The Great Library - Wednesday Evening
They were in a long, dark, wood-panelled corridor lined with bookshelves that reached from the richly carpeted floor to the vaulted ceiling. The carpet was elegantly patterned and the ceiling was decorated with rich mouldings that depicted scenes from the classics, each cornice supporting the marble bust of an author. High above them, spaced at regular intervals, were finely decorated circular apertures through which the light gained entry and reflected off the polished wood, reinforcing the serious mood of the library. Running down the centre of the corridor was a long row of reading tables, reach with a green-shaded brass lamp. The library appeared endless; in both directions the corridor vanished into darkness with no definable end.
On all the walls, end after end, shelf after shelf, were books. Hundreds, thousands, millions of books. Hardbacks, paperbacks, leather-bound volumes, uncorrected proofs, handwritten manuscripts, everything. Anyone who stepped closer and reached out to touch the spine of any one of the books would find it was warm to touch and, anyone who put their ear to the book would hear a distant hum, the rumble of machinery, people talking, traffic, seagulls, laughter, waves on rocks, wind in the winter, branches of trees, distant thunder, heavy rain, children playing, a blacksmith's hammer and a million other sounds all happening together.
That wasn't the sound that concerned Thursday. She walked a few paces ahead of the group, head tilted as she listened carefully.
After a couple of hundred yards, they came across a junction where a second corridor crossed the first. In the middle of the crossway was a large circular void with a wrought-iron rail and a spiral staircase bolted securely to one side. Not more than thirty feet below them, if anyone was to look, was another floor, exactly like this one. But in the middle of that floor was another circular void through which they could see another floor, and another and another and so on to the depths of the library. It was the same above them, more circular wells and the spiral staircase reaching up to the dizzy heights above.
"Do you hear that?" she asked, leaning against the balcony. None of them did. That was because there was nothing to hear. "Neither do I." She pursed her lips together and her expression hardened.
The Great Library was empty.
no_toast_thanks
Thursday gathered the group together away from the balcony. "We're going to have to split up. Jurisfiction wouldn't abandon the library unless there was an emergency or unless they were evacuated by force. One group will come with me to the Council of Genres chambers and try to get access to the control centre. Lee, I'd like you to lead the second group, which will go to Norland Park inside Pride and Prejudice. You'll have to go to the A floor and find the Jane Austen books. They're hard to miss, it's the biggest section on the floor. Pull out the most recent copy of Pride and Prejudice and read yourselves into Chapter 5, paragraph 1. All you have to do is read it aloud and will yourself in. One person will do as long as you're all making physical contact."
stupid_toasters
"Pride and Prejudice, chapter 5, paragraph 1," Lee repeated, tapping his hip in succession. "I lead. If only my father could see me now."
no_toast_thanks
"Your father probably wouldn't believe this place existed. Most don't and even fewer get to visit it." She turned to the others. "Two groups, as evenly split as possible please."
stupid_toasters
"A story for me to taunt him with then," Lee muttered and then took a few steps away, waiting for anyone that would be coming with him.
psychic_wonder
Sam was caught up in staring at his surroundings, but snapped back to attention when Lee moved away. "I'll come with you to the chambers," he said to Thursday.
stupid_toasters
"Damn, I wanted the tall guy," Lee joked, smiling at Sam. "Maybe next time."
bridge_carson
"I'll go with you, dude," Bridge says. "I'm not tall like Sam but I can still be helpful."
stupid_toasters
"We can be the non tall team," Lee joked, nodding at Bridge. "Thanks, man."
imac_kenzie
Mac shook her head. "None here," she said. "I'll go Jane Austen," she added, still looking a little dazed, moving dimensions always had that effect on her. "Always did like that one."
stupid_toasters
"Welcome to the team," Lee said, grinning a little at Mac. "You can be the Jane Austen expert because I have no idea."
imac_kenzie
Mac shrugged with a little smile. "Knew that high school lit class had to have practical applications somewhere."
death_of_hope
"Austen?" Anemone made a face. "I'll go with you, Ms. Next, if that's okay."
stupid_toasters
At the face, Lee could only laugh. "Austen's that exciting, huh?"
death_of_hope
"I never had the attention span necessary to endure it," Anemone said dryly. "If we were going into Wizard of Oz, or Frankenstein, I'd be first in line. I think it's safer for all of us if I avoid Austen. I might start yawning."
stupid_toasters
"Good call," Lee said, grinning a little. "No yellow brick roads in Austen land."
