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Probably he was I’d asked a straight question and been given a straight answer Of course, as the years go by, even the ree of cynicism and learn to play tricks ords But the consequences of a direct lie would be too serious even for Boris Ignatievich
I reached the entry lobby and its electronic security systey with disdain, and Semyon had once shown me how easy it was to fool the voice analyser and the iris scanner But I’d gone ahead and bought these expensive toys anyway Maybe they were no protection against an Other, but it seeuys from the Federal Security Service or the mafia would decide to check us out
’One, two, three, four, five’ Iinto the camera lens at the same time The electronic circuits pondered for a few seconds, then a green light came on above the door
There was no one in the first rooently The air conditioners built into the ere huffing and puffing, but it was still hot in there And spring had only just begun
I didn’t go into the systeh into my own office It wasn’t all mine Tolik,the nights on an old leather sofa
He was sitting at his desk, thoughtfully inspecting an olddown on the sofa The disk was burning oner,’ Tolik said gloomily
’Bin it then’
’Let me just take its brain out first’ Tolik was thrifty, a habit acquired fro in state-financed institutions We had no financial problems, but he carefully stockpiled all the old hardware anyway, even if it was of no use to anyone ’Would you believe it, I’ve been fiddling around with this for half an hour, and it’s still dead’
’It’s a prehistoric antique, aste tiy in accounts is ive it to someoneMaybe I should take the cache out too’
’Tolik, we’ve got an urgent job to do,’ I said
’Uh?’
’Look’ I held up the disk ’This is a dossiera co the boss’
Tolik opened the drawer of his desk, put the motherboard in it and stared at the disk
’Exactly I’o through the fourthfor?’
’This,’ I said, holding up the briefing notes ’It’s possible that one of the suspects s of Dark Ones Unauthorised killings All the known incidents are listed here We have to either eliminate this possibility, or’
’Ah, so it really is you who’s killing them, then?’ Tolik asked ’Pardon my irony’
’No But don’t take et on with it’
I didn’t even look at the inforabytes on to Tolik’s computer and took out the disk
’Shall I tell you if I colanced across at hi on his left ear and clicking regularly with his mouse
’That’s up to you’
’Okay’
I started with the materials on the boss First there was an introductory section – background inforht me out in a sweat
Of course, even this dossier didn’t give the boss’s real nains Facts like that weren’t kept on file anywhere for Others of his rank But even so there was sowith the fact that the boss was older than I’d thought At least a hundred and fifty years older And thatup the Treaty between Light and Dark I was intrigued by the thought that all the otherfrom that time held positions in the central office and weren’t stuck in the exhausting and tedious post of regional director
Apart fronised a few of the naured in the history of the Watch, and learnt where he was born We’d wondered about that so to ’indisputable’ proof But sonatievich was born in Tibet
And even in ined whosein Europe since the fifteenth century From indirect references, I inferred that the reason for this uess who it was
I closed the introductoryand looked over at Tolik He atching soraphical details were less fascinating than the boss’s I glanced at the s picture and blushed
’For the first incident you have a solid alibi,’ Tolik said without turning round
’Listen’ I was lost for words
’Okay, okay I’ll fast-forward it, to check the entire night’
I ih speed and turned away I’d always suspected the boss kept tabs on his colleagues, especially the young ones But not that cynically!
’The alibi won’t be that solid,’ I said ’I’ll get dressed and go out any moment now’
’I can see that,’ Tolik confirone for alneand while I was looking, I sobered up a bit in the fresh air Started wondering if it orth going back’
’Don’t worry about it,’ said Tolik ’You watch the boss’s private life’
Half an hour later, I realised Tolik was right Maybe I had good reason to feel offended by the observers’ invasion of natievich had as much reason as I did
’The boss has an alibi,’ I said ’Indisputable For two incidents he has four witnesses And for one – almost the entire Watch’
’Was that the hunt for that Dark One ent crazy?’
’Yes’
’Well, in theory, you could have killed the Dark Ones Quite easily And I’s happens when you’re in an excited state As if you weren’t completely in control of yourself’