"This is all just a guess," Tim grinned skeptically as he listened to Mez'A'Shib's speculation. "Yes, some of the graduates wouldn't want to be here again for anything. Some of them, even if they want to, are not be able to. But surely there are some who are both willing and able. And since the school regularly receives boxes of all sorts of things, it means that the interspace portals are still functioning. But I've never seen or even heard of anyone using them to travel here."

"Maybe the guests prefer to keep a low profile. And if anyone is aware of their visits, it's the dwarves."

"Not at all. Through careful questioning, I found out that they're not allowed anywhere near the portals. No one but the goblin may enter the room where they are located. And whoever he wants to take with him, either Agyg or the ghosts. And only when it's all over, the dwarves are launched inside - to pick up delivered things and move them to the storeroom. If anyone arrives with them, he must remain invisible, otherwise he would be spotted. But why disguise yourself, returning to the school where you once learned the basics of sorcery?"

"It doesn't make sense," Mez'A'Shib agreed. "There's no one to make you go back to your desk. And the most powerful wizards don't need portals at all. All they have to do is to imagine a place where they want to go and they'll be there instantly. I've seen such tricks in Merzeran a few times myself. I don't know if it's possible to travel from planet to planet, but within your own world - no problem."

"Did any of those sorcerers study there?"

"Ask me something easier. I didn't learn about the world of Jelshakh until I got here, because it wasn't even mentioned in any of the books I'd read. And among the names of the drowes who had been in the dungeon before us, not one I knew."

"So either none of them became famous wizards, or they had some reason to hide where they'd been trained."

"If only... shh, someone's coming this way!"

Tim didn't hear the footsteps, but he reacted immediately by jumping up and opening the wardrobe doors.

"Get under the hanging clothes!"

Mez'A'Shib didn't have to beg twice. Just in time - Tim had barely locked him in there when there was a knock at the door. At first Tim had intended not to respond at all (he had every right to do so; his house is his castle), but the mysterious visitor was persistent. The knocking was repeated several times, and louder each time. Tim had to open the door, having made the bed a little disheveled beforehand. It was a hint that he was plucked from his sleep in the most unscrupulous way.

The uninvited guest was unexpectedly Zur'U'Fes, who had never before visited Tim, and somewhere in the distance a silhouette of one of the ghosts flashed by.

"Beg pardon," Zur'U'Fes attempted to put a friendly smile on his face, but it was awkward. "I'm looking for my friend Mez'A'Shib."

"Why should he be here?" Tim grumbled grudgingly, as if he'd really been pulled out of a dream.

"He's not in his room, and I thought he was headed this way."

At the same time, he tried to see if anyone else was in Tim's room. But Tim wasn't about to let him in, standing in the doorway and showing that he didn't want any guests at the moment.

"You won't find him here either."

"And he didn't even come in?"

"No."

When he was sure there was no way in, Zur'U'Fes took a step back.

"All right, then," he muttered through gritted teeth. And, turning around, he went on his way. Tim waited a moment before he freed Mez'A'Shib from the wardrobe captivity. The drow appeared to have heard the entire conversation.

"Thanks for not giving me away. He's no friend of mine, he's a disgraceful calhishch (Tim's mind formed an image of an unpleasant, hyena-like animal). Shin must have sent him! Apparently, this was her way of luring me into a trap."

"And she is using others for her own purposes again."

"Naturally, since I'm for her just trash under her feet, she won't go after me herself. But she for sure would participate in the 'upbringing process'. But I'll try not to give her such joy."

"Then let's do this," Tim said firmly. "Stay the night at my place. I've got a spare set of sheets. You'll have to put it on the floor, though."

"Well, you don't scare me with that," the drow smiled. "At home, my sisters from time to time locked me in the basement at night. For my upbringing, that's what they said. The Second Son sometimes sneaked me something to eat, but he had no power to release me."

"Don't worry, I have something to eat, and in the morning we'll go to breakfast together."

