Chapter 12
The Library
Cali was going through the books in the historical Library of the Kittelfdora Academy. He looked at all the books on Artemis under the letter A, but nothing came up.
Then he went to a computer where all the copies of the ‘Daily Kittelfdora’ newspaper were stored. There, too, the result was the same. It was as if a magic hand had entered the library and there was no record of Artemis, whether mythological or the real story.
He looked up and saw Dora three tables away. She seemed to be engrossed in the book in front of her.
Cali sat up and went over to her. Dora looked up and smiled as she saw the shadow of Cali’s elf ears reflected in her book.
‘That must have been quite interesting,’ Cali said.
‘What’s so interesting’ asked Dora
‘Your book’.
“Oh, yes, it is.”
“At least one of us found what they were looking for.”
Dora looked meaningfully at Cali.
“Did you look all over the library for what you were looking for?”
“Yes, absolutely,’ Cali replied, I searched everywhere.”
Dora lowered her head. She seemed to be in a state of indecision. She was about to open her mouth and say something. Then she gave up.
“Are you okay, Dora? Is everything okay?”
After a long thought Dora looked up again and looked Cali in the eyes.
“Before I met you, they always told me that there was an unshakeable, lifelong bond of trust between teacher and student.”
“Do you expect guarantees from me?” Cali asked. ‘Trust has to be your choice, not something I can convince you to adopt.”
Dora closed her eyes and tried to reach Cali’s brain. The image again felt like walking through a tunnel. At the end of the tunnel she saw herself hugging Cali, her head resting on his shoulder. Could she trust this image she saw? Dids he have the ability to read people’s minds? Maybe it was time to find out. Even if it would come at a heavy price.
‘Follow me,’ Dora said. She quickly got out of the chair and started walking quickly and excitedly through the corridors of the library. Cali followed her. Just as they reached the walls where the last shelf of the library was located, Dora suddenly stopped, looked at Cali and made a ‘hush’ gesture with her hand and asked him to be quiet. Dora pushed aside the carpet on the floor after checking to see if anyone was looking or had seen them through the library shelves. There was a faint pile of dust on the floor.
“Did you bring me here to clean up this place, Dora? Yes, like most kittledorians, the library has swept the dirt under the carpet. This is not news’
“Shhhh,” replied. Dora. She bent down and pressed a button hidden behind one of the books on the bottom shelf. A thick glass cover that looked like dust, and was made to look like dust deliberately, slid to the side by itself. Underneath this glass cover was a lid.
Cali was astonished.
Dora slowly opened the heavy hatch and motioned for Cali to come. Together they went down the narrow stairs that seemed to lead down into a dark pit. They closed the hatch behind them. The glass cover automatically settled itself on top of the lid and the carpet automatically returned to its original position.
In the administrative center of the delegation building, one of the lights above the table was blinking. Trivus and the other members of the delegation who were in the meeting at the time were drawn to this light.
‘There’s been an entry into the royal library. Do we know who?
‘We have been informed that it is Princess Dora. The door opens according to the pawprint on the button. No one is allowed to enter except members of the royal court and the delegation’.
Trivus thought for a while in silence, with a serious expression.
‘Dora is the royal who uses the library the least. Why did she decide to enter it now?’
Then he called out to Dombris. ‘Dombris, you go to the Royal library immediately. But be very careful. Dora mustn’t feel like you’ve gon there to inspect her. She must think it’s pure coincidence. We don’t want to strain relations between the Crown and the Delegation’.
