The Library of Gettan is, in and of itself, a wonderful place. It is an enclosed eddifice of fine grey stone. Its ground-level floor is as large as a city block. The building has six stories above the ground and three basements. Each level has scores of rooms; each room has hundreds of books; each book can be found at least thrice at any given time in the Library.
In the roof of the Library is a hole (purposely crafted there) lined with gargoyles. Through this hole runs rainwater. The rainwater fills a small pool on the sixth floor and uses gravity to draw it into fountains scattered about the entire Library. All of the water eventually ends up in the third basement where it is used to form various elixors. Also, the books do not rot; they are protected by numerous shielding spells. You see, not only is the mammoth building a library, but also a school for mages. However, mages are far too oft the center of discussions by story-weavers. Instead of them, we shall focus on their building and its books.
Books can be either one's grandest ally or his greatest foe. Unfortunately, it is far too often the latter. In some cultures, only the aristocracy is schooled in areas of reason, wit, and knowledge. In others, only the theologins are privvy to such fancies. Gettan, however, is open to all.
All books are available to all people. Each section has cots and kitchenettes for the serious scribe. Also, every area has its own Dominus, one who is especially versed in that subject. In all, there are over four-hundred different Dominus stations, many of which are so huge that they require Sub-Domini, those that assist the dominus with his duties. Also, there are many Magisters, those trained especially to educate the masses in literature. It is the goal of Gettan to allow all possible means for everyone to know a little something about everything.
Some ten days south of Inla, the Majestic sails steadilly onward. Few of the maps in the captain's cabin (both of which Sandrylene has taken to frequenting as of late) are finished, but those that are mark the territory south of Inla as being quite deserted and worthless. After a month of relaxation on Inla, however, the three are glad to be out on the sea again. The weather has been kind and almost always a fair breeze fills the ship's sails. It rained but one day thus far, and that was just enough to freshen the water onboard.
No more of the journey is of worthwhile note, save that Clarinet is slowly learning to read not only Common Tongue, but also Marian and Weldoxian. Her vocabulary is steadilly expanding and her grammar, improving. Her views are always shifting, allowing her to see all sides of many questions. She tries to gain as much from life as possible. Everywhere she goes, she observes everything.
The evening of the thirteenth day after the Majestic's return to open waters is beauteously clear. By the time Sandry decides that she can not sleep, the twin moons are near their vertexes. They flood the deck of the ship with an eerie silver luminsence.
Sandry walks to the bow and sighs. "Why can't I sleep?" she wonders aloud. She turns and leans against the railing. The moonlight flashes upon the arrowhead about her neck. She inspects it as if she has never before seen it.
"Perchance something is calling to you, and thusly keeping you awake," a voice suggests. It is not Tren, but it is a man.
Sandry glances up, grinning. Her gaze holds upon the moonlight-basked figure for but a moment. "Clar," she states, joy in her voice. Clar rarely visited her on Inla. He felt that neither Tren nor Clarinet were ready to know that he still frequents the living.
"Sandrylene, beautiful as always." He grins, but it is difficult to see such against his translucency.
Sandry chuckles. "You flatter me. What troubles you?"
"Naught. I merely wished to talk to someone. The dead are so oft ones of so few words. I miss you."
"And I you." Sandry blushes, and though it is faint,Clar catches it. "Have you made friends?"
*Sandrylene, to whom do you speak?* Clarinet slithers out of the shadowy stairwell and into the silvery moonlight. Here her hide sparkles in response to the pearly orbs above. She makes her way across the deck and stops before Sandrylene. She then turns and espies the ghastly figure of Clar. *How now, Spirit?* she inquires, her eyes bright.
Clar chuckles. "She doesn't miss a beat, does she?" he asks Sandrylene.
*She has a name. You may call me Clarinet. Who are you?* She seems to demand a response from him, even though she is small and just barely on the cusp of becoming a shrape.
"My name is Clar, Clarinet," Clar responds. He smiles and crouches low to get a better look at the young wyrm. "Sandry has told me much of you, but nothing of your fire."
*You are Clar?* Clarinet projects, almost laughing. *That is too much. Why do you show yourself only now?*
"I did not think you would be ready to accept me."
*So you court my bondmate nightly instead? Did you honestly ever plan to reveal yourself to me? You are the one after which I am named, and you intended to hide yourself from me? Absurd.*
"Now see here!"
