Read Online Night Watch 05 - The New Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Sergei Lukyanenko
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can’t be a Mirror,’ said Gesar, shaking his head. ‘A Mirror Magician only rises up the levels in the course of combat with normal magicians. Have any of our Higher Magicians fought a Mirror?’
‘How about the Dark Ones?’ suggested Mark Emmanuilovich.
‘They only have one Higher Other in their Watch: Zabulon himself.’
‘What about Yury and Nikolai?’ asked Jermenson, raising his eyebrows in surprise.
‘Yury moved to Minsk seven years ago – his career prospects are better there,’ Gesar laughed. ‘And Nikolai is in the reserve, like you. For more than four years now. I don’t think he does anything very much, except go fishing on the Akhtuba . . .’
‘He still writes romance novels, under a female pseudonym,’ Olga put in.
‘Does he?’ asked Glyba, suddenly interested. ‘And what are they like?’
‘Quite readable,’ Olga said eagerly. ‘Especially—’
‘Quiet!’ said Gesar, tapping his finger on the table. The sound was surprisingly loud. He closed his eyes and sat for a few moments without speaking. ‘I’ve asked Zabulon to check on his Higher Ones in the reserve. But I’m assuming that none of them has fought with anyone. And why would a Mirror be killing Dark Ones? With the present balance of power, he should be killing us again!’
‘Then who?’ Jermenson asked, with a shrug. ‘If not a Mirror . . . one of the ancient magicians? There were Zero-Order Magicians among them . . . well . . . close to it, at least . . .’
‘Who and why?’ Gesar asked. ‘Most importantly – why? Why appear in Moscow in secret, do God only knows what to someone who just happens to cross your path . . . No, let’s consider other possibilities!’
‘Not a Mirror, and not a High . . . er, Zero-Order Magician that we don’t know about?’ asked Glyba.
‘What other possibilities can there be?’ said Svetlana, asking her first question. ‘I’m sorry, Boris Ignatievich, my borsch has been left half-cooked on the stove, Nadya was just doing her homework, then you dragged us over here . . . and, as far as I can see, you’re not even sure why!’
Gesar looked at me and said: ‘You have a go, Anton. What frightens you in all this?’
I thought for a minute before starting to answer.
‘A plane . . . a plane that should have crashed, but didn’t. A boy-Prophet who turned up so fortuitously right in front of my eyes. What he said . . . about me in the first instance. A policeman I ran into many years ago and who can now see Others, although he himself isn’t an Other. His partner, whose aura has disappeared and who couldn’t give a damn about anything any more. Some unknown individual, whom the policeman called a “tiger”. The fact that the two policemen described this unknown individual quite differently. The fact that a clairvoyant Higher Magician is unable to foresee events.’
‘But how can all that be interconnected?’
‘I don’t know,’ I said honestly.
‘And what exactly is it that frightens you? Surely not what was said about a “tiger”? This policeman of yours calls us “dogs” and the Dark Ones “wolves”.’
‘What frightens me is the intense concentration of strange elements,’ I said. ‘It all started this morning. Only eight and a half hours ago. There’s so much, and all at once!’
Gesar nodded. He seemed satisfied with what I’d said.
‘That’s right. Too many strange things. It can’t be a coincidence, so there must be a common reason. Can you suggest any possibilities?’
‘You’re just like Dr House, Boris Ignatievich,’ Svetlana said ironically.
‘What?’ asked Gesar – it was one of the rare occasions when I’d seen the boss bewildered. I don’t believe he ever had any interest in the cinema and all he watched on TV was the news and the figure skating, which he found attractive for some reason.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ said Svetlana. ‘Just this . . . famous doctor. He used to propose crazy theories to his junior colleagues,
‘How about the Dark Ones?’ suggested Mark Emmanuilovich.
‘They only have one Higher Other in their Watch: Zabulon himself.’
‘What about Yury and Nikolai?’ asked Jermenson, raising his eyebrows in surprise.
‘Yury moved to Minsk seven years ago – his career prospects are better there,’ Gesar laughed. ‘And Nikolai is in the reserve, like you. For more than four years now. I don’t think he does anything very much, except go fishing on the Akhtuba . . .’
‘He still writes romance novels, under a female pseudonym,’ Olga put in.
‘Does he?’ asked Glyba, suddenly interested. ‘And what are they like?’
‘Quite readable,’ Olga said eagerly. ‘Especially—’
‘Quiet!’ said Gesar, tapping his finger on the table. The sound was surprisingly loud. He closed his eyes and sat for a few moments without speaking. ‘I’ve asked Zabulon to check on his Higher Ones in the reserve. But I’m assuming that none of them has fought with anyone. And why would a Mirror be killing Dark Ones? With the present balance of power, he should be killing us again!’
‘Then who?’ Jermenson asked, with a shrug. ‘If not a Mirror . . . one of the ancient magicians? There were Zero-Order Magicians among them . . . well . . . close to it, at least . . .’
‘Who and why?’ Gesar asked. ‘Most importantly – why? Why appear in Moscow in secret, do God only knows what to someone who just happens to cross your path . . . No, let’s consider other possibilities!’
‘Not a Mirror, and not a High . . . er, Zero-Order Magician that we don’t know about?’ asked Glyba.
‘What other possibilities can there be?’ said Svetlana, asking her first question. ‘I’m sorry, Boris Ignatievich, my borsch has been left half-cooked on the stove, Nadya was just doing her homework, then you dragged us over here . . . and, as far as I can see, you’re not even sure why!’
Gesar looked at me and said: ‘You have a go, Anton. What frightens you in all this?’
I thought for a minute before starting to answer.
‘A plane . . . a plane that should have crashed, but didn’t. A boy-Prophet who turned up so fortuitously right in front of my eyes. What he said . . . about me in the first instance. A policeman I ran into many years ago and who can now see Others, although he himself isn’t an Other. His partner, whose aura has disappeared and who couldn’t give a damn about anything any more. Some unknown individual, whom the policeman called a “tiger”. The fact that the two policemen described this unknown individual quite differently. The fact that a clairvoyant Higher Magician is unable to foresee events.’
‘But how can all that be interconnected?’
‘I don’t know,’ I said honestly.
‘And what exactly is it that frightens you? Surely not what was said about a “tiger”? This policeman of yours calls us “dogs” and the Dark Ones “wolves”.’
‘What frightens me is the intense concentration of strange elements,’ I said. ‘It all started this morning. Only eight and a half hours ago. There’s so much, and all at once!’
Gesar nodded. He seemed satisfied with what I’d said.
‘That’s right. Too many strange things. It can’t be a coincidence, so there must be a common reason. Can you suggest any possibilities?’
‘You’re just like Dr House, Boris Ignatievich,’ Svetlana said ironically.
‘What?’ asked Gesar – it was one of the rare occasions when I’d seen the boss bewildered. I don’t believe he ever had any interest in the cinema and all he watched on TV was the news and the figure skating, which he found attractive for some reason.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ said Svetlana. ‘Just this . . . famous doctor. He used to propose crazy theories to his junior colleagues,
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