Second Chronicles of Illumination

by C. A. Pack

  “He’s a woman,” Jackson said, amazed.

  A nearby Luminan glared at the teen.

  Mal spoke quietly. “That’s Pru Tellerence. She couldn’t attend your hearing on Terroria because she was away on private business.”

  “She doesn’t look as old as the others,” Johanna observed.

  “Right now, she’s the most recently appointed overseer and the youngest, although that will change tomorrow.”

  “I thought all the overseers were men,” Jackson said.

  “No. At one time, the majority of deans were women. But as they died off, men were selected to replace them.”

  “What do you mean by ‘dean’?”

  “It’s the honorific used for the overseers, just like we might say ‘doctor’ or ‘professor’ on Fantasia. Although here, their scope as deans is a lot more encompassing because it means they are in charge of entire realms.”

  “Who’s our dean?”

  “Selium Sorium.”

  “And this woman … dean?”

  “Pru Tellerence is the dean of Dramatica.”

  “And she’s the only woman?” Johanna asked.

  “The inequality of the board’s gender is the reason why Dame Erato is such a strong contender and is generally favored to win tomorrow’s challenge.”

  Johanna took Mal’s arm. “I’m hoping you’ll win.”

  “Thank you, Johanna. But we must be realistic.”

  ★… leaves us all with empty hearts over the passing of such a great dean.

  Pru Tellerence turned to the other overseers, who nodded in unison. She stood silently as a procession of two dozen children in flowing white robes surrounded the altar. Each carried an enormous bunch of crystal-clear balloons. The remaining overseers took their places between pairs of children and helped them attach the balloons to small hooks decorating the pallet that held Plato Indelicat’s body. After they fastened the last balloon, everyone stepped away and a musician played a hauntingly beautiful song on a flute-like instrument.

  Pru Tellerence began to sing the Luminan song “Musi Morti” in a strong, clear soprano:

  ★As we unite our spirits soar,

  ★Together we’re perfection …

  Mal tilted his head toward Johanna. “I’m told this is one of the most revered hymns of Lumina. It’s been sung to memorialize the passing of each overseer since the beginning of the realms.”

  ★But when one cherished breathes no more

  ★Our sweet, fragile connection

  ★Evaporates, leaving all we

  ★Once held dear—behind

  ★Until we may unite again

  ★I fear we travel blind.

  ★For it is wisdom that we seek

  ★Yes, tolerance and peace

  ★We search out one whom, like the lost,

  ★Can help our grief release.

  ★We celebrate your being, we voice

  ★Sorrow at your death

  ★But know that we will love you ere

  ★Until our dying breath.

  Mal and Jackson turned and stared at Johanna, who had quietly sung the last two lines of the song with Pru Tellerence.

  “What?” she asked, embarrassed.

  “You’re singing,” Jackson replied.

  She blushed.

  “How do you know the words to that song?” Mal asked.

  “I don’t know. I just do.” She shrugged.

  “Curious,” Mal said.

  “I bet you saw the lyrics in one of those books about Lumina you studied,” Jackson guessed.

  “Maybe.”

  “That wouldn’t explain how you knew the melody,” Mal continued to probe.

  “Oh, come on, Mal. It’s really a simple tune,” she argued.

  “I just find it curious.”

  The locking device holding Plato Indelicat’s pallet snapped loudly as it disengaged. The crowd chanted a gentle “ooh” as the overseer’s body rose into the air, carried upward by the crystalline balloons. The bottom of the pallet had a design etched into it.

  “Is that the logo of the miter hats the overseers wear?” Johanna asked.

  “It’s the constellation Illumini.”

  Jackson lowered his gaze from the pallet to Mal. “Illumini?”

  “Yes. It’s an asterism of the twelve Libraries of Illumination and their positions around Lumina. The different realms form the design of the overseers’ miters. If you look at each dean’s hat, you will see that each one has a significantly larger diamond embedded in one of the points of the design, indicating which realm that overseer represents.”

