The Greatest Discovery

Violet or Green

When the door slammed closed behind Malam's back, which quickly melted into the darkness of the corridor, Aillia gestured silently to the two chairs, both reinforced with parallel planks to hold the increased weight of the topaz soulcster's diminutive figure. Juliyah rushed to one of the chairs, as if it had the answer to what just had happened sewn into its pillows. Aillia slowly followed.

"What did she mean she needs to know?" Juliyah let out before Aillia even settled herself. "Why does she keep sticking her roots into our flower pot?"

"Why indeed. To prove everyone wrong? Or maybe to prove herself she was right? There is a difference between the two," Aillia said thoughtfully, as if not entirely present.

"I don't understand. Aillia, I can barely stand straight, much less think. Spare me the riddles."

The older woman considered and said, "Remember how brother Tadet mentioned that when Edde was charged guilty, posthumously, for stealing those emeralds, there was a lot of discontent among the ardentia?"

Juliyah nodded.

"Well, in fact, most of that discontent was organized and directed by one particular ardent, someone who had a lot of influence in the princedom at the time." Aillia moved her chin slightly to point it to the door.

"Malam?!" Juliyah breathed. "Since when does Malam have a lot of influence in the princedom?"

Aillia clicked her tongue. "Why does that surprise you, child? She is a close council to Brightness Lilin here, in Dumadari. Eleven years ago, Malam oversaw most of the libraries in Lord Bethab's princedom and a few in Lord Hatham's. She did a good job of it too, from what I hear. Introduced the author cataloging and streamlined the multi-day loan process; had strong connections at the Palanaeum and made sure our princedom always got copies of all new items before other Alethkar libraries. Besides, she wrote several highly regarded papers on the history of migration within the princedom and its effect on regional myths."

Juliyah did find herself surprised, but none of that explained Malam's obsession with herself and Pattis' experiments. Aillia seemed to realize that too, for she said, "That is not important, though, except maybe as a reminder to not underestimate Malam. She knows how to get things done - methodically and relentlessly - when she needs them badly enough. And I think she made up her mind to see that Edde got exonerated this time around."

Juliyah felt her nails dig into the chair pillow. "That would be... "

What? Terrifying? Fair? Cruel? Liberating?

Aillia watched her carefully. "I know there is more than one North in this moral compass," she said. "You have chosen which direction to follow and have to keep choosing every day."

Juliyah ignored the statement. She had heard it way too many times and it did nothing to remove the lump in her throat that had formed there the moment the Kostanari case was brought up at the meeting.

"Why?" she asked instead, "Why is the truth coming out so important for Malam? This particular case?" Juliyah had never heard of Malam being actively involved with criminal prosecution, though she could have said the same for libraries. "And why is she not a chief librarian anymore?"

"I have my guesses for both, but I will keep them for myself. To you, I will tell what I know of the facts and see if you come to similar conclusions."

Juliyah almost smiled despite the tension. Few people told stories that way, but Aillia preferred hers in a form of neat "given" statements of math problems. She let the listener do the work and find out how to arrive at the "to find" variable. That was a fond thought: Juliyah's brain, perhaps because it was tutored by Aillia since childhood, worked the same way.