Hitting the Books

About an hour past sundown, there was a firm but unhurried knock at the front door.
Sy stood before the door resting slightly on his cane. He stood dressed in a green three piece tweed business suit and a crimson red tie and brown loafers. He had even gone an extra mile and given his hands a thorough cleansing to remove the accumulated grease and oil.

Taking a slight step back from the door he surveyed the large exterior of the building, giving the proud pair of lion statues keeping guard at their posts a long look. In the past, he likely would have just given the statues a casual glance but now that he’d seen a moving gargoyle, he was much more suspicious of such things.

He then returned his focus to the matter at hand and stepped closer to the door again and prepared to knock again if it remained closed.

Nina, surprised to hear a knock at the door after hours, went to answer the door. The library had had several late night visitors as her and Tom’s presence there became common knowledge among the kindred, but she wasn’t expecting any calls tonight.

“We’re closed. You should probably learn to read the sign before you come in and try to read anything else.”

She glanced up, having intended to ignore whoever decided to knock and saw that she was, in fact, already acquainted with this particular visitor.

“Oh, it’s you. ... well, uh, what do you want?”

Sy held his hand in mid air for but a moment before the door opened and found his coterie member before him.

He lowered his arm and said, “..ah, good evening Ms. Giambi. I hoped I could find you here. I was actually hoping to get your assistance with something.”

He gestured with his cane past her, “I-I haven’t really ever been to a library before..at least not willingly. Sad to say my learning experiences have tended to be more hands on from the school of hard knocks...”

He looks back to her, “To put it precisely, I have come to try and learn something. Maybe from a book or something. Can you help me?”

“I have found that learning from the streets is an excellent way to stay alive. Learning from books is an excellent way to escape whatever it is you are surviving.”

She gives him a blank stare for a long moment, weighing her options and mood to be of assistance.

“Anyway, you might as well come in.”

Sy nods and enters saying, “You are on to something there I think.”

He makes it just a few steps inside the building before he opens his mouth in awe. The room had a large grand staircase that seemed to go off in every direction; the ceiling had a glass dome that he could look up and see the stars; and all along the walls were paintings from many different eras interspersed only by the occasional statue or bust.

He turned to look back at Nina and asked, “How on earth do you find the strength to turn away and ever leave this place? It’s beautiful...” his voice softly uttered barely above a whisper.

He continued on in silence further into the building taking in the sights, and was about to say something when a picture caught his eye. Sy looked from the picture to Nina and says slightly confused, “That’s not what it looks like.”

He looks back at the picture, his voice tinged with concern, maybe even anger, “Why did they paint it wrong?”

“Wrong? I can hardly understand why you would argue with Caillebotte’s work here. Certainly, his technique is not the height of realism, but what do you mean by wrong?”

Sy looked back to her as he says, a bloody tear running down his face, “I was there-the Germans laid waste to that city. I still see the bodies stacked high and burning...they destroyed the beautiful city. Why is he trying to cover it up?! Is he trying to forget it happened?”

Sy looked down at the ground, “There was so much death, for nothing. What was the point? He looked back to the picture and to Nina, “Do you know? Why did so many people have to die?”

Sy gripped his cane, “When I look at art I see motives, hidden subtlety behind varied hues, political aspirations and life or death. This painting to me says death has meaning-their deaths had meaning but it doesn’t say why.” He pauses.
“What do you see when you look at art?”

Sy shakes his head, “Forgive my impertinence. Barging in and complaining about your decor.”

The brujah looked around, “This was just not what I was expecting for a library. Figured there’d be more books.”

He looks back to Nina, “How did you find this place? Or more curiously, did one of your books lead you to Tom?”

Nina frowns at Sy.

“There are plenty of books, but an art library is served best by just that.” She sniffs impatiently. “I’ll overlook your impertinent comments on the artwork, but your intimate question is a bit harder to forgive.”

She sighs heavily and pushes her glasses a little farther up her nose.

