Knight Caterino

PROLOGUE

I

In a far away country (I have never managed to find it on any map) is a big and beautiful city. It sits on an enormous hill and is visible from afar. High thick walls surround it on all sides and one can enter or leave the city only through the gates protected by armed guards. There are many houses in the city and life is buzzing on its streets. People come here from all over the country in order to sell or to buy something. Certainly, the city cannot manage without travellers; they want to see, in their opinion, the largest city in the world. We know though that in the world there are cities considerably bigger. This, however, is not in question. The people of the city which I am telling you about consider that there is only one country in the world, the one in which they live. A few rebellious principalities on its outskirts are persistently unwilling to become subjects of this great country.

The city stands on the hill and its cobble-stoned streets either lead up or run down. Most of the people live below near the city gates and the houses are poorly constructed. Here boisterous merriment reigns. It sometimes seems that it is an eternal fair and show here. Even the soldiers here are always happy, talkative, and love to enjoy themselves very much. The merriment, however, begins to quiet down several blocks above. The houses are more solid and luxurious. These citizens slam their heavy doors in an unfriendly way and cast haughty looks at the merriment on the streets below. Prosperous townsfolk live here. They keep many servants and ride in expensive coaches. The more splendid the coach, the more horses harnessed to it, and the richer and more notable its owner. The moneybags love to brag about their status to each other. They do not like to walk, however, and only ride in their coaches, hence all of them are either very fat or very thin. The people on the lower streets, when no police officers are beside them, laugh at the rich on the sly.

After passing the rich blocks, one can see a beautiful fairytale park surrounded by patterned iron railings and watched by guards with halberds. The richest townspeople with special passes enter the park through the gate and stroll along white sandy paths past fountains and ponds where snow-white swans swim. Everywhere grow carefully pruned trees and bushes and very many flowers. The noise of the merriment from the lower streets does not reach here.

In the depth of the park looms a gloomy palace, or more precisely, a castle, because it has too few windows for a palace. Here reigns complete despondency. Courtiers and grim guards in iron armours walk along the enormous gloomy halls. No one laughs and everyone talks only in a whisper. A tower stands on the highest part of the hill and one can see almost the whole country from it – dense forest, deep rivers, cities and knightly castles, large villages and lonely cabins, and quite far away, the huge bulk of a mountain with its snowy peaks resting against the sky. Sometimes tiny glimpses of fire are visible there at night when a dragon takes off on a hunt.

Long, long ago the great architect Walter built this tower from blocks of white marble and covered the roof with a thin layer of gold. The beauty of the tower amazes everybody. Walter died and a conflict immediately started around his creation. One prince took possession of the tower. He added his castle to the tower but this made his castle look like a deformed dwarf standing up next to a beautiful princess in a wedding dress. Later the tower and the castle frequently changed owners. Haughty barons and good fairies lived here. Even the elf king took up residence once. He surrounded the castle with a magnificent park. Five hundred years ago, after the elf king’s time, a city began to grow here.

The Sovereign appeared next. No one knew from where he came. This person turned out to be omnipotent. He subdued the dragons. None of the knights could oppose him and the wars, which had continued for almost a thousand years, ended. The Sovereign established strict laws and began to rule over the entire country.

The Sovereign settled in Walter’s tower alone, almost in seclusion. Only several loyal servants and guards were there with him. The courtiers who lived in the castle were rarely allowed into the tower. The Sovereign lived in the highest part of the tower where he could keep an eye on everything that was happening in his realm.

The people gazed at the tower with fear and respect and called it the White Tower.

II

Once on a bright summer day the Sovereign was sitting regally on the throne in the main hall of the White Tower. He was very old and decrepit. His hands gripped a heavy staff with an eagle carved from dragon bone topping the gold knob. A magnificent crown was restingon the Sovereign’s head.

Once on a bright summer day the Sovereign was sitting regally on the throne in the main hall of the White Tower. He was very old and decrepit. His hands gripped a heavy staff with an eagle carved from dragon bone topping the gold knob. A magnificent crown was resting on the Sovereign’s head.

The Sovereign was gloomy and sullen this day; he was usually this way and he never smiled. On this day, the Sovereign was particularly out of sorts. The bright sun in the blue sky among the carefree clouds spoiled the Sovereign’s mood even more: he preferred the dusk and the coolness of rains. In this country, however, it rained very rarely.

“Send for my chief minister Gargulio!” ordered the Sovereign. Gargulio, a portly squab with shifty eyes, then appeared before the stern gaze of the Sovereign. Gargulio was extremely uneasy because his lord had not summoned him for three whole years. “What does the great Sovereign want to say to his loyal servant?” Gargulio asked in a trembling voice. The first minister tried not to show how tired he was when he hurried to appear before his lord. On the contrary, he was all lit up with pride that the Sovereign had remembered him.

“Listen, Gargulio,” the Sovereign began gravely, “I’ve become quite old.” “What do you mean you are old?!” exclaimed the first minister. “Don’t interrupt!” the Sovereign became furious. “I’ll be a thousand soon. That means I must die. For five hundred years I have ruled the country, the people, and other creatures that settled on this land. Now the end for me has come. Yes, the end!” The Sovereign sighed and clutched the staff even firmer with crooked fingers. The first minister listened to him with bated breath.

“But the country will not be left without a ruler!” shouted the Sovereign and, after striking the staff against the floor, had a fit of coughing right then. “I will leave an heir.” “Oh, great Sovereign!” Gargulio yelled, having fallen onto his knees. “Who indeed is the lucky person who will take the place of so great a wizard?” “You don’t know him.” Gargulio was dismayed there and then: in the depth of his soul, he had hoped that the Sovereign would make him the heir. “He’s still not known to anyone,” continued the Sovereign. “Not even to me.” He said the last two words quite quietly, only to himself, then again spoke loudly, “Listen to my order.” Gargulio bent his back in a servile bow.

“Exactly at midnight,” the Sovereign’s hoarse voice became quiet and mysterious, “go into the Garden of the Elf King and find the pond in the growth of willows. Go up to the shore and stand next to the mermaid statue, after that you’ll blow this whistle three times.” The Sovereign handed a crystal whistle on a silver chain to the stunned minister and concluded, “And say to all who arrive at your call, ‘He who owns your freedom awaits you.’ Memorized?” Gargulio nodded. “Then go.”

That night a frightened Gargulio (he was very afraid of the dark) made his way along the park while lighting the way with a dim lantern. Finally, he found the necessary pond and the mermaid statue. With trembling hands the butterball put the whistle to his chubby lips, and three melodious sounds disturbed the silence of the night. The willows began to shake their branches and the water in the pond was set in motion as if small fishes in it had started to dance in a ring. Gargulio even sat down in fright.

Suddenly a soft blue light lit up everything in this pitch darkness. Gargulio saw how five beautiful swans, as white as the fresh snow at New Year, glided along the water directly to him. The swans stopped in their tracks several steps from the man and their leader glanced sternly, solemnly, and a little sadly at Gargulio.

On seeing that no one besides the swans had appeared, the man turned to the birds with the words already known to us, “He who owns your freedom awaits you!” Having heard this, the swans anxiously flapped their wings on the water, splashing Gargulio with a fountain of sprays. Only the leader remained calm and majestically proud. It bent its neck elegantly and sighed like a human.

The thunderstruck Gargulio saw how the birds lifted off after taking a running start. Having stretched out into a wedge and made a smooth circle above the water, they soared upward to the White Tower. They very quickly became barely discernible points. Nevertheless, Gargulio managed to make out the birds flying into the window of the throne hall where, in all likelihood, the Sovereign was waiting for them.

The first minister opened his mouth in amazement and looked at the crystal whistle. The magic whistle had disappeared as if it had dissolved in the air. The blue light had also faded and it became dark as in a cellar. After crying out in terror, Gargulio raced as fast as he could to the park exit. The astonished guards watched as he took off from the park as if a fire were lit under him and, whimpering from fear, jumped into the coach which had been waiting for him for a long time. After some time Gargulio came to his senses. It then seemed to him that he saw a flock of birds, bathed in moonlight, flying out of the Sovereign’s window to the east.

III

Grandpa and his two grandsons were sitting with fishing rods on the shore of the lake and waiting for sunrise. Grandfather was smoking a very big pipe and the boys, not moving, were watching the floats.

The sun emerged from below the horizon. It was so bright that grandpa and the grandsons screwed up their eyes. Then the strangest thing that could possibly happen took place. A strong whirlpool appeared in the lake. The height of the funnel gradually increased and it began to resemble a waterspout. Swans suddenly took off from the exposed bottom in the middle of the lake – real swans, the kind that swim in the ponds of zoos and royal castles in Andersen’s fairy tales. [1] Five white swans shot up into the sky and after circling above the lake which had returned to its shores, flew in the direction of the sun. When they were out of sight, peace and quiet reigned again.

“Ah-h!” escaped simultaneously from the boys and grandfather. Moreover, the old man let out so much smoke from his pipe that his grandsons coughed.

IV

When the topnotch pilot, Ivan Ivanovich Speechmaker, guided his Fulcrum [2] into the next loop, he saw something that almost blew his mind. His suddenly sweaty hands nearly let go of the controls. In front of him at an altitude of five thousand metres flew a flock of birds similar to large geese. The birds were flapping their wings slowly and smoothly but the pilot Speechmaker in the speediest aircraft in the world could not overtake them. The pilot increased his speed. He broke the sound barrier in a few seconds and caught up with the birds. No matter how he tried, however, the pilot could not outrun the flock of five white swans. “What the devil!” cursed the pilot. Suddenly it dawned on him. “But indeed this can’t be. It can’t be!”

