Once again, as on the day they arrived at the school, the entire class is here, and so are the teachers. To create a festive atmosphere, they are surrounded by the grand illusion of being inside an ancient knight's castle. Despite the sunny day, there is semi-darkness all around: the only sources of light are torches on the walls and a huge hanging chandelier with candles under the ceiling. The tables are covered with heavy cloth tablecloths, and the ghosts lined up along the columns pretend to be court servants, ready to serve 'dear guests' at the first call. At first Tim was slightly dumbfounded - did they really know the history of the terrestrial Middle Ages so well here on Jelshakh? Then the realization came: just like on the minus third tier, the illusion had taken a more familiar form; his alien friends were now seeing something else. But he had no time to ask about it, for Sir Pulsok took the floor.
"So, after only two months, we're all here again - this time to celebrate the New Year!"
There are other differences from that day- instead of Chilajt and Ri-Bo, Naar-Tam and Mez'A'Shib are now at the same table with him. The tilfing explained his refusal to join them by the fact that he had been invited by his countrywomen and he couldn't refuse. Maybe he didn't mean to be with the friends - he had been getting a little strange lately. He claimed he'd run away from the anzimars and hid from them in a tree for a long time. And he didn't hear any voices calling his name.
By skillfully mixing truth and fiction, he had no trouble convincing the others of this, but how could he fool himself? So he didn't turn down Za-Zu and Zhu-Fi's offer to celebrate the new year with them. And while Tim and Mez'A'Shib were sympathetic to it, though not without regret, Naar-Tam was slightly offended - fellow countrymen wanted him at their table too, but he preferred the company of his friends!
Ri-Bo himself had other things on his mind at the time. The day before, the same elusive artist had painted another caricature on the wall, this time of Germeht. Soon afterward, Zur'U'Fes had paid a visit, and had instructed him to speed up and identify the 'saboteur' within the next ten days. It is easy to say, but not easy to do - he could not be stuck in the hall of the first tier all day and night long, waiting for the lover of the 'daub'! Which won't paint in his presence, of course. There's nowhere to hide in the hall, unless you become invisible... not a bad idea, but how to guess the right moment? Otherwise, the spell will go to waste, because its duration is not too long. Ri-Bo tried to ask around, but no one knew anything, and even if they did, they were silent. And if he didn't come up with something good in the next few days, he would be severely punished - the anzimars would try.
It was clear that with such thoughts there was no fun to be had, and his friends, noticing his condition, would ask him a lot of questions. What others would think of his sour face, he did not care - and in vain, for Za-Zu immediately inquired what was wrong with him. He had to make excuses complaining about sleepless nights filled with study and meditations. Za-Zu twiddled her thumb at her temple, but asked no further questions.
Mez'A'Shib's mood was also far from cloudless. On that day he had to spend the longest time in the punishment cell - Shugiz and Miinash had already been released, but he continued to be locked up. At the very end, Shin'Ye'Het and her "maids" showed up and urged him to think again about his behavior.
"I'll give you one last chance, you jerk," she declared, looking down on him arrogantly. "Either within the next month you'll come to your senses and give me your oath of allegiance, or your life at school will become a series of endless solitary confinement and community service, the dirtiest and most disgraceful of all. But don't dream that your misery will be over when you leave school. When I return to Merzeran - you don't expect to be there before me, do you? - I'll do my best to buy you. Your House is not very rich, and for a hefty purse of gold it will be glad to get rid of the Third Son. Then, when I grow weary of bringing you up, I will hand you over to the orcs of the Broken Spear clan. How long do you think you'll live after that?"
It was only with great effort that Mez'A'Shib was able to remain calm. The orcs of the Broken Spear clan lived in the foothills, perilously close to the dungeons inhabited by drowes. Through a system of underground passages drowes from time to time came to the surface to raid nearby settlements seeking to capture as many prisoners as possible - orcish slaves, strong and hardy, were highly prized in the slave markets of Merzeran. But if the inhabitants of the settlement succeeded in fighting back, a horrible and painful death awaited their attackers. And it was unlikely that they would make an exception for him, for dark elves were too much disliked by the orcs of the Broken Spear clan.
