"...Transcendental science has always been known, but only to enlightened minds who understood the necessity of silence and patience..."
What in the world?
Was I dreaming, or was someone actually telling me something?
The voice was grating... Like a mosquito buzzing right in my ear...
I blinked open my eyes; the room was shrouded in darkness. It was still nighttime then. Probably just a dream. Some strange, vivid dream.
Oh well.
I turned over, fluffed my pillow, fixed my blankets, and went back to sleep.
"...Nothing that is hidden is truly lost, and at the same time, nothing that is discovered is ever entirely new..."
What the hell?!
The voice was coming from under my bed!
Wait a second... I recognized that grating whistling.
Petka!
I tossed the blanket off and peeked under the bed.
And there he was, lying there and staring right at me! That brazen face! Still glaring with those eyes!
"Why are you here, Petka?" I asked him. "Have you lost your mind?
Can't you see I'm sleeping? Or have you already forgotten that living people sleep at night?"
"Haven't forgotten a thing, Temnikov," he squeaked out in that thin, piercing voice. "I told you I won't let you rest..."
"You're crazy! I told you — if you keep bothering me, I won't lift a finger to help you!"
"I'm not bothering you. Just reminding you," he said with a sly grin.
"In the middle of the night?!"
"I've grown bored of sitting around and waiting for your decision," Petka lamented. "Especially now that I've found a comrade to share my pursuits with."
"Who said I was your comrade?!" I climbed down from the bed and sank to my knees, my neck already stiff from constantly looking down at him. "And what exactly is this pursuit of yours?"
"Our pursuit, my young friend." A foolish grin spread across his face.
Fury clenched my jaw. What a character!
"You're worse than an itch. Ordinary ghosts don't behave like this!"
I declared. "Breaking into a decent nobleman's house in the dead of night and depriving him of sleep! That's... That's... Such a crime hasn't even been thought up yet, and it's downright disgraceful!"
"But you're no ordinary nobleman, Maxim Temnikov, so let's just say the laws don't apply to you." The brazen face sneered in reply.
"Ordinary boys don't talk to ghosts, and they certainly don't lie to them..."
"When exactly did I ever lie to you?"
"You promised to help me, yet you haven't shown up in three days!"
"Two days and one night. And I never promised anything! I told you I'd think about it, if you didn't keep bothering me!" I yanked the blanket off the bed and draped it over my shoulders. It was cold sitting on the floor.
"I'm not bothering you, just dropping to visit an old friend..."
"What friend?"
"You, you silly boy! Aren't we friends? You visited me, so I thought I'd come by to chat."
Unbelievable! Coming in the dead of night just to have a friendly chat!
"Normal people don't pay visits in the dead of night!" I informed him, a hint of menace in my voice.
"Well, I'm not a normal person. I'm a ghost."
"Perhaps you didn't notice, but I'm very much alive! I sleep at night, you see?"
"Uh-huh." Petka nodded nonchalantly. "I see, I see... Yes, that makes sense. Humans need rest—" "Thank you. And now, if you don't mind, I'd like to—" "—and I'd also like to rest after years of wandering, so... Seems we both want the same thing, yes? All you have to do is say 'Petka, my friend, I've given it some thought, and I've decided that tomorrow we'll finally get down to business,' and I'll let you sleep all you like."
God, I wanted to punch him in that glowing, audacious face! This wasn't a request anymore — it was outright extortion! The scoundrel...
What was I supposed to do with this lunatic? Clearly, he wasn't going to leave me alone. I couldn't just abandon everything and leave Kitezh, putting as much distance as possible between myself and this fish-eyed idiot.
So what now? Was he seriously going to haunt my room every night? Dorian didn't know why Petka's ghostly mind was so restless, and he had no easy way to shield me from spirits like that. How was I supposed to survive without a decent night's sleep?
Maybe I really should just help him. Dorian and I had already talked it over, though we never came to a clear decision. In the end, helping a ghost and maybe getting my hands on an interesting artifact he seemed to know about didn't sound like the worst idea. It was a risky move, but what other choice did I have?
It wouldn't be easy, though. This wasn't just up to me. Without Alexey, I couldn't even leave the school grounds.
As if the whole Distortion incident hadn't been bad enough, now I had to tell him I could see ghosts. He'd think I'd completely lost it, but there was no other choice. I could try sneaking out alone, somehow bypassing the school's tracking magic and cameras, but I wasn't exactly eager to attempt that. I was already a familiar face in the headmaster's office.
I told you, ghosts always drag me into some kind of mess, Dorian muttered sleepily, letting out a yawn. You really should've listened to me.
"You said this one looked harmless enough, and now he's trying to pick a fight with me! Just look at him! Unbelievable..."