“I came to this library once when I was a child. My mother made dresses for the opera and girls like Amandine. Girls she knew in another life. She needed a reference for a historical costume and we were able to get in here by calling in a favor. It was the first place I’d ever really felt... safe.”
Nina pauses.
“My father kidnapped me and killed my mother not long after. I swore I’d get back here if it was the last thing I did. It seems a sick twist of fate that this is the place Renee found me and decided I should become her childe plaything. I had barely a year of happiness here before she arrived and damned me to servitude in the Camarilla and having lovely conversations like this.”
She folds her arms, but continues coldly.
“Tom fell into the library and my life. Literally. He seemed down on his luck and was the first kindred I’d met who didn’t reek of self-interest and conniving. Time in his company has made this place a little less lonely and we have become what I might have once called friends.”
She suddenly unfolds her arms and stamps her foot a little.
“Does that satisfy your curiosity, Cravenhill? Have I given you enough information to hold over my head?”

As Nina responded, Sy followed along nodding when appropriate.
“Your pa and this Renee sound like a real catch...” he says with his voice dripping in sarcasm.

At her own questions, the brujah arched an eyebrow. “Look-maybe I stepped on your toes without intending to, but please let me clear somethings up. One, I’m just as new to this whole charade as you are and my love for these unending nights of slavery to some broad who calls herself royalty is non existent. Two, I HATE playing politics; my mother believes that there is next to nothing else more important than climbing the social ladder and tried her hardest to make me follow in her footsteps upon making it into the lands of high society. Imagine her disappointment when I disavowed myself of her world-seems like disappointing women is a skill I excel at.”

He shakes his head, “Three-I don’t hurt people who treat me with respect; words, fists, or otherwise. If you are honest and direct with me and show some decency I have no beef with you. Maybe that makes me a joke in the Camarilla but I don’t care, I’m not here to please and toy with anyone.”

Sy looks at Nina with a serious gaze, “I still have a dream from my life before-that someday everyone will be treated as equals. No princess calling marching orders, no underworld mobsters calling the shots in a city of corrupt bureaucrats; where men and women have equal value regardless of age, position, or status-everyone has a fair say and does as they please without interference from Jonny law. I intend to bring this dream to reality come hell or high water-this is the hill I choose to die on...well die again.”

He pauses, his gaze softening “That’s what I’m about. And I’m fairly certain if any one was counting, we’re back on equal footing. If you chose-you could dangle such information over me. But as I said-I don’t play like that. Not my style.”

The brujah nods once, “I’m glad you have a friend though, they are truly rare finds. Even the non-gargoyle kind. I don’t think I’ve ever had the fortune to find a true friend. Blood brothers sure...but they got left on the battlefield. Maybe in time we could be friends?”

“That is quite the dream, sir. I too have a dream. To be left alone with the library and never play the pawn again. I hate to believe that fighting is what it will take to finally have some peace.”

She grits her teeth and cracks her neck.

“But it seems life and this un-life are not so different in that respect. Mr. Cravenhill, I’m not much good at friends. Those I treat kindly I hardly respect and those I respect see that my natural state is devoid of pleasantries. You may be sure, though, that I am open to the possibility of our becoming true allies. Mind you, that’s no promise. What exactly are you proposing with this talk of dreams?”

Sy nods in agreement. “Fair enough.”

At her question of his dream he leaned up against a wall and rubbed his chin. “Best way I see to achieve the mission is to do it in increments...or baby steps. Frankly, there’s just too many people here that believe they have too much to lose by making this a reality-even if they agree it would be better. So, I have to improvise and adapt to overcome these...obstacles.”

He grips his cane tighter, “Obviously the princess is going to oppose me directly gunning for her removal, but she can’t do much if I move instead to weaken her authority by any means necessary and do all I can to make her position seem a needless figurehead. Once others see the position as pointless or that there’s a better option-it’s just a matter of time.”

He pauses before adding, “As far as trying to remove men like Capone....even if I kill them, another rises to take their place and fill the power vacuum. Understanding how they got in power helps figure out how to bring them down-as well you know. They much like vultures, preyed on the weaknesses of the down on their luck and downtrodden; appealing to the underprivileged with promises of protection or safety. With the people’s support, men like Capone can get power, status, and collection money, which is then used to buy corrupt people and replace those who cannot be bought.”

