Page 2 of Hospital for Immortal Creatures

Every creature deserves their fate, sure, he thought, but only when it doesn’t affect you or those you care about.

“Why did you create the Hospital, manticore?”

Mikhail frowned. What the hell kind of a question was that? He clenched his jaw and tried to maintain his composure. “You know very well why. To save as many creatures as I can. To give them a chance for survival until the regenerative abilities come back and the ageing stops.”

“Ageing never stops. Every living organism dies, sooner or later.”

He frowned. “You know what I mean…”

The line across the lower part of her face resembled a smile. “Are you perhaps trying to save yourself instead?”

“I’m not afraid of death.” I would gladly welcome it.

The Oracle shook her head. “I am not talking about death.”

“What, then?”

“What if I tell you that your cause is doomed? That the immortal creatures will never again be immortal?”

“Then why did you lie and tell me you’d have an answer in ten years?”

“I never lie.”

Mikhail fought the urge to respond, unsure what would come out of his mouth if he did.

“I shall ask again...” She lifted her chin slightly. “What if I were to tell you that your cause is doomed? That the immortal creatures will never again be immortal? What would you do?”

“I would not accept that.”

“Very well, then. Give me a pen and paper.”

“Pen and paper?”

“You have them on you.”

Mikhail reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out the notebook someone had forgotten on the table at the last Council meeting, along with their blue ballpoint pen.

The Oracle placed the notebook in her lap and spoke in a monotone, “To say that war is imminent would be tasteless, so I will tell you instead that a time for redistribution is coming.”

“Redistribution? Of what?”

“The enemy is ambitious and motivated, but certainly has other qualities as well. The stakes are much higher than the extinction of a few immortal species. There will be other losses.”

“So, you’re confirming that someone’s trying to destroy the immortal species?” Mikhail concealed the excitement he was feeling for the first time in years.

The Oracle’s shut eye suddenly opened wide. A strange luminosity appeared in her gaze. “One could say that.”

“Is it humans?”

“The war between mortals and immortals is older than the world itself, manticore.” The sparkle in her eyes grew more and more intense.

“That’s not an answer.”

Despite a violent trembling in her hands, the Oracle found an empty page in the notebook and scribbled something. When she focused on Mikhail again, her eyes were white, shining with a silver light.

He took the notebook from her and read what she had written – an address in Sofia.

“What is the meaning of this?” he asked.

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