What had Speechmaker not seen in the sky in hundreds of flights! He had seen flying saucers, which, after winking slyly, immediately disappeared into outer space, and sluggish airships similar to well-fed piglets. Once he even saw an octopus in a huge glass jar floating across the sky.

Speechmaker understood that the sky was not only for aircrafts and always reported his sightings in detail. Each time his chief General Barrel exclaimed indignantly, “Listen, Speechmaker, why only you see such things? Neither Major Hohum nor Colonel Insipid ever comes across anything in the clouds. But then Captain Speechmaker has seen everything in the sky except perhaps his own mother!” The General could not be angry with Speechmaker for long because he was the best pilot in his squadron. However, he had not been promoted for a long time because of his eccentricities.

Friends laughed at Speechmaker and said, “Well, brother, come on! Such tall tales even Baron Münchhausen [3] could not tell. Maybe write a book about you? A suitable h2 would be: The Wonder Tales of Captain Speechmaker.” Ivan Ivanovich was very offended by this and swore not to tell anything similar in the future. Nevertheless, after several flights he again came across something farfetched in the sky and all began anew.

Yet, Speechmaker had never seen anything like today. The spectacle of swans flying at supersonic speed was just too unusual and not only that! The swans began to overtake the pride of Russian aviation – the Fulcrum. Ivan Ivanovich could not stand this. The daring and talented pilot, the hero of the riskiest flights and experiments started to cry. He decided that he probably had gone insane and was seeing hallucinations.

The swans calmly pulled ahead without any effort and flew to the east towards the sun.

Chapter One ALONE AT HOME

“I depend on you,” said Papa, when he and Mama sat down in the car. “Everything will be fine!” Kate assured him. “I won’t take my eyes off him.” This was said about her younger brother who was standing beside her. In answer the boy stuck his tongue out at his sister but in such a way that their parents would not notice.

“Kate, Gene.” Mama looked pleadingly at the children. “Swear that you won’t fight.” “But we already promised!” the girl exclaimed impatiently. “All the same, swear,” insisted Mama. “I’m certain that as soon as we disappear beyond the turn, you’ll instantly start to fight.” “Okay, I swear,” the girl reluctantly agreed. “For some reason I’m sure that they’ll live perfectly in peace and harmony without us,” said Papa. “Really, just two days! Tell me, son, am I right?” “Of course, Papa, I’ll be good. I swear!” Gene had learned to win over almost all adults with his wide smile.

Mom sighed. The time had come to say goodbye. Tears appeared in her eyes. This was indeed the first time in her life that she had left the children alone. Papa tried to appear calm but it was obvious that he too was worried. Finally, the farewell ritual was over and the car, after tossing up dust on the road, disappeared beyond the turn. The children sighed with relief. Indeed! What effort they had to put in to convince their parents to leave home and leave them alone!

Although Mama and Papa were leaving the children alone for all of a couple of days, they felt like criminals. It was necessary to go, however, because the matter concerned the wellbeing of their family. In the two days, granted by the chief of Papa’s company, Papa had to correct the error, because of which the business turned out to be in a difficult position. The children never got the details but one thing was clear – Papa and Mama had to go to some settlement over fifty kilometres from the city and negotiate with someone there. What about? The children clearly did not understand this either.

Only one thing made the children uneasy – they had never been parted from their parents (not counting summer camp for Kate) but they assured friends that it would be awfully interesting. This is why the parents’ problems not only did not distress them but also even pleased them slightly. Independence promised so many delights!

Papa and Mama, however, were torn between parental and office duties. Mama had to go with Papa because she was his chief assistant. Indeed many parents leave their children alone for a day or two and nothing happens! Unfortunately, it was not the case in this family. Kate and Gene – sister and brother – did not get along at all. You may say, this cannot be! Alas, it is this way.

Kate was eleven and Gene, seven. The difference in age, however, did not prevent them from carrying on a real war between themselves. Certainly, it was a tragedy for the parents but they could do nothing. No matter how often they punished, scolded, tried to persuade and urge the children, nothing helped. The children continued to fight and bicker over every little thing. The children’s screams and tears, bruises and bumps tormented the parents. Now they were being left alone together.

When the children had been left alone, they immediately wanted to fight again. “Do up your sandals,” Kate ordered her brother. “Leave me alone!” he waved her off. “I won’t!” Kate had been appointed as the senior and she immediately felt all the charm of authority. “You promised to obey me so do what I say!”

Gene looked at his sister with hatred. He got down on his knees and began to do up the straps slowly. He was waiting for the sister’s patience to run out. It was her way to have patience. Gene could not bear it and groaned, “Help me.” This was a clever manoeuvre but Kate guessed her brother’s intention. She wanted to give him a good kick but kept herself in control and fastened the ill-fated clasps.

This time Gene and Kate did not fight. They did not fight for two more hours. When they got home, both started to be busy with their own things. Kate started to read a book about the adventures of a girl Alice, and Gene scattered his toys all over the room and set up a battle between the beasts and the dolls. He purposely tried to play noisily in order to bother his sister but she did not pay him any attention because she was captivated by the space adventures of the girl from the future.

“Read aloud!” Gene suddenly demanded. The last thing in the world Kate wanted now was to read aloud. “This book is not for you,” she answered, not taking her eyes off the page. “Why?” “You’re still little.” Nothing so upset the boy as these words from his sister. “Fool!” he fired maliciously. “Little and foolish.” Kate decided to tease her little brother. “You want to fight? Let’s! But consider, you started first.” “I need you!” “Then shut up!” “Didn’t ask you!”

Suddenly, both were silent because they remembered that they always started a squabble with precisely such words. Kate was older, and all the blame for the quarrel would lie on her. “Okay, Gene,” she said conciliatorily. “Already late; let’s have supper.” “Fine, let’s eat.”

Gene rejoiced that he had turned out to be the winner of this skirmish. He understood that his sister did not want to appear as the party at fault so he decided to bring her to a furious state and then retreat. He also did not want to become the instigator of an argument, or worse, a fight – although he could.

Do you think these children would respect and obey their parents? No, they were disobedient and now and then drove their unhappy parents almost to heart attacks. This time, however, they had given an oath and they had never done this earlier. From the stories of their parents and from books and movies, they knew that God, fate, or someone else would severely punish whoever broke any oath. Kate and Gene were afraid of becoming oath-breakers; therefore, they tried not to step over the boundary beyond which a quarrel would begin.

What happened next? Kate prepared supper. She was an independent girl. Gene tried to make trouble at the table. “Not tasty!” he stated while picking at the food on the plate. Mama in Kate’s place would start to assure the son that everything was very tasty, healthy, and nourishing. Kate, however, quietly said, “You don’t like it, you don’t eat.” There was nothing left for Gene to do but to resign himself.

Gene silently ate his supper and demanded to have the TV on. Kate had nothing against that; otherwise, why did they so long to be left at home alone? Certainly it was to have fun and do what they were not allowed to normally; for example, watch evening programs on TV.

Kate again decided to demonstrate her authority. “First pick up your toys,” she said sternly. “Why?” Gene was sincerely surprised. “You haven’t washed the dishes.” He was right. Kate had forgotten to do this. She bit her lip in annoyance but decided not to give up. “I’ll wash now and you pick up the toys.” “I don’t think so.” “Then I won’t turn on the TV.” “I’ll turn it on myself.” “I won’t let you.”

A quarrel was brewing. The children understood this but they were already tired of keeping the peace and they continued the skirmish. “What can you do to me?” There was no stopping Gene. “I’ll send you to bed and watch an interesting movie myself.” “Won’t work!” “Why is that?” “Because!”

In the depth of her soul, Kate understood that there was actually nothing she could do in this situation. She decided to take a different approach. “Okay, Gene,” she said in a sly voice. “Do you want me to take you to the zoo tomorrow?” The boy’s eyes sparkled. The proposal was very tempting. “You don’t say!” he exclaimed. “Of course I do!” “Then pick up the toys.” “Okay,” Gene agreed.

The first day without their parents ended peacefully. The brother and sister were glued to the TV for almost two hours; Papa and Mama would have gone out of their minds if they found out about this. Then Gene and Kate brushed their teeth and went to bed.

Chapter Two THE FIGHT AT THE ZOO

A shout woke Kate early in the morning. It was Gene shouting. “Get up!” he brusquely demanded and pulled the blanket off her. “Time for us to go.” The girl looked at the alarm clock. It was seven in the morning. “You’re out of your mind!” she was annoyed, “Still early; I want to sleep.” “But you promised!” Gene whined. “Let’s nap for at least one more hour, then we’ll go.” “I want to eat,” the boy stated. “Well, get something from the fridge and eat.”

Kate was in despair. She knew from personal experience that her brother would not leave her alone until he got his own way. Anger gradually began to take hold of her. When people’s sleep is interrupted, it is easy for them to be driven out of their wits. Kate started getting angry with her brother for not letting her sleep, with herself for thoughtlessly promising him the day before a trip to the zoo, and generally with everyone and everything.

“So, you’re not getting up?” Gene asked, squinting. “No!” “Then I’ll go alone.” “Just try,” Kate muttered and turned over to the other side.

