Read Online Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson - Free Book Online
Authors: Brandon Sanderson
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eventually led to the break between silimatic technology and regular Hushlander technology. And that was kind of the foundation for the Librarians breaking off of the Free Kingdoms and creating the Hushlands.
Kind of.
“Old Smedry won’t be here for a few more minutes,” Bastille said, standing with her handbag over her shoulder. “He’ll be late. How does the library look?”
“Umm… like a library?” I said.
“Funny, Smedry,” she said flatly. “Very funny.”
Now, I generally know when I’m being funny. At this moment, I did not believe that I was. I looked over at the building, trying to decide what Bastille had meant.
And, as I stared at it, something seemed to… change about the library. It wasn’t anything I could distinctly put my finger on; it just grew darker somehow. More threatening. The windows appeared to curl slightly, like horns, and the stonework shadows took on a menacing cast.
“It looks… dangerous,” I said.
“Well, of course,” Bastille said. “It’s a library .”
“Right,” I said. “What else should I look for, then?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’m no Oculator.”
I squinted. As I watched, the library seemed to… stretch. “It’s not just one story,” I said with surprise. “It looks like three.”
“We knew that already,” Bastille said. “Try for less permanent auras.”
What does that mean? I wondered, studying the building. It now looked far larger, far more grand, to my eyes. “The top two floors look… thinner than the bottom floor. Like they’re squeezing in slightly.”
“Hmm,” Bastille said. “That’s probably a population aura – it means the library isn’t very full today. Most of the Librarians must be out on missions. That’s good for us. Any dark windows?”
“One,” I said, noticing it for the first time. “It’s jet-black, like it’s tinted.”
“Shattering Glass,” Bastille muttered.
“What?” I asked.
“Dark Oculator,” Bastille said. “What floor?”
“Third,” I said. “North corner.”
“We’ll want to stay away from there, then.”
I frowned. “I’m guessing a Dark Oculator is something dangerous, right?”
“They’re like super Librarians,” Bastille said.
“Not all Librarians are Oculators?”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Of course not,” she said. “Very few people are Oculators. Smedrys on the main line and… a few others. Regardless, Dark Oculators are very, very dangerous.”
Well, then, I said. “If I had something valuable – like the Sands of Rashid – then I’d keep them with him. So, that’s probably the first place we should go.”
Bastille looked at me, eyes narrowing. “Just like a Smedry. If you die, I’m never going to get promoted!”
“How comforting,” I said, then nodded at the library. “I’m seeing something else about the building. I think… some of the windows are glowing just a bit.”
“Which ones?”
“All of them, actually,” I said, cocking my head. “Even the black one. It’s… a little strange.”
“There’s a lot of Oculatory power in there. Strong Lenses, powerful sands, that sort of thing. They’re making the glass charge with power by association.”
I reached up, sliding the glasses down on my nose. I still couldn’t quite tell if I was seeing actual images, or if the light was just playing tricks on me. The changes were so subtle – even the stretching – that they didn’t even seem like changes at all. More like impressions.
I pushed the glasses back up, then glanced at Bastille. “You certainly seem to know a lot about this – especially for someone who says she’s no Oculator.”
Bastille folded her arms, looking away.
“So how do you know all of this?” I asked. “About the Dark Oculator and the library seeming empty?”
“Anyone would know those auras,” she snapped. “They’re simple, really. Honestly, Smedry. Even someone raised by Librarians should know that.”
“I wasn’t raised by
Kind of.
“Old Smedry won’t be here for a few more minutes,” Bastille said, standing with her handbag over her shoulder. “He’ll be late. How does the library look?”
“Umm… like a library?” I said.
“Funny, Smedry,” she said flatly. “Very funny.”
Now, I generally know when I’m being funny. At this moment, I did not believe that I was. I looked over at the building, trying to decide what Bastille had meant.
And, as I stared at it, something seemed to… change about the library. It wasn’t anything I could distinctly put my finger on; it just grew darker somehow. More threatening. The windows appeared to curl slightly, like horns, and the stonework shadows took on a menacing cast.
“It looks… dangerous,” I said.
“Well, of course,” Bastille said. “It’s a library .”
“Right,” I said. “What else should I look for, then?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’m no Oculator.”
I squinted. As I watched, the library seemed to… stretch. “It’s not just one story,” I said with surprise. “It looks like three.”
“We knew that already,” Bastille said. “Try for less permanent auras.”
What does that mean? I wondered, studying the building. It now looked far larger, far more grand, to my eyes. “The top two floors look… thinner than the bottom floor. Like they’re squeezing in slightly.”
“Hmm,” Bastille said. “That’s probably a population aura – it means the library isn’t very full today. Most of the Librarians must be out on missions. That’s good for us. Any dark windows?”
“One,” I said, noticing it for the first time. “It’s jet-black, like it’s tinted.”
“Shattering Glass,” Bastille muttered.
“What?” I asked.
“Dark Oculator,” Bastille said. “What floor?”
“Third,” I said. “North corner.”
“We’ll want to stay away from there, then.”
I frowned. “I’m guessing a Dark Oculator is something dangerous, right?”
“They’re like super Librarians,” Bastille said.
“Not all Librarians are Oculators?”
She rolled her eyes at me. “Of course not,” she said. “Very few people are Oculators. Smedrys on the main line and… a few others. Regardless, Dark Oculators are very, very dangerous.”
Well, then, I said. “If I had something valuable – like the Sands of Rashid – then I’d keep them with him. So, that’s probably the first place we should go.”
Bastille looked at me, eyes narrowing. “Just like a Smedry. If you die, I’m never going to get promoted!”
“How comforting,” I said, then nodded at the library. “I’m seeing something else about the building. I think… some of the windows are glowing just a bit.”
“Which ones?”
“All of them, actually,” I said, cocking my head. “Even the black one. It’s… a little strange.”
“There’s a lot of Oculatory power in there. Strong Lenses, powerful sands, that sort of thing. They’re making the glass charge with power by association.”
I reached up, sliding the glasses down on my nose. I still couldn’t quite tell if I was seeing actual images, or if the light was just playing tricks on me. The changes were so subtle – even the stretching – that they didn’t even seem like changes at all. More like impressions.
I pushed the glasses back up, then glanced at Bastille. “You certainly seem to know a lot about this – especially for someone who says she’s no Oculator.”
Bastille folded her arms, looking away.
“So how do you know all of this?” I asked. “About the Dark Oculator and the library seeming empty?”
“Anyone would know those auras,” she snapped. “They’re simple, really. Honestly, Smedry. Even someone raised by Librarians should know that.”
“I wasn’t raised by
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