Chapter 3

The words were easy to remember, it took no more than two minutes to assimilate them. But Linda took twice as long to learn them confidently. She had a bitter experience of learning English: the words seemed to be memorized, but disappeared from memory the next day. By lunchtime, she was able to study thirty words and praised Helena:

"Tomorrow I will memorize the first hundred words, and in ten days I will be able to start communicating and even practice magic".

"Are you impatient?" The hostess smiled.

"It's interesting" Linda admitted: "And a little scary, especially about monsters".

"We'll have to forget about the language tonight. We will go to your world at night, and tomorrow you will rest".

"Why at night?"

"Think for yourself before you ask stupid questions. A student should be able to think independently, and not just rely on a mentor".

"I'm sorry" Linda apologized, feeling ashamed for the well-deserved rebuke: "I didn't take into account the time difference"

"You feel uncomfortable because of the uncertainty in contacting me. In my world, a woman of my age is not called by her first name, and there are no patronymics there. You can call me Mistress Helena. But, apparently, you feel uncomfortable in this case".

"In our world, the last time was treated with respect fifty years ago. Then came a classless society where everyone was equal, and the word "mistress" evokes negative emotions".

"All people cannot be equal in skills and status" Helena objected: "Just as you must have leaders and followers. You just don't see it because you're young and inexperienced. And remember that you are not in your homeland here, and the word "master" only emphasizes your high position. Now you are a noblewoman, Linda, and that's how they will address you, get used to it in advance. You can call me "Master". This is an appropriate address for a student to a mentor. Now let's go to lunch".

"Perhaps something is bothering you, Master?" Linda asked softly, turning to the gloomy Helena, and added: "Is it because of me?"

"Because of me, and also because of the uncertainty about how to recover in your company, there are problems with choosing the right wardrobe. If everyone around is wearing such short dresses, it will be difficult for me to find suitable clothes".

"Mother has two dresses left, and they will just fit you, since we are the same height. I hope they will suit you. What's wrong with me?"

"I was confused by how quickly and strongly you reacted to my drink. It's only convenient for you at the moment, but if other potions work the same way, I need to be more careful. And our poisons can be even more dangerous for you. But don't worry, I'll check it out".

This time, Linda decided to try some fruits, which, despite their strange appearance, tasted no different from apples.

"When we're done, let's go down to the basement to look at our treasures: "Helena warned: "You know better what we need, so you better check them out".

The basement was a maze of corridors with doors, some of which had bars: "Prison cells" Helena explained: "Somewhere here you can find the remains of prisoners. We rarely use the basement. But here's our gold. Take your time, I'll open the way now".

Helena was the first to enter a small room with three chests. Linda hurried after her so as not to be alone in the dark hallway. The hostess placed a ball with rainbow demons lighting the way in a niche in the wall and opened one of the chests.

"Here are the finds that I found in the shelter under the ruined tower" She said: "They have an ancient nature. How much time has passed since the death of the castle owners, but they probably did not even know about the existence of this gold. In any case, these coins are very different from those that were used before. Choose what you like and take it with a margin"

"This is gold" Linda said in amazement, taking out a handful of coins from the chest, which felt heavy in her palm.

"Why is it bad?" Helena didn't understand: "Won't your friend be interested in him?"

"This gold is much more expensive for me" Linda explained: "Our girls do not go with gold in their pockets. Even antique silver coins can arouse suspicion. He may not have enough money for such a purchase".

"We will choose the appropriate coins, and if something goes wrong, I will talk. We can also take silver. It is intended for settlements with peasants"

"How will you talk to him without knowing his language? Mentally?" Helena asked: "It will only raise more questions".

"You forget that I'm a magician" Helena chuckled: "No one I interact with will notice that I'm silent. Influencing people is one of the key skills of magicians. That's why not everyone loves us".

"Then why didn't you restrain your servants, but rather drown them?"

"It's easy to encourage someone to take instant action" Explained Helena: "But to keep this influence for a long time is already more difficult. And if the suggestion contradicts a person's own desires, it quickly collapses. I had to constantly update the spell to avoid internal conflict or loss of interest in life. Therefore, magicians do not seek to rule over people for a long time. But seducing a person for a short time, distracting him or making him believe in something is possible. Have you already made a choice?"

"Yes" The girl replied: "Only they change color"

"It's because of the lighting, there will be others upstairs. If everything is in order, then let's go. We need to inspect the silver".