Kate fell asleep and did not hear how Gene puttered in the kitchen, how he prepared breakfast and dropped a plate doing so. He wandered around the apartment for a long time in search of his clothes because he had scattered them all over the place the night before. He banged something in the foyer. It was scary to go out alone but Kate would not get up. Gene was obstinate and this time he was unable to get the better of his own stubbornness. Besides, it would be disgraceful to back off. Gene slammed the door and began to go slowly down the stairs. Kate continued to sleep.

It was such a bright, sunny morning in the courtyard that Gene instantly forgot the disagreement and headed straight for the zoo. There was some change in his pockets. He bought three lollipops at the kiosk and briskly walked along the street while looking around. Passers-by were moving to and fro. No one paid any attention to the little boy in unbuckled sandals and with a lollipop in his mouth. The question why the boy was alone at this early hour entered no one’s head. Trolley buses rushed past; streetcars dinged from time to time. The city was living its usual active life. Gene walked. He knew the way to the zoo even better than the way to school although the way there was about five times longer.

The boy loved animals very much and he was terribly envious of children whose home had a dog, a cat, or any little beast. He and his sister repeatedly asked their parents to let them get something. Nothing helped. Once, the children even promised their parents that they would live in peace and harmony if they could have a dog. Their parents did not believe them.

Gene got to the zoo but the gates were still closed. Time was dragging along very slowly. It even seemed to the boy that time had stopped completely. There was nothing left to do but be patient and wait.

“Nasty kid!” Kate cursed when she woke up and saw that her brother was not at home. “Ran off.” She was certain that Gene was running in the courtyard and therefore did not begin to worry. Mama and Papa forbade the boy to go out onto the street alone unaccompanied by an adult or his sister. Kate should run and get Gene home but she did not because she thought, “Why did we remain alone? In order not to interfere with each other. If I tell him to come home, he won’t listen. We’ll fight. Better let him play. When he gets hungry, he’ll come running like a good kid.”

Two hours passed and Gene did not return. Kate began to worry. She really did not want to go out but there was nothing else to do. She decided to give her brother a good dressing down. The boy, however, was not in the courtyard and Kate became very frightened. She ran along the street while glancing into all the secluded corners in vain. Kate sat on a bench and gave the situation some thought. Did Gene actually run off to the zoo? Apparently so, Kate decided and ran in the direction of the zoo. Passers-by looked at her with surprise.

When Kate got to the zoo, she discovered that she did not have any money at all. Would she really have to return home? The girl got even angrier with her brother. Her anger grew with each second. When Kate got angry, she became very obstinate. The girl decided to get into the zoo at any cost. Without thinking, she went along the fence in search of any hole.

Is it really possible there can be holes in normal zoo fencing? Of course not or else all the beasts would scatter. Kate was tired and found nothing. If she were to meet her brother now, without a moment’s hesitation, she would throw him into the lion cage. Poor Gene did not know what clouds were darkening over him!

Kate turned the corner and saw boys playing a trading card game right on the asphalt. Trading card games had become most popular among children very recently and resembled adult card games. The rules were different everywhere but one thing was essentially the same – instead of playing cards, they used bubblegum cards. In her class, Kate was the champion of this game. She groped in her pocket for her pack of cards and approached the boys. There were four of them and all were a year or two younger.

 “Let’s play?” Kate proposed. The boys uttered not a word. “What, afraid?” the girl asked maliciously. “We don’t play with girls,” answered the oldest who wore a yellow T-shirt. “Why is that?” Kate was indignant. “Because when girls lose, they squeal and howl so you have to give them back their loss. And what game is that?” said another boy. “Right, Ted?” The boy in the yellow shirt nodded with an air of importance. Obviously, he was Teddy.

“No,” Kate grunted, “You won’t beat me.” Such words greatly offended the boys. “Okay!” they yelled in eager rivalry. “You have to play something. Probably saved up five cards…” “Like hell!” Kate showed them her wealth. A whole pack of the finest cards flickered before their eyes. “Well?” Kate asked with a challenge. “Will you play?”

In fifteen minutes the boys were standing with downcast faces and Kate stuffed her pockets with their cards. She won with ease but this was only half the work. “Do you want to win them back?” Kate asked. She knew perfectly well that they had nothing to bet. The kids kept quiet and watched with melancholy as the girl shoved their wealth into her pockets. She specifically did this slowly and carelessly. The boys’ hearts broke when they saw how their cards with cars, airplanes, supermen, and toys were crushed.

“You know where to go!” Teddy muttered sullenly. “Took all away and says: win them back. How will we do that?” “You will redeem them from me and try to win,” proposed Kate. “How’s that?” Teddy did not understand. “Very simple.” Kate mentally divided the price of a ticket to the zoo by the cards won. The ransom was ridiculous. Kate was almost ready to sell the cards for a song. The boys shouted excitedly, expressing their agreement. The transaction took place; a satisfied Kate very quickly counted the money, and her partners retrieved their cards.

“Well, shall we play still?” Kate asked this just in case, for clear conscience. “No way!” the boys who had been taught a bitter lesson answered. “Okey-dokey!” Kate agreed with pleasure. “Bye then!” She ran to the zoo entrance. Her mood had improved noticeably. Winners are magnanimous. Her anger had disappeared by itself. The girl even decided not to punish her little brother but merely to chide him slightly.

Kate went through the gate with the alluring inscription and ran to the cashier, bought a ticket, and handed it to the old lady with the red band. After a minute, she was by the cages with animals but was not interested in them. Kate searched for Gene. In the zoo it was easier to find a camel or an orangutan than a seven-year-old boy. In fact, signs were hanging in the cages about where certain beasts or birds could be found. There was no sign where to search for Gene Constantinov and one cannot make the rounds of the entire zoo in a day.

Kate first rushed to the lion cages, then to the monkey cages. Gene was nowhere. The girl rushed about from side to side. She asked visitors whether they had seen a little boy in dark blue shorts and an orange short-sleeved shirt. She heard different answers; some positive, some negative, but no one could say anything specific.

Please do not think that Kate did not know that one could go into the broadcasting centre of the zoo and ask to announce over the PA about a lost boy named Gene. She was just so bewildered that she did not think of doing this. Sometimes even adults are at a loss in difficult situations.

Time passed. There were fewer and fewer people; the zoo visitors were moving one after the other to the exit but Kate was still running from one cage to another, from one enclosure to another. “Perhaps Gene isn’t in the zoo?” Kate posed the question to herself once again. Right then she saw her brother. The boy was standing in the pond with waterfowl and watching spellbound as ducklings played. He nearly fell into the water from surprise when his sister’s hand grabbed him by the collar.

“Gotcha!” Kate announced triumphantly. “Let me go!” the boy desperately struggled to break loose. “Now we’ll go home,” the girl said with threat in her voice. “I’ll have a talk with you there, an appropriate chat.” Then Gene bit his sister’s finger. “Ouch!” Kate yelled and let go of her brother. “There!” Gene bounced to a safe distance and stuck out his tongue at his sister. Kate rushed to him. Gene moved to the side but the girl managed to seize her brother’s hand. She dragged him to the exit.

“I still haven’t seen everything!” Gene yelled. “Enough for today.” “No! I want to stay!” “You can manage without,” Kate cut him off. She was barely restraining herself from delivery a good slap to the back of her obstinate brother’s head. To drag a resisting and struggling boy was difficult. To argue with him was even more so. The rare remaining visitors looked over at the children and disapprovingly shook their heads.

“You have no right to deprive me of cultural leisure in a public place!” Gene shouted. He knew many clever words and expressions and loved to use them on occasion. “Besides, you promised me!” “Yes, I did,” agreed Kate. “But who let you run away from home? Who? Disgusting boy!”

 “Not my fault that you sleep like a sick monkey.” He should not have said this. “You’re a monkey!” the girl was angry, downright mad with this comparison. Yes, she had this small fault; she loved lying in bed in the mornings but she let no one laugh at her, not even her own brother.

The boy continued to call her by other offensive nicknames. “Sleepyhead!” he shouted. “I saw this beast today. The spitting i of you! ” “Shut up!” Kate was ready to cry with mortification. There was no stopping Gene. He understood that at long last he had found his sister’s weak spot and decided to make full use of it. “No, you’re more like a sloth. It sleeps even when hanging on a branch. If you hang upside down, you’ll also sleep as if nothing has happened. ”

“Is that so?!” Tears escaped Kate because of her resentment. She broke down and, forgetting about everything in the world, encircled her brother with her left arm, turned him around with his back to her so that he could not break away; the immediate surrounding was filled with resounding slaps.

Hitting was a forbidden action. Their parents had never lifted a finger to either Kate or Gene in their whole lives; it was just not done. There was a law in their family: capital punishment was forbidden. In a fit of temper, Kate spanked Gene. This happened near the giraffe cage. The animals looked at the children with surprise.

When the stung boy finally broke loose from his sister’s hold, he leaped to the side, with both hands on the injured place and started to cry loudly. Kate looked stunned at her brother. She understood that she had done something terrible but did not know what she should do now. “Gene…” she muttered, “I didn’t mean…”

The insulted child, shaking with sobs, broke into a run. He had not experienced such humiliation for three years since Kate had done the same to him the first time. Then he had had a real fit. Their parents had been barely able to calm their son down and severely punished their daughter. They did not talk to her for a week. Kate vowed never to do this again.

