Sergey Shcheglov - Castle: Part 4

SERGEY SHCHEGLOV
                        Z A M O K
                      Fantastic story

                             Part 4.

   Hump del Raig was ready to jump into the fire when he
a bitter cold gripped his brain, and his ears were clearly imprinted
words: “To the stable, and three horses to the bridge!” It wasn't a sound
but Hump knew that this was Oleg’s order. A second later he rushed it
perform.
   “Let’s lower the bridge,” Oleg quickly said to Gert. - Hump will lead
horses.
   - For what?  - Gert objected. - Let's hide, they'll soon be very...
nagging...
   - What if they don’t wake up? - Oleg heard fear in his voice.
He still could not forget his own stupor there, on
bonfire Like any mass hypnosis, religious trance, entangled
The leader of the inhabitants of the castle, Orth Treat, was omnipotent.
   Gert also felt this fear, peering at those standing
around people.  He hesitated for a moment, then turned and ran towards
gate.
   Oleg understood that only speed could save them. Early or
late Bagen will decide what to do with the unheard of apostate, refusing
swooned at the mercy of Hieron, and a crowd of two hundred people will rush
in pursuit of one's redeemer - to complete the ascension or to repay
honors, there was no difference.
   The bridge sank surprisingly quickly, as if all the parts were on fire.
The main mechanisms were thoroughly lubricated.  Abundance of oxygen
realizedOleg, ordinary iron rusts instantly, so they use it
bronze  He glanced quickly back. Bagen stood in image
the emptiness that surrounded him, covering his face with his hands, and - Oleg
I couldn’t believe my eyes, really?! - cried.
   But the rest!
   Fear, which had long settled in his heart, squeezed him again. These
eyes with a lust for murder, those open mouths spewing curses
Tia, those clenched fists. People moved slowly towards the gate, because
It was not yet visible from inside that the bridge was lowered, and no one was in a hurry.
Hump del Raig, leading three horses, was allowed through without
single question - he fell into the rhythm of this almost mystical movement -
marriage.
   - Great Durator!  - Gert whispered next to him. He was beaten by a small one
trembling - I've never seen anything like it!
   Oleg suddenly understood why fear did not let him go. What if
without ascension and Bagen himself is not able to interrupt the ceremony? And that's it
will these people remain in a trance now? How do I know what
what is the psychosphere of this planet; What else are they capable of?!
   - On the horses!
   Hump's loud, albeit trembling voice brought Oleg back to action.
A moment - and he found himself in the saddle, but noticed with displeasure,
that he was ahead of him. Gert had already moved his horse forward, and Hump,
turning around, he looked at the approaching crowd with concern.
   A general cry of hatred burst forth from two hundred throats. Edge
Oleg's eyes saw Bagen fall to his knees and slowly lowerhead to the ground. He really couldn't change anything anymore.
   And then they rushed, and the arrows whistled, and everything became clear...
then three ran away, two hundred chased after them. Oleg vaguely remembered
chase; at first they won almost a kilometer, but the trance did not interfere
catching up to choose the best horses, they will slowly reduce the distance
it was said; Gert threw a sword to Oleg, but he just grinned and hacked away.
three against a whole army was madness; the ride continued
but it was clear that they could not escape. Oleg ground his teeth, his brain was feverish,
worked hard - but found nothing, there was no salvation for Gert
and Hump, there was no, because you can't hypnotize twice
crowd.
   Meanwhile, the chase stretched out, the road went steeply uphill. Oleg
I cheered up a little: there was a chance. If they at least jump
three per ten meters... but the archers... The chance was slim.
   - Damn it!  - Hump growled, looking around.  - We don’t have them
shake it off! We'll have to take risks!
   - Pass of Madness? - Gert shouted back, and showed Oleg
It looks like he's laughing. - It's time!
   And he and Hump spurred their horses, without doubting that Oleg
will do the same.  This is where, he thought, having difficulty keeping up with him,
I can never compare with the aborigines - each planet has its own
riding animals.
   Now the road led straight up, an old, very old road
horns, paved with red stone polished by hundreds of thousands of feet with
speckledwhite moss. The ringing of hoarding on it was heard piercingly -
but as if they were jumping on glass. The chase was already complete
close, Oleg looked back several times, choosing the moment to counter-
and began to accumulate energy.
