Artemizov jerked, as it seemed to him instantly, pulled out a revolver from his halife pocket. Only suddenly he felt Mikla’s hand on his wrist. and then, witnessed an unprecedented attraction: Mikla squeezed the barrel of a revolver with one left, but bent it up at ninety degrees. Gun steel now looked more like the spout of a ridiculous water tap.

– Let me tear off his head! Mikla said quietly.

With such force, after all, he could tear it off, as an experienced servant estimated. The captain reached for his checker, hanging on his left side. True, for some reason he knew that he would not have time to take up arms. I thought that, right, now he will not meet with Marya Vasilyevna da Anechka…

– It hurts you sharp and quick, your nobility! – Digna also spoke out, at once being next to the gendarme captain, – nothing, and you will still see your wife and daughter… You will only sleep a little, change your mind, here…

He only had time to feel the woman’s index finger burning his forehead, and her icy eyes seemed to penetrate his very gut. And the darkness stood before my eyes.

***

– What will we do? said the young man a little capriciously.

He looked at the gendarme sitting on the chair, and looked at the fire, as if frozen now or frozen.

– Nothing. Now you will put him in the saddle, but you will take him to the village, to the headman. There the gendarme will lie down for a couple of days, and he will wake up. Why kill a good person in vain? He can still be useful to us.

– Painfully loves to climb into other people’s affairs… Mikla muttered, why did he go here? Far after all.

– Okay… And himself, why did you buy so much different kind? Everyone can see, moreover, at first glance, that you are an unusual fisherman? Next time we’ll dress easier. And you can do without your piano.

– It’s more convenient, and you like it. And I don’t like to wear boots at all. Uncomfortable in them! And such shoes and clothes will be better!

“Nothing, not for the first time,” the woman said conciliatively, “but, take the officer. Absolutely. Yes, and warn residents so that on June 17, especially from the houses, and the windows were covered with shutters. Did you do everything exactly as you decided?

– Far more accurate. Everything is done in the best possible way. Everything is collected, the clockwork is working. I didn’t run there, I flew. Quickly turned around! ‘he boasted.

– Oh, I hope… If only I didn’t go too far. Go ahead and I’ll clean it up. There is not much time left. And you will catch me at the mountain spur in the evening. I’ll take my bikes with me.

And Mikla just nodded back. The bent revolver put in the officer’s pocket, brought the horse closer, obeying him better than the obedient dog. The burly stallion stood at attention, only nodding his head, and waving his tail. The fisherman grabbed the captain’s belt with both hands, put him in the saddle, inserted his legs into the stirrups, and tied him with a tarpaulin belt to the saddle for reliability. Then, taking up the occasion, he led the horse with a saddle along the path away from the river, to the village of the Old Believers.

CHAPTER 6 A monstrous explosion in the East

His head ached painfully, as if it were going to burst, poor Nikolai Fokich grabbed the whiskey with both hands, and squeezed them tightly. It helped, but so, not that very much. True, the pulsating pain seemed to have subsided, but now it was breaking in the crown of the head, but so, not very much, tolerant. He looked at himself, and was surprised, after all, he was lying in one underwear. Scared, to be honest. What, undress him? Drunk? But no, I noticed a hanger on which his uniform, cap, and even a checker were in perfect order. And the cleaned boots stood nearby, as if waiting for their owner. Tried to remember how I got here? And he could not concentrate, everything blurred before his eyes, I wanted to fall asleep again. But then the door to the room slammed, and the headman appeared on the threshold, so Artemizov remembered him well.

– Oh, good afternoon, Nikolay Fokich! How did you rest with us? The place is good, the guest house, no one will disturb. Sleep, here, and the bed is good, on springs, and the mattress is great! Harlampius praised this abode, as if it contained it like a hotel.

– What happened to me? asked the captain incredulously.

Yes, he wanted to know what was the matter, he was simply obliged. Better the worst than doubting.

– That’s okay, your nobility. That’s right, they got tired. We sat down here, nearby, at the house, but fell asleep. And we, forgive us, carried to the bed. You slept here for two days. And we didn’t bother you. And now they will bring tea, with pies. Forces, you look, will return to you.

– I have to go. At home, right, they were already waiting.

