Chapter Text
"Alright, let's get started." Isaac sat down at the table. With only three students, he'd decided to hold the class at one of the cafes in the marbling. The formal classrooms were just too intimidating, especially since one of them was only a preteen. "So, you're Mo, Darius, and Meggie. And you obviously all know each other, so there's no need for introductions there. I'm Isaac Vainio of the Porters. The Porters were founded by Gutenberg in the 16th century to control the newly-created art of libromancy. Gutenberg discovered that if enough people read identical editions of the same text, that belief could create magical artifacts that could be pulled out of books."
"Wait, that doesn't make sense," Mo interrupted. "If the magic required a certain amount of belief, and the belief required a certain number of books, how could it be discovered in the first place?"
"Maybe it's like the internet." Meggie said. "You can't have it with just one computer."
"I've never been able to understand it either," Isaac confessed. "I've just been more interested in how to use it. But it does have some limitations that don't seem to apply to you three."
"Such as?"
"We can only produce items that can fit through the book. So I might be able to pull out a gun or a magic potion, but not a spaceship. Or a person."
The others exchanged nervous glances.
"It's not always a good thing," Mo said bitterly. "I wish Capricorn had stayed in his book."
"It wasn't a fair trade, that's for sure," Meggie agreed.
"Trade?"
"Something comes out; something goes in." Darius gestured. "The best ones can balance the scales with small things--flowers, butterflies, that kind of thing. But not always. Every time I had to read something out for Capricorn--" he shuddered. "Something disappeared. Or someone."
"Into the book?" Isaac leaned closer. "That's impossible. Square pegs and round holes. Putting something back after it's been taken out, yes. I've had to repair weapons that way often enough. But for an ordinary person to disappear--"
"Ask Resa, if you don't believe me." Mo sighed. "She has ten years of memories. Ten years in Fengelio's world, all the ordinary details and grand events."
"I didn't mean to insult--but that's remarkable. Not even Gutenberg could do that. I don't know if he'd have the imagination for it."
"Gutenberg? Named after the printer?"
"He is the printer."
"Still alive? How?" Meggie asked. "That'simpossible."
"Have you ever heard of the Holy Grail?"
Meggie shook her head, but Mo and Darius nodded.
"He locked the book afterwards, so no one else could do it again. He's done it to other books, too. The Lord of the Rings, for example. Can you imagine if someone got their hands on the Ring?"
Darius shuddered.
Isaac pulled out a notebook and pen. "I can't wait to hear what else you have to teach me."