The New Watch nw-5

by Sergei Lukyanenko

The Tiger fixed Kesha with a piercing stare. Then he said: ‘Boy-Prophet – for my own safety, I ought to kill you…’

  ‘I don’t want you to!’ Kesha exclaimed, terrified, and started backing away awkwardly in my direction.

  ‘All right. That’s what we’ll write: Innokentii Tolkov refused,’ said the Tiger. And he disappeared.

  The three of us were left alone together.

  ‘Has he really gone?’ asked Nadya. ‘What do you think, daddy?’

  ‘I think…’ I said, rubbing my throat and coughing to clear it – the Tiger had almost strangled me as he dragged me out of the Sarcophagus, he didn’t know his own strength – ‘I think any being that has a sense of humour can’t be all bad.’

  Nadya sobbed and hugged me even tighter. Kesha hesitated for a second, then walked up and nuzzled against me awkwardly from the other side.

  ‘Everything’s fine, just fine,’ I said. ‘It’s all over now.’

  ‘But where’s Arina?’ Nadya asked in a low voice.

  ‘In the Sarcophagus of Time,’ I replied.

  ‘Does that mean for ever?’

  ‘That means that never before has anyone ended up in a Sarcophagus that is impossible to get out of, with a Minoan Sphere that can open portals from absolutely anywhere… I don’t know, Nadya. Probably not even the Tiger knows that.’

  I myself didn’t know whether what I’d said was really the truth or an attempt to console my daughter.

  And I was even less sure if I wanted the ancient witch to make her inconceivable escape from that dungeon. It was basically fine by me if she stayed there until the end of time.

  ‘Shall I try to open a portal?’ asked Nadya. ‘The Twilight is settling down…’

  ‘In ten minutes and thirty seconds the Great Gesar and Great Zabulon will open a portal to us,’ Kesha suddenly announced. His voice had changed. As often happens with young prophets, the fright had started him prophesying. ‘Next week you will explain your actions at the Inquisition Tribunal in Prague…’

  ‘That much I can figure out for myself,’ I whispered, gazing at the tousled hair on the top of Kesha’s head.

  ‘You are Anton Gorodetsky,’ the boy continued. ‘You are a Light Other. You are Nadya’s father. Because of you… all of us… all of us…’

  I held my breath.

  But there was silence

  ‘Did I say something?’ Kesha asked timidly.

  Isn’t that always the way!

  Just when you really want to know if you did the right thing or not.

  But no one will ever answer that question for you.

  Not even the Twilight.

  Copyright

  This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

  Epub ISBN: 9781448149834

  Version 1.0

  www.randomhouse.co.uk

  Published by William Heinemann, 2013

  2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1

  Copyright © Sergei Lukyanenko 2012

  English translation © Andrew Bromfield 2013

  Sergei Lukyanenko has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work First published in Great Britain in 2013 by William Heinemann

  Random House, 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 2SA

  www.randomhouse.co.uk

  Addresses for companies within The Random House Group Limited can be found at: www.randomhouse.co.uk/offices.htm

  The Random House Group Limited Reg. No. 954009

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 9780434022311

  About the Author

  In Russia, all volumes of the Night Watch series have sold over two million hardcovers between them. The Night Watch has been adapted into an internationally successful film, which has been distributed round the world. Sergei Lukyanenko lives in Moscow.

  Also by Sergei Lukyanenko

  The Night Watch

  The Day Watch

  The Twilight Watch

  The Last Watch

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