The Burning Page

‘I can accept that both ends of reality are dangerous,’ Irene said. ‘So how are these unstable spheres relevant to Alberich?’

Zayanna ran her fingers through her hair. ‘I really wish you’d captured someone who understood this properly. What I took from Alberich’s explanation, darling, is that he’s somehow linking one of the really unstable spheres to other spheres, more stable ones. And he’s doing it by using unique books from those stable spheres, which he stole before your Library could get them.’

She waved her hands in the air, trying to find the right words. ‘Imagine your Library’s a sphere at the centre of a web of chains. All the worlds it influences are linked to it by these chains. And the chains are created through the power of special books, unique books. And I know how much you love your books, darling. So if a book is taken from a world, then kept in the Library, this forges a connection and brings the chain into being. You know these chains as gates to your Library. “Traverses”, isn’t that what you call them?’

Zayanna waited for Irene to nod, then went on. ‘So the more books the Library holds from a particular world, the stronger the connection will be. But then Alberich brings along his own sphere, the unstable one. He steals a book from one of the Library’s existing “satellite worlds”, if you like, but instead of it going to the Library, he links it with his chaotic world. And he does this time and time again – no, I don’t know how often, but I did get the impression it was one of those gloriously long-term plans.’

Zayanna took a breath. ‘But the universe won’t allow a world to be linked to two centres of influence; it just doesn’t work that way. So the problem for your Library is that these new linkages are pulling the unstable sphere into the same place as your Library. Now Alberich’s unstable domain is actually replacing your Library in a metaphysical sort of way. And the more other worlds start synchronizing with the unstable sphere, the stronger this replacement effect becomes. So, in time, it blows up your Library’s gates to other worlds entirely – even where Alberich hasn’t hijacked any linking books. The sphere he’s using is taking over all the links instead.’

Irene could feel the blood leaving her cheeks. ‘Surely that can’t be possible.’

‘Well, you tell me, darling.’ Zayanna shrugged. ‘How should I know what’s possible and what isn’t? It does sound plausible, though. Isn’t there some sort of law about how two things can’t occupy the same space at the same time? Inspector?’

Singh frowned. ‘I believe that’s more of a scientific principle than a legal one, madam.’

‘But if this is an ongoing process,’ Irene said, ‘then what happens if—’

‘When, darling,’ Zayanna corrected her. ‘The way he talked about it, it’s definitely when.’

‘When it reaches . . . full synchronization,’ Irene finished. Her mouth was dry.

‘Well, he said there were two possibilities.’ Zayanna frowned, with the air of someone trying to remember the exact words. ‘Either the unstable sphere would shunt the Library out of time and space, by usurping all its links to other worlds. Alberich’s new domain would knock the Library completely out of touch and make it completely impossible to reach, and so on. Or the process would just blow up both the Library and the unstable sphere. He was really very conflicted about it, because the second idea sounded more effective – in terms of utterly destroying the Library. But it’d mean that he’d lose all his books.’

‘A few more questions,’ Irene said, still trying to process the magnitude of this potential destruction. ‘Did Alberich say how the process could be stopped?’

‘Darling, he’s not that stupid. Granted, we’d all sworn to obey him and carry out his plan, and he’d threatened us with fates worse than death if we disobeyed. He’d also put that binding on me and all the others, so we’d die if we were captured or betrayed him, and so on – but even so, he wasn’t going to tell us everything.’

Irene nodded regretfully. ‘And the fact that I broke that binding on you means that now you’re free to disobey him?’

‘Or you’re playing for time,’ Kai suggested.

‘I admit it would solve all my problems if he blew up the Library right here and now. No more conflicts of interest!’ Zayanna smiled at Irene cheerfully.

Irene’s stomach lurched at the thought. ‘How much time do we have?’ she asked bluntly.

‘I don’t know,’ Zayanna said. ‘I honestly don’t know – my word on it. But I don’t think you’ve got long.’ Her expression was friendly, even sympathetic, but there was no genuine understanding of Irene’s emotions behind it.

She grasps that it would hurt me if the Library was destroyed, Irene thought. She just doesn’t really perceive why it would hurt me, or how much.

The nearby fire had been put out by now, and the sounds of conflagration and fire engines alike had died away. The street hadn’t yet begun to stir with morning activity. For the moment everything was quiet, as Irene considered how to frame her next question.

‘Can you take people to his unstable sphere?’ she finally asked.

Zayanna’s smile vanished. ‘Darling, that’s a terribly, terribly bad idea.’

‘But you aren’t saying no.’

Zayanna chewed on her lower lip. ‘I’m saying let me think about it. I’m not playing for time. I suppose it might be possible . . .’