nanobooks

The Dome of Ivy

Kella and Momoka walked along the path of bricks that led from their house into the village.

Kella was carrying her sick book like a little baby. Her book didn't have a fever. The book's problem, and Kella's grave concern, was that the book had no words. It had words two days before, and every day she could remember before then. But the words were gone now.

"Why is the book doctor called a librarian?" Kella asked.

Momoka looked at her younger sister and thought for a moment. "What do you call a pet doctor?"

"Veterinarian." Kella knew how to say the word, but was glad Mo hadn't asked her how to spell it.

"Same thing."

"Huh?"

Mo explained, "Pet, vet. Pretty much the same thing."

"Oh. Okay. But what does that have to do with a librarian?"

"Libro is the name for book in some languages."

"What languages?"

"Spanish, Italian, Esperanto, Interlingua. Maybe others. I don't know."

"Then from libro, how do you get librarian?"

"You drop the o, and add -arian."

"Libro. Libr. Librarian," said Kella. "Arian means doctor?"

"Not exactly. It's more like an advocate."

"What's an advocate?"

"Someone who cares about something. They don't just care about it. They watch after it, and take care of it. A humanitarian is someone who cares for humanity."

"So why isn't a doctor a humanitarian?"

"Well, I guess they are in a sense, but doctor is just a shorter word that has been around for a long time. Words don't always fit the same kinds of rules."

"Okay. So if librarians are libro advocates, book advocates, why aren't pet advocates called petarians?"

"I don't know. It's just called veterinarian."

"Why isn't it called a peterinarian?"

"We'd have to ask a linguist."

"Or a linguarian."

They arrived at a large mound of green ivy. Beneath it, between gaps in the vines, it could be seen that large blocks of stone were beneath the ivy, holding up the massive tangles of endless vines. At an opening in the ivy, there were two large wooden doors. Momoka opened one door and held it for Kella.

Kella looked up toward the ceiling of the great dome within the walls of ivy and stone. Shafts of light shone through gaps in the vines, and through clear windows that ran in intervals across the roof. There was a massive round window in the middle of the ceiling.

"It looks like were are in a giant eyeball," said Kella, thinking the apex window resembled an iris.

Momoka looked up. "I never thought of it like that before."

The giant room was filled with pillars of books, ladders, and narrow spiral staircases. People were seated on the floor, next to the pillars, busy reading books.

"Which one is the librarian?" asked Kella.

Momoka laughed. "There are several. Most of these people are just visiting like you and me. The librarians are usually either at a desk, or running around trying to help someone find a certain book."

"A certain book?" Kella looked around and wondered why there were so many books in the library. "Isn't one per person enough?"

"Not all books are nanobooks, Kella."

"I don't understand."

"Don't worry about it for now. Let's just find a librarian and have them take a look at your book," suggested Momoka.