Chapter 12 Chapter 4

Semyon walked into Gesar's office, paused at the door for a moment, and shook his head almost imperceptibly. "He's not in Moscow. It's absolutely true." "This is a bit stupid," Ignat said angrily in the armchair. "Isn't he supposed to be doing something with 'Spirit Claw' in Moscow? Then what's the point of opening the forest trails that lead outside of Moscow?" Gesar gave Ignat a hard look.There was something elusive about his gaze, something one would immediately call "high intelligence." "Don't say that," he retorted in a low voice, "the dark emissary has no choice. Either stay in Moscow and lose the 'Spirit Claw', or roll away with the 'Spirit Claw' and try to break in later Come on. Another bad scenario - the brothers will give the 'claw' to this dark emissary from Ukraine anyway. And he can deceive us."

Gesar sighed, closed his eyes slightly, and corrected: "We... me, what can he deceive. Deceive me?!" Svetlana, who was buried deep in the corner of the sofa by the window, sobbed again and said: "I'm sorry, Boris Ignatievich..." Anton still sat there upright as if he had swallowed an iron rod, moved over a little, and hugged her shoulders silently. "Don't cry, Svetlana. There is nothing wrong with you. If you can't predict the actions of the dark messenger in advance, there will be no demands on you." Gesar's voice was harsh, but generally neutral.The head of the Night's Watch had really nothing to blame for Svetlana—simply, what had happened was beyond the scope of her current knowledge and skills.

"I don't understand one thing." - Olga said intermittently.She sat on a soft stool between Gesar's desk and the window, smoking nervously. "Since the Dark Emissary's actions are totally unpredictable, does that mean he acted on inspiration? Never planned in advance, never considered?" "Indeed," Gesar agreed, "he preferred to create possibilities rather than to choose from existing ones. In short, a brave way, but not without danger. Feelings can also be deceiving." Human. That's when we should catch him." The silence didn't last long.Semyon crossed the office quietly and sat down on the couch next to Svetlana next to Anton.

"Actually, there is another thing that has always puzzled me," Gesar depressedly took out a pack of "Pall Mall" brand cigars from his pocket, looked at it in surprise, and stuffed it back into his pocket.From it he pulled out a Cuban cigar in a tin foil, a pair of small snips for snipping butts, and a huge desk lighter.But he didn't open the cigar."It's a whole other thing," he said. "You mean that the dark messenger easily used the main entrance and part of Svetlana's energy?" Semyon guessed right away, "This is exactly what we are waiting for."

"Why should we wait?" Gesar asked alertly. Semyon shrugged: "I think he is stronger than we imagined, but it's just a disguise. In principle, whether it's me, Ilya, or even Garico can use the Dark Messenger for certain purposes on certain occasions the power of." "But it's not that presumptuous, and it's not that fast." Gesar shook his head, "Recall the incident in Spain. When Avagum attempted to absorb power from the entrance of the Dark Messenger's main entrance, do you remember how everything ended in the end? of?" "Remember," Semyon said without embarrassment at all, "but this only shows that our Dark Emissary is much stronger than Avagum. That's all."

Gesar stared at Semyon for a few seconds, nodded suspiciously, then turned his gaze to Svetlana. "Sveta," he obviously softened, "recall everything you felt at that time. But don't be too hasty. Also, don't be sad. You did everything right, the unfortunate thing is that it seems that these things are still not enough." Semyon looked in surprise at Svetlana who seemed to have missed the most interesting thing. "That's it — try it out? Build the image, and all that happens," he suggested. "The image can't be built," Gesar complained. "That's the whole problem. It's funny. It's not the image."

"Have you tried to create another image?" Xie Miao asked enthusiastically, "Abstract, not connected with the dark messenger?" "I tried," Gesar replied for Svetlana, "another image can be recalled. But this one—how can't be established." "Oh," Semyon muttered, "probably a vivid, depressing image? I remember trying to recall the bomb crater on the Reichstag when Hitler gave a speech when I was twenty. Effect……" "It's not a question of whether it's realistic or not," Gesar said. "There's no picture at all. It's a drowsy, gray scene, just like Svetlana is trying to organize the world of the Twilight Realm."

Anton still said nothing, looking at Sveta expectantly. "Well," she began, "I didn't notice anything at all at first. But when you, Boris Ignatievich, left to chase the fleeing Legins, I stayed at the main entrance. Then I found the dark messengers crawling on the ground, absorbing your magic net. The dark messengers were squeezed to the ground again, and then you came back. And almost immediately I had a fainting phenomenon again: blackness in front of my eyes, weakness ... fell. I was on the floor when Anton poured water on my face. All that remained from the power were memories... and I don't remember exactly what. "The magician bit his lip, as if he was about to cry.Anton glanced at her, as if he wished only to comfort her with his eyes.

