Unconquered Sun (15 page)

- I do not know as you, news agency! - with insult and efficiently Oslenok said, - and I just do everything possible! Who found spells for an oven, ware and linen? Who told fairy tales to kids? Who rolled them on the back?

- Well and what result? Children in ister-r-r-rike also are do not want, and-av! - the Puppy parried.

Oslenok even reddened from indignation and gathered something was already angry to answer how it the Kitten is conciliatory waved on both pads:

- Meow! Stop, little fools! Whether time now to argue and swear? Let's bring together immediately "Extraordinary Privy Council of All Animals"! Agree?

- What such Extraordinary Privy Council? - unanimously puzzly the Puppy and Oslenok said.

- Yes, "Extraordinary Privy Council of all Animals"! - pompously the Kitten loving any such magnificent names said. - And the invariable Chairman of the board - the Wise Kitten will head it!

The idea with Extraordinary Privy Council in which are involved exclusively Animals, so was pleasant to the Puppy and Oslenk that they right there ceased to argue. They did not even pay attention that this the upstart Kotenok so dexterously appropriated powers of the Chairman of the board.

- And where and when "The extraordinary Privy Council of all Animals", i-a-a gathers? - not in forces to hide the curiosity Oslenok spoke.

- Here and now, immediately! Because Council - extraordinary and the business submitted for its consideration does not demand delays, meow! - important the Kitten spoke. - I ask at a table, misters privy councilors, the hard meeting is necessary to us!

With these words he made the inviting gesture towards a table and the first, remorselessly, took seat on the place where the Fairy usually sat. Now it by right was the most important in the house!

Oslenok and Puppy sat down on the left and right sides from it. And the type of all three was such important that did not match in any way their good-natured, amusing toy attractive faces so even kids ceased to cry and with astonishment stared at wonderfully changed Animals.

Goodness knows where from the Kitten in fluffy pads had a silver hand bell. He three times in it rang out and, previously having coughed in a greyish cam, is emphasized with a solemn voice declared:

- With a permission of all audience, I declare the first meeting of Extraordinary Privy Council of all Animals open! The agenda includes the solution of the following questions: 1) to find out where Prinze was gone? 2) how to us to bring round our Hostess? 3) miscellaneous.

- And what such "miscellaneous", and-av? - puzzly scratching in a nape, the Puppy asked.

- Well-at-at-at … - the Kitten hesitated for a moment, - we will reach - we will see. Just at all important meetings at which I happened to be - and them was, really, much in my lifetime - there was always "miscellaneous", and than our meeting is worse?

Oslenok and Puppy after these words with undisguised respect and envy looked at the Kitten - it is lucky some! Really, when the Fairy was called on meetings of the Supreme Council of Community where she had the right to be present as the Keeper Predela, the Beautiful Fairy always as the attendant for some reason took the Kitten. On this occasion he had to dress a white camisole, panties, jack boots and, to greater envy of other Animals, white gloves and a hat. Why the Fairy acted this way, nobody definitely knew. However it gave the grounds to the Kitten to consider that it is connected with his special mental abilities, and other Animals of nothing could not object to it. At these meetings the Kitten, as a rule, fell asleep directly on knees of the Beautiful Fairy. However it did not prevent it to remember everyone such "zasedatelsky pieces", the type "miscellaneous", "agenda", "heard and decided", etc.,
etc.
And then to give itself before Animals as "the government of fairies let into especially confidential secrets".

The explanation offered from such authoritative source as the Kitten suited all and the meeting continued.

- And unless the first and second question is not same, news agency? - sumnichat gramoty Oslenok. - If we find Prinze, then and the Fairy will cease to cry so. Unless not so?

- And if we do not find it? Meow! What then you will order to do? - the Kitten to whom became annoyingly that Oslenok tries to challenge from it superiority on the Privy Council which is thought up by it snapped.

- Let's find, and-av! - squoze the word Puppy. - I have such scent that I will find even a flea on a body at an elephant if to me give it to sniff before it!

