The Library Of Shadows Part 2

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The moment Jon realized Katherina was present in the room and was trying to communicate with him, he was overwhelmed by memories. Images of them together kept turning up in his thoughts and were impossible for him to ignore. He remembered that they had been happy, that he had felt happier than ever before, and slowly a desire began to emerge to find his way back to that joyful state. The reading continued, but he was using less time on charging the text so he had the reserves to think back. What was it that had separated them?In his mind he pictured the test at the school when he had sent her away so that she wouldn't be harmed. The helplessness he had felt then resurfaced; with a jolt, he remembered Poul Holt reading to him for the first time, and how he had at last surrendered.It was as if he were awaking from a nightmare.What was it he was in the process of doing here?Jon tried to stop the reading, but he couldn't. Someone was holding him in place, just as Katherina had done when she demonstrated her powers as a receiver for the first time in Libri di Luca. One of the people was Patrick Vedel, he could feel that, but he wasn't the only one. All Jon could do was keep reading, but he became more aware of how he was accentuating the text.The main character was still in the cemetery. He had begun his soliloquy to the black headstone in front of him. Jon let greyish black clouds drift in over the valley where the cemetery lay, and the stones around him a.s.sumed a raw and filthy appearance. He could feel the weight of the earth beneath the main character, dark and damp, filled with worms ploughing their way through the mould under the gra.s.s.Jon's attention was caught by a patch of greyish fog off to his right. He stared at the phenomenon. So far he'd had total control over the scene; he knew the shape of every single headstone, knew how each blade of gra.s.s lay and how it moved. But this grey fog he was unable to steer. It changed, growing denser in some areas, dissolving in others, and soon he could distinguish the outline of a person. He tried to make the wind blow the figure away, but it stood firm and became more and more solid. A ghost? The setting fit, but there were no ghosts in the text, and this was not something that he himself was adding.It started out as a hazy human shape, but the molecules suddenly rearranged themselves and with one stroke the figure became as solid as a statue. The details of the face were the last to fall into place, and then there was no longer any doubt in his mind.Jon had never considered the possibility that he, as the Lector, might be part of the scene he controlled. He had regarded his role as that of an outsider who influenced the presentation in the same way a film editor does at the editing table. When he saw this manifestation of Remer, Jon realized that he himself had to be somewhere in the world framed by the text. He was unable to glance down at himself to confirm this personally, but it seemed clear to him that the moment when the energy discharges began was the moment he had crossed the threshold and entered the s.p.a.ce of the story. That explained the feeling he had had of being liberated from his physical body.Remer's appearance meant the reactivation had worked, and that he had now acquired some of the same powers Jon possessed.The Remer figure seemed to be looking about. His eyes didn't move but his face kept turning to take in the world in which he found himself. When his gaze fell on Jon, or rather on the place where the image of Jon stood, the Remer figure stopped moving. His lips, which were still colourless, formed into a smile.A mixture of fear and anger welled up inside Jon. He had to stop Remer from getting any stronger, no matter what it took. Mentally he clenched his hands into fists and put all the force he could muster into the effects. The colours became so saturated that the scene looked like a computer-generated reconstruction, with razor-sharp edges and a clarity even the best monitor couldn't reproduce. By aiming all his focus on the area surrounding Remer's figure, Jon tried to erase him by enhancing the intensity of everything else.Remer's facial features became distorted and the details of the figure slowly began to blur, as if he were a statue made of sand in a strong wind. The surface seemed to dissolve into atoms that were stretched out like the tail of a comet, pulling away from the figure; the smile dangled from the back of the head until it was one long streak, and the connection between the body and its limbs faded more and more. An eerie lament issued from the haze, a sound that seemed to come from a throat that didn't belong to the animal kingdom.Jon exerted himself even more, but he could feel he wouldn't be able to maintain the intensity much longer. The figure had been reduced to half-size, with its molecules pulled into a long streamer behind it, but Jon couldn't penetrate to its core to erase it permanently.Slowly Jon felt his concentration weaken. The colours and sharp outlines around him disappeared. The sound emitted by the figure changed, becoming an angry snarl, and Remer's figure began building itself anew, as if it were on rewind. Soon the figure was back to human form, with its features even sharper than before.'Campelli,' panted Remer's voice after his body was reconstructed. 'Impressive trick, but not a very nice way to welcome a friend.'In shock, Katherina took a couple of steps back.A violent spark had leaped from Jon to Remer, hovering between them and growing in thickness and intensity. Remer's body shook for a moment and seemed to shrink in on itself, but at no point did he lift his eyes from the book he was reading.Panic had broken out among the partic.i.p.ants. Some were trying to escape by running for the door, but in the confusion a number of people fell, tripping up those who were behind them. That caused others to flee by jumping over the railing to the terrace below. Still others crawled along the floor or tried to seek protection along the walls or next to the pillars.Remer's expression was contorted with pain, but he still kept reading, practically doubled up over the book, as if he wanted to protect it with his body.There were still about a hundred people standing around the dais and taking part in the ritual, either by reading or by supporting the readers. Most of them kept casting anxious glances at Remer and Jon before they once again returned to the text.It smelled as if something was burning, and the air was charged with electricity, which made the hairs stand up on Katherina's arms.The spark between Jon and Remer seemed pale. It started very slowly to move at a calmer and calmer tempo, diminis.h.i.