"I don't have a reasonable explanation," Elijah said. "There's just nothing to base it on—there's so little information." "There is enough information," Gesar said dissatisfiedly, "but you still haven't explained...I mean a 100% accurate explanation. There are guesses, and they need to be verified. What do you think, Olga?" Olga shrugged: "Since you have nothing to say, I'm not going to. Either this is a high-ranking magician who somehow never registered as anyone, or they are trying to confuse us. For example, I I still don’t understand why Zawulong didn’t come to intervene. Originally, the arrival of the ‘Spirit Claw’ was a very important action. But instead of coming to help his colleagues, he didn’t even move a finger.”

"The thing is like this," Gesar said in a thoughtful, elongated voice, and finally took out a cigar from the box, looked at it carefully, took a puff of the aroma of the cigar, and then put it back, "The Moscow Sun Watcher patrol may have had nothing to do with Kokchi Favnir's transport. It is entirely possible that the Legins brothers took the risk on their own initiative. In this case, there is nothing to say about Zaburon. And his accomplices seem to be acting alone. And not in the best way, otherwise they wouldn't have let us get Brother Leggin." "What's the matter with Brother Legion, boss!" Ignat stood up involuntarily, "If the dark emissary from Ukraine is really sent to pick up 'Spirit Claw', then the dark emissary will win the confrontation at the airport. gone."

"If the dark emissary from the Ukraine was sent to fetch 'Spirit Claw,'" Gesar whispered, "then we'd have to get used to staying in the Twilight forever now. Not even I can save any of you." Nobody. Not a single one. Understand, Ignat?" "Is that so?" Semyon said calmly, "So serious?" "That's right, Semyon. My only hope is that this dark emissary doesn't understand his role for the time being, so he's wandering around. Our only chance is to get rid of the 'Spirit Claw' before him." ’. Then all the opportunities are in principle balanced.” "But how do we get ahead of him?" Ignat hadn't calmed down yet, "Maybe, I'll try to talk to him and persuade him? I'm good at persuading. But it would be great if I could find him ..." "It's impossible for him to sit idle. For him, 'Spirit Claw' is a hot potato. This dark messenger will inevitably appear in Moscow." Gesar stood up and glanced at his subordinates.Tiredly, he touched his cheek with his hand, "Okay. Let's go to rest. Let's all rest." As he spoke, he turned to Anton: "Anton... don't leave Sveta. Don't leave. Don't go home—not yours, or hers. Stay here." "Yes, Boris Ignatievich," Anton Gorodecki spoke for the first time.He still hugged Svetlana's shoulders. Ten minutes later, the rest of the duty staff's comfortable lounge left, and Anton handed the Walkman and earphones to the empty-hearted female magician. "You know what?" he said, "I have games and stuff over there, and on the disk over there, there's a lot of music, all kinds of things. I press any key, but for some reason it always comes up song. You go try it, huh?" Svetlana forced a smile and put on her headphones. "Here." She took it.The Walkman's green light comes on, and the disc kicks into motion; the laser slides along the turntable, stopping at a song: "'Nautirus,'" Svetlana said, pushing the earphones slightly, "'Fallen Angel.' Indeed, it fits the mood..." "Did you know?" Anton said emphatically and seriously, "You may think I'm superstitious, but I didn't suspect that there would be a 'Naugirus' song just now. I especially like this one." "Let's listen together." Svetlana, who was sitting on the sofa, begged. "Okay." Anton agreed, thanking the person who invented earplugs without deformable handles in his mind. They hugged each other and sat side by side for a long time, and the soft singing of "Naujirus" sounded in their ears.The three of them are painfully beautiful together—he, she, and "Fallen Angel." "When I entered the airport building," said Sagoron, "there was no one there." Almost at the exit, a little to the right of the baggage hall, the main entrance had just closed. "The command post of the Lightbringers has been put away, and