He did not respond to the threat, but he sat in deep thought for a long time afterward. There is no doubt that the 'princess' will try to carry out her threat. And this puts him before a hard choice: submit or remain himself. Of course, no one would condemn him if he backed down in such a situation. And from most drowes point of view, that's exactly what he should do. But, he thought to himself, if he do that, he will never see Free Town. So he would have to summon up the willpower in his fist and come out of this ordeal with honor. Yes, Shin'Ye'Het will almost certainly return before he does. But she won't do anything about it until his returning - what's the point of taunting a doppelganger who doesn't even know why he's being punished? It means he'll have a time before the First Daughter of the Fifth House learns of his return. In that time he must leave the capital and get as far away from the mountains as possible. He had no doubt there would be a chase, knowing the vengeful nature of such 'princesses'. Never mind, with the help of magic he would learn here, and the vials of useful potions he would buy from the kobold, he'll have a chance. Just don't get in trouble with the doppelganger - for some reason Tim is sincerely convinced that they are dangerous, though he has not brought any evidence to prove his point. Perhaps humans are inherently overly suspicious. Drowes, however, also do not suffer from excessive trustworthiness, so he shared in something his friend from Earth's doubts, but wanted to find real proof of them.
Tim was also concerned, though less than Ri-Bo and Mez'A'Shib - his gift stubbornly refused to awaken despite his best efforts. However, the day before he had decided not to spoil the holiday with sad thoughts, so now he concentrated on choosing food for himself and his friends, and at the same time watching the rest of the party. Now that they have had time to get to know each other, they were seated at the tables accordingly. The anzimars, of course, were seated apart from the others - all except Virda, who had accepted the gorgon's invitation to keep them company. Both Chilajt and Mikpir had goggles on their noses that resembled scuba goggles - now they could see everything in full bloom. Tim had talked to the dwarves about it a month ago; as it turned out, he wasn't the first to think of such an idea, so a whole batch of goggles had been brought to the school in due course. The joy of the gorgons when he informed them of this was boundless. Even if it is not too comfortable to wear them all the time, they are such trifles compared to the opportunity to enjoy the colors of the world!
The 'princess' and her 'entourage' are seated separately, too, and right across from the teachers. Zur'U'Fes tried to join them, but he wasn't very politely asked to find another seat, and he had to make do with the company of the gaarshes.
"No doubt in the coming year you will please your teachers with unprecedented successes! In addition," here Sir Pulsok made a theatrical pause, "very soon the tournaments will begin, where you will be able to demonstrate all the power of your magic! And, I believe, even before their completion many of you will successfully complete your training!"
His last words were drowned in the thunder of applause. Who of schoolchildren wouldn't want to graduate as soon as possible? But Tim, clapping his hands a couple of times for propriety's sake, thought a little. The information, that Mez'A'Shib had obtained, confirmed: for some reason their education will be accelerated. Judging by the whispering among their teachers, they weren't too keen on the idea either. But there was no overt objection, and the goblin, with a wry grin, half bowed and sat back in his seat.
And the feast began - the kitchen magic worked at full power again. Tim, without thinking twice, wished for the tastiest cake of all those he had ever had on Earth, and he got it right away - a huge one, weighing about a kilogram and a half. Next came a salad bowl, filled to the brim with the salad that his family traditionally cooked on New Year's Eve. Of course, it was not just for him, but for his friends as well. Even if he was very hungry, he couldn't eat that much on his own. Mez'A'Shib and Naar-Tam decided to keep up, and as a result the whole table was full of plates, cups and glasses. Tim had eaten some of their food before, like roasted nuts fuh-nuf, that are very popular on Olmari, or the sliced smoked meat of the oryepixes - lizards that abound in the depths of Galhiri. The cake was to the liking of the peirot and the drow, but the salad was not. Naar-Tam found it sour a bit, and Mez'A'Shibu found it too bitter. Tim couldn't appreciate some masterpieces of alien cooking, either: the rough balls of ayuplitn, which looked like jelly beans, had no flavor at all - as if he was chewing limestone.
