Adhering to safety rules, Vadish regularly avoided participating in the exchange of weapons for gold, preferring to simply escort Linda to a certain room.
"I have to leave you" He said, saying goodbye: "Today we will receive the last batch of machine guns, and then what awaits us?"
"Weapons again, but of a different type. Golder will take care to teach you how to use it. Without his help, it is better not to even touch the boxes, because for an inexperienced person it can be very dangerous".
"What are your plans for today, Rinda?"
"We need to decide what else we can hit the priests with" The girl smiled: "It's probably worth temporarily postponing the attempt to catch one of them. Let's first see what their reaction will be to your statement that I am not guilty".
When Linda was left alone, she used her key to open the door and light up her gold bags with her palm. Of course, the gold was there, as always. After that, she created a portal to go to the hangar. Breakfast with the king was a little delayed, so Linda was in a hurry and did not pay attention to the unexpected increase in illumination in the treasure room, and also did not examine the gate carefully.
When she got out in the hangar, she saw a group of people who were curiously looking somewhere behind her. Linda looked around and opened her mouth in surprise. What was in front of her now was not a blurred rainbow circle two meters across, as usual, but something completely amazing. Now the portal was a circle with a diameter of six meters and almost touched the ceiling of the hangar.
It glowed brighter and shimmered with light on its surface. The lines of different colors rotated smoothly, mixing with each other. If you looked closely, you could see that these were tiny stars, creating an amazing light masterpiece. Linda was as amazed by such beauty as the rest of those present, especially since this was the first time they had ever seen it.
"How much energy does it take?" She thought: "We need to return everything to how it was. But how?"
It turned out that everything was simple: it was enough to wish, and the gate instantly decreased three times, and the brightness of their glow decreased.
"What was that?" The eldest of the group asked Linda.
"It was, but everything has already been washed away" Linda replied, pleased with the view: "Frank, will you stand here for a century? Hurry up. Take weapons and gold. Come on, get moving!"
The guys, as always, grabbed a stretcher and quickly ran to the portal.
"Linda!" The general who was present at the exchange approached her: "Could you go to the person we were talking about earlier now?"
The girl explained" I'm having problems at home, but I'll still try to find time for this visit. Did you bring a photo?"
When the conversation turned to treatment before, Linda noticed that the photo must be at least a little unique.
"If you show the usual image of the office, I may not get there" She explained to the general: "Most likely, there are many similar places on Earth".
The general handed her a photograph: "Please, I think this one will do".
"Linda, we've already rescheduled everything!" The senior member of the group reported: "The passage can be closed".
"How much strength do I have left?" Linda thought, closing the gate: "Today I kept them open for a long time, but I don't feel that my strength has decreased. Maybe I was too strict with the Scarecrow. Helena, give me a lot more. Nothing in life comes easy".
"Can I come with you?" The general asked.
"If that's what you want, Frank" Linda pointed to the gate that had opened.
Passing through the portal, they found themselves in a small garden, where one low house stood white among the bare trees. The paths were lined with cement tiles, and the house itself stood behind a fence of decent height. A cold rainy day made the weather not very pleasant.
"I didn't expect this weather!" The general said, taking off his jacket: "Put it on so as not to catch a cold, and let's go inside".
"Thank you, I don't need it" Linda refused: "I'm not in danger, but you definitely need to put something on".
They quickly reached the house, went to the door and the general opened it for Linda.
"Why was it so warm in the hangar today at this time of the year?" Linda asked.
"September is just beginning. While I was away, the weather worsened, but we keep the hangar warm so that our employees don't freeze. It happens that they have to wait a long time for you".
"Sometimes things don't always work out the way they are supposed to. Tell me, is it possible that these are the features of the estate? How is it that the house is so warm? After all, there was no smoke from the chimney".
"This house has gas heating, and it's not so frosty outside that the smoke from the chimney is noticeable" The general explained: "Please come into the room, sit down wherever you want, and I'll make one phone call now".
The general went to the phone in another room.
"We'll have to wait a little bit" He said on his return: "In the meantime, you can watch TV, the first channel catches well here".
Linda turned on the TV and footage of a familiar movie flashed on the screen. She regretted missing the beginning, but quickly got involved in the plot and even forgot about the surroundings.
From the very beginning, CGR General Frank treated this girl, or maybe already a girl, with completely undisguised distrust, so he reacted to the proposal to bring a magician to treat the chairman of the CGR, the disease had been tormenting him for several years, completely negatively.
