The Last Library Ch. 06

"Oh stop that," his hostess muttered and batted his hand away from its grip. He was slightly embarrassed to realize that, when his arm had shot out to take its hold, it had brushed across her chest. He jerked it back with a furious blush. "I need you to focus for a minute."

"On what?" he asked. His gaze wandered aimlessly, caught by the movements of nebulas and quasars. He resisted the urge to grab hold of the door again, feeling as though if he stepped across into that space, he would be lost forever.

"Your partner," she huffed. "What else?"

"Mera? Why? What? Madam, who are you and what is this place?" He shot the questions at her while turning his back on the universe behind him.

She studied him for several heartbeats as though trying to figure out a puzzle that he presented. Her eyebrows drew down and then shot up in excitement.

"Oh! It's that one! Oh! I do love that one!" She took his arm and drew him back into the bedroom while closing the door behind them. He was forcibly pulled along behind her despite his best attempts to plant his feet.

Dragging him over to one of the chairs, she pushed him into it before pulling another up close and plopping herself down across from him.

"Did you know," she bubbled," that there are twenty-three million, seven hundred and eighty-three thousand, four hundred and nineteen versions of this and this is always one of my favorites? Ooo! Just wait until the twenty-third stroke! You're going to love it!" She practically vibrated in her seat with excitement.

He didn't answer her for some time. Eventually, he cleared his throat several times and said, "I have no idea what you are talking about, where I am, or what is going on? I'm going to ask again: Who are you?"

With a rather large smile, she sat back and tapped a finely tapered finger to her chin.

"In this one," she replied speculatively, "I think you can call me Xakelle. Yes, I think that one will work. And you are Ashur of Oudromore though that's not really true anymore if I remember correctly. Now you are tasked to that library of yours and you said your partner's name is...Mera? That sounds almost right. Wait...Ah! Zomera? That's her full name right?"

"Um..yes," he answered. How did she know him? How did she know Mera? He was started to get a little worried by the extent of her knowledge about them.

"I thought so! Oh good! This is the right one then!" The maroon woman clapped her hands in obvious joy. It might have been contagious if his fear hadn't been turning into irritation.

"Alright," she said once she had settled down. "I know you're a bit scared right now and I promise that I will answer all of your questions, make my request, and then we'll have some fun, but first we need your other half here. How long has it been since you left your library?" When he told her, she stood and pulled him back to the starscape room. He tried to hold back again but her strength was exponentially beyond his and he could only stumble along behind. Once they were looking back out into the infinite space, she murmured to herself for a moment, reached out a hand, and pulled it back to her as though tugging on a fishing line. She repeated the motion a few more times, then closed the door and started for the entrance where he had first come in from. When he didn't immediately follow, she waved her hand at him urgently.

"Come along! We don't want her to be alone when she gets here. She'll be in a terrible state as it is!" With that, her long legs took her out of the room and he raced to catch up. He followed her back to the foyer, down the long hallway, and almost bumped into her when she stopped at the edge of the great windowed chamber.

"Now where will she...Ah!" Ashur was once again dragged along to a spot near one of the windows. Xakelle stopped and put her hands to her hips. "Hmm... she should be here by now. Oh!" They both stepped back as the traveling platform popped into existence before them. A very startled and scared looking Mera was clinging to the control podium for dear life. The azure woman was facing them when she appeared and it obviously was taking the normally unflappable Caretaker a few seconds to get her bearings.

"What in the...Ashur!" She stumbled off the platform and raced into his arms. He held her tight as she took his face in her hands and kissed him. Then, she abruptly broke free, reared back her arm, and belted him with an open-handed slap.

"That's for making me worry, you insensitive, inattentive, stupid...barbarian!"

Ashur rubbed his jaw and smiled wryly as she jumped back into his embrace. "Don't ever do that again," she directed into his chest.

"I'm afraid that might not be an option," Xakelle's voice came from over the big man's shoulder.

Mera leapt away from him with a yelp. "Who...?" she asked her partner.

