Chapter 21 Chapter 4

Some words can be confusing and overwhelming without magical intervention. For example, this sentence: "Tell a joke to hear." A really funny new joke, but in an instant all the anecdote will fly out of your head, leaving you feeling empty. Another phrase, "sit down and think about it," also works well.Immediately I think of school, of the algebra test or the midterm essay, of the tired face of the teacher who knows we're not going to do well. This time we took the Aeroflot direct flight to Edinburgh.If it was a normal business trip, I wouldn't have any resistance, I love Scotland.Besides, Edgar bought a business class ticket.Three irate countrymen throw a tantrum at the wicket.Because their tickets are forged, but their strength is obviously able to jointly buy the entire Boeing 767 that they will take.I didn't say anything, but a glimmer of hope appeared in my heart.Most of the disputes caused by ordinary people due to duplicate or counterfeit bills are caused by others with dirty hands and feet, most of them are messengers of darkness, but sometimes there are messengers of light.So the inspection team has been chasing such disputes.It stands to reason that of course all disputes should be pursued, but in fact only those disputes that caused serious troubles were pursued.

This time it attracted considerable attention. But I'm still worried that the investigation won't go as I asked after all.Besides, the whole of Moscow is now searching for Shoshkin... The airport has stepped up checks on departing passengers.Now four others are on duty at the same time, unlike the previous two, and the principle of reciprocity is strictly enforced.I secretly hoped that my colleagues would be among the others on duty, and that they would definitely notice me, but unfortunately my hope was in vain.All the Others come from the surrounding areas of Moscow, and it is the Others in the Khimki area who are on duty.Moreover, Edgar had already issued us fake passports and put on masks for us before the ticket was checked, which generally cannot be seen through by others of the fourth to fifth level.And so I passed my colleague as Alexander Peterson, a resident of Petersburg.Gennady became Konstantin Albenin, I didn't ask what Edgar's name was.

It wasn't until I got on the plane and received the coffee and brandy promised by Edgar from the flight attendant that I realized that I had completely lost.From time to time, the noose around my neck would become tighter, sometimes scratching my skin with tiny claws or teeth. When I passed the security check, the customs officers looked at my scarf suspiciously.Could it be that it is waiting for me to use magic so that it can lay hands on me?I suddenly realized that this thing is called "Schrödinger's cat".It seems that this is because no one has figured out whether this guy is dead or alive.In the Inquisition, the "Schrödinger's cat" was used to escort the most dangerous prisoners, and it never missed.However, if I'm not mistaken, there is only one such thing.Edgar stole the unique magic weapon.

"Coffee," said Edgar gallantly.My seat was by the window, next to Gennady's.Edgar sat behind us, and he even considered that the seat next to him should not be occupied: the passenger who had been assigned to the economy class in a daze was puzzled, but did not object.The stewardess kept making amends and promised to give him a small gift as compensation.All in all, Aeroflot has left an excellent impression, not inferior to Western airlines, even better than them.Sadly couldn't enjoy the flight time - the companions were on the wrong track. I watched the plane taxi down the runway while sipping coffee with some brandy.Edgar whispered something behind me, and the roar of the plane died away immediately.This is the spell "Land of Silence" at work.That's a wise move, nothing will get in our way now, and no one will hear our conversation.Fortunately, Edgar, unlike the old witch Hoda Becker in fairy tales, has other methods of controlling noise besides stopping the engine.

If you are strong like me, go forward; if you are wise like me, go backward. He is teasing people.Of course, it's the unlucky treasure hunters he's actually teasing.But he thought he should give a hint, which was the unwritten rule of the game in that era.That said, the road is not blocked yet. forward, backward…… Perhaps, should "shake side to side"?It's like hauling a skidding car out of mud...a method that's been completely forgotten in the age of automatic transmissions.Get close to the sixth floor of the Twilight Realm, jump back, run a few steps, and get close to the sixth floor again...

Absurd.Every time I jump, I have to adjust my breathing.At one point I thought I had almost reached the sixth floor.Even if I can jump out of the depths of the twilight world at once like Gesar.But still can't "shake left and right". Let's recall from the beginning. The "crown of all things" is hidden here.There is only one step left. That's clear.The inscription is on the sixth floor of the Twilight Realm, and the "crown of all things" is hidden on the seventh floor.The cunning Merlin put the indicator mark in a place where only the strongest and most skilled magicians can enter... Hey, this still makes me very happy!Because I've been there!

But there is nothing special about this sentence.It's just a primer.We can only hope that Thomas Rivermarch's translation is exactly the same as the original text...but the great musician, Lermontov's predecessor, should be up to the task. But it is reserved only for the strong and the wise. This is somewhat clearer.Merlin let those guys like him decide whether to use this magic weapon or not.As for being physically or intellectually equal to him—it doesn't matter. When you discover it, you will have everything and nothing. This makes a little sense.Merlin doesn't seem to think that using the "Crown of All Things" will trigger a worldwide catastrophe. "You will have everything and nothing" - you will have everything, but not for yourself.

