Chapter 28 twenty three

Da Ke leads the way. what are you waiting for?she asked, voice rumbling through the claustrophobic hallway. Blake looked around, at a loss as if missing something.He expected to see dank dungeons filled with rotting books and shriveled spiders.But it's more like a hospital corridor.Safe and clean.Even the floor is coated with something non-slip.There was an iron cage along the wall beside them, full of wires that spun around.Blake wondered what it was for. There was a small steel door at the end of the tunnel. Da Ke cupped her hand and put it on her ear, like a thief about to break into the safe, listening for any movement on the other end.After hearing nothing, she slowly opened the door and looked inside.

Bookshelves, bookshelves, more bookshelves.Rows of bookshelves stretched out from them in all directions, like a maze. Together they tiptoed into the next room and crouched beside a tall metal cabinet.There was hardly a book in sight as far as the eye could see.Instead, identical gray cardboard clips stretched into the distance, each clip tied with a piece of string. Blake looked around. There is a large iron grid under their feet, and they can see the floor below, and the floor below.Blake's eyes peered through the gap in the middle and saw shelves crowded with red and gold books, glowing faintly like coals in a stove.There is no end to the maze.He and Da Ke were hanging on a narrow passage, surrounded by a huge iron spider web.He was at a loss.

The dim, dusty air vibrated monotonously with the machinery.He heard various clicks and clicks around him, including thermostats, fire detection systems, and security systems monitoring the collection.Behind all these sounds, there was an unidentifiable mechanical rumble.A vision flashed through his mind: a half-man, half-bull monster dragging stacks of books through the center of the library. Copper pipes zigzag through the ceiling overhead like a complex plumbing system.From time to time, Blake thought he heard a paper rustling inside the tube, as if insects were crawling inside, but he dismissed the idea.Maybe it was his imagination.The confrontation between libraries and vermin has always existed.Presumably the Badri Library will not allow vermin to appear in the stacks.

In any case, there was always a doubt in his mind.I wonder if there will be surveillance cameras installed here to monitor their every move?He guessed that a guard would grab him by the shoulders and drag him from his hiding place, but nothing happened.No one came.The two of them have been down long enough.It appears that no one is watching the library. Even so, Blake remained still for a moment, trying to figure out his place, trying to come up with a plan.Da Ke's fingers flicked along the cardboard paper clip, wanting to open it to see what treasures are hidden inside. What do we do now?Da Ke finally leaned forward to speak.

do not know.Blake looked at the circuit board on Dako's head, the small red and green lights flashed to form a network.Stop, go, stop, go and start looking for the ultimate book, I thought. Are you crazy?She waved at the surrounding bookshelves, we don't even know what they look like.This is impossible! No, it's not impossible, Blake raised his voice, unwilling to give up, that wordless book has already brought us here.Then it will lead us the rest of the way. How to bring it? Blake didn't say a word, instead he shrugged his shoulders, took off his jacket and backpack, took out the wordless book and held it in his hand.

Da Ke shook his head, what would it do?Fly up and show us where to go? maybe.At this juncture, nothing would surprise him.We'll just wait and see what happens. As he spoke, he lightly removed his hand resting on the book cover.The Wordless Book is like a butterfly, spreading its wings to test the air.The pages of the book flew lightly, and the movement was very slight.Tremors filled the air. Blake listened breathlessly. From somewhere on the surrounding bookshelves came the echoing flutter of wings, the kind of rustling Blake had heard before.Almost immediately there came a rustle from above, and then another rustle from the depths below.Soon, the sound is absorbed, and thousands of books in the library are making the same sound.Blake looked around in amazement.The air was filled with the sound of books!Every book conveys a secret: Endymion.Spring has returned!

Dako, who had pulled a file box from a nearby shelf and was opening the cover, stopped at this moment and stared at Blake.Then she dived hungrily into the contents of the filing box. A shabby-looking book with a battered cover buzzing inside the cardboard like a frantic insect.It made a dry rustling sound, like a cockroach, turning the pages with great excitement. Scared by the noise, Da Ke suddenly closed the box, and immediately re-tied the string to seal the book, but it was a step too late, the wordless book in Blake's hand had already responded, and the pages were turned more and more. Anxious.

Blake couldn't believe his eyes.These books are sending messages to each other. Suddenly, Dako hissed in Blake's ear: Hush!somebody is coming! Blake pressed the book against his chest, muffled its voice. which side?He asked anxiously, pricking up his ears, trying to hear the sound other than the blood flowing like a drum in his ears. Dako raised a finger. Blake heard it too.A succession of short, shuffling footsteps, accompanied by a disjointed whistling. Their bodies squat lower and wait and see. Finally, a woman appeared, with wild hair like a goblin, pushing a cart full of books, walking along the adjoining aisle, stopping from time to time to put books on the shelves.Luckily for Dako and Blake, the woman was wearing headphones buzzing in her ears like angry bluebottles.No wonder she didn't hear the commotion.

