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November 02, 2005
Day Two
Wordcount: 3,372 Wooo!
So far, so good. Excerpt below.
"Come with me. Up here is the library. Until I think you are ready, you are not to come up here without me. Do you understand?" She did not appear to be angry, but was deadly serious.Evran nodded. "Yes, my lady."
"Very well." She led him up the stairs, which curved around to another trap door. This one was locked, and she crouched to press her hand against it. She closed her eyes briefly and Evran felt that same tingle on his skin again, then she pushed the trap door open.
The first thing that hit Evran was the smell. He had always loved the smell of books, the way the paper, ink, leather, and glue blended odors into a unique scent. Books had a whole range of smells, too -- new books and old books smelled different, as did books made from slightly different materials. The smell in this room was like a symphony, rich and deep. He took a deep breath and looked around. There were books everywhere. The walls were lined with shelves which ran floor to ceiling and were nearly packed with books. Evran turned around slowly to take it all in, from the tables on opposite sides of the room to the odd circular shelf that enclosed the pillar in the center of the room.
The books were all sizes and thicknesses, their covers in a wide variety of colors. Some of them were new-looking, their bindings glossy with the sheen of new leather; others were so old that the lettering on their spines could barely be read. One book sitting out on a table was easily three feet high and a good four or five inches thick. One of the tables had several books in very poor condition on it. One was lying out and open with leather tools scattered around it as though someone had been working on it and been interrupted.
Evran clasped his hands behind his back to help fight down the urge to touch the books that were everywhere.
“How many are there?” He turned to face Talianna, who was watching him with a faint, bemused smile.
“How many books, you mean? Two thousand, four hundred, and sixty-seven. But I’m always working to add to my collection.”
Posted by Ealasaid at November 2, 2005 07:30 PM