Book Eight: Chapter 34

“Not immortality,” Mike said. “Remember? Just an extension.”

“I’m aware.” She turned to look at him, her gaze unfocused. “Just let me do my fucking job.”

Mike kept his mouth shut as he grabbed a few plates of food and carried them onto the platform. He sincerely hoped Sofia’s mood improved soon, because she was getting on his nerves.

The platform took off and flew between the columns of the Library, soaring silently between the gargantuan structures. After a few miles, the ceiling dropped to within fifty feet above the ground.

“What determines this place’s shape?” asked Mike. “Why isn’t it just a large cube, or whatever?”

Sofia remained silent for so long that he thought she was ignoring him. When she finally spoke, she kept her gaze ahead.

“I don’t know,” she said. “It was once explained to me that the Library was shaped by its needs. Perhaps written works were slowly produced during this particular era.”

“But books are organized by topic,