sera carter and the lost library

prologue.

"What do you mean?"

She shook her head. "It's confidential, Mr. Marshall."

"Oh."

Dottie raised a brow. This may have been the first time someone didn't question the confidentiality of something. It was almost human instinct to question the legitimacy of something. After all, that's how she got to be in charge. But this man seemed to not care. Where did they find someone like this? How could someone be so content with not knowing? "Nevertheless, you already know more than you should," she said. Even if Larry didn't care about having an overabundance of knowledge, she relished in dangling information in front of someone's face. "I'm surprised you got this far."

"What are you talking about, ma'am? What do you mean?"

She hid a grin. Perhaps he cared more than he let on.

"When you got this notebook, did your boss tell to be careful, to not trust anyone you met until you got this to me?"

"No, ma'am. Should he have?"

"He must not have known either," she said. She didn't dare elaborate. Larry shifted in his seat. "When you got here, you said you lost the directions."

"Yes, ma'am. I was going down an alley, and I think someone grabbed me, and they—"

She raised an eyebrow. "You managed to get away and keep the notebook? Interesting."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but what's interesting? I don't understand."

"I think it goes without saying that a lot of people have tried, and failed, to get this thing. Its contents hold things that no man should know. It holds things that no man could ever dream of. Legends and stories have formed around it. When that happens, a lot of crazy people think that it's more magical than it actually is. Treasure hunters try to get a hold of it. They think they can exploit whatever they find inside."

"But they can't, because it's just a normal notebook."

"They can, because it's just a normal notebook," she corrected. "Everywhere this notebook has gone, a great civilization has fallen. People will do whatever it takes to make a government collapse, and this notebook has always been a means to do so."

"But it looks so...plain, ma'am. It doesn't look like it's anything special."

"And that's what makes it so dangerous, Mr. Marshall."

"I'm afraid I don't follow."

Her lips curled upward, a wicked smile gracing her face. "No, most people don't. It's a simple concept to grasp, but so many people make it out to be harder than it actually is. You see, people tend to that think only extraordinary objects can do extraordinary things, but they're very, very wrong. In reality, it's something as simple as this notebook that can do the damnedest things."

"I'll take your word for it, ma'am."

She laughed. "You'll come to understand soon enough, Mr. Marshall. But, first, we need to leave. I presume you already have everything you need?"

He rose to his feet. "Why? Where are we going?"

"I'm afraid we've overstayed our welcome. The homeowners will be here soon."

"What? This isn't your house? Did you break in or something?"

"I prefer to think of it as borrowing, but we need to go."

"Why? I still don't understand."

"You don't need to understand to leave the house, Mr. Marshall, so I suggest you follow me. Unless, of course, you'd rather stay."