Hidden Beauty

Chapter 9

Master Theo bounced out of his chair and strode over to one of the shelves. He started pulling books off it at random, piling them on one of the tables.

Baffled, Mable followed, and leaned over to read the titles.

A History of Spells and Enchantments, she read. Intrigued, she picked up another book he placed on the table. Hexes, Curses, and Magiques Foul, it said. When she saw that the same theme was in all the titles, her mouth quirked in a smile.

"What, no Spell-Casting for Dummies?"

Master Theo stopped his forage, looking at her blankly. "I beg your pardon?"

"Never mind. What are these for?" Mable picked up another book.

Master Theo reached up—he was tall enough he could almost reach the top shelf if he stood on his toes—and pulled two more books down. "I think one of these books might hold the key to finding you a way home."

Mable glanced at the book she had idly picked up. "Half of these aren't even in English." She complained.

Master Theo stopped his ransacking of the shelves to grin at her. It wasn't really reassuring, since it gave her a good view of his fangs. "Look again."

Mable studied the book in her hand, then blinked when the words shifted so the title was in English.

She gasped. "Do they all do that?"

Master Theo split the stack of books in two and placed one on a separate side table. "They've been spelled so that they can be read by anyone, no matter what language they speak."

Mable traced the title of the book, entranced.

Master Theo sat down in a chair, and gestured for her to do the same. As she sat down in the vacant chair across from her companion, Mable had a sudden realization. "Do we even know what we're looking for?"

"We're looking for something to bend the spell, a way to get you home."

"Well yeah, but how will we know if, or when, we find it? It's not like it's going to be labeled 'Sending Mable Home, Page Eight' or anything. What are we trying to find?"

Master Theo leafed through one of the books. "I'm not exactly sure."

"Well that's a fine way to start a search." Mable said wryly.

Master Theo waved his paws imperiously. "Listen. Do you agree that you showing up here was a mistake?"

Mable narrowed her eyes at him. "Yeah, I guess." She said stiffly. It was one thing for her to say arriving here was a mistake, it was completely different if he said it.

He caught her tone. "All right, wrong choice of words. Let me put it this way. Did you intend to come here?"

"No."

"Did you come here intending to find true love?"

"Hell, no."

Master Theo smiled slightly. "So maybe it isn't you, but the spell. Perhaps the spell, after so many years, is starting to break down. Or maybe, if Rianon cast the spell, the spell wasn't that powerful to begin with. You can see why I wouldn't have much faith in Rianon's work?" he waved a paw to encompass his own features.