As soon as the stuffiness of the dungeon was replaced by an icy wind of voids, Tant held his breath. They raced through the darkness. In flight, Holden's grip loosened, and he had to hold his assistant by the sash. The movement did not stop immediately, and the darkness dissipated gradually. The outlines of the mountains appeared, the gate towers of the monastery and a long bridge between them. The light of the moon shone. They landed in the middle of a vast courtyard.

- Saved! Holden howled as he collapsed onto the cobbled square. “Praise be to Nismass, Nygme, and all the saints!”

“ Taur and Engure are still there. We need to go back for them, ”Tant said, looking at the basilica with the bell tower in front.

- Nope. Engure is finished,” Kord whispered, panting with difficulty. - I saw him drapanul into the tunnel, without light.

Silas kicked him, explaining that the Nismante Order did not abandon their brothers even after death.

- He's right. Even if Engure is dead, his body must be returned for burial.

Holden said this, holding the knife in his hand, with which the eyeless stabbed four. Tantus took it from the henchman. The short, narrow blade was carved from bone; the handle is wrapped in hemp. The crude tool looked like a craft made by a native or a Nikta.

' Let's show it to Thorgrim,' said Tant, looking up at the moon. “The abbot must have woken up by now. Now he has to serve the vigil.

The novices hurried towards the basilica. Cord walked aside, swaying as if drunk. The boy really turned out to be strong in spirit, and the meditations that he taught him helped him survive.

“ And what shall we say to the abbot?” Holden asked, shivering involuntarily. Is it some kind of sorceress or demon? Maybe a necromancer?

- Women have not mastered the art of magic for a long time. We have met an ancient evil.

“ A demon doesn't need a knife to kill,” Silas protested, brushing off his half-robe. - Strange. She could have killed us right away, but instead she asked us to leave.

Maybe she's not as strong as we think?

- She reminded me of the "ore guard". Also no eyes. With pale skin. They're also called duikers,” Holden said, and after a moment's thought he added, “They're only found here in the south. Miners in Pineroot believe duikers guard the underworld and even make sacrifices to it.

- Exactly! Remembered! Silas exclaimed, rubbing his hands. “My father told me about them. Seven years ago, a heretic in Pineroot tried to blow up an entire mine. He swore that duikers ordered him to sacrifice his comrades.

They climbed up to the arched portal, entering the basilica. Tantus quickly crossed the right nave and left the colonnade.

“ I will not regale the abbot with fairy tales,” he said, looking around. “Dukers were invented by Second Chance prisoners. Have you ever been to Pineroot? This prison is the worst place in the world. People there go crazy every day.

Tant stopped, realizing only now that it was too quiet inside. Moonlight streamed through the stained-glass windows under the vault. The long pews in the center of the nave were empty. Nobody came to the prayer. Looking around the hall, Tant soon saw a man in a scarlet robe. A plump man with a clean-shaven face was lying between the benches. Running up to him, he put his ear to the big man's chest. Master Cronus was supposed to prepare the basilica for the night service, but he seemed to be exhausted and passed out.

“ Look, his assistant is sleeping too,” Silas said, pointing to the altar.

Near the stone block lay a henchman. Tantus walked up to the apse at the head of the nave and peered into the practicioners' annex. It was empty inside, but the dress robes were open. So, Kronus prepared everything and waited for the arrival of the brethren.

- Oh, that's not good.

The plaintive voice belonged to Kord. Tanta jumped out. Footsteps slapped under the basilica's vault, then a figure in a white dress appeared. The woman slithered across the marble floor like a ghost. Two black gaps on a pale face were turned in their direction.

- Everyone inside! Tant commanded, dragging Holden into the outhouse.

He rushed deep into the rich room and, knocking out another door with his shoulder, burst into the sacristy. Running to the locker near the reliquary, Tant turned it over and opened the secret hatch. Located at floor level, it resembled the entrance to a cellar.

“ Master, does she know how to mix without a bola?” Is that possible? Silas asked.

Pushing Kord inside, Tant looked back, noticing a cloud of fog behind Silas. Two white hands reached out to the boy. The listener's neck cracked.

Holden , you're next! he shouted, pulling out a fireball bola.

The listener dived into the tunnel. Tant wanted to run his hand over the bola, but the pale woman rushed towards him, clutching at his wrist. At some point, their eyes met. The thin lips of the stranger stretched out, exposing rows of yellow teeth.

“ Tires mirk ladum,” he said in her face.

The woman recoiled. It was enough to slip through the stone hole. Whoever the pale one was, she was frightened by the meander command. So they had a chance to get rid of her. It only remained to find one more nismanta.

“ Thorgrim should have woken up,” called Tant, standing up on the lawn behind the basilica. He ran across the yard, realizing to himself how stupid it was. If Cronus and his assistant fell asleep, then it was not worth hoping to meet a cheerful abbot.

