Iliana blinked her eyes open and slowly took in the room around her. She was on a comfortable, if rather old, forest green couch surrounded by shelves upon shelves of books - real paper and ink BOOKS!! She bolted straight upright only to be hit a wave of dizziness and nausea. "Aaaghhh!" Iliana sank back until she remembered why she was here. "Talm-aaaaah!" Forced back down into a reclining position by another attack of dizziness, Iliana glared at the offender.
"Maaaa? Since when are you a sheep?" Talmadge smirked. "And might I suggest caution in rising?"
"Caution in rising? A sheep?!" Iliana spluttered in outrage. "And where are we?!"
"Exactly where I said I would take you - the Illegal Library!" Talmadge stood up and gestured to the room in one grand sweep of his arms. "Welcome to the Soul of the Rebelution!"
Iliana slowly rose off her couch and began surveying the Library. On the couch next to hers was Stella, still unconscious. But all around her, oh it was a gorgeous sight! All this knowledge, all these ideas in one place! I never thought I would actually be in a place like this!! I can't believe I'm actually here! Wait - what if he's trying to distract me?! Why did he have to chloroform me to bring me here in the first place?! Why does he keep popping up at the most random times?! What if he's just a creepy stalker? She swung around to face him. "Why did you have to knock us out when you brought us here? And why do you keep hanging out with us?"
Talmadge looked startled for a moment, but then laughed. "I can't very well have you coming here unaccompanied! You might bring government agents! That's just a safety precaution." He tried to reassure her by patting her on the head, but she jerked away, obviously not yet satisfied. "If you must know, Compatriot Cato, I find you and your companions intriguingly different than all the other cookie cutter students in that cookie cutter school."
"Oh really?" Iliana was intrigued by his reason, but refused to give him satisfaction in showing her curiosity. "How do I know you're not just some creepy stalker?"
"What if I am?" Talmadge smirked and wiggled his eyebrows at her.
She slowly began inching herself away from him, trying - and failing - to be subtle about it.
"Afraid of me?" He laughed and suddenly grabbed her hand and spun her around in a dance move. Then he spun her in towards him. "You should be more afraid of-"
"Iliana? Where are we?!" Stella yelled. "What is that creep doing and why did things go sideways and black out?"
Wrenching herself away from Talmadge's grasp, Iliana ran to Stella's side, confused at his actions. What was that spinning? Was it supposed to be attractive? What if I had lost my balance and fallen! She shook her head to snap herself back into reality, clearing those thoughts away momentarily. "This is called a library - the Illegal Library. We were both knocked out to ensure security for the people who work here. It wouldn't do for the government to find them if we lead the police to this place," Iliana explained, trying to sound calm to sooth the panicking Stella.
Talmadge smirked and began speaking in falsetto. "It wouldn't do - oh it just wouldn't do for the government to find us!" He laughed. "So proper, 'Lady' Iliana." Then he turned to Stella. "And like I was about to say before your friend so rudely interrupted me, welcome to the Soul of the Rebelution!"
"The Soul of the Rebelution?" Stella rolled the words around in her mouth. "I like it!" She nodded in excitement. "So I guess you guys are the Rebelution, yeah?"
Talmadge nodded. "We, the people!"
Iliana looked around the room, wishing she had time to read all those books! Suddenly -Jack would have loved this room! If only - Unknowingly, she spoke aloud. "If only..." she sighed.
YOU ARE READING
Refuge of Lies
Adventure"I think, therefore, I am. " -Renee Descartes What if there was a culture where philosophical thinking was not only admired, but demanded? What if in that culture, if you could not prove you could philosophically think, you would be executed...