I can barely feel that they are in a non-central position. I don't know if they are loading equipment on the car, or they have already driven away." "What about Brother Legien?" Edgar asked. "These few simply don't understand what's going on. I think that some of them died. The others were summoned by the Messenger of Light and taken away." "Why?" asked Deniska in amazement, not even drinking her coffee. "Why didn't they kill them on the spot?" "What are you talking about, this is the Lightbringer!" Even Yura was overwhelmed by this question, "Since the Legion brothers backed down, then the Lightbringer can easily catch them. Maybe it will be handed over to the religion Court... these sadists, why don't you just kill them right away." "I think he'll run away anyway," said Nikolai, carelessly playing with his dead cane.The power injected into the cane not so long ago was used up the moment the snow melted on the landing strip at the airport to melt and dry it. "Yura? What do you think?" "I don't feel the 'claw.' He's not in Moscow." "But how did he slip away?" said Anna Tikhonovna, who kept her lips tightly shut, becoming like a stern schoolteacher, "from Gesar's clutches? I kind of can't believe it." "Don't know," Yura interrupted, "but something happened there." "Will he use the main entrance?" Edgar asked cautiously. "Use the main entrance?" Yura said angrily. "Then can you use the main entrance?" "It's a bit difficult," Edgar admitted, "and the strength is a bit short." "Oh!" Yura said meaningfully, pointing uncertainly at the ceiling with his finger, "and after the battle in the garden, our hero is as exhausted as a squeezed lemon." "However, after the duel at the airport, the sorceress of Lightbringer was as tired as a squeezed lemon," Nicholas pointed out naively. "Who can convince me that she volunteered so much effort!" "In fact," Sagoron became animated, "if you think about it, the energy scene of the incident at the Vnukovo airport is very similar to vampires in vulgarity. Everything is snow-blue..." Yura nodded suspiciously: "This Ukrainian didn't impress me as I should—to tell you the truth, if you want to swallow the power from that Lightbringer under Gesar's nose, at least Zaburon can do it. And you have to influence the first step that power……" "What right?" said Anna Tikhonovna suddenly. "Three most insolent breaches of the peace have occurred on the part of the Lightbringers in the past few days and nights, including an attack by force! The Lightbringers have forgotten ——What is a right!" "Anna Tikhonovna," said Edgar, earnestly and movingly, "the Inquisition granted the Lightbringer another absolution. When their deed was to recover the stolen 'claws'—the peace treaty Temporarily suspended again. Until the moment Kokchi Favrenier is handed over to the Inquisition, the Night Watch Patrol has the right to do whatever it wants. Actually, we are at war. Just like in '49 —you should understand that!" The room became as quiet as in the universe. "So you don't say anything?" asked Anna Tikhonovna disapprovingly. "Why upset young people? I'm sorry, Deniska. We're already at a disadvantage. The boss isn't there--that's one, and we're to blame for the Claws--that's two, plus Those who were not very successful two years ago... how many times have you had to give in to the Lightbringer in the past two years? Five times, ten times?" "So we want to get rid of the emotion of failure?" Yura asked gloomily. "Keep silent? Protect young people from very bad influences? Alas—alas..." "What ah-ah?" Edgar gritted his teeth and said, "It's best to discuss what to do next." "I will let you be the boss when the boss leaves," Yura said indifferently, "then you think about it." "You and Kostya refused to do it, so you appointed me," Edgar retorted sullenly, "Is this considered a fighter..." "Hey, boys, can I just shut up?!" Anna Tikhonovna blushed with anger, "It's time to argue! My witches work better together than you!" "Okay, it's all over," Yura waved his hand, "you ask what to do next? Nothing to do. The Ukrainian can't be too far away from Moscow. I think 'Spirit Claw' is with him. Since he is now If nothing is done, that means it's not time