‘Bravo,’ said Gesar in a strange, squeaky voice. ‘Well done, Anton. It didn’t work, but it was a good try. But why didn’t you tell anyone who Rogoza was?’
‘Why didn’t you tell anyone, Boris Ignatievich?’ Anton asked, raising his head. ‘Or are you trying to tell me it wasn’t you who led the investigation into what happened in Kiev in October 1906? Or is one lousy century too much for your memory? The entire situation was a perfect parallel! A Vladimir Sobolev came to Kiev from Poltava and registered with the Night Watch. He was later found at the scene of the murder of a young streetwalker, where there were clear signs of vampirism, then he was caught near where a witches’ coven was dispersed.’
‘What did I summon you for?’ Gesar asked in a very loud, indignant voice. ‘To question you about the dubious circumstances of your relations with Dark Ones or to hear you accusing me?’
‘You summoned me, Boris Ignatievich, to have a drink of beer with me. And to ask me to do something for you.’
Gesar started breathing heavily. Then he shook his head:
‘No, I’m not going to ask. I still have the right to order you.’
‘Go ahead,’ Anton said, pleased. ‘I won’t argue, I’ll carry out my orders. Right down the line. Only that’s not what you want, is it? An obedient agent without any initiative?’
Gesar shrugged.
‘All right. You win. I want to ask you to do something for me, Anton.’
‘First answer me … about the Mirror.’
‘Then listen. Mirrors have appeared nine times before – if we take just the documented and proven instances. Only two of them have been on our side. The last three appearances of a Mirror have been on the side of the Dark Ones, every time in a place where the forces of Light have had a significant advantage and plans were being made for … for a large-scale operation of some kind. It’s impossible to fight a Mirror, he beats off any magical attack by rising to the level of his enemy and defends himself against ordinary attacks by using magical means. All you can do is choose who to sacrifice – a dozen of the rank-and-file magicians or one of the Great Ones.’
‘And you decided to let him have Tiger Cub and Svetlana.’
‘I didn’t decide any such thing. In the first place, until Tiger Cub was killed I wasn’t even sure that what we were facing really was a Mirror.’ Gesar smashed his fist down on the desk, spilling the beer. ‘And nobody was supposed to die. It was all supposed to end with Rogoza being captured – which would have meant he wasn’t a Mirror at all, just an ordinary visiting emissary – or with us retreating. I didn’t expect Tiger Cub to blow her top like that!’
‘She was a very impulsive girl.’
‘No, Anton. You’re wrong. She was an energetic, impulsive Other, but she had excellent self-control. And this outburst of hers …’ Gesar paused. ‘It seems like I underestimated her feelings for Andrei Tiunnikov.’
‘They’d been seeing each other a lot just recently,’ Anton admitted. ‘He even went to her place out in the country, and Tiger Cub was very fond of her privacy. And when Andrei … well, just why did he go into Rogoza’s room?’
‘To show off to Tiger Cub.’ Gesar sighed. ‘Ah, you boys and girls, still green, boasting to each other, showing off your magic, your battle scars, talismans and amulets … why is there so much human stupidity in all of you?’
‘Because we are people. People who are Others, but still people. And we don’t become true Others straight away.’
Gesar nodded:
‘You’re right again, Anton. You have to live an entire human life, eighty years or a hundred, lose your family and all your human loved ones, see how ridiculous the politicians are, building their empires to last a thousand years, and the philosophers, creating their eternal truths for one or two generations … that’s when you become an Other. But while you live your first, human life, you’re still a human being. Even if you can enter the Twilight, cast spells and read the reality lines, you’re still a human being, Anton. And so is Svetlana. And Tiger Cub and Andrei were human beings. And your human side is where the Darkness catches you out. Your weaknesses, your emotions.’
‘Is love really a weakness?’
‘If you have love in you, it’s a strength. But if you are in love, it’s a weakness.’
‘We can’t do it any other way yet.’
‘Yes you can, Anton. It’s hard for you, but you can.’ Gesar looked into his eyes. ‘Well, are you still angry with me?’
‘No. I believe you tried … your best.’
‘Yes, I tried. And I pulled it off – that’s the amazing thing.’
‘Tiger Cub and Andrei dead, Svetlana powerless – and you say you pulled it off?’ Anton exclaimed indignantly.
‘Yes. Because all the other options were far worse. And surprising as it may seem, what’s happened doesn’t simply play into the hands of Zabulon and his mangy curs.’
Gesar smiled. A cold, ironic smile. A very disturbing, suggestive smile.
‘That still won’t do Svetlana any good …’ Anton began. Then he stopped, because Gesar shook his head:
‘It’s not finished yet, Anton. In fact, it’s only just begun.’
The chief of the Night Watch poured them each a second mug of beer, took a sip and leaned back in his armchair.
‘Boris Ignatievich …’
‘Anton, I understand everything. You’re tired. I’m tired too, we’re all tired, we’re full of bitterness, pain, anguish. But we’re at war, and this war’s a very long way from over yet. If you want to withdraw from it – then go. Live as an ordinary Light One. But while you’re in the Watch … you are in the Watch, Anton?’
‘Yes!’
‘Well, that’s excellent. Do you like the beer?’
‘Yes,’ Anton muttered.
‘Well, that’s excellent too. Because you’re flying to the homeland of this wonderful drink. To Prague.’
‘When?’ Anton asked stupidly.
‘Tomorrow morning. Or rather, afternoon, the morning flight will be postponed until six in the evening and you’ll take another flight with a stopover in Prague.’
‘Why?’
‘You know that the European Office of the Inquisition has moved from Berne to Prague?’
‘Yes, of course. Because of Fáfnir’s Talon, the artefact that those idiots stole.’
‘Precisely But even without that the Inquisition has a tradition of changing its location every fifty or a hundred years, and it was a very serious embarrassment for the Berne Watches. Anyway, they’ve settled in now and finally got round to considering our case.’
‘So that’s why I got this present … Igor?’
‘Yes. He’s already there. We’ve lodged an official complaint, claiming that the Dark Ones organised a deliberate provocation and Alisa Donnikova enchanted Igor, which was the reason for his nervous breakdown … and … that unfortunate incident in which a boy drowned. The Dark Ones, of course, are claiming that Igor enchanted Alisa in an attempt to recruit her to our side.’
Andrei snorted at the absurdity of the accusation – recruiting a witch! As if a Dark One could ever stop being Dark. Frighten her, force her to collaborate, bribe her or blackmail her – all that was possible. But to recruit a witch …
‘Well then, the Tribunal will decide who was to blame and what degree of responsibility Igor bears. The lad challenged Alisa to an officially registered duel, so the Watch has nothing to answer for. But if the Inquisition accuses him of exceeding the limits of force required for self-defence or of deliberate provocation – there’s only one outcome for him. Into the Twilight. He’s only half-alive as it is … and he doesn’t even seem to want to fight. But we need Igor, Anton. You have no idea just how badly we need him!’