The Burning Page (The Invisible Library 3)

Zayanna took a breath. ‘But the universe won’t allow a world to be linked to two centres of influence; it just doesn’t work that way. So the problem for your Library is that these new linkages are pulling the unstable sphere into the same place as your Library. Now Alberich’s unstable domain is actually replacing your Library in a metaphysical sort of way. And the more other worlds start synchronizing with the unstable sphere, the stronger this replacement effect becomes. So, in time, it blows up your Library’s gates to other worlds entirely – even where Alberich hasn’t hijacked any linking books. The sphere he’s using is taking over all the links instead.’

Irene could feel the blood leaving her cheeks. ‘Surely that can’t be possible.’

‘Well, you tell me, darling.’ Zayanna shrugged. ‘How should I know what’s possible and what isn’t? It does sound plausible, though. Isn’t there some sort of law about how two things can’t occupy the same space at the same time? Inspector?’

Singh frowned. ‘I believe that’s more of a scientific principle than a legal one, madam.’

‘But if this is an ongoing process,’ Irene said, ‘then what happens if—’

‘When, darling,’ Zayanna corrected her. ‘The way he talked about it, it’s definitely when.’

‘When it reaches . . . full synchronization,’ Irene finished. Her mouth was dry.

‘Well, he said there were two possibilities.’ Zayanna frowned, with the air of someone trying to remember the exact words. ‘Either the unstable sphere would shunt the Library out of time and space, by usurping all its links to other worlds. Alberich’s new domain would knock the Library completely out of touch and make it completely impossible to reach, and so on. Or the process would just blow up both the Library and the unstable sphere. He was really very conflicted about it, because the second idea sounded more effective – in terms of utterly destroying the Library. But it’d mean that he’d lose all his books.’

‘A few more questions,’ Irene said, still trying to process the magnitude of this potential destruction. ‘Did Alberich say how the process could be stopped?’

‘Darling, he’s not that stupid. Granted, we’d all sworn to obey him and carry out his plan, and he’d threatened us with fates worse than death if we disobeyed. He’d also put that binding on me and all the others, so we’d die if we were captured or betrayed him, and so on – but even so, he wasn’t going to tell us everything.’

Irene nodded regretfully. ‘And the fact that I broke that binding on you means that now you’re free to disobey him?’

‘Or you’re playing for time,’ Kai suggested.

‘I admit it would solve all my problems if he blew up the Library right here and now. No more conflicts of interest!’ Zayanna smiled at Irene cheerfully.

Irene’s stomach lurched at the thought. ‘How much time do we have?’ she asked bluntly.

‘I don’t know,’ Zayanna said. ‘I honestly don’t know – my word on it. But I don’t think you’ve got long.’ Her expression was friendly, even sympathetic, but there was no genuine understanding of Irene’s emotions behind it.

She grasps that it would hurt me if the Library was destroyed, Irene thought. She just doesn’t really perceive why it would hurt me, or how much.

The nearby fire had been put out by now, and the sounds of conflagration and fire engines alike had died away. The street hadn’t yet begun to stir with morning activity. For the moment everything was quiet, as Irene considered how to frame her next question.

‘Can you take people to his unstable sphere?’ she finally asked.

Zayanna’s smile vanished. ‘Darling, that’s a terribly, terribly bad idea.’

‘But you aren’t saying no.’

Zayanna chewed on her lower lip. ‘I’m saying let me think about it. I’m not playing for time. I suppose it might be possible . . .’ Irene nodded. ‘Good.’ They could take in a strike team of Librarians, disable whatever Alberich had done and hopefully dispose of Alberich while they were at it. Problem sorted. Admittedly it was a very sketchy plan, but it was one hundred per cent more of a plan than she’d had half an hour ago. She turned to Li Ming. ‘I apologize for the delay. You have a message for Kai?’

‘For his highness, and for you by implication. My lord knew that his highness would pass you the information anyway.’ Li Ming favoured Irene with a quick, understanding smile. He put his attaché case on the battered table, opening it and exposing the written documents inside. The black ink of the writing seemed to draw the light, as if the fact that they could see it now gave it an unhealthy significance. ‘We have a proposal—’

Then the air pulsed as though it was the surface of a drum struck by a careless hand, and the buzz of chaos-tainted Library power washed through the room.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Li Ming’s attaché case sprang fully open, as though an unseen hand had flipped back the lid. The writing on the papers inside writhed and coalesced, shifting and re-forming in unstable patterns. Li Ming recoiled from it, and behind him Kai was flinching as well, similar expressions of sheer disgust on their faces. The papers rustled against each other, humming like a nest of wasps.

Irene knew the taste of Alberich’s power by now, and the power was building to dangerous levels.

‘Open a window!’ she shouted.

This had happened in the werewolf caves, when three ingredients had been present: some form of writing, a Librarian and Alberich’s will at work. Alberich had again zeroed in on where she was – and this time Li Ming’s documents had given his corruption a focus. If this was a message, it was the sort that left people dead.

Vale fumbled with the window latch, but it was rusted in position. ‘It’s stuck,’ he reported calmly. But then he couldn’t feel the mounting power in the same way Irene did, and he didn’t have the same revulsion to it that the dragons had. ‘Singh, try yours—’

‘No time. Stand back, gentlemen. Windows, open!’