  Jackson shook his head. “How come those diamonds don’t explode when the overseers travel to different worlds?”

  “Because the overseers travel a path that’s different from the one you and I travel. When new overseers are inducted, they take part in an enrichment ceremony that gives them special powers. Not a lot of magical hocus-pocus, mind you, but simply the powers of longevity, transmogrification, and time travel.”

  “Simply?” Jackson huffed. “That doesn’t sound so simple to me.”

  Mal’s expression changed with sudden realization. “Oh dear. Oh dear. How could I have forgotten to tell you?”

  Johanna stared at the little twitch that developed over Mal’s right eye. She grasped both his hands and asked in a calm voice, “Tell us what, Mal?”

  “About the Curator Orientation and Longevicus Ritual. All the other curators were subjected to strenuous testing when they were appointed, but I didn’t submit your names for it because you were both under the age of twenty-one and did not have any knowledge of the other Libraries of Illumination. Selium Sorium arranged for a special dispensation for you. However, Master Ryden Simmdry now requests that you go through the ritual since you’re here on Lumina. I am so sorry I forgot to tell you.”

  “Strenuous testing?” Jackson croaked.

  “You two will do fine on the operational part of the exam. It’s the section on historic knowledge that I’m afraid you’re unprepared for, but I think if we go off to a quiet place this afternoon I can give you a crash course that will help you get through it.”

  BOOM!

  Lumi vibrated from the shock waves.

  Jackson grabbed Johanna and pulled her close. “What was that?” He looked around, but none of the other people seemed phased by the explosion.

  “The balloons contain diamonds, as did Plato Indelicat’s new miter hat. They reached the atmospheric ring put in place by the Ancients and were obliterated.”

  “Ahhh …” the crowd gasped collectively.

  Johanna looked up and saw the spectacle. Diamond dust rained down, and flash rainbows appeared everywhere.

  “No wonder the streets sparkle,” Jackson muttered.

  “Oh, that won’t reach the streets,” Mal said. “It will disintegrate momentarily.”

  Jackson sighed. “I hope that’s on the test. At least I’ll be able to answer one question.”

  “I guess with preparing for your own challenge you just forgot to tell us,” Johanna reasoned.

  A group of musicians began playing a lively composition in the corner of the courtyard. Johanna turned away from Mal and watched as people danced. “That was sudden. I guess the funeral is over and a new party is starting up.”

  “This is a celebration of Plato Indelicat’s life. His passing may be sad, but his accomplishments were many and his very existence was a gift to all he served. By dancing, these people are acknowledging his rich legacy.”

  “Are we supposed to dance?” Jackson asked.

  “I think it would be better if we have some lunch. Afterward, I can prepare you for your orientation.” Mal led them into the chantry, where more than a dozen tables of delicacies originating in all the realms awaited them.

  Jackson stopped in front of an undulating chartreuse blob. “What is that?” he asked without moving his lips.

  “That’s bornivor heart from Comedia,” Mal replied.

  “I think I�
��ll pass on that.”

  Johanna accepted a beverage from a passing waiter. “This is delicious.”

  “Herg wine.”

  “Where does it come from?”

  “Dramatica.”

  Jackson snagged a glass of Herg wine and chugged it down. “It’s good to know that we have something like grapes in common with Dramatica.”

  “It doesn’t come from grapes,” Mal said.

  Johanna stopped sipping and looked warily at Mal. “What does it come from?”

  “It’s juice extracted from the brains of tzen-tzalis, small animals similar to the aardvarks on Fantasia.”

  Jackson’s face paled. “You gotta stop telling me this stuff. You’re ruining my appetite.”

  Mal led them to a far table.

  “What is that?” Jackson pointed to a platter of meat surrounded by vegetables.

  Mal smiled. “It’s something the Fantasians call roast beef.”

  “Yes!” Jackson pumped his fist.

  “Um-hmm,” Johanna agreed. “Everyone’s entitled to a last meal.”

