Chapter 2: All The Right Friends

I entered the dojo and went to meet the teacher (or Shifu) it was from him that I felt the pull of the Power, he nodded to me and indicated the mat that was between us, as I approached the training mat I knew I had to remove my shoes – I read it somewhere – and bowed to the mat, it was going to stop me being serious hurt when I hit it.

The Shifu, who was an elderly man, dressed in a Chinese gown and wore wooden slippers, took one look at me and then held up his hand. "Join me in office, we have tea." He said in broken English

I blinked but did as he asked, he squatted down at a low table and I followed suit by taking a place in front of him, he clapped his hands, a woman entered and bowed to him and he spoke quickly to her in Chinese (okay so I found out later it was Mandarin). She nodded and left.

"We will have tea shortly." He said and watched me.

"Good, what tea is it? Lapsan Souchong? Oolong?" I asked him showing off my meagre knowledge

"No, Twinings - we buy from supermarket down the road." He said and began laughing.

There was a scolding tone from the doorway as the woman re-entered the room carrying a tray on which were two cups, "I must apologise for my grandfather, for he likes to tease people." She said to me in English.

He shook his head at her and said something that I couldn't understand. She turned to me. "My Grandfather wants to know why a person such as you - with the power you have - would want to learn self-defence?" She asked.

I looked at him, "Because sometimes power isn't enough, you have to know when not to use it, but to use your body to stop others instead. You may be able to think your way out of a problem but you still have to defend yourself while doing that." I said.

He nodded and then spoke again, the woman translated. "You are correct, but there may be little grandfather can teach you, your body needs work but that you can have at any exercise gym."

I nodded, "this is true, but I find that people have started to attack me, I would like to be able to stop them without getting hurt. I am willing to pay for the lessons."

The Shifu was nodding his head before I'd finished and I knew he understood me better than I did him. He spoke again to his granddaughter, "Grandfather agrees but requests a different payment," she looked at him in surprise and then continued, "Grandfather wants to know how the books he sees in his dreams can help him?" She spoke rapidly to her grandfather who said one word back to her; she became subdued and stood with her head down.

I looked at the old man, "You've found that you have a library that you can only see in your dreams, the books or however you see them are Black, White and Yellow and they hint at things that cannot be true?" I asked him hearing a gasp from the woman

He nodded his head and then spoke to his granddaughter, "Grandfather says that it has always been in his dreams ... it is something that many in our family have seen." She said as her voice dropped.

"Including your dreams?" I asked the obvious question.

The Shifu looked sharply at his granddaughter and then fired off a question. She replied in the same language – I really needed a translation spell. Hold on ... I knew one. It was the very first spell I cast in my library - "Translate." I said and immediately I heard her answer in English.

" ... but my mother has told me never to reveal this in case I am branded a witch." The woman said.

"It is true that in olden days you might be, but this is a time when strange things can happen, daughter of my daughter, I would never call you a witch." The Shifu said.

"Indeed not, I've just learnt about the scripts and how to use them. I just take time in realising what can be done with them but I know I'm not a witch." I said making both look at me.

"If you already knew my language why did you have me disturb my granddaughter to translate my words?" The Shifu said affronted at my apparent subterfuge.

"Because I didn't, not at first but then I remembered the first spell I ever cast, to translate a script into readable form, all I did was to cast it then and now you can hear the result." I said.

The Shifu nodded and then looked at his granddaughter, "You may return to your mother, I will not need you to translate anymore." He said.

She nodded and was about to withdraw when I spoke again, "If I might? Your granddaughter also has a library of books that she is uncertain of, could I not talk to you both, if that doesn't cause any..." I had to think for a moment, " ... loss of face for any of us?"

The Shifu thought for a moment and then nodded, "You may remain, granddaughter, but speak nought of this to anyone else."

She bowed to him and said, "Thank you my grandfather, you do me honour." She said and knelt down to sit beside him.

I wondered what to do now and then I realised, "Shifu, if I could ask you to enter a meditative state and picture your library, if I can ask your granddaughter to do the same?"

