A Song Named Alice

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"Hey Pleasance, are you feeling alright?" I ask. 

"Yes!" She groans. "For the hundredth time, I'm feeling fine. I don't get why I wouldn't, but you don't need to worry. Stop asking every five minutes and go back to work." 

"Okay." I mumble as I try to work. Nothing is happening to her, so it must not be the curse that she felt yesterday. And that means I'm wrong about my conclusion, right? Gosh, I sure hope so. 

As I work I start to tap my pen, trying my hardest to focus in it, but I find myself constantly thinking about her. I can't work, I know it, but I can't give away what the curse is to her, I think. If only there was some way I could get away from this and go to my magic books. But how can I do it casually? 

"Concentrate Sir, it's not that hard." She tells me after she's had enough of my pen tapping. "You have a mountain of stacks to do and if you ever want to sleep tonight, you better get going." 

"Yeah?" I ask. "Well, I've got more important things to do, so I'm going to take a break." 

She faces me, up from her chair. "What? No! You have to work to do and that's what you'll be doing." 

"Sorry." I say as I get up from my chair. "I have other things I need to do." 

"What is so important that it beats your work?" 

"Work doesn't even matter, Pleasance. It's not like anyone here really cares. No God here really expects me to do any work anyway." 

"I know," she reluctantly admits, then stares up in my eyes. "However, don't you think that they are happy to know that you've become more reliable? They respect you so much more." 

Sure, respect is nice and all, but it's not the same as friendship, Pleasance. I'm their leader, I will be nothing more to them. "I understand, but still, work as trivial as this, it doesn't matter." I start to head to the door, but she holds me back. 

"Sir, no, All Father, please listen to me. I know you can be stubborn and you don't see how people think often, but trust me. Your work hasn't been in vain." 

I can't fight back this time, I know better. I'm not going to hurt her like last time, I think while firmly grab her and gently squeeze it. "Pleasance," I say softly. "I won't be gone long. There's just a few things I need to take care of. I told you, I'll tell you about it today, but there's one last thing I need to take care of first. Please wait." 

Turning around, she quickly slumps into her seat and sighs. "I promised myself I would be patient, so come back soon. I'm not going to get this done all by myself." 

"Thanks for understanding," I smile and run out of the room. 

Down the stairs, I find myself in the basement, in the room with my largest collection of magic books. There's bookshelf after bookshelf against the walls. Sliding my fingers across all of the titles, I search for where I last ended up. I find it at the bottom of the seventh shelf. There's only two more whole bookshelves left. 

I've got to find a spell that will work for her curse, I think while I quickly flip through the book. Soon, piles and piles of books form around me. The large shelves diminish into almost nothing. However, I do find something that night do something. 

So, bringing out her contract, I try to match the symbols of the spell into it. Of course, her contract is also spell, as when I brought it out a magic circle appeared on the ground. It's also the reason why the bookshelves are only against the edges of the room. And yet, as I expect, this spell won't help her either.