The Library - The Complete Series (24 page)

V
anguard

"He's dead," Weary says, staring in horror at the Librarian's body as the Forbidder rattles and hisses in the darkness.

"Is he?" I reply, my mind racing as I try to work out exactly what has happened. For a creature that can strike fear into the heart of whole armies following the mere mention of its name, this Forbidder seems strangely reluctant to strike out at us; instead, having apparently killed the Librarian, it's as if the Forbidder is content to simply wait for us to turn and run.

"Vanguard!" Weary shouts, pulling desperately at my arm, trying to get loose so that he can run back out of the catacombs. "We have to go!"

"And outrun a Forbidder?" I ask, my heart racing. "How, exactly, do you think we can achieve such a thing?"

"It's giving us a chance to run!" he continues. "Let's not get it angry!"

"Why would a Forbidder give us a chance to run? We should be dead by now."

"Vanguard!" Weary shouts, pulling on me as hard as he can.

"Fine," I say eventually, "I shall retreat one step, but only one." With that, I move back along the corridor, still holding Weary firmly. The Forbidder fades into the darkness, and now there is nothing ahead of us but pitch darkness. Even the hissing, rattling sound has stopped as if the Forbidder has completely disappeared.

"Maybe you want to kill yourself," Weary says, still trying to get free, "but I have no desire to go charging into the face of a Forbidder. Enjoy yourself, though, and feel free to send me a postcard from the inside of the creature's belly."

"There is no Forbidder here," I say, stepping forward.

"Nice try," Weary continues.

"There is
no
Forbidder," I say again.

"My friends?" the Librarian calls out suddenly, his voice once again sounding old and frail. "Is that you?"

"Who is it?" Weary asks. "Who else is -" He pauses for a moment. "Vanguard, what the hell is going on? We just saw him die!"

"Did we?" I reply, smiling as I realize that I finally what has happened. Poor Weary is so wrapped up in his fear, he can't think logically, and he can't see beyond the image in the corridor.

"My friends," the Librarian continues, his form once again becoming visible in the gloom up ahead, "you must turn back. This path leads only to death, for yourself and for your friend. If you come any closer, they will kill me first, and then they will kill you. Please, show some sense and turn back before it's too late. I'm doomed, but it's not too late for you to escape."

"That's..." Weary says, sounding confused. "That's exactly what he said before. That's word for word the exact same thing he said a few minutes ago."

"Of course it is," I reply. "He never expected anyone to come this way twice. This is merely a recording that is triggered every time we move away and then come forward again. Most people would have been so scared the first time, they would simply have run and never come back."

"I'm being held by a Forbidder!" the Librarian calls to us. "You must turn back! If you come any closer, he'll kill me and then he'll come for you!"

"What's happening?" Weary asks. He is no longer pulling to get away from me; it is as if he finally understands that all is not as it seems, even if he has not quite understood the nature of the image that confronts us. "Is this not the Librarian?"

"It's his image," I say. "Left behind to scare anyone who might think to come looking for him."

"And the Forbidder?"

"The Librarian was evidently very keen for us to not follow him along this path," I explain, "so he left behind an echo of himself, warning us not to continue. Fortunately, it is not a very sophisticated echo, so it is easy to re-set it every time we approach. Watch." I pull Weary back a few steps, and the Librarian fades into the gloom. As soon as I step forward again, the Librarian reappears.

"Vanguard?" the Librarian calls out. "Is that you?" Once again, he is visible up ahead, with the Forbidder still having him in its grip. Now that the image is so easily explained, it seems vaguely pathetic, and I must admit to being slightly insulted that he could ever have believed that this foolish image would deter a great warrior such as myself.

"He's not really there," I tell Weary. "This is merely an echo, set up specifically to scare us away, and the Forbidder is just another part of the illusion. There's no reason to be cautious."

"My friends," the Librarian says, "you must turn back. This path leads only to death, both for yourself and for your friend. If you -"

"We've heard it before," I say, dragging Weary along as I walk forward.

"No!" the Librarian shouts. "Don't come any closer!"

"Or what?" I ask with a smile.

"Or we'll all die!" the Librarian shouts, as the eyes of the Forbidder glow a bright red and the rattling sound gets louder.

"Do your worst," I say, as I drag a struggling Weary straight through the image of the screaming Librarian.

"Do you see now?" I ask, turning to Weary and smiling once we have passed through the image and out the other side. "We were faced with nothing more terrifying than an illusion, something left behind to scare us away as if we were children. He desperately wanted to ensure that we would turn back, but clearly he had time only to create a rudimentary image. He was playing on our fears, and using them to generate something that he believed would make us turn and run. It would have worked on most people. Fortunately, I could sense that there was no genuine threat here. Do you realize what this means?"

"We should take his advice and go back the way we came?" Weary asks.

