Читать книгу Right hand. Prince of Darkness - Dmitry Nazarov - Страница 7

Town was the next town we passed through. I had to lay a decent hook to get there. Yesterday we took a major detour as we focused on getting away from the chase and then on the feeling of driving fast. As for me, everything is fine, but now I had to make up for lost time, returning to civilized places. My companion, who had an unplanned escape from the wedding, needed some things. I also didn’t mind buying something (for example, getting a change of clothes), but, most importantly, I needed to hone my skills in communicating with people and living in a human settlement in general. I hoped not to draw attention to myself by the strangeness and inadequacy of actions (from the perspective of the natives) by the time we got to Thornfolk.

Town was not much different from Ville, except that it was a little larger. The same narrow streets, only a few of which were honored to be paved with uneven stones. The same arcs of wooden bridges over small rivers. The same area in front of the central city temple with a high black spire that cut into the sky like a sharp spear. True, here, in addition, there was a small fountain depicting a strange pyramid of fish, which for some reason took it into their head to jump one on top of the other. A thin trickle of water flowed from the upper mouth.

– Maybe I’ll wait here, – I said cheerfully, dipping my hand into the pool to wash my face after the dusty drive.

My companion was impatient to go to the local church. He explained the reason: they say, he wants to thank the Prince of Light for his happy salvation from marriage. For my part, I did not understand two things: firstly, what did the Prince of Light have to do with it, and secondly, why it was necessary to drag oneself to the temple for this. Well, I would say “Thank you!” in his heart – and that’s it, he went to do urgent business. So no, Eitan insisted, moreover, he got it into his head to invite me with him.

– Why? he asked in bewilderment. A naive reaction that made me irritably raise my eyes to the sky. – This is not for long, and in the local temple, they say, there are very beautiful frescoes. And it seems that some kind of relic is kept, I don’t remember exactly, it seems, something related to the prophet Jokin.

I burst out laughing. I remember this prophet, he was still a bore. I wonder what they have here and whether it is genuine.

– And besides, there are not so many visitors here, everyone will stare at you, – Eitan gave another argument.

All the arguments together made me reluctantly agree. But I approached the church slowly and reluctantly. The companion kept turning around, stopping, waiting for me to catch up with him, and frowned in surprise. However, he did not attach much importance to my slowness: he must have decided that I was tired from the road.

Fortunately, when we crossed the threshold (an act that was not easy for me), he went about his business: he went to one of the places reserved for prayer, drew an invisible circle with his index finger in the center of his forehead, and knelt down. I began to slowly inspect the interior. I felt extremely tense. No, there was no threat to me here. I could not crumble into dust, take the form of a wild beast, or squeal from the unbearable simultaneous prayer of dozens of the righteous. All this is nothing more than fiction and superstition. I just felt uncomfortable – as a guest who entered a house without asking, where he was not welcome.

I cautiously glanced at the statue of another angel. I hope the one on it is not looking at me now with a malicious smile. They say that, Arafel, you can’t cope without us, even showed up here? I had to tighten my lips, take a deep breath and walk past. Well, where are the relics of Yokin distributed here? I have to look at them, since that’s the way it is.

Suddenly, one of the old women praying quietly to the side, short, hunched over and, it seemed, barely moving, started up and pulled away from me with an expression of horror and at the same time determination on her wrinkled face.

– Get lost, you filthy one! she exclaimed, and began to furiously draw circles with her finger. First on her forehead, which would have been fine, but then she reached for mine.

The circle, the perfect form, was considered the symbol of the Prince of Light. By itself, the sign did not bother me, but the introduction into my personal space – very much so. It’s good that we were in a dark corner, the temple was generally rather poorly lit: the effect of narrow windows with colored stained-glass windows.

– What’s the matter with you, auntie? – I asked irritably, deviating and at the same time trying to unravel the reason for such a peculiar reaction.

