Axel came up behind me and whispered, “I suppose you’re wondering why nobody seems to notice Cleobella’s, umm, interesting look?”
“Interesting is the understatement of the year.”
“Yeah. She’s always a fashion icon. We expect it. Every year she dresses up as the Queen of Hearts for the croquet event. Each time, it’s a bit different, but always fun to see. I think we’re all used to seeing her just as she is. This family is surprisingly more accepting of people’s unique traits than you might think.”
“I’m coming to understand that,” I said.
“Did you see Grandmother’s flower necklaces?”
“I did!” The thought of it made me smile. “I’m sure the kids were delighted to see her wearing them. It warmed my heart.”
Axel nodded. “Grandmother’s like a loaf of sourdough bread. Hard and crusty on the outside, soft and warm on the inside. But with a touch of tart flavoring to keep you on your toes.”
“Don’t I know that,” I said.
Since the food had arrived, we were (happily) done with the game part of the evening. I think I’d had enough croquet to last me for a good, long while.
As we were walking toward the tables, I saw a bit of white and chocolate brown fur in the bushes. I slowly meandered over. As I got closer, I could make out two pairs of feline eyes scanning the yard. Sure enough, Latifa and Chanel had hidden behind a bush to spy on us.
“Why are you outside, Latifa?” I asked. “You’re a house cat, not a wildcat.”
“Cats are born wild, Cupcake,” she replied with a sniff. “It’s in their DNA. Taking a walk on the wild side is almost required.”
“You girls just be careful,” I said.
“Okay, Mom.” I could almost see her rolling her eyes. “And hey, nice job on the ball-chasing game. You’re almost good enough to be an honorary cat.”
The two of them snickered, turned their backs on me, and crept off toward the open backdoor.
6
In preparation for my meeting with the captain, I was at the library to do some serious research about the ferry and our island location. I stood with my hand on the door to the library, hesitant to open it. I paused and took a deep breath. What would I find when I opened this door?
The exterior of the building looked the same as always. Charming small-town library. A cheery yellow building with white pillars framing the front door. Neatly mowed lawn with an orderly circle of flowers around the base of the flagpole. Lace curtains framing white-gridded windows. On my previous visits, it had turned out to be an elaborate disguise.
I hoped I wouldn’t be walking into a normal library. I opened the door just a few inches and peeked inside. My breath whooshed out in relief and I swung the door open and stepped inside.
True to form for Destiny Falls’ enchanted library, wonders greeted me in the expansive foyer. Even though it was morning outside, it was nighttime here. The ceiling, very high above me, wasn’t a ceiling at all. It was a night sky. Wider, deeper, and more intense than any planetarium could hope to be. It looked real. (And it probably was.)
The deep blue above me was awash with stars, like what you would see from a mountaintop. On one side I could pick out the Big Dipper and on the other, Orion’s belt. Off in the distance, the northern lights were flowing and dancing in brilliant shades of green, purple, and blue.
The white-curtained windows that you saw from outside did not exist in here. Instead, clerestory windows surrounded the uppermost area, reaching almost to the, um, night sky. Through the windows, I could see the full moon in the distance.
Signs placed around the lobby helped visitors locate various constellations and other celestial wonders in the night sky above us. A display table provided binoculars for patron use, and several telescopes were available for even closer viewing of the celestial bodies.
A bookshelf lined the entire back wall with an array of books on astronomical topics, along with videos and audiobooks. There was a sectioned off area with reclining chairs for those who had tired of craning their necks. Two little kids were in the children’s corner, placing flannel stars, planets, comets, and satellites on a large flannel board. Talk about an immersive learning opportunity!
I spent an awestruck hour soaking in this experience, then reluctantly left to get to the real reason I was here—a visit to the historical books room to see if I could learn anything about the ferry before my appointment tomorrow.
I was also looking forward to spending some time with my favorite librarian and historian, Edna. She was a wonder! She could magically produce any book that a patron requested, plus more books that they didn’t even know they needed. The library appeared to work alongside Edna to meet the needs of the community. She said that only once did it keep a secret from her, though I expect it either hid more secrets than she knew, or she hid secrets from me.
“Hayden! Wonderful to see you,” Edna called out in her whispery librarian voice.
The acoustics in the building were remarkable. No matter how many people were inside, and no matter how loudly you spoke, all you’d ever hear was the soft blend of quiet murmurs. The environment encompassed everything that was best in the world. The smell of old books and wood polish was intoxicating. The soft lighting gave everything a golden glow that was unique to a library filled with everything from romance paperbacks to ancient, leather-bound tomes. And books, glorious books, surrounded you, capturing nearly every inch of space.
A gorgeous, wide staircase connected the three stories of books. Usually, when you looked up, you saw a massive chandelier at the top. Today, though, in keeping with the theme, it was an enormous model of the solar system. Each planet was lit from within, and all of them were very slowly making
