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           Inthesilenceofthesleepinglibraryheopenedhisdeskandremovedfromitsdeepestrecessesasmalllanterncarefullybuilttopreventanynakedflamebeingexposed.Youcouldn’tbetoocarefulwithallthispaperaround...

           Healsotookabagofpeanutsand,aftersomethought,alargeballofstring.Hebitoffashortlengthofthestringandusedit-totiethebadgearoundhisneck,likeatalisman.Thenhetiedoneendoftheballtothedeskand,afteramoment’scontemplation,knuckledoffbetweenthebookshelves,payingoutthestringbehindhim.

           Knowledgeequalspower...

           Thestringwasimportant.AfterawhiletheLibrarianstopped.Heconcentratedallhispowersoflibrarianship.

           Powerequalsenergy...

           Peoplewerestupid,sometimes.TheythoughttheLibrarywasadangerousplacebecauseofallthemagicalbooks,whichwastrueenough,butwhatmadeitreallyoneofthemostdangerousplacestherecouldeverbewasthesimplefactthatitwasalibrary.

           Energyequalsmatter....

           Heswungintoanavenueofshelvingthatwasapparentlyafewfeetlongandwalkedalongitbrisklyforhalfanhour.

           Matterequalsmass.

           Andmassdistortsspace.ItdistortsitintopolyfractalL-space.

           So,whiletheDeweysystemhasitsfinepoints,whenyou’resettingouttolooksomethingupinthemultidimensionalfoldsofL-spacewhatyoureallyneedisaballofstring.

           Nowtherainwastryinghard.ItglistenedofftheflagstonesinthePlazaofBrokenMoons,litteredhereandtherewithtornbunting,flags,brokenbottlesandtheoccasionalregurgitatedsupper.