Chapter 25: Brennan Walks Back Into the Ministry

Brennan arrived at the library at twenty past eight, which was four minutes later than Elias had been told to expect him and early enough that the reading alcoves were still empty. He was carrying a brown paper parcel under one arm — legitimate, to all appearances, the kind of parcel a man carries when he is running an errand before work. He sat down across from Elias without removing his coat.

"I brought a book back," Brennan said, setting the parcel on the table.

It was not a book. Elias knew this because the parcel was the wrong shape and Brennan's hands had not moved toward the returns shelf, and because the Remnant did not use the library for actual books at this stage in anything.