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Tommie grabbed the little ball of paper and tried to resuscitate it. "It's just an accident that science fiction came first, Dean."
"Actually," said Rivera, "there are rumors the shredders started with science fiction because there would be fewer complainers among the geeks."
"It doesn't matter," said Tommie. "They were scheduled to be well into other stuff by the end of today."
Wi
"You didn't know?" Parker patted his laptop again; was he in love with the ancient device or what? "The shredding ran into a minor technical problem. They've shut down for the day." He gri
Rivera hesitated, and light glinted in the depths of his thick eyeglasses. "Yes," he said. So the crowd outside had something to celebrate after all. Wi
Robert raised his hands, "Will somebody please explain this madness to me? There may be nothing burning, but this does seem like Fahrenheit 451 . That's another science-fiction story, Winston."
Rivera waved vaguely. "Search on keyword Librareome, Professor Gu."
Robert gestured and tapped. How does Juan manage to do this without looking like an idiot ?
"Here, use my laptop. You'll never figure out how to drag news out of Epiphany."
Winston Blount slapped the table. "He can do that on his own time, Tommie. We have serious work to do."
"Okay, Dean. But Robert has changed things. We can use his reputation."
Rivera nodded. "Yes. He's won practically every literary prize there is."
"Stuff it," said Blount. "We already have five Nobelists on board. Compared to them, Gu is nothing special." Blount's glance flickered across Robert's face. The putdown he directed at Robert was accompanied by a minute hesitation, probably too short for the others to notice.
The most important things about Winston Blount were not in his Google bio. Once upon a time, Wi
But he was probably just as good a poet as the new Robert Gu. I wonder if Wi
Of course, Tommie Parker was oblivious of such undercurrents. He responded to Blount's comment as though it were a neutral statement of fact. "Someone thinks he's important, Dean. Someone who had the power to slip him past some fairly good commercial security." He turned to Gu. "Think back, Robert. I know you're new to the information scene — and Epiphany obscures an awful lot — but did you notice anything strange today? I mean, before you got to the library?"
"Well — " He looked into the air above them. His web search was just begi
"Were you in contact with him as you came down toward the library?"
"Yes. Sharif thought I could get in easier if I didn't try to walk through the crowd at the main entrance."
Rivera and Parker exchanged glances. "You didn't see the security ribbons? They should have guided you to the south side of building."
"Professor, I think you were hijacked."
Parker nodded. "Don't feel bad about it, Robert. That sort of thing happens a lot with wearables. We should track down this 'Zulfikar Sharif character."
Robert pointed to the ruby light. "I think he's still here."
The gesture must have been taken as a cue by his Epiphany — somehow making the light a public thing: Rivera looked in the direction he was pointing. "Yes! See that, Professor Parker?"
Tommie looked down at his laptop and massaged the touchpad. "Of course I see him. I'll bet he's been listening via Robert. What say we invite him out for a chat?"
Blount was squinting around, hopelessly. Evidently, he couldn't see the ruby glow. Nevertheless he took the question as directed at him. "Yes. Do it."
Robert tapped a release. A second passed. The ruby tinkerbell floated down to the edge of the table — and abruptly became a full-sized human being, dark-ski
"I call that taking advantage of a begi
Blount nodded emphatically. "I would say so! I — " He hesitated, seemed to think it over. "Ah, hell. What does it matter, Tommie? Everything we're doing today is perfectly open."
Tommie gri
Sharif smiled hesitantly. "In all honesty, I was as surprised as you about that. Professor Gu and I were talking freely when he arrived on campus. He got rather quiet as we came down the slope from your Warschawski Hall. And then for no apparent reason, he turned left and we went around the north side of the library. The next thing I knew he was walking into the freight entrance — and I lost contact. I don't know what more I can say. My own wearable security is of the highest order, of course. um." He hestitated a moment and then changed topic. "Aren't you taking this whole thing in the wrong way? I mean, the Librareome Project will open up all past literature to everyone — and faster than any other project could do it. What is wrong with that?"
This last was met with total silence. Winston Blount smiled thinly. "I don't suppose you've seen our website?"
"Ah, not as yet." He paused and his eyes seemed to be looking far away. "Okay, I see what you're saying." He smiled. "I suppose I should be on your side — what you want will keep my 411 job safe! See here, I love the old poets, but old-time literature is so hard to get at. If your interest is in post-2000 topics, critical sources are everywhere and research gets results . But for the rest, you have to search through that ." Sharif waved at the orderly ranks of books, the stacks that filled the library's sixth floor. "It can take days to gain even trivial insights."