“It is now, though, isn’t it?” Liesl said.
“Should I get my Bunsen burner then?”
She stepped back from the case to admire the lighting setup. The room was filling. As she suspected, the beginning of the ceremonies had not been held up on her behalf. They were waiting for the money. And the money walked into the room and right toward her.
“My favorite librarian,” Percy Pickens said.
No sooner had he greeted her than she spotted President Garber who was, with no discretion whatsoever, rushing across the room so that Liesl would not be left alone with the donor. He very nearly spilled his pinot noir.
“What a surprise that you made it to our celebration, Liesl.”
“I RSVP’d.”
“Of course. For the exhibition opening. It’s very exciting.”
“The turnout is rather good.” She wandered to the next case, and he had to trail behind her. The blue and gold. It still took her breath away.
“It should be,” Percy said. “You’ve invited Chris’s family and lots of friends, haven’t you?”
“You thought Chris’s family and friends would be especially interested in this exhibition, President Garber?” Liesl asked. She leaned closer to the case to read the plaque explaining the scholar’s theories about the plundering of treasures from the Great Mosque, the centuries-long search for the blue Quran.
“The exhibition, sure,” Percy said. “But the real draw is the presentation, isn’t it? This wine is terrible.”
“Oh?” Liesl said as she finally turned and looked back at the men.
“Acidic,” Percy said. “Has the library changed caterers? Liesl, where were you sourcing your wine when you did all this? I think they must be using someone different now. Cheaper. Or new world.”
“What’s to be presented?” she asked.
“It’s meant to be a surprise,” Percy said. “Though I could enjoy a surprise better if I had something more appropriate to toast with.”
“What’s being presented?”
“Percy has made a generous donation,” Garber said. Percy frowned at his wineglass. And Liesl noticed, for the first time, that there was a black drape covering something on the wall of the large reading room.
“Something for the collection?”
“You really don’t know?” Garber asked. “Perhaps we should leave it a secret after all.”
“Best not to have secrets among friends,” Liesl said.
“Oh, all right,” Percy said. “President Garber recently informed me that the naming rights for this very reading room were available.”
“The naming rights?” She managed a half smile. “So am I now standing in the Percy Pickens Reading Room?”
“That was my first thought, but no. I did one better. There are plenty of rooms in plenty of buildings that bear my name, but this will be the first named after a man of letters, a man who gave me plenty of laughs and plenty of tax receipts, a great man. Can you guess?”
“No.”
“Oh, be serious now. It’s the Christopher Wolfe Reading Room. A fitting honor for an honorable man.”
Liesl’s half smile was fixed in place. She bobbed her head to some unheard music and then reached her hand out, took Percy’s glass of pinot noir, and downed the remnants in one mighty gulp.
His mouth opened and she could see the tip of his tongue, flexing to find words and failing spectacularly. She handed back the glass.
“He’s right, you know,” she said to Garber. “The wine is rubbish.”
“She drank my wine,” Percy said, to no one and everyone.
“We should let them get started,” Liesl said.
Before Garber could snap his fingers to summon a fresh glass and an ice pack for Percy’s ego, the new chief librarian walked into the reading room. The two women spoke often, but Liesl hadn’t seen her since her retirement.
“Rhonda, congratulations on the exhibition,” Liesl said. “What I’ve seen so far is thrilling.”
“Hello, Professor Washington,” Percy said.
“How nice to see you again, Percy.” Rhonda kept her arm around Liesl’s waist as she greeted the donor. “I see your wine is empty. Is someone bringing you another?”
He looked down at the empty vessel, betrayed by it.
“Now, I hate to be a gossip,” Liesl said. “But what’s this top-secret new research project I’m hearing about?”
Liesl stole a peek at Percy. He was frowning. A rich man doesn’t appreciate being the last to know. Garber frowned because Percy was frowning. Rhonda smiled even wider.