Chapter 4 Chapter 2

"idiot!" I tried to say something, but the next words gagged me like a mouth twitched in the face. "Idiot bag!" "but……" "You don't know where you went wrong?" The chief's anger subsided a little, so I ventured to look up from the floor and said cautiously: "like……" I love being in this office.Seeing all those fun gadgets brings back childhood memories.These gadgets are placed in glass cabinets, hung on the walls everywhere, randomly thrown on the table and mixed with computer discs and various documents.Every item – from a Japanese wooden fan to a piece of broken metal and the deer fastened to it – which is the car emblem – has a story.When the boss is in a good mood, you can hear him tell very, very compelling stories.

It's just that I rarely come across him in that state. "Okay," the boss stopped, sat on the leather chair, and lit a cigarette, "then let's talk about it." His voice has become sharp and powerful, and it is matching his appearance.From the eyes of ordinary people, he was about forty years old, and he belonged to the kind of businessman in the middle-class circle that the government likes to pin its hopes on. "Say what?" I asked, wanting to risk a fresh and impartial appraisal. "Mistake, your mistake." That said, so... well. "My first mistake, Boris Ignatievich," I began, with a very innocent look on my face, "was not understanding the mission correctly."

"Really?" The boss became interested. "Yes, I thought that my task was to detect the vampire who started to frequently hurt people in Moscow. If I find him, I will... uh... get rid of him." "Keep going……" "In fact, the fundamental purpose of the mission is to test whether I am qualified for combat work and whether I have actual combat capabilities. Since I did not understand the mission correctly, it was precisely on the principle of 'distinguishing and protecting'..." The boss sighed and nodded.Those who don't know him well might think he admitted he was wrong.

"At what point have you violated this principle?" "No violation, that's why I destroyed the mission." "How did you ruin the mission?" "At first..." I squint at the stuffed white arctic owl standing in a glass case on an antique shelf.Does it move its head? "At first I tried in vain to stop the black cyclone, thus draining the energy in the amulet." "Well, we'll start here. I've looked at the shape of the thing carefully, if you're not exaggerating." I shook my head angrily. "I believe. So such a cyclone amulet can't get rid of. Do you remember the taxonomy?"

hell!Why didn't I read the past study syllabus? "I believe, you can't remember. But it doesn't matter, this cyclone is super. You can't beat it..." The boss leaned over the table and whispered mysteriously: "You want Know……" I am engrossed. "Even if it's me, Anton." The confession was so unexpected that I didn't know how to answer it.I have always believed that the boss is omnipotent, although no one said it out loud, but all my colleagues believed it. "Anton, such a powerful cyclone can only be lifted by the person who created it."

"It should be found..." I said uncertainly. "That poor girl..." "The problem is not her, not her alone." "Why?" I suddenly said something, and then hurriedly changed my words: "Must the dark magician be stopped?" The boss sighed. "Maybe he has a license, maybe he has the right to curse...the magician isn't the problem. A black cyclone of that power...remember how that plane fell in the winter?" I shuddered.It wasn't an oversight on our part, and more likely a loophole in the law in general: the cursed pilot spun out of control, and the jumbo crashed into a city block with a crash.Hundreds of innocent lives...

"This kind of cyclone has no ability to choose its own targets. The girl will not be spared, but what will hit her on the head will not be a brick falling from the roof. It will probably be a house explosion, an epidemic will spread, and the atomic bomb happens to be It landed in Moscow. The greatest misfortune lies here, Anton." The boss turned around suddenly, and glanced at the owl with his eyes as dead ashes.It quickly lowered its wings, and the luster of the glass eyes disappeared. "Boris Ignatievich . . . " I said terrified. "it's my fault……" "Of course, it was your fault. A little bit saved you, Anton." The boss coughed a few times, "Out of compassion, you did exactly the right thing. Although the amulet cannot completely repel the cyclone, we still have A few days and nights...maybe two more. I have always believed that an ill-thought-out action that benefits others is more beneficial than a well-considered but cruel action. If you don't use the amulet —I am afraid that half of Moscow is now in ruins."

"what to do?" "Find the girl. Protect her... Do your best. This cyclone will continue to cause trouble in the near future. We must find the cursed magician during this period and force him to eliminate the cyclone." I nod. "Everyone will look for it," said the boss casually. "I called back my colleagues who were on vacation. Ilya and Semyon will come back from Sri Lanka in the morning, and the others - at noon. The weather in Europe is not good. colleagues from the Ministry to support, but when they disperse the clouds..." "Is it going to be morning?" I looked at my watch, "There is still one day and night."

