Martin hardly slept at night. All the time he watched Kyon through the formation with a view to capture the energy fluctuations, but all was in vain. The weirdest thing was that the formation was able to detect was occasionally rapid heartbeat. He consoled himself with a thought that the servant with the tools will arrive in a couple of hours. Then he will be able to identify any features in the body of Kyon, to determine the approximate rank of the body, and hence price, thereby determining his fate.

People with special innate bodies were always valued. At best, such individuals found themselves a powerful patron interested in their talent. In the worst case, the person was disa.s.sembled into parts for ingredients, trying to extract some benefit.

In any case, it was possible to earn fabulous amounts of money on the black market for such a body. This activity was illegal and even dirty: black markets were under strict prohibition in most decent families and schools. The policy of the Stones was no exception, such dark deeds within it, to put it mildly, were not welcome. Therefore, Martin was very secretive in his guesses and excluded any possibility of» leaking « information – he immediately removed the boy from the base of the formations, so that when he takes him out of the mine, no one will notice anything, no one will have to share their earnings.

Ken's intuition was not deceiving – here he was not waiting for anything good.

…

Martha came to the hospital just in time for the beginning of the working day.

Kyon pointedly drowsily stretched and greeted the woman.

The day promised to be boring, because, as estimated, tools to Martin would be brought in 1-3 days.

After a bad breakfast, Martha received a call from Bob. He said he'd come for the boy soon.

Ken's heart skipped a beat. {2000 miles in 18 hours?! Little I know about this world…}

Mar looked out of the office and anxiously looked at Ken. Yesterday's words had an effect – now she obviously worried about this call to the authorities too.

«Bob will come for you soon. How're you feeling?»

«Terrible! The feeling that I felt before the death of my grandmother, increased several times!» -the boy groaned. Now, it is important take the most possible compa.s.sionate appearance. It was vital to him that Martha call-it will force Martin to be distracted by the sound transmitter, which will give him time to pour sleeping pills.

«Is it really that bad?» - the woman stroked his hair rea.s.suringly.

Ken mumbled something inarticulate and buried his head into the blanket.

Martha tried to cheer Ken up.:

«Don't worry, nothing will happen today! Everything's going to be OK.»

«Let's see it. Most importantly, don't forget about that promise.»

«Well, I won't forget.» - now she would agree with everything, she only wanted the overwhelming fear to go away from the boy's eyes.

Soon came Bob and took away Ken.

It took a quarter of an hour to get to Martin's office. Bob sometimes was talking something, but on the whole he was very thoughtful, as if something was bothering him. And always cheerful Rogash only did not worry about anything.

In Martin's room everything was as usual, only the usual aroma of baking for some reason was not observed.

«Bob, hi! You're finally here!» - the man extended his hand to greet him.

«Um, yeah, have they brought you the tools so fast?» - wondered Bob.

«Yeah, express delivery, so to speak. Ha ha!» - Martin seemed to be in excellent spirits.

«May I watch what you're doing here?»

Ken held his breath. If Bob stays, the plan is doomed to fail. It was unlikely that he would be able to put them both to sleep... fortunately, he was almost completely sure that the presence of strangers in the «procedures» is undesirable for Martin as well.

«Oh, no matter, believe me, nothing interesting. Moreover, it's gonna take a long time, so you can go to work, and I'll have the guard walk the guy back in.» - the man with the serene smile tried to get rid of the extra witness as soon as possible. As it might be expected.

«Okay, I got it.» - Bob sighed sadly. Now he finally became convinced that Martin didn't trust him, although they sort of were friends. At least for Bob himself.

The fat man left the office depressed. Ken mentally smiled: Martin only looks like a sociable good-natured sweet-tooth man, but in fact the man was clearly accustomed to treating everyone with suspicion, especially when the situation required it. Neither his personal servant nor the supervisor had honor and confidence to be present at the examination of the young man's body.

Martin turned to the boy, rubbing his hands in antic.i.p.ation.:

«Well, let's get started!»

He walked over to the box laid on the table near the common chair. There were various tools and instruments, which appearance allowed to surely conclude that they cost obscene amounts of money. From some of them came a faint glow, like an aura. s.h.i.+mmering with all the colors of the rainbow, it was like the Northern lights, a bright cloud frozen over the lid of the box.

«Don't stand still. Come on, take a sit over there.» - Martin hurried up the young man, pointing to the common chair.

