About the book: 2003 / The hour has struck when magical artifacts acquire enormous power. Someone throws a magic book to the novice magician Genka Bulyonov and forces him to cast a formidable spell. The main bet is on the “Soul Stealer” wand. When touched to the chest, the rod takes away the soul, leaving the body unharmed, into which any other magician can inhabit. For unknown reasons, the swindlers begin to hunt for the ancient portrait of Noah, which has been safely covered with dust for many centuries on the Main Staircase of Tibidox... Meanwhile, the question of life and death is being decided: who will Tanya choose? Vanka Valyalkin and Gury Pupper are tired of uncertainty. Only a duel - a magical duel according to harsh ancient rules - can put the final end to this protracted romance. So, third odd or third dead?..