“Well, this.” Andy paused briefly, looking around again. “This is certainly different.” They were a small chamber. Andy guessed approximately thirty square feet at most. The walls were in an octagonal pattern with a domed ceiling far above. Light came from several points on the ceiling.
“This isn’t like any of the other realms I’ve seen. Even Grannus’s has long winding tunnels, not just a single room.” Bill had started walking along the walls. He stopped to examine something occasionally.
“Hey Bill, weird question, but how do we leave? Normally, the crack is just there in the other realms, even when closed from the outside. Are you able to manifest one again?”
Bill’s face was a mix of annoyance and worry. “Uh, I just tried. I can’t. We’re stuck until we figure out what’s going on, Andy.”
“Yeah, that’s what I had already thought. Did you see all the symbols on the walls? They look similar to what you drew on the ground.” He had noticed the walls were inscribed with what he thought were magical symbols.
“Hrm, yeah, they are. I have no idea what most of these are, though.” He walked across the room. “This wall though these I’m familiar with. This one right here very specifically has to do with the status of a portal. I had to alter this to increase the size of the cracks our stones generated. Let’s see what happens if I do this.” He pulled some chalk from his pocket and added a few more lines to the symbol.
A rectangle-shaped space in the wall in front of them started to glow brightly. It then slid into the wall, creating a small passageway. Light filtered into the room from the other side.
“Okay, so we need to make our way around here then?” Andy let the question hang. He knew Bill knew as much as he did about their fate. The worst that happened was they had to restart the loop outside of the room. He realized there may actually be another problem with that.
“Hey Bill, are you going to start the loop where you normally do, or did this change something?” Andy was concerned he had trapped his friend here forever.
“Not a clue, Andy, but don’t worry about me. We’re going to figure this out.” The capybara turned and smiled at him. He then turned back around and walked into the passage he had created. Andy followed.
It was more a door than a hall, leading them both to a new room. This room was much larger than their previous one. It had rows and rows of bookcases as far as the eye could see. All appeared full. There was a center desk directly in front of them. There was something sitting behind it. It looked almost human, but the body was off somehow.
It coughed.
“Hello and welcome to the under library.” The not-quite-human had sat up and spoken to them.
Andy took a closer look and realized why it seemed so strange. It was just a puppet created to loop like a human. It had buttons for eyes and long stringy hair. He felt incredibly unnerved.
“The Under Library? So this isn’t a new world?” Bill asked. The Capybara was standing close to Andy.
“The Under Library has always existed. I am the new librarian appointed to help the new stewards of universal knowledge. So, in that sense, the world is both old and new.” The puppet answered, its voice creaking as it spoke.
“Okay, now I just have more questions.” Andy’s fear was receding in favor of his thirst for knowledge.
“Please ask them. I will do my best to answer all general inquiries.”
“How did we get here?” Bill asked.
“I don’t know. I’m sure it’s covered in one of the books, though. The reference cabinet may be of help.”
“Who appointed you?” Andy asked.
“Information restricted.” the voice had changed to a monotone computerized voice.
“Interesting, so there are things you know that you can’t tell us?” Andy asked again.
“You have only unlocked the What Is wing. All information contained within all other potential wings is still considered restricted information.” Its voice had shifted back to the original sound.
“What is contained in the What Is wing?” Bill asked this time.
“Everything that is.”
Andy sighed loudly at the non-answer. “Are we in any danger here?”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Yes, knowledge is perilous. As the stewards, it is up to you to define how much danger you wish to risk.”
“What does it mean that we are stewards?” Andy had an inkling of what the puppet would answer but wanted to verify.
“You are the current caretakers of the Under Library. It will be up to you to dictate its future purpose.”
“How many stewards have there been before us?” Bill asked.
“Zero.”
“Wait, what? Who built the Under Library, then?” Bill continued.
“Information restricted.”
“Okay, fine. How do we get back to where we came from?” Andy wasn’t sure they could get much further with the puppet. They currently had far too many unknown unknowns to be able to question it properly.
