Yana frowned thoughtfully as she looked at her new teammates. An arrogant guy with glasses was standing near the gate, with the back pressed to the stone surface. His dark brown hair was cut short and his weighty features were shaved.

Next to the guy was a dyed blonde — it was clear from the protruding natural roots that were disguised as a creative hairdresser's move. The girl looked at Yana with the same mistrust and severity, her arms crossed at the level of her chest.

"All right," said the boy, pushing off the wall. Straightening up, he put his glasses back on his face, which he had held in his hands all the time, and then looked coldly at Yana. 

 "I think we should introduce ourselves. My name is Elias Laurence, I'm from Denmark. The guy looked from Yana on the other girl, examining her from top to bottom, and form, perhaps, was the first one that immediately caught my eye. Judging by the color of the stripes, we're all in the same direction."

"Captain obvious," sighed the fair-haired girl, taking a step forward. Cool wind suddenly soared skyward, picking up women's hair and carrying them behind his back. The girl took a deep breath, as if purposely waiting for a pause. 

"Katarina Novak, Czech Republic."

Jan fleetingly smiled. The way the stranger looked at her was like a challenge. This caused a certain inner delight, because when Yana was challenged, she just could not ignore it.

"Yanina Pototskaya, Ukraine," said the latter, coming closer, and thus closing a circle.

"I think, already all understood, that our quest will consist from puzzles?" Elias asked.

"If the tasks are really well thought out, then we were joined together not by chance," Yana raised her eyebrows, taking out her invitation envelope from her jacket pocket, "there may be a hint here. Let's think about what we have."

The same black envelopes were in the hands of Katarina and Elias. These two didn't need to explain. As if thinking with Yana on the same wavelength, Elias and Katarina have long read the contents of the letters and tried to find clues.

"Who owns the information, owns the world," said Elias, even though the letter in his hands.

"Each situation has its output — your task is to find your,"  continued wave of retelling of Katherine. The girl scrolled these lines in her head over and over again.

"We used the word "exit" to meet and eventually came to the gate," Yana dropped her hand with the envelope down. Her voice began to sound a little quieter. 

"We have two quotes. We have two hundred first years."

We do not know if our quotes are the same as those of the other students, what our goals are, or if those goals are the same as those of the other students.

"If the goals are the same," Elias began, " then there is a chance that our victory will depend on who is faster. Only... on men's lips had an ironic smile. This smile could be seen on the lips of Jana and Katharina." 

 Only in this school the main thing is not speed, but quality and deadlines.

"If the quotes match," Katarina continued, "then the other students should have grabbed on to some word in these two sentences and gathered in some place to see it. I think they would have chosen the word "exit" and came here, but since we still have not seen a single disciple near, the girl tilted her head to the side, as if looking around. In the district do not have any. Then we can suggest that all students have different quotes."

"We also know,"  Elias raised his hand to his face, adjusting his glasses, "that at the initial stage, at least twenty first-year students are expelled every year."

 It is unlikely that every year twenty students are so stupid that they do not find solutions to riddles or miss deadlines. So there is some other factor in this trial that could make us fail.

"Remember what Schwartzman said," Yana glanced at her companion, "he said it was a team test, and it would only be completed when all the members got to the end."

The boys fell silent. The answer to the most important and interesting question came instantly.

"Shootout."

"If that's the case," Yana lowered her gaze thoughtfully, "then there must be some stop action that causes the students to drop out or someone who can make the students drop out of the game."

"Well," feigned enthusiasm, handed it to Katarina, it means that we should not be confronted with members of the student Council. "Logically, they'll be the first to want to get rid of us."

I would have other students did not have confidence. What if the main task is to get rid of the others?

"This we already knew," Yana lifted the envelope that he held in his hands, and he looked again at its contents.  "If we discard the second phrase that we used to indicate the place of the meeting, then there is only "Information and owns the world." Any idea what that might mean?"

"This could be the place we have to go," Elias put his fingertips to his chin. "Or action. Something like: "Get all the information about this game.""

"We already have to do, wise guy, Katarina, took the envelope with both hands and slowly, deliberately began to break. But you're right about one thing. This quote refers to a place. And I know where this place is."