"Should I go back to reciting this delightful lecture on my favorite bit of your curriculum, or have we reached an agreement?" Petka inquired.
"Alright, to hell with it," I said, sinking onto the bed. "We'll see tomorrow what can be done..."
"What do you mean?" he asked, poking his head out from under the bed, hair tousled. "What do you mean 'we'll see'? What's there to see?"
"I'm not allowed outside school grounds without company. So if my friend doesn't agree, I won't be able to fulfill your request. At least, not right away."
"I've waited for decades, what's a couple more days?" the ghost murmured. "Just try to persuade him. I'll be nearby."
"Why?"
"If I catch you slacking off, I'll hold you lectures every single night!" he squeaked, trembling slightly.
"What course was that lecture from, anyway?" I asked, hoping I'd never have to sit through an actual class on it. "I thought you said you didn't have a Gift?"
"Who said I attended? I eavesdropped!" He giggled. "Anyway. It's called History of Magic!" Petka declared, wearing a proud look that made it clear even the dull-sounding title thrilled him. "Every student is required to study it!"
Two lousy pieces of news in one night. Dorian was right — messing around with ghosts could only lead to trouble.
*** "Konstantin stopped by," I told Alexey as we finished our Sunday breakfast.
"And?" He perked up eagerly. "Did he manage to sell your crystal?"
"Yep. Brought in a hefty sum. Five thousand two hundred."
"That's great!" he said, slapping me on the shoulder with a grin. "I told you he's trustworthy. And to think you doubted him..."
"I was just a little worried, that's all..."
"So what's with that angry look? You look like you haven't had a wink of sleep. Were you guarding the money?"
"God, I wish. No. I need to tell you something," I said, turning my gaze to Petka, who was casually strolling between the tables.
"I'm listening..." He looked at me with interest, taking a bite of his apple pie.
I looked around. The cafeteria was only half full; most students had stayed in Belozersk for the weekend. It was quiet enough to talk here, but I'd rather have this conversation in the open air.
"Let's go to the park. It's a private matter."
"You're scaring me, Temnikov," Alexey said immediately, tensing up. "You can't go a single day without some trouble..."
Alexey nibbled on his pie, probably wondering what secret I was about to share, while I waited for him to finish, my appetite gone.
At last, he was done, and we stepped outside, found a cozy bench basking in the sunlight, and settled down.
"Come on, spill it. What did you do this time?" Alexey asked, his gaze nervously sweeping over the distant trees.
I rubbed the back of my neck, unsure how to begin.
"Do you believe in ghosts?"
He hesitated for a moment, then asked: "Why do you want to know?"
"I'll tell you, but I first need to know if you believe in ghosts."
"That's hard to say... I believe only in what I've seen..."
"What a fool!" Petka squeaked. "He can't see air but it still exists!"
I pretended not to hear a word of what the ghost had said and posed the next question.
"What if I told you they exist?"
"Sometimes I think you're completely batshit insane," Alexey said with a smile, shaking his head. "You're an unusual sort, and your Dark Gift's definitely unique, but this? This feels like a stretch. Ghosts, Max?
Really?"
"You can't see them cuz they're mostly... transparent..."
"But you can see them?"
"Yeah..."
"You do realize how insane that sounds?"
"Yeah, well, there are all kinds of Gifts out there..."
"You're a pretty strange guy, Max. Cool, but definitely weird. A Gifted twelve-year-old who walks into Distortions like a headless chicken...
And now you claim you can see ghosts."
"I can. Also, I'll be thirteen soon."
"Just who are you?"
"That's a strange question," I said, looking at him in surprise. "I'm Maxim Temnikov. We're supposed to be acquainted."
"Now you're just fucking with me, Temnikov," Alexey said with a laugh. "Look at that, you actually got me to swear."
"Spend a little more time with me and you'll learn things your philosophy hasn't even dreamt of. Someone's got to loosen you up a bit."
"I'm not that uptight!"
"Oh please..."
"Smartass." Alexey chuckled and gave me a light shove.
"Anyway, about ghosts..." At that moment, Petka moved closer, eager not to miss a single word. His eyes were twice, maybe even three times their usual size. "I ran into a strange one..."
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph..." Alexey groaned, rolling his eyes in disbelief. "Now you're gonna tell me you're some sort of ghost whisperer..."
"Well, sort of."
"Are you being serious right now?"
"Completely serious."
"No way!" Alexey clapped his thin thighs in amazement. "You see ghosts and speak with them! I've never heard of such a Gift before! I thought ghosts were just stories made up to scare children."
"Nope, not stories. I'm not exactly thrilled about it myself."
