- Apr 20, 2004
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[I occasionally write a little blurb about working in the library; some of the library regulars have made their way into these stories as being central players in the battle between good and evil. I contribute this to occasional boredom and an overactive imagination...) 
]
Some interesting developments in the ongoing Saga of the Library. (If you
missed out on past installments let me know...) The White Lady (psychic witch and defender of all that is good) and her lieutenant The Razor (so named for the pink disposable razor he dry-shaves himself with) are back, and as grimy as ever; they have returned to the library after a significant absence. What could the sudden re-emergence of these mighty Heroes mean? Consider it in light of this recent development, which occurred a few days before their return:
***
A few weeks ago I was sitting at the reference desk on the 10:00 shift, just as the library opened. A very peculiar fellow made his way back towards the desk, kinda meandering on his way-- very nonchalant. He was dressed in ragamuffin clothing (nearly all black though), complete with a sort of floppy wide-brimmed hat that appeared to be made out of felt or similar material. His face had the sort of weatherbeaten appearance commonly seen in the library-- deeply tanned with lots of lines. His hair, shoulder-length, was loose strands of it snaked out from under his hat and around his face. There were two things about this character that struck me though: One was the strange, psychedelic gleam in his eye as he approached the desk. The other were the *noisemakers*
adorning his whipcord frame. He had a huge necklace dangling hundreds of tiny bells that jingled with every step; in the back pocket of his ragged black pants he had two "Rhythm Sticks"-- plastic handles with several tambourine jingles attached to them. He came up to the desk but didn't ask any questions. He stood there looking at some of the signs, at some of the books and various pamphlets. I couldn't tell if he needed help, and there was only one way to find out. I addressed him in my helpful, friendly reference-desk voice:
"Good morning, how are you? Can I help you find something?"
He looked over at me, almost like he was startled; the demented gleam in his eyes (I think they were blue, I can't remember though) was obvious. THIS GUY LOOKED NUTS! He cracked a weird half-smile(?) and replied,
"Yes... it's a good morning. A good day." Then he wandered off into the
occult reference section (R130s), which is right by the desk. After going through several titles, he made another pass by the desk and meandered back towards the library entrance. My curiosity was piqued; I went over to the R130s and looked through some of the titles. Daimonic Reality: A Field Guide to the Otherworld, Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology, Dictionary of Occultism & Parapsychology, etc. Hmmm...
What really got me wondering though were those BELLS. Why was he wearing them?
I seemed to recall myths/legends of bells being used to ward off evil spirits
and in various magic rituals and whatnot, and my research that day confirmed this. Consider the contents of this link and some subsequent excerpts:
http://helixmusic.com.au/posters/bells.htm
@ "Beliefs abound concerning their special powers-to induce rain or to
dissolve storm clouds; to thwart demons when worn as amulets or when placed on animals, buildings, or conveyances; or to invoke curses and lift spells.
@ "Bells are still thought to possess apotropaic powers. With their adoption, the Christian church took over the belief that ghosts and demons could be put to flight by the sound of metal."
So... who was this mysterious vagabond? How does he tie into the secret
struggle for cosmic power being waged between rival factions in the library? For what purpose does he employ these bells and jingles? Why was it such a vaguely "good day"? Is he the true opposite of the White Lady-- the Man In Black-- or just another cracked casualty of Modesto? So many unanswered questions. Who knows what the answers are...
]Some interesting developments in the ongoing Saga of the Library. (If you
missed out on past installments let me know...) The White Lady (psychic witch and defender of all that is good) and her lieutenant The Razor (so named for the pink disposable razor he dry-shaves himself with) are back, and as grimy as ever; they have returned to the library after a significant absence. What could the sudden re-emergence of these mighty Heroes mean? Consider it in light of this recent development, which occurred a few days before their return:
***
A few weeks ago I was sitting at the reference desk on the 10:00 shift, just as the library opened. A very peculiar fellow made his way back towards the desk, kinda meandering on his way-- very nonchalant. He was dressed in ragamuffin clothing (nearly all black though), complete with a sort of floppy wide-brimmed hat that appeared to be made out of felt or similar material. His face had the sort of weatherbeaten appearance commonly seen in the library-- deeply tanned with lots of lines. His hair, shoulder-length, was loose strands of it snaked out from under his hat and around his face. There were two things about this character that struck me though: One was the strange, psychedelic gleam in his eye as he approached the desk. The other were the *noisemakers*
adorning his whipcord frame. He had a huge necklace dangling hundreds of tiny bells that jingled with every step; in the back pocket of his ragged black pants he had two "Rhythm Sticks"-- plastic handles with several tambourine jingles attached to them. He came up to the desk but didn't ask any questions. He stood there looking at some of the signs, at some of the books and various pamphlets. I couldn't tell if he needed help, and there was only one way to find out. I addressed him in my helpful, friendly reference-desk voice:
"Good morning, how are you? Can I help you find something?"
He looked over at me, almost like he was startled; the demented gleam in his eyes (I think they were blue, I can't remember though) was obvious. THIS GUY LOOKED NUTS! He cracked a weird half-smile(?) and replied,
"Yes... it's a good morning. A good day." Then he wandered off into the
occult reference section (R130s), which is right by the desk. After going through several titles, he made another pass by the desk and meandered back towards the library entrance. My curiosity was piqued; I went over to the R130s and looked through some of the titles. Daimonic Reality: A Field Guide to the Otherworld, Encyclopedia of Witchcraft and Demonology, Dictionary of Occultism & Parapsychology, etc. Hmmm...
What really got me wondering though were those BELLS. Why was he wearing them?
I seemed to recall myths/legends of bells being used to ward off evil spirits
and in various magic rituals and whatnot, and my research that day confirmed this. Consider the contents of this link and some subsequent excerpts:
http://helixmusic.com.au/posters/bells.htm
@ "Beliefs abound concerning their special powers-to induce rain or to
dissolve storm clouds; to thwart demons when worn as amulets or when placed on animals, buildings, or conveyances; or to invoke curses and lift spells.
@ "Bells are still thought to possess apotropaic powers. With their adoption, the Christian church took over the belief that ghosts and demons could be put to flight by the sound of metal."
So... who was this mysterious vagabond? How does he tie into the secret
struggle for cosmic power being waged between rival factions in the library? For what purpose does he employ these bells and jingles? Why was it such a vaguely "good day"? Is he the true opposite of the White Lady-- the Man In Black-- or just another cracked casualty of Modesto? So many unanswered questions. Who knows what the answers are...
