Resumen:Los Huesos del Escriba

This page contains a chapter by chapter summary of Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones. We hope this summary will make it easier to find specific areas of the book, as well as providing a quick plot refresher for anyone who doesn't want to take the time to reread the entire book.

Chapter 1

Alcatraz Smedry is eating chips while waiting in an airport for Leavenworth Smedry, aka Grandpa Smedry to contact him via Courier Lenses. These blue lenses allow short range communication with another Oculator wearing the same. The story picks up a couple of months after the end of the first book. According to Alcatraz, he and Grandpa Smedry are on the run in the Hushlands from the Librarians. They are planning to meet up to head to their homeland in the Free Kingdoms, Nalhalla. According to the book, Nalhalla resides in the Pacific Ocean between North America and Asia. Alcatraz sees a Librarian Agent wearing Warrior’s Lenses that look like sunglasses, one of the only lenses wearable by someone who isn’t an Oculator. He flees into a bathroom where he uses his talent to break the wall. He finds himself in a corridor and eventually a hangar. Alcatraz uses a green pair of lenses called Windstormer’s Lenses to blow away some dust so that he may hide. While hiding, Alcatraz is contacted by another Oculator wearing Courier Lenses who is trying to find him. She claims to be with Bastille, the similar aged girl from Book 1 that is a Knight of Crystallia. During the conversation, Alcatraz’s position is given away to the guards and agents looking for him. One of the agents takes a shot at him, but the gun falls apart in his hands. Alcatraz makes a run for it after breaking part of a 747 he was hiding behind and then a hangar door. Out on the foggy runway, he sends up a signal with the Firebringer Lenses for help. At this point he meets a dark figure with the agents who is much taller and has an arm that is several feet longer than the other. The figure points the arm at Alcatraz and shoots the Firebringer’s Lens. The figure then starts to run at him, so he also begins to run away. As soon as Alcatraz starts to run, he can feel a force pulling him back. Just as he is about to be caught, a rope ladder lands on the tarmac in front of him. Alcatraz grabs it and is lifted into the air above the fog.

Chapter 2

Alcatraz finds himself hanging from what appears to be a glass dragon with six legs and three sets of wings. He climbs the ladder into the vehicle and finds Bastille. He notes her change in attire to be more militaristic. She mentions that it is her place to wear this over her other attire and it also contains a glassweave jacket that helps protect her. When they arrive in the cockpit, Alcatraz meets Bastille’s mother, Draulin, a very formal Knight of Crystallia. He also meets Australia Smedry, the girl he talked to with the Courier’s Lenses. She is the sister of Sing Sing Smedry, making her his cousin. He is informed that her talent is to wake up in the morning looking incredibly ugly. Alcatraz is told that Kaz, his father’s brother, is also on board. Currently he appears to be lost, his talent, but should turn up at some point. Draulin informs Alcatraz that due to events in the last book, Bastille has been reduced to a squire. Australia shows him the note from Grandpa Smedry that sent them to come help Alcatraz. Back in his quarters, Alcatraz is able to somehow communicate with Grandpa Smedry over a great distance. Grandpa informs Alcatraz that he is at the Library of Alexandria searching for his son, Alcatraz’s dad.

Chapter 3

Alcatraz orders Bastille's mother and Australia to redirect the Dragonaut to help his grandfather at the Library of Alexandria in Egypt. After leaving the cockpit, he meets his Uncle Kazan Smedry. Bastille leads Alcatraz to his room so that he may take a nap. Before leaving him, she tells him that her mother doesn't like her and doesn't think Bastille should have been made a knight in the first place. Alcatraz wakes a middle explosion.

