The Mist and the Lightning. Part 19

In the evening, when the three of them had dinner, sitting in the room at the laid table. Kors, being in high spirits and remembering this morning, smiling, asked:

“Why did you pull my tail?”

“Eh, just for fun,” Nik said with a smile.

“I felt it, it was so strange!”

“Why strange? After all, this is your essence, you are developing, and every day you will feel it better.”

“If I’m a Demon, what’s my name?”

“You don’t need your name here.”

“I want to know it!”

“When they let me, I’ll tell you,” Nik promised and very quickly drank the entire contents of his glass.

“When will it be? Eh? I am ready to study further, complete tasks and go through initiation as a Demon.”

“How self-confident you are!”

“So what?”

“You are used to take orders from the king and follow them?” asked Prince Arel, smiling. He bit off a piece of a quail leg and began to chew, while not ceasing to smile impudently. Looking straight at Kors, he put down the quail, broke off a small piece of bread and threw it at Kors, laughing.

Kors didn’t dodge, simply because, as always, he didn’t expect anything like this. Arel’s primitive “jokes” always took him by surprise, because of his age he simply forgot all these boyish fun. And a piece of bread hit him right in the chest. Kors waved his hand belatedly and looked down at his snow-white shirt.

“Prince, if there is a stain on my shirt, I will make you wash it personally!”

Arel laughed as if Kors had said something unbearably funny to him. He sat across from Kors, smiling wickedly as he gnawed at the quail. His eyes shone with an unhealthy and dangerous gleam, and magnificent smooth hair the color of ripe chestnuts shimmered in the fire of candles, like the expensive skin of a rare furry animal. Involuntarily appealing for support, Kors turned his gaze to Nik. He also looked at him and smiled no less carnivorous smile than Arel. “Damn boys!” Kors tried to calm down their beginning fun, because he knew that it could result in bad consequences for him. Assuming a serious expression on his face, he continued:

“So what about initiation? And tasks? Will I be sent to perform it in the Demon World?”

Nik refilled his glass.

“Aha-ha!”

Prince Arel licked the fat off his fingers and poured himself some wine too.

“What’s the problem?” Kors tried to ignore theirmocking looks. “Aren’t the Demon Worlds similar to ours?”

“Well, in general, they are alike,” agreed Nik.

“That’s what I think: all the Demon worlds are made the same, according to a template. Are there men and women there? Are there slaves?”

“There are.”

“So what’s the difficulty then? What are the Demons doing in our world? Seduce, deceive, confuse, promote the chosen ones to carry out their missions. Give me a resident from another world, subject to the Demons, I will come to him, and he will do what is needed.”

“Do you want to ask for a task?” Nik poured himself another glass of wine, and Kors reached for the bottle, took it away from him and placed it beside him.

“Nik, I’m sure I’ll complete the task! What should be done? Should I take gavvah from a living being? Euphos? Shavva? What? Seduce a woman? A man?”

“Will you seduce someone with horns?” Nik and Arel burst out laughing.

“Yes! I will take the right form and deceive anyone. You are a good teacher, I learned from you how you exploit your cute appearance. I have understood the scheme. I will complete the task and receive the order.”

“Do you want to become the head of security among the Demons as well?” Nik seemed to be doing his best to keep a serious face, and Kors was infuriated:

“Yes, I want to! I want to have power not only here, but also in other controlled worlds. I love power!”

“Pride and self-confidence.”

“Isn’t that necessary? In the Demon world, these arethe virtues. I will suck this unfortunate man to the bottom, manipulating his passions. And I will give you as much food as you need.”

“I’m even scared to listen to you.” To Kors’s relief, Nik finally stopped smiling.

“Why didn’t you do that? You are stupid, because everything is so simple. Why did you bring everything to the point of punishment?”

“Maybe because there is still freedom?” becoming quite serious, said Nik. “Free will?”

“Freedom? It’s an empty sound! There is no freedom. This is a deception of God. His trump card with which he bluffs.”

“You don’t know how to play cards, what do you understand!”

“I can play chess, and they are fairer. There is truth. Strength is not in freedom, but in truth! Where is this vaunted freedom, which Prince Arel loves so much, irreconcilable and supposedly free? Fantasies of a crazy idiot!”

“It’s funny for me to listen to you and chat with you like a child, but while you are sitting here and not rocking the boat.”

“I want to know more about the Demon World and the worlds under their control.”

“Why?”

“Why?! It’s a strange question, but in your style. I am accustomed to learning, studying the environment and using knowledge. It is you who doesn’t like to study, and, in my opinion, you smoked your alphabet book in the forest.”