The Truth about the Parallel Worlds of Printed Pages

By SilviaKrpatova 

Siena loved and hated the city in equal measures.

The young woman looked beyond the round window of the airplane as it circled above the paved strip of ground stretching far beneath it, descended, then touched the ground with a bump, and continued to sail smoothly, slowing down even as it grew quieter, towards the terminal.

She recalled the years she had spent here in London as an art history student, a thing her late grandmother insisted on. Her grandma used to love this city, she spent her whole life here, and wished that her beloved granddaughter would live with her during her studies.

When she passed away suddenly at the end of Siena's first year, the girl decided to finish university here, as her grandmother had wanted. And, as the old, wise woman had predicted, or rather hoped, her grandchild fell in love with the city eventually. At least with some aspects of it.

Siena learned to treasure the endless possibilities it offered, its infinite number of museums, galleries and theatres, and the constant stream of new people to meet. She loved all that nearly as much as she hated the too hectic pace and rhythm of life of the Londoners, the large quantity of tourists crowding, suffocating the place all year round, in any weather, and the city's awful public transport and traffic.

In all honesty, Siena much preferred the more pocket-sized and peaceful town of Florence where she was born, grew up, and now worked as a high school teacher with a dream of becoming a curator of the Uffizi Gallery. She already missed her small flat with a view of the wide, languidly flowing river Arno, and the picturesque medieval bridge, Ponte Vecchio. More than anything, she missed her ginger cat, Briciola, whom she had to leave in care of her elderly neighbour to be able to come here.

It's been... three whole years since she visited this city the last time, talked into a weekend stay by her now ex-boyfriend. And she hadn't missed it much at all, Siena realised as she got off the plane. If it wasn't for that shady Bibliophiles' Society her grandmother used to work for... Just what they wanted from her, after all these years, was beyond her. Grandma had never told her much about it, and when she tried to research the society now, when she got their letter inviting her to a meeting, she couldn't find anything about them online.

But the Society had always been so very important for her grandmother that Siena couldn't refuse their invitation. Also, the more she thought about it, the more curious she became. There were times, Siena's mum said when she brought the subject up the other day, when grandma would vanish for days, weeks sometimes, because she had to do something for the society. But not even her mum knew more than that. Maybe now Siena would finally find out...

However, as she walked through the terminal to the arrivals' lounge where someone from the society was supposed to meet her, she started to regret her rushed decision. She should have ignored that letter and stayed at home, she despaired, finding the place even more hectic, stressful and full of annoying, excited tourists, than she remembered it.

"Watch out!" She called to a man who knocked into her from behind as he rushed passed, but he did not hear her.

How could he, with that awfully loud music blaring from his earbuds. How could someone listen to music so loud... Siena liked music but as an ambience, sotto voce thing, which could not disturb her thoughts. And she much preferred complete silence when she was alone.

She reached the appointed place and noticed a short man wearing what looked like a driver's uniform, holding a sign raised high in the air, above the heads of the other waiting people.

Miss S. De Angelis, Mr. W. Boyd,

Siena read the black, printed letters.

Even as she realised that she wasn't the only one expected here today, wondering what some Boyd guy had to do with her grandmother and her Bibliophiles' Society, she noticed that the mysterious Mr. W. was already standing by the short driver with the board.

Tall, well-built, red-haired, with a pair of large blue eyes twinkling with mischief, and an air around him of someone who spent a lot of time outdoors. Jealous of the stranger's tan she let her eyes drop to her own arms, white as a ghost's, speaking volumes about her indoorsy, small town life.

Sighing, Siena looked at Mr. W.'s copper, curly hair again-- in that exact moment, gilded by a stray ray of sunshine which had found its way inside the terminal building through its glass walls, it was the precise same colour of Briciola's fur... She smiled at the stranger as her mind strolled to her cat.

As she approached the two men she noticed the loud music again, and her eyes fell to Mr. W.'s earbuds. Just her luck...

"Miss Siena De Angelis?" The short guy ventured as she dropped her two heavy bags at his feet.

