章 98: Answer
Picking all books and displaying them in front of him didn't look promising. They all had different covers and sizes. There were some with a lot of pages and some with little. One could doubt what they were all about. The strange thing about them was that they were without writing. Books with empty pages, that was all they were.
His skimming through the pages also seemed futile and unlike all other books, these ones didn't talk or flip pages showing what they wanted to say. This time he flipped the books showing the back of the covers. Four drawings attracted his attention; they depicted exactly what was written in the riddle and it was strange. No riddle was supposed to be simple to guess. He crossed his arms and stared at them, cross-legged.
"It can't be! I bet I didn't see something and it will slap me later," he glanced back at the empty shelf. "It can't hurt to try."
He jumped on his feet and picked the four books and then he placed them on the empty shelf. He tried all orders and all combinations but it didn't work. Furthermore, it seemed like something was missing. There was an empty space left. Stephan got an idea, what if he tried all books and made them fill the space until there was no emptiness? At least, he could narrow his search or it would help him take a step closer to the answer.
After a few tries, he realized one way or another all books fit inside. However, each time, it was five books instead of four. He slapped himself for not realizing it sooner. The riddle said to pick four books and a book, it worked like an addition. It meant five books. However, what would be the fifth book?
He searched the books again, looking for any sign of similar drawing but nothing was found. Another few hours was used to search but in vain. What if he tried to use the four books and another book until one could fit? It would work. After that, he would only try sixteen combinations to know the order. But it was a stupid method, it didn't fit him.
He looked around for the flock of books but they weren't there, instead, there was a fairy flying holding a small book. It was small enough to fit in his eye and still leave space. He called out to her.
"Hey, what's that book you're holding?"
The fairy with hazelnut eyes looked at him in wonder; she hadn't seen humans in ages. A smile stretched on her face while she flew to him.
"I take care of the baby books. These are newly written. Pardon my intrusion but, who are you? I haven't seen you around and you don't look like one of us."
"I am a traveler, here for a…" he forgot the word. "Something I guess. I don't how to get to the end of this. The fifth book must have been one of these but without writing, I cannot know."
"If I may say. This isn't a hard one, traveler. You just have to look harder. Shift the eyes and respect the books. I recognize these ones; they all belong to one author. She is a playable one, likes to write from experience and create her scenarios. I believe her name is Aurora. I don't remember much about her last name. It was said that she didn't like it."
"Aurora Von Peregrinator. I feel like I know her but still, my mind is fuzzy, refusing to recall it."
When her name was said, the book started glowing showing the writing that wasn't there a moment ago.
"Do you need any more help, traveler."
"No, I will read those books one by one until I find a kind of difference that will tell me which is the fitting one."
Stephan returned to the books, reading them. Then the next hours were spent on reading those books. Each time he opened a book, he was amazed by how the author constructed everything. It felt as her past, her reality. If one read those books, he would say that she had quite the ride. She was a crazy woman if she subjected herself to all that suffered.
As he kept reading, he reached a point where a single word was circled in red ink. It was the word five. He immediately closed the book understanding it was the one he was looking for and moved to the others. If that one had a word circled then the others would have them too since the order mattered. The feather book was the second; the belt book was the first; the knife book was the fourth then the last one the arrow. Therefore, the order was Belt, Feather, Arrow, Knife and the strange book.
Stephan placed them all following the order and that was when he realized the riddle had already gave the drawing that had to be in the last book; it were four books and a book. The last one was simply a book. Right when he finished placing them, the door opened and behind it was a bedroom.
There was a wide immense open boo serving as bed. The fairy guide followed him inside. He was completely dazzled by everything. Everything just happened to be books; desks were books, shelves were books…
"Why is this room full of books?"
"It just happens to be this way, traveler. You shall have a bath with the help of the fairies responsible for that."
"I didn't come here for this. I have something to do outside."
"Do you believe that there is an outside world?"
"No, I am ridiculous. How can I believe something absurd? Still, I seem to forget something," he grabbed his head with both hands. There was a throbbing pain that resurged inside and a voice telling him to forget.
"You might not need what is left, a librarian is only here to look after books. Now, shall we have your bath, Answer."
She turned back to the small fairy she was at first.
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