might have been after the same book. Nobody else knew about it.
Then it struck him.
Nobody except a couple hundred people in the human chain that had rescued the books from the basement.
If just one other person in that line knew the story of
Leonardo’s River
, then that might well explain the heavies making a mess at the end of the corridor.
Luke realized the men were working their way toward them. “We’d better move,” he said, pulling slowly away from the wall.
It wasn’t slowly enough.
There was a sudden shout from the group of dark, silhouetted men, and first one, then three blue lights were aimed at Luke.
One of the men pointed a dark shape toward them—a dark shape that looked a little like a gun.
“Run!” Luke shouted, but Tommy needed no urging.
They ran down the corridor through the center of the library, using their flashlights just enough to avoid tripping.
Behind them, Luke heard shouts in a language he didn’t understand.
“Hinterher!”
“Wer sind sie?”
“Bringt sie her!”
“This way,” Tommy whispered, and turned left through a set of double doors toward another flight of stairs.
They went up two steps at a time, clutching at the handrail to keep from tripping.
Thundering footsteps sounded behind them.
“In welche Richtung?”
“Nach links!”
They reached the top of the stairs. Luke grabbed a thick encyclopedia off a nearby shelf and jammed it into the twin handles of the doors just as the two big men appeared at the glass.
Their pursuers slammed into the door, and the encyclopedia jolted and almost slipped.
It held, but it wouldn’t for long.
Luke and Tommy sprinted along the corridor.
Luke heard the doors burst open behind him as they reached the main staircase and hurtled down, two or three stairs at a time. As they approached the main landing, though, he realized they were not alone. One of the men, the oldest one, had remained behind.
Luke’s flashlight flicked up and caught his face. It wasnot a face you could forget. He was bald, his forehead low and flat, his nose and jaw protruding, and his eyes deep black pools. It was a face to give small children nightmares. It was the face of a vicious attack dog.
The man grabbed Tommy’s backpack as he tried to dodge past, hauling him to a stop.
Luke was a few paces behind and didn’t even think; he just dropped a shoulder and barreled straight into the man.
If Dog-Face had been younger or sturdier, it wouldn’t have worked, but as it was, Luke’s shoulder rammed right below his rib cage, bursting all the air from his lungs in a harsh bark, and he fell backward, arms flailing.
“Come on!” Luke yelled, and leaped down, three stairs at a time, Tommy right behind him.
They hit the main entrance and spun around toward the basement stairs. Down the first flight and onto the small landing, and there Luke stopped.
The stairs to the basement were gone.
He was looking straight into a murky well of water.
Not far behind them, Luke heard running footsteps.
“Go!” Tommy said, and without further thought, Luke dived headfirst into the dark water.
9. UNDERWATER
L uke felt strangely safe, despite the darkness and the grip of the water. Surely the men would not follow them. Not down here.
Tommy tapped Luke on the shoulder, but Luke could not see him. Tommy was just inches away but the gloom underground, underwater, was absolute.
Luke remembered the double doors and kicked in that direction, reaching out every few seconds to make sure Tommy was with him.
The pressure in Luke’s chest became an ache as they pulled their way through the doors and into the long corridor. Once there, he pushed up to the surface, knowing that if the corridor was completely flooded, then they were in real trouble.
It wasn’t. The water was flowing just underneath the ceiling-mounted conveyor belt. He clung on to it and felt Tommy latch on beside him. There was only a few inches ofair left, and if the water was still rising, then
Then it struck him.
Nobody except a couple hundred people in the human chain that had rescued the books from the basement.
If just one other person in that line knew the story of
Leonardo’s River
, then that might well explain the heavies making a mess at the end of the corridor.
Luke realized the men were working their way toward them. “We’d better move,” he said, pulling slowly away from the wall.
It wasn’t slowly enough.
There was a sudden shout from the group of dark, silhouetted men, and first one, then three blue lights were aimed at Luke.
One of the men pointed a dark shape toward them—a dark shape that looked a little like a gun.
“Run!” Luke shouted, but Tommy needed no urging.
They ran down the corridor through the center of the library, using their flashlights just enough to avoid tripping.
Behind them, Luke heard shouts in a language he didn’t understand.
“Hinterher!”
“Wer sind sie?”
“Bringt sie her!”
“This way,” Tommy whispered, and turned left through a set of double doors toward another flight of stairs.
They went up two steps at a time, clutching at the handrail to keep from tripping.
Thundering footsteps sounded behind them.
“In welche Richtung?”
“Nach links!”
They reached the top of the stairs. Luke grabbed a thick encyclopedia off a nearby shelf and jammed it into the twin handles of the doors just as the two big men appeared at the glass.
Their pursuers slammed into the door, and the encyclopedia jolted and almost slipped.
It held, but it wouldn’t for long.
Luke and Tommy sprinted along the corridor.
Luke heard the doors burst open behind him as they reached the main staircase and hurtled down, two or three stairs at a time. As they approached the main landing, though, he realized they were not alone. One of the men, the oldest one, had remained behind.
Luke’s flashlight flicked up and caught his face. It wasnot a face you could forget. He was bald, his forehead low and flat, his nose and jaw protruding, and his eyes deep black pools. It was a face to give small children nightmares. It was the face of a vicious attack dog.
The man grabbed Tommy’s backpack as he tried to dodge past, hauling him to a stop.
Luke was a few paces behind and didn’t even think; he just dropped a shoulder and barreled straight into the man.
If Dog-Face had been younger or sturdier, it wouldn’t have worked, but as it was, Luke’s shoulder rammed right below his rib cage, bursting all the air from his lungs in a harsh bark, and he fell backward, arms flailing.
“Come on!” Luke yelled, and leaped down, three stairs at a time, Tommy right behind him.
They hit the main entrance and spun around toward the basement stairs. Down the first flight and onto the small landing, and there Luke stopped.
The stairs to the basement were gone.
He was looking straight into a murky well of water.
Not far behind them, Luke heard running footsteps.
“Go!” Tommy said, and without further thought, Luke dived headfirst into the dark water.
9. UNDERWATER
L uke felt strangely safe, despite the darkness and the grip of the water. Surely the men would not follow them. Not down here.
Tommy tapped Luke on the shoulder, but Luke could not see him. Tommy was just inches away but the gloom underground, underwater, was absolute.
Luke remembered the double doors and kicked in that direction, reaching out every few seconds to make sure Tommy was with him.
The pressure in Luke’s chest became an ache as they pulled their way through the doors and into the long corridor. Once there, he pushed up to the surface, knowing that if the corridor was completely flooded, then they were in real trouble.
It wasn’t. The water was flowing just underneath the ceiling-mounted conveyor belt. He clung on to it and felt Tommy latch on beside him. There was only a few inches ofair left, and if the water was still rising, then
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