"Clar, calm down," Sandry interjects. "Clarinet, what's the matter?"
*I dreamt a dream, Sandrylene. And when I awoke you were gone and your door ajar. I scaled the stairs and heard you talking to this dratted phantom and you know the rest,* Clarinet replies indignantly.
"Go back to sleep, dear. I will return presently to our cabin."
*No.*
"What?"
*No. When I grow, if I am correct, I will most likely be a sea-element. If that is so, I must be able to follow the Majestic and probably won't fit in your cabin, Sandry. I won't be able to stay with you once I become a shrape.*
"No dragon knows his form until he matures. It will work out, Clarinet. Besides, would you rather spend the night out here, being plagued by gulls, or inside the ship where it is warm?"
*I... I never thought of the gulls.* Clarinet chuckles. *I love you Sandry. You are always full of such reason.* With a smile, she slithers below the deck once again.
"Full of reason? You?" Clar asked, fighting back a chuckle.
"You'll have to forgive her. She gets a little cranky when she awakes and I'm not there," Sandry sighs. "Well, I had best be going, Clar."
"I shan't be returning, Sandrylene."
"What?" Sandry is astonished and merely blinks at the apparition.
"I'm ready to pass on. Clarinet will protect you now."
"No! Don't leave me again!" Tears are slowly filling Sandry's eyes again.
"I have to. If it wasn't tonite, it would have been tomorrow. I've felt it coming for some time now. It's time for me to fully pass on."
"Clar!"
"I'll be with you in memory, Sandrylene."
"You... no!... Clar I love you! Can you desert those you love?"
"Father once told me, if you love something, let it free. If you love me, Sandrylene, remember me in memory, but set me free now."
Sandry sobs and runs towards Clar's image. She throws herself about his feet and he reaches down to comfort her. For the briefest of moments, he is solid, but then he fades into nothingness, saying only, "I loved you once and perchance shall do so again. Goodbye, Sandrylene."
The night is aging quickly and it is not so dark as it was. On the horizon is a mass of land, and three miles inland of that is a massive library of all sorts of books. The night is tranquil, save for one simple, lonely cry of anguish of, "CLAR!"
*What manner of gift is this, Sandrylene?* Clarinet inquires, staring at the arrowhead before her. *That is yours. It is the barb that pierced Clar and killed him. Why do you give it to me?*
"I'm ready to give it up now. You should be connected to your namesake somehow. Since he's dead, you may as well have the arrowhead. It is only right," Sandry replies, staring across the table from Clarinet.
*If you're absolutely certain...*
"I am. I trust you'll take wonderous care of it."
*Of course I will, Sandrylene!* Clarinet takes the arrowhead and its string in her mouth and slithers over to Tren. The Marian is watching the coastline of the approaching land mass when the wyrm approaches him. Soon the pair are fixing the arrowhead as the pendant of Clarinet's necklace from Inla.
*What manner of structure is that?* Clarinet inquires later in the day. Upon a cliff some three miles inland sits a stately marble building that sparkles in the sun. It's roof is domed and rectangular at the same time. From its sides jut towers whose rooves are also domed. The glare it produces is blinding.
"According to the maps, there should be nothing here," Sandry states, puzzled. She closes the navigation book she had found previously in the captain's cabin and takes the telescope from Tren.
"I've seen this place before, though. I can't recall where. It's very vague. I know it to be called Gettan and it holds many books of all types. It is huge, nine stories in all. Wonderous," Tren adds quietly.
*Aren't stories what should be in books? How is it good to have a lot of books and only nine stories?* Clarinet asks, perplexed.
"Not those sort of stories, Clarinet. These stories are the levels of a building. Nine floors, so to speak," Tren explains.
*Ah. That makes sense. Thank you.* She smiles and watches as the eddifice approaches smoothly and steadilly. *I should like to see this place of books.*
The Majestic is left, moored in the tiny harbor miles from the Library of Gettan. Few merchants live there, and fewer still line the streets. It is near dark when Sandry and Tren convince a merchant to let them borrow two Figtrits, large purple bird-lizards that run faster than any other creature able to carry a humanoid. Due to their underdeveloped wings and overdeveloped legs, the Figtrits of present times is more lizard than bird.
