Chapter 22 Chapter 21

We walked slowly back to the library—two crosses still in our pockets. "Here he is again," she said quietly as we walked two blocks from the church. "I saw him when I turned the corner. You don't look back." I restrained myself from exclaiming, and continued to move forward. "I'm going to go to the stacks above the library," she said. "How about the seventh floor? It's quiet. Don't you go upstairs with me, he's more likely to follow me when I'm alone—you're stronger than me." " "You mustn't do that," I protested in a low voice. "It's my business to find out where Rosie is."

"It's also my business to find Rosie's whereabouts," she also replied in a low voice. I glanced sideways at her, thinking I'd gotten used to her biting humor. "Okay. But I'll be right behind him, and if you're in trouble, I'll rush over to help you." We parted politely at the library door. "Good luck with your studies, Mr. Holland," said Helen, shaking mine with her gloved hand. "I wish you success too, Luo—" "Shh," she interrupted me, and left. I went to the catalog and opened a random drawer, pretending to be busy.I lowered my head, but I could still see what was going on at the checkout desk.

Helen was going through the formalities of being allowed to enter the library. She was slender in a black coat, and her back was firmly walking towards the long nave of the library.Then I spotted the steward stalking from the other end of the nave, right next to the catalog cabinet. When Helen was about to reach the door of the library, he had already reached the "H" entry.I am so familiar with that door, I pass it almost every day, but it has never been as meaningful as it is today.This door is open during the day, but there is a person at the door checking the permit for entering the warehouse.

After a while, Helen's black figure disappeared up the iron stairs.The administrator waits another moment next to the "G" entry.Then I saw him take something out of his jacket pocket - I think it should be the special ID of their staff - swiped it, and it disappeared. I quickly followed into the library, and I really started to worry.I shouldn't have let Helen be the bait herself.I suddenly remembered the story Rosie had told about his friend Hedges, and quickened my pace.On the seventh floor—the history library—I stopped, hesitating how to sneak in. I am at least familiar with this layer, which is my kingdom.

At first, it sounded as quiet upstairs as the rest of the floors.Then I heard someone whispering in the corner. "This is it, isn't it?" Helen asked in a hostile tone. The thin voice spoke again. "You have no right to turn over those books, miss." "Those books? Aren't they the property of the school? Who are you, do you want to confiscate the property of the school?" The administrator sounded annoyed, but at the same time coaxed: "You don't need to mess around with those books. A young lady shouldn't be reading them. You return them today and I'll stop looking for you."

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Helen's voice was firm and clear. "Is this related to Professor Rossi? Maybe?" "What professor? I don't know what you mean." The administrator cut off the conversation. "Do you know where he is?" Helen asked sharply. "Miss, I don't know what you're talking about, but I want you to return these books immediately, the library wants them to be used elsewhere, or you will pay the consequences for your academic career." "My academic career?" said Helen contemptuously. "I can't return these books now. I'm going to use them."

"Then I'll have to force you to return them. Where are they?" I heard footsteps, as if Helen walked away.I was going round the end of the bookshelf and smashed a Cistercian folio on the hideous weasel's head.However, at this time Helen threw out a new card. "Let's do it this way," she said. "If you tell me about Professor Rossi, I'll tell you a little—" She paused. "About a map I saw recently." My heart suddenly sank below the seventh floor.map?What does Helen want to do?Why would she expose this important information?If Rossi's analysis is correct, that map is our most dangerous—and most important—property.is my most dangerous possession, I correct myself.Wasn't Helen questioning me at the same time?What I saw in a split second: She wanted to use the map to get to Rosie first, to finish his research, and she used me to learn everything Rosie knew and everything he taught me, and then publish her research to bring him Exposure - no room for me to think more.Because immediately I heard the admin growling.

"Map! You have Rosie's map! I'm going to kill you!" Helen gasped, exclaimed, and then there was a bang. "Put that down!" the administrator screamed. I jumped on top of him before my feet touched the ground.His little head hit the ground with such a loud bang that it made my head buzz. Helen crouched beside me, pale but calm, with the cross in her hand, aimed at him. He struggled under me, spitting.The keeper was vulnerable, I held him in my hands, he hit me, I put my knees on his legs. "Rosie!" he screamed, "it's not fair! It's my turn to go - my turn! Give me the map! I've waited so long - I've been looking for it for twenty years!"

He began to cry, making pitiful, ugly whimpers.His head was shaking from side to side, and I saw two gashes, two scabbed gashes, on the edge of his collar.I try to keep my hands away from it. "Where's Rosie?" I yelled at him. "Tell me where he is, right now—did you hurt him?" Helen brought the crucifix closer. He put his head away and struggled under my knee. Even then, I was horrified to see the power of the cross over him.Is this a Hollywood movie, superstition or history?I don't know how he got into the church—but I remembered that when he was in the church, he stayed away from the chancel and the chapel, even the old lady by the chancel.

"I didn't touch him! I don't know anything!" "No, you know." Helen moved closer.Her expression was intense and pale.I noticed that she was holding her other hand tightly to her neck. "Helen!" I must have exclaimed.But she ignored me and continued to stare at the administrator. "Where's Rosie? What have you been waiting for all these years?" He flinches. "I'm going to put this on your face," said Helen, lowering the cross lower. "No!" he screamed, "I tell you. Rosie doesn't want to go. I want to. It's not fair. He took Rosie, not me! He took his by force - and I wanted it willingly Serve him, help him, catalog him—" He broke off suddenly.

"What?" I managed to knock his head to the ground, "Who took Rossi? How did you help him?" Helen put the cross over his nose and he started whimpering again. "My lord," he cried. Helen, who was squatting next to me, took a long breath and knelt back on the ground, as if she had heard his words, she couldn't help shrinking back. "Who's your master?" I asked, pressing against his leg. "Where did he take Rosie?" His eyes were glowing and frightening--contorted, an expression of horror on an ordinary human face. "Where else can I go! To the grave!" Maybe it was my hand loosening, maybe it was his confession that gave him strength—and maybe, I realized later, it was his fear that gave him strength.Anyway, he suddenly freed a hand, turned around like a scorpion, and twisted my wrist back to where I was pressing his shoulder just now.Before I knew it, he was running out, and I went downstairs to chase him, only to see a girl in a hospitality uniform screaming on the sidewalk, pointing at the front wheel of a car. The weasel-like caretaker's legs protruded from under the car, twisted at an unfathomable angle, and one arm rested above his head, dead.