street towards the riverglass coach. She breathed an enormous sigh of relief.
‘Thank you,’ she told Cadence. ‘Seriously, thank you. I owe you one.’
‘You owe me more than one, you filthy book-stealer,’ muttered Cadence. ‘Don’t worry, I’m keeping a tally.’
The rest of the unit was already heading for the riverglass coach as Morrigan and Cadence caught up. Morrigan made sure to walk slightly behind Cadence, trying to hide the large book-shaped lump beneath her cloak.
Hawthorne was bargaining with Miss Cheery about how many dragon books he could borrow on her library card. Thaddea and Anah were poring over a medical journal and arguing about the best way to splint a broken leg.
Suddenly, a klaxon sounded. The lanterns hanging off the shelves changed from murky green to a fiery, glowing red. Everyone stopped talking.
Morrigan felt her arms seize up, still wrapped tight around her waist, pressing the large book against her stomach.
‘They know I’ve got it,’ she whispered to Cadence. ‘I’m going to be arrested!’
‘Shush,’ hissed Cadence, but she looked worried too.
The sirens were growing louder … and there was another sound. A strange, high-pitched, whining metallic sound a bit like a buzz saw, then a noise like two pieces of sandpaper being rubbed together.
Keeeeeehhh … chchchch.
Keeee-keeeeehhh … chchchchchch.
‘What is that?’ asked Francis, putting his fingers in his ears.
Keeeeeeehhhh-keeh-keeeh … chchchch.
They all looked to Roshni, who was staring up at the shelves high above them, eyes wide as dinner plates.
‘Everyone get to the coach!’ she shouted. ‘NOW!’
They turned to run, but it was too late. The riverglass coach was two rows away. Before they made it even halfway there, Morrigan’s whole unit, Roshni and Miss Cheery all pulled up abruptly, their escape thwarted by a sight that made the skin all over Morrigan’s body crawl as if she’d instantly broken out in hives.
They were surrounded. The infestation had arrived.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Book Bugs
They came from everywhere. Swarming out from the gaps between books, crawling up from storm drains and pouring from shelves in a monstrous, chittering tidal wave of wings and eyes and legs … so many legs. It was an infestation of many-legged, multi-coloured, chihuahua-sized—
‘BUGS!’ squealed Francis. ‘GIANT BUGS!’
‘Brilliant observation, Francis, cheers for that!’ Cadence shouted angrily. Beneath her usual ferocity, there was a note of terror that reflected how Morrigan felt – how they all felt. They had formed a tight circle and were facing outwards, eyes boggled at the encroaching plague.
‘Rosh, how dangerous are these things, exactly?’ asked Miss Cheery. She had dropped her pile of books and was holding her arms out, trying to protect Mahir and Thaddea, who were nearest to her.
‘To the books? I’d say … slightly dangerous?’
‘No, Rosh, to us!’
Roshni cringed. ‘Oh! Then I’d say … quite dangerous? Jagdish got a nasty bite on his ear during an outbreak last month and Elise lost half a pinky.’
‘Oh, terrific,’ said Miss Cheery. ‘So how do we fight them off?’
Morrigan could think of one way. She took a deep breath, hummed a few notes, then knelt on the ground and breathed a low, even line of fire towards the horde of insects. The rest of 919 threw their arms up to shield from the heat. In that moment it was hard to tell if the fear on their faces was because of the bugs or her, and she almost regretted acting on impulse … except that it had worked.
Just as she’d hoped, the bugs skittered backwards. However, they also seemed to become even more agitated, the keeeeehkeeh-keeh noises suddenly louder and more urgent.
‘Marina, what is she doing?’ shrieked the librarian, stomping out the fire with her boots. ‘Is she mad?! Make her stop!’
Morrigan swallowed, and felt the flames die in her throat. ‘I just thought – I’m sorry, I just wanted to—’
‘Well, don’t. Get back!’
Miss Cheery grabbed Morrigan around the shoulders and pulled her back from the fire while Roshni extinguished it. ‘She was trying to help, Roshni.’
‘Yes, because starting a fire is a famously helpful thing to do IN A LIBRARY!’
‘Then what can we do?’ said Miss Cheery. ‘How do you stop these things?’
‘We have mechanical swatters,’ said Roshni, moving in a slow circle and keeping her eyes on the advancing bugs. ‘And tanks of foam laced with a pesticide that won’t hurt the books. But they’re all on the trucks.’ She pressed the button on her radio again. ‘Calling all brigades. Bookfighters, can you hear me?’ Nothing. ‘Librarians, are you there? Colin? Jagdish? Come ON!’ There was no sound but static. She groaned in frustration. ‘Right, all