The Figtrits are both males, as the males tend to be less hostile towards one another. Thus, with Clarinet securely riding in a bag and Sandry and Tren both riding a Figtrit, the trio sets off into the night towards the still-shimmering building.
In less than an hour's time the three reach the huge fortress. It sparkles in the twin-moonlight far brighter than the sea itself, or so it seems. Before them loom two heavy, iron doors that are far too thick to be opened by a mere humanoid. Staring up at the doors, the three note dragons and elves and centaurs and fae depicted as frollicing through the forests.
"And how, pray tell, are we to enter?" Sandry inquires. What was the purpose of such an ostentatious building that could not be accessed?
*Look!* Clarinet projects. *A door! Your sized!* She chirrups happilly as Tren and Sandry dismount the Figtrits and tie them to the poles alongside other such mounts.
"By the gods," Tren whispers, "so it is." He smiles, noting this door to be an exact replica of the larger set. An iron doorknocker hangs welcoming against the left door, and he approaches it.
"Are you certain it's safe?" Sandry inquires, not really wanting to lose two comrades. As she asks, she allows Clarinet to slither about her neck. Lately she has gained much weight, much to the dismay of Sandry and Tren. They won't deny her their company, however.
*Where's your sense of adventure, Sandrylene?* Clarinet inquires, her black eyes bright with an adventure-seeking fire. *It's the largest place of books in the world. How can it possibly be unsafe?* She chuckles, chirping as she does so.
"I suppose you're right. Tren, will you do the honors since you somehow know so much about this place?" Sandry replies, smiling.
The Marian nods and raps the doorknocker thrice. Nothing happens for a long while, and he reaches for the knocker again. Suddenly, the door creeps open. He shrugs, smiling, and walks through the portal, searching for people. His eyes are met by a most splendid sight, and he runs back to the door to find his companions.
Sandrylene and Clarinet do not make it much farther passed the threshhold when Tren comes racing back to them. He babbles incoherently for a moment before grabbing Sandry by the wrist and pulling her into an immense pool of light.
The sight that greets Clarinet's eyes when they begin to focus is wonderful. The walls are lined with books of all forms and colors and sizes. Scattered about the walls are people shelving and taking books. Many sit at tables and benches, reading. Others chat idly with comrades and coleagues. The sheer intellect about the area is mindboggling. So many scribes and philosophers and learned peoples! Where would she start to begin to talk to them all?
"What section would you like to see first?" Sandry inquires, glancing over a map of the building's areas.
*Everywhere...* Clarinet sighs, her eyes wide with excitement.
After a bit of time, the three travellers agreed to begin at the top floor and work their ways down to the third basement. In this manner, Clarinet could see everything and Tren and Sandrylene would not tire as quickly as they would from walking up and down stairs willy-nilly. Thus, they made their ways to the sixth floor.
The top floor is full of books of many types, much like the other floors. However, most on the sixth floor pertained to astronomy, astrology, and cartography. There were many, many other smaller sections as well, but those were the most prominant of the many.
Sandrylene spends most of her time looking at the mapbooks. Tren and Clarinet set themselves at the pool which is being filled despite the lack of rain outside. While sitting there, Tren and Clarinet talk to the people about them. By the time Sandry is returned, Clarinet is fiercely rationizing life and existance against a rather sage old man.
The trio moves down a floor to that of the fifth. Again, a large section of this area pertains to different creatures of the worlds, but again, there are countless smaller sections. Streams and small fountains gurgle around this area before passing the water onward. The three almost immediately begin to look for dragons, specifically Bishel Dragons.
"Can I help you?" inquires a slightly nasal, though entirely friendly, voice.
*Could you please direct us to the dragon section?* Clarinet projects to the voice.
Sandry and Tren turn to see an adolescent girl with an obvious headcold. She is clad in white robes with red trim. Her hair is honey brown and her eyes are a deep blue. She smiles at the dragon's request and nods.
"The dragon section is quite extensive," she states. "You're actually in it now, believe it or not." She smiles again and grabs a book about fae. "This one is misshelved," she admits, blushing a bit. "My name is Arae, and I am a Sub-Dominus specializing in smaller dragons. Shall I assume you wish to read about Bishens?" She grin, seeming quite well for the moment. That moment is shattered, however, when she lapses into a sneezing fit.
Clarinet blinks and blesses her. *How did you know?* she asked, her question directed to Arae's lattermost inquiry.
