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“The limit is fifty?”

“The limit is fifty.”

Avery’s eyes narrowed. “Why fifty?”

“Is that too little for you?” Susan asked.

Avery’s eyes darted to Murder on the Orient Express, which still sat on the awaiting pile. “Yes.”

“It’s our policy,” Susan said through her teeth.

“It is a foolish policy,” Avery asserted, certain she could hear a stifled snort of laughter behind her.

“You can’t possibly read all fifty of these in twenty-one days,” the librarian protested.

“That sounds like a challenge…” Avery double-checked her name tag. “Susan.”

Susan blinked at her with the unyielding gaze of a golem.

Avery picked up Murder on the Orient Express with protective reverence, her eyes scanning for another to take its place in the left-behind pile. Jules Verne would have to wait. “May I swap these at least?”

At last, the stone cracked. With a magnanimous nod, Susan took both, scanning one out in exchange for the other. “Do you have your library card?”

Avery flashed it like a police badge.

“I need to scan it.”

“Oh.” It was surrendered and scanned. “If I am to understand our contract, you scan that, and I can take all of these with me for free?”

“For twenty-one days, yes.”

“What happens after the twenty-one days?”

“You return the books.”

“What if I don’t return the books?”

“After twenty-eight days, you’ll be charged a replacement fee.”

Avery’s focus intensified, and she leaned forward on the counter. “What sort of replacement fee?”

Susan folded her hands on her desk. “It equates to the cost of replacing each late book. However, if you bring the book back in good condition, even after twenty-eight days, that fee will be waived.”

Eyebrows raised, Avery leaned in conspiratorially. “So… You might say I can borrow these for twenty-eight days.”

Susan straightened in her chair. “I would not.”

“Is there any deterrent for not following that course of action? A semblance of consequence if I chose to flagrantly disregard the rules we enter into with this contract?”

Susan’s smile was waning by the moment. “Your loan eligibility may be reconsidered, reduced, or even revoked should a pattern of inconsiderate behavior or lack of accountability make itself apparent.”

“Ah.” Avery stood up straight, satisfied. “Marvelous. Honor is all well and good, but if it is the only guiding principle, you will find your system abused and dismantled by reprobates.”

“A fact I’m sure you do not have to explain to someone working in a government-funded position,” Esteri remarked flatly.

Avery looked from the books she would have to leave behind on one side of the checkout desk to the pile of books that would be in her stewardship. She placed a hand on the empty cart. “Might I borrow this?”

Susan glowered.