"No, it was this morning," the boss turned and walked towards the antique shelf, took out a stuffed owl, and stood it on the table.It was clear at close quarters that this was really a specimen, and there was no more life in it than in a leather collar. "Let's talk about vampires and their victims." "I spared the female vampire. The companions did not catch her." I reiterated regretfully. "No one blames you, you fought as hard as you could. About that victim..." "By the way, the boy didn't lose his memory of the incident, but he ran away..."

"Anton, wake up! The boy has been drawn by the ecstasy's call from a distance of several kilometers! He should have been a helpless puppet when he walked into the gate hole! And when he came out of the twilight world, Already in a coma. Anton, if he can still walk after all that has happened—he has great potential!" The boss stopped talking. "I'm a fool." "No. But you really stayed in the lab too long. Anton, this little boy may have greater potential than me!" "Then how can..." "Don't flatter..." The phone on the desk rang.Clearly there was an emergency - very few people knew the boss's direct line number, I didn't.

"Don't ring!" The boss ordered the innocent phone, and it immediately fell silent. "Anton, the little boy must be found. The escaped female vampire itself is not in danger. Colleagues can catch up to her, and the normal patrol team will catch her. But if she sucks the little boy's blood... Maybe, worse What's more, she turned the boy into a vampire... You don't know, what a real vampire is. Now vampires are to real vampires what blood-sucking mosquitoes are to Nosferat and the like. But Nosferat is not the strongest, even if he tried his best to pretend to be strong. So we must find the little boy, follow him, let him join the patrol as much as possible, and not let him go to the dark side. If that , the balance of Moscow will collapse completely.” "Did you say an order?" "It's permission," said the chief gloomily. "You know, I have that right." "I know," I said softly. "Where to begin? Precisely whom?" "Whatever. It seems that we still have to start with the girl. But the boy also has to try to find it." "Shall I go now?" "Let's talk about it after a good sleep." "I've slept well, Boris Ignatievich..." "I don't think so. I'd suggest you get at least an hour's sleep." I don't understand what's going on. I got up at eleven o'clock today and came to work immediately. I still feel very energetic after work. "This is your assistant," the boss flicked the stuffed owl with his fingers.The owl spread its wings and cooed angrily. I swallowed a mouthful of saliva and boldly asked: "Who is this? Or what is this?" "Why do you ask that?" asked the chief, looking into the owl's eyes. "Good to decide if I want to work with it!" The owl looked at me and hissed like an irritated cat. "You're asking the wrong question," said the boss, shaking his head. "The question is whether it wants to work with you." The owl cooed again. "Yes," said the chief, not to me, but to the bird, "you're right in many respects, but isn't someone asking for a new appeal?" Bird froze. "I promise, I will apply for you. This time I have a chance." "Boris Ignatievich, I think..." I began. "I'm sorry, Anton, I don't care what you think," the boss stretched out his hand, and the owl moved its furry feet awkwardly, and stood on the boss' palm. "You don't understand how lucky you are." I fell silent.The boss went to the window, opened it abruptly, and stretched out his hand.The owl flapped its wings and flew down.What a specimen! "Where does it... go?" "Go to your place. You two partners work together..." The boss rubbed the bridge of his nose. "By the way, remember it's called Olga." "owl?" "Owl. You have to feed it, care for it, and everything will be fine. And now... you sleep a little longer, then get up. You can skip the office, and when Ollie arrives - go to work. Check the subway circle ,For example……" "What, you still have to sleep..." I began to say.However, the surrounding world has gradually dimmed, darkened.The corner of the pillow hurt my cheek. I lie on my bed. My mind was heavy, and my eyes seemed to have sand in them.Throat is dry and sore. "Yeah..." I moaned hoarsely, and turned over to lie on my back.Thick curtains block it, I don't know if it's night outside, maybe it's already day.I squinted at my watch: the lit number was "8". For the first time, I was interviewed by the boss in my dream.It's not comfortable, especially for the boss, he has to intrude into my consciousness. It can be seen, and it is true--time is running out if necessary guidance in the dream world is required.But I can't think of... such a thing!Unexpectedly.Assignment, owl, the idiot... I shivered—someone was knocking on the window outside.Thinly broken, as if knocking with claws.A low chirping sound came. Honestly what else could I have expected? I jumped up, hurriedly pulled up my underpants, and ran to the window.It was the trash, the thing I had been forced to accept