"Thin World". Chapter 6
The continuation of a fantastic story. For those who have forgotten (or did not know) what was there before - links to the previous parts below.
Anatoly Sazanov illustration
“I’ll go and look for some water,” said Marina Pavel before leaving. She was going to return in half an hour maximum. But did not return. This thought, like a splinter, sat somewhere under the ribs. She involuntarily turned around and asked herself: “Did I do it right?”
- What are you sad about? - Yang asked affably. A strong man, over sixty, with a neatly trimmed gray hair, was pushing in front of him an empty wheelbarrow, lumbering on each mound. His wife introduced herself to have forgotten, and she walked barely keeping up with the walking sticks. However, she did not complain, and Marina asked inquiring glances kindly: - Go on, honey, don't be afraid, I won't get lost.
Marina stumbled upon them on the path. The sad state of her clothes, and even the wounds on her body, caused the elderly couple to want to help: take with them, take them to a safe place, change clothes and feed them. Wrapping a warm jacket in Janova, Marina thought: to say about Paul?
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When she left, Paul fell asleep. Asleep, he stopped shining red. He was drawn into the depths of the old mighty trunk and the edges of the niche slammed shut like sashes. He warned her that it would be so, and yet she did not believe her eyes. It is not as if it was not. Only the branches sway in the wind, dropping yellow leaves, and the roar is walking, as if the tree is snoring with a copper throat.
“It’s not worth it yet,” she replied to herself. “He’s safe now. Remember Diana. Get to know them better. ”
“It’s dangerous to walk here alone,” Yang instructed, “To the north, after Novozhilov, it's already calm. And around Smorodinovo Lake is not worth it.
- Are we not going to him? - clarified Marina.
“So I’m saying it’s dangerous alone,” he explained. “Are you from Orekhov?”
- From Saint-Petersburg.
“Eck brought you,” Yang whistled. He stopped, patted his pockets, pulled out a cigarette from a crumpled pack. Holding it with his teeth, raised his finger - and flames flared. Marina noticed a greenish glow even earlier that her husband, his wife. “Lucky for them,” she thought, “I didn't have to torment each other.” Then she remembered. “To tell the truth, or ...?”
- We agreed with one doctor to cross here nearby. But they did not cross, - Marina sighed. And half the truth was believed.
“They say many people died there,” Jan said thoughtfully, exhaling smoke, “I did the right thing to leave.” And what about relatives? Parents?
“What to do,” Marina argued convulsively, “To say, not to say? Trust, not trust? ”
Instead of answering, she pointedly shook her head. Ian understood - in his own mind - and he sighed heavily. His wife, standing nearby, whispered something in her husband's ear. He suddenly brightened and asked, turning to Marina:
- Doctor's last name, an hour, not Eagles?
- His name was Sasha, but she didn’t ask for his last name.
“Damn, I don't know the name.” A week ago, appeared in Novozhilov. Maybe just your acquaintance? Then there is nothing to think about, we go with us, we spend.
So she went along with them, following the lumbering wheelbarrow, a little ahead of the smiling old woman. After passing decently, she turned around - if you can not see the red glow. There was nothing in the distance. Nearby, in a roadside ditch, a frightened, grimy face flushed. Young quite, eastern, with a narrow cut eyes. A trembling finger fell to his lips, his head swaying nervously from side to side.
She remembered Diana and the people she killed on the road.
“Hiding. From whom? From her? From my father? From everyone in the world? ”
She turned away and said nothing. She didn’t give him a nod, a turn of the head, or a lip movement. She turned back, sneaked a glance at her companions — they did not seem to notice.
“Let him hide. I would like to hide myself ... ”
* * *
At sunset, they came to a low hut, strong, pine. The eastern wall was painted white, an overturned bucket filled with dried paint was immediately lying there, and the other walls of the chenille were shabby and shabby. The windows are either shuttered from the inside, or at all boarded up. Above the triangular rust-red roof is a brick pipe. Low wicker fence separated the yard littered with leaves from the forest covered with leaves
“There used to be a forester here, Ivan Sergeevich,” explained Yang, leaning a wheelbarrow against a wall, “He was a good man.” Here I do not know what happened.