“I do not know.”
“Can you direct us to the library section that covers magical symbols, specifically the ones we used during our ritual before we opened the cracks that led us here?” Bill tried to help Andy with a more targeted question.
“Of course.” The puppet typed away at a computer in front of them. The computer looked to be made up of felt. Nonetheless, the puppet started reading off the screen. “You want transference runes from local reality into hypothetical reality. Please proceed to row one hundred and seven and select the topic on the console.”
“Is there any food or places to rest here?” Andy had a feeling they were in for a very extended stay.
“There are reading rooms placed conveniently around the stacks.”
“Thanks, I think. Come on, Bill. It’s cramming time.”
“You know, Andy, if this weren’t so creepy, this would be exhilarating.”
As they walked in search of their row, Andy noted how immense this place truly was. He couldn't see any other walls beyond the spot they had come from. The stacks seemed to continue into infinity. How did he keep becoming entangled in these things? Deep down, he knew it was partially because of his desire to do so. If you didn’t push the red button, how could you ever know what it would it do after all?
They passed several small free-standing rooms on their way. They had stopped to look in the first one they found. It had been one of the reading rooms the librarian mentioned. It contained several chairs, tables, couches, a small kitchen, and a restroom, complete with a shower. They were both happy that at least they wouldn’t starve.
It took them around fifteen minutes to find the exact row the puppet had suggested. Andy typed the request into the console, and it prompted him back with a question. “Populate reading room or choose from stacks?”
“I’m going with the reading room. I’d rather be locked in one of those rooms. I can’t seem to shake the feeling something is watching us.” Andy said to Bill.
“Agreed. I also feel like it doesn’t like us, but I don’t know why I feel it. It started when we left the first room.”
“Yeah, the sooner we find a way back, the better. This is probably an insanely valuable resource, but we need to be alive to use it.”
Andy selected populating the reading room, and they walked to the only one in sight. Stacks of books covered each desk, and three of the bookcases against one of the walls were packed full of books. Andy closed the door behind them.
“Okay, first up, I’m going to get some sleep, then I’ll start on the books. I’m still pretty drained from earlier.”
“Same, but I’ll go through the food and see if I can whip us up something to eat.”
“Thanks, Bill.”
Andy settled down onto the couch. He had just closed his eyes when he heard a knock at the door.
“Who is it?!” He yelled from the couch.
“Hello, I believe I left my teacup in there. May I come in and retrieve.” The voice had a British accent, but it sounded off to Andy. He looked around and saw no cup anywhere.
“I don’t see a teacup. Can you describe it and where you left it?” Andy asked.
“It’s a normal teacup, I left it in there.” The voice answered
“Yes, but where in here?” Andy didn’t trust the voice at all.
“Please, can I just come in and take a look?” It asked again.
“Here, I’ll make you a deal. Neither Bill or I will attack you in any way unless you attach us first if you come to look for your teacup. That said, I do not give you permission. If you are able to give yourself permission to come search, as I said, you will be safe, but neither Bill and I extended the invitation itself.” Andy was testing a theory. It seemed determined to get permission to enter. Considering the numerous monster tales involving inviting something in, he was not about to do that.
Andy’s offer was greeted with silence.
Bill walked up to the door and carefully slid a mirror under it, trying to get a look at who was out there. The mirror was wrenched out of his hands, and they heard a loud crunching sound. Bill leaped backward away from the door.
“That was not very nice of you. All I wanted was to be allowed in and you dare threaten me with my own reflection. I will remember this slight.” The voice stopped at this.
“That isn’t a person out there, Andy. From what I saw before the mirror was smashed, it was some sort of elongated shadow. I think we are in trouble here.” Bill’s hair was standing on end across his body.
“I don’t think it can get in, or it already would have, but to be safe, let’s push some of the empty bookcases in front of the door.” Andy needed to sleep, but he also preferred to do so with a feeling of reasonable safety.
Bill and Andy pushed all the unused furniture in front of the door in a silent agreement. They had made a mistake in coming here.