Chapter 1 - Foreboding Stain
1134 Words
Chapter 1 - Foreboding Stain
“Mi movos plu en la konstruaĵo, vi povas komenci ĉi tie,” Abha, the library scout, orders.
“Jes,” William answers, proud to be using his Esperanto on this assignment.
Feeling for obstacles along the wall, damp with humidity, William holds the oil lamp high. The dirty room a challenge to move around in. Late in the day, but not dark outside. Not a single window or skylight anywhere in here. Even with its small size, the far walls can’t be seen clearly.
The older man barely visible in the dim light. As ordered, William starts working in this room. Another doorway cuts through the far wall from him. Abha starts through into that inky blackness.
Pride fills William. My first day as an investigator. Silence fills the room after Abha leaves. Trusted to work alone.
He hides his nervousness. Be confident. You’re a librarian. If only there were windows, the sun would give him sight, reduce these nerves in this dank old space as he sets down the lamp to make his first observation.
William notes quick shorthand reactions on his pad: Deterioration less than expected. Signs of upkeep. Building dates back to before the Collapse. Inner room would have been lit by electric light.
I’ll prove I’m a good worker. First examine the walls. He chooses one corner to start cataloging contents and picks up the lamp again. The library wants to know if the rules protecting forbidden books have been transgressed.
The dark room only reveals its secrets in small sections. The lamp's light touches the space near his hand. The rest of the room disappearing into darkness. William inches around, surprised to find a table along one wall, piled with rags, scraps of wood. Odd.
He notes: Expected this room to be stripped bare. Who might have brought this equipment in? The musty smells bring him to the verge of sneezing, though he jots down, much less dust on this. Each step echoes oddly around him.
“Namaste! Abha, William?” Startled, at hearing another voice calling hello, he interrupts his room sectioning.
“In here!” he shouts.
Flickering candlelight slowly brightens the doorway. A ghostly feminine figure. She closes both hands around the candle, giving a bow, repeating, “Namaste.” The flickers show a calm face. “I am Amina, from the local library.”
“Hello, Amina.” William bows. “As you probably know, I am from the Jaipur main library.”
“Yes. I’m sent to help you. Along with the scout. I was the only one available. More staff will be here soon.”
“Do you understand Esperanto?” Abha’s preference, William remembers. Library staff around the world usually speak it among each other.
“No, but lessons are underway.”
“It isn’t a problem. My English is on track also,” William offers a smile. “Thank you for coming. Have you done crime scene investigation?”
“No, not personally. But I once was at one. Last Julaee.”
“That's fine,” he assures. “You can help record notes.” He hands her his pages with a pencil. She sets her candle down out of the small breeze in the space.
She appears even younger than him. “How long have you worked for the Pilani library?”
“I was just hired.” She takes his note paraphernalia. “Just a month ago. I mostly work in the library, learning about the books. And you, how long have you?”
“I grew up in libraries.” He wants to brag. “The Librarian in Goa adopted me. After my parents died. Just sent to Jaipur, this last year, though. They requested additional staff.” Amina makes admiring noises. He focuses on dictating observations. She positions his vegetable oil lamp on a table, remaining close to it as William moves around the room. The candle flickering in the dimness sheds light only as low as his wrist.
Examining the dust-filled room, he seeks a spot to set his evidence bag.
The room stretches about five by five meters. Filled with work benches, shelving. The door they'd come through leads back out to the front of the building. Amina calls from behind, “What do you suppose this was set up for? It seems like the whole building should have been ransacked after the Collapse.”
With more light, William would have examined the room without walking around it for his first impressions. “Yes, this does seem strange.” He doesn't want to disturb the scene, but the flame only gives sharp detail at one meter around him. Nothing like the training simulations, he thinks.
“We were the ones who sent a pigeon to Jaipur, for you, when someone reported men were observed.” Amina informs him, small talk. Is she nervous?
“Yes, transporting mysterious boxes at this building. It was from that notification that we gathered our team. I was Abha’s first choice.”
“At least one box was said to have books in it.”
“We regularly get calls about protected books loose in the world,” William sighs. “This alarm is normal.”
“To keep them from being read or circulated?” Amina wonders in the darkness.
While keeping up this conversation, William notes the objects in the room. Perhaps talking will help us both in this pitch dark. “Yes, because control, to certain books,” William agrees, “well it’s just a must. It’s a matter of access. We get all kinds of inquiries. Even though the officially protected only relate to petroleum drilling, refining or combustion use.”
One stain on the floor near the middle of the room catches William’s attention. He takes a measuring rope out of his bag to gauge the room once more, to be certain. She asks, “I suppose most reports the Librarians receive turn out to be wild goose chases?” The stain lies halfway between the two doors.
“Not all, but yes. Abha Chauhan organized ten investigations already this year. I suspect today's investigation will be the same as the others this year,” he continues, not mentioning that this is his first. Calling to Amina to note: “Take this down, A rough circle about 30 millimeters in diameter.” He’s still studying the spot. “There doesn't seem to be anything here. It appears completely harmless.”
As William remains stooped to examine the stain, Scout Abha moves into the room.
“The building's clear,” he announces. “Whatever happened here, it's not happening any longer.” He sees Amina, and bows a greeting, quipping, “No feasts, no dances.”
William nods, “This is Amina. Pilani sent her.” Returning to the stain, noticing it still glistens wetly. Touching it with a specimen stick, he sniffs at it.
William jumps back. “Abha. Quick! Uh, we have library business here. A small puddle. Gasoline.”
Abha's expression turns serious. Even Amina has stepped toward William, hearing this. The scout takes her lamp, lowering himself to view what William’s discovered. A nod of his head confirms the novice’s find.
Beside him, William feels Amina’s trembling. “Yes. Gasoline. Well done, lad.”
The two young librarians exchange a glance.
“I must go back and consult with the team about this.” Without a look back, the elder scout moves toward the exit, leaving the pair to their meager lights.
- Writer
