Call of Kuyr

by J C Gilbert

  A boat glided softly past me.

  ***

  I landed in the Library in a crouch. The others were getting better at landing but still lost balance every now and then. Darcy fell to one knee. The boat crashed into the ground next to him with a thud.

  "There you are!" cried the Librarian, looking up from her desk, "I was worried, sick!"

  The Librarian, an eight-foot Gorilla with a distinctly Scottish accent, looked strange at a desk made for people. She adjusted her spectacles. "Why do you have to bring that damn thing in here?" she asked, getting up from her seat and gesturing towards the boat, "Look, there is water all over the tiles."

  Darcey shrugged. "Boats come in handy."

  "Boats come in handy indeed. Can you believe this boy?"

  "Got it," I said, handing the Librarian the void stone.

  She took it up and peered at it carefully.

  "What does it do, anyway?" asked Lilly.

  "I don't rightly know," said the Librarian. "I will have to do some more reading, I think. This one will go with the others.

  The Librarian stowed any magical objects we found in what she called the Lower Vault. She never said where it was, but assured us that all the cabinets were 'magic proofed' with 'library secrets.'

  I couldn't help but wonder what they all did. The people in the various books we visited seemed quite attached to the sources of chaos in their worlds. Who could blame them? Magic is literally the essence of possibility. Unfortunately, it had to be removed or stabilized if the books were to be returned to relative safety.

  I looked at the book from which we had just emerged. The Littlest Floof, read the title. On the cover, there was a picture of what must have been a baby Teddy bear. It was more or less a mass of fur with two enormous helpless eyes. From this cover, I had expected a lot more cuddles and a lot less violence.

  "We were in there too long," said Darcy, "I can't afford to be away that long."

  "You didn't have to come, Captain Concrete," said Lilly.

  "It's not safe," he said.

  "Did you run into trouble?" asked the Librarian.

  "Nothing that unusual," I said, "chased and shot at. That sort of thing. Would have been a lot easier if I had had the book on hand."

  "Alex, you know -" started the Librarian.

  "Yes, I know. We have to keep The Library safe."

  "We have to keep our world safe too, Alex," said Darcy, "you seem to forget that."

  "What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, tensing up.

  "Don't you think the Library is a little more important than just one world?" asked the Librarian.

  The three of us turned to look at her with one movement. I held her gaze for a moment.

  "Need I remind you that the destruction of The Library would mean the destruction of all worlds? Including your own? Oh, for heaven's sake, stop looking at me like that."

  "If The Library is what you say it is-" started Darcy.

  "Which it is," interjected the Librarian.

  "-then we must keep it safe. But what about this world?" he gestured towards the book I was holding. "Is that world more important than ours, Alex? Things are getting pretty crazy out there. We seem to be spending a lot of time-saving other people. I just hope you don't forget about our home."

  My heart sank. I hated being caught between people like this. I just wanted to do the right thing.

  "I think she is tired," said Lilly, "we can worry about these things later."

  "I just hope there is a later," said Darcy.

  "Well, I think Alex is doing an excellent job as Keeper, under the circumstances," said the Librarian.

  "It would be a lot easier if I could use the flame magic," I said.

  "On him?" asked the Librarian, looking at The Littlest Floof.

  "No, it's just useful. I'd feel a lot safer."

  "You will probably be able to use it in some books and not others," said the Librarian. "You are reaching into a very specific dimension when you use that power. Sometimes you will be 'near' that dimension, and sometimes you won't be. Not all dimensions are next to each other, you know.

  "You can use the power in our world then," said Darcy, "I saw you."

  I went red. I didn't want the Librarian to know about that. She seemed surprised but didn't say anything.

  "Anyway," said the Librarian, "it may not be a good idea to use that power at all. In worlds that are already tainted, a little more chaos may be all that is needed to push the world over the edge."

  "Exactly!" said Darcy. He stepped forward. "If you had seen the things I have seen -" he started.

