Рыбаченко Олег Павлович : другие произведения.

Universe Vs Universe1

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Школа кожевенного мастерства: сумки, ремни своими руками
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  • Аннотация:
    Imagine the distant future of humanity. All countries and peoples: must become united in order to survive and conquer space. Only a country like Russia is capable of taking on such responsibility. But humanity is united: ahead is space expansion and new star wars - which are waged with the help of superweapons and magic. In the end, the entire universe is conquered by Great Russia. But there are parallel universes. In the adjacent empire, Holy Russia: also subjugated matter and space. It seemed that two almost absolutely identical formations of parallel universes should be friends and coexist peacefully. But due to an absurd accident, or rather a carefully read provocation of third forces, an interuniversal war broke out between fraternal peoples. Everyone believes that he is right and the enemy started first. The Holy Russians are killing the Great Russians, people and the most diverse allies of humanity are fighting - unimaginable races: the wildest imagination cannot describe them. It is not for nothing that the most terrible and cruel wars are fratricidal wars. Madness grows, violence escalates, quintillions of victims of both people and inhabitants of the conquered worlds. Magic is used, as well as previously unprecedented technologies, and so on for several bloody centuries. Scientists are creating more and more advanced methods of destruction, life in the universes is under total threat. Who will stop the madness and save humanity? Not a king, not a God, and not a hero. Not a pumped-up special forces soldier, like a comic book star who kills hundreds of enemies (this only happens in fairy tales), and not a super scientist, who knows how he has not torn the womb of the Earth with his nose. And ordinary people from our time, well, maybe not quite simple!
  UNIVERSE VS UNIVERSE1
  BOOK ONE:
  CRAZY MADNESS!
  PROLOGUE
  Imagine the distant future of humanity. All countries and peoples: must become united in order to survive and conquer space. Only a country like Russia is capable of taking on such responsibility. But humanity is united: ahead is space expansion and new star wars - which are waged with the help of superweapons and magic. In the end, the entire universe is conquered by Great Russia. But there are parallel universes. In the adjacent empire, Holy Russia: also subjugated matter and space. It seemed that two almost absolutely identical formations of parallel universes should be friends and coexist peacefully. But due to an absurd accident, or rather a carefully read provocation of third forces, an interuniversal war broke out between fraternal peoples. Everyone believes that he is right and the enemy started first. The Holy Russians are killing the Great Russians, people and the most diverse allies of humanity are fighting - unimaginable races: the wildest imagination cannot describe them. It is not for nothing that the most terrible and cruel wars are fratricidal wars. Madness grows, violence escalates, quintillions of victims of both people and inhabitants of the conquered worlds. Magic is used, as well as previously unprecedented technologies, and so on for several bloody centuries. Scientists are creating more and more advanced methods of destruction, life in the universes is under total threat. Who will stop the madness and save humanity? Not a king, not a God, and not a hero. Not a pumped-up special forces soldier, like a comic book star who kills hundreds of enemies (this only happens in fairy tales), and not a super scientist, who knows how he has not torn the womb of the Earth with his nose. And ordinary people from our time, well, maybe not quite simple!
  I have a personal request to publishers: evaluate the idea and whether the work as a whole is suitable for you. As for the quality of the text, if you basically approve of the novel, then I will pay the money and a professional editor will polish it! And if not, then why waste time and money, just please be sure to write.
  The universe shook in battle,
  And the stars-tears watered the velvet!
  The war is burning - hell is an evil passion,
  And the Devil wants to destroy Russia!
  
  Let the Fatherland be a giant,
  There are countless galaxies!
  The Lord spread a cover over Russia,
  We are lucky to live in a vast country!
  
  This is a terrible battle - space is boiling,
  We will confirm the glory with the holy sword!
  The wreckage of starships - piles of bodies,
  We will defeat Russia's opponents!
  
  And the vacuum is stained with blood,
  After all, the adversary is strong - the pressure is cruel!
  But we will protect the peace of our native Earth,
  After all, Jesus is with us - the Most High God!
  
  The Fatherland suffers - it has expired,
  The patience of Christ is the strength of the people!
  A broken heart is fragile glass,
  Only the will to live can help us!
  
  Oh my Motherland - I love you,
  And in the universe there is no one more beautiful than you!
  Russia will not be stripped of its ruble,
  There will be peace and happiness for all generations!
  . CHAPTER No. 1.
  Vladimir Kashalotov, languishing from the tension mercilessly tearing his flesh, flew under a long black tunnel that smacked of cold blue. He was pursued by combat terminators - class PI - 1,000,000. Charged with combat magic and multi-class hyperplasma, they strive to find a person who dived into the thickness of the nearest asteroid. Vladimir's tetraplane or single-seat fighter was shot down. Before this, they winged knights (alas, and on the other side are Russian brothers: the greatest tragedy of humanity, two universes mercilessly destroying each other) almost collided; the pretty face of a girl pilot flashed on the hologram. Not yet tempered by war, the young warrior did not dare to shoot at the starry beauty"s tetralet. And she didn"t regret it, she hit it with a quark laser, as a result of which the machine crumbled into tiny pearls sparkling in a vacuum, which after a couple of moments turned black, emitting rainbow waves, extinguishing the anti-gravity field: a matrix that completely neutralized the inertia of the tetralet.
  Thanks to the ejection system, it managed to work. After which, using a kinespatial engine in a combat suit, he dived into a jumping super-speed asteroid-rod consisting of varieties of hyperplasm. What a devilishly difficult jump, hypercurrent discharges ran through my body - as if a red-hot needle had been inserted into every cell. Vladimir mentally gave the order and the radiation from the mini-generator extinguished the almost unbearable pain. Quasar (excellent)! He's inside! The surface of the asteroid is so strong that it is difficult to blow it up even with a Thermocreon bomb. As for the robots, they received orders to take the young man alive - probably for interrogation. And this... Of course, they won"t beat and torture like in the Middle Ages, but with the help of nanotechnology the soul will be turned inside out to such an extent that it won"t seem like enough to anyone. Perhaps it is better to hang on the rack than to undergo cyber torture - an effect on consciousness. Vladimir, being a junior bachelor of magical sciences, that is, so far only the second of twelve steps (the first step is a mini-padawan), created a bioplasmic double for himself. A shadow separated from the flying body and went into a side tunnel sticking out to the right of the corridor. The pebbles on the surface of the winding corridors seemed like the predatory multi-colored eyes of little devil-animals. They kept extinguishing and lighting up, it seemed like the demons of the underworld were winking (saying - your business is vacuum (bad) guy!) Vladimir, using the effect of semi-reflected space, emitted a couple more holographic camouflages. This should throw the robots off their scent, distract them and buy them time. And then, who knows, maybe military happiness will smile on Great Russia.
  An armada of enemies - starships of Svyatorossia: hundreds of thousands, many millions of ships of various classes advanced from three sides, trying to tighten the grip between the systems of the Yellow Fox and the Red Crocodile. It was a border zone between two universes, in which starships lost speed and monstrous hyperweapons lost their destructiveness. A kind of subspace, where the vast majority of space battles have recently taken place, and woe to anyone who allows the enemy to break through into the ordinary part of the universe, the destruction will be immeasurable!
  The army of Svyatorossia was commanded by Konstantin Rokossovsky: one of the most outstanding commanders of the Second World War. He gained special fame on the battlefields: at Stalingrad and in Belarus. Under his command were about two hundred and fifty million starships, three and a half trillion living soldiers of various races and about eighty-seven trillion combat robots. Impressive forces, with some ships the size of a decent asteroid: armed with thousands of cannons and emitters of all types. The question arises: what does the famous hero of the Great Patriotic War have to do with the cosmic battle commanding universal empires? Most directly, after science established that there is a Hypernoosphere, on which all thoughts, emotions, and actions of intelligent beings are recorded, they began to study it. At an incomprehensible super level, all the personalities of the deceased were discovered stored as files on a computer. They were as if frozen between dimensions and space, resting in a kind of basket of information superabsolute. But any file can be restored by removing it from the recycle bin and then it will be activated. For this purpose, a special funnel-vacuum cleaner was invented. The narrowest part consisted of zero and one tenth of a dimension. Then it increased to zero two tenths, zero three! Thus, gradually reaching twelve-dimensional space, gradually charging with multi-hyperplasma energy. The soul-file was sucked out of subspace with zero dimensions and time. Then she was transferred to a carrier, a specially modeled body, and a miracle happened! Humanity's long-standing dream of resurrecting the dead has become a reality. Real personalities returned from actual non-existence, acquiring renewed flesh, improved by bioengineering, similar to that of an angel. It seems Job was the first to say almost four thousand years ago: but my redeemer lives, I believe Jehovah, you will restore my decayed flesh and I will see God with my own eyes. Then in various religions - this was repeated thousands of times. Now science has realized another age-old dream. But while this process of resurrection is very labor-intensive and expensive, it is much easier to find the soul-file of an outstanding person in the zero dimension of the subspace of the hypernoosphere, it contains very large emotional and mental charges. Therefore, so far only the best of the best, great and significant people of the past have been resurrected and are being resurrected. Well, Konstantin Rokossovsky undoubtedly belongs to them. We learned a little, downloading information about modern wars into our brains, and we can already command one of the many armies of Holy Russia.
  A very charismatic personality is also fighting against Rokossovsky: Alexander the Great. Genius versus genius! Steel against flame! A truly unique passage of star battle!
  Supermarshal Rokossovsky addressed the hologram of the elf general:
  - Phoenix, did you perform the oblique sweep maneuver?
  - No, comrade supermarshal. The enemy seems to have activated a strategic reserve. In addition, I feel the influence of powerful magicians.
  And indeed, the grandiose star battle grew. The velvety blackness of the vacuum was split throughout space: fireworks of dazzling, multi-colored flashes. However, is even the most advanced pyrotechnics capable of reflecting at least a millionth part of such magnificence? Countless stars scattered in diamond, ruby, topaz, emerald, sapphire, agate and other bright garlands, amazing the imagination. But even they dimmed against the background of explosions and radiation from the erupting ships. Each type of laser, radiation, rocket ready to explode, space digger has its own color and unique shade. Human language is too poor to describe in all its glory the cosmic battle, something that is grandiose, deadly and at the same time amazing! What can we compare millions of starships and billions of flashes with, except the ocean, where every drop sparkles dazzlingly like a diamond? At the same time, he is in constant movement, seemingly chaotic, but in reality controlled by an unyielding will.
  Rokossovsky commands:
  - Deploy heavy ultra-battleships, try to perform the "sledgehammer" maneuver!
  Huge ships from two hundred to five hundred kilometers in diameter: usually similar to flattened whales, studded with trunks, forks, and elaborately shaped antennas, moved along the perimeter. Here one of the giants released a hyperplasmic blot. Taking the form of a figure eight, the damaging substance covered the cruiser. He tried to leave, but the hyperplasma was faster, piercing the matrix protection and the half-space field rammed the side of the cruiser. The armor, made of a superalloy twenty-one million times stronger than titanium, gave way. Several rotating turrets were melted, the gunners evaporated along with their robotic servants. Relatively painless death, since hyperplasm of the eighth level spreads at a speed of one hundred billion times higher than light, which means the pain impulse does not have time to reach the brain. And the immortal file-soul rushes into the arms of the hypernoosphere, which falls soundly asleep: awaiting awakening. The cruiser burns with bright colors, the flame is fueled not only by the oxygen inside the starship, but also by micro-matter dispersed in a vacuum. A kind of dust particles residing in the negative or zero dimension, the temperature of sextillions of degrees involves their combustion process. It is difficult to extinguish such a hyperfire; many large and small starships are engulfed in fires, continuing to fight stubbornly.
  A huge quasar is burning nearby, Rokossovsky"s army is trying to press the enemy closer to it. Alexander the Great on a high-speed frigate fights in the thick of it. He personally controls both the starship, directing it into the thick of it, and the entire immeasurable space of the battle. Sending commands to various points. Now the enemy got carried away with the encirclement, the desire to create a stellar Stalingrad and exposed the right flank. Intuition tells me now is the time to strike. How many times, with far fewer troops, the Great Hero Alexander won decisive victories. He liked the modern world, its unimaginable scale, speed, technology, the universal HyperInternet, superweapons of unknown forms. So he sends a super-rocket at the enemy, a charge of thermofaraces, the particles from which creons are made, and from them, in turn, preons, and then quarks. The missile is small, it is masked by multiple gravi-holograms: so that the enemy does not have time to intercept it with a quark laser or hyper-emitter! At the same time, mini-rays burn through the semi-spatial substance. The opponent's grand destroyer, like an experienced boxer, also throws his sweeping hook. Many torpedoes passed along the side of the frigate, some of them detonated, scattering into a whole lawn of flaming flowers. It"s terribly beautiful, but in the distance an ultra-dreadnought exploded, an unimaginable mass with a diameter of one and a half thousand kilometers.
  The supernova emitted burning tentacles that burned a couple of dozen smaller starships and scattered several thousand more in different directions. Two brigantines collided, another flash, smaller, but no less colorful. In general, the view is most wonderful - super cool, Alexander is delighted; when the grand destroyer, crushed by the hyperplasmic "fist", crumbled into wildly circling fragments:
  - This is how the Slavs beat! Glory will not fade!
  Elephantcat - (a mixture of an elephant and a cat) remarked:
  - The Holy Russians have introduced a strong reserve on the right flank, and at the same time they are threatening a breakthrough to the rear.
  Macedonsky smiled unkindly:
  - They literally glide along the edge of the quasar. Why do we perform the sickle strike technique? Rokossovsky is a former communist and seems to love this symbol.
  Tigrochep - a hybrid of a turtle and a tiger answered:
  "He"s also hit with a sledgehammer, then hit on the head."
  In time with his words, a heavy thermofaraceous rocket exploded nearby, the starship turned over, and the light went out for a few seconds, only the walls gave off luminescence, pink and blue. The elephant cat meowed:
  - What an outfit!
  Alexander corrected:
  - More like a "quirky" - Armageddon! - He extended his hand, and a glass of emerald wine instantly appeared in it. The glass sang:
  - As always or...
  - Add pepper! With the blood of a mega dragon!
  - I obey, O great one!
  Alexander the Great tried to peer into the multitude of holograms, to determine where to crash the combat mass of starships. The enemy tried to create another cauldron. Rokossovsky remembered his first major success at Stalingrad, how the massive encirclement of German troops turned out to be a defeat for the enemy. But this is not Cannes, Alexander the Great himself, being a master of rapid maneuver, is trying to create a double trap. A lot depends on who has the last reserve in stock.
  The Svyatorossiya superdreadnought ran into gravitational-neutrino networks, some of its missiles were reflected and became entangled in the half-space field. Several missile cruisers fell into the licking space and began to slowly melt, like a lollipop on the tongue. It was a peculiar form, space dissolving matter; the same thing happened to the starship as sugar in water. True, such a field, destroyed by other counter-radiations, did not last long, even by the standards of space combat, where nanoseconds count. In such a battle, an exchange of blows that is a billion times faster than a fight between professional boxers, the variety of means is incomprehensible! It"s something that you can"t even find analogues in the poor, modern language! Everything is Hyper-Super! But the licking space reproduced by special types of rockets and varieties of hyperplasma and anti-spatial impulses corroded the structure like rust; both armadas locked in mortal combat!
  Rokossovsky's army had a certain numerical superiority and therefore advanced. Small single-seat fighters controlled by people, several tens of billions of them, are most vulnerable to licking space. Boys and girls are dying by the millions.
  General Clara Medovaya, commands the seventh corps of starships. A very beautiful, imposing girl, looking no older than twenty - young and fresh, she has been participating in battles for three hundred years. She sees that the enemy turned out to be much stronger than they expected. This means it is necessary to gain time so that reinforcements can arrive. In both Russias there are no civilians among the people. Everyone serves in the army, even the smallest children, and the nightmare of frail old age remains in the dark ages. Even in cybernetic incubators, the embryos are determined who has the most outstanding abilities by adjusting genes using cyber programs. Klala entered into the fighting army, there is also an economic army where all the other people serve. There is also a religious or magical front.
  Children are kid soldiers, up to fourteen cycles (a conditional time period that has nothing to do with the earthly year), they undergo training and special training, after which those most genetically suitable for war end up in the combat army, or rather, first in space training. Before being thrown into battle, boys and girls, and then young men and women, were intensively trained in all sorts of military wisdom. The entire population, numbering many quintillions of individuals, had war skills (and thorough ones). No one knew how many potential military personnel there were, except the emperor and two or three confidants. (exact population: extremely important military secret). Both empires were approximately equal in strength, the war went on with varying success, like the fluctuations of a surf wave, they pressed a little, then won back. There is not a single quark left in the howling universes, not a single impulse in space that has not had time to be saturated with hatred or suffering, a thousand cycles of pain and tears, limitless violence. Loud victories and the most brutal responses, titanic efforts to move the scales of what already seemed like an endless war! Everyone gave their best, but on the whole a dynamic balance was maintained.
  Clara Honey, the general of the galaxy, gave orders, her fighting corps used a disk formation: with wavy edges. He slowly moved towards the cluster of stars to avoid being surrounded. On small asteroids, charges were inserted into batteries specially spun up according to the hyperbole. They moved in rapid leaps, jumping out in the most unexpected places, making their way through the mechanical brushes with fur. One of them is commanded by the brave captain Artur Melnikov. He is one of the young commanders, he is only sixteen cycles. A rather tall boy with a round face, the fair-haired captain heard the characteristic squeak of instruments, sparks and small numbers ran along the inside of the helmet.
  The young man whispered:
  - It looks like we were covered with anti-radiation. In these conditions, we have only one thing left!
  A loud command sounds:
  - Everyone take off your cyber helmets! Aim manually!
  His first assistant, Svetlana Bronevaya, said doubtfully:
  "Then the hyperplasmic computer will not help us when pointing!"
  - And he only bothers us anyway! Can't you see all the programs are glitched!
  The girl blinked several times, the watchdog program said: a viral danger of the second degree.
  - This is serious! Let's fight like in the old days!
  Arthur thought (Svetlana, although older than him, is as naive as a little girl). Temperamental in love. However, the boy still has a girlfriend from combat school: his first and strongest love. But being faithful to your partner is not fashionable and even harmful. It is advisable to change sexual partners more often so that there is mutual enrichment of the bioplasm and subnoosphere surrounding each individual. In addition, after exchanging energy and superparticles, boys and girls who have common sexual partners interact much better on the battlefield. It can be seen that after sex, they have something in common with each other, it"s not for nothing that the scripture says that husband and wife will be one flesh. However, in the future religion naturally became completely different! All humanity, both males and females: as one organism!
  Now there is hope for scientific immortality, when scientists resurrect the dead. Under these conditions, the Bible and legends were written off into the archives and attributed to the epic of the ancients. However, although there is no panicky fear of death, it is still desirable to save your life in order to fight for the future of your homeland. Of course, it is morally difficult to kill people like yourself, and even Russians. Up to a certain point: both parallel universes developed almost identically, it was even called the mirror effect. Moreover, each empire considered itself primary, and the enemy a rebellious reflection.
  Artyom and Svetlana squeezed each other"s hands, the other guys and girls (there were slightly more women born in incubators than men, the same proportion was in the army.) winked at each other. They aimed the batteries and opened hurricane fire on boats, single-seat jets, fighters, brigantines, destroyers, torpedo boats and other small vessels.
  The general level of training of the fighters who were trained for war, even when they were floating as embryos in a kind of nutrient medium, was very high. But they did not always come from many cracks and vacuum collapses. In response, the enemy conducted his merciless fire. A stream of hyperplasma, burning through the weakened matrix protection and half-space field, pierced the armor. So, having withstood the crack, a multi-colored stream of ultra-fire fell on the shooting couple. The young man burned immediately, the girl"s arm disappeared up to her shoulder, her leg up to her knee, her torso up to her ribs. The beauty screamed and recoiled. Svetlana commanded.
  - Enable cyber regeneration.
  The girl"s body (like other people"s) had not been protein for a long time. This is special flesh with hyperplasmic inclusions, while the people themselves are powered by super energy. So the flesh, after being wounded, began to slowly grow. Relatively slowly, the process itself is visible to the naked eye, the rate of tissue growth is 0.8 centimeters per second. But the fierce battle was very short-lived; the armor was burned in several more places. Two guns evaporated, six soldiers died, one young man was half burned, and a girl temporarily lost her scalp and fingers. Miraculously, we managed to avoid the detonation of the shells. However, the guys answer. Arthur himself took a quick shot, knocking out a three-seater attack aircraft. Svetlana, her tongue lengthened, licked the guy on the lips.
  - Megaquasar!
  - Let's have a hyperannihilation (super-destructive) plasma eruption!
  Two tetraplanes were shot down by other guns, and three shooting turrets were shot down on the destroyer. But it was at that moment that the missile cruiser aimed its guns at them. The young man felt the breath of death in his face, the evil old woman with a scythe threatened, and Captain Arthur gave the order.
  - Flexible retreat!
  The battery rushed back, but was a little late. It seemed that the vacuum was aching in pain, and a hyperplasmic vortex swept through. A terrible blow from a gravity wave caught the battery. Five guns and twelve crew members at once turned out to be completely evaporated. Arthur and the others were thrown back by the gravitational wave. The captain flew over, hitting his head on Svetlana's abs. And this is tough:
  - Wow, you're a black hole! - The young man muttered.
  Large cracks ran through the armor. They cut like ravines through the purple surface of the metal, more than a million times stronger than titanium. What colossal power is hidden in hyperplasm, capable of moving stars and extinguishing quasars. But this is only the sixth, seventh, and so on state of matter. An entire ocean of hyperplasm can be obtained from any molecule. Theoretically (this is not yet available to people), one elementary particle will reproduce the entire universe. Or destroy! These are the quasi-divine capabilities of hyperplasm.
  The battery slides along the flexible collapse, the soldier is pressed down by the weakened force of inertia. Then the spring is released and the battery again opens fire only at a different point in space.
  Arthur commands:
  - Hit with a narrow beam, switch the guns to needle mode.
  Since the computers are turned off, this has to be done manually. Regulate the supply of hyperplasma using the drum. But doing something like this is not even easy; what saves us is that the training program also provides for this force majeure. Boys and girls cope with this problem in auto mode. Arthur takes aim at a missile boat, firing with a slight lead. The thinnest squeak of the destroyed vacuum is heard, the boat is torn into pieces. Judging by the power of the explosion, the ammunition detonation occurs. The light spot destroys the car. The tetraplane was also destroyed; the girl made an accurate shot.
  The wings fly off separately, and at the same time the flaming tail spins in the vacuum.
  The enemy brigantine receives additional damage, but responds with massive salvos. A stream penetrates through the crack, throwing the girl aside, revealing golden breasts with scarlet nipples.
  Artem squeals:
  - You see how cool it is! Chernodyrno!
  Svetlana slapped the guy on the knee:
  - Keep it up! Raise your knight's mace higher!
  The drop-shaped brigantine bristled with volleys. Spiny dewdrops of hyperplasm were splashed throughout the combat space.
  Arthur whistled:
  - Lunge!
  A frigate emerged from the side, and at the same time the neighboring battery exploded. It looks like the guys were out of luck; they stumbled upon a heavy rocket or a Vibro-field that pulverized the most durable metal.
  The young man tried to twist the platform to survive such an onslaught. But the opponents are also high-class professionals who graduated from almost the same school.
  The tempropreon cannon was destroyed. It was split into a pile of sparkling parts. The girl and the boy serving the gun were thrown back as if hit with a bat. They crashed into the armor, slightly flattened, shuddering with their elastic bodies.
  Arthur felt a cold sensation in the pit of his stomach. The density of the enemy"s plasma eruption intensified, and it seemed that fresh forces had been drawn into the battle. For example, the ultra-battleship itself is the size of a decent asteroid, and the shape of a massive dagger, studded with emitters, emitted a whole rich pattern of hyperplasmic jets. A bent substance, twisted in the shape of a hybrid of a nesting doll and an accordion, fell on the cruiser of great Russia. Other streams of annihilation crushed four teardrop-shaped artillery platforms.
  Artyom again tried to perform a counter-maneuver, but due to serious damage the battery's speed slowed down.
  Svetlana herself was seriously injured, losing her arm:
  - It hurts though! - She said. - It"s a pity that I ruined such makeup!
  Her friend sarcastically quipped:
  - Losing another place, even in case of regeneration, creates problems with orgasm.
  The girl jokingly threatened:
  - This vulgar thing, I will send you to court.
  Artem pathetically stated:
  - Let's die with dignity! Comrades in arms!
  The young man had a very hard time. Now the battery was literally on the edge of a dagger. The platform split, the young girls screamed.
  - Obsessive threat of the first degree.
  The level of energy pumping dropped rapidly. The guns almost completely lost the ability to fire. Arthur pulled the drum, a super plasma bubble flew out of the barrel, shimmering with all the colors of the rainbow, it burst not far from the gun.
  - Zilch! The charge is exhausted! - Arthur muttered. - There is only one thing left!
  A Russian warrior dies bravely,
  To die for the fatherland is an honor!
  The sword of fate sparkles above him like a ray,
  All that's left is to hit the battering ram - read the prayer in an instant!
  Having manually turned on the forced acceleration, the emergency supermatrix, he threw only forward with the help of a hyperphoton jet. Here, depending on your luck with the target, it is almost impossible to aim. Unless you use the skills of a magician (here, everyone has exoteric abilities, but the level is different; with the help of computers, they have learned to regulate genetics to increase abilities on a very limited scale). Finally, the young man squeezed his hand to his friend and pulled her towards him. The lips did not have time to merge in a kiss; as a result of the ramming of the grand battleship, the young man, the girl and a dozen other young individuals disappeared in a hyperplasmic flash. The battleship itself lost two rotating turrets and slowed its inexorable movement.
  Captain of the first rank Andrei Lisovsky swore:
  - Good guys are annihilators. Not more vacuum than mine!
  His deputy, Klara Novik, objected:
  - Why guys, maybe there are girls there. After all, there are more women in the army than men. Big breasts - shoots well!
  - But not among the top command echelons.
  - I wouldn"t say that, unless we take the rulers and military leaders of the past resurrected from the dead! - Said the nine-star officer.
  (The girl thought about what would happen if Malyuta Skuratov was resurrected), because in this case her affair with the quartermaster general would be fraught with punishment. Why? The guy steals, wants to buy a planet with slaves and transfer to the economic troops. Moreover, he even sold fiki crack for the underdeveloped satellite states. In general, the universe is very large with sextillions of stars and planets, many of which have never seen people. True, almost all more or less developed civilizations have been conquered by Russia, but there are various uncontrollable small things, a kind of cosmomafia. Some generals don't mind profiting from this. True, with the current highest level of technology, it is possible to control every step and thoughts of a human individual, but... Corrupt officials are also needed to solve certain problems. After all, the English kings, and even the Russian tsars, like Ivan the Terrible, did not disdain to resort to the services of privateers - natural pirates.
  So, to some extent, the mafia is allowed to function in a truncated form: for the time being, for the time being! This does not interfere with the war at all.
  And now, when thousands of threatening starships explode every second and millions of people die, someone is counting the profits.
  Konstantin Rokossovsky sees how his army is gradually squeezing the enemy position in a vice, despite all the enemy"s skillful maneuvers. However, so far both sides are suffering approximately equal losses and not a single cauldron has been formed. However, this is difficult with such mobility of starships. Thoughts arise, why are wizards hesitating? On another level, a grandiose magical battle is about to unfold. In it, the forces of the paranormal plane must grapple in the terrifying embrace of annihilation.
  Marshal Ver-Var proposed a hybrid of a boar and a frog to Rokossovsky.
  "I think it"s time to bring the main reserve into action, sending it into a deep bypass of the main lines." Then he will find himself exactly in the rear of the restless Alexander. A powerful blow to the rear will follow, which will complete the defeat of the enemy.
  Starfleet Hypermarshal Rokossovsky was skeptical:
  - Bringing the main reserve into battle when it is unknown what the enemy is up to and what he has at his disposal is, to say the least, a gamble!
  The elf girl, also a marshal, said:
  - If there is a crack in the enemy"s dam, it must be destroyed as soon as possible. Otherwise it will be sealed. We must not miss our chance under any circumstances. It is necessary to give the order to move up the reserve immediately, before reinforcements approach the enemy.
  Rokossovsky frowned, but he really has a big advantage at the moment and it"s quite possible to miss his chances of winning. The hypermarshal announced:
  - Move forward the strike force and send it along route 98-79-32. It is my order to pre-empt this way.
  Ver-Var even suggested:
  -Let's group a unit on the right flank, then we will have a large cauldron before the enemy turns around.
  Rokossovsky shouted:
  - Throw auxiliary units into battle! Complete the flanking maneuver.
  Elf noted:
  - You can send an order mentally! Telepathic wave! Don't shout!
  Rokossovsky was embarrassed:
  - Sorry, this has been a habit since the war.
  The reserve was commanded by Super Marshal Masha Podzemnaya. A beautiful girl, relatively young for such a high position, with fiery hair and a burning gaze, she deployed a powerful reserve of fifty million starships and one and a half billion tetraplane fighters. On this day, Masha celebrated her exactly fifty years anniversary - by the standards of a modern civilization that does not know old age: practically childhood. At one time, this girl was one of the chosen million. Hyperelectronics selected every year five hundred thousand of the most genetically gifted boys and five hundred thousand of the best girls. Starting from infancy, they were specially trained, trained, and charged with energy. Starting from the age of two, they took multi-level exams three times a year; starting from the age of ten, they took the exams four times a year, from the age of twenty - six times. At thirty-three, only one in a million became Emperor of Holy Russia. In Great Russia, a similar system, both parallel universes are almost absolutely similar! The emperor formed the headquarters of the Supreme High Command, which included the six most gifted representatives from the chosen million and six free members, who were put into power by the emperor himself. These could be both those who distinguished themselves in battles and the resurrected commanders of the past.
  Masha, however, preferred to simply command and attack, risking her life in the process. The girl, as a very gifted commander, did not rule out that an ambush awaited her ahead. Tiny scouts, some micron-sized, were sprayed throughout the tunnels and gravitational gullies. They looked for the slightest crack in space, probed the vacuum fields in order to prevent the enemy from hiding behind the camouflage fields or escaping between times. In particular, with the help of technomagic, you can move a starship, or even an entire squadron, a thousandth of a second into the past and the most advanced spy will not detect it, and then once the armada jumps out. True, in this case the squadron can be betrayed by the presence of magic in space. There is also the option of entering one-dimensional, or even minus space, but even this can be detected. Here the enemy will not be saved even by fractional measurements.
  Starships move in a diamond shape, the most powerful and protected at the tip, lighter at the edges. A little ahead is a cloud of tetraplanes; they also perform a reconnaissance function. Some starships differ from Russian teardrop-shaped ones. These are vessels of allies, different races, usually more backward than earthlings. Here the shapes of the ships can be very fancy, in the form of various cheesecakes, pretzels, squirrels, bunnies, and fish. Some use starships in the form of daggers, monstrously distorted instruments of torture, or, conversely, primitive children's toys. True, the weapons are not weak, mostly Russian. Each starship has its own emblem; some aliens prefer skulls and crossbones, hybrid creatures. Now the wave of ships blurs and becomes almost invisible. They turned on camouflage, the vessels of the alien galacts are trying to hide under the cover of Russian starships. Outwardly, it looks like stones embedded in acid; they dissolve slowly, leaving a cloud.
  Masha underground knew that an attack from the rear would not be a surprise for her experienced opponent, nevertheless, she understood that Alexander the Great was passionate and must take advantage of this. Now her troops stumbled upon the first strong point. It needs to be covered in one gulp. An extreme density of fire fell on the enemy.
  The Orc commander of the battery managed to respond with only one volley and died the death of the brave.
  - For the glory of Great Russia! - The orc shouted. The girl - Kablis (a mixture of a boar and a fox) managed to jump out using the rescue module, but she was overtaken and flattened by the tongues of the gravity wave.
  After which the reserve armada stretched out a little like a snake. The resistance of the environment increased, in the vacuum of interuniversal space, fragments of fractional dimensions flashed. Masha understood that this would create problems in the event of an ambush, and ordered the speed to be reduced slightly so that reconnaissance had time to process all the data and analyze the state of the vacuum. After all, the most insidious traps are magical ones! They are the most difficult to detect, because the stronger the sorcerer, the better he disguises himself.
  Dwarf DJ, with a lisp, suggested:
  - Don't be careful. We will miss the moment, the enemy will retreat or receive reinforcements. A slow strike is tantamount to a miss!
  Masha resolutely objected:
  - A commander"s caution is like a finger in a fist, an integral element, but it cannot replace the rest! So see if it's redundant.
  Indeed, one of the magic traps worked. A dozen starships, including one battleship, changed their parameters and froze like glass. After which they crumbled under the influence of friction.
  - Magik-mines! - Masha exclaimed with alarm. - And you told us to go straight ahead!
  The gnome answered sadly:
  - Losses are inevitable in war! Because there are a dozen starships, it"s pointless to reset the time required for a throw!
  - Of course, what is the death of several million soldiers! - The warrior was indignant.
  - But billions will die! They will inevitably die and have already died during the battle. So let's get closer!
  Masha compared the arguments and instantly made a decision (she had the flexible mind of a maiden of progress).
  - I give the order to accelerate sharply!
  The armada grouped, additional engines were turned on, the reactors emitted teratons of energy, but the active resistance of the environment slowed down the movement.
  Masha saw that the contours of the ships were shaking from unprecedented tension, the hyperalloy was vibrating, about to flatten. The girl ordered:
  - Release radiation in seventy-seven ranges, you need to soften the vacuum and split the fragments of curved dimensions.
  The huge spaceships seemed to be shrouded in haze, numerous emitters were shooting, trying to crush all the bends and tensions of space.
  In the center of the battle, thousands of ships were exploding every second, and a lot of debris littered all approaches to the stars. Now two huge ultra-dreadnoughts collided and began to fall onto the emerald star. Huge thousand-kilometer drop-shaped blocks fell to the surface, the prominences soared at once, catching fifty tetralets with their burning petals.
  Rokossovsky noted with satisfaction:
  - Enemy resistance is falling! Most likely, he is already thinking about avoiding complete destruction. In this case, listen to my order!
  The hypermarshal announced:
  - Masha! Accelerate as much as possible and go to the rear! You need to hit the boxer in the back of the head.
  The girl replied:
  - I'm doing everything I can!
  To confirm her words, two dozen more starships stumbled upon a magic trap. Just over half a million soldiers turned into sticky cream and confectionery congealing in a vacuum.
  - You see, the enemy has very skillfully mined all the approaches!
  - We didn"t suffer such losses! Let's speed up! Squeeze out all your reserves, I give you another thirty multi-seconds to reach the starting point.
  Thirty multi-seconds is a little more than sixty-three regular seconds. Masha swore that she would not allow her to be late.
  Alexander the Great squirmed with his army like a boa constrictor. He just received a notification: reinforcements are coming. In addition, he felt that they were coming to his rear. There were only two possibilities left. Either a rapid retreat to save the army, or split the troops, which looks more like suicide. The experienced commander, having compared the possibilities, chose the first: in the interuniversal space, there were no populated systems or industrial facilities, which means he could retreat without sacrificing anything. What is it so beautifully called: retreat.
  Alexander the Great clearly commanded, sending a telepathic impulse:
  - I announce a relocation!
  Huge masses of starships and mobile stations, bending in complex spirals, began to move away much faster. An endless ocean of flashes and lights began to mingle towards the Fox Gate. Alexander himself, contrary to the advice of experts, fought in the thick of it, risking his life. He personally sent a hyperpulse from the central cannon, working on the principle of a space drill. The hyperpulse bites into the half-space field, breaks through the matrix protection of various radiations and penetrates armor. A small ship will fly apart, a large one will receive an impressive hole. The disadvantage of the weapon is the insufficient rate of fire, and also the fact that the impulse itself is easy to knock down if it is homing.
  Therefore, it is easier to send it in a straight line, but this requires skillful aiming. Here Alexander took up shooting himself. This may have been a mistake, since he lacked the genetic memory of firing various weapons. But for some reason the warrior"s bestial instinct did not let him down. The hits were frequent, only the high-speed frigate's cannon was not powerful enough. But no one manages to get into the Macedonian spaceship. He seems to be under a spell - but why does it seem like it is so! Several hundred sorcerers, including elves and firibids (creatures living inside the stars), spoke to the frigate, changing the theory of probability so much that not even the smartest missile could hit.
  But he still has to retreat, slowly backing towards the Fox Gate.
  Vladimir Kashalotov received several serious injuries after passing through innumerable dangers in the labyrinths of the asteroid. Finally he flew to the surface. The poor young man saw that his army was already far away, Holy Russia had advanced significantly and crushed the formations of Alexander the Great. Now there was only one thing left to do, to retreat to our own, hoping that such a small combat unit would not be noticed in the turmoil of the battle.
  The warrior was still very young: only fourteen cycles, but naturally he knew all the techniques of camouflage and the principles of survival in enemy rear conditions. First of all, you can try to attach yourself to the enemy soldiers. They are almost the same, the same Russian language, the same predominantly Slavic faces, with blond hair. But microchips located in the body will immediately give it away. Each fighter contains several million tiny ones - less than a thousandth of a micron, consisting of individual computer molecules. No, it will not be possible to infiltrate, spies in conditions of total electronization are specially trained using the most complex programs.
  The boy decided it might be better to just lie low? What a move! But there's a better idea. He will try it, maybe it will work?
  . CHAPTER No. 2.
  Mirabela Snow White was an extremely gifted girl. It"s not for nothing that almost immediately, from the cyber womb, computer analysts selected her as one of the chosen million. Of course, although there is not a very big chance of becoming a great leader - the Emperor of Svyatorossia. According to the unspoken rule: a boy rules for one term, and then a girl always rules. After the girl, the boy again. This is how it is for eternity. Woman and man, being different in nature, do not allow the Russian Empire to plunge into the swamp of bureaucratic routine and prevent humanity from losing its dynamism: the desire for power and progress. A special million was allocated every year, even if there is no need to replace the emperor, because there are a large number of officials of lower rank, such as satraps of metagalaxies or galaxies. However, there are billions of galaxies in the universe and, as a rule, selected "millionaires" receive higher positions. They also perform well in the active army. Mirabela"s age was not quite suitable for an empress: (usually this happens once every thirty-three years), but she could in the future count on the highest posts in the universal, almost endless empire. How did it happen that she was excluded from the chosen million? And the rapid rise of your career went into a tailspin? In a cybernetic empire, the leaders who control super-powerful electronics have enormous power. In particular, those who monitor the chosen million, they, in turn, are controlled by various intelligence agencies. One can imagine what enormous power the departments of Love and Life, Honor and Rights, Defense of the Throne, electronic control and others have.
  There are twelve intelligence services in total, each of them controls the other. In this situation, healthy competition between departments is good for the cause! Struggle is like light to the eyes, it can be tiring, but woe to man if it disappears completely! At the same time, there is an active fight against hackers. In general, the HyperInternet has become too dangerous due to various virtual wars. There are also hackers-saboteurs and those associated with the local mafia and aliens who dream of ending the hegemony of humanity. There is a merciless fight against hackers, which is monitored by special people and powerful security programs. The HyperInternet itself (it operates in multi-kinesis space, where all dimensions are like loops in fabric, energy and matter disappear and are instantly thrown out billions of parsecs of input. The speed of information transfer approaches infinite, but matter becomes semi-physical. Even time in one part of the object slows down, in another it accelerates, in the third it rushes backwards! But it"s even worse with dimensions. When the head is four-dimensional, the chest is ten-dimensional, the arms are twenty dimensions, and the legs are all one hundred, and even with a fraction, the human structure disintegrates in a split second after the benefit of multikinesis, as well as starships But maybe from time to time not only information or magical flows will be able to move in it) every now and then they are cleared, but the enemy, as a rule, throws in sabotage programs, viruses, boa constrictors, worms, dragons, blots and other types that make the work of all communications and communication as difficult as possible. Naturally, the systems are not closed, constantly moving and controlling. But if the employee is also a wizard, then it might be worth the risk. Abram Khinshtein, one of the chosen million who controls the exams and, in addition, a powerful sorcerer, wanted the blond Mirabela, then still an outwardly gentle child, to fulfill his request.
  The fact is that the girl had a phenomenal ability to control a computer, it was something like electronic hypnosis and telepathy. It was as if she had become akin to the cosmic overmind. So why not take advantage of this? In particular, in order to give the maximum score to certain boy applicants, for which you can get a substantial sum from corporations. Or download part of the money from an electronic file. Or try to sell several dozen planets to a shell company. Only all this is monitored by electronics, which you cannot persuade, but on occasion you can deceive. The most difficult thing is to bypass the software blocks of the special services, there are millions of different levels of protection. But the girl could convince the electronics so much that the most powerful watchdog programs would let the nickname through. A peculiar and still poorly understood phenomenon. In addition, the girl could not yet fully control her abilities; they manifested themselves at a certain inclination of the stars, when the galaxies were arranged in an incomprehensibly complex composition. Abram Khinshtein, cunning, insidious and skillful, managed, with the help of his alien accomplices, to simulate cyber duplications that were supposed to deceive hyperplasmic super-powerful computers. Now, to carry out the scam and replace the data block, all that remains is to temporarily put to sleep the general programs designed to counter spy hackers. In addition, the girl had to be deceived, since it is clear that she would not consciously agree to such a scam. Just how to do this, because Mirabela Snow White, despite her tender age, is one of the chosen million.
  But the Jewish mind is cunning for meanness! Mirabela is too kind, we need to put pressure on it! Here you don"t even feel sorry for your own daughter. The fact that his girl might die does not count. They will make more in incubators.
  Mirabela had just finished completing the obstacle course. Her graceful bare feet splashed on the liquid helium. The pink heels are completely tormented by pain impulses and rays of annihilation. The girl looked about seven or eight years old, with golden curly hair, somewhat reminiscent of little Gerda, having gone through many ultra-holographic monsters and pseudo-robots, she was brutally wounded. True, the delicate skin was restored right before our eyes, and the legs, blue from the terrible cold, acquired a pink tint. Seeing Abram flying, the girl smiled:
  - What are you going to tell me? How many points have I passed the test?
  Abram replied:
  - Judging by the number of hits on you, it"s still far from a hundred.
  The girl sighed:
  - Alas, I"m imperfect as a warrior, so thank you for your honesty. But why do you look so sad?
  Abram said with ostentatious bitterness:
  - Do you remember my daughter Sima?
  - Yes, a very interesting girl!
  - And besides, she"s not obedient.
  Mirabela answered kindly:
  - Unfortunately, a child cannot behave perfectly. Maybe I tried something forbidden?
  Abraham shed a tear:
  - If only it were! You know, while making her way through the HyperInternet, she decided to penetrate the data on the preparation of the chosen million, which is strictly prohibited.
  - Yes, our data is secret! - The chosen girl confirmed.
  - And so my girl found herself captive of watchdog programs. At any moment she could be extracted and tried as a spy.
  - So small?
  - You know, espionage has no age. She will be deprived of her personal matrix and sent to the quarries, where she will work like a slave for centuries.
  - Wow!
  "As a negligent father who neglected to look after his son, I will also be punished." However, I don"t care, I can"t live knowing that my beloved daughter, a kid soldier, will serve in the prison army.
  Mirabela looked at Abram, who, like a skilled actor, portrayed grief so naturally that the girl felt uneasy:
  - I will help you! - Mirabela said in a sympathetic tone.
  Abram replied:
  - No! Nobody can help me!
  Mirabela, with poorly hidden excitement, replied:
  - I feel that the galaxies are about to enter a kind of crystal lattice. This means I can put the guard programs to sleep and get your daughter out.
  Abram feigned hesitation:
  - But this is strictly forbidden to you, if you are caught, you will be taken out of the chosen million, or even sent to the quarries.
  The girl said sternly:
  - I don't care! I will help Sima. Follow me, you will see how I do it.
  Abram said with a breath:
  - Your nobility is worthy of an empress.
  - Worthy of a man! - Corrected Mirabela.
  The girl took off with Abram. The cunning specialist worked with all the tracking devices in advance and considered himself safe. The girl and the insidious adult put on helmets and plunged into a complex electronic world filled with information.
  Mirabela felt like a goddess among many dimensions and spheres. It seemed to her that she was flying along a wide highway, and various virtual programs were rushing around. Some harmless ones resemble cows, squirrels, tulips - a mixture of elephants and tulips, and other beauties.
  On the contrary, there were frightening ones: formidable and dangerous wolves, tigers, dragons, and such monsters that the most avid horror director would go crazy with fear. There are also hybrid types: a mixture of cactus and tiger, potato and camel, banana and stingray, octopus and fly agaric. However, the girl is not afraid; she has experienced something different in combat sparring. Literally from the day their incubator appeared, babies were taught to fight (more precisely, kill), as well as other sciences. Every day, children fight with each other or with various weapons or naked, and often boys are paired with girls. They do not know pity, and yet the girl retained a semblance of tenderness in her soul. Mirabela flies past the visions and is confronted by the formidable mega-network watchdog programs. They resemble huge porcupine lions and shark guard dogs. The virtual reality gives them a terrifying appearance. Abram stops:
  - Do you see them?
  Mirabela calmly answers:
  - They are completely harmless!
  - I wouldn't say that!
  The girl flies up to the gigantic thorny lions. He waves his hand at them:
  - My dears, how do you feel about being in custody?
  In response, a welcoming roar is heard:
  - We are listening to you girl!
  Mirabela continued in a gentle tone:
  -You are such cute animals. You carry a difficult guard, you are constantly on alert. It must be incredibly difficult for you?
  The guard lions and dogs answer:
  - Difficulties do not scare us!
  Mirabela agreed:
  - This is true, but don"t you really want to plunge into the bright, clean world of sleep? To find out what childhood dreams are, what it"s like to run through a bright meadow when your soul is at ease!
  The watchdog programs purred contentedly:
  - Maybe you"re right, girl.
  Mirabela made several passes with her hands. The formidable predators gradually began to fall asleep. They laid their violent heads on their knees, and the low-timbre snoring of predator-programs was heard.
  The massive monsters fell silent as the girl said:
  - Now the way is clear! You can free your daughter!
  Abram, hiding his disgusting joy, replied:
  - And I"ll do this now. Relax and don't peek.
  The girl pointedly turned away, and Abram began his destructive work. He quickly downloaded the necessary information and transferred funds. Trillions of rubles flowed into his pockets. Everything seemed to be going brilliantly, golden streams were opening up.
  Then suddenly the HyperInternet was covered in impenetrable darkness. Abram began to shake, he swore angrily:
  - What kind of vacuum devilry is this!
  The space swayed and Abram and Mirabela found themselves in a gray room filled with robots with many tentacles.
  - You are under arrest by government hackers! - Announced a thunderous voice.
  Abram howled:
  - This is mistake! I was tricked!
  - There is no mistake here! You are the main criminal!
  The vile schemer screamed:
  - It's all Mirabela's fault! She encouraged me to commit a crime!
  - We all know who prompted whom! And you will answer before the law! And the girl showed that she has dangerous abilities.
  Mirabelle was grabbed by the wrists and her arms were expertly twisted. The girl kicked her bare feet, which were hit very painfully with a gravio-neutrino whip. It hurt so much that Mirabela lost her breath. The girl was hit harder again, so that she gnashed her teeth. The pink heels were slightly swollen and blue, and a few drops of blood appeared. The third blow brought a groan from the girl"s lips, her blond hair sparkled and stood on end. More blows followed, the girl"s heels were smoking. Mirabela screamed:
  - It's all my fault. Don't torture Abram.
  The blows stopped coming, and a cheerful female voice was heard:
  - We will interrogate Abram again. And you are a noble girl, you see how you defend this scoundrel. We will send you to a cell and then decide your fate. This type is in for real torture.
  Abram began to speak in a most disgusting little voice:
  - No, don"t! This comet devil deceived me!
  A deafening voice interrupted:
  - Don"t drive hyperplasma, we have everything written down! And what we don"t know, you will tell us when the specialists take over for you. As for the girl, she will most likely face a public flogging and exclusion from the chosen million. But if she shows naivety while defending a dangerous criminal, she will be punished more harshly.
  A tear flew out of the girl's eyes. She realized that now everything, her future, was down the drain. So it means goodbye to her career and she will be transferred to the quarries. Special mini robots in the body create constant pain in the bodies of the prison army prisoners. When you work quickly, the pain is weaker; if you slow down a little, it gets incredibly stronger. And no entertainment, no opportunity to get high in a short sleep, continuous work and torment. Another prospect is spanking. The girl is not afraid of pain, it is a familiar companion in all her sparring and training, but she is afraid of humiliation. Boys and girls will watch her being tortured, and they will probably even laugh. And this is so shameful and scary!
  Mirabela bit her lip to keep from crying. She decided that she must endure the torture in silence.
  The girl was taken to the local prison. They threw me into a cramped cell where there was no bed, no chairs, just bare walls. Mirabela herself felt that a strong heat was emanating from the floor, which burned her bare, chiseled legs, and from the top, on the contrary, it was freezing, causing her muscular bare shoulders that were beyond her age to tremble. The very stay in the cell was no small torment. It"s true that, strangely enough, it was a consolation for the girl; the more they punish her now, the more leniency they will show later!
  The girl thanked science that she was not created from the same imperfect protein tissue. Then her legs would crumble into ashes and her body would freeze. And so the feeling is only strong, heat and burning of the children"s feet of a human biorobot. Mirabela is forced to dance to reduce the severity of the pain. She jumped, hitting her head on the ceiling of the cell, stood on her toes, and spun. The heat and cold intensified, and it was very painful for the gifted child. The girl, however, understood that a harsh childhood was justified: there was a war going on and every kid soldier must be prepared for severe trials. After all, even those who are assigned to the economic troops, or labor armies, do not have childhood, they undergo combat training. The life of every child in both empires begins with the fact that he is covered with a gravitational wave and shined with ultrasound, then pierced by a hypercurrent pulse. Getting to know this world begins with severe pain! This should harden the little one and prepare him in case of capture (there are many different paralyzing radiations, and suicide is justified only if you can take enemy soldiers or, at worst, combat robots with you). In captivity, the brain could be turned off, turning into a puppet slave. However, there were betrayals and defections. The special services then hunted for them, trying to punish the traitors.
  Everyone endured pain from infancy, even the emperor! An omnipotent ruler with absolute power, from time to time went through obstacle courses, experiencing the same suffering as any subject. Special types of hyperplasma and ultra-hyper-super current were even invented, which should increase the pain. (Hypercurrent is an evolution of ordinary electricity, it contains immeasurably more energy than ordinary current, the speed is billions of times higher than light, voltage is created in many dimensions at once, both integral and fractional! Well, the possibilities of use are limited only by human and not only human fantasy.) To suffer was considered great valor, and those who were afraid of pain were considered inferior. They were not killed, but simply had their personality matrices reprogrammed. In general, the supercivilization was strange: the death penalty is considered inhumane, and torture, even for small children, is common and even mandatory. It was believed that every person must experience unbearable suffering that strengthens the soul and body!
  Mirabela used special techniques to distract herself from the pain and somehow localize it. This helped, but to a very limited extent. In addition, those mini-computers that were inside the girl tormented her more and more. The elastic bones were twisted, the girl was literally warped.
  Mirabela wriggled so desperately, gnashing her teeth, that even colored spots slipped before her eyes. She felt like she was in fiery and icy hell. It was simply terrifying, pieces of meat fell off and grew back.
  The girl even sang with sore lips:
  My homeland - there is no stronger love,
  To fight for you is valor and honor!
  It is necessary to shed a sea of blood for a dream,
  Defeat the enemy - recruiting doesn't count!
  