In her bedroom, Helena opened the casket that stood on the table by the window and poured out a dozen coins.

"Is there anything suitable?" She asked.

"These will do" Linda chose the five oldest coins: "They all differ in prints, there is not one of the same"

"Many people mint silver, this is acceptable, the main thing is not to cheat with weight. Only the Royal Treasury has the right to mint gold coins. Take this purse, put coins in it so you don't lose them. What are you planning to do?"

"I'll change my clothes and take a walk around the castle, maybe I'll remember some new words" Linda replied.

"Okay" Helena agreed: "But I advise you not to walk too long, it's better to get some sleep so as not to get tired".

"I'll try. Daytime sleep doesn't suit me, and I've already had enough sleep for the whole day ahead".

Linda returned to her rooms, changed into a short dress and quickly went to the nearest exit from the castle.

"In such shoes, only in the forest" The girl thought, cleaning the shoes from moss and needles: "How much time can you spend on cleaning? Wow, a mushroom!"

A real aspen tree grew in the immediate vicinity of Linda, and the most interesting thing was that it flourished just three steps from her house. It is wonderful that picking mushrooms has become a common passion for Linda and her father, and they were happy to realize this. The first time they went out for mushrooms with their parents on the bus. After collecting two buckets of oil, they then cleaned the film from the hats until nightfall. That year, their table was not without salted butter.

Linda was tormented by the thought: "What if the mushroom is poisonous? I need to show Helena so that I don't get bored with meat every day".

Without a knife, Linda tore the mushroom from the mycelium and ran to Helena in the laboratory: "Master! Is this mushroom indefinite?"

"Yell less, and breathe less loudly" Helena said: "Why do you need this mushroom?"

"Not disgusting, but delicious! They are prepared in any way. Don't you know him?"

"I'd better ask the villagers" Helena said: "Put it on the table, go rest, and I'll check it for poisons".

"I haven't studied yet" Linda confessed: "I'm going to study and go to bed now".

But I didn't manage to fall asleep.

"You could have told me earlier, I would have put you to sleep" Helena grumbled at dinner: "Now you're going to wander around sleepy and blink your eyes".

"I suggest we don't waste any time and go right now" Linda suggested: "We still have early morning on our hands. You can visit or go shopping early in the morning, but I would like to look into the apartment first, see what you can pick up, and you need to try on your mother's clothes. Then we can do the door".

"You can do it right now" Helena agreed: "If you've already eaten, change your clothes, and let's go to the tower".

The transition to the apartment took a minute and was not much different from Linda's previous visit.

"This is the first time I've been here, following the blood" Helena said, walking out of the kitchen and into the living room: "And now we are moving along the already tracked path, which is much easier. I found what I was looking for. It's still early in the morning, but let's not waste any time. Where are your mother's dresses?"

"I'll get it now!" The girl opened an empty wardrobe with clothes and took out a dress: "Here it is. And the second one is missing for some reason. As soon as you're dressed, I'll zip up your back. And in this mirror, you can check how it fits on you".

Deep in thought, Helena said that she intended to get herself this wonderful artifact, an antique mirror, in front of which she is now standing and examining her reflection: "We do not have such a thing. Help me change my clothes, and we'll take care of things later".

Together, they changed the dress and the shirt, which was too big for Helena and did not fit under her mother's dress.

"Terrible!" The old woman exclaimed, examining her half-naked legs: "How can you show up like this?"

"It's just a long dress" Linda reassured her: "When we go outside, you'll see that many people wear shorter ones. There are dresses that fit only to the middle of the thigh. It's been fashionable for a long time, but it suits you"

"Really?" Helena said thoughtfully, spinning in front of the mirror: "Okay, I have to sacrifice for the cause. Do you need help with your stuff?"

"No, I can handle it" Linda refused, carefully examining the old woman's shoes: "It seems to me that these boots are too massive for such a dress. My mother has shoes that are too big for her. For some reason, she still hasn't sold them. Let's try them out".

The shoes fit almost perfectly. They are a little too big, but they kept perfectly on their feet and were much lighter than the previous ones.

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"It's much better now!" The girl was delighted: "If I could put my hair in a knot at the back of my head, no one would have thought about it. But I can't do it".

"What about my hairstyle?"

"This hairstyle is worn only by the young. Well, that's not so important anymore. Rest, master, while I gather everything I need".