His wife had already risen on the porch and beckoned Marina with her hand.
“Come on, honey, there is no one in the house,” she said softly, “Jan, get some water for now.”
He opened his mouth to protest indignantly at something, but, realizing in time what was happening, he kept silent and went very slowly to the well. Marina smiled to herself and headed for the house. The creak-creak on the stairs, plaintively sang an ungreased door.
The house was dark, the light was only from the doorway. Small corridor, closed door to the right. Straight - room, massive wardrobe, stove and coarsely-folded bunks - eight beds in two tiers. They have mattresses and surprisingly clean linen. It smelled of wood, candles and moss.
- It happens, not to suffocate, but today you are lucky - no one, - the old woman was glad when she fumbled in the closet, - You need to change clothes, otherwise you will catch a cold. Here, like something suitable.
She pulled out things and put them on the nearest stove bench. First there were jeans - almost new - then a monotone-green sweater, inappropriately cheerful, and knitted socks, long as knee-highs.
- I myself knitted it, - the hostess boasted, - Hold on.
- Thank you, - Marina took off her clothes, - And what is your name?
“Olga Petrovna,” answered the hostess, striking matches around the stove, “Now a lot of people are coming.” I carry clothes here from home just in case. To dress up, to whom to patch. Of course, more and more masculine. Take the jacket winter yanovskuyu. What are you standing for? Let's get changed.
Marina, a little embarrassed, went to the bunks in the far corner. She did not want to change clothes right now - with a stranger in other people's things. But her dress, her favorite summer dress, really didn’t warm anymore, but how it was held up until now is completely incomprehensible. After hesitating, she dropped her jacket and backpack and, turning away, unzipped the zipper.
In the stove fun rustled fire. The old woman opened the flap, the wind began to play in the pipe.
- You need something for the female part, you say.
While Marina was thinking how to answer, she turned to her and threw up her hands:
- Oh, how it all came up! Do not press anywhere, not prick? Well, thank God. Rest, we will soon have dinner.
Everything really came up, except that the bracelet with the compass had to be removed - the sleeves of the sweater were painfully narrow. “The shoes would be still new,” Marina thought sadly. “Or at least a little less old.”
Yang soon arrived with two buckets of water, lit a kerosene lamp and several candles. At dinner, Jan recalled the people he met in St. Petersburg twenty years ago, the places where he had been. I was happy when Marina could answer something to him, was upset if she could not. “I'm telling him what is no more,” she thought, “It was a month ago, and now it is no longer. Palace, Stables, Field of Mars. I remember each memory as bitterness, but it is light from him. Will it be as easy for me to remember in twenty years? ”.
- We will not go today, - Yang summed up, - Excuse the old people, I thought we would manage faster. We will spend the night here, and tomorrow we will go to Novozhilovo. Perhaps nothing will happen.
- A rocket? - Marina asked, - Can't you start it?
- Aah, heard? Do not worry, Denis flies will not let her. Yes, no one yet risks approaching. Fearful. Unless will go on storm, but we precisely learn about it. Sleep well.
Climbing up to the second regiment, right up to the ceiling, Marina wrapped herself in a blanket and only then felt how tired she was during all these days. Feet ached, bruises and calluses rubbed on the wool of socks. My head wandered thoughts, confused, interfering with each other. One of them, shyly hiding somewhere in the back streets of her mind, looked timidly, disturbed by Olga Petrovna’s innocent questioning.
The delay was already three weeks.
* * *
Sleep calmly failed. It was dark and early cool and damp when voices were heard outside the door. The door opened abruptly, flashlights flashed in the doorway.
- Who is? - Bass whisper rang out. Marina was wondering whether to answer, but Yang gave a voice.
“I,” he answered distinctly, “Denis, shouldn't you be in Novozhilov?”
