Chapter 15

"So how do we open it?" Pacifica asked.

"Hang on..." Dipper read some more. "We have to type in three different phrases to unlock it. They'll probably be answers to questions."

Mabel rolled her eyes. "Well, that's not helpful. Where are the clues? The stuff we have to type in?"

Dipper read again. "I... don't know."

Pacifica picked up a rock and threw it at a tree. "This is hopeless!"

Suddenly there was a large clang! as something fell from the tree branch.

"Woo!" Trixie ran toward it. "I never thought I'd say this, but nice job, Pacifica!"

Pacifica shrugged sheepishly as she followed the others over to whatever had fallen. It turned out to be a laser pointer of some sort.

"What does- hey!" When Trixie pressed the button, the pointer shot up into the air and shone on one of the support posts of the building.

Dipper ran up to it and announced, "There're words!"

The others rushed forward and Dipper went on. "It's the questions we need to answer!"

"Well, read them!" Spud said impatiently.

"Ok. The first question asks, 'Who is Number Four on the list of Threats to the Magical Community?' What?"

Seven of the eight kids looked at each other for the answer, until the eighth one spoke up.

"Move over," Jake said. "I'll type it."

Dipper watched as Jake typed "HUNTSMAN" into the device. There was a faint click sound. "It's working! What's next?"

Dipper turned back to the post. He read, "'Who does Wendy Corduroy wish would like her back?"

Wendy blushed. "Ok, this is creepy. I'll type it, but no one gets to look."

Dipper grudgingly agreed, and Wendy typed it. Another click was heard.

"Final question: 'What best describes Dipper Pines?'"

Everyone looked at him. He smiled, and said, "It's kind of long."

"Just do it."

He sighed, walked over to the device, and typed "ONE PART CURIOUS, TWO PARTS BELIEVER, AND VERY MATURE."

Pacifica scoffed. "Seriously? You really think it's going to accept-"

A much louder click sounded, and the door swung open.

"What can I say?" Dipper closed his eyes and smiled. "You can't argue with the creepy stalker lock system device."

The kids slowly walked into the building, and when his eyes adjusted to the light, Dipper could not believe what he saw.

It was an enormous library. Lined with bookshelves as far as the eye could see, fresh gleaming books on them. Dipper rushed inside and took a look at all of them.

"Whoa!" Wendy exclaimed. "This is amazing!"

"No kidding!" Spud spun in a circle, just staring at all the books.

"Uh, guys?" Dipper called. "You might want to look at this!"

He was holding a random book he had taken off the shelf. The creepy part was that it looked exactly like Volume 3, only instead of a 3, there was a 183,046,840.

"What the-" Dipper asked. "There's a whole library of them?!"

"Whoa!" Mabel said. "Look!"

She was pointing at the very back of the library, where a sort of shrine was built. There was a banner with the six-fingered hand on the cover of the volumes. There was a type of stage, and on it were three podiums, all of them empty.

"I think the first three volumes are supposed to go here," Dipper guessed.

Pacifica sat down and sighed. "What is going on?"

Dipper decided to answer her for a change. "I'll put it this way... Gideon is mad at me for supposedly turning Mabel against him. He also likes Mabel. So he's rounded up everything that we have ever survived through, in hopes that they would kill me and get Mabel to love him. Also, there's an old German guy named Rotwood who used to be Jake's mythology teacher. Rotwood found out that Jake was a dragon and has tried exposing him ever since. And now, he's teamed up with his nephew Gideon in hopes of exposing him." He inhaled. "Ok, that felt good."

Pacifica blinked. "Oh. Way to bury the lead, Dipper."

"Whatever." He walked forward and inspected the podiums. "Mabel, come here!"

She came forward, and he pointed at the third podium. She rubbed it with her finger, licked it, and declared, "Yep. It's dust."

"So the volumes have been gone for a long time," Dipper realized. "But why?"

"You won't live to find out!"

Dipper turned around fast. He knew that voice. It had haunted him in his nightmares, ever since that fateful night on the roof of the Shack.

"It sure is nice to see you again, Pines brat," exclaimed Wax Sherlock Holmes.

I hope this has cleared up any confusion as to what's going on. Please review!