An oppressive silence hung in the air. This is what happens: the narrator has finished, and the listeners cannot comment. Smarta silently, slowly sipped a drink from the glass, in which everything was restlessly bubbling, swirling and bubbling.

      Diana, saddened by Smarta's story, also sat quietly. And only Berta, sitting on Diana's lap and almost touching her glass with her nose, watched the bubbles floating in it, and when they burst, she, squinting her eyes, wrinkled her nose and snorted funny, shaking her head in different directions. Funny little one! Solid positive!

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      Diana looked at Smarta: "So there is a transition here from the Water world?"

      Smarta nodded her head: "Yes. There are portals between all levels. But don't forget, Mayin has the Rod of Power, and whoever has it in his hands is the Ruler. True, there is a small hope that someone will be found and still be able to defeat Main the First in the "Duel of Minds". Oh yes, I missed an important point: when he seized power, not everyone was happy with such changes - unrest, complaints and dissatisfaction of our people began. And in order to calm the people, he gathered all the residents in the square and from the stage - this is the most prominent place for us - announced that he was not against the Rod of Power passing into other hands, but that it should be only fair. And here he cheated - there was no smell of honesty there. He hasn't lost a single match yet. It happens like this: once every thousand days there is a grand tournament "Duel of Minds". To win, you need to answer three questions. They can be absolutely different and on any topic. Mayin comes up with them himself and they are written down on Eternal Paper, and then the senior manager of the grand tournament, Dietarch, reads them out one by one. In most cases, these are riddles. Anyone who wants to can enter the competition with him, but if he does not answer at least one question, it is a loss! And then, Mayin announces to everyone that if there is no one who is even smarter, then again the Rod of Power remains with him."

      Smarta thought again, as if remembering something: "But that's not all," she said, "Mayin says that now he is the ruler, which means he has a Special right - the right to ask his competitor a fourth question. And this is where the understanding comes that everything, as always, will end with Mayin's victory. No one knows what he will ask or say... He chooses his opponent himself, if no one wants to. There are usually no volunteers, because it's a one-way street. Mayin does not leave the loser at large. They say that the loser is taken to the Far Island, but I think that everything is much worse... In any case, no one has seen them again."

      Diana listened while feeding Bertyunya treats in small pieces. Smarta brought them, saying that these are special donuts for small animals. They give an instantly stunning effect: the puppy grows very quickly and this process can be seen at the moment when it eats. The donut was round and slightly flattened, the filling smelled of field - flowers and fresh herbs. On one side more, and on the other less. If you need the animal to grow quickly - you need to break off the larger side, and if you want to give just tasty food - a small one... Of course, Bertyunya begged for the whole thing. She ate with pleasure, closing her eyes. Diana looked closely and indeed, as in slow motion, the baby's paws grew and stretched right before our eyes, becoming covered with thick fur, like an adult dog. The fur was slightly tousled and so snow-white that it seemed to glow with a blue light. Such a transformation occurred with half the growth, and Berta took the tasty side of the donut in her paws, leaned on the pillow, and, with delight, crumpling, swayed from side to side with one paw.

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      "This is the life!" she said, "I always say that when I finish a treat. I'm ready to remember this expression as often as possible!"

      Diana thought: "Probably, she shouldn't eat so many of these magic treats. We still have to go back, and what if Berta then doesn't fit through the corridor? - and said out loud, - yes, finish this piece and that's enough for today. It's time to rest."

      Smarta sighed and spread her hands to the sides: "This is how we live. If you want, tomorrow I can show you the city, the Mayin Tower, where the Ruler of the Lower Level lives and the "Duel of Minds" takes place, and I will also introduce you to my friends?"

      "Hooray!" - Bertena jumped on the pillow and, unable to stand on it, rolled onto the floor.

      At this moment, something black crawled over the house. It knocked in the sky, thundered loudly, and there was a sound similar to a long muffled groan. A terrible groan across the sky. There was a feeling of anxiety and anxiety. The air shuddered and went in waves.

      "Don't be afraid, it's the Black Light knocking on the Protective Dome, but it will never get through here. Everything is fine! - Smarta hastened to reassure, - let's go to rest."

      "Don't be afraid?! - the little one wrinkled her nose indignantly, - and that's all they can tell me for the night?"

      Diana didn't answer. She wearily took Bertyona in her arms, wished everyone good night, and they finally went to rest today.

