Guardian Cats and the Lost Books of Alexandria

Chapter 54: Legacies

Professor Chin entered the small room crammed with old books, many lying in piles on a long polished wood table. It was untidy, obviously not kept up to standards, he thought, but then this wasn’t the British Library, was it? The sight of the cat, even sleeping on a green velvet chair, caught his breath. The click of the metal latch as he closed the door behind him startled the cat into wakefulness.

“I thought you might be dead by now, after that trick you pulled in London,” said the Professor.

The cat bolted upright, back arched. Professor Chin smiled benevolently at Cicero. “But of course, you must have nine lives like any normal cat.”

He brushed the dampness collecting on his palms onto his coat. “You probably never thought I’d find you in this backwater place. But I don’t give up, once I have a purpose and besides…” He lowered his shoulder, letting his satchel slide to the table, and thought about how much he should reveal. But, he laughed, what was he worried about? After all, he was only talking to a cat. He kept his tone friendly. “I have extra help now, the Finders. Creatures who travel without passports or reservations; they have no boundaries in time or space. You’ll never be able to hide your Book well enough to evade them.”

He paced along the table’s edge, never losing sight of Cicero, careful not to make him too nervous. Careful even more so, not to give in to his rage. The cat was again standing in his way. He loathed having to negotiate with this vicious creature once again.

The Finders had led him here but wouldn’t… or couldn’t… tell him the exact location of the Book. He considered their services inadequate for the price he paid and would take his revenge on them when he had the power to do so. But he’d think about that later. The cat was growling at him.

He stepped to the far side of the table, calculating, despising. “It’s been a long time. Do you even remember me? Maybe you need a reminder.” He removed his fedora and placed it on top of the satchel.

“Every morning, when I look in the mirror, I remember you.”

Professor Chin reached behind his head and pulled his eye patch off.

“Every morning, I am forced to wear this to cover my scarred and useless eye.”

The cool air hit the moist, shrunken pulp of his empty eye socket. “It’s your legacy to me, but I have a legacy for you as well.” He replaced his eye patch and returned the fedora to cover his head. “My legacy to you, dear Cicero, is a curse. I will create a special one and place it upon you until the end of time.”