   - Here it is! - Gert exclaimed, slowing down a little.
   It’s time, Oleg realized, and with an exhalation he sent an impulse. Eyes for a moment
covered with black fog, but brushing it away, he saw that he had achieved
his.
   Six horses of the fastest pursuers mixed with
their riders were lying behind on the road, huddled together in a large
a pile, which was difficult to navigate around on rocks and thorny bushes
not easy.
   Now we could look ahead. Like an invisible line
crossed the road - either the lighting, or the color of the rocks, or another
roughness of the leaves 8 some elusive line separated the two
distinctly different areas, and they were rapidly approaching this
edges.
   - What's ahead? - Oleg shouted to Hampu.
   -You really don't know? - he was surprised. - Trowhor!
   - Trowhor!  - Gert confirmed. - But if this doesn’t stop them -
vit?
   The answer was laughter. Hump del Raig laughed as he can laugh
only a person who saved himself from mortal danger with his own mind
ness.
   - Look around!  - he shouted. - These bastards don't dare crawl
further than the place where you received the blow!
   Oleg looked around again.  The pursuers crowded around
fallen, undoubtedly accepting this suddenfall for witchcraft
terrible country beyond the mountains. This means they were ready for others
miracles!  Oleg smiled, collecting the remaining energy, and sent them
a magnificent picture of a fiery tornado that consumed three fugitives
tsov.
   - Out of the way! - he shouted, waving his arms. - They shouldn't
see more of us!
   His companions turned out to be extremely understanding - although, rather,
they were also affected by the suggestion - and now the horses were tied in
dense thickets not far from the road going further to the north
ro-west, and Gert and Hump inspected the roads thrown from their saddles
new bags.  Oleg carefully looked out from behind the stone and was convinced that
none of the pursuers dared to tempt fate by crossing
Trowhor border.  However, nothing else after the demonstrations
Oleg didn’t even expect it.
   - And two bottles of wine! - Hump concluded cheerfully. - You're great
you fight with swords,” he added, narrowing his eyes at Gert. - No
many can boast that they managed to hurt me in a duel!
   “You’re the first one I hurt,” Gert grinned. Hump opened
mouth to joke about his inexperience, but there is a different meaning
what was said reached him. He shrugged and pulled out a knife:
   - It is said in the scripture: bread and wine for every day! - proclaimed -
he is strong.  - Let's taste and thank fate for sending us prey
instead of an arrow in the back!
   Oleg approached them. He felt very bad. Desperate-
but I wanted to eatdrink and sleep. But now that the thrill of the chase
passed, he thought about the messenger again. Who? Gert or Hump? Or him
wasn't in the castle at all?
   - Gert?  Why did you pull me from the fire? - asked Oleg,
sitting down and cutting himself a piece of meat.
   - I could not calmly watch how my gold was brought to
a sacrifice to a heretical god,” Gert took a sip from the bottle. - And I don't
thought that your friend Hump would be able to overcome Bage's witchcraft
on.
   Clear.  Even if Gert is a messenger, he will not open up - any of his
The action is too well motivated. But what do you need after-
Lannik? What is he waiting for?
   - Not a single sorcerer has yet managed to defeat me! - as if
Hump del Raig spoke, revealing a great secret. - This wa-
Shem Bagen was lucky that I didn’t have a sword... Damn it!
My sword! He stayed there!
   He hit the ground with his fist and began to scratch desperately.
   “Take it,” Oleg said, holding out his. - I don’t have a weapon
necessary.
   Hump grabbed the sword, pulled the blade out of its sheath and made a couple of
padov. Gert patted his stomach:
   - It’s nice to taste silent food after righteous labors. Well
now tell me, forest brothers, what are you going to do
next?
   Oleg felt Gert’s muscles tense invisibly,
lying, it seemed, completely relaxed, spreading over
the stone against which he leaned his back. Hump lowered his sword and
stared at Gert.- We are not friends! - he said. - Yes, fellow travelers!
   “I think,” Gert muttered without looking at him, “that you’re better off.”
just go back to your rabble.
