fandomhigh | Library [7.12.07]

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Library [7.12.07]

Karal was slightly subdued as he opened the library. Thursday was still in the clinic, but he was feeling a bit easier about it after last night's visit. Altra was still sleeping, though he'd woken long enough to wolf down several tins of salmon, so he wasn't overly worried.

After setting everything up for the day, he settled behind the desk, methodically processing returns.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Karal's still in the stacks. It's possible he's totally engrossed in something, though, so you might need to make an effort to get his attention.

Or find him and toss something at his head.

Edited 2007-12-07 11:45 (UTC)

Some time into the afternoon, having temporarily closed his store, Cable became a tall, yet quiet, presence in the library, spending an hour or so poking through materials regarding the island.

Ed happened to glance up from the book he'd buried himself in to see that tall man who'd had the island idea. Huh. If he had a good idea about the island, maybe he'd have another about...nah, that was just stupid. Still. "Hey," he said, quietly for once. "You had good, I mean, yeah. Thanks for pointers the other week."

Cable pushed a volume back into the bookcase. "You needed a direction." On to the next one, tipping the book out halfway before pausing, thoughtful.

"Yeah," he agreed wholeheartedly. "And it got us to the right spot."

Cable glanced over towards Ed, then back, pulling the volume towards him again. "And to work together," he said. "Good work."

Edward looked pleased for a moment then it got drowned as he remembered he wasn't supposed to care about that. "Most of the books on the island are in Special Collections," he offered, having spent far too much time in the same section Cable was in now.

"Special Collections?" Cable asked, pausing again to grant Ed a mildly questioning look. He hadn't... been there for the end.

"Big doors at the front of the library behind the desk," Edward explained. "It's millions more books from all different universes, but it's kinda strange, likes to move and play tricks. You have to have a library aide or teacher's permission."

And now a glance over towards the door in question. "Hm," Cable said, "That might be interesting." Then back to Ed. "Thank you." He smirked faintly. "This island puts its own meaning to the expression 'knowing is half the battle'..."

He gave a small grin in reply, fingers rubbing unconsciously over the pages of his book. "Nah, it's just more obvious about it. At least it declares the battle openly."

"Small favors." Cable dropped the hand bearing the book by his side, moving to scan the shelves for others. "You found the cure in Special Collections?"

"Karal did," Edward confirmed. "The recipe was in an old log book from one of the first settlements on the island. The herbs were out in the Preserve."

"Hm." Well, that would match up with the information from the memorial. Cable took another book off the shelf, then moved to settle down by a table, placing them both down gently. "You went in there?"

"Yeah. More books than I've ever seen in my life," he said with an grudging air of wonder. "Even more than at Central's main libraries."

"Sounds... useful." Except that it was, apparently, locked away from the world. Cable opened the first volume up to the first page. Ed obviously liked books. "Central?"

He shrugged. "Capital of Amestris. Err, my home." Ed looked wistful for a beat. "The state keeps up a whole set of libraries. It had one of the best sections on alchemy around before that one burned down."

"You're interested in alchemy?" Because that was... either useless or interesting, provided it was anything like the philosophical concepts Cable was familiar with. The boy didn't seem to come from his universe...

Cable raised his eyebrow.

"I...interested? Most people would say obsessed," Ed said, grinning. "It's been pretty much all I've studied since I was about five."

"I take it we're not talking alchemy in the purely philosophical sense," Cable surmised, moving on to the next page in his book. Testing-- if they were, no point. If they weren't... well, that would hit 'interesting'.

Edited 2007-12-07 18:53 (UTC)

"You mean like the crap the books here call 'alchemy?'" Ed said disdainfully. "Nah, they're totally on the wrong track. It's a science, not some mystical art. Yeah, I can change lead into gold or whatever, but that's because I know the chemistry behind it not the mumbo-jumbo prayer crap."

"Substituting one type of mass for another through chemistry?" Now Cable eyed him with interest.

"Sort of," Edward said. "More adding energy to change the physical and chemical structure of the mass. You can't create matter. You can't gain something without losing something in return."

"True enough."

Not that that came with any particular inflection or facial expression. "Sounds like it's powerful."

He looked surprised. "I didn't know anyone else followed the Law of Equivalent Exchange. Even in Amestris, it's just alchemists. And yeah, it can be. The State used to take the best alchemists and put 'em in the army, use them as living weapons. Rebellions didn't go on for much longer once the State Alchemists took the field."

Library [7.12.07]

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