I Call It Magic

"If magic's real, how come we don't see it all the time?" Jacob asked as Flynn led them towards the library wing.

"Once upon a time, the world was filled with magic," Flynn intoned, flinging the doors open, "its energy travelling along a power network of ley-lines," he continued, snatching up a globe from his desk and flinging it into the air, wherein it expanded into a 3D model of the Earth, a pattern of blue lines glowing along its surface. "Behold the magic, plebeians!" he declared, clapping his hands together.

"But where's the magic now?" Jacob asked, confused.

"It's there," Ezekiel said, gesturing to the pattern of blue lines.

"Indiana's talking in the past tense, pal," Jacob said witheringly, "I'm talking about today."

"Over the centuries the magic was drained off and stored into artefacts," Flynn explained tersely as Clara crossed her arms over her chest.

"Like Excalibur?" Eve asked.

"Exactly," Flynn agreed, wishing Clara would ease up on the attitude. "He was one of the most powerful."

"He?" Cassandra squeaked, confused.

"The magic started to fade," Flynn continued as though she hadn't spoken, "as cities were constructed over the ley-lines, and technology began to advance, so as you can see," he gestured to the now fading blue lines, the 3D model of Earth shrinking in on itself, "there is now very little magic left."

"Where do you fit into all this?" Ezekiel asked.

"My job is to make sure what remains doesn't fall into the wrong hands," Flynn said, catching the globe as it fell back to the real Earth. "For example, the people who tried to kill the four of you," he said, slamming the globe down on the desk as he looked round them all, the desk protesting loudly, making all but Flynn and Clara jump.

"Did your desk just speak?" Jacob asked, bewildered.

"Is your ass really that big or is it just an illusion designed to dazzle the optics?" the desk retorted.

"I do not have a big ass," Jacob said, insulted.

"Let me be the judge of that," Flynn said, whipping out his measuring tape.

"I don't think so," Clara said hastily, snatching it out of his hand.

As Flynn fought to get the measuring tape back, Jacob breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Thank you," he mouthed, making Clara a small bow, hands clasped Mandarin style before him.

Clara just ignored him, chucking the measuring tape over her shoulder instead.

"Hey, that really hurt my feelings," Flynn said, pouting over the loss of his measuring tape.

"Now you know the feeling," Clara said quietly.

An awkward silence descended until Eve sudenly spoke up. "The woman who tried to kill Stone, she had a snake tattoo," she said. "And there were ninjas..." She turned to Clara as the penny dropped.

"The Serpent Brotherhood," Clara said before she could stop herself.

"The what?" Eve said.

"The Serpent Brotherhood are the ones who tried to kill me, ninjas and all," Clara said, realising she'd really put her foot in it, "and the woman is called Lamia."

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" Eve exploded, swelling up.

"He told me not to," Clara said, pointing at Flynn.

Eve just shook her head, throwing her hands up in the air.

"Again, you should have made the connection," Clara said pertly, "ninjas in Starbucks, ninjas in Oklahoma? Tsk-tsk."

"That's enough," Flynn admonished, silencing Clara.

"What is the Serpent Brotherhood?" Ezekiel asked, the others looking awkward.

"They're an ancient cult hell-bent on bringing magic back into the world," Flynn explained, "I fought them before."

"But what did Professor Sheer find to make them kill him and then murder their way down the list?" Clara asked.

"Shaieeeeerrrrr, Hartley!" Flynn shouted. "It's Shaieeeeerrrrr!"

"And why don't you just shhhhhhhut up!?" Clara shouted, silencing Flynn this time.

"Uh, what did this Sh - this Professor guy find?" Jacob asked nervously.

"Still vexing," Flynn said in an undertone to Clara.

"You to a T," Clara hissed, snatching up the print-out of the painting she'd named as The Crown of King Arthur. "This is what the Professor was trying to show Flynn," she said clippedly, handing it to Jacob. "It must be connected to what he found, but what, I don't know."

Jacob studied the print-out. "It's The Crown of King Arthur," he muttered, brow furrowing.

"That's what I said," Clara said, crossing her arms over her chest again.

"Hidden in plain sight," Flynn whispered.

"That's not what she said," Cassandra said, exchanging a glance with Ezekiel.

"It's The Crown of King Arthur," Jacob repeated, albeit louder this time.

Flynn snatched the print-out from Jacob's fingers, glaring at him. "Are you sure?" he asked, looking like he was going to hit Jacob.

"Yeah," Jacob said, not looking impressed. "And I'm sure she's sure," he added, jerking his chin at Clara.