“I had to run,” the door closed, the kerosene lamp was lit, and first of all I snatched the fiery red beard out of the dark. An invisible hand raised the lamp higher, illuminating the same red head of hair and a dark green bandanna around its neck. “It’s not enough for me Boar, Natasha, too — balbesina, the patrol missed. Well ripened on time, dismantled for parts.
“The cross-eyed one is gone,” the satellite recalled. His voice was quiet, insinuating.
- Yes, and a dog with him.
“Hush,” Olga Petrovna shouted at him. “You will wake the girl.”
The redhead fell silent, shining a lamp around. He could not see Marina’s face, but he noticed the silhouette under the blanket. The redhead's companion, meanwhile, sat on a bench at the entrance. He was either bald, or shaved, dressed in black and his silence seemed much more dangerous. Micromachines suggested to Marina that a gun was hidden under a jacket.
“Yeah, I see,” Denis answered in a whisper, “Who is that, where are they from?”
- From the city. Comes with us in Novozhilovo.
“Well, yes, we have few people there,” the redhead quipped, sitting down closer to Jan. The second grinned and, stretching his legs, began to unlace the high-heeled shoes, - Jan Nikolayevich, maybe he could be put to work right away? There is nothing left, you will untie our hands.
- Denis, let's do your job, and I will do my own, - Jan replied angrily, - Let him see his friend first. Have a conscience, man month from the city went.
- Yes, I did, - shrugged red Denis, - I just suggested. It is necessary to have a snooze for a while, or else I will fall into a ditch. Oleg, you come on here, and I’m upstairs lying down. Well, Natasha ...
He tried so hard to speak in a whisper and to be quiet, that he stumbled and stepped on everything, eloquently commenting. Finally, he climbed onto the top shelf closer to the exit and snored. Skinheads lay down for a long time, without undressing properly, and slept on their backs, putting their palms under their heads.
Marina fell asleep back, even though the heroic snore pulled out of her dreams from time to time. Later, when it was already light, snoring mixed with awkward bird singing and turned into a disturbing sleep. Marina dreamed that a huge nasty chitinous cockroach was crawling over the bunk on the floor, busily picking up its legs and moving its whiskers. He opened his wings, either preparing to fly, or jump. The cockroach reached the second shelf and was beside her. Through the thick blanket and green sweater, she disgustedly felt how disgusting his legs.
She wanted to kill him. Slam a palm, a pillow, but at least even shoot. Smudge on the blanket, turn into a vomit blot. She stretched out her right hand, glanced at the insect with disgust - and suddenly everything was gone. She was in the middle of a flower meadow, and a cockroach was sitting on her palm. He opened his wings - and turned butterfly.
In the distance, the train boomed in earnest, gathering speed, and Marina woke up.
Yan Nikolaevich and Denis sat at the table and talked. Neither Olga Petrovna, nor Oleg is visible in the hut.
“It’s not clear with the Boar,” Denis explained, “He left the camp yesterday and disappeared. My guys did not understand where. I already thought he was going to storm, but a day had passed, but he did not show up.
- Maybe spat on everything? - suggested Yang, - Or did the soldiers revolt?
“Something I can't believe,” Dennis shook his head.
- Well, it was already. With this, like his general, everyone deserted.
“The general was a fool,” said Denis. “The boar is not a fool.” For others, the detachments are thinning, for him it is growing. He got the technique. Obviously not to retreat at the last moment.
Marina began to understand who we are talking about. "The boar, I must." She wondered if she would join the conversation, when she suddenly heard a familiar voice. Low and gruff.
- As I can, I go, - the voice snapped angrily. Silent Oleg returned to the hut, and Diana followed him, limping. She looked tired.
“I guess I won’t be in a hurry,” Marina said to herself and pressed herself into the sunbed, looking at both. Diana stood in front of the men, her hands in her pockets and nervously twitching her leg.
- and? - Denis spread his hands, - will you report?
- I patrolled the patrol, - the girl growled, - No one left.
