Page 54 (1/2)

"Then he’s found it," Eer and kidnapped the yht you said it was legendary," I said "Now you’re talking like it’s a real Which is it?"

"The official position of the Council of Y but a story," Bentham said

"I don’t care what the council says," said Emma "What do you say?"

"My opinions are my own," he said evasively "But if the library is real, and Jack es to find and open it, he still won’t be able to steal its souls He doesn’t know it, but there’s a third element he needs, a third key"

"And what’s that?" I said

"No one can take the soul jars To ible Even ymbrynes can’t touch them In the stories, only special adepts called librarians can see and handle them--and a librarian hasn’t been born for a thousand years If the library exists, all Jack would find there are empty shelves"

"Well, that’s a relief," I said

"Yes and no," said Eures out the yo mad!"

"That’s what I worry about most," Bentham said "Jack has a bad te dies …"

I tried to iine what that could ht be capable of--but my mind recoiled from the idea It seemed the same horrors had broadcast themselves to Eer

"We’re going to get theoal," Bentham said "To destroy ether, I believe we can do both"

He looked so s against his rickety legs, that I nearly laughed

"How?" I said "We’d need an arhts could easily repel an ar even better" He looked at E into a smile "We have the both of you And luckily for you, you have me" Bentham leaned on his cane and rose slowly to his feet "We have to get you inside their fortress"

"It seems pretty impenetrable," I said