CHAPTER FIVE

Mary’s Monster

Lying across two water-damaged tables was a large, human shape. When the lightning flashed overhead, Baru saw the figure wasn’t human at all.

It was made of books.

Large books formed the creature’s chest and torso, and groups of them were arranged into powerful-looking legs and arms. Its neck was made up of smaller books. A giant, unabridged dictionary formed the creature’s large, square head.

Cal froze next to Baru. “Um . . . ,” he said. “What is that?”

“I think it’s a man-made monster,” Baru said. He looked to Mary for confirmation.

“Actually, it’s woman-made,” Charlotte pointed out.

Mary folded her arms and nodded. “I hoped to build something to fight these things off,” she said. “Or at least distract them so we could continue to pen our books.”

“I told her it wouldn’t work,” Ann said. “But Mary always did have a wild imagination.”

Mary put her hand on the monster’s dictionary head as if touching a loved one.

“Nothing I can do will bring this to life,” Mary said. “In the book I’m writing now, electricity is used to animate the doctor’s creation.”

Baru almost blurted out that he’d read Frankenstein. He wasn’t sure if saying something like that in the Midnight Library would mess up Mary Shelley’s work in the real world. He remembered that in her classic horror book, it was hinted that Dr. Frankenstein used electricity from a storm to bring the creature to life.

In the old movies, the monster was a large-headed creature with bolts in its neck. Wires were attached to the bolts. Then electricity traveled down the wires, through the bolts, and jolted life into the creation.

“I’d hoped a lightning strike might bring my creature to life,” Mary said. She looked up at the stormy sky. “But it seems . . . unlikely.”

Baru studied the lifeless book monster. “No neck bolts,” he whispered. He wiped some rain from his eyes.

“What are you thinking?” Cal asked.

“I can see the wheels spinning, Baru,” Javier said.

“We have to rid this cathedral of those zombie monks so the three of them can continue writing,” Baru said. “I think that’s why we’re here.”

“Easier said than done,” Kelly said. “We have no idea how many more of those things are out there, and they eat books like candy. What happens when they get a taste for something a little meatier?”

“I’m not about to have some zombie chewing on me,” Jordan said. “They can eat every one of these books for all I care.”

I’d hoped a lightning strike might bring my creature to life, Mary’s voice repeated inside Baru’s head.

He looked up at the broken cathedral roof. Am I seeing things? he wondered. He wiped his eyes clear again, then squinted up into the night sky. In the glimmering moonlight, Baru saw something that Mary would also call “unlikely.”

Baru saw a kite.

“If the creature won’t attract lightning,” Baru whispered, “maybe we can.”

“Is he talking to himself?” Cal asked the others.

“Or the monster?” said Kelly.

Baru snapped out of it and looked at the group. “I have an idea,” he said. “But I need your help.”

“What do you need?” Jordan asked.

“Neck bolts,” Baru said. “Something we can use to give Mary’s monster a jolt.”

“Would nails work?” Kelly asked. She touched a large twisted nail that held one of the rickety shelves together.

The groaning of the zombie monks grew louder as they neared the choir loft.

“As long as they’re metal, I believe so,” Baru said. “But the rest of you need to keep those undead fiends away from here. We have to keep the notebooks safe!”

Before anyone could stop him, Baru jumped up onto the ledge of the giant stained-glass window that overlooked the loft.

“Where are you going?” Javier shouted over the thunder.

“To see if I can power up our sleeping book friend!” Baru cried.