To puppy was annoyingly that others get all monasteries and he wanted to make a decisive contribution to a meeting of "Extraordinary Privy Council of all Animals" too, and therefore he was glad to an opportunity to squeeze the loaded word.

- This business, news agency! - Oslenok agreed. - We have Prinze's things and the Puppy really easily can pick up his trail. Only there is one small "but", - up Oslenok efficiently raised a pad. - When I took kids to the Fairy in a bedroom, I paid attention that all clothes of the Prince and remained in a case and even its jack boots I saw standing at a threshold. As if it did not leave, and - and-and, and was just dissolved in air! Unless our Puppy can pick up a trail of the one who was dissolved in air, news agency?

The kitten and Puppy perplexedly exchanged glances. What opinion would not be about the "dog" talents the Puppy, but to pick up the ghost's trail - it was too …

But here dawned on the Kitten. It slapped a pad of on a forehead and jumped because of a table.

- M-I-at-at! Really, friends and why to us to look for
where
Prinze was gone? - Oslenok and the Puppy puzzly looked at the Kitten. - Let's answer a question
why
it was gone better? The Fairy is killed that he threw her! And if we prove that something bad happened to it in the wood - before it left to collect medicative herbs, with it all was as it should be! - that the Fairy will cease to cry and itself will find Prinze. It such powerful and wise - where to us to it, m-ya-u-u!

Oslenok and Puppy approvingly began to nod the shaggy long-eared heads.

- So, meow, - the Kitten continued by already quiet and business tone, again sitting down on the place. - I as given authority to the Chairman of Extraordinary Privy Council of all Animals, I declare on behalf of Council to order to the Puppy to pick up a trail of Prinze which it went the day before yesterday back to the wood. To the kitten called further in the protocol as "Chairman" - to check execution of the assignment given by Council, - with these words Kitten slapped besides goodness knows where from the hammer which undertook at it about a table cover. - I declare a meeting of Council closed, meow!

- And how … i-a-a … as … "miscellaneous"? - shy Oslenok who took offense a little that he got no important assignment inserted.

- And "miscellaneous" consists that you, Oslenok, will remain to watch kids and the Fairy, clear here? - important the Kitten answered.

- Ur - r - r - and - and-and! - Oslenok cried, having jumped up on the place. - And Council charged me an important issue, news agency!

4.

No sooner said than done. Oslenok, itself shy, in general, on character, with pleasure stayed at home, to monitor household chores. In soul he was glad to evade, thus, from participation in the Dangerous Adventure (what incessantly with delight the Kitten and the Puppy went on about, as if they went not to the wood, and to war). But it was ashamed for it to admit it.

And the Kitten and the Puppy meanwhile gathered at way road.

To puppy did not make big work to find Prinze's trace, having previously carefully sniffed at his jack boots and a jacket. For greater effect he even got up on all fours to resemble more the "real" dog. It is known that all Animals always danced attendance as it were not ordinary, but magic animals.

Long the Kitten and the Puppy followed in the old tracks of Prinze. The puppy put a lot of effort that the big and wet black nose to catch the slightest streams of a smell on a grass, stones and sand. But the dog is a dog even if she also is made of plush. Friends came soon to that glade where Kind Prinze met once illfated dwarf. A kitten and the Puppy, as well as it is necessary to Animals, moved silently, and therefore their emergence was absolutely unexpected - for the dwarf …

The damned deceiver indifferently sat at oak roots where its hole was dug, and was engaged in the favourite business - touched precious stones from the sack. The dwarf had very happy appearance and in a low voice hummed in a low tone strange words: "Vile, disgusting chelovechish-sh-sh-shka, wanted to steal mine kamush-sh-sh-shki, cut off my remarkable beard, deprived of me almost all my forces, but now met with the deserts, very ha! The invincible Sun and never lets out none of the hot grabby handles! Let now will dance, let will suffer, let for everything that to me made to pay, gnus-s-s-sny the little man!"

