“Is it? It’s not without precedent. We try to choose our students carefully, but so few are born with the talent, and sometimes a Reader will take a chance on a . . . questionable individual. And, of course, even the most careful man tends to lower his guard around his own apprentices. But I must admit I was surprised to hear it in this case. Esau was a very careful man indeed.”

“What happened to the apprentice?”

“Ah, Alice. You have, as usual, gone straight to the heart of the matter. We believe the boy—his name is Jacob—is still hiding in Esau’s fortress. Or possibly he is trapped there, it’s not clear. Either way, he must be dealt with.” He broke off. “It can’t be pleasant for you to hear this, I know, but as one of us, you’ll have to face this kind of unpleasantness eventually. An apprentice who commits some offense is normally chastised by his own master, as he sees fit. But in a case like this one, it falls to the rest of us to administer . . . justice.”

“I see, sir,” Alice said, though she didn’t, quite.

“We must act together, to demonstrate solidarity of purpose. In such circumstances each Reader sends an apprentice to deal with the guilty party.”

“You’re sending me to . . . deal with him?”

Geryon’s lips tightened. “You will go to Esau’s fortress with a small group of apprentices from the other Readers who share an interest in the situation. You will find Jacob, apprehend him, and bring him back for judgment. If that can be accomplished without violence, so much the better. If not, you will do what you must.”

Alice looked back at him, chewing her lip. It won’t be in a prison-book. We won’t have to kill him.

What’s the difference? a dark part of her mind whispered. You know what the old Readers will do to him if you bring him back.

But he did murder someone. It wasn’t like you could call the police to a Reader’s fortress. Someone has to do something.

Geryon caught her expression, but misread the source of her hesitation.

“Breaking into the fortress should not be too difficult,” he said. “There will be others in the group with more . . . experience, and whatever pacts and wards Esau created to defend his domain will not have survived his death. That is part of the problem, in fact. Like all of us, Esau accumulated a great many powerful books during his life, and without his defenses in place, they will gradually begin to run rampant in the labyrinth. The wayward apprentice must be removed so that we can send our servants to contain the mess.”

“I understand, sir.” She wanted to ask more questions, but Geryon’s expression told her he would not be receptive. “When will I be going?”