Tim wish Selkise wouldn't come in the middle of the night. It'd be a big surprise, for her and Mez'A'Shib simultaneously. It is unlikely that the drow would blab about it to anyone, but he might make the wrong conclusion. Then Tim have to prove, that she'd came by only to check on his well-being. But he wouldn't send Mez'A'Shib back to his room because of that, would he? That wouldn't be very friendly and if he fell into the clutches of the 'princess' and her henchmen... No, better let Selkise come, I'll manage somehow, Tim thought.

Luckily, no one else bothered them that night. Tim went to his bed, and Mez'A'Shib preferred to lie down on the balcony. Sleeping outdoors was something he'd enjoyed from the moment he'd arrived at the school, he said, since the drowes had no such pleasure in their dungeons. So he often slept in this manner if the weather was fine.

They were awakened in the morning by Naar-Tam, who didn't want to go to the dining room alone.

"Mez, are you here too?" he was surprised to find Tim with someone. "You've decided to come closer to us, haven't you?"

They'd considered asking their neighbor gaarsh to swap rooms with the drow a few days before, but decided to give up the idea - Ashshaat would surely be offended that he is forced to move all the time.

"He was being hunted by goblin henchmen, so I had to hide him," Tim explained.

"Indeed? Has Shin really decided to take revenge for her maid?"

"Probably. Zur tried to get in here, but I didn't let him do it."

"And rightly so! I didn't like him at first sight. By the way, how are you feeling today, can you make it to the dining room?"

"I'll try," and Tim carefully removed the bandage from his forehead. Nothing else reminded of what had happened except the crust of gelled blood. The crust should not be peeled off in any case, otherwise blood will flow again - he have to wait until a new skin is formed under it, only then he can get rid of the 'ornament' painlessly.

"And anyway, I didn't hurt myself that badly, just didn't fall too well," he couldn't resist bragging at the end.

"Well, then I'll call Ri-Bo, and let's go!"

At the exit of the tunnel their attention was drawn to a large piece of white paper pasted on the wall over the other writings. It turned out to be an official notice of the organization of the volunteer public order squad to assist the administration in keeping the school in order. Everyone else was instructed to assist the public order volunteers in this difficult task, not snap back if any of them makes a remark, and not to resist, if the volunteer decides to send you to the punishment cell.

"Yeah, shch-a-a-zzz!" Ri-Bo's attitude toward what he read was expressed in a savory spit that hit the center of the sheet. "Hope and wait!"

"Is that how you take orders from the administration?" a snide chuckle from behind him caused him to turn back.

It was Gan'I'Tar, whose appearance neither of them had noticed.

"Will you report us to the goblin?" Tim asked with a frown.

"Should I? So you think all dark elves are the same, too? But then why do I see one of them here?"

"He's our friend," Naar-Tam stood up for Mez'A'Shib.

"Sometimes it takes a long time to realize who's your friend and who only pretend to be him," Gan'I'Tar replied sadly and began the descent down the stairs without waiting for any reaction to her words.

The friends saw her off with puzzled glances and only then spoke.

"She's strange," Ri-Bo was the first to speak.

"You mean to say she is different from other drow girls," Mez'A'Shib corrected. "There's something peculiar about her, I agree, and not just the color of her skin (Gan'I'Tar's skin wasn't milky white like the other drowes, it was grayish in color). Alas, I know very little about her - she doesn't talk about herself, does not make friends with anyone. She seems to be from the Seventy-third House, but I don't know who she is there."

"Wait, didn't you say there were only fifty Houses in Merzeran?"

"Drowes live not only in Merzeran; there are also suburbs and outlying settlements. How many Houses there are, I think, is probably only known to the capital office, where they're registered."

"Hmm, with a House number like that, it would make sense for her, like Kakh and Nhel, to seek the 'princess's' favor."

"It's a mystery to me, too," Mez'A'Shib admitted. "She's not what you'd call a fool. She's more likely just weird. Though, on the other hand, it would be more profitable for me, too, to be friends with Shin than to conflict with her."

"Wait, but Dem'O'Sut isn't in her company either!"

"It's a different situation. Dem is the Younger Sister of the Twelfth House, which traditionally has good relations with the Second and Third Houses, and not so good relations with the Fifth and Eighth Houses. So it makes no sense for her to seek favor with the 'princess' - her own family would not appreciate such a thing."

