The Alien Library Read Free Page B

appreciation for those who think. If you have fought him…argued with him…he would have…”
    “Hurt me worse?” She slid off the bench and sat on the floor, wrapping her arms about her legs to huddle.
    “Yes.” He saw no way around that truth. “I will not hurt you, Cameron. No member of my household will hurt you. However, I sometimes have visitors. So, stay with what is familiar. Pindari will help you move to the new quarters and show you the route between the library and kitchen.” He clapped his hands and a man hurried in. “Tommy, please take Cameron to the kitchen.”
    The man nodded and easily reached down to assist Cameron to her feet. He smiled at her, tucking her hand at his elbow. Tommy was a gentleman, he would take care of her. She bobbed her head at Tendar and left with the other human.
    The pool beckoned, and Tendar felt driven to wash the stress of the last week away. Cameron was a blessing, even with the challenge of keeping her healthy. Daniel would come and with his advice, they would know what to do.
    He stripped away his clothing and lowered himself into the water, sinking to the bottom. Once there, he opened his pores to release the chemistry of the family struggles. He watched these dark shadows float to the surface. Certain he had purged it all, he depressed a lever near his hand and saw it skimmed away. Then he rose and leaned back, to absorb the purity of the water.
    He never saw the tiny bit of hair root, clinging to the side of the tub. Nor was he aware of the minute bit of DNA that brushed against his skin, to be absorbed. He rose from the water with the thought of Cameron’s shapeless tunic in a puddle at her feet. With a shake of his head, he hurried to the bedroom. There, Susan and Jean waited for him. He gleefully sank into them, spending the rest of the night lost in the wonder of human flesh.
    *****
    Cameron settled into the new quarters. They were larger than the tiny quarters she’d had near the kitchen, with an actual sitting room, including alcoves and shelves. It led to a bedroom, simple and airy, with a very high ceiling to balance the absence of windows. She had a private bathroom with a shower and bath of absolute luxury. She sat on the bed, staring at the blank wall.
    “Shelves…niches….” She sighed. “I have nothing to arrange.” She wiped a tear from her cheek, hung up the tunic and lay on the bed. Larger than the one provided by Pindari, it cradled her while she drifted into sleep.
    The next day, she found several shifts in the closet area, along with a new tunic. This one was heavier, with a tool worked leathery badge at the chest. A sort of breast plate, she surmised. An intricate circle, embossed with three curved slashes surrounded a raised gem she didn’t recognize. It felt like a shell. A note was left with the tunic, to wear this when working in the library.
    All of the clothing carried an off-white tint. Soft enough, she supposed. She had no shoes, but she’d noticed no one wore shoes. The floors in the house were comfortable to walk on. Pindari had given her a comb and brush the first day she’d appeared in the kitchen. Over the next few weeks, more items appeared in the quarters. A pot with the flower she’d admired in the garden, or one like it. A small carved box containing a bracelet. A candle and soaps. She accepted all of it with some trepidation. She kept wondering about the cost.
     
    Pindari waited for Cam to ask about it. She never did. She didn’t ask anything. She appeared in the kitchen on Fridays and seemed to relish the simple tasks Pindari gave her. Asked about the library, she shrugged. “He said to do what I knew. It’s going to look like a big bookstore.”
    Pindari had chuckled. “I don’t know what a big bookstore looks like, Cam.”
    “Oh, that’s right.” Cameron stared at the ingredient cupboard as if formulating an answer. “Shelves full of books, divided into categories. Fiction separate from non-fiction. Then