Nicron #85 16 апреля 1998

Самиздат

Stories - Pusher.

Pusher
Story.


(C) Oleg Malakhov (Stever)
Illustrations (c) Alexey Antipov (Goblin)



                Accompanies happiness is not everything.
                We must understand this at once.
                And the solution to all our problems
                Over unchanged once.
                Selectively happiness usually
                Looking for those who are worthy of all.
                We, of course, accustomed to think,
                With every chance to succeed.
                But not everything is decided from on high.
                Though we are afraid to admit it,
                All the odds are not below or above.
                Unto us is very difficult to understand.

                            OM

                In each of us longing for the good
                coexists with a penchant for evil,
                and, in my opinion,
                we live in is not known to us re mi - a world 
full of shadows and                 twilight creatures.


                          Arthur Meychen.

                Fear - that's a topic in which
                most of us are used tinnoe fun, downright
                some kind of morbid enjoying.

                          Clive Barker.



  Reaching the trays on which to sell books, the young man 
stopped. Among all the diversity represented here for the 
reader, his attention was drawn to two books, dust jackets are 
immediately struck by his defiant red color. This original 
design could only have certain books and the young man, still 
not taking any of them in the hands was convinced percent at 
the ninety-five I finally found the last novel by famous 
Russian masters of literature horror Victor Kozankova. And so, 
flipped through both books, he came to perfect delight, as the 
books, everything else, were branded editions of works 
Kozankova, which in itself is a huge rarity. The young man was 
a lover of this kind of literature and, of course, interested. 
In His collection of works Kozankova was not only this novel. 
Delighted to luck, which is so time she smiled at him, he 
without any hesitation, decided to buy both volumes. They cost 
not too expensive, but to get them was a matter of emergency 
complexity, and the fact that they are somehow mysteriously 
appeared on an ordinary pan, but do not collapse in the book, 
it seemed the young man a fluke. Seller, seeing

sincere interest in the young man asked him a question:
- Do you like "horror"?
- In general, yes, - he answered. - Especially our, Russian.
- That's right - agreed to by the seller. - I myself really 
like this type of book. A really novel Kozankova, in my 
opinion, generally the height of perfection. So strongly advise 
you to buy it. I guarantee, get great pleasure. I just devoured 
them. And is it not very expensive.

The young man smiled mentally, watching carefully as the seller 
touts his product, but knew that he tells the truth and reasons 
not to buy books, not seen. Therefore, after hearing all the 
seller's monologue to the end, he said: - Well, if I take both 
volumes. - Well, right - said the salesman. - Right. Where you 
have this novel get it?

Paying the seller, a young man took the book, put
them in a bag and walked away from the trays. Then looked at 
his watch. Time already running out, and especially delayed him 
was not possible. Therefore, it is a firm step toward the 
entrance to the subway. 

  People wishing to take advantage of an underground mode of 
transport was an enormous amount and at the entrance and lobby. 
So the young man had spent about five minutes out to make way 
for the same turnstiles. Punch, he took a deep breath and 
adjusted the bag that is pretty hesitated, feeling on his 
horrible pressure hand yearning to get on the subway crowd. 
Taking from his pocket "travel," the young man attempted to 
reach controller, and after some time he succeeded. But in most

