Alison knelt to pick up the book—Overcoming Self-Doubtby Dr. Elijah Goldberg—and saw that Keir carried a small handful of books himself.
“For you or for me?” she said, holding out the book on self-doubt.
Keir laughed. “Both, probably. Has the library been helping you as well?”
“The library?” asked Alison.
“Ms. Redclaw came by around the time my first book dropped and explained. It’s alive in some way. It can sense thoughts and feelings—I thought that sounded like utter nonsense, but, well…”
He held up his books to Alison.Innovative Techniques in Perinatal Careby Dr. Andre Jackman;The Journal of Pediatric Medicine: Vols. 54-55;andStaffing a Medical Practice: Guidance for the Modern Physicianby Dr. Erica Lopez.
“I didn’t know you were thinking of hiring someone,” said Alison, spotting the last book.
“I didn’t either. The idea occurred to me in passing when I was asking Dr. Marten to fill in for me while we were away. I haven’t mentioned it to anyone. I suppose, after everything we’ve seen, it doesn’t seem that outlandish that the library is sentient in some way.”
“Perhaps not,” said Alison. The books it had suggested to her were undeniably useful, and she wondered if maybe the presence she’d felt watching her that she had taken forsomething malevolent had, in fact, only been the library trying to help her.
She wanted to believe that to be true, at least.
Alison and Keir spent a lazy afternoon lounging on the grass of the courtyard near the Norminster Yew, reading their books and watching the students coming and going. Willow stopped by to say hello and to chase the last butterflies of summer and the first yellow leaves of autumn.
After a noisy dinner in a half-full dining hall alive with first meetings, faculty reunions, and a recounting of summer adventures, Alison and Keir met the others and headed to a small, isolated building to the northeast of the main campus near the woods.
To the right of the door, there was a small plaque:
Professor Mircalla Marin
Chair of the Department of ‘Lectrics
Office Hours: Sunset to Sunrise
Closed Saturdays
“Sunset to sunrise?” muttered Keir. It was just now sunset, and the ‘lectric lamps that lined the paths through the campus had begun to flicker on.
“Oh, you don’t know about Professor Marin yet?” asked Idris. His face was carefully blank, but there was a hint of humor in his dark eyes.
“Know what?” asked Keir.
“I’ll let you see for yourself,” said Idris. He knocked on the door.
Or he would have. The door was already open after his first light rap.
“Come in,” said a rapturous voice.
Professor Marin, Alison presumed.
Alison couldn’t get a good look at her: the reception area they entered was dark, and the professor herself did not stop to make introductions. She led them into a corridor and through a labyrinthine series of hallways, moving so gracefully it was as if she was floating.
Alison supposed she must be an elf to move with such grace, but her ears weren’t visible beneath her long, dark hair to confirm her suspicions.
Finally, they arrived at a set of double doors.
“Please don’t touch anything when we enter,” said Professor Marin without turning around. “Do you have the samples?”
“Right here,” said Weyland, producing the box they’d been given by Yordin.
“Good,” said Professor Marin, but she did not take it from him.
