that?”
★Before either of you were born. Please, I would love for you to show me around.
“One guided tour coming up.” Jackson held out his arm and Pru Tellerence gladly accepted it. “Right this way.” The teen led the tour with the overseer at his side, and Johanna behind them. Whenever Jackson stumbled for a word, Johanna supplied it and would continue speaking until Jackson took over again. They delivered their dialogue seamlessly, as if rehearsed, and showed Pru Tellerence all the aboveground levels of the library. As they stood on the seal directly beneath the cupola, Jackson asked, “Do you want to see the basement and sub-basements as well?”
★No. That’s quite all right. Most of the libraries are identical in many respects, and this one is no exception.
“If you want to see an exception, you should go to Terroria, where the ground is covered with oily mist. Or Dramatica where the floors are made out of glass.”
“She’s an overseer, Jackson. I think she knows.”
★For the most part, you’re right. I represent Dramatica, and I’ve been to Mysteriose and Lumina. However, I’ve never been to Terroria. I was unable to attend the hearing when Nero 51 accused you of spying. From your description, it’s not a library I look forward to visiting.
“Mal mentioned most of the overseers hadn’t been to all the libraries.”
★Correct. Most overseers have only been to their home worlds, the realms they represent, and Lumina. She gazed off into the distance. ★And now—with the exception of myself—Terroria. Any curator or overseer who’s seen more than four worlds is very well traveled.
“We’ve seen four realms,” Jackson said, “but aside from that, I’ve never been out of the country. My country.”
★I’m sure that will change. I have a feeling that you and Johanna are destined for greatness. Mark my words.
“Greatness sounds good.” The grandfather clock chimed the hour. “Uh, I don’t want to seem rude or anything, but I think I should check in at home to see how my family is doing.” He looked at Johanna. “Is that okay?”
She nodded. “Of course. I’ll see you Monday.”
“If you need me, call me at home.”
“Will do.”
★Goodnight, Jackson. I look forward to seeing you again.
“Will you still be here on Monday afternoon?”
★That will depend on whether Johanna asks me to leave.
Johanna gasped. “I would never do that.”
*
Pru Tellerence laughed. She was interested in getting to know Johanna better. There was something intriguing about the girl, and the overseer wanted to learn about her motivations and ideals. And there was a place she wanted to visit. A place someone had offhandedly mentioned years before that Pru Tellerence never forgot about. Fantasia could hold answers to questions she had kept dear for a very long time.
*
The library phone rang. The mail carrier on the other end told Johanna he’d left a package for her in the vestibule. She immediately retrieved it and inspected the wrapping, but she didn’t open it.
★Is something wrong?
“There’s something odd about the return address.”
★Where is it from?
“It says, Lighthouse, Skokholm, Wales. But I think they must have meant Stockholm which is in Sweden.”
Pru Tellerence closed her eyes. She swayed for a second before opening them and walking over to a reference shelf, where she removed an atlas. ★There is a Skokholm lighthouse in Wales.
Joann walked over and looked at the entry. “I wonder if the same explorers who named Stockholm named Skokholm?
★I believe so. Are you going to open the package?
“It’s probably just a book that needs rebinding. I’ll wait until Monday when Jackson is here so we can work on it together. Bookbinding isn’t his strong suit and he needs more practice. If I open it now, I’ll just start working on it myself and that won’t help him develop his skills. This way, we’ll both be surprised by whatever literary treasure awaits us.”
Pru Tellerence merely nodded. She, too, might be around on Monday to learn what secret the package held.
*
Johanna’s story about growing up in a foundling home intrigued Pru Tellerence. It was a tale of woe she knew only too well—the loss of those closest to us, before we’ve had a chance to know them. In turn, she told Johanna how she had been a curator on Romantica before becoming an overseer. ★At that time, there were no female overseers left, and when it came time for my challenge, most of the males scoffed at my chances. But I knew what the overseers were looking for and tailored my answers toward that end. You could see all the bravado and self-proclaimed superiority of my competitors deflate noticeably when the deans named me winner of the challenge.
