The City of Shadows

“I’m not going to ask you to explain all that,” I said.

When the other Ghosts had left, Chaz and I remained in the library and went into a study room.  I felt like I was catching whatever my family had just gotten over, but I ignored it for the moment.  Chaz was nervous, and I noticed that his cheeks went frosted when he blushed.  I honestly didn’t know if he would be able to explain it even if he tried.

“They’re my superiors,” Chaz admitted.  “I’m not very high in the rankings of the Realm.”

“Okay,” I shrugged, unsure as to what to say.

“The Timewights are Father Time’s clan,” Chaz explained.  “Time is powerful.  A lost hour is problematic.  A lost day is even worse, especially when it’s already a powerful day.”

“Can’t they just make a new one?” I asked.

“I don’t know how it works,” Chaz said.  “But the Timewights are also in a tricky situation right now.”

“How so?”

Chaz buried his head in his hands as he remembered whatever had happen.  “The thieves, whoever they are, caused some damage.”

He kept hesitating and so I finally sighed.  “You don’t have to tell me now,” I said.  “Later is fine, or never if you’d rather.”

“Thanks,” he said.  “I just don’t trust talking too much like this in the Realm.  There’s enough danger as it is.”

We sat in silence for several minutes and I nearly fell asleep in my chair.  After Pree’s request, I felt a little guilty about asking to go home without having found an hour.  If possible, I decided that we had to find at least another hour today.  I could hold out until then.

“So, where are we?” I asked in an effort to keep myself awake.

“The City of Shadows,” Chaz answered.  “This place is pretty big.  There’s several portal points and places of interest.”

“You sound a little like a tourist brochure,” I interrupted.

“Sorry.  I’m just trying to figure out what I know about this city.”

“No, no.  It’s good,” I insisted.  “What’s popular here?”

“I don’t know,” Chaz grinned sheepishly, and even though I couldn’t see it clearly I somehow saw it.  “This is the first time I’ve ever been here.”

I stared at him for a few moments before I just started laughing.  I had no idea what was really so funny, but I just couldn’t stop.  Chaz joined as well and soon we were practically collapsed on the floor.  It was just one of those moments were laughing seemed like the only logical course of action.  It felt great, even though my sides and head hurt.

“Well, maybe we could see some sights,” I suggested when I finally found my breath again.

“This is the library,” Chaz said thoughtfully.  “There are several museums near here, I believe.”

“Any hours?”

“I haven’t looked.”

“Let’s go looking, then,” I said.

When got up and left the room, making our way through the seemingly endless rows of bookshelves.  I tried to give Chaz his jacket back, but he insisted that Ghosts weren’t as affected by temperature as others were.  I was actually glad to keep the extra warmth around me.

“Are these shadows Ghosts of something?” I asked as we walked past several of the shades.

“They are shadows from the World,” Chaz explained.  “Shadows of the Lost.”

That sounded ominous and so I studied the outlines carefully.  I could almost see the people clearly, like they were from a black and white movie.  I looked hard, but there was nothing worrisome about these shades in the library.  The shadows were lounged in chairs or wandering seemingly aimlessly and I realized they were all cradling something in their hands.

“Lost in a good book,” I grinned.  “I wonder how many times I’ve actually been here before and not known it.”