~~“They are watching us.”

Tyranny’s eyes went wide and looked around for “They” she didn’t like they particularly when they were being nosey. Her right fist formed into a ball that was more than ready to find “they”’s noses. He then burst into laughter and she gave him a puzzled look, was it part of an act. She burst into laughter as well. Obviously fake laughter but if he was going somewhere with this she would follow….or he was just messing with her. which made her honestly laugh. The honest laugh following her forced and abrupt laughter outted it for the travesty that it was.

~~“I am regretting the long delay Milady, but the cowardly dragon went away without looking at my sword twice. Shall we go up to see the falcons rise freely?”

“AH, it was aminor wait to feel safe once again, though I was considering reading your scroll to try and figure out how to return it thou.” She broke character for a moment as the excitement bubbled up and out of her. but she recovered quickly as she went to explain. “Actually the falcons have already left and returned. Lord Jerry of the royal garden expects a summons and a scroll of deeds. You are to meet him at the main office and tell him that Princess Tyranny has sent you.”

She smiled at him and the put his book back in her bag a second time. “Come Lord Marti, we must make hast to get my manifests to the Royal treasury of Knowledge.” She continued forward. With her royal guard at her side.

With a bow to her he began making his way to the last few steps that kept them from sunlight, breathing heavily both from laughter and the events before. Beads of sweat had formed on his forehead and he wiped them away with a casual motion of his hand.

This girl surely was trouble. And even more so, as she was nosy. Not that he had met anyone yet that would turn down such possibilities as were presented by his life. Well he actually sen at least one person that hated him for it, but that could not be helped right? But why was he still here with that counterpart of his. The woman. She had hurt him, why not take the book and leave? Questions crossed his mind. But as she had taken it on herself to get him a job , which he was going to apply for it would be very bad taste to leave her alone just now. Yes it was only his politeness, that made him stay here. Surely it was just that.

When he reached the top of the stairs he squinted at the bright sunlight, that was shining all too brightly in his opinion.

“Milady seemed agitated, when I mentioned the watchers. Doth she have problems with them?”

He turned to the side of the road that the library lay on hopefully. It would not be all to knightlike if he started to lead her astray, right?

~~“Milady seemed agitated, when I mentioned the watchers. Doth she have problems with them?”

“No, Lord Martin. No troubles. It is simply the life of royalty to have a distaste for those that would follow and watch and observe.”


He turned to the side of the road that the library lay on hopefully. It would not be all to knightlike if he started to lead her astray, right?

He turned the correct way, when you were forced to travel in squares of city blocks typically y you could go left or right and you would only have to turn down a different street and circle around, sometimes you could go through the buildings…but it was all a mater of taste.

She walked down the street and began to hmm the elephants on parade theme from the jungle book. “So do you have a library card? The NYC Libraries have a lot more than just books you know.

He was surprised, that navigation was so easy and they soon reached the entrance of the library. It was an old stone building, quite naturally having an aura of old serenity and security around it. The big double doors were opened and ready to let customer enter.

He stood outside, still somewhat away from Tyranny, keeping his distance from her. And she had finally gotten tired from the knighthood of her Saviour. Well actually she had saved him, but that didn't really matter, did it? At least not to him, he was convinced of it. Or convincing himself of it.

“Here we are. And I don't have a cad yet. Maybe I should get one.”

He was speaking with a completely open stance, but his hands had somehow found their ways in his pockets again. A smile was decorating the pale face and made it look somewhat handsome.

“And what did you actually bring here, aside from my book.”

Aside from all I have stupid. All I ever got from this freak show. And you're part of it. Congrats young one.

~~“Here we are. And I don't have a card yet. Maybe I should get one.”

“Library cards are a must, even if you are the type to want to by your own books. This place beats all the local rental places, and if you end up getting a crummy book you didn’t waste the money on it.”

~~“And what did you actually bring here, aside from my book.”

“Three books one fiction, one non and one manual, two cds. The White stripes and the Black keys. A dvd. The life of Brian”

She swung he bag back around to her front and got his book out, “I agreed to carry it and you agreed to walk me here. So here we are, your welcome to come along still, but I don’t want it to be at a ransom.” She pulled out a strip of paper from her bag and a pin using his book as something hard to write on , she jotted down jerry’s information the time for the interview and then her own name at the bottom opened the book dropped it in the middle. She laughed and then tossed the book toward his chest. Walking into the door way and all the way to the drop offs, until she checked if he were still there.

As the book made its way up in the skies time seemed to be again held tightly in his grasp. The gulp of air he was about to take was made a rolling storm about to come down on him, not only thickening the air, but also freezing a small black cloud in mid flight. His hand snapped forward, releasing the storm and there it was. It was finally laing back in his hands. He stroked the leather with a caressing touch. The skin of his life was back in his hands.

Objective achieved.

