Chapter 64: The Search

“YOU SHOWED HIM my naked body?” Sally screamed at me when I told the tale of the wicked sorcerer.

“I didn’t want to ruin your clothes when I transformed,” I explained.

“Ha! Who needs clothes in Areola?” she asked, then spluttered in laughter. Indeed, she was sitting in front of me with nothing on but a smile.

“Well, I’m afraid that if you’d gone there yourself, he’d have done much more than see your body. His thoughts were really quite disgusting. I don’t think there is any part of you he wouldn’t have used. What’s more, by the way your body was responding, you’d have let him and not thought a thing about it until you had left and started feeling guilty and dirty.”

“You could feel what I feel in my body?” she squeaked.

“The transformation spell, when I’m in direct contact with the person I’m mimicking, is very complete. I considered letting him do exactly what he wanted.”

“Gross. You could feel me getting turned on?”

“Yes. And you, too, have a very good smell.”

“Don’t let him tease you too much, Sally,” Josie said as she sat with us. “One day you should have him transform both of you and you can make love to you as if you were him. Did I say that right?”

“Never mind,” I said. “No one said anything about Sally and me having sex.”

“Wait! You don’t want to have sex with me? Was there something so disgusting about my body when you were in it that makes me repugnant?” she asked.

“No. Not at all. We just haven’t discussed that ... or even if you will be staying in Areola. Now here’s what he had for you,” I said, changing the subject. I presented the old manuscript to her. Nimia leaned toward her to look at it as well.

“This is ... in a foreign language,” Sally said. “How would I have gotten turned on by that?”

“I can translate for you,” Nimia said as she began reading from the page. I could visibly see the change coming over Sally. Her nipples hardened, a flush spread across her face and chest and her breathing sped up. And there was a delicate aroma of an aroused woman emanating from beneath the table.

“Um ... Nimia, I’m not, like, into girls, but if you want me to eat you while you read, I’ll figure it out. My god! I do have a scent!”

“Told you,” I said. “Now, about your stay in Areola.”

Nimia closed the book so Sally would pay attention to me.

“A different dimension,” she whispered. “It doesn’t feel any different.”

“We need to figure out if you are a temporary resident or permanent. I’m not saying you need to decide this instant, but I’m not willing to show you any more of Areola if you are going back to the natural world and leaving us. You have your life ahead of you in the natural world and could write your thesis. I’d even give you an exact duplicate of this book. It might take a while for you to get it translated, but you would have source material.”

“I could go back to what you call the natural world and be considered a crackpot and lunatic. I’d be ridiculed in every academic institution in the world and would end up stacking panties at Walmart. No thanks. I want to stay here. I would like to send a message to my parents to let them know that I’m safe but not coming back.”

“Many of us have had to keep in touch with our families back home for a while. I popped in occasionally until my parents died and I still get trundled out to do presentations occasionally. They make me look like an old woman, though,” Liz said.

“Wait! You’re that Liz?”

“Mmmhmm.”

“Please, Bob. Let me stay in Areola. Let me be ... one of your concubines. Have sex with me. Make love to me. And let me study the nature of alternate dimensions from inside one.”

I smiled at her. What could be better?

Being chased around in a game was not the first time I’d been chased. Might have been the most fun, though. And Sally proved to be both an enthusiastic lover and a great researcher. What I know about the infinity room now, I mostly learned from her.

Let me explain.

Assertions, denials, speculation, diversion. Conflict, rebellion, revolution. It’s all about libraries.

I know that comes out of the blue—doesn’t everything?—but it’s important.

I’ve been fascinated by books and scrolls since the day I came into existence. I found half a dozen scrolls in Pinaruti’s magic room and read them repeatedly. Whenever I could gain a scroll or book, I did. I imported massive libraries and, when possible, librarians into the infinity room where we recreated both the volumes and the surroundings. Then Marian, our modern-day librarian, began the process of collecting all the digital media she could find, including papers, magazines, books, movies, and websites. Our scientists found a way to power readers for that information. It’s all quite remarkable.

But one thing the best libraries have always been is ‘public.’ Any individual can gain access to the words in a library. And perhaps our library contains more dangerous words than any other library that has ever existed. It has never been restricted. And so, when a person chooses to study a subject in depth and learn all he or she can learn about it, they are free to do so, and our staff of librarians, who probably know more about what is in the library than any other human could possibly know, will help direct that curious individual to the books that will impart that knowledge.