Guardian Angel. 1. 9. the Crown

"A GUARDIAN ANGEL"
a mistical novel
by Alexandra Kryuchkova

PART I. A GUARDIAN

1.9. The CROWN

May 12, evening
Moscow,
the Central House of Writers


Alice arrived at the ceremony of announcing the results of the Imperial «Heritage’ competition and met the winner in the foyer. He hadn’t yet been officially announced, but even when the competition had been just planned, Alice had already known that he would have won it. The winner smiled shyly. Alice laughed, shoved him in the side and said, «Come on, tell me, it’s you!»

«I don’t know…»

«I do. Well done!»

After the ceremony, one of the organizers of the competition photographed Alice with Her Imperial Highness. Alice was happy.

In the evening, in her favorite coffeehouse, she sent a message to her friends about such a bit victory, because to be among the finalists in that particular competition for her personally was a victory. Everyone congratulated Alice in return. She smiled. Suddenly, a message came from the Man Who Was Not, «I’m proud of you.»

«Unbelievable!» Alice thought and got darker, because the Man in White hadn’t reacted in any way.

«Study the Transits, you, sheep!» White said wearily.


***
May 13, evening, Moscow, Alice’s room


Svetlana came to visit Alice. Alice retold her the events in London, then the meditation.

«It turns out that in order to get to the next level, you need two men at once who will lead you upstairs.»

«But none of them is present nearby in my earthly reality. It’s impossible for me to make them both appear. Apparently, it’s only a matter of chance, that is, whether the events in that astral cauldron have been kneaded well enough.»

«He’ll appear, don’t worry.»

«The VIP?»

«The Man in White. And then, the VIP.»

«Light, as a friend, can I ask you a favor?» White turned to the guardian of Svetlana, since the image of the Man in White was clearly unpleasant for him.

«Okay, White, ask me.»

«Let your Svetlana remind my sheep to go to the doctor. In April, the doctor was at a seminar.»

Svetlana took Alice’s magic wand, twisting and turning it. Then she looked at the Time Turner.

«Listen, have you not been to the doctor yet? She has clients for several months ahead.»

«There’s still plenty of time until September!»

White exclaimed angrily, «The time is never enough! No one has plenty of time! Looks like I’ll have to resort to preventive measures.»

«White, don’t get boiling!»

«What’s about your job?» Svetlana asked with interest.

«Almost completed the project. It’ll be launched at the beginning of June. The website is ready. I just need to proofread the texts. All foreign partners have been identified, the routes have been coordinated and calculated, full and short programs have been described… For May, I need to compile a list of companies in our city that are somehow related to mystics and esoterics. And since June, I can already meet with them about our trips advertising and so on.»

«So where would you go?»

«Lots of places!» Alice exclaimed joyfully. «For example, the monasteries of Bhutan. Easter Island, Sardinia, I mean the sea.»

«You’ll go to Sardinia with the Man in White!» Svetlana said with a smile. «Just buy that dress with red poppies!»

Suddenly, the guardian of the Woman from the House of Serving to Creativity appeared.

«White, I remind you of our agreement. Alice has been to London, now we need her. Tonight, my ward will make a job offer to Alice. Everything has been agreed with tops, they are glad to see her there again. Alice has two weeks until the end of May. The deadline is June 9th, just a week before the start of her Saturn period.»

«I’ll try, bro,» White said sadly. «She can hardly hear me lately.»

«If she doesn’t hear you, we’ll have to use the Dark ones. By the way, I looked through the nearest Options in the Space for Alice’s June and July. Get a straw for her, bro!»

«Study the Transits! TRAN-SITS!» White shouted right into the Alice’s ear.

Svetlana suddenly stopped and asked, «Alice, what are Transits?»


***
May 16, Moscow, RUSNANO building


Alice came in office, as usual, in a cheerful mood, but suddenly, almost at the doorstep, she was told strange news: the CEO had been fired. Alice met him through his mother, a writer. It was the CEO who had offered Alice a job there. «They seemed to live soul to soul, the CEO and the owner of the company! What a strange coincidence: the CEO was fired as soon as I became persistently invited to the House of Serving to Creativity.»

Half an hour later, Alice received a call from the jury of the King of Poets competition and was asked to come in the evening to discuss the final round with all its participants. Alice reluctantly agreed, although she didn’t plan to go to the final round. Moreover, she somehow felt strange. Not that bad, but not as usual. She couldn’t even understand what exactly was wrong with her, but she admitted to herself, it would be better to visit the doctor before September.

Alice called the clinic and heard, «The doctor is on vacation until June 10. But the nearest vacant time for clients is only on the 28th, the rest is already occupied. Would you make an appointment?»

