The female part of society engaged in cleaning the gatehouse. Everyone found a business: they washed out the garbage from under the bunks, shook all the blankets, took apart clothes and shoes, made a fire out of non-pairs and other junk, scoured the table.
Lisa got a non-dusty job - washing dishes. Frol brought her hot water, poured into a basin and stopped next to look. Then he reached out and took the rag from her.
- What? - surprised Lisa. But he withdrew a silent smile, and Lisa realized that he wanted to wash the dishes himself.
- Don't you trust me? Well, as you wish! - she wanted to leave, but Frol held her hand:
- Don’t leave. Sit here with me.
At this time, Yasha and Lentik returned, who raided the surrounding villages and brought a whole tray of grapes. The people immediately gathered around the table to feast on.
- Oh, how much dirt from these men! - said Ksenia, wearily sinking down on the bench next to Sokolsky.
- Why is it from men only? You, girls, live here as well!
- Yes, we live, so we ourselves clean. So there is no dirt from us!
- Typical female logic! - offended Misha.
- Ah, you say it all the time: female logic, female logic! - Lisa dismissed.
- Who says, Lizochka? - Stas immediately interrupted with interest.
- You men! And why should there be any logic at all, I don’t understand?!
All the inhabitants of the gatehouse, regardless of gender, rolled in laughter, only Sokolsky, with a little smile, sent several grapes into his mouth and looked at Lisa with interest.
- Yes, very simple! Logic is like this: a lock on the door, and you have a key and here you open it. But in reality there are no locks and doors, all doors are wide open, but nothing can be understood by your logic. The world is not-lo-gi-cal! Life loves to create images, allegories, notify and send signs. It has its own language. And with help of mind one can't understand it.
- And how, Lizonka? - this is Frol, already seriously, although around, like splashes of a fountain, laughter still splashed.
- Here's how: by insight. Like in Zen Buddhism. As a teacher teaches a student through a koan. And insight is same as one catches a fish: threw a fishing rod, sits and waits. And now, if you wait so carefully, it just came, and you grab it! You've got it. And that’s it! And your logic is not necessary at all!
She shook her hands as if saying: like this, nothing difficult, and without looking, reached for the grapes.
Sokolsky, barely having time to wink at the guys, suddenly grabbed her hand tightly. Lisa jumped in surprise.
- Insight, huh? Just grab - and no logic needed!
The walls of the hut shook again from the powerful shock-laughter wave.
Sokolsky and Lisa stared intently into each other's eyes for several seconds. He had not yet released her hand, and in his black, bottomless eyes a complete understanding was reflected.
"Farewell prelude", excerpt