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“What should we do next?” Liberty stood and went over to the helm.
Boy stared over the railing at the passing clouds. “Did Mender tell you about his parents?” He turned and walked over to be near her.
She sat in the captain’s chair and leaned her shoulders back. “Not much.” Her expression turned thoughtful. “In fact, he was rather vague whenever he talked about them.” She shrugged. “I didn’t think anything about it at the time but now wish I’d asked more questions.”
“Do you know where they live?” He had been thinking of a plan during the night that might help him relearn some of the things he was having trouble remembering.
“I know the general area. Why?” Liberty was now fully focused on Boy.
“They’re caretakers of the only known library to have survived the Great War. Do you think we could visit them? Maybe they’ll let us see their books.” He crossed his fingers behind his back, hoping she would agree but fearful she wouldn’t. She had a schedule to keep after all.
Liberty grinned and slapped the armrest. “Why the hell not?”
“Really?” He’d heard her words but had trouble believing he’d heard right.
She leaned in close and studied Boy’s face intently. “I think it’s time we made up a few new rules of our own.” She slid out of the chair and knelt in front of him. Excitement radiated from her every pore.
“For once I’m going to skip traveling to Forbidden.” She jumped up and pulled him along as she headed toward the galley. There, Liberty grabbed an apple and motioned for him to sit with her at the table.
Once seated, she leaned both elbows on the tabletop. “It’s just the two of us now so why shouldn’t we go where we want?”
“I agree, so you want to see the library too?” Boy loved seeing how her face glowed with enthusiasm. Maybe she needed this side-trip just as much as he did.
But her smile had slipped a little at his question. Liberty looked at the apple in her hand instead of Boy when she answered, “I would like to meet Mender’s parents, but...” She finally met his eyes again. “I don’t know how to read.” She waved her hands around. “Books were the one thing we never had on Airus so Father never talked about them.” She shrugged. “Maybe he didn’t know how to read either.”
Boy blinked and tried to comprehend no one knowing how to read. His father had only owned a few books but it had been one of the things he had taken the time to teach him.
“I’ll teach you.” Maybe he was still useful after all. His heart soared at the thought.
Liberty grinned. “Really?” She stood and reached across the table, pulling him into a tight hug before releasing him and motioning him to follow her. “Let’s go and set a new course then.” Liberty marched off without looking behind. “I can’t wait to meet Mender’s parents.”
Liberty abruptly stopped and Boy ran right onto her heels. They both laughed and then Liberty grabbed him by his shoulders. “Librarians! I’ve never met a librarian before. I wonder what they’re like?” She paused as she thought about it and then asked, “Do you think they’ll like me?”
Boy touched her arm. “They’re going to love you.” They would. Boy just knew it. Liberty was the most lovable person on earth. How could they not?
The trip up north took only a few days. Was Liberty as nervous as he was about meeting Mender’s parents? The idea of going to see them had sounded great at first but the nearer they got, the clearer it became that they might not let him into their library, and even if they did it might not help him recover who he’d once been.
“Where should we set down?” Liberty tapped the altimeter’s glass before looking over at him. She had let him sit in the captain’s chair, given that his legs still collapsed out from under him for no apparent reason every so often.
He felt great sitting here at the helm. During the trip he had closed his eyes several times and pretended to be in control of Airus. Could he be the captain of his own airship one day? Was that too much for a robot to wish for? Maybe he should stop wishing for what he wanted and go after it instead.
Boy slid out of the chair and walked over to the railing, to get a better view of the forlorn city they now hovered over. Most of it had been leveled to the ground but at its edge several building had somehow made it unscathed through the war and the intervening centuries.
Boy turned and waved toward them. “I think we should check over there.”
Liberty ran over and kissed the top of his head. “I think you may be right. Besides, what do we have to lose if we don’t pick right first time? We have all the time in the world.”
He stared at her, amazed at how much she’d changed since they’d first met. Whether it was for the best or not only time would tell.