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HALFWAY TO THE AIRPORT A HIGHWAY PATROL CAR PULLED OUT AND SAT on our tail I put a spell that diverts people’s attention on the Bora, and the patrolmen immediately fell back and disappeared Others nor stolen, so I was delighted to have found a new use for it But I soon removed it when a truck nearly flattened us a minute later

"We’ll be at the airport in fifteen or twentythe wheel "What will our instructions be, boss?"

Out of the corner ofWe were already out of town and hurtling along the road to the airport A fairly decent road by Central Russian standards

"Turn the radio on," I said "This journey’s getting a bit dreary"

Roht the end of the news:

" to the delight of millions of readers, whose three-year wait has finally come to an end," the presenter declared "And in conclusion¡ªan announcement from the cosmodrome at Baikonur, where a joint Russian-A for liftoff The launch is planned for six-thirty this evening, Moscow time And noe continue our musical"

"Like soot work to do"

"Alexander, pull yourself together, this is no tiot work to do!"

This extremely amiable man, who probably couldn’t even have slit a chicken’s throat in real life, seeine that he was James Bond¡ªor at least his assistant

We all have soot out of our systeuard the car," I told hi on you"

"I serve the Light!" Roman barked

"I’d never have believed it" Las groaned in the back seat "Shall I guard the car too?"

"Yes" I nodded "Only please, please don’t try to run away"

I heard ht to turn Las to the Light too? It would beunnecessary torment

But I had no time left to think about it¡ªthe car flew out onto the square in front of the ter and pulled up at the entrance with a squeal of brakes Nobody took any notice of that¡ªsoht, it happened all the time

I took out Arina’s note and looked at the co, but it still indicated a definite direction

Had Kostya sensed my approach? Gesar had been sure he would

And as in store for h, up until that moment, I hadn’t felt any fear In my heart of hearts I hadn’t been prepared to see Kostya as an eneht kill ician¡ªthat was already soht of the Night Watch behindquite unheard of¡ªthe ht of the Day Watch as well What could one solitary vaher Vampire?

But just at that s bared

Kostya had killed him Overwhelmed him

"Las," I said curtly "One s happens they’ll find you afterward; tell theulped, dropped the empty flask on the seat and said soberly, "I’ll do it, why not? Forward, my pale-faced Blade!"

It see Getting drunk is a good way to give yourself partial protection against a vampire They find the blood of someone who’s drunk unpleasant¡ªand if he’s really drunk it’s toxic to them Maybe that hy vampires had always preferred Europe to Russia?

But a vampire doesn’t have to drink the blood of so, but business is business

"Don’t come close," I repeated "Keep your distance"

"Watch your back, boss," Ro on you!"

I looked at hi words

How alike we are

How alike all of us are¡ªOthers and people, Dark Ones and Light Ones

"Keep it cool, no rush, no aggression," I said toat the entrance to the ter neckties The cleaning lady in an orange jacket standing beside the away on a Prima looked absurd

"Cal The smokers moved aside to make way¡ªthere was so much Power in me now that even ordinary people could sense it

Sense it, and do the sensible thing¡ªmove aside

I looked around as I went in Las was shanly

Where are you, Kostya?

Where are you, Higher Vampire who has never killed anybody for the sake of Power?

Where are you, boy who drea Lord of the World, like in some cheap Hollywood actionto cheat his own destiny

I will kill you

Not "I must kill you," not "I can kill you," not "I want to kill you" No h "Iand self-justification I’ve already been through "I can"¡ªstruggling with the co I’ve already been through "I want to"¡ªwith all those turbulent emotions: the passion, the fury, the pity

Now I’ what I have to do

I couldn’t give a hoot for the false ideals and the fake goals, the hypocritical slogans and the two-faced principles I don’t believe in the Light or the Darkness any longer Light is just a streaht People are our young brothers and sisters The Others are the salt of the earth

Where are you, Kostya Saushkin?

Whatever your goal is¡ªancient eastern artifacts or a icians¡ªI won’t let you win

Where are you?

I stopped in the middle of the hall¡ªthe rather sht I could sense hi suitcases buized, and walked on I noted his aura in passing¡ªan uninitiated Other, a Light One He was afraid of flying but he’d arrived safely and now he’d relaxed¡ªwhich hat had made hiht now

Kostya?

