After returning to the hall of the ground storey Tim turned not toward the stairs as one could expect, but to the tunnel leading to the library. In principle he had desire to go to the toilet but not so strong that can't be tolerated. He was lucky – no one else concerned to acquire book wisdom immediately after the class.
This time it was much lighter in the library due to standing on the library desk a lamp in the shape of griffin holding in its paws bowl with flame inside. It seems the librarian guessed that not all disciples are able to see in the dark.
Luguk was the first to notice Tim's appearance, leaping from one of the shelves and nimbly climbing onto the library desk.
"Hello, Luguk! Do you recognize me?"
In return magical elemental stood up on its hind tentacles and lifted front ones up intertwining them above his head. It was very amused, and Tim, overwhelmed by emotions, offered the elemental small blue ball that had been found this morning on the way to the dining room. Luguk didn't reject the treat changing its color from pink to violet.
Apparently hearing Tim's voice the librarian (on the flying carpet again) appeared from the depths of the library hall.
"Do we have visitors, Luguk? Yes, I see. And if vision doesn't deceive me, this is the same youth that came here yesterday with a group of friends."
"Absolutely right," Tim confirmed.
"Have you really read everything and decided to take more?"
"Not really, Khalid-amga. Of course, I would take new books with pleasure, especially as we already had classes on Nature and Elemental magic. But firstly I would like to pose a few questions, answers on which are very important for me. Last evening I discovered that representatives of my folk hadn't been accepted into the school for a long time. Even worse, unlike the others I don't have innate magical gift! Probably there was some mistake and what should I do now? Who is in charge of the school enrolment? Why he decided of a sudden that I can study here? After all, sorcery is the same art as painting or singing, you can never become genius without talent, only capable mediocrity in the best case! Yes, I can memorize hundreds of the formulas, but what's the point if I can't put any of them into practice?"
The old man listened patiently to Tim's emotional speech without a single word or gesture expressing surprise or indignation.
"You've asked a lot of questions, and it won't be easy for me to give a short answer. So let's answer in order," he suggested. "What kind of people are you?"
"I am a human."
"Human. Hmmm...," the librarian's face grew troubled. "Indeed, during my work no one pupil of your race was here. However, I am working as a school librarian not so long, only seven years. But perhaps we can find the answer in the books! Wait a moment!"
And the flying carpet flew off into the darkness and was soon back again. In his hands Khalid-amga held a weighty reference book called 'The Inhabitants of the Magical Worlds'. He set it down on the desk and with a thoughtful expression began to turn over the pages, richly decorated with illustrations, mostly in black and white, but here and there tinted with mineral paints like umber, ochre, and ultramarine. Tim glimpsed a long line of creatures familiar to him from Earth books and movies (and now he had time to make the acquaintance of some of them): elves, dwarves, goblins, trolls, dragons, genies, pixies, treants, phoenixes, salamanders, sylphs. But many others he had seen for the first time and could only guess who they were and what they were called.
Having thumbed through to the last page, the librarian with a sigh put the reference book aside.
"Nothing about humans, alas. Therefore, your world is not one of the magical ones. But that's no cause for despair - the worlds of tylfings, lycoses, and gorgons are not magical either. Nevertheless, their inhabitants are regularly invited to school, and you've for sure met some of them. There was a tilting in your company yesterday, wasn't it? It would certainly be easier if someone made an atlas of all the worlds inhabited by sentient beings. Such an attempt was once made by the Honorable Nulham-amga, and he even went on a voyage for it, from which, alas, he never returned. Hopefully the work he lived for will sooner or later be completed by someone else. We, ngwares, are very fond of knowledge, for it is the only true value in the face of the inexorable time! That is why we are often invited to be their guardians and collectors. Most often our employers are lords who own their own castles, or temple priests, where a collection of ten or twenty folios is already proudly called a library. From this point of view I was exceptionally lucky - there are thousands, if not tens of thousands of manuscripts, no life is enough to read them all! I've only been able to read a very small fraction of them. Let's do this: come back here in three or four days, and I'll see if I can find any literature that mentions human beings."
Tim agreed breathing a sigh of relief - with so many books it would take a whole day to even look through the catalogs.
"As for your lack of the gift... usually apprentices have it before entering the school. But, probably, exceptions are possible. Our race isn't one of the magical ones, so it's hard for me to answer definitively. Perhaps one of the teachers will be more helpful than I am."
The thought of the teachers had already crossed Tim's mind, but here there was another difficulty - how to do it without being seen by his classmates? After all, when the class was over, the teachers immediately teleported, most likely to their apartments (which might be on the very third tier or even higher). Where else they might be found is unknown. It makes no sense to ask the dwarves about it - it wasn't for nothing that Rugud said that wizards' business don't concern him.
"But in any case, an apprentice incapable to master the sorcery could not come here," the librarian said solemnly. "Ixoar, a magical elemental like Luguk, but much more serious and powerful (the 'octopus' made an offended face - I also wasn't born yesterday), is strictly watching for that. When it's time to invite new pupils, the Principal gives the appropriate order and Ixoar sets off. Wandering between the worlds, he searches for children with abilities to magic. Then, when the necessary number of them have been recruited, he sends an invitation. Those who accept then find themselves here. You know that yourself, because there's no other way to come into the school!"
