Chapter One - The Library Dictator [Video]

[knowitowl]

[Now that things seem to have gone back to relative normalcy here in the land of Luceti, Wan Shi Tong decides that it is time to introduce himself to the community. Thus there will be a video feed of a very tall owl as he stands over his journal.]

Greetings citizens of Luceti, I am Wan Shi Tong, he who knows ten thousand things.

Due to my abduction from my own world and library, I have commandeered the one within this village. I will be the sole authority of the collection from this point on, and as such, there are a few new rules.

First of all, anyone who wishes to use the library must first offer new knowledge to add to the collection.

Secondly, none of the material within can be used for malicious intent. There is no exception to this. I do not care how noble your cause may be, whether it is against each other or our captors here.

Finally, I will no longer allow any materials to be removed from the building.

If these rules are not followed, there will be consequences.

Also, in regards to the last rule, all outstanding books and media must be returned for inventory. If you do not comply, I will send my assistants to retrieve them.

That is all.

[And with that the feed will end.]

Comments

[Audio]

[tearmeanewone]

Excuse me, you can't just show up here and change all the rules of the library because you say so. Maybe if it was your private collection that would be one thing, but it's not, it's the village's library. It's public.

And I'm in the middle of at least four books, I'm not returning them, or the others I have out, until I'm finished.

[It probably says something that Elizabeth is more outraged by being separated, involuntarily, from her books than she is about how dictatorial the scenario is. That bothers her too, of course, but the books are very important.]

[knowitowl]

I will give you a week to return them. If they are not back by this time I shall have them retrieved.

[He can tell already that debating with this one will be a waste if time.]

[tearmeanewone]

Giving me a week to think about it isn't going to change my mind. [Six months of torture hadn't gotten her to fold, one week is nothing.] Reading is one of the few things I do here to keep myself occupied, and I'm not going to go live in the library just because you're making the rules now for some reason.

Why do you want everything to stay in the library anyway? I haven't heard of too many books going missing or getting damaged, so why would it be necessary to stop circulation?

[knowitowl]

Of course you would not hear of it. Do you think they would confess? The rules here have been far too lax and have been exploited. I already know of several cases of theft.

[tearmeanewone]

[...wait really? Who would be stealing books from a library? What's the point when they're loaned out anyway?]

Well if you know of them, then why don't you punish those people instead of everybody? Just tell them they can't take out any books until they replace the one they stole! It's not hard, everything is free here anyway, it shouldn't be difficult for them to do.

[knowitowl]

I am working on that. However it is proving to be difficult to find some as they may have been checked out under false names. If it is proven that the majority can be trusted I might be lenient. However until then my rules shall remain as they are.

[tearmeanewone]

You might be lenient?

I'm sorry, could you tell me one more time why your word is law now? Why should I abide by your rules?

[knowitowl]

It is my duty to protect this knowledge from misuse as one might protect children from something harmful. Until it is proven that it will not be abused, I will continue to do so.