He started across the street toward the Endor Tavern & Grille, wondering what story Biff had concocted to tell his friends about their adventures the night before. “Biff goes toe-to-toe with the Witch of Endor”—there’s a story to tell your grandkids. Nick wondered if Biff would include the part where he wet his pants and ran screaming into the woods. He didn’t really blame him for being scared; to tell the truth, he felt a little sorry for him—but he would have paid good money to see how fast the kid cleared that fence on the way back.

At the intersection he glanced across the street to his left; there was the Endor Regional Library and the lights were still on. Nick had a sudden idea, so he turned and crossed the street.

To the left of the library’s main door he found an old woman kneeling on the lawn and digging furiously in a flower bed, with a flat of red begonias waiting on the grass beside her.

“I’m too old for all this digging,” she muttered, plucking the omnipresent stones from the soil and tossing them over her shoulder.

Nick walked over. “Is the library still open?”

“’Til nine,” she said, using her trowel like a lever to pry out a large rock.

“Do people stay that long?”

She looked up at Nick. “You lookin’ for books or for company?”

“I’m looking for information.”

“That we got. Hold on a minute.” She lifted one thick leg and planted the foot squarely in front of her, then put both forearms on her thigh and pushed down, using her leg like a rock ledge to push herself up and draw her other leg up under her. She stood there for a moment, panting and mopping her forehead with the back of her gloved hand.

“Sorry to bother you,” Nick said.

“No bother. I’m the librarian—that’s what I’m here for.”