“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 arm and legs were the only solid things about her. The rest was all fragile flesh, spider-web white 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 me report back that I sent you to investigate. It’s true that you’ll be safe there from Alberich. He’s got bigger fish to hunt, that one. Let him do it. Let the rest of us throw ourselves in the way this time. Go and play detective, Irene, and do a good 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 from here to the alternate’s entrance.”
Irene swung her feet down from the couch and stood up. “Thank you,” she said. It came out grudgingly, and she tried again. “Thank you, Coppelia. I do appreciate it. That is, I am grateful.”
“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 time. They’re not going to heal here in the Library.”
Irene realized that was true. Her hands might be stitched up and bandaged, but unless she left the Library, they’d never actually heal. “Thank you again.”
Coppelia waited until Irene was almost at the door before saying, “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 fumble at the boot-laces with her bandaged fingers. “And don’t get too involved. Remember who you are.”
“I’m not likely to forget 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 was waiting on the other side.
Irene managed a few confident paces down the corridor once the door had been shut safely between them and Coppelia, before her purposeful walk slowed to a halting stumble. Kai frowned and offered her his arm. Maybe he really thought 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 moment—just for this single moment, on their way back to this alternate that was now her home—she could relax and appreciate what she’d been given. It was all hers. Her territory, her open treasure-box of new books to read. A new world of great detectives, zeppelins, Fae, and dragons. She wasn’t going to complain.
And she certainly wasn’t going to run away. She had questions to ask and answers to find. She just hoped she lived long enough to enjoy it.
Read on for an excerpt from the next Invisible Library Novel,
THE
MASKED
CITY
Coming from Roc in September 2016
THE STUDENT LIBRARIAN’S HANDBOOK
Excerpt from
“Briefing Document on Orientation Amongst Various Worlds”
Section 2.1, version 4.13
Author: Coppelia
Editor: Kostchei
Reviewers: Gervase and Ntikuma
For authorised personnel only
Introduction
By now you will have passed basic training and will either be working in the field with a more experienced Librarian or be preparing to do so. This confidential document is a more in-depth examination of the Library’s position towards both Fae and dragons. It will help you understand why we remain unaffiliated with either side.
The Fae—Their Orientation Towards Chaos and Their Powers
You will be aware of the dangers that the Fae present to humanity. They receive their nourishment from emotional interactions with humans, feeding off us in this way. And they perceive everyone other than themselves, both humans and indeed other Fae, as mere participants—fulfilling background roles—in their own personal stories. And here we have an interesting feedback loop. The more dramatic they can make their personal stories—for example, playing the role of villain, rogue, or hero—the more power a Fae can gain. And the more powerful they are, the more stereotypical this role-playing behaviour becomes. As a result of all this, a Fae’s viewpoint will grow correspondingly more sociopathic* over time.
In terms of other dangers, the Fae display powers ranging from the ability to clothe themselves in a basic glamour (the ability to affect human perceptions of them) to the capacity to emotionally manipulate those around them. In addition, powerful Fae occasionally display specific magical or physical powers depending on the personal archetype or stereotype they have chosen to adopt.
The Fae—Their Worlds
The known worlds are ranged on a spectrum from order to chaos. And the further we journey into the worlds affected by chaos, the more Fae can be found there. In chaos-affected worlds, there is of course the risk of humans being open to chaos contamination. This may affect a Librarian’s powers or even prevent a Librarian from re-entering the Library. In such worlds where Fae dominate, humanity forms a background cast. Their