  My Rus' is holy - in the flame of hearts,
  I can"t comprehend the beauty of the country!
  Fight for her - bring the end closer,
  Hellish evil horde - vile vanity!
  
  I am ready to give my life for the Fatherland,
  Show us the way to the whole universe, Rus'!
  If she needs it, we will suffer,
  Attack at full height and don"t be afraid in battle!
  
  I asked God where to find destiny,
  The stars in the sky were blinding with flashes!
  And the Lord said - I don"t understand you,
  My answer is simple - serve Russia forever!
  It even became a little easier! She will never, no matter what torment, betray Svyatorossia. And after all, the pain is deserved, it should even be punished more strongly so that others will not feel the same.
  Although time seemed to pass agonizingly slowly, in reality only an hour and thirty Earth minutes had passed. However, when you are tortured, it seems like an eternity.
  The girl was picked up by a force field and dragged outside. She was sent to be publicly flogged. Mirabelle was very ashamed and not because she was naked, in a developed empire there was nothing shameful in bodily nudity; during sparring with the boys they fought completely naked, without any obscene thoughts. And sex in the technotronic world is not at all the same as it was in ancient times. Is it possible to compare a club and a hydrogen bomb? Mirabela was only embarrassed by the feeling of guilt that she was arrested. In addition, she will have to part with these guys and it seems forever. Children from the chosen million, usually very beautiful, came to their punishment half naked in only shorts. Due to the developed muscles, you can"t immediately tell which is a boy and which is a girl. True, girls wear red shorts, and boys wear blue. Short haircuts, impassive faces. They are so well trained that when Mirabela appeared with her hands cuffed behind her, not even a rumble was heard. The beautiful faces froze like idols, and only a couple of boys allowed themselves to smile slightly. Slightly - this means slightly raising the edges of the scarlet mouth.
  Mirabela smiled back at them. Although it was clear that the scaffold was already ready and the combat robots-torturers took threatening poses.
  The path to the scaffold seemed painfully long to the girl; her legs, which had experienced a lot of suffering, walked slowly along the metal floor. Mirabela had a hard time restraining herself not to cry. One of the girls stuck out her tongue and immediately hid it. Oddly enough, Mirabelle felt better after that, she let out a laugh.
  In response, she was picked up and thrown to the scaffold. The girl was lifted into the air and pinned under a force field. The commander's voice sounded:
  - Since our pupil, Mirabela Snow White, allowed her abilities to be used for criminal purposes, showed excessive softness and lack of foresight, she is sentenced to public punishment and expulsion from the chosen million. What do you want to say in response?
  The girl said with difficulty holding back tears:
  - I made a mistake! So I will answer for her with all severity before the law!
  - Start! - Said the invisible woman.
  The girl was hit by pain radiation. So intense that it immediately illuminated the body, right down to the ribs and internal organs. Everyone saw Mirabela's skeleton and disintegrating internal organs. The girl experienced such severe pain that previously seemed incomprehensible to her. Never before had such horrors befall every part of the body. Mirabela spat out blood and howled sharply:
  - Oh-oh-oh-oh!
  A whistle was heard among the boys. Someone shouted:
  - Sissy!
  At that moment, a wave passed across the floor, hitting the children"s bare feet painfully.
  The ultra-current hit my bare heels painfully. In general, during such punishments, it is customary for the pupils to also experience pain. This makes public spanking much more educational.
  The guys winced, but remained silent. Mirabela's torture continued. Her small body kept changing colors, and her consciousness showed various terrifying scenes. The girl shuddered every now and then, Mirabelle, with a great effort of will, managed to extinguish the scream that was constantly erupting. They continued to beat her, shining through every elementary particle of her body. The girl suffered terribly, at some point the pain exceeded all limits and she screamed again.
  The powerful shock of the hypercurrent struck the watching pupils as well. Some of them screamed at this, it was very painful.
  Meanwhile, Mirabels began to be tortured in a special way. Her body kept breaking into separate molecules, and then reassembling itself. It seemed that it scattered into photons, and then was restored once again. The hall was collapsing from a multi-barrel cannon, under the influence of annihilation shells, it became more and more painful. Each cell of the organism, albeit not a protein one, but a living one, disintegrated into its constituent elements - smaller than quarks, and then, by the power of the supermatrix, it was like a rebirth. Here the suffering is such that it is impossible to comprehend and imagine it. Monstrous cyber torture, brutal cruelty.
  Consciousness, finding itself in an ocean of pain, did not want to go out. On the contrary, time slowed down, which made everything even more painful. This went on for quite a long time, every second was filled with torment like the Sun with photons! The pupils from the chosen million were also lashed with various rays and radiations in order to better feel the guilt of others. The guys screamed, shuddered, but stood still: pain is a blessing, a strengthening of will, the foundation of victory! The next stage of the torture was rolling the body into a tube and driving it through a ring of fire. This is also an additional chord in the torture symphony. Mirabelle's bones were broken every now and then, and then painfully knitted together. The boy who dared to laugh had his arms and legs cut off and then reattached. After which a holographic tiger appeared, devouring flesh, this is an incredible horror, gnashing of teeth. Fortunately for Mirabela, the empress herself (the ruler is capable, with her hyperplasmic brain, of perceiving millions of projections and species holograms at the same time! Which means, without losing control of the universe with a small part of her consciousness, give a telepathic command!) took pity on the girl and ordered:
  - Enough! Otherwise, the girl will lose her unique warmth from suffering. We must thank the Almighty that at least someone has compassion!
  This phrase fit into an impulse that took two nanoseconds. After the end of the cyber-flogging, Mirabela, who had fallen into a stuporous state and had lost her human appearance, was sent to a rehabilitation center to have her psyche checked. So her unique abilities were securely blocked, and the girl herself was enlisted as a kid soldier in the regular troops. Now she had to pursue a difficult military career and atone for her guilt with blood!
  But before that, undergo comprehensive training. However, there was not much difference, except that the head was not as stuffed with knowledge as that of the chosen million. Although they conducted additional classes with the girl, apparently taking into account her extreme genetic talent. The girl developed, going through a complex science, although she did not really like the combat process itself, she trained with cold enthusiasm.
  Years passed and now she is a young girl, at fourteen cycles, looking like an athletically built goddess. Fourteen cycles are the age of majority, full maturity. In general, in theory, it is possible to accelerate growth to such an extent that all fighters will be adults in shape in a year, but there is no such need yet. More time means better preparation!
  Mirabela participates as a private in her first battle. She fought on a tetraplane, but covered the rear communications. Either they tried to take care of her, hoping to somehow use her unique abilities more effectively, or they didn"t particularly trust her, but so far the girl had not managed to kill a single enemy soldier.
  The war gave her mixed feelings, on the one hand, as a former kid soldier who had gone through many virtual battles, she naturally wanted to fight for real. But on the other hand, kill boys and girls like her. A completely logical question - why!
  Lermontov also wrote about the Caucasian war with the Chechens:
  The Russian expanses are huge,
  There's enough room for everyone under the blue sky!
  Why sprinkle the mountains with your blood,
  Oh man - why are you fighting?
  Indeed, here we were talking about a war between Muslim Chechens and Russian Orthodox Christians. In this case, the Russians are the core nation, and the other peoples of the earth, united into a single family, have clearly lost their minds and are simply exterminating each other in a total interuniversal war! As for religion, the Bible, Koran, Talmud and other books are classified as ancient folklore. In the new religion, man took a central place. It is believed that he must, by the will of the Almighty, become a real God. And of course, the Slavs are specially chosen by God. According to tradition, the religion retained its former name Orthodoxy, but the essence became different. People earn rewards in heaven with their intelligence and personal merits to Russia. The reward is determined by the person himself and, first of all, by the emperor. But the emperor is not God, but the elder brother or sister of each individual, and he can be legally removed (which has not happened yet).
  Man as the only begotten son of God: stands above other races and peoples. However, the closest races are considered to be elves and hobbits. The last race got its name due to its resemblance to famous creatures from the ancient human epic. True, some call them anions, believing that the creation of the great Russian science fiction writer Rybachenko is much more similar than the hobbits of the Englishman Tolkien. This species grows in the opposite direction, from old people to children. True, the anhobbits (a compromise name) recently achieved immortality, freezing at the level of ten-year-old children. Outwardly, they are cute, very similar to people, but not as monstrously muscular as modern warriors. Rather, they are similar to those children who were in ancient times. There are very few adults and old anhobbits; in ancient times, the vast majority of them were children. Living in the center of the galaxy in a warm climate, these eternal children usually ran barefoot, which is perhaps why they began to be associated with hobbits. In terms of technotronism, they are not very developed, they failed to create a large space empire, but in magic... they are extremely strong. Elves, in turn, also inferior to people in technology, had many magical schools. Moreover, there was a whole series of wars between them and people. And no one knows how it ended, if the elves were united. But having lost many trillions of individuals, the elves resigned themselves to the role of man's junior partner. Moreover, sometimes even elves were allowed to command people and occupy positions in the Russian army.
  Mirabela just happened to be under the command of an elf officer.
  Not as terribly muscular as the earthly boys, she immediately liked the glamorous and very graceful elf. Considering the free morals of the super-civilization, it is not surprising that they made love. And the elves are very inventive in this matter, they have a whole culture of eros dating back many millions of years (the civilization of the elves is incomparably older than the earthly one). This was wonderful for her, but the elf (whose flesh is not as durable as that of humans) was severely crushed, and her delicate skin was burned by bioplasmic energy. And he began to avoid contact with the powerful beauty. Therefore, they had an ambivalent relationship: they want it and they inject it. In general, you can make love with human warriors only at certain hours, during special teachings of Eros. The rest of the time, special computers regulated the supply of hormones in the hyperplasmic body to relieve excitement. The boys are of course beautiful, they are good to work with and they are all different (during exercises they usually change partners - this is even obligatory according to military regulations to be done in order to enrich and make the bionosphere of boys and girls stronger!), but still with an elf, and also a powerful magician can't compare. In general, in magic as such there is a lot that is irrational and cannot be explained by logic. In particular, even highly developed bioengineering cannot (I hope so far) make everyone magically gifted at the genetic level.
  On the eve of the battle, the girl and boys underwent a four-hour teaching of love. There was a lot of pleasure, but no fatigue. There was an exchange of hyperplasma and high energies capable of illuminating a millionaire city in ancient times. After which, the satisfied and cheerful fighters were distributed among tetralets.
  An elf officer named Cyruss (her first true and unrequited love), before the girl mounted her winged "horse," approached her.
  - I know Mirabel: this is your first fight and you really want to smell the hyperplasma!
  The girl answered with enthusiasm:
  - Certainly! Although not for the sake of the fight itself, but because of serving the Fatherland.
  We'll give our soul and heart,
  We are our holy fatherland!
  We will stand and win,
  And we will not regret our lives!
  Mirabelle sang in a delightful voice.
  - This is good! - Said the Elf, smiling charmingly. - But I read the secret instructions of the Department of Love and Tenderness, you need to take care of your life. Why secretly, but the authorities know better.
  Mirabela shuddered: despite the name Love and Tenderness, this department was considered the most terrible of the twelve special services, controlling life in the great empire. What if they want to subject her again to the most sophisticated tortures? Who wants to experience torment? Or will they want to depersonalize? Erase individuality from the soul?
  The girl said with a trembling voice:
  -Are you unhappy with me?
  Tsiruss repeated in a ringing voice:
  - I do not know anything! There's probably nothing wrong with you! Totally pure girl, quasar patriot!
  Mirabela's beam thrower, with a voice as shimmering as the trill of a nightingale, said:
  - Magnificent maiden of Victory! I think our success is inevitable. You will annihilate sextillion enemies! - A hologram flashed in the form of a boy waving his hand, and in his hands a Twenty-barreled emitter.
  Mirabela shook her finger at the weapon.
  - I'm peeing! But I can do it differently! Showing fire in all its glory! They say: the howl jumps through space! Winning, differently than everyone else!
  The elf remarked in a colder tone:
  - In any case, you will guard the rear! So far you have been given such instructions. We'll see what happens next!
  The army of Svyatorossia under the command of Rokossovsky, using its numerical superiority, went on the offensive. More than one million starships and many billions of soldiers have already been annihilated in the plasma grinder. Even the sparkling faces of the stars seemed like predatory grins when looking at them through space and vacuum, disfigured by frantic flashes of destructive energy. Yes, vacuum is not emptiness, it has a complex structure and can even experience emotions and feelings, including pain. There is no emptiness in the universe, there are only different forms of matter, most of which are still inaccessible to human understanding! The troops under the command of Alexander the Great tried to perform artificial maneuvers, but could not avoid retreating. They could only back away to avoid the "cauldron." Rokossovsky was already considering further plans if they managed to break into the neighboring galaxy inhabited by the Great Russians. What to do then? Destroy and destroy as many planets as possible or try to create a bridgehead. In 1941, the Soviet Union was superior to the Wehrmacht, both in numbers and in the quality of tanks. The superiority in tanks and aviation was fourfold, and in artillery two and a half times. True, the Germans have about thirty percent more infantry, but this is temporary, before the Soviets announced mobilization. During the initial phase of the war, in most battles, Soviet troops had a numerical superiority. But unfortunately it so happened that they retreated to Moscow, and it is unknown if they would have held it if not for "General Moroz." Battle experience has shown that in the event of stubborn resistance, it is necessary not to get drawn into protracted battles with strong defenses, but to make flanking maneuvers. It seems Alexander the Great is quite capable of thinking like a prudent commander. Seeing that the enemy is on the alert, carry out, as it is beautifully called, redeployment. Rokossovsky himself understands. that the enemy cannot retreat indefinitely. Otherwise, the army of Svyatorossia will burst into operational space and carry out a total massacre in the galaxies controlled by the enemy. This means that the enemy will stop at some point and try to build a "hedgehog". In general, Rokossovsky is satisfied; he was able to correctly take advantage of the numerical superiority, trying to envelop Makedonsky from the flanks.
  Masha Podzemnaya, despite all her haste, was slightly late; her troops stumbled upon another hastily built dynamic defense line.
  In this battle, Marshal of Great Russia Diana Johnson, as a worthy student of Alexander the Great, carried out a desperate counterattack maneuver. As a result of the frantic attack, several missile cruisers rammed the ultra-dreadnought, resulting in the destruction of the vehicle with its three hundred and eighty-five million crew. The detonation was monstrous, as if a small quasar had exploded, the flash of a trillion hydrogen bombs, hyperplasmic tentacles swept away several thousand more space ships. As a result, the gnome marshal, commander of the reserve aliens, died.
  The battle unfolded with new furious force. It seemed like terrible demons were rushing through space, both terrifying and beautiful at the same time, in their marvelous play of colors. Every second, tens of thousands of grandiose firecrackers burst at once, dropping sparkling fragments of incredible confetti. The precious dew of star fragments gave birth to a surreal picture against the background of the battle; it is impossible to describe such a thing. even a genius of the avant-garde.
  Alas, Mirabela could not observe this beauty. She had only a very boring patrol. But then the girl noticed a shadow, it was highlighted by a neutrino radar. It looks like an infantryman in a camouflage suit is trying to get closer to the robots.
  The subject's disguise is not bad, but the girl has an ultra-modern combat suit, she sees the guy's movements. Why a guy? She doesn"t know for sure, maybe her intuition tells her this. The girl turned on her matrix disguise and moved after the young man. Fortunately, the vacuum does not create turbulence, which means its movement is not visible. True, it can be detected in the case of biofield turbulence. Mirabela thought that the slightest movements in a vacuum cause disturbances in many fields that permeate the space.
  The boy stood in ambush, apparently planning to "clamp" the robot. A ray flew out of his gun, not a combat one, but simply an impulse sending a cyber virus. This is interesting to Mirabelle, because every robot has software protection against viruses. You can't lasso a cyborg that easily. Here you need to choose the right system: the only question is which one? It is best to mow down the enemy"s army under the commander. But this is a very delicate work, and any mistake can be fatal. After all, you need to model an individual matrix and call sign, and this is as difficult as using a chisel to carve a fingerprint in plaster. But the boy, Mirabela feels that the boy is very young, and is not lost. One of the robots sent a signal and flew out of the general row.
  - What a cunning one! Well, I"ll take him prisoner! - The girl said to herself.
  She silently flew up from behind and was about to turn on an almost elusive, paralyzing beam that could turn off consciousness. However, it"s too easy, and you"ll just talk to the prisoner. Mirabela changed the range, counting on turning off the body and electronics of the combat suit. The boy suddenly froze and straightened up. The power grab turned him to face Mirabelle.
  The girl smiled. Yes, what a handsome, young, almost boy, only tall like all the accelerators, but with a round, childish face. Of course, attractive and sweet, somewhat naive. The eyes are blue and there is confusion in them. The young warrior said tenderly:
  - Well, did you get the pulp photo?
  Vladimir Kashalotov (It was him), hoarsely (the tone of his voice was distorted from excitement) said:
  - Alas, you turned out to be stronger!
  Mirabela bared her teeth predatorily:
  "You killed our soldiers, and now you yourself have become a victim." Now torture and punishment await you.
  A slight ripple passed across Kashalotov"s face. He knew what pain was, but he understood that it could be made total and continuous:
  - The only thing I regret is that I didn"t take any of your fighters with me! This is a really large black hole vacuum!
  Mirabela calmly replied:
  - So, a beginner fighter?
  - Yes, this is my first battle!
  The girl suddenly softened and sighed heavily:
  - I didn"t have the courage to catch a chick in the net - one photon is not worth a hundred impulses! If only you were one of the chosen million.
  Vladimir said, assuming deep sorrow:
  - I was among the chosen million, I had a chance to become the arbiter of destinies!
  Mirabela immediately became wary:
  - And what happened to you!
  The boy answered with a breath:
  -Who destroys a man? Woman! Who destroys a boy is a girl! So I wanted to help one little girl and for this I broke the law. When choosing between law and conscience, an honest person will prefer, not to mention safer!
  Mirabela sighed even more heavily, her cheeks glowing with micro-radiation:
  - In this regard, you are right!
  The boy continued with enthusiasm:
  "I chose my conscience, after which I was subjected to cruel and sophisticated torture, public torture and expelled from the chosen million. Instead of a brilliant career, I am forced to eke out a miserable existence in the penal troops. Glory to the Almighty that I didn"t end up in the prison army.
  Mirabela's three tiny hearts beat wildly; the girl felt something close and dear in this boy.
  She connected the helmet and kissed the young man deeply on his juicy, healthy lips, experiencing intense pleasure. I had a hard time tearing myself away. Kashalotov said with a breath:
  - Looks like this is my last kiss in my life!
  Mirabela shook her head.
  - No! My dear "quasarik", you will not be captured. I won't let you die slowly in ultra-radioactive quarries. You will live!
  The girl turned on counter-radiation, trying to revive the boy"s body and armor. He skillfully concealed his joy and asked:
  - My dear star! After all, you will be punished for this!
  The girl already calmly answered:
  - Don't worry! Here, in interuniversal space, the physical laws are such that instantaneous signal transmission does not occur, and cyber recording is a trifle, as if by chance I would infect it with a baby dragon.
  Vladimir nodded in agreement:
  - This is genius! Simply quasar!
  - No, it"s not difficult for me! But how do you intend to get to your people?
  The boy answered at lightning speed:
  - As before, in the belly of the robot. Soon, in a minute, this brigade will be thrown onto the front line, I managed to gather this information. Then Vladimir will cling to his people.
  - Vladimir! This means the one who owns the world! My name is Mirabela! I, too, like you, was one of the chosen million.
  Vladimir perked up:
  - Great! I found two kindred spirits, but for now I"ll do the following! I'll enter the robot, you try to give me a head start.
  - Don't worry! Fly to the Fox Gate, I think you will be able to hold out for the required time.
  - I love you! - Here the young warrior was almost not disingenuous; beauty and naivety are so captivating!
  - Me too!
  Finding himself in the belly of the robot (to free up space, he had to throw away the ammunition), Vladimir, deftly controlling, rushed after his own. He was bursting with joy, if only he could escape from the terrifying captivity, which is worse than death. True, he was a little embarrassed that he had deceived the girl so shamelessly. Sperm whales were never included in the chosen million, being just a warrior and an ordinary soldier. He even wanted to seize the moment and shoot the naive girl. But that would be too mean. He really hasn't killed a single person yet, unless you count the robots, of course. However, why not quietly choose your first victim? Yes, his opponents are Russians like himself, but what can you do? War is war. Moreover, for more than a thousand years, hostility has penetrated along with the hyperplasm of the computer-womb. They are only a mirror image of your real universe, Cain raised his ax over Abel! The army of Alexander the Great suspended its retreat, and the battle began with renewed vigor. Vladimir took aim at an unsuspecting enemy (he had his own robot in the rear) tetraplane. A shot at the most vulnerable tail, which is minimally covered by a protective field. The explosion and the account of the first person destroyed by the boy is open!
  . CHAPTER No. 3.
  Yanka Svetlov and Marinka Chernushka were born on the same day. This was good because it allowed them to celebrate their birthday together. The boy and girl are twelve years old, another year and they will become teenagers, that is, almost adults. And now the last year of their childhood has come.
  Marinka Chernushka, despite her last name: fiery red-haired, tall, more than a head taller than Yankee: an accelerator girl. Like Yanka, she studies at a circus school; strong, muscular, looking like a mature girl. She already has experience performing in the arena; she played Tutti in the parody of Three Fat Men. True, Svetlov looked comical in the role of the heir, but he played the role superbly in terms of technique! Now the young circus performer is proud. She made up like an adult with earrings and a fancy watch. Yanka is more modest, he ate cakes with the guys, drank Coca-Cola, forfeits, and now went out with his friend to chat about his long-time friendship. Marinka, like a true accelerator, holds a bottle of beer in her hand and a pack of cigarettes in her pocket. "Kemel".
  - Don"t you want to boil it? Become "high-flying" (sophisticated)! "The girl asked with a malicious grin and shook her head. Her voluminous hair did not need touch-up, so it was like a flame.
  Yanka shook his head briskly:
  - What are you talking about! This is a useless process of poisoning the body. In general, almost all organs suffer from alcohol, especially the liver and stomach.
  Marinka, laughing, answered:
  - It's all nonsense! If politicians lie and it is easier to find a dry stone on the seabed than an honest politician, then who can guarantee that doctors are telling the truth?
  Yanka quite logically noted:
  - Politicians, of course, lie! Doctors too, especially when they are deceived for their benefit, but the eyes tell the truth. Isn"t it enough that you yourself have seen drunken alcoholics who have lost all human appearance? Drunkenness is a great tragedy of the Russian people. And not only Russians, remember how entire tribes of proud Indians - fearless warriors - died out because of fire water . Once they owned the entire continent, but now they are left with miserable enclaves.
  Marinka, continuing to grin, growled in an almost priestly bass:
  - They say that a little beer is good for you! In general, don"t pretend to be a teacher, it"s better to walk on your hands and fool around!
  - We are almost adults, and tomorrow we have a test! We can surf the Internet a little more and then sleep.
  - I don"t want to sleep! Let's go to the casino instead. You know, they opened such a chic establishment on Arbat - amazing!
  Yanka sighed heavily:
  - Children are not allowed there!
  Marinka casually waved her strong hand:
  - Why if they let you in with your parents! I see how big and mature she looks, and even in cool makeup, I can pass for your mom!
  - What if they ask for a passport? - The boy was still on his guard.
  - I have a xiva! - Marinka unfolded the document. - You see how skillfully my friends drew.
  Yanka was delighted:
  - And I personally don"t mind breaking the bank at the casino and buying myself a new, coolly tricked-out computer! I managed to earn some money by washing cars.
  Marinka grimaced:
  - Washing cars! Fi! I personally prefer to speculate in currencies and marks, it is much more profitable.
  - Well, who, what to study!
  - Well, let's go! Let's rake in a bunch of bucks!
  Yanka, looking smart, remarked:
  - I came up with a system in which you will never lose!
  Marinka became even more animated:
  - How is that?
  - You take a dollar and put it in roulette: where you have a choice of two colors on red.
  - And you lose!
  - Then you take out two more dollars and bet on red again!
  - And you lose again!
  - Then you take out another four dollars and bet on red again!
  The girl grimaced:
  - All on red and on red! Are you a communist?
  - No, this is such a system!
  - Well, okay, you"re losing for the third time!
  "Then you bet eight dollars on red again."
  - AND...
  - What and! The probability that white will appear for the fourth time in a row is too low. Which means you finally win eight dollars and get one back.
  Marinka snorted:
  - And then you start over! Only by changing the color and lowering the rate again to a dollar! Yes, I read about this system on the Internet. This is not the kind of game: what is dear to a warm heart, there is no excitement and big winnings, and it"s a pity for the time wasted. No, that"s not it, I"ve come up with a very real, reliable system that will allow you to win a fortune!
  The boy shook his light head:
  - Whistling! You want to show off!
  - Yes, I"m embarrassed to whistle with my sidekick! Without any falsehood! Come on, I'll show you!
  Yanka lowered his tone and asked:
  - Maybe you can show me right now?
  The girl quickly answered:
  - Nope! It will be too easy! Come have a drink with me!
  The boy put on his coat, it was autumn and it was already cold outside. Yank, as befits a boy of his age, was attracted by everything mysterious. Moreover, he had only seen the casino on TV.
  It was already dark, but in Moscow it was as dark as day. The eyes were dazzled by the multitude of advertising posters and various pyrotechnics.
  The girl cheerfully suggested:
  - I"ll call a cellular taxi and we"ll ride in style!
  - Is it worth it? Moscow at night is so beautiful!
  Marinka said with annoyance:
  - It"s no great joy to wander around at night in autumn. Besides, you know, sometimes in the darkness there are terrible bandits. They're like piranha fish, eating the bones from stupid children like you!
  - What about the police?
  - To take tolls! And in general, you can"t assign a policeman to every boy!
  Yanka was seriously offended:
  - And I see you, girl! No sir, venerable matron!
  Marinka shook her finger:
  - He will bleat his head into the asphalt! Of course I take a taxi! Don't be afraid, I'll remove the bashley myself! In general, I make good money by downloading abstracts.
  - I tried to do this too, but the competition is too much!
  - You need to be able to recruit clients, primarily among high school students.
  Marinka"s cell phone is very fancy, with a retractable widescreen video camera, which sometimes shows things that are embarrassing to even think about. The girl took a cigar between her teeth, which were shiny from the special varnish, and took a drag:
  - You know, SD chief Schellenberg loved to smoke Kemel.
  - Which, unfortunately, was not shot! It"s interesting that he writes in his memoirs that Muller is a Soviet spy.
  - A! Grandpa Muller? It may very well be so. - The girl hit the curb with the long heel of her boot. Yanka felt very small, not even reaching her friend"s chest. "But he most likely worked for two intelligence agencies at once."
  - Wise old man! Twice as much money and it makes no difference which front"s soldiers will capture you!
  Yanka rubbed his pink cheek:
  - Soldiers can finish you off! How will he prove to the private, stunned by the cannonade with a bloody bayonet, that he is his comrade?
  Marinka laughed:
  - To do this you need to be circumcised! As soon as he takes off his pants, the Russian soldier will immediately understand that he is a February and a victim of Nazism!
  Yanka noted:
  - What if he is an anti-Semite! How grandfather Vysotsky sang! My grandfather was paralyzed, a former pest doctor, I have: anti-Semite on anti-Semite!
  - Ugh! And you listen to such old stuff! Vysotsky is good for ancestors, not for boys!
  Well, stop fantasizing, let's get a car!
  A luxurious Mercedes private taxi drove up to them! Marinka sat down imposingly in the cabin.
  - Well, little bird, sit down!
  The bomb driver asked:
  - This is your client!?
  - In what sense?
  - You're a prostitute!
  Marinka bared her teeth terribly:
  - How dare you insult a noble lady! I am Countess of Tobolsk, and this is my son, Viscount De Bragelonne.
  - I appreciate your sense of humor. To where?
  - To the casino, "Royal Happiness"!
  The driver nodded:
  - I"ll get you there in no time!
  The car took off smoothly, and quiet music began to play. Marina asked:
  - Maybe we"ll turn on Bilan.
  The driver remarked:
  - Aren"t you embarrassed that some influential people are spreading rumors that he"s gay!
  - More like green, like a hundred dollar bill! - Marinka blew a smoke ring at the back of the driver"s head.
  - And you are a woman in juice! Cool outfit! What about Bori Moiseev! - The taxi driver said playfully.
  - Moiseeva! From the word Moses! Februarys are ninety percent blue. It is not for nothing that the expression: the sin of Sodom came from the Old Testament written by the Jews. - Marinka said sternly.
  - You know I'm half February!
  - So half blue! Gay boy! Gay boy! Lots of strange friends! Don't be shy! Gay boy! - She sang in the voice of a prima donna, but with very average hearing, Marinka.
  The driver ignored such mockery and only remarked:
  - Are there gay girls?
  - Only Lesbo! But there are many of them! - Marinka answered.
  This casino was the best in Moscow. Huge, similar to the Winter Palace with rich decorations. The building itself was built in the Borroco style! There was a paramilitary guard at the entrance with German shepherds and English bulldogs.
  Vladimir even felt some awkwardness, looking at the tall guards dressed in white and black. Marinka, however, was not at all embarrassed, casually showing the tree.
  - This boy is my son, he"s drinking with me!
  - Fine! Only children cannot bet more than ten conventional units at a time and consume alcohol at the expense of the establishment!
  Marinka shook her hair angrily:
  - Yes, he would rather hang himself than drink.
  - Well, that"s wonderful! In the meantime, you can purchase a whole set of chips.
  Vladimir had a rather modest sum of three hundred dollars in his pocket, but Marinka had five thousand, which is not bad for a girl whose parents are far from millionaires.
  Artem immediately envied her:
  - You"re a rich little "Pinocchio"!
  The girl pouted, her cheeks thickly covered with powder and rouge:
  - What did you think! Naive child! Live your whole life holding on to your mother's skirt!
  The boy shook his head vigorously:
  - Of course not! You need to earn money yourself!
  - That's it! Your own penny is worth more than someone else"s penny! Well, okay, what chips will you take for yourself?
  - The cheapest cardboard ones!
  Marinka giggled:
  - Which ones are one dollar each?
  - Yes! I'll try my system!
  - Just look, you, as a youngster, aren"t supposed to be given more than ten!
  The inside of the casino was luxurious, with many mirrors, gilding, and copies of paintings by famous masters. Something similar to the Hermitage only much more magnificent.
  There were also "one-armed bandits" and various cunning, richly decorated roulettes. In particular, one of the painted roosters with a tail strewn with bright glass was spinning, pointing with its beak at the cells with numbers. You could also choose from the peacock's tail feathers, which would rotate and change colors. There were also electronic roulette screens, where everything was mixed and moved by the computer. Lots of other things! But what attracted the most attention was the traditional roulette with a rotating top and a golden handle in the shape of a skull.
  Marinka went towards her, rattling her silver chips:
  - Well, like a baby! You see I'm ready to play! Maybe you can try it too!
  - I follow a small and my own system! - Vladimir answered.
  The boy began to place bets. Starting with one chip, go to red!
  He was lucky, he won right away! After which he changed colors and bet on black, with the same one dollar. They brought him forfeits, Vladimir took a couple of sips. I looked around. The casino had everything - except the clock! The boy was forced to hand over his own at the entrance, these are the rules. In addition, I had to give my cell phones to the guards. This was apparently done so that clients did not know the time and squandered all their fortune. The boy was forced to navigate very approximately.
  At first he was lucky, then suddenly he lost one dollar, two dollars, four, eight. Now they had to bet sixteen, which was already prohibited by the rules. The croupier's assistant, a reddish fellow, winked and turned away, as if saying: do as you please!
  Vladimir again bet sixteen on red and won back one dollar. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked for a Coca-Cola with ice.
  Gradually the boy was overcome with excitement! It"s really boring to win back one dollar when everyone around you is betting thousands, tens of thousands.
  One cool boy in a tailcoat, for example, despite all the prohibitions, sported gold chips of a thousand dollars each, making steep bets, alternating wins with losses. However, apparently he was lucky, so soon there was a whole bag of gold chips and platinum chips appeared - ten thousandths.
  Vladimir, looking at him, began to bet more on individual numbers. In particular, out of thirty-six, he is thirty-three - the age of Jesus Christ, putting a hundred. The ball flew slowing down, first landed at twenty-nine, then jumped again at thirty-three! - Wow, the boy had three and a half thousand dollars. For a child of twelve years old: a fortune, you can buy a fancy laptop. But the devil whispers in your ear: Your father"s car is too old, win money and buy a new Mercedes-Benz of the latest model. You know how you feel after this, your classmates will be jealous.
  - What to bet on? - The boy asked himself.
  - God loves trinity! Bet on three!
  Vladimir did so in excitement, betting all the chips. His blue eyes were burning.
  The ball spun, and with each jump the boy"s heart beat faster. But then he slowed down and dropped... by three!
  - I won! The boy shouted. And at that moment the ball fell off and moved to five.
  A malicious voice buzzed in my head:
  - God is not a fool! Loves a nickel!
  Only the boy, who had squandered all his money, could hardly hold back his tears, but his excitement had not yet subsided. What if you ask a friend to borrow chips and then win it all back with interest? After all, this is a casino, miracles happen here.
  For Marinka, however, things weren"t going well either. When Vladimir ran up to her, the girl had just squandered her last thousand. She was in complete despair.
  - What is this! - The girl beat her fists in the air. The croupiers pretended that nothing was happening.
  - Apparently fate! - Yanka answered with feigned calm. - Galimo! GOP stop!
  - What is my favorite system? - The girl clasped her hands.
  - Any system is primarily based on luck! - Artem remarked philosophically. - Blind fortune - you can"t win all the time. Making money in a casino is different from carrying water in a sieve, that water from a sieve pours under your feet, and in a casino you are brainwashed!
  - I would sell my soul to the Devil if I could win all the time! - Marinka shouted in her hearts.
  At that moment, everything swam before the children"s eyes and they found themselves somewhere high, with mountain peaks and purple snow spreading beneath them.
  A man of about thirty-five in a black tailcoat and white tie appeared right in front of the children. He had an unusually piercing gaze and a pale, thin face. Looking at the two twelve-year-old teenagers, he smiled affectionately, but his eyes remained cold, as if they shone with steel.
  - Which of you wanted to sell your soul to the Devil?!
  Marinka replied:
  -I! And you are Satan!
  The man smiled even wider.
  - No! I am Arphaon, one of Lucifer's deputies. I specialize in gambling.
  - Wow! - Marinka said. "I thought demons didn"t exist."
  - And God?! - The white tie of the "gentleman" with the image of Dracula began to cast a bloody color.
  - And the priests invented this; to make money! - Marinka answered quickly and confidently.
  - Logical! But since there is shadow, then there is light! Even if it"s not what the Bible says.
  Yanka took the risk of breaking the silence:
  - And what do you want from us?
  The demon seemed offended:
  - Not me! But it seems you wanted something from us. In particular, this charming girl who so skillfully pretends to look like an adult.
  Marinka was embarrassed, a blush appeared on her cheeks:
  - So you need my soul?
  Arfaon grinned contemptuously:
  - Yours?
  - My!
  The demon answered with exaggerated gentleness:
  - Of course not! There are an incalculable number of souls who, voluntarily or by force, have come under our control, let"s say, billions of billions in all worlds! Among them are canonized saints, popes and Orthodox patriarchs. What is the soul for us: some kind of promiscuous girl who will end up with us in a few decades anyway. And even give her a valuable gift in return.
  Marinka was offended, such a blow to her pride:
  - So my soul is worth nothing!
  - If you just put it up for an interuniversal auction, then there will be plenty of such goodness there. - Arfaon flashed his thin fangs.
  The girl snorted with annoyance:
  - Why did they call us then?
  Arfaon flew up, wings appeared behind his back:
  - Tell me, do you like to play?
  - Certainly! - Marinka was delighted.
  - And make a bet?!
  - By itself! Who doesn't love this!
  - So, we demons also like to have fun. So we offer you the following bet. If you win, you will receive a valuable gift: if you win any gambling game, if you lose, you will go to hell. But it"s not scary, as you think, they don"t fry anyone with fire, but it"s also not very pleasant, especially for those with weak minds.
  Marinka became even more animated:
  - What kind of bet?
  The demon turned around on its axis and said:
  - We will transfer you to another universe, to a world approximately at the level of your early Middle Ages. If you manage to survive and achieve a high position, we will return you back, but if you die, you will end up in the local hell and your fate will be decided by the Satan of another universe.
  -What if I become a queen? - The girl said playfully.
  - Then you will receive a priceless gift! Think about it! - The demon"s fangs became larger and sparkled brightly.
  - What is there to think about! I agree! Of course I'll take the risk!
  Yanka intervened:
  - I won"t just leave my friend! I'll fly with her! Besides, such a gift wouldn"t hurt me either.
  Arphaon increased in size, his wings began to shimmer like a mother-of-pearl shell in the sun.
  - And do you want it? All the better! Boys tend to add dynamism to this process.
  Marinka prudently noted:
  - And if we receive the gift, we will play against each other!
  The demon shook his head sternly:
  - But this is something you shouldn"t do. A waste of time. In the meantime, confirm again - are you ready to be tested?
  - A thousand times yes! - The boy and girl said in unison.
  - Then let's go!
  Before rushing off into unknown spaces, Yanka and Marinka took one last look at the casino. A boy in a tailcoat, having squandered a mountain of gold and platinum chips, screamed hysterically. He was led out by the guards of the establishment of illusory happiness.
  - Another client of Satan! - Yanka remarked sadly.
  - Make sure we don"t end up in hell! - Marinka predicted, shaking her scalding hair.
  The boy and girl were caught by a whirlwind and a moment later they found themselves among the stars. How beautiful it all is, the immeasurable number of different luminaries, the fabulous splendor. Yanka and Marinka looked with all their eyes, unable to look away, it was simply a miracle: a countless number of dazzlingly sparkling jewels made of fantastically beautiful material! Not a single most striking comparison in human language can express even a thousandth part of such magnificence.
  - Not a single special effect of an American blockbuster can compare with this. - The boy noticed. A real incredible thing!
  The girl remarked playfully:
  - I have met more amazing miracles! For example, when the golden kangaroo urinated, galaxies emerged from the streams!
  - Why are you talking! Don't drive the blizzard!
  Yanka closed his eyes. Many colorful planets, wondrous forms and entities hovered above him. Then suddenly everything disappeared, and the boy and girl found themselves on the grass.
  A stream of fresh air hit my face, my feet smoothly touched the ground. Yanka rubbed his eyes in surprise:
  - It happened! - He said shuddering.
  Marinka skeptically (what a bad girl) remarked:
  - Are you sure that this is not our world?!
  The boy pointed his finger up:
  - Look at the sky!
  The girl raised her head. There were indeed three lights burning above them at once, green, blue, red. The sky itself was orange, everything looked grotesque and magnificent. Nearby grew real jungle trees, similar to those on Earth in the tropics and at the same time noticeably different. The foliage itself seemed brighter with a predominantly purple hue. The weather itself, despite the three "suns," was not particularly hot, reminiscent of the sunny beginning of September.
  Marinka clicked her tongue and remarked:
  - It"s strange that the plants are tropical, but it"s cooler than it should be in the tropics.
  - Maybe it's the local winter! - Yanka suggested. - In winter in northern India: this is approximately the climate.
  The girl agreed:
  - Maybe! Otherwise I would have had to worry. And the temperature is pleasant, it looks like we have chosen a place with a good climate. To be honest: I don"t like frosts and deep snow in which you fall up to your neck. Last winter almost finished me off.
  - You"re a Russian chick and shouldn"t be cold!
  - I have an admixture of African blood, don"t you see how dark I am! - Marinka said playfully.
  The fiery red-haired girl was indeed very tanned, and the tan remained surprisingly persistent on her.
  Yanka, a fair-haired boy with perfectly regular facial features, as if from a poster of Hitler Jugent, his summer tan was almost gone, was embarrassed:
  - Well, okay, you are my dear Marinka. There is no point in slandering our winter.
  The girl tapped the boy on the shoulder:
  - This will be a lesson for you. In the meantime, let's think about where to go?
  Yanka scratched the back of his head:
  - Away from the forest, this seems to be not a virgin place at all. Let's go out onto the path, then onto the road and towards the people.
  Marinka took out a cigarette (she has a bad habit) and took a drag.
  - Let's go at full speed!
  The two of them moved in what seemed to them to be a straight line. The girl smiled cheerfully and remarked:
  - If we find ourselves in the times of the early Middle Ages or antiquity, before with our knowledge, taking a leading position in society will not be difficult!
  Yanka, with knowledge of the matter, objected:
  - It only seems at first glance. In reality, we suppose we understand computers and fumble around in programs, but what does this really give us? Even the most brilliant scientist cannot turn a computer into an axe.
  Marinka laughed:
  - Yes, electronics are not your element. And about trivial gunpowder. By doing it, you can conquer the whole world.
  - Do you even know how they make it?
  - Elementary! Sulfur, coal, saltpeter!
  - What are the proportions, besides what coal is, they know, but about sulfur... It is not available everywhere.
  Marinka noted:
  - Maybe we can come up with something more worthwhile! For example, a crossbow!
  - Do you even know how to design!
  - I copied abstracts on the Middle Ages and I know a lot! And in general, you need to read science fiction. Do you think that few books have been written about the fact that a modern person finds himself in the Middle Ages, and so, as a rule, he quickly moves up the career ladder.
  The boy sadly remarked:
  - This is fantastic. There is even such a separate heat: a historical adventure! But the heroes there were either very lucky, or they were special forces officers, and we are ordinary children. What can we do in this cruel world?
  - Well, they are not ordinary children at all! For example, we can do something like this! - The girl walked on her hands, twitching her large, muscular legs, dressed in high-heeled shoes.
  - So we should organize our own booth and show performances. - Yanka narrowed his eyes.
  - Which isn't the worst idea. Serpent Gorynych, serpent Gorynych, serpent Gorynych a hooligan! He burst into our village and started a booth! - Marinka sang, tugging at her forged heels.
  Yanka also walked on his hands, doing it even more dexterously than Marinka. Then he said sadly:
  - Don't know! Do you remember how in the novels of Kir Bulychev. Alice and Pasha ended up on a medieval planet and also walked on their hands, but how much did they achieve? Have the rabbit brothers become kings?
  - Kir Bulychev wrote for kindergarten age, and we are adults. Although, to be honest, for a simple child to achieve a high position in the Middle Ages... I honestly don"t remember that! In my opinion, the boy has never become a king before. Although what did the demon mean by high position? It's all foggy!
  Yanka suddenly became alarmed:
  - Wow, look how big the caterpillar is, three meters long! Would you like to take a ride on it for an hour?
  Marinka shook her head:
  - What are you talking about! She's poisonous!
  The boy made a face:
  - Even if washed, it is very poisonous! Don't be afraid girl!
  Marinka barked angrily:
  - Shut up, brat! There might be tigers here! Or even dinosaurs, because this is a different world! In general, congratulations: you and I are the first people to find ourselves in another universe!
  -Are you sure?
  - Did Gagarin fly to Mars? - The girl grinned sarcastically.
  Yanka chuckled:
  - Of course not, but...
  - What, but!
  "Perhaps we are not the first with whom demons play such games. Why do you think that such a dispute could not have started with other people?
  Marinka twirled on her heels and playfully replied:
  - Theoretically possible! It is possible that other oligarchs took part in Satan"s games. After all, such colossal capital is created within literally a few months.
  - Yes! - Yanka nodded. - Take, for example, playing on the stock exchange. If you ask Lucifer for a special talent of foresight, you can get more than one million dividends. Yes, a million, many billions!
  Marinka, tapping her heels on the pebbles, cooed:
  - Here you speak the truth!
  The boy licked his lips as if he had a scoop of expensive ice cream in front of him. He said passionately:
  - So I was looking on the Internet about the famous default of 1998. The dollar rose sixfold in ten days. Then in two weeks it dropped six times, after which it rose four times. Those who correctly guessed his behavior earned fourteen thousand percent of net profit in a month. You can't even earn that much from drug dealing! - With the air of a learned man, said Yanka.
  The girl took the leaf with her fingers. She tore it off, feeling the soft, rough surface with her palm; on the other side it was smooth and cold.
  - Yes, eternity in hell: when will there be more, but money is needed now!
  - Not to mention the prospect of the sinner growing up to hell! I don"t envy atheists; there is no one to stand up for them.
  Yanka poked his foot at the stone, which suddenly jumped and squeaked in a thin voice. Then a dozen legs appeared and he ran, quickly climbing onto the trunk of a distant tree that looked like a fir.
  - I wonder what family he is? - Yanka asked himself.
  - Pig artiodactyls! - Marinka said jokingly. - However, about the atheists, maybe they are right, so are you sure that this is the devil, Satan"s deputy?
  - He said so himself! And obviously not a person, people haven"t developed the technology to transfer the guys to worlds with three suns!
  - This is definitely not a person! But who can guarantee that this is not a representative of a super-civilization who, laughing at human superstitions, is simply pretending to be a demon! - Marinka raised her tone.
  - Does he look like a demon? - The boy blinked his eyes.
  - That's it! The super race is having so much fun. - The girl exclaimed.
  - What a completely logical assumption! - Yanka agreed willingly. - Which of us didn"t want to become a devil! Sometimes in my dreams I dream that I am a demon! You start jumping over your head and screaming! And then you wave your hand and a palace appears in the sky. Wonderful and cool!
  Marinka showed the goat with her fingers and listened:
  - It feels like someone is watching us!
  Yanka became wary:
  - It may very well be, but look, the road is nearby! There's only a little bit left to go!
  The girl was delighted, straightening her unladylike broad shoulders:
  - Yes, I see it too! Now all this uncertainty will end. Maybe we can declare ourselves gods!
  The boy snorted contemptuously, shook his head, clenched his fists:
  - It's corny! An alien from the future imagines himself to be a god, although this is a fairly common Hollywood trope. For example, they tried to kill one with a spear. But you still have to be a complete idiot to buy into a simple chain mail shirt. I don't think people here are that backward.
  - Are they people? Maybe some crabs. - The girl giggled.
  - Or macaques? I don"t think so, although anything is possible!
  The girl quickened her pace, and then they came out onto the cobblestone road. Yanka whistled:
  - At least some kind of civilization!
  - Maybe this is for the better! Actually, I read the book. There, an airborne paratrooper got into Nero's palace, and how could he fire an RPG at him. Everyone fell to their knees, thinking it was Jupiter. - Marinka threw his hands up.
  - Hilarious!
  - So he reigned instead of Nero, founded his own dynasty, and went on campaigns. Quite a funny action movie. So why don't we scare away the local king?
  Yanka objected:
  - Do we have RPGs?
  - There's not even a cell phone! The bastards took it away from the entrance to the casino. I present; how worried my parents are about me.
  - Mine will be worried too, but... If this is a different universe, then maybe time goes differently here!
  - It"s just not clear faster or slower. Maybe when we return, centuries will pass and we will not recognize our planet. - Yanka suggested.
  Marinka agreed:
  - It is possible that demons or a super race live a long time. Maybe even almost eternal, like us, people with our own souls. And if a lot of time passes... It"s even interesting how the world will change!
  Yanka sighed heavily:
  - Humanity has quite decent chances of dying in cataclysms. It is possible that people will destroy themselves.
  Marinka calmly remarked:
  - Yes, humanity is far from unity. The total number of independent states has increased four and a half times since the beginning of the twentieth century. Separatism and nationalism are growing. It must be said that the modern Russian government is behaving short-sightedly. Instead of including Ossetia and Abkhazia into its composition, making annexation, they recognized their independence. Why do you ask to encourage separatism? That we have few separatists of our own, primarily in the North Caucasus republics. There are more and more religious extremists, and it is not good to start a fire in someone else"s house when your own is smoldering.
  Yanka agreed:
  - Indeed, Abkhazia and South Ossetia would willingly become part of Russia. Why not meet the wishes of these peoples? In addition, it is quite natural for Russia to grow in breadth. First, Russia will conquer the Earth, and then the entire universe. I read one writer on the Internet, he"s a great guy, he writes directly:
  The Slavs must conquer the world,
  But with the heart, not with nuclear war!
  To give an example of great, brotherly friendship,
  And become an invincible country!
  And the current rulers of Russia behave like petty dirty tricks, and only eat up the petrodollars that have poured into the country!
  Marinka pompously, squeezing fists that were not childish, remarked:
  - Having won a lot of money, I could become the president of Russia myself. And scatter everyone!
  - Do you know what your political opponents would call you?
  - How?
  - Red-haired slut!
  - Few would have survived after this! - Marinka clenched her fists so hard that purple veins appeared on her hands. "I"m an evil girl, my weapon, this is an order."
  - What is the opinion, without any embellishment! - Fooling around, Yanka said in rhyme.
  The road was paved with pebbles that creaked underfoot. Then Marinka noticed an unusual animal. He looked like a fat crocodile standing on his hind legs. The girl whispered:
  - I read something similar in a biology textbook. This is possibly an Alosaurus.
  - Don't think! Make sure you don't turn out to be a carnivore.
  As if to refute the boy"s words, the beast bit a thick fern branch and chewed it.
  - No, it looks like he is a herbivore! - Yanka realized.
  The girl remained silent. She just looked around, squinting and fluttering her eyelids.
  - There may be tyrannosaurs here too! They say they reach speeds of up to forty to fifty kilometers per hour.
  - But they still lost to mammals and primates, that is, to us! - Yanka was cheerful. - Let's stay away from him. Such a beast can even break bones.
  - And I want to pet him! - Marinka stated. The girl moved towards the dinosaur. The specimen was quite large, almost five meters. Marinka seemed to be taking a big risk.
  However, the "crocodile" reacted calmly to the girl"s appearance. He chewed the leaves and growled. Marinka stroked the animal"s shell.
  - How big you are! Just a monster. A wonderful creation of nature. Or the local God, I just wonder what he is like.
  The shell felt like bone, the surface was polished. The girl enjoyed stroking and touching her. Marinka spanked a couple, once. The dinosaur suddenly growled and turned around and began to walk away. Despite the heavy weight, the four hind legs and two front legs made remarkably little noise. The girl was surprised:
  - Yes, this is a strange guy! I wonder what he was afraid of?
  The girl went out onto the road again, Yanka walked next to her. The boy pointed with his finger.
  - Now we will see people.
  - You are sure?
  - One hundred percent!
  The boy and girl passed the hill and jumped out onto the highway. And indeed a caravan appeared in front of them. Several dozen warriors were driving about fifty people, as well as animals similar to armored camels. Yanka jumped out and shouted:
  - Hello natives!
  Marinka turned out to be smarter:
  - Look at the people.
  Indeed, they were lined up in a column, tied by the hands to a pole, and most of them were women and children. Half naked, traces of whips are visible on their skinny bodies. Yanka noted:
  - These are slaves!
  - That's it, we're running!
  It seems they were also noticed; several riders on large, densely covered dogs with six dogs rushed after them. Marinka took the lead, but Yanka hesitated.
  - Wait, maybe we can negotiate with them.
  - Get lost you idiot!
  Yanka rushed, studying at a circus school, he had good physical training. But large saddled dogs raced no worse than first-class horses. The boy felt complete helplessness in front of their powerful paws. Apparently these guys had decent experience in catching runaway slaves. A whistle is heard and the loop of the lasso is wrapped around the boy's neck. Yanka trembled and fell, almost losing consciousness from the painful shock. Marinka, meanwhile, continued to run. They were catching up with her, it seemed that just a little more and the noose would break her strong neck.
  Suddenly a rumble was heard, some strange roar, very similar to a lion's. It seems that he scared the dogs, they suddenly stopped and froze.
  The leader of the horsemen, with a black beard and turban, cursed with relish:
  - What have you become!
  - This is the voice of a big shaman, you shouldn"t get involved.
  - This red-haired girl is too valuable prey. One puppy is not enough for me.
  Yanka shuddered and was pulled towards the leader. He lifted the boy by the chest, looking him over:
  - Looks like it's a stranger. Do you understand our bitch?
  It seemed to Yanka that a man who looked like an Arab spoke Russian. The merchant hit the boy in the face, his cheek turned purple:
  - Yes! Don't hit me!
  - Take off your clothes! Come on!
  . CHAPTER No. 4
  Vladimir Kashalotov felt excitement and at the same time satisfaction: one zero in his favor. The young man made a U-turn and quietly stabbed another tetralet in the back. It"s not easy to get in, the combat vehicles gallop like the hooves of horses at a gallop. But he was trained even when he was an embryo maturing in the womb of the incubator-computer. From the moment of conception, training began in sleep, interrupted by pain impulses, in a special, cosmic war. And still there were misses, since the trajectories of the tetralets, devoid of inertia, were completely unpredictable. The young man shot down three more, missing twice. The pulses cut through the vacuum. At the same time, Vladimir chose the moment so that he could not be recorded by cybernetic surveillance systems, giving a complete overview of the space surrounding the tetralets.
  - The matrix absorbs photons! - The boy said philosophically.
  The army of Alexander the Great continued to be pushed back, without abandoning attempts to encircle it from the flanks. Rokossovsky scattered more and more troops, trying to stretch the huge armada over several parsecs. The density of troop formations decreased, and the role of individual skill increased. Here both sides proved worthy, demonstrating aerobatics and the art of maneuver. But the losses were colossal; more than one million starships were already burned in the greedy torch of annihilation. Alexander the Great was losing the battle, with a numerical superiority and approximately equal technology, he was on the enemy"s side. The only thing left was to retreat, avoiding encirclement. Vladimir listened via grav-link to the commands given to the robots. They sounded unlimited optimism, a thirst for quick victory. The frigate of Alexander the Great received several damages and its speed decreased. Vladimir felt furious, his country was losing, he needed to destroy as many enemies as possible. That is, he has a choice either to win or die. Although it is obvious that the destruction of several tetralets; will change almost nothing, but this is almost that unparalleled heroism of individuals that forms into a stream that crushes any obstacle. The young man quickly remembered what was drilled into him during numerous training sessions. You need to avoid being noticed and stay in the general ranks of robots. It"s much more difficult to get into this way, but the likelihood of exposure is much lower. But on the other hand, does he have the right to sit out at this critical moment? After all, a soldier must: take care of preserving life, point two: exterminate as many enemies as possible. In case of contradiction, this is the tradition, to make a choice in favor of the second solution. These are the Americans of old: they think more about saving their own skin. That"s why the Yankees lost, and besides, their propaganda is weak. She lacked totality and inclusiveness. If we remember the ancient history of the Earth: in those times when humanity was chained to one planet. A terribly divided world, it was necessary to gather all nations and peoples into a single fist. Several empires laid claim to it. First of all, the USA, China, the Islamic Society. The world was becoming multipolar and literally being torn apart, the number of independent states was growing, the separatism of small nations was turning into an obsession. Common home The earth was on fire, humanity was literally falling into the abyss! In earlier times, there were powerful rulers who wanted to unite humanity. This is, first of all, Alexander the Great, one of the most outstanding commanders of all times and peoples. He was invincible, but providence wanted to give him a too short life. And so he had considerable chances, he was building an international empire, bringing high Hellenic culture to Asia. Even Carthage and ancient Rome sent great tribute to the Macedonian, the most outstanding Slav, of the ancient era! Before Alexander, Great Persia under several kings (especially Cyrus) achieved serious conquests, from India to Egypt, but the doctrine: there is one ruler for the whole world, he was the first to put forward! In Rome, Julius Caesar laid claim to the role of world ruler, but his life was not long enough. After Caesar, among the emperors there were not strong enough commanders. The divine Augustine was sickly and physically weak, the charismatic Nero was generally terrible. The most famous rulers, Diolectanus and Constantine, fought more to maintain the status quo, without thinking about serious conquests. There were other generals, after the fall of Rome. Of these, the most prominent personalities are: Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Napoleon, Adolf Hitler, Stalin. Genghis Khan was very successful. He conquered almost all of China, Afghanistan, Khorezm, and advanced detachments reached Ancient Rus'. He had excellent chances of winning; no one could resist the ever-growing troops of this cunning and skillful commander. But even his rather long life by the standards of the Middle Ages was not enough for world conquest. Genghis Khan founded a dynasty, but there was no one as great as him, capable of uniting all the nomads. Just like Tamerlane. Victory after victory, a huge empire, and a split, the destruction of Timurat, squabbling between sons and grandsons. And there was no worthy successor. Napoleon and Hitler, having conquered Europe, broke their backs against Russia. Unfortunately, Russia itself failed to achieve world domination. A truly great ruler was Stalin, who transformed an illiterate country walking in bast shoes into a powerful industrial power. Even on the eve of the war, he managed to create a strong tank army and a large aircraft fleet. True, although it was four times superior in tanks and aviation, the USSR was inferior to the Germans in overall army mobility. And the German rifle was much more accurate. It played a huge role here: who would hit first. Had the Russians launched a preemptive strike, victory would have been won much faster. And then there were quite a few mistakes made by the Soviet command. They were examined in detail in modern, universal academies, and were taught how to avoid such miscalculations. But war is war, especially space war, where miscalculations and casualties are inevitable. Vladimir was lucky so far; he managed to annihilate four combat vehicles without attracting attention to himself.
  - There will be birch porridge for you! Or rather hyperplasmic!
  Flying robots spat out deadly hotels, they tried to bypass the asteroid, and were met with volleys of special cannons. Some of the guns were without barrels and seemed to be mixed with the coating of the asteroid. Here Vladimir had to be careful. He began to move, further away from the edge, moving away from the annihilation strikes. Here you need to maintain synchronicity so as not to collide with your colleagues, and at the same time fire. Robots are just robots, they don"t realize that they are being used as a human shield. The young man tried to hit in such a way that the plasma was erupted by moving. That is, it went in an arc, curved not only upward, but also to the side. In addition to tetralets, Vladimir began to choose bolder targets for himself. In particular, a gravity-magnetic boat. You can also shoot it down if you're lucky.
  But then his luck came to an end. The force field of the larger target withstood the hit, and the surveillance system calculated that the salvo was fired from the flying robots. The boat immediately turned around and a signal was sent into the midst of the combat vehicles:
  - Why did the enemy penetrate through your barrier?
  The robots replied:
  - No cases of intrusion detected!
  - In this case, clean the surface of the asteroid, penetrate into the cracks.
  A squad of robots rushed into the craters punched into the surface. In this situation, Vladimir had to turn around and move behind the other cars. True, this had an advantage, you can destroy robots using the bends of the corridors.
  Well, a machine is not a person, but it also costs money and is used as a combat unit. At one time, civilization experienced a dangerous uprising of machines, which almost destroyed humanity. The Empire was saved only by the fact that its ruler was a real genius, and also a wizard, the leader of the Lion of Powers. This first Russian emperor of modern times managed to unite the Earth and create a perfect system. At first it was a chosen thousand, but why a scientifically formed million? He foresaw the uprising of artificial intelligence. The computer has become too powerful. But they managed to infect the main rebel, the hyperintelligent system, with a special, especially dangerous virus such as a dragon.
  A new type of major anti-cyber weapon: helped quell the riot, but several million people were killed, as well as many billions of computers, permanently disabled. After which a number of restrictions were introduced into the development of electronics, in particular, a robot should under no circumstances be aware of itself. In addition, for the most advanced models, an ideal lasso was invented - religion. Now robots have become believers, and therefore obedient to people. Previously, religion was the opium of the people, but now it has become a humane drug for the growing strength of the man-made mind. The fighting qualities of robots and the ability for creative thinking have decreased, but they have become much safer for humanity. So it"s not a sin to take advantage of this. Moreover, man himself has adopted a lot from the machine. For example, brains: after they were filled with hyperplasm, they began to think much faster. After all, hyperplasmic particles move millions and billions of times faster than photons and act in many dimensions. This opens up truly fantastic possibilities.
  The labyrinths of the asteroid are so mysterious, every corridor is something fantastic. A play of precious stones scattered on the walls, some of them resembling various dazzling faces of demons. It seemed that spirits lived in these dungeons. This, however, was partly the case, special ethereal life forms capable of moving between stars. There was a legend that these were the souls of hopeless sinners thrown into interuniversal spaces. So they are doomed to wander forever!
  Vladimir took aim at the car. I carefully adjusted it and shot dead center. In the rear of the half-space dimensions that surround the robots there is a special joint that can be inserted with a relatively weak discharge and break through the defense and destroy the machine. In this case, the destruction will be local and other robots will not notice anything.
  Automatically practiced movement, accurate shot and right on the bull's eye!
  - You will see - what a delight! Instantly hit the robot - almost without aiming! - The young man flew a little more. Here is another "droid", it floats beautifully like in the movie "Star Wars", it also needs to be pierced with matrix protection. However, a short pulse can also be used to hit someone in the forehead, but the intensity should be higher.
  While the young man was hunting, the battle entered its most climax phase. Rokossovsky threw his last reserve into battle; he hoped to tighten the noose around the throat of the Macedonian army. It was a blow with a ladle, with the goal of collecting peas scattered on a plate and destroying them with concentrated volleys. In addition, the enemy had no time to retreat further; behind them were the populated areas of Great Russia. Alexander the Great whispered:
  - The critical moment has come! But don"t be discouraged, the turning point is near.
  