"How complicated you all are!"

Steps were heard somewhere in the distance, and the friends, having ended the discussion, hurried toward the dining room where they had originally intended.

Gan'I'Tar wasn't there; she must have turned into the tunnel leading to the exit of the school. What would she be doing in the woods so early in the morning? It was certainly an interesting question, but they were far more concerned with a little refreshment to begin with. Then they could follow her example.

But when they were outside, Mez'A'Shib paused suddenly in thoughtfulness, then brightened as if he had forgotten something very important and then remembered.

"Oh, I've been meaning to show you a funny spell in action for a long time! Stay here while I make a quick run back to my place for getting my wand and come back!"

"Come on, don't be too long!"

He really wasn't going to be too long - he was in such a hurry that he didn't even notice the three vague shadows behind the "garden of stones". He only came to his senses when he was grabbed on both sides, forcing him to stop.

"Gotcha!" Kunfor exclaimed, holding his right hand.

"We mustn't lose him now, he's a nimble one," Hindag added on his left.

Mez'A'Shib did try to wriggle free, but they held him too tight.

"Don't fight, you'll only make it worse for yourself. Because we have the right to use force," Germeht laughed. "Did you read the announcement about organizing the volunteer public order squad? We are the same volunteers! You did not spend the night at your place? So you violated the Code of Conduct."

"And now you'll be punished for it!" Kunfor promised with a spiteful joy.

Another attempt to break free, and again to no avail. The anzimars had obviously prepared for the 'special operation' beforehand. Why did he need to take the wand out of the room? He had no intention of demonstrating any magic.

"Not here, take him upstairs," Germeht commanded.

After grabbing the prisoner more comfortably, the anzimars simply lifted him up by his armpits, no doubt using Super-strength, and marched him off in the direction they'd indicated. Mez'A'Shib, who had no intention of going there, had no choice but to call them bad names.

The Main Hall was already awaiting their arrival. Shin'Ye'Het was sitting in a chair, apparently brought from someone else's room, and the board with the names was hanging on the wall behind her. Kakh'I'Geg and Nhel'Yu'Min stood on either side of her, looking eager to be of service to the 'mistress'.

"That's it!" the 'convoys' reported cheerfully, tossing their prisoner to the floor in front of the 'throne'.

"He was violent and kept trying to kick me," Kunfor complained, looking for sympathy from those around him.

"Never mind, we've tamed worse," Shin'Ye'Het grinned ominously. "Ten lashes for starters. Kakh, did he insult you very badly in the dining room the other day? You have my permission to teach him a lesson for that."

"With pleasure!" and in Kakh'I'Geg's hand there was a homemade whip.

"Turn him and tilt him slightly," the 'princess' commanded again, and Mez'A'Shib felt the stinging sensation in his lower back. A sensation experienced many times in his own House, and here again! And from whom! From a snotty schoolmate! He twisted and tried to kick her, but missed. And his annoyance he expressed in the wish to all present to become the food for shuurkhi - underground rodent corpse-eaters.

"Put some kind of gag on him, so he won't defile my ears with such expressions," the 'princess' pouted capriciously. And Germeht, clasping Mez'A'Shib's nose with one hand, shoved his handkerchief into his mouth with the other.

"When it's needed, you'll get it out. And you, Kakh, carry on. If he starts kicking again, we'll increase the dose. Nhel, you want to play with the whip too, don't you?"

"Aye," Nhel'Yu'Min cheerfully confirmed. "I can whip harder than Kakh!"

"We'll see. We have a lot of work to do in the near future. It's unfortunate that there are a lot of people here who have no idea what good manners are. Kakh, are you done? Then let's see how far this one has been reeducated. Turn him to face me and take the rag out of his mouth. Come on, answer me: have you got it all? If so, here's my hand for you to kiss."

"Should I also kiss your ass?"

"What?!?" coming to her senses Shin'Ye'Het slapped Mez'A'Shib with a full blow, making him taste his own blood in his mouth.

"Shut him up and turn him back. Nhel, it's your turn to show us your skills."