The illusion around them, meanwhile, gradually began to change - the ceiling and walls became translucent and finally disappeared altogether. Now a starry sky stretched over them, and the landscape resembled that of the moon, just as Tim had seen it in the book 'Amusing Astronomy': debris, potholes left by meteorites, jagged edges of craters and rocky ledges. The ghosts slowly transformed into 'gray men', and somewhere in the distance there was their 'flying saucer'.
Now Tim couldn't resist questioning his friends about their visions. As it turned out, the eternally snow-covered Took-Sloor mountains appeared before Naar-Tam, the home of the Water Lord in his icy form, where is too cold even for yusmes, and few of the peirots could boast to have ever been there. And according to Mez'A'Shib, all of them were inside a cave - an unusual cave, as if carved inside a giant tree. Tim couldn't imagine a tree of that size - even a giant baobab couldn't hold them all. But that's what illusions are, you can't believe them.
Toward the end of the party, when everyone's spirits had risen and even those who had initially frowned were smiling, Shin'Ye'Het got up from her seat and walked directly to the teachers. The noise in the dining room subsided instantly, all heads turned in her direction. Probably, as long as the teachers are kind, she'd ask for a few points for her 'community service' in the form of membership in the squad, Tim thought, but he was wrong. Or rather, wrong in purpose, but not in intention - the 'princess' really wanted a gift, but prudently decided to ask for everyone. She secretly hoped that she would get the best one.
"Dear Masters, you have my deepest respect!" she began, smiling slyly. "In our country there is a wonderful tradition to give the New Year gifts to children. And for this purpose Joz-Keragg comes to them. But we probably won't see him here..."
She sighed affectedly and fluttered her eyelashes coquettishly. Tim and Naar-Tam looked at each other and turned to Mez'A'Shib for clarification.
"Joz-Keragg is a fairy tale character who comes to children on the last day of the year," the drow said without much enthusiasm. "He's usually the Father of one of the friendly Houses. He's appropriately dressed, black sack behind his back, and right from the threshold asks: are there any children here? As if he doesn't know! If you go up to him, he'll give you a present. But not necessarily the one you wanted, sometimes it's even mocking: you get a box of sweets, you open it, and there are just empty wrappers inside. And everyone laughs at you. And if for a year you have, in his opinion, behaved badly, he can turn your back and give you a good kicking. I've been hit like that a couple of times, even though I didn't do anything wrong. I guess my parents tell him in advance who must get a better gift, who a worse one, and who'll get his ass kicked."
"I'll give it to him myself then!" Naar-Tam got heated. "Making fun of children is the last thing to do!"
Tim was silent. Even on Earth Santa Claus wasn't always kind, in the old days he could have left children without presents or even flogged them, or, in the worst cases, put them in a sack and taken away with him. It would be nice if he would have taken Shin'Ye'Het away, Tim thought. And the anzimars as well, even with the table they sit at. Hardly anyone would feel sorry for them. Alas, that is only possible in a fairy tale. Now someone from the Masters will say the same thing about Joz-Keragg, adding - they've already had their feast for the day. Well, maybe a couple of points for her as a consolation prize.
However, Tim was wrong again.
"So you want to see Joz-Keragg?" Master Ven'A'Sash asked, smiling venomously. "The real Joz-Keragg? So be it. But if anyone is dissatisfied, let him blame himself!"
She drew a mysterious symbol in the air with her wand, and with a loud pop the odd-looking creature - with the big bright red mouth, the cap with three pompoms on top, the pale green gloves on his hands, the old-fashioned, in lilac and pink stripes, suit, and with the big black sack Mez'A'Shib had mentioned behind his back, - emerged next to her.
"Jo-ho-ho! So many children here!" the creature shrieked in a shrill voice as it materialized completely. "And all of them want something from me! Then let's not keep them waiting!"
And with a dancelike step he headed toward Shin'Ye'Het, who was the closest to him. The dining room froze in anticipation.
