The Alien Library (2 page)

“Oh. I…thank you.” Cameron strode with more confidence from the kitchen. Maybe a female nearby would keep him from getting violent again.

That night, Tendar proved an affable host and eased Cameron’s defenses. He showed appreciation for how long she had avoided the selection process. “Few are so quick to realize how selection works.” He lifted his goblet to her.

“I was scared.” She simply admitted. Pindari didn’t sit at the table with them, but hovered close. It was still helpful.

They finished the entree and Pindari returned with desert. Tendar brought up the subject of Cameron’s ability to read and write.

Cam set her glass down. “I have never hidden what I can do.”

“Yes, just didn’t speak up about it. Silence again, eh?” Tendar set his hand flat on the table. Cam found herself studying that hand. Three fingers, exceptionally long. She’d watched Pindari, knew they could bend and flex well beyond what humans could do. The Kharmon moved gracefully, almost without effort. Sometimes she thought they glided.

With a deep sigh, Cameron nodded. “Yes. Silence. It worked for me.”

“What is a bookstore?” Tendar leaned forward. “I would assume from the name it is where books are sold? Or bought?”

“Usually sold.” Cameron looked at the table. “I worked at a bookstore. A very large one, where we sold books and music. I worked in the books. Why is it important? The only books I’ve seen here are Pindari’s cookbooks.”

“Where are books bought?” Tendar seemed almost to ask the air.

“Some places would buy used books, to resell them.” Cameron thought a moment. “Or do you mean…where do writers sell their books?”

“Yes, where do writers sell their books?” He gazed intently at her.

“They sell them to publishers, who mass produce them and then sell them to bookstores.” His question confused her. “You don’t know this?”

“Why would I? I’ve never been to your Earth,” Tendar replied. “There are no bookstores here. But I do have a library and the need for a librarian. What do you know of libraries?”

“Libraries lend books out. They assist people with information…uh… Been some years since I’ve been in a library.” Cameron picked at the cake set in front of her. “I never studied library science, though I thought about it.”

“What did you study?”

“I have a degree in language and literature.” Cameron nearly shot from her chair when Tendar slammed his hand down on the table.

He laughed. “Perfect. I am a fortunate one!” He clapped his hand twice and a pair of woman trotted into the dining area, giggling. He smiled at them, and then at Cameron. “I need to speak with Pindari. Go with these two and wait until you’re sent for.”

Cameron trembled, but didn’t know what else to do. His hand hitting that table made her belly tighten. She didn’t look at Pindari, and let the two lead her away, glad to be excused. They were giggling, shooting glances at each other. Cam had noticed this tendency with human women when they were near Kharmon males. She refused to speculate what it meant. These two were typical. Though not at all physically alike, they worked in unison. Cam followed them to an opulent tiled room. There was a small pool or what she thought was a pool, until she saw the faucets at both ends.

The taller of the women smiled at Cameron. “Tendar’s bath. Do not touch the water.” She turned the faucets on. No checking the temperature by dangling fingers into the flow. She carefully held her robe back. Cam swore she even held her breath when poised over the growing pool. Both women took up small nets and knelt at opposite sides of the pool, skimming away particles that Cam didn’t even see.

She sat to one side, wondering what Pindari and Tendar were talking about.

“She’s very skittish.” Tendar sighed as he studied his aunt.

“I spoke of it to you before. She was frightened of you, since you hit her in the garden.” Pindari sat and ate the cake Cameron had abandoned. “You could have let her finish this.”

“I’ll make it up to her.” Tendar blinked at the cook. “Aunt, I hit her to keep her from speaking.”

“I know. Teemin would have been even nastier if he’d heard her speak.” Pindari scowled a moment, then shrugged. “I think she will be perfect for the library. She is shy, almost. Not very social, until she is set at ease. She knows books. And she’s been helpful in the kitchen. I want her two days a week.”

He grinned, happy to bargain. “One, evenings excluded.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “One full day, no exclusions.”

He nodded. “Agreed. She will move to the library quarters tonight.”

“I would urge caution, Ten. Take care not to dictate to her. She is sensitive to being powerless. She calls us Kharmon.” Pindari smiled ruefully. “Evidently, the word she heard most often at Selection House.”

He nodded. “Actually quite accurate. Once…they were kharmon. But now, we are.”

“At least as you see it. Your brother would disagree.” She frowned. “I’m not sure what word he would use.”

“Master, slave…” Tendar shuddered. “He is blind to the trap such words carry.” He set his hands on the table. “I will suggest she gather her belongings and move to the new quarters.”

“Belongings? She has nothing, Tendar. Nothing save the tunic I provided her.” Pindari shook her head. “You have to remember, she did not undergo thinker orientation.”

He gazed at her for a few moments in silence. Then he drew a deep breath. “Oh. That hadn’t occurred to me. I’ll see to it.” He looked down at the table. “Something is different with her.”

“Tendar, she spoke to me of a heart attack.” Pindari softly told him. His head jerked up and he gasped at the words. She leaned forward. “She gave me no details. I’m afraid I showed undo interest and she closed up before I could uncover more. Don’t borrow trouble, she survived three months. Shall I send for Daniel?”