on the hunt, and it really came, I could just make out its outline. I jerked the curtains back and raised the blinds. The owl sits on the windowsill.It narrowed its eyes slightly—it was just dawn, but it was too bright for it.People on the street must not understand what kind of bird actually landed on the windowsill on the tenth floor.Neighbors will be amazed to see that the arctic owl has appeared in the center of Moscow! "What's going on..." I said softly. I wanted to be harsher, but I got out of the habit early on in the Patrol, or rather, I got rid of it myself.Once or twice you see the black cyclone over the head of the person you've scolded - you'll start to hold your tongue. The owl looked at me and waited. The surrounding birds fell out.A small flock of sparrows roosted in a distant tree, chattering and chirping.The crows are more courageous, staying on the balcony of the neighbor's house and on the nearby trees.They yelled, jumped over the branches from time to time, and circled around the window.Intuition reminded them that this uninvited guest would bring ominous results. But the owl didn't respond.It looks down on sparrows, and it looks down on crows.If it could spit on them, it would. "Who are you?" I muttered and opened the window, and yanked down the sealed window frame.The boss and my partner—the female partner really helped me a lot. The owl flew into the room as soon as it spread its wings, and stayed on the small cabinet with its eyes slightly closed, as if it had been staying here all along.Maybe it froze on the way?Oh no, it's the North Pole after all... As I closed the window, I wondered what to do now.What to do with it, what to feed it, can't figure out how this feathered animal could possibly help me? "Is your name Olga?" I asked, closing the window.There is still air leaking through the cracks in the window, but this kind of thing will be solved later. "Oh, a bird!" The owl opened one eye slightly.It ignored me almost as it ignored the busy sparrows. I felt more and more absurd for a while.First, it's an impossible partner; second, it's a woman—even though it's an owl! Maybe put on pants?I'm standing in a pair of rumpled shorts, unshaven, sleepy... I felt like the silliest fool, grabbed my clothes, and ran out of the room, "Excuse me, I'll be back in a minute." I then threw the words to the owl. If the bird is what I think it is, I'm not making a good impression. I would most like to take a shower, but I don't allow myself to waste my time like this.I just shaved and rinsed my head a few times under the cold tap.Between the shampoo and deodorant on the shelf I found my usual cologne. "Olga?" I called, looking into the corridor. The owl sits motionless on top of the refrigerator in the kitchen, a taxidermy for display. "Are you alive?" I asked. The amber yellow eyes looked melancholy at me. "Okay," I spread my hands, "shall we start over? I get it, I don't come across very well. Let's be honest—it's just me." The owl listened attentively. "I don't know who you are," I said as I straddled a stool and sat in front of the refrigerator. "And you can't speak, I can figure it out myself. My name is Anton, and I was found to be an 'other' five years ago." The sound the owl makes is more like a suppressed laugh. "Yeah," I think it's smiling rightly, "just discovered it five years ago, that's it. I have a big hurdle to overcome, and that's that I don't want to see the Twilight Plane. Before the boss met me, that's it. I really haven't seen it." The owl seemed interested. "He took people to practice and instructed the patrol team members how to discover potential others. He met me..." I smiled and recalled, of course, he eliminated my psychological barriers, and everything was simple after that Well, I took a refresher class and started working on the analysis part.But... life hasn't changed in particular.Becoming the Other, but I don't seem to be aware of it.Although the boss usually frowned, he didn't say anything.I'm doing a good job, and he has no right to interfere with other matters.But a week ago, there were crazy vampires in town.The task of getting rid of him fell to me.On the surface it was because all the inspectors were busy and not free, but in fact it was to let me smell the gunpowder.Maybe it was the right thing to do, considering that three more people died during the week.Skilled scouts could have caught that pair of vampires overnight. I'd like to know what Olga thinks about this.But the owl said nothing. "Which is more important, to maintain the balance between the two forces of light and darkness," I still asked. "Is it better to improve my business level, or to protect three innocent lives?" "I can't feel vampires with ordinary methods," I continued, "I have to use myself as an experiment to experience their feelings. I don't want to drink human blood. I use pig blood instead. These are reagents for experiments... Of course you know that." Speaking of test subjects, I got up, opened the cupboard above the stove, and took out a