+ng in size and luminosity. At the same time Remer began to straighten up, and the expression of pain vanished from his face.Completely new sparks surrounded two other Lectors. Those who were standing too close leaped away, screaming with pain, while some people fainted on the spot. Others in the vicinity moved aside or ran off. A great noise erupted from those who were reading and from others who were talking or screaming and trying to get away. Accompanying everything was an angry hissing from the sparks.Katherina cautiously backed further away from the podium as she tried to maintain her support for Jon and also take a look around. The others had to turn up soon. It was too late to stop the reactivation, but they needed to do everything they could to limit it. She reached a pillar and pressed her back against it. More Lectors ran past her, headed for the exit. Terror shone in their eyes. She tried to shut everything else out and focus on supporting Jon.One of the Lectors, the latest to be reactivated, collapsed with a shriek. It happened without warning. He'd shown no signs of weakness or pain before he pa.s.sed out, and Katherina had the feeling the same thing could have happened to anyone in the crowd.On either side of Remer two new clouds had appeared. They had human shape, but were not yet fully formed.Remer smiled.Jon noticed another jolt in the images, a signal from Katherina which he took to be a warning. He sensed her support grow and he gathered all his forces. The cloud cover became pitch-black and the wind raged through the cemetery. Headstones toppled, pulling up the earth, which was whirled through the air in little tornadoes.Maybe he couldn't fool Remer again, but the two new arrivals were in for a surprise. Before they were fully formed, Jon ratcheted up all the effects surrounding the figures. He wanted to make them disappear, remove them from the story, erase them like the misprints they were. They started to dissolve. One of them vanished almost instantly, whirled away in one of the tornadoes like smoke into an exhaust vent. The other stood its ground.Remer was no longer smiling. He looked first at his companion and then at Jon.Suddenly the headstone next to Jon changed shape, and in fright he lost his concentration. Before his eyes the granite liquefied and the stone changed from a rectangular shape into a cross.Jon looked about in confusion. More changes were occurring all around him. Railings appeared, the vegetation shot up in some places and vanished in others. The sky grew lighter and the wind subsided.'This is amazing!' shouted Remer with delight, stretching his arms up in the air.The figure next to him was now fully formed, and Jon recognized him as one of the Lectors he had greeted in the foyer. The new arrival looked around in astonishment. Behind him three more hazy figures appeared.Remer laughed. 'You don't have a chance, Campelli,' he shouted. 'Give up.''Why?' replied Jon. 'You've already got what you need.''True enough. But we still have room for a man like you in the Order.' He threw out his arms. 'Just look what we can accomplish together.''You duped me,' snarled Jon. 'Forced me to betray my own people.''You had it in you already, Campelli. I just brought it into the light.'The three figures behind him were gradually becoming more solid.'And pushed everything else into the dark,' said Jon. 'Katherina, the bookshop, my family. You made me forget my own family, Remer.''It won't do you any good to dwell on the past,' said Remer with annoyance. 'Even your father would have realized that. He would have loved being able to step into the story and change things the way we now can.''But you never gave him a chance,' Jon pointed out. 'You killed him.'Remer shrugged. 'It was necessary,' he said. 'We would never have been able to turn him.'Jon felt anger welling up inside him. With a flash of light the clouds overhead once again turned pitch-black, and lightning shot across the sky with an angry crash.Remer cast an uneasy glance at the clouds.'Who did it?' asked Jon through clenched teeth.'What difference does it make?''Who killed my father?' shouted Jon, accompanied by yet another crash of thunder overhead.'Patrick Vedel, the receiver,' replied Remer indifferently. 'It was necessary.''Patrick Vedel,' repeated Jon. It wasn't more than an hour ago that they were sitting side by side in the car on their way to the library. His anger grew stronger, and he knew that Vedel could feel it, because the hand he felt on his shoulder seemed to lose its hold for a moment, but then gripped even harder. Vedel was still keeping Jon inside the story, and he was wise to do so.'Luca found out about our activities down here,' Remer went on. 'I think he realized he was out of his depth.''My father was here?' asked Jon. The idea that Luca would put so much distance between himself and the bookshop seemed unlikely.'He could have been a good detective,' Remer acknowledged. 'Just like you, but even so I think he was shocked.' Remer shook his head. 'A man struck by panic could do anything. He had to be stopped.''So you killed him.''He might have gone to the authorities. That would have been equally bad for your little girlfriend and her reading buddies. It wouldn't have benefited any Lectors, any of us.'The three figures behind Remer had a.s.sumed their final form and stood there looking about in amazement. One of them was Poul Holt.Remer smiled. 'So, Campelli, what's it going to be?'Katherina gasped for breath. The air in the reading room seemed to be getting heavier by the minute and the smoke was tearing at her lungs. Big sparks kept reaching out and making contact with the overhead beams, the pillars and other random objects. Some struck fleeing Lectors who were flung to the ground and either lay where they fell or tried to crawl away.The energy in the room was stronger now than when they had arrived. At first it had seemed like an eiderdown settling over the s.p.a.ce, but now it had changed character and felt like a rus.h.i.