"You look sleepy today. Did you not sleep well again?"

  Tim nodded his head, not wanting to go into detail. In fact, he was too engrossed in reading the book given to him by Khalid-amga, whose author had worked hard to piece together numerous facts that were even remotely related to the Eazens civilization. Copies of the inscriptions from the plates mentioned by the librarian, unreadable both with and without the ring. Any depictions of living beings were indeed missing, but there were many others, such as stepped pyramids very reminiscent of Mayan temples or Babylonian ziggurats; the note said they had been found on many planets, including Gallaeri and Olmari. Or sketches in the form of a balloon surrounded by smaller balls - can be seen both as a star around which planets revolve and as an atomic nucleus surrounded by electrons. But the two ribbons braided each other - it took a while, but Tim got the point: it's a DNA spiral! Of course, Khalid-amga could hardly have figured this out, and neither could any of his new comrades. The biconvex disk depicted next looked a lot like a "flying saucer," and the semicircular arches were the teleportation gates as they were depicted in magic textbooks. In separate columns were rows of strange symbols that looked nothing like writing - probably algebraic equations; no translator would have helped Tim here.

  In general, there were enough wonders, and that's why he stayed up past midnight. And therefore he did not immediately hear a persistent knock on the door - his friends had already packed and were now worried if something had happened to him. The night before, over dinner in the dining room, they had decided that there was no sense in waiting any longer, it was time to go to the Dungeon. No one needed to get ready for the third round, except Tiis-Mir, but she said she would have time for it.

  Tim had to get ready in a hurry - the sun already had risen over the horizon, and soon their classmates would come out of their rooms and start wondering where they were going and why. Fortunately, they don't need to lug anything that would arouse suspicion with them - their backpacks were left on the minus first tier, the packages with food and flasks with water will be taken from the dwarves on the spot. Except for the wands - but who walks without them nowadays? Taking his own, Tim hurried to catch up with his friends, trying to regain his senses as he went. His condition, of course, was noticed immediately, so they asked about the bad dream. Tim on the move cast Cheerfulness on himself, since the spell is simple and does not require a lot of mana. It helped - the consciousness slightly cleared up, and lack of sleep receded somewhere inward.

  Mez'A'Shib was already waiting for them in the first tier hall.

  "Tiis will be here soon," he said.

  "Did you knock on her door?"

  "Yeah, with a conditional knock. She asked to wait for her at the crossroads."

  It was well said about the crossroads - really, wherever you go, you can't avoid it. On the other hand, there's no worse place to do covert business - you're in full view from all sides. It would be a surprise if one of the anzimars stumbled upon them! But, as it turned out, a surprise awaited them from a completely different direction.

  About a minute later, hurried footsteps could be heard coming from the tunnel where Tiis-Mir was expected to appear. But she wasn't alone; Chilajt had arrived with her!

  -I thought it would be wrong if we didn't take her with us! - the peirot girl declared cheerfully.

  Her delight was not shared. No, none of their company had anything against the gorgon, but in a good way, her candidacy should have been discussed in advance, and not confronted with a fact. Tim, Ri-Bo and Mez'A'Shib turned to Naar-Tam for an explanation, but he shrugged his shoulders apologetically since he wasn't aware of it and hadn't expected that from his countrywoman.

  Tim had to take matters into his own hands - it was too dangerous to linger in the hall for a long time, and threatened to jeopardize the entire expedition.

  "Chilajt, do you know where we're going?"

  "Of course," the gorgon agreed in surprise.

  "It might be dangerous out there."

  "I'm not afraid."

  "Did they tell you about the need for utmost secrecy?"

  "Absolutely, that's where we started!"

  "Then let's go. The sooner we get there, the better."

  They hurried down the stairs. Naar-Tam, taking a moment, secretly showed his countrywoman the fist, to which she carelessly waved her hand - you'll see, there won't be any problems!

  The dwarves, if surprised by the appearance of new (exclusively girlish) faces in their team, showed no sign of it. The only one who reacted was Rugud, who grumpily noticed Tim and Mez'A'Shib: "I hope you know what you're doing."

