A New Keeper
Page 20
“Oh, did you find him then?”
“No, I’m afraid not,” said the Librarian thoughtfully.
“It's OK, you can keep it here,” I said, “you are the one that lives here, after all.”
“But you will be spending a lot of time here, Alex. Now that the storm is passed it is time that you started addressing your duty.”
My stomach lurched. “There are just so many of them,” I said.
“You don’t have to do it alone, you know. Have Lilly join you, or that Darcy fellow.”
“Darcy? But is it safe?”
The Librarian shrugged. “Comparatively,” she said. “I can help out a little too, though my place is in The Library. I can start having a flick through the affected books, do some reading ahead.”
“You can do that?”
“One of the special privileges of being a Librarian,” she said. She adjusted her spectacles and grinned.
The next day I met Lilly for lunch at the usual spot. So much had changed, and yet so much had stayed the same. “Y'all got any lamps?” she asked as I sat down.
“Could you quit it with that already?”
Lilly laughed. “So how did it go?”
“I did it.”
“Gnorts, Alex, that's incredible!” she gave me a big ol’ bear hug.
“It's just a speech,” I said, my face smushed.
She pulled away and gave me a satirical look. A smile burst over my face. I felt so fantastic that I wanted to cry.
“So what does gnorts mean, anyway?” I asked.
“You are kidding?” asked Lilly, her face dropping.
“What? No.”
“All this time.”
“Yeah, why? What does it mean?”
“It’s short for Gnorts, Mr. Alien.”
“Oh, I see.”
Lilly sighed and laughed. “Thank goodness for that!” she said, “you really had me going for a moment.”
It was a good day.
“So with the speech out of the way I guess this means that you and Hank are friends now?” asked Lilly.
“Friends? No. I don't think we are friends. Not yet.”
“So how did you manage the speech?”
“Hank and I have come to an arrangement.”
“An arrangement?”
“Yeah. He's allowed to do what he likes, but on one condition.”
“What's that?” asked Lilly.
“So am I.”
I hope you have enjoyed your time with Alex and Hank.
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It is hard to be a little person in a world of humans. What happened to the fairy?
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