Nhel'Yu'Min didn't have to beg twice - she hit so hard that the whip broke in half.

"You can't be trusted with anything! You've got to be more careful!"

"Don't worry, we'll make a new whip, stronger than the previous one," Germeht reassured the 'princess'. "So that with one blow the spirit is gone at once."

"The purpose of our squad is to educate, not to kill," Shin'Ye'Het said pompously. "Only if we get a really hopeless case, then we'll think about it. Give this one a good shake, then let him answer whether he wants to live in the school the good way or the bad way."

The response was to spit bloody saliva right at her feet.

"Serious case," Shin'Ye'Het grimaced. "Well, we had more complicated cases in my House. Take him to the stairs, give him a good kick in the butt, and let him cartwheel all the way to the first tier. And then put him in punishment cell for a day, without food or water. You'll see, tomorrow he'll be less active. Sooner or later the moment will come when he will ask for forgiveness, crawling on his belly in front of me."

With a chuckle from Kakh'I'Geg and Nhel'Yu'Min, the anzimars dragged Mez'A'Shib to the stairs, where Germeht enforced the 'princess's' orders. It was crooked - he hit the drow in the side, and Mez'A'Shib jumped up and raced down.

"Grab him and drag straight to the punishment cell!" Germeht shouted, turning to his fellows.

Hindag was the first to catch up with Mez'A'Shib and knock him out with a powerful punch. Kunfor was next and kicked him in the ribs. Then, with both hands, they dragged the sluggishly fighting back drow toward the punishment cell.

"Hey, what are you doing?"Patpako, who happened to be standing nearby, stared in astonishment.

"None of your business. And anyway, get out of here, nerd, and keep your mouth shut, or you'll go there too," promised Germeht in a threatening tone.

But the yusme, though he was a slightly odd, had the right idea this time. He rushed to his compartment and summoned his neighbors. Shugiz was the fastest to react to the message, arriving on the 'battlefield' in a minute. He wasted no time and pushed Germeht toward the 'convoys', knocking him and the rest of the group to the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Germeht wailed, jumping to his feet.

"And you? Where are you taking Mez and why?"

"You'll find out now. Do your job, I'll be with you in a minute!"

The last, of course, referred to Hindag and Kunfor. But then Gillmir arrived, followed by Gook-Luk and Miinash. Mez'A'Shib took advantage of the delay to elbow Hindag in the solar plexus. But he couldn't break free, for Kunfor took him by the throat with his other hand and began to choke him.

"Are you mad???" Gook-Luk shrieked at the top of her voice.

"We, volunteer public order squad members, have the right to arrest anyone who resists," Germeht growled, brushing the orc aside somehow.

"You don't!" making a deceptive move with his right hand, Shugiz struck with his left. Anzimar didn't have time to dodge this time, and the orc's fist hit him square in the cheekbone.

"Stop! Somebody break them up!!" Gook-Luk screamed so loudly that she could be heard on every tier.

Miinash also contributed to the situation with an unnaturally high-pitched screech that left everyone who heard it clammering in their ears and darkening in their eyes. It was the Dragon's Roar, a magical gift inherent in many gaarshes. Germeht and Shugiz grabbed their heads as they stopped fighting, and so did Hindag and Kunfor, unintentionally releasing their captive. Mez'A'Shib would gladly have taken advantage of that, but he too had to come to his senses first.

The noise of the battle attracted the attention of Shin'Ye'Het and her 'maids', who had by then left the Main Hall. Careful not to be seen, they looked down through the railing.

"Nothing can be trusted with males," Shin'Ye'Het whispered, her lip tugging back contemptuously. "You always have to finish everything after them."

She took a miniature platinum whistle out of her pocket and held it to her lips. It made no sound, but a ghost materialized nearby in an instant.

"There is a riot at the school, an attack on the members of volunteer public order squad, including the use of magic. Those over there," she pointed a finger in turn, "are to be arrested and sent to the punishment cells. And then you must report it back to Sir Pulsok."

"And we'll wait here until this is over," she smiled beamingly at her 'maids'. "We don't need to be noticed."