Like she would be standing here in front of him if it wasn't her. She resisted her urge to roll her eyes at him and swallowed her reply, nodding and offering him her hand instead. "Siena De Angelis, nice to meet you Mr...?"

"Just call me Jake, I'll be your driver for as long as you and Mr. Boyd will stay with us." He said, smiling cordially while shaking her hand.

"Would you please explain to me, Jake, what is this all about? That letter was rather vague... If it wasn't for my grandmother..." Siena definitely wouldn't be here now.

The short man shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, making her understand that he either knew as little as herself, or was not supposed to talk. That made her even more curious.

The tall Mr. W. disturbed her train of thought as he finally removed the earbuds from his ears and introduced himself, his Scottish accent matching both his surname and his red hair, "I'm William, Siena, and whatever this is about we are in it together."

He smiled, winking at her conspiratorially as she accepted his proffered hand.

What a joy, she thought, but said politely, "Nice to meet you, William."

He looked kind and friendly enough, she decided, craning her neck to be able to look better at his face; he was at least a head taller than her. If only he would keep that music down, she mused even as he stuffed one of the earbuds he had removed during the introductions back into his ear.

So, he was only half present when the short man explained, as he carried Siena's bags towards the exit, that he was to drive them to the headquarters of the Bibliophiles' Society, and once there, someone else would explain everything to them.

Siena looked up at William walking at the man's other side, and watched him bob his head, sending his slightly too long ginger locks in motion, either in reply to the driver Jake's words or simply in rhythm with the song he was still listening to.

She smiled, shaking her head, and he winked at her again when he noticed. That made her blush and look away from him.

Just why would someone she has just met wink at her, Siena mused, climbing in the backseat of the large, dark blue car Jake led them to, its colour only a shade darker than his uniform. The polite driver opened, then closed the door for her after he had placed her bags and William's backpack at the back. No one winked at her since she was a teenager. She hated it even back then, and now, when she was a woman of twenty-four, a survivor of several unsuccessful relationships with those of his kind, it was making her skin crawl.

Siena sat as far away from William as the back seat would allow her, deciding to keep her distance. She... was not going down this lane again, she had had her experience. As soon as this would be over she would go back to the silence of her flat interrupted only by Briciola's occasional purring and forget all about this cheeky, handsome Scot, she mused, looking at the hectic, overcrowded city appearing in snapshots and sequences behind the glass, while the car sped up, slowed down or stopped shortly, as the heavy afternoon traffic required. Why was she even thinking about him? Siena wondered, surprised by the direction her musings had taken.

She was so absorbed in her rambling thoughts that she jumped when William's large, warm hand rested on her denim-clad knee unexpectedly.

"Do you mind my music?" he asked, his bright blue eyes boring into hers.

"Not unless it's too loud," she said, and tearing her gaze off him let it drop to his hand on her knee significantly.

He understood, the hand vanishing immediately along with the low hum of music, barely audible over the sound of the car's engine.

Maybe she didn't look like the nicest girl in the world in his eyes right now, but the Society's letter stated that she was to stay in London, with them, one whole week. And if that meant spending all those days with this William, too, the two of them needed to set the rules and limits of their acquaintance straight from the beginning.

●

This was going to be fun after all, William thought as he saw the attractive, petite blonde stop in front of him and Jake the driver in the airport.

He didn't know much about the Bibliophiles' Society either, but from what she had said, he was sure he knew more than she did. Unlike Siena, William had been expecting the letter and he knew that whatever the society would ask him to do, if he agreed, he would get a partner.

Apart from that, the Bibliophiles' Society was a big, intriguing mystery for him. The knowledge he had about it came from not perfectly clear bits and pieces of his parents' whisper-shouted, late night conversations, or rather arguments, which he overheard years back, when he was a child.

From what his imaginative, young boy's mind managed to piece together, William understood that the society's headquarters in London, and the business trips, or rather quests, were those places where his father used to disappear sometimes for a few days, other times for a couple of weeks, several times a year. They were the reason why his parents divorced in the end, and his mum vanished from their lives.