– Don’t, Nikolay Fokich. You need to relax, come to your senses – and the headman somehow looked strangely at the guest, and then at the walkers, the floor clock that stood in the corner of the room.

And something else… The windows in the room were covered with shutters, the light, albeit dim, came from two kerosene lamps.

– I’ll dress for now… said the captain quietly.

“I’ll wait. And they will bring you food, – the headman repeated, – you will have to wait a little, you don’t worry. Not for long…

Kharlampiy came out, and Artemizov carefully sat on the edge of the bed, putting and feeling with his feet the rug of the wooden floor. Immediately relieved from the heart. I felt with my fingers that he was a little stiff and prickly, and that was good. This means that it was not a blow that came to him, his legs were not taken away, and he lay off from his heart, calmed down at once. Quickly dressed, did not forget about the belts with a checker. I felt more confident. But, something was in the way in my pocket. He pulled out a revolver by the hilt, with a broken, or rather, bent barrel, as if it were not made of steel, but of soft plasticine. He frowned, trying to remember how it came out, but he couldn’t. He sighed, and hid the revolver, which became only an amusing thing, but not a weapon.

A girl entered the room, with her face wrapped in a scarf, so that only her eyes were visible. I quickly put a tray on which there were pies beautifully laid out on a wooden dish. Then she brought a berry vovar. Indeed, he sensed how he had become hungry in two or three days, which had passed since the evening of the fourteenth. And today, already the seventeenth, soon, after all, and Trinity, the captain thought, biting off another piece of this delicacy. Berry were good, very good. Eat, and it is impossible to reject, as if you had not eaten for a long time.

And then the house shook a lot. So, as if the earth began to come to life, but stretched out from a long dream. There was a lot of screaming outside. Artemizov, without thinking too much, jumped out into the yard, his weakness, as if with his hand removed.

He ran down the stairs, ended up on the street, and saw how the entire eastern part of the sky was covered with black clouds, through which like fire blazed. Dogs howled wildly, one chicken, cackling loudly, ran past, and hid in nettles near the fence. You could hear cows moo invitingly, causing even greater longing. Fear seemed to squeeze the heart of the captain, it was difficult to breathe, he looked around, thinking that it would be nice to be at home now. Next to Masha and Anechka.

– Why, your nobility?” You can’t stand on the street, now, – calmly and somehow sadly said the approaching Kharlampiy, – you know how far it exploded… And now we will go and eat… Soon it will rain, so it’s not very useful for people. Let’s go, let’s go your nobility… Here, good people preempted me, but we have all the windows intact, nothing is beaten…

– Did you know that?” So why is this?

– There was nothing to hurt them. They do not show their strength in vain, – the headman said bitterly in his voice, – here, look again at what they did to your revolver. And they could tear you apart.

– So what, submit to them? – suddenly the captain howled.

– They don’t demand it. But, they can stand up for their own, – and showed with his hand up.

Artemizov once again looked at the terrible sky, nodded, and quickly went after the headman, back to the house. I just thought, what about there, far in the east, where this horror happened?

***

The hunters slowly shifted their prey, already prepared for sale sable skins. It turned out well, and both were happy with their luck.

– But I have to leave today. Shaman without you came, warned. Say, we must leave here fifty miles south, not that it will be bad, – the young guy carefully said, – everything will burn here, … Like, the Ancients warned him…

– Ivan, understand… Where can we go? But what about mining? Really quit everything? And who he is, think for yourself, not to read.

– So the locals say that Temenchak with spirits says… It heals people, and it treats you, Stepan, with herbs, you recovered because…

– Eh, don’t believe in this damn thing. Everything will be fine, calm down. Tomorrow, we will go around the traps in the depths of the forest. We must collect everything, otherwise our good will disappear. It is important to earn money for the winter.

– In vain you are so… You need to take care… Maybe we’ll sit in the cellar, until tomorrow? And there, and we will bypass the traps…

I saw the elder that the assistant was really scared. Here, of course, I decided to cheer up the guy.

– Of course, Ivan. So we will do it. In the meantime, cook the porridge, so the kettle has already boiled. Get the brew out of the red tin.