glass jar with a frosted glass stopper.There is only a piece of brown powder left, and it is meaningless to hand it over to the logistics.I poured the powder into the washbasin and washed it—there was a pungent, dizzying aroma from the kitchen.I rinsed the jar and threw it in the trash. "You know I was almost ruined," I said, "I ruined myself. Yesterday morning, when I came back from the chase... I met the neighbor's girl in the corridor. I didn't dare to risk saying hello, because the fangs It's been revealed. And I almost joined the vampire gang this night when I felt the call to seduce the boy." The owl looked into my eyes. "Why do you think the boss appointed me?" A specimen, a ball of feathers stuffed with cotton. "Did he want me to see them with my own eyes?" The doorbell rang in the corridor.I sighed and spread my hands: what can I do, my fault, any conversation partner is better than this boring bird.I turned on the light on the way, walked to the door, and opened it. A vampire stood at the door. "Come in," I said, "come in, Kostya." He hesitated at the door, but came in anyway.He ran his hair through his hair—I noticed that his palms were sweaty, and his eyes kept moving back and forth. Kostya was only seventeen years old.He was born a vampire, a normal, standard, city vampire.He grew up in a very bad environment: his parents were vampires.Under such conditions, it is almost impossible for a child to have the opportunity to grow into a human being. "I'm back," Kostya muttered. "Give." I took a stack of discs, not surprised there were so many of them.I usually have to deal with him for two weeks before he returns the disc - he's very mad. "Have you finished listening?" I asked. "Did you record it?" "Well... I'm leaving." "Wait." I grab his shoulders and push him into the room. "what happened?" He doesn't speak. "Already know?" I asked speculatively. "We have very few people, Anton." Kostya looked me in the eyes. "If someone leaves, we will feel it immediately." "That's it. Take off your shoes, go into the kitchen, and we'll have a serious talk." Kostya did not argue.I racked my brains to think of a countermeasure.Five years ago, when I became the other, the world opened up to me, and what awaited me was a surprising new discovery.But vampires live on top of me, and that's the most repulsive thing about it. I remember all this as if it happened yesterday.I came back from class—the most ordinary class, reminiscent of college life not long ago.Three pairs of people, one lecturer, were so hot that their white coats were stuck to their bodies.We rented lecture halls in the medical school.I walked home, played and walked on the road, and sometimes walked into the twilight world-not long, not skilled, and sometimes started to detect passers-by.Already at the gate, I ran into my neighbor. The family is very amiable.Once I borrowed a drilling machine from them. Kostya’s father, Gennady, was a construction worker. He came directly to my house and helped me drill holes in the concrete wall with ease.This incident directly proves that it is difficult to live without proletarian intellectuals. But when I came back that day, I suddenly discovered that they were not human at all. It's scary.A brown-gray bioelectric, oppressive atmosphere.I froze, watching them in horror.Kostya’s mother Polina’s face changed slightly, the child froze for a moment, then turned around, the head of the family walked up to me, and entered the twilight realm step by step—his graceful steps can only span life and death Only vampires can have it.For them, the Twilight Realm is a normal living environment. "Hello, Anton," he said. The world around is gray and lifeless.I didn't realize myself why I sneaked into the Twilight Realm after him. "I just knew that one day you'd get over that hurdle," he said, "and it was all going well." I took a step back - and Gennady's face quivered. "Everything is fine," he said.He opened his shirt, and I saw the seal of registration, a deep imprint carved into the gray skin. "We're all registered. Polina! Kostya!" His wife, also in the twilight, unbuttoned her shirt.The half-child didn't move, he needed his father to confirm his intention with his eyes before showing his seal. "I want to check," I whispered.I was so bad at it that I missed it twice and had to start over.Gennady waited patiently.Seal finally responded.Long-term registration, no violations were found. "Is everything all right?" Gennady asked. "Can we go?" "I……" "Well, it's nothing. We knew that one day you would become someone else." "Come on," I said, "it's not according to the rules, but I can't care about the rules now." "Yes," Gennady paused for a moment before walking out of the Twilight Realm, "I have been to your house... Anton, I will return the invitation to you now." Everything is as specified. They left, and I sat on a bench with an old lady sitting beside me basking in the sun.I smoked, trying to clear my mind.The old lady looked at me and said solemnly: "They are good people, aren't