Editors, Keepers
1817
ediciones
m (→Chapter 10: fixed red link for brightsand; just threw it over to Silimatic, but it deserves something better, too lazy now to do it properly) |
(miscellaneous clean-up and polish, looking at the page as a whole (rather than individual chapters)) |
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==Chapter 1==
Alcatraz and his grandfather, [[Leavenworth Smedry]], stand upside-down on another flying glass contraption, this time in the shape of a bird. They are headed
==Chapter 2==
The right side of the [[Hawkwind]] explodes, sending Alcatraz and the piece of glass his boots are attached to spinning toward the ground. He breaks the glass attached to his boots so he'll stop spinning, but he doesn't have any way to prevent falling to his death. So he tries to break gravity. It doesn't work. He realizes that Grandpa is making him arrive late to his fall. He and Grandpa smash together and fall into the ocean safely, but then Grandpa has to release the delayed effects of falling all that height, so they are repeatedly plunged into the cold ocean water, over and over. Alcatraz passes out. He wakes up with [[Bastille]] looking at him angrily. She accuses him of causing the problem on purpose. They have managed to land on a tower of Keep Smedry. [[Attica]] emerges from the craft and has another awkward conversation with his son. [[Australia Smedry|Australia]] tells Alcatraz that Bastille jumped from the Hawkwind in order to save him. [[Sing Sing Smedry|Sing Sing]] arrives and tells Grandpa that there are [[Librarian]] ambassadors in the city and that the [[Brig Dartmoor|High King]] wants to sign a treaty, giving up [[Mokia]] to end the war. They call for a [[Tzoctinatin|crawly]] so they can get to the Council of Kings and try to intervene.
==Chapter 3==
Grandpa explains to Alcatraz about the political situation in the [[Free Kingdoms]], including the Smedrys' abdication of the throne. However, they are still royalty with peerage and hold a seat on the Council of Kings, a united governing body of all the various Free Kingdom countries. The "crawly" arrives, which turns out to be a wingless dragon named Tzoctinatin with a gondola
==Chapter 4==
Alcatraz enters the royal palace and marvels at its beauty. Bastille looks very reluctant to go in. They enter the main room and [[Pattywagon Smedry]], his aunt, interrupts the proceedings of the council to greet him and Grandpa. With Librarians in attendance, Grandpa announces that he has forged the [[Lenses of Rashid]]. The king grants a recess and comes to greet his family -- his daughter Bastille and his wife [[Draulin]], which reveals Bastille as a princess of sorts (
==Chapter 5==
==Chapter 6==
Alcatraz enters the ice cream shop and is immediately surrounded by people wanting to shake his hand, get an autograph, etc. He decides to
==Chapter 7==
As they travel by carriage to the party, Folsom explains that [[Rikers Dartmoor]], the High King's son, is throwing the party. Alcatraz
==Chapter 8==
As they follow Shasta out
==Chapter 9==
They arrive, and Alcatraz is surrounded by people again. Folsom offers to get rid of them, but Alcatraz wants the attention. He grants every request for interviews and other things, like performing weddings, until at last there is only a group of sycophants he met at the party. They just want to hang out with him, so Alcatraz invites them in. They lounge about for a while before Alcatraz realizes he hasn't gone to talk to his grandfather as planned. Alcatraz goes to find him and instead runs into his father, busy writing on some parchment. Alcatraz mentions that Shasta was at the party, but Attica didn't notice and is quite dismissive of his son. He goes back to the room where the "friends" are and finds his grandfather there. He smacks Alcatraz to try to get him to snap out of his selfishness. He suggests using the Truthfinder's Lenses on his friends, and Alcatraz sees black stuff come out of their mouths as they proclaim their adulation. Grandfather suggests that Alcatraz hang out with his real friends, including Bastille who is at this very moment on trial. Alcatraz realizes what an idiot he's been, and they hurry off to testify in her behalf.
==Chapter 10==
Grandpa leads Alcatraz to a guarded room with a large metal box with chunks of glass at the corners. He explains that it is Transporter's Glass -- a box the same size is in Crystallia, and when both are activated at the same time by [[Silimatic|brightsand]], the boxes switch places. They transport to Crystallia, normally off-limits to outsiders. When they arrive at the room of the trial, the guards inform them that the trial has already begun and
==Chapter 11==
Grandpa and Alcatraz find three knights sitting in judgment as Bastille stands
==Chapter 12==
She Who Cannot Be Named turns out to be a little old lady. Grandpa coldly asks her why she has come, then she gives Alcatraz a plate of cookies. She says she's there to speak in behalf of the treaty before the final vote. She makes some threats in a sweet voice and leaves. Alcatraz suspects that the cookies are some sort of trap, but Grandpa simply eats them. Himalaya returns to the room, and Alcatraz wonders if she's the one who planted the bomb. Bastille transports over from Crystallia. She appears dazed and weak, the effects of being cut off from the Mindstone. They discuss a plan. Himalaya will read the treaty to
==Chapter 13==
Alcatraz enters the Royal Archives and is surprised to see Archedis there along with a small army of soldiers guarding the books. He is there overseeing a shift change. He offers a personal guard for Alcatraz while they search, but he declines. He goes into the room and finds the books completely unorganized and in mountainous heaps. He starts rummaging around but quickly grows frustrated. About to give up, he suddenly hears a scraping sound near the walls. He figures his mother is trying to tunnel in rather than try to get by all the guards. He warns the guards, then decides that he really needs to find the book that his mother is looking for and take it first. But to find it, he'll need a Librarian to organize the mess.
