Alice tried to say something, but the rising babble drowned her out. She waved her arms frantically, but no one was paying her any attention.

“ENOUGH!”

Ending roared the word, a feline growl that cut through the noise and echoed back from the distant ceiling. All the creatures went silent as the labyrinthine stalked out beside Alice, eschewing the shadows. Her coat was so black, it seemed to drink in the light. Muscles moved underneath like the rise and fall of mountains. Her teeth were long and white, ivory fangs the size of daggers. The paw that came down beside Alice’s foot was as big as a catcher’s mitt.

“The girl is all you have,” Ending said with a snarl, “whether you like it or not. You can trust in her, or you can start running away now. But shouting at her isn’t going to help.”

There was a long silence, broken only by nervous exhalations of steam from the spider.

“I, for one, am running,” said Mr. Black.

“I expect nothing better of you,” Ending said.

“You’re bound to serve Geryon,” Alice said. A week ago, she would have been happy to see him disappear, but at the moment she felt like she could use all the familiar faces she could get.

“Geryon won’t be back,” Mr. Black said. “Even if he can eventually get free, the others will pick this place clean long before then. There’s nothing keeping me here.”

He turned his back on the gathering and stomped away, his footsteps ringing loud in the quiet that followed.

“That’s all well and good for him,” the bone woman said. “But some of us have family and friends on the other side of those portals.”

“Then stay,” Alice said. “Please. I’ll figure something out, I promise.”

PROBABILITY: LOW, said the spider. She paused, then added, ALTERNATIVES = {}.

“For now,” Ending rumbled, “go back to your books and stop causing more trouble. Geryon may be gone, but I am still here.”

With a general muttering and whispering, the gathering dissolved, slipping back into the aisles and corridors of the library.

Mr. Wurms came up to Alice as the others were leaving and ducked his head respectfully. “I will go back to my table and get on with my work,” he said. “You have my full confidence.”

“Thank you,” Alice said, willing to take what she could get at this point.

“If any of the other Readers do take over, though, perhaps you could mention my record of sterling service?” He attempted a smile, which, given the state of his teeth, was a ghastly sight. “Just in case.”

“If I get the chance,” Alice muttered.

“Good,” Mr. Wurms said, patting her on the shoulder. “Full confidence, though.”

He wandered off, leaving only Emma, who waited blankly as always for someone to give her an order. Alice sighed.