★My first position was on Mysteriose, a realm ruled by high
priests and priestesses. Obviously, the college expected my gender to be a huge help trying to tame the Mysterians, who had never fully returned to the fold after the Two Millennia War ended. They had joined forced with the Adventurans and Terrorians during the uprising, and remained unhappy about losing prominence after the war. Some of the male overseers before me had been bewitched by the priestesses and were subsequently forced into what you might call ‘early retirement.’ I didn’t fare much better. Even though I’m female, the priestesses perceived me as weak, and they flouted library law. One of them, Magra, was curator of their library and thought of herself as more powerful than any overseer. I caught her charging patrons 50 bailon each to vacation in the library. She—
“Excuse me. Did you say ‘vacation’ in the library?”
★Yes. Mysteriose is a class V library. Unlike your books, which come to life, the books on Mysteriose invite people into the story as a character. It’s a popular vacation spot for Mysterians who want to live out their fantasies. But it’s meant to be free. Libraries of Illumination never charge patrons for the use of their facilities. Except on Mysteriose. I told Magra she had to stop, but she refused, and there was a bit of unpleasantness. She overstepped her bounds by a large margin and lost her curatorship.
★I have since moved on to Dramatica, where the citizens are a delight to work with, and rules and regulations are respected. The Library of Illumination doesn’t ask for much. We were established long ago to preserve ancient tales and history and have grown since then to protect every bit of knowledge that has been committed to paper, canvas, inidri, stone, bark, caspirt and various other materials on which whimsy, knowledge, and masterpieces are recorded. We serve all people in a way that protects our literary resources. I’m sure as curator of a class L library, you’ve wondered why your library isn’t open to the general public. We’ve learned over the years that people in this realm aren’t ready to accept living literature. You may argue that motion pictures are the same thing, however, the general public can’t interact with a film. It’s quite different on Educon, which is also a class L realm. Their citizens embrace a book’s ability to come to life and interact with it to further their knowledge and education. Interacting with literature is in its infancy on your world.
Pru Tellerence paused. Her use of the word ‘infancy’ sparked a faraway look.
“Are you okay?”
The overseer smiled at Johanna. ★Yes. I just remembered a promise I made to someone on my home world, Romantica. Her baby was abducted, and she believes it was brought here. Maybe you could help. Where might I inquire about a missing three-year-old child?
Johanna drew in a deep breath. “You could try adoption agencies. If the child is only three, it’s too young for … uh … slave trading, but could be too old to appeal to some couples. A lot of people here are more interested in adopting infants, so a three-year-old may have been left at a home, like the one where I was raised.”
★Where would I find such a place?
“I hardly know where to tell you to start looking. Every city, state, country would have such facilities, and those are just the legal places. I’d hate to think she’s a and baby which is more likely, considering she was abducted from another realm.
“Do you have a picture of her?”
★Sadly, no.
“But you do know what she looks like, and you can describe her.”
★I haven’t seen her for a very long time.
“If you haven’t seen her for a while, and she’s three, she may have changed dramatically since you last saw her. Does she have any distinguishing traits?”
★She looks very young for her age.
“Anything else?”
★She has a birthmark behind her ear ... but nothing else that I can think of off-hand. I need to impress upon you the need to keep this just between us. The child’s mother is very upset over her daughter’s disappearance and doesn’t want word to get out that we may be looking for the missing girl. So promise me you’ll only discuss this when no one else is around. Including Jackson. Or Mal. Or any of the overseers.
LOI
CHAPTER 20
The next morning, Johanna helped Pru Tellerence contact local adoption and child welfare agencies to inquire about the best way to look for a missing three-year-old. Johanna helped set up appointments, but the overseer would not allow the curator to accompany her.
Nothing Johanna said could persuade Pru Tellerence to change her mind. “You’ll get lost. You don’t know your way around.”
★I’m an overseer. We have our own methods of transportation, which are quite accurate, and this is a personal inquiry that I must make alone.
“You’re going to stand out like a neon sign in church dressed like that. Do you have any, uh, normal clothing with you?”
★Normal is in the eye of the beholder.
“Yes. And there are a lot of ‘beholders’ out there who are going to give you a hard time if you go out in your robe and miter. Let’s go see if I have anything in my closet that might work for you.”
A navy blue suit with a knee length skirt appeared to be the best choice among Johanna’s limited wardrobe. She had worn it the day she applied for her job in book services and again when the library board had set up a public reading that nearly ended in disaster because of a pawnbroker’s greed. Johanna had purchased the suit at a second-hand store, and while well made, it was neither young nor trendy. That made it perfect for the overseer. Unfortunately, it was a couple of sizes too small. “I don’t know if this will fit.”
