Authors: Alex Kosh
Faculty of Fire (61 page)
I caught the vampire’s eye, and he winked, as if he’d been waiting for me to look at him.
Of course, he was probably eavesdropping on our conversation too ...
“Alice, that doesn’t matter any more,” I told the vampiress in a gentle voice. “It’s not the past that’s important, but the present.”
“By the way, about the present,” Alice went on cheerfully. “Do you think you could walk me back to my room? I’m feeling rather tired today ...”
“And I’m feeling really tired,” I sighed. “So you’re finally suggesting that I should walk you back?”
Alice gave a cunning smile.
“I’m suggesting you should try.”
We started squeezing our way through to the door.
On the way we ran into the Craftsmen, and they didn’t want to let us go that easily. We had to drink some wine with them. And as well as that, Shins gave Alice the charge ring that had destroyed the isolation field as a souvenir, and I was presented with the badly battered all-purpose battle broom.
Alice glided out of the Hall a few seconds ahead of me. I followed her ... and halted indecisively in the doorway. The corridor was empty.
I took two steps forward and looked around.
Nobody.
Suddenly I caught a glimpse of a white figure at the end of the corridor.
“How long do I have to wait for you?” Alice shouted.
“I’ll be right there,” I shouted and ran after her.
I only managed to catch up with her at the teleports.
“How slow you are,” Alice remarked. “Catch me.”
She stepped into a teleport and disappeared in a white flash.
I followed her.
I tried and failed to catch the vampiress all the way to her room. Outside the door Alice stopped and looked me up and down mockingly.
“Our hero’s a bit on the weak side,” she declared with a clear, ringing laugh. “And the poor thing’s completely out of breath too ...”
“Alice, my sunshine,” I said, trying to settle my breathing.
“What is it?” the vampiress enquired warily.
“You know what I want to say ...”
I suddenly moved closer and put my arms round her waist.
“I’ll never let you go again.”
She gazed straight into my eyes.
“Prove it.”
Not phased in the least, I held her tight and kissed her. Then again, and again ...
“Is that enough proof?” I asked after a while.
“Not really.” Alice’s eyes sparkled with merriment. “But it’s not bad for a start.”
That night we told each other all sorts of nonsense. Maybe not everyone would agree but, as I said before, I think that kind of nonsense has a special charm all of its own ...
Epilogue
Sunset painted the golden roofs of the houses crimson. The final rays of the setting sun began to toy with the city, trying to change it ... perhaps not for the better. And all the golden houses were covered with red blotches, as if they were coming down with some kind of disease ...
Only one building refused to succumb to the disease. The Academy. The massive, unshakeable stone structure remained a majestic sentinel over the peace of the Empire at all hours of the day and night.
Two individuals met in one of the studies there. A man and a vampire. So different ... and yet so very alike. The vampire lounged in an armchair and screwed up his eyes in ecstatic delight as he savoured the wine from his glass.
“A remarkable bouquet,” he declared eventually. “Off the top of my head, I’d say the vintage is year thirty of the present little man’s reign. What’s his name?”
“Sirius,” said the man sitting opposite him. “But you’re wrong. This wine was made from grapes harvested only one week ago.”
The vampire took another sip and glanced suspiciously at his companion.
“Oh, come on. This wine is at least two hundred years old.”
“So it is,” the man said with a nod. “But the grapes were harvested only a week ago.”
“I don’t understand,” the vampire confessed.
The man laughed.
“Well you see, we Craftsmen have certain special knowhow of our own ... for instance, directly below the Academy there is a small vault where time moves rather differently ...”
“Aaah,” the vampire drawled. “You know, to be quite honest, I used to think Craftsmen were rather stupid. And boring. Especially boring. But it seems that some of you
do
have imagination ...”
“May I take that as a compliment meant for me?” the man asked.
“You may,” the vampire graciously agreed.
They said nothing for a few minutes, enjoying the wine and the silence.
“Well, we really pulled the whole business off rather cleverly,” the vampire said eventually, breaking the silence. “It’s centuries since I was involved in a scheme that was so amusing.”
The man unhurriedly set his glass down on the table.
“I don’t see anything amusing about it. Quite the contrary, it’s sad,” the Craftsman sighed. “Sad that we have to employ such methods. “But there is simply no other way to get through to these old blockheads. The Empire, and this whole world have to change. The war with the Tabernacle Caliphate will happen soon and we have to be ready. The Academy especially...”
“Never mind those old blockheads!” the vampire exclaimed passionately. “Look at how much was accomplished with so little loss. How intelligently the youngsters responded. Your faculty of fire really showed everyone how it’s done.”
“I agree. They’re a very promising bunch, and I see them as the future of the Academy,” the Craftsman said with a smile. “Although they still wouldn’t have been able to do anything without Kelnmiir. It was a good thing that he decided to take their side.”
“The Craftsmen have been shaken up,” said the vampire, holding up one finger. “Now is it the Emperor’s turn?”
“I don’t really think so,” the craftsman replied. “The old dodderer is going to die soon anyway. But as for who will take his place ...”
“That could be another healthy jolt for the whole Empire,” the vampire said slowly. “If we could think of something really interesting.”
“I hope we will have at least a little more time to prepare,” the Craftsman said, speaking equally slowly. “All right ... now, please put that strange music in the musicale ... there’s something ... fascinating ... about it.”
The vampire nodded, took the muse out of his cloak and put it in the tabletop musicale. The room was filled with a pleasant melody ...
I see the sunset
Melting down the windowpanes
Day trembles, and night will leave
The shadows of words in corners ...[3] [3. Words from a song by the group Aria]
They sat and listened to the strange music from another world. They closed their eyes, relaxed and let go of all other thoughts ... But they did not know that at that precise moment the Emperor died peacefully in his bed ... a peaceful death is so rare among people vested with such great power. The old Emperor departed peacefully, but at a very bad time. No one could possibly have imagined what this death would lead to. The word “jolt” that the vampire had used so casually, was perhaps the most appropriate for the events that would follow ...