Realizing that it was unlikely to return to this apartment, Linda walked through the rooms and the kitchen, collecting in two large bags everything that she thought could be useful in the new world. One of the bags contained the remains of dishes, a grater, a meat grinder and matches, and from the bathroom - a toothbrush, tooth powder and pieces of soap. From her room she took linen, a terry sheet, a watch, a box of colored pencils, a pack of razor blades and notebooks.

"Do we need paper?" Linda asked her mentor.

"Very expensive, and she hasn't been seen in our castle for a long time. We need to go to the city to get her, but who should we send?" Helena answered.

"We can sell coins and buy notebooks. Our paper is cheap" Linda suggested.

Linda didn't find anything useful in the big room and just took Helena's things.

"We may have to leave quickly, so let's leave them together" She told the mentor: "I'll put things at the bottom of the closet in case someone comes in. Let's leave this beret, we won't need it right now. I'm completely ready. There's only the last hallway left, but I'm pretty sure there's nothing interesting. Here's the key for the spare lock on the door. Perhaps it hasn't been changed yet".

They went out into the hallway, where Linda unlocked the door. Without hearing footsteps or conversations, she opened the door, tearing off a piece of paper with a seal attached to the outside.

"What should I do now?" She asked, almost crying: "If anyone sees it, they'll call the police right away, and we won't be able to come back. Pick up things and run around the city?"

"Lock the lock and don't worry!" Helena ordered: "I will ensure that no one comes in until evening".

She touched the torn paper, and it instantly fused into one.

"Let's go faster!" Linda hurried on: "The neighbors shouldn't see me here. If the apartment is sealed, the police are definitely looking for me".

"What am I here for?" Helena asked: "No one will see us, but we'd better leave as soon as possible".

The girl expected the city to shock Helena, but she just walked along a noisy street where thousands of cars and crowds of people flashed by.

"We could take a bus, but we don't have money right now" Linda said regretfully: "We'll have to walk. The distance, of course, is small, only two stops, but it's still better to take a short walk. And what are your impressions of the city?" Linda asked.

Helena thought for a moment before answering: "There are so many people, traffic, noise and smells here. I've never been used to a busy life, especially after my stay at the castle. There I completely lost the habit of this crowd of people. Will your friend be at home?" She asked.

"He is disabled and, according to my father, rarely leaves his apartment" Linda replied.

A young, impressive woman in her thirties answered the door.

"Who are you looking for?" She asked Helena.

"Alas" Linda said: "Is Michael at home? We came to him about his collection".

The woman assessed Linda with a glance and stepped aside, letting them into the spacious hallway.

"Just a minute, please" She said this time, addressing both of them: "I'll warn my father".

She returned almost instantly and invited the guests to follow her. The owner met them in his office and immediately recognized Linda.

"Are you Frank Jordan's daughter?" He asked: "Is your name Lindik? And your friend is not familiar to me. What can I do for you? And why did you, Linda, come to me without a father?"

"My father died a year ago" Linda replied calmly, making an effort on herself: "Together with my esteemed grandmother, we have scheduled this visit to discuss the issue related to the unique collection belonging to you. Our intention is to possibly sell the valuable and historical coins that are stored among these artifacts".

"Why are you talking to me and not your grandmother?" A professional coin collector asked.

"My grandmother is mute, but she understands me perfectly and can express her agreement with a nod of her head. Besides, she completely trusts me in this matter".

"Show me the coins" The collector asked.

The collector looked at the gold and silver coins for a long time with a magnifying glass. Then he carefully placed them on the table, turned to the guests and asked how they came to be at their disposal.

"One day" When Linda started telling a story, she slyly stated: "My grandmother accidentally discovered these ancient coins in the attic of her cozy house. The idea arose to sell them, but she was advised to contact a true collector. They say that such a specialist will definitely be able to estimate the value of coins much higher than if we sold them for the metal itself by weight. I believe these coins are left over from my late grandfather, who has not been with us for five years".

"You're lying and you're not blushing" Michael said, looking into Linda's eyes: "Normally, I would ask both of you to leave my apartment. But if the coins you presented turned out to be genuine, they are worth a lot of money. I don't have the opportunity to buy them, and I never will. But what you brought... I've never seen anything like it. They don't look like a fake, and what's the point of being dragged into such a hoax?"