"How could you agree to entrust the health and, possibly, the life of the head of the CGR to some shaman?" He expressed his doubts to one of the secretaries of the head of the CGR: "No checks were done, no tests were carried out in the clinic either. I do not consider such a step to be safe. Try to influence him!"
However, the head of the CGR did not agree with the arguments.
"If you are not able to carry out treatment properly, then you should not interfere with those who are capable of it" He objected to his personal doctor, who was also asked to participate in this delicate issue: "I trust her, and this girl has no reason to hurt me".
"No one wants to say that she can intentionally cause any harm" The doctor agreed: "But her principle of treatment has not yet been tested by our specialists".
"Check it out personally! Sometimes Linda stays in this hangar to sort out some issues. If you're afraid to start with me, try to present her with your other patients. If she claims that magic treatment is just a small thing, the fastest way is she won't refuse to help you".
The patients that Linda started treating after this conversation recovered quickly without causing her any problems. Even General Frank of the Central Intelligence Agency had to admit that she knew her job.
Linda watched the film with such delight that her face changed under the influence of what was happening on the screen. She even shed tears when the heroine of the film found out about her lover's quarrel with a friend.
"Don't worry so much" Lindik said in a comforting tone: "Because it's just a movie".
Linda suddenly cried out: "What are you even capable of understanding! Do you really think you have the right to judge me? I promised not to intrude on your thoughts, and I keep that promise. But nevertheless, I know what you think of me! You're just annoyed by the idea that a young girl can achieve such success, wealth and power. It is difficult for you to accept the fact that a man who has such great influence in the state acts with almost impunity! Despite the fact that I always meet you halfway, suddenly I can suddenly change my attitude, and you will have no way to keep me! Why is it so difficult for you to trust people? Why do you always strive to control all aspects of life? Do you think that everything was easy for me? Try to work as hard as I do!
The magic art requires a year of study to become a true master, but I was able to master it in just a year! It was far from an easy road, full of pain, in which teeth seem to collapse, and all you feel is a desire to stop this agony. I didn't hurt anyone, I just dealt fairly with those who deserved it. The first bandits I came across were robbers who robbed and killed women and children in wagons and caravans, then I punished the priests for the death of my foster mother. Honesty and fairness have always been important to me.
We live in different worlds, but we struggle with the same troubles. It is easier for many to encroach on someone else's property than to work and earn with their own labor, and they are ready to destroy enemies without regret. There is no person, there is no problem, somewhere it sounds like a slogan, but for many it is more like a rule".
"Calm down, please" Frank replied, stunned by her story: "I can't know what you've been through if you don't want to talk about it yourself".
"Have you ever tried to ask? You have already formed your opinion of me without getting to know me even closer. And then you expect me to open my soul to you?"
"I'm sorry if I went too far and was wrong to think badly of you. Your amazing abilities really baffled me, especially the ability to read minds and influence the behavior of others. It's really impressive".
"You are not the first. Not everyone appreciates magicians in that world either, although they rarely use these abilities themselves, especially the ability to take advantage of the behavior of outsiders. I've only used it three times here. First, I stopped the interrogation of your captain, then I convinced the kindergarten teacher to study English with me. Once again I had to drive the guys away in the same orphanage so that they wouldn't bother me. But it didn't hurt any of them! I'm sorry for yelling at you right now. It's been too stressful lately, and I couldn't stand it. Frank, I think someone drove up to the house. He's there, at the gate". She pointed towards the window.
"Yes, we really have a gate there" He said, got up from his chair and went to open the doors: "Surely this is the man we've been waiting for. If you can, try to help him".
Linda got up too, went to the TV and turned it off. I didn't want to watch the movie anymore. It's a pity that nerves are starting to fail. If she reacts like that to everyone she doesn't like...
The client who came looked like an intelligent man in his early fifties. The charm was added to his appearance by solid horn-rimmed glasses and sparse hair, already touched with gray, which he combed back.
"Greetings to you!" For some reason, he greeted me cheerfully: "Let's get acquainted. I am aware of all the information about you that our Committee has managed to collect. My name is... It doesn't matter though. I run an organization that cooperates with you. By the way, I wanted to immediately suggest that we address each other as you".
"Okay, hello. Where's Frank?"
"He flew to the capital. He works at the central office, so he flew to meet you on the plane to save time on the way back".
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"And they left you alone, without guards?"
