[IC] Out the door we'll dance and sing

Merith rolls her eyes at Ernesto, despite his good looks and shrugs at Po.

Who does Ernesto think he is?

When the lock is successfully picked she startles and almost slips off the platform as the chains untwist away. That was entirely unexpected and so too was the tome itself.

"There is a great profit to be had on this book without even looking at the contents!" she exclaims as she watches the chains slither away. "The lock itself is of great value also so let's not forget to take it. Indeed the contents of the book must be mighty powerful to be protected by chains.".

She was dying to dig into the book and turn its pages. Something then occurs to her. "Does anyone know the way back? Anyone pay attention to that? Po?"

"I partially pulled books out on the shelves, first one on the third shelf every time we turned. Just watch for those, and turn back the way indicated."

Brindell unhooked his leg and climbed back down the ladder. "You would just jump in and worry about later only when it was too late, Merith."

"Oh, smart Brindle Po! You're right of course! Glad one of us was thinking about that." But Merith probably didn't mean it.

"I'll take the book of course, who better, right?" She snatches the book and lovingly pets the cover. "Well, Ernesto the lockpicker extraordinaire. Looks like you get to drive."

"But wait! What is this? Staring at the book she notices her hands are shaking. "My hands ... and .. and ... it's so heavy! Here Bindle Po. You take it!" Suddenly she was frightened and didn't want the book any longer.

"This book," Ernesto says with a smile as his hand expertly begins to maneuver the catwalk controls, "might not want to be pilfered from this place. Whisper to it, Po. Tell it everything will be all right. That it will soon have a new and very ecstatic owner."

Brindell takes the book and assumes that Merith is just being dramatic. "There, there," he says, patting it. "Don't let the mean lady tell you otherwise, we'll find you a nice home, where you're appreciated." He feels the fool, but keeping his friends satisfied is half of his role.

"Perfect, and everything according to plan!" Ernesto says quietly as the gantry moves, and as they prepare for their escape...

If Merith wasn't so fixated on getting out of the library alive, unharmed, and with the book held by anyone but her until she figured out the inconvenient and frightening vibrating, she would have kicked Brindle Po where it hurt.

"Oh, pretty dragon skin-covered book, I do appreciate you, but from a safe distance."

Brindell looks backward, and tries to recall the path, but its dark. "Did we come back the same way?"

"Don't know Brindle Po. I worry about it when it's too late, remember?"

Merith is delighted to get one up on Po. At least that's how she perceives it.

"Well, not precisely," Ernesto says lightly. "One should never do this, return exactly the way one came. When infiltrating, I mean. It risks running into those who might be on your trail, you see."

Frowning, the man keeps at it. "I'm sure it's... this way."

"Why Ernesto, no one is on my trail. What have you done?"

"Not helpful, Ernesto. Not helpful by half." Po looks around, gently petting the book. "Your call, my friend. Onward by your nose, or backpedal to find the trail."

"Well, the book your pulled from that case -- there? Someone or something has moved it back into position. The librarians here are... fastidious. We aren't backtracking, exactly, but I did mark your pulls, good Po. I suggest we now try a different way out."

"Huh," he says noncomitally, but his hand balls into a fist. He doesn't want to maim any librarians, but he also doesn't want to get caught. Sarapesh justice can be cruel and whimsical, more so than an unexpected punch to the temple.

Merith hungrily eyes the book in Po's possession and at the same time feels stupid for not thinking about leaving a trail. But the circumstances were such that surely a person couldn't be expected to think of those things with the wonder of the place.