  "Fortunately for you, Mr. Knight," interjected the Librarian, "Keepers tend to come from pretty robust worlds for exactly this reason. We can't afford to have her distracted."

  Darcy looked like he was simmering beneath his stony expressions. His eyes locked with the Librarian's.

  "It's late," I said, "I think we should head back."

  CHAPTER THREE

  I closed the front door carefully, wincing at the soft click as the lock fell into place. The house was silent, and Lilly was gone. I was alone at last. There was not enough of that lately. I crept up the stairs and stepped back into my bedroom. I was still covered in salt and sand. My whole body ached, and I was beginning to notice a few cuts and bruises from the day's adventure. There was too much of that lately.

  I considered and then dismissed the idea of a shower. It was far too late, and the shower would be far too loud. It would be another uncomfortable night's sleep, but I was so tired that I could hardly summon the energy to care.

  I awoke early the next day with my heart racing. The whispers of a dream escaped me, and I wondered why I was feeling so afraid. My thoughts drifted again to the figure I had seen among the rocks. It couldn't be Elaine, could it? Was that even what my dream was about?

  Sometimes all you want to do when you wake up like this is to step back into oblivion, but these days I just kept on going. On the upside, I would be able to shower before anyone saw the state I was in. Keeping Mom in the dark about what I was doing was an increasingly difficult challenge. In the aftermath of the storm in The Library, I took time off school so that I could focus on getting things in order. This meant a complicated game of appearing sick while doing as much as I possibly could in The Library during the day and at night. Fortunately for the ruse, the exertion required meant that I often looked unwell.

  I didn't like lying to Mom, but I had to do my duty, and it was my fault, after all. One of the many downsides to pulling a week worth of sickies was that I was now behind on my school work too. I wasn't the best student in the world before I became The Library's Keeper, and things were rapidly going downhill.

  When I turned the shower off, I knew I had spent too much time in there. Dad would probably say something about the hot water, so I waited for him to leave before going downstairs. I honestly don't know what I did while I waited. Maybe I stared out the window?

  When I came down, Jonny was at the dining table, eating breakfast. He had recently taken to eating nothing but plain oats and water in the mornings. Mom had been a little worried by his sudden change of tastes, and there was talk about taking him to see a doctor. But given that the oats and water were a vast improvement on his usual cereal and orange juice, Jonny got his way in the end.

  Mom was rushing about in a more than usual frantic manner. "It's busy, busy at work this week," she said as I chucked a hashbrown in the microwave, "you don't know how lucky you are to be going to school and learning all day, Alex."

  The microwave whirred, and I hunted out the ketchup.

  "What I wouldn't give just to be sitting in a class today. It's all very exciting, the museum has been donated a new collection. A deceased estate, I think. Anyway, he was a huge collector, or had a huge collection?"

  "Sounds better than school," I said. I opened the microwave and took out the hashbrown. It burned my fingers. I proceeded to administer a layer of ketchup.

  "School i
s great, Alex. Especially for the smart kids like you. I was never very good at school, but I didn't have your brain."

  "What did he collect?"

  "Hmm?"

  "The deceased person. He had a collection?"

  "Oh, you know, things. Old things, I think. Alex, what on earth is that?"

  "A hashbrown."

  "What have you done? You have smothered it."

  "That's the way I like it."

  "That's no breakfast, Alex."

  "Better for you than pop tarts."

  Tasted better too.

  "I don't have time for this Alex, just get yourself a proper breakfast. You still don't look well."

  "Thanks."

  "Mom, can you get some chia seeds next time you are out?" asked Jonny.

  Mom turned and looked at him, only partially understanding.

  "They are really good for you," said Jonny.

  "Sure," said Mom, still puzzled.

  "And squidgy," he said

  ***

  I could barely focus in class. For some reason that I could not fathom my body only wanted to sleep when there was a desk in front of me, and a teacher saying something interesting. It was all I could do to keep my eyes open. Hank tended to be a little quieter when I was tired, which was an advantage.

