A Mirror is bad news. He’s very bad news, because it’s practically impossible to fight against him. A mirror is generated by the Twilight—that is, no one really knows why any particular, ordinary, uninitiated Other with an indeterminate aura, who is inclined equally towards the Light and the Darkness, becomes transformed into a Mirror Magician, and how it happens. But we do know in general why the Mirror appears and what happens after that. The Mirror shows up at a place where the balance between the Light and the Darkness has been seriously disrupted, and then joins the losing side. He eliminates the gap. And in the most direct fashion possible—either by killing magicians or by taking away their power. Eleven years earlier Svetlana had lost most of her power—and we were very lucky that she had been able to restore herself so quickly.

“It can’t be a Mirror,” said Gesar, shaking his head. “A Mirror Magician only rises up the levels in the course of combat with normal magicians. Have any of our Higher Magicians fought a Mirror?”

“How about the Dark Ones?” suggested Mark Emmanuilovich.

“They only have one Higher Other in their Watch: Zabulon himself.”

“What about Yury and Nikolai?” asked Jermenson, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

“Yury moved to Minsk seven years ago—his career prospects are better there,” Gesar laughed. “And Nikolai is in the reserve, like you. For more than four years now. I don’t think he does anything very much, except go fishing on the Akhtuba . . .”

“He still writes romance novels, under a female pseudonym,” Olga put in.

“Does he?” asked Glyba, suddenly interested. “And what are they like?”

“Quite readable,” Olga said eagerly. “Especially—”

“Quiet!” said Gesar, tapping his finger on the table. The sound was surprisingly loud. He closed his eyes and sat for a few moments without speaking. “I’ve asked Zabulon to check on his Higher Ones in the reserve. But I’m assuming that none of them has fought with anyone. And why would a Mirror be killing Dark Ones? With the present balance of power, he should be killing us again!”

“Then who?” Jermenson asked, with a shrug. “If not a Mirror . . . one of the ancient magicians? There were Zero-Order Magicians among them . . . well . . . close to it, at least . . .”

“Who and why?” Gesar asked. “Most importantly—why? Why appear in Moscow in secret, do God only knows what to someone who just happens to cross your path . . . No, let’s consider other possibilities!”

“Not a Mirror, and not a High . . . er, Zero-Order Magician that we don’t know about?” asked Glyba.

“What other possibilities can there be?” said Svetlana, asking her first question. “I’m sorry, Boris Ignatievich, my borscht has been left half-cooked on the stove, Nadya was just doing her homework, then you dragged us over here . . . and, as far as I can see, you’re not even sure why!”