"The Crown was forged by Merlin," Clara explained, making everyone but Flynn look at her, "to give Arthur control over the magic they needed to build Camelot."

"How do you know that?" Flynn asked, still not looking at her.

"I read it somewhere," Clara shrugged. "I have a slight obsession with the subject."

"So it's the Crown they want?" Eve hazarded.

Clara looked confused for a moment before the penny dropped.

"Maybe you should have made the connection this time, sweetie," Eve said smugly, "especially with your middle name being Guinevere and all."

Clara turned red, her face fuming, much to Eve's amusement.

"The Crown is real, like really real?" Cassandra asked, blue eyes shining.

"Really, really," Flynn said.

"And they really want the Crown, then?" Ezekiel said.

"Yes, they do," Flynn said, rolling his eyes.

"Sound like my kind of people," Ezekiel said, Cassandra elbowing him in the side.

"So the Brotherhood wants to bring magic back but they need the Crown to control it?" Eve said slowly. "Cannot believe I just said that with a straight face," she added in an undertone, face disbelieving.

"Um, why is bringing magic back bad?" Cassandra asked, holding her hand up like she was in a classroom. "Because magic seems pretty cool."

"It is... cool," Flynn said carefully, "until warring nations drown each other in tidal waves of blood. Or they use dragons to burn cities to the ground," Flynn continued, his voice increasing in volume, "or they harness Medusa's power to turn enemies into stone - a world of magic is a world full of chaos and suffering."

They all just stood there, Ezekiel awkwardly clearing his throat, Cassandra fidgeting on the spot, Jacob running his hand over his head, Clara pursing her lips, Eve raising a questioning eyebrow at Flynn.

"Right, I will, um, begin, then," Flynn then said, faltering as Jacob gently prised the print-out of the painting from his fingers. Flynn just looked at him before snatching it back.

Jacob glanced round them all, mouthing meow! much to Clara's reluctant amusement.

"Why don't you pour me a bowl of milk while you're at it, Clint?" Flynn said coldly, making Jacob look away.

"Ummm, maybe you should begin by examining the original painting," Clara said hastily, anxious to avert another fight. Two warring nations were enough without adding a third to the fray.

"That's precisely what I was going to say, my dear Clara," Flynn said with a pained smile.

"It's by an unknown artist," Jacob said.

Clara shrugged her shoulders, not getting his point.

"I don't know where that name's at," Jacob said, getting annoyed now.

"Munich Museum of History and Art," Ezekiel said suddenly.

They all looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"I cased the joint last month for a heist," Ezekiel said, being the one to shrug this time, "memorized the inventory."

"That's why the four of you were targeted," Eve exclaimed, startling them all, "while you were busy doing whatever Librarians do," she said to Flynn, flapping her hand at him.

"Saving the world - a lot," Flynn said, puffing out his chest -

-"Whatever," Eve said, waving her hand at Clara and the others as though Flynn hadn't spoken, "the other Librarians here" –

- "They're not Librarians," Flynn protested, "I'm the only Librarian" -

- "They're the people most likely to locate the Crown," Eve said, on a roll now. "The Brotherhood were just trying to wipe out the competition."

"Well done, sweetie," Clara said sarcastically.

Eve made her a mock bow.

"Well, I say we should beat them to it," Jacob said, cracking his knuckles threateningly.

"Yeah, let's kick some Brotherhood butt," Clara said, rolling her eyes.

"Fair enough," Ezekiel agreed with a devil-may-care grin. "No-one tries to stab Ezekiel Jones in the back without Ezekiel Jones returning the favour."

"I've never been to Europe, so..." Cassandra said, smiling shyly, grabbing the straps of her floral backpack almost for support.

"No, no, no, " Flynn said, shaking his head.

"Why not?" Jacob said dangerously.

"First things first," Flynn said, holding up a finger, "let's not refer to ourselves in the third person. Plus there is going to be no beating or butt kicking, Europe is overrated and I work alone. So if you'll excuse me, goodbye," he said abruptly, heading for the doors.

"Nuh-uh," Eve said, striding forwards, "I got an envelope."

"So did I," Flynn said, unflustered.

"We all did," Clara pointed out helpfully. "Sort of," she amended, thinking of her own lost envelope.

Eve's jaw tightened. "The Library invited me to this party and I'm taking them to Munich," she said, gesturing to Clara and the others. "Maybe we'll see you there," she finished, folding her arms across her chest.

Flynn just frowned.

"Try to keep up," Eve said with a sarcastic smile, before patting him on the shoulder as she left, the others hastily following her.

Call it magic
Cut me into two
And with all your magic
I disappear from view...