Time Travelers Never Die - Jack McDevitt [69]
“After Hector’s death.”
Shel cleared his throat.
“What?” said Dave.
“Why don’t we read the rest of it at home?”
“Oh. Sure. Okay.”
Shel handed him the gooseberry, which combined an imager, a telephone, a flashlight, a game player, and a recording and storage device. He went back to the beginning of the scroll.
“Here,” said Shel, “let me hold it flat.”
Dave raised the lid of the device, the red power lamp blinked on, and the screen brightened. A half dozen icons flashed across the screen, and finally the words, Ready to go, big guy. He activated the imager and started to record.
They took three pictures of each section, just to be safe. Explanations might be awkward, so they both kept an eye on the doorway in case someone came in. When they’d finished, they took Achilles back to the desk and returned it to the librarian.
“That was quick,” he said.
Dave nodded. “We were just doing some research.”
“I see. Do you teach literature?”
“Theater.”
“Excellent. It’s good to know there are still dedicated people out there. Kids today need all the help they can get. Nobody asked me, but I think the world is going downhill.” He shook his head sadly. “How do you like our library?”
“Asyngrito,” said Shel, showing off his skills. Unequaled. Without parallel. “You’d never guess how much,” he said in English.
The librarian smiled. Said something Shel didn’t catch. Looked amused.
Dave checked his notes. “Might we see Odysseus in Ithaca?”
“Yes. Of course.”
“Why don’t we try to move it along,” said Shel in English.
Dave nodded. “There are also two Tyro plays, Tyro Shorn and Tyro Rediscovered. Could you get them for us, too?”
The librarian gave them a pained expression. “You want three books at the same time?”
“Yes. If that’s feasible.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s against the rules. Unless you are a member of the Benefactors’ Society. I’m not aware that either of you is a member.”
“No. Unfortunately not.”
“Then I’m sorry, but you’re limited to two.”
Shel decided it was as much a security measure as a means to collect contributions. The scrolls were all copied by hand and must have been immensely valuable. And the situation would not have been helped by the fact that everybody wore togas.
“Okay,” Dave said. “We’ll take the Odysseus and the first Tyro.”
“Certainly. One minute, please.”
When he’d retreated in back, Shel asked why the librarian had seemed amused when he’d described the library as matchless.
“You used the wrong ending for the adjective. Asyngrito is modern Greek. The classic version would have put an ‘s’ at the end.”
“Oh. So what did he say?”
“ ‘Not bad for a barbarian.’ ”
“What?” Shel looked toward the door behind the counter. “That little nitwit.”
“Actually, it was a compliment, Shel.”
ODYSSEUS in Ithaca was set after the Trojan War, when the hero had returned home. He is an old man by then. One night, while walking on the beach, he meets a stranger. It is his son, Telemachus, come to find his celebrated father. But they do not recognize each other. And because both possess an inclination to deceive for amusement, or out of habit, they quickly find themselves at odds after a misunderstanding. Ultimately, challenges are issued. Combat ensues. Telemachus finds the spine of a sea beast that has washed ashore and uses it to kill his father. Then he discovers the identity of the victim.
“Sophocles wasn’t strong on comedy, was he?” said Shel.
“No. He’s not exactly light reading.”
They recorded both plays and returned them to the desk. Next, they checked out Theseus and Circe. Then Parnassus and The Hawks. They were getting ready to return Troilus and Eurydice when the librarian came into the room. “The director is free now. If you’ll follow me, I’ll—”
“No need, Ajax,” said a second voice. It belonged to a tall man who appeared outside the door. “Sorry to keep you waiting, gentlemen. What can I do for you?”
“You are Aristarchus?” asked Dave.
He was. Dave introduced Shel, said how honored they were to meet him, how they’d heard of him in their homeland, which was very distant. “You have a marvelous