  The door with the arrow was once again unlocked (because of this, shortly before the New Year, Patpako almost got hurt, wandering in the wrong place due to absent-mindedness, and only by pure chance did not fall into a trap - Wurrat, noticing the ajar door, managed to pull the hapless yusme away). When they were all inside, Mez'A'Shib drew a neutralizer vial from his pocket and was about to use it when Chilajt suddenly exclaimed:

  "Wow, what an interesting pattern on the floor!"

  She was the only one of the crew who wasn't aware of the trap (Tiis-Mir, who had painted an exhilarating picture of the adventures that awaited them in the lower tiers, had neglected to mention it). Not surprisingly, the reaction was violent.

  "Do you see it?!?"

  "Don't you dare step on it!!!"

  "Do you really not see it?" Chilajt was surprised.

  "And now neither can I," she added, taking off her goggles.

  Tiis-Mir immediately put them on, but she couldn't see any more than she did without them. Neither could anyone else.

  "So you're the only one of us who can spot a magic trap," Mez'A'Shib summed up. "A quality that gives us a chance to get to the bottom of the mountain. After all, the map we have ends somewhere in the middle. In addition, not all the dangers are marked on it, or marked not very clearly. How about this: while we move through the explored territory, we lead, and then Chilajt goes in the vanguard and looks around carefully. Agreed?"

  There was no objection, and Tiis-Meer was literally bursting with pride - you see, what a valuable companion I found! However, the question arose as to whether or not to waste the precious neutralizer then. After a brief discussion, they decided that if it was possible to pass through the trap without hitting it, then it made sense to save the potion. Putting the glasses back on, the gorgon cheerfully confirmed - yes, if you move along the wall on the right side, you can pass. And offered to go first, and the others to follow in her footsteps.

  For some time they lingered in the cave with the names - Tiis-Mir was absolutely delighted with their abundance and could not resist the temptation to add her own. And at the same time she persuaded Chilajt to do the same. Selkise, on the other hand, was cool about the idea and suggested to the peirot girl that if she really wanted, she could add her name as well. But the yusme didn't make any effort to do it herself.

  At the fork in the road, on the other hand, they did not linger, for no one wanted to try any other way than the one they had already taken. And soon they were in the hall of the minus first tier, where the boys had to get their backpacks out of the hiding place, and the girls could not pass by the statues: it is one thing to know about them from stories, another to see for yourself.

  "Oh, what a nightmare!" at one point exclaimed Tiis-Mir, who had forgotten about the warning and came too close to the slab of black granite that blocked the passage to the minus second tier.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "Yeah, and you probably thought we were telling fairy tales about the horrors of the Dungeon!" Naar-Tam cheered. "Let's see if you have the courage to overcome that obstacle!"

  "We needn't have to put them to that test," Mez'A'Shib interjected. "It was said in one of the textbooks that whoever had crossed the barrier could bring another with them. Now would be a good time to put that to the test."

  And he gallantly offered his hand to Chilajt. The offer was accepted, and the two of them headed straight for their destination. Gorgon gasped, but more from surprise than from fright. And she smiled happily when they reached the slab.

  Encouraged by the example, Tim grabbed Selkise by the palm of his hand and led the way.

  "Isn't it scary? - he asked in a whisper, then turned around and met her mocking glance.

  "Do you also think all girls are cowards?" the yusme said ironically. "Surely there is a challenge where you would shit your pants in a fright."

  This rebuke made Tim blush involuntarily and he couldn't find anything to say. Even the thought flashed - in vain he took the initiative, if she was so brave, she would have gone alone. But to open his fingers now would mean betrayal; it was as if Selkise was testing his strength of mind. No, he will not give in to the provocation! Therefore he only squeezed her hand tighter and unclenched it only when they were next to Mez'A'Shib and Chilajt.

  Now it was Naar-Tam's turn, and he, too, passed the test with honor, having guided Tiis-Mir through the Barrier. Ri-Bo got through on his own, and jumped onto the slab to open the way down.

  "Welcome to the minus second tier!"

  Now they had a veil of darkness to overcome. As it turned out, Chilajt's goggles allowed to see through it - but only to the gorgon herself. Therefore Chilajt had taken on the role of guide, gently guiding her companions to the edge of the cliff, after which they had either to jump down carefully or climb down the wall.

