Summer in Orcus by T. Kingfisher

Author:T. Kingfisher [Kingfisher, T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Red Wombat Tea Company
Published: 2017-01-24T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Summer followed the servant-bird to the hallway, where she was handed off to a butler-bird, who took her through the halls and up a staircase. “Forgive me,” said the bird, as they climbed. “The library is on the second floor, and the approach for the non-flighted is…less elegant.”

It looked plenty elegant to Summer. The stairs were shallow, if narrow, and the wooden paneling on the walls was so dark that it was nearly black. Sconces in the shape of fantastic beasts coiled up the panels, shooting oil lamp flames from their mouths.

The butler-bird turned right at the top of the stairs and led her to a set of doors. They were open at the top, like French doors, and the butler-bird had to open the bottom for Summer to step through.

It was a library, and it was incredible.

For one thing, it was completely vertical. The room itself was only about the size of the dining room in Summer’s house back home, but it went up and up for stories on stories. Each wall was lined with bookcases, and perches ringed the room at intervals so that a bird could stand anywhere they chose and reach a book easily with beak or talons.

There were hundreds of books, probably thousands. At least as many as there were in the school library. They smelled like leather and expensive words.

“Miss Summer,” announced the butler-bird, “of another world.”

“Heyo, Summer,” said Reginald, who was lounging on a low couch. “Quite the thing, isn’t it? Didn’t I tell you?”

The other bird in the room turned toward her.

He was also a hoopoe, wearing a black waistcoat. He was larger than Reginald and heavier, but his feathers were still bright. There was a faint milkiness to his eyes, as if he were in the very early stages of going blind.

He could still see her, though, because he smiled and dipped his crest. “Miss Summer. My son has told me much about you. You honor us with your presence.”

“Oh,” said Summer faintly. She stumbled through a bow, thought at the last minute that it was probably supposed to be a curtsey, realized she didn’t know how to do one, and wound up bowing twice. “Are you Lord Almondgrove? I mean—of course you are. Sir. Thank you. Everything’s lovely here. The bath was very nice.”

She closed her mouth, feeling embarrassed. She’d never met a Lord before. Well, there was Reginald, but he didn’t really seem to count.

Fortunately, the elder hoopoe did not seem offended. He smiled again. “Come in, come in. Reginald tells me that you are seeking to end the menace to our world...and that you are a delightful travelling companion and staunch in defense of your friends, and that the Forester likes you. Which are all most excellent qualifications, but I would like to ask a few questions, if I may.”

“Uh,” said Summer. “I mean, yes, sir.” She looked around for a place to sit and eventually settled on something that looked like a footstool. Lord Almondgrove was on a perch at a reading stand, rather like a lectern, so she had to look up to meet his eyes.

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