The Last Page

“Well, what are you doing there in the first place?”

“Ajay, you know why I’m here,” Drew hissed into his cell.  “Here” was the Salem Falls Library of Magic.  “And I need your help.  All the passages from one room to another twist and turn and some even lead back to the room they came from, which doesn’t seem to make any sense.  I’m lost and I can’t find anyone to ask the way out.  Any suggestions?”

“I don’t believe it can be that complicated…”

“Well, it is!”

“When you’re stuck in a labyrinth, the rule is to make every right turn.”

“So, there are three doors in this room,” Drew said.  “That means I should take the one on my right.  If I keep that up, I’ll finally get out of here?”

“Well, it doesn’t work on every labyrinth,” Ajay admitted, “but, with any luck, yes.”

“Great,” Drew muttered.  “Um, slight problem, Ajay.  I’m in another room filled with several large windows, but no doors.  What do I do now?”

“Walk back to the room you were in before, and take the next door to the right.”

“Another prob, Ajay.”  Drew stared at the blank wall behind him.  “I can’t go back.  The door seems to have vanished.”

“Well, it is a magical library.”

“Got anything else to suggest?”

“Can you get a window open?  The walls are covered in ivy.  Perhaps you can find one strong enough to support you to climb down.”

“I’d rather not try that yet,” Drew said, recalling the spiral staircase that had seemed to go on forever before he’d reached the upper floor.  “Wait a sec, someone’s coming.”

A bookcase slid aside, revealing a new passage.

“Who is it?  Is it Rose?”

“No, it’s some old man.  Hopefully he knows the way out.”

Calling the newcomer “old” seemed an understatement to Drew; he appeared positively ancient, tall, thin, with skin as wrinkled as old leather, and dressed in black academic robes.  He wandered absently to one side and, fishing a key from his pocket, wound the clock on the wall.

“Excuse me, sir,” Drew said.  “I’m a stranger here.  I thought I’d visit this old place before it gets shut down.”  He coughed, realizing such a possibility likely go over well with someone who seemingly viewed the library as a second home.  “I’m kind of lost.  Could you help me?”

The old man pocketed the key and shuffled back to the passage.

“I’ll follow you, okay?” Drew asked.

His guide led him through several rooms, pausing to wind more clocks along the way.

“Drew, are you out yet?”

“No, I’m still following him,” Drew told his friend.  “He hasn’t said anything yet, but I’m hoping he’s showing the way out.  Hang on, we’re moving again.  Hey, why are you stopping, sir?” he asked, as the old man paused at the entrance to yet another chamber.  “Is there a down staircase in that room?  What’s in there?”

He heard a faint sound, and peered impatiently over his guide’s shoulder.  Then he gave an angry shout.

On a tottering pile of books sat a young woman, bound with ropes and gagged with a scarf that ran through her teeth!

………………..
Time seemed to stand still for Drew as her eyes met his.  She wriggled slightly, seemingly wanting to stand, but her right leg straddled her left knee, tied together so tightly she would most likely fall over if she did.  Then again, the stack of books was very unsteady; either way, she seemed about to tumble to the floor.

“Move!”  Drew tried to push the elderly man, who remained standing in the archway.  For one so old, he seemed to possess remarkable strength, for Drew could not move him the slightest.  He tried wriggling past, shooting by when the elderly man suddenly stepped aside.

He reached the captive damsel just as the stack fell over and she tumbled into his arms.  “Let’s seat you somewhere more secure until I get you out of this ropes,” Drew decided.

She nodded in happy agreement as he gently placed her on a stepstool.  “I’ll cut you free,” Drew decided, reaching for his pocketknife.

She shook her head no, trying to tell him it would be no use, but Drew slashed at the ropes surrounding her torso.  He gave a yelp of pain as the blade flew from his hand.

She leaned forward, trying to explain to him through the gag.

“I’d better get that off,” he decided, unknotting the tied ends.

“Thank you!” she gasped.  “I’m the librarian here, Rose Morningstar.”

