Chapter One Hundred And Fifty Six - Lectures of a Grand Librarian

O'vel-win's older brother was named O'nan-win and was responsible for guiding children towards good apprenticeships.  He was usually quite successful, with most Master and apprentices forming good relationships and good work in the future.  There would always be those, however, who even he had trouble guiding.

The children before him had just listened to a scribe describe his general position and what his daily job entailed, some with rapt attention, others looking bored. He noted both, so that he might figure out which child might be interested and which definitely would not. He thanked the scribe, who happened to be a colleague of one of his cousins and sent him on his way. O'nan-win then instructed the class to go and get something to eat and return to the class in an hour. They had a librarian due this afternoon and that always interested the children. He was also expecting his brother to speak, but was not so sure how they would react to him.

O'nan-win wandered out of his classroom, a small room located at the back of the library. There were two such rooms and when there were no children to teach, others might use the rooms to quietly read one of the many books available in the library here. The library was a two storied building, with bookshelves lined on every wall and a few others free standing in the centre. The array of books on display produced an almost rich environment; books were their treasures and therefore expensive. An average person might save their whole lives to own one and the elite displayed them as proof of their wealth. No one would disrespect a library by removing the books from the building and librarians were practically revered.

The man exited the building and looked around the front of it where several wagons were parked waiting to collect children from lessons.  Some of the children, younger that the ones he taught, were already leaving the library having finished their lessons for the day.  It did not take long for O'nan-win to find his younger brother.

The two men did not look so different, both were a beautiful, rich earth toned in colour with mostly white hair, but the older man's turned to black before reaching its final length.  O'vel-win was slightly shorter and a little more soft of frame than his slender and taller brother.  However, O'vel-win was not alone when O'nan-win found him, a young man with sun kissed skin was with him.

"O'vel-win," the older man greeted his sibling.  "Are you ready?"

"Not so much, brother," O'vel-win sighed, but with a grin upon his face.  "But let me introduce you to my friend first.  This is K'tai-tul.  He is a tree farmer."

"Nice to meet you," O'nan-win said, politely.

"And you," the young farmer greeted in turn.  "O'vel-win was telling me that you teach children due to take apprenticeships and that he will be speaking to them about his own career."

"Yes to both," O'nan-win said, cheerfully.  "Although, I cannot guarantee what reception maybe received.  I happen to have a librarian speaking to the children first."  His brother's expression turned sour, how was he supposed to compete with that?  Not even a book maker might be able to do so!

K'tai-tul laughed lightly.  "There are few adults that did not once dream of becoming librarians once upon a time, even those of us whose future was set from birth."

"As yes, you are a tree farmer?" O'nan-win asked for confirmation that he had this correct and smiled when he received a nod of acknowledgement.  "Farming is generally kept within families, is it not?  Though I have guided a few farmer born children to other careers with the blessings of their families."

"Even within families," K'tai-tul agreed, "farming is not for everyone."  His eyes caught sight of Ch'mai-tul coming towards him and waved his sister over.  "I wonder, though, if I might not speak to the children about tree farming?"

O'nan-win looked slightly startled, he was not expecting to be asked such a thing.  He glanced at his younger brother, who caught his eyes with a smile and nodded.  "I don't see why not," he said finally.  "But would your family consider taking apprentices to hand?  You must admit, it is unheard of."

"That is true," K'tai-tul said.  Ch'mai-tul, who had arrived to them mid-sentence looked at her older brother with obvious curiosity.  "However, I think it would not only be good for our family, but for future families as well.  We might have to consider certain things outside the norm for apprenticeships, such as they would need to live with us at our home, we cannot cart them from town everyday after all."

O'nan-win made a gesture of dismissal.  "I don't see that as too much, there are apprentices that must stay with their masters as their families live too far removed.  Moving to a farm away from their parents would be no different. I think your plan has merit. It provides another good option for the children." A smile came unbidden to his lips. "In fact, seeing as you are willing, might I speak with you after class about two boys that I was beginning to think I had failed?"

O'nan-win led them to the room where his class would soon congregate once more.  K'tai-tul kept Ch'mai-tul by his side as the men situated themselves to the corner of the room in Wait.

"My little cousin speaks about you often," O'vel-win was telling his small sister.  "Is he as chatty in school as he is at home?"  The girl gave him a small smile and nodded.

