“If we look at what that expedition brought back with them, we encounter an unlikely list of things; along with an unusually short inventory of gold, silver, copper, and lead, livestock and slaves, we also see a very long list of idols, books, and scrolls.”

Pug looked interested but uncertain of what was being said to him. “It sounds as if they raided a library.”

The monk smiled. “There were no libraries, either Imperial or maintained by any order of temple known to us at that time, anywhere west of Malac’s Cross or north of Queg, in the Empire! Oh, some rooms of books here and there, but nothing that would require a detailed cataloguing that the Empire was so famous for at that time.” There was a merry glint in the man’s eyes as his smile broadened.

“What is it?” Pug said, unable to resist returning the man’s smile.

“It’s your Demon Brothers!”

“According to this inventory of captured items, over a score of volumes came from the ‘frateri demonicus,’ which is very bad Quegan spelling for Demon Brothers, or more accurately, Brothers to Demons!”

“The necromancers?” asked Pug.

“Not a common name, by any measure,” said Brother Victor. “And there’s more.”

“More?” asked Magnus a moment before Jim echoed the word.

“The title of a volume; the maker of this list was, by any measure, barely educated. Legionaries were not as a rule much better educated than the common Keshian Dog Soldiers of today. The officers read and write—a necessity for giving and receiving orders—but the common soldiers, no. Either this list was compiled by a relatively uneducated officer, or the task was given to one of the common rank who claimed to write. In any event the title given is Libri Demonicus Amplus Tantus or Really Big Demon Book.”

Amirantha laughed. “I speak Quegan, and it’s nothing I recognize.”

“It’s four hundred years old. I originally thought the scribe just didn’t understand that ‘Amplus’ and ‘Tantus’ have similar meanings—ample and large—but it occurs to me now our less than scholarly scribe was trying to describe two aspects, that it’s a physically large volume, and also that it’s important. ‘Tantus’ can mean ‘of such great size,’ but ‘amplus,’ besides ample, can also be read to mean ‘of great importance.’ So, what you may wish to consult is a very large, very important book concerning demons, written by a four-hundred-year-dead necromancer.”

“I don’t suppose you have that volume here?” asked Amirantha.

“No,” said Brother Victor with a regretful expression. “I wish we did. It sounds fascinating from what you have revealed.”

“But you know where we might find it,” suggested Magnus.

The monk nodded. “If it still exists.”

“The Imperial library in Queg?” suggested Magnus.