«I have some helpful information for you. Tonight I remember my past and know many answers to your questions, as well as what you yourself can not learn.» - slowly, carefully choosing his words, Ken spoke, trying to catch the man on the hook of curiosity.

Martin could not help remembering that the boy had fallen asleep only in the morning – so he really could remember something.

«Have you recalled your past? And you know what happened to the search formation?»

«Yeah, I know what 's the matter.» - Ken sighed, as if he wasn't sure if he should continue. «Let me tell you all about it over a cup of tea.» - and he went to the table first, as if hinting that the conversation would be important and long.

Martin couldn't wait to start checking, but if the guy really did tell everything himself, and then his words were confirmed by the devices – there would be much less questions and problems.

«Heh, it's good that you have remembered everything, it will simplify the process.» - the man, however, decided to wait and went to a teapot. However, before he could touch the handle, the sound of transmitter rang.

{Did I miscalculated.} - Ken mentally moaned. Martha called 18 minutes later, not 20 as he planned. He was fool, he did not take into account the human factor! If hot tea had been on the table and Martin had gone to the device, he would have put sleeping pills in it.…

«This is Martha's doctor, tell me, are you all right?»

«Why do you ask? I'm having an important conversation, and you're calling to see how I'm doing?»

«I'm... Just... Worried.» - he felt her confusion even through the transmitter.

«No need to worry, next time, please think ten times before calling.» - sarcastically muttered Martin and dropped the connection.

Martha almost felt sorry she had called.

{She tried ... it's my fault.} - lamented Ken. But what was the perfect plan – he put back the vial with sleeping pills, even the cap unscrewed! But now, will it be possible to use it?

Martin picked up the kettle, and while he was carrying it to the table, the water became boiling.

«Sometimes people distract me in an incovenient time... So, what do you feel like telling me? What kind of information is there that I can't find out?» - the man poured tea in two cups, one moved to himself, another to Ken and expectantly stared at the guy.

Ken instantly stimulated his stomach, causing rumbling and mournful voice of a person who had not eaten for two weeks spoke:

«Do you have some more those delicious buns?»

«You have had breakfast, or they do not feed you enough there...?» - the question was rhetorical (not that he was much interested in the diet of slaves), and therefore, without waiting for an answer, he impatiently continued: - «No buns this time... I didn't have time to order, so you'll have to wait.»

One more attempt to distract Martin failed.

«Have you ever heard of legendary bodies?» - the young man began in as intriguing a voice as it was possible. He had not any idea about any legendaries and other cla.s.sifications.

«You ... you speak of those mentioned in the annals!? You mean you have a legendary body?! What is that rank?!» - Martin I never met people with bodies «A» grade and h, and thig, but the guy says something about a legendary.

Ken smiled mysteriously, at the same time cursing himself for ignorance. - «How would you draw the line between an ordinary body and a legendary body?»

Martin snorted incredulously.:

«I would just compare the properties of the body, but to find the boundary...? I think I'd understand that just by checking its properties ... do you have a legendary body? Of what rank is it? Don't leave me hanging!»

Ken was internally nervous. «We have time... take your time. Do you know how I got here?» - the guy threw another bait at the same time went away from the topic, not to be disclosed. At that time, from Bob's conversation with the boss, he realized that the conditions of his delivery to the mine were, to put it mildly, non-standard. And he did not understand the point immediately, but then, when he learned the language. He recorded the sound and it translated, so to speak.

Martin knew at once what Ken was getting at.:

«No, no one knows, the information is closed by some reasons... Even I could not find it out.» - a mysterious delivery in a single copy gives the guy the proper veil of mystery.

«Exactly, no one knows. I have a very interesting past, but it doesn't matter now. Better boast to me your devices, and I will tell, whether they will be able to show at least a shred of abilities of my body.» - Ken lazily pointed to the instruments waiting on a separate table. His eyes demonstrated arrogance and contempt, as if they said, «well, let's see what kind of stuff you store here.» It was hardly possible to catch him in falsehood.

Martin did not like his ostentatious arrogance, but he had to swallow it.: {Is the boy a native of some super-rich family, where my valuable appliances are considered nothing more than garbage? Then what's he doing here? What's his history like? And what happened to his keys, why are they faulty?…}

The man rose and obediently stomped to the box. Was it a real chance?