  While the two armadas fought with frenzied fury, a magical battle was unfolding on another sublevel of multi-space.
  Sorcerers of different races, but united by the common command of Great Russia and the opposing Holy Russia, launched their own battle. The main bet was made on phantom fighters. The magical warriors of Holy Russia were cast in a specific emerald-greenish hue, and the warriors of Great Russia were sapphire-blue.
  Both huge armies turned against each other. Phantoms were formed from mini-matter, that is, what can be called conditionally material consisting of magical energy. Moreover, part of the energy was generated by hyperplasma reactors of various types. A kind of mixture of magic and wonderful technology. It is truly unusual for the smallest warrior to be at least a hundred kilometers tall. Huge armies, tens of thousands of soldiers with many heroic warriors. And here are the main heroes: the giant Ilya Muromets from the side of Great Russia and Svyatopolk from the side of Svyatorossia. Both giants are a thousand kilometers tall and ride on magnificent black horses. Dressed in shining armor, brilliant and magnificent, on the shields are precious stones in the shape of flowers. The creations of magic behave quite naturally, Ilya Muromets turned to Dobrynya Nikitich.
  - Well, Dobrynya"s enemies are utter darkness. You can't just take them by force. Maybe we'll set up an ambush.
  - So this is exactly what they expect from us. Svyatopolk is an experienced commander. He probably noticed the man-made forest where our ambush troops were positioned.
  Dobrynya answered in a thunderous baritone:
  - Perhaps so, but there is one nuance. He probably expects to kill the ambush regiment.
  - Maybe!
  - And he will send troops in a detour around the hills. Here the calculation will be based on surprise. After all, the hills are steep and almost inaccessible.
  Alyosha Popovich remarked in a ringing voice (he is ruddy and beardless, with delicate features like a girl"s):
  - Such tactics are possible, but... The path is too difficult, in addition, the sorcerers can order to avoid such a risk.
  Dobrynya, puffing out his chest, objected:
  - Sorcerers give their creation greater independence in choosing goals. This is the custom of all wars and battles, this has always been the case and I hope it will be this time! In addition, we must not forget the dialectics of war.
  - And where did you pick up such words? - Ilya Muromets was surprised.
  - This is the program they put into me. A kind of course of lazy marmots and magical gophers. - Dobrynya joked awkwardly. "We"ll be ready for this just in case." I have already ordered that the slope be sprinkled with sharp stars; it will be very difficult for the enemy to climb it.
  Ilya Muromets agreed:
  - This will be very good!
  Alyosha Popovich asked:
  - According to custom, the two strongest heroes should fight, but not the main commanders.
  Dobrynya suggested:
  - In this case it will be either Baldak or Grobogor. I think I should fight him. Baldak is stronger than Grobogor, but Grobogor is more agile.
  Alyosha Popovich objected:
  - Better me! More cunning! In modern martial arts, cunning is more effective than brute force.
  Dobrynya rejected:
  - If we win with the help of meanness, then such a victory will be worthless. We must overcome the enemy: in a noble way.
  Alyosha whistled, shaking his golden curls:
  - Aren"t the main qualities of a commander: cunning, meanness, deception! After all, remember what Suvorov said: courage doubles strength, deception quadruples!
  - It was not Suvorov who spoke, but the Chinese commander Tsen Ju! So don't confuse wallets with bast shoes. - Ilya Muromets interrupted. - And the young hero Igor Pastukhov will fight. He is very strong with swords. I give you the order to command the flanks. And enough chatter, we need to act much more solidly. Now the question is? We attack or wait for the enemy.
  Dobrynya Nikitich suggested:
  - The best tactic is counter combat!
  - What! Let's settle this!
  Ilya Muromets shouted:
  - Here he is our fighter!
  Igor Pastukhov walked on foot, he was wearing ordinary steel armor. A huge, but well-cut guy. But his opponent was not weak either. A stream of yellow smoke rose from the enchanted grass and a monster appeared. None other than Tugarin the Serpent, the product of the magic of trolls and fauns.
  Tugarin Zmey was very fat and two heads taller than Pastukhov. Even his horse was special - three-headed.
  Alyosha Popovich became depressed:
  - Yes, they created a monster on our heads!
  Dobrynya replied:
  - It"s okay, since he"s fat, that means he"s not very mobile!
  Pastukhov turned his young, still beardless face with only a thin mustache towards them and winked:
  - Don't worry brothers! I will not fail!
  Ilya Muromets said in a booming bass:
  - Well, trolls, they"ve churned out so many monsters! There is no life for them!
  Pastukhov bowed to his counterpart: let"s fight like a knight!
  Tugarin the snake, on the contrary, grinned angrily, showing impressive teeth. They were unusually large, but at the same time green and crooked!
  He opened his mouth and burst into flames:
  - There will be bagels for you!
  Both armies quickly deployed. There are archers ahead, some with heavy crossbows, others with light but fast-firing slings! Large bows are especially dangerous, hitting at a serious distance and capable of knocking down mounted knights. The archers are dressed differently: some are half-naked, muscular, while others, on the contrary, wear rich clothes; they are a kind of elite. Just like the various mounted knights, the standards literally ripple. The largest are thickly armored, some literally look like tanks. Some fighters have four, six and even eight arms. There are various monsters of all types. Tugarin the Snake also has eight arms, and they are very long, they spin like the tentacles of an octopus.
  Some of the fighters sit on mammoths with towers and arrows, others on camels, but the most terrible ones are those on dinosaurs. What can be said about such a beast as a dinosaur? This is a real monster, full of strength and power, creepy but cute.
  There are a lot of dinosaurs, of different types and types. The largest ones reach a height of ten thousand kilometers, which is considered the size of Venus. Some are smaller, but still no smaller than a magic elephant - it's about the size of the Moon. It is not easy to defeat a dinosaur; in addition to the natural thick skin, some have additional man-made armor sewn on them.
  There are also royal dinosaurs with gilded armor.
  Svyatogor, Grobogor, Baldak, also in the richest armor, only the precious stones formed into drawings not of plants, but of animals, they are also discussing the strategy of the upcoming battle.
  Fat-faced Baldak suggested:
  - We have a slight advantage in numbers. This means that in order to use it, you need to throw all your strength into battle at once. Cover the enemy with a crescent moon and squeeze it like a potato in your fist.
  Grobogor, powerful in body, but with a thin face, pointed facial features, a hooked nose, shook his head:
  - No it's not that! On the contrary, you need to take advantage of the fact that the enemy is weak and keep a strong reserve at hand throughout the battle. At the decisive moment, we will throw him into battle and break the hated adversary.
  Baldak was indignant:
  - Having an advantage to wait?
  - Do you remember the parable about the straw that broke the camel's back? - Grobogor asked. - Did you get the moral?
  - Not a correct example! The straw broke the backbone because the camel had previously been burdened with a heavy load. - Baldak stated.
  - So our army will be drawn into battle with such a load, and then a powerful blow from the reserve. An exhausted hero is weaker than a fresh child! - Grobogor said. - Yes, in general, you play cards, for example!
  - Memory says I played.
  - So whoever has an extra ace left wins. Is not it?
  Baldak nodded reluctantly:
  - This is only when you play the fool, and then only in a certain situation. Real war requires concrete thinking. There can be no substitutions or cunning ambiguities here!
  Grobogor replied:
  - What am I saying with a second thought? In general, your thoughts are quite strange, one might think that you are not thinking about anything.
  Baldak objected:
  - No, I"m just thinking! And a cunning plan matured in my head. After all, the enemy is not a fool either, right?
  - He who thinks his opponent is a fool most often remains a fool! - Grobogor agreed.
  Baldak turned his wardrobe-like shoulders even wider:
  - So that"s what I think! Our enemy will try to drag out the battle so that the magicians have time to conjure additional reinforcements and equalize the forces. It's logical to agree!
  Grobogor nodded sharply with a threatening snout:
  - No objections!
  - He"s in a forest of curved dimensions, they"ll keep an ambush regiment. When the enemy retreats feignedly or under our terrifying pressure, we will deal a serious blow to the enemy. - Baldak coughed. - Ugh! I made a reservation, it"s not us, but the enemy will strike us because of the ambush . This is a typical tactic of the army of Ilya Muromets, wouldn"t you know!
  Grobogor was forced to agree:
  - Yes, a blow due to an ambush is in their blood!
  - So why don't we bypass the ambush. We'll make a U-turn, swing over the hill and find ourselves at their ambush regiment in the rear. Agree this is a wise tactic.
  We will strike in the forest and undermine the enemy"s weak forces.
  Svyatopolk, who had been silent until the village, remarked:
  - Sounds reasonable! I thought about this myself Baldak.
  Grobogor frowned:
  - And if the enemy expects exactly this from us. In addition, the hills, or rather the hills, are quite steep, I"m not sure that dinosaurs will climb them.
  Svyatopolk grinned:
  - They"ll get in, don"t worry! Our sorcerers took care of this. And in general, your fears are too naive. The enemy doesn't know. how our horses are shod, and what we put on the paws of dinosaurs.
  Baldak replied:
  - Here they are! Miracles of technology!
  Grobogor replied:
  - My heart feels it"s not right, but if you think so!
  Svyatopolk waved his sword:
  - I prefer risk!
  Baldak repeated the gesture:
  - And me too!
  Pastukhov and Tugarin snakes became close. According to custom, each of them had only one sword, so that the advantage in the number of hands did not affect too much.
  However, Tugarin"s sword was approximately twice as long and much wider.
  They must fight on foot according to custom, so that the outcome of the fight does not depend on the horse. What a rather wise decision, let there be fewer accidents, because on an animal, you can always back down.
  Baldak suggested to Tugarin:
  - When fencing, change hands more often, try to exhaust your opponent.
  Tugarin the Serpent growled, releasing multi-colored flames from his mouth:
  - I"ll crush him with my body!
  Standing in the front line, the warrior girls giggled. They apparently thought it was funny:
  - A man will rape a man!
  Ilya Muromets shouted to Pastukhov:
  - You guy has a head on his shoulders! I hope you figure out how to fight to win!
  Pastukhov answered with dignity:
  - The hands are the mother, the head is the father - together they will not leave victory an orphan!
  Tugarin the Serpent spat fire in response, but the clever young man quickly dodged:
  - Maybe it"s better if you hark up so that it comes back?
  Tugarin the Serpent growled something, not so much menacingly as disgustingly.
  One hundred and fifty bugles sounded at once, the drums beat, and the duel began.
  Tugarin Zmey, waving his sword, rushed forward. Igor Pastukhov dodged the first blow and parried the second attack. Tugarin barked:
  - Young man! Wet behind the ears!
  - Better milk than manure! - Pastukhov answered with dignity.
  Tugarin tried to reach his opponent with his foot. But it turned out to be too thick and short.
  Pastukhov took advantage of this mistake and tripped him. The only thing that saved Tugarin from falling was the fact that he had four legs.
  - Puppy! - He barked and immediately received a blow to the stomach. Yes, so strong that one of the armor plates bent, poisonous brown blood dripped out.
  Pastukhov remarked, uttering an aphorism:
  - Anyone who despises the army will have to quickly run away!
  Tugarin swung harder, almost losing his balance. The sword barely touched the Shepherd's head. However, he answered more precisely, leaving his opponent a scar on his cheek. The blood that came out this time was dirty purple.
  - Yes, I see you have some bile.
  Tugarin made another attack:
  - You'll get what you deserve, snotty!
  - And this merit will be victory!
  Nevertheless, it was not easy to defeat Tugarin the Snake; despite his size, he was quite fast. This created some problems for Pastukhov. Moreover, the young phantom himself received several scratches. One of them cut her right eyebrow and, as a result, her eye began to see worse.
  - Sometimes even scoundrels get lucky! - Said Pastukhov.
  Tugarin Zmey pulled a dagger from his belt, preparing to throw it at the guy.
  The young man performed an unexpected move and cut off one of the eight limbs with a sharp blow. The dagger fell and exploded, sticky fragments sprayed in all directions.
  One of them ended up under Tugarin"s eye. He tried to throw him off, but the young man, taking advantage of the enemy"s momentary distraction, cut off the hand holding the sword.
  - Bastard! - Tugarin cursed.
  Pastukhov shrugged:
  - As it is!
  The phantom monster managed to grab the sword with its next paw, but its movements gradually became more and more sluggish due to loss of blood. Pastukhov, seeing this, increased the pressure.
  The battle was watched by three archmages from both sides. On the side of Svyatorossia, these were a troll, a faun, and the main coordinator of a person, in this case the girl Natasha. A sort of supreme witch. In general, among women, the ability to perform witchcraft is approximately twice as common as among men. This is a phenomenon of female physiology. Therefore, it is not surprising that her opponent was also the girl Oksana, representing Great Russia. Her assistants were two supreme magicians: an elf and a gnome. This was the difference between the two witchcraft international armies.
  The troll suggested to Natasha:
  - Let me intervene in the battle and help Tugarin the Snake.
  The girl objected:
  - It won't be according to the rules. If we are exposed there will be an utter shame for us and the great empire.
  The troll, slyly squinting, remarked:
  - I will make sure that the prestige of Svyatorossia does not suffer!
  - And how? - The magician girl was surprised.
  - Hidden influence! When cunning beats dexterity and valor. We'll cheat so that no one will guess, and if they guess, they won't prove it!
  Natasha looked at the hologram: Tugarin the Serpent seemed to be hopelessly losing and his fall was a matter of time.
  - OK! I agree! Just be careful not to get caught!
  - Now I will penetrate the protective line and our friend Tugarin will receive a new weapon.
  The troll instantly turned into a tiny insect, which rushed towards the fighters with the speed of a photon.
  Tugarin Zmey retreated, slowly backing away. His opponent, feeling the end was near, increased his pressure. Suddenly the young man"s sword suddenly broke, the tip of the enemy"s treasure began to glow with fire. The blow burned the guy's shoulder and nearly cut off his arm. Igor jumped back and muttered:
  - Devilry!
  Tugarin grinned:
  - You're finished, morel!
  Another sharp swing, Tugarin even took off, the sword lengthened, lumps of soil (made of mini-matter) shot up into the air, and the grass caught fire.
  Pastukhov disappeared for a moment. There was a new blow and a bright flash, and smoke poured out. A second later the clouds dissipated and the huge Tugarin found himself cut in half.
  Pastukhov clapped his hands:
  - The young man fucked the warrior, the inglorious end has come!
  - Super! - Ilya Muromets exclaimed joyfully.
  Dobrynya crossed himself:
  - Strong Rus'!
  Alyosha Popovich inserted inappropriately:
  - Aren"t they Rus'?
  The heroes barked in unison in response:
  - No, these are strangers! Calm down Alyoshenka!
  The battle ended not in favor of the Svyatorossiya army. A rumble echoed through the ranks of greenish soldiers.
  Svyatopolk noted:
  - Bad sign!
  Grobogor objected:
  - This has almost no effect on the victory statistics! Here we only need to fear ourselves.
  Baldak stated:
  - I will personally lead the right flank into battle!
  Svyatopolk agreed:
  - This will be the strongest move! Just watch out, Baldak, and avoid fighting with this glorious warrior. After all, if they put you down, it will be tantamount to losing your right arm!
  - I'll put him down myself! Where ours didn"t disappear!
  The magical army of Svyatorossia went on the offensive. The archers moved first. Amazon girls with almost bare breasts, carmine nipples protruding from the cutouts of their chain mail, but wearing helmets and visors, they began to bombard the enemy shooters with arrows. They responded actively.
  One of the girls fell, struck in the chest by an arrow. Her body convulsed and fell apart. The other girl seemed to have only been wounded. The face was distorted by a grimace of pain.
  Other fighters also fell, but at first the losses were not particularly large, apparently due to the distance, the arrows could not always penetrate the armor.
  Svyatopolk noted:
  - Let"s whine though!
  Baldak was already rushing towards his people, he shouted as he galloped:
  - Now I"ll leave the guard, it"ll be fun!
  Grobogor suggested:
  - I will immediately move to the left flank, we will communicate using shells and Velcro.
  Svyatopolk agreed:
  - Well, my place is in the center!
  Ilya Muromets also did not sit still, he suggested:
  - Well then! Now our place is with the troops.
  Dobrynya Nikitich agreed:
  - I will fight against Baldak!
  Alyosha Popovich cut off the tip of his mustache with a sword:
  - Well, it looks like I got Grobogor. I think this is the best option!
  Ilya Muromets whispered a prayer and crossed himself:
  - Well, by God, comrades!
  - Amen! - Alyosha Popovich and Dobrynya Nikitich answered in unison.
  - We will conduct the conversation using water lilies and water lilies. Inform each other about everything, do not hide the truth!
  The warriors bowed and spurred their black horses and rode off.
  Ilya Muromets continued to remain on the high ground, he understood that someone must monitor the battle! You can only take on the function of an ordinary soldier at a critical moment, when personal intervention can turn the tide of the battle. Caution is the antithesis of cowardice!
  The infantrymen closed ranks and, not paying attention to the hail of arrows, moved towards the positions of the Great Russians. The female infantry soldiers acted especially bravely. Waving their swords, they bravely rushed into the thick of the battle.
  The ranks of the light infantry were mixed up, the girls split into small groups and fought desperately. Most of the beauties fought barefoot, but with glittering gold knee pads. Female soldiers, no less than men (if you count only people, but there were also fabulous creations), each could become a decoration of the podium, light armor plates did not hide, but rather emphasized, the most seductive parts of the girl"s body.
  Baldak, roaring deafeningly, ordered:
  - Now let the heavy infantry go into battle!
  The huge men used a phalanx formation. This is when the first ten warriors carried spears in front of them, creating a gigantic hedgehog. However, the disadvantage of this formation was that the phalanx broke on uneven terrain and could puncture its own soldiers.
  Dobrynya Nikitich calmly ordered:
  - Redeployment! Two hundred steps back!
  Behind the Great Russian phantom soldiers lay felled stumps and boulders, as well as sharpened stakes. They passed them, forcing the phalanx to move through a kind of obstacle course. Baldak cursed angrily:
  - You see this rabble is already running! Come on, beat the drums faster, let's roll the victory roll.
  The drums hit much harder, the shots began to beat more often. In some ways it was reminiscent of the exhausting rhythm of galleys rushing to ferry, when the oarsmen are forced to spit up blood!
  The phalanx accelerated, but its formation, as one might expect, was disrupted. The soldiers rushed into the breaches with a jubilant cry.
  Baldak, seeing such a turn, shouted:
  - Throw mounted knights, elephants and dinosaurs into battle immediately.
  Svyatogor objected:
  - Isn"t it too early! On the enemy side, only infantry are fighting so far!
  Baldak barked:
  - No, just right! Let's try to get ahead of him. Once the chin is raised, you need to hit it!
  The phalanx fighters threw their spears and used their swords. Fortunately, everyone had a treasure chest tied to their belt. But happiness in battle is a fickle thing. A few seconds of delay led to the death of many hundreds of soldiers. Now the battle has entered the phase when the opponent throws his trump cards on the table.
  The blow of mounted knights is terrible. Even when the avalanche bristling with steel rushed along it was scary. Several dozen catapults managed to fire, hitting the enemy with a hail of stones and sharpened steel balls, but this only angered the rushing soldiers.
  Dobrynya Nikitich, realizing that his troops could not resist such pressure, gave the order:
  - Well, falcons! Forward!
  The cavalry armada of Great Russia moved towards the meeting. The semi-material earth created by magic shook. Dust rose. Insects flew up, including small midges, they landed on helmets, and were shot down in flight. Some of the representatives of arthropods simply exploded, flashing like small stars.
  Dobrynya Nikitich peered at the picture of the battle. Baldak's cavalry crushed many of its own infantrymen. Dobrynya's horsemen, in turn, came in from the flanks, acting more carefully.
  The cavalrymen collided and a serious battle began. Both sides fought with great vigor and valor. The flag of the knight Egglot has fallen! The famous warrior himself received several wounds and fell into despair to such an extent that he cut down two of his squires.
  - A pit, then a ditch! - Baldak cursed. - Throw another squad into battle, we"ll try to pin down the enemy. Push the enemy over the edge!
  The Great Russian infantry acted more harmoniously, the fighters used special hooks and scythes against horses and riders. While the foot soldiers of the Holy Russians were more confused underfoot. True, the warrior girls showed extraordinary courage. One of them, a large busty one, jumped with such force and slammed her bare foot into the helmet that the hefty knight thundered off his camel. But all the Great Russians acted more effectively. For example, they used short needles on boots, trying to hit them in the stomach. And yet, the Holy Russians had a numerical superiority on their side. They, losing thousands of horsemen, fought and pushed back the enemy.
  In the battle on the left flank, the Cossacks took an active part. With checkers, in hats and burkas, they almost immediately mixed up the formation. Now each of them could show their valor.
  Here two brave Cossacks Vasilko and Danillo met. One is born free, wild. The other one wouldn't mind being the first either! And although both were created by magic, man-made memory stores memories of childhood, of will, of the dream of a better life.
  And they fight not for life, but for death.
  Vasilka shouted:
  - What are you talking about, Basurman!
  - You yourself are an infidel! I am a Russian Orthodox person! - Danillo objected.
  - No, you are my enemy! - Vasilka turned around and, performing a double fan technique, hit the enemy under the arm. He recoiled, but was caught by his silk shirt, which became red with blood.
  - What a bastard! Ruined such clothes! - Danillo reared his horse. He kicked Vasilka off the saddle with his hooves. The Cossack fell, but immediately jumped up, still stunned, swinging his saber. Danillo brought his saber down on him, splitting his skull with a mighty blow.
  - Sorry Cossack! But we are cramped in the same universe!
  The fighter thought that he had won, but at that moment he received a saber on the back of the head. From the terrible blow, his head became dim and the Cossack, with the last of his strength, turned around and caught the offender with his blade. A moment later, everything in his head became clouded with a bloody fog. Another life, albeit not real, but no less real, plunged into the darkness of oblivion.
  The girls fought with no less ferocity. The mighty, golden-haired Countess Margarita came face to face with the black-haired Princess Olga. Both beauties glowed with frantic, girlish rage. Under Margarita there was a snow-white unicorn, its golden hooves were kicking off sparks. Olga's red deer was also not inferior in beauty and grace.
  The girls collided with such force that they fell off their horses. Margarita swore:
  - Well, you're fat.
  Olga retorted:
  - I hear from Koshchei.
  The warriors fought on foot, taking off their pebbled morocco boots. Their pink heels and tanned muscular ankles moved their bodies easily with inimitable grace. So Olga reproduced a deft attack and cut down the steel, gilded plate covering Margarita"s full breasts. Nipples as bright as rosebuds were exposed. The Countess blurted out:
  - Wow, lesbian!
  And she did not remain in debt, ripping open the offender"s chain mail, revealing the muscular and seductive torso of the young princess. Olga threw off the remnants of her clothes, and Margarita followed her example. Now the girls fought naked, in their special beauty: warrior goddesses. The magnificent bodies were covered with scars, and then a lightning strike from the blade cut off Olga"s chest. In response, the girl planted her foot into the press of her impudent opponent. She bent down and a merciless sword cut off the warrior"s beautiful head, with hair worth a fortune. But Olga only enjoyed her victory for a short moment; a sharp arrow pierced her surviving chest, reaching her brave, passionate heart.
  This is how the heroes of magical battles died!
  Grobogor acted more judiciously: he tried to look for vulnerable spots in the enemy formation and pierce the skin with a point.
  Alyosha Popovich was also cunning, in no hurry to throw reserves into battle. He remembered the rule: a commander controls only those troops that he did not throw into battle.
  You have almost no control over what they are fighting. Unless you can order them to flee!
  Baldak was not known for his patience. In an effort to precipitate the crisis, he ordered:
  - Immediately throw dinosaurs and mammoths into battle. It's time to break not only the enemy's backbone, but also his skull.
  When dinosaurs, as big as planets, rush by, they are a monstrous horror. The imagination is powerless to describe the grandeur of the scene when several thousand of these giants are flying headlong at once. This is a majestic panorama, when the vaults shake and the trees are ready to start dancing.
  The shell tied to Baldak"s ear squeaked, Svyatopolk"s voice asked:
  - Isn't it too early?
  Baldak answered angrily:
  - No, just right! I hope I can get ahead of my cowardly and weak opponent!
  . CHAPTER No. 5
  Dobrynya Nikitich, seeing the movement of the army of monsters, said:
  - Well, apparently we"ll have to strike too!
  Ilya Muromets advised:
  - Move your reserve from the center so that the dinosaurs pass diagonally and perform a sweep. This will be a very strong slap in the face, and you will save your troops.
  - Looks like we have no other choice!
  The throw using the new reserve did not go entirely smoothly; it was not possible to avoid casualties among our own infantry. But the battle became much fiercer and more colorful. Especially when dinosaurs fought each other.
  Here are two huge tyrannosaurs, intertwined in a ball and began to bite each other"s tails. Torn meat flew in different directions. What followed was a throw of the streptosaurus at the diplodocus. A furious bite to the neck, an indescribable cry of despair. The gigantic beast responded with a blow of its tail, knocking down a dozen riders along with their horses. The fire blazed and the belly of the diplodocus was torn open. Gigantic intestines spilled out. They moved like colossal worms. Riders on horses and camels became entangled in them. Even the mighty mammoth got caught and turned over on its back, kicking its thick legs.
  Dinosaurs died, but more phantom warriors died. Here is the famous knight of the army of Holy Russia, Count Dudko, who was trampled by a gigantic raptor. It all looked very vile and ridiculous. Some dinosaurs had scythes attached to them; they cut off strangers and their own soldiers as if with a razor. And how many horses were killed, a monstrous sight.
  Svyatopolk asked Baldak:
  - Well, what should we do now?
  He confidently answered:
  - The main reserve has been saved. I give the order, having made a deep roundabout maneuver, to move the troops to the hills. There the fate of the company will be decided.
  - Maybe battles? - Corrected the epic hero.
  - Possibly battles! Let's do a hook throw!
  - Well, go ahead! May Providence help us!
  Dinosaurs, humans, goblins, soldiers of all stripes and types fought with furious ferocity. The Holy Russians managed to advance slightly along the extreme flank, squeezing the positions of the Great Russians. Dobrynya Nikitich threw a small reserve detachment of tyrannosaurs into battle. They became the crowbar that supported the dam block, making it possible to resist the increasing pressure. The tyrannosaurs cut off the ledge and killed quite a few riders.
  Baldak swore, but he had no more reserves: the main forces were sent around.
  Grobogor was also nervous, he was tired of being cunning and he also threw dinosaurs into battle.
  But he did it with a small detachment. Then Alyosha Popovich reacted unexpectedly. He threw into the battle, immediately all the forces consisting of mammoths and dinosaurs. At the same time, acting very cunningly, the troops galloped under the cover of the fog induced by the elves. As a result, the blow was very strong. Many enemy horsemen and infantry died on the spot. All the approaches were littered with trampled corpses. Grobogor hoped that the enemy, like him, being cunning, would send only a small part of the reserve, as a result of which he limited himself to half measures. As a result, the initiative passed to the side of the Great Russians.
  Grobogor did not immediately realize that the enemy had an advantage in the battle and his small squad of dinosaurs was pushing back, and the cavalry could not resist such monsters. Losses grew quickly, soldiers were killed in the thousands.
  Alyosha crossed himself and put his hand on the cross with the relics:
  - It seems Christ is helping us! However, trust in God and don"t make a mistake yourself! Now you can save your energy.
  Pastukhov also fought; the mighty young man, as one would expect, was in the hottest place. He threw away his shield and slashed with two swords at once. At the same time, it looked as if the young man was playing.
  Grobogor shouted:
  - Come on, bring this fellow to me!
  Several guardsmen separated from the imposing escort, the cautious commander. They were led by the knight Viscount de Guiche. A strong and cunning warrior, he took with him a special device, a mixture of a crossbow and a lasso.
  - I'll bring Pastukhov on a string. Just one thing I wanted to know? What will be the reward?
  Grobogor threw the bag, de Guiche caught it on the fly:
  - My generosity will be simply dazzling!
  - Consider him dead!
  - No, better alive! This is not the guy they sing about: better dead than alive, tough warrior - blue!
  The Viscount laughed and spurred the three-horned camel, the horse's humps shaking. Grobogor commanded:
  - Throw all reserves into battle! Let the dinosaurs break the line! After all, Alyosha is just a gag!
  In the last words one could feel annoyance: they must have been outwitted! And who is Grobogora himself!
  The impact of the next avalanche of dinosaurs allowed the front to stabilize, but the ferocity from this only became stronger. Here the huge head of the Krasosaurus turned out to be cut off. The huge mouth convulsively clenched and unclenched its jaws. Here one of the horsemen was grabbed by the tongue, he was pulled into the living underworld, the fangs closed. Shards of bloody bones flew out from under the teeth. One of the bloody pieces hit the girl"s face. The beauty smiled predatorily:
  - Men are already scattering, for no reason.
  Even killed dinosaurs, due to the primitiveness of their organism, fought for some time and used terrible fangs and claws. Alyosha Popovich with a small but well-knit squad: from time to time he cut into the ranks. He caused some devastation in the enemy's ranks and drove back. The half-naked girls blushed and were embarrassed, glancing at the handsome man.
  - You can't catch us! You'll drop the quasar! - The cunning young man sang. - It"s not for nothing that the son of an Orthodox priest became a legend, a symbol of resourcefulness.
  Meanwhile, de Guiche's detachment broke through to Pastukhov. The Viscount sang in a mournful manner:
  - I will pay you in full, shepherd! And this will surprise you mortal! Reckoning will come and it will come quickly! They'll lock you in a carriage coffin!
  Pastukhov heard the boastful words of the Viscount through the clanking of swords, the groans of the wounded and the roar of dinosaurs.
  - A carriage coffin is something new! Maybe it's a carriage-shaped coffin!
  De Guiche raised a hybrid lasso and crossbow. He deftly aimed at the target and tried to catch Pastukhov. He, however, was on alert and when the lasso flew, he dived like a float. The lasso wrapped around the neck of one of the green army warriors. From a severe painful shock, the fighter lost consciousness.
  - Damn it, I missed! - The viscount created by magic spat quite naturally.
  - It's the same as always! - Pastukhov shouted, and on his white unicorn he simply galloped towards de Guiche. Two warriors rushed to cut him off. Swings of swords. The cut-off heads rolled away, one human and the other horned.
  The Viscount only managed to say:
  - Come on! Annihilator!
  How his head was separated from his body.
  Pastukhov replied:
  - A head without a soul is like a dog with a soul!
  Five horsemen rushed at the young man at once. He killed one of them immediately, and knocked the second off his horse.
  - Well, how many of you are there! Let's rush into the pool!
  The riders seemed a little confused, wow, the enemy was strong.
  Pastukhov slashed at two more and sang:
  A bonfire with the brightest flame,
  My love is burning!
  Although the enemy is cunning and cunning,
  But he will be broken!
  