Or did I, like Edgar and Gennady, see only what I wanted to see? Maybe "you'll have everything and you'll have nothing" means the world will be yours, but it will be destroyed? I don't know, and I don't understand.It's better to read the original text... "Edgar, I have to make a call," I said. "Why?" Edgar came alive. "Who to call, Gesar? But we have been asked to turn off the phone." "Do you want an answer from me? I have to ask Foma Lymont a question." Edgar hesitated for a moment.Then close your eyes and nod your head in agreement.

"Go ahead. You've got three minutes before we take off. But you've got to count, and I'll be listening very carefully." That's great, I haven't deleted Lemont's number yet... I pulled out my phone and dialed.The phone is connected... "Is it Anton?" There was obvious curiosity in Lymont's voice. "Fuma, I'm thinking about the poem that Merlin left on the sixth floor of the Twilight Realm...the inscription..." "What's wrong?" Lemont asked. "What's the third line? You translate like 'When you find it, you'll get everything and you'll get nothing,' do you remember? Does it mean 'You'll get everything and you'll lose everything' or 'You're going to get everything, but you don't need it'?"

Thomas cleared his throat and read in English: "With it, thou shalt acquire all—and nothing shalt thou get..." Thankfully, not Celtic. "That means..." I still wanted to be sure. "That said, if you get it, you're getting something that you don't need personally, even though it's globally significant." "Thank you, Foma!" "Brainstorming?" Lemont asked. "I wish you success. We didn't waste time, and we are also working hard..." I hang up the phone.I wonder, did Edgar and Gennady overhear our conversation?It occurred to me that, despite the noose around my neck, the intimidation, the vampire by my side and the mad Inquisitor behind me, I was fully committed to the mission.