Recovering for the moment, Arae excuses herself and shrugs. "You're a Bishel wyrm, aren't you? Considering very few Bishens recall much of the past, and new eggs are adopted out instead of staying with the parents, very few know of their species' past. Granted, most of the books are newer, published in the last century to the present, we do have the writings of one who found a group of Kailans willing to share their tales. Unfortunately, it is unfinished. He used the rift-slipping technique one time too often. He became lost in another space and was never heard from again."
*How depressing! May I read it?* Clarinet smiles, extremely curious about her species' past.
Arae smiles yet again. Somehow, the show of happiness makes her comely, rather than merely average. "You may. Why don't you all get comfortable and I'll find the book and bring it to you? It's getting on towards midnight, and we're at least three miles from anything of gross import."
Sandry, Tren, and Clarinet are directed to a chamber lined with books and cots. No one occupies it, surprisingly, and the two humanoids begin to look at the books in an interested fashion. Clarinet is far more impressed with the stove. She had never seen one before, and it perplexed her.
*Sandrylene, what manner of beast is this?* she inquires, sniffing the metal appliance.
Sandry chuckles. "It's a stove. It's used to cook things. It makes things hot when it is burning. Sometimes they're also called 'ovens' or 'ranges,' but I've always called them stoves." She smiles, feeling extremely stupid that she can't explain it any better than that.
*Why does it make things hot?* Clarinet blinks at the stove and nudges it with her head. *It seems awfully cold to me.*
"It makes things hot when there is a fire within it," Sandry elaborates. "Since there is no fire burning in it, it won't get hot."
*Fire? Fire is pretty.*
"Pretty and dangerous. You're not to go near any fire, do you understand?" Sandry chides.
*Yes, Sandrylene,* Clarinet responds, sounding at least a triffle dejected. However, she cheers up almost immediately because Arae enters the room with a rather large book.
"This is it," Arae announces, setting the huge, weathered book upon a table. She opens the thick cover and sighs. "You may as well stay here for three days. It took our head scribe that long to finish reading what's here." She smiles and sighs. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
*Have sweet dreams and get well soon,* Clarinet instructs kindly. *Thank you for bringing the book.* She smiles and slithers up onto the table. Arae pushes the book to the opposite edge so that the little wyrm can read it. *Good night, Arae.* Clarinet then sets herself to reading the book, page by page. Tren and Sandrylene, however, decide that now, when Clarinet is quiet and amused, is a good time to sleep.
Sandrylene and Tren awake in the chamber to an aroma of wonderful cooking grain. Cinnamon also hangs in the air, and Sandry forces her eyes open to see what is for breakfast. She is surprised to see Arae there, cooking at the stove. She is not so surprised to see Clarinet reading and chatting with the sick girl.
*The only Moonstone mutation in this entire book is named Trilx. He was a terran who was the grandson of a Kailan and eventually became a Kailan himself, or so the legend goes. He had been dead for three hundred years by the time this author began to interrogate the Kailans,* Clarinet projects to the girl, oblivious to her waking companions.
"Strange. So you have the possibility of being either the first or second of your mutation. That is quite an honor," Arae responds, smiling.
"Clarinet have you been reading all night?" Sandry inquires, finally finding words.
*Not all night. We sleapt for a couple of hours.*
"We?"
"Clarinet came and sought me out. She felt lonely with you both asleep," Arae elaborates. "It's quite alright. Sub-Domini like myself are only on duty every third day. That way we can catch up on our sleep and studies. I also felt inclined to make you breakfast, I hope you don't mind." She begins to dump all sorts of spices into the pot on the range. Cinnamon, sugar, salt, and molasses are the primary ingrediants. She stirs this around and Clarinet continues to read.
*I'm quite fond of these hybrids, too,* Clarinet finally states.
"Yes, the hybrids are quite interesting. Jarod, Indyana's green male bondmate is a hybrid of the arboreal and terran types. I've often wondered if there's such a thing as an arboreal-marine combination. If there were, there wouldn't be much of a change from the arboreal body. I've never really been able to figure out just how that would be possible," Arae responds. She gets bowls out of the cupboard above her head and spoons from the drawer to her right. She takes the pot from the stove, places it on a hotpad and stirs the mix one more time. She spoons it into the bowls and sets them on the table.