   Hampa del Raig's hand clenched his sword. Oleg has already prepared for
wander around - and I really didn’t want to move, after a hearty breakfast and
of today's numerous concentrations, he was ready to lie
about six o'clock - when suddenly Hump threw his sword into its scabbard and burst out laughing
In Gert's face:
   - Be more polite, buddy, with those on whom your
life!  This is Trowhor!  Think better about how you will get out
get out of here!
   Gert stirred worriedly, as if he had stumbled upon the remains of
dug stone.
   - What do you want to say? - he asked menacingly, now looking
straight to Hampa.
   - I bet you don't know the way back! - Hump laughed,
stroking the hilt of the sword. Oleg moved lazily: to interfere
I didn’t want to, but the quarrel took a strange turn.
   - Do you know? - he asked, looking at Hump with curiosity.
   The question brought the expected effect. Gert fell silent expectantly,
it was clear that he really didn’t know the way and didn’t want to
yell at the conductor over a trivial disagreement; Hump, flattered
attention of Oleg himself, and, undoubtedly, inspired by the nourishing
breakfast, began to rant, interfering, as is customary,
truth and exorbitant boasting:
   - I thought, Oleg, you know that not a single personreturned-
I'm sane from this place! It's not called the Pass of Madness
in vain!  Here begins Trowhor, the country beyond the mountains, and no one
except me, he doesn’t know the way back from here. Three years ago, leaving
like today, from the chase, in the fog we crossed the border. Fog
ended two steps away from her. We stopped in horror, but it was
late.  There were two young children with us; they rushed screaming at
ass  Have you ever seen how a person is crushed on the scaffold?  Horror-
I haven’t heard her scream for another year! They left bloody stains,
thrown back many steps from the border! There were thugs with me
desperate guys - they cried with fear and cursed fate.
They believed that they were dead: going back meant certain death,
forward - slavery in Trowhor, and this is even worse! Even I couldn't
bring them to their senses; they pounced on me, preparing to attack
sacrifice to the gods and save your miserable skins! My sword in
there was a lot of work that day! I was left alone among the corpses, and
many would have endured this without losing their minds!  But all
Treat knows: I never give up! I walked away from the road, up,
searching for the path, moving carefully, like a sand lizard.  Three
day I was looking for a way back, retreating at the slightest resistance - I
managed to pass without disturbing Troufor's witchcraft. You can try
try to repeat my search, - Hump del Raig looked mockingly
rel on Gert - but howknow if you're lucky!
   Gert did not react to this ridicule, but Oleg noticed
that a sword appeared near his right hand.
   - Is this really such a scary place? - Oleg asked, expressing
in a voice of as much doubt as possible.
   - You don’t believe it?!  - Hump shook his head. - Even for you,
Even though you are a great wizard, this place is deadly! Trow-
for!  Land of horror! Every year, lovers come here to the pass.
tortured and looking into the distance, afraid to even cross the border. What
they see makes them mad. I know from one of them, one-
hot Old Berg, not too crazy, which sometimes
here a star appears, attracting the eye. And whoever is watching
at her, loses his mind or dies. Demons don't usually cross
border, but one sight of them is enough to petrify with horror
sa!
   - Demons?  - asked Gert. Curiosity overpowered, however,
Nope, enmity. - Aren’t these tavern tales?
   “Wait until it’s dark, and you’ll see them yourself,” replied Hump, after-
hesitating.
   -Have you seen them? - Oleg asked.
   Hump ​​suddenly stopped laughing and pulled the sword towards him.
   “I talked too much,” he said muffledly. - They say
they come to those who disturb their peace with owls. We're not there yet
that side of the border.
   “You’re right,” Gert muttered, looking around.
   There were rocks all around, pink from the rising sun. For the first time on
on this planet Oleg saw the sun - and smiledto him. Darkness and grayness
Trita seemed to be left behind forever... O Great Cosmos!
Messenger!
   So, one more time.  Bagen disappears - it’s been here for a long time and it’s good
known. Popular Hieronese confessor. Monseigneur Ort Treat too
disappears, one could only suspect him half asleep, in the underground
nom delirious.  Gert, apparently, also disappears. At least two
years in service, right hand of Monseigneur. Hump ​​del Raig? Absurd;
he seems to be almost the local Robin Hood.
   Oleg felt like an idiot. So there was no messenger at all?
   Calm, calm... In order. Fact one; there was a meeting
scheduled for four days ago, in the evening, at Splintered Dart.