“Yes.” He wrapped arms around himself. “How cruel, to bring such a gift to us, only to see it so fragile. We will take extreme care. Daniel is far, it will be months before he arrives. I will suggest with Cameron. Make requests and no dictating. Please, aunt, take your days and see if you can win her confidence. I will keep some distance. Until she finds ease with me.”

“Apologize for striking her, Tendar,” Pindari suggested and pulled away from the table. “I will assist her in moving. Consider how to personalize the new quarters.”

He nodded. “The flower she admired. The gardener wanted to destroy it. I refused, but it is isolated. It will be placed in her quarters.” He remembered how gently Cameron had cupped that flower, gently cradling it as she inhaled the perfume. It would be a thoughtful gift for her. He bid his aunt farewell and slowly left for his bath, lost in thought.

*****

The tub filled and the two women left Cameron, with a final admonition not to touch the water. She nodded, closing her eyes as she sought to quiet her mind. She had to stay safe, stay quiet and perhaps he’d just send her back to the kitchen.

The water steamed slightly and she opened her eyes to admire the play of it on the surface. A bit of air current pulled at her hair and she lifted it away from her neck, to enjoy the coolness. Her eyes casually watched a single hair dance away and float on the air…

It landed on the water and she suddenly grew fearful. The other women had been strict about nothing marring the pool. She scrambled forward, but couldn’t reach the stray hair. It seemed to glare at her as it floated, just out of reach. She leaned, gently blew to see it skitter towards the other side. She hurried to the far edge and found she could just reach it. Curling a single finger, she caught at a bit rising above the surface tension and swept it away.

The sound of a door opening saw her scramble back to a bench a good distance from the pool. Tendar turned a corner and smiled at her. “Cameron, thank you for being so patient.” He looked for the other two. “Where are Susan and Jean?”

“I don’t know. They left when the tub was full.” Cameron kept her eyes low, gazing only at his feet.

He sat on a second bench and observed her. Her knees were glued together, her arms tight around her torso. The tunic Pindari had given her swam around her body. He smiled slightly. “I have new quarters off the library I would like you to move there. Six days of the week, you will work there.”

“I don’t know anything about how to work in a library,” she objected.

“I understand. But you do know how to work in a bookstore. Consider it a bookstore. Organize it how you know. You have free reign. Every seventh day, Pindari bargained for a day in the kitchen with her. She enjoys your assistance. I will visit now and then, make requests for certain topics.” He paused as she shook her head. “Yes?”

“I…” She paused and looked up at him. “Why me?”

He considered how to answer her with honesty, but in a manner that wouldn’t frighten her. He didn’t want her to be scared. He looked away. “You must be aware how rare it is for a human to come to us with full intellectual abilities?”

“Yes.” She swallowed. “The rest…it is like they are drugged. What do you do to them?”

“Nothing. I swear to you. It wasn’t always this way, but it has become the norm. Less than ten percent of any given harvest retains real cognition.” He noted how she flinched at his choice of words. He didn’t know how else to put it. “Cameron, we are not slave and master. We…I understand you call us Kharmon and that is appropriate. We care for the humans. All of them, Thinker or not.”

“How did this…? Who…? Why…?” She sounded terribly scared.

He shrugged. “I don’t have set answers. I will speak to you of it more, in time. For now, find some peace in the books. Request help if you need it, with hauling or moving shelves. Organize as you wish it. Visit with Pindari, though do not explore beyond the kitchen and library. I regret striking you in the garden. I apologize. My brother is cruel. He has no appreciation for those who think. If you have fought him…argued with him…he would have…”

“Hurt me worse?” She slid off the bench and sat on the floor, wrapping her arms about her legs to huddle.

“Yes.” He saw no way around that truth. “I will not hurt you, Cameron. No member of my household will hurt you. However, I sometimes have visitors. So, stay with what is familiar. Pindari will help you move to the new quarters and show you the route between the library and kitchen.” He clapped his hands and a man hurried in. “Tommy, please take Cameron to the kitchen.”

The man nodded and easily reached down to assist Cameron to her feet. He smiled at her, tucking her hand at his elbow. Tommy was a gentleman, he would take care of her. She bobbed her head at Tendar and left with the other human.

The pool beckoned, and Tendar felt driven to wash the stress of the last week away. Cameron was a blessing, even with the challenge of keeping her healthy. Daniel would come and with his advice, they would know what to do.

He stripped away his clothing and lowered himself into the water, sinking to the bottom. Once there, he opened his pores to release the chemistry of the family struggles. He watched these dark shadows float to the surface. Certain he had purged it all, he depressed a lever near his hand and saw it skimmed away. Then he rose and leaned back, to absorb the purity of the water.

He never saw the tiny bit of hair root, clinging to the side of the tub. Nor was he aware of the minute bit of DNA that brushed against his skin, to be absorbed. He rose from the water with the thought of Cameron’s shapeless tunic in a puddle at her feet. With a shake of his head, he hurried to the bedroom. There, Susan and Jean waited for him. He gleefully sank into them, spending the rest of the night lost in the wonder of human flesh.