I swung around as if son that said "Service Entrance" and a coded lock

A h the hubbub of the airport

Apparently he was calling me

The buttons on the keypad lit up helpfully when I reachedcode

I opened the door, looked around and nodded to Las, then closed the door behind me carefully, so that it wouldn’t latch

E one of the in the air, soaring upward and gliding back down Like an intricate passage on a classical guitar, with the subtle notes of a violin

This was it¡ªa genuine vampire’s call, directed atas fast as I can," Ioff toward another door with a code lock A door banged behindht, one

I opened the door, and found myself on the apron of the airport

A round-bellied airbus was creeping slowly across the concrete Further away a Tupolev was taxiing out to the runway, its turbines roaring

Kostya was standing about fifteen feet away fro a neat little plastic briefcase¡ªI guessed that here the Fuaran must be Kostya’s shirt was ripped¡ªas if at some moment it had suddenly become too small

When he juht aithout taking all his clothes off

"Hi," said Kostya

Theoff in mid-note

I nodded

"Hi You flew here very quickly"

"Flew?" Kostya shook his head "No flying that kind of distance as a bat is too hard"

"Then what did you turn into? A wolf?"

This absurdly genteel conversation was suray hare I hopped all the way"

I couldn’t help giggling as I pictured the giant hare running through the truck gardens, forging streaed "Well it really was funny How are you feeling? I didn’t hit you too hard, did I? Have you still got all your teeth?"

I tried to smile as broadly as I could

"I’m sorry about that," said Kostya He really did seem distressed "That’s because it was all so sudden How did you realize I had the book? Because of the cocktail?"

"Yes The spell requires the blood of twelve people"

"No did you know that?" Kostya mused "There isn’t any information available on the Fuaran but that’s not i to say to you, Anton"

"And I’ve got so to say to you," I said "Turn yourself in You can still save your own life"

"I haven’t been alive for a long time," Kostya said with a sotten?"

"You knohat I mean"

"Don’t lie to me, Anton You don’t believe it yourself I killed four Inquisitors!"

"Three," I corrected him "Witezslav and two in the train The third one survived"

"Big difference" Kostya frowned "They’ve never forgiven anybody even for one"

"This is a special case," I said "I’ll give it to you straight The Higher Ones are frightened They can destroy you, but the victory will be too costly So the Higher Ones will go for negotiations"

Kostya just stared hard at ive back the Fuaran and turn yourself in voluntarily, they won’t touch you," I continued "You’re a law-abiding vampire It’s the book that’s to blame The balance of your mind was affected"

Kostya shook his head "There was nothing wrong with the balance of ar didn’t take what Witezslav said seriously But I believed him I transformed and flew to the hut Witezslav didn’t suspect a trick he started showingWhen I heard about the blood of twelve people, I realized this was my chance He didn’t even object to an experienuine as quickly as possible It was only when he realized I’d beco his heels in But by then it was too late"

"What’s all this about?" I asked "Kostya, this is insanity! Why do you want the power to rule the world?"

Kostya raised his eyebrows He looked at hed "What are you talking about, Anton? What power? You don’t understand a thing!"

"I understand everything," I insisted "You’re trying to get to China, right? A icians under your control?"

"You idiots," Kostya said in a quiet voice "You’re all idiots There’s only one thing you ever think about Power I don’t want that kind of power! I’m a vampire! Do you understand? I’m an outcast! Worse than any of the Others! I don’t want to be the most powerful outcast I want to be ordinary! I want to be like everybody else!"

"But the Fuaran won’t allow you to turn an Other into a huled He shook his head "Hello! Anton, switch your brain on They’ve pumped you full of Power and sent you here to kill me, I know that But think first, Anton! Understand what it is I want!"

The door squeaked behind aped at me in embarrassment, then squinted at Kostya

Kostya shook his head

"Not a good tioing"

"Stop," Kostya said in a flat voice "This is a very good tiht the note of command in Kostya’s voice, but it must have been there

"A natural experiment," said Kostya "Watch how it’s done"

He shook the briefcase The locks clicked, the briefcase opened and out flew a book, h the air

The Fuaran

The book really was bound in skin¡ªit was a grayish-yellow color, and the corners were bound in triangles of copper In addition there was a cunning lock to prevent the book being opened

Kostya caught the book in one hand and opened it with incredible agility¡ªas if he weren’t hed about five pounds, but sio of the briefcase and it clattered against the concrete

"Most of the stuff in here is just padding," Kostya laughed "A record of unsuccessful experiments The formula’s at the end it’s really very simple"

With his free hand Kostya took a metal flask out of the back pocket of his jeans He twisted off the top and poured a drop of liquid straight on to the open page

What a to do?

Everything insideout¡ªattack! While he’s distracted¡ªstrike with all your Power!

But I waited, spellbound by the spectacle

The drop of blood was disappearing fro in a brown led sound, like throat music¡ªit sounded like a huible in it

"By the Darkness and the Light" said Kostya, looking into the open pages He could see soankandata gauri Auchitya dkhvani By auri"

The voice of the book¡ªI had no doubt that it was the book that wasthat sound¡ªbecame louder It drowned out Kostya’s voice and the words of the spell¡ªboth the Russian ones and the other, ancient ones in which the Fuaran ritten

Kostya raised his voice¡ªas if he were trying to shout down the book

I could only ain