Alice sighed heavily, but agreed, at the same time realizing that the 28th would fall already on her Saturn period, the hardest of the year.


***
Moscow, evening, the Central House of Writers


Alice arrived at the Central House of Writers, where the half-kings and half-queens, the finalists, had gathered. Alice knew most of them and considered many worthy of the crown. She noticed Kidding U, who was also a finalist, because he was not only a writer, but also a poet. U happily waved his hand to Alice and she sat down next to him. The organizer of the competition told those present how the final round would be held. U constantly loudly and cheerfully commented on what had been voiced, Alice made caustic remarks, too, but quieter and less often. When the official part was over, it became clear to Alice: it would be unrealistic to win.

«Relax, let’s come and just recite on the stage. Have you ever recited your poems in the Great Hall of the Central House of Writers?» U tried to reassure her.

«No.»

«That’s it, already a definite plus!»

«Listen, why come at all? Did you hear what they just said? There will be two votes, for the audience and for the jury. You know why the jury won’t choose me. How can I get the audience if the entrance ticket will be sold at such a price? I can only sponsor my son. All my savings were spent on the publication of my last books.»

«Oh, Alice, never say the «last’! You’ll write many more books! But believe me, I don’t have money either to invite someone as spectators to vote for me. So you and I will come and recite to each other, okay?»

«You and I have already recited to each other,» Alice sighed grimly. «We recited and we will go on reciting. It’s absolutely unnecessary for that purpose to go on this stage in order to lose with zero votes.»

Glamorous and Gloomy appeared in the hall, greeted White and Kidding.

«White, everything will be fine!» Glamorous exclaimed. «Just make sure she comes, okay?»

«Inspire her with this idea yourself,» White replied being tired of the hassle. «I’m not going to make tricks about this. I have plenty of others ahead.»

«Bro, we’re really highlighting the right option for Alice at full force, pumping it up energetically. Look into the Space of Options for May 23rd when the final round takes place. Do you see? Our option has already fallen into the category of the highly likely,» Gloomy said.

«White,» Glamorous didn’t let up. «Well, make Alice a pleasure, why are you stubborn like a sheep? Imagine, we’ll organize the Space of Options she needs, and she won’t come. Why then all our troubles?»

Suddenly, Kidding jointed the conversation, «Bros, don’t quarrel out of nothing! I’ll organize Alice’s arrival on the 23rd. It’s not a big deal. I coped with even curlier lambs!»

U invited Alice to go with him to a city literary salon of their common good friend. But Alice didn’t want to see anyone and returned home. At night, she received an e-mail from U, «I’ve talked on the sidelines, and, you know, what’s interesting? Even your competitors think that you will win. I asked why? And they said that your poems are good. Therefore, it doesn’t even matter if you win or lose, you have already won behind the scenes!»

Alice was nervous not because of the competition. She opened the astrological program on the Internet, filled in her data and clicked on the Transits. Alice knew only one thing about Transits. The location of the planets at the current moment was called so. The planets took place in the Zodiac dial. Alice read, «The Sun in 12, the Moon in 8, Saturn in 5, Pluto in 6…» They brought the Sun with the Astrologer from 12 to 11 for her birthday, but until July 4 it languished in the Dungeon of the gloomy 12th Sphere of summing up the results. «Okay, now at least it’s clear why I was suddenly so drawn to publish the unpublished yet.»

Alice’s books, on which she had spent all her savings, were to be issued during the first week of her Saturn period.

White sat in a chair opposite, wearily shaking his head, «I strongly advise you to study the Transits in more detail! If you don’t learn them until the end of June, you’ll risk meeting the Man in White very soon. But not the one you’ve been long waiting for so much. It’ll be me, Alice!»

Alice didn’t hear the guardian. She closed the astrology program, turned off the laptop and went to sleep. As usual, falling asleep, she drew the phantom of the Man in White.


***
May 22, evening, on the eve
of the final round
of the King of Poets competition,
Moscow, Alice’s kitchen


Alice was laying out the Tarot. The phone rang.

«So, sweet half-queen,» U said with a smile. «What are you reciting tomorrow on the big stage?»

«I won’t come,» Alice replied grimly.

«No, I’m not asking if you come or not, I’m asking: what are you reciting there tomorrow?»

«Oh, stop it. I’m not in the mood for kidding. There will be no one of mine in the audience. Svetlana is out in Spain to change her stars, and my son is getting some documents for his studies tomorrow.»

«Great, Alice, you’ll be very angry, and when you are angry, you recite so great that one gets goosebumps running across and through up to pass on one’s neighbor!»

«I really don’t want to go there!»

«And what about me? Don’t you want to listen to me, a half-king, reciting there? I really want to listen to you! By the way, I have zero spectators in the hall. I invite you to become my audience! Agree!»

