we are invariably pleased to welcome tourism

[cross_and_bow]

Sherlock is usually very puncutal. He's only one minute late, but that's still not quite as punctual as usual. Bella peers out the window, not yet allowing herself outright concern.

Comments

[cross_and_bow]

"To school with you?" Bella asks. "In case a demon attacks you and this is a problem that can best be solved by available reference books?"

[pythbox]

"You never know when you might need a cross-reference," he says with dignity.

[cross_and_bow]

"Maybe you can read these beautifully illuminated page numbers more easily than I can," she says. "Say, how did you get all these books? Where do demonology books even come from?"

[pythbox]

"Private collections," he says. "And, apparently, the Sunnydale High school library."

[cross_and_bow]

"Whose private collections? Are you obtaining books from people who are..." She attempts his accent. "Evil in some way?"

[pythbox]

He gives her a disapproving look over his glasses.

[cross_and_bow]

[pythbox]

"Perhaps I should have gone with my first explanation," he says. "Sometimes, when two demonology texts love each other very much..."

[cross_and_bow]

Juliet cracks up. "You know, at this point, that explanation for at least a handful of them wouldn't floor me? But seriously, who's collecting these things, who's writing them?"

[pythbox]

"Demonologists write them," he says. "And collect them. And occasionally give them up to other collectors, or researchers, or I don't know who else. If it's any consolation, I can't tell you where I found most of the mundane books on my shelves, either."

[cross_and_bow]

"How do people wind up being demonologists? Is that the sort of field you can fall into? Perhaps literally - is there a secret demonology department down in a cellar at UC Sunnydale and if you trip in the right place they offer you a scholarship?"

[pythbox]

"I can't think of a demonology book off the top of my head that was published in the last four centuries," he says. "So if there is such a department, I'm not who you want to ask about it."

[cross_and_bow]

"That explains the archaic language. Lucky I'm up on my Shakespeare and so on," says Juliet.

[pythbox]

"Yes, that is lucky," he agrees. "I have relatively recent translations for most of the older and more obscure texts, but if you want to make a serious study of demonology—or magic, for that matter—I recommend learning Latin."

[cross_and_bow]

"Is there a Latin class here that I should switch into from Spanish or am I looking at self-study if I go that route?"

[pythbox]

"There is a Latin class! I even have the forms," he says. "Would you like some forms? I'm very proud of my forms."

[cross_and_bow]

"I would be perfectly happy to switch to Latin from Spanish as long as there's a low-level section available and I won't be flailing in bewilderment," snorts Juliet.

[pythbox]

"Fear not," he says, and he produces a form.

[cross_and_bow]

Juliet accepts the form. She fills it out. "Do I give this back to you or do I have to turn it in to the registrar or something?"

[pythbox]

"The latter," he says. "As a mere librarian I am not empowered to ferry your documents through the bureaucracy."

[cross_and_bow]

"Okay. It's near the cafeteria, I'll just do that come lunchtime." She checks the time on her phone. "Aaaand time for Bio, in which they have yet to explain how that one demon with the pink-and-gold scales managed to store seven gallons of venom in its torso without compromising the function of its internal organs despite all my many complaints about this oversight to the school board. See you after hours!"

She - with Amariah following after and giggling - departs the library.

[pythbox]

"Magic," he calls after her, laughing.

[cross_and_bow]

"Of course!" she calls over her shoulder, grinning.

After school she returns, with a slip in her pocket signifying her transfer to Latin, which she attended for the first time not ten minutes ago. "Latin," she announces, "gets entirely too fancy with its nouns." And she plunks the next book in her lineup onto the table and starts reading-and-notetaking.

[pythbox]

"A common complaint," says Mr. Giles.

[cross_and_bow]

"Oh well, I was no great shakes at Spanish, and I bet I know someone who'll help me out if I get stuck on Latin," Juliet says, winking.