Lynn Wright, Secretary to the Chief Librarian of the Library of the Forbidden and Unknowable, went through the papers spread out on her desk in her brand of ordered chaos again. There were a few letters to Mr. Quillman, a couple of bills, a selection of standard reports from the sub-basements (which were at best inadvisable to actually visit and check up on), and … that. She didn’t know what exactly it was, or how it had gotten there, but she knew what it meant.

It meant that she could be here any minute now.

Lynn had been somewhat restless since she had opened the little pouch that had been in her in-box that morning without anyone having put it there, and was now sorting invoices and and sharpening pencils just to occupy herself.

A knock on the door stopped her in the rare act of cleaning her desk.

“Yes?”

Kate (Lynn still considered the desk librarian new and hadn’t learned her name yet, but she thought that was it) stuck her head in, and Lynn was relieved, until she noticed who was with Kate.