I didn't say anything.
"You can be proud of yourself, Anton," Witezslav went on. "What you said made perfect sense. I believe this man's father really does serve in a Watch. The Night Watch."
Kostya giggled. Of course, he didn't much like Witezslav's decision. Kostya would have preferred to deliver Gesar's offspring to the Day Watch. But the way things were suited him pretty well too.
"Could the all-wise Gesar really have committed such a blunder?" he asked in delight. "How interesting…"
Witezslav looked at him, and Kostya stopped short.
"Anyone can blunder," Witezslav said in a quiet voice. "Even a magician beyond classification. But…"
He fixed his gaze on me. "Can you ask Gesar to come here?"
I shrugged. It was a stupid question, of course I could. And so could Witezslav.
"I don't like what's going on here," Witezslav said in that same quiet voice. "I don't like it at all. Someone here is bluffing far too brazenly."
He ran his piercing, inhuman glance over all of us. Something had put him on his guard, but exactly what was it?
"I'll contact my chief," Kostya said in a tone that brooked no denial.
Witezslav didn't object. He was looking at Timur Borisovich and frowning.
I took out my cell phone and dialed Gesar's number.
"Someone's trying to make fools of us all…" said Witezslav, his fury starting to break through. "And that someone…"
"Tell him to get dressed," I said, listening to the beeping of the phone. "Or do we have to humiliate an old man and take him like that in his underpants?"
Witezslav didn't stir a muscle, but Timur Borisovich stood up and started getting dressed, as if he were sleepwalking.
Edgar sidled up to me and asked sympathetically, "Isn't he answering? In his place I'd…"
"It will be a long time before anyone offers you a place like that," Witezslav commented. "If you can't see how we've been set up…"
If the look on Edgar's face was anything to go by, he couldn't see a thing. And neither could I, or Kostya, who had rolled his eyes back and up and was whispering something soundlessly.
"Yes, Anton…" Gesar said when he answered. "Anything interesting?"
"I've found the man who was promised he could be turned into an Other," I said, forcing the words out with a struggle.
Total silence fell in the bathroom. Everyone seemed to be straining to hear the faint sound from my cell phone.
"Excellent!" Gesar exclaimed. "Well done. Now get in touch with the investigators from the Day Watch and the Inquisition right away. Let them join in the investigation. That Czech vampire, Witezslav, is around there somewhere. The old guy's on the ball, even if he doesn't have any sense of humor… but that's a misfortune suffered by all vampires."
Witezsav turned toward me. His face had turned to stone and his eyes were blazing. He'd heard everything. And I would have bet a crate of Czech beer to a bottle of triple cologne that Gesar knew perfectly well that Witezslav was standing there beside me.
"Witezslav is already here," I said. "And so is Edgar and… the investigator from the Dark Ones."
"Great!" Gesar was delighted. "Ask our visitor from Prague to put up a portal for me… if he can manage that, of course. I'll drop over to see you."
I put the phone away and looked at Witezslav. To be honest, I felt Gesar had overdone the jibes a bit.
But how could I know the way things stood between the old Light Magician and the vampire Inquisitor? And what scores they had to settle with each other?
"You heard him," I said evasively.
"Tell me again," Witezslav replied curtly.
"The head of the Night Watch of Moscow, the Most Lucent Magician Gesar, requests you to put up a portal for him. If that is within your power, of course."
Witezslav simply glanced briefly to one side-and a narrow, bright portal appeared in the air above the seething Jacuzzi. Anyone stepping out through that strange doorway was bound to end up in the water.
"No problem," Witezslav said coolly. "Edgar…"
The former Dark Magician looked devotedly into his eyes.
"The file on this man…" Witezslav nodded toward Timur Borisovich, who was lazily knotting his necktie. "It's probably downstairs, in the security service office."
Edgar disappeared-to save time, he went to get the file through the Twilight.
And a moment later Gesar appeared in the bathroom.
Only he didn't appear through the portal, but beside it, stepping down neatly onto the marble slabs of the floor.
"I'm really getting old," he sighed. "I missed the door…"
He looked at Witezslav and broke into a broad smile.
"Well, just look who's here! Why didn't you drop in to see me?"
