Warden's daughter Pt. 18 | The Thwap House

The Journal of Bonifer Squoon

As I reach to put up a book about ways to cook diggle meat, I feel someone watching me.

I take the book back off the shelf and turn, a few inches from Zouzab.

“That’s the wrong way to put it in,” he insists, snatching the book and climbing to the top of the shelf.

“Here’s how,” he tells me, putting it in the exact same way.

“Thank you, Zouzab,” I smile, but something in his face seems off.

I search back through the rows of bookcases until Oskar’s desk is back in sight, along with one more box of books and an empty one Janner and Tink had been too short to stack.

Picking up the empty box, I catch a glimpse of the label on the lid. Dang.

Janner and Tink appear from the shelves and look at the lid in shock.

Even Zouzab gets down from the shelves long enough to stare.

I push the empty box into the pile, careful where they latch together, and come back to see the crate.

“Aha!” Oskar yells, making everyone jump back a little, “I’ve been waiting all day to look through this one, my boys. It’s from Dang,” He adds the last few words in a whisper.

“But-how? Who-who do you know in Dang?” Tink almost sounds like he’s yelling the question and I throw a hand over his mouth.

“There are still Fangs, Tink. We don’t want anyone to find their attention,” I tell him, slowly removing my hand as Oskar pipes in.

“You don’t want to spend another night in jail, do you?”

I almost turn to look at him, but hold back. Of course he knows about that, he was right across from it, I remind myself.

Tink changes his vice to a whisper, but still sounds more sure of his question, “Sorry, Mister Reteep. Who do you know in-”

Oskar interrupts him, “I don’t know anyone on Dang. I found this old box along with the others, but I didn't want to draw any attention to it, so I piled it at the bottom of the wagon. I opened it long enough to see that it’s full of books. That’s all I know.”

Oskar slowly lifts the lid as if the books may try to attack him. One title from his list suddenly surfaces in my mind, The Journal of Bonifer Squoon.

I step back until I feel the shelving behind me, trying to get out of the way.

Did he write about the Fangs? I wonder, Does it say anything about us?

In the bottom of the crate, I see a book with a worn leather cover. And stitched with the Annieran Crest.

Before Tink or Janner have time to see it, I lift it carefully from the crate and open the cover, not too surprised by the first message.

This is the journal of Bonifer Squoon

Chief Advisor to the High King of Anniera

Keeper of the Isle of Light

Read this without my permission

And I will pound your nose

Well, his warning is fair . . . I think, remembering the few unlucky enough to not listen to such statements. He may have been small, but he was still someone to watch out for. For more reasons than one.

I bump into something wooden and look up, realizing I’d zoned out and walked into Oskar’s desk.

“Uh, journal?” I stutter, trying to think of something to say.

Oskar takes the book from me and places it inside his desk. Please don’t say anything about us.

“That’ll be all then, Igibys. Stack those crates by the woodpile, and you can come in and browse the rest of the books all you like. Each of you may take home three volumes, but I must approve them before you go. Tink, you like to draw, don’t you? As I recall, I have an extensive collection of art books that you might find helpful.”

With that, he led Tink away, leaving me and Janner with the crates.

Once the crates were stacked, me and Janner left the small area and walked into different zones of Oskar’s maze.

“Tink?” I ask, rounding a corner and seeing him crouched on the floor.

“Hm?” He jumps, then relaxes a moment later, “Oh, Maddie, uh, Janner must have bumped into something earlier and it looks like there’s something stuck in there.”

I crouch next to him and inspect the little opening, thankful for once for the melding as I slip my hand in and grab the parchment.