CHAPTER 2

"Thank God , Your Excellency, and I don't find it funny at all. This is just one example that I gave so that you simply understand what I'm talking about. It seems to me that death is always walking somewhere near my son. For some time now, I suspect that in addition to herbology and the ability to brew elixirs, he also has a dark Gift," Thomas looked at the flames in the fireplace and sighed. "I just can't understand how this is possible."

"Your suspicions are based on more than just the incident you told me about?"

"Of course not!" The Viscount threw up his hands. "Something always happened to everyone who harmed him in some way. The boy Oliver Benson hit him, and soon broke his leg. It healed somehow unsuccessfully, and now he will remain lame forever. Gideon Strathmore's daughter called him a toadstool, and now her teeth do not grow—at all. And those that were already in her mouth, every single one fell out. Believe me, Count, there are too many such cases to list them all. All this, one way or another, is an echo of the dark Gift."

"Interesting," Edward Frederick chuckled. "By the way, why did the girl call your Miles a toadstool? What a strange curse word."

"Well, how can I tell you…" Thomas was embarrassed. "The thing is, over the last two years, the guy's skin color has changed in a strange way. He used to be an ordinary kid—you know, rosy cheeks, happy eyes, and all that. He smiled all the time; I remember it like it was yesterday. And then something changed, and his skin became pale. He became as white as chalk. That's what the girl called him. She said he looked like a death cap."

"I understand, Viscount. Please continue."

"He also knows things that no one taught him, and that also scares me," said Thomas. "To be honest, I don't even have a clue what he's talking about sometimes!"

"Knowledge cannot appear by itself."

"Of course, he reads books—lots of books. The boy has read our entire library at the estate, and it is large—no less than a thousand volumes. I can't even imagine how he fits it all in his head," the Viscount looked around, then leaned slightly towards Edward and whispered. "And sometimes he is interested in things that are really strange, in my opinion."

"May I ask you something?" the Count asked with interest.

"Once he asked me to take him on a tour of the morgue; can you imagine? I understand when children want to go on rides, to the cinema, or something like that, but the morgue, Your Excellency?!"

"I agree, for a child, this is a somewhat unusual desire," Edward agreed. "Well, what games does he play with other children, Viscount?"

"Not at all," the Viscount said gloomily and shifted in his chair again. "He doesn't play with other children. What's more, my son avoids them in every way and prefers to talk to older people."

The Count looked at Thomas and couldn't find anything to say, but he continued.

"For a while, my wife and I thought he had some kind of problems with his head… Well, you understand… We showed him to a doctor, but it turned out that he was absolutely normal—even more than that. However, it is clear anyway—he makes simply amazing progress in elixirs. A madman is not capable of such a thing. Some of the elixirs that Miles can make came to me much later—in fact, by at least five years."

"Really?" Edward Frederick raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Five years is a serious term, Mr. Fielding. It looks like you really have a great talent."

"That would be fine," the Viscount waved his hand. "But what do you order me to do with all this? If he really does possess the dark Gift, then the place for him is here, and not on our family estate."

"You see… The Dark Gift is not some kind of alchemy, Thomas," the Count frowned. "Like any strong Gift, it cannot awaken in a boy before fourteen—it is impossible according to the laws of nature. The energy pattern inside his body is not yet fully formed at this age. Well, and then—where would it come from? Has anyone in your family ever possessed the Dark Gift?"

"Of course not, but you heard yourself what I was telling you all the time. There must be some explanation for all this?"

The men were silent for a while, each thinking about his own things. For example, the Viscount hoped that he would be able to convince the school director of the truth of his words, and he would be able to get rid of his son, who had recently become a burden to him.

As for him, he didn't even doubt it—the dark Gift had awakened in Miles, and there was simply no other explanation for what was happening. The most important thing was for the Count to believe it, but that didn't depend on him.

Well, the school principal had something to think about. This whole story seemed strange and absurd. Where could the dark Gift have awakened in the boy? Why all of a sudden? Such things don't happen with a snap of the fingers. It's not like lighting a fire on your finger to surprise the kids.

Well, if Thomas is telling the truth and it did happen, what then? That's an interesting question.

Then it turns out that Victorian England will get another Gifted One with a rare Gift, and the boy cannot be ruined. Leaving him in the Viscount's house is a sure way to ruin the abilities of the young genius at the root. There is no way to make a mistake here.

If a miracle happened and the dark Gift really did awaken in the child, and he doesn't take him to school now, something irreparable might happen—his abilities will either fade away or break out with catastrophic consequences, and he will be the only one to blame. Well, he missed the black magician! The Queen won't pat him on the head for that.

But the boy is only twelve, and the age for entering school is fourteen; everyone knows that. What to do? On the other hand, there have been such cases in the history of the school—true, only two, and they were weaker Gifts, but still… However, it would not hurt to check Thomas's words first. What if it is all nonsense and he is simply leading him by the nose?

"Is there anything else?" Edward asked. "Dogs die, arms break—is that all, or are there other oddities?"

"Of course not," the Viscount shrugged. "Something often explodes or breaks near him. For example, when he doesn't want to go somewhere, the cars won't start. Trains are late or break down altogether."

"And ships, of course, sink?" the Count chuckled.

"Not yet, but he is still a child. I am afraid that something like that may start happening soon. That is why I came here, Your Excellency. Believe me, the last thing I am thinking about now is the glory that this Gift can bring him or the riches…" Thomas looked at the floor in embarrassment. "I am afraid to admit it, but our family is seriously beginning to fear him, do you understand?"