“Yes, Rose, I’ve seen you around.  My name’s Drew Chaparral.”

“Nice to meet you, Drew.  I’d shake your hand only, you know, I’m all tied up.  Could you help with these ropes?”

“I tried cutting them,” Drew explained.

“That won’t work, Drew.  They’re magic ropes.  You need to untie them, just as you did my gag.  Why don’t you start with the coil binding my wrists behind my back?”

“Right!” Drew agreed, getting to work.  “Who did this to you?  Was it Llewellyn Ulric?”

“No, he hasn’t bothered me today,” she said.  “I was careless and opened a book that didn’t want to be opened and, well, that’s how it responded.”

“I didn’t realize this place could be so dangerous.”  Drew unraveled a loop around her torso.  “Who’s the old man?”

“Hmm?  Oh, that’s Aloysius Lychgate.  He was the original librarian.”  She rubbed her arms and stretched out her legs so Drew could get busy untying the ropes surrounding them.  “He retired a couple of centuries ago, but he still likes to hang around.”

There were an overwhelming number of knots, Drew realized, intricate and time-consuming to unravel.  Not that he was complaining.  Rose’s legs were very shapely, clad in delicate stockings.

“I like your skirt,” Drew said with a cough.  “The way it’s designed with all those colors, so it looks like a series of books on a circular bookshelf.  That’s really creative.”

“Thank you,” Rose said, smiling down at him as he continued his work.  “I like to show libraries can be fun, too.”

“So, what’s up with the old guy?” Drew asked.  “You said he retired a couple of centuries ago.  Shouldn’t he be, you know…?”

“Dead?  Oh, yes.  I heard they gave Aloysius a grand sendoff, entombing him in a mausoleum.  His spirit moved along, but his body didn’t stay put; he wandered back and he’s been here ever since.  He’s good to have around; Professor Ulric was here yesterday trying to make trouble; telling me it was time to close up this place and for me to move along!  Then Aloysius shambled over, picked him up, and carried him outside, dropping him on the sidewalk!  Llewellyn screamed something, but he didn’t dare come back in.”

“What does he have against this library?”

“People just don’t seem to have much use for magic these days,” Rose sighed.  “They prefer science, which is fine, of course.  I use science myself; all the books here are preserved electronically, for example.  And at one time, most scientists knew magic.  Even a hundred years ago, there were a few scientists who were also wizards; Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla are a couple famous examples.  But now, I wonder if there are any wizards or sorcerers left at all in the world.”

“Aren’t you a….” Drew paused, not sure if it was proper to use the word “witch” and he didn’t feel daring enough to call her an “enchantress”.  “Aren’t you a sorceress?”

“Not me; I’m a librarian,” Rose said.  “Of course I understand magic theory; I have to, to be able to work here, but I can’t even cast the simplest charm.”  She jumped to her feet.  “Well, thank you for untying me, Drew.”

Drew desperately tried to think of something dashing and gallant to say in reply, but he couldn’t manage anything better than a weak, “You’re welcome, Rose.”

“If you hadn’t come along, who knows how long I’d have been trapped here?  Aloysius is good at winding clocks and throwing out troublemakers, but I think knots are a bit beyond him in his state.  That’s probably why he got you to do it.  Speaking of that, Drew, why are you here today?  Come to check out a book?”

“Something like that,” Drew agreed, his tone hinting that perhaps it wasn’t a book he’d come to check out.  “I started looking around and then got lost.”

“That can happen if you don’t know this place well.”  She plucked something from the floor.  “Here’s your pocketknife back, Drew.  Right, I’ll show you the way out.”

Drew followed her gladly as she led the way.  Her rolling gait made the ends of her straight brown hair swish this way and the hem of her novelty skirt swish that way, keeping Drew’s eyes firmly focused.  She paused abruptly, peering at him over the rim of her cats-eye spectacles as she plucked a crimson-red book from a shelf.  “Practical Pyromancy.  Would that interest you, Drew?”

