------E milia placed a crusty leather-bound book back in its place one shelf above her head, standing on her tiptoes very carefully so as not to fall and cause the cart of library books behind her to tip over. With grace and ease of a well-worn cover, it slipped back into its spot without any mishaps, while Emilia returned to her normal height smiling, proud of her work. The small eight-year old girl then checked the next book's number, and gave the book cart a good shove forward. The wheels bickered and squawked all the way down the next dusty aisle of the library.
She looked up for a split-second, and marveled at the circular dome roofing the library, her imagination running marathons like every child of her age. If there was one thing about this place she loved, it was that the Venice Main Library was truly immense, even if it was old. The once white walls were now shades of lovely cream, and the beautiful paintings on the circular dome overhead were chipped, though still vibrant with colors. Even after years of growing up in Venice, it still never failed to give some spark to Emilia's overreactive imagination, and it provide her with a place of solace and safety that her true home could never accomplish.
She glanced across the halls, and saw the two sets of spiraling staircases that connected the first and second floors. She knew the first floor contained the actual library, while the second served as the archives which housed numerous dusty stained books, dating back as far as the French Revolution. She then noticed a library patron sifting through the F-Section downstairs, and glanced around at all the unusual activity.
It's awfully busy today, Emilia thought as she rolled along; she noticed even the regularly unused second-story was full of people bustling about, some flipping through pages of Italian and English text, others gazing at the marvelous paintings on the walls. I wonder what's so special about today? She thought mentally. Counting the days of the week, she remembered today was a Tuesday. But Tuesday's are never busy, she thought, inquisitive. Now intrigued, the blond stopped her cart at the side of the second-story railing, and peeped over the stone-white marble cautiously.
An enormous staircase spiraling downward first greeted her eyes, then the tiny heads of people downstairs working the reception desk. Margot; her grandmother's best friend and owner of the library, was talking to some eerie men dressed in black suits. The discussion was heated, seeing as Margot was turning a pasty white and biting her lips hard. Creases even showed up over wrinkles on the woman's brow.
Emilia leaned down and strained her ears to hear what they were saying.
“It's not here,” she heard Margot say hastily, “It might have been a long time ago, but this library has been renovated, and it's probably long gone by now. You're wasting both my time and yours.”
Emilia watched the two men glance at each other, then back to old Margot. One of them said something, but Emilia couldn't hear; the man's voice was so quiet. The two men then whistled to their comrade -a tall, shady-looking man looking at one of the older paintings on the wall. He turned around, and nodded calmly. All three of them then turned around and left the library together.
More curious than your average cat, Emilia left her library duties alone and scrambled down the white starcase.
“Auntie Margot!” she called, “who were they?”Margot, stunned at Emilia's unexpected presence, smiled crookedly and patted Emilia's head.
“No one you need know of,” she said simply. Emila felt a wave of disappointment come over her, and she pouted. Margot laughed, her spirits rejuvonated by the young girl's sight. “Why don't you finish up upstairs and come meet me in the cafe for some hot chocolate?” she asked. Emilia brightened with a giddy smile.
“Okay!”
She then turned round, blond hair bobbing, and was about to return up the stairs when she caught sight of the painting the shady-looking man was looking at.
It was a picture of a giant serpent, with a small little brown mouse caught in its grasp.The serpent was huge, and had shiny green reptilian scales, baring its blood-thirsty fangs to the tiny mouse. Emilia had never paid much attention to it before, and wondered why the shady man would stare at it for so long. She shrugged, and ran back upstairs, unaware of Margot's watchful eyes, sad and old with the wisdom of many generations...
... and heavy with a secret burden she had kept too long.
