William Calhoun and the Black Feather. Book I. Aik Iskandaryan

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СКАЧАТЬ see…» Nymus started.

      «I was brought up by demits, and I’ve been living with them all this time,» William came to help.

      «A Calhoun among demits?» the Postmaster deputy exclaimed. «We are really witnessing a historical moment, gentlemen,» he said with sarcasm that remained unclear to William. Then, seeing that William was still holding the box, added with a smile: «Don’t be shy, young man, take your feather out!»

      William set the box down on the table and opened it. The magic feather sensed freedom again and stretched out its hairs, then slowly moved them from side to side.

      Thomas Hills didn’t look so smug anymore. The next moment his smile was gone completely. He was looking at the magic feather and its size, which was large even by magic feather standards, with great attention and with a bit of distrust. Then he told William:

      «Try picking it up, young man…» he said in such a tone that suggested that until now he was quite sure that he was being tricked with this newly-found offspring of the Calhoun kin.

      William took his magic feather without any problems and gave Thomas Hill a questioning look. Seeing the feather in William’s hand made him speechless. The pause was so long that William couldn’t help glancing at Nymus again. But the mailmage didn’t need to intervene this time. The deputy of the Magic Post Office Master came back to his senses and started talking again:

      «May I take a look at the name on the magic feather?»

      William held the feather out for him, but the Postmaster deputy waved his enormous hands:

      «No, no, please! Just hold your feather closer to me, it’ll be enough!»

      Even though this request seemed strange to William, he wasn’t surprised much with anything now. Holding his magic feather with both hands, he brought it closer to Thomas Hill’s face. He slightly leaned forward, then leaned back in his large armchair.

      «Mister Calhoun,» he addressed William much more politely than a minute ago, «have you used it a lot all these years?»

      «No, not once,» William confessed.

      «That’s why the feather is without a handle…» he bent over the feather again and examined it quickly, «I advise you to get a handle for the magic feather, Mister Calhoun. If you are going to study magic arts, you will definitely need a handle!»

      «Yes, sir, I will!»

      «Could you…» he gestured for William to put the feather away, «say the Probatos spell to make sure all the formalities are followed, Mister Calhoun?»

      It was time to give Nymus a questioning look again. He hurried to assist:

      «It’s easy, Master Calhoun!» he explained. «Take your magic feather and say loud and clear «Pobatio’!

      «Probatio!» William said and the spacious office of the Postmaster deputy Thomas Hill was lit with a bright green beam coming from the magic feather.

      This lasted for about twenty seconds and everyone was silent. When the beam had disappeared, Thomas Hill stood up, walked around his table and headed to one of the cabinets his office was full of. Nymus and William watched him with no idea what was going on. Hill returned to his table with a piece of paper in his hand. He sat back into his armchair, took a feather from the table drawer and directed it at the paper, releasing the feather after a bit of thinking. For a few seconds, the feather hovered over the paper, then started writing something energetically.

      Thomas Hill opened his eyes.

      «This is, of course, none of my business, Mister Calhoun, but…» he hesitated before asking the question: «tell me, what are your plans for the future?»

      William thought that this was a rather odd question, considering the reason they came here for, but it was asked and he had to answer it.

      «Well, I’m going to study at the Preparatory Course to enter Temp…» he broke off, «one of the MUnis.»

      «Already aiming at Templedoor!» Thomas Hill smiled and continued without paying attention to William’s embarrassment: «Yes, it’s the right place for you, Mister Calhoun. Besides, you won’t be the first Calhoun in there!» Suddenly he leaned back in his armchair and connected the tips of his fingers right beneath his nose. «I wonder if Fafner already knows about you…»

      «No, sir,» William replied, «why would he?»

      «Quite a number of reasons, Mister Calhoun! Believe me! Well, this isn’t my business!»

      With that, he leaned forward and took the filled up piece of paper the feather had just stopped writing on and handed it to Nymus. The paper turned out to be a signed document reinstating Nymus as the mailmage of the Calhoun kin. Besides that, the document was a license that gave him the right to receive and transfer correspondence.

      Nymus scanned the document and glowed with happiness.

      «Right! Time to part, gentlemen! Don’t forget to get your uniform, Nymus.»

      «Yes, Your Mailness!»

      «Good bye!» William said as he headed to the door. He wanted to put his magic feather back into the box, when there was a voice from behind.

      «Oh, don’t you even think of keeping your magic feather in the box again, Mister Calhoun, it’s disrespectful towards the creature! It is alive, you know!» his tone wasn’t strict, but quite insistent.

      «Alright, sir,» with that William put his feather into the pocket of his jeans.

      Nymus and he left the office of the Postmaster deputy Thomas Hill.

      «See, I told you it would be okay!» William said when they were walking along the corridor. «I’m so happy for you!»

      «Yes, I should not have worried, Master Calhoun! I need to visit the Equipment Department now. Wait here for me, I shall be right back.»

      «Sure, Nymus, go on!»

      And William sat on a bench to wait for Nymus. He came out five minutes later wearing a new outfit. He had the pale blue uniform of mailmages, not unlike the one postal workers wore. Nymus’s shoulders were adorned with red feathers, almost like epaulettes, carrying words «Calhoun’ embroidered in gold.

      «Would you look at my mailmage!» William made a show of dusting off his feathered shoulders. «You look great, Nymus!»

      «Thank you, Master Calhoun!» Nymus’s face glowed with happiness.

      «Where to now?» William asked him.

      «To register your magic feather!»

      He took William’s hand and said the next destination clearly:

      «Feather Nest!»

      Chapter five

      Feather Nest

      After visiting the enormous hall of the Magic Post Office, completely covered with letters, William couldn’t СКАЧАТЬ