Abaddon's Call

Chapter Forty-Five

Trild entered the library with a sigh.

"It took most of the day to gather everyone, I apologize," Trild said as he strode toward Magi Yole's desk.

Behind him came Kaulu men dressed in hardened armour, each dragging a librarian each between a pair of them. Magi Yole looked up but didn't appear surprised or impressed.

The men weren't there to make an impression on Magi Yole, but instead on the librarians who were younger and stupider. Young men always believed themselves better than their elders. In many ways that could be true, but to question how Magi Yole ran the library after how long things had run so well was foolhardy at best.

Those who tried Magi Yole were always denied their formal complaints about the matter. Trild felt responsible for asking after the event, so he could pass it on to his father.

"I felt it as I approached, who was stupid?"

"Trathor came in," Magi Yole rasped, sounding weary. "He argued with me. Told me I was to open the library immediately or I would be removed of my position. I removed him of the school."

Trild almost laughed because he knew he'd need to repeat that to Trathor and his father, and he desperately wanted to see the look on Trathor's face. However, he doubted Magi Yole would appreciate the laughter, so he bit it back.

Then was the time to be formal and respectful, not share a love of seeing Trathor brought down a peg or two.

"And it is near my rest time," Magi Yole added with a wheeze.

"My questions are for them, not you. As long as they have access to everything while we speak. No books will be taken out. I mainly want to run a few queries and pull a few of the old ones. Once you return to your desk, we will gather and discuss it with you. Is this suitable?"

"It is."

"Good. Making the library disappear probably would have been easier."

"May have," Magi Yole said as he heaved a breath and appeared to struggle.

"Can I offer you an arm?" Trild asked.

"Not you and your leg, but an arm would be welcomed."

Trild motioned to one of his men. The other moved forward and helped Magi Yole off.

The man was amazing, but his numerous health issues meant he needed to be in bed when he said so. Trild had always believed Magi Yole used some of that magic of his to extend his life by using his bed. He had never brought it up with anyone else because he worried it would start an avalanche that he didn't want to be the cause of.

The old man had always been the friendliest face at the school.

Kaulu also didn't control the library, but they weren't to talk about that. Naena likely slipped into control accidentally. The next year, when Veles came through and requested control, everything would return to normal. Until then, Trild was to do whatever he could to keep Magi Yole in control of the library.

No matter how many students or staff he had to kill in the process.

Magi Yole was, technically, a hot potato no one wanted to be caught holding when it finally fell apart.

"First show me the failed query from the summer," Trild said.

He waited as several of the librarians were released. They went about retrieving the query files from the lower cabinet. It took four librarians working together, overlaying their magic, to open the drawers. Magi Yole could do it alone, with a tap of his foot at times.