Untitled Starfell #2 (Starfell #2) - Dominique Valente Page 0,39
earlier. ‘They’re the Secret Keepers.’
‘Secret Keepers?’ said Willow in surprise. ‘Are they different to the other librarians?’
‘Well, some say they’re the rebels,’ came a voice from behind. ‘The ones who go against the grain, who have dangerous ideas about things like commas … and where we should really stick ’em!’
Willow turned. Behind them stood a youngish woman, dressed in a periwinkle-blue robe that skimmed the ground. She had very long pale hair and enormous, twinkly brown eyes. There was something of a smile about her lips. She laughed. ‘I almost got thrown out for my ideas about that at the last council meeting actually.’
Willow couldn’t help liking her immediately. ‘You’re one of them,’ she guessed. ‘A Secret Keeper?’
‘Yes. Pleased to meet you,’ said the woman. She held out a rather ink-stained hand, then tried to rub the ink away – but only made it worse by spreading it to her other hand too. ‘Sorry,’ she said, ‘been scribing all morning. I am Copernica Darling, Secret Keeper and part-time Library guide.’
‘I’m Willow, and this is Feathering, Essential and Os—’
‘Shhh,’ said a voice from the bag. ‘I told yew, no.’
Willow cleared her throat and introduced Sprig instead.
‘Pleased to meet you,’ said Copernica. ‘I’ve never met a cloud dragon before … or any other kind of dragon to be honest.’
‘There aren’t that many of us left really. I was the last of my kind for half a millennium till I met my mate, Thundera. We keep to ourselves mostly,’ said Feathering.
‘Oh,’ said Copernica, blinking. ‘Right, well, if that’s the case, all I can say is they have a bit of a funny habit of –’ she cleared her throat – ‘sort of keeping unusual creatures for observation around here … you know, if they manage to catch them. It’s one of those things we have conflicting ideas about. Personally, I don’t think it’s a good idea to make powerful creatures violently mad. But I was outvoted on that. Again. So, just a friendly warning …’ She laughed awkwardly. ‘Maybe stay away from the section near the back there, where the library wizards congregate.’ She pointed up ahead, then turned her dark eyes back to Feathering and said warmly, ‘Not that I think they’d be able to hold you, of course – without a fight anyway.’
‘I should hope not,’ said Feathering, who seemed to approve of her respectful comments.
From within the bag there was a low harrumph. ‘They tried to documents me as the last kobold! I could ’ave fought ’em off too … ’Tis not my fault they put this stuff on me so I couldn’t EXPLODE, else I would ’ave … Carbuncled lib-brains. Staying ’ere ’ad nuffink ter do wiff the cake …’
‘Cake?’ whispered Essential.
‘Nuffink ter do wiff it,’ repeated Oswin.
Willow was beginning to suspect it had everything to do with it. Cake usually did with Oswin.
Copernica stared at the bag with wide eyes, then opened her mouth.
Willow raised a hand and whispered, ‘Don’t ask.’
‘O-kay,’ said the Secret Keeper. ‘Um, well, anyway – as I mentioned, I’m a bit of a guide to Library. Well, on Wednesdays and Fridays. As Secret Keepers, though, it’s our job to uncover the magical history of Starfell, particularly the lost or hidden accounts. We spend a lot of time peering under people’s floorboards or digging up artefacts.’
‘Really?’ said Willow with some surprise. She’d thought most librarians just filed books on to shelves. ‘And then you bring them here?’
‘Yes. I’d say we have the largest collection of magical history in all of Starfell, and it’s not all books. There are some practical elements too – where we put what we’ve learnt into use. Tools, instruments – all the kinds of things that help keep all of this together, you see.’
‘Wow,’ said Willow. She reached into her pocket for the StoryPass and asked, ‘Like this?’ It was currently pointing to ‘Cup of Tea?’ which Willow always thought was one of its sillier suggestions – though, to be fair, she would have liked nothing better right then …
The young woman frowned as she peered at the StoryPass. She tested the weight of it in her palm, then flicked it with a fingernail. ‘Amazing! I’ve only seen one of these early models of the Fable Chronologica before! These were rather good – could be used for more than just cataloguing.’
She beamed as the needle swung round and pointed to ‘There be Dragons’. She looked up at Feathering. ‘Ah, precisely. It’s a good model – the later ones are rather pedestrian.