Fact two: the meeting did not take place. Fact three: no va-
“They” did not indicate any options for this case. Possible causes of failure
va meetings from “their” side: reluctance to open up right away, refusal
from contact, late.  In the first case: the messenger had to
be nearby, observe, offer test situations. Were nearby
only aborigines.  Remote monitoring? It's just like
refusal of contact. So, in both cases, that's it, the mission is over.
But in the third...
   Late?  But how could this happen?! Accident? This is impossible.  Oleg grinned, remembering several of his own “accidents”
- they all ended with the replacement of failed modules and the loss of everything
a couple of minutes.  Unless you drag an atomic bomb inside the capsule...
Withoutto no avail: the protection will still work. But then what the hell?
take it, could they have detained him?!
   Hump del Raig made some completely impossible sound,
as if a herd of elephants hiccupped in unison, and distracted Oleg from
thinking. Oleg raised his eyes - and the world froze, as if stopped
video: the pace of perception reflexively jumped so much that
At first Oleg didn’t even understand why. And then I looked at
which was four meters directly in front of him.
   Two smoldering crimson eyes without pupils, the size of a fist,
deep-set in a flat, covered with blue-black leather che-
turnips, opening just below the huge, lined with seven rows -
mi teeth with a mouth spewing bluish smoke, sitting well on
a long neck covered in mounds of muscles, extending from the flat armored
body, spreading along the ground, on which cats are visible here and there
thick growths, half a meter in diameter, looking sideways at Oleg
with those big crimson eyes - heads not yet raised, go-
Combatants will shoot first to help at any moment; the whole monster
the size of a decent tank, almost crawled onto Gert, who was bending
in a desperate attempt to get away.
   What an idiot I am, thought Oleg, no, the second one like this in the whole Earth-
I couldn’t find anything - I climbed onto this planet without equipment! Although, again
well, who could have guessed. However, what should we do now?
   The open mouth slowly approached, Olegrelief
I noticed that she was aiming at him. It's good, the guys will get it
a little time, just not to get into a fight; ordinarily necessary
move around, otherwise you might get the impression that I’m light
prey... Oleg began to slowly move to the left - at his own pace
slowly, but in fact - with the utmost accessibility to reproduction
acceptance of the turtle-dragon, as Oleg hastily dubbed the monster,
height. The head blinked its left eye and turned behind him.
   You can’t take it with a sword, Oleg appreciated the texture of the skin; the brain is most likely
distributed - there is no point in hitting the active head; throw away
it won’t work either - what a colossus, but it sneaked up completely
silently!  Bioenergy, once again? Oleg tried to touch
fields; strange, the turtle-dragon didn’t seem to exist at all,
I even thought - isn’t it an illusion? - no aura, that is, not at all
nothing like a stone. This means that bioenergy also disappears. What
do, huh?!
   Hump del Raig, Oleg noticed out of the corner of his eye, began to rise,
clutching a sword;  the turtle-dragon raised its second head in response,
now aiming at Hump as well. Each head apparently had an auto-
the brain that controls target tracking and snacking
floors
   The calmness with which Oleg began the fight gradually disappeared -
was happening.  There was nothing left to do but enter into a protracted
fight, trying to knock off heads with improvised material... Stones
around, tofortunately, there was plenty. Oleg looked again
turtle-dragon: there were eight heads in total, as far as he could see.
I wonder how dexterous they are in acting together? But this
I'll have to check as I go along.
   The first head has already stretched out enough to be
attack.  Oleg left the zone of her visibility, with an effort - in such
It’s not easy to lift two pounds at a pace - I picked up a small one from the ground
a stone and brought him down at the junction of his head and neck. rang out
low sound - at a normal tempo it would be a squeal - and the head
she hung helplessly, a spasm ran down her neck. It worked, I thought
Oleg, seven more, okay, we didn’t get a thousand-headed dragon.
   When two more heads swayed on their crumpled necks, the turtle chords
Rakon changed tactics.  The other five reached out to Oleg, and
blue smoke - Oleg recognized by the smell the substances that paralyze everything
alive on Ophelia - enveloped the battlefield. Thanks to fate for
different metabolism, Oleg jumped over the turtle-dragon and quickly
Ro, one after another, threw three stones.
