Rincewind (rincewind) wrote in bearandbarnacle, @ 2009-05-14 18:53:00 |
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Current mood: | scared |
Entry tags: | darkness, event, rincewindpost |
Rincewind: Event: Darkness
Rincewind was headed for the library. It was the only place in this wretched town he had found himself stuck in where he felt at all at home. True, there were no copper rails nailed to the shelves, there were no magical books (that he could determine at any rate), and the librarian was a woman, still it was a library. The smell of book dust and paper was enough to bring a tear of homesickness to his eye. He hurried along the street, occasionally glancing up and wondering about the darkness. It had been dark when he’d gone to bed last night, as per usual, but it had been dark when he’d gotten up as well. Definitely not per usual. He was staying well away from the roads; the growling monsters were still out in force, although now their eyes were open and glowing. Some of the people looked anxious and there were groups gathered around shops that spoke in hushed whispers. But still others just carried blithely on, chattering into their metal things, as if nothing at all odd was happening. Perhaps they were some sort of zombie, Rincewind thought. Without the falling-off bits and smelling far better (i.e.: not at all) than any zombies he was familiar with.
The library was deserted, save for the librarian. She gave Rincewind a tired smile, having grown accustomed to his being there. He had just finished a fascinating cookery book extolling the virtues of green eggs and ham and was on his way back to the main reading room from a visit to the gents when he stepped on something that crunched lightly under his sandal. He lifted his foot and stared. It was a peanut shell! And to Rincewind, a peanut shell in a library could only mean one thing. He peeked round the door and saw that the lady librarian was at the desk. Good. He hurried down the hall to the lounge where the staff had their breaks or snuck for a cuppa when there weren’t any people about. Cautiously, Rincewind pushed open the door. “Well, it’s about time!” he hissed angrily, hurrying into the room. “I hope I haven’t put you to any trouble!” Sitting in a chair at the head of the table was the Librarian of Unseen University. He calmly shelled another peanut, looking like a simian Don.
“Ook?” he asked Rincewind.
“Yes, I’m glad to see you,” Rincewind replied, rolling his eyes. “I just think you could have come a bit quicker.”
“Ook ook,” the librarian told him, munching the peanut and tossing the shell on the floor.
“What do you mean, you didn’t come here for me?!” Rincewind asked indignantly.
“Ook,” the librarian said patiently, though his face grew worried.
“Well, so what? Books go missing all the time,” Rincewind said. “I still think you could…”
“OOK!” the librarian interrupted him firmly.
“Oh,” Rincewind said weakly. “One of those books.”
“OOK!”” the librarian replied quietly. “OOK OOK!”
“Worse than the Octavo?”
“EEK!”
“That explains the dark then,” Rincewind said glumly. “You’re here to find it?”
“Ook ook. Ook ook ook,” the Librarian told him.
“All of the librarians are looking for it?! From every dimension?” Rincewind was appalled by the magnitude of the disaster.
“Ook,” the librarian said steadfastly.
“You think it’s here then? Shall I just toddle up to the desk and see if anyone’s turned it in?”
The chair made a scraping sound as it was pushed back. “OOK!” the librarian said somberly. “OOK!”
“Yes,” Rincewind’s voice was shaky. “All right. Sorry. Put me down please. Thank you!” He brushed ineffectively at his robe. “What’s this book look like then?”
The librarian pushed a piece of paper and a pencil at Rincewind. “Ook ook eek ook,” he said hurriedly. “EEK EEK!”
“Right,” Rincewind said, scribbling madly. “Wrapped in gold silk cloth and tied with a red cotton braid. I’ll keep my eye out for it. Has this horrible thing got a name?”
The librarian looked around before replying, as if to make double sure they were alone. Even non-magical books have power. “Ook,” he whispered, sounding, sounding a bit unnerved, which frightened Rincewind far more than anything else. He’d only known the librarian to be scared one time before, and that had nearly resulted in the destruction of the Disc.
“Right,” he swallowed. “The Nemorensis. And what do I do if or when I find it?”
“EEK EEK!” the librarian told him firmly. “OOK!”
“I’ll come straight here and wait for you,” Rincewind told him. “I won’t touch the thing with a ten-foot pole.”
“Ook,” the librarian said.
“Thanks,” Rincewind told him glumly. “Good luck to you as well.”