"Michael!" Linda looked into his eyes, delighted and desperate at the same time: "I can swear that the coins are genuine. I am in a difficult financial situation and need money. I don't attach much value to the coins themselves. I am ready to sell them at the price you offer. I hope it will be enough for me".

For a few moments it seemed to Linda that the collector would refuse the deal, but he just sighed heavily and pulled out an ordinary postal envelope from a drawer, which he handed to Linda.

"Here is all the money that I was able to put aside to replenish my collection" He said: "Two hundred and forty coins. I don't know if it's enough for you, but I don't have any more".

"I didn't expect such a large sum" Linda commented happily when they were already on the street: "It seemed to me that he would try to kick us out. Thank you for coming with me, master".

"I did not influence his decision" Helena shook her head: "He did not have serious doubts about the originality of the coins, but still took careful steps. In the worst case scenario, he could get his money back by simply selling the gold coins. However, the mystery they presented had drawn him in so much that he decided to throw caution to the wind. He is very passionate about this business, although I do not understand his passion".

"Collectors, they're all like that" Linda agreed: "It's a good thing they didn't change the money for tens and hundreds. You might think that the money was stolen"

"Why?" asked Helena.

Linda explained that the amount of money the children had was extremely significant. It took the employee thirty whole days to earn such a sum. She also noticed that with such a large amount of money, there might be suspicions that they had been stolen.

"You have a strange society" Helena expressed her opinion about socialism: "Let's finish all the shopping and go home. The sooner we do it, the sooner we can rest. Besides, you said yourself that the apartment could be checked".

"Yes, yes" Linda hastened to agree: "By the way, we'll start with a sporting goods store".

They bought two pairs of sneakers for Linda, one of which was overgrown, as well as two pairs of sweatpants and three wrist compasses. Then they went to a shoe store, where they selected two pairs of shoes for Linda and one for Helena. Helena bought a pair of shoes a size bigger. In addition to these purchases, they also purchased underwear, two shirts, and a variety of small items. It seemed to Linda that she would not be able to carry all this, but on the way home she could not resist and bought two alarm clocks and rubber boots. They bought notebooks, pen and ink from a stationery store. Helena was carrying all these purchases.

"I would like to buy a lot more, but I can't carry it all" Linda complained: "Let it be enough for the first time. Then we'll go again. We have the money, so we won't limit ourselves".

As they passed the benches where the old ladies were sitting, none of them paid attention to Linda. They went up to their floor and with relief put their shopping bags on the floor. After Helena made sure that no one was in the apartment, they opened the door, no longer worrying about the safety of the pasted paper. Then they locked the door from the inside, stacked their bags in the kitchen and Helena with difficulty brought the removed mirror. At the last moment, Linda remembered the box where her mother kept needles and thread, and added it to the pile of purchases and bags.

"Have we forgotten anything?" Helena asked, looking around.

"Yes, everything seems to be in place" Linda assured: "I open the gate, and you throw it all inside. Did you pack the plates well? So nothing will break. And last of all, we'll bring in the mirror. Just don't stumble at the joints of the slabs, otherwise you'll have to clean up the glass fragments yourself".

The evacuation was successful, and both girls left their purchases in the tower and hurried to their rooms to sleep the rest of the night. Waking up later than usual, Linda got out of bed and found her things on the living room floor. Hasd must have brought them. Unpacking and cleaning had to be postponed until later, because Helena had already woken up and called Linda for breakfast.

"Master, have you dealt with my mushroom?" Linda asked when she saw that Helena had already finished breakfast: "Or do I need to bring another one?"

"Then I'll combine language learning and mushroom picking. Then they can be fried and added to porridge or simply eaten. Almost no one comes to these places, so there will be a lot of mushrooms"

"Try not to stray too far from the castle! If someone sees you in that dress, there might be a problem. And besides, you might get lost".

"Don't worry, master, I'll put on a tracksuit and take a compass with me so I don't get lost. And I'm not going to go far from the castle at all".

The first trip in a tracksuit turned out to be the last. There was tall grass in the forest with seeds that clung to her pants intently, and it took Linda over an hour to clean them. The collected aspen trees were fried and eaten with pleasure.

"Very tasty!" Helena said: "It's strange that we didn't cook them at home. Keep picking, I'm really tired of meat".