Chapter 4

Alcatraz wakes to find the Dragonaut under attack from a not quite normal jet. The jet is made up of some hybrid technology and seems to be unaffected by Alcatraz's talent. Draulin uses her Sword of Crystallia to defend the dragon from the roof while they fly at several hundred miles an hour. She is able to stay on the roof thanks to Grappler's Glass on the bottom of her boots. Bastille tells Kaz to use his talent to get Alcatraz to safety, but Alcatraz refuses. Instead he opts to also go on the roof to try and help save them. Once there, he is shot at by a missle. Alcatraz's talent activates, breaking the missle and also the jet. Falling from the parts of the jet, he briefly sees the creature from the airport. At this point Alcatraz noticed the Dragonaut is cracking from his point outwards and beginning to fall apart.

Chapter 5

The Dragonaut crashes on a beach within sight of The Worldspire, which is located at the exact center of the world. Alcatraz learns that silimatic technology has a relationship with Oculatory powers, and can be controlled as such. The group sets off for the jungle following Kaz.

Chapter 6

The group makes their way through the jungle. Alcatraz attempts to make peace with Kaz while traveling. They find themselves in several locations all over the world before finding the place they seek. The Library of Alexandria turns out to be a one-room hut.

Chapter 7

Alcatraz is told about the Library of Alexandria. It is an underground library containing every book ever written and founded by Alexander the Great. It is guarded by Curators that are undead wraiths. They father knowledge, but don't like to share. The cost of reading a single book is that you become one of them. After some debate over the status of Grandpa Smedry and Al's father, Attica, the group sets up camp for some food and rest. Alcatraz speaks with Audtralia and finds out she isn't very good with lenses. He ends up loaning her some yellow tinted lenses, known as Tracker's Lenses, to allow her to track people's footsteps. She gets very excited and is surprised that she can use them so well. In talking with Bastille, Alcatraz finds out the creature chasing him was using Voidstormer's Lenses, the opposite of Windstormer's Lenses, to pull him back. The creature is part metal because he belongs to a Librarian sect known as the Scrivener's Bones. They are known for ripping off parts of their bodies and replacing them with Alivended materials. He was likely hired by another Librarian, who Alcatraz assumes is his mother. The creature was also using lenses in the jet, particularly a Frostbringer's Lens. Bastille tells him about blood-forged Lenses. They are made by sacrificing an Oculator and using their blood. The power of the lens is directly proportional to the power of the sacrificed Oculator. Alcatraz has the same dark sense he had when being chased by the creature previously.

Chapter 8

Alcatraz wakes up from a dream about a metal wolf to find Grandpa Smedry a short distance away. Except it actually turns out to be Australia having just woken up. She explains that sometimes she will wake up looking like someone she was thinking about. She shows him Grandpa Snedry's prints going into the library. Near the entrance, Alcatraz finds a note from him explaining the situation and also a pair of Discerner's Lenses that allows the wearer to tell how old something is. Unable to decide whether to enter or not, Al's choice is made for him when the Scrivener's Bone shows up and chased them into the library. The chapter ends as Alcatraz appears to be separated from everyone.

Chapter 9

Alcatraz finds himself in a place so dark he can hear and see nothing. Eventually he is approached by Curators of Alexandria and they relieve him of all writings, the cost of admission. After this, lights come on in the room he is in and he leaves through a door. He wanders for a while until he finds Bastille stuck in a trap. Al frees her from the trap and they continue on.

Chapter 10

Bastille and Alcatraz are joined by Kazan. While waiting for Bastille to clear the path of traps, Kaz explains the Incarnate Wheel to Al. He mentions that Kaz, Al, Grandpa Smedry, and Al's father all have prime talents closer to the center of the circle, therefore more powerful and flexible. Kaz also explains that talents affect four different things: knowledge, space, time, and the physical world. He says that siblings often have similar talents, such that he gets lost while Attica loses things. Alcatraz also learns that the Breaking Talent is very rare and may be able to affect things in all four areas. As the chapter finishes, they have wandered into a trap.