"It means that we're going in the right direction. The Librarian clearly does not want us to follow in his footsteps. He was so desperate to stop us, he paused on his journey to leave behind this echo in an attempt to ensure that we would keep back. Such an effort must have taken a great deal of his strength, so he would not have done this lightly. We can expect other attempts to deter us, which means that we are getting closer. It also means that the Librarian did not merely run in blind panic from the Citadel. Rather, he made his way carefully through the catacombs, leaving behind tricks designed to ensure that he would not be followed."

"But then who are we to question the Librarian?" Weary continues. "Perhaps he was right when he said that we should just trust him? Perhaps we are making a mistake by interfering in something that we cannot possibly hope to understand? Why don't we just return to the Citadel and wait for the Librarian's plan to work itself out? If he wanted us to leave him alone down here, he must have had a good reason. Are we really going to keep going and just assume that we must know better?"

"We have come this far," I say, staring into the darkness up ahead. "Turning back would be just as dangerous as moving forward."

"That's some interesting logic," Weary says.

"Think about it," I reply. "There are undoubtedly creatures that have noted our arrival. If they see us starting to retreat, they will regard us as weak and they might decide to attack. I could defend myself, but I am not certain I could protect
you
. In fact, I am quite certain that you would be the first casualty if we were to encounter any kind of opposition along the way. We need to keep moving forward, or we risk death."

"You think we're being followed?" Weary asks, turning to look back the way we came.

"Every creature for miles around will have sensed our intrusion into the catacombs," I point out. "They'll be curious to see what we are doing here, and they'll be wondering whether they could kill us and consume our flesh. I have no doubt that there must be many hundreds of eyes staring at us, some small and some not so small. They're waiting for some sign of weakness, but we will give them no such sign. Our only option is to keep moving forward until we find the real Librarian."

Weary sighs. "You see, Vanguard, this is the kind of thing you could have mentioned earlier. You could have told me that this was a one-way trip kind of deal. Instead, you made it sound like we'd just be taking a look around and then heading home. I can't help thinking that you left out some important details."

"I sought to persuade you," I reply, "not to help you make an informed decision." As we reach another intersection, I look left and right and see nothing but darkness in either direction. "Which was should we go?" I ask, turning back to Weary. "Which way leads out of the Citadel?"

"Left," he says. "No, right. Or..." He pauses for a moment, clearly a little confused.

"I brought you with me because I thought you were an expert," I tell him firmly.

"Left," he says, sounding a more confident this time. "Going right would take up back up into the heart of the Citadel, whereas going left should lead us out toward the east of the Library. Beyond that point, I have no idea what we'll find, but I'm certain this is the way to go."

"We'll know soon enough whether we're on the right path," I say, starting to walk along the corridor. "If the Librarian was so desperate to deter us that he set up one illusion, he'll certainly try again. If we don't meet some form of resistance in the next hour or so, we shall have to reconsider our journey."

"And you really think we're going to find him?" Weary asks. "I remember talking to the Librarian about the catacombs, Vanguard. He knew nothing about this place. Frankly, I think
we're
better equipped for this journey. The Librarian was a wise man, but I don't see that he infallible. If he came this way, he might still be wandering lost through the corridors."

"As long as we find the book," I reply, "it does not matter why he came down here, or whether he knew his way. The book is all that concerns me. Once we have it, we can return to the Citadel and hand it over to the Forbidders. Believe me, if there were some other way to drive those creatures from our land, I would not be down here now."

"But if we -" Weary starts to say, before we both feel the ground start to shake. We stop in our tracks, but the shaking seems to have subsided. "What was that?"

"Are tremors a common occurrence down here?" I ask after a moment.

"Tremors are not a common occurrence anywhere in the Library," he replies.

"But we're much deeper down than most men have ever been," I point out. "Perhaps -"

"Tremors are not -" As he starts to speak, another tremor hits, and this time it's clear that the source of the vibration is coming from above.

"Something is happening far above us," I say, looking up at the ceiling as a few small pieces of rock start to drop down.

"Is it another illusion?" Weary asks.

"Perhaps," I say, "though it seems more powerful." Another tremor strikes, and it's becoming increasingly clear that the entire corridor is at risk of collapse. Although I would like to believe that this is another trick left behind by the Librarian, I doubt he had enough strength to create something so powerful.

"We should turn back," Weary says. "This is too much, Vanguard. We risk being buried alive down here!"

"No," I say firmly. "We do not turn back, not under any circumstances. Turning back would be madness. It would take us hours to get back the way we came. If we are to be buried alive, we might as well die as we walk forward rather than as we retreat."

"I don't know if you're aware of this," Weary replies, as the walls start to shake, "but when you try to be reassuring, it doesn't work. It kind of comes across as making things worse."