+ng river, violent, roaring and overpowering.Katherina had positioned herself next to a pillar so she could see both Jon and Remer. In the flow of images coming from Jon, she had caught a glimpse of a red-haired man. She recognized him as one of the men who had chased her through the marketplace, and judging by the emotions Jon attributed to the images, the red-haired man wasn't exactly a friend of his either. The accompanying anger was enormous, and when brief picture sequences of Luca got mixed in, she understood why.The red-haired man was the receiver who had killed Luca.Jon's concentration weakened due to his anger, and Katherina had to set aside her own fury to help him. Even though it pained her to do so, she muted the emotions in the pictures of Luca and instead supported the story as best she could. Slowly Jon regained his focus and began working his way through the text. She couldn't tell exactly what was happening in the place where he found himself, but something was certainly going on that went far beyond the words and sentences of the text, as if each letter of the alphabet was a landscape in and of itself.Katherina moved closer to the podium and Jon. She didn't cover much ground, but she felt better being slightly nearer to him. Nothing was visible on his face no emotions or expressions she could interpret.She felt the hood of her robe being tugged from her head. A hand landed on her shoulder and slowly she turned around. In front of her stood the red-haired man, the man Jon had just pointed out as Luca's murderer.'You shouldn't be here. You must have taken a wrong turn somewhere,' he said with a triumphant smile.Katherina's heart pounded and she couldn't breathe. Without the protection of her hood she felt helpless. It was a hundred against one, and there was no place for her to flee. She had failed.'You'd better come with me,' said the red-haired man.The pictures of him she'd received from Jon popped up again, but now they were coloured by her own rage.Katherina took a deep breath.With a violent shove she sent the man toppling backwards. He staggered a few steps before he fell on his back with a yelp. Several people standing close turned towards Katherina with shouts of surprise. She started screaming as loud as she could and pus.h.i.+ng at those who were nearest. The first partic.i.p.ants moved away in fright, but she kept running into people and yanking at everyone she could reach. She managed to grab some of the books and tore them out of the hands of the astonished owners, hurling them as far away as she could. There was no chance that anyone would come to her aid, but she could at least break the concentration of the crowd, maybe long enough so that Jon could stop the reading.The people around her began to understand what was going on, and more and more hands reached out for Katherina. She repeatedly tore herself free, but the crowd was getting rougher and rougher, and agitated voices were pelting her with words in many languages. She fought back as best she could, but then someone shoved a book at her face and stopped her shouts.A voice cut through the noise. It was one of the hooded guards, pus.h.i.+ng his way through the excited partic.i.p.ants and speaking to them in an authoritative tone. He got Katherina in an armlock and one by one the others retreated. The guard ushered Katherina towards the door. The Lectors moved aside, glaring at her as they did. Almost everyone was watching the commotion while Jon still continued to read, as did a number of other Lectors close to the podium who appeared not to have noticed a thing. Desperation surged inside of Katherina, and she almost didn't have the strength to stay on her feet, but the guard ruthlessly pulled her along. When they had nearly reached the door, she made one last effort to tear herself away, but the guard merely tightened his grip.'Take it easy, d.a.m.n it,' he whispered in unmistakable Danish. 'It's me, Mehmet.'

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Jon noticed when Katherina's support vanished.The colours of the surroundings abruptly lost their strength and the details around him became blurred. He had to work harder to keep the scene intact. The features of the cemetery weakened and the atmosphere was not as palpable as it had been before.At the same time a violent commotion occurred in the energy field. Instead of being a unified support that reinforced the intensity of the scene, the force now fluctuated for shorter or longer periods. It seemed like the signal from a transistor being run through the whole range of frequencies.Remer had also noticed it, but instead of faltering, he smiled. 'Don't pay any attention to that,' he said confidently. 'We don't need them.' He held his arms out to the sides and tipped his head back to look up at the clouds in the sky.The colours changed, starting from above and flowing downwards, as if someone were pouring paint over the landscape. Everything that was pale and pastel became so sharp and bright it hurt his eyes. The headstones moved back into place and acquired detailed decorations including gargoyles and mythical creatures.Jon couldn't keep up. He'd lost control of the scene. The ball was now in his opponent's court. 'Not bad,' he admitted as he tried to hide his concern. What had happened to Katherina? He didn't have the strength to hold on much longer alone. Maybe she had escaped. He hoped she had. If only he could make sure she was safe. If only he could poke his head outside to determine whether she was okay.Three more of Remer's people appeared.It looked like he was defeated. Without Katherina's support, and with more and more of Remer's people being reactivated, he couldn't keep going. He noticed that his energy was fading, but he still couldn't stop reading. Patrick Vedel's influence had vanished, but there were other receivers who were keeping everyone captive in the text.The main character at the grave stopped speaking, closed his eyes and bowed his head. Slowly he leaned forward until his forehead touched the stone.Darkness. They were back inside the car. The sides and roof were pressing so close he couldn't move. He heard screams from behind him, inside the car, muted, as if someone were shouting into a quilt, but insistent and impossible to ignore. A strong smell of petrol made the main character cough. A shudder rippled through his body and a violent pain in his legs made him scream.Jon was caught off guard by the change of scene, but he quickly recovered. The darkness limited the possibilities for manipulating the surroundings and gave him a chance to relax. He tried to gather his forces, though he knew it wouldn't be long before the scene changed again.'Are you okay?' asked a voice outside the car door.The main character could do nothing but scream.Then other sounds. The sound of metal against metal, faces that bent close and then vanished, the cha.s.sis of the car creaking and groaning. Petrol fumes filled his lungs and made him cough again. He felt someone grab hold of him. The pain was unbearable. He screamed. Someone was yanking violently at his body. Suddenly he felt water on his face. Rain. He saw the outline of the car as he was dragged away. He saw the crushed roof and the crumpled bonnet. He saw a blue spark issue from the rear of the car.Then he felt the heat was.h.i.