They were greeted by an acolyte, and ushered to the office of the head librarian, Tender Ronnell. Arlen’s eyes darted everywhere as they walked, taking in the musty shelves and silent scholars who roamed the stacks. Not including grimoires, Cob’s collection had contained over thirty books, and Arlen had thought that a treasure. The Duke’s library contained thousands, more than he could read in a lifetime. He hated that the Duke kept it all locked away.
Tender Ronnell was young for the coveted position of head librarian, still with more brown in his hair than grey. He greeted them warmly and sat them down, sending a servant to fetch some refreshment.
‘Your reputation precedes you, Master Cob,’ Ronnell said, taking off his wire-rimmed glasses and cleaning them on his brown robe. ‘I hope you will accept this assignment.’
‘All the wards I’ve seen so far are still sharp,’ Cob noted.
Ronnell replaced his glasses and cleared his throat uncomfortably. ‘After the recent breach, the Duke fears for his collection,’ he said. ‘His Grace desires … special measures.’
‘What kind of special measures?’ Cob asked suspiciously. Ronnell squirmed, and Arlen could tell that he was as uncomfortable making the request as he expected them to be in filling it.
Finally, Ronnell sighed. ‘All the tables, benches, and shelves are to be warded against firespit,’ he said flatly.
Cob’s eyes bulged. ‘That would take months!’ he sputtered. ‘And to what end? Even if a flame demon made it so deep into the city, it could never get past the wards of this building, and if it did, you’d have greater worries than the bookshelves.’
Ronnell’s eyes hardened at that. ‘There is no greater worry, Master Cob,’ he said. ‘In that, the Duke and I agree. You cannot imagine what we lost when the corelings burned the libraries of old. We guard here the last shreds of knowledge that took millennia to accumulate.’
‘I apologize,’ Cob said. ‘I meant no disrespect.’
The librarian nodded. ‘I understand. And you are quite correct, the risk is minimal. Nevertheless, His Grace wants what he wants. I can pay a thousand gold suns.’
Arlen ticked the maths off in his head. A thousand suns was a lot of money, more than they had ever gotten for a single job, but when accounting for the months of work the job would entail, and the loss of regular business …
‘I’m afraid I can’t help you,’ Cob said at last. ‘Too much time away from my business.’
‘This would garner the Duke’s favour,’ Ronnell added.
Cob shrugged. ‘I messengered for his father. That brought me favour enough. I have little need for more. Try a younger Warder,’ he suggested. ‘Someone with something to prove.’
‘His Grace mentioned your name specifically,’ Ronnell pressed.
Cob spread his hands helplessly.
‘I’ll do it,’ Arlen blurted. Both men turned to him, surprised that he had been so bold.
‘I don’t think the Duke will accept the services of an apprentice,’ Ronnell said.
Arlen shrugged. ‘No need to tell him,’ he said. ‘My master can plot the wards for the shelves and tables, leaving me to inscribe them.’ He looked at Cob as he spoke. ‘If you had taken the job, I would have carved half the wards anyway, if not more.’
‘An interesting compromise,’ Ronnell said thoughtfully. ‘What say you, Master Cob?’
Cob looked at Arlen suspiciously. ‘I say this is a tedious job of the sort you hate,’ he said. ‘What’s in it for you, lad?’ he asked.
Arlen smiled. ‘The Duke gets to claim that Wardmaster Cob warded the library,’ he began. ‘You get a thousand suns, and I …’ he turned to Ronnell, ‘get to use the library whenever I wish.’
Ronnell laughed. ‘A boy after my own heart!’ he said. ‘Have we a deal?’ he asked Cob.
Cob smiled, and the men shook hands.
Tender Ronnell led Cob and Arlen on an inspection of the library. As they went, Arlen began to realize what a colossal task he had just undertaken. Even if he skipped the maths and plotted the wards by sight, he was looking at the better part of a year’s work.
Still, as he turned in place, taking in all the books, he knew it was worth it. Ronnell had promised him full access, day or night, for the rest of his life.
Noting the look of enthusiasm on the boy’s face, Ronnell smiled. He had a sudden thought, and took Cob aside while Arlen was too occupied with his own thoughts to notice.
‘Is the boy an apprentice or a Servant?’ he asked the Warder.
‘He’s Merchant, if that’s what you’re asking,’ Cob said.
Ronnell nodded. ‘Who are his parents?’
Cob shook his head. ‘Hasn’t any; at least not in Miln.’
‘You speak for him, then?’ Ronnell asked.
‘I would say the boy speaks for himself,’ Cob replied.
‘Is he promised?’ the Tender asked.
There it was. ‘You’re not the first to ask me that, since my business rose,’ Cob said. ‘Even some of the Royals have sent their pretty daughters to sniff at him. But I don’t think the Creator has made the girl that can pull his nose out of a book long enough to notice her.’
‘I know the feeling,’ Ronnell said, gesturing to a young girl who was sitting at one of the many tables with half a dozen open books scattered before her.
‘Mery, come here!’ he called. The girl looked up, and then deftly marked her pages and stacked her books before coming over. She looked close to Arlen’s fourteen summers, with large brown eyes and long, rich brown hair. She had a soft, round face, and a bright smile. She wore a utilitarian frock, dusty from the library, and she gathered the skirts, dipping a quick curtsey.
‘Wardmaster Cob, this is my daughter, Mery,’ Ronnell said.
The girl looked up, suddenly very interested. ‘The Wardmaster Cob?’ she asked.
‘Ah, you know my work?’ Cob asked.
‘No,’ Mery shook her head, ‘but I’ve heard your grimoire collection is second to none.’
Cob laughed. ‘We might have something here, Tender,’ he said.
Tender Ronnell bent to his daughter and pointed to Arlen. ‘Young Arlen there is Master Cob’s apprentice. He’s going to ward the library for us. Why don’t you show him around?’
Mery watched Arlen as the boy gazed about, oblivious to her stare. His dirty blonde hair was untrimmed and somewhat long, and his expensive clothes were rumpled and stained, but there was intelligence in his eyes. His features were smooth and symmetrical; not unpleasing. Cob heard Ronnell mutter a prayer as she smoothed her skirts and glided over to him.
Arlen didn’t seem to notice Mery as she came over. ‘Hello,’ she said.
‘Hullo,’ Arlen replied, squinting to read the print on the spine of a high-shelved book.
Mery frowned. ‘My name’s Mery,’ she said. ‘Tender Ronnell is my father.’
‘Arlen,’ Arlen said, pulling a book off the shelf and flipping through it slowly.
‘My father asked me to show you around the library,’ Mery said.
‘Thanks,’ Arlen said, putting the book back