She has no way of knowing who I am, so why…

And then my eyes fell on another element of the church interior, a rectangular mirror, divided into four equal multi-colored squares – green, yellow, red and blue. This combination also contained some kind of symbolism, but since colors are an illusory concept and exist exclusively in the perception of individual living organisms, I understood this issue poorly. Another thing is important: even if colored, the glasses have not lost their usual properties. And I, here’s the trouble, I’m not reflected in the mirrors.

Of course, when I went to earth, the master and I took care of this: thanks to my physical shell, I could be seen in an ordinary mirror. But in the church, in the house of the Prince of Light, our tricks did not work. And what kind of angel drew me to come here?! And, most importantly, how observant the old woman got!

– Get lost, dirty, get lost! – she did not let up at all.

I looked around warily, not wanting to attract everyone’s attention.

– Which of us is cleaner is still unknown, – I muttered in response.

– Get out! Scatter!

The old woman drew circles so desperately that I wondered how her finger hadn’t fallen off yet. It seems to be much stronger than it seems at first glance. Suddenly, she seemed to have a brilliant idea. Digging into her purse, she pulled out nothing less than a pre-peeled head of garlic.

– Wonderful! Do you have rye bread in there too? I asked, but the woman did not even think to listen.

Instead, she shoved a whole clove into her mouth – and did not even wince! – the rest began to wave in front of my very nose.

– Garlic will drive out all the evil spirits from the holy temple! she hissed with conviction.

– You will expel everyone from the temple with such a smell, including the priest, – I retorted with no less conviction.

I got tired of all these dancing and waving in order, so, unable to stand it, I grabbed the old hag by the scruff of the neck and dragged me to the exit. She did not weigh too much, and I have plenty of strength, if I do not deliberately restrain myself within the limits of human capabilities. Once on the street and briefly looking around, I considered that the square was too close to the temple, and, therefore, it would be more correct to transport the ardent zealot of the faith somewhere far away so that she probably would not dash back.

Suddenly, someone grabbed my shoulder.

– Hey, Arafel, what are you doing?!

– What you need! I said through my teeth. – I’m moving the old woman to the other side of the street. It seems that you consider it a good deed!

– But not when she’s holding back! – Eitan was outraged.

– Yes? OK. Maybe you’re right somewhere, – I admitted, thoughtfully watching how the released old woman fled with all her might. She doesn’t seem to need help. Runs good! I think she looks ten years younger.

– What’s wrong with her?

My companion, frowning, looked after the receding supplicant.

I shrugged vaguely.

– Looks like I’m a good influence on people. Well, did you finish your communication with the prince? Can we keep going?

– Yes. Of course.

Eitan threw a last glance in the direction where the old woman had already disappeared from sight, and followed me to the waiting rashtang.

The monastery walls – stone, massive, in places overgrown with moss, obviously built a long time ago and ready to be tortured not only by a siege, but also by time – met us surprisingly friendly. The sun was setting, there were no other places to sleep in the area, and we decided to knock here. It was generally accepted that in such places they are always happy to feed the traveler and provide him with an overnight stay.

The gate was indeed opened quickly. The nun, a woman of forty or forty-five years old, in a traditional black dress with white inserts and a matching black and white apostle, greeted us very kindly, invited us inside and promised peace and shelter. We didn’t ask for the first one, but the second one came in handy, so in general I was satisfied.

In the monastery, unlike the church, I felt comfortable. The temple is the home of the Prince of Light, while the monastery, for all its importance for religion, is the home of the people. Monasteries are different (female or male – only the smallest of differences): bright, giving human souls a sense of peace, or harsh, instilling fear of the afterlife; islands of true piety or a cover for a world of intrigue and violent power struggles. The people who lived in the monasteries were also very different, as well as the reasons that brought them there. It was this aspect that aroused my liveliest interest at the moment.

Inside we had to split up. Male travelers were allowed outside the gates, but they were not allowed to enter the living quarters, so Eitan had to eat and spend the night in some kind of military tent, spread out for such purposes in a wide courtyard. Either a local watchman or a woodworker was called in to help him, I didn’t really figure it out. I was taken along the stairs to the second floor located on the street. First, I ended up on a terrace covered from the rain by a wide canopy, and then in a room of an incomprehensible purpose: it was too large for a cell, too small for a refectory. Judging by the wooden table, it was still meant for eating, perhaps in cases where several nuns happened to have breakfast or dinner separately from the rest.

