The Complete Historical Fantasy Trilogy by Andrew Anzur Clement

Author:Andrew Anzur Clement [andre]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Andrew Anzur Clement
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Ten

Henry returned from the library. It had been a harrowing morning and early afternoon. Shortly after the sun rose, Liza had emerged from the chamber she’d appropriated the night before. Malka and the boy remained seated in the living room, still engaged in conversation. Over the course of the remaining hours of darkness, Malka had told him much of her experiences growing up in a camp of fanatical thieves. Henry had listened, volunteering some similarities and differences regarding his own past. He had also seemed not to judge her beliefs, actions or fears.

As Liza entered the living room, it was clear that her consternation had not abetted.

“Great. I leave the two of you to your own devices. Grab a few hours of shuteye. Then I find that you’ve decided to use the time to pull some kind of all-nighter.”

She paused, looking at the ceiling.

“If you haven’t noticed, the sun’s up now. Whatever you were doing, it’s time to get down to business. Henry, get lost. I’ll try to get Malka to focus, for once, on our situation.”

“Great. Fine,” the brown-haired youth replied. He headed for the suite’s front door. “It’s not like demeaning her will get you anywhere. She’s too used to it,” he murmured by way of departure.

Having been born and raised in a mining camp, it had been Henry’s first trip to a library, not counting his own private collection of books. He had convinced his parents to bring them to him when they went on trading or provisioning runs.

First, he’d needed to find the place. Henry had attempted to ask directions. However, most greeted his enquiries with suspicion or contempt. They were almost as derisive with the boy as most in his camp had been. He’d ended up stumbling upon the building by accident. Noticing the sign that declared it to be one of this metropolis’s main libraries – the one that bore the name Astor – he’d entered.

Another dilemma presented itself inside. Having never entered such an institution before, Henry found that he had no idea of how to find the relevant materials. The docents had eventually showed him how to use the library’s cataloguing system. But, they had done so in a manner that clearly suggested they thought he was an idiot. As far as they seemed concerned, he should have known before walking in the door. Henry had thought that bit odd. It was their job to explain how things worked here, as far as he knew. Yet, they acted as if he were some kind of charity case from the countryside. Judging by their attitude, they were doing him a favor simply by explaining how the system worked.

Feeling somewhat harrowed by the experience, the boy was finally able to research possible meanings of the message sent by the Society. As he did so, it was with the distinct idea that he was developing very few positive impressions about this place, or the people who inhabited it.

Now, Henry reentered the suite at the Fifth Avenue Hotel.

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