out on a date is somewhat hampered when they’re in a different reality to you.
‘Leave it out, mum. She was just some girl I met, nothing else.’
‘Alright, alright, I’ll drop it,’ Amanda said, disappointed. ‘So what are my firstborn’s plans for the day?’
‘Um… well, I thought I’d go back to the library.’ Max replied, which was the absolute truth. He did intend to go back, just not for the reasons his mother suspected.
‘Ah ha!’ Amanda waggled her eyebrows up and down.
‘Not because of her! There’s… there’s a book I’m interested in.’
‘Please... pull the other one, son of mine. You’re not the type to be sticking your head in a book, I know you too well.’
‘You’d be surprised, mum.’
‘Well, whatever your reasons, it’s better than being sat in front of that bloody X Box all day. It’s not good for you.’
Nor is being eaten by an invisible library monster.
‘It’s something to do,’ he agreed, turning his full attention to the bowl of Sugar Puffs he’d made.
Amanda went upstairs to decide on what outfit to wear.
Max munched his way through breakfast, wondering what the best strategy to employ would be when he saw Imelda Warrington again.
Strategies of any kind were quite unnecessary as it turned out. Max simply strolled in to the library an hour later and Imelda Warrington came bustling up to him with a look of tired concern on her face.
‘You’ve got to use the book again, boy. It won’t let me do anything!’ she snapped.
He was taken off guard and had to re-orient himself. Max had been prepared for a lengthy argument with Imelda before learning any more about The Cornerstone and the blonde girl, so this was a bit of a surprise.
‘Um… okay. Why?’ he asked.
Imelda grabbed Max's arm and frog-marched him toward the staff room. She didn’t say another thing until they were inside with the door locked.
‘The Cornerstone isn’t working for me for some reason. I’ve been trying all night with no success. How am I supposed to find out anything if I can’t make contact?’ Imelda wasn’t quite wringing her hands, but it wouldn’t have gone amiss.
‘Gotcha,’ Max nodded. ‘Any ideas why it’s not working?’
She looked away, embarrassed. ‘It seems to be in a mood with me,’ she mumbled.
‘The book… is in a mood with you ?’ Max said, resisting the temptation to unlock the door and run.
She gave him an exasperated look. ‘It’s not just a book. I thought you’d worked that out by now! It has more power than you can possibly imagine. It also has a distinct… personality.’
‘Okay…’ Max was dubious about a book having a personality, but was willing to go along with the idea if it got him answers. ‘Why do you think I can help?’
‘You were the last person to use it. Maybe it… it likes you. I’ve never known it work for a random stranger before, so there must be something special about you.’
Max thought for a second. ‘Not me. Nothing special about me. It’s her… the blonde girl. I just found her message, that’s all.’
‘Well, that does make sense. Merelie has a close relationship with the books. It stands to reason The Cornerstone would pick up on that.’
Merelie.
It was a very pretty name, Max decided. ‘That’s her name, is it?’
‘Yes it is, but that’s not important right now.’
It was the most important thing in the world as far as Max was concerned.
‘Sit down and let’s see if it works for you,’ Imelda demanded, impatient to see if he had any more luck.
Max sat on a comfy brown sofa and Imelda thrust The Cornerstone at him.
‘Now, hang on a minute!’ he objected, holding his hands up to ward the thing off. ‘The last time I touched that thing I went blind, deaf and was half suffocated.’
‘The aaaahhh -ing?’
‘That’s the one.’
‘Yes. I said it had a personality… I didn’t say it was a subtle one. When it wants attention it can make a right racket.’
‘That
‘Leave it out, mum. She was just some girl I met, nothing else.’
‘Alright, alright, I’ll drop it,’ Amanda said, disappointed. ‘So what are my firstborn’s plans for the day?’
‘Um… well, I thought I’d go back to the library.’ Max replied, which was the absolute truth. He did intend to go back, just not for the reasons his mother suspected.
‘Ah ha!’ Amanda waggled her eyebrows up and down.
‘Not because of her! There’s… there’s a book I’m interested in.’
‘Please... pull the other one, son of mine. You’re not the type to be sticking your head in a book, I know you too well.’
‘You’d be surprised, mum.’
‘Well, whatever your reasons, it’s better than being sat in front of that bloody X Box all day. It’s not good for you.’
Nor is being eaten by an invisible library monster.
‘It’s something to do,’ he agreed, turning his full attention to the bowl of Sugar Puffs he’d made.
Amanda went upstairs to decide on what outfit to wear.
Max munched his way through breakfast, wondering what the best strategy to employ would be when he saw Imelda Warrington again.
Strategies of any kind were quite unnecessary as it turned out. Max simply strolled in to the library an hour later and Imelda Warrington came bustling up to him with a look of tired concern on her face.
‘You’ve got to use the book again, boy. It won’t let me do anything!’ she snapped.
He was taken off guard and had to re-orient himself. Max had been prepared for a lengthy argument with Imelda before learning any more about The Cornerstone and the blonde girl, so this was a bit of a surprise.
‘Um… okay. Why?’ he asked.
Imelda grabbed Max's arm and frog-marched him toward the staff room. She didn’t say another thing until they were inside with the door locked.
‘The Cornerstone isn’t working for me for some reason. I’ve been trying all night with no success. How am I supposed to find out anything if I can’t make contact?’ Imelda wasn’t quite wringing her hands, but it wouldn’t have gone amiss.
‘Gotcha,’ Max nodded. ‘Any ideas why it’s not working?’
She looked away, embarrassed. ‘It seems to be in a mood with me,’ she mumbled.
‘The book… is in a mood with you ?’ Max said, resisting the temptation to unlock the door and run.
She gave him an exasperated look. ‘It’s not just a book. I thought you’d worked that out by now! It has more power than you can possibly imagine. It also has a distinct… personality.’
‘Okay…’ Max was dubious about a book having a personality, but was willing to go along with the idea if it got him answers. ‘Why do you think I can help?’
‘You were the last person to use it. Maybe it… it likes you. I’ve never known it work for a random stranger before, so there must be something special about you.’
Max thought for a second. ‘Not me. Nothing special about me. It’s her… the blonde girl. I just found her message, that’s all.’
‘Well, that does make sense. Merelie has a close relationship with the books. It stands to reason The Cornerstone would pick up on that.’
Merelie.
It was a very pretty name, Max decided. ‘That’s her name, is it?’
‘Yes it is, but that’s not important right now.’
It was the most important thing in the world as far as Max was concerned.
‘Sit down and let’s see if it works for you,’ Imelda demanded, impatient to see if he had any more luck.
Max sat on a comfy brown sofa and Imelda thrust The Cornerstone at him.
‘Now, hang on a minute!’ he objected, holding his hands up to ward the thing off. ‘The last time I touched that thing I went blind, deaf and was half suffocated.’
‘The aaaahhh -ing?’
‘That’s the one.’
‘Yes. I said it had a personality… I didn’t say it was a subtle one. When it wants attention it can make a right racket.’
‘That
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