  Let the wild, mad villain
  It burns and ravages the region!
  Love in the soul is like a nightingale;
  Rush, flight, go for it!
  
  And Holy Rus' will win,
  There is no other fate!
  The knight will raise a strong shield,
  Dear Fatherland!
  
  And he will remain faithful,
  Holy light to Russia!
  Russian armor is reliable,
  Let's save our family from troubles!
  The young man sang and chopped without stopping. His blows resembled the movement of a maestro's fingers on the keys of a piano. Only touches knock out not music, but streams of blood. However, the "green" warriors fought very well, demonstrating no less valor and will to win. Goblins were not inferior to people, elves were excellent archers, and were not lost in hand-to-hand combat. There were magnificent fights with a demonstration of a virtuoso level.
  Grobogor thus gathered the best warriors into a fist and struck counter blows; he was not a coward, but on the contrary, a magnificent swordsman and fighter.
  - I will win! We can't lose!
  Dobrynya Nikitich on his flank carefully monitored the enemy"s movements. Baldak's powerful reserve managed to reach the hills in the midst of a hot battle. There were quite a few dinosaurs in reserve; powerful monsters, using magical horseshoes, began to climb up an almost vertical slope. The reserve was commanded by the man-made knight Lancelot. The ambush regiment from Great Russia was led by Mikula. He told Dobrynya:
  - Okay, the devils are coming!
  Dobrynya replied:
  - How are the stars scattered?
  - Of course everything is in full swing!
  - When they get to the very top, you should pour oil on them, imagine what will happen if the dinosaurs fall off.
  Mikula grinned:
  - And the oil along with the resin can be set on fire!
  - What a completely reasonable idea! Although cruel!
  - In war, valor goes hand in hand with mercilessness! They are like the bride and groom in a victorious union! - Mikula whistled. - We will fight hard, we will fight hard! And not just an eye for an eye!
  The dinosaurs kept climbing and climbing. Stumbling upon the stars, the monsters and the horses galloping behind them stumbled, some fell, but the main avalanche continued to advance. The dinosaurs clicked their jaws and arrows rained down on them, causing virtually no harm to the monsters, but killing people and smaller individuals. They fell to the bottom, rolling. The archers on the other side responded fiercely, but since they were firing from below, the fire was not as effective. Just as mold covers a boulder, so the troops of Svyatorossia straddled the hill. The top point is about to be crossed.
  Mikula commanded:
  - It's time! Let's fly!
  Oil mixed with resin poured out. Once in it, the dinosaurs' legs slid in their enchanted hooves. Knight Lancelot, however, was not at a loss, but commanded:
  - Forward fighters! Saryn on the kitchka!
  However, such "bravery" did more harm than good. There was a terrible crush: the dinosaurs turned over and pierced each other. But the blades attached to the edges were especially dangerous. They easily cut off the flesh of monsters and smaller warriors. Lancelot found himself in the very center of the crush. He was mercilessly squeezed, depriving him of the possibility of commanding the army. Mikula, seeing that a critical moment had arrived, commanded:
  - Let's attack! Let's give them a purulent respirator!
  A blow of fresh forces tipped the scales in favor of the magical army of Great Russia.
  The ambush regiments either bypassed the hills in advance or attacked from above. In any case, the superiority was on the side of the army that fought in an organized manner, as opposed to one gripped by panic, which intensified even more when the oil was set on fire.
  Mikula whistled:
  - Let"s flood the bathhouse like this - let"s raise Vanka-Vstanka!
  Lancelot was stunned, and the reserve that was left without command simply died.
  Baldak could not send reinforcements, since all his troops were pinned down by a frontal battle.
  Mikula saw all this very well, in order to speed up the defeat and inspire the troops, he personally cut into the enemy ranks, swinging a double-edged ax.
  - I will tear you all to pieces! You'll know you idiots!
  Baldak yelled:
  - Yes, you will all be damned! Now the dragons will join the battle!
  Indeed, in the extreme heights, a battle of dragons began. As soon as she walked on equal terms, the winged creatures split into many flocks.
  Mikula swung his ax with furious excitement, but at the same time did not forget to give the necessary orders. The commander was all about passion and enthusiasm.
  A man next to him was lifted onto spears, but this only increased the bitterness.
  Gradually the Great Russians gained the upper hand, with every swing of the sword and thrust of the spear new thousands of victims.
  Baldak shouted:
  - You are Lancelot: just balls in your mouth! You do such a bastard! Well, what should I do with you! I'll hang you, no better than the fourth!
  The reserve disappeared, and some of the phantom warriors, without hesitation, took flight. Even the brave warrior girls flashed barefoot, many with blood-stained heels. Well, we must admit that it was a reasonable step, but when the dinosaurs rushed, thundering and trampling their own, it was... In short, a real song of annihilation and breaking bones. Lancelot died, his last words were:
  - I could have foreseen this!
  Phantoms, however, had a set of feelings that largely coincided with living beings. Therefore, knowing what fear is, they took a panicked flight, some girls threw off their armor as they walked to make it easier to run. Their naked bodies, shiny with sweat, despite all the erotic appeal, especially their luxurious hips, with muscles rolling under tanned skin, could not inspire sympathy in the hearts.
  The persecution was brutal, all the hills and the approaches to them turned out to be thickly stained with blood, strewn like a field of powder with corpses. The hooves were stuck in the bloody slurry. The same half-naked girls from Great Russia squealed with delight and also tried to lose excess weight. How amazing it is, naked warriors, shiny with sweat and stained with blood, their muscles flexing, their legs dancing as they run!
  Mikula, not paying attention to the girlish charms, commanded:
  - Drive them towards the center! There we"ll crush the little darlings. Even an obstinate donkey obeys the whip!
  The movement became more and more directed and rapid. Taking advantage of the fact that the most powerful reserve was destroyed, Mikula, on the orders of Dobrynya Nikitich, attacked the enemy in the flank and rear. And although the blow was not sudden, the shock of the armies was great.
  Baldak, seeing that the situation was becoming critical, rushed into battle together with a small detachment of soldiers:
  - Only the wind is violent, it rains in my eyes! I see a storm raging over the world! - Bogatyr Baldak got into formation, but part of his team was knocked over by fleeing cavalrymen and dinosaurs. If you set fire to such a monster, he will actually run. And even so, only the claws flash, cutting the blood-soaked surface!
  Maneuvering the unicorn, Baldak somehow managed to resist, but they managed to crush him a couple of times. He wanted only one thing: to fight Dobrynya Nikitich. Moreover, he had an unpleasant surprise prepared for the enemy.
  Dobrynya, realizing that the commander must set an example for the soldiers, rushed into the thick of the battle. He himself is, of course, a skilled and strong warrior, with excellent command of the treasure chest.
  - Come on guys! Our hearts will not waver in the fight! Let us stand for the honor and glory of Great Russia.
  Baldak replied:
  - May Sacred Rus' win!
  The hero Foma, who was fighting at Baldak"s right hand, added:
  -Fight for her and don"t be afraid!
  Both sides demonstrated the highest combat pressure. True, most of the army of Svyatorossia had already fled, but the guard performed miracles of courage.
  Baldak crossed himself, he saw Dobrynya Nikitich and began to get closer to him. The left hand groped for two fiery gifts donated by the sorcerers.
  - Now I"ll fry you, Dobrynyushka!
  Nikitich defeated two warriors, he also noticed Baldak. Now the two heroic commanders had to decide: who would get the laurels!
  Baldak shouted:
  - Well, winner of the snake, do you want some semolina?
  Dobrynya replied:
  - Such childish expressions do not suit a glorious warrior!
  Baldak chuckled:
  - Don"t you want this?
  He threw a fiery gift that could fry a whole mammoth. Dobrynya jumped on the unicorn, the "gift" hit the retreating mastodon, immediately skinning the beast.
  - You have a decent fly swatter! - Dobrynya noticed.
  - You're a clever devil! - Baldak said with annoyance and threw the second gift.
  But at the moment of the throw, he was pushed, his hand went astray and the magic "grenade" exploded almost next to him. The biofire scorched the hero, melting his armor and frying his mighty meat.
  - What a bastard! - Baldak cursed. Although, by and large, it was his own fault for using prohibited weapons.
  Dobrynya, having knocked down four fighters (a goblin with a ripped open belly, clenched his teeth in pain at a hillock overgrown with grass), and stabbed the fifth adversary with his own dagger, broke through to Baldak.
  - Well, what a hero! Even though you don"t want it, I offer it! Shall we fight one on one?
  Baldak croaked:
  - Of course we will!
  Both knights came together, struck their swords, and sparks flew.
  Dobrynya suggested:
  - Maybe it would be better if the outcome of the war was decided by a duel between commanders?
  Baldak snapped:
  - You have too small an intestine for this!
  Dobrynya put on his face the most sincere smile:
  - Do you think so?!
  - Yes, the jackal and you will get it on the head!
  Baldak rushed to attack, but his singed side gave off severe pain and prevented him from moving:
  - I'll shred you!
  Dobrynya repulsed the attack and began to attack from the right, since this is how the enemy was seriously wounded.
  No great disaster will befall the planet,
  And in vain the enemy threw his forces into the campaign!
  We will be able to defeat the enemy in a glorious battle,
  The darkness will disintegrate into dust - the time of light will come!
  Dobrynya sang and, making another furious attack, cut off his right arm.
  Baldak dropped his sword and spat at Dobrynya, shouting:
  - Sir, you...
  Dobrynya's treasure cut off Baldak's head. She flew ten steps away and was picked up by a warrior. The dying head managed to say:
  - I curse you! - And then it crumbled into small, flaming fragments.
  Dobrynya replied:
  - For what? It was a fair fight!
  After the death of the leader, the right flank of the Svyatorossiya army turned to mass flight. Now there was no stopping them. The living avalanche began to move, the magical rockfall increased. Dobrynya made a request to Ilya Muromets.
  - Maybe it's time to crush the center and left flank.
  Ilya Muromets replied:
  - Hit the center! Deliver a more rapid blow, part of the forces went to the rear, and let them at the same time pursue the fleeing ones, they will not allow them to return to duty.
  Dobrynya replied:
  "I"ll entrust the pursuit to Mikula, and I"ll strike at the center." I'll lead the deadly attack.
  - Let the dinosaurs crash into the enemy formation first. They must, like tanks, crush the cavalry without hurting their own!
  Svyatogor saw that part of the enemy forces was attacking the center from the flank, but he had no reserves. The mighty knight turned to the magicians.
  - Dear Natasha, we miscalculated and now the enemy is pushing back our troops. There was a threat of envelopment from the rear and flank. Please honey, send reinforcements! Otherwise we'll be screwed!
  The sorceress Natasha answered:
  - No! Now all our forces are thrown into battle in the upper subspace! The enemy magicians went on the offensive and we exchange blows with them. A position of dynamic equilibrium has emerged. If at the same time even a small part of the forces is directed towards you, we will lose.
  Svyatogor groaned:
  - So what should we do?
  - I can give advice!
  Hope appeared in Svyatogor"s voice:
  - Which?
  Natasha laughed:
  - You had a numerical superiority, didn"t you?
  - Yes, great! - the hero growled
  - So turn the fleeing regiments back using the horn of courage.
  Svyatogor replied:
  - I will try!
  The girl added:
  - He is a miracle, he makes soldiers twice as strong. Just watch carefully, so that the enemy does not use his own surprise in response!
  - I'll follow up!
  The mighty hero took a horn from his bosom and tried to blow it. At that moment, a tiny fly flew into the entrance hole. Svyatogor did not notice this and blew with all his might. A monstrous roar was heard, as if thousands of drums were beating. Tens of thousands of guns began firing at the same time.
  The saint barked:
  - This is the end of the world! My army is gaining strength!
  Then suddenly the voice of Grobogor was heard in the shell:
  - Svyatoslav, can you hear me?
  - Yes, sure!
  - How scary is this!
  - The roar of hellish cannons! Now our troops will return and put the enemy to flight!
  Grobogor's voice faded:
  - Don't know! For some reason there is a terrible horror in my soul.
  - The enemy does too!
  - And some monstrous weakness!
  Grobogor squealed in a thin voice:
  - Oh my God!
  - What's the matter!
  - My soldiers are running! And they throw down their weapons!
  Svyatogor himself noticed that the army was retreating along the entire front. Like a tide of sand, the troops of Great Russia are crushing the virtual army. Naked girls fall, beg for mercy, even tie their own hands, kicking their bare, defenseless legs. Svyatogor blew again. The hum of the horn became weaker. The battle escalated into a complete beating. The soldiers fell, the girls, surrendering, used their own long hair as fetters, and tied them so that their bare feet, covered in dust and blood, were pressed against their own face or the back of their heads. Even the mighty dinosaurs were thrown around like toys, everything plunged into chaos.
  Svyatogor saw how quickly the catastrophe grew. This was no longer a retreat; even flight was too weak a comparison. There was a complete extermination of the maddened horde - a formidable army just a few minutes ago. The commander turned to the supreme warrior in a panic.
  - Dear Natasha!
  A dissatisfied voice interrupted him:
  - What else!
  - Our troops are fleeing!
  The girl barked shrilly, spinning her golden braids like the wings of a mill:
  - How is everyone running?!
  - Without exception, only me and my retinue are standing still, and that"s only about ten people.
  Natasha screamed, her braids turned into propeller blades:
  - You're an idiot! Lost the magic horn, the last hope of the magical army! Stupid fool! Chernodyrnik!
  Svyatopolk muttered listlessly:
  - Not really! I blew into it with all my might! And the roar while standing is utter!
  Natasha is now much calmer and answered:
  - Yes I heard! The magical waves have arrived! But this is not true at all, the tonality is alien!
  Svyatopolk took a deep breath:
  - I was not informed how to blow correctly! Maybe I overdid it! Should I have acted intelligently?
  Natasha objected:
  - It doesn"t matter how you blew! Apparently a spell that changed the polarity entered the horn, as a result of which the warriors became weaker and lost courage. Damn Oksana, because of your stupidity, she managed to outsmart me.
  Svyatopolk argued:
  - No, this is my puncture! I saw a fly fly into the horn, but did not attach any importance to it. She was too small!
  Natasha snorted:
  - Yes, small! The size of a tetralet! The elf could well have put a reverse spell into it. And in general, it was in vain that I got involved with the trolls, in all the wars between them and the elves, sooner or later the final victory went to the elves. Only the pacifism and kindness inherent in this glamorous race prevented the trolls from being completely exterminated. As well as nipping our empire in the bud.
  Svyatopolk remarked, playfully singing (perhaps to hide his despair):
  - Trolls are not our relatives at all! They prefer Satan! And I will tell you my feelings without hiding! You can't take a wife from a troll!
  Natasha laughed:
  - Well done! You are one of those phantoms who will make jokes even on the gallows. But now you understand what remains for you?
  Svyatopolk clicked his tongue:
  - Of course, and unfortunately, it is too clear, not allowing for a dual interpretation.
  - So die with honor!
  Svyatopolk crossed himself:
  "It annoys me that the word honor is forgotten and that in honor there are slander behind your back!" However, not by us and not in our time! Let us not disgrace the Russian land! Forward my glorious Knight warriors!
  A dozen selected heroes barked in unison:
  - For Honor and Motherland!
  Ilya Muromets and his retinue also entered the battle: it was not becoming for a commander to sit out at such a crucial moment.
  A great tragedy of courageous hearts, two great armies, only one can survive, although both deserve to live!
  One is born first, the other is born first: as Vysotsky sang: there are four first-borns at a distance, each one thinks that he is a fighter! Everyone thinks that they are the least tired, everyone wants to be on a high pedestal!
  Ilya Muromets, spurring his black horse with all his might, barely overtook the retreating opponents. Most of the enemy dinosaurs simply died from great overvoltage. They gasped and fell, rolling around in wild convulsions.
  Alyosha Popovich, galloping along the right flank, remarked:
  - Apparently these sounds have special destructive power. Look how the animals were shocked.
  Ilya Muromets chopped like a machine gun. It was too easy, no resistance, not even a desire to defend myself. An association with the distant war in Iraq came to mind, when the Arabs fled in fear from American tanks. They were simply shot. Then there was a similar war with the one and a half billion Xitai. Russian scientists invented a new weapon based on the principle of gravitational ultrasound; it spread cumulatively and even underground bunkers capable of withstanding a nuclear strike could not save it. Many millions of narrow-eyed hordes fled in panic. They had neither the strength nor the desire to stop and shoot back! Nuclear weapons were neutralized with special radiation from ultra-light neutrons, which changed the physical characteristics of radioactive elements. Now about a million soldiers and dinosaurs of the virtual army have turned into an inert mass, capable only of running away or destroying themselves.
  Only a dozen phantoms, led by Svyatopolk, retained their courage in this insane chaos.
  Alyosha Popovich was surprised:
  - It"s strange that panic had no effect on our troops and this handful of enemies!
  Ilya Muromets expressed the opinion:
  - Perhaps this is because they are marked with a greenish tint. There seems to be an admixture of a certain magic here.
  Alyosha stated:
  - Shall we take these alive?
  - Only Svyatopolk.
  A dozen heroes, two of them powerful warriors, fought like titans, Svyatopolk knocked down two or three horsemen with one blow, bodies fell around them, corpses piled up, and a whole mound gradually formed. But the blow of the mighty dinosaurs immediately broke the resistance of the knights. Before death, the girls were completely naked, their bodies are too overloaded with muscles and massive to call the titan maidens beautiful and harmonious, but their breasts are like the udders of the most thoroughbred buffalo with upturned nipples in the shape of carnation buds. The warriors fought with dignity, streams of scarlet blood from numerous cuts colored their dark chocolate skin with a slight purple tint. While hearts were beating, powerful hands were raising swords, one of the girls, having lost her right hand, chopped with her left and, despite the pain, smiled, baring her large, even teeth, whiter than snow. All of them except Svyatopolk were mercilessly chopped up and trampled. The hero girl with light green, curly hair was the last to fall, her severed head exclaiming:
  - Slava Ros...
  The scarlet lips turned pale and frozen. And the main commander himself was seriously wounded.
  Knocked off his horse, he stood up heavily and shouted to Ilya Muromets who rode up:
  - You are a man!
  Ilya calmly answered:
  - Of course a man!
  - Then fight me one on one! - Svyatopolk shouted with his last strength.
  Ilya Muromets shook his head:
  - No, that won't be right!
  - Why a coward!
  The epic hero, shaking his head and standing on a bull's neck, objected:
  - You are wounded and cannot fight! This will be a complete beating! Besides, I don't have time.
  - Excuse!
  - Well, okay, take it! - Ilya Muromets threw his horse, raising his sword high, for one strong blow.
  Svyatopolk expected this and managed to get ahead of the warrior with a desperate throw. The blade plunged straight into the stomach of the mighty hero. Ilya groaned as he fell off his horse. Svyatopolk rushed to finish off, but a dozen red-hot arrows with diamond tips immediately pierced him. The commander fell bleeding.
  Soldiers ran up to Ilya Muromets, Alyosha Popovich jumped off his horse, putting his ear to his chest. He exclaimed joyfully:
  - He's still alive! Rejoice Russians!
  Ilya opened his eyes:
  - I injured!
  Alyosha consoled:
  - I'm sure it's not fatal! You have great health. We will fight on the ground, in the sky and in pitch darkness!
  Muromets smiled faintly:
  "I"m not a fighter in the next few hours." I appoint you as supreme commander. Since we won, you and the army must move to another level and help our troops in the space battle. This is task number one. I feel like they are having a hard time.
  Alyosha replied:
  - I, like other warriors, will fulfill my duty to the end. Where and how will you attack your enemies?
  - Oksana will tell you. She will reproduce the portal, but for now I"ll sleep! - Ilya Muromets closed his eyes.
  Alyosha once again put his ear to his chest. The pulse was weak but steady, he quickly jumped up and shouted:
  - Let's continue the pursuit! Let's mow out all the evil spirits!
  One of the warriors sang:
  - And on the left is our army and on the right is our army! It"s good for us to fight when we"re drunk!
  Alyosha slapped him on the lips:
  - What kind of ours are they? An enemy is an enemy: regardless of skin color and beaten face!
  The persecution: despite all its terrifying charm, streams of spilled blood, severed bodies, many thousands of animals struggling in excruciating agony, it became almost routine. Since the magical troops of Holy Russia were seriously weakened by reverse magic, it became much easier to catch up with them. The extermination had the character of a haircut, the army melted like butter in a frying pan. Only girls, fortunately they all had long and voluminous hair, which means they knitted themselves and spared them. Alyosha Popovich contacted Oksana.
  - Supreme Sorceress, we won!
  The girl, without hiding her joy, answered:
  - I already know that!
  - What are your further instructions?
  - We can"t open the portal yet. The enemy is too strong. So first, keep pursuing. Soon you will break through to the mini-matter and trans-space generators. Break all the antennas, then the enemy's energy will dry up. The powers of the sorcerers will be undermined and we will be able to create a transition portal. In the meantime, ours really get it in the space battle.
  Alyosha replied:
  - I understand the order and it will be carried out.
  - Where is Ilya Muromets?
  - Heavily wounded!
  - War cannot be done without casualties! If we win, we may be able to extend his life. Now speed up, use a special prayer.
  - Something like a Mantra.
  - And you know her!
  Alyosha Popovich began to read a prayer, he literally poured out various seemingly meaningless sounds.
  Transmitted through the command amplifier:
  - Come on, repeat after me. What I say, you say too.
  Although the effect of the mantra was not that significant, the persecution was successful. The army, or rather its remnants, were trampled: the last soldiers were killed. And the naked captives twisted their legs and heads with their hair, and, for greater security, pressed their noses with their fingers in order to quickly plunge themselves into deep sleep. The race continued, the plain gave way to foothills, green grass, red sand. Alyosha Popovich ordered, do not crowd, form into separate cohorts.
  A vision appeared before him and a command:
  - Hit the invisible gate with your sword. In this case, you will break through to the generators.
  Alyosha, on a magnificent six-legged horse, managed to escape, racing ahead of the entire army. And all several of the fastest fighters got ahead of him, crashing into a transparent wall. They howled as they fell, knocking their noses and getting bruises. The other army also did not have time to slow down. Many soldiers died, a couple of dozen dinosaurs broke their bones, and the rest were barely able to stop. Alyosha Popovich jumped up and saw the door flickering. It was vague and very small, reminiscent of the door to a wonderful garden in the fairy tale about Alice, but he immediately felt that he had to hit it.
  He shouted a frantic mantra, Alyosha slashed:
  - Victory awaits, victory awaits those who want to break the shackles!
  The barrier began to tremble and gradually began to crumble. Debris flew off from it, then something trembled and the transparent armor finally disintegrated. Alyosha Popovich threw a dagger to finally make sure of this.
  - The path is clear! Jump after me!
  The young commander jumped over, and Pastukhov and other cavalrymen rushed after him.
  Dobrynya Nikitich asked:
  - Why don"t we help our own?
  - It"s not possible yet, we need to destroy the antennas that surround the mega-reactors.
  "Then we don"t have much left."
  Ahead was a valley densely dotted with antennas. Some antennas were huge, ten thousand kilometers in size, sticking out like pine trees, while others, on the contrary, were small, like reed thickets.
  - Destroy them! Don't leave metal on metal!
  All-out slaughter has begun. However, a couple of hundred soldiers received strong shocks from hypercurrent. They fell, writhing in violent convulsions. Alyosha commanded:
  - Take off scarves or tie some other rags on your hands and chop.
  Dinosaurs also bumped into antennas, knocking them down, and at the same time squealing from the impacts. There was simply a terrifying din. Crowds of people destroyed the steel-shimmering forest.
  Corona discharges jumped through the air every now and then, and lightning struck. However, the number of victims was small, mostly the murderous energy was upward.
  Pastukhov received a couple of blows from magical electricity, but this only made him angrier.
  - I am Shepherd, and Christ himself compared himself to a shepherd! So I will shepherd you in the valley of the shadow of death!
  Antennas, even the largest ones, fell. Gradually the plain was filled with many metal fragments. It is easier to destroy antennas than people: they are motionless and do not fight back.
  When the last antenna collapsed, the color of the sky above the army changed, becoming pitch black! Natasha"s confident voice sounded in Alyosha"s ears:
  - You are our boy now! Managed to complete the task. Now we are advancing, rebuild the army, soon we will open the portal.
  Alyosha shouted:
  - We must do this as quickly as possible! Our boys and girls are dying!
  Indeed, the army of Alexander the Great was getting worse and worse! She was pressed by superior forces, and losses were mounting. Large starships were split apart, small ones burned like flies in torches, and there was nowhere to retreat further. His assistants, in particular the elf, suggested:
  - Maybe we can leave interuniversal space. On the other side, fortress planets will help us. They will delay the enemy!
  Alexander angrily rejected such a proposal:
  - In no case! In this case, there will be so many unnecessary casualties, especially from the civilian population (if that can be said about economic troops). We will wait for reinforcements or die, trying to carry away as many enemies as possible.
  "In this case, all we can do is pray!" said the elf.
  . CHAPTER No. 6.
  Yanka trembled with fear, his teeth chattered. Suddenly these are terrible pedophiles who want to rape him. Moreover, they look like Arabs, and Arabs often sexually exploit boys, as they are called - bacha!
  - Please don't torture me!
  The merchant hit Yank in the face, the boy staggered, his cheek swollen. There was a noise in my head.
  - Come quickly, puppy, or I will order you to be skinned.
  The merchant's assistant barked:
  - That's it, Ahmed. Remove and sprinkle with salt.
  Yanka automatically took off his sweater. He had a T-shirt with a picture of a cartoon character: a black cape.
  Ahmed laughed:
  - Rich clothes, and what kind of monster is depicted on it.
  The boy stammered, barely audible:
  - Black cloak!
  - Who can"t hear!
  Yanka shouted in a broken voice:
  - Black cloak!
  - Who is this?
  The boy sniffled:
  - Disney cartoon hero.
  Ahmed recoiled:
  - Are you a sorcerer? Or is this the name of your empire?
  The boy was seriously scared:
  - This is such a country!
  - Far away!
  - Yes, far away!
  Ahmed took off his turban and scratched the top of his head:
  - I don"t know this one! You can actually see unimaginably distant lands; our world is very large. Take off your robe, it belongs to me now.
  The boy timidly took it off, he decided not to argue. Ahmed pointed his finger at the boy's bare stomach. The boy's abs were sculpted, with distinct bars, like those in a chocolate bar. While studying at the circus school, Yanka had very good muscles; training from early childhood made his body flexible and his muscles elastic. Ahmed was satisfied:
  - Strong slave, you are apparently from the caste of foreign warriors, only still small and cowardly.
  Yanka, lowering his eyes, sighed:
  - I"m actually not a warrior!
  - Who?
  - Something like an actor!
  - Yes! It's so interesting! But I have no time to listen to your songs. Now take off your boots.
  Yanka corrected him a little bolder:
  - Sneakers!
  - Is this what it is?
  - That's what our shoes are called!
  Ahmed raised his whip:
  - Don't you dare lecture me! Just shoot!
  Yanka reluctantly took them off; they were almost new and shiny. To avoid getting dirty, he also took off his socks.
  Ahmed was pleased.
  - Fine! You become an obedient slave! The shoes are beautiful and will sell. Now take off your pants!
  The last sentence caused fear in the boy, what if they really let him down?
  My hands began to tremble. At that moment, a swipe was heard and the whip painfully burned his bare shoulder.
  - My orders are carried out immediately slave!
  Yanka, groaning in pain, quickly took off his pants, leaving him in just his sports shorts. Ahmed approached him and began to unceremoniously feel him. Rough fingers walked along the legs, kneaded the chest, pinched the biceps, the slave trader looked into the mouth.
  - The teeth are all intact! Not a single spot! Therefore, there were strong bones.
  Then he made me raise my legs, feeling my feet:
  - No, you were clearly not born a slave, which means you are of great value. - Ahmed sniffed the boy. The smell of a clean, muscular body awakened bestial instincts, but the merchant was used to restraining himself. Overall the product looked attractive. Ahmed pulled the boy"s blond, thick hair painfully and said:
  - Blonde boys are very rare. I'll get a decent amount for it. Join him with the other slaves.
  Yanka was about to reach for his clothes when a whip hit him painfully on his fingers, and a crimson stripe swelled on the back of his hand:
  - Where is the slave now? - Akhmed collected his clothes, and his assistant threw a loincloth to Yanka. "The slave boy won"t get hurt again."
  Yanka screamed:
  - So what am I doing! Now I will walk around naked, barefoot?
  - Yes, you insignificant slave, or you will be impaled! Now take him to the other slaves.
  Yanka was led away unceremoniously like a little dog. The child"s bare feet stepped on cracked slabs, corroded by natural elements, and his bare feet tickled slightly. The cool breeze pleasantly shrouded the body; the boy remembered Artek, when, after a ten-kilometer run, he stood on the top of Bear Mountain. Also the belly, chest, arms, legs were caressed by the sea wind, with a rich set of diverse smells. The whistle interrupted the memories. A pen fell out of his jeans pocket, and the assistant handed it to Ahmed. He glanced at her, wryly:
  - What a very beautiful thing! - The merchant said, looking at her more carefully, and turned around. Then he whistled. - Wow! There was one drawing, now there is another! What it is?
  An assistant with striped beads on a bull's neck drew a circle with his hand:
  - Holy! Holy! Witchcraft!
  Yanka looked around and said quietly:
  - There is no magic here!
  The merchant made an impatient gesture:
  - Bring him closer!
  The boy was dragged roughly, Yanka almost fell, and his neck ached.
  - So you say there is no magic.
  The boy quickly answered:
  - Of course not! This is just the art of our masters.
  - Artisan art?
  - Yes! O lord! - Yanka reflexively bent, catching the movement of the whip.
  - OK then! You can go! We've already been too late. Attach it to the column. At the rest stop, I will question the boy in detail.
  Yanka was tied by the hands to a thick, roughly planed pole; next to him were about a dozen boys, the same age or slightly older or younger than him. The boys were half naked, wearing only loincloths, thin with protruding ribs. The skin was very dark, tanned by three suns, but there were no blacks. The boys looked like Arabs, with black hair, although some were a little lighter brown and more like Caucasians. In general, the nice guys smiled at Yanka, and only in the gaze of one of them did the boy read hostility. The children's bare feet were black, bruised, and calloused; it was clear that they had come a long way. Yanka shuddered and thought what kind of city boy would he be, walking for days on a dusty, rocky road. The boy standing on the side with his hands tied was almost black, but his hair was light brown - it would shake. He raised his right bare foot, Yanka turned his left foot in response and put his foot to his foot. Thus, the boys seemed to shake hands with each other. Yanka noted that the boy"s sole was hard, like a goat"s horn. The boy asked quietly:
  - I'm Ali, who are you?
  The freshly minted young slave answered a little louder:
  - I'm Yanka.
  The whip burned my back. The boy screamed, but bit his lip; he didn"t want to embarrass himself in front of the other boys.
  - Don't talk! - The overseer shouted.
  Yanka bowed automatically. In general, how quickly slave habits are developed.
  They were led, the rope became taut: they had to increase their pace. The boys walked in silence, only Ali, looking back to see if the overseer was looking in their direction, said in a quiet whisper:
  - You must be a foreigner!
  Yanka thought for a couple of seconds and replied:
  - Yes, a foreigner!
  - I immediately understood this from your clothes! In addition, when you speak, there is a strange feeling as if two people are saying the words at once.
  - Maybe it's the accent!
  Ali suggested:
  -Are you from the warrior caste?
  - Unfortunately no!
  - I've already heard this! But being a warrior is much more interesting than rotting on plantations or in quarries.
  Yanka shuddered:
  - Yes, I imagine it must be hard!
  Ali remarked:
  "I"m a strong and resilient guy, and if I"m forced to mine a stone on the surface, I can live a long time." But underground, especially in silver mines, you can"t last more than two years.
  - Why?
  - The air is so poisoned with sulfur.
  Yanka remembered the history lesson:
  - But there are also galleys.
  - Yes, and it"s terrible, but it doesn"t threaten us yet.
  - Why doesn"t the empire have a sea?
  - There is a sea, but we are too small, the slave seats and oars are designed for adult men or women.
  Yanka fell silent. He wondered what awaited him now. The devil is cunning, the mighty demon has thrown him back to the times of slavery. Now he"s walking almost naked, next to the sweaty, unwashed boys, his back is sore from the lashes, and it looks like he"s still a little bit. Not long ago he was no worse than most Russian schoolchildren, almost an excellent student, the best fighter in the class. True, they are not rich, they are an ordinary, average family, but in general there was enough of everything. And now, by the will of the Devil, he is in an alien world, where there are no televisions, computers, radios, tape recorders, or even a toothbrush. In general, science fiction novels lie. Any modern person in ancient times would have felt extremely uncomfortable. If only the science fiction writers themselves had been sent to times not so distant, they would have died quickly! Otherwise, a modern man will appear and let"s thresh everyone. And at the same time, such naivety, in the special forces they don"t teach you how to wield a sword, but in some book, a KGB colonel let"s chop everyone down. A kind of monster. In general, in most novels the heroes are FSB officers. There is a stereotype that if you are an FSB officer, then you must be a superman. Well, Yankee"s father is a Siberian and a captain of the special services. Physically quite strong, but since my son is an acrobat, it won"t work in his arms. In addition, Yanka already beat him at chess at the age of six. So are the FSB men such superhumans? No, they are also individuals of the human race, they are somehow trained, they have certain skills, specific knowledge, but there is nothing superhuman. And to think that each of them can become a king? By the way, his mother is a circus gymnast, she runs the 100-meter dash faster than his father, and can do the dead splits, which his father cannot do. However, since childhood, Yanka himself has been distinguished by great flexibility and quite quickly mastered such an exercise. But it won't help much in a fight. A child who has barely turned twelve cannot knock out twenty-five adults and seemingly seasoned warriors. There's at least one thing to deal with. He really read about the clone knights, these were fighters created by a crazy teenage professor. The syncretism of the qualities of various animals and plants gave rise to an alloy of unprecedented power. Here everything is more plausible, because these are not people, but artificial creations.
  Boy Ali asked:
  - What are you thinking about?
  - About your destiny!
  The boy grinned:
  - You are fair-haired and very handsome, your fate will be much more enviable than ours.
  Yanka was surprised:
  - And why is that!?
  - Most likely you will be sold into a harem.
  - To a woman? - Yanka said hopefully.
  Ali shook his head:
  - That's if you're too lucky. Most often, cute boys, especially with such sparse hair color, end up with depraved men. Moreover, it is unfortunate for the elderly.
  - Why is this for old people?! - The boy widened his eyes.
  - Apparently, with age, the attraction to women weakens.
  Yanka agreed:
  - Gray hair in the beard, devil in the rib!
  - Well said! - The boy said, a little louder than he should have. Punishment followed immediately. The scourge burned the boy, almost knocking him off his feet, and a welt swelled up on his back.
  - Don't hit him! - Yanka put in. And immediately he received his portion, of course it hurt, but isn"t this the beginning of the torment.
  A village appeared ahead. The tip of the bell tower and the protruding circle. Fields appeared on the sides, purple ears of corn, much larger than on the ground. You can also see plantations of something that looks like figs, as well as thickets of chickpeas. The figs, however, are very large, like watermelons, and the chickpeas are like birch trees.
  - Rich lands! - Yanka said. - I personally wouldn"t mind having some food.
  The same boy who was watching hissed unkindly:
  - Keep your mouth wider! This is not for us! A slave must know his place.
  Ali objected:
  - Our place, it won"t go anywhere from us. But trying to achieve something better is by no means a sin.
  The boy remained silent, but his knitted eyebrows showed that he was not happy. Only this is what, masters or comrades.
  Ali remarked:
  - Sadat is always dissatisfied with something! We should not worsen our situation with mutual quarrels and reproaches.
  Sadat snorted:
  - A slave cannot become free!
  Ali disagreed:
  - Sometimes there were opposite examples.
  Yanka asked:
  "I personally don"t want to be a whore and humiliate myself in front of the sheikhs."
  Sadat snorted:
  - This is really stupid. Life in a harem is very easy. Great food, great wines, soft bed. And most importantly, no work.
  - But you know what it costs! - Yanka contorted his face. - No, I don"t wish such a fate for myself.
  - But why!
  - Because I'm a man!
  The overseers hit the chatterbox boys with a whip in the ribs. Yanka was whipped three times very painfully. The thought even flashed through whether it was possible to live like this. It is not better to commit suicide if the opportunity arises. But in this case he will go to hell, and the local Satan will burn him with eternal fire. Eternity in someone else's hell, the underworld of another universe, what could be more terrible.
  Sadat jerked his shoulder, his skin was cut open. The boy licked the blood with his tongue and moved faster, the rope tightened. Nevertheless, he did not lose his spirit:
  - If you had brains, you would understand all the advantages.
  - The advantage of being a fag?
  - Some boys, even smarter, inherited property when they grew up and became sheikhs themselves. But the fools, on the contrary, ended badly, dying on plantations and quarries. - The latter were a little louder. The overseer swung his hand, but did not strike. He muttered:
  - What can this future sheikh do? However, the whip will dance on their backs.
  The village that the column of slaves entered was beggarly, huts like huts. The road is dirty, Yanka almost stepped on a cow dung. And here are the cows themselves, diamond-shaped horns, five at once, quite fat. And on the back there are wings. However, it is doubtful that they are capable of lifting such weight. The inhabitants, for the most part, are dressed not much better than the slaves, only the adults wear wooden shoes and some colorful rags.
  Only one house is made of stone and looks richer, as well as the local church. It looks like a small church and is also made of stone. The village, however, is not small, there are many houses, the ubiquitous boys whistle and point at the slaves. But they don't throw anything away.
  Ali remarked:
  - Many of them can also become slaves at any time. All the peasants are in debt, starving despite the rich land. Children are sold into slavery; there are far more slaves in our vast country than free ones. Look now our ranks are growing.
  Indeed, the priest with the silver triangle brought out about a dozen strong, half-naked boys, and six teenage girls. He did not bargain with the slave owner for long. Having received a skinny bag of gold, he handed over the slaves. Made of steel to tie.
  Ahmed suddenly stopped, his attention was attracted by a girl: barefoot in a light but clean tunic, she was well-built and with a pretty face.
  - I want this slave.
  The priest was confused:
  - This is the daughter of the village elder!
  - And that he has no debts?
  The priest rejoiced:
  - Why is there! There is a shortage in the treasury in his village!
  - What! For this I am taking his daughter. Such a girl is not for the village.
  The priest agreed:
  - Her place is in the harem!
  - Or on a plantation! - Ahmed said angrily. - In my opinion, this is more than appropriate for her!
  The priest objected:
  "She already works hard on the plantation all the time." Look how calloused her hands are.
  - Here he will be a slave! Take her!
  A lasso was immediately thrown over the girl. She resisted weakly. The merchant approached her and touched her chest with his hand. The nipples immediately swelled, the girl jerked back.
  - Where are you sending the slave? Or do you want whips? Don't you know, slave girls shouldn't pull away when their master gropes them.
  The girl timidly replied:
  - I'm not a slave. Born free!
  - But a beggar, and this is almost the same thing. You have already been sold into slavery and all you have to do is come to terms with it. And if you are kind to me, being on a chain will not be too hellish.
  The girl raised her proud head:
  - I do not recognize myself as a slave!
  - That's how it is! Come on, go to the post and undress her!
  The girl's tunic was torn off, exposing her tempting flesh. Yanka reflexively turned away, but the other boys looked wide-eyed. The beauty looked healthy and quite muscular. Her hands were tied and her legs were placed in clamps.
  Akhmed himself took the whip in his hands, swung it, but did not hit:
  - Well, slave, you ask me for forgiveness!
  - No! Never? And I'm not a slave!
  Ahmed grinned:
  - I see you are a stubborn bitch! Get it!
  The whip whistled and a strong blow fell on the girl"s back. Ahmed was physically strong and had experience in taming obstinate slaves and cruel vices. However, the skin was not cut; he was taking care of it for now. The girl sighed, but held back a cry.
  - Well, has the slave accepted it?
  - I'm not a slave!
  - Stubbornness is a sign of stupidity! Get more! - Ahmed began to spank the girl. With each blow, he hit harder. The skin on my back burst, then the bars tore open my armpits. The blows caused cuts to intersect and blood flowed. Ahmed's blows went lower and lower. The girl"s naked buttocks turned purple and her flesh was exposed. The next blow landed on her ankles, then the merchant slammed into the girl's dusty feet. The unfortunate woman did not look at the strong blows, did not scream, after the last click, her head swayed and fell. Ahmed shouted:
  - Take it off and throw it into the cart. We'll take the girl and put her up for auction. The skin will heal quickly.
  They poured a bucket of water on the girl and carried her to the cart. The slaves were given a small clay bowl of something similar to beans mixed with cucumbers and tomatoes, as well as bread.
  They were not given spoons, but they were allowed to rinse their hands with water. After which Yanka tried alien food for the first time. It didn't taste bad. Quite juicy and pleasant, grown under three suns. True, a peculiar taste, like rich honey, and the freshness of the chewing gum gave some specificity to the food, but it was nice. True, the portion after such a long journey is clearly not enough. Fortunately, Yanka hasn"t gone through that much yet and he"s had enough. But I wanted to sleep. After all, they moved late in the evening, and the boy was not an owl. After eating, my eyelids began to stick together. The boy sat down and began to bow his back, choosing a place so as not to touch the piss.
  They called out to him rudely, and the whip fell again on his bare, childish shoulders. The boy jumped up and was tied again. The slaves were driven further, it seems that the transition was not expected to be close.
  Ali whispered to Yanka:
  - Nothing! When the merchant himself gets tired, he will give us a break.
  - I wish I could!
  Now they were walking on coarse gravel. The boy's bare feet experienced much greater discomfort; they began to itch painfully and burn. To distract himself, Artem started a conversation with Ali. It seemed to him that this boy was smart and quick-witted beyond his years.
  - What is the name of this kingdom?
  Ali replied:
  - This is not a kingdom, but a sultanate.
  - What a big difference!
  - Don't tell me! Our state is vast and strong. Various kings and shahs are afraid of Sultan Babatur.
  Yanka smiled ironically:
  - Babatura you say?
  - Babatur the sixth, or as they call him the Bloody.
  The newly minted slave sighed:
  - Yes, this is a representative of a strong dynasty.
  Ali lowered his voice, looking back at the overseer.
  - He killed his older brother Ramses 2, and destroyed his entire family. Then their heads were put on stakes. There are rumors that only the infant heir to the throne survived, although others say that he was simply burned in a fire.
  Yanka readily agreed:
  - Terrible story!
  - It doesn"t get any darker! But here"s the thing, my friend Yanka. If the owner takes the risk of making a big transition to the capital, then there is a chance that the Sultan"s high eunuch will buy you.
  Yanka became gloomy:
  - This will not happen!
  - What will you do! And in general, being a concubine is not the worst fate in the world, although...
  - What, though!
  - They say the Sultan loves to torture little boys. He is very inventive, they say he even built a torture machine himself.
  Yanka trembled:
  - How do you know that!
  - How can I explain this to you? You see, the Sultan loves to demonstrate his talents as an executioner to ministers, viziers, nobles, as well as to his large female harem. Then they spread the word and various rumors spread among the people. They are often the best spy.
  Yanka agreed:
  - Yes, this is quite possible! I read a three-volume book about Pugachev"s uprising, and there was a rumor about the tsar that reached the capital two weeks before the official report. In general, popular rumors were better than any intelligence.
  Sadat entered the conversation:
  - If you want to survive, be careful with the rulers.
  Yanka shook his head and remarked:
  - The life of a slave is not life, but you don"t want to part with it either.
  The boy looked around, a gentle breeze was blowing, birds were singing, and the sounds were rich, rich. Something from a thrush, a nightingale, an oriole. But there are also unearthly enchanting sounds. This makes your soul feel much better, even your bruised feet don"t hurt as much and you feel less tired. The body is trained and will withstand the transition, and the legs will get used to it, you just need to overcome yourself. In general, it's time to think about the future.
  A stream of thoughts flowed. Here the prospects are still vague. Purely instinctively, like a hundred percent man, the role of a concubine frightens him. Anyone who thinks that children know nothing about adult life is stupid. Formally, he is not allowed to watch pornography, but in fact it is difficult to find a schoolchild who has not seen it. Another thing is that he is not interested in this yet. But at fourteen, just two years later, this will of course become his favorite pastime. You can"t argue with nature, it"s not even clear what the authorities are thinking when introducing restrictions for teenagers. After all, this is a fight against a natural, basic instinct, and therefore useless, doomed to defeat. After all, no one has ever managed to defeat nature; sooner or later it took its toll. And the prohibitions only led to trauma in the teenage psyche and various abuses, especially by the police. The laws of Russia and other countries are so imperfect. The teenager is almost an adult and is the most unhappy and deprived member of society. He cannot participate in elections. While a clinical imbecile can. Although at the age of seventeen, some teenagers are already writing doctoral dissertations. And in general, the modern child is very smart, developed, and uses a computer: because this is beyond the power of a professor. Considering him unworthy to vote is not reasonable. History knows many examples: when teenagers ruled an entire state with dignity. For example, Ivan the Terrible, at the age of twelve, ordered the murder of the regent Shuisky, forcing the nobles to reckon with themselves. But this was even before the notorious acceleration and the boom of the Internet, when Yanka could find out everything. Copy any essay, read how the atomic bomb works, the history of Ancient Rome and the Marquis de Sade. So why can"t a child prodigy vote, but an alcoholic homeless person has the right? The Yankees had their own version: children, as a rule, are more oppositional than adults and they have a much greater desire for change. This means that it is not beneficial for the authorities for a child to vote.