   Two heads hung, and the third, apparently struck at its most vulnerable,
visible place, fell off, holding on only to the skin and muscles, and from
from the lacerated wound on the neck, something blue appeared, reminiscent of melt-
linen plastic. Some sparks flashed, but look
there was no time for all this, because the turtle-dragon went to the last
ny attack.
   One of the heads frozesword in the eye - this is Hump at last
got to his feet - the other one didn’t calculate the length of her neck and
She clicked her teeth hard a centimeter from Oleg’s nose. Right there on her
a stone fell.  It was all over.  Headless Monster
shuddered, but remained in place, and, to tell the truth,
Now he had nowhere to crawl.
   Returning to a normal pace, Oleg took a breath. Yeah, they are like that
Exercising after breakfast is not good for your health. And Hump
You’re right: we need to get out of here quickly. In open areas like this
the monster can be pretty exhausting. This is what he is, Trouhor...
   Oleg slapped himself on the forehead, and at the same time he heard even more
loud sound: this is Hump taking his first breath in the entire fight
of narcotic smoke, collapsed to the ground.
   Messenger!  If he took a little bit away from Splintered Dart to
to the west, and not to the north, like me, - then he ended up here, in Trowhor! A
getting out of here seems to be much more difficult than it seems at first
look.
   “Thank you for the idea,” Oleg said, looking at the still
the horning body of a turtle-dragon.  - So, you'll have to be here
stay...
   Gert lay nearby, also stricken by the blue smoke. Oleg
carried his companions away into the fresh air, knowing that
time and fresh air are the best cure for this “witchcraft”.
Then he returned to the turtle-dragon.
   “I hope,” Oleg grinned, “you are not a messenger.” Come on...
   He once againtried to listen to the biofields - slowly, in everything
range.  Unsuccessfully. The turtle dragon obviously had nothing
common with normal biospheres.  Is he one or many here in
Trouhore? This remained unclear.
   Oleg sat down in his previous place and took out the remains from his bag.
meat.  The fight with the turtle-dragon took a lot of energy, and it was necessary
restore them immediately.  When he finished eating, the plan
further actions were already ready.
   Oleg stood up, took a deep breath, tensed and immediately relaxed everything
muscles, and then went down to the road. The first thing to do was
check the border.
   Now it stood out even more clearly. The midday sun is off
cast clear shadows - on this side. Standing there was a gray semi-
the darkness of an ordinary Tritian day. Clearly distinguishable by the slight trembling
A strip of air no more than a meter wide separated the two worlds.
   The road near this strip seemed to dive under on both sides.
land;  century ago, the stone cracked and in the middle of the strip
turned into sand.
   “So-so,” said Oleg, stopping about twenty paces
from the border. - So, it’s like on the chopping block... Let’s check.
   He picked up a small pebble and threw it lightly, aiming at the bush
on the other side of the border. The stone flew in a parabola to the wall of the drop-
stinging air and seemed to explode; Oleg barely had time to close his eyes,
as if tiny stone fragments hit my clothes and face,
flying with a hugespeed. Oleg swore through his teeth: it was
it hurts like hell.
   It took several minutes to stop the bleeding and bring
face is fine.
   - I see... Repulsion, and even with proportionally greater
speed. One in a hundred, at least. - Oleg shook his head.  Ta-
which barrier is fatal to the runner, and this is the property of the border in so-
Reading with the turtle-dragon brought up bad thoughts. The slightest
touch - blow. Okay, let's continue...
   Hiding behind a large stone standing on its edge, Oleg
For a while now he amused himself by throwing pebbles towards the border. Result
the tattoos were not comforting: its height reached at least twenty
meters, and as for the length, Oleg had almost no doubt
that it surrounds the whole of Trowhor. Otherwise this country wouldn't be like this.
legendary.
   He crawled out from behind the stone and went back, whistling. He
was pleased - not so much with the series of miraculous rescues that
today was perhaps a bit too much, how much strengthening
confidence that the messenger had arrived and was in Trowhor.
All that remained was a trifle - to find him in ten million square
kilometers.
   The turtle dragon didn't move anymore. The sharp wind took its toll
case: Gert woke up and sat, feeling himself.
   “Here comes the demon,” Oleg kicked the turtle-dragon in the covered che-
scaly skin on the side. - What else do we have on the program?