  "Further into the labyrinth, follow me," Mez'A'Shib suggested, pulling out a map.

  But Selkise, waiting for the others to go deeper into the tunnel, rushed to the inscription made in blue blood and put her hand to it. A moment later she recoiled, letting out a muffled shriek. Hearing it, Tim rushed to the rescue.

  "What a horror!" she whispered, instinctively clinging to him. "I've never felt such pain before. How the inscriber endured it, I don't know. Even after all these years, it feels like it happened yesterday."

  "Doesn't the emanation fade with time?"

  "Depends on what kind. Fear and despair can last a long time. Especially if the person who made the inscription is still alive."

  "But that can't be!"

  "I agree, it's hard to believe, but there's nothing else to explain such a vivid expression of emotion, that even you could feel it."

  Tim tensed involuntarily. The last thing he needed was to meet a zombie. And just in case, he took a pickaxe out of his backpack.

  "Would you be able to detect his approach?"

  "I'm not really a biolocator. I can only sense emotions directed in our direction. But so far, I'm not sensing any."

  "But still, stay alert."

  "Are you gonna protect me?" Selkise had time to return to an ironic mood.

  "Sure. Don't worry, I won't forget about me either!"

  "Good for you. And now let's catch up with the others, or we'll soon be missed."

  As it turned out, they had already been missed. As a result, they had to listen to the comments of their friends.

  "We're worried here, and you..." Ri-Bo was the first to begin.

  "Is this a place for privacy?" Naar-Tam rebuked, though his eyes laughed.

  "Why not? It's very romantic here," Tiis-Mir teased him.

  "We were just looking at that inscription about the school," Tim awkwardly tried to explain himself, making the smiles on his friends' faces even wider.

  Selkise prudently remained silent.

  "All right, let's not stay here too long," Mez'A'Shib interrupted the scoffers, for which Tim thanked him mentally. "Follow me to the bridge."

  Once again it was the same story as with the veil of darkness - Chilajt saw the ghostly edges of the 'rung' thrown across the chasm and volunteered to lead the others.

  "So you'll take us all the way to the foot of the mountain!" Naar-Tam marveled.

  "There are not only magic traps here," the drow cooled his ardor. "When we get to go outside, we'll celebrate."

  -He's always this way, if you want to be merry, he'll bring you down from heaven to earth," the peirot jokingly complained to his countrywoman.

  "Let's go and see the Mirror," Selkise suggested.

  "There's a mirror here too?" The gorgon was astonished. "Then, of course, let's go!"

  Of course, the girls wouldn't have passed by in any case - how could they not admire themselves, and fix their hair and uniform at the same time? And only Selkise, glancing at her reflection, took a rag and, moistening it with water from the flask, carefully wiped the semi-smudged letters that made up the word 'Yuenhee'.

  "What was that for?" Tiis-Mir wondered.

  "Let it be cleaner," the yusme grinned.

  "Now that the inscription is gone, will the door between the worlds close?" Tim asked her as their group headed toward the entrance to the minus third tier.

  "Of course, as long as some mutton-head doesn't think to open it again."

  "How was I supposed to know about any rituals!"

  "Now you know. And hopefully you won't make that mistake again."

  "You love moralizing, though!"

  "It is what it is. I hope you're not offended."

  "Surely not!"

  "Then let's catch up with the others if you don't want to be mocked again."

  By that time their friends had already managed to open the door to the next tier and enter the cave where the statue of the "emperor" was located, discussing now whether to open the cache at once or on the way back.

  "Better at once," Ri-Bo said. "Otherwise, if something happens again, it will not be up to it!"

  Tiis-Mir and Chilajt were curious and so were in favor.

  "Well, then look!" and Naar-Tam yanked the lever.

  "What is written on them?" Tiis-Mir was excited when she saw the sheets.

  "We ourselves do not know. The main thing is that bearded creatures like them! Otherwise they would hardly supply us with things and provisions. Now we'll take three of the sheets and then give them to dwarves when we get back."

  "Why not all at once?"

  "That'd be too nice for them. It's not the last time we come here!"

