by C. A. Pack
“Whatever you need to do,” Cathasach said, pushing away from the table, “you have my wholehearted support. But we have to hurry. We have just enough time to get there before everyone else.”
★
Nero 51 did not turn on the light when he entered his private retreat. The portrait of his great-great-grandfather on the far wall glowed, illuminated by red-hot magma flowing behind the translucent rock that protected the curator’s space.
He bowed his head for a moment before speaking aloud. “I will honor your memory soon, Garpa, with a Terrorian victory, just like we spoke about when I was a maturling.” He walked over to the portrait and lovingly touched a corner of it. “I know to have done so yourself, would have meant a great deal to you. It wasn’t meant to be during your lifetime, but I will forfeit everything I own to insure that it will come to pass during mine, and I will honor you by doing it in your name. Soon, now, Garpa.” He bowed his head and saluted the portrait with each of his eight tentacles. Then he disappeared into his meditation room to mentally prepare for the Juvenile invasion.
★
Most Dramaticans had scant knowledge of the overseers, however, tales about the remarkable beings had begun circulating in earnest after Library Council members and soldiers encountered Ryden Simmdry and Pru Tellerence in the library. So when Furst accompanied Pru Tellerence to the town square, Dramaticans crowded around them, eager to see the overseer for themselves.
Pru Tellerence smiled at everyone she encountered and sent out powerful calming vibes. ★We are doing everything in our power to crush any invasion attempts, but we cannot provide complete protection, only because the realms, even though connected, are separate and autonomous. We cannot barge in and accuse anyone without proof.
A Dramatican citizen with a border of jewels on his caftan, but not much more embellishment, pushed his way to the front of the crowd. “Their weapons, we have. Proof enough, is that not?”
★It could be, once it is determined who specifically is responsible for manufacturing them and arming their militia. Proof against the realm is not the same as proof against the guilty party in charge.
“Bah!”
★If Furst took it upon himself to invade another realm without your consent, would you want the overseers to retaliate against all of you? I don’t think so. The College of Overseers knows about the devastation those weapons caused, but we must proceed carefully. And there are other considerations. Your invaders have stolen a device that makes them more dangerous than the sum of all their weapons. They have taken a machine from another realm that allows them to travel through time. It means they can transport back to a period when the portals were open and use them to invade any world. We are searching for a way to protect every realm, but we don’t want to put whoever is responsible on the defensive, because we’re afraid it would trigger even greater devastation.
“An overseer, you are. Travel back in time, why can’t you, and when to the portals you get, stop them?” Furst asked.
★That is an excellent idea. Pru Tellerence smiled. ★Our primary goal has always been to trust each realm and its people and assume they would act fairly. In the past, we only stepped in to stop a problem once it had begun. I will talk with the others about your suggestion to prevent the problem before it starts or at least before it continues.
The Dramaticans applauded politely.
★I cannot promise the others will agree with me, so until that happens, you must prepare for war. That means building weapons and stockpiling food and supplies that would normally go toward you and your families. It is a sacrifice, but it is payment for future protection. Soldiers need to be fed and armed and may miss out on profit from their usual trade while they’re working to protect you. They will need a stipend to keep their families clothed and fed. It is everyone’s duty to make sure that’s possible. You must pool your resources together in advance to help pay for it. It may be a hardship, but it’s better to sacrifice a little now, than to sacrifice a much more significant amount—possibly your lives—if you’re caught unprepared in the future.
Only the soldiers applauded at this point.
★Those with the most wealth should give the greatest amount. Those with nothing to spare should give the smallest denomination, but everyone should give.
The applause increased, but the realm’s most prosperous citizens did not join in.
★I know you all to be open-minded and warm-hearted, and I trust you will do what is right. Furst tells me there will be a meeting, so you can all discuss the best way to join together to consolidate your resources. You all have a chance to be heard, but only if you go to the meeting. If you choose not to attend, don’t be surprised when your future complaints fall on deaf ears. You are all members of this society and responsible for each other’s well being.
★
Johanna, Jackson and Cathasach arrived at the chamber under Old Town Hall and found Robert Birk already there.
“You’re out early, Robert,” Cathasach remarked.
“I have been giving this problem of an alleged thief a lot of thought, and I’ve come up with a plan to catch him or her. I wanted to speak with you before the others arrived. I didn’t know you’d have the kiddie brigade with you.”
Jackson clenched his fists. “Kiddie brigade? We’re curators of the most prestigious library on earth. We weren’t chosen because we belong to a kiddie brigade.”
“I’ll tell the U.S. Library of Congress and the Vatican and Bodleian Libraries they’ve been displaced by—where is it you work?”
Johanna squeezed Jackson’s hand. He turned to look at her, and she almost imperceptibly shook her head.
Jackson pulled her out of the room. “You’re going to let him get away with that?”
“There’s trouble brewing and he’s a suspect. Don’t let his antics distract you from the main reason why we’re here. It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of us, only that we prevent someone from stealing Myrddin’s memoir. And the best way to do that is to identify the culprit.”