  Children love more freedom and will vote either Democrat or Nationalist. Yanka scratched his bare heel with his palm, which was raw from the coarse gravel, and it became easier. At the age of twelve, a modern child, if he is not a moron, is already laying the foundations of political thinking and worldview. So he thinks too; Which system is better for Russia, capitalist or socialist, system of government: democracy or dictatorship! Here, of course, it is difficult to come to an unambiguous conclusion. Each system has its own advantages and disadvantages. The planned, socialist economy allowed the Soviet Union to achieve great success. Industrialization was carried out and a powerful heavy industry was created. In 1941, the USSR had the largest tank fleet, the most aircraft and guns. True, the navy, transport, light and food industries lagged behind. People did not live very well, but no one went hungry, agriculture gradually developed. The peasants got used to cultivating the land collectively and this bore fruit; large collective farms made full use of the achievements of science and the latest technology. Especially in the post-war period, when for twelve years (!) prices decreased every year. On the eve of the war, Soviet tanks and artillery were the best in the world. As for aviation, the newest aircraft are approximately on par with the Germans, the outdated ones are much weaker, but the overall superiority is fourfold! But Katyusha had no equal. True, the Germans overtook them in missiles, radios, and jet planes: the first appeared in 1939. In general, the level of German science was exceptionally high, despite the flight of all the February scientists. This once again proves that the February people do not have special talent and Einstein would have been a nonentity without his Russian wife, who invented the theory of relativity. Yanka did not like Einstein, but not because he was a February, but for another reason. It was Einstein who prompted the United States to undertake the development of such an expensive and dubious project as the atomic bomb. If not the Americans, such a terrible weapon would have been created much later and possibly in the USSR. In any case, the atomic bomb in the hands of the United States prevented the cherished dream of Stalin and all communists from being realized: to unite all of humanity under the red banner. As it is written in the first Soviet constitution: the USSR will expand until it includes the last republic of planet Earth.
  And what is true! Humanity must be united!
  Ali asked Iancu, interrupting the train of logical thoughts:
  - What are you thinking about?
  The boy immediately replied:
  - About the state structure!
  - Yes, you are a philosopher!
  - To some extent, yes!
  - You know, sometimes I also want to dream. For example, what to do when you become a king! Or the Sultan!
  - And what would you do?!
  - I would give land to every peasant and reduce taxes. I would allow representatives of different classes to marry.
  Yanka noted:
  - They would have killed you!
  - But the people would compose songs of legend. As in his time about Ataman Akmal. He was a rare person. Only Shella can ever match his fame.
  Yanka asked:
  -Who is Shella?
  - The famous robber! Robs the rich and gives money to the poor. They say she is very strong and beautiful.
  -Maybe! This is like our Kotovsky and English Robin Hood.
  - Who are they?
  - Noble robbers. They even made a movie about them!
  Ali blinked his eyes:
  - What is cinema?!
  Yanka hesitated, try to explain this to a medieval boy. But the childish mind is quick-witted:
  - It's like a dream! Are you seeing dreams?
  - Yes, of course I see! They feel so good!
  - So this is like a dream, only you watch it in reality. And they show heroic episodes from the lives of great people.
  The boy rubbed his side against the pole and blew, blowing away the long brown hair that was getting into his eyes:
  - This is what sorcerers do?
  - No, masters!
  - Can't be! I heard that there are wizards who conjure wonderful visions. Only a few of them are left now.
  Yanka objected:
  - It really looks like magic, but it's actually science! Do you know what science is?
  - I think I heard him somewhere! I don't remember where!
  Yanka laughed:
  - You'll hear more!
  Again the boy exceeded the required limit with a ringing voice and received a strong blow, the whip encircled his back and burned his stomach. Yanka gasped, stumbled, but immediately stood up:
  - Sorry.
  A tear involuntarily rolled down from his eyes. It became even harder to walk. Ali tried to cheer up his comrade:
  - Don't melt! Imagine that the whip is the tender hand of a mother!
  Yanka shook his head:
  - This makes it even harder for me!
  - Nothing difficult should be made familiar, anything familiar should be made easy!
  - Don't know! It is impossible to get used to the pain!
  - You can get used to everything. However, I would like to know what science is. There is something magical hidden in this word.
  Yanka smiled, the pain became weaker:
  - ABOUT! This thing is cooler than any magic!
  Ali raised his eyebrows:
  - Really!
  - Yes! You're a smart kid. Tell me: can anyone be a sorcerer or magician?
  Ali replied:
  - No, this requires certain innate abilities. Although they say that anyone can learn to do a little magic. There is a legend that one peasant conjured gold for himself every day.
  - An old fairy tale!
  - But wise!
  Yanka continued:
  - Science is such a thing that is higher than any witchcraft. Any of the most powerful magic and at the same time accessible to everyone!
  Ali remarked:
  - Amazing! But you don't own it?
  - That's why you decided that!
  The boy shook his head:
  - Because you wander along with us, chained like a slave. Or rather, you are a slave! If you had such power, would you allow yourself to be bullied? If you could, you would have torn your tormentors to pieces long ago.
  - For this you need technology!
  - Fighting technique!
  Yanka hesitated:
  - Well, how can I explain it to you? Artisans make various mechanical devices. Made of metal, wood, stone, and they provide an advantage.
  Ali scratched the child"s nose on the rope:
  - I have never seen anything like this! How can this be used to win a war?
  - Of course you can!
  - Then I don"t know!
  The boy fell silent, and Yanka was silent. In principle, in the conditions of the Middle Ages, a tank is a strong weapon, but you can"t make it that easy. Even the clone knights were unable to build a machine, and this despite their superhuman abilities. And what can he do: a simple boy. However, if Yanka was not an excellent student, it was not due to lack of ability, but due to insufficient perseverance. But a tank is so complicated, you need a whole industry, a set of different industries and scientists. Maybe something simpler, like a machine gun. A dashing pilot-accident, he destroyed an entire army in the courtyard of King Arthur. For example, he remembers a diagram of an anti-aircraft machine gun drawn on the Internet. But can such a weapon be built in a forge? Slice it, bite it! It seems that this is what they said in ancient times. Should I read the multiplication table to them? Also an interesting idea! They'll laugh!
  While my head is completely empty. He is in a despotic world, divided into slaves and their masters - sentries and prisoners. Build an absolute monarchy. Yanka, with his childish, but by no means primitive mind, began to figure out that reasoning on an abstract topic was distracting: pain in broken feet, overworked legs, itchy abrasions.
  Here's what's better: monarchy, dictatorship, democracy. So he read one famous writer, a former FSB colonel. He was an ardent admirer of the monarchy. He made interesting arguments, but as always happens with a biased person, he didn"t say much. For example, monarchs in European countries have purely nominal power, do not rule, but are just mere decorations. It was not King George who won the Second World War, but Prime Minister Churchill. Or rather, England won under the leadership of Prime Minister Churchill. But oddly enough, in 1945, the Conservatives lost the parliamentary elections. The people were not grateful, although Britain's economic situation improved during this time. However, not all is well in Europe; stagnation has set in, the birth rate is falling, and emigrants are on the rampage. Examples of absolute monarchies such as Saudi Arabia are not impressive. Only sheikhs and the elite live well there. The people are downtrodden and in a state of obscurantism, the actual Middle Ages. The country has barbaric laws, torture, corporal punishment, and there is no objective trial. Huge funds earned from petrodollars are simply being wasted. In oil-exporting countries there is practically no industry, no knowledge-intensive enterprises, the population is mostly illiterate, and the Internet is banned. What's good about this form of government? In general, if we take the history of the United States, where a presidential form of government has existed for more than two hundred years. Never in this country has there been an openly weak leader. The electoral system filtered politicians and a complete idiot could not come to power. At least you need to have the gift of speech, and someone without intelligence is unlikely to be able to coherently pronounce several phrases. Traditionally, in primary elections there are several strong and influential politicians, steps to the throne! That's why America is a great power. And if we take the history of Russia. There were, of course, great kings, but so many were ruled by weaklings. If we take the Romanov dynasty, then only Peter the Great was a great king. He was clearly recognized as great, despite extreme cruelty, protracted heavy wars, strange customs and habits, drunkenness, and debauchery. Peter the Great removed bells from churches, organized competitions to see who could drink the most, and suffered from epilepsy. Of course, there were successes under him, he managed to win access to the Baltic Sea, factories were built in the Urals, and the army was strengthened. But at what high price has this been achieved? Already the eldest son of Peter was feeble-minded, undeveloped, and subject to the reactionary influence of the priests. Ultimately, he ended badly, dying under torture. In general, the other Romanovs were not distinguished by great intelligence or military leadership abilities, many of them were in poor health, and none of the kings of this dynasty lived to a respectable age. The fact remains that there were no long-livers among the Romanov family. Other kings: whom some considered great, others not: these are Catherine the Second and Alexander the Second. Under Catherine the Second: Russia achieved significant conquests, but the queen herself did not possess the gift of military leadership. Russia was simply lucky that during this historical period, a whole galaxy of great commanders emerged. As for the art of management, it was controversial...
  . CHAPTER No. 7.
  - All we can do is pray! - The beautiful elf said with a heavy sigh.
  - And to all the gods at once! - Suggested with irony through poorly hidden panic, Alexander.
  The clutches of the army of Svyatorossia were inexorably compressed. Hyperplasma embraces tried to compress the mighty army more tightly. Millions and millions of starships found their destruction. Often heroic, and sometimes ridiculous. They died, hoping to be resurrected over time.
  Konstantin Rokossovsky rejoiced:
  - It looks like we managed to form a great cauldron. This will go down in history; like space Cannes.
  The warrior girl answered passionately:
  - Yes, this is much larger and grander!
  - We will have a second Stalingrad! - Rokossovsky made a gesture, a sparkling glass appeared in the air. Wine splashed in it, the cybernetic glass produced a hologram and sang:
  - Three tankers drank three hundred each, and then drank a hundred each!
  - But intelligence reported accurately! That German bastard went on the attack! Let us keep the land immaculate! Let's defend the sacred Stalingrad! - Rokossovsky sang.
  The liquid in the glass changed color and became pink. The hologram above the glass turned into a beautiful naked girl, who shook her full breasts with ruby nipples.
  - Darling, I was very sad, I opened the way to the stars! Soaring higher than the mountain eagle! A symbol of Russian glorious power! The relics of the saints are shooting! The rocket tore the quasar into dust! - The naked hologram girl danced, rotating her hips and waist. It was so sexy, and the scarlet lips played seductively.
  Rokossovsky, in his new, non-aging body, felt a surge of desire. This is the chick.
  - It would be nice to have a cascade of girls here!
  A dozen of the most real beauties at once, half of them elves materialized in front of the hypermarshal.
  - We are at your great service!
  Rokossovsky growled:
  - This is amazing! Get naked and dance in front of me.
  The girls began to slowly undress, pretending to be a striptease. It looked mind-blowing. The former marshal of the Great Patriotic War did not have time to be amazed at how sexy and devilishly beautiful modern women are.
  - Beauties, beauties, beauties of the cabaret! You are created to create attraction! And there is no one more beautiful in all the earth, you give brain-glue treatment! - The hypermarshal sang, holding out his hands to them.
  The girls sang in response:
  - Oh Rokossovsky, you are our hero! There is melancholy and pain in your eyes! Well, handsome man, smile! Ascend to the sky like a falcon!
  Rokossovsky raised his hands up and howled, breaking the rhyme:
  - Ooo! I'm great - super! I'll crush Sashka, the moron!
  A dozen girls were completely naked. They danced, flexing their natural muscles. Female elves were slightly thinner and more graceful. And what legs, ankles, thighs, muscular, lush, they have so much strength, sexuality, animalism and at the same time intellectual eroticism. Rokossovsky literally went wild, rushed to the nearest girl and began kissing her ruby nipples. And his hands kneaded the breasts of two other charming girls. How such touches turn on and excite, the girls squeal with delight. The hypermarshal is getting more and more excited, it"s like he"s in heaven! Suddenly the dreams and peak of bliss are interrupted by the furious voice of the computer:
  "There is an unprecedented disturbance of energy in our rear. Opening a portal and releasing phantoms.
  - What?! - Rokossovsky"s face distorted. - Who's behind us!
  - Army of clones! - The computer joked.
  - Something!
  - Phantoms are being released from subspace.
  Rokossovsky turned pale: he knew that phantoms, despite the fact that they are not entirely material, have great striking power. What is mini-matter? It is a certain state of vacuum, energies, and various fields of stellar magic. The special mixed nature of mini-matter gives it enormous destructive power. This means they can completely destroy a significant part of the space armada. The experienced marshal understood what it was like when strong enemy troops appeared in your rear. It is not for nothing that the experience of the Second World War showed the effectiveness of undercutting strikes.
  What to do in this case! There are no reserves left.
  The hypermarshal commanded:
  - We are regrouping troops. Leaving weak cover, we will attack the army of phantoms with all our might.
  - We obey, comrade hypermarshal! - The other marshals and generals announced in unison.
  - Then attack! I turn on the computer's selective mode. Let the electronic mind itself set priorities!
  Obeying the order, the troops split up. About three-quarters moved against the phantoms, while the rest blocked cover.
  Rokossovsky was on the seventh level of the underworld. In case of defeat, severe pain and demotion awaited him. In general, the attitude towards the newly resurrected was quite liberal. They were not subjected to systematic pain measures, like other command personnel and ordinary soldiers. But in case of defeat, the rules will be the same for everyone. True, there is a saying: for one beaten, two not beaten, they give. This is quite fair: it gives some chances to remain in the elite. But why defeat? Troops in the rear do not mean defeat! At one time, when the battle raged in Ukraine, in August-September 1941, Soviet troops were superior to the Germans, both in manpower and equipment. But due to the mistakes of the command and the low morale of the Soviet troops, the million-strong army was surrounded. Even after this, the outcome of the battle was not obvious, since the thread cutting the Soviet troops was too thin. But the superior Soviet troops resisted extremely weakly; more than six hundred and fifty thousand soldiers and officers were captured. Not to mention the mass of numerous defectors and deserters. In general, having a fourfold superiority over the Wehrmacht in tanks and aircraft, it would be a sin to lose. As for the qualitative characteristics, the 1800 T-34 and KV-1, KV-2 tanks did not have comparable opponents in the patsval (this is the general name for the German tank forces). True, the enemy had a temporary superiority in infantry, but after a week of general mobilization, the USSR army was approximately twice as large as Germany. Soviet troops hardly knew how to defend themselves. Both the command and the rank and file were taught to beat the enemy on his territory. Even in the charter of 1939 it was written: if the enemy forces war on us, our army will become the most offensive in the world. There were rumors that Stalin was preparing an attack on Germany. In any case, they were preparing for an offensive war. He is one hundred percent Rokossovsky, he still doesn"t know whether their master, the Great Stalin, was preparing a strike on Germany in 1941. He is a very secretive type and remained so even after his resurrection from the dead. When asked directly about this, the leader who came back from the dead answered the following:
  - Was war inevitable?
  - And what do you think?! - Rokossovsky felt timid in the presence of the revived and rejuvenated leader.
  Stalin said slowly, with a pleasant Georgian accent:
  - Knowing the character of Hitler, his aggressive anti-communism, the obsession with the onslaught on the East, it is clear that war cannot be avoided. The only question that remains is when? The need to choose the right moment is extremely important. Neither sooner nor later is this the key to success.
  - Right! - Marshal Rokossovsky then said and continued with fervor. - But I would like to express my own thoughts. If we had struck at the end of May - beginning of June 1940, we would have won a quick victory. Then we wouldn"t have to lose twenty-eight and a half million people. The losses of eleven and a half million soldiers and officers were officially recognized. But this is not complete data, firstly, the losses of partisans, NKVD troops, militias, military builders, medical personnel and other things are not taken into account. In addition, those who died from wounds were counted if they died within three days after being wounded, while in Western countries the accepted period is one year. Plus another six million missing, of whom the vast majority are dead. The war was terrible.
  Stalin shook his head sadly and began to fill his pipe:
  "Honestly, I regret that I didn"t strike earlier." Every casualty in this great war is a scar on my heart. But there were two reasons why I did not open a second front then. Firstly, it is too vile to attack Hitler, with whom they entered into a ten-year pact. As a rule, I take international treaties seriously.
  Rokossovsky objected:
  - We also had a neutrality agreement with Japan, and we opened a second front and quite quickly defeated the land of the rising sun.
  Stalin, slyly squinting, pretended to agree:
  - Right! But in this case, we risked losing China from our sphere of influence. Imagine what would happen if the pro-American regime of Chiang Kashi came to power. In this case, a state with a population of eight hundred million would be drawn into the US orbit. In this case, America's generals, having an atomic bomb, could launch a nuclear strike on us, and Chinese troops would pin down our forces in the Far East. And so, since we managed to install the pro-Stalinist Mao Zedong in China, the eastern borders were protected. Little of; The Chinese army fought well in Korea. Heavy American losses deterred NATO from pursuing a preventive war. But three hundred atomic bombs dropped by the United States could have killed over twenty million Soviet citizens, and maimed no less. That, too, would be a disaster. Alas, a risky step.
  Rokossovsky pushed the flying, liquid crystal robot away from him:
  - But the muzzle of the German tank, having broken the backbone of France and Britain, inevitably buried itself in our backs.
  Stalin grinned and ran his hand over his thick, black mustache:
  - That's right, there's nothing to object to! But the USSR army was not yet ready for large-scale military operations. I carried out a rearmament program, and also reformed the troops, taking into account the experience of the war with Finland. We agree that the war with the Finns, who had no tanks at all, showed the insufficient level of training of our army. In addition, the troops experienced an acute shortage of officers; few 76.2 mm caliber shells were fired; there were not enough pilots, drivers, and cars.
  Rokossovsky objected:
  - In any army, at any time, there is always something missing. So the marshal didn"t even have enough money for me before I got paid. We must remember that the enemy also lacks equipment and personnel. In particular, from the eighteenth to the thirty-fourth year, the Germans did not have universal conscription, and the army numbered only one hundred thousand soldiers. So the Germans were limited by the Treaty of Versailles.
  - I know it! - Stalin released a ring of smoke into the air.
  Russia's first marshal of Polish origin continued:
  - So there was an acute shortage of officers in the German army. Adolf Hitler even wrote, or rather said during table conversations: it was necessary to form troops exclusively from officers and shorten the terms of service: to drive as many people as possible through the training program. In addition, it would be possible to significantly increase the police force and improve their combat training. In particular, conscripts could also serve in police units in order to create a more powerful base during the construction of the armed forces.
  - Cunning beast! - Stalin rolled his tiger eyes.
  - So the Germans also did not reach a serious war in terms of their combat effectiveness. Their troops were mostly raw. "Certainly," Rokossovsky concluded.
  Stalin narrowed his eyes:
  - But France and England were quickly defeated. In general, I expected that the war in the West would drag on and did not pull up troops to the border of the Third Reich in advance: for fear of scaring off the Germans. Well, no one expected that the superior forces of the four powers would hold out for only a month and a half.
  - This is if you consider the active phase of hostilities!
  - That's it, not the formal duration of the war. The Germans captured approximately four million prisoners of war alone. Then they used them as labor, which allowed the enemy to increase the size of the army to seven million two hundred thousand people.
  - Which made their army even more loose and reduced its fighting qualities. After all, the larger the bubble, the thinner its walls.
  - Growing empires are like a soap bubble, only with selfish management! - Stalin objected. - A caring empire is like growing bones that grow stronger as they grow!
  - Reasonably said, but this does not apply to the Third Reich!
  - But it applies to us! The Soviet system is better than capitalist and Western democracy. Its strength is totalitarianism.
  - How do you like the political system in both Russias?
  - Amazing! All people live in barracks and have ranks. The child, while still lying in the womb of the computer, is subjected to total processing. Everyone serves in the army, everyone is in business. And education is pain! Even the highest officials are undergoing cybernetic processing. I like this hypertotalitarian system. Unfortunately, there is no complete control over thoughts, although technology allows this!
  - This is because biorobots cannot make good soldiers. In war you need initiative and some independence in thinking, freedom in action. - Rokossovsky said philosophically.
  - Yes! Robots are no better than people. I must say, at one time, I was skeptical about cybernetics. Felt a potential threat to humanity. He gave it up to the tenacious hands of the organs.
  Rokossovsky tried to return the conversation to its previous course:
  - Cybernetics is, of course, good, but still, isn"t it a mistake that we didn"t hit Hitler in 1940?
  Stalin replied:
  - It may be a mistake, but the concentration of troops could frighten Hitler, forcing him to abandon the offensive in the West. In general, at any moment, Britain and Germany could make peace. This is exactly what I feared, but now I see that I was mistaken. However, there were benefits to the defeat of France.
  - Which?
  - Numerous colonies of France and Britain could rebel and fall into the sphere of influence of the USSR. Where capitalism leaves, socialism comes. It would be especially good if they captured mainland Great Britain. Such opportunities for communism.
  Rokossovsky agreed:
  - Probably! Colonies of defeated empires could become our union republics. But then, after the defeat of France, what are the plans? It might take the year 1941, when troops began to arrive at the border.
  Stalin noted:
  - I received information that the Germans were preparing a war with the USSR. But they were so contradictory. In particular, intelligence reported that Hitler, having defeated England, would attack the USSR.
  - It was so!
  - Try to defeat Britain when it has such great superiority at sea. Especially for large surface ships. They will sink any German transports. Theoretically, the Germans could achieve superiority over Britain in aviation, but for this they had to mobilize the military industry.
  - Germany behaved frivolously.
  - But not me! In particular, in the fortieth year the working day was extended and criminal liability was introduced for lateness. Overtime work was actively practiced. The production of weapons increased. Who could doubt the fact that we were preparing. Knowing that a fight with fascism was inevitable, we mobilized everything we could. Naturally, without declaring martial law, but secretly calling in troops.
  - And yet they were not ready!
  - How to say! The fact is that in the actions of the fascists there were many elements of outright bluff. Intelligence reported that the opening of hostilities would be preceded by an ultimatum. What the Germans want is to achieve improved conditions for the supply of raw materials. In particular, renting oil wells in Azerbaijan, reducing food prices, etc. And for this he is building up his strength. In addition, intelligence reported that the Germans were holding large forces in France and were preparing Operation Sea Lion.
  - There was such misinformation.
  - In addition, intelligence transmitted inaccurate information about the German armed forces. They were overestimated by about two times. Because of this, the impression was created that the Nazis were not transferring all their forces. That is, less than half, which means war with Germany is not inevitable. Hitler will not attack by concentrating a smaller part of the army. I thought it was a typical bluff. In addition, the vile and cunning Hitler could keep his troops wary of our attack.
  As they say, a thief does not believe an honest man.
  - But you didn"t want to attack Germany!
  - Just in case, I pulled up the troops, but the question of how and when to strike remained open. Our army was still at the formation stage. The divisions were staffed according to peacetime laws. In addition, the Germans did not prepare for the winter war. In particular, there was a shortage of winter clothing; only the SS troops had it; the lubricant in German machine guns and guns froze in the cold. In addition, gasoline from coal froze at nine degrees below zero. German technology, tanks with narrow tracks, airplanes with breaking engines. All this is a consequence of unpreparedness for winter. Well, the Germans did not adapt to winter, although it was possible to change some things in technology, there is a special frost-resistant lubricant. Well, our troops are accustomed to living and fighting in severe frost conditions. And the war with the Finns taught me a lot. The Germans turned out to be fools in this regard.
  Rokossovsky expressed his version:
  - Perhaps this is due to superstition!
  Stalin laughed:
  -You have an interesting argument. Yes, Adolf Hitler really counted on his occult army and his agreement with the cold. He thought that his wizards, astrologers and magicians would make the winter dry and warm, then the Nazi army would reach the Urals. In any case, Hitler seriously counted on the help of Satan. But apparently in this case, He did not want to help.
  - Or maybe God intervened?
  - And this is not excluded! After the war, I stopped persecuting the church. This probably helped us! Although I have a peculiar view of religion. I believe that the faith of people itself created the power that is called God. - Stalin rubbed his mustache. - In any case, the severe frosts and autumn thaw were more beneficial to us than to the Germans. If the Nazis had been more prepared for war, the outcome of the battle for Moscow would have been doubtful.
  Rokossovsky nevertheless asked:
  - But were you going to attack Hitler?
  Stalin shook his head:
  - The experience of the Second World War showed that attack is usually stronger than defense. Hitler's decisive offensive against France, the defeat of the Italians in Africa, Romel's retaliatory hook knockout. I must say a truly great commander. Only a very skilled commander can strike a blow at the British troops, having only ten tanks and fifty trucks camouflaged as a tank. The enemy outnumbered him ten times. I believe if Romel had more strength and power over the army, he would have captured all of Africa.
  - Romel is a strong commander, but unfortunately he did not have to fight on the eastern front. I think this field marshal should be beaten.
  - By you?
  - May be! After all, it was I who commanded the victory parade, and Zhukov hosted it. This is a lot of confidence in me.
  - How to say! I think that Vasilevsky was at least no worse. I especially liked how quickly and with relatively few losses he defeated Japan. But the soldiers of the Land of the Rising Sun fought like heroic tigers. They are very persistent and never give up.
  - Never?
  - Rarely compared to our troops. Just think, almost six million prisoners during the entire war. And two whole armies of defectors. When Vlasov was arrested, he was hit so hard in the ribs that the trial had to be closed; he could not move. In general, Vlasov is a complete idiot. Go to the side of the Nazis,
  after the Wehrmacht was defeated near Moscow, and the United States entered the war with the Third Reich. We could have defeated the Nazis much earlier if we had not scattered our forces, and if our unfortunate generals had learned to fight faster. After all, Soviet military science was enriched with blood.
  - The sowing of victory needs to be watered with blood and fertilized with corpses! - Rokossovsky said.
  - This is if the commanders are completely mediocre! But the Russian people are rich in talent. However, Mainstein is not even a bad commander. I would be glad to have him on my team!
  - And I heard that he is about to be resurrected and mobilized into the active army!
  - How many divisions does Svyatorossia have?
  - Don't know! This is a military secret!
  - Even for you!
  - Even for me! Only the emperor, or rather the empress, knows.
  Stalin remarked:
  - A bad country run by women.
  Rokossovsky summed up the philosophical conclusion:
  - It"s even worse when they don"t control it at all!
  All these thoughts flashed through the hyperplasmic brain of the hypermarshal in the blink of an eye. Millions of Svyatorossiya starships attacked the army of phantoms. They moved at fantastic speed. Here the leading knight hit the missile cruiser with his spear. The tip pierced and then split the ship. The elf archer fired an arrow, and other gifts flew after her. Their speed exceeded light speed many times over. The ultra-dreadnought, having received several dozen hits, caught fire. The flames were of many colors and shades, it was magic that burned. Imagine magical fire, it requires no oxygen, and consumes material millions of times stronger than titanium. It's all stunningly beautiful. Alyosha Popovich ordered shooting at a distance, the arrows rushed faster than missiles, in response, the star fleet opened fire from all guns, emitters and launchers. The most powerful thermal creson rockets exploded, exciting the mini-matter of which the phantoms were composed. Theoretically, an almost immortal phantom can be destroyed with a large concentration of super energy. But doing this is not very easy.
  Alyosha Popovich commanded Dobrynya Nikitich and Mikula:
  - Fan out! Let our troops maneuver and encircle the enemies from the flanks.
  Dobrynya suggested:
  - Or maybe just split the enemy in half?
  Alyosha objected:
  - It"s not worth it! In this case, we will have to fight on two fronts. And we will not just split the enemy, but form a classic bag.
  Dobrynya remarked:
  "The enemy seems to be trying to do exactly that to us."
  Mikula suggested:
  - Let's use a combined tactic, strike with a convex lens, and in the center there is a "rose". Such a construction will be very effective.
  Alyosha agreed:
  - So let's try to drill it. Pastukhov will lead the attack in the center.
  Pastukhov replied:
  - There is a commander!
  Rokossovsky, however, himself sought to envelop the enemy from the flanks. He understood better than anyone what a fight in a cauldron was. At the same time, both armies were inexorably approaching each other.
  Alyosha Popovich decided that the optimal tactic was a combination of shelling and cutting.
  Pastukhov took the lead as always. The young man, with powerful blows of his swords, cut down two battleships, they crumbled into flaming fragments. True, the hero himself was burned by a hyperplasmic whip. Rockets and emitters were especially dangerous; licking space. They formed entire holes in the armor, inflicting terrible, sometimes fatal wounds.
  Fighting next to Pastukhov, the knight Ivanhoe rotated his ax, deftly cut down a grand destroyer, and his horse trampled a dozen missile boats. The young man then smashed three cruisers with a deft swing. Pastukhov attacked the huge ultra-battleship. It was too difficult to immediately cut down such a giant. Sword strikes do not immediately reach the target. They cut through the armor, cut off the towers. But the huge spaceship fires back, causing pain to Pastukhov. Ivanhoe says:
  - Hit the reactor. Hit him with your sword.
  Pastukhov acts in a similar way. The hyperreactor exploded, the huge spaceship seemed to be covered in sparkling feathers. The young phantom hero staggered back, several plates of armor melted and burned the horse.
  - The bastard is snapping!
  Ivanhoe covers with a shield, a thermo-Creon missile hits the center, a concussion occurs, the steel-like surface is slightly burned. Several heroes who fought next to them received serious damage, some even crumbled.
  Half-naked gigantic phantom girls used axes and swords that split into five blades. Countess de Vallon, with the long, dexterous toes of her bare feet, grabbed the cruiser by the bow, crushing fifty gun barrels at once. The golden-haired girl, created by magic, was hit in the foot by a thermopreon rocket, instantly vaporizing half of her leg. The Countess almost went mad with pain; her friend was struck in the chest, causing pieces of magick-flesh to fly in different directions. And Sir Bishop was struck with such power that the shield crumbled and a huge hole appeared in his chest.
  The losses of the Svyatorossiya fleet were also enormous. Especially when dinosaurs entered the battle. These giants only appeared clumsy in appearance, but in reality they were a formidable force. They crushed and tore apart structures, trying to select larger starships. Ships of all kinds fired at them, but they could not topple such huge carcasses, the size of a medium-sized planet. The only thing that could be done was to avoid the inevitable defeat by the dinosaur. It is indeed almost impossible to stop such a monster, but the starships are trying to maneuver, moving away from the giants.
  Alyosha Popovich commands:
  - Try to get closer to them. Drag the advanced regiments onto the dinosaurs. Break up into small flocks and fight closely, deprive them of maneuver, brazenly cut them down!
  The warriors split into groups: it would be much more effective to destroy starships this way. Pastukhov and Ivanhoe fell upon the cruisers spinning around them, both heroes were seriously wounded, but their movements remained swift.
  And the girls not only crushed them with swords, but deftly picked up the spaceships with their legs and tossed them away from each other. It was something from foot handball, the heels reflected from many suns, the skin of the bare, girlish soles played with all the colors of the rainbow, although it was burned by hyperplasmic explosions of destroyed ships.
  The warriors even screamed in pain, petals of superfire, blazing flames caressing their long-suffering legs.
  Millions of warriors in starships were thrown from side to side. Five-star General Maxim Igolkin, admiring the shimmer of the shining knees, ankles, and feet of the delightful girls, and trying to stay in place in his cruiser, which was picked up by the naked leg of the Most Serene Princess Elizabeth, said:
  - Beauty cannot be killed - beauty itself is deadly!
  Two warriors, as if in a gigantic ballet, threw up their magnificent legs, placing the cruiser between them and squeezed it at once. The metal is millions of times stronger than titanium, burst like an egg under the tracks of a tank. A death worthy of description in the poems of the golden age!
  Rokossovsky saw that magical power collided with nanotechnology, and so far it is gaining the upper hand!
  He ordered:
  - Switch the ships to the maximum intensity firing mode and increase the speed of maneuver. Under no circumstances should you give the enemy a chance for a successful counterattack.
  The elf girl corrected:
  - The Phantoms of Great Russia are attacking us and moving forward, so most likely we can talk about our counterattack.
  Although the girl was a marshal, such statements infuriated the hyper-marshal: it turns out that the eggs teach the chicken, and the woman teaches the man.
  Rokossovsky yelled:
  - Shut up! I'm sending you in an ultra-dreadnought to intercept the dinosaurs and successfully shoot them. After all, you have such strength and serious potential. Especially the female mind, the child of a lightweight and loving race.
  Elf noted:
  - We are millions of years older than humans. Even the monkey from which man descended did not pick up a stone, but we roamed the expanses of space and created masterpieces.
  Rokossovsky, turning his head like an outhouse in the wind, remarked:
  - The point is in the present! There is no more pitiful nation than one whose successes are in the distant past! There is no more exalted empire than the one that lives in the present, and becomes stronger every year!
  The elf shook her hair:
  - You Russians have traditionally neglected your ancestors. Your pedigree was not at a premium!
  Rokossovsky objected:
  - I'm not Russian, but Pole! My ancestors were simple peasants, but nevertheless I am proud of them!
  - You can be proud of this!
  - Besides, Cossack blood flows in me! And on my mother"s side, my distant ancestors went to storm Jerusalem. - Said Rokossovsky.
  Elf noted:
  - And my ancestors fought in space long before the founding of Jerusalem. In general, it is not respectable to discuss our ancestors at a critical moment of the battle.
  Rokossovsky barked:
  - Follow the order!
  They talked at a very high speed and therefore during the dialogue, the picture of the battle practically did not change. But the army of phantoms spewed streams of deadly energy. She pressed, trying to crush all barriers; beams of energy, both destroyed starships and struck phantoms, scattered in space. In addition to bows, legs and five-bladed swords, the girls used whips with octagonal stars woven into their tails. They were especially good at destroying smaller ships. Meanwhile, the Great Russian Army launched a counteroffensive. She tried to smash her enemies and at the same time save face - you can"t give all the laurels of victories to phantoms.
  Alexander the Great, energetically giving orders, maintained imperturbable calm, the proximity of victory made the great commander even more prudent:
  - Use the tulip bud formation brothers. The enemy's jaws have weakened and all that remains is to give them a good push and the teeth will fly.
  The sorceress Oksana sent a hologram transmission: her image of a magnificent girl appeared in front of the commander:
  - That Alexander, you are my king!
  The Macedonian, jokingly rhyming, replied:
  -You played your role well!
  - I fulfilled your whim!
  - Now you will receive the first prize!
  - I agree! You Alexander are our strength! Alexander is our banner! Alexander is always with us!
  Macedonian shook his finger:
  - Don't exaggerate my merits, diva! They are, of course, great, but not enough to clasp hands prayerfully.
  Oksana answered briskly:
  - Now about the main thing! We must prevent the enemy from escaping from the cauldron. The appearance of our troops behind enemy lines is a chance to seize the initiative at the tactical level.
  Alexander the Great agreed:
  - And not a small chance!
  Oksana squinted and sang:
  Monkeys make faces
  And they sit on a branch!
  Still frivolous...
  -Were our ancestors! - Alexander finished giggling. - Although you know, beauty, my father was the god Amon himself, as well as Zeus.
  Oksana felt funny:
  - So you have two fathers at once!
  - Two great Gods!
  - How did they make you at the same time?
  Alexander himself understood the absurdity of such a statement, but could not resist another gem:
  - Everything is impossible, I know for sure!
  The gods don"t need to sweat to do something urgently!
  But they are immortal, in the power of the gods!
  To create children for kings without making "horns"!
  Oksana stated:
  - You need to spread the "rose" petals as wide as possible! And grab your opponent's throat. Apparently you yourself understand the importance of the moment!
  - The son of Amon and Zeus understands everything!
  - So act, fighter!
  Alexander the Great sent a telepathic impulse in order to control his numerous troops.
  And the girl also adjusted the attack of the phantoms. At the same time, the magicians began to fight among themselves.
  In general, when wizards fight, this spectacle is not for the faint of heart. And at the same time it is impressive. And if millions of starships on the one hand, hundreds of thousands of gigantic horsemen and dinosaurs on the other, begin to fight, then such a battle is a pleasure to watch.
  The battle unfolds in all its immeasurable fury. On one side, fast horses attack, they fly, up and down, and scurry to the sides. Dinosaurs flap their wings, spit their teeth, kick their hooves, and grab with their paws. The girls speed up the swings of their whips, the armor warps under their blows, and flares up like gasoline from a flint. Pastukhov and Ivanhoe broke through to the flagship on which Marshal Zaratuska was located.
  The elf girl ordered the use of biological projectiles. The phantom rider, caught under their attack, was twisted. He shrank and turned into an ordinary withered maple leaf.
  Ivanhoe and Pastukhov managed to dodge defeat and struck the armor with their swords. A strong roar reached Zaratuska. The girl pulled out a beautiful face:
  - With swords on the starship! What could be more absurd!
  The human youth replied:
  - What can you do! After all, these are powerful phantoms! Terrible power of magic! It's almost impossible to resist them.
  - Then we will maneuver, switch to a new control program, "Chaotic Chaos"!
  Ivanhoe, seeing that the plasma eruption intensified and the starship was turning around, sent a boomerang. It flew over and cut off part of the enemy"s armor, and also demolished six combat shooting towers at once.
  - Here's a sextant! - Said the famous young knight, brought back to life by magic. A previously blocked program for battles with starships began to awaken in his brain. In general, each phantom went through an outwardly invisible, but clearly recorded in memory, training program. And now Ivanhoe understood that it was necessary to deprive the huge, turtle-like starship of its maneuverability.
  Pastukhov, who had received several wounds, could hardly stay in the saddle. Nevertheless, courage did not leave this guy.
  - Let's just hit the tail. These starships are standard, and their engines are located in the same way.
  Ivanhoe remarked:
  - It's hard to get close! See how he maneuvers!
  - And you hit it with a boomerang!
  - There is a big risk of missing!
  - It's OK! He will come back to you and you will try again!
  Ivanhoe pulled back a little from the terrible spaceship the size of the Moon, and launched his boomerang:
  - If you suffer for a long time! Get something!
  - And if it doesn"t work out!
  - Let's try again!
  The boomerang cut off the edge of the tail and returned back. In general, mini-matter, despite the seeming absence of connecting links, being welded together by magic, is quite durable.
  Under Ivanhoe the horse collapsed and practically dematerialized. He received too many hits from guns of various calibers. Pastukhov, meanwhile, fought with the cruisers, which was much easier. Here almost every blow was fatal. But try to cope with tetralets. They are so small, like midges, and there are a lot of them. Ivanhoe stopped the riderless grasshopper and jumped on it!
  - Heroes rush from the chase! The stranger burst in and won't catch up! - The young man sang. - We just need to hear a fairy tale!
  A truly legendary warrior, using a boomerang to attack a huge machine covered with many fields and a matrix. There were fifty-five million fighters in this starship, and almost a billion warriors. Representatives of almost one hundred and twenty races and species fought in it. Imagine such a gigantic, almost incomprehensible Noah"s Ark for thought and perception. Ultra-modern, including life forms from various galaxies.
  And he is attacked by a wounded phantom rider, on a white horse, also in wounds.
  Such a picture is worthy of the brush of Raphael or Picasso. Capture the moment: when a warrior throws his boomerang.
  - I'm excited, like a boy, like a punk! Hit it, otherwise you're dead! - I sang to help Ivanhoe concentrate better.
  And inside the spaceship there are also living beings who want to live! Have children and build cities. Here are three cute mink-like creatures with pig heads, preparing to land like a landing party. They have just completed a combat training course and while relaxing, share their impressions.
  The first pig, Hay, expressed himself in a peculiar manner:
  - You know, on my ranch I bred honey-bearing dragonflies, they grazed on the bell and linden plantations. But the mafia ordered the crops to be replaced with popping peas, one of the most powerful drugs. On the one hand, it is much more profitable, but on the other hand, I got into trouble with the law.
  The second pig, Pork, agreed:
  - Yes! These authorities of Sviatorossiya monitor the distribution of drugs. Mini-robots and scouts are especially active. Among them, they say, very tiny ones the size of a molecule have appeared; using the energy of stellar photons, they actively move through space.
  The third youngest pig, Ham, remarked:
  - Don't know! Modern Russian, which we were forced to learn at school, is very difficult. The history of development says that it originally had only six cases, but now it has twenty-four.
  Pork grinned:
  - What a school life! Where is the test every day! Addition, division! Photon eruption!
  Hey grinned.
  - And for me, when I was at school, the most difficult subject was hyperphysics. Especially when it was necessary to designate the given parameters of the hyperplasm. Although the methods of bringing matter to a hyperplasmic state are very interesting. Modern technologies make it possible to place a thermo-preon reactor in a lighter.
  Ham remarked:
  "It would be nothing if they weren"t subjected to painful treatment for the slightest offense." It seems to me that every vein suffers!
  - Pain is the basis of power and prosperity! - Hay noticed. Learn to bear it and enjoy it.
  - This is monstrous and unnatural! - Ham began.
  At that moment there was a loud thunder and molecules and photons fell from the walls. Everything was filled with bloody color.
  - Looks like it's a hit! - Sergeant Pork growled.
  . CHAPTER No. 8.
  Vladimir Kashalotov almost died when the troops of Great Russia went on the offensive. Now the combat robots were trying to change formation. They used the "awl" formation. Vladimir was forced to retreat in the same way. The boy, however, acted calmly. As always, with an icy calm, instilled by grueling training.
  - Composure for victory is like hardening for steel! - The boy said to himself. Vladimir took aim at the tetralet again, but changed his mind about shooting. It was too easy for him to be noticed. The young man mentally crossed himself and began to carry out a smooth retreat maneuver. He had done this many times before, during rigorous training in a variety of environments.
  Then a wave of joy washed over him: it cannot be denied that the pattern of the battle is changing. Just now the army of Svyatorossia was advancing, threatening to squeeze it into a cauldron, and now its main forces have been pulled to the rear. Magic phantoms, weapons of magic, appeared there. As it was sung in one ancient children's song:
  - I"ll have to, I"ll come back without adults! I'll go around the whole country! I'll go to Santa Claus's school, where they teach magic!
  Now the dream of bright, very progressive communists has come true:
  Centuries will pass and an era will come,
  In which there will be no suffering and lies!
  Fight for this until your last breath,
  Serve your Motherland from the heart!
  