yet. We're waiting for him to come back. It's impossible for him not to come back—'Spirit Claw' should be in Moscow in the next two days or nights. Otherwise, the possible peak will pass, and he can easily become a biological artifact, that's all." Nicholas nodded approvingly. Edgar stared earnestly at the wizards--at one, at the other. "Then we'll wait," he sighed, then added, "Yeah, our Ukrainian is pretty cunning. More cunning than Gescher." "Don't be an afterthought," said Nikolay, "the Ukrainians say so..." "Anna Tikhonovna," asked Sagoron, stammering, "tell the girls to make some coffee. After all this, I'm too lazy to move..." "You lazy man, Sagoron," Anna Tikhonovna shook her head, "well, since you are different, do yourself a favor, and you will be an example to others." Sagoron grinned triumphantly. I was surprised how warm it was all night in the tent.Sleeping with clothes on, of course.I just took off my jacket and shoes and got into the sleeping bag I was given to sleep in.This tent belonged to the bearded Matvey, and if he wanted, it could accommodate a third person or a fourth person.But just the two of us.In the tent next door twenty meters away from us, after everyone dispersed from the campfire, the birthday star groaned sweetly under someone's tight hug for a while.That said, we are not the only ones who are warm.strangeness.As a southerner, I have always imagined the winter forest to be cold and harsh. I'm wrong.It may be cold and harsh in the forest, but humans bring warmth and comfort.They bring that warmth and comfort everywhere they go.True, nature has to make room a little for this, but that is another question entirely.separate question... Matvey was the first to wake up.He crawled out of his sleeping bag and was milling around the doorway in his stylish hiking boots, my stupid ugly shit shoes were no match for his.He lifted the tent curtain and went out.The cold air came oncoming immediately.At the same time I felt the rectangle on my chest that the pirates had thrown at me at the airport.I haven't seen it yet - no chance. I also know that the cocoons that have not absorbed any protection this night have melted away.There was a palpable power emanating from this little thing.Not even power in general—but great power.As long as there is an other here, he will definitely feel the "soul claw". I took out a slightly curved rectangular one from my pocket...maybe it's called a condom?It looks like the scabbard of a dagger, but in the style of two open seashells.Of course, if there are such shells in the sea: narrow, long - about thirty to thirty-five centimeters. The cover is locked in the Twilight Realm, so ordinary people can't open it no matter what.I squinted my eyes, crawled closer to the exit, and lifted the curtain to make it brighter. A piece of cherry-red velvet in the case actually concealed a large animal claw with a bluish-black tinge.It was pointed - like a Chevink scabbard - and dented on one side.The entire paw was like a long chute through which blood flowed.The broad sides looked torn or clipped, as if the claw had been rudely and roughly cut from someone's.Yes, that's probably the case. But what kind of beast could have such sharp claws?Could it be some kind of legendary dragon?It cannot be another animal.So did dragons really exist?I dive into the memory, expecting to find some kind of answer, and I shake my head suspiciously.Witches and vampires are one thing...these are others.but the dragon... Matvey came along the creaking snow from the creek.He sighed regretfully, and I briskly moved it into the Twilight Realm, closed the case, and stuffed it into my arms. "Are you awake?" Matvey asked, coming over. "yes." "It's not freezing, is it?" "No. That's surprising—I thought, forest, winter, that would mean cold. But it's warm..." "You southerners are so strange!" Matvey snorted in amazement. "What is it here? Is it cold? In Siberia—it's freezing there. Do you know? How do you say it?" What? Siberians are not people who are not afraid of the cold, but people who dress warmly!" I laughed.So accurate, so accurate!You have to remember this sentence. Matvey also smiled slightly and moved his beard. "There's a