Simony glared at him. “You?” he said. “Why should I get you out of here? You're an inquisitor!” He grasped his sword.
Brutha backed away.
“I'm not!”
“On the ship, when the captain sounded you, you just said nothing,” said Simony. “You're not one of us.”
“I don't think I'm one of them, either,” said Brutha. “I'm one of mine.”
He gave Didactylos an imploring look, which was a wasted effort, and turned it towards Urn instead.
“I don't know about this soldier,” he said. “All I know is that Vorbis means to have you killed and he will burn your Library. But I can help. I worked it out on the way here.”
“And don't listen to him,” said Simony. He dropped on one knee in front of Didactylos, like a supplicant. “Sir, there are . . . some of us . . . who know your book for what it is . . . see, I have a copy . . .”
He fumbled inside his breastplate.
“We copied it out,” said Simony. “One copy! That's all we had! But it's been passed around. Some of us who could read, read it to the others! It makes so much sense!”
“Er . . .” said Didactylos. “What?”
Simony waved his hands in excitement. “Because we know it-I've been to places that-it's true! There is a Great Turtle. The turtle does move! We don't need gods!”
“Urn? No one's stripped the copper off the roof, have they?” said Didactylos.
“Don't think so.”
“Remind me not to talk to this chap outside, then.”
“You don't understand!” said Simony. “I can save you. You have friends in unexpected places. Come on. I'll just kill this priest . . .”
He gripped his sword. Brutha backed away.
“No! I can help, too! That's why I came. When I saw you in front of Vorbis I knew what I could do!”
“What can you do?” sneered Urn.
“I can save the Library.”
“What? Put it on your back and run away?” sneered Simony.
“No. I don't mean that. How many scrolls are there?”
“About seven hundred,” said Didactylos.
“How many of them are important?”
“All of them!” said Urn.
“Maybe a couple of hundred,” said Didactylos, mildly.
“Uncle! ”
“All the rest is just wind and vanity publishing,” said Didactylos.
“But they're books!”
“I may be able to take more than that,” said Brutha slowly. “Is there a way out?”