“Yeah. Well,” Jackson jerked his thumb toward the meeting chamber, “that guy gets my vote.”
“Noted. Let’s go observe the proceedings.”
They walked back into the chamber to find several of the Eahta Frean fram Drycræft entering through a different entrance. “Where do you think that entrance leads?” whispered Jackson, nodding towards it.
“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes directly to their hotel.”
“So,” he reasoned, “they could enter and exit, and it would look like they never left the hotel.”
“And that matters—why?”
“I don’t know. I’m brainstorming here.”
Johanna merely smiled and took up a position in the corner of the room. Jackson sank down next to her, and they watched as Cathasach called the meeting to order.
“I believe the best way to begin is to eliminate those of us who could not have possibly tried to take Myrddin’s book,” Cathasach said. “That means I’ll need your verifiable whereabouts for the day in question.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Veronika said. “We lead very busy lives. How are we supposed to prove where we were at any given moment?”
“Well, if you were in Saint Petersburg and someone there can vouch for your whereabouts for the day, that should be sufficient. You’re profile doesn’t mention the ability to transmogrify, so I would conclude that you are not the person responsible.”
“But I wasn’t in Saint Petersburg. I was in London that week, on holiday. I shopped, and museum hopped, and took in attractions like the London Eye. I’m sure the hotel will verify my stay.”
“That wouldn’t be enough. London to Marloes is only a four-hour trip. I’ll need a detailed itinerary of where you were during the day, so I can rule out a side trip to Wales.”
“Don’t you think that’s a bit much?” Robert said.
“No. I don’t. I need to cross reference where everyone says they were a
t any given time for the day in question.”
Alianessa shifted in her chair and crossed her arms. “And who questions you, dear Cathasach?”
“I’m the one who reported the tampering in the first place.”
“Yes,” said Mateus, “but who’s to say you didn’t take the book and concoct a ruse about sending it to that library you mentioned to cover your tracks?”
Robert tapped his pen against the tabletop. “Mateus poses an intriguing possibility, Cathasach. What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I was at the workshop, of course. I didn’t leave the island. If I did, the ferry service would have a record of it.”
“That doesn’t prove you didn’t send the manuscript to some obscure place for later pick-up,” Robert continued.
“Or you could have helicoptered out,” Veronika added.
Cathasach sighed. “This is not getting us anywhere.”
“It’s not so nice when the finger is pointed back at you, is it?” Edmund asked. “Now you know how we all feel.”
“And it may not be one of us at all,” Zendali said.
“Yeah,” Beck said, “but as long as there’s a chance it could be, we have to do this.
“I believe Cathasach,” he continued. “And I believe those two.” He nodded toward Johanna and Jackson. “But I’m not sure I believe it’s one of us. Still, unless one of you has a better idea, you’d better start checking through your records and receipts and supply Cathasach with some details so he can check everyone’s—dare I say the word—alibi.”
“That is no easy task,” Robert said. “May I suggest we adjourn for a couple of days before meeting again? It will give us enough time to fly home and put together what you’re asking for.”
“That’s easy enough for you to say,” Mateus uttered. “You don’t have to fly to Brazil. I don’t even know if I can get there, get the verification you need, and fly back here in a couple of days.”
“You would if you were able to successfully perform Myrddin’s transmogrification spell.” The others turned to stare at the speaker—Edmund Beasom.
“We’ve all seen that spell,” Alianessa said. “Who’s to say one or more of us can’t perform it successfully? Anyone capable of traveling as light and sound could steal the book and still provide the necessary documentation to prove they were elsewhere for most of the day in question. Even Brazil.”
LOI
CHAPTER 42
Nero 51 climbed to level two, the window level just below the library cupola. He rubbed the glass with his tentacle so he could see more clearly and looked down at the field to watch the military training. He winced as Terroria’s newest soldiers attempted to maintain crisp military precision, and failed. It’s only been a few hours, but…
He descended the stairs and headed out to the field. Maybe a few well-placed words to the soldiers and the general were in order. It’s time for them to learn why they need to pay attention to details.
The soldiers were just about to take a break when he arrived. “My fellow Terrorians, this is no time to rest. That will be your reward when you learn to do this simple procedure properly.
“General,” he said, “drill them again.”
Nero 51 remained at the field for hours, refusing to allow the soldiers to take a break until they marched in perfect formation. He made it known they would not be fed until they formed perfectly straight lines and maintained them throughout multiple parades around the field.
“You see, General, already they are much improved. Follow my lead and you will have no problem meeting my deadline. Slack off, and you’ll find yourself marching beside them.”
★
Furst and Dungen worked together to prepare for the upcoming tax meeting on Dramatica. Dungen crowed about the tax being his idea in the first place, however, Furst countered by saying—while a fundamentally good idea—it needed the input and acceptance of the populace. They continued to bicker for hours, until they formulated a basic tax proposal they both agreed on.
