The Library

Sixth Scene

The crickets were loud in the night air, Gwen never realized there were so many insects in the desert, and their combined noise was loud enough to pierce through the gasps of the fire and the monotonous rhythm of the conversation, slowed down by the smokes and the tequila.

No. 4 wielded a stick with which he kept poking at the fire, absentminded, and he looked as if he had retreated into a world of his own, the world behind his eyes, to ponder on the mysteries of existence undisturbed. He smiled a sibylline smile into the distance, which made Gwen think that world of his, behind his eyes, must have been pretty wonderful.

"Why do you say you were The Library?" she asked abruptly and regretted disturbing his contemplation the moment the words left her lips.

He turned around to face her, the smile still lighting up his face.

"That is a complicated question. Ask yourself, what is a library?"

"A library is a place where books are kept, in organized fashion, for public use but not for sale," Gwen replied.

"More generally," he encouraged.

"It can also include audio-video content, software packages, genetic material, medical slides," Gwen elaborated.

"Even more generally."

"A place where information is organized and kept available for public use."

"What are the characteristics of such a place?" he asked, still smiling.

"It's open to everyone," Gwen started listing them.

"Yes."

"It is unbiased regarding how the information is used."

"What else?"

"It is organized in a way which facilitates the retrieval of pertinent information on a subject from a variety of sources."

"That is a very important characteristic: a library is curated. What else?"

"I don't know. What does that have to do with you?"

"Let's keep analyzing this for now. What is the most general definition of a library?"

"A curated collection of content."

"Now you're talking! What is content?"

"Content is the meaning embodied by various forms of expression, expressed through a medium of communication."

"And what does it pertain to, exactly?"

"Knowledge? Creative expression?"

"Describing what?"

"I don't know," Gwen pondered. "It can be anything?"

"So, everything, then. What word would you use to include everything?"

"Objective reality?"

"So, a library is a curated collection of content pertaining to objective reality."

"And that relates to you how?" Gwen started laughing, a little distracted by the fiery influence of the desert brew.

"Ask me anything," he threw his arms wide to his sides, upsetting a jar of the aforementioned spirit.

"What is the meaning of life?" Gwen jumped on the offensive immediately, amused by the prospect.

"You will find that subject in the philosophy section," No. 4 responded, in all seriousness, pointing to No. 1.

"Did any of you know each other from before?"

"From before what?"

"Before here."