stream over there. You can wash your face." "Okay." I stepped out of the tent and took a short walk to the frozen creek.A patch of ice was carefully knocked off where the path reached the shore.Overnight, the bitter wormwood was covered with an almost transparent layer of thin ice, but Matvey had already broken through this thin layer of ice.The water was cold, but not so cold that even my heart, which loves warmth, was afraid to scoop water on my face with the palm of my hand.After washing my face, I wake up, and immediately want to do something, want to run somewhere... It's also possible that it's not about washing your face at all.Yesterday in front of the airport I pulled out all of my strength, almost all of it.So I felt exhausted accordingly.Later, at the entrance of the main entrance, a little bit of power was taken from the female magician, but it was almost completely exhausted.And this night, I seemed to have absorbed power from "Spirit Claw". Its power is normative, dark.The power of the Lightbringer brought me no particular joy - it was the power of disobedience, of others.And "Soul Claw" is as necessary to me as a mother's touch to a baby.Its breath feels like some kind of jewel, and it's very intimate. I feel like I have the power to move mountains. "When are you going to break camp?" I asked when I got back to the tent, not the tent to be precise, but the campfire, where Matvey was still chopping wood.Two dogs turned around, staring at the small pot hanging on the campfire and panting. "When everyone wakes up, we'll heat up the pilaf, drink a few sips to warm our bodies, and then set off. What? Are you in a hurry?" "Anyway, just hurry up." I said vaguely. "Okay...you hurry—then you go. Take your coat...I'll give you Stepan's address, and you can find a way to send it to him later." If only you knew who you were helping, man... "Matvey," I said quietly, "I really doubt I'll ever get a chance to find Stepan. Thanks, I won't freeze." "Don't be a fool," Matvey straightened up, holding out his hand holding the axe, "If you don't pay it back—so don't pay it back. Good luck." I try to make my smile look smart and sad. "Matvey... Fortunately, there is no one else here. After all, I am not human." The bearded man's eyes immediately became dull.Maybe he thinks I'm a madman with alien connections or someone with psychic powers.No big deal...prove it for you. The two dogs suddenly lost their excitement and rushed to Matvey's feet howling.I lifted the looming morning shadow from the snow into the twilight world. Matvey's wide-eyed eyes looked ridiculous.In a panic he dropped the axe, which landed right on the Newfoundland's feet, and the poor dog barked loudly and staccatoly. Matvey couldn't see me.Shouldn't have seen me either. I took off my shirt, and it was impossible for Matvey to see it before I threw it out of the twilight.I fumbled in my shirt pocket for a moment, slipped two hundred-dollar bills into my coat pocket, and tossed them to Matvey.Matvey shuddered, grasped clumsily at the blouse that had popped out of the air in what he reasonably thought, and looked around.If truth be told, he looked a little pathetic, but I felt that I could not at all convince him without showing it in this way. But I don't want to take anything from other people, not even this coat.You shouldn't take anything from strangers if you can avoid taking their stuff.Without asking any questions, they helped the guy who was half-dressed and rushed to the campfire.The coats are nice, and obviously not cheap.But I don't want to.I am - the Dark Emissary.I don't need other people's stuff. I walked out of Twilight behind Matvey.His eyes were wide open, and he continued to stare blindly into the emptiness. "Here I am," I said, and Matvey turned sharply.Now he was completely dumbfounded. "Ah... ah... ah" he stretched out his voice, and then fell silent. "Thanks. I sure can do without a coat." Matvey nodded.He had visibly lost any desire to rebut.What worries him, I think, is that he's spent the night in a tent one-on-one with some monstrous monstrosity that can disappear invisibly, and who has no other special powers. "Tell me: how do I get from here?" "There," Matvey