Tren, who had been sitting at the table reading over Clarinet's shoulder, puzzles over the food set before him. "I don't want to sound rude, but what is this?" He prods it with his spoon and finds it sticky but entirely permeable.
"Oatmeal. It's native to the realm of Earth. We recently had a visitor from there who was so kind as to give us a couple bags of it as well as the seeds. The farmers around here are learing how to cultivate it and turn it into this finished product. It's really quite good and perhaps will someday become a delicacy known throughout the world," the young girl responds, smiling. She doesn't seem as sick today as she was the night before for some reason.
*It's a little too hot,* Clarinet states, staring at the steam rising from her bowl. *There's no way I'm sticking my muzzle in that just to get my skin burned off!*
Chuckling, Arae pulls down another bowl and disappears for a moment's time, allowing the others to study the oatmeal set before them. When she returns, she is carrying a large pitcher of Flibb milk, the local answer to Earth's cows. "This should help the heat, Clarinet. Milk is very good at cooling down substances. With any luck, you should be able to eat the oatmeal and drink the milk in succession. Would you like some milk, Sandry? Tren?"
"Please," the pair responds simutaneously. The thank Arae when she hands them both glasses of the white liquid.
*I've never had milk before,* Clarinet admits, puzzling over the white substance. *It looks strangely enticing, but also oddly alien. Why?*
"I suppose all new foods look that way. Try it. It's rather good, actually," Arae suggests, smiling.
Clarinet laps up a bit of the milk from the bowl set before her. Suddenly, her eyes light up. *Strangely enough, it is quite good!* She smiles and tries some of the oatmeal with the milk. *And even better yet!*
Soon, Clarinet finishes her breakfast and is back to reading the book on the history of Bishen Dragons. Sandry and Tren also finish relatively soon, discovering that oatmeal is not exactly as bad as it looks. The three humanoids sit and talk as the morning progresses.
The group decides to bypass the rest of the sections, but they do not leave emptyhanded. Arae clears it with her superiors and allows Sandry a book of maps and Clarinet a copy of the book on Bishens. Both are magically reinforced to prevent harm from coming to them from the damp, or fire, or whatever else may wish to destroy a book. Sandry and Tren say good-bye to Arae and wish her well in the Library. Clarinet tells them to go ahead and start down without her; she says she will be down very soon.
So, Sandry and Tren make their ways to the lobby, stopping here and there for a few moments' time. Eventually, they are once more in the huge main room. They decide to sit and wait for the aging wyrm to arrive. They sit beside one of the many waterchutes.
"What do you think she's doing?" Sandry asks after waiting for a while.
"Good question. She's probably finishing her debate with that old man from last night," Tren suggests, chuckling. He grins, brushing some of his blonde hair from his face. He glances about, certain he heard some shouts of joy.
Sure enough, from down the waterchute comes little Clarinet, coasting onward in the shallow waters. She is smiling and laughing and leaps into the air as she reaches Sandry and Tren. Tren catches her readilly, and he is also chuckling. Sandry, however, looks sternly at her.
"What were you doing?" she demands.
*Having fun. Those fountains have to be used for something, so I decided they would be fun to play in,* Clarinet explains.
"You could have been hurt!"
*I cleared it with the library head last night while you were sleeping. She said it would be alright and safe. I was only having fun,* Clarinet elaborates indignantly.
Sandry sighs. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come off as mean and anti-fun. I was just worried about you. Was it fun?" She offers the little wyrm a smile, showing she meant no harm.
*Indeed! It was wonderful! I coasted along the water, but it was deep enough for me to submerge myself in entirely. At some points it was slow enough that I could easilly swim against the current, but at others, like here, I could zip along, carried by the tide. It was great!* She grins, happy and excited.
Sandry chuckles and takes the tiny dragon from Tren. "Don't get too used to it. By the time you're fully grown, you won't be able to fit in such a contraption," she retorts, grinning. "Let's go. I promised that farmer we'd have his birds back by this evening. If we're late, he'll be rightly upset."
The three thus depart from the library, the water still dripping from Clarinet's scales. They untie the Figtrits from their posts and mount them, Sandry safely tucking Clarinet in the bag of hers. They depart back to town, return the birds, and unmoor the Majestic once more, this time with half-decent maps and a book on dragons added to their inventory.
Background by Ender Design.