Its only lying if you get caught

[Sherrinford]

The three walked across the main intersection of the museum, headed for another gallery at a slight angle from the entry to the Mesopotamian collection. As they walked through the doors, they saw a number of long tables with glass cases on top. In the cases were a variety of books, opened to sample pages. Copperplate printing shared space with black and white as well as color illustrations. The first case they came to contained an open Alice in Wonderland, with Old Father William screaming into the Young Man's ear. Next to it was a first edition of Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows, featuring a bucholic illustration of Ratty and Mole drifting down the Test in a rowboat, complete with picnic lunch. Jordan spoke:

Lewis Carroll had it right when he had Alice ask what the use of a book is without pictures and conversations in it. Illustrations, well drawn and well imagined, makes the difference between a child staying with a book and abandoning it. Sometimes the illustrations help the book stay with a child with memorable lines or a symphony of colors."

[BloodiedClaws]

Colin took Monica's hand and followed along with her with a smile. He took in the exhibits as he passed them, seeing them, but not quite paying attention to them. It wasn't that he didn't like the stuff, he just wasn't much of an art buff.

He turns his head to Monica and shrugs a little as if it was all another language to him, but despite it kept a look of interest as Shepard talked about the exhibit.

[CyledyrWyllt]

Unlike Colin, Monica doesn't need to feign interest. She finds the collection fascinating. Brushing her fingertips over the glass top of the display case, she longs to touch the first edition Screwtape Letters. A smile begins to grow on her face.

"When I was little, I would sometimes "read" my favorite stories to my stuffed animals. I couldn't actually read yet, but I knew what part of the story to tell based on the pictures."

Admiring the first editions in the case, Monica examines the display case, itself, for any obvious security precautions.

[Sherrinford]

Jordan practically beamed; he had done the same. He said to Monica:

"And those stories will be in your heart and mind forever, because you linked the story to your memory and imagination. Look here...it is the Wizard's Duel from the Sword and the Stone. Disney had a field day with this story."

Monica noted the narrow strip of magnetic tape that would set off an alarm if the case was broken or even jostled too hard.

"I'm actually glad that the Curator found this exhibit. The former one was of interest to us obscure scholars, but of less draw to the general public."

[BloodiedClaws]

Colin perks up at the mention of the former exhibit, wondering if it was the one they were looking for. He squeezes Monica's hand softly, feigning a typical boyfriend smile, and mouths a kiss to her. "You said the old exhibit wasn't all that interesting to the average joe? I'm obviously not the most bookish type," he says with a smile, tossing a glance at Monica and winking at Shepard in a 'the things we do for some ass' look. "but I gotta say, the obscure kinda stuff is always kinda int'resting to me. What was the old exhibit?" He asks, sounding genuinely curious.

[Sherrinford]

"Tearing ages, he wants to show off for his girlfriend. Well, at least he has one. Brotherhood of man."

"Really?" he answered Colin. "Then I'm sorry you missed it when it was on display. We called it the Rust Col.lection...it is named for a sociologist who donated it. He was in my business...the buying and selling of rare books and manuscripts. He accumulated twenty...no, twenty-one volumes of pre-Gutenburg manuscript oh the history and development of paganism. He thought that they would be interesting to neo-pagan movements in the United States. Not a lot of intrinsic value except to seriouos collectors, and the restoration staff did a great job on them. But we just pllain don't have room for everything."

[CyledyrWyllt]

Monica smiles at Jordan. She takes note of the magnetic strip as she leans over to ostensibly take a closer look at the manuscript he points out. Covering a smile as he mentions the previous collection, she merely shrugs and shows polite interest in the topic. However, Monica's big, brown eyes show Jordan that she is interested in something... just perhaps not the musty, old books.

"Neo-pagan... you mean like crystal skulls... that kind of thing? That sounds interesting..."

Colin can almost hear Monica bat her eyelashes at the bookish scholar.

[Sherrinford]

Jordan chuckled to hide an attraction to Monica. She was pretty, but now was a time for discipline, damn it. Also, her boyfriend looked like he was tough enough to bench press a Buick.

]"Actually, miss, neo-pagan is a sort of umbrella term for a whole laundry list of religious beliefs...a lot of them pre-dating Christianity by many years. A lot of polytheism, animism and nature-worship. Some of them worshipped Mother Earth, and held women in special esteem as representatives of the Goddess."

[CyledyrWyllt]

Monica leans forward slightly and gives him a little smile coupled with a knowing look.

"As they rightly should..."

It's probably just coincidence that from the way she's leaning over, her halter slips just enough to allow Jordan to see all the way to China... almost. Monica straightens and pokes Colin in the ribs.

"Hear that?"

She makes a face at her partner and her lower lip trembles slightly before she shifts her attention back to Jordan.

"Well, it's too bad those books are no longer on display. It sounds like I'd love to see them."

And there it is... poor Jordan. Monica just busted out the pout.

[Sherrinford]

If Jordan's toes could have curled they would have. Every hormone in Jordan's body wanted to explore possibilities and send the pout packing. You should never listen to the body when it is shooting uncontrolled fireworks. Genuine affection, other relationships on both sides, transmittable diseases...the body goes deaf, dumb and blind to such things, and justwants. Better living through chemistry. The only thing that saved Jordan from melting like ice cream in the summer sun was the loss of Beverly, and Jordan's hesitation to enter into a casual relationship himself. Instead, he allowed regret to reflect in his already sad eyes.

"You can't know how really sorry I am, miss. But we really don't have the room. We have more things coming in, too, and the Rust Collection will be shipping out in short order. You know, though...if you leave me contact information I can send a card when it will come back. Do you live here in Sacramento?"