Sebastian found himself before a small library. At the entrance there was a desk upon which was an open notebook with a pen. It was for the visitors to enter their names. While entereing the library he wrote his name and entered the library. The first room was for newspapers and magazines. A dozen of young and old men were browsing through papers. He entered the second room. There was a big round table at the center of the hall. Chairs were there by the round table. There were a handful of readers, but they were all busy reading their respective books. On the way to hotel one day he had noticed this library and wished to come here, because he saw the old librarian. He had a fascination for old men. Whenever he got a chance he would not miss the chance to talk with an old man. He had promised himself that before leaving Kaerlud he would come to this cozy library and chat with the old librarian.
He went to the librarian and said, "How do you do sir?"
The old librarian was reading a newspaper. He gave a shrewd look adjusting his glasses on his nose and ignoring Sebastian, went on reading. Sebastian did not feel ashamed. He accepted that this old man was a non-conversationalist type. He grabbed his favorite newspaper and went to a vacant seat and opened the classifieds. Then he tried to solve the quick quack message. No he could not solve it. He nodded his head. Perhaps I am wasting my precious time. I should be going to my assigned place: thought he.
But quick quack and puzzles like this were his addiction. He could not focus on anything else until he found its solution. He took the newspaper with him fearing the paper might blow away with wind and he asked the old librarian for a paper and pencil. The old librarian saw the newspaper. And viewed Sebastian's face. The old man is thinking I need paper and pencil to answer some advertisement. Let him think that way: thought Sebastian.
The old librarian produced a paper piece and a pen and gave them to Sebastian, who after getting what he needed went back to his place and tried to decipher the quick quack code. He opened his mobile phone. Got to the folder where he had saved the photos of the paper cuttings containing quick quack messages. He had collected three messages. Today's message was the fourth message. He clicked a photo and saved it in the folder having the heading "Quick Quack". After saving it he went to the previous photo. It was published on 9th of June 2015 he remembered. The message after the quick quack code was an acronym for Liuerpul city. He then tried to solve the quick quack message prior to it. But he could not crack the code. The more he looked to it the more he seemed to himself a half wit. And his mind was telling him more and more loudly to leave Kaerlud as soon as possible and complete the real mission. But he was struck to his addiction like a vampire addicted to counting sprouts thrown on the road. He was so lost in his thought that he could not notice that someone was standing behind him. When that someone's breath touched his back of the neck, he felt goose bumps. He turned back to see that it was the old librarian pouring onto his mobile phone screen. He asked him, "What are you doing?"
"Nothing," squeaked Sebastian. He felt like a small boy before the old librarian. Now standing the old librarian was also a tall man.
The old librarian said, "Oh dear, you too have observed it! I thought I was the only one."
"You too?" Sebastian asked.
"Why, yes. I am an avid reader of newspapers, magazines and books. I love newspaper articles. And this type of secret codes are my favourite."
Sebastian thought of taking his help in solving the messages. But before he could ask for his help the old librarian went to his desk. And did not come back. Sebastian waited long. Almost for fifteen minutes. He was in doubt whether to keep on searching by himself or leave Kaerlud. For few tantalizing moments he waited for the old librarian's help. He could not even search or do whatever he was doing. So he rose up from his seat and went to the old librarian who was writing something on a piece of white paper. He cleared his throat. The old librarian looked at him – his spectacles on the edge of his nose. Sebastian said, "I thought you were giving me some details about these weird messages."
"Oh yes, you are right," said the old librarian and continued writing.
"What are you writing, may I ask you?"
"You have already asked," said busy writing.
Shirking his shoulders Sebastian was about to turn around and go away then the old librarian called him, "Take these dates. You must check them out."
He handed him the paper in which several odd dates were written:
01.08.2000
15.09.2002
26.10.2004
02.01.2006
21.12.2008
06.06.2011
29.02.2012
23.07.2014
09.06.2015
08.04.2016
"What are these dates for?" Sebastian asked after reading the list of dates.
"You ask a lot of questions. Daily three hundred I guess? That is why woman folks must be considering you a child – an overgrown child of what forty five, I guess?"
Sebastian said, "Nay, forty three."
The old librarian said, "Come on, I have something to show you."
He took Sebastian to a dark small room. It smelt of naphthalene. When he switched on the light, Sebastian could see a lot of cardboard packets. Perhaps containing naphthalene pieces: he thought. The old librarian went to a side in a form of flourish. There was an old pentium five computer system. The old librarian told him that he had singlehandedly scanned all old newspapers and had stored those pictures chronologically into this computer system. Sebastian could understand how dedicated this old librarian must be. The old librarian even informed him that for this librarian post he had rejected several better jobs, because this library was his life. He had gone to several parts of the country to collect old newspapers – as old as 1900. Finally the old librarian said, "Search these dates I gave you and see what do you get, how far you go? Ask me anything you want." Saying so he left the system to Sebastian and left the room. Sebastian felt like he got a diamond. He browsed the dates on the chit given by the old librarian. He took photo copies of all the messages spanning over sixteen years.