"I'm still waiting to find that out myself, " he chuckled. "Mera, this is Xakelle. As far as I know, she is the owner of this place although I still don't know where this is." He turned back to their hostess and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, yes. In good time." Xakelle waggled her head with a slightly exasperated tone. "For now, however, let's go sit down somewhere so I can explain a bit and make my request."

The mysterious woman lead them back to the foyer but turned to the other door this time. Mera's gaze wandered all around but her hand never left Ashur's. Xakelle stopped and ushered them into what seemed to be a rectangular sitting room or large study. Bookshelves lined the walls but the "books" in them were not only of various sizes, some were even different shapes. Others seemed to blur in and out of sight again. A six by four foot surface hovered near one end with a green well-cushioned chair floating behind it. It reminded Ashur of some of the furniture he had seen of Mera's culture and guessed that it was some sort of desk. The other end was taken up by a long couch and several chairs in a configuration that was obviously meant for casual discussion and, to his mild relief, were definitely grounded on the floor.

Once they had stepped far enough into the room, Xakelle closed the door and took a seat in one of the chairs that faced the couch. With a wave of her hand, she invited them to sit opposite from her. After a quick glance at each other, they complied.

"Well," the lady of the house began, "now we can start with the explanations. Let me go through everything first. If I don't then I'll get sidetracked and this will not go as well as I'd like it to."

Firstly, yes, I know about your little loose library. I've come across it many times on its random wanderings. I want to say that you should have fixed that by now, but, to be honest, it's probably the only thing that's kept you safe so far. If you actually had that thing on an actual pathway, it would have been taken over or destroyed long ago. As it stands, you've been moving too fast and too erratically for anyone to really pin down...yet. You've been moving around long enough that certain linear beings have started to take notice in the way you might only notice a fly after it's been buzzing around the room for a few minutes. Unfortunately for you, a few out there are starting to reach for the swatter."

Now, to fix that, we are going to have to make some changes. Don't worry, they're not huge... actually, I take that back. They are going to be enormous on your level. On my level, however...not so much. Then we'll have to give you a bit of a power boost, rewrite some of your linears, and then expand your sidereals. After that, we can get into the good stuff. Now, let's go get started!"

Xakelle started to get to her feet, but Mera's upraised hand stopped her. "I know that you asked us not to interrupt, but I really must insist on asking a few questions. Who are you? How do you know about the Library and us? Who are these other beings? And do you have some food and drink?" The Caretaker looked at her partner who was starting to droop. The excitement of finding this place and Xakelle as well as reconnecting with Mera had started to take their toll on her starving partner and he was fading fast.

"Oh! Of course! How rude...is that the concept?...of me. Do you have a preference?" When Mera suggested something light for Ashur's deprived system, Xakelle pointed at the space between them. It was instantly filled with a low floating table and a small banquet of fruits, vegetables, and meats in small portion sizes along with empty dishes for serving. Glasses and goblets of various sizes held an assortment of beverages. Mera leaned forward, half-filled a plate, and placed it on her lover's lap. After sniffing a few of the cups, she selected one that very nearly matched Xakelle's skin.

Ashur stared dully at the plate until Mera raised a crisp slice of vegetable to his lips. Then his hind-brain took over and he started to eat on his own. The drink Mera gave him was a refreshing fruit juice that seemed to cleanse his palate between bites. He had almost finished the helping when his body decided that sleep was the next priority and his eyes started to close. Movement at his side and a tug on his arm roused him briefly. He heard Mera urging him to stand.

"Perhaps this conversation should be postponed." Xakelle's voice permeated his mental fog. "I had forgotten that he had been walking in this one. He was riding in so many others. Well, it won't change anything yet, but I think it might soon if he doesn't understand the decision he's going to have to make. Why don't you come with me." He felt himself being lifted and carried, but that was the last thing he remembered.

***

Ashur awoke to a warmth against his side and the familiar smell of Mera's hair. He lay still and listened to her deep breathing. She must have fallen asleep too and he did his best not to wake her. Unfortunately, a cramp in his back made him shift slightly and she opened her eyes.