"What can I see?" Joz-Keragg splashed his hands. "I was beaten to the punch! You've already got the gift which now in your ears! That's why you won't get anything else!"
He flicked her nose mockingly with his finger. The eyes of a 'princess' lit up with anger, and if there weren't any teachers around, someone would have been in a lot of trouble. The creature couldn't have cared less about her emotions, though, for it was already standing beside Kakh'I'Geg.
"And you must like candy," his mouth stretched almost to his ears. "Here's some candy for you!"
Kakh'I'Geg didn't think long before she unwrapped the wrapper and the sand spilled out from underneath.
"Ew, that's disgusting!" she squeamishly exclaimed, throwing the 'candy' on the floor. "I don't want it!"
"You know," Master Ven'A'Sash said coldly, "that the gifts of Joz-Keragg are not to be refused. Not unless you want to get yourself into a lot of trouble."
Kakh'I'Geg had to be silent and pick up the wrapper from the floor, from under which almost all the sand had spilled out. In the meantime, Joz-Keragg shifted to Nhel'Yu'Min.
"You like to hurt, don't you?" he whispered in her ear. "Then this is for you. But remember, it's impossible to break the butt end with a lash!"
In her hands was a three-tailed whip woven from multicolored fibers. But as soon as the donator turned away, Shin'Ye'Het took it for herself, under the pretext of a better inspection, and, of course, did not return it.
The next objects of 'congratulations' were the anzimars sitting nearby.
"Aye-aye, what cute curls!" cried Joz-Keragg, standing next to their table. "You have to take care of yourself all the time to look this good! Here is something to help you do that!"
And he pulled out several items from the bag, giving Germeht a pocket mirror, Hindag a powder compact, and Kunfor a jar of skin moisturizer.
"It's a girl's junk!" Germeht cried out. "Couldn't you find anything better?"
Joz-Keragg didn't dignify that with a response and moved on to the elves.
"No problem, give them to me," Drega suggested slyly.
"Well, no, we can use them ourselves!"
The gifts for the long-eared folk were no less extravagant: some had a three-toothed comb, some a pink pillow with a bow in the middle, or a pout with only two holes on different sides. Then it was lycoses' turn, followed by peirots and yusmes. Oohs and aahs, jocular congratulations, friendly banter, and sarcastic remarks poured in from all sides. Tim nervously drummed his fingers on the tabletop as he waited his turn. It was clear that one should not look a gift horse in the mouth, but he did not want to become an object of ridicule, too. The friends seemed to feel the same way, for they were silent and a little tense.
But now, at last, it was their turn. After dealing with Gan'I'Tar, who had been 'made happy' with a toy umbrella, Joz-Keragg came toward them with a cry of "Here I am, you didn't expect me?" With a sly look at Naar-Tam, he took a lollipop out of his bag.
"Oh... thank you, of course..." the peirot mumbled.
"Eat it in good health, or find another use for it!" and he turned to Mez'A'Shib.
"You, young warrior of destiny, may need this!" and there in front of the drow was a miniature dagger in a jeweled scabbard. Mez'A'Shib took it in his hands and involuntarily sighed as the dagger and sheath were cardboard, glittering with rhinestones glued on top.
"And finally you," at these words, Tim shrank inside as if he had been invited into the dentist's office, "there's nothing in my bag for you! But don't worry, you won't be left without a present at all!"
He took the glove off his right hand and handed it to a stunned Tim. Then he vanished quietly into thin air, leaving most of the pupils perplexed - why summon a creature who can't give anything useful?
The glove, however, was soft and pleasant to the touch, and in addition almost weightless. It was easy to put it on the hand. Another thing was that he couldn't wear it all the time, especially since the other one was left with Joz-Keragg. So Tim took it off and put it in his pocket.
