Page 60 of Cast in Conflict

“I’m working,” she told Killian once the door was firmly closed at her back. “And I don’t remember thinking that I wanted to speak with the librarians. Or did you get that confused?”

Killian inclined his head. “Perhaps. Words are sometimes taxing.”

“What you meant to say was: the librarians want to speak with me, right?”

“The result would be the same in either version. And I believe you have questions for them.”

She did have a few questions. She had had no intention of actually asking any of them today. “By Imperial dictate, I can’t just stop and chat with the librarians while Bellusdeo is free to wander around.”

“Bellusdeo does not intend to leave the Academia without you.”

“Did she tell you—or did I—about her trip to the West March?”

“No. Ah,” he added. “I see. I highly doubt that will happen here. Not now. And you have left Lord Severn with Bellusdeo; you are certain to be informed if she feels the need to leave in haste.”

“I’d ask the chancellor to make sure of that, but he’s busy, and he hates to be interrupted.”

“He is concerned for the immediate future, and the discussion between the chancellor, Bellusdeo, and the two fieflords is by no means complete,” Killian replied. “It is possible you could speak with Larrantin.”

“Why don’t we do that instead?” she asked hopefully. While she liked Starrante, he was still a giant spider, and seeing him pushed childish fear buttons she had to work to suppress. She wasn’t proud of them.

“No, that will not do. Starrante may not have the answers you seek immediately at his fingers, but Androsse will.” More gently he said, “The fear doesn’t suit the tabard you wear.”

“Not wearing it today,” Kaylin said, but she reddened. Killian was right. Of course he was right. And maybe if she’d grown up in the presence of giant spiders, policing and protecting them as necessary, those childhood fears wouldn’t exist.

Starrante had clearly been informed of her arrival; he was waiting when Killian opened the door. Killian didn’t enter the library, or at least his Avatar didn’t.

“The library is not my domain,” he told her. “It is the domain of the Arbiters. The Arbiters have some influence beyond the boundaries of the library, but they have no control of the Academia. The chancellor accepts—and even seeks—their guidance, but it is his decision that is law. They have power equivalent to Helen’s or mine within the library itself. I remember the classes taught here.” He smiled. The smile faded.

“You are welcome, as always, to visit,” Starrante said, the Barrani words underscored by the clicking that characterized Starrante’s speech. “Kaylin.” His forelegs—or arms—did a complicated dance in the air. Kaylin was pretty sure it was a greeting.

“It is a greeting,” Killian agreed. “And one that shows great respect. You will note it was not offered to me.”

“Well,” Kaylin replied, “you’re family. I don’t greet Helen that way, either.”

Killian smiled. When he smiled he looked less Barrani.

“You want information about the rise of the Towers?” Starrante asked. He began to amble into the library beneath ceilings that would have made the arches of cathedrals look short and squat.

She nodded. Starrante moved slowly out of consideration for her legs—two in total, and shorter by far than any of his. “May I ask why?”

“Isn’t curiosity for its own sake supposed to be a necessary feature of the Academia?”

“In students, yes—although that reply would be worth several demerits were it uttered by a student.”

“Not respectful enough?”

“Absolutely not.” A man who looked very like the Barrani stepped into view. If he’d come around a corner, Kaylin could have pretended that he’d simply been obscured by the presence of bookshelves; as it was, he stepped out of midair on the path Starrante was now walking.

“Arbiter Androsse,” she said, offering him a bow. It was a Diarmat-taught bow, and given Androsse’s nod, one of which the Dragon might have approved.

“Starrante feels that I might have a better understanding of the composition of the Towers, but I feel that the answer to the question he asked is necessary before we proceed. Understand that we have been the library for as long as the Academia has existed. We will be the library if it falls. We were not asked for input or opinions about the people who stepped up to take on the responsibility of becoming a Tower.”

“That is not true,” Starrante said. “The decision was not ours, but input was encouraged, and if I recall, we did have opinions.”

“We always have opinions. We’re Arbiters.”

“I thought Arbiters were supposed to be neutral,” Kaylin said.

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