  “You two will do just fine. Let’s enjoy the overseers’ hospitality. Then I’ll tell you everything you’ll need to know to get through tomorrow morning’s ritual.”

  “When is your challenge?” Johanna asked.

  “Midiodi.”

  Jackson imitated a cowboy drawing his gun. “Like the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.”

  “No,” Johanna answered.

  “Sure it is,” Jackson rebutted.

  “Historically speaking, the gunfight at the O.K. Corral happened at three p.m. I think you’re confusing it with the film High Noon.”

  “Whatever,” Jackson conceded.

  They finished eating and stepped on the nearest transport disk. It took them to a park at the edge of Lumi. During the journey they passed many buildings, each as grand as the next one.

  “People around here are not very original,” Jackson observed.

  “There are several reasons for that. Lumi doesn’t have a lot of natural resources, although they could be imported from other cities. Then, there’s the governing council. They have long felt that, as the capital, Lumi must set an example by exhibiting only the finest taste. The capital’s keywords are ‘stately’ and ‘elegant,’ and the governors have imposed strict building codes to make sure it stays that way.”

  Johanna pointed to a rock outcrop in the distance, dotted with colorful structures. “What’s that over there?”

  “That is Ranbi, a city renowned for its artistic pottery and glassworks.”

  Jackson created a spyglass with his fist and looked at Ranbi through it with one eye closed. “It’s a lot more colorful than this place.”

  Mal was impressed. “You can see that far?”

  “Sure, I just blocked out everything else so that I could concentrate on one little area. It’s got red buildings with bright green roofs, and royal-blue buildings with orange roofs. And it’s got trees. You called this place a park—it’s got lawns and flowers—but it doesn’t have any trees. What if you want to put down a blanket under a tree and have a picnic?”

  Mal laughed. “Thank goodness there are no trees here, because if you did decide to have a picnic, the Lumi authorities would take you into custody for eating in a public place.”

  “You can’t eat in public here?”

  “No.”

  “What else can’t you do?”

  “Litter, loiter, shout, sing, skip, dance …”

  Jackson threw his hand up, palm facing outward. “Hold it. I just saw people singing and dancing.”

  “That was at the university, which is privately owned. I’m talking about public walkways, parks, and squares owned by the city of Lumi.”

  “They should call this the Land of No.”

  “I don’t know, Jackson.” Johanna laughed. “Maybe you should have asked Mal what you are allowed to do.”

  Jackson raised one eyebrow and turned to Mal. “So?”

  “You can transport from one place to another. Quiet conversation is allowed. But no raucous laughter, yodeling, swearing, and no advertising of any kind.”

  “It doesn’t sound like much fun. And I really feel like yodeling my heart out right now.”

  “Lucky for us,” Johanna said, “we just have to take a test, watch the Overseers Challenge, and then go home, where you can yodel in the street.”

  “Lucky us,” Jackson repeated.

  The transport circle floated to a half wall by the water. Mal removed a small cube from his pocket and inserted it into a square at the top of the wall. A tiny screen opened up, and Mal placed the pad of his thumb against it. The front of the wall unfolded into a bench. Mal squinted at the screen, where he had left his thumbprint.

  “We have been approved for a half-hour of time. I suggest we start our lesson.”

  LOI

  CHAPTER 15

  “As you already know, there are twelve realms plus Lumina.” Mal reached into his coat and pulled two booklets entitled Illumini Primo from an inside pocket. “Here, I suggest you study this tonight. It covers each of the realms with a short history, the names of its overseer and curator, and the properties of that realm’s library. Each realm is self-sufficient and operates independently. In return for the guidance of an overseer, the realm pays a tithe—not money but the inclusion of all its new literature, art, math, and music into all the Libraries of Illumination. That way everything that’s newly created on an individual realm automatically becomes part of the entire library system on all of the realms.”

  Johanna’s excitement mounted. “Are you saying that we have every bit of knowledge from all twelve worlds in our library on Earth?”

