"Leave the boy with me," said the sorcerer-king. The demons retreated from the hall and closed the bronze doors behind them. The other sorcerers kept watching by the walls. When the Czar walked towards him, Ruslan looked back nervously. For a long moment, the Czar stood looking down at him without saying a word. His eyes seemed to penetrate to his soul. Ruslan tried not to stare back.
"You must be wondering why you're brought here, young lad." His words were courteous, his manner charming, but it was clear that he had no good intention. "Don't worry. I'm not going to harm you, well, as long as you cooperate, of course."
"So are you the evil Czar who turned your daughter into a frog?" Ruslan couldn't help asking. The sorcerer-king laughed.
"Am I that famous now that even a mortal boy kno
