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humor - Is Gesar a joker?


I was recently trying to come up with a short description of the character Gesar (or Boris Ignatievich), head of the Moscow Night Watch in Sergei Lukyanenko's Night Watch cycle:



powerful, been around since forever, sometimes cynical and world-weary, sometimes genial and funny



-- Rand al'Thor, Mos Eisley



When it struck me: I have an idea of Gesar as being genial and funny when he wants to be, but can't really remember where I got this from.


Are there any instances of Gesar being witty or exhibiting a sense of humour in the books?


Precedent for this kind of question: Were there any jokes in LOTR?



Answer



Yes. Not a frequent one, and sometimes he's enigmatic to the point of being unclear if he's joking.




  1. There are characters who explicitly note that Geser likes to joke.




    - Эразм, я не знаю точно. Я не спрашивал Гесера. Но мне кажется, что я понял, в чем дело.
    – Ну, ну? – заинтересованно спросил Эразм.
    – Это просто деревце в горшке. Просто бонсай. Без всякой магии. Гесер так пошутил.
    Секунду Эразм молчал, только шум в трубке нарастал. Потом он расхохотался.
    – Гесер! О, старый тибетский хитрец! О, мне говорили, что он любит дурацкие шутки! Спасибо, Антуан!
    ("Новый Дозор", Часть третья - "СМУТНЫЕ ДЕЯНИЯ", Глава шестая)


    -Erasm, I do not know for sure. I did not ask Geser. Bit I think i figured out what's up.
    - Well? Well? - curious Erasmus asked.
    - It's just a tree in a pot. Just Bonsai. Without any magic. Geser's joke.

    Erasmus remained silent for a moment, while the noise in the headset rose. Then he laughed out loud.
    - Geser! Oh, the old Tibetan trickster! Oh, I was told that he likes stupid jokes! Thank you, Antoine!
    ("The New Watch", Part Three - "Dark Actions", Chapter 6)





  2. There are cases when Geser openly admits he made a joke:



    - Не бойся. Не сжиженная благодать.
    - А... что такое сжиженная благодать?

    Гесер вздохнул:
    - Ну откуда я знаю? Я пошутил. ... Я вообще не уверен, что благодать существует, а уж можно ли ее сжижать – тем более.
    ("Дневной Дозор", Часть третья - "Иная Сила", Глава 1)


    - Do not be afraid. It's not liquid grace.
    - And ... what is liquid grace?
    Gesar sighed:
    - Well, how do I know? I was joking. ... I'm not sure that there is such a thing as grace, never min whether it is possible to liquefy.
    ("Day Watch", Part 3 - "Other Power", Chapter 1)






  3. There are explicit cases where Anton (who is the narrator) acknowledges that Geser makes jokes:



    Телефон в моих руках заверещал.
    - Угадайте, кто? – спросил я, открывая трубку.
    - Вуди Вудпекер. Или Вупи Голдберг.
    Мне было не до шуток.
    ("Ночной Дозор", История первая - Своя судьба, Глава 5)


    The phone in my arms trilled.
    - Guess who? - I asked, opening the handset.

    - Woody Woodpecker. Or Whoopi Goldberg.
    I wasn't in the mood for jokes.
    ("Night Watch", Story One - "One's Own Fate", Chapter 5)





  4. There are cases where Geser clearly and obviously trolls people. At least, vampires:



    - Прекрасно! — воскликнул Гесер. — Ты молодец. Сейчас, не медля, свяжись с дознавателями от Темных и Инквизиции. Пусть подключаются к расследованию. Там где-то сшивается этот чешский вампир, Витезслав. Старикан толковый, хоть и совершенно без чувства юмора… но это у вампиров общая беда.
    Витезслав повернулся ко мне. Лицо у него окаменело, глаза пылали. Он все слышал.

    И я готов был поставить ящик чешского пива против флакона с тройным одеколоном, что Гесер прекрасно знал — Витезслав рядом со мной.
    ("Сумеречный дозор", История первая - "НИЧЬЕ ВРЕМЯ", Глава 5)


    - Great! - Said Geser. - You're the man. Right now, immediately, contact the interrogators from the Dark Others and the Inquisition. Let them join the investigation.
    Somewhere around there a Czech vampire Vitezslav is hanging out. Sensible old fart, though entirely without a sense of humor ... but this is a common problem among vampires.
    Vitezslav turned to me. His face turned to stone, his eyes blazed, he had heard everything.
    And I was ready to bet a case of Czech beer against a bottle of triple cologne[1] that Geser was perfectly well aware that Vitezslav was right next to me.
    ("Twilight Watch", Story One - "Nobody's Time", Chapter 5)



    [1]: NOTE: Soviet alcoholics - or basically all lower class men - stereotypically would drink cheap russian so-called "triple" cologne (bergamot, lemon and nerol essential oils) because it had 64% alcohol content while being cheap and freely available. Anton is basically betting something stereotypically great vs stereotypically crappy.





  5. There are also many cases where Geser is ambiguous, and Anton is left guessing if he was serious or not.


    Especially in "New Watch", once Anton ...



    ... rises to the Highest Rank, and thus becomes a but less unequal to Geser, so Geser can tease him more freely.



    Of course, that's also evidence for Geser being a joker, since if he wasn't, Anton wouldn't suspect he was being kidded.



    Здравая мысль. Прикажу проверить газеты и сайты объявлений в Интернете.
    Я посмотрел на Гесера, но так и не понял, шутит он или говорит всерьез.

