The Royal library was known for having hidden and secret knowledge. My obsessions in a word. Did you really think I went there to know China's politics? Of course not.
I want to know Shuying,these palace girls aren't really as innocent as they look. My past experiences taught me so.
Shuying wanted Dannyal to come. I poked on Dannyal's knee silently signaling him. Thank God he didn't question and told her with a happy face,"Umm, I think I have a ceremony to attend tomorrow. "
We started towards the library. Shuying was smoother than I expected. She sensed,not saw two guards from the other alley and sided me on the wall.
The library was on the top most floor. The whole floor was dedicated to the library. Thousands of years of knowledge locked away due to some mediocre ego issues of the King.
We reached infront of the library. Shuying tapped on the lock,then said with a smirk,"They forgot to change the lock."
Weird how easily a guarded library was accessible. The door looked obedient. That bothered me more than if it had resisted.I became a bit suspicious but on whom? I don't know.
It was a massive, dimly lit library, shelves towering above, faint candlelight flickering, dust motes floating in the air. Shuying offered me a mask.
The silence is nearly oppressive, broken only by the distant echo of footsteps in the palace corridors. Forbidden scrolls and manuscripts line the walls, some protected by mechanical locks or subtle useless magical wards.
I felt like I was in Hogwarts just without electricity. Damn!
I roamed around. There was a section with knowledge of poisoning. A book didn't had dusting on it unlike the others.
Shuying came towards me,"The politics section is right beside that lane, there."
"Oh,yes." I went and acted like I was a scholar looking for a specific book. Then I grabbed a random book,"Here it is! The Chinese river Huang Ho's secret!"
Shuying said chuckling,"That's Japan's history. You are just like Dannyal!" I said with a gruff and crossed hands,"Don't compare me with that shithole."
Shuying grabbed me instantly and pulled me behind a shelf. I whispered, "What happened?" "There are soldiers patrolling around here." "How many?" "Judging by the sound of the footsteps;two."
The fact that amazed me was that she wasn't surprised at all,just calculating.
She whispered,"Don't worry,they will go within some seconds. Their lunchtime is soon. That is normally an hour later. But these guards are lazy."
She said it the way like she has years of training in coming here. More than that she didn't say it like an assumption. She said it like memory.
After a while,when they went away,she said,"Here is the book for Huang Ho's secrets." She didn't look but she knew it was here all along.That was when I stopped pretending this was coincidence.
But the fact is, she isn't even formally educated. How does she know all this? I gave a gaze over the book,"Thanks! I got all I needed."
"Ok, I am really happy to help you." She said with the sweetest smile. Then she told me,"Follow me, I'll lead you out."
Before leaving, I noticed a strange book, really strange, some people with signs and names. I took the book with me.
She also added after a while, "Make sure to keep this a secret,okay?"
"Yes,of course."
"Some truths are only safe when you understand how to hide them." She said casually.
"What?"
"When I know a truth, I don't say it out loud risking myself."
"Then?"
"I hide it badly so impulsive people like you find it." She said with a chuckle.
Those words made my eyes widen not because she roasted me saying impulsive but her understanding was admirable.
Suddenly, a soldier approached and yelled,"What are you both doing here?" I suddenly grabbed this diary from my robe and said, "Gaining some knowledge."
"Here and now?" "Are there any specific places or time to gain knowledge?" He grunted,then left.The silence he left behind felt practiced.
Shuying asked,"That was awesome! Where did you learn it from?"
I replied,"An old friend of mine." And remembered about Birbal.
After she went away leaving me in my room, I thought about all her actions using my Sherlock Holmes brain, gotta glaze my own self, and only one fact came to my mind, what the heck?
Every answer created another question. And every question pointed back to her.
How is she so experienced in all these? Her elegance still remaining maintained while all of this made me realize, my expectation about her was right.
She ain't some ordinary girl. Seeing her made me realize how unskilled I was. And I was thinking of protecting her.
All this thinkings made my brain hurt.
So that evening, I went to Chen out of frustration, to clear my confusions. Chen said,"I was thinking that we should rebel again." Oh shoot,I forgot about all of these.
I said,"Yes,but are we ready...yet?"
"Yes, I have secret forces ready but that'll take like a month."
"Oh,ok."
"Are you alright?"
"Do I look tensed?"
"Yes."
"Oh. Thing is I've read novels," I said. "My favorite characters always have a behavior—mysterious, funny, intelligent. Something consistent."
I exhaled. "I can't be like that. It's either everything at once or nothing at all."
Chen tilted her head. "You mean your character is… messy?"
"Yes," I said. "But why?"
She stepped closer and placed her cold hands on my cheeks.
"Because you are a human," she said calmly. "Not well written. Not badly written."
She held my gaze.
"Just written."
I gasped in relief. She smiled.
But wait, messy character, no way it's what I am thinking. How could I ignore all these traces. It had to be them from the start. How dull of me! Shoot!
I ran towards Dannyal's room. Only to be interrupted by the French Jesuit. I don't know what he was bragging about but he grabbed me and started running towards the noble library, the one which is used now.
The red bright lights, the undusted books, in a word, a complete opposite of the royal library. He made me sit down and memorize a poem about love. Is he mad? I have no idea but he wants me to be his friend.
He made me feel as if he wanted me to understand a pattern.
After his French bragging, a women took me to show her make up, she was actually a mad person, suffering from dementia, she thinks everyone as her husband?!
The more I escaped, felt like the more troubles came in my way stopping me from entering Dannyal's room.
It was as if it was planned one after the other. It felt less like coincidence and more like someone redirecting water.
I felt like slashing them all down with a strike. But gotta keep my patience.
I reached the room finally. I opened the door. Suddenly my head started pounding.
I had been reacting all day. I hadn't chosen once. I sat down. And went unconscious.
All my blurry eyes could see, was that, Dannyal ran towards me hearing the sound. And of course Shuying was there beside him.
Shuying was still smiling — not at me, but at the silence she had arranged. The faint light from the flickering lantern brushed over her cold eyes.
Is it just my imagination or was she really still smiling?