It's a pity, it is impossible to interrogate the elemental - it hardly can speak and in addition where it can be found? Although it finally would be clear why he was chosen, Tim thought.
"Could it accidentally made a mistake in its choice?"
"No way! Elementals don't have flaws and weaknesses, they cannot be intimidated, bribed, or deceived. And if he chooses you, it means that you have abilities for sorcery. You just need to discover them in yourself and learn how to use them properly."
"Thank you, you gave me a spark of hope! I will begin my training immediately. And I'll look again in a few days. And today I'd like to take some textbooks on Red and Green magic. Unfortunately, the teachers didn't tell which ones to get, but Master Saag-Kof said to ask in the library. Can you give me a hint?"
"Oh, of course. That's why we, librarians, exist. There are a good many tutorials, but you might be interested in the ones with simpler spells, right? Well, so be it. While I go get them, Luguk, find data card of this boy's card and write down in it: Alawiel, 'Marvelous Magic of the Living World', and Biisato, 'Who is the Lord of the Elements'."
The 'octopus' zealously set to work, and soon Tim had both textbooks in front of him. The textbook on elemental magic looked a lot like a children's pop-up book; it seemed to be intended for very young wizards, since the pictures took up most of the book. By contrast, in the textbook on Nature magic pictures were almost completely absent, only one per chapter. Anyway, he was old enough to look at pictures instead of studying, Tim thought prudently.
"Thank you very much! But I have one more little request. One of my friends, a drow, is very interested in the history of the origins of his people. He suspects that the official chronicles describe it, so to speak, not quite correctly."
"Serious interest for such a young age, however! Your friend undoubtedly has a very sharp and shrewd mind. But let him be careful - knowing the truth very often brings with it great trouble, and sometimes it costs one's head. If he manages to cope with them, while keeping the pursuit of truth, honor and praise to him! Fortunately, that's easier than in your case - there are plenty of books written by and about elves in the library, somewhere the truth is sure to be found! Here, for example, Raengor's work 'Biography of the folks inhabiting Gallaeri', written nearly a thousand years ago, but still actual because Raengor objectively described events and facts known to him. If it will not be sufficient there are other historical works. But before I give it to you, I'll check it!"
And putting the 'Biography' on the desk he gave a quick thumb through it.
"It seems to be all right, you can give it away!"
"What was the purpose of this inspection?" Tim wondered.
"Some old books can have curses on them. If you open it, you will, for example, sneeze for an hour. Or run to a toilet several times in a row. And that's the best case scenario! Fortunately, I'd never heard of a curse that killed on the spot, but occasions of insanity or lethargy took place. Alas, no one has invented yet the spell allowing to detect is a book cursed or not. And it is not always possible to remove a curse, sometimes only by burning. Which is very sad, because some books have left only in a single copy! But don't worry, only very small part of library literature is dangerous! Tutorials are absolutely safe and you may read them without worrying. But with books where really terrible sorcery was described you should keep your eyes opened! And if anything happens, run immediately to medical aid station, there you'll get help!"
"Thank you for the warning, we'll be careful!"
And, having said goodbye, Tim was about to leave, when two anzimars came into the library.
"We thought we'd be the first," said one of them cheerfully, turning to his companion.
"Never mind. Let's see what the others are going to read," the second anzimar literally snatched the books from Tim's hands. "Yeah, textbooks on Elemental and Nature magic. But why do you want to read about the history of elves?"
"For general development. I want to know who I am studying with."
"What a trash is interesting for you, however. You would have in addition a history of the tilfings! Yes, by the way, tell your horned buddy: let he don't hide and come to speak with us. Then no problem will be."
"What, I wonder, do you want to talk about?" Tim asked him sarcastically.
"Life, of course, what else is there to talk about with a tilfing?" anzimar smirked back. "You shouldn't have messed with him in the first place. Tilfings are devious, duplicitous creatures, who only pretend to be weak. They like to be a sad spectacle and to provoke compassion for themselves just waiting for the moment to swindle their well-doers out. As the saying goes, give them a finger and they bite out whole hand. If I were you, I'd stay away from him."
"It's my business," Tim said firmly taking his books back.
"Of course, each of us is free to make our own choices. But if it turns out to be wrong, what's the point of clinging to it? Isn't it better to turn right away in the right direction?"
"Germeht, look at the cool librarian here!" the other anzimar exclaimed pointing to Luguk.
-In fact I am the librarian," said Khalid-amga reproachfully. "And you, youngsters, should learn to be polite."