There were six of us in the room: four novices, one nun and myself. The menu consisted of a cup of water, a slice of black bread and… several heads of garlic. Either this vegetable became a favorite dish on earth, or it was used with might and main as a means of detecting demons. If the goal of the hospitable hostesses was the latter, we can say that it was achieved: I did not touch the garlic. I can’t stand his smell, and it has nothing to do with my, without a doubt, demonic essence.

However, to the credit of the local inhabitants, it must be said that they did not raise a fuss about this, and did not try to feed me by force. The atmosphere was quite friendly. Novices – they generally burned with curiosity, wanting to learn more from a person from the outside, and at the same time just chat about this and that. The presence of a nun was a hindrance: you can’t say everything you want in front of her. I had to limit myself to general, meaningless and “politically seasoned” phrases. But such a problem (as, indeed, any) had a solution.

– Sister Keminya! It’s really embarrassing for me to ask you about this … – I said, nervously fiddling with my fingers, – but my companion, the one who remained below… You see, he injured his leg during the journey: either twisted, or dislocated, or just hit. Hard to say. It’s definitely not a fracture, but maybe he still needs help.

My words, of course, were lies from beginning to end, but I suppose it is superfluous to explain that I did not worry about this.

– Don’t worry ma’am, we’ll check it out. The monastery will never turn a blind eye to human suffering. I’ll go down and ask him how he’s feeling. And, if necessary, I will send our healer. She’s great at this kind of work.

– Thank you, Sister Keminya, – I replied, looking down modestly.

It was fortunate that the nun left herself, and did not send one of the novices on an errand. Now it was possible to communicate, so to speak, without constraining factors.

– Well, – I perked up, – how is life in the monastery now?

And she winked encouragingly, making it clear that everyone is here.

– Quietly, calmly, without fuss, – answered the girl of strong constitution, who seemed plump because of her wide bones.

The apostle reliably hid her hair, but I was convinced that she wore a braid – at least until she was removed to the monastery.

My face took on an extremely sour expression: the novice expressed herself as if the nun had not left at all. Or, for example, remained standing outside the door. However, I have a flair for human presence, and therefore I had no doubt: no one outside was eavesdropping.

– Benevolently, – said the second with a peaceful smile, from under the scarf of which the edge of a black strand inadvertently peeked out.

No, they deliberately decided to kill me here! Directly not people, but angels in the flesh! I wanted to go outside and unwind, at least in a figurative sense, and maybe literally.

– It’s boring, – the third novice unexpectedly replied, literally bringing me back to life. – Nothing happens, every day is like the previous one.

– Not just boring, sickening! – picked up the last, the shortest, but no less lively. – You ask how life is, but there is no life here! The longing is hopeless.

The big girl looked at her disapprovingly, although now this disapproval seemed feigned. The novice with the stray lock smiled without a hint of judgment.

– You came to the monastery recently, – she turned to those who dared to express their displeasure. – We haven’t gotten used to it yet. Here life is completely different. Such changes, yes, in two or three weeks, it is impossible to accept. Here you need to get used to, feel, comprehend. In the meantime, of course, it’s not easy, – she sighed sympathetically.

Well, here’s the sermon. Complete steadfastness in the look, combined with sincere concern for others. Killer combination.

I turned away, preferring to focus on the other acolytes.

– And how did you get here?

– I am the youngest daughter of four, – the short one replied. – The dowry for the sisters was somehow scraped together, but it wasn’t enough for me. So they gave it here to somehow attach it. – She shrugged her thin shoulders, spread her hands, they say, such a story, whether you want to condemn, or not.

