The Kingmakers(51)

“Not until I can clear my schedule to attend,” Adele said. “And I will look favorably on a wager that says my brother will take you.”

Msiri nodded with a smile as Adele started off through the admiring troopers with her brother.

Simon's delight made him more animated than usual. He bumped her while walking and muttered, “How did you find me?”

“I'm a witch,” Adele replied pleasantly. “There is nowhere you can go where I can't find you, Simon. Such is your lot in life. You'd best get accustomed to it.”

“I don't think I can.”

She pulled her brother close as the imperial siblings departed the crowded balcony for more important duties.





“YOU HONOR US, Majesty.” The man bowed and kissed Adele's gloved hand. “We are at your disposal.”

“Thank you, Mr. Szigily,” the empress replied. “I have the honor to present the Greyfriar.”

“A great pleasure, sir.” Greyfriar shook the man's hand and Szigily winced.

Adele took Greyfriar's arm and started toward a massive building in the Equatorian style—clean classical façade with Doric columns and eastern domes. It shone with the fading sun in great flashes of colored tile and glass, as well as overlays of gold. “Let me show you the Library of Alexandria.”

She could tell Greyfriar's step faltered a bit, although no one else could have possibly noticed. He was staring with awe at the edifice before him as they climbed the stairs to the portico of the cradle of civilization.

Szigily began his practiced speech. “Alexandria was the home to the world's first great library, conceived by Alexander the Great and built by his Ptolemy successors to be a repository for man's classical and ancient knowledge. Alas, it was lost to time and savagery. Construction on this current library was begun in 1937 by Emperor Ismail. Progress was halted in the 1940s during the period of the Choir of Twelve, when religious fanatics dominated the city. However, order and reason were restored in 1952 under Emperor Alexander the Second, and this magnificent building was completed in 1963.” The breeze rustled banners that hung from the porch roof two stories above. “We believe that this edifice, like the original library founded by Alexander, serves the purpose of a repository of human knowledge, preserving the greatness of the Earth's cultures in these days when much of our birthright is denied to us by the dark creatures of the north.”

The imposing bronze doors were twelve feet high, with panels depicting great scenes of civilization. At eye level was a bas-relief of a crowd of people driving a stake into the heart of an animalistic vampire. Greyfriar ran his hand over the scene as he passed into the coolness of the building.

Inside the vast foyer, the gathered library staff bowed and curtsied as one when the empress entered. Adele motioned for them to rise and slipped the scarf from her head. Her trailing maid, Zarina, relieved her of the scarf as well as her sapphire blue cloak, revealing her magnificent teal gown with fur trim. She noticed that no one was admiring her fashion sense; they were all staring at Greyfriar. Empresses were, apparently, not so rare and wonderful as heroic swordsmen from the bloody north.

Smiling, Adele said, “Mr. Szigily, if you don't mind, I should like to show Greyfriar the reading room myself.”

The librarian bowed with a hint of disappointment. “Of course, Majesty. You know the way.”

“I do. I feel as if this is my second home. My first home, really.” Even the smell of the building comforted Adele. She allowed the head librarian to kiss her hand again, and then she passed along the rank of his staff, nodding to them all, greeting a few by name.

Adele pressed Captain Shirazi's chest and nodded for him to stay where he was. The soldier glowered, but remained in place while she and Greyfriar walked together between stern bronze statues of Alexander the Great and Sultan Muhammad I, and down an intricately tiled passageway lined with paintings of notables in Equatorian history.

Greyfriar leaned down to sniff at her neck. “You've been practicing your geomancy today.”

Adele gasped in alarm. “Oh! Is it hurting you? Blast, I had hoped it had dissipated by now.”

Greyfriar shook his head, chuckling. “It's very faint, barely a discomfort. Nothing that will interfere with us this evening.”

The anticipation in his voice quieted Adele's fears.

Greyfriar looked up at the arching corridor lost in the shadows above the reach of the flickering lamps. “You have a building this large to house your library?”

“Yes. It is the largest library in the world. Scholars come from the world over to study here.” She touched his arm. “Including Scotland now.”