And so it happened. Once in the wing of the masters, they found all the doors closed. Nismant slept in every room. Having run along the corridor to the end, Tant opened the door, letting in a firefly. The bony old man lay on the feather beds and breathed a little, as if he were on his deathbed. Tanta moved away from his cheeks and poured water from the bowl onto his face.

– How so? She put everyone to sleep,” Kord wailed, watching the futile torture to wake the abbot.

“ Thank Nismassu for not killing me.

The accommodating Holden said this in a mocking manner unusual for him. Tant looked at him, but did not have time to answer. From the darkness came a raspy voice:

Let them come and close their eyes. It's fast and doesn't hurt.

At the other end of the corridor stood their tormentor. She had the bone blade in her hand again.

Why are you following us? shouted Tant. He took out the Letterbiter from behind his baldric and showed her the beetle in amber. Is this your amulet? Are you Mirai?

The woman walked towards them. Tant slammed the door, then told his companions to take the strengthening potions from the shelf above the bed.

She is afraid of orders. We can immobilize her and interrogate her,” Tant whispered as they drank their potions. - Gather again. We'll jump to Gotford.

– Why?

“ Wistan will help us.

He took a bola with a silvery turret out of its case and ran his hand over it. His friend Wistan had been living in a hut on temple square since late summer. The wise Nismant knew many commands. Together, they could cast the right spell, paralyzing the pale creature. It was his plan and the last chance for the two frightened boys.

***

Three times in a row Tant has not yet mixed. The moment Gonther's tower rose overhead, even he felt sick. Cord fell to the sand altogether, spilling the remnants of an old dinner from his mouth. Holden grabbed the young man, but he could not get up.

A cylindrical tower loomed overhead. Dozens of fishermen's shacks clung to the mound below it. There were even more of them in the depths of the bay. Tant looked around, but apart from the glow of lonely oil lamps on the hills, he saw nothing. It was deep night. The lower limit has been sleeping for a long time.

Taking Kord by the right hand, he helped Holden to his feet and together with him dragged the young man towards the main street. Soon the cannon tower disappeared behind the roofs. They walked as fast as they could, but instead of the street they came across a sandy square. There, with a bottle in his hand, a ragamuffin was sleeping on bundles of brushwood.

Maybe she's behind? Holden suggested. “That's not Kenovia. Thousands of people live here.

I don't see any people around.

The soft light of the moon and the sound of the sea were soothing, but it was not worth relaxing. A creature that could follow its prey couldn't just stop hunting, and the cramped streets of Gotford were little different from the dungeons.

No , Holden. We won't be let go that easily. Not now. Tant looked at the edge of the plateau with stone stairs, then at the sea cliffs in the distance. The realization that they had accidentally crossed the main port street did not come immediately.

Spitting on everything, he walked back, but it turned out that it was not necessary to go far. Nearby stood a two-story building with a boat on the roof. The wooden hut stood on stilts. Recognizing the oldest tavern on the island, Tant went to her. The Double Bottom was Ravian's favorite tavern and the first place where he and the old man had a drink.

Climbing the stairs, Tant kicked the door open with his shoulder, immersed in the familiar fishy stench. Despite the late hour, there were plenty of regulars inside. Half the tables were occupied by dock workers and fishermen. One of the visitors, a youthful old man with thick stubble, hobbled over to them, grabbing Kord by the chin.

- Eh-he! Yes, this is the son of Esmir. And where did he get so much? - with notes of envy said the townspeople.

- We know where. They say kenovia has the best nectar on the island,” said a dock worker, carefully examining his dusty robe. “Yes, your reverence?” God bless you and your wallet.

Tantus found a free table by the barrels of wine and seated the young man at it. The fisherman's son leaned his cheek against the wall and groaned. Holden ran to the counter, asking the innkeeper for a pitcher of water.

– What are you carrying? Esmir's son is in the north,” came a sleepy voice from the other side of the hall. “Malyok sailed with Ravian to look for gold mines.

A man in a red shirt rose from a dark corner. He was still young and, judging by his well-groomed hands, he was engaged in paperwork in the port. Tant did not immediately recognize the old man's friend. He had a crooked nose. The deceased made friends with many of the slum dwellers, but he visited Thomas more often than others.

- Master Tantabas? Thomas asked, narrowing his eyes. - Exactly you. And I didn't believe it at first. Are you empty-handed? Haven't they found anything in two months?

He crossed the drinking hall, rounding a couple of tables where the fun had turned to sleep. Tanta, meanwhile, handed over the jug to Kord. He clung to the vessel, like a child in a mother's breast, and began to drink greedily.

- The boy looks like shit. Are you all right? Thomas inquired, standing next to him. Some of the regulars behind him began to look in their direction.

- No. We miraculously survived, - after thinking carefully, Tant answered. “We met the undead in the north. Many died.

Is Ravian alive?

- He died first. I'm sorry, Thomas.

- How did he die?