The Library of Shadows

41

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 chassis 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 washing 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 passing the charge from one person to another like a relay baton.

'Shit,' said Mehmet next to her. 'What the hell 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 grass 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 grass 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 scraping 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 assaulting 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 ofannihilating 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 bitch!' 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.