by Pedro Urvi
“Let’s go inside,” Egil said.
“Will they let us in?” Nilsa asked. “Just like that?”
Egil smiled. “No, not exactly just like that.” He showed her a folded scroll he had been carrying under his cloak. “This is a permit that lets me visit the library. I asked for it months ago, and finally they granted it. Not without insisting, mind you, but I was very insistent.”
“That’s fantastic. You had it all planned.”
“Almost all,” Egil said more precisely. “It’s impossible to remember everything, but I try to see as far ahead as I can so that the plan will have the maximum possibility of succeeding.”
Nilsa clapped her hands, in silence but very eagerly. “You’re a genius.”
“Oh, not at all. I’m very far from that. I make a great effort and go over things thoroughly in my head, that’s all. Anyway, in every plan there are things that go awry, unexpected details. And those tend to play a great part in the final outcome.”
“We’ll face up to them. Nothing unexpected is going to stop us.”
“That’s the spirit, but if the unexpected problem is small and soluble, so much the better.”
“It will be,” she replied, full of optimism.
Once inside, they found themselves in the lobby of the Grand Library. It was seven-sided, which was impressive enough to begin with. The floors were of polished marble, forming geometric figures, and sparkled the moment anyone set foot on them. Nilsa moved one foot, sliding to see whether she could skid, and so she did, which made her smile. Egil gazed up at the lofty stone walls, which terminated in enormous arches holding up a great vault whose windows were made up of thousands of fragments of many-colored glass.
The library was in the form of a great cathedral with lofty vaulted ceilings. Along the nave were two others, one on either side, which held the study areas and tomes of knowledge. The walls of this notable center of intellectual devotion were lined with books, from the floor to the lofty vaults.
Nilsa indicated one of the walls, which held hundreds of books. “I wonder how they get the books down from up there.”
Egil pointed out a number of ladders several floors high which were leaning against the walls. “They use those elaborate ladders.”
“Well, they’d better be reinforced, because look at the height they have to reach …”
He smiled. “I’m sure they are.”
The place oozed a sober splendor, and the thousands of tomes which decorated the walls gave it a magical air. It looked as if all the knowledge in the world were stored here, to be studied by Erudites and men of good will in search of the purity of wisdom. Thousands of tomes, books, scrolls and other documents lay there in order, catalogued and well-cared-for on shelves and tables and inside the chests of that place which Egil could only think of as wonderful.
“Don’t fall in love with this place. I know you.”
“No … I won’t do that,” Egil said. He was looking all around in ecstasy.
“Yeah … and I don’t like handsome Prince-Charming who fight dragons to rescue the weakest.”
“No …”
Nilsa felt she had to scold him to snap him out of his reverie. “Take your eyes off the tomes and focus on what we’ve come here to do!”
“Oh yeah, sure. The mission.”
“That’s it, focus on the mission: healing Dolbarar.”
One of the Librarians on duty by the door had noticed them, and he now approached them. He must have been in his thirties, thin, with a sharp face, and was going bald.
“I bid you good day, and one full of knowledge,” he said with a bow. He wore a cream-colored tunic with silver edging and a wide green sash. On his chest, on a silver strip which went from his neck to his feet, there shone a great eye, wide open.
Nilsa, who did not speak the language of Erenal, did not understand a word of this, and the huge eye on the Librarian’s chest left her uneasy. She looked at Egil blankly.
“A good day of knowledge for all,” he replied in the local language.
“A foreigner who speaks our language,” the librarian said with a friendly smile. “A scholar perhaps?”
“Not a scholar like the brothers of the Order of Knowledge of the Library of Bintantium, very far from it, but a friend of learning, studying and experimenting. My name is Ingar Olborg,” Egil added untruthfully. “This is my apprentice Ursula Laberg.” He indicated Nilsa, who smiled at once when she realized he meant her.
“My name is Regus. I’m a Librarian of the Order of Knowledge, and I’m in charge of welcoming visitors to our distinguished temple of wisdom.”
“The acquisition of knowledge, the search for wisdom, is what brings me here today,” Egil said. He was looking all around him.
“That is the spirit which must always guide us toward the acquisition of absolute knowledge.”
“Absolute knowledge is a very distant and arduous goal,” Egil replied, trying to gain the Librarian’s trust.
“It’s the ultimate goal. We seek it, and we honor all those who, like us, try to achieve this goal in life.”
Egil showed his respect with a slight bow. “I seek it, and I believe this is the most fitting place to find it.”
“I’m glad to hear that. The important thing is not reaching your goal, but the knowledge you acquire on the way.”
“That’s true. Seeking wisdom in life is a path which brings much knowledge, no matter how far one goes.”
“That’s the spirit in which all in this order live. The acquisition of knowledge, of wisdom, is our life. Is that the reason why you’re visiting us today?”
“That’s so. I’m seeking a piece of information, and I’ve come from very far away to get it.”
“I’m sure you’ll already have been informed of this, but access to the library is only permitted to members of the order. We must protect all this treasure.” He smiled and indicated the books on the walls.