Chapter 11

After getting free of the trap, Alcatraz realizes that the Curators have rules or laws. He asks them to recite them to him, to which they do assuming he can't understand their language. Al listens using Translator's Lenses. They also tell him that his father gave his soul to see a book for three minutes. Using their rules he asks for his father's possessions, but is denied since they have already given them to his mother, Shasta Smedry, on this same day.

Chapter 12

The group sets off looking for the others again. While walking, Alcatraz finds out that his parents are still married and that his mother has a talent due to marriage. In this case, his mother gained the same talent as his father, losing things. Kaz and Al spend some time talking about Shasta, with Kaz defending her to a point. After a while, Alcatraz notices a feeling and realizes and Oculator is nearby. They head towards the source.

Chapter 13

Alcatraz discovers a bookshelf that glows brightly while using the Oculator's Lenses. He uses his talent to break the wall behind it. Inside they find a round with a sarcophagus in the center and a great deal of treasure. They also locate an Incarnate Wheel inside. While reading it, he also discovers another writing.

Chapter 14

According to the inscription on the wall left behind by the Incarna, The Talent of Breaking is a Dark Talent. Alcatraz writes down a translation on a pice of paper, which he immediately has to surrender to the Curators for copying. He then remembers why they came to this place to begin with. He walks into a bubble around the sarcophagus which seems to be a different version of time. He opens the lid and finds a person who is dead, but looks alive. An inscription indicates he is Alcatraz Smedry the First, first Bearer of the Dark Talent. Alcatraz takes the clear lens from the sarcophagus and uses his talent to hide the inscription under it. Bastille suddenly takes off, so Kaz and Al chase after. Once they catch up, Bastille claims her mother is in pain. Alcatraz notices he can feel the blood-forged lens close. They see the Scrivener's Bones through a gate holding Draulin's Crystin sword.

Chapter 15

Alcatraz decides they need to confront the creature. It's name is Kilimanjaro and it has been sent to retrieve the Lenses of Rashid. Kilimanjaro has removed Draulin's Fleshstone and she will die within the hour. After a brief battle, Alcatraz realized that he can't win this way. Kiliman offers to trade Draulin for the Translator's Lenses. Alcatraz accepts, but is caught in a trap with Bastille. Kilimanjaro tells Kaz to meet him at the center of the library with the lenses for the trade. Alcatraz gives the lenses to Kaz and sends him to do the trade.

Chapter 16

Sitting trapped in the hole, Bastille and Alcatraz do some soul searching. Alcatraz decided he wants to be a leader. Bastille talks about where her name came from and some of her lineage. She also explains a little on how she became a Knight of Crystallia. She tells Alcatraz that there are three kinds of crystals. The Fleshstone which grants them power, another that they use for swords and daggers, and a third that is personal and she won't talk about. At the end of the chapter, Australia finds them.

Chapter 17

Australia goes off to find a rope. In the meantime Alcatraz and Bastille start trying to escape. He ends up using his Windstormer's Lenses to propel them out of the pit, but breaks them in the process. Australia comes back with a tripwire and the three of them set off for the center of the library.

Chapter 18

Once reaching the center of the library, the three of them enact a plan to save Kaz and Draulin. They successfully get back her Fleshstone and she escapes Kilimanjaro with August and Kaz. Bastille, followed by Alcatraz charge into battle against Kilimanjaro.

Chapter 19

Bastille and Alcatraz fight Kilimanjaro in the center of the library. Once defeated, Kilimanjaro becomes a Curator. Bastille returns her mothers sword and Alcatraz has the Translator's Lenses back. With the Kiliman's Tracker lens, Al sees footprints leading to a small door left by his mother, grandfather, and father. A Curator informs him it contains possessions of those that become Curators. There are no prints leading out.

Chapter 20

Alcatraz finds Grandpa Smedry, but his father is already a Curator and his mother has made off with Attica’s possessions. On the way out, Alcatraz finds a clue from his father and follows it to find him. Among the things that Shasta now has, are a pair of Translator Lenses.

Epilogue

Bastille dies.