Unconquered Sun

by Philipp Bogachev

  - Glasses are picked up such flowers which enter a range of a ray of sunlight. You remember? "Each Hunter Zhelayet Znat, Where the Pheasant Sits"? - and again gold hand bells rang out.

  "Yes - and-and", - Prinze thought, "this zapominalka of the fairy is learned in the first class to School of fairies, really She still remembers it? Means, the sun not completely burned her memory …"

  Glass reflected and refracted sunshine so that hall just rolled in multi-colored spots of sunlight which, in addition, constants jumped and ran on the room as the presents. The prince at first could not understand why, and then noticed, as columns and all other objects slowly rotated on different axes.

  - That's great! Listen, the Invincible Sun, but the real sun already set for a cloudlet, and your glass still everything reflects!

  - And I never have in the Tower a sun and does not set, even at night, - the answer followed right there. - My mirrors as you noticed, probably, magic. They accumulate solar energy, and then when the sun sits down or hides for clouds, begin to radiate this energy. So pay attention tonight if, of course, again you do not fall asleep today as a groundhog (a ring of hand bells) - everything will be shines here and everywhere … However, at night when the moon and stars ascends, my mirrors switch over reflections to the mode again and reflect already lunar and star light … However, you will see! Keep in mind - do not hope - today I to you will not allow to sleep! - And again joyful and melodious ringing of hand bells.

  - "Something painfully often she began to laugh, - Prinze puzzly thought. - And at the first meeting - a worm yes a worm and glazishcham - zyrk-zyrk! And now - well it is direct hospitable some hostess … What to it there was it? I do not understand … All these so unclear female sorcerers!"

  - E-e-y, Prinze, you what - again reflected? Let's go, I will show you stained-glass windows … - and something hot pushed Prinze in a back again.

  It approached windows. They were much more here, than in other halls. All glass part of windows, big - in slightly human Rostov, was laid out from pieces of color glass on the same landscape subjects.

  However, Prinze paid special attention to regularity. On stained-glass windows, as well as on other types of pictures, except animals, flowers - roses, narcissuses, chrysanthemums, orchids, even cornflowers and camomiles figured prominently. However, everywhere it was to the place. For example, where camomiles - were right there represented the bees pollinating them where roses - the magnificent garden on which color parrots fly is right there represented and playful monkeys where edelweisses - high mountains with the rare vegetation and eagles soaring in height run.

  - Creator! - again did not stand Prinze. - Yes on one such window at you time a great lot left, probably!

  - Years one and a half not less - the Voice right there responded. - So far the image until I draw it until I pick up materials will ripen in the head …

  - And it was not boring for you?! It is made so much here!

  - You know if you have excess twenty thousand years of free time - I will look what you with it will do, - hooked its Voice.

  The prince scratched the top and gave a whistle - such figures did not find room in his head.

  - Even I do not know … Probably, I would bypass all lawns, a scaffold, the small river and Tselestiya's mountain and would get acquainted with all its inhabitants. To me not to make stained-glass windows is precisely … - but here the puzzled face of the Prince suddenly lit up - But I like to write down animals and landscapes on the memorable crystal, for me it …

  - … I know-know, - hasty interrupted its Voice. I studied all your memory thoroughly. You think, I would begin to show you all this if did not know that you are such …

  - What?

  He felt a light touch to a cheek again - as though some invisible hand touched it.

  - Such to what it is necessary! What silly questions are? Let's go, we a lot at what should look …

  But here the stomach at Prinze foully zaurchat. The sun already passed in a midday long ago, and he still had even not dinner. He did not manage to tell anything how the Invincible Sun already laughed:

  - Oh, sorry, I absolutely wore out you as a toy, and you had not dinner yet! And well we will go back in Emerald! I order to lay for you a table - we will have dinner!

  - And unless you … eat? - having with astonishment begun to clap eyelashes, Prinze asked.

  - Well, of course, is not present, the silly fellow! I will just sit with you for the company, I will feed you! - and again ringing of hand bells. And then something seized Prinze by a hand and dragged back, in the Emerald Hall.

  3.

