Ralph and the Pixie - Page 263/574

This was of no concern to the false Adjunct, however. In a precise, businesslike manner, he wended his way through to an area of the least used alcoves, stepped behind a curtain, removed a key from his raiment, unlocked and opened a panel which slid effortlessly and silently aside, and to all intents and purposes, vanished from the Library proper; that is, the Library proper in terms of common knowledge.

As the false Adjunct made his way through the dimly lighted corridors, his senses were heightened by his uneasy suspicion, based upon rumour he gave some credence to, that there was not simply one set of hidden passageways, but several. This suspicion was based upon a chance observation: some years ago he had stumbled upon of one of his colleagues, who was and remained oblivious to his presence while within the hidden passageways, so intent was he on watching someone through one of the fine lattice works which served both to admit light, and to allow one within the corridors to watch doings within the building without being seen.

His intent had simply been to not interrupt his colleague at once (or worse, startle him into making some exclamation of surprise, or worse), but to wait for the fellow to finish before making his presence known.