Chapter Eight

Forbidden Books

"Christopher?" Boa called into the empty vastness of the library.

Nobody answered her, Carrion was not in his usual spot at the desk, and the room looked decidedly empty without him.

"Hello?" Boa tried again. "Is anyone here?"

Again nothing. But the library had to be where Carrion was, so Boa ventured deeper into it's depths, passing row upon row of books as she travelled to the other side of the large room to where there stood a door. She had never been through this door, for she had never really needed to use the library before. If she wanted a book, she would send someone to fetch it for her, it was only when she was looking for Carrion that she even came near the place.

The door lead down some stairs, and into a storage room filled with redundant books; ones that were of no use to anyone anymore, or had been rendered useless because of new editions of their print. Mostly everything in the dark room was covered in a thin layer of dust, not enough to suppose it was never cleaned, but enough to suggest it hadn't been recently.

There was a light burning down one of the aisles, and Boa craned her neck to look. She could detect no movement, and so walked towards the lamp, trying to make her footsteps loud so that whoever was there wouldn't think she was creeping.

As Boa got closer, she could see the edge of someone's cloak sticking out from around the corner. She knew instantly whom it belonged to, and so burst around the corner in a state of manic smiles, intent to give the owner a scare. Only, there was no one to meet her on the other side. The cloak had been draped over a box, and the lamp abandoned.

Boa scowled. What kind of game was he playing now? And where was she anyhow? Boa was about to turn back around and leave, when she caught sight of something. She picked up the lamp.

A selection of books had been disturbed, one lay on the floor, looking as if it had fallen off the stack after the reader's hasty departure. She bent down to retrieve it. She could read none of the words for they were in a language she couldn't understand, but she could understand the pictures. This was a book of high magic.

"What are you doing here? You shouldn't be in here! This is no place for you!" said a disappointed and angry voice from behind her.

Boa let the book fall to the floor in her surprise.

"I was looking for…"

She was about to say she was looking for Prince Carrion, but the little old man wouldn't let her finish. He looked very agitated, and his eye twitched as he looked at her.

"No, nothing down here for a girl like you, no nothing at all…" he said, and then his lungs gave up a dry cough. He sounded as dusty as the books looked. "Bad, bad books these are, terrible books. No, you must not look at these!"

Boa looked at the book she had dropped. How could a book with such a pretty cover be considered a bad book?

"If they are so terrible why do we keep them here in the palace?"

The old man looked at her as if she was crazy for asking such a question, although it seemed a pretty logical question to Boa.

"To stop them getting into the wrong hands of course!" he shrieked.

Boa was rather concerned about the sanity of this man, it was clear he had been locked up with grimy old books for too long a time. Boa looked around the room.

"Have you seen Lord Carrion down here?"

The little man went pale faced, and then a little annoyed.

"The king forbids him access down here, for good reason too I don't doubt! I always keep the door locked," he told her with a satisfied puffed up chest.

Boa nodded. But he has gotten down here, even if the door was locked, she thought, but said nothing.

"I got in here," Boa said quietly.

"Ay, but you have a key miss! I heard you come in ten minutes ago. I was stacking boxes, I could not attend you sooner than now."

Boa hadn't been there ten minutes ago, but she knew who had. She also didn't have a key, but she could guess who did.

"Yes," she said. "I have a key."

The man nodded.

"So, what were you looking for?" he asked, his voice changing to helpfulness. It sounded strange after he had been so angry moments before.

"Well… er, I'm not really sure. I guess I just wanted to have a look; curiosity was all it was. I think I'll go back upstairs now…" Boa said picking up the cloak and the lamp. She put the cloak around her shoulders pretending it was hers.

The cloak was too long and swamped her, and she blushed as she struggled to do up the button. Surely the man would realise it wasn't really hers? For who is unable to do up their own cloak? But he just continued to stare, and Boa hurried out as fast as she could.

Boa almost tripped as she walked back into the seemingly bright light of the library main. Sure enough Carrion was now sitting at his usual desk, scribbling in his book like he always was. For the first time Boa wondered what he was writing.

And what had he found in the basement of the library?

"Christopher?" she asked warily. She wasn't even sure if he knew she was there behind him.

"Boa," he said calmly as he turned around to look at her. "I did not expect to see you… in my cloak…"

Boa blushed scarlet; she had forgotten she was wearing his cloak. She gave a shy smile.

"Yes, I'm sure you didn't expect to see me," she said looking down at the cloak and the lamp, she didn't need to say anymore, Carrion knew already that he had been caught. "I feel like it's dress-up day or something…"

"It's been many years since dress-up day," Carrion said sorrowfully. Boa looked at him trying to guess his thoughts, she couldn't.

"Yes, well you went as yourself, so that didn't count, and it was my birthday, you were supposed to make an effort!" Boa said undoing the button and pulling the cloak from her shoulders. "Dressing up as the son of the King of Midnight doesn't actually count if you happen to be him!"

Carrion gave her a small smile as if she had helped him remember something pleasant in his life.

"Anyway," Boa said shaking her head. "I've come for a favour, and if you don't want me telling father about your little rummage in the forbidden tombs of the 'bad books', I suggest you grant me it."

"I'm listening."

Boa bit her lip before starting. His eyes were staring intently on her face, as she felt he really was listening. Not just saying he was like everyone else did, it was a strange feeling. It made her more confident, as if what she had to say was of consequence.

