Twice Before Bedtime

Chapter Two

Jenkins was feeling out of sorts that afternoon. He had yet to hear from the Librarian and it was bothering him. He wasn't sure why exactly, after all it had only been a few hours since she'd departed for Oklahoma. He scoffed, Mr. Carsen sometimes had gone for days without contact and he'd come to expect that.

But the new Librarian was a horse of a different color entirely. Ms. Cillian was very organized, punctual and frequently in touch. At first it seemed far, far too much, it was simply unnecessary for her to call as often as she did. But as the months went by, he'd come to expect that. And now that she was acting seemingly out of character, Jenkins did worry.

This was a simple retrieval job. The only trouble the Librarian might have run into was in the location of the Indian. If the Indian had been destroyed years ago, she would have returned by now. If larceny was needed to retrieve the stone (for example from a closed museum), then Ms. Cillian would have called asking for Mr. Jones. And if she was so foolish as to have been caught by a small town sheriff breaking and entering, she certainly would have called.

He couldn't imagine that too many magical threats surrounded Wahya, Oklahoma. The stone was on the general list, which meant that it had not been active for many years. It was likely that no one alive even knew that the statue had anything inside of it in the first place.

No, he sincerely doubted the Librarian had encountered anything of the sort there. He sighed, rolling his eyes at himself and feeling foolish for the worry. He'd never worried about previous Librarians for being out of contact for a few hours. And Librarians as a rule were prone to distractions. Be it a fascinating photograph collection or a series of caves for exploration or the county's best pie. He chuckled, given Ms. Cillian's interesting fashion sense, she'd probably been distracted by a vintage shop and would be coming home shortly with the stone and a few shopping bags. It wouldn't be the first time. Mr. Carsen used to come back with food. And he shuddered to think about what young Mr. Jones would be bringing back. . . .

Still after another hour passed, Jenkins found himself picking up the phone. He heard a muttered "off," then Cassandra's bright voice, "Hello, Mr. Jenkins. What can I do for you?"

"I was inquiring as to how the retrieval was going."

"Oh, that," she said, he could hear some scribbling. "I've already got that done."

"If that is the case, then why have you failed to return?"

"The stone isn't immediately dangerous is it?" she asked. " The owner had the Indian propped up in the corner of his office. It hasn't stood out front since the 80s and I don't think they even knew anything was in it."

"No, it is not, but what may I ask are you doing?"

"Oh," Cassandra's voice sounded sheepish. "You know how we meet someone and do that 'I'm the Librarian' thing and the person we're talking to thinks we belong?"

"Is this leading somewhere, Ms. Cillian?"

"Oh, anyway, the owner, Mr. Stone, well he thinks I'm the bookkeeper the state promised to send him. And Jenkins, his books are a mess. Goodness. This poor man. And he has three kids and he's been making me tea and I don't think the kids have a mom cuz there's no pictures of her in here and . . . ."

Jenkins pinched the bridge of his nose. "So you'll just doing the books then?"

"Yes, you know, I can't resist a challenge. And believe me, this is a challenge. The stone is safely with me, I promise, I went over and got it an hour ago."