Precious

Chapter 4

When the night draws its curtains around the city, and my family has gone to bed, I creep from my room. On light feet, I run to the library in my robe, determined to find out what lies in the ceiling above all those books. Who knows if it can help, but I must satisfy my curiosity.

Mama and Papa were subdued at dinner tonight, but still refused to listen to reason. They shut me down when I tried to speak of the wizard. "Not in front of your sister," they said. "You'll scare her."

Haven't they noticed she's already scared? Delia is more observant than any of us give her credit for, which is why I glance behind every few seconds tonight.

When I reach the huge doors of the library, I hear a soft noise, and Ren's form breaks free from the shadows. He wears a mischievous grin. "Come on," he says, reaching out his hand. I take it.

We creep through the aisles, between the stacks of moldering tomes, then upstairs and around corners. Every inch is packed with the knowledge our kingdom has collected over the centuries.

With all this mess of books out here, what could be behind that door?

When we reach the top level, the last step creaks, echoing off the rafters in the otherwise silent room. Ren and I hold our breath for almost a full minute before deciding no one heard us.

At the northernmost edge of the top level we are faced with another problem.

"How are we going to get up there?" Ren says.

I scan the walkway for a moment. "This," I say, heading for the ladder used to reach the highest shelves. "This should give us the boost we need."

We wheel it over together, positioning it beneath the northern compass point. "Ladies first," Ren says.

Getting to the compass point, a gold filigree star-shaped design, is easier than I thought. Figuring out how to get it to release the panel is more difficult. Pulling and pushing have no effect, and it won't even budge enough to turn. "We're missing something," I say.

"Missing what?"

"I don't know, that's the problem." I tap my fingers on the top of the ladder. "It needs to move for us to get behind there but it's like it's locked."

"Let me try," Ren says. I come down and he hurries up the ladder in my place. But it's no good. He twists and cajoles with the same result: nothing.

He hops back onto the floor. "You're right—we're missing something."

"I've been thinking," I say slowly. "What could unlock a compass point?"

"Compasses are used for navigation. So perhaps something to do with the ocean?" Ren considers this idea, then his face lights up. "Perhaps the key is hidden in a nautical book of some kind, or a pirate history?"

I straighten up. "Yes! Or maybe even a map?"

Ren takes in the whole of the library—we can see almost every book from our vantage—and groans. "Do you think we'll find the key before dawn?"

I bite my lip. "I hope so."

We get to work, but none of the histories or archived captains' logs shed light on the trouble here in the library. We end up seated on the floor with piles of scrolls and tomes surrounding us. When I sneeze for the seventh time from all the dust, Ren leaps up from his chair. "It can't be a book. Let's try the maps and nautical instruments on the third tier. Or maybe one of the weapons exhibits."

"All right, but how could those things help?"

"I have an idea." Ren heads for the section that holds the maps. I follow, intrigued. "The ceiling is divided as a compass, right?"