Secrets of the Ancients
4 - “Trouble”
Williams entered the Endless as he looked around at the gigantic shelves of books that surrounded the facility – a colossal of information. He looked at familiar faces that greeted him with great warmth as he proceeded towards the front desk. Williams was well known due to his capabilities in essay writing. The man had written a huge range of essays, usually borrowing some of the texts that were located in Endless, which was the city’s biggest library.
A man smiled with hands together as he stepped towards Williams, giving him one of his warm welcomes.
“Williams, it’s good to see you back. I guess you want to get down to business. What are you after today?”
“Something more restricted aviewaskewed,” said Williams as he glanced towards the closed glass doors, “Ancients.”
“I see,” said the wise man, “When I was working at the other side, it was said the Ancients placed a filtered seal upon the Portal facility.”
“Were you a guard? A moderator?” Williams and the man moved towards the glass door. The librarian smiled as he placed his right hand on a panel on the side of the door, which replied with a beep, the door opening on his command.
“Yes I was. The going got tough, so I left the Portal to work as a guard of Defense here in Newgrounds. Much easier protecting people than it is the world.”
Aviewaskewed proceeded to the central computer, inputting information at lightning fast speed. The computer beeped as he successfully logged on.
‘Welcome back! You’re last visit was two hours, five minutes and twenty two seconds ago!’
The guard ignored the response as he quickly typed through the archives, finding the necessary location of the Ancient books. A key spat out of a slot on the computer terminal as he pulled it out, taking the object and proceeding to the left side of the room. Reading the reference numbers of the library walls, he placed a key in one of the hundreds of holes, turning the trinket and sliding the door open. To both of their astonishment, there was an empty space to where the Ancient books should have been.
“This is! Wait a second!” Aviewaskewed jolted towards the computer, typing a list of commands and protocols. He quickly produced his touchpad and plugged it into the computer, uploading the necessary information. He stared at his mini-pad as he glanced at Williams.
“The thief is still in our tracing zone! We may have time!”
Aviewaskewed quickly logged off as Williams remembered something. “How long have the books been in movement for?”
“Two hours, why?”
“The computer said you had logged on two hours ago.”
“That’s impossible. We were all here – the fire!”
The two charged out of the room and stormed down the noise filled library (this was the nosiest the library had been before) and quickly exited the building. The two charged down the street as they skipped the masses of people that looked at them angrily, wondering what could make two men cause such a ruckus. Aviewaskewed smiled in delight as he pointed to a man across the road, wearing a black trench coat and a black brim hat over his head – a cliché for a very suspicious man. The guard momentarily squatted to the ground as he leapt over the road, fifteen feet high above the speeding cars in the air. The street’s eyes were locked onto his strange ability of high jump. Williams quickly crossed through traffic when the road was safe, moving towards the man. Aviewaskewed landed and grabbed him, pinning him to the wall and producing a badge that revealed his authority.
“You are under restraint due to rights of the Endless! We have the right to hold you so if we believe a crime has been committed! Anything you say or do may be used against you as evidence under the fourth rule of the Department of Defense regulations…”
Williams proceeded to the man’s bag, pulling out hardback covers. To his great surprise, three hard covers of books were present in the bag without a single sign of paper.
“Did you tear this out?” roared Aviewaskewed, staring at the paperless books, “Did you steal this?”
The man shook irritably, stuttering under his voice.
“I think we should report this,” said Williams. “It seems like too much coincidence. These books vanished during the fire and what’s more, this man appears to know nothing.”
“You’re right,” Aviewaskewed said as he calmed down, “We’ll go to the Department of Defense now.”