      Morning came. As it turned out, it was completely different from the one that Diana and Berta were used to at home: early in the morning, you open the doors to the yard, to the street, and you feel the breath of morning freshness on your face. The air is clean and transparent. You inhale the aromas of flowers and trees. Sunbeams run along the walls of the house, you smile when you notice them. The mood rises from the lightness of a fresh summer morning. And the soul rejoices in the courtyard flooded with sunlight, covered with green grass, on which Berta's toys were scattered from the evening.                Under the fence, small cypresses, similar to guards, guarded the house all night. You go out onto the porch towards the sun and the world around you and feel with every cell of your body that a new day has already arrived. And you are happy! Still, it doesn't take much to feel carefree and happy. Such is the morning in the Sunny World…

      And here, as already mentioned, in the City of Desires, they could not even imagine such a magical start to the day. The feeling of morning delight and the beauty of the awakened nature is simply impossible on the Lower Level! Everything is arranged differently here: White light - it is really just white. There is no Sun or any other luminary in the blue sky, as if they pressed a switch and it suddenly became light - immediately, without dawn. Without dawn! They will never see how the night wind disperses the clouds and the Sun spreads its rays. From their touch, the friendly birdsong drowns out the whole neighborhood and everyone understands that a new day has begun! And the dawn at sea? This is a separate topic in general - a real, sincere delight of the soul! Well, and of course: there is no dawn, which means there is no sunset. The beauty of the red-fiery lightning of the Sun, which finally flashed with a red-fiery star on the horizon, also passes by the inhabitants of the Lower Level.

      The trees here are always only green. There is no change of seasons: the leaves do not fall and do not even change the color of their leaves to yellow, red, orange…

No romance! Everything is mundane, boring and monotonous. It's a little sad for them…

      The girls and Berta left the house and got into the defense. Smarta took out a device similar to a small pencil from her pocket - it was a key for him and, simply on the windshield of the defense, began to write and draw some signs and figures.

      "I opened the Protective Sphere of our house," Smarta said, "so that we don't crash into it when we leave."

      As soon as the Protective Sphere was turned off, clarity and clarity of vision appeared around in an instant. Only now Diana was able to see how the City of Desires was planned and built. Like a giant ball of thread, the roads intersected tightly, piling on top of each other, connecting, and then diverging again. It was a huge gray mass of roads. It was not visible: where it began and where it ended. And between the roads, like beads-patches, were the houses of the residents. Some buildings were in transparent capsules - this is where those who have not yet turned off the Protective Sphere. It seemed that all the buildings were piled in a heap, mixed up. But, no, if you look closely, you could clearly see that everything is located clearly, correctly, impeccably and according to all the rules, every turn and intersection is thought out. Smart defenses could not collide in any case: no one on the road interfered with anyone and, impressively, but all this resembled some kind of correctly built chaos. You can't say otherwise. Everything moved, moved, crawled, rolled and rose up again, shimmering with different colors - an anthill of cars.

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      At first they drove in one row behind all the defenses, and then dived down under the wide roadbed.

      After these road tricks, Smarta climbed onto the upper highway and said: "That's enough for us to drag along with everyone. It's time to use the gyrotron on cyclotron resonance. Two minutes and we'll be out of town."

      "Use what?" Berta asked, frozen in place at what she heard.

      "Generated resonator," Smarta replied.

      Berta, squinting one eye as she likes to do, mumbled almost inaudibly: "Ah, - she would have said so right away. Now everything immediately became clear and understandable," and turning to the window added, "I'd rather not ask at all."

      "Bertyonka, stop spoiling your mood," the girl heard from Diana. - Better look at the beautiful scenery outside the window."

      Gradually, the speed began to decrease, and at some point Diana thought that they would now stop right on the road, but before reaching the highway, the defense took off and flew, leaving all the road bustle behind.

      First, they flew over the Special City, which consisted of very low and small houses - the city where turtles live, and then Smarta showed them the Lake of Anxiety. Its waves always, in any weather, go from the shore to the middle, and already in the very center, beating against each other, turn into a huge Fountain-flower: jets of water are thrown out to a great height in all directions with a booming roar and a polyphonic rumble spreads throughout the lake.

      During each water explosion, Berta shouted loudly: "Ma, look, look, another fountain! Wow! Did you see? Awesome!" - and she turned around, looking at Diana, who was also looking at this unusual natural wonder with undisguised admiration.

