Unconquered Sun (16 page)

Stop! And the mirror where was gone!? The prince remembered that he put him in a jacket pocket. He attentively examined himself and noticed that his former clothes are not on it. Instead of a leather hunting jacket - the golden silk tunic to knees fastened on a belt with the belt covered with gold plates. The belt with a gold metal plate in the form of the person sun at whom instead of eyes two big emeralds were inserted was fastened. Standing instead of a jack boot - gilded sandals. Instead of a hat on the head - a diadem from gold with a big emerald in the center, on a forehead. On his shoulders the golden short raincoat to a belt flaunted dandyish. The clothes were magnificent, is a match for the king, though the most powerful of proud lords of kingdoms of the Commonwealth did not wear such clothes.

Despite everything the gold magnificence surrounding it from all directions, Prinze's heart were squeezed by intolerable melancholy. He felt especially lonely and lost without Fairy here. At once memories of an event returned to it yesterday, and it only strengthened pain in his soul.

"Poor, dear, my dear Fairy! - in despair Prinze thought. - What did I do? How I could act this way cruelly?!".

He remembered her face distorted with jealousy and offense, he remembered both her tears, and her touching desire to draw its attention with such lovely female focuses. He remembered all this, and from pain and shame he wanted to cry and begin to cry!

Somehow to distract from gloomy thoughts and feelings and at the same time to understand what happens to it, Prinze began to study attentively that place where it appeared.

It stood in the middle of a huge hall.

But if at first Prinze was so blinded by abundance in it of gold that saw nothing else, then now when his eyes got used to bright light a little, he managed to notice a lot of things.

He noticed that hall was not so much wide, how many long. On both parties halls towered the graceful, inlaid with semi-precious stones, gold columns. Columns had a set of gold statues - one man's figures and any female! All these figures were entirely soldiers: a courageous look, in continuous gold armor and helmets, with long copies in hands and wide swords on a belt. They something reminded tin tell-tales who each, probably, boy Sodruzhestva had in the childhood. Only these "tell-tales" were the size in human growth and are executed with big art. Their persons were made so skillfully naturally that from their menacing and their aggressive look even somehow became feel ill at ease for Prinze. It seemed, it were not statues, and the real soldiers who only for a moment froze. But once you hammer into drums, to begin to trumpet in pipes, they right there will recover and will continue business, habitual for them, - to cut, prick, kill …

At the end of halls on a solntsevidny pedestal the high gold throne which at the moment was empty towered. In the middle of round bowl-shaped pools several fountains which were throwing up from themselves, however, not water, but some golden liquid beat. Having lifted up the head up, Prinze saw a gold handrail: the hall, probably, had the second floor. Colourful gobelins on which the various landscapes weaved out of multi-colored, very bright threads which were united by one general subject - the gold Sun were represented hung on a handrail. For some reason everywhere the Sun had the person with empty eye-sockets from which the sunlight streamed. Strange, generally, there were gobelins …

Suddenly absolutely suddenly in Prinze's head some melodious and beautiful female Voice in which, however, unpleasant metal notes distinctly differed telepathic sounded:

- You like my modest dwelling, isn't that so? It can become yours. And it will be yours if you want …

- Who are you? - Prinze asked, puzzly looking at an empty throne.

- I? I who? Ridiculous. You have to wonder it who
you
are! - the haughty answer was heard. - You - the cadaveric worm kowtowing in a fetid heap of manure who was incidentally pulled out from this heap outside and which by miracle saw a sunlight. Well, and I? I - Perfection. I - the Invincible Sun, whose beauty nothing is capable to eclipse. I - the Sun over which no darkness is imperious. I am Eternity, Power, Beauty. Nothing can rise on my way. I will burn everything, I will melt everything the gold look and I will turn into Myself. I am an All-devouring Fire Lyubvi over whom not imperiously neither time, nor space …

- … And well it is impossible? - Prinze tried to joke, but right there understood what it just to do and is not necessary. At the very same time he felt such intolerable burning in a breast and eyes that fell on knees, hiding in palms the flaring face.

- Be silent, a cadaveric worm, and rejoice that you were given the chance to behold what you are unworthy, and thank Me that you are still living, but did not become as they! - Here the face of the Prince was turned aside by some invisible force and he looked at those statues which stood halls of the Gold Hall on both parties. - None of them received your fate - to remain live, but I at any time can change the mind and burn your heart and reason, and then to turn you into the heartless golem, - beautiful, sonorous, melodious, but such heartless and haughty voice sounded in Prinze's consciousness.

All being of Prinze was embraced by horror.