*****

Cameron settled into the new quarters. They were larger than the tiny quarters she’d had near the kitchen, with an actual sitting room, including alcoves and shelves. It led to a bedroom, simple and airy, with a very high ceiling to balance the absence of windows. She had a private bathroom with a shower and bath of absolute luxury. She sat on the bed, staring at the blank wall.

“Shelves…niches….” She sighed. “I have nothing to arrange.” She wiped a tear from her cheek, hung up the tunic and lay on the bed. Larger than the one provided by Pindari, it cradled her while she drifted into sleep.

The next day, she found several shifts in the closet area, along with a new tunic. This one was heavier, with a tool worked leathery badge at the chest. A sort of breast plate, she surmised. An intricate circle, embossed with three curved slashes surrounded a raised gem she didn’t recognize. It felt like a shell. A note was left with the tunic, to wear this when working in the library.

All of the clothing carried an off-white tint. Soft enough, she supposed. She had no shoes, but she’d noticed no one wore shoes. The floors in the house were comfortable to walk on. Pindari had given her a comb and brush the first day she’d appeared in the kitchen. Over the next few weeks, more items appeared in the quarters. A pot with the flower she’d admired in the garden, or one like it. A small carved box containing a bracelet. A candle and soaps. She accepted all of it with some trepidation. She kept wondering about the cost.

Pindari waited for Cam to ask about it. She never did. She didn’t ask anything. She appeared in the kitchen on Fridays and seemed to relish the simple tasks Pindari gave her. Asked about the library, she shrugged. “He said to do what I knew. It’s going to look like a big bookstore.”

Pindari had chuckled. “I don’t know what a big bookstore looks like, Cam.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Cameron stared at the ingredient cupboard as if formulating an answer. “Shelves full of books, divided into categories. Fiction separate from non-fiction. Then further subdivided. There are a lot of books. I don’t know what subject I’ll uncover with each crate.”

“It’s complicated?” Pindari reached beyond her and picked a bag of pickled squash blossoms.

“No more than your spice cabinet. You keep the savory spices away from the sweet spices. Fiction has a limited number of divisions; Mystery, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Western, Romance, Mainstream, Young Adult, Children. I could go further, Action/Adventure, Classics, Cross Genre but I’m not sure. Right now, I’m sticking with the basics.” Cameron pulled a recipe book out of a bag she’d found in the room one night. It pleased Pindari to see her using it. “I found this book and thought you might be interested.”

Pindari took it from her. “Oh! I don’t recall this region. Brazilian?”

“My husband’s mother came from that country and used to cook several of the entrees. It’s similar to Mexican, but the spices aren’t quite the same. Very savory.” Cameron shrugged. “I don’t know the rules about bringing it out of the library but he called it a library, so I would assume you are allowed to borrow?”

“He knows I take cookbooks wherever I can get them.” She opened it. “What shall we try?”

Cameron eagerly accepted the distraction and avoided any further talk of the library. Weeks passed and the pattern often repeated. Pindari would ask, Cameron would answer, then reveal some new find, avoiding further questioning. It wasn’t until Tendar asked the cook if she’d discovered anything further about the heart attack that Pindari realized she’d been gulled.

Tendar just laughed. “She hid for three months. I’m not surprised.”

“She never mentions you by name. Have you even visited yet?” Pindari asked him.

“At night, when she’s gone.” He took one of the small cakes she’d brought and popped it into his mouth. “Very good! Now, I can appreciate her choices. She is keeping the topics far apart, sussing to the fact that there are many, many books to shelve.”

“I imagine the number of shelves offered her sufficient clues.” The cook blinked, her brow wrinkled. “Any word from Daniel?”

“He is on his way.” Tendar brushed at the frills covering his skull. Humans called them hair substitute, or even combs. Once they touched it, they saw it was more like hair than it looked. Each Kharmon frill differed. Some were long, brightly colored, some were short and appeared bristly. Tendar’s began high on his forehead and ran down to his neck, lying flat unless his emotional state saw it rise. Pindari’s were shorter and fell forward onto her face.

“You are perturbed, nephew?”

“Unsettled,” he agreed. “Teemin has laid charges that I cheated him on the last selection. His three Thinkers have all faded.” He grimaced. “I suspect…”

“He caused it.” She shuddered. “Something has to be done, Tendar.”

“I know, but I need proof. Daniel may help. I had a tattoo set on each foot. He can’t just hide them among his workers, as he’s done before.” Tendar closed his eyes. “Three! He has grown bold.”

“What were their skills? Maybe it can be reversed.” She offered condolences.

“Skills his province needed. Agriculture, building and poetry. Oh. I gave him a poet!” Her nephew sagged, cradling his head.

“You hoped he wouldn’t care enough to act. I understand.” She swallowed her sorrow and touched his shoulders. “He doesn’t know about Cam?”

“No one knows. I have set loose a rumor that Theo recovered from his burns enough to begin setting up the new library. He is better and I hope to see him helping Cam soon.” Tendar’s color faded further. He shuddered. “A poet!” He looked up. “She likes poetry. She’s set aside a large area for it. And taken one of the duplicate volumes to her room.”