  At lunchtime, I met with Lilly at our usual spot around the octagonal table. It was nice to have someone with me that understood what was going on. She looked tired too.

  "So how are we for Saturday?" she asked.

  "Saturday?" I asked.

  "Daniel and Carl? It's finally going to happen, Alex. Dates will be had."

  "I totally forgot to ask Mom. Sorry."

  "That's OK, it's still Monday. At least I think it's still Monday. I honestly don't know anymore. Sleep where art thou?"

  "Hey," said a voice. We turned to see Darcy standing there.

  "Hi," said Lilly, apparently trying to read his presence. He interpreted her looks as an invitation to sit.

  He sat.

  The three of us sat there in silence for a moment.

  "How are you? You two -, I mean, hows things?" asked Darcy.

  "Yeah, tired, ay," said Lilly.

  "Ah yup," said Darcy.

  Hank strummed on my guts.

  "Well, I'll see you guys around." Said Darcy, getting up and retreating into the school grounds.

  "What on earth was that about?" asked Lilly after he left.

  "Awkward as. I guess he just wanted to say hi," I suggested.

  "Um, but we don't hang out. Why does he think we hang out?"

  I shrugged. "Humans, I guess."

  "OK, well that was not OK. We gonna need to nip that one in the bud. It's just you and me, Alex. You hear that? You and me."

  "And Daniel and Ca-" I started.

  "And Daniel and Carl. Yes."

  "Are you OK, Lilly? You seem a little- "

  "I'm fine," she said, perhaps a little too quickly.

  "OK," I said.

  ***

  I walked home the long way, vaguely avoiding going home at all. In my wandering, I found myself by the shops where I had first seen the disappearing bookshop. It was there that I found the book which changed my life. For a moment, I realized that I was wishing that I had never found the way into The Library. I shook my head. I was tired and knew better than to trust my thoughts when I was tired. Maybe I just needed a night off?

  I pictured the Librarian explaining to me how another world could just blink out of existence if I didn't 'keep up the good work.' Maybe a night off wasn't on the cards.

  When I was finally home, I was ready for sleep but knew it wouldn't be that simple. "Oh, there you are," said Mom when I came in the door.

  "Hi," I said

  "You look like death warmed up," she said, putting the back of her hand to my forehead. It was a comforting feeling being looked after. She would make me go to bed, and then I wouldn't have to do anything. Right?

  "I wanted to ask you something," she said in a formal way which made me uneasy. "We have set a date for the grand opening of the new collections, and it's in only a month from now."

  "OK."

  "Well we have a lot to do before then, so I was going to see if you and maybe Lilly wanted some work?"

  "What kind of work?"

  "Just envelope stuffing. We have a lot of invitations to send out, and we are very short staffed."

  "I'll have a think about it," I said.

  "It would be doing me a big favor," said Mom.

  "That reminds me," I said, "is it alright if I go to the circus with Lilly and some others on Saturday?"

  "What others?" asked Mom, her tone flat.

  "Just Daniel and Carl," I said, doing my best impression of a casual person. I shrugged for effect, and then looked at Mom to see her reaction. I had no idea how to talk to Mom about boys.

  "I see," said Mom, her eyes lighting up, "and do we like Daniel and Carl? Well, I suppose it would be Daniel or Carl. Right? Though I guess you never know these days. As long as you are happy."

  "Mom, please don't."

  "I don't know Alex, you are looking unwell still. I'm not sure that the circus is the best place for a sick girl."

  "What if we stuff envelopes?" I said, partially hoping that Mom would say no so that I wouldn't have to go on the stupid double date.

  "Well, I suppose that if you are well enough to stuff envelopes, then you are well enough for the circus."

  "That's what I thought," I said.

