Page 99 (1/1)

Irene flushed ‘You think so?’

‘He sounds a practical man I think he’ll prefer to have you on his side’ She paused for thought ‘You probably won’t get Aubrey’s office, so you s That way any future visitors to the alternate will knohere to find you You will be the Librarian-in-Residence, after all’

‘I will?’ Irene said, and blushed again, this tienuine humility rather than simple embarrassment Librarian-in-Residence was a post of soht about handling for decades yet Exciteive way to panic ‘I don’t knohat to say – ’

‘Thank you and goodbye should cover it,’ Coppelia said briskly ‘Co over you and worrying hiet yourself hurt if there’s a possibility of hi himself in the way He’ll be far more upset about it than you will’

‘Coppelia’ Irene took a deep breath ‘Why?’

The old woman closed her eyes for a moment She was frail, even for the Library, and her wooden ars about her The rest was all fragile flesh, spiderhite hair and eyes as cold as black stars ‘Don’t ask,’ she said, her voice tired ‘Don’t say anything, then I won’t need to reply And then later on, we can both answer truthfully that nothing was shared You’ve always avoided asking questions in the past, but we’ve run out of time for that It’s true that we need to know more You know the questions Go and find answers, and let ate It’s true that you’ll be safe there froer fish to hunt, that one Let him do it Let the rest of us throw ourselves in the way this tiood job of it Make me proud of you’

There was a rustle at the door, then a brisk rapping

‘That will be Kai,’ Coppelia said She opened her eyes again ‘You’d better be going He knows the way fro her feet down from the couch, and stood up ‘Thank you,’ she said It caain ‘Thank you, Coppelia I do appreciate it That is, I arateful’

‘You don’t, but you will,’ Coppelia said She sighed again ‘Your hands have been pieced together – I dragged old Wormius away from his runes to reattach all the bits and pieces Another reason for you to be out in real ti to heal here in the Library’

Irene realized that was true Her hands ed, but unless she left the Library, they’d never actually heal ‘Thank you again’

Coppelia waited until Irene was al, ‘Your shoes are under the couch’

‘Couldn’t you have said that earlier?’ Irene snapped, losing a lot of her gratitude ‘Just a moment!’ she called to the door, then trotted back to the couch to sit down and put the shoes on

‘I’ll be expecting regular reports,’ Coppelia said, watching Irene fuet too involved Reet that,’ Irene said She finished knotting the laces and sat back ‘I’m a Librarian’

‘So you are,’ Coppelia said She didn’t speak again, but nodded in dismissal, and Irene could feel her eyes on her with every step that she took towards the door

Kai aiting on the other side

Irene ed a few confident paces down the corridor, once the door had been safely shut between the stumble Kai frowned, and offered her his arht she was that badly injured Or possibly possessiveness was a characteristic of draconic affection They were supposed to be hoarders, after all Not so different from Librarians

But just for the le moment, on their way back to this alternate that was now her hoiven It was all hers Her territory, her open treasure-box of new books to read A neorld of great detectives, zeppelins, Fae and dragons She wasn’t going to co to run away She had questions to ask, and answers to find She just hoped she lived long enough to enjoy it