He's a Mess of a Man

Prologue ~ Four

Sunlight tickled Leviathan's face. He opened his eyes with a groan. "Morning, Leviathan!" Portia said as she set out a tray of breakfast pastries while he slowly sat up. "What a lovely sunrise. Did you sleep well?"

Leviathan nodded, "Incredibly so. This bed was like laying on a cloud," he said with a soft yawn.

Portia smiled, "I'm glad. The Countess wants you to meet her in the library once you've eaten and dressed." She set a neat pile of elegant clothing on the bed beside Leviathan. He unfolded the top piece, marveling at the way the fabric moved. "We took your old clothes to be laundered. Milady asked me to provide these for you. I'll be waiting in the hall for you!" Portia said as she ducked out the door.

Leviathan moved the silky garments aside and tossed back the bedcovers. He ate quickly, not wanting to keep the Countess waiting. The pastries were still warm and flaky, each one more delicate and whimsical than the last. Then he disrobed and pulled on his new outfit, fumbling with its clasps and buttons. He got a look at himself in a full-length mirror before finally going out into the hallway. "Oooh! Don't you look nice!" Portia complimented, "The Countess has a real eye for fashion. She'll certainly be pleased."

Portia stopped before a panel in the wall that was three times Leviathan's height. It was crafted of smooth wood in all the colors of rippling honey. Carved with dizzying intricacy was a great tree at the height of its maturity. Its leaves and fruit were inlaid with jewels, precious stones, and mother of pearl. "It's milady's work. Beautiful isn't it?" Portia retrieved a ring of keys from her pocket. There were about a dozen, each carved of the same wood as the panel. And each bearing a distinct jewel. One by one, she found their locks in the panel. With each key, the roots of the tree started to unwind from each other, pulling free from the floor. When all the locks had been turned, the panel folded in on itself like a paper fan. In this newly revealed room, there were books winding up the walls and reaching for the ceiling.

The Countess was waiting for the two, seated in a reclining chair. Loganne sat on a large pillow on the floor. The Countess's eyes glittered with approval when she saw Leviathan, "You look positively radiant."

He smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Countess. I could say the same about you."

The Countess smiled and gestured to the towering shelves all around, "Do you read?" Leviathan nodded again. "Ah, I suspected that you might. It is a great gift to read. Where I come from, it is shared amongst all citizens." She then sighed, "But it is woefully uncommon here."

Loganne nodded, "That's true... She's, uh, actually been teaching me how to read," he mumbled with a bit of shame.

The Countess stood up and gently took Loganne's hands in hers, helping him to stand, "There's no need to be ashamed." Loganne's cheeks flushed and he nodded. The Countess smiled then turned to Leviathan, "This way, if you please." She led the group deep into the shelves. Leviathan couldn't stop staring at all the books. His fingers itched to run along their spines, but he was able to resist, "Leviathan... you are my guest. If you would like to return here, you need only ask. But for the moment," the Countess stopped before an alcove nestled between the shelves, "I would ask for your undivided attention here." A desk stood in a slim ray of daylight, cast from a tiny window. Books, journals, papers, and scrolls covered every inch of the desk. Despite the clutter, everything was carefully organized. Someone's place of study preserved in time. "This was Doctor Devorak's desk. He was employed at the palace. As was Asra. We called upon them to concoct a cure for the plague. Physicians, scientists, alchemists, fortune tellers, magicians... All were invited in hopes that our resources may aid in their research. Perhaps he was plotting even then..." Her gaze shifted to the window. It overlooked a large willow tree that hung over the fountain in the garden below. "I have had the desk and its contents examined laboriously. Nothing of consequence has been found. But perhaps you will make better use of it. It is the best lead I can offer." The Countess drew away, passing Leviathan and perfuming the air with jasmine. "The search for Doctor Devorak is now in your hands. You may proceed as you see fit. I ask only that you meet with me for dinner this evening." She smiled serenely and swept out of the room. Loganne and Portia followed in her wake.