The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead

Author:Rebecca Stead
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

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I never wondered, before the fire, whether ghosts need to sleep. They do. At least, we did. And some ghosts—like Ms. Scoggin—are very grouchy about waking up before dawn and being led to the basement before their morning tea.

“But why on Earth must you accomplish this task before sunrise?” she said, wiggling her bare toes on the damp basement floor. (Ghosts are impervious to damp.) She knew all about my invisibility problems, so I did not answer by saying, “Because when I am out in daylight, people are often seeing me!”

Ms. Scoggin did not know that people sometimes even spoke to me, by accident. I can only imagine the long list of Criticisms she would have for a ghost who talks to people.

But if I had not answered them, I would have felt very rude. Instead, I used the fewest words possible and got away before anyone had time to understand that they were talking to a ghost.

“I thought you’d be pleased,” I said to Ms. Scoggin, brandishing my hammer.

She looked curious and scanned the basement. When she saw the cart of library books before us, she suddenly scowled. “I do hope you plan to reshelve these books, my dear! Reshelving is a priority. Imagine a reader in search of a book finding only a blank space—as if some bully has knocked out a tooth!”

I reminded her, gently, that there was no library anymore.

“Oh, yes, yes,” she said, waving at me impatiently. “I remember.”

As I have said, the books before us, and the cart they sat upon, were all that were left.

“I am going to take care of these books,” I told her. “It is time. That is my project.”

“Good girl. How can I help?”

You could have knocked me down with a bookmark. Ms. Scoggin was offering to assist me? I felt quite emotional. But, in fact, that was exactly why I had brought her down there.

I asked her if she could whistle.

She could.

So we walked out into the night together. I pushed the cart over the grass, while the dear cat rode on top of the books, proudly facing front, as if he were sailing a ship.

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