And then the feast came to an end: Master Ven'A'Sash, after expressing in the most serious tone the hope that everyone was satisfied with their gifts and citing urgent matters, left the dining room; her example was followed by the other teachers. Not a trace of the magical scenery is left, and immediately a dreary sense of return to reality appeared. The schoolchildren, singly or in small groups, were drawn toward the exit. Naar-Tam and Tim got up from the table, too, but Mez'A'Shib gestured them back down. He whispered to them to take their time and keep their mouths shut.
He waited until there was no one else within sight, and then he led them to the table where the 'princess' and her 'entourage' had sat. He bent down and picked up a pinch of sand from Kakh'I'Geg's 'candy'.
"Look: in every grain of sand inside there seems to be a tiny flame burning. In ancient elvish lore it was said that the gifts of the true Joz-Keragg are not as simple as they first appear; they often have a double bottom. I would not be surprised if this sand is actually magical."
"What magic might it contain?"
"Say something easier. I can tell you one thing for sure, it wasn't meant for us, so you'd better not take it."
And he shook the sand from his palm back onto the floor.
"So our souvenirs aren't simple either?" Naar-Tam looked at his lollipop doubtfully. But to be on the safe side he hid it in his pocket.
"Then I don't think the glove would fit anyone else either," Tim suggested.
"Let's check it out!"
And indeed, as soon as Mez'A'Shib tried, the glove shrank so tightly that he couldn't even get his fingers through it.
"So it's really only for you!"
"What's the point if the other one is left with that Santa Claus of yours? All right, let it lie there, and then we'll see. What are you going to do with your present? And why did Joz-Keragg call you a warrior of destiny?"
"Probably because I want to leave Merzeran and find Free Town," Mez'A'Shib shrugged. "Naturally no one could tell him about it, but he's a fairy tale character who are able to guess you wish. Another thing is that such weapon is only to make people laugh. Yes, I had a dagger at home, but there's nothing surprising about that: personal weapons are given to sons when they reach the age of seven. Of course, it is not a combat weapon and cannot be used to inflict serious wounds; the real thing is allowed only to those who have entered the Warrior Academy. Still, I'd had a few lessons how to handle it from a friend in the Thirtieth House, so I could theoretically stand up for myself. But not with a paper blade!"
"Well, maybe someday it will come in handy, too. By the way... how do you feel about the idea of expanding our team a little bit?"
They "worked it out" with Ri-Bo the day before, right after he had got back to school. Tilfing agreed right away - too hastily, it seemed to Tim. But that didn't bother them one bit - the goal was achieved, and that's the main thing. The conversation with the drow they left "for later" (he was in the punishment cell at the time) - as soon as the opportunity would presented itself.
"Do you want to invite the girls?" Mez'A'Shib grinned ironically.
"Yes, how did you know that?"
"Wouldn't you two have been beating around the bush if it had been one of the boys? I think I know which one."
"The team would benefit from a healer," Tim muttered, averting his eyes.
"Especially one with the skill to cure even a concussion," said Mez'A'Shib in a humorous tone. "You recovered so quickly from that fall. Does tincture, even a very medicinal one, do that?"
Tim was beginning to blush.
"But you're right, we could use a good healer," the drow added, savouring his mate's confusion. "You may count me in. And who else would like to be in the team?
"Tiis-Mir," it was Naar-Tam's turn to be embarrassed. "She's a good comrade, she can't heal, or rather, no better than the others. But she promises to keep her mouth shut, even if they start torturing her."
The day after their conversation with Ri-Bo, he, ostensibly by chance having met Tiis-Mir, told her with an important look that "a very exciting and at the same time very dangerous event" was planned, and she would be taken too, but only if she didn't say a word to anyone. She swore that she would not whine or complain under any circumstances, and would try to be as helpful as possible, and if she blabs, she'll bite her tongue off.
Tim, on the other hand, was in no hurry to let Mez'A'Shib speak first. Especially since Selkise already knew where they were going. And she'd already promised to be as dumb as a fish. So there's no point in asking her to take any more vows.
"If she's got a lot of guts, then fine. What's her gift?"
"Electrical Discharge."
"Will do. Besides, you can take turns lighting the torch. All that remains is for all of us to get together and discuss the details of our upcoming expedition."