Free The Tatja Grimm's World by Vinge Vernor Page B

the equal of that artist’s Lindolef study. Svir opened it to the table of contents. Beneath the magazine’s famous motto, “Things are not as they seem,” were listed ten stories by authors from all over the world, including new works by Ivam Alecque and Enar Gereu. Svir flipped through the pages and came across one that caught on his fingers. It wasn’t made of the usual seaweed pulp, but of some heavier, lacquer-coated material. At the top of the page was written: “Meet the Fantasia staff.” There were six portraits, done in tones of green. They weren’t acid-etch prints, or even paintings. Though green tinted, these pictures seemed realistic beyond all art. And one was a perfect likeness of … Tatja Grimm.
    Svir wondered if he looked as embarrassed as he felt. These people were everything they claimed to be. And now Tatja Grimm was even more desirable—if that were possible—than she’d been before the others appeared.
    Tatja placed her hand on his arm as she saw what he was looking at. “How do you like those pictures? It’s something we picked up in the Osterlais. Those pictures are made by a machine that looks at its subject and instantly ‘paints’ the picture, just like in the Diogens stories.” Her hand slipped down onto his. For a moment Svir’s vision blurred. A warm glow spread through his body. “My picture is at the bottom there because the Science Department was only introduced last year, when Svektr here gave in to the increased popularity of Contrivance Fiction … . How long have you been acquainted with Fantasie ?”
    “Ever since I was in triform school. Ten years. The Tarulle Barge has come through the Archipelagate five times in that period. I’ve looked forward to each arrival more and more eagerly. I’ve worked part time for the University Library’s Restoration Department, seen all the issues they have.”
    Tatja laughed, a friendly, intimate chuckle. The men at the table receded into the far back of Svir’s consciousness. “Such restoration is a worthwhile job. Did you know that in all Tu, there is only one complete collection of Fantasie ?”
    “You mean the proof copies on the barge?”
    “No. Not even the Tarulle Company has a complete version. Remember, there was a fire on the Old Barge three hundred years ago; all the copies to that date were lost. Up to twenty years ago there were several complete collections, but a series of accidents has destroyed all but one.” She put a faint accent on the word “accidents.”
    Svir had never thought about it, but it was possible that only one complete collection existed. As the Tarulle Company toured the world, they sold their magazines and printed extra copies to drop off at later island chains. Delivery was quite unreliable compared to a subscription service—such as some island magazines used. Thus it was very difficult to get a continuous sequence of issues. And Fantasie was seven hundred years old. Even though most issues had been recopied and their stories anthologized—any major library contained thousands of stories from the magazine—there were still “lost” issues unavailable on the Chainpearls.
    The person or government that possessed the complete set
must be very wealthy and dedicated to culture. “Who has the collection?” asked Svir.
    “The regent of Crownesse, Tar Benesh,” Tatja answered.
    Svir frowned. Tar Benesh had never impressed him as a man with deep cultural roots. He almost missed what Tatja Grimm said next. She wasn’t looking directly at him, and her lips barely moved. She seemed to be preoccupied with something far away.
    “It’s too bad Benesh is going to destroy them.”
    “What ! Why? Can’t he be stopped?” His shocked questions tumbled over each other. Why would anyone want to destroy seven hundred years of Fantasie ? The epic cycles, the ingenious short stories—all those glimpses into worlds-that-are-not—would be lost. Half the faculty of Arts and Letters at Krirsarque