==Chapter 14==
Alcatraz rushes back to the street to get a carriage to find Himalaya. H_q's v_ER% }fRU_s$trAT@ed <tHqt] h+E _nE^eds A ?lQbrAri&N $tO )hqL=p hi#M. A strange pig-shaped vehicle pulls up with Rikers inside. He's excited to join their adventure,
==Chapter 15==
They arrive at the Royal Archives and Prince Rikers insists on going in. He's excited by the prospect of being with Alcatraz in one of his real adventures. There are more knights and soldiers now, and they still hear the scraping sound. Alcatraz asks Himalaya to organize the books. She initially thinks he's just testing her, but when Alcatraz tells her they really need her to, she runs from the room, distraught that she is being asked to revert to her evil Librarian ways. Alcatraz
==Chapter 16==
Folsom engages the soldiers in hand-to-hand combat. Rikers has dropped the book somewhere, so they can't stop the music. Folsom makes his way to Alcatraz, and his
==Chapter 17==
Alcatraz dismisses the soldiers from the room and examines the book. It's a history of the fall of [[Incarna]]. He's sure that this is the book his mother is searching for. Suddenly, Sing trips, so they all dive for cover. The door opens, and Shasta walks in with a bunch of Librarian thugs and another [[Fitzroy|young man]] who must be a [[Dark Oculator]]. Alcatraz can't figure out how they got past the guards without making a lot of noise. The Librarians begin to search, and Alcatraz tries to figure out a way to escape -- he doubts even Folsom's Talent could defeat some 30 guards and an Oculator. Sing mentions his
==Chapter 18==
Shasta calls over Fitzroy, the Dark Oculator, and orders him to read the book. He tells her it's the very book they're looking for. Alcatraz sends his breaking power into a wall, causing all the lamps connected to it to break, plunging them into darkness. He grabs the book and they all make a break for it, heading out the door and up the stairs. Unfortunately, the stairs are wooden instead of stone and none of their own soldiers are there. They
==Chapter 19==
A half hour has passed. The Librarians continue to search the Archives for anything else useful. The Librarians grab Himalaya, and Folsom tries to intervene, only managing to knock over a table. The table held their possessions, including the fantasy book. It opens up and begins to play music, but of course Folsom can't attack with the Inhibitor's Glass on. Fitzroy reveals that She Who Cannot Be Named has ordered the execution of her former assistant, Himalaya. He holds a knife against her throat and enjoys watching Folsom and the rest of her friends suffer. Alcatraz remembers that he is a Smedry, with the power to marry, and asks Folsom and Himalaya if they love each other. After he declares them married, Himalaya gains Folsom's Talent. With the music playing, she punches Fitzroy in the face, snaps the ropes holding her, and starts taking down the Librarians. Alcatraz kicks
==Chapter 20==
==Chapter 21==
The Librarian thugs surround Swcbn and attack the king. Grandpa starts using his Windstormer's Lenses and singing so Folsom and Himalaya can help. Alcatraz breaks a chunk of wall so the monarchs can get out. The "unconscious" Archedis stands up with a smile and rushes Grandpa, knocking him out with the pommel of his sword. His singing stops, so Folsom and Himalaya stop fighting. They are swarmed by Librarians. Swcbn reveals the design on her finished
==Royal Epilogue (Not a Chapter)==
One week later, they all wait for Attica's grand announcement in the chamber of the Council of Kings. Bastille has been restored to knighthood and is there with full armor and a new sword. Folsom and Himalaya are there; they are moving to the Hushlands to start an underground movement of good Librarians. Attica finally arrives and tells of his time in the Library of Alexandria. He announces that he knows how the Smedry Talents were originally bestowed. He plans to do more research in order to give ''everyone'' a Smedry Talent. He mentions going to the Royal Archives for a particular book, and Alcatraz interrupts to tell him that Shasta stole it already. Attica is disappointed and decides that he must search for the book. The king questions the idea of giving everyone dangerous Talents, but Attica dismisses any danger. His real motivation seems to be the fame it would bring him. Alcatraz determines to watch over his father and stop him if necessary.
==Afterword==
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