"O'nan-win!" A man from the doorway called.  The man wore the tight sleeved robes of a librarian, but was far from calm as they were usually considered to be.

"R'sin-toi, are you ready to give your speech?" O'nan-win called, jovially.  "You know how the little ones look forward to it so!"

The librarian chuckled nervously.  "Actually, I won't be the one giving it, this year, it seems," he rambled, his eyes darting to someone behind him.

"What do you mean?" O'nan-win asked.

A tall man with long, silver hair appeared in the doorway.  He wore splendid robes similar to those of the librarian, but richer of fabric and slightly more elaborate in pattern.  He had a calm, almost ethereal look about him, but though a smile adorned his lips, his eyes were cold.  O'nan-win looked startled for a moment, whereas the two younger men exchanged curious glances.  K'tai-tul noticed his little sister flinch ever so slightly and wondered why.

"Grand Librarian," O'nan-win bowed his head and the realisation of who this person was had the others doing the same.  "To what do we owe this honour?"  The Grand Librarian was considered to be the head of all Librarians and oversaw countless personally within the Grand Central Library, the place that held a copy and all of the original books ever created.  To visit it and see it in all it's majesty, to read one of it's countless books, that was as much a dream of every soul as becoming a librarian was of every child.

The man stepped quietly into the classroom, each step soundless upon the floor.  "I thought an inspection of our smaller libraries was in order, so I came here on a visit.  Librarian R'sin-toi spoke of his lecture and the children with some fondness and he was kind enough to allow me to participate instead.  Tell me, is this one of the children who I will address?"  His cold eyes fell upon Ch'mai-tul, who clutched K'tai-tul's hand nervously.

"No, this child is from a younger class," O'nan-win informed him.  "She just happens to be with her older brother, who also is planning to address the class."

"Oh?" The Grand Librarian tilted his head slightly in question.  "And what career will you be speaking about to the children?"

"Tree farming," K'tai-tul replied, softly, suddenly questioning the wisdom of what he was about to do.

However the Grand Librarian did not agree nor undermine his claim and simply said; "Interesting," before asking O'vel-win the same question.  He was much more responsive to this man's answer.  "Ah, so you will be speaking of that thing known as the Machine?"

"Technicians do not all work on the Machine, Grand Librarian," O'vel-win pointed out.  "Even though I happen to be.  There are those who make and fix equipment that was invented to help people's work."

"Ah, yes, such as the Reapers meant to help Tree Farmers," the man mused.  "Do you use them?" He suddenly asked K'tai-tul, who shook his head in denial.

"They are too expensive," he admitted.

"There is nothing wrong with continuing to do things in a traditional way," the Grand Librarian said.  The men could say nothing in response.

As the children filtered into the room and were silenced in awe of the Grand Librarian's presence, K'tai-tul and O'vel-win felt inwardly conflicted.  His speech about the marvellous career of a librarian enraptured the little ones completely, while K'tai-tul wondered if his selfishness, wanting to change the way things were done to help his farm would actually be detrimental to his family.  As the children clapped and whispered loudly as the Grand Librarian departed, O'vel-win wondered if the Machine and all the cost of creating it would be worth it in the end.  Neither man had ever doubted themselves as much as they did in that moment.

Ch'mai-tul squeezed her big brother's hand, offering him a warm, reassuring smile.  His heart seemed to ease almost immediately as he remembered just who he was doing this for.  If he lost control of his family and farm, who was to say that Ch'mai-tul would be allowed to apprentice out and not stuck on the combined farm as a wife -in-waiting.

Renewed of spirit, K'tai-tul turned to O'vel-win and wished him luck, his bright smile tickling the technician's stomach again, making him forget that he had worries in the first place.  He loved his job and he knew that change was not necessarily a bad thing, even if at the time it was unwanted.  They, who worked on the Machine, would prove this true once more.  And with renewed motivation, he stepped in front of the class.

*****

*That was close!*

*That was too close!*

*Did he figure out who they are?  Did he figure out who you are?*

*I cannot be sure, Yang, but his words are like those of a God in this world.  He is trying to stop any changes to it, to keep it just at the time he believed it the purest in his memory.*

*It is pitiful.   It if we don't change it, then the corruption will spread and the world will be completely obliterated.*

*I'm not sure that he entirely cares, Yang.*