Chapter 40

The Next Day

Wednesday

When I got up, I felt lighter, no worries about that Digital World stuff until later, after breakfast, questions about the future of libraries came around again.

– Even if only one part of that scenario got going soon, what would prevent it and others from becoming much worse over time?

– Are there ways the Internet could go bad or be tampered with that could bring on a new age of darkness for learning and knowledge?

– What if repressive politics and governments gained strength; how could they be prevented from manipulating and destroying electronic information?

– If libraries were already gone, what would be our back-up?

Of course I didn’t imagine anything bad would happen anytime soon. If something bad was going to happen, it would probably move slow, over time. I remember that old fable about putting a frog in a pot of cold water on the stove and slowly raising the temperature just a smidgeon every little while over a long period of time, and how the frog wouldn’t notice and be cooked. I’m pretty sure that’s not true, but it makes me wonder, if people’s minds were manipulated slowly and skillfully would everyone, or even a few, catch on to what was happening? I don’t know.

Then what if after a while there weren’t any written records laying around to prove shenanigans; would anyone even listen to objections or differing opinions? What a frightening and awful prospect. Library shelves are a wonderful place where serendipity lives. You might find something unrelated to your original subject area as you walk in or out that, combined with what you already know, would set the world on its ear. What if you could no longer browse? Most librarians have a couple of good stories about browsing shelves.

The Internet just can’t compete, it’s not like a library. And if all the information isn’t there, then all of us are in serious trouble. We mustn’t let our minds be limited or reduced by small screens that deliver only what a digital company, boss, teacher, friend or government chooses. OK, that’s enough of that, I’m done worrying about what could go wrong in my academic world. I’d rather look ahead. I no longer have a headache or any pressing chores, must be time to plan my next move.

I thought of Yarrl in the desert; what he’d learned, how some of his questions about life had been answered by Arsenius. I thought of his codex: he seemed to be satisfied with his new life in the desert and new focus for his work. I was glad of that positive outcome. I wondered how and when I would figure out what’s truly important for me.

“Could I find my own answers and change?” I mumbled to myself. The answer came as I asked the question, ‘Artemus, when you return to your own time, your world, seek us and we’ll talk further.’

“Yes, I can do that,” I said out loud and sat down at the computer to search for deserts in the U.S.A. I remembered the Guardians of Knowledge and Wisdom should be sought in a desert. Way south and west of the prairie where I live, the Sonoran Desert looked perfect. It’s huge and known to be hot. It’ll be like Egypt.

Anyway, I wasn’t ready to go back to work, I needed quiet; I needed to get in tune with the Guardians and the twentieth century. So I called Roger, who makes all those financial decisions about my budget and signs my pay check. I told him I felt good, but needed a little more time to recuperate. Roger was OK with that, and mentioned there might be some problems and serious issues involving the university and Digital World later on. He didn’t give me any details and I didn’t ask. We both knew we would handle whatever it turns out to be whenever it comes to pass.

“Take your time, we’ll be here John.” He wished me well and asked me to stay in touch.

I felt lighter, let go of any worry about the library and envisioned a new desert adventure. Before my accident, I’d never have imagined going to stay in a desert. Hot, dry, alone, silent; maybe I’ve already changed. Energized, I pulled out the camping gear, a few clothes, survival food just in case; put gas in the Jeep and studied a USGS topography map of Arizona to pick a destination for my journey.

Ready to hit the road, I relaxed, had a light supper and decided to email Mark. He hadn’t heard from me for a while.

From:
John Newton

To:

Mark Miller

Subject:

Finished Yarrl’s codices

Mark,

Read the codices you sent. Thanks! Most interesting, sad for the loss of that great library.

Those texts seemed to have had a profound effect on me as I had a dream about Yarrl and his library. It seemed real, a story for another time.

If possible, you and Alexi should keep searching in that area. My intuition wants me to believe there are more documents worth discovering.

Carry on,

John

Ready for another desert adventure, I looked forward to the drive. I could travel without knowing what the outcome might be, just as Yarrl and I had in Egypt. My plan was to subsist in the desert and connect with the Guardians. I hope it all works out.

Thursday

Next morning, a bright spot of sunlight at the foot of the bed invited me to get going. Maybe next month I can begin to save the world from darkness, despair and ignorance. Thinking of Yarrl and our desert sojourn, I headed a bit west and a lot south toward the future. I knew the days would unfold as they should. And as I thought of Yarrl’s preservation work in the desert and Alexi’s discovery this year in the same area, I knew the Guardians would send me in the right direction.

In the Arizona desert everything Yarrl and I had learned from Arsenius came back to me.

 NEXT.....At Home 1997