Yana smiled. I think someone tried to draw attention to himself, and incidentally to win the place of leader in the team. In the same way, taking the envelope in both hands, Yana began to tear it apart. The girls ' eyes crossed. 

Everyone knew that in any team there is a leader, his assistants and pawns. Of course, not everyone in this world likes the role of a leader. It's easy for someone in good faith to fulfill other people's orders. However, it is in this school gathered an extremely large number of people claiming to be leaders in their countries.

"A monument on the edge of the Park?" with a slight share of ridicule in his voice, asked Yana. The inscription on the pedestal of the monument reads: "Who owns the information, he owns the world."

"It seems," Elias intervened, shifting everyone's attention to himself, "that you two should go for a walk around the neighborhood on the first day instead of processing the information about the dropouts and the enlisted. In principle, from women I nothing another and not expected."

"Walking also involve information search, Yana looked at the guy that with every word she liked less and less. Besides, I don't see the point in a momentary study of information about the remaining. In the end, at least one third will fly in the subsequent stages. Losers that do not interest me."

"And by the way," Katarina looked at Elias as exasperated as Jan, "if it hadn't been for this 'walk,' we never would have understood what this mystery means."

The girls simultaneously turned their backs to the guy and confidently strode away from the gate. Elias watched this suspicious collaboration for a few more seconds, then decided to follow them in silence. To achieve a common goal in this situation, it was better to remain silent. All the same all remained at the opinion.

***

The flower garden was behind the school building, a little further than the Playground. The entrance to the garden was made in the form of an arch that gradually flowed into the wall, covered with foliage on all sides. In some places from-under foliage fought their way resurfaced strange snow-white flowers are. As if watching everyone entering the garden, a large cluster of flowers was in the arch area.

When they reached the garden detours, Ian and Katherine, step by step went inside the arch. After only a small number of steps, it was clear that this garden was built in the form of a labyrinth. The width of these passages could easily accommodate three people, and the walls of this labyrinth were just above three meters. Sometimes, wandering through these branched corridors, covered with leaves and snow-white flowers, you could stumble upon some sculpture, bench or even a fountain.

Going a little deeper into the garden, Elias noticed a change in the color of the flowers. In the heart of the garden buds had a purple hue, and their shape resembled a small bowl. The petals were intertwined and gradually opened out one after the other.

The guy looked up at the two female figures walking confidently forward. By this time they had walked quite a large part of the garden, and the girls were still striding resolutely forward. The guy a number of times noted to myself that is unlikely to be decided yesterday to explore this place and certainly wouldn't remember the way to this maze.

The girl suddenly stopped. At the same time turned around, they allowed Elias to take a look at what was straight ahead. Statue of an unknown man with a huge dial in hands stood in a small corner of the maze. On a marble pedestal there was a gold plate on which the inscription "Who owns information, that owns the world"was engraved. The head of the sculpture was raised, and looked thoughtfully somewhere ahead. His feet were shoulder-width apart, and both hands held the dial.

"We came," quietly signed Catarina. "What's next?"

Elias walked forward. He didn't really seem to expect that such a place would actually exist and represent their purpose. The guy came close to the sculpture and, raising his head up, stared at the snow-white marble face.

"There must be a clue. Word or object."

With a heavy sigh, she went over to Elias. The couple began to feel the sculpture, it is not afraid to stand next to her on the pedestal. At that moment, Yana looked thoughtfully at the dial in the figure's hands. Her mind was like a swarm of flies. Colliding with each other, and again Bouncing in different directions, they formed different guesses.

"Maybe you could help."  Elias asked.

"What are you even doing?" just rushed out of Katarina.

Yana tilted his head to the side. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her index finger drummed slowly on her forearm.

"What time is it?"

"Are you serious?!"   Katarina asked indignantly.

"What time is it?" as strongly Yana asked, glancing at his companion.

The girl clattered, then lifted her hand and looked at the watch on her wrist.

 "Twelve o'clock."

"On the dial of the statue two hours of the day"  lowering his hands at his sides, Ian went to his comrades. "I don't know about you, but it seems to me that it is not accidental."

