Aleksandr Krasnoslobodsky
Ïåðåâîä: - Âàãàðøà Àðóòþíÿíà.
It happens...
Leaning over the pit, the skeleton held a torch over the prisoner's head. Light of the fire like needles stuck in the eyes of the trapped so that tears clouded his look.
– Oh… Alive! And I never thought to see!
Through a shroud of tears the prisoner saw the black coat of the steward and his sad bony smile.
– Yesterday, it seemed, the last day you live. Too weak you looked, – said the skeleton and lit the corner where in the pit of the basalt wall sat a fat toad. – Is your girlfriend getting fat?
The prisoner passed his hand over his moist eyes and smiled:
– Yes. Soon it will become possible to ride.
The skeleton inserted the handle of a torch into the niche, took up leaning against the edge of a cliff spear and leaned over the pit again:
– Yes, man! Strong you are in audacity and strong is your spirit. Your predecessor was eaten by this toad after a month of friendship. And you've been on your feet for over a year. Respect!
The steward looked into the toad's black eyes and pointed his spear at her. She waited until the tip will be in the nose, sneezed and lazily slipped in the mud and dived into.
– What will you eat? Asked the skeleton, taking his eyes off the toad pit..
The prisoner sighed heavily and shrugged:
– I don’t know, choose yourself.
Hearing the answer, the skeleton bowed his head and looked with surprise at the naked exhausted man, then took off the dish the fattest piece of fillet lamb and strung it on the tip of the spear.
– If I had the opportunity, I would eat this, the best piece on the dish! Well... what are you waiting for? You've been hungry for over a year.
The smell of spices were intoxicating, promising unearthly pleasure. The prisoner reached out and gently removed the meat from the tip. He brought a piece to his mouth, but suddenly-a sharp pain! It was the toad that stuck the leg! Slipping on wet rock and loosing his balance, poor man collapsed into a miserable stinking muck.
With difficulty and care, squeezing the meat in his fist high above his head, he climbed the slimy stone. Smeared the dirt on the face, got to his feet and only now, in the light of the torch, he saw on the food traces of sewage. Overcoming disgust, he lifted the meat to his mouth, but the nausea stopped him.
Toad, feeling threatened, took her favorite place and from there, on the rock ledge, carefully watched every movement of "cellmate".
The prisoner found a toad with his eyes, threw the meat into it in a rage and rushed to catch it. But she grabbed a piece, managed to dive into the muck and hide somewhere in the depths, forcing the poor again with a head dive into the sewage. Tired of fruitless searches, he got out on a stone.
The bony servant shook his head reproachfully:
– Again, the same thing. I give you meat, you give it to the toad.
Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, the prisoner asked quietly:
– But what should I do?
The steward straightened up and, putting the spear in place, took the torch out of the niche. He picked up the dish from the stone floor and moved deep into the cave.
– What should I do?! – cried the unhappy prisoner after.
The skeleton stopped.
– Don’t you know? You surprised me. Kill the toad! – he said, and soon his footsteps died down.
Sighing heavily, the poor fellow looked at the toad pit. "Girlriend" was already in place and warily watched the neighbor.
– I would kill her long time ago if I know how.
Toad, calming down and fairly humming – pulled the lamb from the slush.
Silence. It is everywhere and is inseparable from darkness, as well – the prisoner and the toad. He was hungry and didn't understand why he hadn't died yet. Something made him live. But what?
The stone on which he stood in the middle of the pit barely protruded from the dirty water. The wall is smooth and just a step away, but touching it, he fell into the pit. Only fingernails in blood. And there is no bottom in slush and there where no place to stand up a foot where toad sits. The freedom is so close as the elbow, but... All attempts were in vain.
Loneliness pressed and tormented so that he condescended to conversation with a toad. And each time mentioned it one and the same case.
… An autumn day, gold leaves and the sun ... Through the intersection, holding hands, walk first-graders. His friend’s car, sharply wagging aside, dodges the children, but clings a bumper to a hem of a teacher’s dress... and the car, dragged it on the route on an oncoming lane… In the accident killed two, young teacher because of serious wounds, and not waiting for an Ambulance and his friend without a scratch from a broken heart.
Usually, after the story, the prisoner wept and tore his hair, and toad watched him with intelligent black eyes in which lurked a dumb question: "Why are you crying so bitterly?"Sometimes he saw laughter in those eyes.
