“I’ve said this countless times before, and I’m telling you again. You are the greatest friend ever,” Brian hugged his brother-in-law, then fell silent for a while, continuing to take big bites from the banana. “I need to come see Edwin, I miss my kid brother,” he continued, after finishing eating.
“Of course!” Reardon’s words were accompanied by an even brighter smile. “Tell me when, and I'll take you to the mansion.My husband will be very, very happy to see you.”
Brian reflected for a bit. “This weekend I don't work, maybe the whole crew can come and stay, how about that?”
Reardon pumped his fist in the air, like a happy child, without a care in the world. “Yay! We all can't wait!”
Brian ran a hand over his face and shook his head. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I'm always tired, and I swear I sleep like a log all night long, you can ask… Here he comes,” The man pointed to the door.
“Hello, librarian,” Luca stepped inside, a big Styrofoam cup in his hand. “I know you've been dreaming of this,” he continued, putting it on the counter. “Banana milkshake.” The Sicilian leaned forward and pecked the librarian’s lips. “Oh, and this.” He saw the other man and blushed. “Um, hello.”
“Hello to you, too,” Reardon replied with a grin, then checked his watch. “Well, boys, I'm out of here. Have fun.”
Brian, who was still kissing Luca, cast a confused look in his brother-in-law’s direction. “What? Why?”
“I have things to do and places to go.” Reardon shook his head. Sometimes, working from home is not easy, you know.”
“Oh…” Brian’s expression, dull for a short while, brightened again. “Okay, see you this weekend.”
A few minutes after Reardon left, and another tender kiss later, Luca discreetly cleared his throat. “Sir, I have a meeting with boss Elias at the administrative building. I have to go, but, if you need something, anything, I'm just a call away.”
Brian let out a deep, long moan, then winked in the other man’s direction. “I can't get what I really want until after work. The hormones are driving me slightly crazy”
Luca nodded, giving the librarian an understanding, sympathetic look. “I know, I've been there not long ago. Martino was permanently horny.”
“I've got it bad I swear,” Brian gave the other man an up and down scan while sipping some of the milkshake and moaning.
This time, Luca didn’t offer a verbal reply, but, judging by the blush creeping on his cheeks and the slight pant in his breath, Brian’s words affected him, too. Mumbling something under his breath about being late to the meeting, he dipped his head in the librarian’s direction, then headed to the door, almost darting to his car.
My poor sub, he must have quite a big problem on his hands now, I shouldn't have tempted him the way I did,Brian scolded himself, looking out the glass door at Luca’s car until it completely vanished out of his sight. Slowly, however, the guiltthat started to overtake him dissipated, replaced with affection and pride.
Luca was, or strived to be, perfect in every way, in everything he did, and it was the same in their relationship as Sub and Dom. Brian could rest assured knowing the Sicilian wouldn’t even think about touching himself in his Master’s absence, lessening the pleasure the two of them would experience in the playroom, later that night.
Brian shrugged the thoughts about his sub and their nightly activities off, focusing on his job instead. So, this was the last one, he said to himself, looking at the big, empty box lying on the floor, where the ghost of Desmond O’Brien left it. He got back to his chair behind the desk and started to introduce the new titles into the library’s central computer.
Brian’s attention was suddenly drawn by a sheet of paper featuring principal Payton’s handwriting in red, cursive letters.Banned and to-be-banned books, were the words that made the librarian frown, curiosity and shock mixing on his face.What in the name of the ever-loving fuck is this, he muttered.
The Kite Runner, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Color Purple, Brian read some of the titles in a low voice. Shit, here we go again, eighty-five years back, in Nazi Germany. When the hell did they invent a time machine and why in all the gods’ names did they choose the dark ages of modern civilization.
Fortunately, The Base was financed exclusively from the pockets of the Stark, Bloom, and MacNamara families, anddonations. It didn’t depend in any way on the state or federal governmental structures.Of course, they paid taxes and abided the laws, perhaps even more than the rest of the citizens, but that was all.
Brian was grateful that the founders of The Base were super-rich people, with a great influence in the country’s political and economic life, and also great philanthropists, which earned them the respect and affection of the common people. They accumulated an enormous power, and used it for the most noble of purposes: giving hope and the chance to have a fresh start to all those who were stripped of everything.
But, sometimes, even the richest and most powerful could become victims to the envious and greedy, who are jealous of their popularity and success. Wanting all for them without putting time, effort, and sweat into getting enormous wealth and huge popularity. They would use the lowest, dirtiest tricks to get their claws on what others worked for generations to build.
A chill ran down Brian’s spine, making him shiver, as he remembered Don Calogero’s story about how King Philippe V of France and Pope Clement IV falsely accused Jacques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templar, of heresy. It was the only way they could get their hands on the Order’s money and lands.
Not a story, Brian continued his internal monologue, it was history, real, documented facts, the proof that evil could triumph over good. Grand Master de Molay paid with his life for being the obstacle standing between the enormous wealth his fellow Templar Knights used to feed and heal the poor andsuffering, and the greed of a King and a Pope, but he succeeded in passing down the torch to the next generations.
The descendants of all the Grand Families, him, Brian Cavallieri included, were there, in present-day New York City, a living testament that, even in the darkest of times, all hope is not lost. The Stark, Bloom, and MacNamara men were always the type who learned from the past, so the librarian didn’t doubt that they trained the next generation to carry on the standard of the fight against abuse of any kind.
Part of them, the oldest, the so-called Crazy Bunch, Brian met on the very first day he came to The Base, in the dining hall, telling tales about him.Not crazy anymore, the librarian smiled at the memory of the then-teens surrounding and warmly welcoming him, a total stranger, as a member of their group, offering him unconditional friendship and affection.
As for banned, or otherwise known as forbidden books, not in this library, and not on my watch, Brian continued to talk to himself. The children here have the right to read all the books they want to, learn about the things they are interested in, explore their potential, so they can create a better world for them and those to come.
Knowledge, in any form, shouldn’t be hidden, kept away from the children’s curious eyes and minds. Those who try to do this, regardless of the pretext they use, are the biggest fools, because, sooner or later, buried knowledge would resurface and would shine with the lights of a thousand suns, like it happened every time bigotry tried to take it away, or worse, to destroy it.
Brian straightened his back into the chair. I’m the Wisdom Keeper and my mission is to protect and preserve the fruits of human intelligence, creativity, and genius put on paper, no matter the costs. I’ll have a huge basement dug under the library or even take each and every book on that list to the Templars’ library at Torre Alto, if I have to.