"I am not trying to be reassuring," I tell him, as another, stronger tremor strikes. "I am merely trying to be realistic. Retreating is not an option."

"See?" he says. "That's what I mean. Why not try being more optimistic? Even if you don't believe it, why not say a few nice, positive things?"

"Do you want me to lie?"

He sighs. "I just think -" Another tremor strikes, and this time there's a loud cracking sound from above, as if the ceiling is about to give way. "You're right," he says. "We're doomed, aren't we? There's no way out. We're going to be buried down here!"

"We must keep going," I say. However, as I turn to lead him along the corridor, the ceiling buckles and a shower of rocks and dirt comes tumbling down onto us. I look back at Weary, but it's already too late and I'm quickly crushed as the ceiling collapses. I try to get to my feet, but another, larger piece of rock lands on my back, pushing me back down. Yet again, I try to get up, but the entire ceiling has collapsed and I'm not strong enough to get out from under the rubble.

"Vanguard!" Weary calls from somewhere nearby, as one of the walls starts to crumble.

Still trying to get to my feet, I feel the weight of the other wall as it comes tumbling down on top of me. Pinned to the ground, I hear a huge rumbling sound. It is almost as if the entire weight of the Citadel itself is coming crashing down into the catacombs.

Claire

"The charges are set," Argod explains as we walk up the spiral stairs. "As soon as we're clear, the Citadel will be destroyed. It will collapse into dust as the surviving Grandapams head across the Library to meet the Emissary. Everything we've planned is in place."

"There are people here," I say, as Natalia forces me to keep pace with them. "You're going to kill people!"

"Others will be left alive," Natalia replies. "The Library is teeming with life. You have seen little evidence of this, since most creatures have fled beyond the realm of the Citadel in order to escape the war. They will come back, though. There will be enough still living when the day is done. They will rebuild, and the Library will survive. It might take centuries, but eventually this place will rise again. Perhaps they will seek to recreate their old system, but I hope they will instead seek to create something new, something better. After all, the Grandapams have changed, so why should the people of the Library not be forced to adapt to a new existence?" She turns to me. "Does it not fill your heart with joy to know that your sacrifice will save an entire world?"

"I'd like to explore my options first," I say quietly.

"Resistance is to be expected," Natalia continues. "You're scared. Believed it or not, Claire, I'm scared too. After so many years, I'm to go to my homeland for the first time. I was born in the Library, and it never occurred to me that one day I would be able to leave this place. Now I stand on the verge of a journey that will complete my existence and allow me to know my true self. You also face such a journey. Once you have embraced your fears, you can begin to mold that energy into something greater. One day, Claire, you'll look back on this moment and you'll realize that this is when you began to take the path that will make you stronger. This fleeting period of humanity and fear will one day seem like nothing more than an aberration."

I don't reply, as we pass through two more doorways and eventually reach a large hall, where the other Grandapams are waiting. There's something very solemn about this whole situation, as if it's the culmination of many years' work. Although Natalia claims that she chose to rebel only recently, I can't help thinking that the Grandapams' uprising has been coming for a long time. The strange thing, though, is that they seem so calm; it's as if they see this as simply a way of correcting an age-old mistake. They're willing to let people die, purely because they'd determined to restore things to how they used to be. Frankly, I'm starting to think that I liked Natalia better when she was happy being a slave.

"Have the charges been set as I outlined?" Natalia asks.

"To the last inch," replies one of the others.

"Were you able to establish a central detonation point?"

"As instructed."

"And the Emissary has been alerted?"

"We're to meet him in the Library," Argod says. "He sends word that his masters are very keen to get their hands on the book. From what I hear, they have expressed great pleasure, and they are willing to give us far more than simply safe passage back to our world."

"Was mention made of the price that we attach to our help?"

"Not yet," Argod continues, "but the Emissary let it be known that he saw nothing that would be denied. I am sure he understands our motives. Whatever else might be said about them, the Forbidders are known for their fair dealing, and they will not hesitate to show their gratitude. I'm sure we can strike a fair bargain that will satisfy all sides."

"Then it's time to leave this place," Natalia replies. "Has the Elder been sighted?"

"He hides, like a coward," says one of the Grandapams. "When he came face to face with our group, he ran to the heights. We made an effort to pursue him, but eventually we realized that there was no point. He hides in some other part of the Citadel, but he is irrelevant now, as are the rest of his kind. There is no need to waste energy on pointless endeavors and attempts to extract revenge. The best revenge will be for us to leave the Library forever and go back to our world."

"The higher the Librarian runs, the further he will fall when the Citadel is destroyed," Natalia says. "We must leave before the charges are detonated. Have you decided which of you will stay behind?"

"I will be me," Argod says. "I am the one who knows best how it will work, and I am the only one who is equipped to make repairs should any last-minute problems occur. It is by far the most logical choice for me to be the one who stays behind."

