align="center">6. Nowhere is Now Here
The Guardian met me at the door.
«Frozen?» he asked, having heard the Blizzard howling outside, as I entered the Mansion.
«I like winter,» I smiled.
For some reason, the Guardian froze, looking at me as at a sudden glitch in the Matrix.
«Are you sure you prefer winter to spring?» he asked once more.
«Yes, why? The Blizzard is real magic! Does it matter?» I was surprised.
The Guardian hung my furs on a hanger and followed me into the cafe disappointedly.
«Today you will introduce us a Little Imp, won’t you?» he asked, making coffee for me.
«No, an ordinary old Waterman from „Nowhere“.»
«Wow! Is No-where now-here!? Or «here and now’?»
«Imagine! He has been looking for Nowhere all his life. Anyway, I think he found it in his book.»
«Then what is he doing here if he has found what he was looking for?» the Guardian got surprised.
«Do you mean the Mansion is visited by only those who are still in search?»
The Guardian brought me coffee.
«You are even cooler than I imagined,» he sighed for some reason.
«Is it bad?»
The Guardian didn’t answer, since the Cat approached us.
«Me-e-ow…»
***
The Waterman appeared in the hall without a retinue, swam to the stage and, without ceasing to swim along it in one direction or the other, immersed the guests into a trance with tales about his search for Nowhere all over the globe. From time to time, he took out ancient maps with blurry signs and symbols, but his melodic voice had a much stronger effect on the audience.
I watched the guests evenly nodding their heads in a trance, and at some point they seemed to be… puppets. I closed my eyes, and then opened them and saw… Ray! I screamed and closed my eyes once more. Someone grabbed my arm from the right side of the Giant Mirror. I opened my eyes again and saw the Guardian.
«What’s wrong?» he asked ingratiatingly.
I looked back into the hall, but there was Roman at my table. It was too stuffy there. «Just a mirage…»
«Nothing,» I exhaled, «why?»
The Guardian silently stepped away behind the curtains that separated us from the rest of the Mansion. I announced the break and moved to my table. However, as luck would have it, the Impurities flocked to me with questions!
I dreamed of being alone with Roman, but the Impurities’ flow never stopped, and the Guardian loomed behind the guests in the distance. He was watching me. Silently. Intently. As if the flow between us was something unreal and phantom, and the real ones were the Guardian himself, me and…
I looked at Roman. He was sitting next to me, very close, patiently waiting for…
«I wanted to tell you,» I said mentally, struggling in vain to get away from the Impurities, «there is something wrong here!»
«Who would have doubted!» I heard in reply and looked at the Guardian, who stood at the door still watching me, or us.
«I’m scared,» I confessed to Roman and gently touched his hand for fear he could disappear. However, Roman neither disappeared, nor answered me. I asked still mentally, «Don’t disappear, please!»
«How are you doing in wishing Good to Evil?» Roman asked aloud.
«I hope they heard me yesterday… both here and there…»
The Guardian, apparently tired of standing at the door, approached us. He defiantly took out the bell and, holding it right at the level of my third eye, began to ring it.
The Guardian rang endlessly and so loudly that the small bell in his hand seemed to be transformed into a huge one! The bell was deafened me with its funeral ring, but I could swear, no one else in the hall heard it!
I covered my ears with my hands, the Guardian kept ringing. Roman reached for the bell to stop it in the Guardian’s hands. So did the Cat, who had suddenly jumped on the table and touched the bell with his paw. The Guardian stopped mocking me, turned around and abruptly left the hall. The Cat followed him.
The guests returned to their seats after the break.
«What was that?» I asked Roman silently.
«That’s what is wrong here,» came the meaningful reply.
«Alice,» Roman said aloud, «are you going to make me „The Magician“?»
I wasn’t just going to. I really wanted Roman to become Him.
«Then don’t stop, Alice!»
Task No. 6. The BRIDGE of HELP
…Look through everyone you know, both close and distant, to find out who is now harder than you. Perhaps someone needs help, material or spiritual support. Help them. As much as you can, in whatever way you can. Free of charge. Don’t make it public. You have the right to ask them or not to ask a specific question, «How can I help you?» Having asked, listen carefully to the answer. Don’t do anything they don’t ask. Don’t promise what you can’t do. Don’t argue if you think they don’t need that. Just do your best of what they have asked for. Or think of someone else who can help, and become a bridge between them. Help at least one person a month…
***
«Hi… How Museum party?»
«Thank you, Pasha. Are you lonely?»
«No family. Home. Hard. I job Germany, contract, but all closed.»
«You’re not working right now, are you?»
«Yes, home. Closed.»
«Do you speak German?»
«No. Student. Hard…»
«Do you mean you have a teacher?»
«No, books only.»
«Is Germany better than Greece?»
«Yes. Holidays in Greece. Life in Germany. But now no fly home. No fly in Greece. All closed, airport 2…»
«Can I help you somehow?»
«No. U want
