Claudius trotted into the library behind him. They both scanned the foyer. It was very confined — actually closer in dimensionality to a large box. Josef briefly wondered if the room itself were a prelude to the cloistered mentality of the books found therein.

Lengthy portraits draped down from every wall. Their pale-faced denizens looking like they hadn't seen the sun in twelve septujinnys and each was surrounded by hulking stacks of mildewed tomes.

A single chandelier deigned to lower itself a foot from the ceiling. It held four whimpering candles.

A middle-aged man with black hair slicked down to his mid-back stood behind a lectern. He noted Josef's entrance and sighed. Half-moon spectacles rested on his nose which itself was pierced by a square septum ring. His elegant fingers gripped a thick leather-bound tome resting on a lectern much shorter than he was.

"The goo-drinker's here," the man whispered to an elderly woman behind him. She stopped pushing her cart and stared, blinking her eyes.

"A goo-drinker?" she yelled out. The man at the lectern shooed her away.

Josef waved, wondering why the man had sighed.

The man at the lectern cleared his throat and coughed, rearranged his footing. Josef took a single step forward.

The room noted his advance with a clear echo.

The septum-pierced man held up a polite had. "This tramples every virtue I hold dear, but I'm afraid I must restrict your entrance to these premises. I understand you will hate me for this."

Josef appreciated the man's honesty, but he was still flabbergasted. "You're telling me I'm not allowed to educate myself?"

Claudius stepped forward past Josef, pointing at his goo-drinker. "My goo-drinker can't even read a book in here! Do you know how far we've travelled! He's been ratified by your feld's ruler! For the sake of all that is holy, he's sworn a feldpromise! He's been bequeathed with a damned quest!"

The tall man held up a second hand. "Please, please, accept my deepest condolences. Knowledge should never be guarded—"

"Can we just take a peek?" Josef asked, watching as the elderly lady pushed a squeaking and overloaded cart of books through a very narrow doorway.

The man raised a scroll from the lectern and waved it in the air. Josef recognized the paper.

"I've received instructions to bar you from entering," the man said gingerly, as if trying to keep everyone in good spirits.

A sound came from Claudius's throat. Josef, rather horrified, looked on, as the Sea Gwell stared at the floor and hyperventilated. His gills were practically shaking.

Fearing for the librarian's life, Josef nimbly stepped past Claudius, coming within arm's reach of the lectern. "Listen, I understand I myself can't enter. I am the goo-drinker after all," said Josef calmly, attempting to defuse the situation. "But can my dear Sea Gwell friend enter without me? That seems more than reasonable."

The librarian remained completely still. His mind didn't appear to be performing the slightest calculation.

This isn't good, thought Josef. He could sense what was coming.

"Unfortunately," the man began, gripping the lectern like a shield, "this scroll also dictates a certain Sea Gwell by the name of Claudius is also barred from entering."

"Josef," said Claudius as if he'd just received a fatal wound, "we've been insulted. I'm filing an official complaint. I'm taking this to the top. Gangdrup's bureaucrats shall know the passionate rage of the Sea Gwell!" Claudius spun on his heel and stomped aggressively towards the exit.

Josef started to follow him but the librarian whispered something at the last moment.

"Goo-drinker," the librarian said under his breath, a note in his hand. "I have a personal library that isn't restricted. Please join me tomorrow at your convenience and hopefully I will be able to provide you with something of interest. My apologies on behalf of Gangdrup."

Josef didn't hesitate. He took the note from the man. It contained an address. He nodded curiously at the librarian and thanked him. "Your name?"

"Wimmle. I was hoping you would drop by. I'll be at my home all day tomorrow. But please only bring the Sea Gwell if he's calmed down."

"Josef!" screamed Claudius from the doorway. "Don't defile yourself any longer!"

Josef quickly thanked the man again and made a motion for Claudius to settle down, waving the note in the air.

They exited the library together and once again reentered Gangdrup's night air. Josef was about to explain the note he'd just received when a shuddering horn blast ranged throughout the entire cavern.

Claudius startled and brought his webbed hands to his fanned ears. "Holy void cakes, that'll take some getting used to," he said, tapping at his ears. "That's the second horn blast. Shops will be winding down now—" but then Claudius saw the note: "What is that you have there?"

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Josef gave a mock bow and presented the piece of paper to Claudius. "The librarian's private address. He has a collection of books he's offered to make available to us, as long as you behave yourself."

Claudius flicked the piece of paper with his teal finger. "Goo-drinker magic, this right here. Nice work, young Josef. You haven't redeemed yourself, but you've done good."

Since Gangdrup was shutting down for the evening, Josef and Claudius agreed to return to The Backwards Flow. It was only a few minutes walk away.

They sped past market vendors solemnly packing away their goods as carts creaked slowly past. Faces huddled together and whispered as Josef and Claudius sauntered through the diminishing crowds. Josef felt the short sword's bobbing weight in his hand.

A frightful sight he must look. Still wearing a stained rag sack while carrying a macho's abandoned short sword. If someone tried to attack them, he wasn't quite sure what they'd do. Claudius had his slingshot in his backpack, but after the Sea Gwell's performance at The Crow Meadow, Josef knew he'd be practically on his own.

"Relax, Josef," said Claudius, who'd apparently noticed Josef's anxiety. "Gangdrupians tend towards a more passive form of aggression. We're more likely to be overcharged next time we go for a boat ride."

"Three threats, Claudius. Three threats."

But Claudius waved his webbed hand in the air and chortled. "Save your fear for when we're asleep."

