Рахма Крамбо - Guardian Cats And The Lost Books Of Alexandria

Cicero spotted him and called out in a spirited voice. "Marco! What took you so long? Come in!"

Marco’s eyes widened and he stepped in the room. “I'm… not in trouble?"

"On the contrary!" exclaimed Cicero. "My displeasure was not with you, but due to grave matters at hand. Decisions, calling on clear judgment and needing certitude cause vexation to the spirit.”

Marco wondered if Cicero might be apologizing. It was hard to tell.

“Today is a most auspicious day.”

"It is?" Marco asked. ‘Auspicious’ sounded like something to worry about, but Cicero was too light hearted.

“Most assuredly. I will tell you now that these past weeks you have been on trial. Not for any crime committed, but to measure your worthiness. Careful observation and analysis of your actions have revealed crucial characteristics required for this post. Being a Guardian Cat demands a high level of integrity.”

Marco had no clue what Cicero was talking about, so he remained silent.

“To put it more simply,” Cicero continued, “when you have reached the end of your journey, how will you view it? Will you be able to say you led an honorable life? Or to paraphrase someone, ‘I have suffered, it is true, as few men… uh… cats… are ever called upon to suffer, but I have been weighed in the balances by a jury of my peers and found not wanting?’”

As usual, Cicero’s long-winded explanations, punctured with quotes, confused Marco even more. Cicero finally noticed his bewilderment.

"Alaniah, would you please convey the nature of this momentous event to our young friend?"

Alaniah floated down from a high corner to join them. “It would be my honor-or," she sang. “Marco, what Cicero is trying to say is that he has chosen you to be his successor."

Marco’s breath caught in his throat. Whatever he’d been expecting, it certainly wasn’t this. "I don't know what… to say," he stammered.

"You may say yes,'" teased Alaniah. "That would please Cicero most."

"Yes," he consented. Then he repeated it with vigor as the realization sunk in.

"Good. I am most pleased." said Cicero. "Let us proceed to the hidden chamber."

Marco followed Cicero downstairs to the mirror, thinking about his dream come true. Even though it came as a surprise, it did seem like his destiny. He was feeling nobler already and could hardly wait to tell someone.

As they waited for Alaniah to open the mirror portal for them, Cicero sat looking forward, “You can’t tell anyone!”

Marco jumped. How did Cicero know what he was thinking? It was beginning to spook him. They descended down the dark, dungeon-like stairs once again. This time though, he knew what awaited him at the bottom.

When they reached the door of the underground chamber, Alaniah floated through and disappeared, leaving them in utter darkness. Marco bumped into Cicero.

“Hang on. Sometimes she gets distracted. She also likes to mess with us.”

The door opened and the chamber glowed with light swirling in a rainbow of colors. “I prepared the room especially for this occasion. You may enter now,” said Alaniah.

Cicero allowed Marco to enter first. He felt a ripple of excitement. When he came here before, he’d been so naïve. Not anymore, he thought.

"Very well, Marco," said Cicero. "We have no time to waste. Please come and sit in front of me."

Marco stepped in closer to Cicero. Cicero raised his paw and placed it on Marco's head. "Marco, as of this moment, you are officially a Guardian-in-training."

Cicero removed his paw and jumped up to the table.

"Is that it?" asked Marco thoughtlessly. In books, ceremonies were always very elaborate, especially for knighthood, which was how he thought of his new position.

"What did you expect?"

"I don't know. Something… more…" Marco felt foolish putting it into words.

"A celestial being who deems to talk to you, a time traveling journey back to the most magnificent library ever created, a meeting with the original human Guardian, witnessing a major historical event and being here in the presence of the most powerful and magical book in existence…” Cicero said sternly. “What more do you want?”

Reduced to a speck of dust, Marco turned his face to wash a non-existent itch on his back. Cicero would change his mind now, probably throwing him out on his ear.

"Marco, look at me. We are cats. Try to remember that," said Cicero simply. “Now come up here and let’s have no more foolishness.”

Marco looked up at Cicero, who had made his blunder vanish like a puff of smoke. With this cat, nothing was predictable.

Marco jumped quickly up to the table. Alaniah flew in swirls around the room, in ever-smaller circles, until she landed on top of the box. As soon as she touched it, one side of the box opened up like a flower. Inside was Akeel’s book.

Marco gasped. “It really is Akeel’s book.” He looked around the room, half expecting to see him. “I wish he were here.”

"I understand. I do feel his presence when I am with the book. This is his legacy, however.”

"So… Akeel brought the book here?"

"No, but someday I will tell you the story of how we both came to be in this place."

Marco started feeling cocky again. “Make it do something. Like Akeel did.”

“Not allowed.”

“What do you mean? You are the Guardian. You can do whatever you want, right?”

“Yes… and no.”

“That’s not much of an answer. Here I am, on my first day of training. So train me.”

He felt Cicero’s glare, but he didn’t feel like backing off.

Finally Cicero gave in. “I will show you one small thing. But understand this. You cannot use its magic except for very serious matters. Life and death. Or to save the Book itself. Its power is addictive and it becomes dangerous to the one using it.”

Marco waited eagerly.

“Marco?”

“Yes?”

“Do you understand?”

Marco was sure the right answer was ‘yes’. “Yes, Cicero.”

Cicero looked around the barren cave-like room with only a table and the Book.

“Hop down,” he ordered Marco.

They both jumped off the table. Cicero closed his eyes and mumbled some words, and the table changed shape. In one smooth transformation, the top became a piece of thick clear-cut glass, and the legs appeared to be growing out of the floor like a tree trunk.

Cicero looked pleased. “I may leave it that way. It’s one way I keep in practice… changing the table.”

Marco could not believe how lame this trick was. “How will this help me? What if I’m in some life or death situation? I hardly think redecorating tables will save anyone!”

“You want something more dramatic?” Cicero sighed. “Okay, Marco, just this once I will give you dramatic. You will need to learn the language anyway.” Cicero closed his eyes. “I usually say this silently.” He began to chant in a strange language.

“Fa-taw-lah-nee, rah-ma-la-nee, ma-fa-taw-nee, moon-too-lah.”

Marco had never heard anything so silly in his life. He yawned—and because his eyes were closed for a half second—he missed how the magic happened. When he opened them, a strange human towered above him.

Spooked, Marco turned and ran out the door, but he stopped on the other side to peer back inside. The man was chuckling and holding out his hand to Marco. “Is this dramatic enough?”

“Cicero?”

The man looked at Marco and smiled. “Yes?”

“You’re human?”

Cicero as a man reached down to pick up Marco and scratch behind his ears. “I always wanted to see what that felt like to a human.”

Marco loved being held again. “Will you stay like this?” he purred.

“Oh my, no,” replied Cicero. “Being human is much too complicated.”