Today she broke two oaths at once. She spanked Gene and quarrelled with him. The girl was so at a loss that she did not immediately run after her brother. When she came to her senses, he was nowhere to be seen. The search had to begin anew, only this time her mood was completely different. Kate was dispirited and downcast.

Gene hid in the bushes which grew by the water of one of the canals and cried bitterly. He wept with resentment, humiliation, and guilt. The boy squatted down, hugging his knees with his arms, and, after burying his face in them, quietly howled like an offended wolf cub. Tears fell on the sand and left dark specks on it. Suddenly through his tears, he heard someone hailing him by his name. The voice was low, deep, and unusual. “Gene. Little boy Gene,” the voice called.

Gene raised his head, wiped the tears with his fists, and looked around. There was nobody beside him; however, someone continued to call him non-stop. The boy turned his head in perplexity. Five swans were floating in the water so close to the shore that one could stretch a hand out to them. It could not really be them talking to him! Gene looked more attentively at the birds and unexpectedly realized that it was precisely them addressing him in a human tongue. “Who’s here?” he asked just in case. “Who’s calling me?” “We are,” answered the largest and the most beautiful swan. Gene stopped crying and plopped down onto the ground in surprise.

Chapter Three THEFT

“Did you call me?” Gene asked timidly, addressing the swan. “Yes.” “How do you know my name?” “We know everything in the world.” Gene was at a loss and did not know what to say. The swan continued, “We saw how your relatives treated you and we were very indignant for you, Gene. How can you let a girl hit you?” “She’s my sister.” Gene again recalled how Kate spanked him and his eyelashes began to tremble from anger and resentment. “She always gets me angry.”

“Poor boy,” the swan sighed sympathetically. “You probably would be glad to be rid of her?” “Of course! I’m sick of her, as everyone knows! But how can I get away from her?” “How?! Fly with us to the Country of Frozen Time. There will be neither a sister who bugs you nor parents who constantly lecture you, ‘Don’t do this, don’t do that!’”

“I don’t want to run away from Mama and Papa,” Gene shook his head. “But indeed they’re not home now,” insisted the swan. “How do you know?” the surprised boy asked. “Silly, I told you, we know everything. When you again show up at home, Mama and Papa will still not have time to return. But then your intolerable sister will grow wiser in this time. Let her worry, cry, run searching for you. When you return, she won’t lay a finger on you anymore. Imagine how scared she’ll be, realizing that you’ve disappeared, and what she’ll get for this from your parents.” “Yes,” sighed Gene, “it would be great.” All the time he still had not decided whether to accept the proposal of the fairytale bird, although it sounded so tempting.

“Have no fear. However much time you spend in our country, only a little time would pass here,” the swan continued to persuade him. “And we urgently need a boy like you.” “Why?” Gene was on guard. “In order to rule over our country. Our king is very old and he needs a successor. Do you want to be a prince?” “I do,” Gene nodded. “But I can’t. I must return home very soon. I can’t stay with you for long.” “No need. You return whenever you want.” “Really?!” “Certainly,” promised the swan. “Then let’s go!” Gene finally agreed.

The swan got up onto the shore. Gene took a long time making himself comfortable on the back of the leader. All the time the swan endured submissively and did not move. Finally, the boy settled down.

Kate suddenly appeared. On seeing what was happening, she froze on the spot, unable to utter a word. “Quick!” Gene yelled. “Danger below!” The swan awkwardly tottered to the water. The remaining birds followed and soon they were gliding on the smooth watery surface of the canal.

It dawned on Kate that something inconceivable was happening. “Gene!” she shouted mournfully. “Where are you going? Come back!” Gene turned in her direction and shouted also, “Good-bye, Kate! Now I’ll be a prince!” “What prince?” Kate sat right down on the sand. But Gene was no longer looking at her. The swans picked up speed and were already far away. Suddenly they broke away from the water and took off. “Where are you going?” the girl could only ask.

The birds circled in the sky and again flew towards Kate. She was just about to be glad, thinking that they had decided to return. But no. All the time the swans were flying higher and higher. It was already difficult to make out a little boy among them. A minute later, they had disappeared from sight.

Now it was Kate’s turn to wail at the top of her lungs. She had difficulty understanding what had happened.

A passer-by stopped beside her. “What happen, girl?” he asked sympathetically. “Did someone treat you badly?” “My brother had disappeared,” Kate howled through her tears, “My little brother.” “So we’ll look for him!” the passer-by proposed. “He flew away.” Kate again burst out sobbing. “How did he fly away?” the man was surprised. “On a goose,” Kate sobbed. “On what goose?” “I don’t know. He sat on it and flew away.” “For shame, girl, spinning such a yarn!” The passer-by shook his head reproachfully and went on his way.

Kate looked at him from behind and thought that it is impossible for children to fly on birds! This only happens in fairy tales. What will she tell her parents when they return? Indeed this is all her fault. Kate began to cry even more.

Suddenly something fell next to her. Kate looked at the sand and saw Gene’s sandal. The boy, as always, did not do up his sandals; here one of them fell down from the sky. Kate picked up the sandal, pressed it against her chest, and started thinking. Something improbable had happened. In a modern city, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, a child was kidnapped in broad daylight. By whom? Swans! Like in a fairy tale or a terrible dream.

Pondering non-stop over what had happened, Kate ran to the exit. Well, a child had been abducted. Kate tried to think about this as calmly as possible. What had happened was like madness. It means it would be useless to appeal to the police. No one will believe her, even worse, they will think that she is mocking the law enforcement. Being made fun of is what the police like least of all in the world. The rest of the adults will also behave for sure like that passer-by in the zoo. What could she do? Turn to friends? But who will take her story seriously. They will say, “She let her brother slip away. She lost him. Now she’s making up a cock-and-bull story to justify herself.” How can they even help? Kate needed someone who would actually believe in what happened.

Here Kate brightened up. Yes, there is such a person! His name is Nick. He is a student. Kate made his acquaintance a year ago at summer camp. Nick was the leader of Kate’s group. He was the best leader in the camp and the kids of the other groups envied Kate and her friends very much. They went on trips, went fishing, sang songs at campfires, and wrote verses with him. Nick was a tireless inventor and the children never had a boring time with him. How many interesting stories he knew! When the session ended, the children did not want to leave camp. The girls even cried. (They were all secretly in love with Nick.) In September, Kate arrived in school and, to her great amazement and happiness, met her former leader there. Nick, it seemed, studied in teachers’ college and came to them for a practicum for a whole two months. Only Nick could help Kate now. The girl ran to get him. If only he is home!

The pilot Speechmaker almost pressed the eject button when a flock of swans again emerged from the nearest cloud. Now they were flying towards him. The Captain quickly calmed down. When you encounter something unusual the second time, it no longer seems as improbable as the first time.

On the largest and the most beautiful swan sat a little boy in dark-blue shorts and an orange short-sleeved T-shirt. The main thing that struck the pilot was that the boy only had on one shoe. The birds flew with dignity past the super-fast fighter. The boy sitting on the back of the leader looked at Ivan Ivanovich, smiled, and waved at him. Speechmaker quickly went into a spin.

Definitely, there was nothing for Speechmaker to do in the sky once ordinary boys are flying here already. What will the commander say when he hears the report of what is going on in the airspace?!

Chapter Four ON THE WAY 

With a sinking heart, Kate pressed the doorbell. There was silence behind the door. The girl had already made up her mind to leave when she heard footsteps. “Kate?” Nick was very surprised to see the girl at so late an hour. “Come in; don’t stand at the door. What happened?” Kate entered and burst into tears instead of answering. Nick stood and waited for the girl to calm down and recount the gist of the matter. Finally, Kate stopped crying and began to tell her story… Nick listened very attentively and never interrupted her.

“Indeed like a fairy tale,” he said when Kate finished her sad story. The girl stood and sobbed. There was neither disbelief nor mockery in Nick’s eyes. This soothed her. “You never said that you have a brother,” Nick remarked while attentively examining Kate, who until now had been pressing Gene’s shoe against her chest. “And what is this?” “It’s his sandal,” Kate sobbed loudly. “He never does up his shoes; now he has lost one.” “Well, let’s have a look.” Nick thought hard.

Using the fact that Nick was not paying her any attention, Kate sat down on the couch and closed her eyes. A minute passed and Kate fell asleep. Nick, however, did not let her sleep. “Kate!” His hand shook the girl mercilessly. She did not immediately understand what was happening. At first Kate thought that she was dreaming all the time – the zoo, the fight with her brother, and the goose-swans – but no, she returned quickly to reality.

“Now’s not the time to sleep,” said Nick. His eyes sparkled triumphantly. “Great deeds await you.” “Great deeds?” a half-awake Kate repeated like an echo. “Well, not great, but important,” Nick corrected himself. “Very important! I found something while you were sleeping. And I don’t need a violin at all like Sherlock Holmes for this. Even this great detective couldn’t solve your case. Must admit I’m also completely powerless here.” Kate was at a loss, “But who then?” “You.” “Me?” “Only you alone will be able to find your little brother.”

“But how?” Kate questioned in desperation. “Perhaps I know where to search for him now?” “No, you don’t. Neither do I. No one knows. But I discovered something while you were sleeping. See what I found in your brother’s sandal.” He handed Kate the ill-fated shoe. The girl took a good close look but saw nothing except a bird feather stuck between the leather strips of the shoe.