"Thank you for that. I look forward to a great rest tonight now," Josef said, but nevertheless a yawn overcame him. He was surprisingly tired once again. The ratification process was obviously taking its toll.

Up ahead they could suddenly see and hear the chugging waterwheel of The Backwards Flow.

"Home sweet home," said Claudius, side-stepping over to the water wheel and crouching down. "Spectacular. Just look at this." Claudius traced his teal finger from the lake and then back towards the water wheel.

Josef crouched next to him, observing the flow of the water. It was going backwards, moving uphill towards the waterwheel instead of away from it. It was a peculiar sight.

"Pulls water up from the lake," explained Claudius while pointing at blue-glowing stones nestled within the water's channel. "It's these stones that work the magic. Another gift from Mal, Rayala told me. They pull the water up and let the mushrooms work their purifying magic."

"The Backwards Flow," said Josef, watching the water wheel scoop and throw the water in a continuous cycle. On its backside Josef spotted a spout. That's how the water reached inside the inn, he realized.

"Gangdrup. What a place," Josef said in quite amazement.

"Indeed," Claudius said as he stood, glancing around cautiously.

They shimmed themselves through the front door of The Backwards Floor. Josef hesitated for a moment upon entering. The great room was packed, the fire roaring, Lancel plucking fastidiously at his harp. Rayala carried twelve flagons on a board above her head.

Fingers pointed. Whispers were barely concealed. Some eyes had a friendly cast, but many were narrowed into gazes heavy with distrust. Lancel's song continued, but the room's attention had shifted. "Goo-scum," someone whispered.

Under his breath, Claudius said, "To our room. It's already been a day. Let's not tempt fate."

Josef agreed and followed, leaving a trail of rising whispers behind him. And then Josef heard a familiar song as they climbed the stairs:

Between the sewerbreeze towers

The noble goo-drinker strode

Cursing Moonsneeze, seeking power

He'd left his woeful goo-sac abode—

Josef realized Lancel was performing The Sewer Prince. And he'd added more verses. The harpist continued:

Burned the Meadow clean and wide

Left running for the sewer life.

The great Mal deigned to ratify

Now in Gangdrup, he don't know why.

For he's our Sewer Prince

Our goo-drinker on a dime

Robes of sewer juice

Brain of slime—

He's destitute

Our Prince

Our curse

for a time.

Claudius yanked Josef up the stairs and looked around. "Did you just hear that? That harpist is wilfully spreading rumours. What did you tell him, Josef?"

"I didn't tell him anything!" Josef hissed back, feeling his grip tightening on his short sword. The anger was there, and it was rising. "That's it. I'm going to cut his harp strings."

It was Claudius's turn to tell Josef to settle down. The Sea Gwell blocked Josef from descending back down the stairs. "The last thing we need is for Lancel to add a verse about you flying into a rage and trying to kill him."

"He's lying through his teeth!" Josef said through gritted teeth.

"Yes," Claudius said as he peered back down the stairwell. "It's quite obvious he's decided to take matters into his own hands. Apparently word of The Crow Meadow burning down has made its way to other ears as well."

"Are we safe here, Claudius?" Josef asked suddenly.

The Sea Gwell shook his head. "I don't know. But lets not endanger ourselves further."

With that Claudius grabbed Josef by his shoulders and steered the goo-drinker up the remaining stairs and towards their room. Claudius unlocked the door and pushed it open.

The room was completely dark.

"Need to light a candle," Claudius said as he bumbled towards his nightstand and managed to grab one, exiting to the hall and then returning to the room with its meagre glow.

Josef suddenly jumped and almost stabbed himself with his sword as Claudius screamed in three short blasts.

There, sitting on Claudius's bed, was Malark.

"Hello Claudius, old friend."

"Ma-Malark, what in the world. How? Why?" Claudius blubbered out, the candle shaking in his hand.

Josef was equally perplexed. He stared at the orange-skinned man as if for the first time. Bushy brows, small in stature, loose strands of grey hair combed across his head. A bag rested next to him on the bed.

Malark unfolded his hands. "I had to seek you out," he began. "With your second escape attempt, rumours began to swirl that I was an accomplice." Malark then paused to nod at Josef. "Glad you're still alive, goo-drinker. I never imagined you'd make it this far."

"I owe a lot to Claudius," Josef said, looking to the Sea Gwell, who by all appearances was still stunned that his old boss, The Chief Watcher of the Ba'ha Grotto, was in Gangdrup, sitting on his bed.

Malark nodded solemnly. "Your rag sack has sure seen better days."

Claudius gave a small stuttering stamp with his webbed feet. He cleared his throat. "Malark. I'll only ask once…did they send you after us? Tell me the truth."

Malark stared at Claudius for a full second. Then he spoke freely: "Do you think they'd send an old watcher to retrieve a hair-brained Sea Gwell and a goo-drinker? They're probably only now discovering I've left."

Malark rubbed his bad leg and grimaced. "I would've been here sooner, but my leg just keeps getting worse and worse. Darting to toll that bell upon Josef's waking tore it up good…serves me right, I suppose."

Claudius took a step closer to Malark. "How did you find us?"

"This is why I came…" Malark said quietly, his head collapsing into his hands.

Josef could tell Malark was distressed — and it made sense, the ex-Chief Watcher was old. He'd been working for the Ba'ha Company for many, many septujinnys. And now he was on the run, dragged into Claudius's running bet against his will. He could've gone anywhere, but he'd come to Gangdrup. Why?

"What's going on Malark?" Claudius asked slowly, a hint of fear edging into his voice.

"They know Josef is still alive. They know he escaped from the Crow Meadow. And they want him back."