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. Reaching the end, they stopped, peered out
cautiously. They stood directly opposite one of the
library's semidetached wings. The mob, intent upon
hearing the speaker, blocked the front, but not the
sides, of the building.
"We can climb in through the windows," said Nikol.
They headed for the ornamental grove of trees, the
same grove that had provided them shelter the last time
they were here. Keeping to the shadows, they trampled
on dead, unkempt flower beds and shoved through
hedges, once clipped, now left to grow wild. A narrow
strip of open lawn stood between them and the library.
Breaking free of their cover, they ran across the well-
kept grass, came to a window on the ground level. They
flattened themselves against the building, trying to keep
out of sight of the mob.
"The window's probably guarded," said Michael.
Nikol risked peeping over the ledge. "I don't see
anyone, not even the Book Readers," she added, using a
common slang term that referred to the Order of Aesthetics,
followers of the god Gilean who devoted their lives to the
gathering and preserving of knowledge.
Nevertheless, she drew her sword from its sheath.
"Quickly!" whispered Nikol.
A blow from Michael's staff broke the window,
knocked down fragments of glass. Nikol clambered
through, kept her sword raised. She stared about intently.
Seeing no one, she reached back to help Michael.
He climbed inside, came to a halt. He had heard all his
life about the great library, but he'd never seen it, and this
was beyond anything he could have imagined
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