“There’s nothing here,” she said, looking wonderingly at Nick. “What do you mean nothing? What do you think this is?” “A feather,” Kate said hesitantly. “A feather!” Nick mimicked her. “Perhaps it’s a simple feather? No, not a simple one. But what?” “What?” Kate did not understand what he wanted from her. “This is a feather from one of the birds that abducted your brother. This is proof that it happened. You didn’t dream it; it didn’t just seem so to you; you didn’t make it up at a moment of despair. Everything happened for real. Understand?” “I understand. But how will the feather help us find Gene?”

 “The whole point is that it will help!” Nick rubbed the bridge of his nose. He always did this when he was troubled. “You fell asleep but I was busy examining this godsend. At first glance there’s nothing unusual. A feather is a feather. But as soon as I put it on the table and turned on the lamp, it immediately flew to the window. Good that I managed to close the window in time. The feather, as if alive, hit against the window trying to overcome the obstacle. I switched off the lamp and it obediently fell to the floor.” Kate listened spellbound to the student’s story.

Nick continued, “I again switched on the lamp. The feather again slowly rose and flew to the window. I caught it. The feather, like a small bird, began to break away from my palm, weakly at first, then stronger and stronger so I even began to hold it with difficulty. Then I covered it with a half of a globe which is sufficiently heavy. The half globe stayed in place for a while, then began to tremble, slowly rose up in the air, and flew to the window. I was afraid that the globe would smash the glass and the feather would fly away. I put the half globe back onto the table and weighed it down with a pile of the books. Imagine, this contraption also took off and moved to the window. I don’t know how to explain this. Fantastic! Be that as it may, but now I finally was convinced of the truthfulness of your words.” Kate smiled for the first time this day.

“I started to experiment. How many kilos can this unusual feather carry? It seems it can lift into the air a weight up to fifty kilos! This both pleased and distressed me.” “Why?” “Because you have only one magic feather.” “But what is it about the feather?” Kate did not understand. “Most likely, the feather is seeking its owner. The swan,” explained Nick. “And we need this. We must catch the swans, take the abducted child away from them, and make the kidnappers answerable. Do you agree with me?” “Yes,” nodded Kate.

 “So you, Kate, have to set off in pursuit. I’m very sorry but you will fly alone. I won’t be able to come with you.” “Why?” Kate was scared. “The fact is that I weigh sixty-three kilos. Likely not so much, but the feather won’t be able to lift me up. But you, I think weigh no more than forty.” “Thirty-five,” Kate clarified. “There, you see,” Nick sighed sadly, “It means only you can save your brother.” “How only me?” “The feather can only transfer you to where Gene is in all probability.”

“What if the feather won’t take me to where I have to be?” Kate began to worry. “Completely possible,” agreed Nick. “But all depends only on you. You, of course, can refuse. I won’t reproach you. But this is the only way to save Gene. If you don’t use it, then you’ll lose your brother forever. Your parents will remain without a son. True, they still have you. Again, I must warn you that if you decide to set off for the search, it isn’t known whether you’ll return. The choice is yours. But in any case I won’t say a word whatever your decision.”

Nick stopped talking. Kate looked at him and thought about what she should do. One thing she knew for certain: she would not be able to greet her parents with the news that Gene had disappeared. Neither would she be able to look them in the eye after this. It meant there could only be one solution. Since she felt guilty that the boy had disappeared, she would search for him wherever he might be.

“I’m flying,” the girl announced firmly. “Afraid?” Nick looked closely at her. “Yes,” acknowledged Kate. “Very much.” “You have to overcome your fears. Otherwise nothing will turn out.” “When should I fly?” asked the girl. “In the morning, at dawn as soon as the sun rises. But you must get ready. Prepare for the journey thoroughly as if for the hardest trip.”

Nick looked Kate over critically. She was dressed in jeans, sneakers, and a white T-shirt with bunnies. “Well, not bad,” he remarked, “But somewhat light. Wait!” He rushed to the wardrobe, buried his head in it, and started searching for something. Finally, he came out of there. “Here, hold this.” He handed Kate an old but warm coarsely-knit sweater and a vest with rabbit fur on the inside and Mickey Mouse on it. Kate tried them on. The sweater turned out to be almost her size and the vest a little big.

Nick pulled out his own kiddie knapsack and started to fill it with necessary things. At first, he was explaining to Kate the purpose of each thing but, after noticing that the girl was yawning frequently, gave the order, “Well, quick to supper and off to bed!” He fed her macaroni and cheese and sent her to sleep in his absent grandmother’s room. Kate fell asleep as soon her head hit the pillow.

Nick woke Kate up early in the morning. It was still totally dark beyond the window. “It’s time,” he said quietly. “Quickly wash and have breakfast.” Kate wanted to do neither but she meandered into the bathroom and quickly tidied herself. Nick waited for her in the kitchen. An omelette with sausages was steaming on the table. Kate started to eat but without any appetite. “Don’t have to rush,” Nick cheered her up. “Still half an hour to sunrise.”

After half an hour Kate and Nick were standing on the roof waiting for the sun to appear on the horizon. The girl was like Robin Hood in her vest and sweater because Nick had told her to put on her waist a wide leather belt, attached to which was his hunting knife in a sheath of highly durable plastic. Nick remembered the knife at the very last moment before leaving. “I don’t think that you will be able to resist robbers,” he warned, “but it may come in handy.”

There was one more object next to Kate – a chair, a most ordinary chair. Nick had taken it from his room and had Scotch-taped the magic feather under the seat. This flight vehicle, according to Nick’s calculations, should deliver Kate to where the goose-swans took her little brother. In order that she would not fall from the chair during flight, Nick had put together a whole system of safety belts.

On the roof of Nick’s home, he and Kate immediately got busy with preparations for the flight. Nick placed the chair on a flat place, then set Kate down on it and tinkered with the belts for a long time. “Ready!” he finally declared. “The first chairnaut girl in the world is ready for flight. Now the most important thing: you will fly whether the sun appears or not.” Kate shrugged her shoulders. “Doesn’t matter,” Nick calmed her. “The main thing, you don’t worry.” But it was obvious that he was also very worried. “I think everything will be fine.” Kate decided to cheer up the older fellow. Nick looked at her and smiled.

Kate actually presented an amusing spectacle. She was sitting on the chair back to front, holding the back of the chair with her hands. An orange knapsack hung like a parachute behind her shoulders. Her light-brown hair was prudently gathered into a ponytail. Over blue eyes were attractive bangs.

When Nick looked at the ponytail, he slapped his forehead and shouted, “Ah, I’m a blockhead! Forgot a cap and mittens. Indeed minus six in the sky.” Kate shuddered. To her, the things already on her were quite sufficient. A cap and mittens would just be enough to look like a complete scarecrow. She wanted to tell Nick this but did not have time. He had already run to the garret window. “I’ll bring everything now!” he shouted and dived into the garret window like a sailor into a submarine.

Kate remained on the roof alone. She looked with melancholy at the sea of roofs spread in front of her and thought about how unlucky and unhappy she was after all. She was always getting into foolish stories and adventures. For some reason she was always making a mess of something for which she had to face the consequences. She recalled Gene’s last words and sighed bitterly. He flew away to become a prince but she remained here. On top of that she must fly to heaven knows where after him. “A prince!” Kate smiled, imagining Gene in fairytale finery and sitting on a golden throne.

Once, Kate and Gene had gone together with their parents to visit friends. The friends had a girl slightly younger than Gene. The little girl immediately made friends with the boy and played with him all evening. Kate, it goes without saying, rejected their company with disdain, sat alone the whole evening, and was in a huff at goodness knows who. Certainly, she also wanted to play but just the day before she had a big fight with her brother. The little ones were managing very well without her and were playing to their hearts’ content. When the time came to leave, the girl did not want to let go of Gene for anything. She hugged him tightly and kissed him, compelling him to blush to the roots of his hair. “You have such a boy, such a boy…” she gushed with enthusiasm. “He’s so pretty, so pretty… Well, just like… like a prince!”

Gene was actually a good-looking boy and adults were constantly saying so. Gene was embarrassed and upset when he heard this. He persistently considered that only girls could be pretty and he was not in the least like a girl. Now, when he was called a prince, this comparison suited him just fine. Kate on hearing this wanted to beat up her little brother. She herself was not a fright, quite the opposite; she was the most attractive girl in her grade. Next to her brother, however, people always stopped noticing her; no one called her a princess either. That same day at bedtime she got into a grand-scale confrontation with Gene. It came to tears. Both went to bed snivelling.

Now Kate thought that she hurt Gene’s feelings then for nothing. Where is he now? What is happening to him? Such thoughts came to the girl’s mind for the first time. Earlier she had thought only about herself and never about Gene. If he was bad sometimes, Kate was only glad and teased him. Now, for the first time, she called him “Eugene” and not Gene. What had happen to Kate?

While she was pondering this, the sun slowly began to appear from beyond the horizon. Kate did not even notice this because she was so occupied with her thoughts. She did not notice how her chair broke away very smoothly from the roof and hung in the air. Then it slowly floated to the edge of the roof. “Kate!” Nick shouted, sticking his head out of the garret window, but it was already too late. Kate, on the flying chair, was already beyond the edge of the roof. The girl was frozen with fear. What both were waiting for had happened. It is, however, one thing to hear about a miracle or to see it from a distance, but another to participate in it.