"Do you think anyone is interested in me?" He smiled: "Okay, this is a joke, I have a guard, or rather, just one bodyguard. He's in the other wing because I wanted to talk to you alone".
"I would like to immediately do what I was brought here for. I can see that
your kidneys are out of order. I also want to ask if your joints hurt?"
"Sometimes they get inflamed. The doctors diagnosed gout".
"This is only a consequence. The main problems were in the kidneys".
"Were they there?"
"Yes, I've already cured your kidneys, and the salts in your joints will disappear in a day or two. I've renewed your heart a little bit and cleared your energy channels. Does your head hurt anymore?"
"Indeed, I don't feel any pain. I didn't even pay attention to it. Is that all?"
"Yes, I finished the treatment, but you wanted to talk about something else".
"Yes, indeed. Frank mentioned that you had to face some difficulties, and this was the reason for your dissatisfaction. Is there anything we can do to help you?"
"Oh, it's just his little internal problems. He seemed to be unable to accept my independence and freedom from the very beginning. Such people often do not know how to evaluate these qualities in others, but then they themselves find themselves completely dependent and forced to accept this situation. It's certainly not easy for him. I already have to come to terms with this, and then his excessive sympathy began. Normally I would have kept quiet, but this time I just couldn't help myself. It became very difficult. But here's the thing, you know, I can't bring my mother back, and I can handle the enemies on my own. I'm strong enough. It's just hard to stay alone, endlessly alone, without close people around, without support either here or there".
"And Mom?"
"I didn't have a close relationship with my mother. Even in the past, our relationship was far from intimate. Her mind is not impressive, and selfishness is present in her character, although perhaps she loves me with every cell of her being. However, this devotion appears only in cases when she herself does not have to give anything in return. I still don't understand what attracted my father to her".
"By the way, your aunt has been allocated a three-room apartment. They've already moved, but she flew to our city trying to find you. She tried to take you out of the boarding school, but it was explained to her that you study at a special school in the capital and you feel good there".
"Many thanks to your organization for your help! It was really not easy in the old apartment. We should get there somehow".
"If you decide to do this, tell our people about it in advance. They will find a suitable photo for you to go there. Linda, I want to discuss an important issue with you. You've probably already realized how important your gold is to us. This gives us the opportunity to make significant breakthroughs in various fields and improve the standard of living of the population. But the resource that we receive is not always sufficient, and besides, it is absolutely impossible to predict what will happen to you tomorrow, your life can be cut short at any moment. Are you not offended?"
"I've never been offended by the truth. I agree to accept protection, but first we need to provide good protection from magic for everyone".
"Is that even possible?"
"How can I explain it to you?.. if a person is attacked not by direct magic, but in some other way, and it will be dangerous because of magic unfamiliar to me, then I am helpless".
"Could the stone have hit your head?"
"That's right, it is. However, his magic will not allow him to be destroyed or subdued".
"Is it possible to get some of the gold in advance to compensate for future supplies?"
"The king probably won't agree to this. But there is another option. I personally have about two hundred kilograms of gold, which I keep in coins..."
"Why do you have so much gold? Don't your aristocratic family run out of gold reserves? In our past, the numbers were much more modest".
"The king claimed that there was a huge amount of gold in the mines. But this is not so uncommon in other kingdoms either. I have so much gold because my foster mother managed to save the family treasury, and then we discovered an ancient treasure. I suggest that you make coins from this gold in several workshops and give them to me. I absolutely don't care what kind of gold you use to pay in another world, as long as you go about your business. I hope you will help me solve my problems, including the electrification of the castle. If everything goes smoothly, then perhaps we can consider your offer to sell the goods of the highest nobility. The nobles really have a lot of gold".
"What could possibly interfere with this plan?"
"First of all, I have to confront the priests of a certain cult, but the greatest threat to our plans is a future war with one of the states that is in the neighborhood. To protect against them, we buy weapons from you".
"Are they that strong and dangerous?"
"Their number of ordinary warriors does not exceed ours, but they hide the creation of an army of vampires, which can significantly change the balance of power. Vampires have more power and speed than ordinary people, especially considering the insufficient number of magicians in our ranks. Therefore, our only hope is to inflict serious losses on them, avoiding direct clashes".
"What do vampires look like?"
"Like ordinary vampires" Linda replied: "I can demonstrate, but I'm scared".
"What are you afraid of?"