   - How did you kill him? - asked Gert, and in his eyesOleg saw
deeds of amazement, close to fanatical faith. - He moved faster
than my sword!
   Oleg realized what the fight should have looked like from the outside
lightning-fast attacks of the turtle-dragon's heads into the void, straight into
stones coming from God knows where. It certainly looked like this
as if he, a great wizard, was simply mocking the poor child
monom. Oleg massaged his still aching muscles and sighed.  But
Gert was waiting for an answer, and had to answer:
   - I moved even faster.
   Hump ​​del Raig stirred. His right hand clenched into a fist,
She unclenched, rummaged around - and only then did he open his eyes.
   - By Ozr! - he cried, throwing up his right hand in a
someone's barbaric greeting. - I pierced him with a sword! We will win
dili!
   “If it weren’t for Oleg,” Gert screwed up, “you would have been seven times
eaten!
   - Would?!  - Hump asked contemptuously. - I don’t know this
words! Well, now you believe me about... um... well, that very...
th?
   Oleg saw superstitious fear awakening in him again.
satellites  The smiles disappeared.  Gert didn't even bother to answer, just
nodded and moved towards the horses.
   “Perhaps it’s time for us to go,” said Hump, looking at the sun.
tse. It would be best to get there before dark.
   Oleg did not object. Does it matter which way it goes?
start searching?
   Tying back the bags, saddle the horse, putting clothes in order
I'm waiting, he tried to mentally imaginemap of Thryt and Trowhor in
in the vicinity of the Mighty Forest.  Trit - coastal country, Mighty
the forest is its northern border;  from the north-west it rises obliquely
the mountains are shaking.  If you approach for landing, only knowing approximately where
is Split Dart, it is quite logical to descend to the top
well, the mountain closest to the forest... We galloped here from the castle, that is, from
southeast, that is, now we are approximately at the level of the beginning of the forest
in latitude, if you look back along the road, then the sought-after peak
on will be on the left. And if forward - then to the right.
   “Follow me,” Hump said gloomily, “and it will be better.”
if your horses can walk step by step!
   After which you quickly galloped into the depths of Troukhor, scoring
Paradise from the road is getting more and more to the right. Overgrown low, as for
football, grass, a gentle slope of the hollow into which the pe-
reval, allowed the horses to develop good speed. Oleg asked
Kal followed, more satisfied than before: they moved in the direction he needed
direction.
   The race lasted without a break until the evening. The hollow has passed
into a rocky valley without signs of life, which, in turn,
ended in a huge canyon, along the bottom of which passed
bee of the road, which soon brought the travelers to the top, where it became a mountainous
a path stretching along a narrow ledge between an abyss and a steep
noah rock.
   The sun has already dropped noticeably, and from the surrounding peaks there is a
gloomy shadows fell, swallowingthe dazzling greenery of the spreading
far below the valleys, when the path turned sharply to the right,
buried in a huge pebble scree, gently sloping to the east
lilac color.  She seemed somehow strange to Oleg - ka-
bags as if they were selected, all the same size, but angular, almost
sharp, clearly not lain here for ten years.  Like someone
threw a huge mountain at the border, and it scattered like pebbles -
fell into billions of fragments.
   Some sparkle to the left attracted Oleg’s attention; he
turned his head and froze, delighted. The white peak shone pink in
in the rays of the setting sun, the ice cap sparkled with unimaginable
heights, invisible until you lift your head, because its gray
the foundation was lost in the evening gloom. The height of the peak was no less
ten kilometers, and at the same time thin, like the tip of a harpoon, and Oleg
discarded the idea that the messenger could sit on him. On smooth
Even a bat wouldn’t find a place on the sparkling plumbs.
   “Damn,” muttered Hump del Raig ahead, “before
this didn't happen...
   - How far is it still?  - Gert asked, and in his voice there was a
fatigue.
   “Go down this scree, then a little to the left,” said Hump,
thinking about something else. He stopped completely, looking for something in the distance.
We'll make it, but... I don't like this thing!
   - What kind of thing? - Oleg regretfully looked up from looking
peak and drove up to Hampu.He extended his hand forward, slightly to the left and
up.
   - You can probably see better than me. Over there, above the pro-
mouth, small platform. Who's sitting there?