  "Can I have one too?"

  "Never mind! You don't need it anyway."

  "You're such a cheapskate!" Tiis-Mir capriciously pouted her lips and stepped aside.

  "The secret knowledge of the geerkhs?" Selkise guessed as she moved closer. "It must be of considerable value if the dwarves are interested."

  "Yeah, some of us have already offered to exchange them for a bucket of gold," Naar-Tam quipped.

  "Why me?" Ri-Bo took offense. "I mean for everybody, not for me personally."

  "Well, well, let's see how you behave if we really do come across a sack of gold!"

  Ri-Bo was silent. It sounded humorous, but why was he the one who was always suspected of having impure aspirations? If he had, he would have shared the information, where their company went and who helped it, with the anzimars. At the very least, they would have stopped mocking him. A second later, with an effort of will, the tilfing banished the ugly thought from his mind - how could he even think such a thing! It's good no one noticed anything, only Selkise gave him a strange look. And why was she taken on the expedition? She's useless, just gets underfoot.

  "The next section of the path is recommended to be taken at an accelerated pace," Mez'A'Shib warned.

  "Why is that?" Tiis-Mir wondered.

  "You'll freeze to death if you don't."

  "We'll see," smirked the peirot girl, but when her feet began to freeze to the floor, she had to ignore principles and hurry with all to quickly leave the zone of hostility to them magic. Selkise caught up with Tim and grabbed his palm - and it was as if she pulled the killing cold back, leaving only a slight feeling of discomfort.

  "Thank you," Tim whispered, parting his lips with difficulty.

  "But we're friends," she reproached him in a barely audible voice.

  After a brief respite they had to strain their leg muscles again, traversing an area that was woefully short of air to breathe.

  "Are we going to keep running around here?" Tiis-Mir asked with a frown.

  "No one promised a fun walk," Ri-Bo sneered.

  "We'll have one more little adventure, and then we can relax a little," Mez'A'Shib informed her.

  "What kind of adventure?"

  "Riding on a butt!" - Naar-Tam exclaimed merrily. And having approached the beginning of the sloping descent, he plopped down on his butt and rolled down with his hands. Tiis-Mir, after hesitating for a moment, followed his example, as did Chilajt, Ri-Bo, and Mez'A'Shib. Selkise, however, flatly refused this way of overcoming the obstacle, trying to balance on the slippery floor, and Tim, taking pity, showed her the safe way, which consisted of barely visible notches along the right wall.

  "You're breaking away from the group!" their friends chided them when the obstacle was behind them.

  "We're just trying to maintain our individuality," the yusme retorted with a Mona Lisa smile.

  "That's wonderful, of course, but not on an expedition."

  "It sounds like we're going to war. Don't worry, when we get to uncharted territory, we won't be willful," Tim assured them.

  "When will we get there?"

  "Soon. You'll see everything there with your own eyes."

  A short time later they found themselves at the wall still blocking the passage.

  "How did you climb over it?" the gorgon wondered.

  "With a leap from a run."

  "Are you serious!?"

  "Don't mind him, he's joking. There really is no wall. You can just step into it and see what happens."

  Tiis-Mir took the risk first, and soon her excited cries came from the other side of the 'wall'.

  "Did you see the Fire Lord himself there?" Naar-Tam cheerfully called out to her.

  The mention of one of the Lords almost prompted Tim to ask Selkise about them. But he managed with his impulse - it wasn't the right time and place, there would surely be plenty of opportunities to talk quietly without witnesses.

  "No, it's just that the visions are very unusual! Come and see!"

  This time they found themselves in a meadow, damp and gloomy; the black-winged butterflies fluttering among the pale orange flowers that were not pleasing to the eye either. The sadness and despair came again, but not as terrifying as the first time. Tim was more afraid of falling again under the hypnotic charm of the fairy-tale castle that had forced him to take the fateful step. He would have to muster the willpower in his fist, or Selkise would think him weakling. It's interesting what she will see at the castle site? The fog swirled around them, making it difficult to see what was far away, so they had to walk carefully, groping for places to step on.

  "That's where we got to then," Mez'A'Shib said at one point.