Lucky Rabbit

Professor Beeswick – and what kind of name was that for a dragon? – was standing near the front desk, vaguely metallic eyes lingering on the children as they moved around the library. As his focus shifted, each child’s shoulders hunched slightly, and they glanced around, very much like rabbits sensing the gaze of a circling hawk.

Pandy sidled up next to a low bookshelf containing what looked like picture books for children. The slim spines were brightly colored, and contained titles like, Never Let an Elemental Do Your Homework, The Portal in Grandpa’s Beard, and No Unicorns Allowed. There was also a well-worn copy of Little Lords and Ladies: A Fun Guide to Royal Etiquette, but as Pandy watched, one of Thaniel’s classmates plucked it from the shelf.

Miss Cupcakes paused just behind Pandy, then, with a distinctly disparaging glance, strolled out into the open, tail high, silky pink bow gleaming against her soft gray fur. All eyes instantly shifted to her, and, as had become standard, several children crouched next to the kitten, stroking her back. She allowed it, but her eyes remained fixed on the dragon, who watched this display with something that could have been amusement. Which, frankly, was not the emotion Pandy had expected at all.

Crossing to the cat, Professor Beeswick leaned over and picked her up by the scruff of her neck. The kitten glared, actually daring to growl softly at the librarian, while Pandy felt herself flatten against the floor, her own instincts telling her that Nothing Good Would Come of This. Rather than punishing the cat for her temerity, however, the dragon’s mouth twitched up at one side, showing the briefest glimpse of sharper teeth than belonged in a humanoid mouth.

“The rules apply to you as well,” Professor Beeswick told Miss Cupcakes, holding her up so he could look directly into her yellow eyes. “Damaging the books is forbidden. So long as you obey this rule, you may remain with your mistress. Do you understand?”

The cat hung, slightly curled in on herself as she continued to glower at the dragon, but finally she gave something that could have been a nod if it hadn’t come from a cat. Or had it? Pandy had assumed that she was the only transmigrator in this world – in no small part because who else would be so unlucky as to be thrust into a situation like this? – but what if she wasn’t? And if she wasn’t, what were the odds that the other transmigrator was in a cat that Pandy herself spent time with every day? Was that why the System called Miss Cupcakes a Defender of the Realm?

Professor Beeswick tucked the kitten into the crook of his arm, idly stroking her as he turned his attention back to the students. Oddly, he seemed far more wary of the children than the animals who had arrived, uninvited, in his lair. That made Pandy wonder what would happen if she hopped out into the open. Would she, too, be cradled against his chest, receiving pets from, yes, a dragon?

The very idea nearly convinced her to move out of her hiding place, but then hands grasped her around her middle, lifting her back into Thaniel’s familiar embrace. The boy clucked at her disapprovingly. “You can’t just run off, Bunny,” he told her. “What if you got me into trouble?”

Him? What if she got her into trouble? It was enough of a reminder to make her glad he’d interfered. Apparently the dragon didn’t mind a cat in the library, but how many bookstores back on Pandy’s world had cats perched in the windows? Cats and books went together like Mondays and existential dread. Rabbits, on the other hand, were generally not considered to be book-friendly, unless someone wanted their books turned into a heap of shredded paper.

Geraldine was standing in front of Professor Beeswick now, her expression showing that she was utterly astonished to find herself in this position. Still, her stubborn little chin stuck out, and the pink bow in her unapologetically curly hair clearly matched the one around Miss Cupcakes’ neck.

“May I please have my kitten back?” she asked, holding out her arms.

The librarian stared down at her, pale brows raised, then gently placed the cat into the girl’s embrace. “Mind her better from now on,” he said, not unkindly. “If she damages anything, it is you who will suffer the consequences.”

His eyes raised to look at Thaniel, then landed on Pandy, and when he spoke, it was obvious to her, at least, that he meant his next words as a warning not for the boy, but for Pandy herself. “I agreed to allow the creatures selected by Chancellor Blackwood into the library. I have been assured that their behavior will be as exemplary as that of their…masters.”

Geraldine had started backing away from the dragon as soon as Miss Cupcakes was returned to her, and now she stood beside Thaniel. The other three children were arrayed behind them, with Lord Winston standing stiffly at attention, while a small yellow head protruded from Isidor’s pocket, beady turtle eyes watching the dragon warily.

As if realizing that Professor Beeswick seemed to be particularly focused on Pandy, Thaniel swallowed hard, then nodded. “Bunny’s a really good rabbit. She didn’t hardly eat any of my books. Um, sir?”

Now the dragon’s eyes were as narrow as Miss Cupcake’s. “Hardly any?”

“None at all, I mean!” Thaniel’s voice came out in a squeak, and behind him the other four nodded in a very supportive way, even though they couldn’t know it was the truth.

The librarian’s mouth curved. “Then we shall have no problems at all.” He looked directly at Pandy as he said this, and then his head snapped around with inhuman speed, staring at a boy who had very nearly fumbled the book he was holding. Professor Beeswick was beside the poor lad in a heartbeat, releasing Thaniel and the others from their stasis, and all five children sank quickly back among the shelves.

“What was that about?” Geraldine asked, snuggling Miss Cupcakes against her. For once, the kitten didn’t look like she was merely putting up with the attention, her small furry body leaning into the girl’s for comfort.