Oh! How he wanted to kill her! Whenever the toad fell asleep, he rushed at her, but she always woke up in time and managed to hide in the slime. And when a prisoner is standing when he says it – the blood biting his feet. Not sleeping. Neither the prisoner nor the toad.
Drops-dripping from the stalactite, that in the growth of its Millennium hangs over the pit from the vault of the cave-washed away from the dirty body sharpened smells and clots of dirt. These drops were the only entertainment of the toad, which caught them with his long red tongue. To deprive her of this pleasure, the prisoner gathered up the drops in the palm of your hand and when they have accumulated so much that water began to flow down her hands, drank, washed face and body. It wasn’t enough to drink but thirst retreated and hunger with it. He wanted to sleep, but the toad was waiting. She is sure that there will come a minute when the neighbor will not stand and sleepy, will fall into the muck. Here it is nature-bulk and carry off into the depths of the stench.
Knowing this or feeling, he does not sleep himself. And it helps him to think about how his friend died. And now the poor wretch, sitting on his haunches and lowering his head, he recalled the incident.
The steps of the steward were close, which means that the next day passed.
* * *
Leaning over the pit, the skeleton held a torch over the prisoner's head. Bright light of the flame needles dug into his eyes, so much so that the tears clouded his eyes.
– Alive! M-yeah! Pleased! How's your toad? Getting fat?
Through a veil of tears unfortunate to see a black tailcoat steward.
– What's the bitch gonna do?
The skeleton inserted the torch into a niche and took the edge of the reef spear is bent over the hole.
– Yeah, man! You are strong in boldness and spirit. Respect!
He looked into the toad's black eyes and pointed his spear at her. She lazily slipped in the mud and dived into the depths.
– What would you eat? the steward asked, taking his eyes off the spot where the toad had just been sitting.
The prisoner pondered.
– You know, tell me about your cross.
– Um. Why would you? – surprised skeleton. – Tell me what you want to eat.
– You're grounded for gluttony, right? – the prisoner did not want to give up.
The skeleton thought, and taking a piece of dried lamb from the dish, strung it on the tip.
– Yeah. You're right! This is my cross. I had a case where I killed a man for a piece of bread. And that will soon be three hundred years since I eat nothing. I carry food and give it to scoundrels and bastards, waiting for a miracle. I turned into skin and bones, but I keep feeling the smell of food!
The tip of the spear with meat fell to the prisoner's face.
– Well! What are you waiting for? Come on!
He held out his hand ...and suddenly withdrew it.
– No!!! he shouted. – I know! The meat will fall again in the mud! No, I will not feed her! There is only one way to kill a toad – hunger!!! Take the meat and eat it yourself!
The steward was surprised.
– You must be really sick. No? You're giving meat to me?! he asked, not believing what he heard, but seeing a determined look, threw his hands to the vault and shouted with all his might:
– Done! It happened!! It like it is!!! Oh, My God! He gave me his. HIMSELF! At last!!! Everything he had!!!
In the light of the torch, the prisoner saw flesh begin to appear on the hands and face of the skeleton. And his laughter did not cease and shook the vaults.
Taking a breath and calming down, the steward took a spear and, taking a step to the edge, bent over the pit. The flickering glare of fire lit up the old man's tired face and his insane eyes.
– Here, friend! I got you.
The prisoner wept in disbelief. He grasped the shaft and the old man pulled the wretch out of the pit with some difficulty.
– You can choose the best piece, my Savior! the steward pointed to the dish that stood at the edge of the pit. – Don't gonna believe it, I’ve been waiting for this proposal for three hundred years! Here, everyone is ready to feed the toad until he dies of hunger. And only now...
With tears in his eyes, he took off his coat and handed it to the freed prisoner:
– Put on. It will be cold there, then.
He nodded and thanked the old steward, and threw his coat over his bare shoulders. Then he timidly took the bird's wing from the dish and brought it to his mouth. He didn't believe his happiness! Inhaling the fragrant smell of roasted and still warm meat, he began to eat, dropping tears on his food and hands.
– Yeah! There is no better seasoning than your own tears, ' said the old man chose the loin of mutton piece, the same one that strung on a spear hundreds of years. I've been waiting for this moment for ages. I told you why I was punished, and for what, you were punished?
The former prisoner laid the meat on the edge of the dish and sighed wearily.
The envy of my friend's success made me cut the brake hose on his car.
The former skeleton smiled knowingly and patted the poor fellow on the shoulder:
– It happens...
... They ate for a long time and were happy. And after, sated, went out of the cave. Another eight circles of HELL were waiting for them...