Anton and Olga swap bodies

Anton Gorodetsky and Olga swap bodies in a desperate magical gambit orchestrated by Boris Ignatievich to shield Anton from a Day Watch provocation that frames him for the serial murders of Dark Ones. The exchange, performed in the boss's secret bathroom, forces Anton to inhabit Olga's female form while Olga takes his male body, granting him temporary anonymity and a chance to uncover the real killer before the Day Watch can bring formal charges.

Causes and Background

The body swap arises from a carefully laid trap. After the Night Watch's victory over Zabulon in the winter, the Day Watch lodges a protest over the unsolved murders of low-ranking Dark Ones, killings that bear the signature of an uninitiated Light Magician known as the Maverick. Boris Ignatievich reveals that the evidence points to Anton as the only suspect without alibis for the killings, which have occurred sporadically over three and a half years. The boss explains that the Day Watch, led by Zabulon, has likely been sacrificing its own pawns to frame a specific Night Watch agent, and Anton's personal confrontation with Zabulon on the roof makes him the prime target. With only two or three days before a formal charge is brought, the boss decides that the safest course is to hide Anton in plain sight by swapping his body with Olga's.

The Swap Itself

The exchange takes place in Boris Ignatievich's office, which contains a hidden bathroom with a Jacuzzi and a panoramic one-way window. The boss orders Anton and Olga to stand back to back and open themselves to him. Anton feels a sensation of flying, weightlessness, and overwhelming joy as the boss utters words in an ancient language. The power streaming from the boss holds them suspended, arching their bodies together. When the spell ends, Anton finds himself on the floor in Olga's body, staring at slim fingers with silver rings, long shapely legs in tight jeans, and blue-and-white sneakers on small feet. His voice has become a low, vibrant woman's voice. Olga, now in Anton's body, helps him up, and he sees his own face with an unshaven chin and a small red pimple on the forehead. The boss apologizes for the lack of hesitation and explanation, saying there was no time. Olga comments that it is the first time she has ever swapped sexes, despite her great age.

Immediate Aftermath and Challenges

Anton struggles to adapt to his new body. His center of balance has completely changed, and he feels shorter, with the world looking different. He finds Olga's purse containing keys, money, makeup, a handkerchief, a panty liner, Tic Tacs, a comb, a mirror, and a tiny cell phone, but the empty pockets of the jeans make him feel as if he has lost something. He transfers some bank notes from the purse to his pocket for confidence. When Garik encounters him in the hallway and asks if the boss is free, Anton replies in Olga's voice, and Garik gives him a timid, uncertain smile, sensing something different. Anton realizes that even a field operative who barely knows Olga can detect the swap, indicating he is not performing well. He adopts a cover story that he and the boss had an argument, which provides a plausible reason for any odd behavior. The boss has given him a specific assignment: to find the boy Egor, who possesses exceptional magical potential, and to protect him from the rogue female vampire who escaped the earlier confrontation. Anton must also avoid being alone at any moment, as the Day Watch is actively hunting him.

Narrative Role and Significance

The body swap is a pivotal turning point in the story, transforming Anton from a pursuer into a fugitive and forcing him to rely on cunning rather than direct confrontation. It deepens his relationship with Svetlana, who must be told the truth in a protected environment, and it exposes the moral complexity of the Night Watch's methods, as the boss uses deception and sacrifice to achieve his goals. The swap also allows Anton to see the world from a different perspective, both literally and figuratively, as he navigates the city in a woman's body and confronts the Maverick, the uninitiated Light Magician who has been killing Dark Ones. Ultimately, the body swap is a temporary measure that buys time but does not solve the underlying crisis, setting the stage for the climactic confrontations that follow.