"I've been busy," Witezslav answered curtly. "I think we need to resolve a few matters that have come up as quickly as possible…"
"You've been spending too much time in the office," Gesar sighed. "You've become a total bureaucrat… Well, what do we have here?"
"There he is," I put in.
Gesar gave me a smile of approval and looked at Timur Borisovich.
There was a sudden silence. Kostya had gone quiet after finishing his soundless conversation with Zabulon-who was in no hurry to put in an appearance. Witezslav had turned to stone. I was trying not even to breathe.
"That's curious," said Gesar. He went over to Timur Borisovich, who was staring blankly straight ahead, and touched his arm. He heaved a sigh: "Ah…"
"Do you know this man, Most Lucent Gesar?" Witezslav asked.
Gesar turned toward us with an expression of profound sadness on his face, and asked bitterly, "Tell me, have you completely lost your grip? This is my own flesh and blood, Witezslav! This is my son!"
"Really?" Witezslav asked ironically.
Gesar took no more notice of him. He put his arms around the old man, who from the human point of view could have been his father. He stroked his cheeks affectionately and whispered, "Where have you been all these years, my little one… and we end up meeting like this… They told me you'd died… they said it was diphtheria…"
"My heartfelt congratulations, Gesar," said Witezslav. "But I should like to receive an explanation."
Edgar reappeared in the bathroom. Perspiring, clutching a folder in his hands.
Still hugging his old son, Gesar replied, "It's a simple story. Before the war I worked all over Uzbekistan. Samarkand, Bukhara, Tashkent… I was married. Then I was recalled to Moscow. I knew I'd had a son, but I never saw him. There was no time for that… there was a war on. Then the boy's mother died. And I lost track of him."
"Not even you were able to find him?" Witezslav asked suspiciously.
"Not even me. According to the documents, he had died. Of diphtheria…"
"This is a Mexican soap opera," Edgar protested, outraged. "Most Lucent Gesar, do you claim that you have never met this man?"
"Never," Gesar said sadly.
"You have never spoken to him, never, in contravention of all the rules, offered to help him become an Other?" Edgar persisted.
Gesar looked at the magician ironically.
"Esteemed Inquisitor, if anyone knows, you should, that a human being cannot become an Other."
"Answer the question," said Edgar, half asking, half ordering.
"I have never seen him, never spoken to him, and never made any promises to him. I did not send the letters to the Watches and the Inquisition. I did not ask anyone to meet with him or send those letters. The Light bears witness to my words!" Gesar rapped out. He flung out his hand-and for an instant a petal of white fire blossomed on it. "Are you casting doubt on what I say? Claiming that I am the traitor?"
Gesar had grown taller, as if some spring had straightened out inside him. You could have hammered nails into the look in his eyes.
"Are you accusing me of anything?" Gesar continued, raising his voice. "You, Edgar? Or you, Witezslav?"
Kostya was too sl
ow to back away and he too was caught in that withering glance.
"Or you, vampire-boy?"
Even I felt like hiding. But deep in my heart I was laughing. Gesar had put one over on everyone. I didn't know how he'd managed it, but he had.
"We would not dare even to surmise such a thing, Most Lucent Gesar," said Witezslav, and he was the first to bow his head. "Edgar, your questions were phrased impolitely."
"I apologize," Edgar said, hanging his head. "Forgive me, Most Lucent Gesar. I am profoundly sorry."
Kostya was gazing around in panic. Was he waiting for Zabulon? No, that wasn't likely. On the contrary, he was hoping the Dark One's chief wouldn't turn up for his share of the taunts.
And Zabulon wouldn't turn up, I realized that. A European vampire who, for all his great power and centuries-old wisdom, had lost his touch for intrigue might fall into a trap. But Zabulon had realized right away that Gesar wouldn't leave himself open so stupidly.
"You have attacked my son," Gesar said sadly. "Who cast the spell of paralysis on him? You, Konstantin?"
"No!" Kostya exclaimed, panic-stricken.
"I did," Witezslav said dourly. "Shall I remove it?"
"Remove it?" Gesar barked. "You have used magic on my boy. Can you imagine what a shock that is, at his age? Eh? And who will he become now, after the initiation? A Dark One?"
