I closed my eyes, listening. Had I imagined it?
‘Over there,’ Bastille said. I opened my eyes to find her pointing toward one of the walls. ‘Scraping sounds, like . . .’
‘Like digging,’ I said, scrambling over a stack of books.
I climbed up the pile, slipping on what appeared to be several volumes of the royal tax code, until I reached the top and could touch the wall. It was, of course, made of glass. I pressed an ear against it.
‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘There are definitely digging sounds coming from the other side. My mother didn’t sneak in here, she snuck into a nearby building! They’re tunneling into the Royal Archives!’
‘Not—’ Sing began.
‘Yes,’ I said, ‘it’s not a library. I get it.’
‘Actually,’ he said, ‘I was going to say “Not to disagree, Alcatraz, but it’s impossible to break into this place.”’
‘What?’ I said, sliding back down the pile of books. ‘Why?’
‘Because it’s built out of Enforcer’s Glass,’ Bastille said. She was looking better, but still somewhat dazed. ‘You can’t break that, not even with Smedry Talents.’
I looked back at the wall. ‘I’ve seen impossible things happen. My mother has Translator’s Lenses; there’s no telling what she’s learned from the Forgotten Language so far. Maybe they know a way to get through that glass.’
‘Possible,’ Sing said, scratching his chin. ‘Though, to be honest, if I were them, I’d just tunnel into the stairwell out there, then come through the door.’
I glanced at the wall. That did seem likely. ‘Come on,’ I said, rushing over and pulling open the door. The two knights outside glanced in.
‘Yes, Lord Smedry?’ one asked.
‘Someone may be trying to dig into the stairwell,’ I said. ‘Librarians. Get some more troops down here.’
The knights looked surprised, but they obeyed my orders, one rushing up the stairs to do as commanded.
I looked back at Bastille and Sing, who still stood in the room. Soldiers weren’t going to be enough – I wasn’t just going to sit and wait to see what plot the Librarians were going to be putting into effect. Mokia was in trouble, and I had to help. That meant blocking what my mother and the others were doing, perhaps even exposing their double-dealing to the monarchs.
‘We need to figure out what it is in here that my mother wants,’ I said, ‘then take it first.’
Bastille and Sing looked at each other, then glanced back at the ridiculous number of books. I could read their thoughts in their expressions.
Find the thing my mother wanted? Out of this mess? How could anyone find anything in here?
It was then that I said something I never thought I’d hear myself say, no matter how old I grew.
‘We need a Librarian,’ I declared. ‘Fast.’
14
Yes, you heard that right. I – Alcatraz Smedry – needed a Librarian.
Now, you may have gotten the impression that there are absolutely no uses for Librarians. I’m sorry if I implied that. Librarians are very useful. For instance, they are useful if you are fishing for sharks and need some bait. They’re also useful for throwing out windows to test the effects of concrete impact on horn-rimmed glasses. If you have enough Librarians, you can build bridges out of them. (Just like witches.)
And, unfortunately, they are also useful for organizing things.
I hurried up the stairs with Sing and Bastille. We had to push our way past the soldiers who now lined the steps; the men and women held their swords, looking concerned. I’d sent a soldier with a message for my grandfather and another for my father, warning them of what we’d discovered. I’d also ordered one of the knights to send a contingent to search nearby buildings – maybe they’d be able to find the librarian base and the other end of the tunnel. I wasn’t counting on that happening, though. My mother wouldn’t be caught so easily.
‘We need to go fast,’ I said. ‘There’s no telling when my mother will break into that chamber.’
I still felt a little bit sick for needing the help of a Librarian. It was frustrating. Terribly frustrating. In fact, I don’t think I can accurately – through text – show you just how frustrating it was.
But because I love you, I’m going to try anyway. Let’s start by randomly capitalizing letters.