waved his hand in the direction of the road I came from, "there's an electric train. It's already leaving." "Isn't there a road over there? I'd better hitch a ride." "There's a road. It's just behind the railroad." "Great!" I cheered up, "Goodbye! Thank you again! For me, pass this to the female birthday star...this...to her." It's amazing how easily this simple but unfamiliar magic of mine worked.I put my hands behind my back, touched the frozen branch, broke it off...and handed Matvey a fresh rose from the bush.The dewdrops trembled on the small green leaves, and the fiery red petals were blooming.Fresh roses look stunning in a snow covered forest. "Ah...ah!" Matvey murmured, taking Xiao Hua mechanically.Interesting, will he give it to the female birthday girl, or bury it in a snow ball, keep away from this sin, and save a long time with them for strange explanations? But I didn't go to figure it out, and entered the twilight world again.Really don't want to plod along in the cold.Yesterday when I thought about all the wonderful things I had when I escaped from Gesar, it didn't fit today when I was well rested and full of strength. What else did I forget... oh yeah!hat.It's not mine either, it's still on my head, I threw it over my coat...on the road. I jumped a hundred or two hundred meters away, opened the faint main entrance within visibility, swallowed the distance like a giant, and made my way. The forest passage looked quite ordinary during the day, and all charm of magic was irretrievably lost.No wonder the true romantics and lovers of freedom - the Darkbringers - chose the night as their time.At night, but not all the dirt and rubbish stubbornly drilled into your eyes, you can see our cities are horrible, full of garbage, the streets are full of messy people, and the roads are full of smelly cars during the day , is not the time of bondage, of bondage, of duty and rule, but night - is the time of freedom. Freedom is what the real other would not trade for.Neither fleeting obligations nor cheap, vague ideals concocted by someone long before you were born.It's all a myth, a fiction, like "ucho od sledzia" as the Polish brothers say.There is only one freedom, for all and for everyone, and only one restriction, and that is that no one has the right to restrict another's freedom.Let the cunning and hypocritical Lightbringer find everything that seems strange and contradictory—all free people will live in harmony with the same free people and will never interfere with each other. For some reason, nobody without a coat wanted to pick up the car, so I had to stop the car the other way.I have to slightly touch the consciousness of a driver of a 2109 "Ziguli" car with the same color as "wet asphalt road". Of course, he stopped the car. The driver was a short-cut young man in his twenties, who seemed to have no neck at all, and his head was so casually connected to his body.His eyes were empty.In short, the lad reminded one of the joker--the boxer who said "I still eat with my head."Yet his reflexes are imaginative.I highly doubt he could drive even when he was unconscious. "Huh?" he said to me as I sat next to his baggy leather coat in the backseat. "Go ahead. Go to Moscow. Drop me off on Tverskaya Street." I touched him a little through the twilight again. "Ah..." the young man said and started the "Zhiguli" car.Despite the slippery road and having to make an emergency stop, he made it to a hundred yards.The car is very obedient, is it a special tire or something? We entered Moscow from somewhere in the northwest, turned onto the Volokolamsk road, so quickly drove halfway through Moscow, going almost straight until we reached the office building of the Patrol of the Sun Watch on Tverskaya Street. Thankfully I had a great driver, and the road prompted him to hit the gas.Also we were lucky enough to get one green light after another. As we drove down the "Eagle" drive, I knew, I'd been spotted. Me and "Spirit Claw". But it is almost unrealistic to catch up with the unmodified "Zhiguli" galloping straight in Moscow in the early morning.I got out of the car on Tverskaya Street and slipped a hundred-dollar bill into the hand of the mad