Unconquered Sun (31 page)

Laura did not philosophize crafty. She did not want to strain the imagination in search of new spells any more. This game already rather bothered it - it is time to finish with them. And the enormous superiority in strength, as we know, does not encourage skill to development of the military - simpler to crush the opponent weight. As some kinglet from the Distant South, owning troops in hundreds of thousands, not reflecting will send them all crowd to well strengthened city with well armed, but small garrison, without inventing tricks, just with one ladders atilt in any way. He knows that let and about ten of thousands of his slaves will die, the others all the same will flood defenders with the weight. So also Laura decided to arrive. What the next tsunami, but now with a force of not twenty, and a trekhsta of magicians is simpler - to send! From fairies now and there will be no wet place left!

But the vindictive Queen did not provide one.

As an angry bee, loudly buzzing wings, the Fairy promptly flew up and went directly to the center of estimated blow. In a flash she appeared over "a magic circle" of the sisters and in all power of the lungs cried:

- Stop, Laura! You hear? Stop! For the sake of Kind Prinze, stop! I will not allow shedding of blood of my sisters here! If you kill them - kill then me!

Laura who was already bringing a sink to lips stopped and with astonishment looked at the Fairy - she as if for the first time saw it. Having been fond of fight, she absolutely forgot about it … Mermaids and water also stood waiting that their madam will decide to do.

- Immediately get up in a circle, the Keeper of the Limit No. 3, I order you, - sent the mental order to the Fairy Kremovo-Belaya. It seemed, she is not surprised to its sudden emergence at all - as though and was planned initially. - Otherwise you will be vulnerable for blow. We cannot lift a board so highly any more!

- No, sisters, I will not fight, there is enough blood and hostility! - the Fairy cried in reply. - I will die here, but I will not shed blood of the mermaids who did to me there is a lot of good, blood of the sisters whom I love as the family. Beat Laura and tell then Prinze that I did not raise the hands for murder!

- Sea dragon you pobera, madwoman! - with disappointment Laura cried out. - What fine blow vanishes! - And having sharply turned away, gave the order "set aside". Raging to Mora instantly abated, clouds thawed, water got a quiet, greenish-turquoise shade again.

4.

Fairies, indifferently, externally without expressing the pleasure at all, opened a magic circle. Our Fairy fell by sand and got up near Cream-Béla face to face, having blushed from confusion to the roots of hair. She did not even notice how the look Cream-Béla which became from passionless, cold and imperious such warm and gentle changed.

- My silly fellow! - interrupted with the first an inconvenient pause Cream-white. - I was already a fairy of the 1st rank when you were in a cradle … I knew your mother who died at attack to the Mirror of the Invincible Sun, knew your father who died of a grief soon after her death, knew you when you went to School of fairies and learned to spell … For what, you think, I pursued you? For what I tried to arrest you? For what I undertook this fight, hopeless for me?

- I know, elder sister … To rescue me … - disobedient lips the Fairy hardly said and sobbed violently. Its thin coat hanger feverishly shivered, and on cheeks bluish streams spread. - Forgive me, elder sister, forgive me, sisters, - the Fairy said, having fallen on knees.

- Forgive both us, and us - the Kitten and the Puppy who already got out of the secluded place ashore where they still hid cried plaintively unanimously. They dropped to legs Cream-Béla near the hostess too.

- It I, I am guilty of everything! - the Puppy proskulit. - I blew in a whistle, - and is guilty lowered the plush head as if was going to receive slap in the face.

- Silly Animals, - smiled Cream-white, - you truly served the hostess and are worthy all praise. - She patronizing stroked their plush heads. And then quickly asked, addressing the Fairy: - And what you intend to do now?

- To go all the way, elder sister, directly to the Tower of the Invincible Sun. Till the end …

- I knew that such is there will be your answer, - sadly said Cream-white, having slightly smiled to a corner of lips, - you are direct all in mother. I in every way tried to leave it at home, but it so strained to be in action that I gave up in the end … She told all: "How I can stay at home if the whole world on the edge of an abyss?" And even did not listen to the husband of the darling where me, old?

- Yes, it precisely … - the Fairy answered with an echo. - How I can stay at home if my favourite Prinze is in danger of death? He did not die, is not present? - and she beggarly looked directly in eyes Cream-white.