I want to get to the bottom of it.I want to solve Merlin's riddle.I'll never be as strong as he is, but what about intellectually? I believe I can. If you are strong like me, go forward; if you are wise like me, go backward. Finally, it's time to analyze this sentence.The meaning is more or less clear.The strong can move forward and achieve their goals the way Merlin did.A wise man can back off and choose a roundabout way. The beginning and the end, the head and the tail, everything fit together... This may be lyrical.Alpha and Omega, beginning and end.What do head and tail mean?Possibly an allusion to the clay trolls on the fifth floor of the Twilight? In the crown of all things.Life and death are so inseparable. This may refer to how to use magical equipment.This is how life and death coexist.Others who leave us in the Twilight can be resurrected and return to our world... Interesting, but is this what they want?Thomas Rivermarch had been forcibly dragged back from the Twilight, where he wished so much to stay and enjoy the magic paradise. I imagine Kostya yelling at his father after being resurrected: "I beg you to bring me back to life?" Is it possible? have no idea.I don't know anything.Oh, Thomas may not be right.He fell into the trap of his own fantasies, and was as deluded by them as Edgar and Gennady.The twilight resident who had been to the first floor a long time ago did not seem to be very happy. He once showed me the way and told me how to get to the headquarters of the dark force-it can be said that he saved me.I really want to know who he is and why he helped?How on earth did he know what happened from the unreal depths of the universe? Question after question, but no answer... The beginning and the end, the head and the tail, everything fit together... There may be something strange here.Heads and tails, this is where we get our nerves.Whose head and tail are connected together?If you don't take a closer look at the toothy clay monster with two tails... But why not take a closer look? Not for myself, of course, but for our dear team of last guardians. From this point of view, the "crown of all things" is hidden in the body of this unfortunate two-headed monster.Somewhere in the middle of its body, the beginning of one half and the end of the other half.The head and the tail are connected as one... Going backward means retreating to the fifth floor of the Twilight Realm, and you can definitely find it there! If all this is told with a serious face, it is still very convincing.They didn't have the inscription at hand, and Edgar might not be able to get it.Let them destroy the clay monster created by Merlin! Of course, if the "Crown of All Things" were found in the belly of that crawling monster, it would be... very regrettable. But I doubt it. "You laughed," Gennady said. "Any thoughts?" "Quiet," I said. "I have an idea now. You'd better get me some brandy." Gennady gritted his teeth and stopped talking. I was so lost in thought and it was so quiet that I didn't notice the plane had taken off.We were already flying high in the clouds when I looked out the porthole.Hey, there are so many hurdles to get through right now... Wait a minute, there seems to be something else in this sentence that confuses me.Is it head and tail?I've heard stories about heads and tails.Is it a magical legend?No, it should be folklore.It is the belief of a certain people... yes, yes!It is an ancient Egyptian myth, and later became a European myth.Also mentioned in the Alchemy article.The Buddhist theory of reincarnation is to use the Dharma wheel to symbolize rebirth and reincarnation... reincarnation. I seem to see a snake eating its own tail. Goosebumps suddenly appeared on my body.It turns out that Merlin deliberately let the double-headed snake guard the fifth floor of the twilight world... The "crown of all things" is definitely not in its body. That's the hint, and it couldn't be more obvious! start and end.Conceive oneself, end life by oneself.Power disappeared in the air and then recovered in the air, unchanged from time immemorial.Time circulates again and again, and the eternal energy protects the universe from chaos and darkness, so our world can survive and continue.Life will go to death, and death will usher in new life. Life and death are both static and moving at the same time... Death and rebirth. Endless energy is constantly surging, and will reappear after passing away. I see. I understand everything. My fingers began to tremble, and I gripped the armrest of the seat tightly.Gennady looked at me suspiciously, so I said: "I have a phobia of flying. Get me some brandy, will you? Even if it's just for one good thing!" Gennady stood up silently and gestured for the stewardess. reincarnation. start and end.death and life.The energy that underpins the universe goes round and round. I understand everything.I was the first to understand this after Merlin.If I can survive, I still have something to be proud of. "You've come up with something," Edgar said.He stood up, leaned over the back of the chair, looked me in the eyes curiously and said, "Well, Anton! I'm right, you have an idea." "Yes." I admitted. "Edgar, I still want to ask you again... Are you sure that it is safe to let the other who has left us leave the Twilight Realm? Do you know what the 'Master's Soul' is?" "I know." Edgar became gloomy. "They are deceased magicians, summoned from the fifth layer of the twilight, where they have lived for a long time. They broke away from the familiar environment, and they gathered a huge energy. They have lost Reason... will destroy everything around it with unprecedented brutality. Anton, using the dead others and forcing them out of the twilight should not be compared with their resurrection. You know, if you wake up in the middle of the night, according to your head Just once, and then poured feces on you, and then yelled into your ears, you will also be furious." "So, you have already decided..." I was silent for a while.You can't just "give in" right away.Edgar can't peek into my inner world, after all, I am also a senior other, but he can detect lies from the tone of voice and facial expression.So is Gennady. "Edgar, what guarantee can you give me?" "What guarantee do you need?" Edgar was very surprised. "Make sure you don't detonate a bomb in Moscow after I explain everything to you. And make sure to remove the 'Schrödinger's cat' from my neck." Edgar smiled. "You want more than that." "I give too much." I replied in the same tone. "Does something like 'swear by the forces of light and the forces of darkness' satisfy you?" "Edgar!" said Gennady coldly. "Everything should have a limit!" "I swear by the power of light and the power of darkness," Edgar put his hand between Gennady and me, and began to swear calmly, "If you help us obtain the 'Crown of All Things', I will take it from you." Play 'Schrödinger's Cat', which removes the order to bomb Moscow and allows you to fight Gennady one-on-one. If you win, I will not attack you or yours as long as I am not attacked by your side. If you lose the battle, I promise that I will not take any retaliatory measures against Svetlana and Nadya. Of course, the premise is that if they do not take the initiative to