The Hunt for the Ghostkeeper

Chapter 7: Assemblage

After breakfast was served to them the next morning (or rather appeared, as the three Vexors awoke to platters of eggs, toast, bacon, sausage, and fresh fruit on the center table), a knock sounded on their double doors and they were pushed open, revealing a large, elderly man. He had a strong voice was that of a thick Italian accent, and his laugh (which sounded quite often) was not unlike a bullfrog's low croak.

"Pleasant greetings to you, mi bambino," he said with great inflection, taking each of their thin hands in his large, meaty ones. "My name is Amaro. Madame Hollingsworth has ask me to tour you about the Stronghold."

Rick, Chase, and Mason merely nodded, getting up and following the large man out into the corridor. Rick walked nonchalantly, taking in his surroundings with little interest. Chase walked next to Amaro, asking him questions about the daily operations of the place. Mason appeared as if a tour was the last thing he wanted.

"The Stronghold itself be comprised of a single circle, with the interior taking up much of the space and is serving as for studying," Amaro said. "Exceptions include the dining hall, is on the east corner, in this direction. The library is on the north corner, executive offices on the west corner, and the entrance hall on the south."

Each of these places seemed to spark an interest in each of the boys. Following Amaro and acting more interested than they actually were, they waiting until the precise time that they could escape.

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Upon hearing the word "library", Chase automatically seemed to know that that was where he would spend most of his time in this foreign place. The library was always a place of comfort to him, a place of refuge, a place of knowledge. It was one of those places where one could never completely discover everything about it.

Comparing the Stronghold to that of a clock, Chase thought, the library would be placed at twelve o'clock in the northern corner. The entrance to the room stood out in the corridor in a prominent fashion: The large double doors were similar to that of their living quarters, only they were about twenty feet tall. Feeling slightly intimidated, Chase pushed with all his might against the intricately carved wooden barrier.

The ratio of the size of the doors to the library would be similar to any common room. Therefore, the twenty-foot tall double doors led into a gargantuan room that could easily hold several football fields on its floor. The bookshelves were all placed along the center aisle, and as Chase looked up, he saw that they reached far higher than they logically should, as one would need at least three ladders to reach the highest shelf, which stood sturdily under the clear glass roof reflecting the light of day outside.

Looking between the bookshelves, Chase saw that they opened into a labyrinth of twisting shelves beyond, and the far sides of the room were nonexistent. As he made his way further into the mysterious room, Chase passed several people giving him a curious glance, their arms full of books and their eyes hidden behind rectangular spectacles. Chase did not understand why they were staring at him, until he realized that he had in fact been running down the emerald carpet of the aisle. He slowed down, slightly embarrassed, and slipped into a side aisle in between a pair of mile-high bookshelves.

The left-hand side bookshelf extended farther than Chase could see, but the right shelf ended only a few feet in front of him, leading to a T intersection.

"Are you not understanding me?" a sharp, austere voice sounded from behind the right-hand shelf. Chase slipped a hand in between the books on the shelf level to his head and moved them slightly aside, revealing the back side of a woman with long, jet-black hair. Chase moved to the side so as not to be seen.

"I do understand you theory. The question still stands whether you understand mine," another voice sounded, probably from someone standing in front of the first woman. This voice was also female, but sounded slightly older and much more warm, welcoming, and almost comical.