After sorting out her things, the girl picked up her father's watch and thought about it. How to determine the time and how many hours can there be in these local days? She created a primitive sundial from a flat stick, which she hardened into the soil. Having determined the moment when the shadow of the stick was the shortest, she marked this position with a stone and turned the arrows to twelve. The next day, at the same time, the clock was twenty minutes behind.

"Well, that's good" Linda mused, twisting both alarm clocks and setting them on her wristwatch: "Now I'll move the hands back an hour every three days. This way I will always be aware of the time".

She gave Helena one of the alarm clocks and taught her how to use it. Helena accepted this innovation without much enthusiasm.

"I don't see much use in them" She said sadly, dissatisfied with the attitude towards the gift. "I have always been able to judge time by my eyes, and if I start to follow your watch faithfully, I will have to purchase and maintain it for the servants if necessary. But let them stand, their ticking doesn't bother me. You will be able to take care of their winding yourself and move the arrows to the right position"

"What did Dad say?" Linda thought, returning from Helena: "Yes, initiative is punishable by execution. It's about me. Everyone here is so wild. It's okay, my hands won't fall off, and now I can plan my time".

Thanks to the composition of the vomiting potion that Helena prepared daily, the young girl could easily master a hundred new words every day. Always persistent and scrupulous, she asked her mistress to start cooking this unique decoction early so that she could take it on an empty stomach. This approach not only made the process of consuming the potion much easier, but also avoided the risk of losing breakfast if sometimes it was not possible to keep it.

Recent rains had led to an abundance of mushrooms, and Linda went to the forest every day after breakfast. She had a basket and a folding knife in her hands, so she gratefully accepted the belt with two pockets that the maid brought. She put a reminder note in one pocket, and in the other a compass and Dad's watch, which were too big to wear on her hand. Today was the third day after their purchase.

Linda woke up early in the morning, full of energy and desire to make a new adventure. After having a quick breakfast, she quickly changed her clothes and went to the forest. Knowing exactly where mushrooms usually grow, closer to the castle, she wasted no time and headed straight there. Usually the area was teeming with mushrooms, and by the end of the hour the basket was full of a wide variety of specimens. But this time Linda was unlucky. She traveled around one clearing, went to another place, but did not find a single mushroom.

The same story was repeated at the next stop along her route. Looking at the surrounding situation bizarrely, Linda couldn't figure out who could have taken her mushrooms. But the girl was very surprised when she ran out into the clearing and almost stepped into a large pile of manure, still steaming with stinking steam. And not far away, only fifty paces away, she noticed someone who was staring at her mushrooms.

"You brute!" Linda screamed at the huge moose standing in front of her, who did not react to her appearance at first: "Go away!"

The moose frowned at the sounds, ate another aspen and noticed the greed, and then went to where he was sent. Linda managed to get a dozen mushrooms in the clearing, but the basket was not even half full. Deciding to continue searching for mushrooms far from the castle, she took out a compass, chose a direction and started moving, saying the words. The chosen direction turned out to be unsuccessful: there were almost no mushrooms.

The upset girl decided to return, but she must have taken a wrong turn, so she soon found herself in a dense spruce forest that she had not noticed before. After walking a little more, Linda stopped as if rooted to the spot: a large wolf stood in front of her and mocked, showing his teeth. She recoiled in fright and almost fell on her back, tripping over a root protruding from the ground. The wolf growled and approached.

"They don't attack in the summer" Linda thought, fighting fear: "Where can I get a stick? If I turn around, he will definitely jump! Oh, if only I had a bigger knife!"

A dog barked and howled in the bushes behind the wolf.

"Oh my God!" The girl immediately froze: "After all, this is a she-wolf! And she has cubs! She might just tear me apart. Even dogs with puppies have aggression, and here are wolves!"

Tripping over a branch on the ground, she crouched down and grabbed it in her hands, leaving a basket of mushrooms and her knife on the ground. With a crooked but sturdy stick stretched out in front of her, she continued to retreat, carefully placing her feet so as not to fall. The wolf, still growling, followed her. When the forest became sparser and there was a smell of smoke, she turned around and hid in the undergrowth.

"What kind of strange place did I end up in?" The girl thought in surprise when she finally lowered her wooden stick: "There are almost no trees here, dried stumps stick out everywhere, and the smell of smoke envelops the air. It looks like I've come to the outskirts of some village. But how do I get to the castle now? Surely the locals know the way, and if I can find them, I can explain myself. But how am I supposed to show up there wearing my terrible dress?"