DING! DING! DING! DING! DING!

"OCTAVIUS," Van Computer announced. "YOUR TEA IS READY."

Hurrying to the microwave, Octavius removed his cup of mint tea.

Oswald was confused. "You're making tea in the microwave?"

Octavius nodded. "I learned about it on the Internet. It heats much faster and more effectively this way." He sipped his tea. "Delicious."

Oswald shrugged. "If you say so..."

Then they heard Van Computer again. "ARRIVING AT DESTINATION."

Oswald was confused again. "What's going on?"

Emerging from the cockpit with the others, Omar smiled at him. "We heard about this place and thought you might wanna check it out!"

"It was on our way anyway," Opal added. "And we figured with everything you've been through the last few chap... er, days, you needed a break."

They opened the door so the two young library-museum people could see.

Oswald peered out, finally spotting the large sign above the iron gate. "The Book Loft," he read aloud. "Thirty-two ROOMS of BOOKS?"

He was out of the van and two-thirds up the stone pathway before anyone else could react.

"BOOOOOOOOOOOKS!"

Octavius was more low-key. He set down his cup. "This does look intriguing. But what of The Book of Ashes?"

"Yeah," Omar glared at the mysterious cursed tome suspiciously. There was a scorch-mark on the table underneath it which hadn't been there before. "Maybe we should put it in the super safe room or something."

"I shall guard this Book of Ashes," Orla assured him. "I promise, no evil wraith, daemon or spirit shall get past me."

As the team talked, they didn't notice the leather cover of the book bubbling all over like a boiling cauldron. Each of the bubbles split open, revealing an eye. The baleful eyes silently and swiftly looked all around, taking in their surroundings. Then they closed, sank back into the leather, and vanished as Orla turned to face the evil book.

"Have at thee, accursed tome!" Orla slid into the bench. "I am ready for your foul trickery!"

The book sat, biding its time.

#

Omar, Opal and Octavius entered the Book Loft. Oswald had dashed inside a few seconds earlier. Octavius just stood for a moment, breathing in the scent of fresh books and taking it all in.

"I believe I might faint..."

Omar also looked around, his smile widening. "They sell souvenirs here too? Cool!" He went to investigate.

Oswald, meanwhile, was dashing from room to room, plucking up books.

Opal noticed a pile of baskets and handed him a couple. "Would these help?"

"A little," Oswald filled both baskets and grabbed a third. "I wonder if they have shopping carts..."

Octavius found a pile of maps showing where the various book sections were on the various floors.

"Oswald?"

He held up at a map. It vanished as a red-haired blur rushed past him and up the stairs.

"Hmmm," Octavius selected another map and examined it. "I wonder if they have the new Klaus Nomi biography..."

He strolled up a flight of stairs. The girl at the cash register watched him go nervously. Then she turned to Opal.

"Uh, we don't take out-of-town checks...

"That's all right," Opal produced some money. "We're paying cash. You guys do take jakelope dollars, right?"

"Jackalope... dollars?" The girl studied the bills. "I'm not... I mean, I don't... I... Steve?" She wandered off. "Steve? Do we take Jackalope dollars? Steve...?"

#

Meanwhile in the van, Orla was staring intently at the Book of Ashes.

"Do not DARE to trifle with me, evil book!"

In fact, she was staring at the book so intently she didn't notice the mist which had rolled up and quietly covered the floor.

"I am alert to all hexes and on guard against any diabolic spells you might try to use against me! For I am over five hundred years old and in my life I have learned much about defending myself from the schemes of witches..."

A shadow fell across the table. Orla started and looked up.

She gasped.

"Mother?"

The robed woman smiled down at her. "Orla. My brave, beautiful girl."

Orla stared up at her, dumbfounded.

"I've found you at last." The woman wept quietly. "I've searched for years... I'd almost given up hope..."

"Mother?" Orla slowly stood, her eyes widening and filling with tears. "Mother, how are you here?"

The woman smiled gently. "Don't ask, my sweet warrior. It's just so wonderful to see you again..."

Orla touched the woman's robes. They were real and solid and rough and smelled of her mother's cooking. This was real. She knew it

"H-How is this possible? How are you...?"

"I'll tell you all of it in a moment, my Orla. Right now, just let me look at you..."

Orla clutched the woman's hand, squeezing it tight. It was her mother's hand. She knew it. She seized her in a bear hug, crying softly.

"Oh Mother, it's been so long... I've missed you more than anything..."

The woman held her tight. "I have missed you as well, blossom..."

"I was all alone for years and it was scary and hard but I had to be brave and I... I..."

"I know, blossom. But I am here now."

"I thought I was..."

"Alone? You don't need to fear that anymore, my Orla, my warrior."

The woman's hands caressed Orla's back.

"You will never be alone again."

Then the hands became talons.

"I promise."

And they ripped into Orla's flesh.

#

Sometime later...

"The book is supposed to be able to see into your mind," Octavius explained to Omar and Opal as they headed back to the van. "It can find your deepest fears, your greatest hopes and dreams, your greatest longings, and use them to destroy you."

"Ah... UNGH! ...Orla probably knows all about that stuff," Oswald said, struggling with the overloaded bin of books he was wheeling down the path. "She says she knows all about curses. She's always talking about it."

"Yeah," Omar took another look at the monogrammed sweatshirt he'd bought. "I just hope she wasn't too bored waiting."

"Honestly, Oswald," Opal sighed as Oswald loaded his bin onto the van's freight elevator. "Did you have to buy ALL those books? I'm surprised the store has any left!"

"Hey! I put a ton of stuff back!" Oswald looked over his piles of books, smacking his lips. "Anyway, these'll probably do for a couple weeks..."

Octavius shook his head, smiling. He switched the two shopping bags he was carrying to his other hand and flexed his freed fingers to get the circulation going again. "Honestly, you must have known what you were getting yourself into when you stopped..."

"I guess so," Omar pressed the button on their keychain; the automatic door opened. "Anyway, we had a lot of fun, right?" They all climbed inside. "And hey, that's the important thing, right?"

Opal smiled. "I guess so. C'mon, Oswald! Let's show Orla all the stuff you..."

And that was when they found Orla.

#

TO BE CONTINUED...