My eyes almost popped out of my head. Kostya gave a faint squeal. Edgar clamped his jaws shut.
We must all have looked at Timur Borisovich through the Twilight at exactly the same moment.
The aura of a potential Other was quite unmistakable.
Timur Borisovich had no need to expose himself to the fangs of a vampire or a werewolf. He could become a perfectly respectable magician. Fourth or fifth-level.
Unfortunately, most likely a Dark Magician… But…
"And now what am I to do?" Gesar continued. "You have attacked my little child, frightened him, crushed his will…"
The superannuated "little child" was scrabbling feebly at his necktie, still trying to tie the Windsor knot as neatly as possible.
"Is he going to become a Dark One now?" Gesar asked indignantly. "Well? This was all specially planned, was it? Gesar's son a Dark Magician?"
"I'm sure he would have become a Dark One in any case…" said Witezslav, "With his way of life…"
"You have subdued his will, urged him toward the Darkness, and now you make claims like that?" Gesar said in a menacing whisper. "Does the Inquisition believe it has the right to violate the Treaty? Or is this a strictly personal attack… haven't you got over Karlsbad yet? We can continue this conversation, Witezslav. This may not be Krasnaya Kupal'nya, but we still have plenty of space for a duel."
Witezslav wavered for a second, trying to withstand Gesar's stare.
Then he gave in. "My apologies, Gesar. I had no idea that this man was a potential Other. Everything indicated quite the opposite… those letters…"
"And what now?" Gesar barked.
"The Inquisition acknowledges its… its haste…" Witezslav said. "The Moscow Night Watch is entitled to take this… this man under its tutelage."
"To carry out his remoralization?" Gesar asked. "To initiate him after he has turned to the Light?"
"Yes," Witezslav said in a whisper.
"Well then, let us consider this dispute settled," Gesar said with a smile, slapping Witezslav on the shoulder. "Don't be upset. We all make mistakes sometimes. The important thing is to put them right, isn't it?"
My, but that old European bloodsucker had iron self-control.
"That's right, Gesar," he said sadly.
"By the way, have you caught the renegade Other?" Gesar asked.
Witezslav shook his head.
"What's in my little boy's memory?" Gesar asked aloud. He looked at Timur Borisovich, already standing there fully dressed. "Ah… Oleg Strizhenov. A 1960s movie star. What an audacious disguise."
"So it would seem the traitor is fond of old Russian movies?" asked Witezslav.
"Indeed. Personally, I would have preferred Innokenty Smoktunovsky," Gesar replied. "Or Oleg Dal. Witezslav, this case is a dead end. The traitor hasn't left any leads."
"And you can't even imagine who he is?" Witezslav asked.
"I can imagine," Gesar said with a nod. "There are thousands of Others in Moscow. Any one of them could have assumed someone else's appearance. Does the Inquisition wish to check the memory of all the Others in the city?"
Witezslav frowned.
"No, it can't be done," Gesar agreed. "I can't even vouch for my own colleagues, and the Others who don't serve in the Watches will refuse point blank."
"We'll set an ambush," Edgar declared. "And if the traitor shows up again…"
"He won't show up," Witezslav said wearily. "He has no need to now."
Gesar smiled, looking at the gloomy vampire. Then the smile was suddenly wiped off his face.
"Now will you please leave my son's apartment? I'll be expecting you in my office to sign the report. At seven o'clock this evening."
Witezslav nodded and disappeared-only to reappear a moment later, looking slightly confused.
"On foot, on foot," Gesar said. "I've shielded off the Twilight here. Just to be on the safe side."
I trudged off after the Inquisitors and Kostya-boy, was he happy to be out of there and on his way.
"Anton," Gesar called after me. "Thank you. You did a good job. Call in to see me this evening."
I didn't answer. We walked past the bodyguards, still dead to the world, and I attentively scanned the aura of the one I'd thought seemed doubtful.
No, not an Other after all. A human being.
I'd be doubly careful about that for a long time now.
Witezslav said nothing, engrossed in thought, leaving Kostya and Edgar to fiddle with the locks. Then he cast a sideways glance in my direction and asked, "Will you offer us a cup of coffee, watchman?"