William was sure that all this... mystery... had something to do with his lineage. That's why he's been expecting the Bibliophile's Society to contact him ever since his dad passed away two years ago. His theory was now confirmed by Siena mentioning her grandmother... It was all so fascinating.

And so was she. Siena De Angelis.

Taking his eyes off the blurred world behind the glass of the moving car he looked at the young woman sitting next to him inconspicuously.

She was turned away from him, looking outside. William could not see her face, only her long, wavy, blonde ponytail... and her legs. Legs so incredibly long for someone as short as her.

He grinned as he recalled her wide smile and the twinkle in her warm brown irises when their eyes first met, as if he reminded her of someone she liked... Right before she put herself in check and started to build this... invisible wall between them. Could it be because of...

"Do you mind my music?" He asked her, not failing to notice how she jumped when he put his hand on her knee to get her attention. As if his touch burned her.

William switched his player off after she replied. He observed her looking outside as she tried to avoid his gaze for the rest of their journey, the obscure society that had summoned him to London from his stone cottage on the shore of a loch not far from Glasgow replaced in his mind momentarily by the mystery of Siena De Angelis.

William was stirred back to reality when the car stopped in front of an ancient house surrounded by a large garden some time later, and he watched Jake, coming to open the door for Siena, blinking groggily. Apparently, he had dozed off during their journey and so had she, judging by those brown eyes of hers looking confusedly at him for a few moments, before they focused on Jake as she turned towards the door again and got off the car.

Following her outside, William heard as she asked, "Where are we, Jake?"

"South London, Miss Siena. Richmond."

He walked to the back of the car, wanting to help Jake with the luggage, but the driver called to him, already headed back to his seat, "Just leave everything here, sir. I'll be taking you to your place later."

"Our place?" William asked, then looked at Siena who shook her head when their eyes met.

He smiled when he noticed how very unconvinced and untempted she seemed by the idea of 'their' place. William offered his arm to her and, quite surprised that she accepted it, led her under a rust covered wrought iron gate, down a long gravel path meandering across the wild, unkempt garden, to a massive, white, wooden door which opened for them before they could knock.

The interior of the old house was in stark contrast with the wilderness surrounding it on the outside. It was unexpectedly bright, modern and minimalistic.

"Welcome to the Bibliophiles' Society." A well dressed, middle-aged man greeted them at the door.

After they all shook hands, and the man introduced himself as George O'Neil, the society president's first secretary, he led them down a long, well-lit corridor lined with multiple doors, towards another large, closed door.

He knocked before opening it, then beckoned them to walk inside even as he announced, "Miss De Angelis and Mr. Boyd have arrived."

Siena's grip on William's arm tightened, she didn't seem to like this place one bit. Meaning to reassure her, he patted her hand soothingly but it had the opposite effect-- she let go of his arm and took a step away from him as if she only remembered now that he was there.

He gave her an inquiring, raised-eyebrow look but Siena only shrugged in response. She was definitely puzzling him.

"Welcome. Take a seat, please." A voice reached them from across the vast room they had entered.

A room containing a long table made of bright wood situated in its centre, with six people already seated behind it. There were several other similar tables buried under clusters of strangely looking objects, machines and other weird, scientific equipment, placed along the room's white walls. It wasn't an office, but it was not a laboratory either.

Two empty chairs were arranged in front of the table in the middle of the room, and while George rushed to his own seat, the man who had spoken before pointed those seats out to Siena and William.

They sat down and Siena did not object when William pulled his chair closer to hers. Whatever was about to pass, they were in it together.

"My name is Christopher Wilkinson, I'm the current president of this society. Just like your father, William, and your grandfather, Siena, had been before me." The man, maybe as old as George the secretary said, smiling at them.

"Wait, I remember you! I was with dad a couple of times when you two met... but it was a long time ago, I was no older than ten!" William called, making Siena look at him curiously.