Furst created a large chart outlining the plan and displayed it in the main reading room. He surveyed the newly furnished space and decided they would need more chairs to accommodate everyone. “To bring up additional chairs, I’ll need help.”
Dungen squared his shoulders and lifted his hairy chin. “To help you, get a soldier.”
“Here, now, you are.”
“The president of the Library Council, I am. Do menial tasks, I do not.”
Furst felt the roots on his neck start bristling, but chose not to pursue an argument with Dungen. “To the door, I will walk you,” he said evenly and literally pushed Dungen out.
★
⌘Malcolm, I see you have found it within your power to return to Lumi.
“Selium Sorium came to Fantasia for a visit, and I traveled back with him. He told me about a tax they’re trying to collect on Dramatica, and I thought it would be an excellent introduction for me in my new capacity as Chancellor of the Exchequer. It fits perfectly with what I’m supposed to be doing and will give me a chance to rehearse my new role and learn about the Dramaticans’ military plans. Any realm I go to after that will be easier, because I could always refer back to when I was on Dramatica … and it should give me instant credibility.”
⌘A superb plan.
★I’d like to add to it.
⌘Pru Tellerence. I didn’t realize you had returned.
★The Dramaticans shot down the impromptu tax the new director of their library council tried to ram down their throats, but as Furst explained, the tax is necessary because they need the funds to keep their militia battle ready. I believe Mal should go to the meeting they plan to have tomorrow. I’ll introduce him as the new Chancellor of the Exchequer. I think the Dramaticans will be happy about him being there because they’re afraid the proceeds from a tax will be misused. If someone appointed by the College of Overseers is there to handle its collection and disbursement, the Dramaticans may feel a little better about parting with their hard earned goods.
“Goods? Not money?” Mal asked.
★Dramaticans have a barter society—labor for tailoring, food for tools, livestock for medicine. They have never had a need for other types of monetary units, although gemstones do hold a special place in their economy, with the most prosperous residents wearing the most luxurious jewel-studded caftans. She smiled thinking of them. ★Furst is now in charge of their army, as well as being curator of the Library of Illumination—the most important facility in the realm—but because very few Dramatican citizens require its services, his caftan is simple and unadorned. The College of Overseers gives him everything he needs, but in the eyes of his countrymen, he hasn’t earned more prominent raiment. So I would also like to request military uniforms. The militia should have sturdy, serviceable attire that is more practical than their caftans, with more elaborate adornment for the officers. And for Furst, something exceptional that will immediately elevate him and alert everyone that he is a prestigious person in our eyes. It will give him sway over the soldiers and the townspeople—something I think he needs right now.
⌘Another excellent idea. I would like to be there when you present them with their uniforms.
★Of course. You may want to perform a protection spell for Malcolm. They have a tendency to shoot on sight.
⌘That gives me an excellent idea of my own.
“So it’s come to this, has it?” Alianessa griped. “The more proficient we are as wizards, the more likely it is that we’re guilty.”
“That is not what I originally meant,” Cathasach answered, “but it is, in part, quite accurate. I will need to know who in this room has ever transmogrified.”
“It is the most difficult of Myrddin’s spells,” Robert said.
“And yet,” Cathasach replied, “I remember you telling me two years ago that you had successfully accomplished that spell.”
“To some degree, I have. But not necessarily for the great distances or lengths of time tha
t you’re talking about.”
Edmund and Mateus both sprang to their feet. “Why weren’t we told this?” Mateus demanded.
“We have sworn, as members of the eight, to keep the others fully abreast of any and all successful recreations of Myrddin’s work,” Edward added. “Yet it seems that you, Cathasach, and Robert have been acting as gatekeepers.”
“I have hardly kept my work a secret,” Robert said. “I openly told Cathasach. It is he who chose not to inform all of you.”
All eyes focused on their leader.
Cathasach reddened. “It’s true I knew about Robert’s advances. But as he said, he had only made minor inroads into the spell, and I felt he should have the privilege of informing you about his accomplishment when he felt ready.”
“Disappearing for a moment or two is easy,” Edmund said. “Traveling is much more complex.”
Robert adjusted one of his gloves. “Spoken like a man who may have experienced some small measure of success, himself.”
“Like you, I have only just begun to unravel the mystery of transmogrification.”
“So both of you have been successful.” Zendali’s features hardened. “But neither of you made the rest of us aware of it.”
“What does it matter?” Beck asked.
“If you’ve lied once or, in this case, withheld information,” Zendali continued, “who’s to say you haven’t done it a thousand times. This organization is built on trust and a mutual goal. If some members are using Myrddin’s resources without disclosing the results to the rest of us, it’s a betrayal.”
“Betrayal is a little harsh,” Alianessa said. “I did not feel like I betrayed anyone when I, too, managed to disappear. I never mentioned it because I reappeared almost immediately.”
Veronika placed both palms against the table and half-stood. “Some of us haven’t been so fortunate in our attempts, but pooling our information may have helped all of us make inroads.”
Cathasach’s shoulders slumped. “This is getting us nowhere.”