Chapter 24: Day 24

Day 24,

Morning thought: If this has been the “dry season”, what’s the “rainy season” going to be like?

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Vernon stopped by the library early in the day.  He was looking for historical precedent in how to handle an inheritance dispute between two siblings.  Their mother passed away about a year or so back and they expect their father to follow soon.  Most of the inheritance had already been apportioned out by the old man, but one notable piece, an artifact of the paranormal kind, had been left out and by now he was too far gone to give a reliable answer about whom it should go to.

Vernon had already consulted with the Village elders, Pat included, and while they could remember a similar case a long time ago, they couldn’t agree on how the result was decided, so off to the archives Vernon went.  

It took us the better part of the day to go through the records since the date range the elders provided for when they thought it happened was about a decade wide.  At least we had references to a few other events that happened around the same time – including an unusually bad storm and the washing up of an outsider – to help narrow things down.  It looks like in that previous case the artifact in question was sent down to the Catacombs along with the deceased.  Vernon said he’d been considering something like that himself, but it had seemed a shame to just let an artifact disappear forever like that.  After some discussion on the topic (or perhaps less discussion and more him using me as a sounding board) he decided that he’d give the siblings in question the ultimatum of settling things between themselves before their father’s death or else the artifact would be entombed with him.  

He doubted that either of the siblings would be happy with the latter outcome, but hoped that it might encourage one of them to give it up voluntarily.  I pointed out this seemed idealistic.  He admitted I was probably right, but he’d rather be an idealistic fool than a cynical wise man.

I can’t fault that outlook.

Once we’d finished Vernon asked me what I wanted as payment for my help.  This was the first time a library visitor actually asked what I wanted instead of just handing me whatever groceries or coin they had on them.  Well, I suppose there was also Lin with the spare clothing, but even that was her seeing I was in need of something rather than asking me.  I initially said that basically saving my life the other day with the shades if anything it was me that owed him, but he insisted that was simply what any decent person would do, no debt or further mention necessary.  Realizing that it would be rude to refuse further I thought about it and said I could use a good pair of boots or shoes.  Something more sturdy and protective than sandals if I was going to be doing more exploring of this island and others.  That prospect of exploration seemed to delight him (“terribly exciting, the romanticism of a brave explorer traversing the wilds”), and he promised to take me out to a cobbler sometime in the next few days to get me fitted.

As he was leaving, I suddenly remembered my musings from yesterday and stopped him to ask if he knew any stories about the Village’s founding.  The question itself seemed to confuse him.  The Village was the Village.  It had always been here.  I pointed out that things don’t just come from nothing.  Everything has a starting point.  Surely that would extend to the Village too?  He shrugged, said that he guessed so, but he was never really one for deep thoughts of that sort.  I half-jokingly said that seemed like a poor trait for someone of his occupation, and he sheepishly admitted that normally he just smiles and says whatever comes to mind and most of the time people calm down and things sort themselves out.  That’s part of the reason he was so glad I was able to help him today.

Frustrated by lack of a real answer to my question as I was, I tried to hide it while I attempted to reassure him that he was fine as he was.  I’d gotten the impression that I’d touched on an insecurity of his with my last comment and wearing his heart on his sleeve as he does, it was hard not to feel a little bad about that.

Feelings smoothed over, we said our goodbyes a second time in a row and I started to close up for the evening, thinking about where to go next once I have proper footwear for the occasion.

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