– And I’m the eldest, – the one who was built stronger than the rest smiled sadly. – But the end is the same. The other novices nodded sympathetically, apparently already knowing the story. But I didn’t know the continuation, so the girl explained: “Until our eldest daughter gets married, the rest can’t either.” Not to go to the ball, not to get acquainted, and even more so to sweeten the engagement. And I was born ugly, no one wanted to marry me. Here, so that the younger ones do not stay too long in the brides, they sent me here.

– What kind of parents are these? I squinted angrily.

The maternal instinct is alien to me, and I do not fully understand people who voluntarily doom themselves to many years of torment, which I imagine the care of a child and his upbringing. However, if you don’t want children, don’t have them, live for your own pleasure. And if you started, if you please, drink your cup to the bottom. It is not good to throw out of the life of someone who in this world cannot really stand up for himself. For such actions in the afterlife it is very unpleasant. I already know. However, is it worth waiting for death?

– What are the parents’ names? – as if in between times I was curious. – Do they live far away?

– Far, close, it doesn’t matter anymore, – the short woman waved her hand. – Behind these walls is like distant lands.

Her intervention diverted the conversation from my question and thereby saved the family of the eldest daughter from major troubles, such as fire, hurricane or earthquake, which I would not have failed to arrange for them.

– They are hyenas, not parents, – the novice declared with conviction, having previously admitted that living in the monastery is boring. – However, Barbara is no better.

She glanced sideways at her youngest daughter, who was handed over to a monastery for lack of a dowry.

– Barbara’s parents wanted what was good for her, tried to protect her, – objected the novice with a broken lock. – An unmarried woman has nothing but trouble in the world. So they sent her here to protect her from a difficult fate.

– How do you know, Agna? – snorted the one whose family my hands itched to punish. You might think you’ve lived a lot in the world.

Apparently, the brunette’s sermons and her inexhaustible faith in the good infuriated more than just me.

– I’m an orphan, – she explained calmly when I arched an eyebrow in question. “I have lived in the monastery since childhood. The nuns have replaced my family.

– And how did you get here? I asked the fourth novice impatiently. Did your parents send you too?

No, I came myself.

The girl fell silent, looking out the window, and Barbara soon added:

– She had an unhappy love. First he promised to marry, then he left.

It may seem strange that the girls were so willing to share with me, a complete stranger (and even not quite a person), their and other people’s secrets. On the other hand, such behavior is natural, given that they had no one to communicate with except each other. In addition, I gave free rein to my essence a little, so that the novices liberated themselves in my presence faster than would have happened in the normal course of events. She considered that it would not hurt them to throw off the raid of conventions for a while. Not completely reset, of course, but slightly lowered.

– So what? I was surprised. – Is this a reason to go to the monastery? She stabbed the groom with a knife, and went on.

The novices, including even the idealist with the strand, smiled restrainedly, from which I drew a sad conclusion: they are sure that this is a joke. Even though I was being completely serious.

– She’s right, – said the eldest daughter. True, I meant, of course, not a knife. It’s a pity. Such a man is not worthy of love.

– That’s right, – I agreed, settling into a comfortable position and stretching my legs. Apparently, such a pose was considered indecent, as the girls looked at each other in bewilderment. – For me, if you fall in love, then only in an ideal. Angel in the flesh.

– So what’s the deal? Fall in love with me!

No one but me heard this voice, nor did they see its owner – an impudent, handsome male with white wings and an incredibly self-satisfied smirk on his face.

I hissed. Silently, so to speak, mentally.

– So what? – the feathered one, freely located on the windowsill, continued to sneer. – I’m an angel, the most that neither is real. True, not in the flesh, but, as they say, everyone has their own shortcomings. Plus, it can be fixed if needed.

– I certainly won’t need you, Matariel, – I said. – Why did you even come here?

The communication was still telepathic, so the girls didn’t hear a word. True, they could notice that the expression on my face changed, and attention to the general conversation was reduced to zero. However, they might not have noticed if they were sufficiently carried away by the conversation.

Matariel threw back his head and laughed heartily.

– You can say that you came to the abode of the Light One – and you ask why I dragged myself here?

– Not to the monastery of the Light One, but to the convent, – I corrected. – Is it proper for angels to spy on novices?

