Рахма Крамбо - Guardian Cats And The Lost Books Of Alexandria

Cicero wasn’t telling everything, either. He never told Marco about his own encounter with Bait, preferring to let Marco enjoy his victory. He would need this triumph to build on for the future.

But why hadn’t he used the power of the book to do something? He’d gone after Alaniah, but he could have done something else. Why was he so incompetent? Was it age? Was he losing his power so gradually he didn’t even notice? No, he’d had the presence of mind to use it to defeat Bait. Still, he was alarmed at how weak and tired he felt.

Chapter 53: Miss Pinkley

In spite of the library being officially closed, it was busier than usual. Insurance adjustors, fire inspectors, police and health officials nosed around with clipboards.

When Professor Chin arrived for the purpose of examining the older manuscripts, Miss Pinkley assumed he was sent by someone higher up.

She was rather taken with him, even though she would never have admitted it. Maybe it was the fedora, or his square jar and solemn face punctuated by a trim moustache. It could have been his soft-spoken manner. But most likely it was the eye patch which suggested an intriguing past. He carried a large leather satchel, not in a casual way, like a lot of people, but as though it held his most precious possessions.

He inquired about the location of older books and manuscripts, offering his condolences to her about the fire. He said he hoped they didn’t lose anything too valuable, but this was his area of expertise and he would be able to give her a full report.

“Oh,” said Miss Pinkley. “There’s also a small collection upstairs. I don’t know if you’re interested in that one. It’s mostly local history, but there are some very old books in that room. We were worried about the smoke damage since it collected in the balcony area, but our big concern was Cicero.”

“Cicero?”

“Oh,” laughed Miss Pinkley, wondering at the sudden paleness that came over the man. “Cicero is our library cat. He pretty much owns the local history room.”

“Maybe I could start there. Yes, that would be good.”

“Certainly Professor. I’ll show you where it is.” Miss Pinkley got up, happy with the opportunity to escort the man to the room, but stopped short when an insurance adjustor approached her with some questions.

“Don’t worry,” Professor Chin assured her. “I’ll find my way.”

Miss Pinkley sighed. “We are getting ready to go home for the night. You only have a short time left today.”

Chapter 54: Legacies

Professor Chin entered the small room crammed with old books, many lying in piles on a long polished wood table. It was untidy, obviously not kept up to standards, he thought, but then this wasn’t the British Library, was it? The sight of the cat, even sleeping on a green velvet chair, caught his breath. The click of the metal latch as he closed the door behind him startled the cat into wakefulness.

“I thought you might be dead by now, after that trick you pulled in London,” said the Professor.

The cat bolted upright, back arched. Professor Chin smiled benevolently at Cicero. “But of course, you must have nine lives like any normal cat.”

He brushed the dampness collecting on his palms onto his coat. “You probably never thought I’d find you in this backwater place. But I don’t give up, once I have a purpose and besides…” He lowered his shoulder, letting his satchel slide to the table, and thought about how much he should reveal. But, he laughed, what was he worried about? After all, he was only talking to a cat. He kept his tone friendly. “I have extra help now, the Finders. Creatures who travel without passports or reservations; they have no boundaries in time or space. You’ll never be able to hide your Book well enough to evade them.”

He paced along the table’s edge, never losing sight of Cicero, careful not to make him too nervous. Careful even more so, not to give in to his rage. The cat was again standing in his way. He loathed having to negotiate with this vicious creature once again.

The Finders had led him here but wouldn’t… or couldn’t… tell him the exact location of the Book. He considered their services inadequate for the price he paid and would take his revenge on them when he had the power to do so. But he’d think about that later. The cat was growling at him.

He stepped to the far side of the table, calculating, despising. “It’s been a long time. Do you even remember me? Maybe you need a reminder.” He removed his fedora and placed it on top of the satchel.

“Every morning, when I look in the mirror, I remember you.”

Professor Chin reached behind his head and pulled his eye patch off.

“Every morning, I am forced to wear this to cover my scarred and useless eye.”

The cool air hit the moist, shrunken pulp of his empty eye socket. “It’s your legacy to me, but I have a legacy for you as well.” He replaced his eye patch and returned the fedora to cover his head. “My legacy to you, dear Cicero, is a curse. I will create a special one and place it upon you until the end of time.”

Chapter 55: Language of the Unseen

Cicero was pretty sure he could escape being captured by Professor Chin, but the dark form slinking around the room, little more than a shadow, he wasn’t so sure about. He still had nightmares about these creatures that seemed to follow the Professor like evil pets. Now even the books seemed to recoil in horror from the presence of this madman.

But, on closer examination, he saw this wasn’t one of the creatures that almost smothered him when Professor Chin had trapped him in a cage in London. This time, there was only one, and it had a voice.

At the same time, the Professor was coaxing him with artificially sweetened words. “Come on, old man. You’ve had your distinguished career as the library cat. None of the librarians will know what happened. What do they know anyway? I will relieve you of your duties and you will be free to read your dusty old tomes.”

Cicero jumped off the chair and began to walk in a wide circle around the Professor, hissing.

“You foolish cat! You think you can intimidate me! How absurd! Oblige me and I will grant you peace. Cross me and not only will I destroy you, I will destroy the preposterous notion of the legendary Guardian Cats.”

Cicero continued to circle the Professor, who turned in order to keep his one good eye on him.

“Shall I bring in my companions?” threatened the man. “I must warn you. I can’t always control them.”

Cicero stopped moving and began to speak directly to the Professor, translating his words into the language of the Unseen, one he knew the Professor would understand. “I will never reveal the Book to you! I will not make that mistake again.”

The Professor sighed. “That is truly unfortunate… just as we are getting reacquainted.” To the Voice, as Cicero thought of it, the Professor said, “He’s resisting me. Now we must get serious.”

Cicero had no idea what he would be up against this time, but whatever the Professor had in mind was certain to be grim.

Chapter 56: The color of humans

Marco was outside Cicero’s chamber. This was the first time he’d ever seen it closed and he pawed and meowed at the door. He heard a man’s voice on the other side and smelled an unfamiliar, bitter smell.

After a bit, the librarian appeared. “Oh dear, this will never do, will it Marco? Cicero hates being locked in.” She opened the door and poked her head in briefly, “Professor, we’ll be closing in fifteen minutes. And, if you don’t mind, we like to keep the door open for our library cats.”

Miss Pinkley left and Marco scurried into the room. From behind the velvet chair he had a good view of the man. He blinked once, then again, but it didn’t change what he saw. Most humans came in shades of blue or green. This one was surrounded by a smoky haze and seemed to be talking to an even darker shapeless being.