"That is correct," the president smiled. "Unfortunately, the two of us have never met before, Siena. You were only just born when your grandfather passed away and even though your grandmother continued to work for us, together with William's father, she never let any of us meet you. However, you are both here now, and we hope you'll continue in their steps." Mr. Wilkinson concluded.

"What is this society about?" Siena asked cautiously, not wanting to commit to anything before she understood.

She let her eyes travel over the people at the table, then the objects on the tables. She wasn't sure about this.

"We are getting to it, Siena." The president smiled at her.

"You are just like your grandma," the only woman at the table spoke suddenly, "we were very close friends, she and I, you might know my name. Alicia Waterstone."

"I... do. Grandma did tell me some things about a certain Alicia, her friend..."

"That's me," the ancient woman giggled, her wide smile adding yet more wrinkles to the infinity of those criss-crossing her kind, open face. "You wouldn't believe how much fun we used to have..."

"I'm sure that you two can talk later, Alicia. Right now we should give them the explanations they're waiting for."

"Of course you're right, Chris." Alicia spoke to the middle-aged president in a motherly tone, making him look like a little boy who needed to feel important. "Explain away."

'Chris' nodded his head covered with thick, salt and pepper curls to her thankfully, then turned to Siena and William, "Have you ever thought that you were different?"

The two young people exchanged a quick, puzzled look before William asked, "Different how? What do you mean, exactly?"

"You both read exceedingly. You, Siena, chose to study art history, but it's fiction, the worlds contained in books that interest you more than anything else, correct?" An old man, sitting at the table next to Alicia, asked.

Siena nodded, observing his shock of white, wild hair making him look a little like Einstein, wondering just how he knew that about her.

He smiled, then turned to William, "And you're just the same, William. You are an artist, a very clever inventor and a skilled painter, but it's books, the fictional worlds that really attract you. Between you two, you've already read more books than most scholars do during their entire lives."

"All right, you might be right," Siena admitted. "So? What does it mean?"

"It means that you are our next couple, if you'll agree, of course," the president replied.

William thought that the conversation was, somehow, flowing around in circles. They have been here for at least half an hour now, but he was none the wiser than before. He was just opening his mouth to complain when Siena beat him to it.

"Look, Christopher, Alicia, all of you, I did not come here all the way from Florence to find out that you know that I like books. And I'm sure William did not need to hear that either. Will any of you finally tell us something that we don't know? Please?"

William couldn't have said it better, he thought, smiling at the president's surprised expression.

But the man collected himself fast. "Think about the many-worlds theory, Siena. Parallel worlds constantly branching off from each other, nanosecond by nanosecond without intersecting or communicating. Take that towards philosophy. Add possible-worlds theory and fiction theory and you'll understand what our society does," he said seriously.

William heard Siena take a deep breath, as she leaned a little more into him before she asked, "Are you... talking about multiverse?"

She was lost. He did not understand everything the president had said, but he could help her understand at least something before the others would decide how to explain the rest.

"Not exactly, Siena. Multiverse pictures many self-contained universes in... different regions of space and time. The many-worlds theory sees them all at the same level." William spoke softly so the much more complicated terms of those talking at the table could finish the picture for her.

"Very well said, William," Alicia's voice reached them, making Siena, who was completely absorbed in William's words, jump. He actually managed to make it all sound interesting for her.

"Thank you, Alicia, but what about the fiction theory? What does that have to do with this?" William asked her.

Alicia nodded, then turned to the other members of the society, "Silence, please. I'll explain the rest."

Once they all quieted down, the old woman spoke to Siena and William. "Let us direct this argument a little more toward philosophy. Think of our many worlds, as possible worlds. Possible fictional worlds, existing in those books you love to read. What if every single one of those imaginary worlds is real? And what if you two, working together, might have a chance to change them? To create happier lives for many, many unfortunate characters? It would not change the books for the readers in our world, you don't have to worry about that. You would only make their lives better in their own universes."

After a while of perfect silence which followed the old woman's explanation, Siena and William asked in unison, "How?"