«Imagine me somewhere there, in the hall, virtually.»

«Alice, if you don’t come, then you are not a half-queen. But you are! Moreover, not only the queen and the king are chosen, but also five knights.»

«Do I look like a knight?» Alice smiled.

«You don’t. But there are chances to get into the top seven. So, I’ve decided, you recite your «1 meter & 58 cm’ and something like your «Dance’.»

«Everyone already knows my meters by heart.»

«That’s it! Right! If you forget the words, they’ll tell you them from the audience! This is called recognition. A very good verse! And the second…»

«If I don’t win anyway, then I can recite whatever verse.»

«Not right word. Whatever you want!»

«Then I’ll recite „Shoot!“.»

«Not that, otherwise, they’ll shoot you,» U laughed. «Don’t tell them what to do with you. It’s better to recite something gentle. If both poems are like shout-outs, they won’t reflect your delicate nature.»

«Then «Way’.»

«Well, that’s okay. The composition appears! In the first poem you shout, «Take my 158 cm with you!», and in the second you say calmly, «I’ll think it over, will I take you with me or not’. Now question number two: what will you show up in there?»

«What do you mean?»

«Well, you have a lot of dresses. By the way, the one with poppies that you saw in meditation has not yet been acquired?»

«Has not. It’s probably not in that shop anymore. How long has it been since I saw it there?»

«Then you need a red dress, a very bright one. And you have it! And here you go out on the big stage of the Central House of Writers in a bright red dress, such a wow, and recite what your heart desires, so that they know who is who! And goosebumps will run, run through the rows!»

Alice laughed.

«You shouldn’t laugh! That’s how it’s going to be. You should hang your St. George the Victorious around your neck. He does help you.»

«Sometimes, the Higher Forces cannot help us.»

«Exactly sometimes. Okay, I’ll go to sleep. Jump-jump into sleep, you too! See you tomorrow!»

U’s guardian winked at White, Glamorous and Gloomy, who were gathered in Alice’s kitchen.

«White, so,» Glamorous said, «at the moment, there are only two options in the Space for tomorrow’s exits. We agreed with several guardians of those whom Alice had helped in her time. They promised to bring their wards. If everyone comes, Alice wins. If someone doesn’t, Alice will get into the top seven, and agree, it’s not so bad.»

White thoughtfully asked Gloomy, «Bro, will your Writer be in Moscow on July 15?»

«Why all of a sudden? I don’t scan that far!»

White replied nothing. The guardians said goodbye until the event and disappeared.


***
May 23, evening, Moscow,
the Central House of Writers,
the final of the King of Poets competition


Alice was going to the final round from her office. Colleagues wished her to win. She skeptically said «Thank you!» and, already about to turn off the computer, froze in front of the file open on the screen. Recently, having arrived in the office in the morning, Alice opened the photo of the Man in White, «Hello! I wish you all the best!» During the day, while compiling the database, she searched for information on the Internet, jumping through the windows of open files to add the info, and occasionally landed on his photo and smiled, and in the evenings, she closed the file with his photo saying, «See you tomorrow!»

Alice was looking at the Man in White. He was laughing as always. «Wish me good luck in the battle, wish me good luck,» she hummed mentally and turned off the computer.

Alice arrived at the Central House of Writers, where almost all the half-queens and half-kings had already gathered. A girl approached Alice, «Do you remember me? I’m Natalia, from the TV channel, you were on my show a few years ago. I decided to support you, your book is my favorite!»

Alice smiled and thanked her. Periodically, Alice was approached by people with whom she had once crossed paths somewhere. She had arranged their presentation, participated with them in various competitions, and got known with some people out of the literary circles. Deepwater, a poet, floated into the hall with his family. He was silently followed upstairs by the Writer, with whom Alice had walked around London.

U suggested going into the Great Hall. They sat in the front row next to Tatyana and Georgy, whom Alice had known for a long time, respected as poets and considered them the most likely candidates for victory.

Alice was the second to recite. That was good, because Alice didn’t like to recite at the end. U took pictures of her, but the pictures came out blurry, and he laughed, «On the stage, you are elusive, always in movement! You performed very good. Well done! And the red dress is a guarantee of your victory!»

Gloomy, Kidding and Glamorous approached White and gestured that she had recited perfectly.

«Leave me alone, don’t disturb me thinking,» White waved wearily. He was obviously preoccupied with something else than what was happening in the hall.

In the intervals between poets, some of the invited guests sang, some played the guitar, in general, they were stretching the summing up as much as possible into the night. Finally, the spectators handed over their voting cards, and the commission began counting votes. White moved to the buffet and approached a man surrounded by Dark shadows.