they, Arkashenka?" She keeps getting my name wrong.She had only three months left to live, and I could see that clearly now. "Not really," I said.I smoked three cigarettes, and then walked home without haste.I stood at the door for a while, looking at the gray road marks that gradually disappeared at the door. This is the "Vampire Road".I just learned to observe the traces of this vampire today. I barely made it through the night.I flipped through the study syllabus, for which I had to enter the Twilight Realm, because in the ordinary world, these books that can be found everywhere are completely blank.I'd like to call the section chief or the boss—the boss reports directly to me—but I think I should make up my own mind. When it was completely dark, I couldn't help it.I ran upstairs and rang the doorbell.Kostya opened the door and shivered.In real life, he, like his family, looks ordinary in appearance. "Call your adults here." I begged. "Why?" he muttered. "I want to treat you to tea." Gennady appeared behind his son, out of nowhere, far more capable than I, a newcomer to the Light Force. "Are you sure you want to do this, Anton?" he asked skeptically. "There's absolutely no need for that. It's all right." "I am sure." He was silent for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders and said: "We'll go tomorrow. If you invite, don't worry." Near midnight, I was ecstatic that they turned me down.It was nearly three o'clock at night, and I tried to fall asleep, relieved to know that the road to my house was gone for them, and never would be again. In the early morning, I still couldn't sleep, I stood by the window and watched the city.Not many vampires, very few.There won't be any more within two or three kilometers. Being Discriminated against - What's It Like?To be punished not for their guilt, but for their potential to commit a crime?How are they going to survive... oh, even if it's not "alive" - ​​use another word here - how to stay around their watchers? When I came home from class, I bought a big cake for tea. Kostya is a smart, good boy, a student of the Department of Physics of Moscow State University, he has the inherent misfortune of life and death, he is sitting next to me, stirring the sugar bowl with a spoon, as if he dare not scoop it .Why is he so cautious... At first he came here almost every day.I am his direct opponent, and I am on the side of the light.But I let him in, and he had nothing to hide with me, and he could gossip casually, sneak into the Twilight, and boast of the talents he had shown. "Anton, I've changed!" "Ah, my fangs are starting to grow, ha-ha-ha!" And the weirdest part is that all of this is normal.I laughed and watched the little vampire trying to turn into a bat: that's the job of a high vampire, he's not a high vampire, and besides, the Lightbringer would never let him do it.I just stop his bad behavior from time to time: "Kostya... you should never do something like that. Understand?" That's normal too. "Kostya, I just did my job." "You really shouldn't have done that." "They violated the law. Do you understand? Not only our law, not only the law recognized by the Lightbringer, but the law recognized by all others. This young man..." "I know him," said Kostya suddenly. "He used to be happy." hell... "Has he been tortured?" "No." I shook my head. "Branding kills people in an instant." Kostya shuddered and glanced at his chest.If you have entered the Twilight Realm, you can see the brand mark through your clothes. If you have not entered it, you will not be able to find it at all.It's like he never got in, but how do I know how vampires feel about branding? "What can I do?" I asked. "He killed people. Killed innocent people. Killed people who had absolutely no defense against him. He turned that girl into a vampire... rudely forced her, she shouldn't be a vampire. Yesterday They almost killed a little boy. For no reason, not because of hunger." "Do you know how we were starving?" Kostya said after a moment of silence. He's matured, matured quickly... "Yes. Yesterday... I almost became a vampire." There was a moment of silence. "I knew it, I felt it ... I had expected it to happen." Devil and hell!I went hunting and others hunted me.Rather—they lay in wait, waiting for the hunter to turn into a beast. "It's not going to happen," I said. "I'm so sorry." "Yes, he was wrong," said Kostya stubbornly. "But why did you kill him? There should be a trial. The court, the lawyer, the judge, everything is in accordance with the regulations..." "According to the regulations, human beings cannot be involved in our affairs!" I shouted loudly.For the first time Kostya did not respond to this tone. "You've been a human for too long!" "I have no regrets!" "Why kill him?" "Otherwise he will kill me!" "He has developed others!" "It's even worse!" Kostya said no more.He put down his teacup and stood up, a perfectly ordinary, somewhat outrageous, almost morbid lad at the same time. Too bad he's a vampire. "I'm leaving..." "Wait." I walked