Page 178 - The Midnight Library

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e librarian’s face became stern again. ‘And in one life – one of his lives –

you are dead. Will that be painful for him?’
‘I doubt it. He doesn’t want anything to do with me these days. He has his
own life and he blames me that it is unfulfilled.’
‘So, this is all about your brother?’

‘No. It’s about ever ything. It seems impossible to live without hurting
people.’
‘ at’s because it is.’
‘So why live at all?’

‘Well, in fairness, dying hurts people too. Now, what life do you want to
choose next?’
‘I don’t.’
‘What?’

‘I don’t want another book. I don’t want another life.’
Mrs Elm’s face went pale, like it had done all those years ago when she’d
got the call about Nora’s dad.
Nora felt a trembling beneath her feet . A minor earthquake. She and Mrs

Elm held onto the shelves as books fell to the floor. e lights flickered and
then went dark completely. e chessboard and table tipped over.
‘Oh no,’ said Mrs Elm. ‘Not again.’
‘What’s the matter?’

‘You know what the matter is. is whole place exists because of you. You
are the power source. When there is a severe disruption in that power source
the librar y is in jeopardy. It’s you, Nora. You are giving up at the worst
possible moment. You can’t give up, Nora. You have more to offer. More

opportunities to have. ere are so many versions of you out there.
Remember how you felt aer the polar bear. Remember how much you
wanted life.’
e polar bear.

e polar bear.
‘Even these bad experiences are ser ving a purpose, don’t you see? ’
She saw. e regrets she had been living with most of her life were wasted
ones.

‘Yes.’
e minor earthquake subsided.
But there were books scattered ever ywhere, all over the floor.