«White, what do you need in our troops?» a shadow exclaimed in surprise.

«Your one likes hot literary places, doesn’t he?»

«Would he come here? By the way, have the kings been announced up there?»

«They are being counted,» White replied, simultaneously thinking about something.

«White, tell me quickly, why are you here? I started to tremble at the mere presence of you! Take a step back, will you?»

White took a step back and asked, «Will you bring your ward into a literary coffeehouse on the 15th of July, in the evening?»

«May he drink and smoke there?»

«He may. Alice will hold another competition. Your ward can participate in it.»

«It’s too bright at Alice’s places! Hurry up, speak faster, my tail is turning white!» the shadow lifted the tail up and poked White in the stomach with the brightened brush. «Get out of here! I don’t do light things. And you are not allowed to ask about the dark ones!»

«I have a little dark business for you,» White said quietly, looking around nervously.

The shadow got surprised and was impatiently stomping the hooves, combed from curiosity, «I wonder what’s that!»

«On July 15 at 19:00 you bring your man to that coffeehouse, seat him at a table with Alice. It’s located at…»

«At the column, I know… And?»

«And you make him sneeze on her.»

«Blimey!!! This is the first time I hear such a request from the Light Ones!» the shadow was astonished. «Do you want my boy to sneeze right in Alice’s face?»

«Exactly! And not just once! Sneeze sweetly!»

«Well, not a question, agreed. To sneeze on, you’re always welcome. But why do you need that?»

White didn’t answer anything and moved to the hall, where Alice was again on the stage, completely confused and not yet feeling herself in the role of the Queen. Then they announced the King. He had got 2 times fewer votes than the Queen. He climbed up on the stage and gallantly kissed Alice’s hand.

Glamourous, Gloomy and Kidding ran up to White and patted his wings, «That’s it, bro, now you are the Queen’s guardian! The second one after the guardian of the poet Igor Severyanin of the Silver Age!» Glamorous exclaimed. «Let Alice not forget to tell my ward about it. And then in June…»

White nodded his head, completely lost in his own thoughts.

«Ungrateful!» Glamorous was offended. «You should at least say «thank you’ to us!»

White exhaled «thank you». Glamorous and Gloomy disappeared, and Kidding with White followed their wards to a small coffeehouse.

«U, what was that?» Alice asked thoughtfully.

«Well, that’s the first ladder you climbed yourself in meditation. You didn’t even pay attention to it, because you are mostly interested in the Man in White. But it doesn’t matter much. Now remember, what did they show you next?»

«The Man in White.»

«No, Alice. Wrong answer. Next was the dress. With poppies,» U said in a mysterious voice.

«He’s so insightful! How long did you train him like that?» White asked being surprised, and Kidding burst into laughter.

«Anyway, Alice, buy that dress, okay?» U smiled.

However, Alice didn’t care much about that dress and said, «I feel kind of weird.»

«Is the crown tight?»

«It’s not about the crown. The period of Saturn will begin soon. Remember, I changed the stars in Elabuga, but now all the planets are in the worst possible location, and the Sun will come out of the Dungeon only on the 4th of July. I feel somehow wrong.»

«Does something hurt you?»

«No… But I know…»

«Hmm… What about a visit to your doctor?»

«I have an appointment, but on the 28th of June. She is on vacation now. And it’ll be already the period of Saturn.»

«What about another doctor?»

«I won’t go to others.»

«Are you afraid of others?»

«I’m afraid of Pluto in 6. The 6th Sphere is about health and job. Pluto destroys everything to the ground in the Sphere it comes to.»

«Well, Alice, Pluto may work it out at your job. By the way, what’s about your job?»

«The woman insists on my returning to the House of Serving to Creativity.»

«So Pluto will make you change your job and that’s it!»

«No, U, I feel that won’t be enough for Pluto!» tears appeared in Alice’s eyes. «Do you remember Nona’s words?»

«Don’t cry, baby!» said U, like kind storytellers addressing to children. «Everything will be fine! You made a deal with the stars in Elabuga, so you can influence the situation!»

«I see a surgery. No, even two of them!»

«Two?» U was surprised.

U’s guardian smiled at White, «Isn’t your Alice insightful?»

«Kidding, ask her to go to the Teacher.»

«What about a visit to your Teacher?» U asked suddenly.

Alice nodded in agreement.

«Agreed then! And now you need a good meal, Your Majesty… or Highness? Hmm…» U sat down next to her, took the folk and fed Alice the food brought by the waiter, saying, «Let’s get acquainted! This is Signor Tomato. Signor Tomato, and this is Alice!»

Alice was already laughing.

Returning home, she sent a message about the incredible event to her friends, except… the Man Who Was Not. Everyone congratulated her in return, except… the Man in White.