Stay True

Chapter 4

Clara stood there with her mouth agape. Colin ran up behind her. "Yeah, um, that's what I was going to say. Yes, Didacus's library is the best chance of reversing the spell...but unfortunately, there are roughly one thousand, two hundred and thirty eight books on enchantments, and that's not even counting books he's got on magical theory but does include books involving potions and other things like that." 

            Clara looked at him. "How did you..."

            He shrugged. "I counted one day when I was pondering whether or not to turn James into a donkey. I decided he did not need any help being an a- hey, kidding, kidding! It was one of the first days I was working here!" he made sure to add when he saw Clara's murderous glare. James was her brother, after all. "Actually," Colin continued, "I was trying to remove a pixie's spell. They turned him into a donkey. Fortunately, I was able to get him into the stables until I was able to change him back. He doesn't even remember it because apparently his brain was transfigured too..." He stopped when he saw Clara's raised eyebrow. "What?" She stared at him some more and crossed her arms. "It's the truth!" he insisted. She finally relaxed. Clara could not really tell if he was really telling the truth or not, but she was going to let it go in favor of helping the castle.

She walked into the gigantic library and found the window. When she and Colin peered out, Clara gasped and looked away. It appeared that the whole kingdom, or at the very least the whole central city had been affected. People in the courtyard were slumped over their washing in the fountain, flat on their backs, curled into little balls. Everywhere she looked, Clara saw more helpless people.

            Colin put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Clara looked up at him, despairing. "I liked this a whole lot better when we didn't have the fate of an entire kingdom resting on our shoulders." He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, and then removed his hand. Thankfully, he did not mention that they already had the entire kingdom's fate to worry about.

            "Clara? The section on magic...it's this way." Colin walked off into the library. Clara followed him into the maze of books. He stopped in the middle of an aisle. She walked around him and notice that he was just standing there, not really emoting at all. 

            "Colin?" Clara was tempted to poke him to make sure he was real and had not turned into a statue or something, but she did not. "Where are they?" He gestured to either side of him. Clara looked around in awe and he did too. "All...all of these?" He nodded. Clara sighed heavily. Only a kingdom. "Let's get started," she somehow managed, although her voice sounded rather strained. 

            Colin said, "I'll take this side, you take that side." He gestured to the different shelves. "What we should do is take a book, look through the index to see if there is anything about sleeping spells, and if there is we take it and put it on that table over there." He pointed to a long, old wooden table in a corner of the room. Clara nodded like she understood and gulped as her heart sank. The sorting alone will take days! And what is an index? Colin noticed her distress, though. He said, "Let's do the first one together." He pulled the furthest book on the right of the bottom row and flipped to the very back. Clara saw rows and rows of words with little numbers next to them. Colin turned the pages until he came to one with all words and phrases starting with "S". Then, starting at the top, he pulled his finger down the page, searching for "sleeping spell". He also, thank goodness, told Clara what he was doing so that she could do the same. He went through all the "S"s and said, "No sleeping spells. Then you keep doing this with the other books. Do you understand now?" Clara nodded carefully. I can do this...probably...maybe...

            He put the book back where it came from. "You have to make sure to go in order. Also, put the books back in the same places you found them. I don't understand Didacus's method of organization, and if we put something back in the wrong place he won't be able to find it, which could have catastrophic consequences." Again with the problems. Couldn't one day go by without needing to save the world? Colin pointed out a system Clara could use to go through the books and remember where they were. Then they began.