Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 20)

What an odd man. He'd clearly had his brains addled at this point. Perhaps someone should take him for a walk or something, get him away from his duties. Not her, though.

"Um... just a few minutes ago. A gentleman escorted me here and said I could take a look around. I apologize if I'm in your way." She bowed slightly. "I don't want to interrupt anyone's duties."

"Duties?" What duties? He didn't care to look for what she meant, and so he shrugged it off. "We should both be downstairs," he said thoughtfully. "I've tarried too long. But you've barely arrived...what delayed you?"

Rana shrugged. "I was told to stay in my room until someone came to escort me." What an odd, odd man.

"That is the way of things," he said with a nod. "Emery brought you down here." Emery was ill-at-ease, he could tell without even looking at him. "I should relieve him."

Rana furrowed her brow at him. "I didn't say that."

"No," he agreed. "You didn't." She couldn't know how much he knew just yet. "I...heard him enter and speak." He had not; he'd been lost in thought.

Had he spoken since they'd been inside? She couldn't be sure. Either way, that was a reasonable enough justification to placate her.

"Oh." She nodded. "Are you friends, then?"

A complicated question. "Yes," he said, because it was simpler than laying out the history of his and Emery's association. "You are enjoying the library, I hope?" He should really see to it they both went downstairs, now...

"I am." She nodded, glancing around. "It's quite nice. Do you mind if I ask which section you manage?"

Gaius looked at her uncomprehendingly. "Section...?"

"Of the library?" She clarified, furrowing her brow slightly. "I assumed you were a librarian?"

"Me?" His eyebrows shot up. That was an easy mistake to make, he supposed. He didn't look very noble and he did happen to be in the library..."No, no. I'm not a librarian."

"Oh. My apologies." She bowed slightly. "I suppose I shouldn't have made assumptions." She looked around the collection longingly. "It'd be a dream, wouldn't it? Getting to be a librarian in a collection like this?"

"Or a reality, if one was awake while doing it." He glanced up at the stacks. "It is a fine place for one who wishes to know things."

"I'm going to read as many as I can while we're here," she declared, looking around wistfully. "I want the answers to questions I don't even know I should ask yet."