The chair began to pick up speed. A minute passed and Nick already had difficulty distinguishing the flying girl. Soon Kate became a small point in the blue sky and then completely disappeared. Nick stood on the roof for a long time looking in the direction in which Kate had flown away. At this minute, he dreamed most of all in the world to be in Kate’s place.

The next person after Nick to see Kate in the sky was, of course, Ivan Ivanovich Speechmaker, who was soaring in the sky and making loops and barrels as always. When he saw a girl flying on a chair, he tried not to be surprised but it did not work out. The pilot felt that today he had flown his last flight. However, as soon as Speechmaker got back on the ground, he would calm down, think for a while, and decide to fly further. There were indeed so many interesting things in the sky. Is it really possible to live without the sky?

Chapter Five PRINCE EUGENE 

The swans together with Gene landed in the throne hall of the White Tower. Everything was like a fairy tale: the flight on the amazing birds, the overtaking of the jet plane, the magic country, so beautiful and mysterious like a country from a cartoon, and the city above which they flew. The main attraction, however, was the white tower! Gene had never seen the like – even on TV. He flew on top of a swan right into the window of this tower. Gene jumped down onto the marble floor and looked attentively all around. There was nothing terrible – only an old man, tall and thin with a sullen face, who sat on the throne. Gene did not look at him for long. The old man did not stir and Gene thought that he was sleeping.

The swans hurriedly made their way to the old man and, stretching out their necks, began to bow and cackle. “Silence!” the old man raised his voice. Gene approached timidly and carefully. “Let someone speak alone.” “We’ve carried out your order,” said the leader of the swans. “We will fly away but remember that after carrying out one more order of yours, we will be free. Your authority over us will end!” The old man answered nothing. “Good-bye, Sovereign.” The swan gave its comrades a signal to fly away and spread out its wings with noise. “We will only see you once more.”

The birds flew away. Gene’s eyes followed them with a perplexed look. He did not expect to part with his new friends so soon. What would he do now alone? The same old man whom the swans called the Sovereign approached him, “How do you do, Gene.” “How do you do, grandpa.” The boy calmed down a little because old men in all fairy tales are usually good. “And I have waited for you.” Here it dawned on Gene, “Ah-h, so you’re that king who needs a prince?” “Yes, it’s I,” the Sovereign tried to smile but it turned out poorly. “Only you must call me ‘Your Majesty’.” “Okay, Your Majesty,” Gene agreed. He did not look at the old man because his wide-open eyes were looking around at the splendour of the hall. He even opened his mouth with surprise and delight.

The old man remained satisfied. “I see my servants carried out my order well,” he muttered. “The boy completely suits my plan.” “What did you say, Your Majesty?” Gene liked uttering this form of address. All the time he still did not look at the old man and listened to him with only half an ear. “I want to say, boy, that I’m very glad of your appearance here,” the Sovereign spoke solemnly. “And I’m not the only one. The whole country rejoices in regard to this. Look here.”

The old man brought the boy to the window. Gene was very surprised that things happening on the city streets were perfectly visible from this high tower. There was a real carnival. People were having a good time and rejoicing, singing and dancing. Music thundered; they beat drums; soldiers in ancient uniforms marched in a stately manner; mounted knights in shining armours galloped. Gene was spellbound by this spectacle. It was all in his honour!

“This is all because of me?” Gene asked and for the first time looked attentively at the Sovereign. “Yes. All this is for you. From this day on you rule over all the people in our country.” “Is this true?” Gene was staggered. “You don’t believe me?” The Sovereign shrugged his shoulders and clapped his hands. The door of the hall opened. The hall was so high that the person who appeared in it seemed to Gene like a Lilliputian. This was Gargulio. He looked with fear and adoration at the Sovereign.

“Approach, Gargulio. Meet my heir,” his lord commanded. Gargulio hurriedly minced along to the boy and, a few steps from him, bent over before him in a deep bow. Gene smiled; the first minister was so funny. Gargulio in turn smiled with a false and sugary smile, “My name is Gargulio, Your Highness.” “And I’m Gene!” “No. Gene doesn’t work. It’s too simple,” the Sovereign objected. “Tell me, do you have another name, more sonorous and longer?” “In fact my full name is Eugene,” the boy cheerfully informed him. “Wonderful! Eugene is a most suitable name for a prince,” the Sovereign summed up with satisfaction. “Prince Eugene, this is magnificent!” Gargulio carried on while clapping with delight. All three brightened up. Gargulio was in shock. For the first time in his life he saw a smile on the Sovereign’s face.

“Let’s return to business, Gargulio.” the Sovereign unexpectedly cut short the laughter. “Our prince has come from a distance. He’s tired and hungry. Take care of it. In the evening I’ll show our future ruler the people and the city which he’ll govern. The people will look at their new monarch.” The old man was no longer smiling. He was again sullen as before. Gargulio, as if on command, also stopped smiling. “Please come with me, Your Highness,” he turned to the boy. One must obey kings. Gene knew this and therefore obediently trudged after Gargulio. He stopped at the doors and, having turned to the Sovereign, rewarded him with his outstanding smile, “See you later, Your Majesty.” “See you later, my young prince!”

The Sovereign waited until the door was closed behind the boy and Gargulio, then rubbed his hands with satisfaction. “This child is simply a miracle!” he said to himself. “With him I’ll again be able to begin everything afresh. And what a smile he has! It’ll disarm whomever he wants, even a dragon. Those dragons! The Fairy of Eternal Youth will melt when the new Sovereign, young and beautiful, smiles at her.” For the first time in 300 years, the Sovereign was happy that the sun was shining in the sky.

Gene, accompanied by Gargulio, walked along the halls of the White Tower and marvelled at how many halls there were. In front of each door was a guard with a terrible and forbidding halberd. Every time Gene approached one, the guard would salute, click his heels loudly and jingle the spurs at the same time.

“And here’s your room, Prince,” Gargulio opened the next door. Gene entered and opened his mouth in amazement. He had never seen the like even in the movies. Together with the pictures and the ancient furniture, there was a real pond with a fountain which was bubbling merrily and flowing with rainbow colours in the sun. In addition, there were many different toys, big ones, a quantity with horses, and small ones like June bugs. Although he was very tired, Gene’s eyes sparkled with rapture.

Gene carefully entered his room not knowing what he was to do. Gargulio went to the curtain and pulled an invisible cord. The ringing of a little bell was heard next. A door opened and an attractive girl in a beautiful dress came in. On seeing Gene, she curtsied and bowed deeply, at which the boy was confused and looked questioningly at Gargulio. “This is your maid,” Gargulio explained. “Maid?” For all his seven years, Gene did not completely know what this was. “Yes indeed,” said Gargulio. “She’ll carry out all your orders. She’ll feed, dress, undress, wash, put you to bed… Her name is Marie.” “Will she play with me?” “Play?” Gargulio faltered. “Why yes! I can’t play alone.” “Certainly, certainly!” Gargulio hurried to calm the boy. “But first, Prince, you must rest. Marie, take the Prince into the dining room. Maybe not, the Prince is too tired. Feed him right here and then put him to bed. I’ll come for him in the evening.” Gargulio bowed to Gene and left. The boy’s eyes followed him with a happy look. He must admit that he was rather tired of Gargulio.

“Food is served, Your Highness,” Marie again bowed to the boy. Gene did not want to eat at all but he felt a frightful hunger when he saw the goodies on the table. He attacked the delicacies with greediness. Marie was constantly adding to it: pastries, pieces of pineapple, drinks… She did all this without saying a word.

“Why are you quiet all the time?” the boy finally asked. “You don’t know how to talk?” “I do.” The girl was embarrassed and blushed. “I simply can’t talk with the Prince, the heir of the Sovereign. But in general I can talk. My friends even call me a chatterbox.” “I allow you to talk with me.” With such tasty food, Gene wanted to be nice and magnanimous. The girl was pleased and began to chatter non-stop about how the entire city was only talking about the appearance of a prince. “When my friends find out that I’m the first after Gargulio to see the Prince and even to talk to him, they will die with envy.”

Marie then noticed that the boy was ready to fall off the chair from fatigue. “Ah, the poor dear!” she exclaimed and started to prepare the child for bed. Gene did not remember that Marie carried him to bed, undressed and put a nightshirt on him, and put him into bed.

Gene slept until the evening and the fairy tale began anew when he woke up. Gene saw new clothing in Marie’s hands. His shirt and shorts had disappeared without a trace. When the girl dressed him and put him in front of the mirror, Gene could not recognize himself. In the mirror was not a seven-year-old boy from the usual contemporary family but a little prince from a bright and beautiful book about fairies, kings, princesses, and dragons. Even Marie was lost in admiration.

The door creaked. It was Gargulio. He feigned elation and ecstasy on seeing Gene. (All courtiers know how to do this to perfection.) Gargulio was the first courtier of the kingdom and knew best of all how to pretend. This time, however, he was not conniving. He was really delighted with Gene and it showed.

“Good evening, Your Highness!” he chanted. “How did you sleep, Prince, and what dreams were seen by your eminence?” “I slept very well, Gargulio.” Gene could not tear himself away from his reflection in the mirror. “This is a real prince,” thought Gargulio and added aloud, “Then, if it pleases Your Highness, it’s time to show the populace the prince.” “Show whom?” Gene did not understand. “The populace.” Gargulio bowed. “That is, the people, your subjects.” “Ah, the people!” Gene looked with an air of importance at his own shoes, the buckles on which were made of pure gold. “But why?” “They must see who will rule them.” “Rule?” “Yes, rule. Give orders and punish the delinquent and the rebellious.” “Okay. Let the people see me.” “Oh, Your Highness, they will be so happy!”

