Theo: Clutz of Griffins

“Look out, clutzy bird!” 

But it was too late. Theo crashed onto the floor, the young librarian griffin’s rear paw and tail knocking over his coworker’s chess game. Nitch and Fleur screeched as wooden pieces flew and the ceramic dishware shattered on the tile floor. The pieces of Theo’s soup bowl lay in a sad puddle. 

Stinkmuffins! I can’t even walk across the break room to my office without my clumsiness ruining something.

Theo swallowed hard at his broken bowl and the remnants of the chess game, knowing already what he’d see when he raised his eyes. 

It felt like every other librarian griffin on his shift was staring at him. 

Nitch glared. “Clutzy,” he repeated under his breath.

So much for making a good reputation for myself. Theo felt his thin attempt at confidence deflating. Griffins all knew the importance of visual gracefulness and power. All knew…but not all could keep to such standards. 

Theo sucked in an embarrassed breath as he caught sight of Chief Clerk Odysseus, majestic mane and tail bristling. The Chief clerk raised an eyebrow from across the room and huffed before strutting out into the hall. Several other bookkeeping griffins rolled their eyes and got back to their very unbroken bowls of soup from the Library kitchen. 

Theo sighed. At this rate I’ll never keep my librarian position. One more good reason, and the Chief will ban me from ever setting foot in my favorite place again. 

Tail dragging across the floor, Theo picked himself up as he eyed the remains of his dinner. That fish-and-potato stew had looked so good. ‘There’s not enough for seconds if you spill.’ The cook’s words stung a lot more now. 

Why didn’t I pack a replacement dinner today? Theo scolded himself, trying to avoid eye contact with his accusing coworkers. He caught a glimpse of the Library’s halls beyond the door, the sight of all those books reassuring him. It’s…not that bad. I can buy something from a street cart after today’s record keeping is complete. 

“Oy, we’re going to have to start again?” Nitch groaned, trying to reset the fallen board. The other, Fleur, held her ears in her front claws, scratching her head in discouragement. 

“Oh.” Theo caught the despair in the twosome’s tone. He laid his ears back, conjured the image of the board pre-fall in his mind’s eye. The details and pieces materialized in his head. “I can help.” 

Snatching the fallen chess pieces off the floor, Theo set them extra carefully all over the board in their proper spots. His claws mistakenly caught on two pieces as he set them down, but he righted them again. All things considered, it looked pretty good. He sighed in relief. 

The two chess-playing griffins stared at the reset board. Nitch’s eyes bulged, “how’d you know that? Our game was half done, and you…sure this was how it was?” 

“Whoa,” Fleur squinted at the board, studying each piece. “You’ve got some memory there.”

Theo nodded. “I’m so sorry I knocked it over. Please, enjoy your game.”

Theo backed away very carefully, accidentally stepping on the rumpled edge of the newspaper he’d been reading as he carried his soup. Turning about, he saw the janitor griffin give him a tired look behind his mop and bucket that clearly said, “Again?”

“Sorry,” Theo mumbled, grabbing his soup-stained newspaper and retreating toward the safety of his filing office. The “Uncaught Bookwyrm Steals Tome Concerning Relics that Control the Weather” would have to be read about later. 

Theo shut the door behind him, sure that the best decision the Empire’s Grand Library had made was to give Theo his own office, away from ruining any other griffins’ hard-earned work. He winced at the memory of the trials his deskmates in school over the years had to endure: the spilled drinks, the fallen papers, the elbowed ribs and ruined science projects. 

It was honestly a wonder to Theo hadn’t broken or destroyed any of the Library’s many treasured documents and books, but Theo was different around paper things. His one strength, if he had one, was documenting with meticulous energy every artifact and book in this massive place, their history, location, and author. He loved every dusty old thing in this library, and studying their details was his joy. But Theo wasn’t sure (with his many mistakes and messes) whether the job he’d wanted all his life—a librarian protecting the secrets and treasures the Grand Library held— would be something he would keep beyond the year. 

Either way, he attempted to enjoy every moment while it lasted. The Chief Clerk Odysseus certainly didn’t make it sound like the Head Librarian would keep Theo on when the fiscal year ended, but Theo tried not to think about that. As long as his gracefulness improved by then, he had a shot. 

But here, in Theo’s own personal book-filing office, Theo was as safe as the clumsiest griffin ever born could be. 

At least his crystalline rock collection, glowing gently blue and green around the room, didn’t mind that he couldn’t keep his feet like a griffin should. The rocks floated tranquilly, unable to be dropped or broken or lost easily. Theo liked their forgiveness for his shortcomings. 

He pulled out two new pebbles and watched them float up to their spots in the corners of his ceiling. He smiled.. His newest investments were lavender-colored, and they would make a good backlight for reading the newspaper as he closed up for the day. 

***

“Theo Mcdriftin.” Chief Clerk Odysseus’ thundering voice stopped Theo cold on the front steps of the Library. 

What have I done now? Is this it for me? For my job? Theo swallowed hard and turned. “I was just heading home for the evening.” His voice came out timid.

Chief Clerk Odysseus looked down his long beak at him, his broad wings spanning the double doorway. His wings twitched, as if in hesitation, before he said in a gruff, firm tone. “I’ve assigned you the night shift tonight.” 

What? Theo almost dropped his rock collecting bag. “But I–?”

“Everyone else got terribly sick this afternoon, which leaves only you and me to do it.” Chief Clerk Odysseus flared his wings, tail lashing. “Seems the soup you spilled was contaminated. There’s a reason I don’t eat that cheap modified stuff and stick to my potato-free fish and chips. Not that it saved me tonight.” He stopped his muttering to look Theo up and down. “Lucky you spilled… for once.”

Theo cringed at his supervisor’s tone. Lucky. Yeah right.