fortherightpersonwithwhomtomakethege.Therewasnotonesinglewordabouthowtogetridofunwantedvisitors.Orhowtoprotectyourchildfromeveryddanger.Lostinthesefairytales,Ibecamehypersensitivetothestillnessofmysurroundings,jarredbythesoundsIthatpeedthesilefirstthenoisesappearedtobetherandomshufflingsofaronlanguidlyturningpages,orohelibrarians,boredoutofhermind,pagthecorridorsorsneakingoutsideforasmoke.Sooneveryminutesoundintensifiedinthemind-numbingquiet.

    Someoheddeeplyandregularly,asifasleep,thenoiseemanatingfromaerminatedire.LaterIheardaraspinginthewalls,andwhenIaskedthecutelibrarian,shesaiditwasonlymice,butthescrabblingwasscratchier,likeafountainpenragacrossapadofpaper.Thatevening,someonebegansingingtunelesslytohimselffromthelowerdepths.Ifollowedthemelodytoaspotinthechildreion.Notasoularound,Ilaydown,pressedmyeartothefloor,andranmyfingersalongtheacarpet,catgmythumbonahardbump,likeahingeorabentnail.Carefullydnearlyindisible,acarpetsquarehadbeehespot,capanelorhatchbelow,andIwouldhaveprieditopen,butthepassinglibrarianstartledmebyclearihroat.Withasheepishgrin,Istoodup,mumbledanapology,abayer.vihatsomethinglivedbehebuilding,Ibroodedoverhowtocatchhimandmakehimtalk.

    m,mybookswereindisarray,titlesscrambledoutofalphabeticalorderandallmybookmarksmissing.Theyhadbeenspyingonmeagain.FortherestofthedayIpreteoread,whileactuallylisteningforanynoisesfrombelow,andonceIwanderedbacktothechildreion.Thecarpetsquarehadbeenslightlyraisedabovethesurfayhandsandkappedonthepanelandrealizedthatahollo