Book Title: Todd and the Fae
Chapter 1 Title: Books of Myth and Legend.
Scene: 1
Marcus Balan, a traveling bookseller, stands in front of his wagon gazing out at Cleveland Square, tapping his foot in a quiet, steady rhythm. The sun is just barely peeking on the horizon, the yellow, pink, and purple of sunrise beginning to show. He parked his wagon on South Ontario Street last night; the road connects to the square but is visible from all areas of the square. He nods, “A good spot, to be sure. Grass and space for the horses, water from the small pond, but plenty of foot traffic once the city wakes up.” The main roads that intersect at the Square are Euclid, Superior, and Ontario. This morning, they are full of merchants setting up their tables and colorful tents for the week-long street fair. He glances at his horses grazing in the park nearby. Then turns and inspects the wagon; the shutters are closed, and the awning extends out the back of the wagon, covering two chairs and a small table. His morning tea, laid out for two, with a small platter of fruits and cheese.
A few moments later, the first morning trolley trundled down Euclid and stopped at the intersection. Todd Albescu, a Ph.D. student at the local university, dismounts and looks around the square, taking in all the merchants. Then, as his eyes drift over to Ontario, he spots Marcus and waves at him. As Todd approaches, Marcus smiles. “Albescu,” he greets him with a grin. “How are you doing this fine and beautiful day?”
Todd yawns and rolls his shoulders in a little stretch. “Quite well.” Marcus nods, “Ah, Young Albescu. That is good to hear. How can this humble bookseller assist you today?” With a wave of his hand, the shutters on the wagon’s side swing open, revealing bookshelves filled with books and scrolls. Todd holds his hands, palms up, with a little shrug. “Professor Richards is seeking a few books for a new museum collection for Halloween. She’s looking for spell books or grimoires of notorious witches or wizards throughout the ages.” He pauses with a deep breath, “It needs to be items that I can verify; their path through history needs to be traceable.”
Todd shrugs. “Odd topic, I know.” he sighs and continues, “Even though it’s themed to get students to come to the museum, every painting, book, scroll, or artifact must be properly documented and verified. You’re more familiar with the topic than I am. Do you have any recommendations on historical figures I should research?” Todd: “Do you mind if I take notes?” He asks as he pulls out his pocket notebook and pencil. He glances over at the wagon; as he speaks, the books on the shelves are shuffling around. Some books moved back into the recesses of the shelves, and different books came forward to fill the gaps as if they were responding to his request. Marcus nods thoughtfully, arching a brow, “Well, there’s the journal of Bridget Bishop, a suspected witch. They tried her in the Salem witch trials, convicted her, and hanged her. It was 1692. The cooler heads of modern times believe most of the testimony against her to be false. It might be an exciting read and bring peace to her soul to have her story told.” Todd nods, excitedly scribbling in his notebook. “Yes, I’ve heard of her, and I think the Professor has friends at the University of Massachusetts that might help trace the journal’s authenticity. Thank you.”
Marcus: “Good, good.” he claps his hands, rubbing them together. “Another is Lilas Adie, Scottish, 1704, I believe. Her descendants have begun the political fight to have her pardoned posthumously and are seeking permission to excavate her grave and have her moved to a proper location. However, that will take years if it ever happens. As it is, I have a journal that was supposedly hers; I thumbed through it briefly. The parchment, binding, and inks are congruent with the period and location, and the topics discussed match up with what we know of her life. It requires further research to confirm. ” Todd grins and snaps his fingers. “Excellent,” as he quickly takes notes. “I can easily confirm that; I can request local birth and death records and maps. It should be fairly easy to confirm it’s authentic to the time and perhaps even who the author is.”
Marcus taps his chin, thinking, then says,” There’s Herman the Recluse, 13th century, and his spell books. Not much is known about him other than myths and rumors. He supposedly authored several magical manuscripts; he created one even while living as a Benedictine monk. It was called the Codex Gigas, known as the “devils” book. The Church of Rome banished the Codex Gigas in its early decades. It’s supposed to be a book about demons and has detailed information on spells, rituals, and potions. I believe the church holds the original, but they did create and release a few copies to other monasteries for safekeeping and study. A copy of one of those has made it into my collection. Of course, authenticating that one will be difficult. But it is an exciting read. ” Marcus tugs on his gray beard and hums quietly before nodding. “Yes, that’s all that comes to mind at the moment. I’ll think about it. ” Marcus stares into the distance for a moment, then narrows his eyes. His gaze drifts along the length of the wagon to the table. Puzzled, Todd glances over, examining the wagon; it is made of wood and has a rounded top. It’s tall enough for a man to stand in. There’s a stove pipe sticking out the top about midway. There is a door with a step at the rear. The trim is ornate and recently painted. The gold details are bright and glimmering in the morning sun. Marcus sighs with a half-shrug and refocuses on Todd, “I likely have a few items that will get you started, but I shall need a favor first.”
Todd arches an eyebrow and tilts his head. “A favor?” Marcus nods once sharply. “Aye, I need you to deal with a pest. It’s moved in with me, eating my food, scaring the horses, and insists on moving things around. He’s disturbing the organization of my books. ” Todd looks warily around and asks, “A pest?” Marcus nods solemnly and points at the plate of fruits and cheese on the table. Todd looks down, and his jaw drops open. A small creature is on the table wrestling a slice of apple off the plate and grumbling. The creature grumbles, “Inconsiderate host,” It grunts, continuing to flip and roll the apple slice over to his little place setting. “Never cuts things down to size.” it gasps, breathing heavily. Todd looks at Marcus, then points a shaking hand at the table and asks, “You have a fae living with you?”