attack me. I swear!" "One thing I must confirm," I said. "What does it mean to have the 'crown of all things'? When does this refer?" "When the 'Crown of All Things' was in our hands." "I don't agree." I shook my head. "It's very likely that you will die the moment you get the 'Crown of Everything'. And the only one who takes down the 'Schrödinger's Cat' can only be the guy who put it on me. I don't want to be in a magic and Spend the rest of your life with this thing around your neck." Edgar was lost in thought.Most likely he was just putting on a show.Perhaps he has already determined the maximum that he can accept. "I need to make sure." He looked at the ball spinning in his palm, it came from the Light Force and the Dark Force. "As soon as we find your words true, I will lift the order to detonate Moscow. Before we go to get the 'Crown of Everything', I will definitely take down the 'Schrödinger's Cat'. But you will stay with us and swear not to interfere with our Action. That's my bottom line." Now it's my turn to make up my mind.Do I agree and accept his terms?If I'm going to tell the truth, I'll have to keep haggling... "One more thing to be sure," I said. "Not only do you take down 'Schrödinger's cat', but you also allow me to evacuate to safety. I don't want to have to join the fight and support you." "Join the battle?" Edgar asked curiously. "Perhaps you mean fighting with Lymont's men?" "No, not with them." I smiled. "You've got enough trouble without them, trust me." "All right," Edgar said. "I give you permission to evacuate to safety until we go and get the 'Crown of All Things.' But after that you must return and duel Gennady. He... wants so much." "I agree." I held out a hand ready to swear. "I swear in the name of the Light Force." A small fireball appeared on my hand, but it disappeared in an instant.The 'Schrödinger cat' around my neck tightened my grip, then let go.This is not the magic I cast, the eternal energy can make its own judgment, whether what the magician said is true or not. "Gennady, are you sure Edgar will keep his promise?" "Yes." Gennady did not swear in the name of the dark power.Eternal energy is a rare gift for vampires.But I trust him.After all, the most important thing for Gennady is to get his wife and son back to him.Revenge has relegated to the background. It occurred to me that the "Land of Silence" would not prevent the passengers from watching this unexpected spectacle, and I looked around. Fortunately, everything is normal.The passenger next to the aisle fell asleep.His neighbor is working on a laptop.These career-oriented talents are really amazing... "There's no way to reach the seventh layer of Twilight," I said. "No matter what, it's impossible. Only 'zero energy' magicians...and those others who enter the twilight world after death have such abilities." Gennady immediately tensed up.Edgar asked lazily: "Is that what you came up with?" "No," I shook my head. "Merlin explained everything clearly. It's just that you are stubborn on the issue of the seventh layer of the Twilight Realm and are unwilling to give in! Of course, not only you, but also myself..." I began to criticize myself. "Merlin didn't just explain to us how to get the 'Crown of All Things'! He also mentioned the problems that may arise with it. Mentioned that we might meet the dead Other!" Edgar and Gennady looked at each other. Yes, that sentence should grab their nerves.Indeed caught. "'If you're as strong as I am, go forward,'" I quote from Merlin's poem. "What does this refer to? It refers to the way to reach the seventh layer of the twilight world, where the other lives without us! If you were a 'zero energy' magician, what would you do? Then you need the magician created by Merlin. The 'Crown of All Things'. Where to get it? The inscription on the sixth level of the Twilight is: 'If you are as wise as I am, step back.' But what is there on the fifth level of the Twilight?" "Guardian. A giant clay monster that appears in the form of a two-headed snake." Edgar narrowed his eyes slightly. "Head and tail, everything is integrated!" I said proudly. "It's not just a protector, silly boys! It's a magic weapon's jacket, it's a magic weapon's talisman! Did you read fairy tales when you were a kid? The magic needle that killed the vicious skinny old man is hidden in the egg, and the egg is in the duck's Inside the belly, the duck in the cupboard... that's the pattern. But, "I had a sudden inspiration. "I wouldn't be surprised if you ripped the monster in half and some monster crawled out of it. Maybe even a monster flew out, that's not sure. Most likely it would run away to save itself, so you You have to be ready to shoot down the target, this monster can fly at high speed!" "Life and death are so inseparable." Edgar fell into deep thought after finishing speaking. "The death of the clay monster is the rebirth of the departed Other." Gennady said softly. "Edgar, is this true?" Edgar was thinking.What is he remembering. "However, the 'Crown of All Things' might also activate the clay troll," I added. "Merlin likes simple and delicate answers." "Twice in history, a clay troll that acts as a guardian is also the shell of the object being guarded," Edgar said. "It was the first time that one of Merlin's students used this trick." I am grateful in my heart to this unknown magician, who confirmed everything I said.But on the surface I just nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, yes. Maybe Merlin told him what he thought. Maybe he helped Merlin create the basilisk." Edgar nodded.He said: "If we had the inscription left by Merlin...it would be easy to keep the clay monster neutral." He believed it. "You guys deserve it," I said. "If you have time to organize a secret gang, it's better to put forward your own guesses for everyone to discuss. All others have lost their loved ones..." "You can't imagine how entrenched the bureaucracy is," Edgar said with disgust. "The discussion dragged on for hundreds of years. The end result was that they decided not to do anything." "Impossible." I muttered. "You're too young...and you don't work in management. If it were Gesar and Zaburon, they would agree with me." I shrugged.Maybe they would agree. I really want to know, does Gesar miss anyone?He loved Olga, and Olga was by his side now.They even very subtly turned their own son into the Other.But...hasn't the great magician Gesar lost his lover, friend and child for thousands of years?Definitely lost it!Among them are not only ordinary people, but also others.Those others who have left us into the twilight. What about Zaburon?Of course, he's always been that way.Zawulong loves no one.But can he always be like this?Once upon a time, he was just an ordinary child with other potential.Only in the end he became the Darkbringer.But he couldn't have never loved anyone!A Dark One would love too... even one as fierce and brutal as Alyssa Donikova would love... Interesting thought.The principles of behavior of the Last Guardian are favorable to Gesar and Zaburon.The idea of ​​returning the dead Other must please every Other—even the Other in his twilight years. Although, they can never openly admit this fact.

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