  “Fantasia, Johanna,” Mal cautioned. “You have to remember to call it that. A cult faction that split off long ago started referring to your world as Earth in defiance of the realms, but the overseers do not recognize it. It has been known as Fantasia far longer than it’s been called Earth, and you will need to remember that during the Curator Orientation and Longevicus Ritual.”

  “Will we need to know who all the overseers are?” Jackson asked.

  “Yes, and all the curators. And you’ll need to know the approved description of the Two Millennia War, which is in the booklet. There have been some attempts of revisionist history over the years, but it’s usually discovered and purged.” Mal tapped a finger against Jackson’s booklet. “Go by what’s written in here.”

  Johanna slipped the booklet into her purse. “What else will we need to know?”

  “The day-to-day operations of the library. You already know how to re-energize the library reactor, and how to summon the overseers in an emergency. Those are two things that some curators who have been taking care of their libraries for centuries are still unfamiliar with.

  “The two of you may be young, but you have a lot more practical experience than many of your more seasoned colleagues. Most curators never travel to other realms, except when they come to Lumi for the Orientation and Longevicus Ritual.” Mal paused. “Come to think of it, only the three of us and the overseers have set foot on four or more worlds. We’ve been to Fantasia, Dramatica, Terroria, and Lumina. Some deans only travel between Lumina and the world they oversee. Stepping foot on four realms is an extraordinary accomplishment for two young people like you.

  “Then there are the sacrosanct tenets of library law, first set forth in the Ultimium Codi.”

  Jackson paged through the booklet. “Is that in here?”

  “No, but I’m going to teach them to you right now.

  “First, with the exception of Lumina, no one library is more important than the others. They have all been created equally, although they share different properties. The libraries were created to assess, inform, illustrate, and entertain. Romantica, Juvenilia, and Mysteriose are all class-V Libraries. They entertain. Their visitors actually enter into the books they read and become auxiliary characters. Adventura, Dramatica, and Numericon are class-R Libraries. They w
ere designed to inform. Their books rearrange themselves daily in the order of their importance to current events in that realm. Educon, Comedia, and Fantasia illustrate. They each have books that come to life and are class-L libraries. And finally, Scientico, Inspiracon, and Terroria are all class-G libraries. Their books each have a presence that appears and determines the reader’s true intention for selecting it.

  “Originally, the libraries were all designed to work together, allowing users to travel among them through the portals. However, the portals were sealed after the Two Millennia War, as you well know.”

  As they continued their discussion, the bench they were seated on began to glow.

  “Look,” Jackson said, “it’s lighting up because it’s getting dark.”

  Mal shook his head. “We had better stand. And quickly.”

  They rose and watched the bench rapidly intensify in brightness. A moment later, the seat retracted faster than a gunslinger going for his weapon.

  “That’s kind of rude,” Jackson said. “If we hadn’t noticed the light, would we all be sitting on the ground now?”

  “Yes. And if we didn’t get up immediately, we’d probably be detained for inappropriate behavior. It’s the Lumi government’s way of preventing loitering.”

  Johanna surveyed the park. “That’s the second time you mentioned loitering, but it doesn’t look like Lumi has any bums or derelicts hanging around.”

  “Let’s head back to our lodging.” Mal led them back to their transport disk. As it moved, he kept his voice low. “Lumi, like any other city, has its ups and downs, but doesn’t tolerate any display of poverty. So as soon as residents stumble upon hard times, they are relocated to a benefit center.”

  “What’s that?” Jackson looked at Johanna, but she shook her head to indicate that she didn’t know.

  “They are located on rock outcrops much farther to the south,” Mal explained. “You can’t see them from here. They’re in the Toro Zone.”

  “Ah, Toro.” Jackson mimicked a matador, and almost lost his balance on the moving disk.

  Johanna grabbed his arm to steady him. “I don’t think it has anything to do with bullfighting.”

  “Yeah, me neither. But thanks for saving my life.” He brushed her cheek with his lips.