During the ten minutes I spent on the second floor, rushing from corner to corner, my anger and resentment only increased. After all, I had already believed that I had found a new home, that I would be able to settle in, to fit into society, to find myself. I admit that I was proud of myself, that I, such a dweeb, big uncles ask (!) To help and themselves come for advice, invite me to a meeting. And suddenly I was sharply poked my face on the table, like some puppy in a puddle full of it.
- Urrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! - I almost growled, then quickly went down to the street, calling for Samurai, Crawfish, and Arachnid. The others, including the Tin Man, whom I had taken when I left Boris Mikhailovich's yard, stayed behind to guard my things.
Under dozens of perplexed stares, I walked through the village, heading for the hill where the strangers were camped. On the spear of the six-legged golem, heel turned toward the sky and blade down, was a white T-shirt from my supplies.
They let me in almost to the line of makeshift slingshots, with which the strangers had girded themselves on all sides and continued to build up their defensive line.
- Stop, that's as far as they would let me go! I'll shoot! - shouted from a trench, covered with pieces of turf like bricks on three sides.
- I am standing! I am in peace!
- Then why did you bring these men with you?
- For the impressiveness of my intentions! So that you don't accidentally tremble at the sight of a lonely traveler!
- I'd sooner have a wince at them!
I slapped the samurai's rectangular shoulder shield and uttered:
- Do you think he could be hurt by a bullet?
While we were chatting, Crawler managed to sneak into the camp and hide near the cesspool, disguised as an earth pile.
- Here, I'll check it out.
- Don't you think you ought to? I want to talk to your commanders, discuss the problem of conflict with the settlers.
- Now the commanders will come here themselves," they promised me. - Stay there and don't you move!
- Be polite, or else I'll get you buried in your foxhole. And believe me, even if I took a bullet, it wouldn't stop my guards from turning the place upside down.
Only five minutes later two men came out to me. One was in a police field uniform with the stars of a senior lieutenant, the other wore a roomy shirt and military-style pants. Both had guns - a pistol on the cop and a short Kalashnikov on the civilian. Both were no older than twenty-seven.
- Couldn't they have sent anyone older? - The officer inquired.
- No one wants to come to you, and me and your mage have something in common.
- What is that? - he wondered.
- Magic.
- Ahem," his companion involuntarily jerked his pistol up, the barrel held in the ground at his hip. - I see. All right, let's go, but leave them here so they don't scare the people.
- Whatever you say," I said in an easy way. - I don't care whether they're behind the wall or within a hundred yards, they'll be no less dangerous.
- You scare me? - The civilian squinted.
- I'm warning you.
Damn, what is this sudden fashion to probe everybody, and show your haughtiness? I'm pretty good with my own bravado, though, but it don't matter.
Accompanied or escorted, I reached the large tent, made of poles and wrapped in a damp, dark green film. It was exactly the same, but gray, I had bought for the roof of the terrace under the roofing iron.
In the hut lay a young guy, about three years older than me, in shorts, barefoot and with his left side of his chest and right palm bandaged. Next to him on his lap sat a girl with short-cropped brown hair, about my age.
- Here, a colleague came to see you from those jerks from the village," - said the policeman.
The bandaged man rose on his right elbow and grimaced.
- The magician? - he asked.
- A magician.
- What can you do?
- Well, I can't cure, that's another thing we have in the village. I wish someone would cure him- he's been working too hard, poor fellow, he's unconscious now.
- A healer? At your place? Hm, funny... but don't go away from the subject. What can you do?
Should I tell you or not? What's the point of keeping it a secret?
- I can build golems.