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      After the lake, Smarta's defense rose even higher and a gorge with Living Waterfalls opened before them. They got this name due to the fact that from the very top of the cliff the water falls down with a noise, but before reaching the middle, the streams of water, as if alive, intricately twist, intertwining like vines, but at the same time they do not mix, but flow side by side, becoming one river, consisting of many small rivers. This ball of visible different currents collapses under its own weight with a roar and, hitting the bottom of the gorge, entangles and wraps sharp stones. After such a rapid fall and impact, the streams break and the water spreads through the valley calmly and measuredly, turning into an ordinary full-flowing wide river.

      They also flew over the fields already familiar to them, where amazing animals with leaf-eyes still walked.

      "And here is the Mayin Tower," Smarta said, and pointed to a fortress with a high tower, surrounded by low hills.

      These hills were similar to sand dunes in the desert: relatively low and made of sand, but light blue in color. They, like waves in a storm at sea, were in constant motion: they rose up and fell, making a barely noticeable muffled rustle, similar to the sound of rustling autumn leaves or the rustle of the steppe wind.

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      "The movement of the hills is controlled from the fortress," Smarta replied to Diana and Berta's silent question. "The movement can be faster, slower, or stop altogether, so getting to the territory of the Mayin Tower at any time is impossible. Only if the Ruler himself wishes to see you."

      Smarta flew around the tower and added: "When the White Light changes the Black Light ten times, the beginning of the next grand tournament "Duel of Minds" will be announced. And it will take place, as I said here, on the Central Square."

      Berta looked out the window, leaning her white side against Diana, and when she heard Smarta ask if they no longer wanted to see the sights of the Lower Level, then the tour could be completed.

      Bertona perked up and, nodding rapidly, replied: "I understand, I understand! We've already seen and looked at everything, but where's the fun, meeting friends? Where do you hang out?"

      Diana, without waiting for questions about the word "hang out," said: "Yeah, and how do you have fun and generally spend your free time? That would be interesting too."

      Smarta thought for a moment: "You can fly to the city of Illumination - today there is a big holiday there - the Adulthood of the Athanasia bird, which in ancient translation means: resurrected or immortal - it's an unforgettable sight! It is a symbol of this city. Residents cherish and take care of it. The Athanasia bird symbolizes eternal life and resurrection. When the time comes for its fading, it has the ability to gather all its internal energy and strength of spirit and not die, but be reborn, taking the form of the beginning of its life. Simply put, from an old bird, it becomes a small chick. And again, it grows and lives anew. Life goes on! With its rebirth, it instills confidence in the residents of the city of Illumination that there is never, as they say, "well, that's it - that's the end," that you can, if you wish, return everything, restore and revive! You must always be strong in spirit, believe in yourself, and then everything you conceive will definitely work out!"

      "Is it a trick or magic?" asked Berta. "How did it not die, but became a chick? That can't be. Their Athanasia bird is murky. I wouldn't trust her."

      "It truly happens before everyone's eyes," Smarta replied. "Undoubtedly, you can actually see everything. We can go there and you will see for yourself."

      Diana looked at the little one: "Well, where else will we see such an incredible miracle?" she asked. "Yes, Bertyunya? Are you ready for magic?"

      "Yes, you can look at an interesting trick, if not for long, and then hang out somewhere else," Berta agreed.

      They arrived in the city quite quickly. All the preparations for the holiday were practically finished: in the middle of the square stood a tall pedestal, in three circles with one hand raised high, there was a guard. Each of them held an unknown weapon in the form of a semi-transparent glass ball with spikes, from which small flashes-stars flew out.

      "Ha," said Berta, "if there is a danger to the Athanasia bird, will the guard throw glass balls at the criminal?" - and, covering her nose with a white paw, giggled quietly.

      "No, Bertona," Smarta replied, "in terms of the force of impact, it is a very terrible weapon. It is called the Spark Sphere. During its application, the flashes-stars that come out of the spikes go inside the ball, and whatever turns out to be the target disappears without a trace."

      "Bertonka," Diana addressed her, "what kind of question is that? Do you need it?"

      "Ma, well, you know I need everything!" she replied with an unperturbed look.

      "By the way, Diana," Smarta turned to her, "this isn't the first time I've heard Berta call you 'Ma'. You're both a child in your own way, so why 'Ma'?"

      Diana was taken aback, but had just opened her mouth to somehow wriggle out of this situation when Berta began her explanation like this: "Well... it's like, I'm joking, addressing my friend as a little one, and, for short, I call her 'Ma'."

      "I don't understand anything, but okay," Smarta remarked with surprise, "let it just be a friend."