“We know that,” Egil said. He glanced at Nilsa, who was watching the exchange with a frown of frustration at not being able to understand a word. “I have a permit with me.”
“Excellent! May I see it?”
Egil handed him the scroll, which the Librarian opened and read.
“I see … I’ll have to consult with my superiors. If you’d be kind enough to wait here …”
“Excuse me, could we take a look at the library while we’re waiting? It’s so extraordinary …” Egil said with honey in his voice.
The Librarian was hesitant.
“It would be a great honor,” Egil insisted. “Something we’d always remember.”
Regus hesitated a moment longer. He looked at the scroll, then at the two of them. “All right, but a guide will accompany you. There are hundreds of brothers working in there at the moment, and they mustn’t be disturbed under any circumstances.”
“Of course,” Egil said, and nodded respectfully.
Regus turned to look for a guide. “Sonea, please,” he said to a girl who was putting books in order on a shelf a few paces away.
The girl turned round. She could not have been more than fourteen. Her hair was cut short like a boy’s, and she was not particularly good-looking. Her eyes on the other hand were very large and lively and showed intelligence. She was wearing a long beige tunic edged with silver, like all the apprentice librarians. She came running and brought herself to a sudden halt, skidding on the marble floor and stopping a hand-span away from Regus with a cheerful smile.
“Sonea …”
She shrugged. “Sorry, Regus.”
“Please guide these people as far as the final chamber. I’ll meet you there once I’ve consulted with Grand Master Lugobrus.”
“Oh, fine, I’ll take charge of that.”
“No running or skidding, and of course no disturbing the Master Archivists,” Regus said very sternly.
Sonea nodded firmly. “Of course.”
The Librarian set off the corridor, and Egil smiled at Sonea. They had gained a g
uide, and they could see the Library. This cheered him up considerably.
Chapter 34
As Egil watched the Librarian leave, he noticed something. “You don’t hear him as he walks,” he commented in surprise.
“We wear special shoes so as not to make any noise,” Sonea explained, and showed them her slippers. “I think they came from the Nocean Empire originally. They’ve been modified so that we can walk around the Grand Library without disturbing the scholars. It’s vital not to interrupt their daily tasks.”
“Very interesting …”
“My name’s Sonea. I’m an Apprentice.”
“Aren’t you a little young to be in the Library?”
“Oh no, not at all. I’ve spent my whole life here. A few years ago, they allowed me to start working and studying here. My present tasks are rather routine, but one day I hope to do some work on great discoveries. That’s my passion. I love it.” She beamed.
“You want to attain absolute knowledge too?”
She smiled. “Who doesn’t?”
Egil smiled back at her. “True. Who doesn’t?”
“Excuse me, but you’re foreigners, aren’t you?” She was looking at Nilsa. “That hair and those freckles aren’t from around here.”
“That’s right,” Egil said. “My name’s Ingar Olborg, and this is Ursula Laberg. We’re Norghanians.”
“Oh … from the icy north. How interesting. We don’t usually have visitors from your realm. Welcome to the Grand Library of Bintantium,” she said in the Unified Language of the North.
This surprised Egil, and even more Nilsa, who at last could understand something. “You speak our language?” she asked, more in surprise than as a question.
“Yes, I’m studying with the Master Archivist of Languages. I speak over twenty languages from all over Tremia, although not especially well. I still have a lot left to learn. It’s one of the subjects I like most. It’s fascinating learning to communicate with other people, especially from different races and cultures.”
“Over twenty languages?” Nilsa asked in disbelief.
Sonea smiled at her. “Not too well yet … but I keep studying, every day, to improve.”
“I don’t even speak mine correctly,” Nilsa said. She looked embarrassed.
“I have the feeling that our young guide is a prodigy,” Egil commented to her.
“Me? Oh, not at all … Barnacus is a prodigy – he’s Master Archivist of Ethnic Knowledge. I want to be his apprentice. The other two Master Archivists are too, but I don’t like them so much. You’ll know them at once because they wear tunics in golden ochre. Never disturb them. It’s not permitted.”
“Understood,” Nilsa said. “Golden tunics, we move away.”
Sonea smiled. “Yup. I usually get into trouble,” she added in a whisper. “I like to run and slide, and that’s forbidden.”
“And do they punish you?” Nilsa asked.
“Yes, quite often.” Sonea smiled mischievously and shrugged as if she could not help herself. She pointed inside. “Coming?”
“Go ahead,” Egil said with a wave of his hand.
“We’ll have to whisper, all right?” Sonea said in a murmur.
Egil lowered his voice to a whisper. “Of course.”
Sonea set off down the great central corridor, and like a good guide she began to explain the history of the Grand Library in a low voice: when it was built, how King Dasleo was looking after the Order and the Library, and his interest in the discipline of War.
“As you can see, our library holds one of the largest collection of tomes of knowledge in the known world,” she said in a low voice as they walked on slowly, careful to make no noise as they went.
“It’s amazing, all the knowledge in here,” Egil commented.
“There are more than three hundred librarians and archivists in the order, from apprentices like me to Erudites in the most diverse subjects.”
“They’re not even breathing,” Nilsa said, impressed by the dedication of the scholars they passed along the way.