- And the second patrol is what?
She kept silent, frowning.
- They report to me that the second patrol is freely walking five kilometers from the rocket, and there is no news from you. I thought you were finished, that would be a good reason.
“I almost got killed off,” Diana began to defend herself. “They attacked me.”
- Who attacked you?
“Boar's spy,” she blurted out.
- Someone who? - Denis was surprised.
“Baba, called him his daughter,” Diana said quickly, “It was like this, through the woods, I thought at first that it was peaceful.” And she attacked me later, I barely took my feet.
“A good spy,” put in a silent Oleg, “And he introduced himself, and gave his feet to carry.”
Denis burst out laughing. Yang shook his head and said reproachfully:
- Denis, how can ordinary people, with Novozhilov, now walk? If your fighters see enemies everywhere?
- Yan Nikolaevich, - Denis quietly objected, - let you do your job, and I - mine.
- How can I do it if you shoot indiscriminately? That way she could kill that girl.
He nodded towards Marina, and she cursed silently to herself. “To pretend that I am not here is no longer possible.”
- indiscriminately? She wanted to kill me!
“If I want to find my father, I don’t need Novozhilovo,” thought Marina tensely, “I need to stay close to Denis.” Already preparing to drop the blanket, she hesitated. “Will he kill me right there on the spot?”.
She closed her eyes and, mentally counting to ten, answered herself to herself: “Our father will kill us all if nothing is done. Was, was not.
Marina easily jumped off the bunk and announced loudly.
- Lying.
Diana turned around and recoiled in horror, almost falling on Denis. He roughly shoved her to the empty seat on the bench and looked at Marina with interest.
- That's her! - Diana caught herself, - Shoot her!
It seems that no one took her cries seriously, but Marina still felt Oleg tense up. His hand quietly moved into his pocket.
“Do not,” she asked, slowly stretching her right hand to the side, “I cannot control this.”
“Interesting,” said Denis, “Natasha, come out.”
“I told you not to call me that,” the girl hissed back. Denis eloquently looked at her, and she hastily limped to the exit, giving Marina some expressively deadly views.
Marina stood rooted to the spot in the middle of the hut, and felt stupid. Looking back, she sat down on the edge of the bed and looked Denis in the eyes with a challenge.
- I need to save my sister, - emboldened, she blurted out, - Will you help?
Denis expressively looked at Oleg, then looked at Marina and answered.
“And where did your sister go?”
- Father took her with him.
- And where am I?
- My father is a wild boar.
Denis whistled and lay back, looking at her with some cheerful disbelief.
- So Natasha did not lie?
- I told her about my father myself. And the rest is a lie. She set me on your mouse, by the way.
Yan Nikolayevich threw up his hands and looked reproachfully at Denis. He grimaced.
“Oh, don't look at me like that.” We protect your grandchildren. Do not be offended, - he said softly to Marina, - Her father and brothers died, so she is not in herself a bit. But I’ll pull off three skins from it, it won't turn out. I did not give such orders. As for your business ... Let's talk in Novozhilov. You go there now, and I'll catch up.
- Right now? - surprised Nikolayevich.
“Thanks to Natasha, patrols can still run hither,” Denis explained, “I would not linger.”
“I won't go anywhere without Olga,” Ian protested.
- So no one asks you, - Denis turned to Oleg and slapped him on the knee, - Here, Oleg wants to be a guest.
Oleg, who was somewhere in his thoughts, woke up and looked blankly at Denis.
“You will arrange it and run to me,” Denis finished. Oleg reached the meaning of what was said, he briefly nodded and looked incredulously at Marina.
“Okay,” Denis stood up sharply and cleared his throat with a loud voice. “Let's go with Natasha for now.” And you get ready.
Denis and Oleg came out. Every now and again, Marina’s voices and Diana-Natasha’s displeased hiss flew to Marina. Yan Nikolaevich sat chewing a cigarette and did not look at Marina.