"You can get very scared. This is illusory magic, it is very powerful. After that, you can pass on your fear to me. I once showed a demon to a woman who is your major, and now she feels fear at the sight of me".
"If you can, show me anyway. I will try to be stronger than our major".
Linda sighed and turned into a vampire. Dozens of smells suddenly came to life in her perception, and her eyes began to see unusual colors and shades. Bloodlust had been tormenting her for a long time, and food was so close. Food was afraid - and this was natural, because it should be feared! Her claws dug into the wooden table, and...
She suddenly woke up, drenched in sweat, to find a terrified interlocutor beside her, clutching a pistol in trembling hands.
"What happened here?" She asked the head of the State Security Center: "I lost control for a moment. This has never happened before when I created an illusion".
"If it could be called an illusion, what is it?" The head of the Central Bank asked, pointing to two deep furrows on the table.
Linda was amazed: "Wow! Did I really do this?" She was surprised: "It's terrible! As soon as I became much stronger, the illusions didn't just become reality, they came to life. I didn't just look like a vampire, I became one. If I hadn't come to my senses in time, even a gun wouldn't have helped you. It's just some kind of trouble! Now I'm afraid to form even the illusion of a simple demon. It is unknown what will come of it! Put the gun away! It's me again, without any illusions, the demon is gone. I'll leave so as not to scare you. No, I'm not going to read your mind, it's already obvious.
How many times have I sworn to myself not to show this look! But if I show it again, I will definitely get into trouble! Is it okay if I go home right now? I'm not dressed very well for your weather right now. Thank you. Just let me fix the consequences of the illusion. You got really excited, and it doesn't go without consequences. Well, now I can leave. Goodbye, and think about my offer. I think it will be very useful for you".
The head of the CGR, who had already hidden the gun and recovered somewhat, carefully watched Linda, who waved goodbye and disappeared into the multicolored vortex of the portal.
*****
"How am I going to be able to resist the priests if I'm not sure how my spells work anymore?" Linda mused, lying on the bed in the bedroom: "I must call the Scarecrow!"
"Do you really want me to appear in your world?" Her friend's voice sounded in her head.
"The Scarecrow?" Linda couldn't believe her ears: "Are you here now?"
"I'm still in my own world, but what strikes you the most? Your powers have increased significantly, and now our souls are closely intertwined. I had a feeling that you would be able to summon me without unnecessary rituals. So, should we continue?"
"Wait, let me make room, otherwise you will completely destroy my entire bedroom. I'll tell you when the time is right".
She moved the trunks to the side, tilted the massive bed and, just in case, stepped aside and agreed.
"It's really very cramped here!" A huge lizard clumsily stamped on a small vacant area of the bedroom, overturned one chair and in addition broke off its back.
"Maybe you should be more careful in your movements?" Linda remarked with displeasure: "Try to curl up into a ball and not wave your tail, otherwise the furniture will not avoid even more damage".
"Do I look like a cat to curl up into a ball! Next time, choose a bigger room or take out the furniture beforehand. Well, why did you summon me?"
"After a collision with your relatives, I almost died!"
"Sometimes such things happen" The Scarecrow noted philosophically: "Out of three blood drinkers, only one usually survives".
"You knew about it, but you still dragged me into your world!"
"Why are you so unhappy? You stayed alive and became much stronger. That's good, and your importance to everyone has increased tenfold!"
"You are a cruel egoist with scales!"
"We're all a bit selfish" The Scarecrow remarked philosophically: "And scales are really very useful".
The beast began to scratch the back of its head with its hind paw, like a dog, and accidentally tore out one of the scales.
"Please" He said: "You can take it for yourself: "Very powerful amulets can be created from our scales. You need to go to the lair of the elder you killed, there should be so many scales left... It's much better than mine. My paws are not suitable for collecting this material. And you can do it yourself. Did you remember the location of the lair? Great, but you won't need anything else. Just try not to stay there for long, and if the worms attack, fly away immediately".
"How do I fly away? I can't fly".
"You are a useful but inexperienced friend. You barely know what you can do. I can teach you that. There are two ways to fly. The first one will take a little effort, but it needs to be studied for a long time. We will not consider it because of its complexity. The second way is the ability to fly independently. Do you know how to move objects?"
"Of course I can! I can pull or push away".
"And the ground under your feet, is it not an object? Push her away from you as hard as you can, and you'll take off. You couldn't have done it with your previous skills, but now you can do it. However, if you constantly push away only yourself, it will be boring and hard, so open your brains and I will give you a spell that will do it for you. Did you remember? You have a good memory, you learn information quickly. You can try it right now. And direct the force at a slight angle, otherwise you might flip over".
