The Return of the Titans Read Free Page A

go, he looked back over his shoulder. “And don't let
her hear you call her Mrs. P. I did that once and she almost peeled
the paint off the walls when she let me have an earful.”
    His mother giggled, sounding like a naughty
school girl. “I know, Just. I know. Off you go.”
    He waved and headed for the door.
    The library was six blocks away but it was a
warm autumn day and Justin enjoyed the walk.
    When he arrived, he stared at the massive
gray building for a moment and tried to remember the last time he
had been here. Two years, or was it three? He shrugged and walked
up the stairs, passing between two bronze lions that sat at the
bottom of the steps.
    Inside, he looked around and then headed for
the information desk. A middle-aged man in a brown suit was sitting
there, frowning at a computer screen. Justin stood at the desk for
a moment but the man seemed oblivious to him. He finally cleared
his throat loudly and the man jumped in his seat slightly and
looked at him.
    “Excuse me, sir. Could I
get some information please?”
    The man smiled, showing a row of bright,
uneven teeth. “Of course, of course. Sorry I didn't see you.” He
gestured at the computer. “Blasted thing is doing a search in slow
motion.” He sighed. “Anyway, what can I help you with?”
    “Well, I was wondering if
you have any books on mythology. You know, ancient Greek stuff and
all that?”
    The librarian chuckled. “Oh yes, that we do.
Not many people seem interested in the old legends anymore, but we
do have a rather large selection.” He pointed down the main aisle.
“Just head back to section M. Turn left and it's the sixth
bookshelf in.”
    Justin nodded and thanked the man. He found
the section on ancient myths very quickly then just stared at the
rows of books that towered above him. There were dozens, maybe even
a hundred or more and for a minute he just stood there,
overwhelmed.
    Finally he began scanning through the titles
on the spines of the books. Greek Myths and The Modern Day. Gods,
Goddesses and Monsters. Olympus: Then and Now. On and on they went.
Justin finally just pulled out a few books at random, found an
empty desk and sat down to scan through the books.
    He enjoyed actually reading a real book for
a change and not just some words on a computer screen, but he was
also disappointed. Nothing was really different from what he had
read online. Oh sure, there were different authors and points of
view but the core legends were basically all the same.
    There weren't a lot of references to the
Titans. Authors seemed a lot more interested in the Olympian gods
than their predecessors. Maybe, he thought, there was just more
information on the Olympic myths than the Titan legends.
    Time passed. Justin went through book after
book but kept feeling disappointed. He felt like something was
missing, that he was searching for something just out of his reach.
But he didn't know what. And after several hours he sat back and
admitted defeat. There just wasn't any more to discover, he
concluded.
    As he put the last books back on the
shelves, he had an idea. Maybe that helpful guy at the desk would
have a clue on where he should look. It was worth a shot.
    Justin made his way back toward the front
desk. He looked around and realized for the first time that the
library was almost empty. Didn't people read books anymore? He
glanced at his watch. It was only two o'clock but he was starting
to feel hungry as he realized that he'd been reading for about four
hours. Time flies, he thought whimsically.
    When he reached the desk, the man wasn't
there. Probably putting books away or something, he thought and
leaned against the desk. He looked around. There was no sign of the
librarian. Down the main aisle there were several reading desks and
chairs but he could only see three people sitting at different
spots. He kept looking for the man from the front desk or any other
library staff. He couldn't see any. The place was very quiet and
still. Even