“You will forgive me for not telling everything,” she said conciliatingly, “I didn’t know if you could help me.”
- Do you think Denis will help you? - sad Nikolayevich answered, - Oh, I don't know, I don't know ...
He sighed. Marina, not finding anything else to say, began to hastily gather. She looked at the rags that had once been a dress with doubt, cruelly crumpled and threw it into a basket with rags. After that, she once again critically examined herself. “Dachnitsa is an orphan,” she smiled to herself, “But at least nothing is khaki.”
- You then come to Novozhilovo? She asked again.
“Yes, yes,” Ian replied thoughtfully.
Suddenly she was very ashamed: she remembered Paul. Marina rushed to Jan and, sitting next to him, put a palm on his callused hand. He responded with a surprised look.
- I have to tell you something. Only Denis doesn't say a word, - she put her finger to her lips. In the eyes of Yana Nikolaevich, a spark of genuine interest began to play.
* * *
A few minutes later the men returned. Denis gave the last instructions to Oleg, telling something about semaphores and points in the forest. After finishing the instructions, he pulled on a green-mottled mask and walked away. Oleg and Marina, having exchanged glances, followed him. But while they were leaving, while Marina was squinting, getting used to the morning sun, he was already gone. Vetka not crunched, grass did not fit.“This man stumbled out of the blue at night, or
did I dream?” So they left the old forester’s house. Yang and his wife went a little later to the east - to search for Paul. Marina and Oleg moved north.
On the way, they talked. Oleg, in spite of all his utter threateningness, was an interesting interlocutor. Marina would be glad to leave the war theme for a while, but Oleg invariably returned to it. It is understandable - the last month he did not have to think about anything else.
“No, I wouldn’t have set myself,” he answered confidently, “I don’t like it if my hand suddenly stops listening to me.” You do not like the very same?
- I used to obey, - Marina shrugged her shoulders, - And you could have been summoned, and you, too, would not do what you wanted.
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Oleg gave her a suspicious look, then glanced at his watch and shrugged.
- Okay. But fast. We still have to go and go.
- Thank! - Marina smiled politely, and they, having sharply turned, headed back.
“So you don't think I'm a spy?” - she decided to find out.
- Hardly. You foolish for a spy.
Marina smiled.
- Maybe I deliberately sweep traces.
- Too stupid.
“Why don't you trust then?”
- Well, maybe you're not the Boar's daughter.
- Why should I lie about this? - Marina was surprised. Oleg wanted to answer something, but did not have time.
Micromachines grabbed the muscles of the neck like ropes and turned the girl's head straight ahead. Adjusted eyes, removed all unnecessary. She remained, Oleg and a young man with an oriental face, frightened frozen in the middle of the road. Oleg, a minute ago, with the excitement of grass baits, already snatching weapons. The horror was read in the eyes of the young man, and his body made the decision independently. His hand opened a flower, exactly like Marina, and squeezed into a rifle barrel. Marina clearly saw the trajectory of movement of the hand, as if drawn, and understood the path of the bullet. He shoots Oleg. And he will shoot earlier than Oleg. Much earlier. Metal is faster than flesh.
There was almost no time. She almost automatically threw forward her right hand. She changed shape on the fly, and Marina frantically searched for the answer to one important question.
“Will I be able to desert?”
The young man shot. A microexplosion pushed through a very sharp bullet spear. Metal cut the slow air, inexorably approaching the goal. The shortest way is in the heart.
Only the target has disappeared.
The target pushed an unexpectedly strong hand out of the way. The tip of the bullet entered the flesh - and she sprinkled metal chips in different directions.
“This is not painful,” Marina persuaded herself, “This is metal. It does not hurt".
But it hurt.
She knelt down. Apparently, Oleg shot back, but missed. He crouched beside her, not letting the gun go, and asked anxiously about something. And, it seems, complained that the shooter was gone.
“Everything is fine,” answered Marina, without having heard the question properly, “It does not hurt me.”
Go to chapter 7
, — .
Thanks for attention.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/372695/
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