With mixed feelings of fear and admiration, Linda flew up to the ceiling, but only backwards, from which she was all smeared in whitewash, after that she lowered herself a little, made several circles around the room and sat back in the chair.
"Great!" She expressed her impressions of the flight: "How long will I be able to continue flying?"
"Until you get tired of it" The Beast replied.
"I see. I want to ask you, Scarecrow, are you my friend?"
"Of course, you know that yourself. But why such a question?"
"I'm in big trouble because someone wants to kill me, and it's going to happen if you don't want to help me".
"Is it necessary to destroy someone?"
"No, that won't solve the problem. If you kill one, the other will appear. There are many enemies, and if I blame them on you, they will blame me for everything and punish me. You'd better give me such magic so that I can defeat these enemies or at least scare them. You travel to many worlds, right?"
"We are natural hunters. Females lay eggs in a certain world, where we are born and grow up, and then disperse to other worlds. There is not only food, but also a lot of knowledge. I visited your homeworld a long time ago, seven hundred years ago by the standards of this world. I haven't been back there since".
"And why?"
"I was forbidden" The lizard replied indifferently: "And there's nothing good there - there's not enough sand, but there's too much water, which we don't like".
"And who made such a ban and why?"
"The One who created us. Don't ask, I can't explain. You lack the appropriate concept, and it's not accepted at all. Do you want to master magic that is unknown in this world? Then give me access to your memory, I'll see what you know and what you don't".
A strange feeling came over her as the Scarecrow quickly ran through the first thirteen years of her life, then more slowly over the last year and a little. It was like quickly flipping through a book with illustrations. There is something depicted on the pages, but the meaning cannot be grasped. There was a noise in my ears, and my mind was smoothly sinking into an ocean of fatigue and indifference.
"It's time to get up!" The Scarecrow's voice rang out, which almost tore off Linda's head: "Now I know what you need. Don't overdo it, so as not to overheat your brain, and you'll get ten spells. Remember. After that, you definitely need to rest to assimilate the knowledge you have gained. And at the same time you will get rid of fatigue. And I'm going to my room, after I lay in your room, all my joints ached. By the way, it's better to refrain from eating for now".
Her stomach rumbled so much from hunger that Linda even woke up from it. Looking out the window, I saw that dawn had just begun. The room was unusually quiet, as there was no characteristic ticking of the alarm clock. Yesterday, when she flew up to the ceiling and soiled her suit, and fell asleep in it, and forgot to set the alarm. Why didn't Dina do it? It took ten minutes to change into a bathrobe, put on slippers and go to the kitchen. After dinner, there were pieces of baking left, which Haya covered with a napkin so that someone could eat them the next day.
Walking down the corridor, she lit the way with her hand. Before she reached the dining room, she heard the door creak open, and Linda instantly turned off the light, switching to her afternoon vision. Visibility has deteriorated, but she herself has become invisible. Dina came out of the room where Jenson lived, quickly ran to her door and disappeared behind it.
"I knew it" Linda whispered, turning on the light in her palm again: "What kind of alarm clock is needed in such a situation!"
To her surprise, she realized that she was feeling jealous. After thinking a little about what this meant, Linda entered the kitchen, found two more soft doughnuts and swallowed them almost without chewing.
"It's okay, my time hasn't passed yet!" The thought flashed: "I'll get rid of the priests and the war, and then I'll go to Earth, find myself a good guy there. But first of all, it's time to visit my aunt".
She began to imagine herself heading to her aunt, accompanied by guards, and then starting to search for the groom, which caused her to laugh, which almost strangled her with the remains of a doughnut.
Before sunrise, Linda practiced using the spells given to her by the Scarecrow, and then moved on to her own formulas, unexpectedly making a wonderful discovery for herself: As it turned out, the size of the forces could be commanded! It turns out that the ways to control different spells differ from each other, and it was very easy to learn how to do this. Now she had greatly expanded her capabilities and could make the most of her energy reserves.
When the sun was already rising above the roof, Linda knocked on Dina's door and, without waiting for an answer, opened it. After glancing at the sleeping maid, she decided not to wake her up and returned to her room to tidy up her costume. Breakfast passed without Dina's presence, and Jenson looked tired and confused. After finishing breakfast, Linda armed herself and left through the portal.