Tim took advantage of the moment and left the library with conflicting feelings. He had no sympathy for the fair-haired youths, but what if, for a moment, they were right? Ry-Bo wouldn't even think of writing down what the teachers were saying, and he hoped to copy it off him later. But why Tim must give his notes for copying? Let everyone work for himself. The kobold also characterized tilfings not in the best way. Maybe it's no coincidence that horned bipeds have a long history of dislike on Earth, populating places where they usually wish their sworn enemies to burn. After all, logically, there had to be some reason for it, right? It is unlikely that the tilfings ever inhabited Earth, but the sorcerers of ancient times may well have met them, and their impressions of such encounters were later couched in religious and mystical form. Had he really made a mistake in coming to the aid of Ri-Bo?
Voices in the distance distracted Tim from his thoughts. As Tim recall, his father once said: if you can't make the right decision, don't rush into one, wait a while. Then maybe it would come up on its own, or changed circumstances would spare you the need to make a choice. His mother advised to trust the heart in such situations. Tim did not dare to trust it too much - there were times when he had rushed to the aid of those who did not need it at all. Or rather, those who tried to use his impulse for their own, at times dubious, purposes. Well, there was no hurry. Caution would do no harm in any case.
He was in the hallway when he heard a call from his friends, who were on their way up the stairs from the dining room.
"Got you! Now we see in what toilet you have gone!" Naar-Tam livened up.
"And we thought you'd drowned there," Tiis-Mir added mockingly.
"By the way, Sir Pulsok was looking for you," Mez'A'Shib said quite seriously.
"What for?"
"He was angry and said you should be kicked out of the school."
"Me? But why?!?"
"Something like that because of you big troubles threaten all of us!"
Probably, Tim had so dumbfounded appearance that his friends unwittingly began to laugh.
"It didn't work, though," Ri-Bo said.
"What do you mean?"
"While dining we discussed how to help you to wake your gift. And we decided: you should be scared into grey hair! But probably we should choose another way for it."
"Well, at least not by beating my head with a brick," Tim grumbled. Friendly help undoubtedly is a good thing, but why tell the girls about his shortcoming? Even boys not always know how to keep a secret and girls all the more so. His mood was spoiled, fortunately not so strong to turn around and walk away.
"Probably for its awakening in humans not negative but positive emotions are needed," Chilajt assumed.
And she kissed Tim again.
"If it didn't work last time why now?" Tiis-Mir grinned. "I believe his gift will be liberated when he cast a spell essentially close to it."
"It would be nice to know from what field of magic my gift is," Tim slightly cheered up.
"Try everything, sooner or later you will succeed. By the by, we have developed your idea!"
Judging by their distended pockets the idea was developed to the fullest.
"We hadn't decided what to do with water, though," Mez'A'Shib sighed. "Setting off on a journey drowes usually take metal hip flasks but where get them here?"
"What if 'to borrow' a couple of flasks from the laboratory? There are a lot of them there, no one will become poor," Ri-Bo offered merrily.
"Glass things are breaking easily. I advise not to take chances."
"And if to make them from wood?"
"Light elves really use wood cans for transportation of liquids," Mez'A'Shib became thoughtful. "Unfortunately, I don't know the manufacturing technique."
"May be the dwarves have them?"
"Good idea! Dwarves also are using metal hip flasks!"
"Only without stealing!" Tim warned severely looking at the tilfing. "It's better to get it in exchange for the crystals. Of course, if dwarves are interested in them."
"Yes, for sure. Dwarves never pass up an opportunity to make a good deal. After all, the flasks we've been 'given' can be written off as obsolete and replaced with new ones."
"All right, let's do this. I personally can't offer more interesting options."
Ri-Bo volunteered to negotiate with the dwarves. Nobody objected, in the sphere of diplomacy he had no equal. After it the turn came to books from the library.
"These are the books that Khalid-amga recommended to me," Tim explained eagerly, handing the peirots a 'picture book' to look through, and Chilajt an essay on the magic of the living world.
"And this is for you," he handed the third book to Mez'A'Shib. "I hope you'll find what you're looking for in it."
"You took it for me??" the drow marveled. "And you ask nothing in return?"
"Only one thing: remember to return it when you've read it. Because it has been written on my name."
"And you should get used to the fact that friends aren't the ones who want something from you!" Naar-Tam added with a laugh.
"If so, thank you very much! I'll try not to keep it to myself for long."
"Your homeland is called Gallaeri?" Tiis-Mir looked up and read the title of the book.
"That's what the light elves call it. It's called Galarud by the dwarves, Guldur by the orcs, and Galhiri by the drowes. You can tell by that alone which nation the author belongs to. I hope he was objective enough, and the pages of his creation aren't filled with nothing but curses against the dark elves."
"And don't the drowes have books?"
"Alas, there is no truth in them at all. Mind you, the powers-that-be have always hated to read the truth about themselves, preferring flattering lies. And even less did they like those who wrote it. And who wants to put his head on an executioner's block?"
"Khalid-amga said there are plenty of books about elves in his establishment. I'm sure you'll learn things you never knew!"
"By the way, what about to walk in the library? We also need the textbooks!"
"Better not right now. After me a whole bunch of our classmates came there. You have to wait a long time for service."
Tim didn't mention about the anzimars – let it be later in private conversation with Ri-Bo.
"All right. Then let's scatter and reconvene before the Mind Magic class begins."