William Calhoun and the Black Feather. Book I. Aik Iskandaryan

Master Calhoun. And you are no worse than other wizards. Like I said, you have all the rights to live and study among people like yourself.»

      «But,» William looked up at Nymus, «I already live with the Hoggarts and go to school.»

      «It can be easily fixed. Now tell me, do they treat you well?»

      «Yes!» William said truthfully. «They are wonderful people.»

      «That is good!» Nymus said approvingly. «Master Calhoun, you will need to change school. Now you are going to study together with other wizards.»

      «Does this mean that there are special places where magic is taught?»

      «You think wizards are illiterate? Or that they do not have their own world? Only magic is not taught, young wizards are taught to control it by developing their skills.»

      «Tell me, in that place…» William began, as he suddenly remembered, «where we met… were there also…»

      «There were only wizards there,» Nymus finished for him. «But I cannot understand how you managed to get there if you did not know about it.»

      «By accident. Well, it was my first time at a café,» William admitted. «And when I entered, the barman directed me to the bathroom. You know the rest.»

      «Oh, the fate favours us, young William! We have reunited – a wizard and his mailmage!»

      «Are you… are you going to live with me now?» William asked awkwardly.

      «Live?!» Nymus laughed. «No, young William! Mailmages are not supposed to live with their masters! They live at the Magic Post Office! I used to live there as well until I was fired after losing my masters.»

      «But it wasn’t your fault that they died, Nymus. Why did they fire you?»

      «A mailmage without his wizard is no mailmage at all. He becomes useless and is banished. I was forced to go looking for work and became a waiter at the „Well-Fed Wizard“, that is how the tavern is called,» Nymus explained seeing William’s reaction to the name. «I have worked there for fourteen years, but now it is in the past! I shall return to the Post Office tomorrow and tell them that I have found my master, then they will take me back!»

      «Well, I’m happy for you, Nymus!» William said sincerely. «You said you used to serve my family… My parents… what were their names?»

      «They were Patrick and Sally Calhoun,» Nymus replied. «But like I said before, nothing is known about their deaths. Their bodies were found far from their home.»

      William repeated the names of his parents in his head and, for a while, he sat silently. Then he turned to the mailmage again:

      «Did you know them well?»

      «The mailmage position of the Calhoun family had just been transferred to me at that time. I took it from my father Lester after he had retired. I had just finished the Post Office Academy and started working there. And soon…» Nymus stumbled, «I lost everything.»

      He was looking at William as if he could hardly believe that they had met. After a few moments, Nymus continued in a more cheerful voice:

      «A for your studies… Like I have already told you, you will have to change school. You are fourteen, and this is the age when wizards are enrolled in the Preparatory Course to one of the MUnis.»

      «MUnis?» William repeated.

      «Magic University! After graduation, each wizard can choose a profession. You cannot do without higher education, Master Calhoun! There were many powerful wizards in your kin and they all did great at Templedoor and beyond it as well…»

      Nymus’s voice dropped to a whisper. But after a pause he continued cheerfully:

      «First thing in the morning, we are going to the Magic Post Office, I shall get the mailmage license back, and from there we shall go register your magic feather so that you could enrol in the Preparatory Course!»

      «It’s all great, but what am I going to tell Hoggarts when they get a letter from school about me missing classes?»

      «Letters are my job, Master Calhoun,» Nymus smiled. «Hoggarts will not get any letters about your absence from the demit school.»

      «Who are demits?» William asked. «I’ve heard this word from the barman, but didn’t pay too much attention to it back then.»

      «That is how we call non-wizard folk,» Nymus explained.

      «I see!»

      William found it hard to believe that all of this was happening to him for real. His life was changing rapidly. And each moment spent with Nymus changed his destiny even more. After a bit of thinking, he spoke up again:

      «So, Hoggarts will know nothing about the school… And where am I going to study? Where’s this school?»

      «The classes take place in London,» Nymus replied.

      «In London?» William repeated, unbelieving.

      «Yes, in London! Looks like I need to tell Master Calhoun even more about wizards and the wizarding world.»

      «Yes, please, if you don’t mind!» William replied gratefully.

      Nymus placed one hand over the other, as if he was going to start a very long story:

      «Well, you will learn most of it in the classes on wizard history, but I will tell you the main things!»

      «Take a seat, Nymus,» William pointed at the bed beside himself.

      «Take a seat?!» Nymus repeated indignantly.

      «Well, yes. Is something wrong with that?»

      «Master Calhoun, no decent mailmage will allow himself to sit when his master is present, under no circumstances. It is not according to the mailtiquette!»

      «Stop calling me master!» William said angrily. «I’ve never been a master to anyone. I’ve never even had a dog. Besides,» he added in a less angry tone, «I’m your wizard and I allow you to sit in my presence.»

      «No, Master Clahoun, I am a decent mailmage and I am very happy to find my wizard again! But even under these happy circumstances, I shall not break the Post Office Code! Allow me to keep standing before you and do not offer me to take a seat again.»

      «Well, as you wish,» William gave up. «So, what about wizards?»

      «Yes, right! The world we live in, Master Calhoun, equally belongs both to demits and to wizards.»

      «But Nymus,» William interrupted him, «during the fourteen years of my life, I’ve never met any wizards. Other people I know also believe that all the talks about wizards are nothing more than fairy-tales.»

      «Long time ago, fairy-tales were written by wizards themselves, as they described their own adventures or the lives of their friends. Then demits started writing fairy-tales. As for the fact you have never met wizards until today… that is how it is supposed to be! Demits should not be aware of the true state of things. But you are a wizard, Master Calhoun, and it is wrong that you find this out only at the age of fourteen. It is completely wrong, Green Monogram!» the mailmage couldn’t help swearing again.

      «Nymus, Nymus…» William hurried to cool the mailmage’s emotions. «I’ve found it out thanks to you, please, calm down.»

      «I apologize, Master Calhoun,«Nymus hurried to say and continued. «So, where was I…»

      «Talking about wizards and ordinary people,» William reminded him.

      «They are called demits.»

      «Fine! Wizards and demits. Continue!»

      «Right, demits! Most of them believe that everything they have achieved is due only to their own efforts!»

      «Isn’t it?»

      «Of course,