From the books presented by his favourite Fairy with pictures he perfectly knew that fairies used services of golems - artificial people from metal or a stone - for various purposes. For example, golems were sent for expeditions to abysses of the World Ocean or to muzzles of extinct volcanoes, that is to those places where it is dangerous to go down. He saw these golems on moving pictures: it were it is model obedient, unusually hardy guys, absolutely heartless and unreasonable. But it that
living people
were turned into golems from gold - it could not dream Prinze even in a bad dream, and especially the fact that he can become such.

The prince thought, as really it is better to keep the mouth shut behind teeth, he did not want to become a golem forever at all.

- What from me it is necessary for you, oh, the fine Invincible Sun? - almost sincerely Prinze said. - Why to you such pathetic cadaveric worm, how I? Return me to my fetid heap of manure that my disgusting and vile shape did not offend more your radiant look! - Of course, Prinze did not believe that such children's trick will work, for something this monster brought him into the Hall, and is obvious not then just like that to release, but nevertheless …

- Do not flatter yourself, a cadaveric worm,
I
from you need nothing, - the haughty metal Voice was distributed again. - What business to the Invincible Sun to the worms who are pottering about in manure? It I am necessary
to you
. You glanced in my Mirror, and saw mine Perfect Beauty there, and therefore you have to remain with me forever, in this Hall. Cannot seen the Greatest Perfection return back, to the heap of manure, to outer fetid darkness. You have to join the Stream, melt in Me and to become part of the Invincible Sun. It is the law, and the law - immutable.

- And if I do not want if I leave, I will escape?! - Prinze cried, looking around in search of an exit from the Hall around. At last, he noticed in another the end halls the arch conducting outside. In its aperture some trees were clearly visible.

- Try, - the Voice answered with a jeer.

Without hesitation, Prinze took a step towards an arch, the second, third... Having grown bolder, he ran very much, but once it reached an aperture of an arch, a door, open hitherto, by itself with noise slammed. The undertaken high figure of that solar stranger from the dwarf Hnum's pocket mirror was reflected in their gold, given a mirror-like polish surfaces goodness knows where from.

Two shining searchlights from her empty eye-sockets as fiery arrows pierced Prinze's heart. Again intolerable heat captured his soul, again as from a sunstroke grew dull in the head, again in all members of a body there was a weakness, knees were turned in, and he fell and fainted consciousness.

1.

The beautiful Fairy recovered only by the outcome the day before yesterday. It occurred because that the strange and unpleasant dream dreamed it. She saw that her small children sit at the bottom of some black and cold well, empty inside, and cry. Then the Fairy saw herself as if from outside. She stood at a well and looked unseeing eyes somewhere aside, at the same time the wax doll had her face as. And children, meanwhile, called to the aid. The empty well repeatedly strengthened a sound of their crying which was intolerable before that at the Fairy heart was just broken off, and then she, at last, did not sustain and - woke up.

The fairy right there got up, slipped on an easy raincoat and went to the nursery.

No, children slept peacefully. Nearby, on a folding bed, faithful Oslenok who, probably, till the night told them fairy tales and sang lullabies snuffled. The fairy quietly approached a bed of kids and stroked their silk locks which were swept on a pillow by a scattering of pure gold.

"Well, as I could throw children as I could forget about them!? They so need me - such darlings, fragile, defenseless... Probably, I am bad mother, - the Fairy thought, - and all from inherent in us, fairies, egoism. We are too self-satisfied, too we look for the pleasures... Ah and, and that with favourite Prinze?"

This thought as a sharp sting pierced her heart, and it again intolerably ached as though toxic agent, having got under skin, quickly filled all space of a breast with the pulsing pain. Again tears gathered in the eyes, but now they did not lead to despair. On the contrary, in a breast the determination ripened: "for the sake of children I have to live and survive; I cannot wish more death, for the sake of them I have to fight and - to win by all means!"

With this thought the Fairy, without shelving business, decided to undertake own investigation of what happened to Prinze. It seemed to it quite logical: first, children need the father, secondly, even if Prinze left to another, it is necessary to learn the reason of his leaving anyway.

Such thoughts instilled confidence in the forces in the Fairy. She returned to the room, sat down at a table and began to touch carefully in memory of an event of that of fatal day.

The first memories of it only strengthened in the Fairy with such work the found confidence that the solution will be found. Really, before the illfated leaving in the wood Prinze was such what was and always - the carefree idler to whom only and give the chance for days on end to float competing in speed with mermaids or to stir with trees, to tell fairy tales or to be engaged still in some harmless nonsense.