- No, he is living, - having slightly nodded, she surely told.

- Yes, and I feel it, - with a smile the Fairy said. - Intuition …

- Well. You made the choice whatever it was, - is silent, with undisguised bitterness said Cream-white. - Now go. I release you … - and then, having kept silent a little, in a whisper, almost quietly added:

- Perhaps you are also our last hope …

But the Fairy did not hear anything any more. After the word "go" it right there soared up into air and as the shell which is let out from a catapult promptly departed forward, without waiting for the repeated invitation. Who knows, suddenly "Main" will change the mind?

The kitten and Puppy right there pripustit after the hostess who dared to land only having flown by dozens of miles.

And fairies, without waiting for the run-away winged animals, rose in air on the wings. As a small swarm of the bees who finished the day of work on a meadow they the correct order departed to a native beehive, even without having looked at the enemies.

And Laura watching all this scene only twisted a webby finger at a temple, and muttered:

- I always knew that all these fairies - just cranky. What did Prinze find in them? Would remain better with us, and would be our king … - And, having sighed from disappointment, it dived into the sea and disappeared in its boundless waters. It a flock was followed also by all its numerous suite.

And the wet sand only pitted by deep funnels covered then, there the enormous size stones and the desert newborn island with an ugly skeleton of the broken ship on it remained mute witnesses of the drama which inflamed here.

1.

The prince woke up and with surprise found out that he lies on the magnificent gold bed covered with a silk canopy. The soft sheet was weaved out of the thinnest gold threads. In a bed headboard, honored and to the king, golden silk pillows lay. All of them were decorated with gracefully embroidered images of the sun with female features.

The head of Prinze hooted and was turned. He hardly remembered what occurred yesterday. Something unpleasant, painful, but that - he did not remember.

When to it bothered to roll in a bed, he stood up and looked round. The first that he noticed, it the nakedness. From it he a little bit felt ill at ease. The benefit, the case made entirely of mirror gold plates caught sight to it. Having opened a door, he found in several sets, however, absolutely identical clothes - so choice problems did not face it. It were tunics from golden silk with an embroidery in the middle in the form of, of course, zhenoobrazny sun. The leather belts sheathed by gold platinum with a gold metal plate with the image of the sun, golden silk raincoats, short, to a belt were applied to tunics. Below on a shelf there were pairs of wooden sandals which are also sheathed by gold plates. On the top shelf it found a big gold chest in which on a velvet lining there were gold wrists and a gold chain with a sun emblem, a gold signet ring also with a sun emblem, and also a gold hoop with the sun on a forehead.

The prince wanted to put on, but here suddenly thought that it would be good to be washed in the beginning. At the very same time, as if povinuyas to the mental order, one of "walls" softly drove off aside. The prince saw a magnificent bathroom. However he should have crossed a room threshold as "wall" it was right there closed behind it. From everywhere long elastic streams of warm water rushed, the foamy bast which was accepted carefully efficiently flew up, but at the same time persistently to wash his body.

The prince at first tried to resist, but after a bast painfully his steganul on a neck, he decided to obey destiny and did not move until skillfully programmed mechanism of a bathroom made everything. Then water ceased to flow, and Prinze was attacked by three towels at once, and from invisible openings warm air went.

Only when Prinze finally dried, the wall again quietly drove off aside, letting out the captive back to the room.

"Well, dela-a-a! - scratched Prinze's nape, - even my Fairy did not have it! Yes, basins gathered water and heated it, but I washed after all! Well … or almost always. At least, sometimes the Fairy … liked to do it"

After that Prinze felt having the right to dress new clothes. When he was looked in a smooth surface of a case, did not recognize himself - it was faced by the real fantastic prince: weigh from legs to the head in gold, well-groomed, a regal look.

Having put on, Prinze decided to investigate carefully that mansion in which he appeared.

It was quite spacious room with the big lancet window decorated with a fine pattern from multi-colored glasses. The plot was predictable: the sun with female features heating the long beams, the reminding hands which are imperiously given extensively, a bed with rosebushes.

The prince approached a window and examined it. So he also knew - the window was with a lattice, however, gold, and height to the earth was decent - probably, from half-mile. Even if it will be possible to cut somehow a lattice, it is all the same impossible to be chosen live of the room.

