What witches cry about…
By Timur Gagin
(translated by Anna Pavlova)
In this part of the city the dress-coats of the palace guard were an unusual phenomenon. Therefore, out of the darkness of cellars and slums, from those narrow streets of rickety houses, dusty alleys, braver inhabitants of the outskirts were staring at the soldiers with apprehension as well as with curiously. However, what they saw was already so unusual that some even forgot about caution and, without hiding, gawked. Because in the middle of a clear guards system the Dynast Prince himself pranced on an impatient, thoroughbred horse. And it was never seen on the outskirts of the city. That is, not only him personally, but also none of his predecessors. The ancient and indistinct legends of the outskirts of the slums did not say a word on this topic.
The experienced beggar, who in his youth had been engaged in petty thefts in rich neighborhoods, and now retired and growing more respectable and safe craft-begging, turned to his young pupil-apprentice, who was looking at everything unprecedented, and grumbled, trying to cope with his shocked face expression indecent to his age:
"Not otherwise, he is going to the Wizard." What else can he do here?
In the face of the young apprentice there was a dramatic change. Now it was full of condescension and concealed gloating:
- This is in vain. He will not get anything from the Wizard.
The old beggar grinned sadly. He well understood the reason for the restrained triumph of his pupil: the unlucky of this world is always pleased to see or at least anticipate the humiliation of the lucky ones; it is as if it equalizing them to fate. Without answering, the beggar turned and walked away from the narrow street where the Prince had passed. He was vexed that the pupil's unkind outburst was consonant with his first thought: Prince will get nothing from the Wizard. Everyone knew this in the slums: The Wizard always refuses. Always! There are no exceptions. The Wizard does not care about anyone.
-"Why does the Wizard always refuse?" - as if guessing the thoughts of the old teacher, the apprentice asked. After all it is nothing to him. And he is asked almost about nothing, just small sorcery. They say, this Wizard is very strong. Why does he refuse?
-"You will grow up, you will understand," snapped the old beggar, "but, being unable to contain the desire to show his knowledge to stupid youth, he continued," there is some confusion. It seems that the Wizard does not refuse everyone, but only for those who ask for himself.
-"So it's the same thing," interrupted the student, "for whom else to ask?"
-"So I say, it is confusion," the old man waved annoyedly and did not say anything else. And the young man for a long time in an undertone was indignant at the dishonesty of the Wizard: Well, what do you know? He have invented a condition that devalues any miracle, even trifling. Who needs it then… for whom to ask, if not for yourself? And maybe, to agree with a friend that begging through the street, and ask for each other? Although it is unlikely, since he immediately guessed, then others, probably already tried. If it would have been a successful idea, everyone would do it. Only, apparently, and the Wizard is not a fool, he knows how to understand what's what.
Behind the last turn, beyond which there was opened the house of the Wizard, Prince’s guards slowed down. Wizard‘s house was different from the skewed and poor huts and shacks of the city mob, by its good quality and at the same time, by a gloomy desolation: half-fallen walls of the fence and shabby columns at the entrance, tightly closed window shutters and a lot of cobwebs on the windows.
Entering the gates that were thrown inwards and coming to the door, the guards stopped in confusion. Nobody came out to meet them, it was not at all noticeable that the inhabitants (or the inhabitant?) of the house, if they were, noticed the arrival of guests. And it was not just some guest it was the Ruler of the city!
The Prince-ruler was young and, admittedly, extremely lucky. Both of these qualities did not add to his patience. And although he was not an evil person, his impatience sometimes made him act recklessly. However, people lived with him calmly, and he cared about his city as much as he could. In this, as in everything, he was lucky. And because of this he was forgiven for outbursts of irrationality.
Already very evil tongues used to say that the glory of his predecessor, the former Ruler, did not give him rest. To all the kindness and luck, he was still wise, and (as the evil tongues said), he had more scope. The former Ruler was childless, but although the present Prince was not his son, he enjoyed all the privileges of the heir. And one day (as they say, but this topic was never discussed loudly), the Ruler declared that he left the city to the Prince, and went away. It was said that he was tired, that he always dreamed of visiting distant lands, that he was at death, and the rumor of leaving was simply started to avoid confusion. And there were those who said that the former Ruler had left after the quarrel with the present Prince. Then he was even younger and stubborn. And he was also proud and worried that all the glorious deeds would be done, and he, the Prince, would have to remain in the eyes of the townspeople a pale shadow of the truly great Ruler. They whispered, the Governor left, because he loved his adoptive son, and wanted him to be happy.
And the Prince, - here the owners of evil tongues screwed up their eyes, they say, make your own conclusions, good citizens, - Prince did not keep him. And he became a Ruler himself.
If there was a lot of truth in all these speculations - it is not known. But the Prince was impatient. Therefore, without waiting for the Wizard at the door, he ordered to call him out of the house. And the soldiers began pounding on the door.
-"What do you want?" - Suddenly called the Prince behind the short, disheveled man. He was dressed disorderly, and it was evident that he did not particularly look after his appearance.
-"Ah, you're here, Carlo," - the Prince answered and, throwing the reins to the Guardsmen who ran up from the door, jumped off the horse. "Can I come in?"
-"I'm more accustomed to the name of the Wizard," shrugged the clumsy-clad man and nodded. "Of course, come in. The door to the house dissolved itself and the Wizard went inside. The prince followed him. But the door slammed shut, just before the nose of the guardsman who tried to go in, and the beats of alarmed guards poured on the door again.