   Oleg took a closer look, feeling a shiver run through him. Mountain,
of course, not as high as the white peak behind, towered above
right in front of it, dropping steeply to the east, towards the Mighty Forest.  On
on this cliff, at the very top, a ledge was visible, forming a platform
ten meters in diameter. And on this ledge there is something shining -
elk with two evil lights.
   “Guardian of the Valley,” muttered Gert, who was also looking at the plane.
sparingly.
   Hump ​​grabbed his hand and motioned him to remain silent. rang out
noisy breath - Oleg, concentrating, collected energy. His vision
expanded, became amazingly clear and voluminous even at this
distance; the platform at the top lit up and came closer, and then,
what lay there became quite clearly visible.
   It was an ordinary glider. He was lying on the ground, touching
hovering on a rocky slope near the cliff, absurdly sparkling
protective mirror coating and puffing bright flames of the stern
engines that keep him from sliding into the abyss. Ajar
and the abandoned side door swayed in the wind, and Oleg even
he thought he heard it creaking. The glider was abandoned
a few days ago - the greenery damaged during planting withered and
turned black.
   The air whistled out oflungs. Oleg took a breath,
having finished observing.
   “This is not a demon,” he said to Hump and Gert. - This is my tent
the friend I'm looking for. You will have to return to Treat without me.
   He himself was surprised at the sadness that sounded in this short phrase.
   Hump hit the saddle with his fist.
   - Without you?!  Jackal tooth! I shouldn't have brought you to Trow-
choir!  Eh!  - An insane hope lit up in his eyes: “Or maybe
still with us? Legends will be made about us!
   “You owe me a piece of gold,” said Gert, trying to fold
lips into a smile. - Because of you, I lost such a place! It's Trow...
choir!  Why do you need an inglorious death? Better come with us, please
you!
   Oleg looked at his comrades, and a strange feeling of overwhelming
lo him. He suddenly realized that he no longer wanted to look for the message.
ka that he has been thinking about the plan for preparing this ci-
villization and with all his soul longs to go now with Ger-
Tom and Hump go to perform the usual preparatory tasks
Whigs. This is a suddenly manifested reluctance to engage in assigned work.
the crowbar was so unexpected that Oleg was confused.
   “No, I have to,” he muttered, trying to figure it out.
Well, that's exactly what I was sent for...
   Understanding has finally come.  The messenger who did not show up
meeting, was no longer taken seriously, he almost did not exist.
Trit, where Oleg spent these days, was filled with content and meaning.
catfish has come to life, and you can’t leave itI wanted as much as I didn’t want to leave
lived-in house.
   - I can't go with you. My comrade,” he pointed upward,
fell into trouble.  For this I came here, and for nothing else.
Someday... - Oleg figured: yes, it’s quite possible, especially
especially taking into account Troukhor. - I will come with another purpose, I will find you, and
We will accomplish many glorious feats together! But not now. Spa
Thank you for everything - and goodbye!
   The sun was inexorably approaching the horizon. It was necessary to hurry
drink - both Oleg and Hump and Gert. Hump ​​understood this.
   - Well, goodbye! - he said, placing his hand on his sword. - When
you will need my help, you can find me by going into the forests
Orb-Gel, east of Trit.
   He turned his horse to the east and froze, waiting for Gert. That one
grimaced with displeasure:
   - I didn’t think it would all end like this! If anything, look for me
courtyard of Erich the Highlander, King of Trit. I remember that you owe me, but
remember, too, that I am already thirty-six, and in twenty springs
you will have no one to repay the debt! Goodbye...
   He waved his hand and galloped down.
   - Goodbye! - having built this new language for the Trit language -
understanding, Oleg shouted it after the retreating riders. He almost
Mu was sure that the meeting would not take long. Mo-
maybe because he wanted it himself.
   “It would be nice,” he muttered, “together... But this
Trowhor...

   The site wherethe messenger's glider perched - Oleg did not
I doubted that it was him, everything was too similar to him
own bot, hidden in the swamps of Southern Horn, and found
he was in a place that almost exactly coincided with the one predicted that
testified to the logic of his owner’s actions, that logical
a thing that Oleg has almost stopped believing in, and this platform
was very close, about two kilometers vertically and five kilometers
horizontally, one could reach the foot of the mountain on horseback. Oleg
spurred his horse.