●

Siena didn't like the six people, all very distinct looking and way older than her and William, seated in front of them, separated by the long table.

They were intimidating, she thought, leaning into her ginger companion the moment he pulled his chair closer to hers.

She relaxed a little when the old, friendly lady, Alicia, spoke to her about her grandma, making her remember that she had loved this society. That made Siena feel a little better, but it didn't last long.

The very important bibliophiles gathered at the table started with their serious talk, an endless chatter about Siena and William being different, special, just like her grandma and his dad had been. And after that, they begun to discuss their nonsensical theories, sending words like quantum mechanics, collapsing waves, self-contained universes, subatomic physics, possible parallel worlds, indexical actuality, alternate realities and what not, flying through the air and reverberating off the white walls and the weird, shiny instruments filling every flat surface of the large room, confusing her.

The only, very few things which Siena knew about this subject she learned from the novels she had read. And the moment she asked if they were talking about the multiverse, as that was the most common theory used by fiction writers, she realised that William knew much more about it than she did.

She listened to his explanation offered to her in words much simpler to comprehend than those used by the others present, admiring him in a way. How could he wrap his mind around something like this... When Alicia took it from him, explaining the rest to both of them, Siena had so many doubts, and an infinity of questions, but there was one much more insistent than the others. Apparently, for William as well.

"How?" They both asked together, making the old woman nod and smile happily. She knew she got them where she wanted them.

"George, please," Christopher said, looking at his secretary who stood up immediately and walked to one of the tables pushed to the wall, then came back immediately carrying a small, wooden jewel case.

"We have these for our travellers." The president said to Siena and William, opening the case and taking out a large silver locket with a single red stone and a matching ring, placing them both on the table.

William, unable to resist his curiosity, stood up and walked to the table, and Siena, not wanting to be left alone in the middle of the room, followed him shyly.

"Are they some sort of a... device?" William asked, observing the two jewels closely, his inventor's mind trying to guess how the jewels worked.

"They certainly are." The old, white haired, Einsteinesque man replied. "The ring will take you both into the fictional worlds and back, the locket will help you move forward and backward within the plot. You wear the ring, young man, the lady wears the locket. They only work together, so you mustn't lose each other." He looked between Siena and William significantly as he added, "None of you can do this alone. Go on, don't worry, you can touch them. They won't transport you anywhere right now, they need a drop of your mixed blood each to function. But we will only add that at the last moment, once you are ready to go."

The old man chuckled at their puzzled expressions, then everybody watched in silence as William lifted the ring carefully off the table and put it on his finger.

"Come on, Siena, you too. Try it on, get used to it. You can take them home with you tonight." Christopher said.

As she did not move, William smiled at her encouragingly, then picked the red locket up carefully. After he shot her a questioning 'may I' look, to which Siena agreed with a simple nod and an unsure smile, he put it around her neck.

Siena looked down to where the shiny red stone encased in an intricately twisted silver circlet lay on her chest, resembling a drop of fresh blood on snow as it found its place among the ruffles of her white blouse. She ran an exploring finger over its surface reverently; it was cool and smooth, and quite heavy.

William took her other hand in his and led her back to their seats, before he asked, "How... exactly does this work?"

"You must choose a book you think deserves a better alternate ending, or life for one or more of its characters. Any character you like, it doesn't have to be only the protagonist. But it must be a book which hasn't been 'fixed' yet by your predecessors."

"Romeo and Juliet." William blurted out.

Siena smiled, not quite expecting him to think about that story. "Frankenstein." She announced, giggling when she noticed the surprise in William's bright blue eyes when he looked at her. "What? The poor nameless monster, I always felt sorry for him. Don't tell me that you don't consider Victor extremely selfish and cruel," she defended her choice.