The two children looked at each other nervously, as she approached, then relieved as she passed.She dropped the cart still containing the books, opened the door leading to the underground passage, and disappeared. As soon as she was gone, Blake let go of the wordless tome, pressed his finger on the paper, and whispered: Please show us how to go, but quickly, okay?There may be more people in the library. This time, the pages turned much slower, and a particularly wide-open page unfolded in front of his eyes.The vein-like lines had been seen before, and now they were clearly visible again, but the light came from within, as if a book had illuminated a path for him to follow.

I see!The marks on the paper are a kind of map. Blake watched the lines twist and turn, cross each other, diverge in unexpected places, and finally stop at where he roughly estimated they were hiding. so what?Dako whispered in Blake's ear that she couldn't see the route revealed in the book. Blake said nothing, waiting for the paper to show the next section of the route.A glimmer of light appeared on the page in front of me, revealing an unfamiliar area of ​​the library: a thin line surrounded by a mesh system of shelves.He started to move slowly in that direction. Hey, where are you going?

Just follow me, Blake whispered without looking back, I think that's the way. The book led them through intersecting rows of bookshelves, and down a poorly lit passage, and down an iron ladder that clanked.Blake warns his sister to keep quiet.There was a worn wooden door at the bottom of the stairs, and the two of them passed through the wooden door and stepped into another room with iron grids, which was full of books again. The air was stale and smelled chalky so deep underground.Some books were covered with a thin layer of dust, as if no one had touched or opened them for hundreds of years, and some books looked too alive: tied with ropes like mummies, so that the inner pages would not fall out one by one.The bookshelves are black and thick iron products, extending into the distance.The scabs of the cover were all over the place, like the shell of a dead insect. Da Ke's fingers traced along the spine of the book, drawing a path in the deeper and deeper library.Dust kicked up from under her fingers. Blake began to lose his sense of direction.For a while, a rusty creaking sound from among the bookshelves followed them, disturbing him.The noise grew louder as they advanced, like a robotic snake slithering across the ground.He felt the hairs on his arms stand up like antennas, and waves of anxiety spread throughout his body. Then he saw it.A gigantic, motorized monster lurks just a few feet away, in a clearing deep in the library. The big bronze wheels kept turning, like the gears of a clock, and occasionally pushed out thick plastic containers along the conveyor belt next to them, some of which contained books.The machine creaked and groaned, a remnant of obsolescence but still functioning: books appeared and disappeared, transported from the stacks up to the high reading room and down again. hurry up!Someone just came by!Blake said, grabbed Da Ke's wrist, and rushed towards the dark passage between the two bookshelves. There is a row of footprints in the paper dust around the machine, like dancing steps. Blake's heart was pounding, and he hunched over and hid between two rows of bookshelves.Thin ropes hung down from the light tube above his head, hitting his shoulder lightly, but he didn't notice it at all, and chose to move on in the dark.With his head down, he continued to walk along the narrow passage, guided only by the wordless book, which emitted a soft and harmless light. Halfway down the passage, he stopped.A book stands tall on his head like an invincible army; rows of bookshelves press down on him.For some unknown reason, the line on the map was broken at this point. What's the matter with Dacola Labrake's sleeve? Blake squatted on his heels, looked up and down, wondering.Maybe the book got lost. He stared into the darkness and saw a faint light shining on the ground.Just a little way ahead was a small wooden table above which glowed hot from a bare bulb.Nearby stood a damaged chair, with both arms frayed. Blake held his breath.There was a dark human figure, a shadow, lingering beside it, leaning against the side of the metal cabinet containing the books. Dako saw it too.Who is that?she asked quietly, her eyes wide open. Blake shook his head and reached out to take Dako's hand.He looked at the figure carefully, almost unable to hold back the impulse, and wanted to run away. The vague shape showed no signs of life, and it was motionless. Blake looked at the book in his hand.The map vaguely showed the road leading past the shadow.He felt sweat start to trickle down his neck.His mouth was dry.There is no other choice.He had to move over slowly. Dako clung to the hem of his jacket.No, don't go.she whines. No way.he hissed. Blake, trembling, crawled a little closer. That figure is actually a black coat.A hooded robe hung on hooks glued to the side of the metal cabinet. Blake breathed a sigh of relief, but he remained alert.Someone sat here not too long ago.The leather seat of the chair is slightly dimpled.He stretched out a finger to touch.It feels warm to the touch! Not daring to waste a second, Blake tugged on Dako's sleeve, and the two ran to the end of the passage at full speed, trying to keep the distance between the two of them and the scary thing that had been sitting on that chair as far as possible. The book seemed to regain clarity, leading