+ng over him.Mehmet and Katherina came out into the corridor, beyond the crowd's field of vision, and hugged each other.'What happened to the two of you?' Katherina asked.'It wasn't all that easy to get in,' replied Mehmet. 'And we also had to convince a couple of guards to loan us their togas, if you know what I mean.''Where's Henning?''He's there,' said Mehmet, nodding towards the stairs. 'He started reading from another book we found.'They hurried up the stairs to the next level. Here the tables and chairs had not been removed. They stood in long, even rows a sharp contrast to the chaos below. Henning was sitting with a book in his hands in the middle of the floor, a couple of metres from the edge of the terrace. As they approached, they could hear him reading in a clear voice.'Watch out,' said Katherina, holding Mehmet back. A spark raced across the pages of the book Henning was reading. 'He's been reactivated.''Is that good?' asked Mehmet.'I have no idea,' replied Katherina and sighed. She stepped closer to Henning and studied his face. His eyes were staring down at the book but they seemed to be seeing more than just letters and words. A few drops of sweat glistened on his brow and his cheeks were flushed.'He's completely out of it,' declared Mehmet.'Leave him be.' Katherina moved over to the railing. They were standing right above the podium with a full view of the floor below. Jon was still standing there, reading, paying no attention to the fact that scattered all around him were bodies lying on the floor along with a jumble of candles and books. Discharges from the electrical fixtures sent constant showers of sparks out into the room, and bolts of lightning leaped between Jon and the eight other Lectors standing around the podium who had been reactivated. It was as if they were feeding each other with energy, sometimes in random bursts, at other times pa.s.sing the charge from one person to another like a relay baton.'s.h.i.+t,' said Mehmet next to her. 'What the h.e.l.l is going on?'Before Katherina could reply, they heard a clattering sound behind them. Henning's body had straightened up and was arched like a bow over the chair he had been sitting on. Foam was seeping from the corners of his mouth and a horrible hissing sound had replaced his reading voice. Katherina ran over to him but didn't dare touch his body, which began to shake violently. His eyes were no longer staring at the book but were looking up at the ceiling with an empty, frozen expression. A drop of blood ran from his nose to his lips.'Henning!' she yelled. 'Can you hear me?' There was no reaction on his face.Katherina didn't know what to do. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him tight, but didn't dare. Tears began to well up in her eyes. She took a step back, never taking her eyes off Henning's face.Suddenly his body stopped shaking and his features once again looked human. Then he closed his eyes and collapsed back onto the chair.Mehmet took a hesitant step towards the Lector and studied his face closely before he pressed two fingers to Henning's throat. After a couple of seconds he removed his hand and sighed.'He's dead,' he said.It was raining in the cemetery. After the darkness of the flashback scene, the rain was a much-needed breath of fresh air. The stench of petrol had been replaced by the smell of wet gra.s.s and flowers.'Wow,' exclaimed Remer. 'Nice little intermezzo.'Another grey cloud appeared and began taking shape.Remer smiled. 'Give it up, Campelli. It's now eight against one.' Then his smile froze and he frowned.The new arrival was Henning, who looked around in astonishment.'Henning!' shouted Jon in relief.Henning took a moment to get his bearings and then caught sight of Jon.'Jon!' he cried. 'Is that you?'Remer uttered an angry shout and held his hands out towards the spot where Henning was standing. A strong wind began blowing around them.'Ignore it, Henning!' yelled Jon. 'It's not real. Focus.'Henning stared in bewilderment at his feet. The wind picked up. A whirlwind rose up around him until he was surrounded. It had torn up earth and leaves as it emerged, encircled him at an ever-increasing tempo.'Katherina,' Henning shouted. 'She's ...' The wind stole his words. 'Lightning ... have to go back ... out ...' A panicked expression spread across his face.Jon tried to neutralize the tornado, but Remer's supporters made sure that it got even stronger, rotating faster and faster. Jon tried to change its path but it refused to budge. Henning's figure grew weaker. His shouts could no longer be distinguished from the roaring of the wind and his body grew fainter with every second. Finally his figure was no longer visible in the centre of the storm.Suddenly the whirlwind vanished, and all the stones, leaves and earth it had contained came raining down. Henning was gone.Remer seemed to be examining the pile of dirt that remained on the spot where Henning had stood. 'I think you're right, Campelli,' he said. 'It's a matter of faith.' He smiled. 'And I don't think we've seen the best yet.'Around them the scene changed again. Lightning sliced across the sky and rain began to fall, at first in big, heavy drops, then in columns of water. The gra.s.s grew higher as Jon stood there looking at it, and the walls of the cemetery seemed to move further away to make room for new rows of headstones, white crosses beneath grey clouds.Remer laughed. A maniacal tone had crept into his voice. 