★Allow me to evaluate and remediate.
Pru Tellerence removed her miter hat. The long white hair that all the overseers had in common came off with it. The faux hair and hat had covered a coil of dark auburn tresses. Without the robe, the dean looked thinner than she appeared, but the zipper to the suit’s skirt fought her when she tried to zip it. Pru Tellerence smiled serenely and shrunk to fit the suit.
Johanna gaped. “You don’t know how many women in this country would give anything to be able to do that.”
★One of the blessings received when becoming an overseer is the ability to transmogrify, to change our appearance.
“I hope it works for your feet, too, because you’ll need to change into these shoes.”
★Yes. Pru Tellerence’s foot slid inside the pump. ★They feel lumpy.
“That’s because the stockings you’re wearing are way too thick. Have you ever worn pantyhose?”
★I do not know what you mean.
Johanna found a pair in her dresser and opened the cellophane packaging. She held up the shriveled hosiery for the overseer’s inspection.
Pru Tellerence stared at the twisted bit of nothing.
“It stretches.” Johanna slipped her hand inside and demonstrated.
The overseer didn’t look convinced.
“I’ll give you some privacy. Why don’t you remove the skirt and see if you can slip the pantyhose on.”
★And wear only this in place of the skirt?
Johanna couldn’t hide her grin. “No, under the skirt. After you put this on, you wear the skirt over it.”
★That is yet to be determined.
Johanna left the older woman to figure it out for herself.
★
Pru Tellerence emerged from Johanna’s bedroom, fully dressed and sporting a different hairdo that looked modern enough to deflect undue attention.
“You need a handbag.”
★I have nothing to carry in it.
“It doesn’t matter. Women around here wouldn’t be caught dead without one.” She went into her room and retrieved a small red clutch. She stuffed a few tissues inside and a ten-dollar bill. “Here.”
★I have no need for Fantasian money.
“I’d hate to see you get hauled off for vagrancy if anything unexpected occurred.” She immediately thought of Lumi. “Loitering is greatly discouraged.”
The older woman smiled.
“One m
ore thing.” Johanna ran out of the room and returned with an eyeliner pencil and a tube of lipstick. “I just want to make you look like … a local.” She applied a little eyeliner to define the overseer’s eyes and showed Pru Tellerence how to apply the lipstick.
“Wow. You kind of look like an auburn Catherine Deneuve.”
★I’m not familiar with that person.
“Don’t worry. It’s a good thing.”
★While I am gone, you must protect my miter at all costs.
“Your hat? Sure. No one’s here but me. It’ll be fine.”
★I prefer that you lock it away someplace. Do you have a strongbox? Or perhaps you could put it in the vault on sub-level six.
“What vault on sub-level six?”
★Don’t you know? Never mind. I will acquaint you with it. The overseer picked up the miter and walked to the panel leading to the basement stairs. Johanna followed. Pru Tellerence entered the storage room where Johanna kept extra chairs and approached the rear wall. She held the palm of her left hand against the bare stone. A low rumble preceded the lowering of part of the wall, which slid out of sight into the floor. Seven doors lay behind it.
“Where do these lead?”
★That is a question best left for another day. The overseer approached the door on the far right. ★I need your assistance.
Johanna walked over, and Pru Tellerence took the curator’s left hand and placed it against the door lock. The door, much thicker and sturdier than it appeared from the outside, groaned as it swung open. Inside, Johanna saw a heavy marble and metal table, laden with very dusty books and scrolls. On the opposite side of the room, an unfathomable amount of gold ingots, shrouded in cobwebs, stood in irregular piles in a corner.
Pru Tellerence picked up a scroll and blew the dust off it. She unrolled it and scanned it. ★This is one of the original gospels that didn’t make it into your Christian bible. It’s the Apocalypse of Peter. The architects of the New Testament discarded a number of gospels just like this one.
“Gospels … really?”
★Yes. Like diaries, they recorded events from the writer’s viewpoint. Some were deemed fringe documents. In other realms, they appear bound as history texts on the appropriate sub-level, but here, the curators before you chose to save the original scrolls. Most curators in other realms made that same choice. The information contained herein is recorded throughout the system, but each library has its own collection of historic documents and artifacts that they choose to preserve.