“Absolutely,” he agreed, privately wondering what pyromancy was.  Fire magic, perhaps?

“I thought you’d say that.”

She gathered a couple more books for him before they eventually climbed down a staircase and emerged in the lobby.  “I need your personal information,” she said, “so we can see about getting you a library card.”

“I’ll gladly share with you my phone number,” he agreed.  “So, once we get everything sorted, I can take these books out?”

Rose flashed him a smile.  “Absolutely!”

He leaned forward, finally coming to business.  “And then, can I take you out?”

………………..
“It’s getting awfully dark outside,” Rose said.

Aloysius didn’t answer.  He never did, although that never stopped Rose from talking to him.  “Looks like a storm’s coming.  I hope it doesn’t interfere with my date with Drew tonight.”

She sorted through the mail, and, noticing the newest issue of Modern Witch Monthly had arrived, placed it on the periodicals shelf and removed the old issue for placement in the archives.

“It’s getting even darker,” Rose observed.  “Those don’t look like proper clouds.  I don’t think a regular rainstorm is coming; more like the hand of evil is extending its fingers towards Salem Falls.  It’s definitely something magical….”

She broke off, realizing Aloysius had shuffled off again, to wind his clocks or whatever he found to do in the antediluvian building.  She debated with herself if she ought to shut up early, when a rumble reached her from outside, a murmuring of angry voices swelling louder and uglier.

The large wooden doors of the library’s entrance banged open.  Professor Llewelyn Ulric, chairman of the chemistry department at Salem Falls Technical University, strode inside, looking very confident, now that he had a crowd of angry supporters behind him.  He waved a wooden pointer at her.  “Grab the witch!” he shouted.

“I’m not a witch!” Rose shouted back.  “I’m a librarian!  And if you and your lackeys are here to make trouble then I’m calling the police!”

“Go right ahead,” Professor Ulric sneered.  “You’ll discover that Constable Combe agrees with me, as do these other right-thinking citizens of Salem Falls.  Our town is better off without an institution devoted to witchcraft and other dark arts.”

Rose’s hand hovered over the phone.  “Chief Combe will respond.  He still has a duty to do.”

Professor Ulric gave a nasty smile.  “His duty it to uphold the law, and the town charter of Salem Falls, written a couple hundred years ago when social conditions were very different, I admit, but still, it permits the citizens to gather for the purpose of burning a witch!”

“What are you saying?” Rose gasped.

“I’m saying he supports me, as I think I’ve made clear,” the Professor snapped.  “However, if you doubt me, ask him yourself!”

“He’s right, Miss Morningstar,” the Constable announced, moving forward.  He stared down at the ground as he spoke, looking more like a reluctant schoolboy being called to the front of the class than an officer of the law executing his duties.  “I wasn’t sure about things at first, but the Professor was very persuasive, explaining to me that it’s my duty to help him!”

“Why are you all standing around?”  The professor jabbed the air with his pointer, like a mad orchestra conductor waving his baton.  “I told you to grab her!  And grab as many books as you can as well!”

Like an angry tide, the crowd surged forward.  “Leave those books alone!” Rose ordered, as several townspeople piled books from the reference section onto the floor.

“You should be concerned about your own safety, not those of your precious books,” Professor Ulric sneered, but then he frowned.  “Why hasn’t anyone grabbed the witch, as I ordered?”

A couple hands reached out for Rose.  She wiggled away, but more people joined in.  She screamed as they lifted her into the air.  “Put me down!”

“Follow me, everyone!” Professor Ulric ordered, striding back out, Constable Combe at his side.  Several townspeople carrying Rose followed, while many more with books clutched in their hands trailed after.  They wended their way through the narrow village streets, illuminated by streetlights, despite it only being two in the afternoon.  The dark clouds overhead were growing thicker, so some of the townspeople lit wooden torches as they progressed towards the town square.