'Nothing can stop us now!'The wealth of details seemed to explode. Jon could see the very structure of the bark on the trees, microscopic fungi on the surfaces of the gravestones, vermin underground, moisture that had collected in the carved surfaces of the headstones. It was almost too much for him to take in; so many impressions forced themselves on him, filling his head until he thought he would faint.One of Remer's comrades in arms sank to his knees, holding his head. He started screaming, and the outline of his body slowly blurred. The sound of his shouts grew fainter as the Lector's molecules separated from one another, cloaking him in a cloud of particles that vanished in the wind.'Remer,' said Poul Holt, sounding strained. 'You need to hold back a little.' His face was contorted with pain.'Hold back?' Remer shouted. 'We haven't come this far to hold back.''He's right,' said Jon. 'You've gone too far.'Angry, Remer turned to face him. 'Too far?' He smiled.Jon sensed the wind growing stronger around him. Dirt and raindrops whirled past. He was bombarded by impressions of the shape, speed and path of every single drop, but he had no control over them. Remer was steering and shaping them, down to the individual molecules.Instead of fighting back and trying to regain the upper hand, Jon tried to concentrate on one thing. One small step. Even though he couldn't feel his physical body, he tried with all his might to move his left foot backwards. He pictured it sc.r.a.ping along the floor of the dais, centimetre by centimetre, further and further back. It filled his thoughts. One small movement.More and more loose objects were being swept along: leaves, stones, planks, branches and signs all rushed past him at an ever-increasing speed.One step.'Is this far enough, Campelli?' shouted Remer jubilantly. His voice was barely audible in the wind.A pain at the back of his head sliced like a bolt of lightning through Jon's consciousness. He was lying on his back at the foot of the dais. His fall down the steps had made him drop the book that had been holding him captive. He couldn't see where it had landed.Eight Lectors remained by the podium. Jon stared at them. He now understood why the other Lectors had been so terrified of his powers. The air felt electric; the smell reminded him of the metallic odour of leaky batteries.Jon tried to stand up but a sharp stab in his left foot made him groan aloud with pain. He looked down. His foot was turned at a strange angle. Even thinking about moving his foot made it hurt.'What's going on?' said a nervous voice behind him.Jon turned and caught sight of Patrick Vedel, only two metres away.'We have to get out of here,' said Mehmet.Katherina nodded, but she couldn't take her eyes off Henning's lifeless body.'Did you hear what I said?' Mehmet stepped in front of her so they made eye contact. His gaze was steady and insistent.'Jon,' said Katherina. 'We have to take Jon with us.'They went over to the railing and looked down at the floor below. The electrical activity seemed to have increased. They heard the constant, dry crackling of discharges and the sparks were lasting longer than before.As they watched, yet another one of the Lectors fell away from the circle surrounding the podium. His white robe might just as well have been empty. He fell to the ground without a sound. A dark liquid spread across the floor from the body.'We have to go down there,' said Katherina firmly.'Wait.' Mehmet grabbed hold of her.Beneath them Jon's body began swaying. Katherina gasped and put her hand to her mouth.At that moment Jon fell backwards, toppled off the dais, and landed on his back with a horrible thud. The book he was holding disappeared into the shadows. He lay still for a moment much too long, it seemed to Katherina but then he started moving again. He lifted his head and managed to prop himself up on one elbow and look around.Katherina sobbed with relief. Her emotions had been on a rollercoaster for the past couple of days, and she knew that soon she wouldn't be able to stand any more. Even though she wanted to run down to Jon at once, her body refused to obey her. She was shaking so hard she could hardly stay on her feet.'He's okay,' said Mehmet with a grin. He put his hands on her shoulders and gave them a squeeze. 'He's okay,' he repeated.Down below Jon had turned towards the shadows behind him and a figure had stepped into the light. Katherina recognized the man with the red hair. They couldn't hear the exchange of words that followed, but Jon was clearly upset, though evidently unable to stand up. The man with the red hair squatted down next to him, but Jon pulled away and began looking about.'A book,' Katherina decided. 'He needs a book.''What sort of book?' asked Mehmet.'It doesn't matter,' she replied. 'Just find a book and I'll try to get his attention.'Mehmet disappeared.'Jon!' shouted Katherina as loudly as she could. 'Up here!'Jon looked about in confusion. The man with the red hair stood up and let his gaze sweep over the terrace.'Up here!' she called, waving her arms over her head.Jon raised his eyes and finally caught sight of her. Even though he was some distance away and the light was bad, she could see that he recognized her. A big smile spread across his face. The man with the red hair straightened up and put his hands on his hips. Jon used this momentary distraction to seize the man by the ankles and yank on them so his body fell backwards. Jon then scuttled away on his hands and knees. Katherina couldn't understand why he didn't stand up.Mehmet was back with a book.'Here,' he said. 'It was the first one I could find.'Katherina took it from him and again called Jon's name.He turned around in time to see her waving the book. He nodded eagerly and she tossed it down to him. It landed a few metres away and he struggled to reach it. In the meantime the man with the red hair had hauled himself to his feet.It was the anger that kept Jon conscious. His body was drained of energy. It required the greatest effort for him to make the slightest movement. The pain in his foot didn't make things any easier, but at least it helped to keep him alert.At the sight of Patrick Vedel, Luca's murderer, Jon had to restrain himself from a.s.saulting him on the spot. But his position, lying on the floor and presumably with a broken ankle, didn't give Jon the best advantage, so he made himself stay calm.'What's going on?' asked Vedel again, squatting down next to Jon.'Your boss has lost his mind,' replied Jon. He looked around. There was nothing within reach he could use as a weapon.Vedel's eyes flickered. 'Remer knows what he's doing,' he said. 'He's doing what's best for the Order.''He's in the process of annihilating annihilating the Order,' snarled Jon. 