In the shop, the master was putting his perfumes back in their places from his suitcase.
He placed each bottle carefully, aligning the labels to the front, fitting the small flasks between the large ones. Lilith was at the counter. A pile of coins was a toy in her hands: she lifted them, dropped them again, counted without counting.
"It went better than I thought," said the master, closing the empty suitcase. "These other days we should go out again."
"Yes," she replied, without letting go of the coins. "I wouldn't have met anyone else if I'd stayed here."
He nodded, happy. He walked to go upstairs. As he passed, he brushed Lilith's shoulder with his hand.
"Good work."
He went upstairs.
Lilith put the coins in a pouch. All but one. She stared at it, thoughtful.
"So an award ceremony..."
A whimper escaped her.
"Why should I have to justify my entrance? I just want a book."
She squeezed the coin in her hand.
"Rosmel died for that."
She put the coin in the pouch. She noticed the master wasn't looking. She left the shop.
---
It was night.
Quite dark. But from the sky, an intense light made the street somewhat visible. It was the palace. Surrounded by so many lanterns that it illuminated the entire city.
Lilith walked toward it.
Along the way, she saw much activity. Children playing. Shops open. Neighbors gathering at their doorways. Everything was the same as in daytime.
She reached the main avenue. The direct road to the palace. Indeed, there was an event. Probably the award ceremony. A line of carriages headed toward the building. Harnessed horses. Footmen with torches.
She moved away from there.
She was going to explore the surroundings.
---
The structure was enormous. Taller than it had seemed from afar. Lilith was a few streets away. The perimeter was marked by tall, ornate iron gates. Beyond, a perfect lawn. And dogs. And guards watching diligently.
From inside, an intense orchestra music flooded all her thoughts.
She began to worry.
From there, she began to levitate. She glided through the air close to the ground, watching to make sure no one saw her passing through the dark streets.
She circled the palace.
She ended up behind it.
There she saw something.
Behind, there was a kind of garden or field. Several smaller buildings stood there. Less illuminated. Less guarded.
She observed one.
A building with a glass dome on its roof.
Even though she was close to the fence, it was still a long stretch. Every so often the guards passed by. Then they disappeared for a while. Then they returned.
But still, Lilith's hands trembled. Her heart wanted to leap from her chest.
Then she saw the guard on duty march away.
It was the moment.
She raised her arms. She levitated like a great leap, at the greatest speed she could manage.
She reached the rooftop.
She stumbled on landing. The tiles resounded under her feet. She got up, but her legs were shaking.
She laughed. Just from the tension.
She ran toward the dome.
---
Just as she had assumed.
The library.
Workers came and went, walking among the shelves. She couldn't read anything from outside. The letters were smudges. The titles, stains.
Therefore, she placed her hand on her chest.
A lump rose up her throat.
From her lips emerged a small glass eye. Cold. Transparent. It pulsed in her palm as if it had its own heartbeat.
She closed her own eyes.
She pointed the eye inward.
In her mind, she saw the library as if she had her eyes open. Every shelf. Every book. Every light. The work tables. The papers.
She began to move her gaze around the place. Trying to read what was on the papers on the tables.
Schedules.
Writings.
Index cards.
She went to the shelf labels.
*There it is.*
She turned her head. The eye moved with her.
*And it's geography?*
She looked at the other shelf.
*Mathematics...*
She opened her eyes.
She ran to the other side of the dome. Took another angle. Pressed the eye against the glass again.
She began to sweat. Disappointment warmed her chest.
*Biology.*
*This is going to take a while.*