Then Prinze began to look for doors, and as it is possible to guess, did not find them.

"The gold parrot in a gold cage", - sadly thought Prinze.

If not this circumstance, Prinze could think that he on a visit at some fantastically rich king. Walls of the room were from the gold given a mirror-like polish, ideally equal and smooth, without any hint on roughness - so to find a door there was no opportunity.

The sun brightly lit the room. Its beams were reflected from the polished walls mirrors why light amplified to impossibility and hurt the eyes to tears.

All this situation of the shouting luxury and unfreedom awakened in his head memories of events in the hall. The prince remembered everything now - both a metal imperious voice, and this strange reflection with eyes searchlights, and these awful live statues, and the self-closed doors … The prince remembered everything, and to him became sad and lonely.

"And I will die here, in this gold cage … - with bitterness he thought. - Even there is nothing to eat here - one continuous gold!" He thought wistfully of tasty lunches which for it were made by the Fairy.

But he should have thought only of it as suddenly the part of a wall by itself drove off aside. In the opened aperture the gold person who rolled the cart all filled with dishes - a full-fledged hot lunch with drinks seemed. The prince did not begin to go on hunger strike and thoroughly ate - eventually, he never suffered from lack of appetite and also because it needs forces. At least to understand where the weak place of this gold monster which captured him and what, actually, it tries to obtain.

- And correctly made, - there was in his consciousness a familiar voice with metal notes. - You still need food for restoration of forces, but you will be free soon. Because when you will join the Stream, you will be perfect, you will be free from sewage of flesh, all these liquids which profane your body, make you similar to animals, and you will understand that you made a right choice...

- And unless I had it? - carefully Prinze inquired, being afraid to receive a fiery punch again as yesterday. But this time it was not.

- Of course, you itself looked in my mirror. My mirror attracts only those who strive for perfection. And I give them such opportunity!

- What is "to join the Stream"? - Prinze asked, wishing to change the subject.

- You will understand, you will understand soon... Not to explain it. It as the new birth, the birth light and from light. It as marriage, but is better and purer. I will show you it when you ripen. I want that you wanted to enter It is an indispensable condition. Otherwise I simply would burn your heart and you would become one of my golems. But I do not need slaves - at me is them enough - to me it is necessary... Besides, you are obviously capable on bigger, than only to carry trays with food … - it seemed to the Prince that in a metal voice something similar was heard on a metal ringing, a ringing of gold hand bells... Really this Being still can laugh?

"Well, if it laughs, - Prinze judged, - means, will definitely not beat". And from this thought it became easier for it. He so grew bolder that he dared to ask again:

- I do not understand, the Hostess why You called me "a cadaveric worm" yesterday, slightly did not kill me, said that You from me need nothing. And now you treat me as with dear visitor, you place in the magnificent room in which at us and kings are not able to afford to live, you feed with a tasty lunch …

- "Curiosity killed the cat", - whether so speak at you? - the Voice answered somehow surprisingly in a feminine way, and gold hand bells ears rang out again. - While it is allowed to you to know one, Kind Prinze - so, apparently, you were called by the wife? - you have to do what I tell you and not to ask excess questions. It is clear? - The prince vaguely shook the head, absorbing already the third dish.

- Here and miraculously, be sated while give, porosenochek, - again a ringing of invisible hand bells. - However, I will tell you that so far you slept, I studied all your biography from the cradle, opened all hiding places of your memory and what I saw there, it appeared, it is necessary to tell, in your advantage. You are obviously not similar to all others, truly cadaveric worms … To take at least that the fairy of the third rank decided to marry you is quite exceptional case!. However, - the invisible Hostess tore off herself, - there is enough, you already ate and it is time to be accepted for good reason.

- What it "put"? - puzzly Prinze spoke.

- It. I want to show you your future possession. We go, Kind Prinze, you will see what was seen by nobody from mortal. What by all means will awaken in you desire to remain here forever and to divide with Me my Eternal Perfection as you made it with this your fairy. Eventually, my halls and my Perfection not to be made even to a pathetic hut and homebrew beauty of your provincial seductress!