crucial moment in a lively old man, apparently a very hurrying 
somewhere, pretty much pushed him and swept past. "Travel" flew 
from the hands of a young man and fell on the stone floor, 
exposing the real danger of being trampled by the crowd. The 
young man, without losing composure, which was very strange in 
such a situation, rushed after him, and just a few seconds 
before a lady came to the place where lay the object of his 
lust, raised ticket. Controller, who had witnessed the scene, 
silently nodded the young man, showing that there is no need to 
bring a "travel." Thus the young man quite free to got to the 
escalator. True, this is not indicative of that the obstacles 
on its difficult path ended. The point that to get on the 
escalator turned out to be much harder to overcome than the 
turnstiles. Many people seem to have broken the chain and 
literally shove around. A shove-it was nowhere in particular. 
Because the passage of the escalator is very narrow, and he 
simultaneously tried to squeeze up to fifteen people. And this 
despite the fact that the rear constantly pressed forward very 
impressive mass of people, also does not want to give anyone. 
In general, the escalator young man came down heavily bruised 
and slightly browned. But his status did not last very long, as 
along the way it turned out that the people on the platform 
were two times more than in the lobby. The young man smiled 
even this alignment of events, because in this case, they 
played extremely on his arm. Time was the most crowded. He 
glanced at a clock that hung above the tunnel. According to 
their data, the train left the platform forty-five seconds ago. 
From which it can be concluded that in less than a minute, and 
even more the next train will not appear. Having made this very 
profitable for themselves conclusion, a young man forced his 
way through the crowd, reached the place, closest to the edge 
of the platform. Only here he allowed himself to relax a little 
and looked around. To his left stood very tall man in a black 
cloak. In his right hand he held a small diplomat with a 
combination lock. The young man noticed that the man is too 
nervous and often looked at his watch, from what has made quite 
a natural and correct conclusion that he was very much in a 
hurry, and no train is very depressed him. The right of the 
young man was an elderly woman, burdened by an intolerable 
burden in the form of an impressive size grocery bags. Surge, 
combined with the heat that prevailed in the subway on her face 
made by droplets sweat, and she continually wiping their free 
hand, looking around at all around a mournful look. Directly in 
front of a young man there was a girl, which in appearance he 
could give no more than eighteen years of age. Pretty nice, 
with a slender figure. In general, very personal. The young man 
looked at the guy with blond hair who was standing next to this 
girl. That something she said enthusiastically, and, 
apparently, something interesting, as she smiled sweetly and 
periodically dispensed guy look full of tenderness and 
admiration. The young man smiled sarcastically, looking at this 
wonderful couple. "Yeah, you come to each other, my friends - 
he thought. - But all is not well in life, as it seems at first 
glance. Life is life, and often it is chips quite impossible 
things. And I'm your destiny. "Then the young man proceeded to 
take decisive action. Behind him a crowd pressed forward 
strongly, and he missed some, especially zealous, forward. His 
calculation was correct: the guy was ousted from his 
girlfriend, and his desperate attempts to get through to her 
were unsuccessful. The young man had studied the psychology of 
this many-armed and multilegged monster - the crowd. He may 
well have a reasonable degree of accuracy predict what will 
happen the next moment, as the crowd will behave, usually 
representing a single body, working at the same pace. And This 
time, he was not mistaken. Woman pushed back harder and 
stronger, and the guy pushes ever closer to the edge of the 
platform. The young man took a strategically advantageous 
position in the back of the man who once stood on his left. Now 
this man was somewhat to the side of the unfortunate guy who 
has not yet their attempts to get to his girl. But soon the 
skillful actions of the young man led to what turned out to be 
a man right behind the guy. And then the young man looked at 
his watch, even somewhat flustered: trains did not have two 
minutes. And in his fact, all decisive moment, after a little 
more, and is well folding situation could rapidly deteriorate. 
Especially the guy has not lost hope to penetrate deep into the 
crowd. Young people had begun to lose its composure. His heart 
was beating at a furious pace, and on the forehead with sweat. 
In this case, a young people tried very hard to keep an 
extremely quiet and even a little detached face, but inside it 
has all boil. He almost cried when a man in a black cloak made 
an attempt to give the guy, but to the great displeasure of the 
latter crowd behind the crowd would not let him do it. And then 
the gong sounded, announcing the fact that the train will be a 
few seconds. The young man sighed again and ready for action. 
Train with a deafening roar inexorably approaching. A strong 
gust of warm air escaped from the tunnel, ruffled hair guy. He 
has took no action, and calmly watched the train.

Young people are grouped and slightly leaning backwards. Schley
seconds. Roar grew. You could already see the first car
trains and, as yet unclear, the silhouette of the driver. Young 
man slowly counted to five, and rushed forward ...


             (To be continued).