Trepidation | Trepidation Trilogy | The Empty World Sequence

Four

Danjel sat in the car for two minutes or so, watching the soldiers on the corner in the mirror. Russian, he was certain of it, from the uniforms. It was late afternoon now, and the street about the library was more crowded than he'd seen any of the streets since returning to town. Finally, Danjel left his car, walked slowly up into the library.

      The lobby was filled with conversation, it halted him, the very volume of speech within the confines of the library. Claudia should still be here, unless something had happened to her. No, he couldn't think like that.

      Danjel moved further into the library. She wasn't near the banks of terminals. He scanned the interior for pale blonde hair and a gray cloak. Maybe she had removed the cloak, but he had no idea what dress she wore, though it usually was a dress.

      A girl was approaching him. "Lost?" she asked. Was she flirting or just suspicious, Danjel wondered.

      "Where would one find the existentialists?" He asked finally.

      "I'll show you. Haven't seen you around, another newcomer?"

      "No, I grew up here. I'm Danjel Poznanski."

      The girl halted suddenly. "Oh." Somehow the name was a disappointment. "You're Rudolph's half-brother. You have been away a long time."

      Danjel understood. He might not have, except that Rudy and he were of an age that they recognized each others old girlfriends from their reactions upon being introduced. Rudy had done this girl wrong in some way, though Danjel was sure it was purely ideological. It was that the girl had a certain intelligence about her, and though Danjel disliked many things about his brother, he knew he'd never raise a hand against a woman.

      "Show me, please," Danjel asked, "I'm sick of him sometimes too."

      She nodded, continued through an aisle of paper books.

      "What is your name?" Danjel asked.

      "Karina."

      The name was unfamiliar. She must have been a recent ex to Rudolph.

      "Your friends are here," Karina said. Danjel would have asked about the plural but he could see Claudia had others about her. Leon was there and a couple unknown to Danjel. Karina made no move to leave and Danjel suspected she and Claudia had spoken previously.

      "John!" Claudia greeted him. He had to smile.

      "Because I am her devoted disciple," Danjel said for benefit of those who knew this was not his name. Danjel was not entirely sure why Joy had named him that, she'd only said he reminded of her of someone with the name.

      Claudia had her portable computer on the floor where she sat, and she and a young man about Danjel's age held books. Danjel sat at Claudia's side, noted that Karina stood but was still with them. He greeted Leon quickly. Claudia was speaking. "Oh, it was fine. Kit wants to meet you."

      Claudia shook her head, not sadly he thought. "This is Karl and Merideth. They are journalists for a Berlin daily covering the war. Your family was correct. Many local people discuss the war here, and fights are forced outside and broken up by the soldiers. There are so many different factions. Karl was telling me just now about some of them. And We were telling Leon of history and philosophy."

      "She called me a Vandal," Leon said.

      Danjel laughed. This one he understood. "Vandals were the tribe that lived here long ago. We must have painted graffiti on monuments in Rome because they named every unknown graffiti artist afterward vandal."