Prophecy Girl Redux

[Madeline hands out clues to the needy]

Glancing through the thin book, Willow thought she recognized a word or two but she couldn't be sure.

"Where did you get this?" she asked, returning to an entry near the beginning that was laid out like a poem. Even though she was fluent in six languages and could read half a dozen more, she was having a hard time wrapping her mind around the words. Although the characters in the hand written volume were familiar, they were rearranged in an unfamiliar language.

"Madeline gave it to me when I started working for her."

"Did she say why?" Willow asked, trying to suppress her annoyance at Madeline. She'd been buying rare and unusual books from Madeline's shop for almost a decade. A mysterious book like this was just the kind of thing she looked for. She couldn't think of any reason that she would give it to Buffy instead of her.

"I don't remember exactly," Buffy said, "something about it helping."

"You can read this?"

"A little. The other book helps."

"Other book?" Willow looked at her in surprise.

"Yeah. It's a dictionary. Like one of those things you buy in college when you take a language class." Buffy said. "It has words in this stuff," she pointed at the book Willow was holding, "and another old language I know a little bit of."

"Can I see it?"

"Sure." Willow watched impatiently as Buffy walked across the loft and grabbed a slightly thicker book from a pile next to her bed. "Here you go." she said, sliding it across the table.

"What's this other language?" Willow asked, looking at a jumble of symbols that looked faintly familiar.

"Ogham? oggam?" Buffy mumbled. "Something like that. I'm not sure where I learned it or even why."

"Oh!" Willow smiled. "I don't think I've ever seen it written out like that."

"You know it?"

"I've only seen it used in inscriptions. It's old. Not Sanskrit old or Egyptian old but it's close." Willow frowned, looking through the book. "I don't think I'll be able to help translate it right away. I hope whatever is in it isn't related to the Hellmouth." She picked up the first book and started looking through it again, hoping for inspiration. She was going to have to learn ogham and then whatever language the scribes had used it to transcribe before she could help translate book.

"We could always ask Madeline." Buffy said. "Though she'll probably give us confusing and cryptic answers to any questions."

"She's here?" She looked down at the floor and the bookshop below them. She'd thought Buffy was alone earlier.

"No, tonight is her night to help Tony."

"Tony?" Willow asked curiously, wondering how Madeline could help him. She couldn't image the older woman behind the bar .

"You do know they're related, right?" Buffy asked.

"Yes."

Buffy walked up to the bar, sliding onto a stool.

"Tony?"

"Yes?"

"Is Madeline here?"

"Yes. She's finishing up with the books. What can I get you?"

"Nothing for now. We're here to see her. Maybe later." Buffy turned to Willow. "Come on."

Nodding to Tony, she headed back to his small office.

"Do you have a minute?" Buffy asked, sticking her head into the office.

"Let me finish." she said. "and then you can have several." She gestured at several chairs in front of the desk.

"Madeline?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you give these to Buffy?" Willow took the two books out of her bag and placed them on the desk in front of.

Madeline looked at the books for a second, not touching them, before answering. "They were hers."

"What do you mean?"

Leaning back in her chair, Madeline looked at Buffy and Willow for a long moment. Buffy stared back calmly though she noticed Willow shifting nervously as the moment dragged on.

"The Covens and their slayers are not the only ones who protect the world from chaos," she said. "Some of us preserve knowledge for the others."

"What kind of knowledge?" Willow asked. "And why Buffy?"

Madeline sighed. "They are relics of her line. It was felt by some of us that it was time they were returned."

"So it's a book of what?" Willow asked.

"Many things. Magic. History. Prophecy."

"Prophecy?" Willow gave Buffy a puzzled look.

[Tony gives our heroes some advice]