Yet there was also something more to do. He was still Martin and Martin was quite fond of the girl he faced, so he went and followed her up the stairs. And there it was, the picture of a girl floating in front of him, her presence physical; intimidating. The one reason for him to come here. It was all right in his face. His hand wandered carefully to those parts of his body, that had been burnt by coffee that fateful day. It seemed like earlier this morning to him right now. And somehow he knew that it would be like an eternity had passed a few seconds later. But that did not dull the pain. The pain in his heart.

The book was stored away securely in his pocket, while the last few steps were taken. Was he really ready for this? Martin surely was and he seemingly acted on his own.

“Uhmmm... I really don't know how to do this right, so Ill say it plainly. Could I have your number?”

His eyes still looked sad.

“Uhmmm... I really don't know how to do this right, so Ill say it plainly. Could I have your number?”

cute and yet bold. Tyranny grinned privately before whipping it off of her face and turning around to face the young man. Emotions ran across her face, uncertainty , consideration, pouting and then finally caving…and then after all of that pretending the Cheshire smile returned to her face.

“Yes you may, in fact if you just look at the last number on the paper it has ten digits that are all mine.”
She pausedand then added. “Though now that you requested it, you better call me sometime! I hate giving out my number to have it go unused.” She turned from the counter waving him on ward and then pointed at the sections of books. And started the process of finding a book.

“innie meanie mineie moe, catch a tiger by the toe, if it hollers make it pay, twenty dollars every day. Mama told me to pick the very best one, and you are it.” her finger pointed and bounced along with the words. She walked toward the section of books she had picked today. From there she entered a hallway of books and continued to the middle path. And started again this time a bit of rotating was required.

“innie meanie mineie moe, catch a tiger by the toe, if it hollers make it pay, twenty dollars every day. Mama told me to pick the very best one, and you are it.” she picked an isle and walked to it. and then her finger pointed to the right side and the left. Left.

She then bounced her finger up and down the rows of books.

“innie meanie mineie moe, catch a tiger by the toe, if it hollers make it pay, twenty dollars every day. Mama told me to pick the very best one, and you are it.” third from the bottom, good she could reach those.

The game then selected the column out of the third row, the forth column. She came to stand in front of the little shelf of seventeen books and her rhyme took her around it almost twice landing her on the sixteenth book the second time around. It was pictures at an exhibition a dark little book that in the title already had her snared. "one down two more to go. You want to try it?"

His broad smile and his straightening out were her answers. At least partially. Martin would call her. But would Martin Stein? A question for a good cup of tea and musing. Some hints of her own feelings were refracted back at her, a fractal equation, mirror cabinet. Would she dare see at the bottom one day?

Her method of selecting books earned her a loud laugh, making the clerks shoot venomous darts for glances at him. No noise here, his shoulders started slacking down, but were stopped since she didn't care either. He quickly followed suit and went around an alley, raising a gloved finger, but never actually touching the back of the books.

“Ene mene muh, raus bist DU!”

The words ware rising in volume quickly, until the last one was quite easily audible. He looked at what his price was for this high risk of getting shot at again. It was a small volume, which he then pulled out with a quick motion after some exploration of the title. The Trial had to be fitting for his new acquaintance ins some ways he found quite amusing, so he went back to her with the books resting in both his arms, like a child being cradled.

“ohhhh Kafka’s last work. I haven’t read it yet, but I need to.” She had another pair of books that she had einie minined while Martin was taking his time with the game, he seemed amused by her and that was good she thought. He had played along and she wondered how many would have. Were they crazy? They were medieval folk earlier and now they were picking books intricately at a random pace.

“You want to go again or shall we hit the music section and then the movies?

She waited this time, letting him take the lead if he wanted it.

Yes, difficult questions. Continue or continue. Not many options really, but seeing the smile on her face and the more than angry faces of some supposedly helpful clerks, he decided to go with his very own way, turning halfway around and shooting her a venomous glance, like those old hags behind the counters.

"This is a place for piece and quiet."

His voice was raised even more compared to what he had don earlier. He twinkled at her and gave her a slight grin - one of those "Sorry but I couldnt resist" grins-, while the hags now turned into full fleged witches ang began searching for the source of all their troubles, curses ready to be spoken. And then he fully turned around and left the little lady to the wolves. This would make their next meeting a lot more fun.

Tyranny burst in to into laughter before he could finish the sentence. He was going to get her kicked out of the library! Once she started laughing like this she couldn’t stop. She was cracking up and getting shushed multiple times and she said sorry through laughter. She didn’t bother with music or movies, she had to leave. He would be able to hear the ruckus all the way to the street. She made way to the library line and skipped it going strait to the counter . “ I can’t stop laughing ! Please the books and I will go.” She struggled for breath and her r cheeks hurt. But the laughter sprung up again as soon as she saw the matching hateful look he had done so well on this grumpy woman’s face.