has a different name. I think he has changed his name many times. All I know is that he is a Higher Light Magician.'
Nodir ran a hand through his coarse black hair and said firmly:
'That's very difficult, Anton-aka. We do have one Higher Magician in Uzbekistan. He works in Tashkent. But he's young. If an old and powerful magician wishes to hide, he can always manage it. Finding him doesn't just require someone who is powerful, it requires someone who is wise. Geser himself should search for him. Kechrasyz, apologies, Anton-aka. We will not be able to help you.'
'We could ask Afandi, 'Valentina Ilinichna said thoughtfully. 'He is a weak magician and not very... not very bright. But he has a good memory, and he has lived in this world for three hundred years...'
'Afandi?' I asked cautiously.
'He's the fifth member of our Watch. 'Valentina Ilinichna seemed a little embarrassed. 'Well, you understand, seventh level. He mostly takes care of the office and grounds. But he just might be able to help.'
'I'm almost certain he will,' I said, with a nod, remembering what Nadya had said. 'But where is he?'
'He should be here soon.'
There was nothing else I could do. I nodded again and walked towards the 'empty' table.
Murat got back half an hour later carrying several full bags, and some of their contents immediately migrated to the table. He carried the rest into the small kitchen attached to the main prem ises of the Watch. My culinary knowledge was sufficient for me to realise that pilaf was about to be made.
And meanwhile we drank the cognac, which unexpectedly turned out to be quite good, and tried the fruits. Valentina Ilinichna let Nodir lead the conversation. And I listened politely to the history of the Uzbek Watches from ancient mythological times to Tamerlaine, and from Tamerlaine to our own time. I won't lie ?the Light Ones here had not always lived in perfect harmony with the Dark Ones. There were plenty of grim, bloody and terrible events. But I got the feeling that the flare-ups of hostility between the Watches in Uzbekistan were governed by laws that I knew absolutely nothing about. People could fight wars and kill each other, while the Watches maintained a polite neutrality. But during Khrushchev's time and the early years of Brezhnev's rule, Light Ones and Dark Ones had fought each other with quite incred ible ferocity. Three Higher Magicians had been killed at that time - two from the Day Watch and one from the Night Watch. And that war had also decimated the ranks of first- and second-level Others.
Then everything had gone quiet, as if the 'stagnation' of the 1980s also extended to the Others. And since then relations between Dark Ones and Light Ones had consisted of a rather half-hearted stand-off: more jibes and taunts than genuine enmity.
'Alisher didn't like that, 'Timur observed. 'Is he still in Moscow?'
I nodded, delighted by this opportune change of subject.
'Yes. He's in our Watch.'
'How is he getting on?' Nodar asked politely. 'We heard he's already fourth level.'
'Practically third,' I said. 'But he can tell you himself. He flew down with me, but he decided to visit some friends first.'
The members of the watch were clearly not pleased by this news. Timur and Nodir both looked not exactly annoyed but uncomfortable. Valentina Ilinichna shook her head.
'Have I said something to upset you?' I asked. The bottle we had drunk together obliged me to speak frankly. 'Do explain to me what the problem is. Why do you feel that way about Alisher? Is it because his father was a devona?'
The members of the Watch exchanged glances.
'It's not a question of who his father was,' Valentina Ilinichna said. 'Alisher is a good boy. But he's very... categorical.'
'Really?'
'Perhaps he has changed in Moscow,' Timur suggested. 'But Alisher always wanted to fight. He was born in the wrong time.'
I thought about that. Of course, in our Watch, Alisher had always preferred to work on the streets. Patrols, confrontations, arrests ?there wasn't much that happened without him being involved...
'Well... that's a bit more natural in Moscow,' I said. 'It's a big city, life is more stressful. But Alisher misses his homeland a lot.'
'But we're glad that Alisher's here, of course we are! 'Valentina Ilinichna said, changing her tune 'It's been such a long time since we saw him. Hasn't it, boys?'
The 'boys' agreed with feigned enthusiasm. Even Murat declared from the kitchen that he really missed Alisher.
'Will Afandi be here soon?' I asked,