"The Lord of Mormora" by Max Fry, summary Automatic translate

The work was created in 2005. The story is told from the perspective of one of the main characters, who describes in detail the events of his distant past during a meeting with old friends in a mysterious coffee shop that exists outside of ordinary time and space. The book is the second part of the well-known literary series "The Chronicles of Echo." This series also includes the novels "The Forelock of the Earth," "The Elusive Habba Heng," "The Crow on the Bridge," "The Grief of Lord Gro," "The Glutton Laughs," "The Gift of Shavanakhola," and "The Tubur Game."

A coffee shop on the border of worlds

The action begins at the Coffee Grounds. The owner, Trisha, is arranging a bouquet of silvery herbs and observing the guests. Max and Melamori are seated at a table. Soon, the establishment’s guardian spirit, Frank, appears. A little later, Juffin Halli, Max’s former boss, arrives. The meeting is tense; the old friends haven’t seen each other for a long time.

According to the coffee shop’s rules, guests are obliged to pay for their meal with a good story from their past. An hourglass stops the passage of time outside the house. Juffin begins a detailed story.

The Time of Troubles and the Oddities of Gazhin

The story unfolds in the early years of the Code Age. Juffin Hally sternly leads the capital’s Small Secret Detective Force. At the very end of the year, he is exhausted by the overwhelming bureaucratic work. Secretary Reniva finds the perfect excuse for his chief’s urgent departure. Golekh Oblona, the head of the detective force of the free port city of Gazhina, has sent his annual report. The document confirms a complete absence of crimes.

This looks extremely suspicious to Juffin. He sets off for Gazhin via the Dark Path. Upon arrival, the capital’s chief meets Golekh. He looks completely exhausted. The local detective insists that things are going perfectly. In the morning, Golekh asks for his resignation. Juffin casts a tongue-loosening spell. Disaster strikes. The detective explodes, dissolving into rainbow-colored spray. Two conflicting spells have torn the man apart.

The Young Genius and Other People’s Dreams

Juffin summons Golekh’s deputy. It turns out to be Abilath. This incredibly talented young man taught himself True Magic from his late father’s old books. Abilath is also bound by a powerful spell of silence. The young man is physically unable to utter the truth. The capital’s leader orders him to lie. It turns out that the residents of Gazhin experience remarkably realistic, haunting dreams every night.

While exploring the Dark Side of Gazhin, a visitor from the capital notices a strange, ash-gray web in the sky. An attempt to burn it with Silver Fire results in the destruction of part of the sky. The spell is deeply entwined with reality. Juffin decides to take a different approach. He visits his old friend Zoggy Hlakk. The owner of the White Lock inn is protected from magic thanks to his Arvarokh blood. However, his adopted children are sleeping extremely restlessly.

Ruler of the Black Castle

Soon, Juffin finds the old witch Manta Krevis dead in her own bed. He then dines with the burgomasters of Gazhin. Zebi Hypelosis and Valda Kunyk are severely emaciated. Juffin enters the memory of the sleeping Zebi. A terrifying scene unfolds before him. In his dream, the burgomaster finds himself in a black castle. This place is called Mormora.

The sky is overcast, dragons are maiming people, and guards are torturing the innocent. A three-meter-tall giant with the disfigured face of Juffin himself rules this place. The impostor calls himself the Lord of Mormora. The capital’s governor immediately recognizes him as Lazdey Mahikala. He is his former student, a cruel, exiled sorcerer. Lazdey tortures officials, blackmailing them with the lives of their close relatives.

Divided Dream

To meet his former student face to face, Juffin shares Abilates’ dream. Lazdey senses danger and creates a false illusion for his guests. They find themselves in a cozy girls’ room. Lazdey attempts to deceive his former teacher, claiming he simply helps people develop talents for True Magic. Predictably, the deception fails. Lazdey forces Abilates to awaken.

Juffin understands the mechanics of what’s happening. Lazdey draws strength from the fear of the sleeping townspeople. The more people fear Mormora, the stronger the gray web becomes. Killing the villain in someone else’s dream is impossible. Destroying the illusion will only save one specific dreamer. All of Gazhin must be forced to simultaneously forget the nightmare.

Carnival of Horror

Juffin devises a daring plan. He needs a fake Mormora for real. He mobilizes all available resources. Zoggy and Abilath make hundreds of birds out of thick paper. Sir Shurf Lonli-Lockli, summoned from the capital, drinks Ucumbian wine from a magical, leaky cup and drives away storm clouds. The leader of the Gazhin beggars, Long Tinna, gathers his men for a generous fee. Tinna openly sympathizes with Sir Shurf. Police General Abroha Glyk provides subordinates.

At night, police officers dressed in black leather coats take to the streets. Beggars collapse on the pavement, skillfully mimicking unbearable suffering. Juffin transforms paper birds into ferocious dragons. The Order Directorate building takes on the appearance of a black castle. Hired musicians create an unbearable cacophony. Juffin multiplies illusory copies of all the participants in the performance. He himself takes the form of the three-meter-tall Lord of Mormora.

The collapse of illusions

Awakened by a terrible roar, the townspeople see their nightmare in reality. Panic instantly grips Gazhin. People become completely focused on what’s happening in reality. The fear of the dream disappears. Deprived of the nourishment of human attention, the gray web rapidly weakens.

Juffin is transported to the Dark Side. He easily clears the sky of the rotten remnants of the spell. Then he enters the exhausted dream of Mormora. Lazdey Mahikala is deprived of his former power. Juffin grabs him by the collar and pulls him into the real world. The former student flies straight into the illusory black castle a second before it disappears. Mormora is completely erased from all dimensions.

New defenders of the city

Having accidentally found herself in the enchanted castle, Long Tinna doesn’t have time to find her way out. Sir Shurf rescues her from the top of a tall tree after the illusory building disappears. In the morning, Juffin calms the townspeople with a mass Silent Speech. Gazhin begins to celebrate his long-awaited liberation. Abilath plans to go to the capital to study to become a Royal Healer, as he already possesses a rare talent for healing the most complex injuries.

That evening, ghosts appear in the office of the Chief of the Secret Investigation. These are people who resisted Lazdey in his dreams and died in Mormor. Among them is the witch Manta Krevis. Juffin offers the spirits a deal. They become a new, ghostly force for the Gazhin Investigation. No one can defend the city more effectively than those who cannot be killed.

Return to the coffee shop

The long story concludes. Max analyzes what he’s heard. He admits that he once considered his former boss’s actions a flawless strategy. Now he sees them as a series of risky decisions and mistakes corrected. Juffin responds with some insightful advice about wasted lives.

The conflict between the old friends is resolved. Frank decides to put away the hourglass. Time resumes its normal course. Max goes to make ginger tea. While he’s at it, he plans to send a postcard to Shurf Lonely-Lockley. He wants to gather the entire Small Secret Detective Force at the coffee shop. Juffin approvingly approves of his initiative.