“Well,” Eleanor ventured softly, “it does make sense that animals might not be…entirely welcome in a library.” Her hand dropped to gently stroke Winston’s velvety ear. “The other libraries I’ve been in know Lord Winston, so he’s allowed, but I’ve never seen any other pets there.”

Both Thaniel and Geraldine looked slightly scandalized, but Isidor and Abbington nodded. “There’s only one library where I grew up,” Isidor said, “and most people aren’t allowed into it, much less their pets.” Once again, his hand moved to his jacket pocket, though the turtle had retreated.

“Na’manybooksinnaVall,” Abbington agreed. “Napets’lowed. Mighteat’em.”

That was fair. If Pandy was translating correctly and getting the right idea about Abbington’s home, animals like goats and pigs were more likely companions for the people living there than well-trained dogs and cats. She certainly wouldn’t want to leave a rare object in the vicinity of a hungry goat.

The rest of the time in the library was uneventful, and when the class was called back to the door, each of them clutched a single book as if it was equal parts precious and terrifying. In the end, Thaniel, Geraldine, and Eleanor all opted to get Pirate Pete stories, while Isidor held a thick text entitled The Children of Ismara, and Abbington rather shamefacedly held The ABC’s of Elemental Magic: Always Be Careful With Fire!

More than one child was sent back to select a different book when Professor Beeswick decided the one they offered up for his approval was too difficult, or perhaps simply too precious to be trusted to their grubby grip. The librarian nodded with approval at Abbington’s choice, gave Thaniel and the girls a dubious look but allowed it, and actually smiled at Isidor.

Pandy had honestly expected the tall boy to be sent back for a different text, since Children was quite a bit larger than any other book being checked out, but there was no hesitation as the dragon pressed his finger against the book’s cover. He hadn’t done this with any of the other books, instead allowing the older student-helpers to touch the covers with one of several inkless ‘stamps’ kept behind the desk.

Once all of the children had a book, they trooped back out into the hall, passing another class of students heading in the opposite direction. Back in their classroom, Mr. Rowe gave them ten minutes or so to read their new treasures, reminding them not once but twice to be very, very careful with the precious tomes. After that, it was time for history, and while the students learned about the second king of West Altheric, Pandy tuned out.

It was almost a surprise when nothing new happened at lunch or in Combat Training, and Pandy had almost settled into rather bored complacency when she and Thaniel arrived in Governance and Leadership. Mrs. Lovett had spent the last few days discussing taxes, trade, and tariffs, and if it was possible for a room full of six-year-olds to be bored to tears, this was that room. One child was drooling onto the table behind his open textbook, while several more dabbed ink onto their hands and wrists, making it look like some kind of blue pox had descended upon the classroom.

Then, about halfway through the class, the teacher closed her book rather abruptly and said, “King Micah, have you prepared the laws?”

Micah was one of the students with blue hands, and now he yanked the appendages – complete with telltale marks – below the table. He nodded with admirable alacrity, however, and turned to one of his dukes.

“Duke Chester has them, Mrs. Lovett,” he said with a rather smarmy smile.

Duke Chester, who had also been doodling on his skin, gave his monarch a glare, but produced a few sheets of paper. Tugging his sleeves down over his wrists and hands, he passed these to the teacher. She gave them only the briefest of glances before handing them back.

“From now on, everyone will follow the laws outlined by our king and his dukes,” Mrs. Lovett said. “If anyone disagrees with them, they may bring up their concerns at court, which will take place every Friday. The king may, of course, change any law at any time.” Turning to Micah, she nodded. “Go ahead.”

Micah opened his mouth and began to read. “Everybody has to do whatever I say. Everybody except for me has to do whatever Duke Chester and William say. Everybody except for me, Chester, and William have to do what the Guards say.” The Guards didn’t even get names, but they nodded enthusiastically anyway. Apparently names didn’t matter as long as everybody else had to listen to them.

Then Micah pointed to two other boys Pandy had noticed buttering him up whenever they had Kingdom planning sessions. “Boogerton and Noseville only have to pay ten percent taxes. Everybody else has to pay twenty-five percent.”

There was definitely angry grumbling this time, but when the students in the twenty-five percent tax bracket glanced at Mrs. Lovett, she didn’t even seem to be paying attention, her pen busily moving over the papers on her desk.

Micah checked his paper again, then said, “Um, all the towns except Boogerton and Noseville have to send somebody to help build the castle. I want a moat and lots of towers.” He grinned. “All the towns have to send me a present on my birthday, which is next week.”

Now there were definitely rebellious murmurs, but the guards stepped forward, and Micah glanced down the list, quickly adding, “Anybody who says anything bad about me or the dukes has to go to jail for…for a whole week! Same for anybody who breaks any of the laws.”

A girl in the front row glanced around, then raised her hand, as if Micah was the teacher now. “What’s jail?”

Micah blinked. “Jail. You know-” He stopped, probably belatedly realizing that there wasn’t actually a jail. Turning to the guards, he whispered something, and they moved away, shoving one table off to the side.

“That’s jail,” Micah said triumphantly, then grinned as his gaze caught on the chairs that had been left behind in the table’s old position. “And there’s no chairs in jail, so anybody who gets sent there has to stand up all the time.”

This time everyone in class, including Micah, glanced toward Mrs. Lovett, but she still didn’t say anything, or even look up from her papers. The ‘king’ listed off a few more rules that were silly but not particularly annoying, then looked back at the teacher one more time before turning to Thaniel.

“And,” he said, “that rabbit is my royal pet, so I get to play with it whenever I want.”