Prince shuddered at the sound of the slammed door, but smiled, went on. The Wizard did not react at all. The house was filled with the same desolation as outside. Numerous stairs creaked and here and there collapsed. Most corners were hidden in the shadows. In the back of the rooms a web was often seen. The Wizard brought the guest up to a relatively clean room, where sunlight still penetrated through a large window. Sighing, the Wizard sank into a creaking armchair and waved the Prince's hand at the neighboring one: “Sit down,”- he said. Prince carefully wiped off the dust and, picking up his cloak, sank into a chair. He was not heavy, but the chair still tipped noticeably.
-"Do not be afraid, it will stand," the Wizard chuckled, not looking at the Prince.
-"I'm not afraid, Carlo." -The prince also grinned, but he looked at the Wizard. The Wizard looked away from the window and then looked at the Prince expectantly.
- "How do you live, Carlo?"
-"Not bad, as you see."
-"But not too good." The Prince looked at the Wizard cautiously, as if not knowing what to expect.
-" Not too good, not too bad ... This is called normal. So? "
-" Yes, " - the Prince smiled,- " that's called normal. "
- "Is everything okay with you, Prince? " - the word "normal" sounded a bit sad for the Wizard. Or just a pre-dawn shadow ran down his face.
-"No," -Prince's eyes were sad, too, but the voice was mocking, "you deceived me, Carlo."
-"I?" - The Wizard was surprised. But he was surprised rather politely than sincerely. "What?"
-"You promised that I would be happy."
-"And what?" They say that you are always lucky.
-"Yes, but that's not happiness."
-"Oh," -the Wizard's eyes were completely clouded, and his face suddenly seemed to plunge into the darkness, so that even the evening sun could hardly dispel this shadow, "what happiness do you lack?"
- "I do not know, Carlo." -Now the prince's voice sounded tired. -"I do not know, but I do not have happiness."
-"Do people like you, Prince?"
-"Yes, they do."
-"Do you manage your plans?"
-"You know that I do, Carlo."
-"Do you have any entertainment?"
- "Even too much”
-“ Are you rich? "
-" Of course. "-The prince smiled sadly, and jerked his head sharply. - But I do not have enough happiness. And you promised me that I would be happy.
The Wizard looked up at the Prince, and the anguish floated, swirled and went deeper in these eyes.
- "What do you want, Prince?"
-"If only I knew for sure. - The prince shrugged his shoulders. -"I want to be happy, but I do not know how."
-“But you were happy just recently”. "The Wizard’s voice sounded like a begging note, and it sounded much quieter.
-" Yes, I thought so. But happiness is less every day in my life. I have everything, but it's not that. It is as if the joy of life and the life itself leaving me. No, I'm healthy. Everything just becomes somehow empty. GIVE ME BACK MY HAPPINESS, Carlo, or give me A NEW ONE. "
The Wizard sighed heavily, got up from his chair and went to the window. Sunset gleams of red waves played on the folds of his clothes, and blossomed hair. Finally, as if deciding on something, the Wizard turned away from the window and looked up at the Prince.
-"Listen, Prince. The Wizard fell silent, as though struggling to pick up the words, then sighed and continued, "I ... cannot."
The Wizard stopped and lowered his head.
-"No, wait."- The Prince even shook his head, driving away the strange words, - "how can it be .." . "you can not"? Why??? How? You can do everything, you could have done it before! Why cannot you do it now? You just do not want, don’t you? So tell me. I'll go to another Wizard. Do you want this? You do not want to help me anymore? "
The Prince's voice nearly broke.
-" Listen,"- the Wizard's voice sounded hollow, but firmly, as if he had made up his mind for something, - "No any wizard will be able to help you."
“HAPPINESS CANNOT BE CONJURED. THERE IS NO SUCH MAGIC!”
-"Hey, Carlo." The prince smiled crookedly, incredulously, - "why are you saying this? After all, so many years you can even perfectly conjure my happiness. And there WAS magic like that and for that.”
It seemed that the words of the Prince wounded the Wizard, his pain was usually reflected on his stern face.
-"Yes, Prince, everything was like that! There WAS Happiness. But there was NO witchcraft. IT WAS MY HAPPINESS.”
- “How it could be yours?” - Prince looked puzzled, but the hostile expression went from his face.
-“Happiness cannot be conjured, Prince. But you can give like a present. I gave you my happiness. And while I could be happy - You was also happy. It seems that my happiness is ending up, since you began to miss it.”
-"But, how?? Your happiness?? " - The Prince was digesting the news and, it seemed, he decided just not to believe it.
He was a good man, this Prince, and he did not want to seem like a thief of somebody’s happiness.
-“Come on, drop it, Carlo. Just say that you cannot, and do not make excuses There are other Wizards, you are not the only one!”
-“All right, Prince… as you wish”- the Wizard lowered his eyes wearily, - “let it be your way. I cannot do it. Go and look for your happiness.”
The prince backed to the threshold, then turned abruptly and took a step toward the exit. But still something stopped him and the Prince turned around before leaving:
- “But how did you live - without happiness. Even without hope? Why then to live?
The Wizard replied Simply, as something obvious and self-evident, and the Prince thought that the Wizard answered not to him, but to himself:
- Why to live? Why did I lived…? I lived for you. I was afraid that if I leave, happiness would leave you together with me. But ... I couldn’t even imagine that Happiness may die earlier… even before…
Prince’s face turned red, and again he sharply turned around and threw in the Wizard’s face:
- And when it died - you hear me… when your happiness is already died - Why should you live NOW ??? What could you say, old man!? There is no need to live now?!
And it echoed to him in response, reflecting off the stone walls:
- There is no need ...
