The Draykon Series (1-3)

Orlind: Chapter Thirty

 'Library?' Eva gasped. 'But this is... how can it be a Library?' The unstable buliding much more closely resembled the fluid constructions of the Off-Worlds than the Libraries kept by Limbane and Krays. Nothing here suggested that it was, or had ever been, anything of that kind.

The self-proclaimed Master of Orlind took a few rushing steps until he was far too close for her comfort. Pushing his face at her, he said, 'What are you saying? Don't like my Library?'

Eva took a prudent step back. 'It just doesn't feel like a Lokant Library to me.'

'And it won't, will it? Won't ever again, most like.' His suspicion changed to sadness, then flashed through to resolution. 'Best that it doesn't,' he nodded to himself. 'Quite right. Too dangerous.'

Tren had eased up alongside her while this speech was progressing. 'Stay close,' he murmured in her ear.

Eva was quite prepared to do that. The Master of Orlind's manner gave her a prickling sense of unease; he was as deeply broken as the rest of this place. Judging from the wide berth that Llandry, Ori and Pensould were giving him, it wasn't just her instincts that were bristling with alarm.

'Why would it be dangerous?' she asked, keeping her tone calm and conversational. He was already paranoid, and his attention kept returning to her with her white Lokant hair. She had no wish to figure any more urgently as a danger.

'Asking stupid questions,' he said in disgust and went rambling off in a circle, oblivious to the way his visitors backed off at his approach. He paced around a few times, tipping forward onto his hands and rolling through on every fourth step. Eva watched, mesmerised by the sheer oddity of this behaviour. He talked incessantly in a stream of muttered words that she couldn't catch. Who could he be talking to?

Eventually he came up to her again. 'You'd better be off,' he said with a weird smile. 'Shan't be letting any Lokant push me out, not me.'

'I've no desire to push you out,' Eva said coolly. 'I simply want to know what this place is.'

'I have told you, haven't I? Besides, you ought to know that. It hasn't been that long.' He emphasised his words with vigour, almost spitting them at her. 'Used to be the reigning monarch of the Libraries, that's the case.'

'You mean you were the reigning monarch?'

He snorted. 'Not me. Her!'

'Her? Who is she?'

'You're standing in her,' he said, beaming, and he realised that he was referring to the building. 'Used to be the very best, oh yes.' Pride and smugness shone in his face, then changed abruptly to brooding resentment. 'Until they tore her up. No respect, that's the truth.'

'I'm sorry to hear that,' Eva said with civility. 'Who are the people responsible for breaking this wonderful Library?'

'Wonderful. It was, that,' he mumbled. Then his head jerked up suddenly and he fixed her with a wide-eyed stare. He remained that way for several long seconds, as though he was listening to something that she couldn't hear.

'No, no, they aren't here for that,' he said, shaking his head. Then, 'What? No! No, no, you're wrong.' He was shaking his head in violent denial, growing more and more upset. 'Don't say that, she can't take any more...'

Eva guessed that the 'she' in question was the building. 'I promise you, we are not here to damage the Library in any way,' she persevered. 'We are as anxious to depart as even you could wish. Just please answer a few questions-'

'Your shoes!' he thundered, staring at her in horror. 'Give me your shoes! All of you! Shoes!'

Eva blinked. 'I... what? Why our shoes?'