"You are the bravest of us all," Natalia replies, turning to him. "When we reach our homeland, we shall raise your image above all others, and we shall teach your name to our children."

"I trust that your journey will be swift," Argod says, bowing his head slightly. "I trust that the homeland will be all that we have dreamed, and that a new generation of Grandapams can forge an empire to rival everything that was achieved in the old days."

"Your sacrifice will not be forgotten," Natalia says, before turning and pulling me forcefully toward the far end of the hall. Soon we're walking down a long, wide set of stone steps, with the exit up ahead.

"You're just gonna let him stay behind and die?" I ask.

"He has a role to play," Natalia replies, "as do we all. "By the time this day is over, the future of the Grandapam race will have been assured, and the Library will be saved. Argod's sacrifice is little more than a speck of dust."

We make our way outside and over to the edge of the Library, before Natalia stops and turns back to take one final look at the Citadel. "This was a glorious place, once," she says. "The legends tell of a proud city where the Elders of the Library worked in harmony with the Librarian in order to keep the whole land safe. Pilgrims would cross the voids between worlds, just to get a glimpse of this place. Some even believed that this was where all life began, and that the first inhabitants of the Citadel eventually became the first books of the Library. Perhaps if the Librarian had chosen to stay behind, rather than turning and running, none of this would have happened. Still, we can't spend time worrying about what could or should have happened. All that matters is that the Grandapams are returning to their homeland. Our people have suffered and served for too long."

"We must get further away," one of the others says. "There's not much time."

"We shall never forget Argod," Natalia replies. "He has made a great sacrifice for us, greater than any sacrifice ever made by a member of our civilization."

Pulling me by the arm, Natalia leads us deeper into Library, while occasionally glancing back over her shoulder at the Citadel, as if she expects it to fall at any moment.

"What happens if you don't get what you want?" I ask. "Why should the Forbidders give you anything? Once you've turned me over to them, they might as well just kill you all."

"The Forbidders are noble and honorable creatures," Natalia replies. "When a deal is struck, they can be expected to stick to their word. Perhaps this is difficult for a human to understand, but other species have a much stronger sense of honor. The Emissary of the Forbidders will not go back on his word. If anything, he will -"

At that moment, there's a huge boom from nearby, and we all turn just in time to see an explosion ripping through the side of the Citadel. Seconds later, there's another explosion, this time on the other side, and then another that seems to erupt from deep within the building. Huge pieces of stone and rock are thrown across the sky, crashing down into the Library and demolishing shelves. Just a few aisles away, a piece of masonry smashes into a section of shelving, and the Grandapams start to run.

"This way!" Natalia shouts, pulling me along the aisle.

Behind us, there's a loud splitting sound, and I look back to see that a piece of rock has landed where we were standing, sending one of the shelves crashing to the ground, with books spilling out into the mud.

"Stop!" Natalia shouts at the Grandapams who have raced ahead of us. She's too late, however, and another piece of rock crashes down, crunching two Grandapams into the ground and pinning a third against one of the shelves.

"Hold her!" Natalia says, as another Grandapam grabs my arm. Hurrying over to the male who has been pushed against the shelves, Natalia removes a dagger from her belt. "Your injuries are too great," she says, before plunging the tip of the dagger into the Grandapam's heart.

"It's collapsing!" shouts one of the others.

Turning, we all look up at the Citadel just in time to see its highest spires starting to crumble down into the center of the building. A huge cloud of dust rises up and there's an ear-splitting cracking sound, as the main part of the building crashes down, and finally the noise starts to fade away, leaving us to stand and stare at the burning pile of rubble. The entire Citadel has been destroyed, along with several of the closest aisles, and thick black smoke rises into the sky as the building burns.

"How many people were in there?" I ask, turning to Natalia. "Was Vanguard in there?"

"The people are unimportant," she replies. "Of more importance is the fact that we lost four of our own number this afternoon. We must be more careful as we make our way to the rendezvous point with the Emissary. Our numbers are limited and we can't allow our forces to be further depleted."

"How much further?" asks one of the other Grandapams.

"A few miles," Natalia says. "From there, we should be granted safe passage back to our own world. The Emissary will be waiting for us." She turns to me. "Are you looking forward to the final moment, Claire? Soon, you'll be able to cast off your human body and retake your old form. You'll become a book again. The first book. The most important book. The book that will save the Library and restore order to the seven worlds. I hope you're suitably proud of yourself." She steps toward me, and there's a glint in her eyes that suggests she genuinely believes what she's saying. "This is your destiny," she adds. "Don't see it as death, Claire. Don't even think in those terms. Life and death are such old, tired things. This is something else entirely. This is the purpose for which you were born. This is the destiny of the seven worlds, being brought together by your transformation."