  Really, in the Emerald Hall the long table which also entirely is poured out of gold which was laid by a golden silk cloth was already laid. Gold golems silently displayed the last dishes. The menu included only those dishes which were loved by Prinze - purely vegetarian food. There were also strawberry with cream, and fresh vegetables salads, and many other things, only the pink food was not.

  - Well as? - triumphantly asked the Voice.

  - You took my tastes from my memory, huh? too

  - Of course, and where still! I have no only pink food, do not judge too severely - pink clouds are even inaccessible for me.

  But Prinze was not upset at all. During excursion he fairly got hungry and now was ready to eat anything. But only it stretched to food as heard the Voice.

  - Hey, hey, wait, I want to feed you, I the Hostess, whether so here?

  And with these words one of the gold chairs decorated on a back with big emeralds itself "approached" Prinze and stopped nearby. The dish with strawberry rose in air and berries one by one began by itself to fly up in air.

  - And well, open a mouth, give, be not capricious! - melodiously the hand bell rang out.

  - What jokes such are? - he took offense. - Let's eat I as the normal person!

  - Well-well, give, be not capricious! I, maybe, want to feed you! And my will here the law, understood? Eventually, you are my first guest for twenty thousand years! So give - enjoy hospitality! - And with these words the Prince felt a burning touch to a cheek and a mouth, against his will again, itself opened. Then in it the solid portion of strawberry flew.

  - Well, here and well! Here and clear head! Gorge on, porosenochek! - metal hand bells rang out.

  The prince felt in idiotic situation, he wanted to take offense and spit out everything eaten. But for some reason it did not do it. No, not so much because of fear to contradict will of the imperious and powerful hostess, how many …

  - Listen, the Invincible Sun, - having hardly chewed a portion of some vegetables, Prinze asked, - and why you did not marry why you have no children?

  Again for some time the burdensome pause hung. And then suddenly in air the gold spoon flew up and slightly slapped Prinze on a forehead, the metal laughter was again distributed.

  - And you turn out not such prostachok as you seem! Nothing … all this is reparable … And now taste this fruit. It is ready to argue that you at all never ate it - it grows only in the Distant South. Especially for you they were brought by my gold servant.

  And from a gold dish quite big piece of the fleshy red fruit cut on part covered with a thin thin skin rose. It seemed, exotic fruit consisted of one red juice which impregnated pulp as water - a sponge. It flew up directly to Prinze's mouth and hardly got into it. Fragrant sweet juice and gentle pulp filled a mouth - fruit was really very tasty. At Prinze cheeks as at a hamster were inflated and the metal laughter deafened him.

  - Well, you are just some hamster! You would see yourself from outside! Well, you chew-chew better, and that you will choke still …

  … - So, has dinner? Well, everything, went further, and that to a decline we will not be in time.

  - And why to a decline?

  - Because after a decline at me for you - other program, that is why, - and again Prinze was hit a spoon on a forehead. - Went quickly until I started missing! Forward!

  This time their way lay in Library
.

  "What the vast object, the Creator is?!" - Prinze thought about himself.

  Height about the decent 10-storey house. Stilazhi, stilazh, stilazh … to the ceiling! Huge thick volumes - red, green, blue, black, yellow … The leather covers sheathed by gold plates and latches.

  - Really you read all this? I will not believe for anything! - asked, lifting up the head up, Prinze.

  - Of course. However … I do not need to read the book as to you. It is enough to me to look at the book, and I already see it through. You forget, the little man with Whom you deal! I am not a simple fairy, I am a representative and the ancestor of absolutely other race, race divine and perfect in every respect, I …

  But Prinze did not listen to its philosophical outpourings any more. Its voice sounded somewhere on the periphery of his consciousness. Prinze's attention was engrossed entirely by books. Removing them from shelves one for another and trying to understand at least according to the name what in it is written. Prinze was a big fan to esteem.

  Here, Prinze took one book in green cover. On a cover by gold letters it was written: "About transformations" and is slightly lower - "The master of a tranzitologiya, the fairy of the 3rd rank, the leading researcher of department No. 1-14".