towards the refrigerator, "Here, someone gave it to me, but I don't need it." From the middle of some "Borjomi" mineral water bottles I took out a small bottle containing 200 ml of blood from a donor. "I do not want." "Kostya, I know, this is your permanent problem. I don't need it. Take it." "You want to bribe me?" I get angry. "Why would I buy you! Throwing away is stupid, that's all! It's blood. People give blood to help people in need!" At this moment, Kostya suddenly sneered.He reached out, grabbed one of the vials, and gently and deftly peeled off the tin cap, then uncorked the bottle and brought the bottle to his mouth.He sneered again and took a sip. I have never seen, how they eat, nor want to see. "Enough," I said. "Don't play tricks." Kostya's lips were covered with blood, and a thin line of blood flowed down her cheeks.Not only does it flow, it also penetrates into the skin. "You hate the way we eat?" "yes." "That is, you hate me? Hate all of us?" I shook my head.We've never touched on this, so it's easier. "Kostya, to live you need blood, though sometimes human blood." "We weren't alive in the first place." "I see the meaning of life in a more ordinary way; it is walking, thinking, talking, dreaming..." "What dreams do vampires have?" "Son, there are many living people in the world who need blood transfusions on a regular basis. They need blood as much as you do. Also, there are some emergencies that require blood. So there are blood donors, so they are respected and rewarded...don't laugh .I know about your achievements in the development of medicine and the promotion of blood supply. Kostya, if someone needs blood to save lives, to survive--that's all right. It doesn't matter where the blood flows, in the veins, or in the stomach. thing. The question is how do you get it." "Nonsense," Kostya said contemptuously.I think for a split second he went into the Twilight--but came back right away.Grown up, lad grew up.He has real power. "Yesterday you showed your true attitude toward us." "you are wrong……" "Fuck you," he put down the bottle, thought for a moment, and leaned it over the washbasin. "We don't need your..." Laughter came from behind.I turned around - it was the owl, which I had completely forgotten, turned its head towards Kostya and spread its wings. I've never seen Kostya's face look like this before. "Ah..." he said, "Ah..." The owl lowered its wings and closed its eyes slightly. "Olga, we are talking!" I said at the top of my voice. "Give us a minute." Bird didn't respond.Then Kostya looked from me to the owl, and then to me.Then he sat down and crossed his hands on his knees. "What's the matter with you?" I asked. "Can I go?" He wasn't just surprised, or scared, he nearly went into shock. "Come on. But take these with you." Kostya hurriedly packed the bottle and stuffed it into his pocket. "Get a bag, idiot! What if someone is suddenly at the gate?" The vampire obediently put the vial into a paper bag with the words "Revival of Russian Culture" printed on the outside. He glanced at the owl, went into the corridor, and hurriedly put on his shoes. "You come here often," I said. "I'm not the enemy. Now you're not over the line—I'm not the enemy." He nodded, and ran out of my apartment quickly.I shrugged and closed the door.Back in the kitchen, I looked at the owl and said: "What's wrong? What happened?" Nothing came out of the tawny eyes.I raised my hands and clapped lightly: "How do we work? Huh? How are we going to work together? How do you communicate? I'm being frank, you hear me? Get straight to the point!" With a thought, I didn't fully enter the Twilight Realm.Strangers shouldn't be trusted so much, but the boss probably wouldn't send me an unreliable partner. No answer.Even if Olga could communicate telepathically, it had no intention of doing so. "What should we do? We should look for the girl. Can you receive her description message?" no answer.Sighing, I took a chance and tossed a little piece of my memory to the owl. The owl spread its wings and flew to my shoulder. "Well? That is, you hear me? Can't you just condescend to answer? Well, as you please, what should I do?" Another silent trick. How, though—I know; the trouble is, there's no hope of success. "How can I walk on the street with you on my shoulder?" The owl threw me a mocking look, yes, it was mocking.Then the bird entered the twilight world on my shoulder. Look, that's it.It is an invisible watcher.It's not just the watchers - Kostya's reaction to the owl is telling.Worst of all, the dark understands my partner better than I, who serve the light. "We agreed," I said boldly, "but what shall we eat now? Huh?" I got myself some kefir and poured another glass of orange juice.I've been eating medium rare steak and gravy for the last week - the stuff has made me sick. "Perhaps you want to eat meat?" Owl turned away. "It's up to you," I said, "I'm sure you'll find a way to communicate with me as soon as you feel like eating."

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