So, in different ways modifying words, he muttered incessantly, without tearing off a greedy lewd look small black a peephole from jewels, touching them in turn and putting back in a sack, and then getting again and again putting.

The bright Kitten understood everything at once: it is about their owner. Besides, as the Puppy reported, and his trace was interrupted exactly here. And in the head of the Kitten the impudent plan ripened...

Disappearing in a high grass, the Kitten and the Puppy, from the different parties having bypassed a glade, crept to nothing to not suspecting dwarf closer and at the same time rushed on him. But far from it!

Though they indeed took the dwarf unawares, but this pushful person was so dexterous, so cunning and bright that, coiling an eel, managed to escape even sharp claws of the Kitten and Puppy. It already almost managed to be exempted from their tenacious embraces and to rush to the mink as the Puppy suddenly remembered a treasured spell of Prinze which he repeatedly heard during joint walks in the wood.

"The brother oak, help to detain this deceiver, for the sake of the hostess of this wood and her love to Kind Prinze!" And at the very same time strong roots and sukovaty branches of an old tree braided the dwarf from all directions so that he could not and will move. Then a happy Kitten and the Puppy, having given it few times on a neck, undertook detailed cross-questioning.

The dwarf held on like grim death, persistently denying the acquaintance to Prinze. Looking at Animals "honest" eyes, he tried to convince them, as him he hears a name for the first time. Perhaps, the stubborn dwarf could sustain even tortures though Animals never and went to it. But here suddenly the ingenious thought came to the Kitten to mind:

- Mya-u-u! Listen, you, the pudge unfortunate, your bare beard! Here watch that we with you will make: let's leave you here to be heated on the sun, and we will take away your foolish pebbles and we will sell them to fairies - they will give for them be healthy! And money we with the Puppy, - here the Kitten quickly winked at the Puppy, - we will distribute to small kids that they in a row rode the whole year attractions, sucked lollipops, ate ice cream and went free of charge to children's representations. Present now how many good will bring these your pathetic pebbles which at you go only to waste!

The face of the dwarf, hitherto spiteful and unapproachable, turned white as chalk, lips foully began to tremble.

Still! Not only that jewels will take away from it, also will spend them for any nonsense - not on digging of new mine and purchase of the equipment, and on some city ragamuffins and idlers!

- You will not dare! - it is squeezed the dwarf hissed. - They are bewitched!

- Fairies will remove all charms, - unperturbably looking at tips of the claws, the Kitten told.

- There are laws, I will complain!

- As much as necessary, but at first you should get out somehow from here, - with forced indifference the Kitten answered. - The brother oak, you will take care of it? - The thick sukovaty branches of a centenary oak covered with heavy dark green foliage in reply shook. The face of the dwarf turned white even stronger, and the Kitten easy took a velvet sack with pebbles and, having turned to the Puppy, as if between times told: - Well that, the Puppy, we will go perhaps? It is necessary to be in time still, meow, to today's fair at Green Hills.

And with these words Kitten and Puppy went was in a way back, but once he took only several steps, the dwarf broke …

- Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, my dear Zveryatki, do not leave, I beg! I will tell everything-everything, only do not sell my pebbles, umolyaya-ya-ya-yu-yu-yu-yu!!! - And the poor dwarf loudly also sobbed violently. - Regret the poor old little man, regret his hungry children!

The kitten and Puppy whose plush hearts clenched with pity, returned back and the dwarf told them everything. And to tell it was that...

5.

And at this time the consciousness, at last, returned to Kind Prinze.

The last that he remembered, there was a strange gold being in a helmet and a huge gold dragon. Then suddenly became it very much and very painfully, he fainted and regained consciousness already here, in the Gold Hall. So Prinze about himself called this place because it also really was made of gold: walls - from a gold brick, a window - are revetted with gold plates, a floor - from the gold plates rubbed to gloss. All this sparkled and shone gold light from which eyes intolerably hurt.

And really, from Prinze's eyes tears - whether from light, whether from melancholy began to flow, just now he felt former again before he looked in this damned mirror.