Banned Books, Banned Girl

Part Two

Maria Kehoe spent the next few days mostly working in the book sorting room. If Pensee had figured out where she was, she didn't want to make things easier for him. For three days she only came down after the shop had closed, for the nightly sweeping-and-mopping.

But the fourth day, two of the D-4s hadn't shown up, and they were the two most likely to do actual work during their working hours. Surrat needed her in the shop, running the register, pulling new-banned books, and interacting with customers. He didn't know about Maria's past or about her.... defect. It was better that he not know, Maria thought.

There were several proletarian workers in the shop that morning, come for Westerns, romance or science fiction. They seemed a bit furtive, but any proletarian who walked into a bookshop for anything other than the Little Blue Book was nervous. The D state didn't want anyone other than party activists to read.

A well-dressed woman with a D-2 pin came in, and walked straight up to Maria. 

"I'm looking for a banned book," she said. "It's allowed, I'm an associate professor at the university.

"We are not permitted to stock banned books here," Maria said severely. "If you need the book in your work, the standard procedure is to apply through your superiors at the university. If you get the proper paperwork, Mister Surrat can do a book search for you." This was actually true. Mister Surrat regularly took search orders for banned books from people fully permitted to see them. He rarely had to search farther than his own storerooms. But Maria didn't think this woman could get any kind of authorization, nor had any connections among Ds who bought Surrat's special stock. She'd know, wouldn't she, not to ask a D-4 worker about banned books, but go straight to the boss? Perhaps Pensee had sent her. Or she was just dim.

The woman sniffed and left. Ronin, the ever-absent D-4, wandered into the shop like he was a customer, not assigned to work here. He walked up to Maria and leaned toward her. 

"I know about you," he whispered. "Not a real D-4 at all--- just a ghost worker trying to get by. What's your deal? Escape from prison? A political? Or are you a defective, escaped from the mercy center?"

Maria had had enough of Ronin. "Worry about yourself," she said. "A mere D-4. yet you not only don't work at your work assignment, you don't even stick around. What is your report going to look like when you are finished here? Will they conclude that you have no potential to become an actual worker? Mercy centers are for everyone, you know." Without waiting for another word from him, she stalked out.

In the storerooms there were always more books to sort. She discovered four hardcover Westerns with deluxe bindings, all but one by authors on the forbidden list. She put all four books in the 'banned' basket--- she knew Surrat would want to sell them as a set.

She found some Declan Finn books, putting them aside for her own reading before Surrat could sell them. So sad about what happened to that poor author, though perhaps by now he'd be a canonized saint.

She became faintly aware of some kind of racket downstairs. Maria had just about decided to go down and settle it, when the door flew open and Ronin burst in.

"Where's Surrat gone?" he demanded, breathless. "Liza's holding them off but they are going to get through soon and Surrat' gotta know!"

"Who's 'them,' Ronin?"

"Social services, criminal division!" They got body armor and mercy sticks! They're looking for banned books!"

"Of course they are," Maria muttered. Wasn't everyone? Looking at Ronin she spoke carefully. "Go downstairs. Do not turn to go into the shop. Turn left, go out into the alley. Wander off, like you do. Stay away from this, you don't need the trouble. I will lock up here and go down and handle things."