  And then magic will become available,
  Any baby, but no old age!
  And I don"t use my power criminally,
  With victory, heroes - hello to the fatherland!
  Yes, now he really is something like a wizard, but his life is not easy. There is almost no free time, everything is busy with total preparations for war. This has already become a given. Yes, something similar happened in ancient times, it seems in Sparta. There, too, children were brutally trained and beaten. True, not from infancy, and nanotechnology was not used in torture. But there are many similarities, sophisticated methods of preparation and training. It"s true that boys and girls have enormous theoretical knowledge, as if embedded in a computer"s hard drive. He knows the history of all wars: what humanity has waged for thousands of years. Including those carried out by the Sumerian civilization and ancient Egypt. The first military formations, war chariots, types of ancient weapons. Ancient Rome had a particularly rich history of wars. There are hundreds of different commanders, various tricks, strategies of their ancestors, the use of techniques in battles. Fighting skills also played a special role, in particular virtual chariot riding (Vladimir really liked the latter). In general, it would not be bad to return to antiquity, no matter how great a man he would have become then. Ave Sperm Whale!!! Particularly interesting: it would be to fight with Hitler. With modern weapons, he could have scattered the entire Wehrmacht single-handedly, and why not look cool!
  The young man saw that the army of Great Russia was again close to the enemy, the starship detachments were even partially mixed. This was his chance.
  - I won"t let you go so easily!
  The tetraplane was easily destroyed, it seems there was a guy in it. Well, girls are much harder to kill. Although they were specially psychologically prepared for the fact that war has no age or gender. The enemy is the enemy and must be killed. It is necessary to forget about pity and compassion.
  - An icy cold comes from war, it"s not bad if it freezes your heart, it"s not bad if it freezes your brain! - Their mentor once said.
  Star battle, what does it carry... Here are the brigantines of Svyatorossia performing a complex maneuver. They approach and come to a sharp angle. They fire a salvo. The vacuum crumbled, as if a cobblestone had hit a mirror. Each fragment contains a downed starship and a melted cruiser, destroyer, battleship.
  The robots of Svyatorossia collided with the robots of Great Russia. A duel of electronic titans, here it even came to hand-to-hand combat between electronic monsters.
  The machines collided, many tentacles broke, hyperplasmic flares hit almost point blank. This time the numerical superiority was on the side of the robots of Great Russia. They pushed through, trying to split the position and make the most of their advantage. The largest robots, the size of skyscrapers, maneuvered with the grace of ballerinas. They came together and then diverged, testing the strength of their own defense. One of the machines jerked, so that a fountain of hyperplasm was thrown upward. Two tetralets that accidentally fell in were simply licked by the frantic heat with a fiery tongue. Several more massive machines exploded. It seemed like Armageddon had arrived, how colorful and violent everything was.
  Vladimir tried to avoid fiery contact with his own. If by chance he had killed a soldier of his army, then not only would he have been subjected to the most severe punishment, but he would not have forgiven himself for it. This is such stupidity. At one time, the Germans during the Second World War often used a trick: they dressed in Soviet military uniforms (fortunately, they managed to capture a lot of captured uniforms), and then reported that these troops were leaving the encirclement. Often, especially at the beginning: it had an effect, and then the Soviet artillery even opened fire on its own. However, later it became mandatory to require passwords and use digital codes. If at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War the Germans fought better than the Russians, the command was head and shoulders above (with regret this must be admitted) and thanks to General Moroz who saved Moscow, then later the Red Army learned a lot. Having paid millions of lives, the Soviet military art has noticeably enriched itself. In order for military leadership to mature, the blood of soldiers must abundantly irrigate the battlefields! Soviet commanders especially learned the importance of artillery fire. Since Soviet bomber aviation was not strong enough (bombers are expensive), the main focus was on large-caliber guns. It should also be noted that Hitler greatly helped the Soviet generals here. Demanding that their soldiers fight fanatically and not take a step back, the Nazis obeyed the narrow-minded Fuhrer: they concentrated their main forces on the first line of defense, which is why the troops were crowded together, their losses were very high. The experience of the First World War, where the Germans built a second and third line of defense, even more powerful than the first, was completely ignored! This was especially evident during the Vistula-Oder operation. Germany in 1944 produced almost 1,900 tanks and self-propelled guns per month. At the beginning of 1945: there were over eight thousand tanks and self-propelled guns on the eastern front. It seemed like a lot of power. But twelve tank divisions of the Wehrmacht were pulled close to the front line and came under attack from Soviet artillery. The result: having broken through the front line of defense, the Soviet troops rolled down like a mountain avalanche. If it weren"t for Zhukov"s cowardice and Stalin"s extreme busyness (preparing and holding the Yalta Conference), Berlin would have been taken back in February. In general, Zhukov"s role in the war is not clear; he usually won with great blood, and made many mistakes: especially at the initial stage of the war. But together, his vast experience in leading troops, especially in the most difficult conditions, was of great value. In the end Stalin; It was he who was entrusted with hosting the victory parade. Stalin himself was highly respected and valued in the Great Russian Empire. Yes, he was a dictator, but Russia still has a military dictatorship. Yes, very cruel, repressing entire nations, but this cruelty was justified, since it pursued high goals. Stalin wanted happiness for all humanity, and this cannot be achieved without shedding blood. In those days, people lived fifty, sixty, maximum seventy years. So what if one of them dies a couple of decades earlier? Nature is cruel, which means people have the right to be cruel, especially if man"s ultimate goal is to become equal to the gods. Now, he is Vladimir, wouldn"t he be a god for a man of antiquity? Thanks to the great leader who united and saved humanity. He did what Stalin failed to do.
  The young man chose his next goal. It was a space grand galley. It is undoubtedly, immeasurably more difficult to bring it down: than the tetralet and the boy decided to resort to cunning. Here the calculation was based on the primitiveness of the trap.
  - This is an Argo-class robot speaking!
  From the grand galley they answered him:
  - We are listening!
  - I have just been given an experimental "folder" of space, but I don"t have enough energy to launch it. Could you help me?
  The commander of the grand galley said with impatience in his voice:
  - And how?
  - Attach a hyperplasma jet from the reactor to me. Then the weapon will be completely ready and put into operation.
  - We make excellent connections.
  The calculation was based on the fact that at the moment of docking, the huge reactor of the grand galley would be left without cover. In this case: it will be possible to strike him from the most powerful cannon. True, there was a considerable risk of death, both from the detonation of the generator and the fire of the many guns of the grand galley.
  The spaceship is quite large, with a crew of two and a half thousand soldiers, not counting robots. You can risk your life for such a prize. Even if you die in fourteen cycles, you will become a hero. And not only will you get glory, then the hero will definitely be resurrected. There is a decree from the emperors that in the future all people will be resurrected. But this process will take place depending on the value that each of them represents. The more feats, the sooner they will be resurrected. It has nothing in common with pacifist Christianity. They hit you on the right cheek - turn your left, love your enemy: how can you come up with something more stupid!
  However, both Orthodox and Catholics, and many Protestants in this case were guided by the principle: the right hand does not know what the left is doing! How much blood was shed by the servants of the most humane and kind religion. How did the inquisitor implement the principle: love your enemy?! Yes, clergy in the Middle Ages sent a woman to the stake just because she was more beautiful than the average standard. A healthy, female body was considered to be from the Devil!!! The New Orthodoxy is not hypocritical; the Bible has remained for history, like most of the tradition. The first emperor of World Russia: wrote his own Holy Scripture and invented his own religion. The main dogma in it is: serve Russia with all your strength, all your strength, all your mind. And if this corresponds to the interests of your Motherland, then you can make any sacrifice, any violence, any cunning. End justifies the means!
  How fair was that! The Bible is actually banned. He himself doesn"t understand why the Russians believed the book written by the February people! Russian man: became a slave to Fidov's teachings! This is just an absolute shame! Those peoples who worshiped the Bible ultimately degenerated and degraded; there is nothing healthy or smart in Christianity. A correct religion must extol the cult of power! It is not for nothing that Islam has achieved such success. Although the Koran is also a basically pacifist book, as it was written under the strong influence of Christians. No true religion: capable of uniting a nation, should not be toothless.
  Vladimir suppressed his excitement with his usual effort of will, preparing to shoot at the reactor. Quotes from the first emperor popped into my head:
  - Pity is like rust, compassion is like shashel - cleanse your heart of this and cover it with armor: mercilessness, rage, anger!
  Gold words! But something tiny, like a small drop falls on the heart! It is almost imperceptible, but at the same time unpleasant. Kill two and a half thousand at once, guys, girls, the same Russians, or more precisely, like yourself! (Of course, he doesn"t know the exact number of crew, but a paranormal feeling tells him). It is so hard. In general, the concept of Russian is conditional. Ethnically Russians: do not constitute a majority in the Great Russian Empire, however, most other peoples and races, including blacks, call themselves Russians. However, due to various epidemics and wars, there were few blacks and yellows left on earth, and the Slavic ethnic group became dominant. Almost all people are beautiful, adults are tall, but also very tall. The muscles are prominent, but as a rule not massive, the skin is copper or bronze, in women it is dark-golden. To an unaccustomed humanoid: people might seem too similar, but they are not. Each one is good and individual in its own way. What is common is only a barracks spirit that haunts everyone from birth to death! However, a person can now live almost forever; old age remains a nightmare of the past. She is unnatural. It disfigures women especially terribly; they become so disgusting that they feel like vomiting.
  - Has damned old age really desecrated such features? (I think the words of Shakespeare.)
  Religious leaders knew about the eternal desire of people: to preserve youth forever. And they exploited the fear of death. All these fairy tales about heaven and hell (Modern science has established that these are indeed fairy tales - pure fiction!), are ultimately aimed at extracting more money from people. After all, the longer a person lives, the more sins he has, but the church leaders of antiquity sought to extend their existence on earth as much as possible. They went to any meanness and tricks for this. That is, the words of the church fathers were at odds with deeds and concrete life practice!
  All these thoughts flashed like a frantic kaleidoscope in Vladimir"s hyperplasmic brain. The young man clearly hesitated whether to press or not to press! The fix command froze in my brain. And the risk of possible detection, in particular by a scanner, that the robot had a saboteur inside grew.
  Thoughts flashed like lightning! Fairy tales about heaven, where true believers or Christians go, no longer apply. But there is hope that your homeland will bring you back to life. Not even the most advanced, modern weapon can destroy a person. So the belief in the immortality of the soul is not so illusory. The body is mortal, but the soul is not yet! The fact is that the personality is transported into a space where there is no dimension, top, length, width. That is, a personality: as if sextillions of times become smaller than Creon or even Fretosol, microparticles during the fusion process of which make bombs many quadrillions of times more powerful than hydrogen ones. Moreover, weapons are now being developed that are quintillions times stronger with the same weight than thermonuclear weapons. But even such a weapon cannot destroy a person folded into the zero dimension. True, it is very difficult to extract a personal file, but technology is developing and the time is not far off when this will be put on a mass stream. And you can resurrect absolutely everyone. By the way, the more famous a person is, the easier it is to extract him from oblivion. The energy of biohyperplasma helps here!
  But even dead enemies: after we conquer Sviatorossiya, we can extract them and turn them into slaves. The saving thought put an end to all hesitation.
  - I"m not saying goodbye to you, but saying goodbye!
  Vladimir released a concentrated beam and automatically retreated back. The super reactor was immediately plunged into a frantic tornado of hyperplasma!
  The young man was hit by a gravity wave, so much so that his bones bent and his brain flattened. The robot was scorched by the burning petals and it crumbled like a house of cards.
  The burned Vladimir flew out of the wreckage; he immediately found himself open and vulnerable. However, fortunately for the young man, the troops of Great Russia were already breaking through, rapidly advancing, bombarding the enemy with destructive elements of all kinds.
  The young man, in principle, thanks to the special design of his body, could be in a vacuum for some time and fly. However, here we were talking about basic survival. The best thing is to stick to the debris and try to merge with it, which makes it extremely unlikely that it will be noticed.
  Vladimir did just that:
  - Thinking makes us cowards - recklessness makes us corpses!
  In general, the instructions say, if you can survive, survive. Life in war is like a sword in a fist - you can"t drop it, but you can"t hide it behind your back! And there are innumerable amounts of debris of all kinds. Our own starships are already visible. The young man chose a fragment that was uneven and not particularly hot - who wants to get burned. He lay down on it, merging with the surface. Now all that remained was to pray that the numerous scanning devices would not accidentally detect it.
  Bad thoughts came into my head: you killed two and a half thousand guys and several tens of thousands of robots. Although the latter have artificial intelligence, their intelligence is very conditional. Don't feel sorry for them! What can we say about the soldiers of Svyatorossia? Each of them fervently believes in victory. They are similar in many ways - mirror universes. True, the longer the war goes on, the greater the differences in small details. And war is a process akin to combustion, only blood is the ideal fuel, and the fire extinguisher is victory!
  Is it possible to win? The thought itself is seditious; a soldier should not doubt it. As the first emperor said: my country may be wrong, but this is my country!
  Of course, he must believe in victory, especially seeing how it is won: his first battle in his life. And it really is heading towards victory. It"s true that several trillion soldiers are taking part in it: the average person doesn"t know the exact number, but this is just an episode, a small stroke of the interuniversal battle. Many figures are secret, including the exact number of stars in the Great Russia-controlled Universe. Somewhere fragmentarily, he knows their number is more than two hundred sextillion, but how much more is unknown. The planets, in turn, are about ten times smaller, and only one in a thousand is suitable for life. True, recently, many planets with harsh conditions are settling down. In principle, the war is between two universes: it is not for space and resources. Technologies already exist that even make it possible to create other planets by extracting matter from stars. Perhaps the time is not far when people, like the Almighty Gods, will learn to create Universes and expand space. Well, there is still plenty of space for everyone, intelligent life is quite a rare phenomenon, and there are only a few hundred in the entire universe. (Maybe about a thousand?) civilizations that have mastered space flight! So there seems to be no point in waging war between brothers against brothers. At the same time, they are taught that it was Holy Russia that treacherously attacked them. What do they teach in Svyatorossiya? Perhaps the same! This is the situation here: both sides are beating each other up, sincerely considering themselves right, but there is still no result.
  Most boys and girls don't think about this! Vladimir had some free time, studying the history of planet Earth and not only what is related to the war. This can be done through the intergalactic HyperInternet: in its multi-kinesis space: you can even find superfiles of civilizations that existed before the Sun was lit! (True, he hasn"t succeeded yet!) He knew that people didn"t always live and be brought up in barracks. Although, on the other hand, if you don"t know anything else and get used to it from infancy, then this is happiness. Vladimir loved the army, but the strict lifestyle, total regulation, and lack of free time weighed on him. In addition, training and methods of combat training: too routine. I want more! And so violence, violence, and more violence! There is too much cruelty that even three hearts (and people have three, albeit small ones) begin to grieve.
  - Why destroy when you can create and create! - The boy said to himself. - But on the other hand, imagine life without war...
  When you kill you feel something like a buzz! A certain kind of special orgasm. (If I can say so). It"s exciting, and at the same time slightly nauseating, as if you"re doing some dirty business. In general, the attitude towards murder is not clear-cut. In the famous notes of the executioner, Samson writes that not only he, but also his colleagues did not give any pleasure to torture their victims, and in order to take a person"s life they had to break themselves. But the Marquis de Sade shows "people" who took the greatest pleasure in torturing their victims. When you cause suffering to another, it gives indescribable pleasure.
  In general, fooling around with someone else"s pain is an erotic element of torture! Vladimir was interested in this, so he thought: if some people get pleasure from causing suffering to others, then isn"t it possible to have fun yourself when you are tortured. In general, immediately after the creation of a kid soldier"s body - when he is still a baby, or rather a fetus, the very first thing that is remembered is the unbearable pain and streams of hypercurrent piercing the nerve endings. Similar processing and first impression: when you realize yourself as an individual. Something similar happened in Afghanistan when a child was born: they shot above the ear. But in modern, cosmic Russia, pain treatment has been brought to perfection. So why not feel a buzz instead of pain! Who doesn't want that! Strict Spartan education should make the nation strong and the empire eternal! But Sparta, despite the severity of the laws, also degraded over time! By the time of the conquest by Alexander the Great, the kingdom (which, by the way, did not become a huge empire) had lost its former power, and Rome finally finished it off. It seems that the first world emperor admired Sparta, every person should be a warrior! This principle was carried out religiously! Genetic selection is very strict; embryos and eggs are improved by electronics; in principle, a moron cannot be born! (Unless the monitoring electronics are infected with a cyber virus). But given the mass of redundant systems, this is highly unlikely!
  The young man watched the progress of the battle, holding the emitter at gunpoint. The tetralets of Svyatorossia fought, while retreating. Here was a chance. You can knock out an enemy with a pocket emitter. This is very difficult to do, imagine shooting down a fighter with a pistol during the Second World War. But theoretically this is possible. Here's a classic comedian from ancient times: Rambo shot down helicopters with a bow!
  - Little boy - found a machine gun! Nobody lives in the village anymore! The little boy got the rocket! I gave Bush a butt in the ass!
  We remembered the ancient ditties. In general, he is already an adult, an adult. It"s generally stupid: that in ancient times, or rather in the atomic age, teenagers were restricted in every possible way: this is not allowed, that is not allowed! As a result, the nation degenerated, children became infantile, not adapted to adult life, or, on the contrary, aggressive scumbags.
  Here, even kid soldiers can fight! He may well become an officer or a general! However, the last thing you think about is awards! This is not what should attract a soldier. The question is how to knock out a tetraplane?
  You need to hit exactly the tail joint of the generator with a short beam. Matrix defense: has its weak points, just like the half-space field. What to do if it is impossible to calculate this point in advance. Here you need either a very advanced bioscanner, or you can calculate it using magic, and you won"t miss: when the car is rushing at breakneck speed, not knowing what inertia is!
  The boy tried to open his eighth eye using magical skills. This is the notorious eight-eye technique, a kind of magic. How to use it? There are various techniques, concentrations, meditations. Vladimir crossed himself, thus connecting the chakras. This should help. We need to cleanse our consciousness and make it transparent and clear!
  The Motherland is a sacred sacrament,
  The power and strength of the Orthodox faith!
  Let's defend Russian unity,
  Our people will be glorious forever!
  Vladimir plunged into a paranormal trance and, practically without aiming, fired at a glance! The body reacted on its own, the energy hit - the tetralet exploded.
  - There is one more point in my favor! - the young man whispered. - How deftly I hit, just a bull.
  The boy fired again and hit! This time without concentration, the vision was complete.
  - I believe in my destiny!
  Vladimir saw the fight: in many colors and ranges at once. It was so bright, colorful, the vacuum gave off a silvery feel, it looked like precious stones were scattered throughout the space, incomparably brighter than their natural counterparts. It sounds like a wonderful melody!
  The young man sang:
  The anthem of the Motherland sings in our hearts,
  There is no one more beautiful than her in the entire universe!
  Squeeze the knight's beam thrower tighter,
  Die, for God's given Russia!
  Vladimir shot again. The tetralet swelled and exploded into fragments, like a ripe cherry bursting.
  - What a beautiful thing! I wish I could slay the brigantine!
  After the destruction of the fourth tetralet; the young man felt devastated: in addition, the vision suddenly disappeared. With a speed barely perceptible to Vladimir"s improved vision, the Tetralets circled and shot at each other. They differed in shade. Sviatorossiya has a yellow sheen, Great Russia has a purple sheen. And they are similar in shape, in the shape of streamlined predators, the muzzles of cars, shocking with their malice. The weapon you need!
  The battle moves quickly, the somersaults of the tetralets devoid of inertia are indescribable, a couple of times it came to ramming. All this looked monstrous. Vladimir remembered old films about the Great Patriotic War and the Third World War. Despite all the differences in weapons and speed, something in common remained in air battles. Namely, the desire to go to the rear, an attempt to fight in pairs and threes. In general, technology changes, but battle tactics remain almost the same. Vladimir fired several more times, but achieved no results, the kinetic fire of inspiration disappeared.
  - A brilliant commander differs from a brilliant composer in that his masterpieces always make you shed tears!
  The boy was sad, but immediately cheered up, because his army was advancing. This means that all is not lost.
  - Private Vladimir Kashalotov is in touch! - The young man turned to his friends.
  - We hear you! - They answered him. - Captain Petukhova speaks.
  "I just got out from the enemy"s rear, I"m hanging on a piece of debris. Please allow me to join you by highlighting an extra tetralet.
  The girl answered cheerfully:
  - And it will be! I have already sent a request to the distribution center!
  Vladimir remembered in 1941, there were not enough pilots in the Soviet air fleet. This was undoubtedly a big disadvantage, and there was a complete shortage of experienced, well-trained personnel. After all, during the war in Finland, there were practically no air battles, due to the weakness of Suomi aviation. And during the Spanish War, Stalin sent ten times fewer pilots into hell than Hitler. Moreover, he transplanted half of them and shot them. So, in terms of quality, the Luftwaffe was superior to the Soviet troops. The Germans had some good aces. Three hundred of the best of them destroyed twenty-four thousand Soviet aircraft. But this could not save the Wehrmacht from defeat! There has been parity in modern warfare from the very beginning. Many pilots had experience in space battles with various races, both humanoid and non-humanoid. These battles enriched the art of war and raised the level of strategic planning to unprecedented heights. Both empires were militarized and had a barracks-based government structure. This was all common, the similarity of great states. Naturally, therefore, in a thousand years no one could defeat anyone! A kind of endless war! He is a young man, legally an adult, now just a death machine! Does this suit him?! Most guys and girls didn"t know any other life, but Vladimir sometimes thought about it.
  Now, what is murder? On the HyperInternet you can still find the texts of the ancient Bible, a book that no one believes in. It contains the well-known sixth commandment - thou shalt not kill! But at the same time: God Yahweh himself, contrary to his instructions, gave the command to exterminate the Amalekians without exception. And not only adult warriors, but also women, children and even livestock. Even by the standards of the ancient world, this was excessively cruel. Nevertheless, the Jews, on the orders of God(!), committed such ethnic cleansing!
  Not to mention that Yahweh - Almighty God commanded Abraham to lay his own son on the altar and kill him! Also contrary to the commandment - do not kill! That is, there are contradictions in the Bible too. However, the morality of humanity was changing, and Jesus Christ already preached the principle - love your enemy! They hit you on the right cheek - turn your left! The first Christians were pacifists. They went to their death obediently, like sheep, and died with smiles on their lips. But then the Christian Church became the main executioner of the Middle Ages. Catholics were especially atrocious. Many millions of people were killed and brutally tortured. This is how it turned out that the most humane and pacifist teaching shed the most blood. True, time passed, there was a reformation. Protestants killed Catholics, Catholics killed Protestants. In Russia, the Orthodox persecuted schismatics and Old Believers, burning out entire villages of them. The executioners tried their best! But time flowed and, unlike a stream, ever accelerating, enlightenment gradually squeezed out obscurantism. Many Protestant churches appeared, where the spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness was again revived. Gradually, first in Germany (under Frederick the Great), and then in other countries, torture began to be abolished. In Russia, Peter the Third was the first to abolish torture. The king is kind, progressive, but weak. Catherine the Second again introduced torture and torture, though for the common people. But the nobles were also tortured in her presence. In particular, Princess Tarakanova, the girl was tortured so much that she died on the rack. Formally, torture was abolished by Alexander the First, but in practice this law was poorly observed. Alexander II abolished corporal punishment in the army. In France, torture: formally banned during the revolution. Gradually, throughout the progressive part of the world, I came to the conviction that torture and flogging are not a method. But there were also kickbacks. During the revolution and civil war, torture and mass shootings of innocents returned. Under Stalin, methods of physical influence were used very actively in political processes. It"s strange that a scumbag bandit who brutally killed several people was not tortured - he was a criminal, but a pioneer who told a political joke could be put through the "millstone". Torture came to Europe with Hitler. However, Hitler himself condemned torture in his table conversations, but in practice the SS used it very widely, making no exceptions even for children. However, there was no secret about how the pioneers were tortured, but information about whether the Red Army soldiers tortured the Hitler Jugent fighters was banned for a long time. Indeed, torture of captured Germans was used in the Soviet army, but they preferred to keep silent about it, but the Germans talked about their atrocities in full. Now it has become more honest, Vladimir himself was taught various methods of physical and psychosomatic influence in order to force the enemy to give out information. Although modern technologies make it possible to simply write it off from the hyperplasmic brain, mini-computers in the body of a prisoner can erase it. This is called brain drainage. That is, torture is taught, although its benefits are limited. However, on the enemy"s side: many much more backward races are fighting. So they need to be tortured. Sometimes such a native may know more than another general. Each type requires its own method of torture: in particular, the method of soft stroking, which is sometimes more effective than shocks with hypercurrent or exposure to ultra-radiation.
  Vladimir, remembering history, knew that after the Second World War the death penalty was soon abolished in Europe. In 1996, Russia also introduced a moratorium on death sentences. Only in Islamic countries: laws on corporal punishment and torture were in force for a long time. However, history moves in a spiral. In Russia, during the Chechen war, both militants and those who were suspected of having connections with militants were tortured. And of course they couldn"t help but innocent people get hurt. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, a strange system of power developed in Russia. It could not be called a totalitarian dictatorship, but it was far from democracy. Something between anarchy and despotism. While oil prices remained high, this system worked at the very least, but then when the depression began, and all convenient oil and gas fields dried up... Disintegration and disaster began, a civil war broke out. Meanwhile, China quietly occupied the entire Far East...
  - Here is your tetralet! - The girl said. - You can fly and fight on it. After all, we are winning.
  Vladimir stated:
  - I believe our cause is just!
  - Quasarno private!
  The boy took off and entered the tetraplane structure. In general, there were several types of such machines. In this case, it was "Box" - 12, one of the most powerful models in terms of armament.
  - Great car! - Vladimir exclaimed.
  The girl squealed:
  -Are you trained to operate it using a photo camera?
  The young man snapped briefly:
  - Certainly!
  - So let's fight!
  Here he is again in the combat tetralet. The sensations are the most pleasant, especially when you control using telepathy.
  The boy sang:
  And when our emperor calls for sacred battle!
  We will go on the attack, one family into battle!
  I attack the adversary and take off quickly with an arrow!
  I know that I will become a hero and a glorious one!
  Box-12 is controlled telepathically and has an additional cannon. It fires a dimension-corroding projectile. In this case, when hit, the spaceship becomes, as it were, intangible. It"s also a very cool weapon, seeing how the contours break and bodies crumble. True, this projectile, or more precisely, a beam of energy, is relatively easy to neutralize with an impulse of a certain range, but...
  - You can always deceive the enemy! - Vladimir said to himself.
  A cannon that shoots a matter "corroder" is also controlled by a mental order. This is convenient, especially since the brain is disciplined like a skilled soldier. In the car itself, the boy was lying down, he had the opportunity to observe almost the entire battlefield. Now you can see how phantoms fight, the battle of a medieval army in space is super!
  Vladimir looks without stopping: wow! Starships and against horsemen and dinosaurs.
  There are dinosaurs in many worlds, and it has also been possible to clone numerous representatives of the oldest fauna on Earth. Various types, some up to thirty-five meters long, have been brought back to life. But in other worlds there were much more amazing animals. Huge compositions of liquid metals, acids, and often alkalis. There were dinosaurs of semi-transistors, cathodes, pure ultra electricity. And hybrids with plants, including fruits, including archradioactive flora. But overall, the protein form of life dominated. Strangely enough, there was something in evolution on different worlds that stimulated the production of protein.
  Although the beasts made of silicon or lithium were impressive. It"s interesting what phantom dinosaurs are made of. Some of them are similar to earthly life forms, others are different from them. And the warrior girls, each five hundred kilometers or more tall, are absolutely super chic! Due to the many scars and burns on their half-naked bodies, they seem even more sexy, seductive and... frightening!
  The girl shouts cheerfully:
  - Well, the hero will fight!
  - Let's multiply! - Vladimir suggested jokingly.
  The girl laughed:
  - With such a glorious warrior like you, I"m ready!
  Starships of Svyatorossia, led by courageous soldiers, fight heroically. The army of phantoms is also thinning, although it is inflicting terrible losses. It all looks so grandiose that contemplating the battle confuses your thoughts and prevents you from concentrating on the enemy. In general, every fight is fraught with a certain danger, especially when it becomes a routine matter. However, how can you be bored when you see such beauties, whose shed blood, like the lightest beads, flutters through space?
  Vladimir whistled:
  - We are attracted by emancipation, which is not a battle, again a sensation!
  The girl, maintaining a playful tone, replied:
  - Not a virgin angel, but a devil! I torment people - like a wild lioness! Every time I go out, I go boldly into battle!
  - Semiramis! One of the first female warriors, fight and win - beauty! I like your ambition! - The rhythm boy answered me.
  Vladimir threw his car up and shifted to the left. It was a definite, broken zigzag, against a dangerous enemy. (A feature of the thinking of humanoids is that they react much more tightly to unnatural movement, with lines broken with sharp angles.)
  His opponent was not a human. The emblem of the Shaklis race flashed on the notebook. That is, a mixture of a fox and a jackal. Quite dangerous types, but too self-confident. Vladimir took this into account, purring under his breath:
  - Come on, little ones! All the dancing is over!
  The girl supported him:
  - Send them to the grave with music!
  - Die brothers! - Vladimir sang and threw himself into the ram. He knew that the Shaklises were cowardly, and it would not occur to them to die or take a ram.
  And so it turned out that the tetraplane dodged, and Vladimir, who had expected this in advance, made a fan and planted a charge into the fighter. The boy saw a flash of energy draw a barely noticeable line in the vacuum:
  - Take it!
  The girl picked up:
  - Leave us a tip!
  Vladimir laughed:
  - There will be coffee for you too! There will be cocoa and tea! Let's rush to the grave! Quasarik is dead!
  The girl replied:
  - Choose your next goal.
  Next to him, a comrade had just been shot down. A simple guy you can only feel sorry for. Alas, in war, death is a familiar companion.
  Vladimir shot a couple of times, in the forehead, just to relieve the tension. He knew that it was impossible to hit the enemy in this way, but the enemy was constantly shooting, hoping to hit a dead center. And such tactics often brought success.
  Pastukhov and Ivanhoe, together with their fighters, drilled a hole in the enemy"s ranks. Viscountess Maria entered with the girls from the right flank, moving diagonally and accelerating sharply. The warriors received power from amplifier spells. They broke the ranks and saw that panic was brewing in the ranks of Svyatorossia. However, all this is more than a conditional concept.
  Ivanhoe fought stubbornly with the battleship. He desperately snapped, sending charges at the already wounded fighter. Thanks to Pastukhov, the young man, having mastered the cruiser, came to the rescue, slashing at the auxiliary unit, splitting the gigantic car.
  - Well, how are you holding up! - He asked his partner.
  - Certainly! There is nothing else left for us! - Ivanhoe answered.
  Pastukhov peered into the thick of the fight:
  - It would be nice to destroy the commander!
  - The main commander Rokossovsky?
  - That's it!
  Ivanhoe, splashing with bloody sweat (he was also caught, part of the light hair on his head was burned.) sighed:
  - Don't know! Is this real? Where to look for it?
  - Most likely, on the largest flagship ultra-dreadnought. Usually the commander is on the most protected ship.
  - Not necessary! Because such vessels are the most vulnerable. It might be better to look at the fastest one.
  - The Rokossovsky marshal is from the past, and they are usually conservative.
  - Alexander the Great is also from the past, but is he on the most powerful starship or quite the opposite?
  Pastukhov shook his head:
  - It was a different time then!
  - And the people are the same!
  - Some are not even people!
  - In any case, we need to destroy the largest ship.
  Viscountess Maria confirmed:
  - The flagship in the squadron - it needs to be photonized (soaked)!
  The flagship ultra-dreadnought was larger than planet Earth. Roughly fifteen thousand kilometers in diameter, with a crew of five and a half billion soldiers, and one hundred and sixty-seven billion robots. This is certainly strength. Even the phantom warriors seemed very small against his background.
  Pastukhov noted:
  - No, you can"t take this guy with a sword. You need to ram dinosaurs.
  Ivanhoe, throwing away droplets of blood, asked:
  - How do we fit them?
  - We need to contact Alyosha Popovich!
  Pastukhov had a special Velcro and he turned to the acting commander.
  - Alyosha! Listen, we have problems! You see the main monster of the flagship.
  - The tea is not blind!
  - So, we can"t destroy him! It's time to send dinosaurs to the rescue!
  Alyosha immediately replied:
  - This is possible, but first we will clear the approaches to the main flagship. This will be our number one task.
  - In this case, we will try to help.
  Meanwhile, the main flagship of Svyatorossia rushed into the thick of the battle, its most powerful guns crushing the phantoms.
  . CHAPTER No. 9.
  Why was the reign of Catherine II controversial? The Potem villages became a common expression, and corruption and bribery flourished. And the serfs were completely deprived of their rights. They were sold like the last livestock, and the laws, which were already liberal towards serf owners, were not respected. In addition, Catherine's decree on noble freedom allowed landowners to avoid public service, which in the future led to the degradation of the elite. It was not for nothing that when Pugachev rebelled, he was supported not only by the Cossacks, but also by a significant part of the people and even some officers. If Emelyan Ivanovich had been a more talented commander, if he had immediately taken possession of Orenburg, but had lost six months in a useless siege, he would have had an excellent chance of seizing the throne. The people loved Pugachev, who called himself Peter the Third. The army of the former Don Cossack was international. Pugachev himself pursued a very cunning policy, promising a lot to everyone, even something that was impossible to fulfill! In particular, he managed to bribe the Bashkirs, Kyrgyz, Tatars, Kalmyks and other peoples professing Islam. Emelyan Pugachev, being Orthodox, participated in all Muslim holidays, thereby showing statesmanship. Indeed, if the interests of the country and people require bowing to Allah, then we must bow! The head won't fall off. As for Yank"s personal opinion, until recently, he believed that there is no God. This seemed more logical to him. True, when he saw the demon who threw him into another universe, he realized that there was probably a Creator. However, even after this it is not necessary to believe in the Bible and the Koran. In particular, what did Yanka not like about the Bible? Various contradictions, as well as the fact that the Hebrews are the people of God! Well, how can you believe that the February people were chosen by God! After all, this is absurd, bullshit. This people is least suitable for the role of God's Chosen One. After all, the Febreys are only interested in profit! Concepts such as duty, compassion, mercy, selflessness, honor, self-sacrifice, nobility and others are abstract for them! Only profit, selfishness, and personal well-being are characteristic of this nation. And who will believe that Jesus is February? He has a purely Russian, noble and open character. And there are too many contradictions in the genealogy of Jesus, which supposedly comes from Abraham and King David. Take for example the Gospel of Luke and compare the genealogy with the Old Testament. This has already been discussed by learned atheists! However, believing in God does not mean believing in the Bible. Well, and to consider Nicholas II a saint... By and large, the teaching of the New Testament is pacifist, this is obvious. And the various military orders of Christianity contradict the teachings of Christ. However, atheism has an ironclad argument - there are many religions in the world! Ideas about God are different. But if the Almighty really existed, would he tolerate such discrepancies? Let's take the king as an example: if there were false ideas about the king, wouldn't the ruler intervene and order that his subjects worship him in spirit and truth. In addition, the Bible teaches that the Almighty does not care at all how creation represents Him.
  Jesus said:
  - Go and preach, making disciples of all nations! Baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! And here contradictions are visible.
  He continued to walk, the sun was shining, and a funny little animal ran across the road. They shot at her with a bow. True, the bows were not balanced enough. An arrow, painted in the color of a raven's wing, flew past.
  Ali whispered:
  - Mizira! So beautiful, if she crosses the road, it means change.
  - Exactly!
  -People's sign!
  Yanka was delighted:
  - If this concerns us, then I hope for the better. What could be worse than the fate of a slave! Give me change!
  Ali remarked gloomily:
  - Become a dead man! Change too! Maybe this is a definite chance for us. One old man told me that after death, innocent children go to heaven. There are no beatings, plenty of food and entertainment.
  Yanka sighed heavily:
  - This doesn't apply to me. Unfortunately, if I die, I will be sent to the local hell. That's what the demon told me.
  Ali, surprised, asked:
  - Did you see him in a dream?
  - Not in reality, and not alone, but with a friend.
  - If so, then it is possible! Priests are also different in each empire. It is true that there is the Order of the "Angry God", it seems to stand above all other priests and is controlled by a super-grandmaster, but not all kings and sultans recognize it.
  Vladimir agreed:
  - And I would not recognize such despotism!
  - Demons and angels constantly fight each other for souls and at the same time evil often wins. "Ali rubbed his bare heel on a flat stone, then pulled out the stem with his toes. The boy deftly threw a blade of grass and caught it in his mouth. He chewed the gum, while still smiling.
  Yanka tried to repeat his technique. He was quite dexterous, but the boy"s cramped toes and tired, bare feet were difficult to obey. However, it was not possible to break it on the first try. Now all that was left was to throw the bunch on the go. The acrobat boy had a similar skill, a toe to nose throw. But this applied to plastic balls, but here there is a bundle that does not have a specific center of gravity and does not easily glide through the air. The boy threw it up and landed on his chest. Bending down, he began to pick up with his elbows. The overseer's whip painfully burned his bare shoulder and caught his chest. The boy dropped the grass and screamed:
  - Hurt!
  The overseer said threateningly:
  - Why did you want to eat again! Look how muscular, the slave should be thin. Say thank you for letting me talk quietly.
  - Thank you.
  Tears flowed from his eyes, it was especially painful because the blow crossed the former crimson scar. A few drops of blood came out. One of the glass droplets plopped onto the gray gravel.
  Yanka shivered: trying to distract himself from the pain, he looked at the surrounding landscape.
  The forest was very reminiscent of a tropical jungle. Only the trees had a slightly greater shade of purple and orange, and there were more flowers and various fruits on the branches. The boy licked his lips: the fruits were different, some looked like earthly ones, others had wavy skins, exotic, looking like buds. But in general, the forest is like a forest, because of the abundance of very bright and colorful flowers, as well as butterflies, one can mistake it for paradise.
  - It"s beautiful here!
  The boy walking on the right noticed:
  - Yes, it"s beautiful.
  Ali continued:
  - Now is the best time of the year, in the summer it is very hot and everything fades. However, it depends on the season. It rains quite often.
  Vladimir looked around again and sniffed his nostrils: the aroma of flowers, fruits, and forests drowned out the unpleasant smell of sweat and the boys" tired, long-unwashed bodies. He noticed that his skin began to darken, it seemed that the three suns gave more ultraviolet radiation, but the radiation was soft, only traces of the whip hurt.
  Vladimir stated:
  - Hell of a life in paradise!
  The gloomy Sadat said deliberately:
  - I see you lived in a much colder world and not as rich in vegetation as ours.
  Yanka nodded sharply:
  - Alas! True, our world, or rather in the country where I live, is not like wearing only a loincloth in winter, but in summer it"s no worse than now. True, sometimes there are fires and excessive heat.
  Sadat chuckled:
  - Here you see!
  - But we have computers and wonderful games.
  Sadat asked in surprise:
  - What's this! Also like in a dream?
  - Almost! Even better! After all, it"s difficult to control dreams; you"ve only just "dreamed" that you"re a sultan, and that"s already a dagger in the throat. Or, more often than not, he woke up.
  Ali remarked:
  - I often have nightmares in my sleep. Especially if you"ve been spanked before, it"s a spanking or, worse, a daydream.
  Vladimir turned and looked at Ali's back. She was indeed covered in scars, albeit weak and barely noticeable, except for fresh scars.
  - Heals well on you!
  Ali shook his head:
  - This is a special ointment. Slaves are smeared with it before being sold to make their skin shine and appear smoother and fresher. I had already been sold several times and flogged many times, and once my heels were burned with a hot iron.
  Vladimir shuddered:
  - And How?
  Ali turned pale, a convulsion passed across his face from the memories, and with difficulty he squeezed out:
  - Imagine how painful it is. Much more painful than when they just flog. Such a nightmare.
  Yanka said with the air of an expert:
  - There are a lot of nerve endings on the heels, so even when they become rough they retain sensitivity.
  The boy shook his head:
  - I see you are very learned.
  Yanka said proudly:
  - If I"m not an excellent student, it"s only because I hate cramming. Whoever crams is always a weakling and a traitor.
  -You say too many unfamiliar words. Crammed, excellent student, crammed.
  Sadat remarked:
  - Cramming, from the word bison, or teeth! These are the ones who nasal through their teeth, but the excellent student is different from the word.
  Yanka nodded:
  - You got the point right. The boy looked around in alarm, expecting a blow, but it seemed that the overseer himself was listening to their words.
  Ali asked:
  - Looks like you went to school?
  - Aren't you?
  - I don"t even know how to read, and I count to one hundred! Or rather, up to a thousand!
  Sadat added:
  - But I can! He studied to be a priest, and is now sold into slavery. Or rather, they handed me over for misconduct.
  Yanka was filled with curiosity:
  - What offense?
  Sadat jerked his head sharply:
  - I won"t say anything about it. Maybe later, if we become friends, I"ll tell you about my sins. You are not a priest to confess me!
  One of the boys joked:
  - He spied on how naked girls washed themselves.
  Sadat shook his head:
  - I really need this! Moreover, the priestesses dance naked at all holidays, and sometimes fight like gladiators. I've seen fights like this, it's very exciting.
  Yanka said dreamily:
  - I wish I could see such a fight!
  - Maybe you'll see again! Sometimes beloved slaves are taken to such a spectacle. Why haven"t you seen gladiator fights?
  - Only in the movies!
  - In a dream?
  - Not at the cinema! But they are not real there! A kind of illusion.
  - So they don"t kill anyone there?
  - Certainly! The artist will not be cut on purpose.
  - So boring! I personally like it when women fight. It's so impressive and wonderful. Especially if the breasts are cut off.
  Yanka winced:
  - Don't say nasty things!
  Sadat chuckled:
  - I can"t even tell you that much! I know everything, in particular about love between a man and a woman. We were taught this in the temple.
  Blonde-haired Yanka looked more closely at Sadat. The boy was quite broad-shouldered, muscular and taller than him. He is probably already fourteen years old, and at this age, libido can be very stormy. It"s not for nothing that in Ancient Rus' people got married at the age of fourteen, and this was even before acceleration. Here the ethnic group is similar to the eastern one, where everything matures faster. So boys may dream of female affection. By the way, Sadat"s hair is not black or brown, but red. This suggests that he is a cunning beast. People like him are quite dangerous, but as a rule they avoid open fights.
  Vladimir stated:
  - Every man knows what he knows! Let's sing something better.
  -Are you crazy, or do you like it when the whip runs down your back? - Ali was surprised.
  The overseer yawned and said:
  - What should you sing? Just be quiet! I don't want the owner to hear. With us, he is unpredictable, he can laugh, or he can skin him alive. And I'm so bored.
  Ali suggested:
  - Here you go, Yanka, sing about your Motherland.
  - Something patriotic?
  - And definitely yours! I want to know if you can compose, because sometimes song is the only consolation in slavery!
  Sadat confirmed:
  - It's a good idea!
  The boy sang in a quiet but pleasant and clear voice:
  Here at the edge of the universe I remember;
  Fields, meadows, the expanse of your Earth!
  To be a slave is a very evil fate,
  I pray the Lord bless me!
  