William nodded thoughtfully, but did not manage to reply as Christopher interrupted them, "They are both still available. And there's a reason behind that-- they are both complicated, and potentially dangerous worlds. You need something much more straightforward to start with. Think about a book with a simple plot line and not too many characters, remember that any of them could interfere with your plans, making everything more difficult. Don't underestimate the setting and the time period either, we might need a day or two to prepare your clothes and the correct money, depending on which world you'll choose to visit."

Siena observed the people in front of her unbelievingly. They all looked so sure and convinced. She ran her fingers again over the large stone, looking at its twin resting on William's finger, convinced that she won't completely believe in this theory until she tries.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts she asked, "You said that some of the worlds are more dangerous than others. Why?"

"Imagine time as a river flowing around our universe on all sides, and the fictional worlds as boats, docked to our own reality, Siena." Alicia explained. "They stay still only until you step into them and set them in motion. Then they start drifting slowly away, taking you with them. The longer you stay inside of them, the farther you'll get from our own world and the more difficult it will become for you to return. This is more likely to happen when you choose a difficult plot, and encounter complications."

Siena looked at William who met her gaze, eyebrows furrowing with questions none of them quite knew how to put into words.

"What if we drift too far away and won't be able to return?" He asked after a while, turning back to those at the table.

"Then, unfortunately, you'll remain trapped inside the fictional world. The same will happen when you get separated-- none of you can return without the other." Alicia said matter-of-factly.

"Did it... happen to anyone...?" Siena muttered, hands clenched in fists on her lap.

"No, not yet. If you choose a story you know well and think properly about the solution to the problem you want to solve before you travel, you'll have more than enough time to come back."

"How do we travel?" William asked.

"At least the first time you'll transport from here." Christopher said. "As I said, we need a drop of your blood but it's a very simple procedure, you'll be able to do it without our assistance soon enough. You'll need a copy of the book you want to 'fix' open on the page, the part of the plot you want to visit. Using the locket to move within the plot is not perfectly precise, not until you learn a few tricks. It will get easier with time. Once your blood activates them, the stones will respond to you, you'll only need to think and focus."

It all sounded so incredibly complicated, impossible, dangerous... and wonderful. It was amazing, Siena thought, noticing the same sort of excitement she felt making her eyes grow wide, filling William's blue irises.

She smiled at him and he beamed at her as Christopher continued, "Go home, we have a nice flat for you nearby. Rest, think it through, and decide together."

"Just one more question, Christopher." William said. "Why us? Are there others who could do this..."

"There are currently twenty-five of you, more or less direct descendants of the fictional worlds' travellers, dispersed around this world. Yes, you are that rare." Christopher smiled at them. "The fact that you need to work in pairs does not make it any simpler to choose the right people... We decided to try you two, knowing that your relatives made a great team in the past. Let us see what you'll do."

Right, no pressure at all, Siena thought, accepting William's hand and letting him help her to her feet.

"What about you, the Bibliophiles' Society?" She heard William ask as everyone stood up to shake their hands before they would leave.

"We are not travellers like you, Mr. Boyd." The old Einstein spoke, looking at William wistfully. "We only keep an eye on all of you, aid you and gather information."

"Sleep well. Take your time to choose and plan your strategy. Get to know each other a little. Here," the president said, pushing two mobile phones across the table towards them, "let us know when you are ready, there are all the numbers you might need. We will be waiting."

"So many worlds, so much to do... " William mumbled distractedly as he and Siena finally followed George towards the front door.

"...so little done, such things to be. That's Alfred, Lord Tennyson." Siena finished for him as George opened the door for them. She looked through the jungle hiding the society's headquarters from curious eyes of the occasional passers-by towards the blue car and the smiling Jake the driver waiting for them at the end of the lane.

"Why, Miss De Angelis, you know our British poets?" William demanded, purposely exaggerating his Scottish accent.

She rolled her eyes at him, her attempt to suppress a smile failing, "British, Italian, German, French, American..."

They got lost in discussing poetry even before they reached Jake.

Alicia, who had followed them to the door, shook her head, smiling at the old, white-haired man standing by her side.

"They are all the same, aren't they, Albert?" She mused, watching the couple disappearing into the car.