The professor pointed to a wooden pillar that had been driven into the ground.  “Tie the witch to that!  And gag her, too, to stop her screaming!”

A cloth was thrust into Rose’s mouth.  Coils of thick rope bound her to the wooden pillar.  The townspeople moved forward, throwing armloads of books around her, forming a pile up to her knees.

The professor raised his hands for silence.  “Thank you, my friends.  Before we begin these proceedings, I’d like to say a few words.  As you all know, I am a man of science, who has no use for nonsense, and that is precisely what magic is:  utter nonsense.”

Rose twisted in the ropes binding her, angrily trying to speak.

“All my life I have dealt with facts.”  Llewelyn Ulric waved his pointer in emphasis, and the dark clouds overhead swirled, mimicking his motions.  “When as a student I performed experiments, I never fudged the numbers.  If I made a mistake, I redid the experiment until I did the procedure correctly.  It was this attention to detail that caused me to be awarded the coveted Yordan Scholarship for Academic Excellence in Science, a prize coveted by many, but given only to those who…”

“Look here,” Constable Combe interrupted.  “I’m sure we’re all very impressed with your academic achievements and all that, but people are getting restless, and you know how fickle crowds can be.”

The professor hissed like a serpent, grabbing the startled Constable’s necktie.  “Don’t ever interrupt me when I’m speaking!”

A couple awkward seconds of silence followed, before the Professor released him.  “Of course, you’re correct,” he agreed, snatching a burning brand from a nearby villager.

Rose gave a muffled shriek of alarm as the professor lowered the torch.  The book must have been very dry and dusty, for it burst into flame, spreading the fire the other books that surrounded it!

………………..
“Why’s everyone here?” Drew asked.  “I never saw so many people in town gathered together before.  What’s going on?”

“We’re having an old-fashioned book burning!” he was told.

“Burning books?” Drew asked.  “Isn’t that against academic freedom?”

“It must be okay,” someone else said.  “Professor Ulric told us to, and you don’t get much more academic than him.”

“So we’re burning them all,” a third villager announced, “along with the witch!”

Drew felt the blood drain from his face.  “Let me through!”

“Hey, stop pushing!”

Drew pulled one person back and squeezed between two others, worming his way through the crowd until he could finally see the bound and gagged librarian.

“Rose, I’m here!” he shouted, running forward.

“Stop him!” Professor Ulric shouted, waving his pointer at Drew.

One man received a bloody nose from Drew and another a blow to the stomach before Drew reached the pile of books.  So far, only a few at the edge were aflame, but the fire was spreading!

Rose screamed into her gag as Drew flung a handful of books away.  “I’ll save you, Rose!” he shouted.

“That’s enough of that!” Constable Combe ordered, grabbing his arms.

“Let me go!” Drew pleaded.  “I’ve got to rescue her!”

“No one shall save her!” Professor Ulric announced, striding forward cockily, now that he saw the Constable held Drew.  He tapped Drew’s chest with his pointer.  “This is the fate of all witches… and those who support them!  Something you’d better think about, young… ouch!” he shouted, as Drew kicked him in the shin.

Drew spun around, freeing his arm from the Constable’s grasp.  He knocked the professor to the ground and stumbled a couple steps up the pile of books.  “I’ll get you untied, Rose!” he promised her.

She tried to shout a warning.  The Constable and several other citizens pulled Drew back.  “Keep hold of him!” the Professor ordered.  “Don’t let him loose again!”

“Stay still!” the Constable.  “Stop making trouble!  Do you want him to burn you, too?”

Drew tried twisting free again, but this time too many hands held him.  He watched helplessly as the hungry flames drew closer to Rose.

Professor Ulric cackled with delight.  “The evil books will burn, and the witch along with them, and there is nothing you can do about it, my misguided young man!”  He shrieked with laughter, not noticing as a column opened in the crowd beside him, people cramming against one another to make room between them.  His laughter continued, only to stop abruptly as a hand, colder than ice, gripped his wrist.  The silent, skeletal figure of Aloysius Lychgate, stood before him, and reached out with another bony hand.

