William Calhoun and the Black Feather. Book I. Aik Iskandaryan
Читать онлайн.| Название | William Calhoun and the Black Feather. Book I |
|---|---|
| Автор произведения | Aik Iskandaryan |
| Жанр | Книги для детей: прочее |
| Серия | |
| Издательство | Книги для детей: прочее |
| Год выпуска | 0 |
| isbn | 9785449341082 |
«Nymus! Stop insulting yourself!» William said strictly. «We’ve already agreed that you are my Mailmage!»
«Yes, Master Calhoun, that is true!» Nymus brightened up. «I serve the proud Calhoun kin, the last representative of this noble kin!»
«Er… thanks, but you’d better continue your story about wizards,» William interrupted him softly.
«Whatever you say, Master Calhoun! Your word is the Envelope Seal for me!» and Nymus bowed elegantly.
«Oh, come on, stop apologizing, bowing, calling me master, and being so overly polite! Since today we’re friends, remember this. And friends don’t bow to each other!»
These words made Nymus’s face practically glow.
«Oh, my noble Master Calhoun! It’s clear that there’s noble blood in you, the noblest of them all! And I am very proud that I am…»
«Tell me, Nymus,» William interrupted him calmly, «can a master fire his mailmage?»
«Yes, if desired! Then representatives of several vacant kins will be sent over for a new mailmage to be selected. But this happens only if a mailmage dishonours the kin of his wizard or angers the wizard for some reason…»
Then he added in alarm:
«And why is Master Calhoun asking about it?»
«Because Master Calhoun will fire you if you bow to him again or will continue praising him every other sentence!»
«Oh Master Calhoun!»
Nymus fell to his knees and started wailing and pleading not to be fired:
«Fourteen years living in disgrace for staying without masters, for dishonouring my noble kin… Oh, I am a worthless mailmage, Green Monogram! Worthless! Worthless!»
«Now, now…» William tried to calm him down, «I’m not going to fire you, just stop acting like this and embarrassing me!»
These words made Nymus smile. He jumped up and turned to William.
«As you say, Master Calhoun! Like I said, your word is the Envelope Seal for me!»
«Alright, then!» said William. «Now, please, continue telling me about the federation of wizards and its connection with pe… with demits.»
«Yes! So, demits do not even suspect that there is at least one wizard among the leaders of their countries, who makes sure the situation stays under control. Because if wizards stop helping demits, the balance will shift and then…»
«Then what?»
«It will be chaos!» Nymus said. «The peace between wizards and demits will be gone!»
«Has it happened before?»
«Thank Celestine, no! But things worse than that happened!»
«What can be worse than what you’ve just described, Nymus?»
«Once,» Nymus’s voice dropped to a whisper, «there were dark times for wizards. Wizards were on the verge of extinction! But it is best to avoid mentioning this! As we, mailmages, like to say: «Do not disturb the Post Office archive!»
William gave it a bit of though, then said:
«Well, if it’s best to avoid it, then we will! Tell me, where do wizards live? Not here, in London?»
«Not only in London! Wizards live everywhere. In all corners of the world.»
«And they live in houses, like demits?»
«Of course, they do!» Nymus said indignantly. «Their houses are situated quite close to demit ones. But they are either hidden from prying eyes or they can be seen, but nobody will pay any attention to them.»
«Why is that?»
«Because a Repulsion spell is placed on wizard houses, which allows them to avoid any attention from demits. They do not need it.»
«And schools for wizards, are they hidden from demit eyes as well?»
«Master Calhoun, wizards do not study until they are fourteen. And they do not go to schools.»
«How? What do they do all this time?» William was surprised.
«They learn to control their abilities from the age of seven, when they get their Magic Feather, and they spend seven years after that on becoming close to it. It is one thing to receive a feather – you need to get along with it. And it requires a lot of time and a lot of knowledge, which they get from the books and from their parents. When the time comes and wizards turn fourteen, they are enrolled in the Preparatory Course, after which they can be admitted to a MUni. MUni is…»
«Yes, yes, I already know! You said it yourself – Magic University!»
«Envelope Seal! That is right! Master Calhoun learns fast!» Nymus noted happily.
«I’m trying!» William said sarcastically. «Continue.»
«There are four MUnis: Templedoor…»
«And there’s place for all students in them?» William asked with a shade of distrust.
«Of course! Those are not like demit schools, small, uncomfortable, where it is hard even to study, not mentioning living!»
«Do wizards live in MUnis?»
«It is an obligatory part of education! Otherwise, they will stop perceiving MUni as their home, which will later weaken their connection with teachers and influence their studies. Not mentioning the time they would spend on getting to classes.»
«Are MUnis that far?»
«Nobody knows. Even we, mailmages, have never known the exact location of any MUni, young William! And we are supposed to know all the addresses to get all letters to addressees.»
«Oh! Then each wizard is sent letters through you, mailmages? Is that right?»
«That is right! Cannot do without us, mailmages!» Nymus replied, proud of his profession. «We deliver not only letters, but also parcels, gifts, and everything that can be sent.»
«How do you deliver mail to students without knowing MUni addresses?»
«Oh, that is easy! We simply put the name of the MUni as our destination and get there in a few minutes! But I have to say…» at this point Nymus raised his chin and added another portion of pride to his voice, «not all mailmages are so slow! Peregrining takes some mailmages only a few seconds…»
«Mailmages like you, for example?» William could barely keep himself from smiling.
«Master Calhoun is so kind… and right, as always!»
«Alright, alright, I understand that I’m very lucky to have you as a mailmage!» said William solemnly. «What is peregrining?» he asked after a bit of thinking.
«Peregrining is a process of movement, transporting letters or wizards across space.»
«Well, looks like I’ve already been through it and let me tell you: peregrining is a rather peculiar way of earning a headache! And what is Templedoor?»
«The first peregrining is always accompanied by discomfort, Master Calhoun! But do not worry. You will get used to it! As for Templedoor, it is one of four MUnis and, according to the popular opinion, it is the most elite institution to teach magical arts. There are also Wingville, Findsor, and Garville. These are four acknowledged MUnis.»
William got up and started pacing the room, trying to remember each word.
«Are there not acknowledged ones?» he asked.
«There are. But few wizards take them into account! And few enter them.»
William