TWO

The Library was to be found further from the old city, newer in construction, though still centuries old. In this part of the world, nothing was truly old unless it had stood more than a millennia. Here, Claudia went alone, assuring John she would be well while he went to the church. It seemed he had been close with this young priest, Krzysztof, and wanted to be with him.

Claudia entered the glass-fronted lobby, and passed through the lax security station, into the main of the library. It had been quite some time since she had wandered in one; she recalled those in Paris she had known well. In Berlin, there had been a nice Library. And, of course, Alexandria had one, but last she had been there Claudia had witnessed emergency surgery on one of the Lilim upon a reading table.

She would have to tell John the rest of the stories, he should know. He would feel better, in the end, if he knew how she and David had become close. She felt David in the back of her mind, and concentrated on shutting him out. It was best. He did not approve of her running off and if she allowed him knowledge of her location he might come for her. That would be no good.

There were few people here now, just as Maria had said. Claudia went straight to the library terminal. It was so much easier that having to dial in. they just left the terminals here, linked to the entire European library database for anyone to use. A few keystrokes and the display was in German. Did the local librarians know how easily a terminal's settings were altered? Maybe. It made no real difference. Claudia just liked knowing how her knowledge compared to those about her.

These terminals at the libraries throughout the European states were old fashioned in their stripped down two dimensional display, ancient actually in that they presented no more than twenty colors for either text or background. You couldn't find the like these days unless ordering a special programmer's terminal. In Paris Claudia had owned such a computer, but now relied on her fully-loaded mobile.

Lord, Claudia thought, Poland had been in a lot of wars, but then every European state had. there had been too many land wars across the continent. And, there were lists of books and census reports, articles from dailies and monthlies, all presenting information about the make-up of Poland's population and how such had changed over the years. They'd had emperors and queens and presidents here.

Saints. John was always going on about saints. And then another long list came up. Often these saints died young, after refusing to lead an army or denouncing their riches to help the poor. Elsewise, they were old monks or the like. Libraries were great for getting reading material. Naturally, they had hardcopies secreted away, but one could download scans of entire out-of-print books and keep them indefinitely on their own computer system.

Claudia pulled up a stool to the computer desk and as she sat took out her portable drives. A few keystrokes and the Library machine would download copies of the long list of books and articles she had selected. And it was fractionally faster than downloading over her mobile's link. Libraries were wonderful places.

It wasn't very crowded, and so Claudia slipped from her chair finally to the next terminal, selected in quick succession of keyed in commands another list of promising materials and slipped another memory device into place. And well, what was another machine tied up at this hour? The information was there to be taken.

Of course, it was rare anyone found need for such a volume of library material on such a range of subjects and had any inclination to store it all for use later. A few users looking for the latest sports scores or students with a history report might just find their requests denied for the next few hours. Oh, nothing so grand as tying up an entire government system, or anticipating the address of the airlines backup sever in order to keep them from finding a certain passenger in time. Even those had been rather childish pranks.

This wasn't play, it was justifiable need, all this. Somehow, Claudia felt she owed this to John, or to her unknown ancestors who had seen her as far as family court and a list of infants available for adoption. John had charisma. He had appeal galore, really, and that haunting saintliness about him. But he didn't have a bit of strategy in him, so far as Claudia had seen. Passion, but little sense. That was what Claudia offered.

He could go gaze at statues of holy figures, and lament the imminent deaths of innocents imagining they had a cause for war, but only with Claudia's planning would he be able to do anything about it. And she was really pretty hopeless to talk sense into anyone without John's uncanny inspiration.

Claudia looked about again. It was always desirable to know one's surroundings in strange locales. The same few people milling about through files and devices and shelves of hard copies. She had about five machines tied-up, downloading what would amount to her own database on European history, culture and religion. She would not be satisfied with the seepage of this data later, or over unsecured lines. She needed to study in private.

Still, there was a while to wait and it didn't look as if anyone was inclined to disturb her machines. Claudia stood, stretched her arms behind her head and wiggled her fingers as they fell. She walked to the tall rows of shelves. Somewhere a voice hissed a curse at not finding what they sought. Elsewhere a drawer squeaked.