"I haven't said I'm ready to believe everything you're telling me."
"So, you don't believe me?"
"I don't know..." Alexey hesitated, uncertain. "Not entirely. I don't think you're lying, but I can't just take everything at face value. Next thing you know, you'll be claiming you can curse me with a snap of your fingers."
"Oh, Alexey... If you only knew...."
"I'm not exactly sure what this ability to see ghosts is. I just consider it part of my Gift, apparently a rare one, that somehow awakened in me. What matters is, I can see them and talk to them."
We sat in silence for a while. Alexey was lost in thought, contemplating my words, occasionally glancing in my direction. I left him be. He needed to gather himself.
Finally, he let out a sigh, crossed his legs, and said:
"Alright. So. You had a strange encounter with a ghost?"
"Petka the Whistle."
"Petka the Whistle..." Alexey shook his head in amazement.
"Unbelievable..."
"He's quite the character, I must say..."
Without any rush, I recounted the amusing story Petka had shared with me. To his credit, Alexey listened very attentively and didn't once interrupt. He only smiled now and then, as if I'd told him something amusing, but otherwise, he paid close attention.
"That's all?" he asked when I finished.
"Yep."
"Maybe all of this was just your imagination?"
"What makes you think that?"
"You said you encountered this ghost on the day of the storm," Alexey said thoughtfully. "What if it wasn't a ghost at all, but a concentration of magical energy? Maybe a mirage, or some kind of hallucination?"
"You're the hallucination, you fool! How dare you call me that?!"
Petka snapped, springing up from his seat. "Your friend's a skeptic, Maxim, and I don't like him. Not one bit!"
"No," I interjected, turning to the offended ghost, "he's definitely not a hallucination. Believe me. I'd love for him to be just a figment of my imagination, but he's real."
"Very much so!" Petka squeaked in agreement.
"Alright, let's assume this ghost of yours is genuine," Alexey finally relented with a sigh. "Let's say I believe you. What do you want from me?
Why are you sharing all this?"
"I need your help," I responded, fixing my gaze on him. "I want to help Petka, but I can't do it without you. I can't go anywhere without you."
"Orlov outdid himself this time, I must say," Alexey muttered gloomily. "What do you mean you've decided to help him? How exactly?"
"The idea is simple," I replied, briefly outlining the plan that Petka had devised.
"You're definitely out of your mind, Temnikov!" Alexey said, twirling a finger at his temple with a hint of mockery. "What in the world do you need all this for?"
"He can't find peace without it."
"To hell with him! What's it got to do with you?"
"He's tormenting me! Every night, he recites History of Magic from memory! He's unbearable! Do you know why I didn't get any sleep today?
He wouldn't let me rest!"
"And I promise to remain most diligent in this noble task," Petka piped up unexpectedly.
"You hear that?" I said, pointing at the ghost. "He's promising to try even harder."
"He's here?"
"Yeah. He's sitting on the grass behind the bench."
Alexey suddenly spun around and fixed his gaze in the direction I was pointing. Petka shot him a thumbs-up with his right hand.
"He's been listening to us?" Alexey asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"To every word we say. I'm sick of him! I just want him gone."
Alexey ran his hand through his long black hair, smoothing it back, then turned to me with a look of utter astonishment.
"You're out of your goddamn mind," he muttered, shaking his head.
"You want me to get involved in all this?"
"I'm not to blame that the headmaster assigned me to you," I said.
"Okay, okay... Here's what we'll do. I'll take you to Belozersk.
Once you've handled your affairs with the ghost, give me a call, and I'll come pick you up. How does that sound?"
"Actually, I was thinking we'd go together," I said. "It could be a fun group activity."
Alexey just sat there, mouth agape, frozen for what felt like forever.
"It's better than sitting at home," I added, breaking the silence.
"Besides, who knows what might happen there? It'll be safer if we go together."
"Tell him Belozersk has nothing to do with this," Petka cut in, voice firm. "We need to head to Dubravino."
"By the way, he says we need to go to Dubravino, not Belozersk."
"I don't care what he says!" Alexey hissed through clenched teeth.
"Temnikov, I'm a prince, you understand? If my father finds out I've gotten mixed up with bandits... Ugh! I don't even want to think about it!"
"First of all, he won't find out," I said, glancing at the ghost. "How could he? No one can tell him if no one knows. He wouldn't hear Petka even if he tore his ghostly lungs shouting. And second, if you don't want to be officially involved, I'll take all the loot from the stash straight to the police myself. What's there to worry about? It'll be fun!"
"I fail to see the fun of it," Alexey blurted out, unable to contain himself. "Is it worth risking everything just so he'll leave you alone?"
"He kinda promised me an artifact..."