“The study halls, as you can see, are unusual, and visitors always ask about them. They’ve been built as open spaces with a single arch as an entrance. They have no walls, only shelves of books which act as partitions.”
“They certainly are unusual,” Nilsa said. She was looking at a group of librarians and a Master Archivist inside one of the open, circular halls.
“Yes, they are rather different.” Sonea giggled. “They’re open spaces which invite all those who wish to cross the threshold to enter and obtain the precious knowledge.”
“That’s a great idea,” Egil said, impressed. “Very well-thought-out.”
“It also means you can watch the lessons being taught. I do it a lot.”
“I’m not sure why, but that doesn’t surprise me,” Nilsa told her with a smile.
Sonea smiled back at her and went on explaining about the Library, the Order of Knowledge and the Kingdom of Erenal. Egil was enjoying every word. Nilsa was less interested in the information and more in how strange she found this world of scholars in which knowledge was considered a treasure. She could not even begin to imagine how they could spend their whole lives shut up in there studying. And more than that, they were doing so of their own free will and were delighted with their lives.
“That’s the hall of arcane studies. The Master Archivist of Arcane Knowledge is giving a lesson right now. It’s one of the most interesting and popular subjects.”
“Do they study all that wretched magic?” Nilsa asked with a frown.
“Only through study can one understand and comprehend,” Sonea replied like a dogma.
“I don’t want to either understand or comprehend anything about magic,” Nilsa muttered grumpily. She was watching the Master Archivist, whose tunic, together with the great tome in his hand, gave him the appearance of a great mage.
“In that case you might be more interested in that class there,” Sonea said. She pointed to the other side, a little further down. “It’s the hall of historians, where the Master Archivist of Historic Knowledge is giving a lesson to his librarians.”
“I prefer the sound of that. Do you study your history, or that of other peoples as well?”
“That of all the peoples of Tremia, and beyond.”
“Beyond?” Nilsa shook her head. “There’s nothing else beyond.”
“Oh yes, there is. That’s what our Erudites say.”
“Interesting,” Egil said “What else is there?”
“There appear to be at least two other continents. One to the east, a long way away, and the other to the west, a little nearer.”
Nilsa was shaking her head. “That’s impossible. We’d know about them.”
“Not necessarily,” Egil corrected her. “Are you studying them?”
“That’s right. The Order has asked King Dasleo for funds to send two expeditions to discover these new lands and document them. Unfortunately, the first attempt failed. None of the expeditions returned, and now the King’s reluctant to send another one.”
Nilsa folded her arms. “I don’t believe there’s anything either east or west of the known world of Tremia.”
“That’s why we have to study it,” said Sonea.
“Don’t you get tired of studying?” Nilsa asked. “Wouldn’t you rather be doing something else? You’re very young.”
“Of course not. I’ve always wanted to be a Librarian and spend my days studying. That’s my wish, and I hope to make it come true someday.”
“You will, I’m certain of that,” Egil said encouragingly.
“Well, that’s if I don’t get involved in some mess or other …”
Nilsa laughed. “Sometimes that’s unavoidable.”
“I agree, but I still hope to become a Master Archivist of Ethnic Knowledge and wear the golden tunic,” Sonea said wistfully.
“The future will bring you great knowledge and wisdom,” Egil told her.
Sonea smiled as t
hey reached the other end of the huge nave that was the library. She pointed to a door with intricate engravings. “In front of you is the final chamber. I’m not allowed to enter, although sometimes that’s where I end up, because it’s where the Grand Master punishes me.” She sounded a little embarrassed as she said this.
“And those stairs?” asked Egil, pointing to the right.
“Oh, those lead to the underground study halls. That’s where the Master Archivists have their own study chambers, where they carry out more profound studies.”
“Under the ground?” Nilsa asked in surprise.
“In the quiet and secrecy and peace which the underground provides. That’s where the newest advances happen.”
“How many underground levels are there?” Egil asked.
“Three. But entrance to them is forbidden. Only the members of the Order have access.”
Egil gave her a reassuring wave. “Of course. Totally understandable.”
The door to the hall suddenly opened, and Regus came out. “I’m so sorry,” he said as he came to their side. “In spite of the permit, the Grand Master won’t grant you access to the tome.”
“I don’t understand,” Egil said. He sounded very annoyed. “Why the refusal?”
“It contains information of a very sensitive nature, and consulting it isn’t permitted.”
“It’s a matter of life or death,” Egil said firmly. “We’ve come all the way from Norghana for it,” he added, his expression becoming desperate.
“I’m sorry. You aren’t allowed to consult it.”
“But you don’t understand, the life of a dear friend is at stake. He’s a great man,” Egil insisted.
“I’m sure it’s as you say,” Regus said, “but it doesn’t change the situation. This tome can only be consulted by the members of the royal family and the Elder Archivists. Nobody else. Not even myself.”
“Not even to save an important life?”
Regus shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
Egil was about to protest, but Regus spoke first. “Sonea, escort them out of the Library, if you’d be so good.”
“But –” Egil began.
“Yes, Regus, right away,” Sonea said.