The door was opened and Gene accompanied by Gargulio and Marie left the room. Four people with sedan chairs were waiting for him. “What’s this?” asked the boy. “This is a palanquin,” the minister bowed. “It’ll convey you below. I ordered to have it made especially for you, Prince.” “Very well, but why below?” “The subjects are waiting for us below, in the castle.” “Why don’t they come up to us; why must we go below?” “A real prince,” Gargulio again thought and answered aloud, “Only those who can speak to the Sovereign have the right to enter the White Tower. In our entire country only I and a few other men can speak to him. Well, in addition, it goes without saying, the guards. They are chosen from the sons of the most respected and… (‘rich,’ Gargulio wanted to say) honoured townspeople. But even they cannot enter the hall where the Sovereign sits.” “Can Marie go to the Sovereign?” “No, she’s only your maid,” answered Gargulio. “But don’t be disturbed, Your Highness, she’s not a common girl but the niece of the Defence Minister Leonar. I assure you she’s from a very decent family. She’s chosen from a hundred girls.” “A hundred?” Gene was surprised. “Yes, a hundred. It was a very difficult competition. Marie won.”

The prince and the minister, not interrupting the conversation, sat down in the palanquins, and the servants carried them along the long and steep stairs of the Tower. All the beauty, which the great genius Walter had created, appeared before them. Some halls glittered with pink marble, others emerald-green malachite, a third, golden amber… After half an hour of the excursion, during which time servants were changed three times and Gene had almost fallen asleep, the palanquins were lowered on a special hoist and carried into the castle. To the prince’s eyes appeared a completely different spectacle. The walls of the hall were made of gloomy grey stones. Fairly shabby old tapestries with pictures darkened by time hung on the walls and there were no elegant statues as in Walter’s tower but formidable knightly armours with full armament stood between the high narrow windows with opaque glass.

When Gene, following Gargulio, climbed out of the palanquin, he met a storm of applause. The boy saw a whole crowd of well-dressed people smiling and welcoming him. They were all looking at Gene. “His Highness, Prince Eugene!” the first minister declared loudly. “Eugene, Eugene,” the walls of the castle echoed in answer, “Gene, Gene!” “Eugene, Eugene!” swept along the ranks of enthusiastic courtiers. Even the stern guardsmen also seemed to be repeating this name. Gene looked grandly, as befits a prince, at his subjects. He liked their delight and joy related to his arrival. Gene decided to reward those present with his outstanding smile. Applause switched over to an ovation. One of the ladies fainted and two guardsmen carried her away. Her husband, also a courtier, did not even notice this.

There followed a party and sumptuous feast. Gene sat in a fancy armchair with a high back and watched the performance in his honour. He was happy and enjoyed himself. Of course! No one drove him to bed although it was already very late. No one lectured or railed at him. There was no need to be constantly on alert in expectation of Kate’s pranks. Indeed the war with her was far away in another world! Here everybody caught each of his words and looks. Not so at home where he could force neither Mama nor Papa to pay attention for at least an hour or so. Here adult uncles and aunts were prepared to do anything for him.

Gene taught the courtiers to play hide-and-seek. The old grey General, when it was his turn to play, toppled a knight and then caught one fat damsel who turned out to be very ticklish. She squealed so, that the Prince nearly choked with laughter. He ordered on the spot to give medals to both the General and the plump damsel, and he personally presented them to loud applause from the courtiers. Headed by the Prince, everybody went out for a stroll in the Garden of the Elf King where the festivities ended with immense fireworks.

When Gene woke the next day, he recalled with difficulty all that had happened to him. He did not even have time for breakfast before he was again carried down into the castle. Here the Prince received his subjects for almost two hours. Among them were barons and princes, counts and knights, chief magistrates of cities and deputies of provinces. At first, this mixed crowd amused Gene but then he became bored and began to fidget impatiently on the throne. Gargulio noticed how the boy was yawning and right away gave the order to end the audience and move it to the next day.

After a splendid and lavish meal, the Prince, in a gilded coach, drove out into the city. A huge exultant crowd of inhabitants of the city and its outskirts met him. The guardsmen barely held back the pressing crowd who wanted to behold the Prince. The respectable upper streets, along which passed Prince Eugene’s retinue, had never seen so many people. From each window, well-dressed townspeople greeted the Prince and threw flowers into his open carriage.

So in the Country of Frozen Time appeared a new ruler with whom everyone immediately fell in love. Although he was a little boy, he was always in full view of his subjects. As for the great Sovereign who sat in seclusion in the White Tower, the subjects began to forget him gradually. Indeed not even one inhabitant of the country had ever seen him whereas everyone knew Prince Eugene now. Prince Eugene and his court led a life full of festivities, parties, and fun. Now it was as cheerful and noisy on the upper streets of the city as on the lower ones.

No one knew that everything would change in a few weeks. Prince Eugene would suddenly become sad and pensive. A little more time would pass and the noisy festivities and parties would stop. The courtiers would again wander along the castle despondently. Then the Sovereign would die. His funeral would be grandiose and majestic. The courtiers would bury the body of the Sovereign in the Tomb of Kings, which was located in the castle. Prince Eugene would be present at the funeral. There he would give a speech in memory of the deceased and afterwards would declare himself the Sovereign of the Country of Frozen Time. He, like his predecessor, would withdraw into the White Tower and live there with dozens of courtiers. In memory of the dear boy, people would call him not Sovereign, but Prince of the White Tower and sigh sadly at the same time.

Chapter Six THE COUNTRY OF FROZEN TIME

In ancient times, knights rode around the world and accomplished feats in the name of the damsels of their hearts. With time, there were fewer and fewer great knights. There were many ordinary knights and over time, there were more and more of them, but great knights who whole-heartedly honoured and observed the code of honour began to die out. They perished in duels, in crusades, and from the treachery of kings.

The most important and famous among them were Count Gottfield, descendant of Lancelot  himself, [4] Duke Artois – fearless, descendant of Charlemagne, [5] and Baron Siegfried, whose ancestors were Nibelungs. [6] Their love for the beautiful Fairy of Eternal Youth linked them together. For fifty years, the three knights were always fighting all the tournaments and duels in her honour. In all this time, the Fairy had not change at all. She remained young and beautiful but she could not marry, otherwise she would lose the godly gift of youth and immediately become a normal woman. She lived in France and people came from all over the world only to look at her. Once a year the knights Gottfield, Artois, and Siegfried met in her castle and fought each other. Not once did one of them gain the upper hand over the others. After the tournament all three went to the feast given by the Fairy of Eternal Youth.

Years went by. Nothing changed until King Louis the Cunning appeared in France. He also fell in love with the Fairy of Eternal Youth and wanted to make her his wife. Certainly, the Fairy refused the King and he, his feelings hurt, swore to take brutal vengeance upon the proud girl. He found scoundrels who began to accuse the Fairy of witchcraft. One after the other they came to the Bishop who was called the Great Witch Hunter and reported that the Fairy had ties with the Devil and engaged in witchcraft. These accusations were not surprising because the Fairy had already lived for sixty years but looked like a thirteen-year-old girl. The Great Witch Hunter believed the malicious slander and ordered the arrest of the girl. Rumours spread around the entire country that the Fairy of Eternal Youth was going to be burned on the stake.

The three knights found out about this. They rushed to the Fairy to save her but she was already locked up in the Bishop’s impregnable castle, moreover, guarded by the King’s soldiers. Together with the knights Gottfield, Artois, and Siegfried came five hundred more fighters – the knights’ vassals. They began the assault of the castle where the Fairy was languishing, and took it. They found the unhappy Fairy in the gloomiest dungeon and freed her. The Bishop cursed all four for this and excommunicated them. The three knights and the beautiful Fairy became exiles. The Great Witch Hunter’s people and King Louis’ army pursued them. The knights urged all who were still true to the code of knighthood to their side; but only fifteen knights from the whole of Europe came to their aid.

When it became impossible for the Fairy and her followers to resist and the exiles had lost more than half of their people, the Fairy said that she could not endure it that people were dying because of her. “I must leave the land,” she decided. “Merlin [7] my great ancestor left a spell with which I can freeze time.” “We’ll go with you,” said the three knights, “and take all our people with us.” So they did.

Europe, however, was too populated to freeze time on its land; therefore the exiles went to the east, and then to the north. After several months on their sojourn, during which a number of loyal people perished, the exiles reached the mountains where dragons still flew, gnomes, vampires, and wizards lived, as well as elves, mermaids, and giants. The people that lived here were peaceful and industrious. In this land, still almost untouched by Christianity, the Fairy of Eternal Youth decided to freeze time. Before the people on their knees, she cast Merlin’s spell. The sky turned black and the sun and the moon were hidden. Earth and its inhabitants continued to live their lives and did not notice how an enormous space, populated by people, beasts, birds, and magic essences, had ceased to exist; but then the Country of Frozen Time was invisible to them.

When time had frozen for the knights and the Fairy, they discovered that there was no one else around them. Beyond the mountains which they crossed over was emptiness – nothing, only a dense grey fog. Directly in front of them, however, spread a valley in bloom. On seeing the valley from the highest mountain, the knights and the Fairy made their way to it. When they had gone almost half way, something happened that separated the knights from the Fairy.