  ***

  When I was finally upstairs, I lay back in my bed. You know those times where you swear to yourself that you are just closing your eyes for a moment, but you are actually fast asleep for like an hour? Yeah, it was one of those times.

  It was seven thirty when I heard Mom calling me for dinner. I stared at the time on my phone for a moment. The screen was bright in the otherwise dark room. Quickly I text Lilly to say that Saturday was on and that we would be stuffing envelopes tomorrow night.

  She text back almost immediately. Saturday cool, but can't do tomorrow. Soz.

  "Great," I said to the darkness and threw my phone to the bed.

  After I had eaten, I sat on the end of my bed, not sure what to do next. You know that bit in The Lord of The Rings where Bilbo says that he felt like butter spread over too much bread? Well, I felt like that. I looked at my homework on my desk. It was growing steadily. I thought about stuffing envelopes on my own for Mom. I thought about the stupid circus and the stupid Daniel and Carl. I thought about the Librarian and her enormous eyes and stern voice.

  My phone buzzed. We need to talk. It was Darcy.

  "Nope," I said. I strode across the room and opened Alice. I read the first line of the first chapter and the book pulled me into The Library.

  ***

  Once inside, I crept as quietly as I could. I didn't want to be found and told about how I had to do something else for someone else. It's selfish, I know, but I couldn't handle people today. Once in the maps area, I found what I was looking for. I didn't know where it was a map of, all I knew was that I could be alone there.

  I found the mountain range and pressed my index finger to my favorite spot. Once again, I fell into another world.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  I have never considered myself much of a jogger. It was a little too close to sports for me. But if my recent adventures in The Library had taught me anything, it was the value of light cardio. It was literally the difference between getting home to my bed and being pierced by an errant arrow. I preferred the former by a significant margin.

  In these mountains, it was not quite sunset. I had come here a lot since, well, since I lost Elaine. I didn't know how to talk to people about her. To Lilly, Darcy and the Librarian, she was the sorceress, Vicious, who had almost destroyed all creation. To me? Well, I wasn't sure what she was.

  I think I missed her.

  I couldn't talk about her, so I came here to run, to think, to mourn. Mourn? Was she even dead?

&nb
sp; This place was special, though I wasn't really sure where it was. All I knew was that if I came here at the right time, then I would see the most magnificent sunset. Map travel can be tricky, and it's hard to land in just the right sunset spot, but I really didn't mind the jog. It was a great way to take my mind off of things.

  Though the ridge was high, it was not the highest point on the mountain. I liked it better here because there were good varied natural paths. Plus it was my place. A place for Alex.

  I jogged on.

  Occasionally I did come across some hikers when I was really unlucky. They were almost always decked out in all the hiking gadgets you could imagine. Running into them was super awkward, and Hank always made a fuss, but sometimes a little discomfort is worth it for this amount of beauty.

  The sky turned orange as I ran. Out here, I could be myself, and I could be truly alone. It was just me and my thoughts. It was the only antidote for the ridiculously complicated life I now found myself living.

  Up ahead, I heard the faint sounds of a group of hikers. My heart sank a little. I looked about for some other path, but I had come to a place where the paths narrowed. There was no other choice but to keep going.

  It's fine, Hank, we will just smile and say hi. They will just think I am just your average altitude runner.

  There were two of them. As I neared, I saw that they were wearing packs almost as tall as they were. They were talking in a language that I did not understand. German maybe?

  I held to my path and kept jogging. Hank started to list all the things they might think about me, dwelling particularly on my suboptimal running shoes and highly apparent sweat-drenched shirt.

  It's fine, Hank, we are doing this.

  "Hi," I said as I passed. They looked at me, mouths open, a baffled expression on their faces.

  "Nailed it," I said once out of earshot.

  I breathed deep and smiled. They must think I flew up here, I thought. There they were, probably at the end of two days of hiking in isolation, and here I was casually jogging in a random pink shirt and tatty canvas shoes.