This post is part of StoryADay May (https://storyaday.org/) #StoryADay #StoryADayMay @storyadaymay #freeshortstory #HollyJahangiri #Llannonn @hjahangiri.author

For those who don’t know, years and years ago, I wrote a novel (currently out of print) set on Llannonn, a planet where courtesy is literally the law. When I went on a blog book tour for the novel, I ran a contest for naming a character in a short story set in the same world. Fellow writer Holly Jahangiri (the real one) was such a determined contestant, I named a character after her, too. That character commandeered the story, and I’ve been writing about her ever since.

I write a Holly story on the Sundays of Story A Day May.

Holly Jahangiri (the fictional one) becomes, is, and retires as a Librarian at a library for living books. It seems that somebody on Llannonn read Fahrenheit 451 and decided a library of people who recite books they’ve memorized was a great idea. Typically for Llannonn, they officialized it. Becoming a living book is now a respectable career, provided you can get a gig in a library.

Holly Meets Mam Part 2

Darzin had told Holly that he had suggested he bring Holly to tea, so she was surprised when Mam led them to the table instead of seating them in the front room, although the front room did look so stiffly uncluttered she wouldn’t have been shocked to find it had been 3D printed all in one piece.

She understood, when the table came into view. It was loaded with plates, and the plates were loaded with food.

Mam turned and beamed at her boy. “A proper tea,” she said. She took Holly’s hand and led the stunned Librarian to the far side of the table. “Place of honor,” she said, as Holly sank into her seat, eyes still on the heaps and mounds of provender.

Mam gestured to the chair across from Holly. “You’re here, today, Lamby.”

Darzin blushed at the endearment – or was it his actual Sweet Name, only used by his very nearest and very dearest? Holly’s was Squirt, although Darzin had yet to find that out.

Mam sat at the head of the table and poured the tea. It was very bad tea. It was tea made by someone who had heard about tea and had done her best with what she had, but who did not have any tea. It was tea made by someone who was a fan of Earth culture but didn’t understand that culture is part and parcel with environment, and, on Earth, they have tea leaves. It was Cargo Cult tea.

Although it was very bad tea, it wasn’t bad stewed ashkaba leaves. A little tart, a little sweet, Holly found it at least interesting.

“Delicious,” she lied.

Before Mam could fill plates with the masses of food she had prepared, there was a knock at her door.

“Lamby” moved to get up, but Mam had opened the door before he could push back his chair.

The woman outside threw herself into Mam’s arms, wailing.

“It’s Norflek! He’s missing! We’ve looked everywhere! Please, can you call your son the policeman and ask him to help? Officer Olly and Officer Stann are useless!”

Darzin joined his mother. “I’m her son the policeman,” he said. As if to prove it, he said, “What’s all this, then?”

Holly completed the trio, but said nothing, for Librarians always learn as much as they can before they speak.

The sobbing woman said, “He came home from school babbling about a Living Book who came to class for Career Day, and the next thing I knew he was gone!”

Holly touched Mam on the arm and asked to use her FAX machine. Mam nodded and indicated where it stood.

A few minutes later, Holly returned holding a sheet of paper. The woman was still listing all the places they’d already searched.

“Where does he go to school?” Holly asked, when the woman paused to draw breath.

The woman told her. Holly scanned her paper.

“What’s that?” Mam asked.

“A list of schools and which Books went where for Career Day.”

A Police Officer tripped coming up the curb but affected not to notice.

Holly introduced herself and asked, “Did you look in the cupboard under the stairs?”

“Whyever would he be there?” the distraught woman asked, but the Officer saluted, tripped again going down the curb and disappeared into a house across the way.

Two minutes later, the Officer reappeared, holding a young man by the shoulder.

“Norflek!” the woman shrieked, running to embrace the prodigal.

Darzin, who had picked up a great deal about Earth literature from hanging about with Holly, joined her in saying, “Harry Potter.”

“No,” said Mam. “That’s Norflek, all right. Now, let’s finish our tea.”

MY PROMPT FOR TODAY: Holly

MA