The Book Thief was a virtual representation of one of Arno Dorian's genetic memories, relived by a Helix initiate through the Helix Navigator.
Description[]
Arno found the red house, intending to find Léon there.
Dialogue[]
Arno knocked on the door. A slit opened, and a man looked through.
- Arno: (Good day.) Does Léon live here?
- Man: He ain't in.
Arno knocked on the door again, and the man looked through the slit again.
- Man: We haven't seen him for days. Leave us in peace.
A woman appeared next to Arno.
Margot talking to Arno
- Margot: Has he been arrested again?
- Arno: Not that I know of.
- Margot: A lot of people would like to see his hands cut off. He's a vicious thief, that one.
- Arno: I need his help.
- Margot: He went out to the windmill yesterday, I've not seen him since. Give him my name, Madame Margot.
- Arno: (Thank you.)
- Margot: Please, tell him to come home.
Arno made his way to the windmill.
- Guard 1: There is an intruder in the tunnels.
- Arno: Léon.
Arno found the tunnel entrance, and picked the gate open. Inside, Arno saw a large group of men in the middle of an excavation. One of them found a golden crown, and put it on his head. Another man hit him and took the crown.
- Raider 1: It's mine now.
- Leader: Oy!! Small loot is not worth the blood! We find the door and we'll be bathing in coin. Back to work!
Arno snuck through the tunnels.
- Raider 2: Captain Rose finally caught him.
- Raider 3: Léon? I hear he killed two of our men.
- Raider 4: We shouldn't be disturbing the slumber of kings.
- Raider 5: Don't tell me you believe the ghost stories.
- Raider 4: I've seen one down below. Late at night.
- Raider 5: And how much had you been drinking, I wonder?
The guards holding the boy captive
Arno found Léon being held captive before the captain.
- Rose: You ever meet a noble, Léon? You ever heard a noble talk? Descended from God, they were. Threads of gold arced from between their blessed legs into holy chamber pots. And then, Léon?
Rose motioned his hand across his neck.
- Rose: Fountains of rubies spilled from their necks and rained down upon all of France. Now, a man born deep within the lowest circle of hell can rise to the very top of Olympus itself.
- Léon: Unhand me, (bastard!)
- Rose: Is that what you want, little man, to rise up? I see it in you. Ambition. You're just like me.
- Napoleon: Rose.
- Rose: Commandant Bonaparte.
- Napoleon: Any progress to report?
- Rose: Only this.
Rose showed Napoleon a wall engraved with symbols. Napoleon took out a key, and matched it to one of the symbols.
- Napoleon: Find me the door that this key unlocks, and I shall reward you beyond your wildest dreams.
- Léon: What is behind the door?
- Napoleon: This is our (little) trespasser?
- Léon: Who are you calling little? I'm nearly as tall as—
- Napoleon: (Hush!) You need to learn... a bit of diplomacy. Rose, I trust you'll show the boy to the surface?
- Rose: Of course, Commandant.
Napoleon and his men left.
- Rose: Kill him.
- Léon: What?! No! Let me go!
As Rose's men were about to kill Léon, Arno descended into the room.
- Raider 6: You do it.
- Raider 7: He's only a child.
- Raider 6: I've children of my own.
- Léon: The ghost of the kings!
Rose's men noticed Arno.
- Arno: So much for the element of surprise.
Arno killed the men, and moved towards Léon.
- Léon: Stay back, monster!
- Arno: I'm not a ghost. Madame Margot sent me.
- Léon: Madame Margot? You are trying to confuse me.
- Raider 8: Intruder!
Arno killed the raiders.
- Léon: Whoa!
- Arno: Still confused?
- Léon: Quickly, we have to hide.
Arno picked open the cell door Léon was behind.
- Arno: Not so fast. I'm looking for a manuscript. It was taken from a tomb under Saint-Denis.
- Léon: I have it. It's in my fortress, we can get it later. How did you do all that? You're the best fighter I've ever seen.
- Arno: I wouldn't go that far.
- Léon: Where did you train?
- Arno: In Paris.
- Léon: Whoa! I practice behind our house. I don't really have anyone to train with. All the freedom fighters are in Paris, like you.