The boy smiled, got up, went to the hut, scooped up a box with the inscription “montpassier” in a simple locker, and recalled what delicious multi-colored sweets were here. And then there was already a tiled pressed tea, so beloved by all Siberians.

“Here, more generous luggage,” chuckled the bearded hunter.

He spread the tea on enameled mugs, and poured boiling water, and covered the bowls on top so that the drink would be well infused. Everything seemed to succeed, starting the day quite well.

“Why did you push?” asked the bearded man suddenly, and turned round.

“It’s not me…” muttered Ivan.

Junior just froze with a plate in his hands. The hellish flash lit up the sky, much brighter than dozens of suns. Both covered their eyes, unable to bear such a force of light. Fiery flashes lit up the sky, and a terrifying explosion rang out, a terrible heat was felt, as if a huge fire was burning very close by. Another sun came on.

Ivan turned terribly pale, and pointed his finger up. There, rose and grew from the ground to this sun, a monstrous black mushroom, over the northern part of the immense taiga.

On both hunters, shirts began to smolder from the terrible heat, a stepan beard flashed, and hair. From the blast wave they were thrown to the porch of their hut, the table overturned along with the kettle and mugs, and the fire was flooded with water from the pot.

Ivan screamed here in terrible pain, huddled, holding his head. Stepan, kneeling, grabbed his leg and dragged him to the basement. Fortunately, the doors, and the iron lock, were also torn off by an explosion, and it flew off to the side, as if made of paper. Even the grass burned under their feet, but, however, fortunately, the roof of the hut, earthen, remained intact.

– Nothing, hold on, soaring… Stepka whispered, putting out his smoldering beard.

He carefully lowered the unconscious comrade down the steps, and laid him on the boardwalk. There was no water here, but there was vodka. Stepan moistened Ivan’s lips, he wrinkled his nose, but finally breathed.

– Nothing, now I will grease my face and hands with goose fat, everything will heal, – the hunter said quickly, breathlessly.

And then, Ivan’s face and hands turned red from the burn, and the seasoned man got down to business. Carefully, he began to cover his comrade’s burnt code with fat, then he also coated himself with everything. And then, it felt better right away. Then, swallowed from the flask, which would calm down. Still, it was cool and good here, and outside, the fire was raging. A strong wind raged, and then a downpour began, which seemed to be trying to extinguish, wash it all off the long-suffering earth.

– Are you alive, Stepan? Finally the boy spoke, covered with a blanket.

“Yes, I am alive, Vanya. Everything is ok… Cost, it seems… True, it was necessary to leave. But, all the booty is intact, here it is! – and he pointed to the chest, and opened the lid.

Indeed, the skins obtained with great difficulty were in place. And they shone in the light of a lit kerosene lamp.

The next day they decided to go, to boil this place. Scarb was bullied into dragging, both harnessed, but slowly pulled, took care of the injured, burned hands. It became even harder to go: there were a lot of dumped forests. Instead of nets by the river, they saw only a bunch of pebbles – sinkers. Excellent rich horsehair nets burned. Well, in their hut, even rye flour burned. Instead of a bag of flour, only a black stone remained, and there was a whole stump outside. Ivan poked him with a stick, and the stone, coal, took and broke. In the middle of it there was a little flour, and Ivan carefully poured it into a small bag.

– Enough to fill your ear on the road, – agreed Stepan, – well done, Vanya. Without bread, we will definitely disappear…

“We’ll get there now, for sure. Since we survived in such trouble, we cannot die.

It got colder, and again went a dull cold rain. But, there was no night, black clouds seemed to be illuminated from a height, the sky was red. And as if the night had passed, it was light, as if in the afternoon. So the hunters rushed to the tract, to the trading posts, further from the terrible place.

But when they approached the Chamba River, they were already very weak, fatigue crushed simply inexpressibly. Barely legs were rearranged. And around the hunters saw unprecedented and terrible. Taiga became as if not at all her own. The branches seemed to be cut from the trees, they stood as if bare, terrible, burnt, without bark. And so, a mile by ten. And the grass, all burned down, bare earth stood under the forests. And then, it began to go hard, the whole taiga fell into the ground, as if dropped it. Hunters hardly reached crowded places.