With these words of a door opened again also something hot pushed Prinze in a back. The prince looked back, but saw nobody. But, having looked to the right, at a smooth surface of a wall, he saw that there the figure of the tall beautiful woman is reflected in gold royal clothes. It was dressed in a magnificent dress with a dome-shaped skirt to ankles and open shoulders. From shoulders the long purple cloak fell. The head she was crowned by a royal diadem. The roundish face it was framed with a shock of a straight golden hair, and from her empty eye-sockets streams bright blinding flew and burning down to got down light.

It was that stranger from a mirror. But only now to Prinze was evident that in this mirror it differs in nothing from the real woman. If he looked only at reflection, he would be absolutely sure that it is real that it is possible even to touch it. In a mirror of the dwarf he saw the ghost. From this "reality" of reflection he felt terribly ill at ease especially as near it actually was nobody …

- Well you got stuck? - impatiently said the Voice in his head. - It is time for us - I should show you still very much! You will be my first guest for twenty thousand years! I all in impatience!

- Forgive, the beautiful Hostess. I just admired on your reflection … - Prinze tried to joke, but the Invincible Sun took his words quite seriously.

- I forgive. It is a good reason. Perhaps, the only good reason which I in general allow for you. Soon, you will never be able any more soon, for one moment to come off my perfect beauty, and then are crazy also about my perfect knowledge. You will be so obedient my perfection that you will forget all - even the favourite wife. You will bless that day in which you appeared here. Soon, Prinze, soon! But not now … Still early …. I want to show at first to you all what I made, and then already to prove to be in all the greatness and beauty! Forward, Kind Prinze, forward, you are expected by great opening!

With these words reflection of the Invincible Sun ran forward as the girl who is eager to show quickly "achievements" - some children's drawings or hand-made articles - to the adult uncle who was pleasant to her. And Prinze needed only to follow him, being guided by reflections in mirrors and on a sound of gold hand bells at himself in the head.

2.

The invincible Sun is perfect now it was impossible to learn. Really, from the cold imperious cruel queen it turned into the hospitable hostess. Where only It did not drive it! It seemed, possession of the Invincible Sun were really boundless.

One hall followed another. In them only one was identical - gold as material, gold walls mirrors everywhere.

As Prinze guessed, mirrors were necessary to It only in order that to be reflected in them - it was a ghost. But these mirrors were unusual, magic. Only through them it could prove in this world. As mirrors were continuous (i.e. lasted in all wall without breaks), the feeling of its real presence was created everywhere where Prinze's leg went. The prince goes on one side of mirrors, and It - on another. So could seem from outside. And actually there was only Prinze, and It - was only reflected. But probably, it for the Invincible Sun was enough, she herself saw real, in whatever party turned …

Except gold and mirrors, all the rest was a miscellaneous.

The first hall was decorated with one emeralds.

- The emerald room, my darling, - bragged It.

Prinze, having examined her, even gave a whistle from surprise.

Huge hall, also all from gold, with a high ceiling, such high that it was necessary to lift up very strongly the head up that to see it. But the main thing in it was that all jewelry halls consisted of pure emeralds. Window frames, chandeliers, chairs, frames for pictures, eyes of statues, embroideries on gobelins - all were decorated with large and small green stones. They were so skillfully facetted that reflecting a sunlight which got through numerous windows, scattered on all hall of myriad of green sparks.

- Listen, the Invincible Sun and from where you extracted so much gold and emeralds? - childly directly Prinze asked.

Already familiar ringing of gold hand bells was in reply distributed.

- Where took, there any more and is not present! - with children's slyness the Voice answered. And again - a golden ringing.

- Well, seriously? Curiously! - even pritopnut-legged Prinze, having absolutely forgotten that he is a captive, but not the guest. But, seemingly, to the Invincible Sun this game had on temper - and she only burst out laughing.

- And - and - and - and-and! It was pleasant?

- Still! - Prinze told, attentively considering the armrests of a big throne made in the form of huge golden lions with the dismissed manes and otversty mouths. In eye apertures at them skillfully ground green stones also shone.

Suddenly Prinze incidentally pressed approximately a gold monster and something clicked. Thunderous lion's roar of such force was distributed that at Prinze stuffed up ears and glasses at windows rang out. Lions suddenly reared, having exposed huge paws with sharp claws forward, and their emerald eyes lit up a predatory green flame.

The prince for horror even jumped aside - he never in life saw large predators and did not hear their roar, and then, without having kept standing, failed on a back and painfully hit the head against a floor.