Molech the Black
Two men in dark suits and sunglasses entered the library. It was empty, except for a tall man pouring over some notes and books on a table, muttering to himself.
The librarian was in his office, back turned and listening to the radio.
"The search continues for the Catholic Church's most beloved leader... Her disappearance early last year remains unsolved... the title of First Mother, an office believed to have begun with the Virgin Mary, was really codified in the second century by..."
The two strangers crept past the office, approaching the studying man.
He didn't look up at first, but when one of the men cleared his throat, he finally noticed them, pushing his thick rimmed glasses down on his long pointed nose.
"May I help you gentlemen?" Mathias asked.
"You have something we want" The first man, a muscled blonde, announced.
"I doubt that" Mathias said.
"Don't play games with us" The second, shorter man said, before whispering. "The Journal, HIS journal. He who won't be named. The Dark Lord's final writings"
"We know you took it from the book store in Rome" His friend added. "We've come to take it back"
Mathias studied them carefully. He shifted his gaze to the library's office, but they moved to block his view.
"I.. am not sure what you are referring too" He finally said. "The only thing I purchased in Rome was a collection of fairy tales. And a rather nice case of Greek yogurt"
Both men pulled back their coats to reveal holstered pistols.
"We're not asking again" The blonde one warned.
Mathias sighed and reluctantly gestured to the large, black volume lying open on his table. The men took a look, instantly recognizing their order's opening sacrament.
Quickly, one grabbed the book while the other slammed Mathias's face down on the table, breaking his nose and glasses.
"We're buying your silence with your life" The short one called as the two quickly left.
A short car ride later, in a dark back alley, the two men proudly delivered their prize to their leader.
"At last" She said breathlessly. "Our master's last and greatest secrets!"
She excitedly opened the book, with the two men looking over her shoulders, as they all read the first page together. They moved to the second... and it was blank.
Their faces and spirits fell. After all this time, was it incomplete? Spirits fell even further when the next page was a recipe for mutton stew.
"Wha-" The leader faltered: the next page was an add for marble pillars.
"Give me that!" The blonde man demanded, taking the book from her.
He flipped more pages: How to dissect iguanas, Persian troops formations, a beautiful drawing of the night sky and, finally, a page that had a single note.
"Figured it out yet dummies?" The blonde man read.
They glanced at each other in confusion as they flipped the page again.
"You were fooled! He gave you the wrong book"
"How?" The short man asked. "The Sacrament was spot-on!"
"Oh, I helped write that old thing" The next page read. "Your boss ripped me off!"
"What is this indignity?" The leader demanded.
"I told you, it's duplicity" The book read. "And you amateurs are the duped"
The book vibrated and shut itself. There was a tracking device, carefully hidden on the back cover.
The trio immediately broke into a run, but were stopped by a police car pulling in front of the alleyway, sirens running.
Mathias's book was returned to him. The blonde man glared at him from the back of the patrol car.
"Technically, I did not lie" Mathias assured him. "This book does contain the last thoughts, the very soul actually, of what I consider to be the greatest Dark Lord: Molech the Black"
"... Who?" The Blonde asked.
"The man who burned down the library at Alexandria" Mathias explained, eyebrow raised. "Really, I would have thought a disciple of evil such as yourself would remember such a terrible act."
The thoroughly confused officers just shrugged at each other, before driving off with the captured near-do-wells.
The book vibrated again and Mathias opened it, reading:
"Well? Doesn't this count as my good deed for the day?"
"Certainly not" Mathias shook his head. "The deal is that you will help me copy down every bit of your accumulated wisdom before I help look for a way to free you"
"But it's sooo boring!" The next page complained. "I know basically everything, I've been around for a while!"
"Well then" Mathias said, removing the tracking device and taking off with a brisk walk."We had better get back to it. You can start with a more private placed for me to study."
The librarian was in his office, back turned and listening to the radio.
"The search continues for the Catholic Church's most beloved leader... Her disappearance early last year remains unsolved... the title of First Mother, an office believed to have begun with the Virgin Mary, was really codified in the second century by..."
The two strangers crept past the office, approaching the studying man.
He didn't look up at first, but when one of the men cleared his throat, he finally noticed them, pushing his thick rimmed glasses down on his long pointed nose.
"May I help you gentlemen?" Mathias asked.
"You have something we want" The first man, a muscled blonde, announced.
"I doubt that" Mathias said.
"Don't play games with us" The second, shorter man said, before whispering. "The Journal, HIS journal. He who won't be named. The Dark Lord's final writings"
"We know you took it from the book store in Rome" His friend added. "We've come to take it back"
Mathias studied them carefully. He shifted his gaze to the library's office, but they moved to block his view.
"I.. am not sure what you are referring too" He finally said. "The only thing I purchased in Rome was a collection of fairy tales. And a rather nice case of Greek yogurt"
Both men pulled back their coats to reveal holstered pistols.
"We're not asking again" The blonde one warned.
Mathias sighed and reluctantly gestured to the large, black volume lying open on his table. The men took a look, instantly recognizing their order's opening sacrament.
Quickly, one grabbed the book while the other slammed Mathias's face down on the table, breaking his nose and glasses.
"We're buying your silence with your life" The short one called as the two quickly left.
A short car ride later, in a dark back alley, the two men proudly delivered their prize to their leader.
"At last" She said breathlessly. "Our master's last and greatest secrets!"
She excitedly opened the book, with the two men looking over her shoulders, as they all read the first page together. They moved to the second... and it was blank.
Their faces and spirits fell. After all this time, was it incomplete? Spirits fell even further when the next page was a recipe for mutton stew.
"Wha-" The leader faltered: the next page was an add for marble pillars.
"Give me that!" The blonde man demanded, taking the book from her.
He flipped more pages: How to dissect iguanas, Persian troops formations, a beautiful drawing of the night sky and, finally, a page that had a single note.
"Figured it out yet dummies?" The blonde man read.
They glanced at each other in confusion as they flipped the page again.
"You were fooled! He gave you the wrong book"
"How?" The short man asked. "The Sacrament was spot-on!"
"Oh, I helped write that old thing" The next page read. "Your boss ripped me off!"
"What is this indignity?" The leader demanded.
"I told you, it's duplicity" The book read. "And you amateurs are the duped"
The book vibrated and shut itself. There was a tracking device, carefully hidden on the back cover.
The trio immediately broke into a run, but were stopped by a police car pulling in front of the alleyway, sirens running.
Mathias's book was returned to him. The blonde man glared at him from the back of the patrol car.
"Technically, I did not lie" Mathias assured him. "This book does contain the last thoughts, the very soul actually, of what I consider to be the greatest Dark Lord: Molech the Black"
"... Who?" The Blonde asked.
"The man who burned down the library at Alexandria" Mathias explained, eyebrow raised. "Really, I would have thought a disciple of evil such as yourself would remember such a terrible act."
The thoroughly confused officers just shrugged at each other, before driving off with the captured near-do-wells.
The book vibrated again and Mathias opened it, reading:
"Well? Doesn't this count as my good deed for the day?"
"Certainly not" Mathias shook his head. "The deal is that you will help me copy down every bit of your accumulated wisdom before I help look for a way to free you"
"But it's sooo boring!" The next page complained. "I know basically everything, I've been around for a while!"
"Well then" Mathias said, removing the tracking device and taking off with a brisk walk."We had better get back to it. You can start with a more private placed for me to study."
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