"My brother has informed me he intends to end his crusade before visiting Midnight. This is at the worst possible time for me, as you know. This missing money had caused great disturbance, and his turning his back on your island confirms beliefs that it is indeed a terrible place," Boa said stopping to collect her thoughts. "What I propose is this… I will take his place. I want you to take me to Midnight, as soon as you can."

"May I ask how this is going to help you? I thought you would wish to distance yourself from me," Carrion said suspiciously.

"If I had something to hide I might just as well do that! But they won't drive me underground," Boa said taking a determined step forward and putting her hands on his desk.

She was now stood at his side looking down on his book. She couldn't read his writing without getting closer, and so she gave up.

"So it's a stand of unity then?" Carrion said sounding slightly disgusted.

"No, not exactly. You told me once that midnight needed no money, that all it needed was light. Well I believed you, and I told them that no money should be sent your way. I want to show the world that you were right, that you told me the truth, that I was right to want the money sent somewhere else… once they see the real Midnight they will see how I couldn't have sent the money… because it wasn't needed!"

Carrion frowned slightly, he understood what she was trying to prove to everyone, but he didn't know who was going to listen. If her own brother had let her down, did that she mean she was depending on him now?

"And what if I lied to you, what if you find Midnight in pieces? What then? Would you still try and save it from the gutters of the Abarat, or would you run home to Daddy?"

"Then you would have destroyed me Christopher, for I could have ensured that money was safe. As it is, it was stolen on its way to Midnight," Boa said honestly.

There was no point in lying, but nevertheless she looked at him hopefully.

"Midnight does not welcome state visits, you know this. I will not take a entourage of millions…" he said before falling silent. "I still don't see how this is supposed to benefit me, I've been accused of much worse before and you never tried to save me then."

Boa remembered her brother's words to her, that she must do this properly, and not be seen anywhere with Carrion alone. So she planned to take her most favoured handmaid with her, Carrion couldn't object to that. As for the rest, that was true, she had never helped him before; she was selfish, as she knew it.

"I am sorry about the past, but I thought we had put all of that behind us?"

"Oh, yes, behind us…" Carrion repeated as if it was the stupidest thing he had ever heard. "So, you've come to save me have you?"

"Yes, alright! Is that what you want to hear?" Boa snapped annoyed.

"No, that's not what I want to hear. I want you to tell me the truth, you are dong this for yourself only, this will not help me at all," Carrion said watching tears well up in Boa's eyes.

"No, my visit will bring attention to…"

"Ah, now we have it! The truth at last! You presume in your conceited confidence of you own great brilliant power, that should you approve Midnight as a civilised place, you could save it from the depths of hell?"

Boa's eyes widened.

"I just want to stop the rumours! I am fed up of hearing stories, I want to see it for myself, and if I can make any difference by awakening the rest of the Abarat to your hour than I mean to do it. Yes, I am trying to save myself, but I do not try to take and not give back!"

Carrion laughed, and slammed his book shut.

"Fine, by all means join me on my ship and sail to Midnight, but I promise you no holiday, if this is business then I will treat you like any other visiting ambassador."

"Fine," Boa said folding her arms over her chest.

They remained in silence for some long minutes, before Boa realised she wasn't really angry after all, she was becoming used to the fact that discussions with Carrion usually always ended as fights, and she was learning to bounce back from them as if nothing had happened.

"Will your grandmother approve? She will not try to return me?" Boa asked. This was the only thought casting a dark cloud over her bright idea. That and the knowledge that she would have to deal with Christopher's bad moods more often than she was used to.

Carrion raised an amused eyebrow. His grandmother could take a running jump for all he cared.

"Approve? I think she'd be slightly more impressed if you staged a war on us, and your arrival was an invasion… but she will not interfere with us."

The argument was forgotten. Carrion clearly snapped between moods even faster than Boa did.

Boa smiled, Mater Motley was a strange person, and wasn't embarrassed to admit she was afraid of her, but she trusted Carrion to keep her safe from whatever lived on Midnight besides him.

"Well… in that case, you better ask my father for me. He won't say no to you," Boa said cheekily, knowing she was pushing her luck. She would be pushing it with anyone now, but with Carrion she was dancing on a knife-edge.

He remained thankfully silent.

"And what about Finnegan? Do I get to tell him too?" he asked making Boa's blood run cold.

She heard her brother in her head again: 'and for goodness sake explain to Finnegan'

She felt angry at Carrion for baiting her, she knew what he was doing, but she wouldn't let him win. The rules of this trip were going to be made clear right now, and Boa took a deep breath before looking him in the eye.

"Finnegan will understand. I have to save my reputation, I can afford no more scandals, and there will be no more. I will have my handmaid with me at all times. If you don't agree with this then I will have to insist my brother accompany me, and I'm sure Finnegan will not be adverse either!"

Carrion stood up so fast it made Boa jump.

"We will leave tomorrow, now go, I'm busy."

Boa felt guilty for shouting again, but also felt better for saying it. He could be under no delusions now, she felt bad for using him in this, which was more about her reputation than his, that was true, but she could think of no other way to save herself.

Realising she had just gotten her own way, and had come out the victor for first time from a spat between them, Boa clapped her hands and laughed.

"Ha! Thank you!" she said happily. "And when that meeting is called, I will have all the proof I need!"

Authors Note: Oh, it's all happy again! Lets see how long it last this time. Sorry for the long delay in updating this fic, but I mislaid my notebook and couldn't find it for aaaages. Thank you for the reviews!