Amirantha stood with his mouth closed only by conscious will. The term ‘jaw dropping’ entered his mind as he looked at a mountain of tomes, books, scrolls and codices. There was one table in the far corner of the room, and no chair.
Livia said, ‘I’m sorry, but for the sort of thing you’re looking to find, this is the most likely spot.’ She gently touched his arm, which he found both reassuring and distracting. ‘My people, as you will no doubt discover, are predisposed to be interested in three, no make that four, issues: Glory, both military and commercial, comprise two of the four. The third is self-aggrandizement, for I will confess we are a vain society. Lastly, pleasures of the flesh, which you would have discovered had you remained at the banquet last night.’
Amirantha tried to appear disinterested. ‘I’ve been to orgies before, Livia.’
‘As have I, and like you I left before it began, but what I’m trying to say is, if it’s not wealth, war, vanity, or lust, it’s in there.’ She pointed to the massive pile of writings.
‘So what you’re saying is that Richard and Martin,’ he used Pug and Magnus’s false names, ‘are likely to find only officially blessed histories where they are researching?’
‘No, they will look among the only histories not fed to the fire. However, there may be something in this mess that could provide them with a clue or two about what really happened in years past. However, for your research, any discussions of folk tales, myths, superstitions, or reports of encounters with the gods—not sanctioned by the temples, of course—are in there.’ She again pointed to the mass.
Amirantha was silent for a moment, then said, ‘I have three requests.’
‘What may I do to accommodate you?’ she said with a clear double meaning as she studied the handsome Warlock.
He smiled his most charming smile and said, ‘First, could you arrange to have a pot of hot water and some tea brought to that table over there? I will not risk spilling anything on these old volumes, but I do like to refresh myself from time to time.’
‘Of course. What else?’ she asked, touching his arm again.
‘Could I have a ladder?’ He inclined his head towards the mass and said, ‘It would be better for whatever is in there if I took the volumes off from the top down. A small ladder, ten feet tall or so, should serve.’
She laughed, and he found the sound of it delightful. ‘Of course. I’ll have that sent along at once.’
‘Could you also provide me with a servant, to haul books aside if I don’t wish to look at them, and have him bring along some writing implements and paper or parchment as I wish to take notes.’
‘Of course,’ she said, though he noticed her manner was cooling.
Understanding that a moment was slipping away, he added, ‘Perhaps I should have said four things. Would you dine with me tonight? Assuming Lord James doesn’t insist on the three of us dining with him, of course?’
She hesitated a moment, not wishing to appear too anxious, and said, ‘If your sponsor doesn’t require your presence, I would enjoy supper with you.’
She turned and looked over her shoulder in a playful fashion, ‘I’ll have the tea, ladder and servant sent to you immediately.’ Her smile could only be called seductive as she added, ‘And I’ll come back later to see if there is anything else you need.’
‘Thank you,’ said Amirantha, enjoying watching her walk away. The long Quegan toga might run from shoulder to floor, but it hugged her curves in a most tantalizing fashion.
Taking his mind off the lovely woman, he turned and began to consider the prodigious task before him. Sighing, he reached out and took a book at random from the pile. He opened it and found it to be written in a language alien to him. Glancing around to make sure he was unobserved, he then took from his belt pouch a small item Pug had given him before they arrived in Queg. He did as he had been taught and, holding the trinket to his forehead, incanted a short phrase, then put it away. When he opened his eyes, the letters on the page seemed to swim then come together in words he could read. He muttered to himself, ‘I should have met these people a hundred years ago!’
Now able to read this ancient Quegan text, he began to read softly aloud. ‘On the matter of the stars and their locations in the heaven by seasons…’ He read another page, then put aside the amateur astronomy text and looked around. To no one he said, ‘You know what you want is at the bottom of that pile, don’t you?’
‘Sir?’ came a voice from behind.