   He shook in the saddle - the trail ended - and thought about the strange
the country where fate had thrown him.  Still hearing the first
tales about the country beyond the mountains, he put a taboo on interest in it -
phenomena of this order need to be studied specifically, slowly, and certainly
certainly not alone. And yet - now he has already killed one
from local monsters and gallops to the scene of the accident of a fellow human being,
apparently still trying to get out of Trowhor.
   Its border blocks the exit, not the entrance. "Mousetrap". Create
whether she cared about the secrecy of what was happening in Trowhor for
the rest of Cragg.  This means that either the testing ground of an alien civilization-
tions - Oleg whistled - or a closed local country on techno-
logical stage, or, finally, natural education, with
time immemorial, separating two areas of Cragg with different
forms of life. In the latter case, everythingI'll just find a messenger,
and fly away...Shall we fly away?
   Why didn't he fly away on his own? After all, an accident is impossible, and if
the glider stands motionless, this means only one thing: something for him
purposefully interferes. Air defense machines, for example, if this is developed
this industrial country.
   Oleg sighed. It turned out that in addition to contact with the envoy
God forbid, you will have to contact representatives of the country,
attacking other people's gliders.
   It was impossible to ride further. Pile of stones
blocked the way up, and after a few hundred meters it began
a smooth rock that could only be climbed. Oleg
jumped off the horse, tied it - a useful precaution - to
suitable stone and quickly, casting a skeptical glance at the
the cloudy sky, I climbed up.
   The platform at the top was quite high. Oleg made two
Tanks for rest, it was getting darker all around, in the sky
the first stars lit up. Oleg smiled at them - he almost forgot that
such a starry sky.
   He climbed the last meters along an almost vertical wall, calling
Natural climbing inclinations come to the rescue.
   But his right hand caught on the edge of the platform. Jerk - and
Oleg stood on the edge of a cliff, nose to nose with a half-meter red fa-
the backbone of a working shunting engine. The glider trembled until
the freely steep slope is a little higher.
   Approaching him, Oleg climbed straight into the cabin. Understand the non-there was no time for mediocre controls, he activated the remote control
and immediately received a huge list on the screen in an incomprehensible language.
Mechanically he grabbed his belt - oh yes, the ling remained in the castle.
Ugh!
   Of course, you could tune in and spend the night in front of the screen
nom, replacing the ling with one half of the brain. Oleg for a while
hesitated.  However, no matter how tempting it may be to master the controls
someone else's glider, sit in it, it is unclear why it was abandoned
son-in-law, it could be unsafe. Oleg got out and decided
carefully switched to “snoop” mode.
   The world around has changed. An ocean of diversity filled the air.
different aromas, my eyes were dazzled by bright, fantastic colors
Comrade, the silence was replaced by the shimmer of hundreds of melodies - Oleg heard
movements of the soil, saw changes in surfaces, smelled the most ancient
tion aromas.  A thick, wide orange trail led from the cabin behind
the nearest rock, where the platform turned around the top, con-
generated by the pungent smell of artificial leather. Oleg is relieved
sighed: the envoy did not use any means of disguise, and therefore
his trace can be found at the ends of the earth. By raising the threshold of perception,
Oleg walked along the orange path.
   The site turned right; the mountain from above resembled
a stone cone, on the sloping top of which a stone was placed
cylinder  Between this central peak and the edge of the cone there remained
space inten to twenty steps; it was safe here
walk, but it was not easy to get down from here.
   The envoy was obviously choosing the best place to descend. Oleg
winced: the immediate prospect was to follow the trail, descending
along a sheer wall.
   He turned behind another stone and closed his eyes. The brightest orange
the chewing ball lay on the edge of the abyss, and the trail rested on it. Oleg
didn’t immediately realize what it was, but when I did, the brightness of the proportions
national intensity of the complex of traces of the messenger, and this ball
could only mean one thing - that he hastily returned to normal
perception.
   On the edge of the abyss, sitting cross-legged, was a short man with
short black hair, dressed in a gray jumpsuit made of
rial, in texture reminiscent of leather, with two protruding bo-
forged pockets.  His gaze was riveted to some point near
horizon.
   Oleg took a breath.
   The messenger has been found. All.