I nodded. Why not?
We'd worked together on the same job. And we'd all been duped together-no matter what token compliments Gesar might have paid me.
Chapter 7
We made a funny group-a young vampire from the Day Watch, two Inquisitors, and a Light Magician.
All standing together in a big, empty apartment waiting for the water in the microwave to boil so we could make instant coffee. I'd even allowed Kostya to come in, and now he was sitting on the inside of the windowsill.
Witezslav was the only one who just couldn't sit still.
"I'm not used to Russia anymore," he said, striding to and fro in front of the window. "I've lost the feel of the place. The country's unrecognizable."
"Yes, the country's changing. New houses being built, new roads…" I exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Spare me your irony, watchman," Witiezslav interrupted. "That's not what I'm talking about. For seventy years the Others in your country had the strongest discipline of all. Even the Watches remained within the bounds of propriety…"
"And now it's like everything's gone crazy?" I asked shrewdly.
Witezslav didn't answer that.
I felt ashamed. No matter what he was like, this Prague vampire from the Inquisition, today he had been thoroughly hoodwinked and bamboozled. It was the first time I'd seen the Inquisition humiliated. Even Gesar… well, he wasn't exactly afraid of it, but he acknowledged it as an insuperable force.
Then suddenly he had outwitted it. And with elegant ease.
Had something changed in the world? Had the Inquisition become a third side… just one more side in the game? Dark Ones, Light Ones, and the Inquisition?
Or Dark Ones, Light Ones, and the Twilight?
The water in the glass teapot began to seethe and bubble. I poured the boiling water into the cups standing along the windowsill. Set out the coffee, sugar, and a carton of milk.
"Gorodetsky, do you realize that today the Treaty was violated?" Witezslav asked out of the blue.
I shrugged.
"You don'
t have to answer," Witezslav said. "I already know you've understood the whole thing. An individual from the Moscow Night Watch provoked the Inquisition into acting injudiciously, after which he was granted the right to recruit a certain individual to the side of the Light. I don't think he will be of any great help to the Night Watch."
I didn't think so either. Timur Borisovich wouldn't bother to learn how to use the Twilight Power. He'd get his long life, the ability to do little magic tricks, to see his business partners' secret thoughts, to dodge bullets… That would be enough for him. Okay, I could assume his firm would transfer large sums into the Night Watch account on a regular basis. And the businessman would become a better person, he would do some kind of charity work… pay for the upkeep of a polar bear in the zoo and ten orphans in a children's home.
But even so, it wasn't all worth a quarrel with the Inquisition.
"Ignominious," Witezslav said bitterly. "The abuse of an official position for personal ends."
I couldn't help snorting.
"What's so funny?" Witezslav asked guardedly.
"I think Gesar was right. You really have been shuffling papers around for too long."
"So you think there was nothing wrong with all this?" Witezslav asked. "There's no call for outrage?"
"A man-okay, so he's not the best man in the world-will become a Light One," I said. "Now he will never do evil to anyone. On the contrary. So why should I be indignant?"
"Leave it, Witezslav," Edgar said quietly. "Gorodetsky doesn't understand a thing. He's too young."
Witezslav nodded and took a sip of coffee. He said gloomily, "I thought you were different from the rest of this Light fraternity. That it was the substance you cared about, not the form…"
That really wound me up. "Yes, the substance is important to me, Witezslav. And the substance here is that you're a vampire. And you, Edgar, are a Dark Magician. I don't know where you can see a violation of the Treaty, but I'm sure there wouldn't have been any charges brought against Zabulon."
"Light Magician…" Witezslav hissed. "Adept of the Light… All we do is maintain the balance, is that clear? And even Zabulon would have ended up facing a tribunal if he'd pulled a stunt like this!"
But there was no stopping me now. "Zabulon has done lots of things. He tried to kill my wife. He tried to kill me. He's constantly urging people toward the Darkness. You say one of our side acted dishonestly in outwitting the cheat? Well, maybe it was dishonest, but it was right! You're always so outraged when you get your own counterfeit coin back… well, that's easily fixed. Start playing fair for a change."
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