Sergei Lukyanenko - The New Watch

‘For sure,’ said Alisher, and shook the hand with the bracelet. His body was enveloped in a white glow. He shook his hand again and the glow faded away.

‘Yes indeed,’ said Jermenson, beaming. ‘I thought there was nothing left that could surprise me, but this Tiger really is a new experience in my life.’

And at that very moment there was a loud crash above us. Rumbling and powerful – as if something had exploded. The magicians raised their heads and listened.

‘Semyon,’ said Gesar. ‘I told him not to interfere… It’s a pity we don’t employ corporal punishment in the Watch.’

‘We could introduce it,’ Jermenson said brightly.

‘He’s not overdoing it,’ said Alisher. ‘But the guys don’t want to surrender the office without a fight. Even if it is only symbolic…’

Gesar looked at me.

‘Anton, your task is simple. After the Tiger comes down the stairs and appears at that end of the corridor, we’ll have from three to five minutes. You can do something – to ease your conscience. A spell or two, only try not to nettle him… And then grab your daughter and leave. She knows how to open a portal.’

‘I can do that too,’ I said without any real conviction.

‘Good. Then leave. And don’t even try to take the young lad with you. No pointless heroics. You’ve still got a long life ahead of you.’

‘All right,’ I said, nodding, disgusted to realise that I really meant it.

‘We’ll do everything we can to try to delay him, and then leave,’ said Gesar, either just for me or for all three of us. ‘A few minutes might be some kind of help…’

A piercing whistling sound started up overhead, as if steam under high pressure was escaping from a small aperture. What were they doing up there? Or was that the Tiger?

‘A beautiful scene,’ Jermenson said unexpectedly. ‘And very positive… international… A Tibetan, a Kazakh and two Jews trying to save a little Russian boy…’

‘I’m Uzbek,’ Alisher remarked.

‘I’m not Jewish,’ I commented.

‘With a surname like Gorodetsky?’ Jermenson asked dubiously.

‘It’s an ancient Russian name! From the name of the town on the Volga where my ancestors used to live.’

‘That makes it even more beautiful,’ Jermenson decided. ‘A Tibetan, an Uzbek, a Russian and a Jew…’

‘It sounds like the beginning of a joke,’ Alisher muttered.

Gesar gazed at Jermenson and asked: ‘You mean to tell me you’re a Jew, Mark?’

‘Mock on, mock on,’ Jermenson growled.

Overhead something started knocking rapidly – as if someone had turned on a sewing machine. Or started firing a sub-machine gun, which was more probable – it wasn’t likely that the Tiger would leave the boy alone for a pair of well-stitched trousers.

‘Optimists,’ Gesar snorted.

‘Well, why not give it a try?’ Jermenson said, shrugging. ‘You know, when they invented gunpowder I was absolutely delighted. Nothing better against carrion raised from the dead.’

The light bulbs in the corridor suddenly blinked and went out. A moment later they started glowing again, but dimly – the emergency generator had cut in. But a couple of seconds after that they went out and stayed out.

I waved my hand and hung several magical lights along the length of the corridor. Gesar snapped his fingers and extinguished the two closest to us, then growled: ‘Will you ever learn…’

We distinctly heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Not rapid, but confident. The Tiger stepped down onto the floor and stopped at the far end of the corridor. He looked in our direction – the darkness didn’t seem to bother him. He smiled and took a step forward.

There was a crash and the Tiger was enveloped in a frosty white vortex. Like mist or a blizzard… The Tiger froze for a second and then, with a certain effort, took another step, heading towards us.

‘I told you it wouldn’t work,’ Gesar called back over his shoulder.

‘But it was worth a try!’ Jermenson replied resentfully.

The two Higher Ones stepped forward together, shielding Alisher and me. And at that moment the door behind our backs slammed. I looked round and saw Nadya.

My daughter looked thoughtful, but pleased about something. She walked up to me, took my hand and asked: ‘Is that him?’

Meanwhile the Tiger had stopped moving. An expression of perplexed confusion appeared on his face, as if a Zero-Level Absolute Enchantress was something that his plans hadn’t taken into account.

‘Who do you see?’ I asked her. ‘A little girl?’

‘No. A tiger. He’s big and stripy and his eyes are blazing.’

‘Beautiful,’ I sighed.

‘Daddy, you shouldn’t kill tigers. They’re in the Red Book.’

‘It’s all right to kill this one,’ I said. ‘Only we can’t seem to manage it somehow.’

And suddenly the Tiger spoke. During our previous encounter he hadn’t uttered a word and, to be honest, I’d been certain that he didn’t know how to talk…

‘Go away. I don’t want you.’

‘And we don’t want you ,’ Gesar replied. ‘Why don’t you go away?’

The Tiger shook his head. (I wondered how Nadya saw that. A talking tiger? Shere Khan from the cartoon film about Mowgli?) ‘The prophecy must not be heard.’

‘He’s only a little boy,’ said Gesar. ‘Leave him alone, give him time. Let the prophecy be uttered into the empty air. Let no one hear it.’

‘A risk,’ said the Tiger. ‘He is a Prophet first and foremost. And then a little boy. Leave.’

‘Give him time,’ Gesar repeated.

Instead of answering, the Tiger started advancing again. Apparently the time for talking was over.

I didn’t understand exactly what it was the Great Ones did. The corridor was suddenly swathed in a multicoloured fiery cobweb, with blue, green and orange threads strung through the air. The Tiger ran into them and his face contorted, as if in pain. But he carried on walking. Slowly, but surely.

‘Anton, leave!’ Gesar barked.

I looked at Nadya. Squeezed her hand tighter. Nodded.

‘Do we have to go, daddy?’ she asked very calmly.

I nodded again.

‘He only needs just a little bit longer,’ said Nadya. ‘Why don’t I—’

‘We’re leaving!’ I shouted. ‘Open the portal. I order you to!’

‘Daddy, you can’t order me to run away!’

‘I’m not ordering you as your daddy, but as a member of the Watch!’

Nadya looked at me, and I wasn’t sure if it would work. Since she was little we had taught her to respect the Night Watch. Explained that what members of the Watch said was an order. That magic was not to be played with. But she was a little girl, for her all fairy tales had a happy ending – and I saw an energy that could engulf the whole of Moscow raging in her eyes… only no one knew if it would be any use against the Tiger.

‘Nadya, please,’ I repeated wearily.

Tears glinted in my daughter’s eyes. She pressed her lips together and nodded – and a portal opened up beside us. I glanced at the Tiger – he had already walked halfway along the corridor. He wasn’t attacking, we weren’t his enemies… We were no hindrance to him, he was on his way to kill the Prophet.

I took hold of Nadya’s hand and tugged her towards the portal…

And at that instant the Tiger stopped. He raised his hand and rubbed his forehead in a perfectly human gesture. And smiled.

The door behind our backs opened and the little Prophet Kesha came out into the corridor. He was soaking wet, like some fat man who has been forced to train in the gym. His eyes looked slightly drowsy and dopey, he gazed at us perplexedly, barely even recognising us. His nose was bleeding.

‘Everything is all right,’ said the Tiger. ‘I am leaving.’