[OOC: NFI, NFB due to different dimension. Description of the library blatantly stolen from Jasper Fforde. Pre-played with bridge_carson, death_of_hope, imac_kenzie, psychic_wonder and stupid_toasters and featuring vkandis_son with permission!]
On all the walls, end after end, shelf after shelf, were books. Hundreds, thousands, millions of books. Hardbacks, paperbacks, leather-bound volumes, uncorrected proofs, handwritten manuscripts, everything. Anyone who stepped closer and reached out to touch the spine of any one of the books would find it was warm to touch and, anyone who put their ear to the book would hear a distant hum, the rumble of machinery, people talking, traffic, seagulls, laughter, waves on rocks, wind in the winter, branches of trees, distant thunder, heavy rain, children playing, a blacksmith's hammer and a million other sounds all happening together.
That wasn't the sound that concerned Thursday. She walked a few paces ahead of the group, head tilted as she listened carefully.
After a couple of hundred yards, they came across a junction where a second corridor crossed the first. In the middle of the crossway was a large circular void with a wrought-iron rail and a spiral staircase bolted securely to one side. Not more than thirty feet below them, if anyone was to look, was another floor, exactly like this one. But in the middle of that floor was another circular void through which they could see another floor, and another and another and so on to the depths of the library. It was the same above them, more circular wells and the spiral staircase reaching up to the dizzy heights above.
"Do you hear that?" she asked, leaning against the balcony. None of them did. That was because there was nothing to hear. "Neither do I." She pursed her lips together and her expression hardened.
The Great Library was empty.
no_toast_thanks
Thursday gathered the group together away from the balcony. "We're going to have to split up. Jurisfiction wouldn't abandon the library unless there was an emergency or unless they were evacuated by force. One group will come with me to the Council of Genres chambers and try to get access to the control centre. Lee, I'd like you to lead the second group, which will go to Norland Park inside Pride and Prejudice. You'll have to go to the A floor and find the Jane Austen books. They're hard to miss, it's the biggest section on the floor. Pull out the most recent copy of Pride and Prejudice and read yourselves into Chapter 5, paragraph 1. All you have to do is read it aloud and will yourself in. One person will do as long as you're all making physical contact."
stupid_toasters
"Pride and Prejudice, chapter 5, paragraph 1," Lee repeated, tapping his hip in succession. "I lead. If only my father could see me now."
no_toast_thanks
"Your father probably wouldn't believe this place existed. Most don't and even fewer get to visit it." She turned to the others. "Two groups, as evenly split as possible please."
stupid_toasters
"A story for me to taunt him with then," Lee muttered and then took a few steps away, waiting for anyone that would be coming with him.
psychic_wonder
Sam was caught up in staring at his surroundings, but snapped back to attention when Lee moved away. "I'll come with you to the chambers," he said to Thursday.
stupid_toasters
"Damn, I wanted the tall guy," Lee joked, smiling at Sam. "Maybe next time."
bridge_carson
"I'll go with you, dude," Bridge says. "I'm not tall like Sam but I can still be helpful."
stupid_toasters
"We can be the non tall team," Lee joked, nodding at Bridge. "Thanks, man."
imac_kenzie
Mac shook her head. "None here," she said. "I'll go Jane Austen," she added, still looking a little dazed, moving dimensions always had that effect on her. "Always did like that one."
stupid_toasters
"Welcome to the team," Lee said, grinning a little at Mac. "You can be the Jane Austen expert because I have no idea."
imac_kenzie
Mac shrugged with a little smile. "Knew that high school lit class had to have practical applications somewhere."
death_of_hope
"Austen?" Anemone made a face. "I'll go with you, Ms. Next, if that's okay."
stupid_toasters
At the face, Lee could only laugh. "Austen's that exciting, huh?"
death_of_hope
"I never had the attention span necessary to endure it," Anemone said dryly. "If we were going into Wizard of Oz, or Frankenstein, I'd be first in line. I think it's safer for all of us if I avoid Austen. I might start yawning."
stupid_toasters
"Good call," Lee said, grinning a little. "No yellow brick roads in Austen land."
[OOC: NFI, NFB due to different dimension. Description of the library blatantly stolen from Jasper Fforde. Pre-played with bridge_carson, death_of_hope, imac_kenzie, psychic_wonder and stupid_toasters and featuring vkandis_son with permission!]