racer. It was rubles, not dollars. "Huh?" He exhaled and began to look around.Of course, he remembered nothing, and now he tried to use his meager intellect to solve the almost insoluble problem: How did he get transferred from the road outside Moscow to the center of Moscow? I left him alone and left him alone with his unsolvable problems. His conditioned reflex is still very enviable, "Zhiguli" started almost immediately.The young man's flat-jawed face was facing the side window, and he was out of sight.I cross the street and walk towards the office building. The lobby was smoky.The low-pitched melody of a certain song came from the speakers of the Philips series recorder.Stretched and powerful, with a hoarse and deep voice, I didn't immediately recognize Butusov's song. The young vampire squinted his eyes contentedly, humming the refrain with his lips.Seeing me, he was momentarily at a loss for words.The other watchman, an equally young alchemy magician, was already on the phone in a hurry to report. "Waiting for you," he informed me, "on the tenth floor." Although the vampire could not even speak, he still called the elevator. And it suddenly occurred to me that there was no way I could get into the elevator, let alone go upstairs.No, it's all over here. "Please tell me that I'm alive and well, but I'm in a hurry," someone inside of me said. I went out and went back to Tverskaya Street. I seemed to be "carried away".I didn't hesitate - turned left.towards Red Square. I still don't know what drove me here?Why?But the power of this confinement is upon me, and I can only obey.I also felt Kokchi Favrenier come alive and breathe. Every inch, every square centimeter of the asphalt here is filled with magic.Ancient magic, caught in the stones of buildings, in the dust of roads. The red behemoth stands on the right side of the history museum.I don't even know if it still works now, or if it will become some kind of casino or something in the next upheaval of Russia's troubled history.However, there is no time to figure these things out.I walked by. I remember the calm footsteps of the tsar, the leather boots of the revolutionary fighters, the big cobblestones on the Red Square, and the May Day rally.The Soviet armored track monster seemed to be the embodiment of Moscow's unshakable status.The city had stood and will stand, and nothing—not the pointless quarrels of ordinary people, not even the endless taunting of each other by patrols—could shake this placid colossus. I went to Red Square and looked around.A little to the left is the boiling department store, and on the right stands the butterfly-shaped red wall of the Kremlin, and in front of the wall stands the cone-shaped Lenin Mausoleum.Could it be leading me there? No, not there.This is great.Whatever one does with Russia's past leaders, it is always a sin to destroy the peace of the dead.And the peace of the eternally departed, irreproducible dead, because he is not the other... well he is not. I walked along Red Square, not picking up the pace.Several insidious organ traffickers rushed out of the Kremlin and disappeared into an alley.Downtown greeted me kindly.Citizen Mini and Grand Duke Pozharsky looked at me.Vasiliev Ascension Cathedral breathes among colorful onion domes. strength.strength.strength…… There is enough power here for the other who has exerted all his power to recover within a few seconds. But it is impossible for anyone to do anything like that at any time.Because it is an alien force.draw.Not obedient nor obeying orders.This is a power that has been lost for centuries.The power of the overthrown tsars and general secretaries.You move—it dissipates. I looked around - I don't know how many times. I found him. Judge of the Inquisition. You don't confuse the Inquisitor with anyone—neither the Lightbringer, nor the Darkbringer, nor the common man. The judge of the Inquisition has been watching me closely.I don't understand why I didn't find him until now.He was alone, all alone, free from any pompous power, free from all alliances and treaties of peace.He is a symbol of justice and the Inquisition.He preserves the balance.Is it necessary to ask why he is here? I was almost right next to it. "You did not obey, you did the right thing," said the Inquisition Judge. I know from nowhere that his name is Maxim. He stretched out his hand and told me: "'Spirit Claw'." 