  I made a careless sketch in the sand,
  It is washed away by a stormy wave!
  And I imagine snow-white hair,
  I want to be loved with you!
  
  We are fighters, we measure the ground with our steps,
  We need to ride the top of the mountains!
  Opponents with green turbans,
  And Andrey"s gaze follows us!
  
  And we storm the rocks - a sea of blood,
  Proud eagles circle sadly!
  But we will take away grief from our homeland,
  And there will be countries, all conquered!
  
  We can be together - an obedient wife to you,
  And I am your husband - a fighter, a dashing Cossack!
  We feel the rise of the soul - airy,
  Let the adversary take flight!
  
  We live together - time has flown by,
  Quite a few long, stormy years have passed!
  But the body is still elastic, strong,
  I'm young, not a rotten old man!
  
  I am glad to meet you beauty in peace,
  We live in a generous, joyful land!
  Oh, how pure and bright your image is,
  I keep dreaming and singing about you!
  
  And my son needs to be packed for the journey,
  He will also fight and fight!
  Let us pray to God before the battle,
  Just don"t cry - stupid mother!
  
  After all, it is valor to fight for Russia,
  Let's go on the attack - not sparing lives!
  So that the grass blooms under the blue sky,
  Have fun under the sun with a wreath, child!
  The boy was so inspired that he sang louder than expected. The owner looked around and the overseer, as if having come to his senses, brought down the whip on the slaves. His two assistants also used a whip. Yanka screamed from unbearable pain, the skin was cut, the boy fell. Both Ali and Sadat got it.
  The merchant suddenly shouted:
  - Enough! The boy has a good voice. Oh, it looks like it might be of some use. And there is no need to spoil the goods, they are barely moving anyway.
  The overseers stopped beating the boys. The caravan stopped for a minute and the young slaves were allowed to come to their senses. They even gave Yank a flask of odorous liquid.
  The boy guessed the wine. Quite sweet and pleasant to the taste, it gave me strength, the pain dulled slightly, and the tears dried up.
  - Well, go boys! Don't hit them for no reason.
  The overseers nodded: the caravan moved.
  Yanka winced, for the first time alcohol penetrated the child"s body and became more cheerful. You no longer feel the humiliation of being half naked and tied up in a column of beaten boys. Even the burning sensation in my bare feet became weaker, as if I were just walking on hot sand. And that the merchant liked his voice and judging by the faces of the other boys. He can even become a singer, and when he returns from this world, why not participate in Junior Eurovision. However, this requires pull and a certain amount of luck. Like Alla Pugacheva - her voice is certainly good, but not so unique, there are many women no less vocal than her, but she alone became a great prima donna. Yanka dreamed of acting in films; with his appearance, he could very well play some boy hero. A handsome, blond, blue-eyed boy with a clear, crystalline voice and a sculpted, muscular figure - with a good director, he is sure to be a star. Some children are not handsome at all, but have become stars. For example, Kolya Gerasimov in "Guest from the Future" was not played by the boy Apollo, or the three-episode "Tom Sawyer" film, but by some kind of freckled kid! And he could become a great star, have multimillion-dollar fees like Grandpa Schwartz or Stallone. And there it"s not far from the presidential chair. After all, the famous terminator Arnie: let him, the constitution: long ago became the President of the United States. For example, why not make an action fairy tale? The boy finds himself in the Middle Ages, becomes first a slave, and then wins the crown. In general, there were books where boys found themselves in the Middle Ages, but for some reason none of them grew up to become a king and a great conqueror. Somehow the authors are embarrassed to make the boy a great hero. At best, he conquers the kingdom only when he grows up. It's honestly a shame. Well, why is a boy worse than an adult, especially in our time, when any child can, with the help of the Internet, become smarter than a professor. The real revolution in education is the computer, it allows you to instantly view a huge amount of information. For example, he read in Samizdat one author whose children are much cooler than adults! Wow! A real read! However, why doesn"t he write the film script himself? He already tried to draw a children"s game and sent it to one company. The game was ripped off and the royalties were not paid. It"s okay, he"ll do something else again. In general, all these businessmen and oligarchs are true parasites. Is a market economy really that effective? Take the history of the Second World War. Even during the First World War, Germany ranked second in the world in terms of industrial production index, and in some respects first. And after the defeat in the First World War, it suffered almost no damage; the Allied troops never entered its territory. (Unless, of course, if you don"t count France"s attempt to occupy the Ruhr, as well as the annexation of Alsace and Lorraine). Then Hitler restored industrial production, battered by the depression, and even far exceeded previous levels. Then Germany, with little loss of life, occupied almost all of Europe. Rich countries such as France, Belgium, Denmark, Holland, Norway, Luxembourg, Czechoslovakia and others were enslaved. It must be said that Poland, Yugoslavia, and Greece were not poor. Italy, oil-rich Romania, Hungary, Finland, Slovenia, Croatia, and various foreign legions fought against the USSR. Spain sent the Blue Division and a large number of volunteers. Among the mercenaries there were also Swedes, Portuguese, Swiss, counting all of Europe except Britain. The entire densely populated and highly developed capitalist Europe!
  And what is the result! The USSR won, and throughout almost the entire war: we produced more military equipment than Hitler and his satellites. The USSR alone turned out to be stronger than all of Europe. True, the Western press, especially during the Cold War, tried to blame everything on Lend-Lease deliveries. But in reality, deliveries under Lend-Lease amounted to only four percent of the gross national product of the USSR. True, in later times, especially during perestroika, these data were disputed. In particular, the boy looked through a large encyclopedia of tanks on the Internet. It turned out that the American Chevron is not a city at all. Its armor is ten millimeters thicker than that of the T-34, and is made of tough steel. In addition, the Chevron has much better optics, and the tank is also equipped with a hydraulic stabilizer. The latter significantly increases the efficiency of shooting while moving. These appeared in the USSR only in the fifties . True, the Chevron gun was slightly inferior in penetrating power to the T-34, but the difference was not great. At first, the T-34 had an advantage in speed, but then the Americans caught up with it, and the tracks were even better. And yet, Soviet tank crews did not really like Chevron. He had high demands on the quality of gasoline. And this is a big problem for Soviet tanks. In addition, the tank had a high silhouette. True, the latter is not so scary; a shorter car turned around easier. In general, both vehicles are approximately equal in combat, and the more powerful Pershing tank is even better than the T-34. But after the appearance of the T-54 tank, the quality advantage finally passed to the Soviets.
  But in the production of ammunition and guns, the USSR had no equal. It was precisely the superiority in artillery that made it possible to conduct a rapid offensive against the Wehrmacht"s well-developed engineering fortifications. The very fact of victory in such a war once again says: socialism is no worse than capitalism and even better. After all, all of capitalist Europe lost to one Soviet country! And the growth rate under Stalin was great. While there was a strong leader in power who whipped up the apparatus, the country developed rapidly. Then the power was seized by nonentities. Who are not worthy even to run a collective farm. Socialism was unlucky with its leaders; the wrong cadres were at the helm. There was no rational strength and will! They suffered especially badly under Gorbachev. This leader may have wanted good, but it turned out evil and the collapse of the empire. However, is this only his fault? After all, having received freedom, many decided that this was permissiveness. And why did the republics suddenly want to separate from a single family? After all, this was not the desire of the people, but only the desire of part of the corrupt national elite to steal without fear of punishment from the center. The people as a whole wanted to live in a Soviet country, under socialism, and not secede.
  In fact, a military coup took place in national regions. Gorbachev not only behaved passively, but also betrayed his closest comrades-in-arms. Instead of strengthening his power, he threw it at Yeltsin"s feet. It's amazing who Gorby is! Fool or CIA agent. But would a fool become the general secretary, especially since no one declared Gorbachev as a successor? He came to power through cunning intrigues and behind-the-scenes games. This is not Chedvedev, who did not even conduct an election campaign; Futin dragged him into the presidential chair with a lasso. Gorbachev showed himself to be a skilled intriguer, like Stalin. Yes, and he listened to Gorbachev"s recordings on the Internet, he speaks fluently and intelligently, and is a good speaker. And what a demagogue. And in general there was some kind of "charisma" in him; you listen and begin to believe. As for the fight against alcoholism, he will sign with both hands. Although now, after a few sips of wine, he feels so good. But how many people were killed by this swill. Gorbachev is undoubtedly the most mysterious of all leaders. Of course, he could have been a CIA agent, having been recruited while still serving as secretary of the regional committee, or even earlier. But the KGB has a lot of high-ranking residents in various US structures. Well, it is unlikely that such a large spy figure would be allowed into the chair of the head of state. Didn't all intelligence screw up? On the other hand, the KGB failed to neutralize Yeltsin during the coup, although it was worth sending a sniper or poisoning him. After all, there are poisons that cannot be detected during analysis, and after Yeltsin"s two heart attacks, no one was surprised if he died from the third! And why throw someone off a bridge: if you can just inject someone or infect them with some kind of virus. Most likely, all the attempts on Yeltsin"s life were bullshit to raise his rating, and the director was sitting in the American White House. The boy bent down and scratched his forehead, which had been cut by the whip. Yes, even adults can"t understand politics here, much less a child. All these strange phenomena and shapeshifters. And the current incomprehensible regime, where there are two kings at once, and a system of strange capitalism. However, you can live, it"s harder to find an alternative. For the government to change, the opposition must also change. But the main opponents, Zhelezovsky and Ryuganov, have been leading their parties for more than twenty years. The electorate, or rather the people, are terribly tired of them. There is stagnation and crisis in the opposition with new names. The communists are especially weak in this regard - they have a tradition: if they are the secretary general, then they will not carry them forward with their feet first! Even in China they realized the flaw of such a management system, and they banned him from being the head of state for more than two terms of five years each! However, there is another extreme of leapfrog with rulers, as was the case in ancient Rome, where emperors were changed almost every year. Or under Yeltsin: when the government was dismissed every three months. On the one hand, in order to fulfill the program: the ruler must rule for a long enough time, on the other hand, stagnation must be avoided. Elections and the culture of the people must play an important role here. In Western countries, as a rule, personnel rotation occurs quite often. For one party to rule for too long a period in a row... The people do not allow this, even if everything goes well! At one time, even Margaret Thatcher was given a ride, despite excellent economic performance. In the vastness of the CIS, democracy and change of power are not everywhere. In Ukraine, for example, there have been four presidents, and opposition candidates have won three times. True, the opposition is also conditional - all three were prime ministers. And in the Baltic states, the ruling coalitions changed, and in Georgia, Armenia, and initially in Azerbaijan. But in Central Asia, only in Kyrgyzstan, there was a change of leadership and that was as a result of revolution. And so despotism rules everywhere. By and large, there is no democracy. In Russia, too, not everything is clear. If the opposition won in the State Duma elections, they never won the presidential elections. Yeltsin is not an opposition; in 1991, he was already the head of the Russian Federation, heading the Supreme Council. However, in 1999 the authorities took control of the State Duma and are still holding it. That is, it cannot yet be said that there is a turnover of elites. But the history of independent Russia is too short, and changes are quite possible in the future. True, the trend is still towards strangulation. People were deprived of the right to elect governors and deputies in single-mandate constituencies, presidential terms were extended, and referendum rights were limited. And there is less and less freedom, television is under control. What did they do with NTV? On the other hand, is it even possible to govern Russia democratically? The question is very serious, if dictatorship is more effective than democracy, then we must go to the end. Chedvedev is inconsistent, you can"t understand what he wants, he"s trying to sit on two chairs. In particular, he awarded Gorbachev the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. That is, he flirts with the democrats, but on the contrary, he introduces restrictions. He promises liberalization, but talks about putting things in order. This leader does not have a clear strategy, he has no core. He wants to please both yours and ours. In particular, the adoption of the law on police. A kind of movement towards the West, even the name police, is borrowed a lot from American laws. And at the same time, not long before this, a step from the West: restriction of jury trials. It seems that Chedvedev wanted to abolish the seven percent barrier, but did not dare. It was supposed to increase the number of parties, but the law never got around to it. There is a lot of confusion, you can"t understand who the president is: a liberal, a conservative, a statist, a Westerner, a democrat... All this coexists in one person, and is terribly confused. However, other policies have not been defined. Zhelezovsky is especially controversial. It"s also impossible to understand whether he"s left or right! Can often contradict himself in one speech. But he wrote so many books: more than five hundred! Marvelous! Although you shouldn't chase quantity. Hitler published only one of his books, Mein Kaif, and managed to become popular and come to power. The boy felt that his head began to hurt; quite adult thoughts about politics were very tiring.
  Two of the three suns had already approached the edge of the horizon, clouds appeared in the sky, and it became cooler.
  Yanka quietly asked Ali:
  - Do you have nights?
  The boy replied:
  - Certainly! But not too much darker.
  - Will it be cold at night?
  - About the same as now! Don't worry!
  - Of course, it"s okay to walk, but to sleep naked without a blanket...
  - I think they will light a fire and leave us tied up so that no one escapes.
  Yanka shook his head:
  - Reasonable precaution.
  Sadat supported:
  - Don't drift! There's no risk of freezing here. Here in our church there is a basement, and it"s so cold that it"s simply amazing!
  Ali asked:
  - What magic is there?
  - Special soil, so it"s freezing. We were put there as punishment. For me, a spanking is better than freezing like this. - Sadat shivered, his broad shoulders became narrower for a moment.
  Yanka noted:
  - In the human body: there is one nerve perceiving heat, three reacting to cold.
  - What is a nerve? - Sadat asked.
  - This is what they feel! For example pain.
  - Then it"s better not to have nerves!
  - In this case, pleasure will become inaccessible to you. You will stop enjoying food and other joys of life.
  - Including women, no, we don"t need that! - Sadat tried to wave his hand, but could not break the rope.
  Suddenly the chirping of the cicadas stopped and a growl was heard. The riders slightly reined in their horses.
  The trees parted and the animal slowly came out onto the road. It was larger than an elephant and looked like a saber-toothed tiger, only with green stripes on an orange background. The fur is very lush, and on the head the shell is tile-like like that of a brontosaurus. The tusks are very long, more than two meters, although they are not particularly sharp. The tiger has three eyes, he looks with a threat. Power bubbles up in the beast"s broad chest, and you can also hear its hungry stomach growling. The warriors immediately grouped, bristling with spears. The tiger looked expectantly, he apparently wanted something. The merchant said:
  - Din-Sher wants to eat! He demands human flesh. Let's give him something of little value, in particular this, he's already barely alive.
  Two warriors separated from the main mass and jumped up to the exhausted old man. He really became weak and could hardly stand on his feet. He was dragged towards the saber-toothed tiger.
  The broad back of the animal arched: three tails, one of them with a tassel, curled into a ball. Here Yanka involuntarily giggled, as it very much reminded him of the cartoon: "The Secret of the Third Planet." This beast was somewhat reminiscent of a rat tiger! In general, Kir Bulychev wrote quite interestingly; few modern authors are worthy of taking a place next to him. True, Yanka did not like the Strugatskys because of his heavy style of presentation.
  There is so much grace and elegance in this beast - a saber-toothed tiger, you can see how the muscles roll under the thick skin. Such a monster is capable of knocking over an entire squad. The old man resisted weakly; he was suffocating in the hands of his tormentors.
  The guards threw the victim in front of the giant tiger. They were afraid to come close.
  The old man fell to his knees, and suddenly a thin and forked tongue like a snake flew out of the monster"s mouth. He grabbed his grandfather by the waist and pulled him into his mouth. The mighty beast had several rows of teeth and began vigorously grinding its prey. The crunching of bones was heard, blood dripped from the lips.
  Yanka suddenly felt bad, his legs became weak. The sharp smell of alcohol or something similar to alcohol brought him to his senses, and the boy opened his eyes.
  - What a weakling, you passed out quickly! - Said the overseer.
  Yanka stood up unsteadily, the tiger had already left. Only a few brown blood stains remained.
  The boy asked:
  - This is all?
  - Yes! This is Din-Sher the cannibal. He eats people because there is a demon inside him, and not because of hunger. The forests are full of game.
  - There are such perverts. Tigers in many fairy tales are cannibals. In particular, Mowgli was such a pervert, so they skinned him.
  - Is Mowgli a pervert? - asked Sadat.
  - No, that was the name of the one who skinned the tiger!
  The overseer shouted:
  - Walk faster, you need to go to the patrol, it will be convenient to spend the night there.
  The slaves involuntarily increased their pace. Yanka felt how painfully his body ached and his bound hands were sore. It"s hard, or it seems to him, or the day here is longer than on Earth. He wants to sleep more and more, he yawns. The coarse gravel on the road makes the boy's bare feet burn and itch, and he limps. Yanka tried to get off to the side and walk on the lush grass so that it wouldn"t hurt so much. The other boys, whose bare, calloused feet seemed never to have worn shoes, just grinned, but still moved. But a swing of the whip and a couple of sharp blows forced him to return. The boy had to endure a new slow torture to distract himself, he asked Ali.
  - Are you born a slave or free!
  - I was not born into captivity; I was sold six years ago for debts. At first I had to work in the fields, but then I was sent to the quarries for misconduct. Since I was still small, I simply picked up and carried stones. They fed us very poorly and often beat us. Several boys my age have died. We worked a lot, but I got used to it. Then I grew up and got stronger, but the mine dried up and I was sold.
  - No luck!
  - Why! Vice versa! I worked on the surface, breathed fresh air, in the mine the slaves quickly became covered with ulcers and died. And so now I"m hardened by life and I"m not afraid of anything.
  Despite his thinness, Ali"s body was very sinewy, and despite the long trek, the boy did not look tired. However, hard work strengthens you from early childhood.
  Yanka said:
  - A slave from birth, he doesn"t quite understand humiliation.
  Then another boy with jet black hair entered the conversation:
  - I am the son and grandson of slaves! From early childhood I was forced to pick up ears of corn and whip them. But to be honest, I didn"t give up to become free.
  - And what would you do? - Asked Ali.
  - Got married! Built a house! You never know!
  Yanka noted:
  - Only a free person can make serious plans. I don"t know, but I hope we will find freedom over time!
  - If a slave is obedient to his master, then he will remain a slave in the next world, only he will be treated well. - The boy said.
  Ali objected:
  - No one knows how it will be! In general, I don"t want to talk about the other world; it"s better if Yanka tells us about her world. Are your people fighting?
  Yanka winced:
  - Yes, of course they are fighting! However, my country fought a serious war almost seventy years ago. Then there was a large-scale war with a very strong enemy and we almost lost. But after that these were only local conflicts. Afghanistan, Chechnya, but for the most part they fought with partisans. After the Second World War, the USSR and Russia did not formally declare war on other countries. There were only minor skirmishes. The United States fought more often, with varying success. In principle, America did not lose the war in Vietnam, but having suffered serious losses, under the pressure of public opinion it was forced to leave. Similar to the USSR in Afghanistan. Most of the major battles were won, but it was not possible to defeat the partisans, and it was necessary to leave the country to avoid further expenses and losses. Well, the first Chechen war was the strangest and most absurd in the entire history of the wars that our country waged. I don't want to talk about it. Unfortunately, no one was shot for the shameful defeat of Russia!
  Ali remarked:
  - Your country is Russia?
  - Yes!
  - Is she big?
  - Very big! The largest in area in the world!
  - But she lost the last two wars!
  - No! Most likely she failed to win. In addition, for the second time, we took revenge in Chechnya. True, the partisanship is still not over, but for now we keep it under control.
  Sadat remarked gloomily:
  - All wars cannot be won! If an invincible commander were found, then the entire planet would be in his hands.
  Yanka answered readily:
  - In the history of the Earth there were invincible commanders, but as a rule they did not have enough life. The human age is not long, and a worthy successor is difficult to find. What a loud-mouthed nonentity Nikita Khrushchev was compared to Joseph Stalin. Well, there is a complete shortage of personnel among the kings. However, of the leaders of the Soviet period, there were only three strong and competent individuals: Lenin, Stalin, Andropov. Moreover, Lenin and Andropov did not rule for long, as they had health problems. And the rest did not reach the level of collective farm management!
  As for the current management system, we have, as it were, two co-rulers. They don"t seem to be fools, but they don"t have a clear goal and don"t know what they want! It seems these guys haven"t decided whether to build a democratic society or a totalitarian dictatorship. But such a half-hearted system is unstable. Usually moderate authoritarianism is short-lived, and the nation has to choose something more concrete! And there are no two leaders. The leader of a nation is like God - there is only One!
  Ali objected:
  - There are many gods!
  Sadat philosophically remarked:
  - In general, we have polytheism, but there was a movement that promoted the idea of a single creator. True, we haven"t heard anything about them for a long time! In general, what do you believe in?
  Yanka hesitated a little and answered:
  - Into the mind and strength of man!
  - How is that?
  - That humanity will sooner or later solve its problems and find happiness.
  Sadat, squinting with black, cunning eyes, asked:
  - Or more precisely?
  - What we could previously achieve only in dreams or fairy tales will become reality! - Yanka rolled his eyes. - Be like the gods.
  Sadat shook his head:
  - These are just dreams!
  - How to say! - Yanka straightened his shoulders. - For example, there was a magic carpet, real airplanes appeared. Self-assembled tablecloth, huge vegetables and fruits - food synthesizers and genetic technologies. Know-it-all hat, saucer with an apple - computers and the Internet. Walking boots - cars and motorcycles. Flights to the moon described in fairy tales were also realized. Well, the magical means of destruction were more than surpassed by the atomic and, even more so, the hydrogen bomb!
  Sadat frowned:
  - Many incomprehensible words!
  Ali asked:
  - Do you have rejuvenating peaches!?
  - Those that restore youth?
  - Yes exactly!
  Yanka sighed:
  - We haven"t learned yet! But in the next hundred, maximum two hundred years, the problem of aging will be resolved. Everyone will become forever young and healthy!
  Sadat replied:
  - Wait until it happens! And that a hydrogen bomb is a powerful spell?
  Yanka grinned playfully:
  - She is capable of destroying in the blink of an eye, all living things at a distance that the rider can ride in a day!
  Sadat shook his head:
  - Yes, you"re all lying! If your country had such weapons, you would conquer the entire planet.
  Yanka answered, wrinkling his forehead:
  - You see two big problems here. First, what are weapons: not only our country has them, and they can fight back against us.
  - And the second? - Sadat even quickened his pace to be closer to Yanka.
  . CHAPTER No. 10
  Konstantin Rokossovsky realized that a critical moment had come and brought the flagship into the battle, which he had previously used very carefully. Of course; fifteen thousand kilometers in diameter: this is no joke for a spacecraft. This is a real work of art, worth quadrillions of Russian rubles. Not to mention the five and a half billion crew members - that's the population of the entire planet. Now we need to sweep away these damn phantoms so that they don"t destroy the entire army.
  The hypermarshal himself was on a more maneuverable missile cruiser. Naturally, his starship avoided battle, not because of cowardice, but because the death of the commander had a catastrophic effect on the entire army.
  Marshal Elf suggested:
  - Let's carry out a general retreat of our army, build a citadel system.
  Konstantin rejected:
  - In conditions of encirclement, retreating means incurring huge losses. In addition, in this way we will give the enemy large bridgeheads.
  - So what should I do?
  - We need to destroy the commander-in-chief of the phantom army. In this case, I hope it will crumble.
  Marshall objected:
  - There will always be a deputy. After all, even in the event of your death, dubbing is provided. As your patron Stalin said: there are no irreplaceable people!
  Rokossovsky, emitting lightning from his eye, remarked:
  - There is such a thing, but this is not always provided for in the medieval army. In general: you don"t have to stand still. We will attack.
  A huge spaceship called "Fatherland": with its super-heavy cannons it literally burned out the entire space. It was something monstrous, hyperplasmic, completely unimaginable.
  Alyosha Popovich hastily assembled a fist of dinosaurs. It was very difficult to do this in conditions where the troops were stretched out and fighting along a wide front. However, the outwardly young commander did not fail to use cunning. He ordered a signal to be sent, with the help of which the phantom dinosaurs are called to be fed. It had an effect. True, the archer girls did not call out loudly, so as not to captivate all the monsters. The bare skin of their comrades: half-naked warrior swordsmen, was already shimmering with tension, how intense the battle was. And so the two hundred largest were selected.
  Contrary to all the laws of physics, dinosaurs stomped through the vacuum with a terrible roar, slightly dusty, small fragments of reflected light waves and magical hyperplasm.
  And they led the attack, obeying the commander"s order, Pastukhov himself, his helmet was broken, and his hair was matted with blood. The detachment led by the knight was terrible, disgusting faces, monstrous mouths, curved, often broken fangs. Many spikes, blades, needles, corkscrews, pimples on the shells, these creations of the underworld of magic, seemed to be aimed like the muzzles of tanks.
  A rolling horn sounded (gravity waves spread through the vacuum), and an avalanche rushed towards the enemy. A huge mass of monsters rushed towards the flagship "Fatherland".
  The dinosaurs screamed angrily, trying to sweep away everything and everyone!
  The gigantic flagship met them with all weapons of destruction. A continuous, mega-cascade of shelling began. It was as if holes were shot in the vacuum and frantic streams of energy poured out of them.
  Alyosha Popovich commanded:
  - Pick up maximum speed and don"t stop.
  The hits caused pain to the phantom dinosaurs. Deep craters formed in their bodies, as well as lacerations that could have housed ancient New York. Some of the monsters simply crumbled from numerous defeats. But it was not possible to stop the flow; on the contrary, it became more and more powerful and turbulent. The flagship "Otchizna" tried to turn back, but it was overtaken by a living avalanche of phantoms. Having attacked the spaceship like a pack of dogs on a bear, the dinosaurs began to tear it apart. The gigantic ship fired emitters of all types almost point-blank, but this did not help much. Various monsters, of such unimaginable types that even brains flooded with hyperplasma boil, they tore off his armor, towers, supports, antennas. The spaceship was simply dying, and it took a lot of courage to look at it.
  Rokossovsky, with an effort to hide his panic, commanded:
  - Everyone, go to the rescue!
  Marshal Elf corrected:
  - Everyone can"t, the troops are constrained by battles!
  - Then all those who are free.
  The starships of the Svyatorossiya army rushed forward. Thousands of ships dropped millions of deadly messengers at once. Alyosha Popovich also put all reserves into action.
  - Under no circumstances should we allow our enemies freedom of maneuver. Hit harder, mix up the rows! - The young commander shouted to his subordinates. - Get closer, don"t let us use super-powerful missiles.
  Indeed, the last weapon was the most devastating and dangerous for phantoms. Therefore, like a real boxer, they tried to break into close contact, where they could bombard the enemy with a series of blows and impose cuttings with swords. Some phantom warriors used their bare, graceful knees (It"s amazing how such a striking effect can be had by such sexy parts of a girl"s body!) The huge starship "Fatherland" slowly drifted, backed away, trying to fend off the enemy"s harsh pressure. And they threw it at him, the dinosaurs used their tusks and fangs, broke the towers, flattened the sectors, crushed the partitions. The gigantic ship was dying, but the phantom monsters also paid dearly for temporary successes.
  Alyosha Popovich seeing; that the enemy went all out, crossed his two long swords, and, together with a small detachment of selected enemies, galloped towards the enemy.
  Although his squad rushed in a vacuum, sparks beat from under the hooves, the void shook.
  Alyosha commanded:
  - Saryn on the kitchka!
  Dobrynya Nikitich, risking his life, had been fighting on the right flank for a long time. His riders pressed back the spaceships scattered across space, but they themselves suffered losses. It was especially painful to look at the terrible wounds that were inflicted on the girls by the various instruments of annihilation!
  Alyosha Popovich hacked away with youthful passion. He understood that the throw could be the drop that broke the dam. And his warriors are a perfect match, handsome men and beauties, half a girl with golden braids. The armor is embroidered with gold and precious stones. And they fight valiantly. One of the young men fell, hit by missiles, another horse had its legs knocked off, but, thrashing in agony, reached out with its mouth towards the spaceships. The fallen rider, in turn, fought on foot. The beautiful girl"s head was torn off, her golden hair flashed brightly, and the warrior"s face was distorted by a grimace of pain. Another female soldier's legs were blown off, the girl began to roar in three streams and a powerful thermo-creson rocket - equivalent to a quadrillion bombs dropped on Hiroshima - landed right in her sensitive mouth, with satin lips. Quadrillion (Billion million) Hiroshima thundered in a girl's mouth at once: a hyperquasar, sexual adventure!
  The giants tried to kill the riders one by one, who in turn grouped them together.
  Finally, one of the largest dinosaurs managed to reach the reactor of the flagship ultra-dreadnought. Something terrible happened here. Alyosha Popovich barely had time to command:
  - Everyone, step aside!
  But it was already too late. It exploded with monstrous force and a real quasar flared up, absorbing hundreds of phantoms and thousands of starships. Hellish supernova; a predatory, fiery piranha swallowed space.
  The cruiser from where the hypermarshal was exercising command shook brutally.
  Rokossovsky stood up, shook off the dust from the crumbling ultra-plastic, and swore. He put his hand to his forehead and squinted
  - The Fatherland has perished!
  - And five and a half billion soldiers, along with her! - Said the elf marshal. - Or rather, even more!
  The gnome suggested:
  - Isn't it time to play a retirade?
  The hypermarshal frowned:
  - The death of such a large starship as the Fatherland will disintegrate the entire defense. Or rather, it brings discord into our army. Apparently we will have to retreat. Although no, retreat in this case will become a general flight. We must fight steadfastly, fiercely and fanatically.
  - How are the Wehrmacht units? - The elf marshal teased.
  - He who won fought better! - Rokossovsky answered. - But fanaticism did not save the Nazis!
  - And we may not be saved!
  Rokossovsky, despite the tragedy of the moment, jokingly commanded:
  - One, two, three - wipe the spotlights!
  The elf marshal suggested:
  - Let's divide the army into twenty parts and rush in all directions!
  - And what will this give?
  - The phantoms will separate! And when the fingers spread out, it"s easier to break your fingers! - Delighted (bright little head), said the elf marshal.
  Rokossovsky, releasing a ray of light from his nostril (discharge of the hyperplasmic environment in the renewed brain), stated:
  - Well, let's try to disperse the enemy forces! In this state, it will be more difficult for them to fight!
  The hypermarshal gave commands with a jerky telepathic impulse, appointing squad commanders.
  By this time, more than half of the starships of Holy Russia had been killed. At the same time, the army of phantoms was greatly reduced. The troops of Great Russia were brutally battered. Alexander the Great, seeing the enemy"s maneuver: commanded!
  - Immediately allocate a strong reserve in the rear! We will beat the enemies piece by piece!
  Magician Oksana told him:
  - Our victory is only a matter of time! Just don't make a fuss!
  The battle moved into a new phase, where the initiative belonged entirely to Great Russia. Alyosha Popovich tried to coordinate the actions of his troops, but the battle took place spontaneously. True, the shades cast by the silhouettes made it possible to avoid shooting at each other. But in tight battles, sometimes even our own people got it. Alyosha Popovich himself lost one arm, he was in pain, but an assistant bandaged the limb.
  - Why, Hannibal was one-eyed, and I am one-armed!
  Marquise Angelica encouraged (her armor completely crumbled under the blows of the damaging radiation. Only a short skirt barely covered the luxurious hips of a muscular, seductive warrior, despite the wounds).
  - Loss of a hand; just a big loss - loss of mind - irreparable!
  - The magicians will make a second one! - Alyosha answered, shaking his head. "You can"t break me that easily!" We'll carry out a quick attack. Just to figure out the main commander. Where is this damn Rokossovsky?
  Oksana stated:
  - Judging by the abundance of information and various gravity interceptions, he is in that group of starships. Now you will see her in brown light.
  Alyosha Popovich tried to gather his soldiers, he hoped to suppress the commander. The riders gathered, the dinosaurs arrived. Here is one of the twenty detachments of Svyatorossia that came under attack from the reserve of Alexander the Great. He was quickly being crushed. It seems that the tactics of separate combat did not justify themselves. But as Capablanca said: in a bad position, all moves are bad!
  Konstantin Rokossovsky gave another order:
  - Now regroup!
  As if separate tentacles were compressed, separate groups began to converge into a single system. Such maneuvering allowed us to gain time, but could not reverse the situation.
  Vladimir Kashalotov fought like everyone else: frantically with fanaticism. He never thought that he could die. Or rather, he had already looked death in the eyes so many times that nothing could scare him! The battle was being won, fatigue was already setting in, and the desire was for this to end as quickly as possible.
  So he entered into battle with his friend Erolok, they maneuvered for a while, fired back, and then separated.
  Vladimir Kashalotov fired several times, but due to accumulated psychological fatigue, primarily, he was unable to hit. The enemy was also extremely exhausted. In general, it is impossible to compare the "virtual" with a real battle. Still, in training, no matter how painful it is, you won"t be killed, but in battle you can die at any moment. This means becoming useless for the Motherland.
  Many starships were damaged, most ships lost towers, entire sectors and compartments. Several tens of billions of single-seat tetraplanes alone were shot down.
  The young man turned on the hologram, trying to connect with his partners. A beautiful girl's face appeared. The girl asked Vladimir:
  - Why are you so sad?
  - I'm completely overwhelmed! Apparently today the limit of destroyed enemies has been exhausted.
  The girl replied:
  - Do not worry! Shoot the poor ones! Or do you feel sorry for them?
  - It"s not that it"s a pity, but it"s somehow scary! - Vladimir answered. - Sensation of bitterness on the lips!
  - Let's fight together in this case! Just imagine: me and you; one company!
  The boy sang along:
  - You and me; one company!
  The girl"s voice became much louder:
  - Every sea of charm!
  - You and I!
  - The honor of our Motherland is sacred! We will destroy all the enemies!
  - I"m not against a grunt! I want to eat pies!
  The guy and girl laughed; after which the beauty with a seven-color hairstyle (the color of the rainbow is very fashionable) suggested:
  - Let's attack in pairs, we can do it better!
  - Paired with! Which means you're on fire!
  The warrior licked her lips:
  - Quasar! Don't let the photo collapse!
  Fighting together is always more fun: Vladimir agreed with the poem of the ancient poet:
  It's bad when a person is alone
  And one cannot become a hero alone!
  Every stalwart is his master,
  And even weak ones, if there are two!
  They entered the battle, and at first everything went well, one after another they shot down three tetraplanes. They did it beautifully, even gracefully and gracefully. Vladimir felt inspired by the poet-fighter. But then something happened that was almost inevitable in such a war. His partner was hit by mini-preon charges. There was such a flash, as if a needle had pierced space, and for a moment a bright drop of blood appeared. Then a damp vacuum rag mercilessly wiped it off. The greatest tragedy in the short life of a young fighter! A beautiful girl with whom the boy managed to become friends, and even indulged in erotic fantasies: they knocked him down like a fly! So much so that she didn"t even have time to eject.
  Vladimir really wanted to scream and cry. He had a hard time suppressing it within himself, but the feelings burst out.
  - War be damned! She's a bad lady and a bitch!
  The young man, in desperation, even went to ram. To end up like Nestert. The first one to carry out the ram. A furious attack followed. But the enemy seemed to have weaker nerves. Once again, fate was on Vladimir"s side. The enemy deviated and was shot down. Such success calmed the guy somewhat.
  - And I thought it would be black hole!
  The Svyatorossiya fleet was heavily pressed, it was clearly dying, it seemed there would be no hope of salvation.
  Konstantin Rokossovsky snapped his fingers: a Twenty-barreled beam gun materialized in front of him:
  - What do you order, commander! - The weapon sang!
  - Be ready to disintegrate your body at any moment!
  - I obey! Although I must warn you in this case, you will lose the ability to exercise command!
  - I do not care anymore!
  - What about responsibility?
  - Responsibility? - Rokossovsky thought: - I don"t know! Only a miracle can save us, and there are no miracles in the universe!
  The elf marshal remarked:
  - In interuniversal space: sometimes there are phenomena that are difficult to explain. They cannot be called anything other than a miracle of the universe. You've probably heard of these?
  - I heard! But it is naive to count on this!
  - Who knows! We elves are very sensitive to paranormal influences and various disasters. I feel like something is coming towards us!
  Rokossovsky shook his head:
  - It's possible, just an illusion!
  - No, look! It's already here!
  At that moment something extraordinary really happened! The shooting instantly died down and an unknown force picked up the starships and phantoms. Obeying an unknown impulse, the ships and ghosts rushed in different directions. It was inexplicable, as if incomprehensible, the gigantic Baba Yaga waved her broom, scattering the fighting armadas in different directions. This was done quickly, the light suddenly dimmed, but at the same time the pressure from the movement was small.
  Vladimir also felt how he was picked up, like a passionate female embrace. It even smelled of the most expensive perfume. The young man even muttered:
  - Here's a lafa!
  And then it got dark! It"s very dark, you can"t even see the usual glow for all metals. Not a single photon, other types of waves also disappeared. The human eye of the future allows us to distinguish between the longest and ultra-short waves, infrared and ultraviolet radiation, gamma waves, and micro-gamma waves, as well as various types of what hyperplasma gives off. True, in particular intensity, the eye is not yet omnipotent, but a special device is built into it.
  And so complete emptiness. Vladimir whispered:
  "Perhaps this is what hell looks like!" Although what can be understood is death and death in hyperplasm.
  At the same time, the body became so light and airy! Vladimir felt much better, fatigue disappeared, and his soul became more cheerful.
  - This is something special! Maybe I'm flying to heaven, for great fighters! Although am I worthy to be called great?
  Suddenly, in the absolute darkness, a glow appeared, so unusual, unlike anything else! Most of all, such a play of shades resembled gamma radiation, but here it seemed that there were waves that were shorter in range. Vladimir remembered hyperphysics, when superweak interactions were discovered. They made it possible to create fractional measurements, when not three-dimensional, but for example two and a half. And this gives additional opportunities. And in the movement and destruction of matter along with the disintegration of space. Take for example: the principle of a protective half-space field - if it weren"t for the special radiation that burns through dimensions, you can achieve complete invulnerability. In general, modern physics is not at all what it was at a time when humanity was confined to one planet. Very complex and multifaceted. What does such a glow fall under? What's special about it?
  - This is angelic fire! - Vladimir whispered. - Apparently heaven is already close.
  Meanwhile, it became warmer, and other colors and shades appeared in the radiation.
  The aching pain in my temples went away, and I smelled violets.
  - And it"s much better! It"s like a hypercurrent in the head! The hugs became weaker, the movement stopped.
  A voice was heard, or rather a transformed telepathic impulse of Alexander the Great:
  - Everyone, change lanes!
  Vladimir tried to control the tetraplane. The Boxing car seems to be in a stupor. Unable to move. The body moves, but the fighter does not.
  It seems that other starships are only capable of drifting in a vacuum. Millions of ships of all types froze. It became surprisingly quiet. Vladimir flew out of the tetraplane: at least he could move.
  Alexander the Great declared:
  - The battle is over! Despite the overwhelming numerical superiority of the enemy, we won!
  The soldiers exclaimed unanimously and joyfully:
  - Glory to great Russia!
  - The will of the emperor prevails!
  Oddly enough, most of the repair robots were operational. Movable metal aggregates stuck around the most damaged starships. The restoration process has begun.
  Alexander the Great, with the help of powerful electronics, began to sum up the results; computers installed at all points made it possible to calculate losses with the accuracy of one person or individual. As it turned out, they were quite big.
  The army of Great Russia irretrievably lost seven hundred twenty-five billion, three hundred seventy-four million, ninety-one thousand, four hundred and sixteen living individuals, both people and allied races. In addition: eleven trillion, six hundred thirty-seven billion, eight hundred twenty-three million, four hundred forty-five thousand, one hundred and forty-six robots and cybernetic mechanisms. And also fifty-seven million, three hundred sixty-three thousand, two hundred and seventeen starships of various types, not counting tetraplanes.
  - However, a lot! - Said Alexander the Great. - We suffered considerable damage! When did we start counting wounds? Count your comrades!
  The elf marshal remarked:
  - And that's not counting phantoms. A lot of these guys were also annihilated!
  The great commander of antiquity said joyfully:
  - But many more enemies fell!
  The enemy's irretrievable losses amounted to: trillion eight hundred fifty-four billion, six hundred thirty-three million, two hundred forty-five thousand, nine hundred and eighteen living individuals - people and their allies. Forty-nine trillion, five hundred nineteen billion, two hundred fifty-six thousand, one hundred forty-seven robots and cybernetic mechanisms. And also one hundred and forty-three million, four hundred and sixty-three thousand, and seven hundred and eighty-seven starships, not counting tetralets.
  Alexander the Great reported:
  - And the odds seem to be in our favor!
  The elf marshal chuckled and replied:
  - Yes, thanks to the army of phantoms, otherwise we would have lost. And then the loss ratio was much worse.
  Alexander the Great noted:
  - The worst ratio is the loss of tetralets. We lost approximately thirty-nine billion, the enemy sixty-seven! About one and a half times!
  The elf marshal explained:
  - This is because small ships suffered fewer losses from the combat effects of phantoms. Well, the training of our troops and weapons are approximately the same!
  - But the commanders are different! - Macedonsky muttered.
  The elf shook her head:
  - Rokossovsky is an outstanding strategist! At one time, he proposed attacking the Germans with tanks through the impenetrable swamp of Polesie.
  - What a miracle! I try all the time to hit the enemy unexpectedly. Remember my rush through the desert. Or a roundabout maneuver against King Darius, with access to the rear!
  - I know it! But a tank, especially in ancient times, is not a horse. You can"t drag him up so easily!
  Alexander shook his head contemptuously:
  - I commanded my army independently, and Rokossovsky was Stalin"s six. Even his Poles did not like his compatriots, and they forced him to resign from the post of Minister of Defense.
  The elf marshal grimaced:
  - Ungrateful brutes! However, this was not an initiative of the Polish people, but of individual pro-Western circles that were supported by the CIA and other terrorist organizations.
  - Maybe! Khrushchev was a weakling and could not restore order in his own camp. - Alexander the Great shook his head, his mane of copper hair moving threateningly.
  The elf marshal suggested:
  - Let's first reward the worthy!
  - The emperor and the computer will do this, as always, I only have the right to advise!
  Indeed, these are the rules, objective electronics decides who is worthy and who is not worthy. In particular, cyber recording allows anyone to be able to describe their exploits in detail. At one time, certain feats of the Great Patriotic War caused a lot of controversy. Later, many of them were recognized as far-fetched. There are still many debates going on. Indeed, the pioneer Golikov killed seventy-eight fascists in battle. (And during a real battle during the Second World War, it is impossible to count the number of killed. You are not the only one shooting, and even if a German fell, he was not necessarily killed! Maybe he just lay down!). They also argued about Panfilov"s men, whether there was a battle or not, how many tanks were lost. Fascist heroes also raise doubts. For example, one attack pilot devoured five hundred and thirty-four Soviet tanks, for which he was awarded an iron cross with diamonds and golden oak leaves. And also a whole collection of awards! It"s somehow hard to believe in this, and in the fact that you can destroy one hundred and forty-four tanks with a simple tank. Also incredible! One can also argue about the black "devil" who destroyed four hundred Soviet and five American aircraft! That is, some questioned Soviet exploits, others fascist achievements.
  In any case, Vladimir Kashalotov should have been adequately rewarded. In gratitude for the won battle, a banquet was held, after which the presentation of awards should take place.
  Usually soldiers do not eat, they feed on hyperplasmic energy or supercurrent.
  Now the surviving soldiers gathered in special palaces, or rather halls. About and they should be precious - cybernetic tables! The most exquisite selections! Vladimir Kashalotov had to eat food for the first time in his life. He had never eaten before! In general, this is such an unusual thing to eat! Find out what food is! He read a lot about this, even tried to chew wood (oak, maple-fir and God knows what else!): however, he did not like the latter. Indeed: what"s nice, your mouth is full of shit, and smoke is pouring out of your ears. Fresh!
  The hall where the soldiers gathered was huge and could seat a million people. Each soldier has a separate table. When Kashalotov sat down at a similar table, a colorful hologram appeared (a hybrid of a girl and a pineapple with three breasts: one nipple is gold, the other is ruby, the third is sapphire):
  - We are glad to welcome you, star soldier! You seem to miss normal food?
  Vladimir answered, embarrassed:
  - To be honest, I don"t even know what it is! Why eat anyway! After all, this is unnatural! We are not stupid primates!
  The girl flashed her bare legs:
  - To feel the pleasure! Enjoy good food and wine! After all, admit it, are you curious?
  Vladimir Kashalotov agreed:
  - Yes! Even more! This is the first time to experience such a process! How incredible! Especially if we eat the food collectively.
  - So enjoy it! - The hologram answered, the hybrid of a pineapple and a girl began to play with multi-colored nipples. Axes in the shape of colorful birds sparkled in her hands.
  On Vladimir"s right hand: sat a tall and very beautiful girl. In general, all the girls in this world are flawless, but this one is somehow especially bright. It has so much sparkle and charm. The young soldier extended his hand to her:
  - Vladimir!
  - Elfaraya! - The warrior girl answered, grinning (well, her teeth, a real treasure). - It"s very nice to meet you, besides, I heard that you distinguished yourself in the last battle! Young hero!
  - We are all heroes! - Vladimir said. - Both you and me! Everyone who survived is a hero, and everyone who fell is a twin!
  Elfaraya, playing with her eyelashes, agreed:
  - Certainly! I also distinguished myself in this battle, and I have a chance to become an officer. As well as you.
  - In this case, we will have living people under our command, and this is a big responsibility! Not only are you risking your own life, but also someone else"s!
  - That's right, boy! You don"t even know! If you screw up, you lose! There was dust and a bump! - Elfarai joked in rhyme.
  - How did you distinguish yourself?
  - I accidentally hit a cruiser! Does that surprise you? "The girl was blooming all over, with delight."
  - In no case! I myself destroyed a grand destroyer using a very simple, almost childish trick!
  - Children's? - The color of the warrior"s eyebrows changed.
  - Well, maybe their simplicity bought them! And how are you? - The young man rubbed his cheek.
  - I saw an opportunity to shoot down and shot down! Everything was captured in a cyber recording, otherwise they wouldn"t believe us! - Elfaraya even lowered her voice to a whisper.
  - People often don"t believe good things! Although now it is a matter of technology, not faith. - Vladimir shrugged.
  The music started playing, and in the center of the stadium naked girls and boys were performing a dance. So cheerful and erotic. Simultaneously touching and diverging. Acrobatic exercises became more and more complex and elaborate. The girls, kicking their bare legs, jumped high, did multiple somersaults and twirled. It was so exciting and beautiful. Bodies intertwined and unraveled!
  Vladimir clapped his hands:
  - Lovely! I love looking at naked girls!
  Elfaraya answered, singing melodiously:
  - And I guys! If the guys of the entire universe decided at once to kill all the undeveloped people! It became hot from such a fuss, and dreams came true!
  Vladimir even felt funny:
  - And who doesn"t know! Why is he blinking! Well, okay girl, maybe we will have a chance to get to know each other better!
  The dance ended, and finally the main feast began. Many warriors had to taste food for the first time!
  There was a stomp and a gigantic dinosaur crawled into the center of the stadium. The tribunes shook from the tramp of his feet. It was a species of trypinolasaurus. A giant hundred meters long. Suddenly the monster stopped: it froze, and its body began to split into pieces. They scattered like a mosaic. Suddenly, in the place of the monster there was another creature similar to a blue whale with fins. And the pieces smoothly fell onto the talking plates. They sang:
  - You have to eat the parasite! Bon Appetit everyone!
  The young man saw that the meat was smoking, the smell was very tempting. Sauce was poured on top, and a glass materialized in his hand, with black wine splashing in it. The glass, sparkling brighter than a diamond, began to shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow, and then rang:
  - Bottoms Up! For the glory of great Russia!
  Artyom took a careful sip. The wine was tart, with sourness, and pleasant to the taste. Alcohol was not felt, and perhaps there was none! But something causing slight euphoria began to make my head spin.
  Elfaraya suggested:
  - You need to have a snack!
  The young man took a bite of the juicy meat. His sensitive tongue was literally thrilled with delight. Yes, this is meat, this is the first time he eats it. True, the thought flashed through my head, is it natural or maybe synthetic. However, does it matter? After all, even at the level of elementary particles, it is impossible to find differences, but now everything can be synthesized! A full set of sensations, you carefully swallow the meat and it goes down your throat, then down your esophagus. Filling your stomach with something so unusual, like a feeling of pleasant heaviness.
  Elfaraya said in a velvety voice:
  - Let's try the next piece of meat, eat it together?
  - But as?
  - Let's intertwine tongues! - The girl suggested. - It will be a much more wonderful feeling than doing everything alone!
  Vladimir agreed:
  - Let's drive the quasar into the black hole!
  - It will be great! Hyperquasar! (It doesn"t get any better)
  When the tongues intertwine, it is really very pleasant, they envelop each other and rub. Sparks fly between them. And the meat itself, when heated and charged, acquires such a fabulous taste. The boy groaned with delight.
  . CHAPTER No. 11
  Mirabel Snow White, experiencing a completely understandable, even unbearable trembling, awaited punishment. After the defeat, she was taken into custody. The accusation was serious, she allowed an enemy to slip away, even if it was just a boy. And in wartime conditions, this could have three types of punishment: life imprisonment in anti-troops, depersonalization or annihilation! True, the latter was used extremely rarely, since the complete destruction of a living, albeit non-protein, body is irrational. Mirabela looked straight ahead. Shackled by the force field, she could not even move. All that was left was to wait in a helpless state for one"s fate.
  The force field began to move, the robots moved in. An emotionless voice announced:
  - For a crime against the Ecumenical Holy Russia, the nation, the army and the emperor: we sentence you to eternal imprisonment in the underworld. - The robot flashed its ten eyes vengefully: - That"s it, girl, your life ended ingloriously! But you are so young.
  Tears appeared from Mirabela's eyes:
  - I can at least say goodbye to my friends, comrades in arms.
  - No! - Said the robot. - We don"t want them to have unpleasant associations, as well as memories and pity for you!
  Mirabela moaned heavily:
  - And your last wish?
  - For criminals it does not exist! The wicked one should rather go to the underworld. The sooner this ends for you, the better!
  Mirabelle was picked up, and the robots dragged the girls along a long corridor. Gradually their speed increased. Suddenly they found themselves in front of a transparent wall. Mirabela was completely naked, and many boys and girls lined up looked at her. Condemnation was visible in their glances, but some also showed sympathy. But Mirabela couldn"t even wave her hand at them. Finally they found themselves in a compartment: painted crimson. Here, as a rule, sentences were carried out. And this meant that terrible pain was closer than ever.
  Mirabela expected to enter some kind of temple, but instead she was led into a room akin to a laboratory. There were many computers and a sea of holograms shimmering. Here the cyborgs were dressed in a kind of camouflage and, for example, on the street they could be mistaken for a pile of garbage. And then the robots gave the girl a rather rude injection in the head.
  - What is this for? - asked Mirabela
  - Now you will plunge into a nightmare. And you will remain there forever. - The electronic sadist hummed. Then a beam illuminated and many tiny robots entered her body. Mirabela felt the doors of the laboratory begin to blur, and the cyborg"s face, sparkling with anger, fell like a black hole, and everything around became dark. The girl felt herself diving down, as if she had flopped into inky resin, her eyes even began to eat away. A strange thickness pressed on them, somewhat reminiscent of the radioactive mercury on which Mirabela floated, but it was much more terrible, and the flesh was flattened. Then she really felt terrible, and suddenly now she would never see the stars, the executioners had gained power over the other world. The pressure is growing, becoming simply unbearable, in its deceptive softness and monstrous persistence. A grinding sound is heard, a sound like a dog scratching on a drain, only much louder, it bites into your ears, twisting them. The hot ramrod bites into the membranes, there is a sensation of blood and pouring tar on the tongue. So disgusting and stinking, stinking with the most complex combination of feces of creatures from different universes. Then a mouth emerges from the darkness with teeth sparkling like the lava of a volcano on a giant planet. Mirabela had never seen such a disgusting face of a monster, characters from horror films or aliens from the universe; against its background they were only a pathetic parody of a nightmare. Then others appeared: even more terrible jaws, some were as huge as Everest, and others were small, looking like very angry dogs. So they grabbed her flesh with their crooked poisonous teeth. In her entire not so long but eventful life, Mirabela had never experienced such pain. The main thing is that it was impossible to find an analogue to the sensations. This is a burning flame and corrosive acid, at the same time freezing ice and a dull cutting saw. And also at the same time hypercurrent shocks, which cause discharges, ultra-radiation irradiation and who knows what!
  And they continued to torment her; you could see meat being torn from her hands, bones being exposed, and intestines coming out as if from a ripped open stomach. Evil creatures gnaw them, twisting them around their teeth. Mirabela groans, tears flow from her eyes. In despair she moans:
  - Lord, why? After all, I haven"t killed anyone in my life, I haven"t betrayed anyone! I felt sorry for the boy only because it seems like for the first time in my entire life I fell in love with him! Love is madness!
  You can hear a giggle and from it, it seems as if hot needles are piercing the eardrum, which at the same time expand, absorbing everything and everyone! My brain is boiling. Hyperplasm begins to violently erupt in every neuron of the girl's brain. Finally, a gigantic mouth appears, terrible and disgusting in its ugly disharmony, and it swallows her whole. The insides are torn off as a result of falling into such a funnel. Mirabela sees a flame raging in her throat, it breaks into seven hundred and seventy-seven petals, completely different in color and shade.
  - This is the legendary fire of the underworld. - Mirabela whispered, the skin on her hands grew together, covered with ugly scars. She tries to slow down her flight, but it is useless; he cannot even move himself a millimeter. Here, her young, devilishly beautiful body, which has become beloved, is touched by a fiery stream. He licks the girl's exposed nipple. Only outwardly such a touch seems affectionate and bewitching in its sexuality. She had never experienced anything like this, her eyes darkened, then glare jumped, it seemed to her that an eruption began in her mouth, and her stomach rebelled, and she was attacked with nuclear weapons, or rather thermoquark or thermocreon weapons. How hot this flame was, large ulcers appeared on bare skin, bones darkened and cracked, causing suffering. The nipples continued to be licked, the flame touched the clean, smooth womb like a girl"s. After which it pierced so much that the girl went into hysterics. Each nipple was red-hot, the fire traveled through the stomach, cutting the abs with hyperplasm of suffering, burning out the intestines. So much so that the charred fragments fell out and dissolved in the frightening darkness.
  "No, I don"t want to, I don"t need to," she said. Let me go. I won't do this again! - Mirabela really felt not like a warrior, but like a little girl caught in a den of robbers.
  Each color of fire is a special, unique pattern of pain. Suffering can be given different shades, their diversity is amazing, even the Marquis de Sade did not think of the lengths to which the ingenuity of the inhabitants of the underworld could reach. The girl's sensitive heels were covered in blisters, they burst, swelled and burst again. Her hair was on fire, and the girl was not only in pain, but also extremely annoyed that she was deprived of such decoration. My head was literally scorched by a hypernuclear explosion, every hair root seemed to be buried in a hole that was filled with metal molten to billions of degrees.
  - But the devils, you can meet. - The unusually nasty voice of the torturer squeaks disgustingly. - Your friends for eternity!
  Their appearance, however, is terrible, but it is especially unpleasant to look at their prickly mouths, which vaguely resemble a mixture of sharks and crocodiles with a hybrid of nettle and blackthorn. But the horns, although infinitely disgusting, oddly enough calmed me down. Mirabela, in order to distract herself from the piercing pain, began to remember folklore, where these cute little funny little devils, sometimes scary, sometimes funny and naive, sometimes help and sometimes harm people. Particularly memorable is the tale of "Pope and his worker Balda." It is quite possible to deal with such "people". And here they only know, stabbing with pitchforks, chopping with triple swords, inserting semi-vacuum "crushing devices", and mega-plasma radiation with gravionic-nucleon missiles.
  - Why didn"t you, a sinful soul, a black-hole traitor, listen to your commanders? - The devil"s horn grew, turning into a kind of beak and poking at the shard.
  When bones are broken on the head, it hurts so much that it cannot be described in words. But at the same time, her consciousness did not become clouded; if Mirabela had been in ordinary human flesh, she would probably have died of shock. And so she felt a rough touch on her brain, then the monster began to drink the brains. An incomprehensible sensation, like the pulling of veins, only the sensitivity is much stronger. And the demon kept drinking, releasing acid. He did it slowly, as if he was straining. Another demon began to drill his nails, driving sharp needles under them. The girl tried to move her bare feet away, but the flames burned her tender heels more and more. It seemed that the orchestra was picking up the pace in a hellish march. An orchestra led by a conductor who is as perverted as he is voluptuous!
  Mirabela screams, her seductive girlish mouth opens by itself.
  - No, please don"t take photos of me!
  They grab her by the tongue with hot, savage-toothed forceps and pull, slowly tearing it away from the roof of her mouth.
  There is also pain, but a little differently, and there are no longer screams, only sobs and howls.
  Disgusting worms began to crawl under the nails of the graceful toes of barefoot, girlish legs and arms, which immediately turned into streams of flaming acid. The devils continue to show off, following the nails, they began to break knuckles, and they do it slowly, savoring the suffering.
  - This is how the brainless "vacuum nipple" gets its portion of hyperplasmic porridge with the seasoning of a superdimensional ultralaser. - One squeals: probably the senior demon.
  Mirabela had already reached a state of insanity; she was flooded by an unbearable wave, or rather an ocean of torment. But the devils do not retreat, they have already begun to pull out pearl teeth, mercilessly damaging the beauty. They crushed teeth worthy of an ancient goddess, then drilled them, piercing the tip into the gum. At the same time, the tip itself disintegrated into tiny threads that spun like the propeller of a damaged helicopter.
  - How can one descend to such cruelty, do they really not have a mother? - Mirabela thought. - Who gave birth to you, a woman or a hyena! Apparently having read her desperate thoughts, the devils screamed, with the voices of a flock of vulture jackals connected to a brood of vipers.
  - There is no mother - father is Satan!
  Then they found new flour, heated up the drill, and sawed off the last teeth with a bizarrely mutilated cutter. Next came the turn to the bones. They were broken with red, sparkling, high-temperature tongs. Each maiden rib individually. The red-hot tongs twisted the girl's ruby nipples, tore off her delicate ears, and pulled out hair by hair. A burning hyperflame was brought to the girl"s long-suffering, bare heels, and each time the temperature was higher and higher! The colors of the unknown fire changed and sometimes the heat was replaced by an even more painful cold. The skin was smoking, the bones were burning. It seemed that three hearts were about to burst, explode like a sextillion bombs.
  Then Mirabela suddenly felt that her graceful tongue had grown, and could again say something:
  - Have mercy for Christ's sake.
  Suddenly, a plea filled with despair, like a hive of bees, surfaced. In response, the demons plunged pitchforks into the warrior, tearing off and crushing the girl"s breasts in a new way , breaking her nostrils, gouging out her magically beautiful eyes!
  - You are a sinner, more insignificant than a photon in a quasar, and you should know that Christ is an invention of pathetic people. The true gods are one in two persons: good and evil, and they created the entire universe, as well as people, in their own image and likeness. And you are sinners and read the creatures, you must be slaves of the highest powers, carrying out any orders and suffering the most vile humiliation. You are an insignificant slave, you did not believe in our existence, and now you are experiencing it all on your own skin.
  - Now I believe!
  - Late! You have no hope and no chance!
  Mirabelle continued to be tormented, she was broken several times in a row, burned, then she was restored in an inconceivable way. Then the warrior was destroyed in a new way. Then the devils apparently got tired of it themselves and, lifting him into the air, carried him through the underworld.
  - Look how the disobedient are punished.
  Mirabela saw naked girls crucified on crosses. Their once beautiful bodies were terribly mutilated, blood dripped from them. Large pigs threw crosses, sometimes the victims fell and wild boars pounced on them, tearing the female flesh into pieces. How these unfortunate creatures suffered, some of their cheeks were mercilessly branded, and tears mixed with sweat and blood flowed down. There was desperation in his eyes. They seemed to beg: we are innocent, have mercy on us. We are trampled victims of unhappy and passionate love.
  - Why are these unfortunate people being punished?
  The demon hit the girl with a red-hot crowbar with jagged edges on the heels with all his might, another devil broke the girl"s knee and uttered in a burr:
  - Various little things. One was insolent to the commander, another broke an expensive tetraplane, the third refused to have sex with a guy during special exercises, the fourth retreated. That is, to get here, you don"t have to be a big sinner or an outright traitor, relatively minor offenses are enough.
  - And their monstrous torment will never end?
  - And this is for the Almighty God and the Empress to decide. If Her Majesty issues a decree of pardon, they may be transferred to another less painful place.
  - To heaven!? - A slight shadow of hope flashed in Mirabela"s voice, broken by pain.
  - There is no heaven for you traitors. There are simply places where you will not be beaten and tormented every second and where you can continue to serve your commanders after death.
  - What awaits people whose crimes are more serious? - The warrior almost choked with excitement.
  - We'll show you this too.
  The devil stabbed his eyes with a surreal pitchfork, the apples burst, liquid poured out and Mirabela went cross, blackness, terrifying in its hopelessness, fell on her. Then, after a few seconds, she regained the ability to see, although every blink caused an unbearable itch. They flew again and even more disgusting creatures flew out to meet them. Mirabela looked at them carefully. The appearance is really nothing: a bare, hairless and scabbed skull; eyes burning with infernal light; a short, like a severed nose with a black hole in the middle. And perhaps the most disgusting thing is the absence of a lower jaw, instead of which eight thick tentacles in the shape of a devil"s star hang and move. So he pressed himself close to Mirabelle, sinking his teeth into the satin girl"s lips (the treasure of tender love), giving his famous kiss. Then his claw hands began to break women's bones. Mirabela groaned from acute pain in her elbows, her joints were crushed, the monster began to wrap tendons around her claws. At the same time, discharges passed through the body, something worse than the most powerful hypercurrent. Then everything suddenly recovered, but the pain persisted.
  - So, antique slut, maybe we"ll drink to get to know each other.
  Unstuck from Mirabela, the monster extended his hand to the cup, and it instantly filled with wine. Obrazina poked her in the face.
  -Drink! - The monster barked in the voice of the cold embodiment of horror.
  And since Mirabela did not want to obey, two demons grabbed her by the head, squeezed her cheeks and opened her mouth. A terribly bitter liquid flowed down the girl"s throat. Mirabela cleared her throat and swallowed convulsively:
  - Let's go to the bottom! Bottoms Up! Let's add a handful of intelligence to the head of cabbage! - The devils helped, humming mockingly. When the unfortunate girl swallowed the entire supply, her stomach suddenly swelled. It bubbled and burned inside.
  - That scabby bitch got pregnant! Now you will give birth to a child of the underworld!
  Then the liquid continued to expand until the belly and strong girlish abs burst.
  - This is how it will be with every vacuum sinner and sinner!
  Mirabela was torn into pieces, her head was picked up, and her football began to be played. It"s extremely offensive when they humiliate you, beat you with their hooves, club-like tails, and throw you around. Some of the feet were smeared with something far more disgusting than manure or even the feces of the animals of the garbage worlds. Sewage got into her lips and the girl brutally vomited. And if it hits the post, then it"s completely offside. My head is ringing, my teeth fly out over and over again, but then they close in again. It seems to Mirabelle that this fun will last forever, more than one month, terrible grass began to grow, the stalks scratched the severed head and climbed into the nostrils. At the same time, the devils laughed madly, urinated on the girl"s face with an incomprehensible stench, and grabbed her by the hair. They twisted and tossed, but they stopped that too, apparently the demons got tired of it. They took her, pressed her mutilated head and began to sew her with a blunt and disgustingly rusty needle to her tortured body.
  Then everything disappeared, the girl and her tormentors found themselves standing in front of a garbage pit.
  - You are a former member of the chosen million, and this should be familiar to you.
  This smell of intergalactic "trash" cannot be confused with anything, only the concentration is excessive, the nose turns up, and a red-hot drill bits furiously into the nostrils, penetrating to the brain!
  You could see woodlice, worms, hairy beetles, and sticky caterpillars swimming and swarming.
  Prisoners were crawling desperately right in the pits; men and women. They resembled skeletons covered with solid scabs, their wounds oozing pus.
  - Wow, terrible! Mirabela turned around, her head began to spin painfully (a previously unknown sensation). - Why are these guys doing this?
  "They thought they were rebels, which sounds proud, but in reality they were just pathetic traitors." Now their pride has been humbled. You see what happens to those who do not want to recognize the dominance of commanders and military regulations over themselves. Now the worms are gnawing on their bones, and this will continue forever, because the Empress does not like proud people, especially such humane types as you bitch!
  - Where are the greatest criminals of the past, for example Hitler?
  - And this is what you want to know? He is a criminal from the distant past! A special punishment has been invented for him, such that it is impossible to imagine! This is the kind of thing: something you insignificant prostitute is not supposed to know. However, if torture is not enough for you, we will add more for you.
  The girl was hit on her bare legs, and then special, barbed wire knots were passed between the toes of her bare feet. The wire became hot, causing further suffering. Then they grabbed the girl with four hooks, two ribs, the other two by her legs and stretched the beauty until her bones were completely crushed.
  The demon said boastfully:
  - We have many different types of torture. Many torturers of antiquity, as well as deceased aliens, generously share their unimaginable inventions! Do you want to go to the box?
  - No!
  - You'll get it anyway!
  A terrible man appeared, a face covered in warts, a red beard in tufts, rotten teeth, a stinking mouth.
  - This is Malyuta Skuratov. Now he will take care of you.
  A bizarre box appeared, it resembled a music box. Externally quite beautiful with royal coats of arms. The girl tried to resist, but the strength left her once powerful body. Treacherous weakness, even more humiliating than pain! The demons picked up Mirabelle and threw her inside.
  The music started playing, the spikes dug into his hips, ankles, and neck. The hammers beat on the head, and the gears began to break fingers, arms and legs. At the same time, the girl"s mouth opened and hot liquid poured onto her tongue. Not just heat, but also an abomination, like boiling pus. Mirabela howled, her belly roasted by fire, the multi-colored flames of the underworld. The music played, sometimes picking up the pace, sometimes slowing down. This continued until all that was left of the body was a bloody mess mixed with hot metal. Then they hit it with hammers, making a horseshoe. A bizarre form for an unknown monster, not a horse: frightening avant-garde. Which was then melted and cooled in liquid helium. Horror: after the fire into the icy heat. The girl, oversaturated with negative emotions, had difficulty coming to her senses:
  - Well, how? Like! Suffer, beauty! This is the invention of Malyuta and Beria! How about trying out the chair of Father Müller himself, the head of the Gestapo!
  - As are the masters, so are the servants. - Mirabel noted philosophically. The appearance of composure was difficult for her.
  - You, too, should follow the example of Malyuta Skuratov. He was very obsequious and polite to his new owners. But you apparently can"t wait to find out what happened to the rest of the people, so we"ll show you. But first, to pacify your pride, we will plunge you into a vile nightmare.
  Mirabelle was tied up with slippery snakes and thorny caterpillars, hooked and dipped into the garbage slurry. Almost immediately, worms and other abominations fell on the girl"s purulent wounds. They gnawed at the desperate warrior so actively that a few minutes later only one skeleton remained of Mirabela. Then, having gone, "vomited up" the foul-smelling vomit: the meat had grown surprisingly quickly, they again continued devouring the girl"s body. But this is not the most disgusting thing, but when they (of different sizes, shapes and types - the only common thing is a terrible impression, a complete lack of aesthetics and harmony in the bodies embodying disease and decay) crawled in the wounds, the itching was unbearable. It was so brutal, it itched like hell, not only the creatures were running around, but also billions of bacteria. After some time, Mirabela herself began to tear apart these wounds, tearing arteries and veins. As soon as she didn"t go crazy, her mind could well be damaged.
  - Okay, finish it, otherwise you see, the bastard whore is in bliss. Come on slut, get to work!
  Mirabelle was picked up, a rope was thrown around her neck and she was dragged. The barbed wire noose mercilessly strangled her, and her tormented lungs lacked air. And my back was tormented by lashes. Each whip, a worthless work of art of torture, has so many different inclusions in it: causing pain:
  - That the dog is squeezing the collar. There is no need to be obstinate.
  Mirabela found herself in the desert, where she saw terribly withered people, many of them especially women, which could not help but cause terrible grief. Here are five very young guys, practically children, dragging a fifty-ton boulder. This should not happen according to all physical laws; the devil sitting on the stirrup beats them with a neutron whip, emitting tiny, eye-eating lightning (that light can be nasty) whip. You can see the inhuman tension of every muscle, the veins are ready to burst, the thin bones are cracking. Sweat drips from the skinny, slavish, brutally tortured bodies, and once it hits the sand it begins to smoke.
  - This is not a cross for you to rest on. Work hard and you yourself are a whore. Kindness is punishable. A soft character is too hard a soil to grow the seeds of success! - The demon attaches it to the block. Slaps on the bare, ragged shoulder:
  - Here you will have an excellent stimulant.
  Now Mirabelle had to work. The girl was beaten mercilessly, driven on, and she was forced to carry an unbearable burden. Here, the overly impressionable warrior experienced a different measure of suffering, and it filled her heart, which had never been able to harden. The most important thing: it was a complete senselessness of the work done; their male and female slaves were forced to carry the blocks in a circle, and then lift them to the top, and then descend. And so on continuously. In addition, the devils actively poured hot coals, nails and broken glass, even crushed diamonds under her feet (extradition worthy of sultans), burnt, bloody traces of bare, girlish feet trailed behind Mirabela. She seemed to fall countless times, but then the blow of the neutron whip forced the girl to rise. From the touch of a stream of elementary particles and various deadly radiations of the quark level, a spasm struck, it was so painful that it forced me to move through I could not. The tension of boundless suffering, even taking into account the usual load of savage training, the girl had not yet had to drag a load exceeding the size and mass of the Cheops pyramid.
  - Well, like a working monkey. - the demon asked, grinning even more disgustingly (although it seems worse is impossible). "These are still just flowers, much worse torment awaits you ahead." In particular, do you want to experience duality?
  - How is that? - Mirabela asked in the voice of a sufferer and immediately received a whip, shaking the entire girl"s body, tortured to the extreme, on the back.
  The demon chuckled evilly:
  - To suffer in several forms at once. We will divide you into several parts, and you will receive a much more diverse range of sensations.
  - No, I don"t want such joy!
  -Who will ask you? "The demon took out something like a beam thrower, pointed it at Mirabelle and pulled the trigger.
  The next moment, the girl felt that she had two bodies. One was still dragging a heavy load, and the other was hanging on the cross. In both cases: the absolute completeness of sensations was preserved.
  Mirabela felt her hands nailed to her, her body became heavy, as huge blocks of stone were tied to her feet. In order not to suffocate at all, she was forced to pull herself up. Even the cross sagged from the weight, the strong wood cracked, splinters dug into the cut back. The warrior had a thorny wreath on her head. It dug terribly into the skull, increasing the suffering. Every breath was accompanied by painful spasms. Pterodactyls grabbed the girl"s long hair, threatening to tear off her scalp. My hair was being pulled in different directions, my head was shaking like pebbles in a rattle. And at the same time, she continued to strain herself, dragging the unbearable boulder. Moreover, the surface of the desert went increasingly upward. It is difficult to say what causes great suffering, but when it is superimposed on one another, it turns out to be such a "festival" of the flesh.
  - Well, how do you like it? - They asked the girl at the same time, two devils.
  Mirabela shook her head, or heads, negatively.
  - But we can intensify the torture, come on, cutie, three aspects at once. And you were in the chosen million, therefore, you need something more sophisticated and technogenic.
  Before Mirabela could blink an eye, his body was pressed into a slab. Then the girl felt the weight of the spaceship on herself. All the intestines were squeezed, bones cracked, several ribs burst. Then the start signal sounded and the nozzles flared up, the plasma heated to many billions of degrees burned the flesh. When it gets so hot, the feeling of unbearable heat is such that it pierced every cell, burning, the smallest particle of the body suffered. The mighty spaceship broke away, flew up, for a moment it became easier, but Mirabela barely had time to catch her breath when the ship exploded, and debris fell on the girl.
  - Bravo! The demon said, clapping his hands. - This is called eternal start.
  Then the spaceship appeared again, the steps burned again, super-hot fire, then took off and fell again. The feeling of unusualness for a moment eclipsed the previous incarnations of hell. Then Mirabela began to perceive again, all at the same time.
  - Should I add a fourth or is that enough?
  - Of course, that's enough! - Mirabela"s psyche has already reached its limit from torment.
  - No, you won"t go crazy, it would reduce your suffering. You have good flesh, a sensitive girl"s body, but we are able to change its parameters and move your flesh into any other form. Do you want to experiment?!
  - Let me go, please! - Mirabelle's tortured forms whispered. Every molecule ached, every displaced, savagely tormented atom of the body.
  - Well, I do not! That's not enough for you. Who would I turn you into? I think it"s a meteorite.
  Mirabelle was thrown into the air. She remained herself and at the same time felt like a block of stone. Chaotically, jumping from side to side, she moved in a vacuum. And here the suffering was unbearable. Many stars burned the girl meteorite with a variety of rays, from simple to X-ray and neutron. But alpha and gamma radiation were especially painful. Parts of her body either warmed up or, on the contrary, cooled down. The surface was cracking, whole pieces were falling off, and at the same time the girl was feeling cold in a dead, airless space, and her lungs seemed about to burst from lack of oxygen. Mirabela suffered undividedly, turning into stone, she did not lose one iota of sensitivity. Sometimes small fragments from other meteors fell into it or it came across sharp fragments of satellites: artificial and. natural. And this also caused unbearable suffering.
  - Oh God, save me from these maniacs, what have their wild imaginations come to. Well, really, the horned "evil spirits": they could have thought of such a thing.
  And the devils continued to make faces, competing to see who would cause the most disgust. Allowing you to digest, quadruple the torment.
  Here the meteorite body began to be attracted by the gigantic planet. Mirabelle felt scared, but she couldn"t even move; although her flesh felt everything, it was absolutely helpless. Mirabelle flew into the dense layers of the atmosphere, its surface melted, then the body began to evaporate, it simply burned up in the atmosphere. This became an additional incentive, the ninth wave, in the ocean of teachings. Finally, the fireball was completely annihilated and Mirabelle immediately appeared in space. The carousel of torture continued, the horses began to gallop.
  - Four types of torture at the same time are not enough. That's why you, prostitute, don't try something on the fifth.
  - Space again? - asked another demon.
  -No, historical! - How do you like the fascists, my friend? - Smiling, the devil showed three rows of crooked and eroded teeth. And the other demon's tentacles grew in size; the ends are sharpened.
  - I hate them!
  - And you have to fall in love. For one thing, how do you feel about February?
  - Quite normal, very talented and friendly people. - Through a multi-level wave of pain, Mirabela said. "Although you have to keep your eyes open with them." I was deceived by February in particular. No, not honey! But stars also have spots!
  - You'll be a great feeder. Or rather, a small fidenko.
  A moment later, Mirabela felt like a boy of about eight or nine years old. He was completely naked, and next to him stood the same naked boys. They had their hair cut, it was cold and dull, all around were the gray walls of the barracks, barbed wire, and dogs barking.
  The machine was very stupid, they pulled out clumps of hair, but even more terrible was the ominous whisper.
  - Now they will take us to the crematorium.
  When the torment with the hair was over, the evil fascists in black uniforms and with the skull and crossbones emblem, striking, lined them up. Mirabela noticed how thin the children were, every bone of the boy walking in front of him was visible, his back was turned into a continuous bruise with scars and pits. They were taken outside, it was snowing, the child"s bare feet were burned on the white surface, slightly tinted with frozen blood. A whip passed through the rows, a biting blow fell on the buttocks, barely covered with skin, of the reincarnated Mirabelle.
  - Hold your feet, Fidov's creatures.
  It was clear that the children were trying with all their might, and I could see reddened bare heels in a row. Mirabela's stomach is empty, hunger gnaws at her intestines, acid chokes her stomach. Shepherd dogs run up to them barking, they seem mad, their mouths foam. One of them is the most furious and almost bites Mirabela"s skinny leg. A girl in a boy's body is scary, but those children who break loose are driven back into line with sharp bayonets. Finally they are led into a building emitting a strong stench. Mirabela, and the other children, were completely chilled and turned blue. Initially, walking with broken, half-frozen legs on the hot steel floor, she experienced a blissful sensation. Then it started to get hot, and Mirabela danced the hopak. Her lips whispered a Jewish prayer.
  - Have mercy on Yahweh. Give life to the boy! Or rather a girl! Throw the Nazis into Sheol! In the thick of it!
  The burning of the children's feet became stronger, many children had already begun to scream and cry, and the smell of burning meat became unbearable.
  There were a lot of boys, they were pressed tightly together, Mirabela felt the touch of skinny, overweight, sweaty bodies. Sharp shoulder blades pricked her in the bony chest. Hot tar fell on her shaved head and Mirabela screamed. The SS men's laughter, similar to a grunt, was heard, then a signal sounded. The floor began to tilt. The children standing on the edge slowly but surely slipped into Gehenna. The guys clung to each other, tried to grab the smooth hot floor, but everything was in vain. Even despite all the suffering she has experienced, Mirabela"s heart beats like a machine gun.
  Now it"s his turn to slip into the underworld. The flame engulfs him and an incomparable pain follows, the skin burns quickly, and the fire licks the bones in voluptuous rapture. Mirabela experiences every second separately, then when the last bone has decayed, she finds herself back in action. The horror story repeats itself over and over again.
  - So you have already reached the fifth stage. - The devil interferes. - But this is not enough for you, you need to increase your momentum.
  Mirabela's eyes expressed nothing, she was so overwhelmed with emotions that she could not speak. A demon with a bare, degenerate skull suggested.
  - Since we have returned to human history, then maybe we will repeat the episode with the Germans again.
  What do you prefer; plane or tank?
  The devil accomplice grunted.
  - Of course the plane; it's much more dynamic.
  - What kind of flesh will we give her?
  -Girls are the best, men are so disgusting.
  Once again the landscape has changed. Mirabela felt like she was flying in an airplane, a brief moment of freedom and then she was shot down and falling. At the very last moment before crashing, the pilot manages to jump out of the parachute, but as soon as the straps were tightened, there was a blow and instant loss of consciousness. They grabbed Mirabelle by the arms and splashed water in her face; brutal faces, swastikas, and the SS emblem - two lightning bolts - were visible all around. Her clothes are torn off, and the girl sees with horror: two overgrown female breasts. There was something elusively scary about them. Breasts are crushed, pinched, tugged. Then they start tearing off the sword belt. Mirabela twitches desperately, kicking her legs. They hit her on the head with a rifle butt, then they tear off her panties, reaching into her private parts with dirty hands. Mirabela roars like a slut, someone else's female body influences the mind. She knows what is about to happen and trembles in anticipation of it.
  - What a whore, the night witch was caught, now drink the cup of humiliation for your fallen comrades.
  Mirabela felt a sharp stake in her groin. They began to frantically rape her. At the same time, two men had Mirabelle at once. It was not so much painful: how humiliating, her former member of the chosen million was "cocked" like the last prostitute. One man replaced another, surprisingly, but sex, instead of joy, brought the girl complete suffering. There were many, many rapists, and everything inside her was torn, filling her with poisonous, foul-smelling seed. Mirabela thought that this would all end, but the Nazis found another torment.
  - She"s a pilot, so let her fly!
  Mirabel's vein was cut, then the tendon was pulled out with forceps and tied to the plane.
  - Well, here's a minx. Take off on your flight, we wish you a fabulous experience.
  The fighter took off, Mirabelle was jerked and torn off the surface, only the branches of the bush whipped on the naked, tanned female leg. The worst pain, when the veins began to come out, was ahead. It seemed that the young warrior had already experienced everything and there was nothing to surprise her, but no, the tendons are stretched out and blood splashes from the eyes.
  The plane performed pirouettes, did slides, rolls, and loops. All this shook and tossed the body. Mirabela roared, and at the same time the other girlish incarnations were tormented. Then the fighter began to sharply descend and Mirabela crashed into the ground, then she was dragged along the thorns and dipped into a stinking swamp. All this made me perceive suffering: a little differently. It seemed like the plane would never run out of gas. However, after flying for what feels like hours, it burns out in a flash and everything repeats itself again.
  The devil even sang, in a rough, brain-scraping voice:
  Cruel, red king of hell,
  There's a big escort around him!
  And how good you are not PR,
  The effect is quite the opposite!
  
