Page 14 of The Wolf Professor

Mom had blonde highlighted hair that she tied up in a bun. So no, her mom looked nothing like Mary, the gorgon. Except… maybe, if Mom had snakes instead of hair. The idea made Charlie want to giggle.

Her mom wouldhatebeing compared to a gorgon.

But really, it was the studious look, the quietly spoken manner they had in common. The reverence with which the gorgon unlocked the cabinets that housed The Almanac of Beasts and took them out in her gloved hands.

All seventeen volumes of them.

“The Almanac, as I’m sure you’re fully aware,” Mary said as she laid each book out on its own stand, “was an attempt by Athelrose Motham to document the different attributes and behaviors of every single monster species in Motham. It wasundertaken by the best scribes and illustrators of the time, and the volumes were kept with Motham’s mages for many years. There are remedies in each book for the ailments that afflict each species. Advice on birthing, the raising of younglings. Um… mating practices.” She flushed a little. “It's all very complex. For example, Coltsfoot, a remedy that treats the flu in gargoyles, can kill a griffin in minutes.”

She gave them each a pair of soft cotton gloves to wear. “The volumes are very delicate, so please be very gentle when handling them; the paper is extremely fragile. As you will see, the Almanac on vampires is by far the thickest. The section on reversing bites is the most comprehensive ever compiled.”

“Did humans have access to the Almanac?” Charlie asked.

Mary smiled secretively. “At a price. It’s how Motham clawed back finances to build the city.”

“Oh, yes,” Charlie said, eager to contribute her knowledge. “I do recall reading that the Tween Council of Towns paid a high price when attempting to fix Eliza Dryden’s vampire bite. Though the bite Izcacus gave her was never verified as a true bite, of course. And if she is undead, no one knows where she’s gone. She was last spotted in 48,520—she would have been over a hundred years old by then. Eyewitness accounts say she looked as young as the day she disappeared. So, who knows? Vampires took flight to other kingdoms. She could be living far from here as an undead.”

“You know your history.” Mary looked at her admiringly.

“I have a master’s in monster/human history.”

“Did you study in the library often? Your face looks familiar.”

“Yes, I pretty much lived in here for a while.” Charlie grinned. “I graduated last year.”

“Were you happy with your results?”

“I got a high distinction.” Charlie blushed a little as she caught Max’s gaze on her.

“Oh, well done, my dear.” Mary beamed. “And now you’re working for our eminent professor, so your studies paid off.”

“Charlie is helping me collate the information for my book,” Max said. He turned away and stared with fascination at one of the volumes. “This was a remarkable achievement for early Motham,” he mused, turning the pages of the Almanac on orc kind with great care.

“It’s a shame so few monsters got to see the Almanacs,” Mary said. “The mages were the only ones who were allowed to study the texts. The early witches and wizards of Motham supported monsters’ emotional and spiritual needs.”

“They still do,” Charlie piped up. “Waldo’s work is astounding. He lectured on our course.”

“The mages did indeed do much good,” Max joined in. “Without their magic and herbal remedies, many more monsters would have perished. Motham had very few food sources. It was up to the mages to grow food, not just medicinal herbs. They were the horticulturists as well as the healers.”

“Will that all be in your book?” Mary asked.

“It will indeed.”

“The Making of Mothamis the title you sent me in your correspondence, yes?” Mary cocked her head at Max.

“You have a good memory, Mary.” Max flashed his dazzling smile, and even though Mary’s expression remained bland, Charlie noticed that the snakes under her scarf were beginning to writhe. Maybe that was the equivalent of body language for a gorgon. Her snakes were saying what her face dared not.

Max was simply too handsome not to notice.

“You are welcome to make notes. But please don’t take photographs,” Mary said. “You can, of course, visit whenever you wish, you just need to call me to make an appointment. I’m sorry to be so strict, but we cannot risk this information gettinginto the wrong hands. There are still some who would like to cause harm with it.

Max inclined his head. “I absolutely understand.”

“We are very wary of vampire requests for viewings. But obviously we trust you, Professor, with your wonderful reputation.” For a moment her scarf looked like it might levitate off her head. A snake slithered out, its little forked tongue shooting out toward Max, and Mary quickly shoved it back under the rim of her scarf.

“My apologies.” She gave an embarrassed cough.

Max looked unfazed by the snake’s appearance. Charlie supposed there were gorgons in Selig. Maybe with the enlightened culture over the mountains, they wore their snakes openly. That would make her curls look totally tame by comparison.

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