Sy’s voice begins to fill with passion as he continues. “So what we have to do is create a system that deprives them of the lifeblood powering their rise. We starve them out! We can fight back by offering places or becoming a place established as somewhere people can go for aid, support, or help and safety. Then pair this with burning down their money making schemes under a different disguise making them view us as different entities. It is a killing move that severs their iron clad grip of control and demolishes their level of support and finances. A house with no support will crumble on itself. Men that don’t get a reward or payment don’t stick around. Hard to win a war with no army and no way to keep them supplied...”

Sy looks down, “But at some point, violence will come-; people far stronger and more dangerous than me will try to take me out-I have no doubts. Be it from the outfit, the camarilla, or outsiders-always a bigger fish. My answer to that is the heart of this dream. They can kill me like a bug on a windshield when I stand up to them alone....But if I have an alliance of people at my side from all walks of life and unlife-the power of the many overwhelms the mighty. Or as the Bible says-a cord of many strands is not easily broken. Together we can move mountains, alone we will get crushed by them.”

He looks back to her, “The only thing I am struggling with currently is figuring out how to build that alliance. I’m a fighter by nature not a peacemaker, so I’m in uncharted waters flying blind. I just simply don’t know enough about people even within our little coterie to figure out what terms such an alliance would need to be deemed acceptable. I had hoped to find some answers with your help or barring that-maybe in one of your books. And I’m open to suggestions...”

Nina stares at Sy for a long, uncomfortable moment.

“You think that I have some sort of knowledge about making alliances? I know how to make nice with the powers that be to live long enough to see another day. I haven’t done an excellent job with the Prince, I’m sure you heard my little temper tantrum after our experiences with Flick... but I have no intention of making any more missteps if I can help it. I aim to appease enough to get some semblance of my peace back.”
She takes a few steps away from Sy, straightens a painting on the wall, and turns back around.
“I prefer the evil I know to the evil you are proposing. Chaos. You are proposing a world of absolute chaos and I’m afraid it’s in direct opposition to what I want. I have no quarrel with you. I have no desire to create trouble for you. I cannot see in what way I will be of any help to you.”

Sy lowers his head again as he lowers his voice. “I don’t presume to claim you know anything about alliances or politics. Just hopeful someone I am in contact with might.”

He looks back to her, “But I believe everyone has wisdom that can be learned from. I’m not asking for anything from you aside from your time and any advice you have to offer-even if it’s as simple as book recommendations.”

He gestures around the room, “Just having access to here as a resource or point of inspiration would be great.”

Sy focuses on Nina, “Being a soundboard for keeping my mind sharp and grounded in reality and not letting my dreams or passions consume me can be as helpful as taking any sort of offensive action toward those who continue to harm girls like Amandine.”

The man shrugs, “It may seem small to you, but if the world is really a stage like old Shakespeare claims...there’s no such thing as small parts-merely small actors. I will never lie to you if you ask me a question. If the truth requires a lie to defend it, it isn’t truth. You asked me about my dreams and I shared them. I do not mean to frighten by saying this, but if you put any stock in the Dr. Alphaerus, even he has said that change is coming for the city. So my question to you is, if chaos is coming and does find you-how will you respond?”

There is a steely glint in Nina’s eye as she replies, “If chaos finds me yet again I will do as I always have. I will become whatever I must to survive and come out the other side. I will cross whatever lines I see fit to cross and uphold whatever boundaries I see fit to uphold. I can only guarantee that I will not be a victim. Excuse me”

She walks off without another word and is gone for several minutes before returning with 3 large books in her arms.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to return these in two weeks just like any other student. We’ll start at the beginning, of course, with the earliest Paleolithic works and see if you can survive to the Metal Age. If you get that far you’ll be too interested to turn back from your studies.”
She sets the books down upon the front desk and a wicked grin crosses her face.
“ If you are truly eager to learn I’m afraid you’ve found an enthusiastic and impatient tutor.”

Sy glances at the size of the books, then to Nina, then back to the books and gulps. Genuine fear is etched clearly across his face.

“What have I done...” he whispers. He steels himself after a long moment before nodding having reached some intense internal conclusion. “This is going to be brutal...but necessary. It’s time I become a learned man, but I don’t suppose these books come with more illustrations and less words do they? Maybe some educational historical comics?”