The Shifu looked surprised but didn't speak, the granddaughter opened her mouth but closed it again, it was obvious me that she didn't understand what to do. "Just concentrate on the books that you've seen and picture them in a large library, shelves ready for the books you will gain later." I said

She closed her eyes and began to breath; the Shifu was already relaxed and was away. I closed my eyes and pictured my library

I was now standing inside my library and looked around, the walls were whole and I couldn't see any way of moving out from it, I sighed as it was obvious that I needed help here "Aristotle? I need to move to another library, can you help me?" I said out loud.

A door opened in a wall and Aristotle looked in, he beckoned to me "I think you should see this." He said and so I went to the door and looked through it. There was the Shifu seated in a lotus position his eyes were closed, his library had large vases some containing koi carp, it was very relaxing and reflected his temperament. To one side was a training mat with wooden staves held on the walls, this showed that his martial art training remained with him even here.

"Greetings Shifu." I said with a bow and he opened his eyes.

"Greetings Chris Beaker, I did wonder how you would achieve this?" he said without a trace of accent, but then I was inside his library and would therefore understand him.

"May I introduce a person who will be a friend; his name to me is Aristotle, although you may call him something else." I turned to see that Aristotle had altered his appearance. He was now dressed in a long flowing robe that had large arms; on his head was a small hat with a button visible.

Aristotle spoke a sentence in Chinese which I didn't understand but Shifu's face lit up and he nodded, "I am honoured to meet you as well Guan-Yu (although I heard it as Goo-arn Yoo) I hope that your faith is reflected in me."

I must have looked confused (or is that Confucius?) as Shifu regarded me, "your friend shows himself as one of the gods, in this aspect he was a fighter who tries to avoid conflict but will not dodge from fighting if there is no other way, I am surprised you sought me out as he would be able to teach you."

"I would be unable to help Chris in that respect, I am here as the teacher in the world of books only, that is my work here." Aristotle (or Guan-Yu) said with a shake of his head.

Shifu nodded in understanding, "I see, then I thank you for this," he gestured to the walls of his library where there were books stacked. "I presume that you have supplied these for me."

Aristotle (I'm going to call him that as it's what I'm more comfortable with) nodded his head, "that is my purpose in this place, Chris Beaker calls me the Library of the World and to that end I supply those able to reach this level a selection of books to help them understand themselves and other people, for when you use the spells here you have to chose when to use them, but I give you a warning, never try to use the spells to your own advantage, they will backfire on you and turn out to be damaging." He said.

Shifu nodded, "I could tell from the Chi of Chris Beaker, he is aligned with the Yin of the world, but I would think that somewhere there is a Yang to balance him."

For a reason this troubled me, I knew about the shortcomings of the magic I used, but what if someone had managed to use the Black Books to their own benefit. There was always a loophole if you had time to study anything.

"Shifu, I need to visit your granddaughter's library, and I would be grateful if you would accompany me there as a family chaperone." I said.

The Shifu nodded and Aristotle created a doorway with a bell attached to it. I smiled at the addition and then rung the bell. From the other side of the door I heard a timid "Come in?" and the door opened.

"It's Chris Beaker and your grandfather." I said out loud before we even looked into the room.

"So it was true, you can enter these libraries ... but that means you can just walk in whenever you want." The woman said with panic in her voice, which made me stop in my tracks, she would be too scared for me to be there at the moment.

"No so, Rose Blossom, they can only enter when you give them permission, this I have allowed for you." Said Aristotle but again his voice had changed to that of a woman's, I looked over at him and found that not only had his voice changed but also his body had as well, he/she went ahead of us to talk to Rose Blossom.

Shifu nodded his head, "he now appears as Guan-Yin. She is the goddess of compassion and Caring. That will help my granddaughter." He said.

"Thank you Shifu, I have to admit that my knowledge of these things is sadly lacking, I've concentrated mainly on computers and programming." I said.

"Ah, the world of the electronic and visual, the one that is taking over the minds of people, so how is it that you are now immersed in this world of books, I would think this was not of your choosing?"

I had to smile, "That is the story I want to tell you both, so if you won't mind waiting." I asked.

"It is fine, I'm sure it will be worth the wait." Shifu said with a nod of his head.

Soon Aristotle, I mean Guan-Yin ... no, I mean, oh you know who, re-entered the Shifu's library, "Rose Blossom is prepared for you now." He said

I wasn't taking any chances, "Rose Blossom, is it all right for your Grandfather and myself to enter?" I asked her.