However, morning incident in a refectory not absolutely kept within the picture which developed in the head of the Fairy. But it was just quite explainable. "I just did not sing to it the morning song, that's all. In it my mistake. Next time I will never act this way and at it I will not allow any depressions any more!"

There were still, however, strange and absolutely inexplicable from this point of view from time to time desires arising at Prinze to make "feats", attempts to learn more, than it was necessary to the ordinary husband of the fairy. And it - despite pink food, feina of a song and other cunnings which, as a rule, did not allow these inexplicable desires to pass into something bigger.

"But also it is, in general, not a problem, - the Fairy thought. - Just my favourite Prinze was born out of Community, besides he a royal origin, and therefore in its blood rudimentary heredity of ancestors remained. At all kings the remote ancestors once were soldiers. Besides my Prinze very talented, creative person, and therefore …"

"no", - the Fairy resolutely rejected all doubts, - "my Prinze's thirst for "feats" and other absurdities not here - at - than. Never it did it impregnable to my sorcery and to my suggestion, did not do it such closed and heartless!"

"But, on the other hand", - right there the Fairy mentally objected herself, - "it can be explained with the fact that Prinze met someone and fell in love …"

- "It is not similar", - tore off mentally the Fairy objected herself, - "he spoke in beard about some "Gold Hall" and where, tell on favor, at us, in Sohn Predela, it is possible to meet in general some "hall", not to mention "gold"? Anywhere! Even in the richest human kingdoms of the Commonwealth there is nothing similar. The sea Queen and the Queen of forest dryads hate gold and halls their not so gold. Dwarfs in general cheapskates known, they prefer to save gold, but not to build of it halls. And the next Keepers of the Limit live in the same wooden huts, as I. Something here at us obviously not so … And well, dear Fairy, let's look whether our dear hubby from the wood brought something gold!?"

With these words Fairy opened case doors, got clothes of the Prince and began to search it carefully. Of course, the find did not keep itself waiting. In an inside breast pocket of a jacket the Fairy, having gasped with surprise, found required: an oval pocket mirror with the reflecting surface from gold.

Of course, she at first sight understood that the pocket mirror is obviously difficult, all fairies have a congenital intuition for presence of any sorcery. As dogs feel smells, imperceptible for the person, both cats see invisible to a human eye, and fairies feel the slightest and weakest waves of magic energy - invisible and nonsensory the person. And, of course, they can define at once -
what
it is magic - kind or angry …

The fairy at once felt a stream of destructive, evil force which was exhaled by a mirror, and from simplification for the first time for so many days burst out laughing. Yes, she did not know yet what the artifact is and who stands behind it, but for her there was already obvious one -
the Prince was simply bewitched
, but did not throw her for the sake of another! And this opening made such impression on it that the Fairy nearly broke into a dance, having absolutely forgotten that near it there is the most dangerous to all inhabitants of the house a magic artifact. Now, at last, came it is time to start the research "treasures" in due form of magic science which it studied at School of Fairies.

The fairy got the thick magic book from a trunk, brought two devices measuring the level of magic radiation and its orientation, protective anti-magic points and gloves and also dressed the Analyzer (which usually removed before going to bed) on the head and turned to work. At first she accurately put on glasses and gloves not to injure eyes and skin of hands, and then turned on sensitive devices.

The first device was called the Collector. It represented a metal box with sensors in which top part there was a pipe extending by the end so the final part reminded something like a funnel. It was intended for catching and determination of force of magic radiation.

At the first measurement, Fairy proshib cold sweat. Collector sensors just read off scale so there were just not enough divisions on devices to display its actual level! The Fairy saw it for the first time: usually any magic subject had the limited potential of radiation, it was loaded for a certain sum of energy, but
this …
The impression was made that its potential was simply infinite or - it scooped energy from some other source disappearing on that side of a mirror …

Other device defined and stood on an orientation and hind legs of energy. The fairy looked in a transparent crystal of a magic Reflector. This device also had an appearance of a metal box, but from which there were two pipes - one with a funnel, as at the Collector, and another - with the flat reflecting crystal. In it is mute just the Fairy saw brain model on which bunches of the energy which is let out by a mirror make impact. These bunches through visual sense organs got directly into a brain, and into the zones responsible for imagination, thinking and pleasure. As far as the Fairy understood, stimulation of the center of pleasure such energy could generate steady dependence on it at the recipient, similar on narcotic, and stimulation of the center of thinking and imagination - control over consciousness of the person.

