'I'm only here for a brief, entirely unofficial visit. Just to introduce myself and ask a couple of questions... And I have to call in to the Day Watch too.'
'What for?' the woman asked.
'There were no Others at the border check. There was just a notice in the Twilight, saying that Light Ones should register with the Day Watch on arrival, and Dark Ones should register with the Night Watch.'
I wondered what she would have to say about such a flagrant piece of incompetence. But Valentina Ilinichna merely nodded and said:
' We don't have enough members to maintain a post in the airport. In Tashkent they do everything properly... Nodir, go and tell the ghouls that Higher Light One Gorodetsky is here on a visit from Moscow.'
'I'm here unofficially, but not exactly on personal? I began, but no one was listening to me any longer. Nodir opened an inconspicuous door in the wall and walked through into the next room, which I was surprised to see was equally large and half empty.
'Why the ghouls?' I asked, struck by an unbelievable suspicion.
'Oh, that's the Day Watch office, they haven't really got any ghouls, that's just what we call them ?to be neighbourly...' Valentina Ilinichna laughed.
I followed Nozdir into the next room without saying anything. Two Dark Others ?one young and one middle-aged, fourth and fifth level - smiled at me amicably.
'Assalom aleikhum...' I muttered and walked through the large room (everything was just the same, even the samovar was standing in the same place) and opened the door to the street running parallel to the one from which I had entered the building.
Outside the door there was an identical garden and on the wall there was a sign:
I closed the door quietly and walked back into the room. Nodir had evidently sensed my reaction and cleared out.
One of the Dark Ones said good-naturedly:
'When you finish your business, come back to see us, respected guest. We don't often get visitors from Moscow.'
'Yes, do come, do come!' the other one said emphatically
'Some time later... thank you for the invitation,' I muttered. I went back into the Night Watch office and closed the door behind me.
It didn't even have a lock on it!
The Light Ones appeared slightly embarrassed.
'The Night Watch,' I hissed through my teeth. 'The forces of Light... '
'We've cut back on space a bit. Utilities are expensive, and there's the rent... ' said Valentina Ilinichna, spreading her hands and shrugging. 'We've been renting these premises for two offices like this for ten years now:'
I made a simple pass with my hand and the wall separating the Light Ones' office from the Dark Ones' office lit up with a blue glow for an instant. The Dark Ones of Samarkand were not likely to have a magician capable of removing a spell cast by a Higher One.
'There's no need for that, Anton,' Valentina Ilinichna said reproachfully. 'They won't listen. That's not the way we do things here.'
'You are supposed to keep a watch on the powers of Darkness,' I exclaimed. 'To monitor them!'
'We do monitor them,?Timur replied judiciously. 'If they're right next door, it makes them easier to monitor. And we'd need five times as many members to go dashing around all over town.'
'And the signs? What about the signs? Night Watch? Day Watch? People read them!'
'Let them read them,' said Nodir. 'There are all sorts of offices in the city. If you try to hide and don't put up a sign, you're immediately suspect. The militia will come round, or bandits working the protection racket. But this way everybody can see this is a state organisation, there's nothing to be got out of it, let it get on with its work...'
I came to my senses. After all, this wasn't Russia. The Samarkand Watch didn't come under our jurisdiction. In places like Belgorod or Omsk I could criticise and lay down the law. But the members of the Samarkand Watch didn't have to listen to me, even though I was a Higher Light One.
'I understand. But in Moscow it could never happen... Dark Ones sitting on the other side of the wall!'
'What's the harm in it? 'Valentina Ilinichna asked in a soothing voice. 'Let them sit there. I expect their job's not too much fun either. But if anything happens, we won't compromise on our principles. Remember when the zhodugar Aliya-apa put a hex on old Nazgul three years ago, boys?'
The boys nodded. They livened up a bit and were obviously quite ready to