So Alex worked in the library and shelved the books. He shelved them well and shelved them quickly and soon became a favourite amongst the head librarian. But there were other assistants and operatives who were jealous of Alex’s success and favour. Now in the past the head librarian had had a book of great power that had been taken from him much to his sorrow. So with this in mind the jealous assistants and operatives went to the head librarian and said: ‘You like the new assistant well do you not sir?’ ‘Yes I do!’ replied the head librarian ‘Then sir, you should know that Alex has been boasting that if he wanted to he could retrieve your book for you if he so wanted to.’

This gave the head librarian pause for thought about Alex, and he had him summoned to his office. ‘Alex’ he said ‘I hear you have been saying you could retrieve my lost book if you so wished!’ To which the astonished Alex replied ‘Oh no sir, not me sir! I never said such a thing!’ ‘But how’ replied the head librarian ‘did it come about that people said this if you did not say it?!’’. To which Alex replied ‘I can only guess at how this can have come about, and I have not said it, but if it pleases you then, though I do not know how, I will retrieve your book.’ Well, at this the head librarian was overjoyed, so much so that Alex rose still further in his favour. This maddened the jealous co-workers still further, yet their ire died down as they saw that Alex must still perform the task, a task he had clearly no idea how to achieve.

As the days went by Alex pondered hopelessly how he might even begin the task, so the head librarian’s patience and high esteem began to wane as the precious book did not return. One day Well saw Alex shelving slowly and sadly and asked him what was the matter. ‘It is a sore mess I have landed in Well,’ said Alex ‘for the head librarian has bade me retrieve his lost and precious book and I but no clue how to even begin to seek it.’ At this Well was silent for a moment. Alex waited nervously; at length Well began to speak ‘Ah yes the Libra Codex, it was taken many years ago.’ ‘But who took it?’ ‘No one’s too sure but there are rumours that somewhere in the library lives a troll, like as not it was him that took it.’ ‘A troll in the library! You’re joking with me Well.’ ‘That I am not Alex, for in truth it is not rumour but fact; I have seen this troll on the third floor. I’m fairly sure he comes out when he thinks the other folk have gone. On this occasion I was working quietly amongst the journals when I heard the main floor doors open. I assume naturally it’s a patron or staff member, for though the building was quiet, there were a few of us around. Anyway, I glanced up across towards the door and there he was, 8 foot of troll, stooping as he went. Where he was going I do not know for I quickly lost track of him, and that Alex is all I can tell you.’ ‘If there’s a chance this troll has the book I must find him.’ ‘I daresay that’s true Alex, but how? There’s the question. He could be anyway where in here, he might not even still be here! What’s more trolls are cunning, if they want to hide, they can hide and if they have a mind they can be vicious too! Like as not that troll eats the odd student that goes missing.’ ‘Students go missing?!’ ‘Yes they do Alex, not too infrequently either. It may down to them running away, or drowning, or disappearing into the walls (like you appeared from the walls) or maybe they end up a troll’s supper. Who’s to say?’ ‘Well, will you show me where you saw the troll walking and where he must have come from.’ ‘I will that Alex, follow me.’

So Well showed Alex where he had seen the troll. The track ran from the ancient stairwell hall of the third floor, through the heavy black doors that lead to the floor itself, and round the side of the dusty, hoary journal collection ‘After which I lost sight of him’ said Well. Alex looked at the way, and Alex pondered. After a time he says to himself ‘I’ve nought better to do here than to watch the same track and see if the troll won’t return the same way, so that’s what I’ll do.’ So Alex set himself a place on the third floor, from which he could comfortably watch where the troll had been seen. He also had to think, how he was sat, so he might arise to follow with mininum noise but also how he might stay comfortable, for surely he had no idea how long he might be in this place. Well of course Alex must work too, so he resolved himself to this, when he must work, so he would, but when he needn’t he would sit (this was his solution) on a chair, positioned as best he could to see the walkway of the troll and yet be obscured from it, for he reasoned that, from a chair he could raise himself quite noiselessly and be ready in a position to follow the troll.

Alex sat and he sat. He sat for a day between work and not troll appear, he sat for another day and no troll appeared, but on the third day, just as he was despairing that he would never catch sight of the troll, he heard the soft thumping of feet coming from the stairwell. Now Alex had heard the sounds of many peoples feet come and go in this time, so he knew well enough what a human approaching sounded like; this however was quite different and immediately drew his attention. Alex waited still as a mouse and peered cautiously through the bookcases to the path where he thought the troll (if it be he) might pass. Then there clear as anything passed down the same way as Well had described a huge Troll, treading, Alex thought, extremely lightly. Immediately and silently Alex rose from the chair and moved to keep track of the troll. He passed behind parallel book cases so the troll would not see him, and peering through these he managed to continue his pursuit.

Troll moved round the edge of the floor, looking at this and that as it went. Then when it reached the corner it bore round to follow the wall to its left. This lead the troll to the other stairwell, which it opened to the door to and descended. Stealthily as he could, Tom continued to follow, opening the stairwell door as silently as possible. He just rounded the bend of the stairs to see the troll exit the stairwell two floors down. Determined to not lose it, with the doors closed behind it, Alex fair leapt down the remaining stairs and swiftly opened and checked the floor (it was the first floor) hoping he had not lost it. Luckily for him he just caught a glimps of it going right down the edge of the first floor. Alex knew he must take a chance here or lose it. He leapt from the stairwell door way, across the walkway to behind the bookshelves. His only chance was to gamble on being able to cut off the trolls probably direction, which should mean it would reach the end of the floor and turn left. Alex wove in and out of the bookshelves, trying to diagonally beat the trolls trajectory. At last he found himself in a central corridor between two sets of shelves, looking down an arcade. In this unthinking exposed moment Alex stood central in the arcade looking down, however before he had chance to re-conceal himself, the troll walk past at the end of the floor, paused, and looked back up the path at Alex. The troll definitely saw him and now Alex could see it was not a troll as such but rather an old troll wife, huge, stoney and fierce looking. The troll-wife looked at Alex for only a moment, before —did he imagine it?- giving him the smallest of grins and continuing on her way. Alex sped down the arcade to keep sight, spun round the corner to hear and see the door to the toilet for disabled patrons click soundly. No further sign of the troll wife could he see.