For check of the hypothesis the Fairy touched the Analyzer stone at herself on a forehead and directed its beam directly to the studied object. Then she at once distinctly felt how the powerful stream of energy from a surface of a mirror tries to get also into her consciousness, but cannot overcome resistance of magic glasses of the points reflecting these beams back.

So, the preliminary analysis showed that the pocket mirror really represents the strongest magic artifact of enormous destructive force. To look in it it was deadly even to fairies not that for people who have no natural protection against magic at all. However the Fairy needs extremely to look in it nevertheless, otherwise she will remain only to a solution midway …

And therefore, having strengthened points on a nose bridge better and having more tightly tied strings of protective gloves, she plunged into a dangerous undertaking.

2.

At first the magic pocket mirror "earned" as it is necessary. Its surface became covered by small ripples what is on a water smooth surface if to throw into it a stone. It seemed, now it, at last, will show what hides on that side …

But far from it! Probably, the mirror also really was not the simple, and very skillfully designed device. As soon as it "realized" that its beams do not get into consciousness of the observer through the eyes protected by magic points it right there closed an entrance gate and did not start up consciousness of the Fairy inside.

Then the Fairy decided that if it is impossible to get through doors openly, then it is necessary to try them to break. It sent the mental order to doors via the Analyzer to open, and the magic stone strengthened this order in thousands krat and transformed to a beam of the most powerful energy which struck directly in the center of the reflecting mirror surface. The mirror began to hesitate, but was not given. The fairy clearly felt strong resistance. Its order faced something firm and elastic as though the person tried to open a door "inside" when someone very strong pushed it to the opposite side from within. It reminded her that moment when she tried to get into Prinze's consciousness then, behind a dining table.

From tension the Fairy even sweated, felt a severe headache and fatigue, but could not overcome mirror resistance all the same.

Then she decided to go to a last resort. It got the Projector - the big crystal sphere connected by streams of magic energy to other same spheres at the next Keepers of the Limit. Using it, she quickly contacted five of twelve Keepers (the others, probably, were outdoors, on round of the sectors).

- The keeper of the Limit No. 3 calls Keepers of other sectors, - the Fairy sent a mental call, directing the Analyzer beam to a silvery surface of a sphere.

- You it is visible and heard, number 3, - reached the first answer. - Number 10 sees you and hears.

- Number 12 … … number 1 … number 2 … you sees number 7 and hears.

- I thank you, sisters. In the territory of the Limit I found a dangerous magic artifact, feel strong resistance, does not give in to the analysis, the help is required.

- Of course, the sister if we wait till the dawn, all Keepers will be assembled, and by a lunch we can gather all in the agreed place, - answered number 7.

- No, sisters, business of urgent importance, it is necessary to investigate right now. It is impossible to wait. Dress Analyzers of the biggest power what are only available, surely goggles and gloves. Now you will see the artifact found by me on a surface of the Projectors.

With these words Fairy put a pocket mirror near a sphere and all sisters right there saw its projection in the consciousness.

- I begin the return report. On the word "0" at the same time we direct Analyzers to a mirror surface. We try to obtain breaking of a magic castle and we investigate. So, 5. 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 … 0 …!

The cumulative strength of five Keepers of the third rank (more lowest ranks on the Limit were not allowed - too dangerously) with Analyzers of the corresponding power, of course, was not what the creator of a mirror counted on. The brilliant metal surface became covered by small ripples again though the mirror continued fight. But power of cumulative blow of five fairies, five Analyzers had an effect - mirror resistance slowly but surely weakened. The fairy triumphed! Now, at last, the secret of a mirror will be revealed!

Already the ripples gradually began to decline, here the Fairy already sees somewhere in the distance the high mountain, here a gold tower with the round observation platform, here some bright point at its top, here the point becomes more and more and already finds a silhouette, something reminding a female figure …

But at this moment this point left the radiation of such force that all fairies at once got from chairs, and from their ears and noses thin bloody streams began to flow. Stones of Analyzers broke into pieces, as well as Projectors, having deprived of them, thus, any communication among themselves.

3.

Several minutes the Fairy could not recover. It lay on a floor, the head was turned so that, appear, a ceiling, windows and curtains broke into a dance, and hurt so as if it was whacked from everything to scope an iron knightly glove.

When the first shock passed, the Fairy fast read the first occurred soothing and kroveostanavlivayushchy spells and approached a table.

All devices rolled on a floor, the table turned over, the sphere broke, also goggles were broken, but, the most important, - did not escape also a mirror! The only catch for a history solution with Prinze's disappearance! It lay right there, on a floor, a gold rim on the wooden handle and a set of small metal splinters which were melted strongly off at the edges as though something concerned them very much and very hot …