Сергей Лукьяненко - Day Watch

"That was just an abstract indignation…" said Svetlana, throwing her hands up in the air. "Boys, I think someone's already been smoking in here…"

Igor handed her a cigarette without speaking.

"Why do everything like that, behind our backs," Svetlana complained as she lit her cigarette. "And what sort of mother would I make… for a Messiah? And a female one at that!"

"Well, Messiah is just the appropriate term, that's all," said Igor. "Relax."

"I'm no virgin!" Svetlana declared gloomily. "And in general… I don't think of myself as a paragon of virtue…"

"Don't draw irrelevant parallels."

Strangely enough, Igor seemed to have calmed down. For real. He was sharp and focused.

"Anton, why don't you say something!" Svetlana burst out. "Doesn't all this concern you at all?"

"I very much hope that it concerns me directly," replied Anton. "And I think we ought to go out now and join Gesar. It's tough on him sitting out there and waiting."

"He already knows everything… in advance…" Svetlana said and turned away.

"No. He doesn't. If we're really not pawns, he doesn't know."

There was the soft sound of guitar strings. Igor was leaning against the wall, holding the instrument. He began singing so softly that Svetlana and Anton both had to stop talking.

The devils ask me to serve,

But I serve no one.

Even myself, even you,

Even the one who has power.

If he is still alive,

I do not serve even him.

I have stolen just enough fire

Not to need to steal any more…

Igor held the guitar out and gently lowered it into an armchair. People put their instrument down like that when they're sure they'll be back soon.

"Shall we go then?"

Edgar was the first Dark One to enter the Tribunal's meeting hall. That was the procedure. He entered through one door at the same time as Anton came in through the door opposite. They bowed their heads to each other in a polite greeting. Edgar did not feel any particular resentment for the Light One and he expected the feeling to be mutual to some extent.

Yes, compared to the small, neglected room in Moscow University, this hall certainly made an impression. This was Europe, after all.

Stone vaulting-heavy and oppressive, but at the same time giving a sense of security and calm. A simple metal chandelier, but with about two hundred candles, and Edgar could have sworn the candles had been burning for more than one century already. They said the Berne department of the Inquisition was located in an ultramodern building, but the Prague department was in a truly ancient one.

Edgar liked the old style better.

The round hall was divided into two parts: One was faced with light marble, the other with dark. There was something at once naive and exalted in this simple visual representation of the two Powers. The little desks for the prosecutors stood at the center, beside a circular metal grille covering a dark hole in the floor.

A wedge of gray marble reached almost to the very center of the hall. That was the Inquisitors' area, and they, of course, were already in their seats. Seven of them. In principle the Inquisition was not regarded as a power equal to the two Watches, but Edgar knew that those seven included two Great Ones-one Dark and one Light. If it wished, the European office could probably fight Gesar and Zabulon on equal terms.

That was good to know.

Anton was followed in by three Light Ones from Moscow. Gesar… well, of course, where would they be without Gesar! Svetlana… that was natural too. And that Uzbeki, Gesar's secretary or personal assistant.

The Dark Ones were already walking along the corridor behind Edgar. Zabulon… Sensing the approach of his chief, Edgar involuntarily looked round-and received a friendly nod from the head of Moscow 's Dark Ones. Well, well… smile, you Judas. .. you're even worse than Judas: He betrayed his teacher, but you're betraying your disciple !

But then another two Dark Ones followed Zabulon into the hall. Edgar had been prepared to see Anna Lemesheva, but not Yury, who winked mockingly at him. The same Yury who had given Edgar the timely warning about Zabulon's underhand schemes-he hadn't been prepared for that!

Edgar forced himself to turn away from his colleagues and look straight ahead.

Igor was brought in last. Two rank-and-file Inquisitors walked in beside him and accompanied him to the circular grille, three meters across, in the center of the hall.

There was no special magic in that circle, or at least Edgar couldn't sense any. And the mechanism that had once been used to invert the grille and plunge the accused into a deep well shaft looked as if it had rusted up long ago and was no longer used. But even so it didn't look as if standing on that circle was pleasant.

However, Igor paid no attention to that and stood in the center of the circle with his arms crossed on his chest.

"In the name of the Treaty…"

One Inquisitor came forward from the group. The only one who was not wearing gray robes. Witezslav, the Higher Vampire.

"We are Others. We serve different Powers…"

Edgar mechanically repeated the words of the Treaty, trying to work out what Witezslav would start with. And how he could extricate himself from this mess now.

"Today the European Tribunal of the Inquisition has to consider a claim brought by the Night Watch of the city of Moscow, Russia, against the Day Watch of the city of Moscow, Russia," the vampire announced after the reading of the Treaty. "A counterclaim by the Day Watch of Moscow against the Night Watch of Moscow forms part of the proceedings. Its subject is the duel between the Light magician Igor Teplov, and the Dark witch Alisa Donnikova…"

There were no surprises so far… Edgar felt himself clutching the dark, cool wooden top of his desk and made an effort of will to calm himself down. After all, he was an experienced lawyer. And how were legal proceedings between people any different from legal proceeding between Others?

Except, of course for the nature of the sentence…

"However, the sequence of proceedings will be changed somewhat," said Witezslav. "The Tribunal is also obliged to resolve another two matters connected with the main claim. The first concerns a sect of Dark Ones who call themselves the Regin Brothers, who are guilty of attacking the Inquisition's vault and stealing the artifact known as Fafnir's Talon, smuggling it into Russia, and resisting the Night Watch of Moscow. Bring in the accused."

Another two young Inquisitors led in the four Finns. Faint smiles appeared on the faces of all the Others present-after all, it was impossible to imagine a more ludicrous-looking quartet.

"There is probably no need to recite the circumstances of the incident," said the vampire. "Everyone present is familiar with the materials collected by the Inquisition on this case. The Inquisition's job is to pronounce judgment. Just, impartial, and strict."

It was clear from the expressions on the faces of the four accused that they were not anticipating leniency.

"The punishment for a crime as grave as attacking employees of the Inquisition and stealing a highly dangerous artifact from the vault is unconditional-dematerialization," the vampire declared. He paused and then added something that made the Finns lift up their heads: "But… But the accused did not participate directly in the incident in Berne. As the materials of the case make clear, the leaders of the sect, who unfortunately were killed while being detained, made the four young magicians act as couriers. Therefore, the Inquisition qualifies their actions only as smuggling and resisting the Night Watch of Moscow. There are also extenuating circumstances: profound and sincere remorse, assistance rendered to the investigation after detention, the youth of the accused, and the absence of any previous offenses. If the Night Watch of Moscow can adduce any further extenuating circumstances and will withdraw the personal accusations against the Dark magicians, the Inquisition has the right to mitigate its sentence."