  The prince opened the first page and tremblingly the neophyte aloud read the name of a subtitle: "How to turn a donkey into a goat". Point first. "Before being engaged in transformation of a donkey into a goat, it is necessary to answer a question as far as this transformation is actual from the point of view of the put fairy of a magic task …."

  "Well-at-at, it is not interesting, - Prinze thought, - and is farther that? Ah, here": "Draw a figure No. 1 (The appendix 15, p. 414) by means of make-shifts, then place object in the central sector of a figure (The appendix 16, p. 515). Mentally say a formula No. 5 (see the Appendix 27, on p. 577)".

  "Well, here", - Prinze thought, - "also the page needs to be looked for! Well, where it?"

  - I see, you were interested in magic, my Kind Prinze? - the metal voice was again distributed in the head. - Not strongly you were indulged it by your dear wife, isn't that so?

  The prince nearly burst from disappointment. The invincible Sun again unscrupulously uses his thoughts and memoirs! It became terribly offensive for it both for itself, and for the Fairy and the desire to read further at it absolutely was gone. He slammed the book and put it into place.

  - And I, by the way, - as if without noticing his indignation, continued the Invincible Sun, - unlike your envious wife, I can train you in magic. All these drawings, formulas, plots - all this yesterday. You will be able to make all this one movement of thought soon. And these fairies will never open anything for you because for them the magic is the power!

  - Lie! - did not stand Prinze. - Fairies are Keepers of our world! They use a magic power for maintenance in it About and Prosperity! They protect us from the evil!

  - Yes, yes, yes, of course, my dear! - and metal hand bells zadrebezzhat so that at Prinze ears ached. - Thirty years fed me with it at School of Fairies, gorged on to nausea! And tell me, my dear Prinze and why it do not teach magic people, time it is such useful? Well answer!

  - Well-at-at-at … - Prinze who if it is honest, and itself asked himself this question repeatedly hesitated. - We, people, live a little - it is necessary to study long! - he blurted out the first that came to mind.

  - But not you, Prinze, - parried the Invincible Sun with a jeer. - You were given the same life, as well as to fairies is time. And why, by the way, not to give the same eternal life and to other people who are not married to the fairy, how are you?

  The prince became silent and frowned. There was nothing to answer.

  - The same! - the Voice triumphed. - And I will answer you, and all these questions at once. Fairies simply need the power. Power over Tselestiya. Power unlimited and eternal. People are necessary to them - mortal and powerless that in comparison with them their eternal youth and unusual force especially was evident. To be such fantastic to "printsesska"! Ha, it is thought not bad up, the truth? And if they, for reproduction and entertainment take themselves, a two-three of hundreds of little men for several thousands of years, - the solar sorcerer continued. - That and them they do not let into the secrets, doing of them something average between drones in a beehive and the plush youngs of wild animal suitable only to lay tables yes slippers to a bed to bring. Unless not so, and, my dear happy Prinze?

  From the cruel words of the Invincible Sun sounding in the head, Prinze felt ill at ease. He wanted to clamp ears hands, to escape on the world's end, but knew that it is senseless. He could answer nothing to it … A drone … a plush young of wild animal … - was at Prinze at the tip of the tongue. The lump of offense rose to a throat, and hands instinctively clenched in fists.

  - But the Fairy loves me! - at last, did not sustain and Prinze cried at full blast. - I for it not a drone, not a toy, no! - And, having grabbed the first book, threw it into golden reflection in a mirror. The book deafly hit against metal and flew away aside, and reflection of the person in a mirror continued to laugh.

  - Love? Ha-ha-ha! And you think, fairies know what is love?! Ha-ha-ha! Well you also amused me! I do not regret now at all that I left you in live! Long ago I so had not fun, ha-ha-ha!

  - Stop, the Red Sun! The fairy saved me from death, the Fairy treated me, the Fairy felt sorry for me, the Fairy cared for me, the Fairy loves me!.

  - … The fairy uses you, the ninny! - sharply and imperiously tore off its Voice. - It is simply boring for it to sit in thousands of years in one place! Itself think, she should be engaged in something, the little fool. And similar to produce, executing immortal precepts of the three-headed Knowledge which got drunk with the power! And all of them such, all! People for them - that cattle for shepherds. And not only they are all inhabitants of this cranky world!