他的声音没有半点儿权威性，没有丝毫的压力。但是我不怀疑，每个人，巡查队里的每一位，甚至头儿，都会服从这个声音。 我慢慢地，带着一种难以掩饰的遗憾将手伸进怀里。 “灵爪”消耗着周边的力量沸腾起来。他刚一出现在我的手上，我就被能量四溢的浪劈头盖脸地打过来，每一个细胞里都钻进了“灵爪”赠予的能量，整个世界似乎准备双膝跪下俯首称臣。对我，科克奇·法弗尼尔的拥有者。 “'灵爪'。”宗教法庭法官重复了一遍。 他没有补充任何诸如不要做蠢事的请求，宗教法庭高于无意义的劝告。 我还在犹豫不决。难道可以自愿交出如此源源不断的力量的凝聚？是啊，这样的生物赝象——是任何一个他者的梦想。 我机械地注意到重组的能量——不远处光明使者的正门入口打开了。当然，这是格谢尔，守夜人巡查队的头儿。 宗教法庭法官对突如其来的证人的出现未做任何反应。一点反应也没有。仿佛任何正门入口也未打开，从黄昏界中任何人也未钻出来。 “'灵爪'。”宗教法庭法官第三次重复。第三次也是最后一次。他不会再说一个字，这我知道。 我还知道，哪怕莫斯科的所有黑暗使者都出现在旁边——也不值得去惹麻烦。他们帮不了我。相反，他们会立即站到宗教法庭法官的一边。围绕“灵爪”的阴谋就可以延长，直到和约的保护者亲自登场。 我眯起眼睛，体内能撑多久我就吸取了多久的能量，差点儿紧张得呛得憋住气儿，我用颤抖的手将装着生物赝象的套子递给宗教法庭的法官。同时我猜到了格谢尔模模糊糊而又难以控制的愿望：冲向“灵爪”，控制它。但是自然，守夜人巡查队的头儿甚至连动都没动一下。经验——这首先是善于控制瞬间即逝的冲动。 宗教法庭的法官看了我一眼。也许，我应该在他的目光里读到肯定和支持。好样的，他说，黑暗使者，没有激动，听从了指挥，是个聪明人。 但是我在宗教法庭法官的眼睛里未看到丝毫类似的意味。丝毫也没有。 格谢尔用虔诚的目光看着我们。 宗教法庭法官从容地将装有“灵爪”的套子藏到上衣的口袋里，没有道别，一下子便沉没到黄昏界中。我立刻感觉不到他了，立刻。宗教法庭的法官有自己的途径。 “哈！”格谢尔看着旁边某个方向说，“你这个笨蛋，黑暗使者。”然后他的目光停留在我身上，叹了口气补充道： “傻瓜，但你很聪明。这太棒了。” 说着他也走了，这回走得很安静，没有从正门入口。在黄昏界的深层有一段时间我还能感觉到他。 而我留在红场，在刺骨的寒风中，孤零零一个人。没有了我已经习惯其力量的“灵爪”，没有暖和的衣服，仍然穿着毛衣、裤子和鞋子，头发像刺猬一样竖起，就像电影情节中单刀赴会的英雄，只是没有能欣赏成功画面的观众，没有——就连格谢尔也回家了。 “你确实是个傻瓜，维达里·罗戈扎，”我自言自语地说，“聪明而又听话的傻瓜，不过，也许，正是因此你才至今还活着？” 但是那个在我内心的我出人意料地抖动了一下，安慰我说：一切都如应该的那样。摆脱了科克奇·法弗尼尔你做得对。我沾沾自喜，坚定不移地相信自己的正确，得意得连风也不觉得寒冷刺骨了。 一切都很好，一切都很正确。小孩子不能玩原子弹。 我抖了抖肩，手脚伸直，朝特维尔大街大步前进。 走了几步之后我才发现守日人巡查队的所有高层几乎全部在场（就缺魔法师科利亚，当然还有头儿），还加上几十个中层执行人员，包括女巫安娜·季洪诺芙娜，吸血鬼和身体笨重的变形人，所有这个团队的人都眼睛睁得老大地看着我，活像爱看热闹的人盯着从动物园里跑出来的企鹅。 “你们好，”我出乎意料地快活地说，“你们在这儿干吗呀，啊？” 我又被牵着走，我苦恼地想，哈—哈—哈…… “你说说，维达里，”埃德加尔用一种奇怪的压低的嗓音说，“你干吗这样做？” 他分了一下心——去注意那位过分警惕的民警，此民警正盯着一伙在他看来值得怀疑的人。接着又看了我一眼： "why?" “难道黑暗使者需要无意义的交战，需要无益的牺牲吗？”我像个名副其实的奥德萨人一样，用问题回答了他的问题。 “我看，他在撒谎，”安娜·季洪诺芙娜挑衅似的说，“要不，感受一下他？” 埃德加尔忧郁地眯缝起眼睛。他说，你感受一下他…… 守日人巡查队已经有点害怕我了！Good for you! “安娜·季洪诺芙娜，”我诚挚地对老女巫说，“'灵爪'科克奇·法弗尼尔是一种无法想象的强大的不稳定元素，是平衡的头号破坏者。假如它留在莫斯科——一场真正的大血战不可避免。宗教法庭采取了措施，预防这场大血战的爆发。我作为守法的他者服从于宗教法庭的裁决，归还了'灵爪'。这就是我能说的一切。” 与“灵爪”接触后寄居于我身上的力量，我暂时只字不提。we'll talk about it then. “若是你，难道会不这样做吗？”我补充道，因为我非常清楚，不应当有人反对。他们所有的人都想接触生物赝象……从它身上吸取力量……而他们所有人都害怕这种行为的后果。 “要不，我们回办公室？”魔法师尤拉埋怨地说，“我们呆在风中太显眼了……” 他话里的意思有点道理——我又感到全身发冷，而自己消耗储存的力量——愚蠢而不能容忍。 尤拉在埃德加尔的支持下打开了快捷正门入口，一两分钟后巡查队员们成群结队地坐电梯到了办公室。我不能不发现，要是启用我的正门入口会比他们的稳定长久得多。看样子，当与科克奇·法弗尼尔分手时，我在通往虚无的楼梯上战胜了接下来的阶梯。看样子，我现在比其他所有在场的人加起来还要强大。但我仍然缺乏经验，天真幼稚，而我还应该学会的最主要的东西就是——恰如其分地运用力量。 由格列马尔为首的技术人员拼命地利用指挥部的手提电脑。见鬼，这些伙计们什么时候休息啊？还是他们都像统一的一个人一样？ “那边有什么信息，格列马尔？”埃德加尔问。 “光明使者撤岗了，”狼身变形人精神抖擞地报告，“一个接一个地撤了。没什么改变，而是变换形态。入口和火车站的封锁队也撤了。” “安静下来了。”安娜·季洪诺芙娜喘了口气。 “当然，安静下来了。”尤拉含糊不清地说，“'灵爪'丢了。恐怕已被逼迫到伯尔尼了，我敢打赌。” 他是对的。几分钟之前我感觉得到，我力量的源泉突然钻进黄昏界中，然后移居到某个很远很远的地方。有趣的是，我还会命中注定地哪怕再有一次把它抓在手中吗？我不知道…… “你们杀了我吧，但是我不明白——干吗闹出这么一场与'灵爪'的纷乱。列金兄弟得到了什么呢？为什么没给我们消息就行动？这伙流浪者，变形流浪者。” “为什么您认为列金兄弟没有达到自己的目的？”我天真地问。 大家朝我看了一眼，就像看着在大人圈子里提了个让人难堪问题的小孩。 “那你不这么想吗？”尤拉小心翼翼地问，迅速地与埃德加尔对视了一下。 “是的，”我老实说，“但是不要问我详情——我反正不知道详情。在莫斯科形成了一次有利于光明使者的严重破坏平衡的情形。严重得整个欧洲都焦虑起来，来采取措施。列金兄弟的举动——这只是整个马赛克中的一块，由于它最终形成了新的平衡。” “你的出现——也是一块马赛克吗？”埃德加尔猜测说。 “显然。” “还有扎武隆不在莫斯科？我们的头儿？” “有可能……” 两位黑暗使者一时间疑惑地又相互对视了一眼。 安娜·季洪诺芙娜带着几分不满说：“我不知道。这一切看起来很奇怪。假如'灵爪'在我们手上——我们会立刻挤走光明使者的。” “我们会控制他吗？”尤拉指出。 安娜·季洪诺芙娜又叹了口气。 "have no idea……" “不管怎样，”埃德加尔思索了一会儿，说道，“我们还剩下向光明使者要求决斗以恢复名誉的权利。几次重大的干涉，他们在最近两天两夜的所作所为与不久前的谋杀事件没法比。丘尼科夫的死总体上更应该定性为偶然的不幸事件，要是格谢尔试图反驳这一点——法庭会把他的论据彻底推翻。而那个偷猎的吸血鬼和那个淫荡的变形人——不是什么大不了的罪孽，才六级水平的，最多五级水平的力量。他们是私自行动的，守日人巡查队没什么责任……现在我们有理由发动几次至少二级水平的干涉。我这么认为……因此所有事件的最终结果是守日人巡查队胜出。而且是在没有头儿以及其他强大力量支持的情况下。” “先别吹牛，”尤拉表示怀疑地指出，“等等。” 埃德加尔陷入自己的想法中，他做了个双手一摊的动作。他确实相信他一分钟之前所说的。这可以理解。 不清楚他们的争议会以什么而告终。埃德加尔腰间的手机响了，所有的人都不由自主地转向他。 这可能是私人电话，也可能是技术部门的电话。但是办公室里集中了相当多强大的他者。几乎所有的人都有能力考虑最简单事件的可能性和结果。 这电话铃声会提供明显的重要线索，对事件具有非凡重要性的线索。 埃德加尔将电话挨近耳朵，一直在接听。 “带他进来吧。”他接着吩咐，终止了信号，将电话放回腰间。 “宗教法庭的法官，”他告诉大家，表情严肃，“正式通知。” 还没等半分钟，值班室的女魔法师打开了守日人巡查队主办公室的门。几秒钟过后那位无畏的、名叫马克西姆的宗教法庭法官走进办公室。 “以和约的名义。”他宣布。他的声音没有情感和任何其他色彩。他的声音非常的信息化。要怀疑宗教法庭法官对这方和对那方偏袒是很愚蠢的。“明天黎明时分将召开受宗教法庭监护的本地同行法庭的扩大会议。议题是：光明使者和黑暗使者的一系列法规所不允许的行为。所有通知到的人员必须到场。缺席以及迟到都被视为和约法规所不能容忍的行为。会议开始前禁止实施一切高于五级力量的魔法影响。平衡将战胜一切。” 说完这番话，宗教法庭法官转身走了出去。走到大厅，走向电梯。 女魔法师立刻对上司大叫一声，关上了门。她认为自己有义务送宗教法庭法官到门口。 办公室有一阵子悄无声息，连坐在手提电脑旁边的技术人员都安静下来了。 “像四九年一样，”安娜·季洪诺芙娜悄声地说，“一模一样。” “我们抱一线希望，”魔法师尤拉低沉地说，“我们抱一线希望，安娜·季洪诺芙娜。尽最大的努力。”

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