'Can't you see that? He's gone too far.' the Order,' snarled Jon. 'Can't you see that? He's gone too far.'Vedel shook his head. 'No, the Order is his life, our life.' He stared with admiration at his boss. 'He'll do anything to preserve it.''Yes, he'll even kill for it,' said Jon.Patrick Vedel gave him a searching look.'What's the life of an old bookseller worth compared to this?' said Jon bitterly, as he maintained eye contact with Vedel. Jon could see that the man was trying to work out whether he knew the truth or not.Vedel lowered his eyes. 'It was necessary,' he said.'You went too far,' said Jon. 'Just like now. Who do you believe that Remer is thinking of right now, himself or the Order? I've been where he is. I know the answer.'Vedel clenched his teeth. 'He would never-''Jon!'Jon recognized Katherina's voice and looked around. Vedel stood up and did the same.She called his name again. This time it sounded as if her voice were coming from overhead, and Jon caught sight of her on the terrace above. A huge feeling of relief washed over his body.'That b.i.t.c.h!' yelled Vedel in annoyance.Jon's anger flared up again, giving him renewed strength. He reached out for Vedel and grabbed him round the ankles. With a violent yank, he pulled the Lector's legs out from under him, making him fall heavily on his back.Jon pushed and dragged himself away from Vedel as fast as he could. He hadn't gone more than five or six metres when he heard Katherina calling him again. She was waving a book. Out of the corner of his eye Jon saw that Vedel had stood up and was coming towards him.The book landed a couple of metres away from Jon and he struggled to reach it as Vedel came closer. It was a small, slim, leather-bound book. Jon opened it with shaking hands. He might still be able to get out of this situation.Vedel stopped when he saw the book Jon was holding.'Now, just take it easy,' he said, holding up the palms of his hands. 'There's no reason to ...'Jon's courage sank as he read the first words.The book was in Italian. It wasn't possible. Not here, not now.The expression on Vedel's face changed from nervousness to relief. 'Not a book to your liking?' he asked and laughed.Jon turned his attention back to the book. He did know Italian, after all. It had been a long time since he'd read the language, and he doubted he knew it well enough to protect himself, but he had to try.He felt Vedel grab hold of the collar of his robe and start dragging him across the floor.Jon kept his focus on the book, stammering his way through the first words. He was sweating. His hands shook. The first sentence meant nothing to him. He was having a hard time concentrating, but he forced himself to continue.Vedel laughed again and kept dragging him towards the railing.Word by word Jon stuttered his way into the next sentence, and then he realized that he knew this text. He recognized the sentence he had just read, and he knew what would come next.He had read this book before.

42

Jon couldn't recall how many times Luca had read Pinocchio Pinocchio to him. to him.His mother once told him that it started even before he was born. Luca had read aloud to her and their unborn child almost every evening. They liked to compare her growing belly to the whale in the story, and then they would laugh so hard that Luca couldn't go on reading. During Jon's first years, it was the story he wanted to hear most often. He never grew tired of it, and every evening he pestered his parents with his requests for just one more chapter. Usually they gave in. Especially his mother. She too enjoyed the story, and she performed all the roles with such feeling and using so many different voices that Jon never forgot them.It was a magical book written in a magical language that only he and his parents spoke. That was how it seemed to Jon, at any rate. He had loved the sound of the words and quickly memorized entire pa.s.sages. Luca would often test him by starting a sentence and then Jon would finish it, regardless of whether they were sitting on a bus, standing in a queue at the butcher's shop or seated at the dinner table. His mother would shake her head at them, but it didn't matter. It was the game he shared with Luca, and Jon loved it.Even better than the words were the images they created. Jon knew every stone and every blade of gra.s.s in the story. He had walked through that landscape countless times and knew precisely what the houses looked like, how the tree branches curved, and what the facial features and gestures were of all the characters. There was no doubt in his mind about how the waves moved, the size of the boat or the colours of the whale.Jon had pictured these images so many times they practically sprang forth as he began to read. The reading room in Alexandria instantly vanished, to be replaced by the story's gently shaded colours and the soft undulations of the landscape. He hardly had to make any effort at all. This was completely different from the other seances when he'd really had to work to make the images flow. This time they emerged all on their own, leaving him energy to enjoy the experience. Gone was the pain in his foot, and Remer was no longer a concern. He was overcome by a serenity he hadn't felt in years, and the sense that everything was going to work out fine.It occurred to Jon that the images he was creating were really not his own. Luca had most likely pa.s.sed them on through his readings. If he had been as skilled a Lector as everyone claimed, it stood to reason that he would have given his child the best possible experience. That it would one day save his son's life was not something Luca could possibly have foreseen, but Jon didn't think it was accidental. Why would he end up with this particular book, in the least imaginable place, under the most improbable circ.u.mstances, exactly when he had the most use for it? The odds of that happening had to be astronomical.Jon took another look at the scene. Everything was in its proper place and the story was proceeding as it should. He found it rea.s.suring to know this was Luca's work. The images were as clear and pure as if Luca had read the story to him yesterday. After Jon had learned to read, he had gone through Pinocchio Pinocchio many times, but he still preferred to have Luca read it aloud to him. Even when Jon started getting interested in more action-packed stories, it was always many times, but he still preferred to have Luca read it aloud to him. Even when Jon started getting interested in more action-packed stories, it was always Pinocchio Pinocchio he wanted to hear at bedtime. He loved to fall asleep to the sound of Luca's voice. he wanted to hear at bedtime. He loved to fall asleep to the sound of Luca's voice.He could almost hear it now.