Cecelia Ahern - The Book of Tomorrow

‘Not at the moment. He’s out fox hunting with Lord Casper.’

His eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘When will he be back?’

‘After he’s caught the fox, I assume.’

‘Hmm…’ he nodded slowly and looked about him. ‘Are the foxes fast around here?’

‘You’re obviously not from around here. Everybody knows about the foxes here.’

‘Hmm. Indeed I’m not.’

I bit my lip and tried not to smile.

‘So he might be a long time?’ he smiled, sensing I was waning.

‘He might be a very long time.’

‘I see.’

He leaned against the porch pillar and stared at me.

‘What?’ I said defensively, feeling like I was melting under his gaze.

‘Seriously.’

‘Seriously, what?’

‘Does he live anywhere around here, at all?’

‘Definitely not behind these gates.’

‘What are you then?’

‘I’m a Goodwin.’

‘I’m sure you are, but what’s your surname?’

I tried not to laugh but couldn’t help it.

‘Cheesy, I know, sorry,’ he apologised good-heartedly, then looked confused as he consulted his chart and scratched his head, making it even more tousled.

I looked over his shoulder and saw a white bus, with ‘The Travelling Library’ emblazoned across the side.

He finally looked up from his clipboard. ‘Okay then, I’m definitely lost. There’s no Goodwin on this list.’

‘Oh, it wouldn’t be under my name.’ Byrne was my mother’s maiden name, my uncle Arthur’s surname and the name this house would be under. Arthur and Rosaleen Byrne. Jennifer Byrne-it didn’t sound right. It felt like my mum should always have been a Goodwin.

‘So this must be the Kilsaney residence?’ he said hopefully, looking up from his chart.

‘Ah, the Kilsaneys,’ I said, and he looked relieved. ‘They’re the next house on the left, just through the trees,’ I smiled.

‘Great, thank you. I’ve never been around here before. I’m an hour late. What are they like, the Kilsaneys?’ He scrunched up his nose. ‘Will they give me shit?’

I shrugged. ‘They don’t say much. But don’t worry, they love books.’

‘Good. Do you want me to stop here on the way back out so you can have a look at the books?’

‘Sure.’

I closed the door and burst out laughing. I waited with excitement for him to return, butterflies fluttering around my heart and stomach as though I was a child playing hide-and-seek. I hadn’t felt like this for at least a month. Something had been reopened inside me. Less than a minute later, I heard the bus returning. It stopped outside the house and I opened the door. He was getting out of the bus, a big smile on his face. When he looked up he caught my eye and shook his head.

‘Kilsaneys not home?’ I asked.

He laughed, coming towards me, thankfully not angry but amused. ‘They decided they didn’t want any books as it seems, along with the second floor and most of their walls, and the actual roof of their home, their bookshelf went missing.’

I giggled.

‘Very funny, Miss Goodwin.’

‘It’s Ms, thank you very much.’

‘I’m Marcus.’ He held out his hand and I shook it.

‘Tamara.’

‘Beautiful name,’ he said gently. He leaned against the wooden porch pillar. ‘So seriously, do you know where this Sir Ignatius Power of the Sisters of Mercy lives?’

‘Hold on, let me see that.’ I grabbed the clipboard from him. ‘That’s not “Sir”. That’s “Sr”. Sister,’ I said slowly. ‘You muppet.’ I tapped him on the head with it. ‘He’s a nun.’ Not a transvestite, after all.

‘Oh.’ He started laughing and grabbed the end of his board. I held on tight. He pulled harder and dragged me out onto the porch. That close up he was even cuter. ‘So is that you, Sister?’ he asked. ‘Have you received your calling?’

‘The only thing I get called for is dinner.’

He laughed. ‘So, who is she?’

I shrugged.

‘You’re intent on making me get lost, aren’t you?’

‘Well, I just got here yesterday so I’m as lost as you are.’

I didn’t smile when I said that and he didn’t smile back either. He got it.

‘Well, for your sake, I really hope that’s not true.’ He looked up at the house. ‘You live here?’

I shrugged.

‘You don’t even know where you live?’

‘You’re a strange man who travels in a bus filled with books. Do you think I’m going to tell you where I live? I’ve heard about your kind,’ I said, walking away from the house and towards the bus.

‘Oh, yeah?’ He followed me.

‘There was a guy like you who lured children into his bus tempting them with lollipops, then when they got inside, he locked them in and drove off.’

‘Oh, I heard about him,’ he said, his eyes lighting up. ‘Long greasy black hair, big nose, pale skin, danced around in tight trousers and sang a lot. Also had a penchant for toy boxes?’

‘That’s the one. Friend of yours?’

‘Here,’ he rooted inside his top pocket and dug out his ID. ‘You’re right, I should have shown this earlier. It’s a public library, licensed and everything. All official. So I promise I won’t trap you inside.’

Unless I asked him to. I studied the ID card. ‘Marcus Sandhurst.’

‘That is I. Want to look at the books?’ He held his arm out to the bus. ‘Your chariot awaits.’

I looked around, not a soul nearby, including Mum. The bungalow also appeared dead. With nothing to lose, I climbed aboard, and as I did, Marcus sang, ‘Children,’ in the Child-Catcher’s voice, and cackled. I laughed too.

Inside, both walls were lined with hundreds of books. Divided into various categories and I ran my finger along them, not really reading the titles, a little on guard at being in the bus with a strange man. I think Marcus sensed this because he took a few steps back from me, gave me plenty of space, and stood by the open door instead.

‘So what’s your favourite book?’ I asked.

‘Eh…Scarface.’

‘That’s a film.’

‘Based on a book,’ he said.

‘No, it’s not. What’s your favourite book?’

‘Coldplay,’ he responded. ‘Pizza…I don’t know.’

‘Okay,’ I laughed, ‘so you don’t read.’

‘Nope.’ He sat up on a ledge. ‘But I’m hoping that this experience will positively change me for the better and that I will be converted to a reader.’ He spoke lazily, his voice so lacklustre and unconvincing it was as though he was repeating something he’d been told himself.

I studied him. ‘So what happened, Daddy asked his friend to give you a job?’

His jaw line hardened and he was silent for a while, and I felt really bad, like I should take back the comment. I don’t even know why I said that. I don’t even know where that came from. I just had a weird feeling that I must have been close. I think maybe I recognised a part of me in him.

‘Sorry, that wasn’t funny,’ I apologised. ‘So what happens here?’ I said, trying to break the tension. ‘You travel around to people’s houses and give them books?’

‘It’s the same as a library,’ Marcus said, still a little cool with me. ‘People join up, receive membership cards and that allows them to take out books. I go to the towns where there aren’t any libraries.’

‘Or life forms,’ I said, and he laughed.

‘You’re finding it tough here, city girl?’

I ignored that comment and kept studying the books.

‘You know what people around here would really appreciate instead of books?’

He smiled suggestively at me.

‘Not that,’ I laughed. ‘You could actually make some money out of this thing if you got rid of the books.’

‘Ha! Now that’s not very cultured,’ he said.