The Book That Wouldn't Burn
by Mark Lawrence
Contents
Chapter 54
Overview
Livira and Malar carve a path through the attacked complex, killing a sabber with Jella’s help and rescuing Meelan, Arpix, and Volente. Reuniting at the library door, Yute—revealed as Yamala’s husband—explains species-locked access and the use of human “keys.” Yamala leads the shaken survivors into the vast library.
Summary
Livira learns Yute is married to Head Librarian Yamala. After he heads to meet her, Livira and Malar search for their friends. They reach the binding halls as a black-maned sabber batters a door. Malar engages it; Jella stabs from within with a needle-bound broom, letting Malar cut an artery and kill the attacker. Jella and fellow binders emerge, shaken and grieving.
They push on to the librarians’ quarters and find a massacre: guards dismembered, Deputy Ellis dead, doors smashed. Fearing the worst for Arpix, Livira hears a deep growl behind his bedroom door. Summoning Volente, the darkness collapses to reveal Meelan with Livira’s black book and Arpix clutching an iron-hinged tome. With Malar urging haste, they regroup to flee.
On the stair to the great cave they find Heeth Logaris dead, three young trainees alive because he protected them. The children report four sabbers heading upward with a human dressed like a sabber, implying a key to forbidden doors. Livira brings the trainees along, determined to reach the library entrance.
At the white door, Yute and Yamala stand with survivors, including Master Jost and Deputy Synoth. Jost asserts the door opens only for humans; Yute confirms it requires a willing human and reveals the library’s species-locked chambers, even for other worlds. The implication that sabbers raise human “keys” sparks moral outrage in Livira, while Yamala frames it as potential for cooperation. Yamala orders everyone inside; they descend, Livira steadying Salamonda. Concern for Wentworth surfaces, but Yute remains confident, and they press on.
Who Appears
- LiviraProtagonist; leads searches, witnesses carnage, rescues Meelan and Arpix, questions species-locked doors and their moral cost.
- MalarFighter; duels and kills a sabber, protects the group, urges swift movement, cynical about sabbers and humans alike.
- YuteLeader of evacuees; revealed as Yamala’s husband; explains species-locked doors; coordinates entry into the library.
- YamalaHead librarian; married to Yute; commands survivors to enter the library, framing access as cooperation’s promise.
- JellaBookbinder; helps repel the sabber with an improvised spear; grieves fallen colleagues; joins Livira’s group.
- MeelanTrainee; found hiding with Livira’s black book; survives in Arpix’s rooms behind summoned darkness.
- ArpixLibrarian-scholar; rescued from ransacked quarters, clutching an iron-hinged tome; rejoins the group.
- VolenteGreat black dog; growls from darkness to deter sabbers; emerges when called by Livira.
- Master JostSenior librarian; confrontational, insists the door opens only to humans; present among survivors.
- Heeth LogarisGuard; dies on the stair protecting three trainees from sabbers.
- Three young traineesChildren saved by Heeth; report four sabbers ascending with a human companion.
- Deputy EllisDeputy librarian; found dead amid the slaughter in the librarians’ corridor.
- Deputy SynothElderly deputy; present, shocked, among the survivors at the library entrance.
- MastriTrainee/support staff; found slain near the binding halls, recognized too late by Livira.
- Sabber attackerBlack-maned sabber with a cleaver; breaches binding halls; killed by Malar with Jella’s aid.
- SalamondaShaken survivor; Livira ensures she doesn’t fall while descending into the library.