"You're right,"Elias walked around the statue and squatted down, feeling the pedestal. — It's hardly an accident. Most likely, we have time to two hours, — the guy ran his hand across the corner of a rectangular platform and suddenly found some ledge. Pressing down on him, Elias heard a click. Just below the place where the guy groped the ledge, opened an elongated opening, inside which could be seen some do. Elias carefully removed a long, strange detail from the opening.

"Find something?"  Katarina asked in surprise.

Elias rose to his feet and slowly walked out from behind the statue. In his hands lay a flat green detail on which were seen small black rectangles and chips. To this strange object was attached on a string tag: "Collect me."

"Is that a motherboard," Yana asked, as if she couldn't believe her eyes?

Katarina touched the fingers of one of the rectangular black parts attached to the chips.

"Yes, it is a motherboard, and on it a basis" the processor. The girl shifted her fingers slightly to the right. "RAM and logical matrix." Fingers slowly moved to the left. "Sound chips, peripheral interface, 32K ROM bios and CRT controller."

Is the motherboard Amstrad CPC, Elias handed his find in hand zavorozhennaya Katarina. — They really want us to build this ancient computer?

Yana tore his gaze from the motherboard and moved it to face Elias.

The main question: "Where will we find the details?»

Suddenly, the boy's eyes widened. Seeing something behind Yana, he stepped back in surprise. The girl reacted immediately and sharply turned around. Right in front of her, Stefan appeared out of nowhere. The guy tried to grab Yan's hand, but the girl immediately pushed him away. Katherine and Elias instinctively took a fighting stance.

Stefan stepped back and, with an insidious smile, looked at the frightened three. His eyes flashed with a strange, genuine gleam.

Seeing this, Yana stood in a fighting stance. That look gave her the creeps and instantly informed her of the student Council head's intentions.

"Baby, why are you so aggressive to me configured?"

"Katarina,"  Yana said coldly, ignoring Stefan. "We have a little problem. I trust you with our find. When you get a chance — run."

Stefan widened his eyes in surprise. It is not just compared with the "small problem", but also purposefully told about their plans.

"I see, johnny handed the President — I did not put that in."

"Yana"  suddenly called to Elias, just ignoring Stephen. "He's either stalling or he's trying to build trust. Most likely, in order to get rid of us, it is not enough just a touch."

He couldn't stand the second direct ignoring. Stefan rushed into the attack and directly at the one who stood at the beginning of the wedge, Jan. The girl was ready for this attack. She purposely let him come closer and as soon as Stefan swung his fist, Yana turned half-face. A man's fist flew past the woman's face. Yana immediately grabbed Stephen's hand and putting the bandwagon and helped to continue flying forward.

Elias and Katarina scattered in different directions, while Stefan collapsed to the ground. There was a moment's pause.

Yana bowed his head slightly to the side, considering spread-eagled on the ground.

"I'm surprised you became President with such skills."

The girl abruptly turned her back on Stefan and ran forward with her companions. Behind came a loud male laughter, but Ian tried not to give any importance and only accelerated. In fact, she knew Stefan had succumbed. The President was too slow, and the moment Jan grabbed Stefan's hand, he looked down. She hadn't even tripped, but he knew it would happen. He knew and did nothing. What could it be?

Meanwhile, Stefan rolled onto his back and took a sitting position. He continued to laugh out loud at this situation, at his helplessness, and at his stupid decision to let this team go further.

The phone rang in my pocket. Taking it out, Stefan brought the annoying device to his ear. On the other side of the tube came a disgruntled female voice.

"What are you doing?"

"Sitting on the ground laughing."

"We're in the middle of a test, and you're just as idle as usual?" Correctly say: मूर्ख अपने एक मन को चमकाता है तब तक जब तक वह बोलता नहीं है। (The fool shines with intelligence until he speaks.)

"Don't be angry, my love,"  Stefan smiled, as he always did when talking to a girl.

"Don't call me that. In fact, don't let me see you again. Once again, you've eliminated fifteen people? Your mother will squeeze the life out of you."

"I'm used to getting hit in the neck, not the first time."

"You're impossible," said the other end, and then the call was cut off.

Shifting his weight forward, Stefan meleno rose to his feet.

"Well, I think they've already escaped. We don't cross paths,"  the guy languidly stretched, then slowly walked forward.  "First years this year are really interesting."