Silver Hooves in the Darkness

Chapter Thirty-Three

 Paola had never seen armored women. Each held a spear and wore clothing made of small chains linked together. Petronella meant to send a strong message by calling upon the guards, who stood ready for any catastrophe that might befall the Library. That an equina could be considered a danger was morbidly humorous.

 Two women pointed their spears at Ercole's chest. "Relinquish your carriage, Transporter!" they commanded. The grey stallion straightened in defiance, his great height intimidating to those not armed.

 Paola said softly to him, "Do as they say, my friend," before he could unleash his scorn.

 "But I am your Protector," he answered slowly lowering the poles, his pride stricken by the defeat of obeying her.

 "You still are," Paola assured him. She reached into her pouch as a spear came toward her. She pulled out a piece of vellum. The warrior tore it from her hand with her weapon. "That is Celso's letter, which gives us both free and safe passage to the librarian Petronella who summoned us!" Paola shouted.

 The townsfolk murmured at the message and the powerful voice issuing from the petite messenger.

More warriors advanced on them.

"Heed the law! Harm them not!" the flower vendors who had blessed her for Gemma's remembrance shouted, and soon everyone who had gathered joined in the protest.

The warriors halted. "Come, Ercole," Paola said.

The grey stallion grabbed the poles of his carriage once more. The wall of warriors parted as they made their way toward the Library.

*****

On the marble steps of the great building stood many librarians, but conspicuous in her absence was the Chief Librarian the equina had once met. In the center of the group, Petronella now stood and wore the robe of that office. Had the former leader of the librarians also been murdered?

Annunciata stood beside the older woman. She looked to the ground, exhaustion straining her features. The tight binding of the chains that wrapped her small hands made them an angry red. Huddled by the building for safety, Justyna blended in with the other trainees, adding to the gathering of pale lilac robes. Among the crowd, a woman cloaked in black darted into the shadows and vanished down an alley. What had Petronella's spy told her?

A sneer formed on the new Chief Librarian's face. "The dampness of spring took our beloved leader, Abriana the Third, to her rest. Now, it has fallen upon me to protect the Library. EQ-YFI1-WP-Palo-9, you have stolen a book from the section of our Library that houses the Mysteries that few may know. You will be sent to Dome Royale to face punishment." The woman chuckled. "We could use some new glue, and we will be glad of what you will provide to us, for equine is the best for preservation."

Death had come to her kind in unexpected ways because of the callousness of humans. The Cristalli equina had shown her the truth concerning many disappearances among her race. Gems were gouged out of their necks and used for rings for accountants. The flesh of those mutilated was tossed into large vats to be boiled off of their bones to make excellent glue for books and mortar for buildings. The bones had uses too, and she would never see another hair ornament on a human and not wonder who had died for its creation. Only her anger had kept her revulsion from spilling over when she had gained this knowledge.

The smug librarian continued, "EQ-ST5-DHD-Grey-9, for your association with this thieving equina, you will be barred forever from Dome Biblia. Bow now, both of you, and accept this just decree." In brazen violation of tradition, Petronella flashed the ruby ring that had belonged to Gemma, which had witnessed the truth, not the tale she had fabricated.

Paola stepped forward, the crowd shocked by her courageous action. For a moment, she caught the gaze of Justyna and hesitated. The girl already felt the pain brought on by her mother's evil and would experience even more unhappiness after she had spoken. But the truth needed to be known and evil removed. "You lie, Petronella," the equina said boldly. The warriors angled their spears toward her, prepared to spill equine blood with a word. Paola removed the metal clips that held her pouch. She threw her bag to the ground and stomped on it, her anklets tinkling.

"No, Paola!" Ercole called out in despair at her rebellious display.

She knew in her heart that he would have the courage to trust her, but his distress pained her.

The people gasped at her shocking move. "You defy the law, Courier!" Petronella shrieked, enjoying her defiance in her desire to personally destroy the equina.

Paola slipped out of the bandoliers and dropped them to the ground as well, but without giving them a flourishing stamp.

Petronella waved her hand and several black-cloaked woman emerged from their hiding places in the shadows to encircle her.

"You have doomed yourself, equina," Petronella said, her triumph ascendant.

Paola opened her arms wide. The World nourished her fully now since she had taken in the Cristalli equina's gift. There was a special word to open the domes one by one. However, it had been her choice to find the word by which she could tap into her own power. "Freedom," she said softly.

The purple flash that shot from her brow made all those around her throw their hands across their eyes. When the people lowered their limbs, a disbelieving wave of sound rolled through the crowd. "Seraph!" cried out Annunciata. "Blessed Being of Light!"

"By the law! Kill the Beast!" Petronella screeched, stumbling back at a sight that she could not comprehend.

Paola unfurled the six pairs of flaming golden wings that outlined her body and did not burn it. She turned her palms up. "The truth," she said. A glowing ball of light flared into existence and became a spinning crystal. Within each facet, Petronella's treachery appeared. It was she who had given Gemma the cup of tea that had killed her. It was she who had sent the diamond to Annunciata that had contained the virus meant to destroy Paola's gem, and in so doing, her.

The warriors turned in unison and trained their spears on the Chief Librarian. "Ercole and I will escort Petronella to Dome Royale, so she may speak of her deeds before the crown," Paola said. She lowered her hands. The crystal and its images of treachery vanished with a hiss. The equina glanced at Annunciata and waved her hands. The little woman's chains fell away from her body as if cut by an unseen knife. The crowd cheered, for Annunciata, like Gemma, was loved by many. The librarian ran toward the Seraph without fear. She hugged her without harm, for she was equally pure in spirit.

Paola placed her hand on top of the woman's head. "Know," she said quietly, and purple light poured into her friend.

"Such a wonder," the little woman gasped, now filled with knowledge that the equina had bestowed upon her. Annunciata stepped back; the nimbus surrounding her twinkled before it vanished. "What is this?" she asked with astonishment and ran her small hands over her garment. Appropriately fitted to her tiny body, she now wore the robe of the Chief Librarian. Gemma's ruby ring fit comfortably on a finger of her left hand.

And Petronella stood naked before the crowd.

Paola turned toward Ercole who dropped to his knees in reverence at her display of power. "Retrieve your carriage, my friend," she said gently. "We have a delivery to make to Dome Royale."

Justyna, the only person who had any love at all for the fallen woman, ran toward her mother. A warrior stepped in to block her way, but Annunciata said, "Let her daughter pass, for she is innocent of any evil and mercy demands this of us all."

The equina nodded in agreement, satisfied that she had chosen the successor to the position of Chief Librarian wisely. The gifts of Dome Biblia, repository of knowledge, and the librarians, who served there, would be most useful when humans gained their freedom from the prison of the domes. Ultimately, the center's vast collections would be scattered across the planet, but such was the value of knowledge. It was destined to be shared by all for the evolution of humanity and those beings associated with them.

"Done. For the moment," Paola murmured. She walked away from the steps of the library, her form returning to that of any other equina walking on the streets of Dome Biblia.

And she left her old life behind.