them down another dark passage, past piles of damaged equipment, through rows of narrower and narrower shelves, into the center of the labyrinth.They came up against a solid steel wall.This way does not work. Blake scratched his head, puzzled. I don't understand, he said, the map points straight ahead, but it's impossible.He re-examined the crooked places on the map, but no matter what he looked at, they all pointed here. What's the problem?Da Ke said, bypass Blake, let's go through. Blake turned to face her, unbelievable, how did he get there? Da Ke rolled his eyes, haven't you seen this kind of thing before?She tapped the piece of steel lightly, making a hollow sound.On the metal barrier, small ring handles resembling steering wheels were embedded at intervals, making the wall look like a row of vaults. This is a movable bookshelf, Da Ke said, which can save space.Otherwise, how do you think the library will cope with the growing collection of books? Da Ke turned the first handle and released the first lock.There was a sharp metallic pop in the air, like a gunshot, and Blake jumped back.The other wheels automatically began to spin clockwise, reminding Blake of a spider-walking race. As if someone let out a long sigh, the device slowly opened and rolled away along the metal track.Rows of bookshelves lined up parallel to each other, there are many, hidden books are lined up on the shelves, unfolding in front of their eyes like a hall of mirrors, every row looks the same. Have you seen it?Da Ke said, there is nothing wrong with wiping your hands with a yellow raincoat. OK, so which passage to take now?irritated Blake asked angrily. I don't know.You are the one with the book in your hand. Blake looked at the map.Endymion.Spring pointed out a passage next to the wall, in the corner of the library.The space here is very crowded, and they can only pass through in a single file.The brother and sister walked over hand in hand like paper dolls. It was also known that at the end of the passage was an old and unmarked door, hidden by a curtain of cobwebs.A very old, very old door, set almost invisible in the stone foundation of the library. Blake's heart was beating so fast that the whole library around him seemed to be shaking.The Wordless Book became agitated, flapped in his hand, and almost rushed towards the opening. Blake brushed away the cobwebs, clearing the way, and the webs clung to his skin like marshmallows. Facing him was a stone door with worn teeth like the entrance to the old library at St. Jerome's College.He stared at the door gaping.The door was only a tiny bit wider, half sunk into the floor below. Dako grabbed Blake's sleeve tightly.I don't want it, she said, her voice weak as silk, and I don't think we should go in any more. Blake's hand was already on the door, motivated less by courage than by the book.don’t worry.Endymion.Spring is with us.Trying to sound brave, he said. Blake turned the skeleton of the doorknob with shaking fingers.With a twist of the hand, there was a light, crisp and dry click.The door opened slowly. As soon as a foul smell gushed out, Blake suddenly got goosebumps.A wet, cold, earthy smell oozes from that passage, and his entire nostrils are filled with that smell. Blake stared nervously into the space. A spiral staircase descended steeply before his eyes, spiraling into darkness.Only a few moss-stained stone steps can be seen, and nothing else can be seen. Blake wanted to run away, but the book kept pulling him past, dragging him into the shadows irresistibly, the silvery pages were swallowed by a suffocating darkness.He needs more light. Then Blake remembered. He patted the front of the pack, and soon found what he was looking for: a cylinder tucked into one of the pockets.his flashlight.After the college library incident, he forgot to take out his flashlight. Grinning, he pulled out the flashlight while trying to hold the book.The face of Da Ke beside him turned into a ball of fear. Blake turned back to face the hole, watching the faint light fall down the ancient steps.Still, can't see the bottom line. This is great, another spiral staircase.Blake muttered, feeling Dako grabbing his elbow.Her eyes were wet. Blake shivered and stepped into the gloom.It felt like wading into a moonlit pond, the darkness rushing up to his waist like icy water. don't want!Dako screamed, the voice was small and fragile, and I didn't want to go down there.It's not fun anymore. She gripped Blake tightly, pinching his flesh.Come on, Blake grunted, we must go down! The book dragged him down like a weight tugging at him.Blake was sinking into darkness. It will be fine, he assured Da Ke again and again, I will protect you. Blake's voice became hoarse, trying to suppress the fear that was pinching his throat.He stretched out his hand to help Da Ke, but Da Ke Khan's hand avoided his. No, I don't want to go down.She said it again and backed away.Tears rolled down her cheeks. Listen, Blake said, I don't like this as much as you do, but we have no choice.The Ultimate Book is nearby, I can feel it.It wants us to discover it. I am afraid. I know, and I'm afraid, Blake admitted, but I swear nothing will happen to you.The darkness hit his legs, chilling him.His teeth chattered.They have to be constantly moving.As long as we stick together, nothing will happen. Da Ke's lower lip trembled, and finally she nodded.She moved slowly towards the stairwell, dipping her feet into the pool like a little child.She grabbed the hood of Blake's jacket and nearly choked him. The two of them stepped into the darkness together.