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“Okay, okay, sorry. I’ll stop calling you old. I can see how sensitive you are about the subject, which tells me that you might, for some reason, be lying to me about it, but I suppose that’s neither here nor there. Let me ask something--”

‘I’m not lying! I’m still young, damn you!’

Dang. He’d just been teasing her, but with all her protestations, now he was genuinely starting to believe that she was hundreds or even thousands of years old, somehow.

His big, toothy smile probably wouldn’t have helped her mood very much, but thankfully, the room was too dark for her to see it.

‘And wipe that shit-eating grin off your stupid face.’

Oh. Well, nevermind.

“Anywho! Next question! You’re doing great so far, by the way! Very cooperative!”

She just returned a psychic grumble.

“Do you know of any other secret passageways, like the one that leads to this room here?”

‘Sure. There’s one that leads to an underground garden on the lower levels. And one to a bathing chamber, where certain historical figures were known to get up to all sorts of naughty hijinks.’

“Ooooh.”

‘If you visit that second one, however, then I would take great caution, were I you. The waters there have been neglected and stagnant for eons. It would not surprise me if they are rancid or even toxic.’

“Ewwww. But neat! Any other cool spots to know about? Like, say, a secret inner sanctum full of secret, inner-sanctum-y reading materials?”

‘Oh, of course.’

“Really?!”

‘No! I already told that I don’t know how to reach such areas! I would have directed you to them straight away if I did.’

“Ah.”

‘You think I would’ve forgotten about something so important?’

“Well. I mean. I didn’t want to bring up your age again, but...”

‘I will turn your insufferable little mind into a Jesbolese knot if you keep this up.’

“Mmmmm. So what made you come to believe that the Library hides stuff from us, then? Was there a particular place that you’ve tried to find but just couldn’t?”

‘If you’re asking whether or not I’ve ever personally searched for this “inner sanctum” as you called it, then yes, I have. And to no avail, obviously.’

“And yet you’re still convinced that it exists?”

‘The Master has mentioned it. I believe he knows how to reach it. And others, most likely.’

“Makes sense, I guess. Where did you search, exactly?”

‘Everywhere. Every floor. Behind every wall. Beyond every brick. Between every nook and cranny.’

“Sounds a little exaggerated...”