During a halt at night, the Fairy of Eternal Youth saw Merlin in her dream. The great wizard said that she would stop here and not go any further. When the Fairy awoke, she saw that a white dragon with blue eyes had blocked the road. The three knights rushed to the new enemy. They indeed had defeated quite a few dragons in their time but they could not even get within a hundred steps of the white dragon. The Fairy ordered them to leave the beautiful beast in peace. She went to it herself. When the Fairy got close to the dragon, it placed its head on her shoulder and with its long tail fenced off the girl from the people. Thus, the white dragon became the most devoted guard of the Fairy of Eternal Youth. At the mountain peak in the cave in which the dragon dwelled, a castle was built for the Fairy.

Three months went past; the knights and their people left this place because the Fairy of Eternal Youth so directed. They reached the plain in a week. Here they went their separate ways; each with his own people in his own direction. Count Gottfield went forward; Duke Artois to the right; and Baron Siegfried to the left. The Country of Frozen Time turned out to be large and populated by different nations. The knights had to wage war from time to time to subdue the inhabitants, but the forest where fairies, gnomes, and goblins lived still remained inaccessible to them. The three knights created three kingdoms. They all married girls from the conquered tribes in order to continue their lineage but continued to worship the Fairy of Eternal Youth. Time passed and the time came for all three to meet their hour of death. They set off again for the mountains to the castle of the Fairy of Eternal Youth. There, a thousand steps from the cave of the dragon, the knights died. The people erected in memory of them three burial mounds at the foot of the mountain of the Fairy and the white dragon. At night the spirits of the three knights, in armour with weapons and on horses, came out of the graves and patrolled the surroundings. Does any danger threaten the lady of their hearts?

The history of the Country of Frozen Time only began with these events. The sons of the three knights, after their fathers’ deaths, started right away to divide the kings’ fortunes. They created twelve small kingdoms out of the three large ones. Some had more, some had less, but all twelve new kings, having forgotten the paternal last wishes for them to live in peace and harmony, began to wage war among themselves. Tribes of wild people living in the forest, the swamps, and the mountains took advantage of this. They meddled in the wars in order to get a share of the wealth. There began a golden time for the dregs of society. The gnomes sided with one king; the goblins another. Only the forest elves supported no one and were only for themselves. Then a coven of witches flew in on brooms and in mortars.

The knights Gottfield, Artois, and Siegfried had lived for three hundred years and the country did not know war or strife for three hundred years. Now, after the epoch of prosperity, peace, and calm came the time of wars, barbarity, and suppression of knowledge. The spirits of the dead kings were outraged. They left the graves and went around the country, threateningly brandishing spears. People were frightened and the strife ended, but only temporarily. As soon as the spirits left, war resumed. One of the warring sides prevailed for a short while and a long-awaited peace began. Then a new enemy appeared and war broke out with new vigour.

The situation changed when on the outskirts of the country in the opposite direction from where the knight-founders came, an enormous city appeared from nowhere. It was teeming with people and surrounded by high walls. Its inhabitants had guns and muskets. The city subdued all the kings but it also grew poorer. There was no one with whom to trade. This city had a very interesting and tragic history.

The city was beautiful and rich. Once, when enemies attacked the country, this city was the only one that did not send soldiers to the common conflict. The townspeople apparently assumed that the enemy would not reach their land which was hidden among the forests and swamps, but they were seriously mistaken. The enemy attacked precisely their city and in spite of all obstacles surrounded it from all sides. A long, exhausting siege began. It was not surprising that despite all requests and entreaties, none of the other cities came to the aid of their compatriots who had fallen on hard times. All remembered how arrogantly the citizens of this besieged city had refused to work together with everybody. Now, while it was fighting alone with hordes of enemies, the rest of the cities gathered strength and prepared for war. When the townspeople understood that they could not defend their hometown, they decided on a last resort.

The famous wizard Agaiya lived long ago. At one time, he quarrelled with a powerful prince who ordered that Agaiya be caught and burned on the stake near his castle. The wizard managed to hide but forgot in his hurry to take the witchcraft books with him. Without them he became as helpless as a child. The Prince’s soldiers delivered these magic volumes to their lord. The Prince, no matter how he tried, was unable to read them and in the end angrily ordered to burn Agaiya’s books. Soon he found out that the wizard was in that same besieged city. The Prince sent his army there to pick up the wizard but the townspeople refused to turn in Agaiya because he had taught them how to make artificial silk. Regardless of how much the Prince threatened, regardless of how much he tried to break into the city by force, he did not succeed. He then surrounded the city. The siege went on for three months and only ended when Agaiya died. The Prince went home and the city settled down to its previous life.

The story does not end here. Before his death Agaiya had gathered the city officials and solemnly announced, “I thank you, noble citizens, for not turning me over to my worst enemy. Now, old and weak, I have no strength to do anything for you except one: I can move your city to the Country of Frozen Time. And then it will forever remain as it is now. It won’t become poorer but neither will it acquire wealth. Please decide for yourself how to proceed. But whatever you decide, my magic will remain in power for 300 years. You just have to come to my grave and utter the incantation, ‘Word of Agaiya, make it so!’ and everything will be carried out. Only please remember: the city officials can make this decision only with the agreement of majority of the townspeople and there must not be fewer than twenty people invoking the incantation, otherwise any joker can take advantage of it. Good-bye!” The wizard Agaiya died with these words. The inhabitants of the city were puzzled. Why freeze time for them? Indeed so much good could be waiting in their future. Take the artificial silk at least. Gold will fall into the treasury and fill the townspeople’s purses from all over the land.

A hundred years passed. Now, when a cruel and merciless enemy threatened destruction to the entire city, the people recalled Agaiya’s words. There was no need to choose in this fatal hour. Not half, but almost all the inhabitants decided to leave for the Country of Frozen Time. A huge crowd headed by the officials and the mayor set off for the city cemetery. To their horror, however, the townspeople discovered that no one remembered where Agaiya’s grave was located. In a hundred years, inscriptions on old stone slabs had been rubbed away. The people cried out with grief and desperation. At this time the enemies began the last and fiercest assault. They had decided to take the city at any cost or die. The inhabitants of the city thought that their last hour had come, but suddenly one of the graves, the most unpretentious and modest in look, lit up with a bright white light. Everyone understood that this was Agaiya’s grave. They shouted in unison, “Word of Agaiya, make it so!” and a miracle happened. Before the eyes of the dumbfounded enemy, the city began to sink slowly into the ground.

The enemies rejoiced at first. They thought that it would be easier for them to take the city this way because its walls had become lower. Then it dawned on them that witchcraft was at work here and they began to step back in panic. Those who tarried fell into a deep abyss which was formed on the spot of a former ditch. Those who did not manage to climb down from the walls which flared up like torches were instantly burned like dry autumn leaves. The city continued to sink into the ground. Its high walls disappeared, then the fortress towers. Later went the roofs of the highest houses, church domes, and crosses on belfries. Finally, the town hall, the highest building of the city was hidden from sight. A blue flag with the emblem of a bear working on a loom sadly waved its sharp ends. Only a huge deep pit remained on the spot of the city. There was a heavy downpour. It poured until the water filled the rim of the foundation pit. Now on that place lay a beautiful lake surrounded by dense forests on all sides. That was the way the unknown city came to be in the Country of Frozen Time.

There lived in this city a master who built houses and palaces. His name was Walter and he was a very skilful architect. Moreover, he was also an artist. He erected the White Tower. Like all talented and brilliant people, Walter had enviers and ill-wishers. The most well known and influential among them was the builder Patchery, a friend of the mayor and the deputy of the city. He managed to convince them that Walter spent for his own needs the money given to him by the city for construction of the new town hall. Part of the money, Patchery assured them, Walter had hidden in his own house. They went to check and found that the famous architect had a bag of gold. (Of course, Patchery had placed it there.) Walter tried to convince his fellow citizens that he was not guilty but they sentenced him to death. Only at the last minute when the executioner was ready to chop off Walter’s head was the death sentence commuted to exile.

Chapter Seven THE LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF WALTER

Walter left his hometown with melancholy and a heavy heart. He walked out of the gates with his vast family – his wife, fourteen sons, eight daughters, twenty-eight grandsons and granddaughters – and fifty apprentices following in carriages behind him. All of them made their way for an unknown land. Many townspeople saw them off with sympathetic looks but not a single person stood up for the wrongfully-convicted Walter because all, knowing the vindictiveness and insidiousness of the mayor and the deputy, feared them.

The whole summer Walter and his companions wandered around the country. What adventures and experiences he had. Several times greedy knights attacked his caravan. Only pistols and muskets helped to beat them off. Evil goblins tried to steal the women. Grenades with gunpowder saved them. A gigantic eagle carried off Walter’s youngest and favourite son, a ten-year-old boy…

Walter pursued the predatory bird for three days. When his horse dropped, he ran after the eagle. He pursued the kidnapper until the eagle reaches its nest and delivered the loot to the nestlings. The little ones by all appearances were full. Fortunately, the hen eagle had recently fed them so they did not tear the boy to pieces but made him their playmate. Walter sat on a rock and started to think how to save his son. He sat for a long time but could not come up with anything. The nest was on the top of the highest tree and either the eagle or the hen eagle was constantly in it.