– Why not? he replied carelessly, shaking his leg.

– Shut up, Matariel! It is not good to have conversations with the servant of the Prince of Darkness!

Wow! Yes, there are a whole bunch of them. I angrily turned my head to the second white-winged one, less handsome and less frivolous. He didn’t sit on the windowsill, but stood at the opposite end of the room, but considering its modest size, it wasn’t that far away.

I lifted my upper lip to show off my teeth.

– Come on, Puriel! Matariel waved him off without malice. Why not chat about this and that with a nice girl?

The second glared angrily at his brother, as if trying to incinerate him with a look. Trying hard. To incinerate is my prerogative.

– This “sweet girl” is a fiend of Darkness who descended to earth to lie, kill and lead mortals astray.

– You exaggerate, – Matariel replied carelessly and winked at me in his own way, which made my eye twitch.

– Not at all. Since her arrival on earth, she has already killed one person, seduced another, and destroyed a nascent family.

That is, he followed my every step. Wonderful. No, I didn’t growl, just smiled a little, but that was a much worse sign.

– Well, the deceased was a murderer and a rapist, so consider that she freed this world from him, – Matariel objected.

Wonderful. So this one was also following my every move.

– One of the women he had yet to take by force would give birth to a child. This child was supposed to bring a lot of good to the world, – Puriel bent his line. – We must not interfere with the life of mortals. A small thing that seems right to us can harm a great one. The prince’s ban was not in vain, and you are well aware of this. And even now she seduces these novices who have embarked on the right path and are ready to devote themselves to the Light.

– Don’t worry, – Matariel answered, not at all impressed by the heartfelt speech of his brother. – Even if one of them decides to leave the walls of the monastery, it doesn’t matter. What if one day she will have a child who will bring a lot of good into the world?

He seemed to take pleasure in making Puriel go wild. It must have been an old conflict, although the behavior is still not very angelic, however…

– I leave it to you to sort things out on your own, gentlemen. When you decide among yourself who I really am, a fiend or a sweet girl, you can send me a note.

As soon as I finished, or rather, thought of these words, I ran out the door after the novices – very loud voices could be heard from outside.

The spectacle opened up to us is very specific. Several nuns literally clung to Eitan, who, to his credit, stubbornly tried to escape from the grip. However, it did not turn out very well: firstly, there was a numerical inequality, and secondly, he was clearly afraid of harming women, and in general he tried to behave decently. The same cannot be said about his “opponents”, whose ranks threatened to be replenished at any moment, since many sisters gathered in the courtyard, devouring my companion with hungry eyes. The noise was mainly made by the Mother Superior, who was trying to call her wards to order.

To me, unlike her, the background of what was happening immediately became clear. It seems that while revealing my essence in order to liberate the interlocutors, I miscalculated a little and liberated the entire monastery at once. And in it, as you might guess, there were many women who were hungry for male affection.

However, it is worth noting that not everyone was interested in Eitan. There are a couple of nuns with increased interest devour each other’s glances. Another prays with her nose buried in the breviary and does not notice anything around her. The pious Agna looks around with bewilderment and fear, but there is not a hint of lust in her eyes. Who would doubt that. Well, the Mother Superior, to her credit, is literally tearing herself up, trying to make everyone behave decently. However, the saint is unlikely to succeed. But the demon has more chances.

I began to descend the stairs from the long terrace from which we had so far observed what was happening. I mentally uttered the words of the call, and by the time my foot touched the ground, the rashtang was already hoofing in the yard. Busy, by the way. I think the groom, if there was one, was quite surprised.

The expression on the face of Eitan, who was hopelessly kicking away from the ladies, seemed so amusing to me that I could not help laughing. Mother Superior didn’t like it, moreover, she obviously suspected something. But no action was taken. Easily dispersing the out-of-control nuns, I grabbed my companion by the shoulder and pushed him towards the chariot. It didn’t take long to persuade him. I took the reins in my hands and, without ceasing to laugh – there were already tears in my eyes – I gave the command to the rashtang to advance.