*After tossing the book down to Jon, Katherina prepared herself to support him as soon as he started reading. She was ready the second Jon reached for the book, but when he stopped after the first glance, she got nervous.'What was that book you gave me?'Mehmet shrugged. 'I have no idea. It was just the first one I could find.'The man with the red hair had seized hold of Jon.'We have to go down there,' said Katherina.Mehmet set off at a run, but Katherina stopped abruptly.Jon had started to read.'I'll be right there,' she called, and then focused on Jon's reading. She concentrated all his remaining energy on moving through the text, trying to keep out other impressions and fixing his attention on the story. Slowly he got into the rhythm.After only a few sentences the red-haired man began to scream. He had a firm grip on the collar of Jon's robe and didn't let go, even though his body was shaking violently. Suddenly there was a loud bang and the red-haired man was hurled away from Jon with great force. He flew backwards until his body slammed into a stone pillar and he sank to the ground.He didn't get up again.Katherina slid down with her back against the railing. She closed her eyes and concentrated on receiving. The images emanating from Jon appeared as gentle, calm pictures pictures she realized she recognized.The energy in the room began to change. What had felt like a rus.h.i.+ng torrent now little by little diminished in intensity and speed until at last it stopped altogether. Instead of moving in one direction, it began steadily pulsating, like gigantic inhalations and exhalations. The energy encircled them in a completely different way, feeling closer and bringing with it a warmth and peace quite unlike the frenzied and insistent mood that had reigned up until now. All the acc.u.mulated energy in the library was directed towards a specific pulse, a pulse determined by Jon.Katherina sensed it was now safe to stand up. Jon was still lying in the same place, calmly reading Pinocchio Pinocchio from his position on the floor. from his position on the floor.Over by the podium stood five people who were still reading. The expression on Remer's face was strained, the veins clearly visible at his temples, a glistening film of sweat on his brow. Katherina could tell from what she was receiving that they were working hard to maintain their concentration. They must have noticed the s.h.i.+ft in energy and were fighting back with their last strength.Katherina ran out into the corridor and down the stairs. They had to seize the chance to escape while Remer was preoccupied. On the floor below she practically ran into Mehmet, who stood as if paralysed, regarding the scene before him.'What the h.e.l.l should we do?' he said. 'This is going to end up bad.'Katherina cast a glance at Remer. His facial features had changed. His expression was tormented and his body had started to tremble.'Jon is the only one who can stop this,' replied Katherina. She ran over to where he was lying. He looked quite unaffected as he almost sprawled on the floor with his eyes on the book. She focused on his reading, homed in on the rhythm and gave him the signal to stop. The pulse of the energy made an extra leap, then a few irregular beats before it finally stopped. Jon's expression changed as he turned towards Katherina. He smiled but then seemed to remember where he was. His smile froze as he looked at the podium.Remer's body was now shaking harder than before. The energy was no longer under control and had lost its focus so it was striking out in all directions. Katherina sensed that Remer was stubbornly fighting to regain control. It was an impossible battle. There were far too many opposing surges of energy and there were no receivers left to help him, but he refused to give up. A couple of sparks enveloped him for a moment; blood began running out of his ears, down his throat and into the collar of his robe, which slowly turned red. He kept reading through clenched teeth. His face was now drained of all colour, an eerie white in contrast to the blood, and contorted with great pain. Streams of blood started pouring from his nose and running down his white robe.Even from this distance they could hear that a hissing sound had crept into his reading. There was an enormous bang and Katherina was blinded by a flash of light. Silence descended over the library. The sound of sparks igniting had stopped; no was reading any more. The bodies of the five remaining Lectors stood upright for an instant until gravity won out and they toppled to the floor.Jon ached all over and he felt unbelievably tired. When he tried to move, he groaned from the stabbing pain in his foot. Katherina was sitting beside him, looking into his eyes. She alternated between laughing and crying. Her face was covered with dust and the dirt on her cheeks was streaked with tears.'Are you okay?' he asked with an effort.Katherina nodded and kissed him on the forehead. He raised his hand to wipe away a tear from her cheek. Her green eyes filled with more tears and she buried her face in his neck. He put his arm round her and pulled her close.Only then did Jon notice Mehmet, who was standing a couple of metres away. He was surveying the room; every now and then he would shake his head and mutter something incomprehensible.'What the h.e.l.l are you doing here?' asked Jon. 'Are you on holiday?'Mehmet laughed and came over to join them.'Something like that. Thought this might be a good place to borrow a book for a trip to the beach.'Katherina and Jon couldn't help laughing.Jon cleared his throat. He felt unable to move. It was only with Katherina's help that he was able to sit up.'I think I've broken my foot,' he said.'Yup, that's what it looks like, boss,' said Mehmet. 'We're going to have to carry you.'Katherina nodded, wiping the tears from her face.'What about Henning?' asked Jon.Mehmet shook his head. 'He didn't make it.'Anger gave Jon the necessary strength to stand up, with help from his companions.'Let's see about getting out of this place,' he said. 'We're done here.'Mehmet and Katherina each took Jon by an arm, and together they left the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in silence.