    ("Сумеречный дозор", История первая - "НИЧЬЕ ВРЕМЯ", Глава 5)


    Sensible idea. I'll issue an order to check newspaper and Internet classifieds.
    I looked at Geser, but couldn't tell if he was joking or being serious.
    ("Twilight Watch", Story One - "Nobody's Time", Chapter 5)



    Also:



    - Великолепно, – кивнул я. – Просто замечательно. Наверное, как это принято, я должен отправиться в путь безоружным и в полном одиночестве?
    - Нет. Ты отправишься в путь экипированный по полной программе, с толстой пачкой денег и мешком полезных артефактов.
    Мне потребовалось несколько секунд, чтобы понять – шеф вовсе не шутит.

    ("Новый Дозор", Часть вторая - "Общий враг", Глава первая)


    - Superb - I nodded. - Just great. Perhaps, as is customary, I have to hit the road unarmed and alone?
    - No. You will venture out fully equipped, with a thick wad of money and a bag of useful artifacts.
    It took me several seconds to realize that the boss was not joking at all.
    ("The New Watch", Part Two - "Common Enemy", Chapter 1)



    ... and ...



    - Вообще-то она должна придавать убедительность твоему голосу при телефонных разговорах с людьми, – сказал Гесер. – А сбой позиционирования – побочный эффект, мне никак не удается от него избавиться. Все, работай! Мы немедленно займемся Эдгаром.
    Я задумчиво посмотрел на трубку. Отключил телефон и спрятал в карман. Пошутил Гесер про убедительность или сказал правду?

    ("Новый Дозор", Часть вторая - "Общий враг", Глава шестая)


    - Actually, it {{SIM card - DVK}} is supposed to grant credibility to your voice during telephone conversations with people - said Gesar. - And the distortion of location reporting is a side effect, I still can not get rid of it. That's all, back to work! We will immediately work on Edgar.
    I looked at the handset. I turn off the phone and put it in my pocket. Was Geser joking about the credibility or telling the truth?
    ("The New Watch", Part Two - "Common Enemy", Chapter Six)



    ... and here he trades barbs with Anton ...



    - Бизнес-классом, надеюсь? – пошутил я.
    - Да, – кивнул Гесер.
    ...

    - А суточные какие? – уточнил я.
    - Сто двадцать фунтов в день. Плюс оплата гостиницы.
    Он что, не шутит?
    - Проживать буду в «Рэдиссоне» или в «Шератоне»? – бросил я еще один пробный камень.
    - Обойдешься, – усмехнулся Гесер. – Маленькая традиционная английская гостиница – что может быть лучше, чтобы понять чужую страну?
    - ... а если и впрямь что-нибудь разузнаешь – следующий раз отправлю тебя на задание служебным самолетом.
    - Ага, если бы он еще у нас был, – хмыкнул я, вставая.
    - Я как раз собираюсь его купить, – сказал Гесер. – Как думаешь, что лучше – «Гольфстрим» или «Эмбрэйр»?
    - «Як-сорок», – ответил я и вышел.
    Больше всего меня смущало то, что Гесер, похоже, не шутил.

    ("Новый Дозор", Часть вторая - "СМУТНЫЕ ВРЕМЕНА", "Глава первая")


    - Business class, I hope? - I was joking.
    - Yes - nodded Geser.
    ...
    - And per diem? - clarified I.
    - One hundred and twenty pounds a day. Plus the hotel is covered.
    Wait, he was not kidding?
    - Will I be staying in "Radisson" or the "Sheraton"? - I asked another probing question.
    - You'll do without - Gesar snickered. - A small traditional English inn - what could be a better way to understand a foreign country?
    - ... And if you really find something useful - the next time I'll send you by a company plane.

    - As if we have one - I smirked, standing up.
    - I am considering buying one, - said Geser. - Which do you think is better - "Gulfstream" or "Embraer"?
    - "Yak-40" - I replied as I left.
    What confused me most was that Geser was seemingly not joking.
    ("The New Watch", Part Two - "Time of Troubles", Chapter 1)





  6. Moreover, Anton has a theory that, for a Light Other, joking is very useful because it allows them to be untruthful to compensate for their inability to lie.




    Да, после книг Роулинг работать стало гораздо проще. Основную концепцию дети схватывают на лету, только отсутствие Хогвартса их крайне огорчает.
    Гесер утверждает, что Роулинг написала свои книги по заказу лондонского Дозора, точнее – обоих Дозоров, а разрешение на дозированную выдачу ей информации принимала Инквизиция. Может быть, это правда. А может быть, он просто шутит. Светлым Иным возможность пошутить легко заменяет невозможность соврать.
    ("Новый Дозор", Часть первая - "СМУТНЫЕ ЦЕЛИ", Глава шестая)


    Yes, after Rowling's books our job got much easier. Children grasp the basic concept on the fly; with the only extreme upset being lack of Hogwarts.
    Geser stated that Rowling wrote the books on commission by London's Watch, to be precise - both Watches; and the Inquisition issued a permit for dispensation of information to her. Maybe it's true. Or maybe he was just joking. The ability to joke offers the Light Others an opportunity to replaces the inability to lie.
    ("The New Watch", Part One - "Vague Goals", Chapter 6)





As usual with my answers in the Watches tag, all English translations are mine, not from a published translated book.



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