  - I do not want to listen to you any more! - Prinze cried and rushed from Library. It ran out through an open door on fresh air. This time already nobody interfered with it it to do.

  He reached the open area with which there was a surprising view of mountains, of the burning-down decline, and greedy swallowed of the invigorating mountain air. On Prinze's cheeks damp streams of tears, tears of offense and bitterness which it was a shame to him crept.

  - Do not worry, my lovely little prince, - already quietly said the Voice. - The truth always hurts the eyes. But the truth does us stronger, isn't it?

  - I do not trust you … - Prinze sobbed.

  - At last you grew wiser, Prinze! Means, not for nothing after all you came to be here, - triumphantly said the Voice. - You begin to understand that to what. I too the fairy, and I cannot be trusted too. Nobody can be trusted! All of us are sorcerers. The nature at us such - all to bewitch, - and hand bells rang out in ears again, but is already more reserved. - You mature, Prinze, and I am happy with you. You look, and you will become worthy Me the pupil, and, maybe, more … Well, time already you ran out outside itself, we will go we will look at my gardens now - I think, to you will be rather interesting.

  4.

  Gardens were really fantastically fine. They entirely consisted of the gold trees very similar to the presents. There were both peaches, and apple-trees, and pears, and cherry, and even palm trees … Leaves on trees - entirely silver, a grass - emerald, and flowers - ruby roses and sapphire cornflowers.

  - I specially removed such grades. Many experiments with magic - and very much were required, it is a lot of precious metals and stones, of course, - the Invincible Sun bragged again. - And roses and cornflowers - my favourite flowers as you, probably, guessed.

  The grass and leaves moved on wind as live. But the most surprising - they sang songs. And on branches singing birdies, multi-colored parrots and cheerful monkeys jumped. They were also made of gold, they had eyes from jewels. They cheerfully stirred, sang songs, and monkeys, in addition, hilariously squalled and played the friend with a druzhka in a game of tag.

  - I needed to w
ork much to program them on a spontaneity. The first samples at me just ran back and forth as stupid mechanical machines of dwarfs. And now they at me as live! By the way, my monkeys can even remember talk, execute commands, imitate and even to imitate as the real monkeys! Here, look!

  Suddenly one of monkeys came off on the path strewed with gold dust and writhed a hilarious mug. She opened a mouth, put out a tip of language, a vylupil of a glazishcha, approached a slow uncertain step, shuffling on a path, to the first floret and began to consider it with idiotic expression of an attractive face. At the same time it it is sluggish, drawlingly, sentenced the jingling voice: "a floret my pretty, let me tell you the fairy tale …"

  The invincible Sun roared with metal laughter again, but to Prinze had no time for fun. He even could not think what can look from outside such cretin.

  - Well, all right, all right, do not take offense, not such you are an idiot (new explosion of laughter)! Well, not the intellectual, of course, and not the king Roland … Though what prevents you them to become?

  - I am such what I am! - angrily Prinze cried. - And, by the way, my Fairy loves me it what I am! I am her husband, but not yours so leave the wishes at yourself, also as well as the artificial monkeys too!

  The prince was developed and a fast pace went back to the Tower. His patience burst! Mockeries of this Invincible Sun were simply intolerable. She one, another, nearly runs after it, derides it, represents from herself the hospitable hostess, the haughty empress. Bothered!

  But far from it! Pack of gold monkeys suddenly, with a wild loud laughter jumping from a branch on a branch, overtaking each other, blocked Prinze Road. And that monkey who derided it got up ahead of the others and, having fallen on knees before Prinze, began to wail a plaintive voice:

  - Oh, your Highness, forgive me, an unworthy monkey! - and plaintively raised a howl, kowtowing on the ground, and behind it and all pack, trying to grab sandals of the Prince and to kiss them.

  - I think, they are worthy forgiveness, isn't that so? - the derisive Voice was distributed behind. - What from them to take? They only monkeys, though gold.