"Yes, please enter gentlemen." Rose said demurely

Immediately as we entered Rose Blossom's library we could see that it was a woman who wanted to be a fighter, on the wall between the shelves of books there were swords and shields, a copy of the dojo's mat was on the floor and separated from the library by a bamboo curtain.

I could see that she had mainly White and Yellow books on show, in one corner there were some Black Books. Rose saw my look and looked defiant, "I didn't like the things that those books were telling me and so I decided not to touch them, whenever I find them I tend to leave them to one side.

I nodded and addressed the pair. "These books hold an immense power and we are entrusted to use that power wisely. The White Books have spells that allow casters to take power from themselves to cast them; it does mean that you have to replenish that power, normally by eating. The Yellow Books are for this world only, as they show how to use the electrical and mechanical powers and to add them to the user to increase that power. The Black Books are powerful spells that rely on the power within the planet to help you, should too much power be taken then this planet would suffer." I said in my best lecturing voice.

"How do you know this is so? I've heard stories over the years; nothing has said anything about the world being affected." Rose Blossom said out loud and then looked abashed at her words.

"That is a very good question, if I may ask for another visitor to enter your library?" I asked and she thought for a moment before nodding her head. "Ichabod, may I ask for your presence?" I said quietly.

"For you Stranger, anything." Said Ichabod said as he appeared in the room causing Rose Blossom to gasp at the sight of him.

I have described Ichabod before, but for those who haven't read the story I will describe him again, he was a tall, skinny, man with dark hair which is tied into a plat behind him and it shows up from his tri-corn hat, he wears a waist-coat with golden buttons and has breeches which goes to stocking legs and shoes which have a buckle on each one, a perfect 17^th or 18^th century character – based on Ichabod Crane of Sleepy Hollow fame (the Walt Disney version not the live action one) – Should anyone cause him to get angry then he can transform into the Headless Horseman, complete with pumpkin head.

"Shifu and Rose Blossom, this is Ichabod, he is the Library of the Accord on the world of Zorba'n, a world many light years away. Ichabod can you tell these two about Zorba'n." I said but Shifu was looking puzzled.

"You called this person as a friend, but he named you as Stranger? Why is this?" And Rose Blossom nodded in agreement.

Ichabod smiled, "That will be a part of the story I will tell you, but rest assured that Chris Beaker here is welcomed as a emissary for this world to Zorba'n, where he is called The Stranger in response to a legend that is on that world.

"You see back in the dim mists of time on the World known as Zorba'n..." Ichabod created a globe which spun in the air, there were two green land masses separated by a large sea. "On that world were people who found out how to use the power of the land to cast spells over others and soon two great forces were created, one on the Eastern Continent the other on the Western Continent.

"Both sent bolts of fire from one continent to another, causing devastation wherever they landed, so necessitating the use of more power for which they used the very land that they lived on, this caused patches of wastelands where nothing would grow as the very essence of the land was removed. Some worked out how to harness the very power of the sun, called Clander'ha, causing the sun to change its aspect to that of a dull red star." The globe in his hand had begun to change showing the damage being caused.

"Eventually both sides saw the damage they had caused to the land and so the Western Continent raised a shield and forbad the use of any spells that would lay waste to the land, in this Continent rose the pact of the Accord, the High Mage Doto'n of the house of Grork'n decreed that all apprentices would be given books from which to learn, however these would be hidden in the mind until those of the correct level of power could receive them."

Ichabod shook his head, "This was a lie and was the first that was given to the people on that land as all potential mages would receive a library and it was only their intelligence that allowed them to access it – He perceived a time when the Eastern Continent – who had continued their attack to the deficit of their own lands – would try to invade the Western Continent. At that time an apprentice of great potential would emerge and due to an accident travel beyond our known world and find The Stranger, who would teach her new powers and would show the mages of the Western Continent how to use them...

"But there were some who didn't want to wait for this time and so forced an apprentice to take the trip in the void between the worlds to find a person who would take on the role of The Stranger, Sar'ha was that apprentice and Chris Beaker was the man she found, he learnt how to use the scripts wisely and did indeed show Sar'ha a new way to use them. Her sister Sop'ha found how to use the power of others to increase her magic without damaging the world and these scripts have started to replace the Black scripts as they are found and altered. These show as Green Scripts and to that event..." Ichabod looked at Rose Blossom's pile of Black Books and some altered to become Green Books.