“Put me down!” the Professor shrieked, as the ancient librarian lifted him over his head.  “Somebody, stop him!”

Rather than stop Aloysius Lychgate, everyone seemed as anxious as possible to move from him.  The professor continued screaming as he was carried away.

The dark sky lightened, with the sun slyly peeping through a gap in the clouds.  The crowd’s mood changed as well.  Looking almost apologetic Constable Combe released Drew, who sprinted to Rose’s side.

“I’ll get you out of here right away, Rose!”  He slashed at the ropes with his pocketknife, giving a yelp of pain as it flew from his hand.  He grimly started twisting the knots binding her, coughing as the smoke stung his eyes and throat.  Fortunately, the townspeople all seemed to be coming to their senses.  A few tried stamping out the burning books or moving them away, while a couple others came to Drew’s aid.  Sooner than he expected, he carried her away to safety.

………………..
“…and I’m very sorry for my part in recent events.”  It was several days later.  Constable Combe stood in the lobby of the Salem Falls Library of Magic, his cap in his hands.  “Professor Ulric had some strange control over me, over all of us in the crowd.  I can’t understand how he did it.”

“He was a wizard,” Rose explained simply.  “I don’t think he knew he was one, though.  He probably genuinely thought his rhetoric was leading you.”

The Constable frowned in confusion.  “But, if all that’s so, why did he do those horrible things?”

“The best I can understand it,” Rose said, “is that, for some reason, he came to believe magic was wrong.  Perhaps he felt it was at odds with his scientific training.  So, he acted out this way.”

“Did you ever discover what happened to him?” Drew asked the Constable

“All we know for certain is that no one’s seen him since that day,” he answered carefully.

“But you have a pretty good guess,” Drew’s friend, Ajay, prompted.

“Well, yes,” the Constable admitted.  “We searched the cemetery.  You know that old librarian’s mausoleum?  The doors were open.  There was a staircase going down.  We went down a little ways, but for some reason, our flashlights didn’t work; it was like the darkness swallowed up their light.  I decided it was too dangerous to explore any deeper, so we climbed back up and sealed the doors.  For safety’s sake, of course.”

“Of course,” Ajay agreed drily.

The Constable coughed.  “From a legal standpoint, we don’t know for certain that the Professor was carried down there, but, somehow I don’t think we’ll ever see him again.”

“You won’t,” Rose assured him.

“Besides the danger to yourself, Miss Morningstar, I’m also sorry about the destruction of so many books,” the Constable said.  “I realize they were very rare, in some instances, the only copies left in the world, as far as anyone knows.”

“They only got reference books from downstairs,” Rose said.  “And I had already stored all the books in the library electronically, so their information isn’t lost, at least.  Therefore, anyone who wishes can still read them.  However, this experience made me realize something.  There must be many more rare books on magic out there in danger of destruction.”

“You mean, there may be other fanatics intent on burning them?” the Constable asked.

“Possibly.”  Rose absently removed her cats-eye glasses as she thought how to express her plans, tapping a temple tip against her lips.  “Or simply in danger of crumbing away from neglect.  That’s why I’m taking a leave of absence from the library, to find as many as I can and give them a new home here.”

“And I’m coming with her!” Drew announced.  “We might find entire old libraries hidden away and forgotten.  And of course, we can look for rarities in other places as well, where their value may not be understood, such as at used bookstores.”

“Or estate sales,” Ajay suggested.

“Very good!” the Constable said.  “But, who’ll mind the library while you’re away?”

“I will!” Ajay announced.  “Recent events got me very interested in this old place.  While there are plenty of mysteries I still have to uncover, Rose has shown me enough that I should be okay while she’s gone.”

“Well, you be careful,” the Constable said.  “It’s very easy to get lost even in an ordinary library, much less a magic one.  And you two be careful, too, on your travels!”

“We will be,” Drew promised him, putting his arm around Rose.