43

It was a strange feeling for Jon to be heading home when he had no recollection of ever leaving. He'd been unconscious on the flight to Egypt, and it was as if his sense of place had stayed behind in Denmark without having a chance to catch up with him.The events in the library hadn't yet sunk in either, and the more days that pa.s.sed, the more unreal it all seemed. He remembered everything that had happened, but it was as if it had happened to somebody else. Katherina had told him about the events he hadn't witnessed himself, and they were just as incredible. A deep sense of grat.i.tude washed over him every time he thought about what they had gone through to come to his aid. He couldn't help thinking about all the possible scenarios when things could have gone terribly wrong, and how lucky they had been. That didn't apply to Henning, of course, and Jon realized that he owed the man his life. That made it even more painful to have to leave his body behind in the library, but they kept a.s.suring each other that they'd had no choice.According to the newspapers, a bolt of lightning had struck the library and caused a small fire, but there was no mention of either the injured or the dead. It was obvious that the Shadow Organization still had members in the city who were able to control what the public was told. Not even Nessim, the desk clerk, who otherwise had plenty of contacts, was able to ferret out anything more.Katherina, Mehmet and Jon had kept a low profile for a couple of days and then jointly decided that enough blood had been shed. The Shadow Organization had been dealt a death blow. Only the strongest had been able to enter the s.p.a.ce of the story, and they were the ones who had lost their lives. The only thing they could hope for now was that the whole event had put the brakes on the organization.There was nothing to be gained from staying any longer in Alexandria, so Jon and Katherina reserved seats on the next plane home. Mehmet was enjoying being in Egypt and had decided to stay for a couple more weeks. He'd established a solid friends.h.i.+p with Nessim, and since his work merely required a computer with access to the Internet, he could do it anywhere. Besides, he wasn't in a hurry to return to the autumn weather of Nrrebro and his ravaged flat.Jon had had his foot examined by a doctor Nessim had recommended. It turned out that his ankle was only sprained, but he couldn't put any weight on it and he had to use a crutch. That made it a bit difficult to board the plane, but it meant they were given seats with extra leg-room.Jon studied the other pa.s.sengers. Aside from a couple of businessmen with laptops they were eager to switch on, most of the people looked like tourists on their way home from holiday. Jon was fairly sure their holiday memories wouldn't measure up to his own.Other than discussing the factual events, Jon and Katherina hadn't spent much time talking about the meaning of what had taken place in the library. It was still too fresh in their minds, and Jon was having a hard time putting his experiences into words. The feeling that Luca was protecting him had been so strong that he first needed to digest what had happened. But there was one thing he knew for sure: he would never be able to be a lawyer again.So it wasn't his job that was making him long for home. It was an urge to hear the bells above the door of Libri di Luca again, a yearning to breathe in the smell of parchment and leather, an almost physical need to touch the books on the shelves. At the same time he had the feeling that he was expected, that he would be received with a nod of acknowledgement from Luca, who would be sitting in the leather chair with a book on his lap; that he would be welcomed with a warm smile from his mother who stood leaning on the balcony with her elbows on the railing; that he would be silently accepted by his grandfather Arman, who stood with his back turned as he shelved books in their proper places. They were all there, the Campelli family, present in the dust on the shelves, in the shadows between the bookcases and in the air that only reluctantly circulated whenever the front door opened.But more than anything else, he wanted to see Katherina in Libri di Luca again. In fact, he could no longer imagine the bookshop without her in the place where he had met her for the first time, floating among words and letters she could never comprehend but to whose essence she was so obviously devoted.Jon cast a sidelong glance at Katherina, who was sitting in the seat next to him with her head resting on his shoulder. She had closed her eyes and most of her face was covered by her red hair, which she had pulled loose from the knot at her neck as soon as they sat down. He reached for the in-flight magazine in the pocket in front of him. Katherina didn't react, and to everyone else it looked as if she were sleeping. But Jon could clearly sense her alertness as soon as he began to read.It was a nice feeling.He no longer needed to feel alone.