The Bookshop Goblins

The missing book

Gruff takes off his half moon glasses and rubs his  eyes as he double checks the ledger on his lap. This can't be right not in his 200 years as the keeper of magic at the Bookshop had this ever happened.

Every one of the books had been accounted for, even the owner's newest arrivals that turned up a few hours ago. So why was there one missing? He would have to ask Franklin to check every title especially the archives (which were just the old books in the basement) but it would take Franklin and the others time to open the boxes and start the count being two feet definitely had it's drawbacks and this was before they started tidying ready for a busy day tomorrow.

Gruff took a deep breath and called over to Franklin "We are one short" "One short?" Franklin replied in disbelief as he paused midway through organizing the fantasy shelf which he would happily admit was his favorite genre "How can we be one short, did you include the new ones?" Franklin said gesturing to the cardboard box they were yet to unpack and organize "I did" Gruff acknowledged as he turned back to the ledger "twenty-three new I had Albert count them whilst Vanessa was at lunch" Gruff put down his quill as he spoke and moved the pot of ink he had been using so he could close the book not before moving the golden ribbon to the current page so he could go back to it.

"You let Albert count the new stock, and in the daytime, when Vanessa could have seen" Franklin  who had abandoned organizing and was pacing up and down the shelf with his hands behind his back almost as if he was afraid he would knock something over if he touched it.

Albert was one of the youngest goblins at the Bookshop, although for goblins that didn't really mean much because you could be a hundred and thirty and still have the youth of a twelve year old human child. The goblins had resided in this particular Bookshop for over forty years and in that time had seen nothing of the previous owner Kathy or the new owner Vanessa, for not being seen by humans was one of their most important rules. In fact most of the goblins in the Bookshop had never seen a human before in their lives and had fun imagining what they might look like, perhaps they were really tall with three sets of eyes, tails and claws.

Gruff shook his head "Vanessa would never have seen him. He was out in the open for like...ten minutes max. He borrowed the lever by the way" Gruff stood as Franklin considered what he had just heard "And that makes it all okay does it, and what happened to the lever because it was never returned to my desk?" Franklin asked referring to his section of bookshelf behind some of his favorite fantasy authors that were home to his belongings such as the lever. "I don't know. I believe when I last saw Albert he was in the crime section so I would start there first" Franklin grabbed the ladder that was next to him and attempted to prop it up on the shelf below. Unfortunately as he went to put his foot on it to the sturdiness the ladder fell forward and he had to go back to hanging over the edge of the shelf and dropping onto the next one. Jumping to another shelf proved difficult and even though he was still spritely at a hundred and ninety it would probably serve him better to take the cautious approach and just climb until he reached his destination.

Albert was busy humming to himself whilst dusting off the jackets of the hardcovers so he didn't hear Franklin approach until the older goblin let out a wheeze. "How are you Franklin, is there anything I can help with?" Albert asked "Just wondering where you put the lever as Gruff reckons we are one short on the count tonight" "One short?" Came Albert's slightly startled response as Franklin nodded at him. "Well, I believe I left the lever in the non-fiction section to remind me to count the archives" Albert raked his brain trying to remember the lever's precise location.  Franklin let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding trying to mentally prepare himself for the journey to the non-fiction section at the back of the shop.

Both Albert and Franklin were tired when they reached the non-fiction section and breathed a collective sigh of relief as they spotted the yellow handle of the lever halfway up the shelf and promptly rolled off the shelf onto the floor.

Once they both reached the ground Franklin clasped both hands around the handle as Albert mirrored with the flat end. As they maneuvered the lever to the box on the ground Franklin asked "Are you sure Vanessa never saw you when you counted these before" Albert shook his head, "I listened out for her footsteps they are so loud I am surprised anyone gets any sleep around here. Anyway I always look at the clock to check what time she will be back" "The clock?" Confusion was evident on Franklin's face. "That thing" Albert said as he gestured to the clock on the wall opposite them "Oh" Franklin chuckled at his mistake "I thought that's what humans avoided or were scared of, so I thought it might be something we ought to fear too. I have heard so many exclamations of 'oh is that the time'" Albert shook his head again at the older goblin and tried not to laugh.

When they got to the box Albert moved the flat head of the lever so it rested between the flaps of the box and moved next to Franklin so that they could both put their full force behind the handle.

It took another ten minutes for Franklin and Albert to recount and organize the new books as they went. As it turned out Albert had made an error which luckily they could rectify in the ledger as there were actually twenty four new books, which Gruff being Gruf had already worked out so that explained why they were one short.

Once all the books were counted they could get back to cleaning and make sure that the Bookshop remained magical for those that entered it the next day.