"Hi," he said quietly. "How long?"

She smiled and brushed the side of his face with her cerulean palm.

"I'm not sure. Maybe only an hour before I dozed off too. I think we both needed it." He nodded an agreement before leaning down to kiss her lightly.

"I'm sorry," he said. "It was all I could think of to get that thing out of the Library. I'm sorry for scaring you." Her smile was full of forgiveness and everything felt right between them again. He leaned down to kiss her with more passion. Her stroking hand reached around to cup the back of his head and she pulled herself up to lie atop him. His arms went around her and pulled her even tighter.

"Mmm... I missed you," she purred. Her kisses grew more insistent and he found himself moving from one side to the other as she tried to take his clothes off. It was at that point that he realized they were in the bed...someone else's bed.

"Uh, Mera. What about Xakelle?" The Caretaker stopped abruptly and gave him a weird look. "Well, it's her house," he said quickly. "What if she walks in?"

His partner snorted. "At this point, she can join in if she wants. I really missed you!" With that, she began frantically pulling at his clothes again and, this time, he rolled them both over and lifted his filthy shirt over his head. He chuckled a bit as it sailed over the side of the bed.

"Sorry. I'm not exactly "fresh". I tried to clean off in the stream from time to time, but it's just not the same." They both laughed as he held up one arm and mimed sniffing his own armpit. "I couldn't find any of your soaps along the way."

"I think I can help with that," Xakelle's voice came from the door. Ashur jerked to the side guiltily, but Mera simply lay where she was. "You both have been traveling hard in your own ways. Now that you feel up to it, would you like to freshen up, as it were?" She pointed to one of the blank walls and another doorway appeared. This one was without a door and lead into what seemed to be a pool carved into the side of a hill. Steam rose gently out of the water.

The two Librarians stood and moved to the opening. On one side of the pool, they could see towels on a wooden rack and a bin of some type. On the other side was a small waterfall with enough space under it for two or three people to stand under.

"You can place your clothing in there and it will be cleaned." Ashur turned to see where Xakelle was indicating and started in surprise. She stood directly behind Mera and was completely naked. He quickly averted his eyes until his partner tapped his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it, barbarian. She certainly isn't." Indeed, Xakelle had moved past them and was sinking down into the pool. Ashur looked over in time to see the tops of her legs and the bottoms of her buttocks slide beneath the water. She turned then and pointed down in front of her.

"There are stairs here," she informed them. Ashur barely heard. His gaze was captivated by her body. Her maroon breasts were full and firm, the nipples pointing out just a little. The dress she had worn was form fitting, but now every detail was in full view and he felt himself getting hard once again. Turning guiltily to Mera, he was surprised to see her knowing grin.

"I told you she could join in if she wanted to." Much like in their early days, she seemed to be enjoying his discomfort. With a gentle caress to his face, she dropped her dress in the bin and slid into the water, smiling over her shoulder at him. Xakelle, in the meantime, had moved to the far side and was sitting down on an underwater ledge. Her breasts were slightly larger than Mera's and had a tendency to bob as the water was disturbed. The effect was made more evident when she rested her outstretched arms on the side of the pool.

As Mera took a seat part of the way around from their hostess, Ashur shook himself and started to disrobe. For a split-second, he had to resist the urge to cover his crotch. He deposited his travel-stained clothes with Mera's and joined the two ladies.

The water was just warm enough that he could feel its heat soaking and relaxing his muscles without being so hot that he started to feel like he was boiling. Being marginally taller than Xakelle, his groin skimmed the surface of the water and tried to imitate her floating chest. His partner chuckled, reached out, and stroked the underside of him as he approached to sit next to her. He gently swatted her hand away with a grin of his own and settled down. Then he surprised her by reaching over and lifting her onto his lap. She squeaked in surprise, but patted his arms as they wrapped around her and they both turned their heads to give Xakelle their attention who was looking at them in fascination.

"I'd forgotten how close you two are in this one," she confessed. "This is so much nicer than the one where you are both arguing. That one is annoying and frustrating and you almost never say yes."