Semen is chemically alike to blood in composition perhaps if John were asked nicely...

Claudia recognized the addictive behavior in her thoughts. She thought she felt David smile. He was always there, not very clear, but present. Like a weak radio signal wavering all the more at sunset, present but impossible to converse with. There was animal blood, she might acquire some. But she had promised herself she would quit entirely until she could be with David again.

Existentialist Philosophy, Claudia spoke to herself. There was a belief system she could turn to, her glorious old existentialists, Nietzsche, Kierkeggard, Camus. What is man really doing here?

Claudia studied the numerical code posted on the sides of the shelves. A few aisles further into the Library. Here they were, like old friends. Claudia picked up a copy of Beyond Good and Evil. Randomly she opened the small book to one of its pages. Nietzsche's words; "that which constitutes the painful voluptuousness of tragedy is cruelty...everything sublime...derives its sweetness solely from the ingredient of cruelty mixed in with it." The quote in its entirety was beautiful. Cruelty, the condition of inhumanity; an act being inhuman. That was one meaning certainly. And so, the spiritualization of that which was as no human would act gave all things their sweetness. There could be no appreciation of life without the existence of things horrifying within life. Feeling pain brought about a more intense feeling of pleasure.

John would eat this up, Claudia thought. As much as he mocked her, since being with Joy he had exhibited a sort of consecration of pain.

Claudia took the book back to the bank of terminals. A couple were standing at the single unoccupied machine, speaking in German. "Guten morgan," Claudia spoke.

The boy looked up. He might have been John's age. "It's you isn't it?" he demanded.

There was a young woman with him, not too much older than Claudia herself. "It's just that we're trying to upload graphics from here to an office and the system is slow."

"I have a large project I am working on," Claudia said plainly. "You don't have a mobile of your own?"

"If we had, would we be in the library?" The man asked.

Claudia pressed her lips together. Slowly she lay Nietzsche on the table then reached for her bag. A moment only and she produced her portable for them. "Please, use mine," she said, "the time involved would have been unacceptable if I were to use my mobile, but to upload a few graphics..."

"Danke," the girl said. She removed a memory card with markings usual to digital cameras from the library terminal and turned Claudia's portable to face her. "pass worded," she said.

Claudia reached over the monitor and quickly keyed in the string of letters and numbers. The girl nodded, and Claudia listened closely as she typed in the number of the remote device. So long had she worked with these devices she recognized the tones as a number with German area codes. "From Berlin?" she asked.

The couple exchanged a look between themselves.

"I'm from Berlin originally," Claudia offered.

"We both work for a Berlin daily," the girl answered, "We have not lived there. We are war correspondents. I am Merideth and this is Karl.'

"Claudia Klein," Claudia said quickly. She thought the boy, Karl rather, wanted to make a pun on her name. Germans often did; she was not little in many respects. "I am sort of following the war myself."

Karl nodded. He picked up the book Claudia had put on the table. "do you read Polish?" The book was not printed in Polish but in its original German, but perhaps he had other reasons for asking.

"A little."

Karl smiled as Meredith took back her card and folded the mobile. "Thank you. I don't know what you could need all these other machines for."

Claudia considered them. There were unknown factors. She was really better with machines than people. "I have need of a database I can keep with me, should I need to move quickly."

"Going to reenact the movements of Germanic tribes?" Karl asked. Evidently he had looked at that monitor.

"I'm not sure yet," Claudia said truthfully. "Do you come here often? I have been told the locals gather here to discuss current events these days."

Merideth nodded after Karl had given permission with his gaze. "We're looking for good stories. The truth is, outside of Poland and the actual Estates Liberte, there is little known about what troops are involved. There is a small Russian presence this far inside Poland, but we think they will make a move soon. Perhaps they wait for orders or to time movements with those in the west. The story we are sending home now regards the Darkling here."

Claudia spoke slowly, not wanting to give away too much interest. "Of course, Berlin has a large Darkling population, I recall, they would naturally be interested to read your story."

Karl was silent for a moment. "Actually Claudia the locals are not eager to speak to us, we are having trouble."

"I might know someone who can help," Claudia offered.