“I think I can get it right from the start this time,” Eleanor said. She put two fingertips against Otto’s temple, and two against the cover of the hedgewitch’s Story, and let the words begin to flow.

Twenty-One

It was a slower process with Otto and Pip, but eventually all three Stories were empty—or rather, the books were empty, and the Stories were written on their skin. Otto kept pulling up his shirt and peering at the tiny text, trying to make out every word, but Pip pulled her sleeves down firmly and didn’t glance.

The Librarian and Editor showed them out to the lobby, where the cats were waiting. The kitten-of-ashes had fallen asleep curled against the cat-of-ashes, and the older cat was idly grooming the kitten’s fur, leaving it sticking straight up behind her head.

“You’re short a princess,” the cat-of-ashes noted.

“Long story,” Otto said. The cat-of-ashes narrowed her eyes but didn’t press.

The Librarian folded two of his hands. “Please be prompt in returning with the ink and quill, and the pilfered books. Reality itself may be counting on you,” he said. Four more hands emerged, and he held out a small, white card to each of them. Eleanor took it.

eleanor barton: member, it said.

“Library cards?” Otto asked.

“They will allow you to return at any time, without the aid of the Wending,” the Librarian said. “They are not often given out. Do not abuse the privilege.”

“We won’t,” Otto pledged, his eyes shining at the idea of being able to get to the Library whenever he wanted.

“Humph,” the Librarian said. “I am going to make tea. Editor?”

“I have something I need to discuss with Eleanor,” the Editor said.

“Suit yourself,” the Librarian said, and drifted out of the room.

The Editor waited until he was gone, and then she beckoned Eleanor over to a corner of the lobby. “I’m not actually authorized to do this, but here.” She drew a plainly bound book from her robes. The front was labeled in neat lettering: The Small, Cursed Town of Eden Eld, Version One (Archived).

“We can take it with us?” Eleanor asked.

“You can use it to overwrite the version Katie has,” the Editor told her. “That means you can fix things as soon as you get your hands on the other book—no need to get back here first. The draft only goes up to the eclipse, but that should be enough for the rest of the timeline to repair itself on its own.”

“Does that mean the people who disappeared will be back?” Eleanor asked.

“Indeed. Everything back the way it should be,” the Editor promised.

“But what about us?” Eleanor asked. “We’ll still have been missing for months. Can’t we go back to the eclipse?”