She wound down for a second and Ashur took the opportunity to ask, "You keep mentioning "this one" or "that one". Can I ask what you're talking about?"

Xakelle focused on him and smiled broadly. "Probabilities! Possibilities! There are so many and even I have a hard time keeping track of them all until they actually happen again. I never know which one is going to occur this time around." When she saw that she was still confusing both of them, her face scrunched up for a second.

"I think I'd better start over," she mused thoughtfully. "I've been around a very, very, very long time. Actually that's not entirely accurate. I've been around for all of time...several times. I've always existed and I will always exist, but not in the same ways every cycle. Whenever time starts over, events unfold in an almost infinite number of ways and I have to remember which way is happening during this go around otherwise I get confused and forget to cull out some of the more undesirable probabilities."

Mera held up a hand. "In this reality?"

"Oh! Goodness, no!" Xakelle exclaimed. "All of them! That's how I became aware of you two...well, first you," she pointed to the Caretaker, "and then your partner. I mostly remember all of the events that have happened before, but I sometimes get mixed up when cusps happen. Like now! There are so many possibilities converging right now that I'm having to really concentrate to pin down which one this is."

Ashur spoke up. "So that's why you were confused when you first had me look out at all those stars?"

"Exactly! Well done!" Xakelle clapped her hands together which made her chest do distracting things for a couple of heartbeats. "I had to pin down which possibility was happening!"

"Anyway," she continued, "as I was saying earlier, your little library isn't going to be safe for much longer. There are too many beings out there who have become aware of it. Sadly, this happens every cycle where your library exists. Sometimes, you make it, sometimes...you don't. Much more than that, I can't say until you answer my request."

Mera slid from Ashur's embrace and settled down next to him. Under the water, she took his hand in hers. He could feel her bracing herself to ask the question, but beat her to it.

"What is your request?"

Xakelle looked between them both solemnly and nodded. "Good," she said. "I was hoping it would go this way." It was her turn to draw a preparatory breath and it was a measure of his trepidation that Ashur didn't take note of the rising of her breasts.

"You both have some experience with the nature of the realities that exist. Zomera more than you, obviously, but you know what can be out there. Unfortunately, the nasties you have faced so far are very much on the low end of the malevolence spectrum. In fact, just next month, by your time standards, I will have to block the efforts of a being that will try to subvert an entire dimension. I'd like to say that it will be easy, but she already knows that I am out there and will take steps to counter my counter. I will then have to counter her counter to my counter and well... you can see how this is going to be unpleasant.

"I will still prevail, but it is always a close thing. There are very few things that I can't do and I have the advantage of knowing what happens with every cusp. Unfortunately, this will take most of my attention for some time and I won't be able to care for other probabilities like I would prefer. To make matters worse, she is not the only one by any stretch and every one of them takes attention and effort that I could be putting to good use elsewhere. So, I need you, if you are willing."

Xakelle pulled her arms down from the wall and leaned forward in the water. Her expression was deadly serious.

"So, here I have some good points and some bad points. On the positive side, if you agree to help me, I can give you and your library more power and capabilities. You will be able to start controlling the direction of your travel without having to hang on to your homeworld. In fact, while you are helping me, you will be free of it completely." She focused her attention on Mera.

"I will help you to increase the power generation and rewrite the control streams that you and your original team started. They were well done but, while you are an exceptional Lexicographer, your people were just beginning. I will help you to improve and refine those "spells".

"As for your library itself, this is one of those rare probability paths where it has started to develop its own consciousness. I think you started to notice it a bit when Ashur showed up, didn't you?" At Mera's slight nod, she continued. "The conglomeration of your maintenance, function, and protection routines created the possibility of a very low level awareness and, for the last few hundred years, it has been working towards a greater focus on the protection part.

"I told you earlier that more and more beings were starting to take notice of you and that notice translates to a brush across the bubble that your library sits in. Since the number of those interactions have increased, the proto-awareness that has developed started looking for more ways to protect itself."