- Arno: What about your mother?
- Léon: Madame Margot? She's not my mother. My mother is Morisco. She had to go back to Spain. That's why she had to leave me at the orphanage. I bet my parents will come back once France is safe. In here! Come.
Léon shoved aside two corpses, and pulled out a Guillotine Gun from a small space.
- Léon: For now, we are going to need weapons.
- Arno: Just leave that to the professionals... Where did you get that?
- Léon: I stole it from two raiders yesterday. Hid it here.
Léon gave Arno the gun.
- Arno: This is a fine gun.
Arno inspected the gun.
- Léon: Yes, I know. I know what I'm doing.
- Arno: Which is?
- Léon: Saving France. Now that you're here, it's going to be a lot easier.
- Arno: Listen-
- Léon: What?
- Arno: We have to get that manuscript first. To protect it from the enemies of France.
- Léon: Oh! All right. We need to get above ground.
Léon climbed through a crevice, while Arno followed through the tunnels. Léon then distracted the raiders.
- Léon: Hey! Look at me. I escaped.
- Raider 9: Get him!
- Léon: Catch me and the Commandant will make you rich!
- Raider 10: Catch that little rat!
- Arno: Nice work. Don't let it go to your head.
With several of the raiders gathered in one spot, Arno fired the guillotine gun at them.
- Arno: Not bad.
Arno caught up with Léon, who was behind a gate.
- Léon: Whoa. You're better than all the stories.
- Arno: That's because the stories aren't true.
Arno picked the door open.
- Léon: This way out. I think.
- Napoleon: No one of import has inquired after our activities?
- Lieutenant: There were rumors around town that the Marquis de Sade was asking questions.
- Napoleon: Never trust rumors. He is destitute and in prison.
Arno and Léon hid behind a wall and eavesdropped on Napoleon and his lieutenant.
- Lieutenant: Why do you employ such a man as Rose to find the temple? He cares nothing for us or our aims. If I was in your place, I would not pander to such-
- Napoleon: What does a rat want?
- Lieutenant: Food, of course.
The lieutenant threw Napoleon's apple at a group of rats.
- Napoleon: Ah! You appeal to their self-interest. But you have miscalculated.
Napoleon took the lieutenant's pistol and shot the puddle of oil the rats were in, setting them alight.
- Napoleon: Your people are dead. I know the human animal. What you fear, what you love. Is Rose a bad man? Undoubtedly. But I, Napoleon, can control him and turn him to what is best for France.
Napoleon returned the lieutenant his pistol, and put the key into a chest.
- Napoleon: The masses will gladly renounce their freedom if all can entertain the hope of rising to the top. With the artifact inside the temple I will bring them the illusion of hope. And I will lead us to glory.
Napoleon and his lieutenant left.
- Léon: We have to stop him and save the people of France.
Arno stopped Léon.
- Arno: Rescuing them only delays the inevitable.
- Léon: What's wrong with you?
- Arno: You're going to get yourself killed for nothing, little man.
- Léon: If you can't do it, then I can!
Léon fled through a crevice.
- Arno: Stop! Léon! Come back here!
Where are you?
Arno found a room with a locked gate to a well. Using his lantern, he lit a trail of luminescent ink, and followed it to two slabs. Activating the slabs unlocked the gate, and Arno climbed through the well onto the surface. He then found Léon sitting with the manuscript.
Léon giving Arno the manuscript
- Arno: Give me the manuscript.
- Léon: Why? It has nothing to do with anything, does it?
- Arno: I'm leaving the country. That's my way out.
- Léon: What of the future? A free France where we all take care of each other?
- Arno: Why don't you grow up? Forget France, you're on your own.
Léon reluctantly gave Arno the manuscript. Arno then walked away.
- Léon: What happened to turn you into such a (bastard?)
- Arno: You can't save them, they're never coming back.
Napoleon drove past in his carriage, while Arno walked off.
- Léon: You are just like them.
Outcome[]
Arno met Léon, and learned that Napoleon planned to find an artifact in the temple to take over France. Having grown cynical, he refused to help Léon resolve the situation. Léon then reluctantly gave him the manuscript.