The Librarian (Book Two: Unhappily Ever After) (22 page)

"I don't—"

The music began to play once more. Both men jumped. Hook quickly collected himself this time and reached for the device.

"Careful, capt'n."

Hook picked it up and studied it closely.

"What about those numbers?" Smee asked.

Hook ignored him. He'd seen the numbers, too. Ten of them across the item's face. But now there was a strange green light that had captured Hook's attention. He pressed it, and the music turned quiet again.

"What happened, capt'n? You break it?"

"No, you twit. The lights are still on. See?"

"I know, but—"

Hook slapped a hand across Smee's mouth.

"Did you hear that, Smee?"

Smee tried to answer but couldn't. It didn't matter. Hook was sure he'd heard someone call his name from inside the device. A fairy, perhaps. He held it to his ear and listened.

"Captain?" It was a man's voice.

"Yes? This is Captain Hook. Who am I speaking with?"

Miles away, Douglas Stanford stood near the peak of a tall mountain that offered an incredible view of Neverland island. His companions were with him, too. Randy and Taylor were astonished at their new surroundings. Taylor could see the Indian Camp on a peninsula in the distance. Randy had his eyes fixed on Skull Rock and the Jolly Roger anchored nearby.

Douglas had a cell phone pressed to his ear as he spoke. "This is Douglas Stanford, captain. We spoke several days ago. I gave you the device you're holding. Do you remember?"

"I do?"

"That's good," Douglas said. "I'm here to help you, captain. Just as we discussed. I know how devilish those Lost Boys can be, and they've been giving you too much trouble. It's hard to win a war when your opponent is always breaking the rules, isn't it?"

"It is," Hook said in a low voice. "But you need me to help you with something first. Am I remembering this correctly? Something about a magical book hidden within a library?"

Douglas grinned. "That's right. Meet me near the Hangman's Tree. We'll discuss everything when you arrive. For now, just understand that I'm building an army... and we desperately need a captain."

TO BE CONTINUED...

Book three is on the way! Sign up at the link below to be notified as soon as it's available...

http://erichobbsonline.com/keep-in-touch/

Hi,

So in case you haven't figured it out quite yet — I enjoy a good cliffhanger. In fact, I'm pretty sure each book in The Librarian Saga will end on a cliffhanger until the series wraps. That said, I do know where we're heading with this. I promise. I knew how the series would end before I started writing it. If you've come this far, I hope you'll be joining me the rest of the way. It's going to be one heck of a ride, and I can't wait to share it with you.

Also, don't forget you can join The Librarian Book Club while waiting on the next book. Aimed at readers in grades K-8, it's a chance to earn cool prizes just for answering questions about the books you're currently reading. If you haven't joined, make sure you have a parent's permission then send an e-mail with your name and age to [email protected].

Keep your eyes open for a new series that should be launching in the fall. The Librarian is only the beginning!

Your friend in the library,

Eric Hobbs