  A terrible demon greets you,
  Four horns, fathoms long!
  That's not why Jesus rose
  So that he who has been imprisoned by the court can enter heaven!
  
  You were a proud girl
  Entered the notable million!
  Now the owner is Satan,
  And the torment is endless - legion!
  
  What a set - you will find everything here,
  There is a rack, needles and a fire!
  When tortured you will sing loudly,
  God has extended the right hand of wrath!
  
  There are more modern torments,
  An airplane and a tank are at your service!
  We trample, we wish honor,
  In Hell there is order - not chaos!
  
  You were soft with kindness,
  Now life is in shit for this!
  You don't have to be a holy sheep
  There is no place for the meek on Earth!
  
  Any fool will understand morality
  The path to success is violence, evil!
  The order has been given - to go on a hike,
  There's a war going on - you're in luck!
  
  A pacifist cannot survive
  After all, without a sword, you are completely weak!
  The fascist was crushed into the sand,
  And there are no more problems with him!
  
  And you're a beauty - that's the problem,
  I decided to cry - that's all!
  This is the price of love
  Everything else is dust - lies!
  
  Well, now open your eyes,
  In hell the flesh burns and groans!
  Raging in the body: a storm, a thunderstorm,
  And you cannot overcome the pain!
  
  And what"s worse, what"s all the fear,
  There will be no end - never!
  Will not rescue: neither God, Allah,
  A series of tortures awaits!
  Oddly enough, these words, instead of finishing off Mirabela, revived her. She was very sensitive to clumsy rhyme.
  - You devil spoke in poetry. So all is not well with your horns! - The warrior even winked, with all her eyes in the tortured bodies.
  - And I see quasars for you! I decided to take it by riding instead of washing it. I appreciate the charmed sense of humor, where should her vacuum prostitute now be assigned to the seventh form of torture? Maybe into a hypernuclear reactor?
  The demon moved its gnarled tentacles.
  - Seven is a sacred number and it must be something grandiose. And such that the suffering overflows the measure.
  - Then I offer an option - a supernova, it will eat the slut from the inside.
  - Fabulous! Listen to Mirabel - may you turn gray! You are given the special honor of experiencing what we offer only to the most notorious criminals and rebel leaders. Fear and repent, enemy of the Lord!
  Then Mirabela"s eyes began to spin, and she found herself in the center of a continuous multi-billion-dollar flame, now her whole body dissolved in it, and the warrior felt the terrifying heat with every molecule, every vibrating quark, every nucleon of her body, which had become incredibly gigantic. What she felt as she plunged into hell was only the faint babble of a baby compared to the voice of an enraged archangel. This overshadowed all other forms of torment. The girl"s brain seemed to swell, simultaneously sensing quintillions of cubic kilometers of hot plasma and, what"s even worse than hyperplasm, the process of merging quarks and preons (the particles that make up quarks). Now she understood what a genuine sensation of pain is, which has no analogues in the entire Universe. And yet, even this was not the limit, the intensity of suffering was increasing - the quasar star was experiencing a rebirth. What is a quasar supernova explosion - a hundred billion quintillion hydrogen bombs: dropped into one place. But not a single psyche can digest everything at once. Mirabela shuddered, a stupor set in her brain, the last incarnation finished her off.
  The torture robot looked at her helpless but still delicious body, the computer said:
  - The cyber-underworld finished her off.
  - Well, we"ll have to return the little man.
  Mirabela came to her senses: all seven hypostases of the unimaginable universal empire of torment, based on the most modern technologies, went out, the devils rumbled angrily.
  - You're lucky man. The empress herself stood up for you, the torture is over, but if you come to us again, it will be the same thing, but a thousand times stronger and more inventive, and most importantly, for endless billions of years. Now meet the electronic Hyper Angel of Hell!
  A blurry image appeared before Mirabela, which at once embodied with the concentration of everything terrible, sick, deadly: it was all so disgusting that the warrior remembered: only a dozen corkscrew-curved horns, torn warts and terribly inflamed ulcers. Then a sharp finger pierced the girl through; If it were not in the cyber-underworld, she would have died immediately from such an operation, as the nail disintegrated into billions of needles burning the body. Mirabelle was pierced from her buttocks to the back of her head. She was carried upward, a scorching flame raged around her again, mouths flashed, and finally a ray of light cut through her eyes.
  - While the vacuum traitor is free. See you soon! - Said the Hyperangel of Hell. Mirabela passed out again as consciousness returned to her head, a gentle female voice said.
  - Yes, she's shocked. This is an excessive punishment for a person. Moreover, a very capable warrior!
  - You are right, as always, Hypermarshal! But the tribunal knows better how to deal with traitors! - The robot torturer shook the naked beauty. - While you are free, for the time being.
  The girl was in shock and blinked frequently, her face turned blue, the eyes on her face sank.
  Marshal Maria Rattlesnake tried as best she could to console the girl, a wine glass with emerald juice appeared in her hands:
  - Drink, my beauty! I hope this will help you come to your senses.
  Mirabela drank and felt much better. The pink color returned to the face. The girl asked:
  - What will happen to me now! Is there really only pain left for me? And the pain is endless...
  An image of another charming beauty in a luxurious spacesuit appeared in front of the girl. This was the ultra-hyper-marshal of the "Tender Love" department, Anastasia Streletsova, known and frightening to all subjects of the empire (maybe except the emperor). Outwardly, she looked like a very beautiful and bright, impressive girl, full of charm and passion. Indeed, Streletsova was very loving, she loved to make love with several men or aliens of all kinds at the same time. At the same time, she was distinguished by great, simply amazing ingenuity in inflicting pain.
  Nevertheless, this is not what interested her at the moment:
  - You know, you committed a serious crime and were sentenced to life imprisonment with a stay in the anti-troops! This means that you will always experience severe pain and never once will you have the opportunity to enjoy, relax or take a breath. You have no right to even fall asleep, no entertainment, and since you will not grow old, this can last for long, painful millennia. Usually people like you are not shown mercy!
  - And after the victorious end of the war?! - With timid and reliable, asked Mirabela.
  The hypermarshal, grinning with teeth sparkling like hyperplasm ejected by a beam thrower, answered:
  - In such a case, of course you have a chance, but most likely those will be pardoned. who was imprisoned before you, my dear. In general, do not count on the mercy of the emperor or empress!
  The girl bowed her head, a pearly tear rolled down her graceful nose:
  - And still, I love my Motherland!
  Anastasia Streletsova smiled even wider:
  - We know that! You are sincere and faithful to duty! Therefore, by the will of the greatest empress, we give you a chance to serve the Fatherland! Are you ready to take on an important task?
  Mirabela nodded fervently, she did not have the mental strength to hide her joy:
  - Yes, sure! I want to serve my fatherland every day and hour, like a brave warrior and a faithful soldier.
  Anastasia lowered the timbre of her voice somewhat theatrically:
  . CHAPTER No. 12.
  Yanka continued in a whisper:
  - The second problem is that a hydrogen bomb produces strong radiation that kills all living things!
  Sadat squinted and asked:
  - Is radiation like poison?
  - No! Much scarier! - Yanka rolled his eyes to be convincing. - This is something that can make even the wildest imagination shudder. Invisible, colorless and odorless, but deadly even for cockroaches!
  - Magic of the underworld?! "The boys" dried, brown bodies began to tremble at once, and there was genuine horror in their eyes.
  - No! Science beyond magic. Physics put at the service of humanity. - Yanka wanted to spread his arms, but the fibrous rope that held them together prevented him.
  Ali remarked:
  - Science is boring! I don"t know, but how much did she give us?! What does the word science even mean?
  Yanka shrugged:
  -You are still at a very early stage in the development of civilization. In addition, various orders and religions interfere.
  Sadat agreed:
  - Representatives of the "Angry God" order believe that all scientists serve Satan and burn them. At one time they hunted witches, but after the number of beautiful girls decreased significantly, the kings, sultans, and kings had difficulty persuading them to stop the outrage. And now the truth is that torture is not uncommon, especially for slaves. But in principle it is possible to live.
  Female slaves were indeed often flogged. They were a special wide whip, so as not to cut the skin, even men got it. They didn't spare the grown guys at all.
  - Except for the fatal one in which you all don"t live, you don"t live because you can"t call it life! - Yanka sang.
  The whip whistled, but the blow did not fall on the long-suffering child"s body. The overseer seemed to only want to intimidate the boy. He himself kept putting his hand to his ear, betraying curiosity.
  - Quiet your chatter! - He muttered.
  Sadat asked:
  - Do you know how to write?
  - Certainly!
  -Can you describe how a hydrogen bomb is made?
  - In principle, I can, I read it on the Internet, but I don"t know all the details. And in general, it"s so difficult, it"s not for nothing that most countries in the world want to become nuclear powers, but they can"t do it. Even for example, India, a country rich in natural resources with a population of more than a billion, took fifteen years to create an atomic and hydrogen bomb. So you and your plow: you won"t get such a weapon that easily. In addition, you need to know a lot of technical details. A hydrogen bomb is a set of complex elements and unique materials. It requires Plutonium and Uranium - 235. And in general, a world where sultans rule and slavery reigns; It is certainly too early to master such weapons.
  Ali remarked:
  - Our monarch with such power probably destroyed the entire planet! No, you shouldn"t tease a tiger with a woman"s breasts.
  Sadat agreed:
  "Perhaps such weapons are indeed too tough for the local rulers."
  Yanka joked:
  - What a pig's horns! And the donkey's teeth!
  - This is an exact comparison! - Ali agreed. - You shouldn"t risk it, but how do you get into your world?
  - Don't know! Maybe the demons can transfer! Although evil forces are evil for that reason, so as not to be benevolent towards such nonentities as people. However, how do we ourselves feel about cockroaches?
  Sadat wrinkled his tanned forehead and asked:
  - Are these creatures like cats?
  - No insects!
  - I personally love butterflies!
  Yanka shook his head:
  - Butterflies are good, but there are also mosquitoes, as well as other creatures that sting and torment people.
  Sadat shrugged his shoulders and remarked:
  - We don"t have those in our country. But they say in the north, there are such vile, stinging insects! However, what if our scratches from the lashes were also chewed by arthropods? That would be terrible!
  Yanka once again thanked the Almighty that at least there is no vileness in this world. He remembered his trip to the North, how mosquitoes almost ate him. It"s not even clear why God created such an abomination, apparently in order to annoy people once again. The jungle is also full of all sorts of vile things and other rubbish. True, Yanka has never been to them, he has only seen them on television and the Internet. However, it seems that there are places on this planet too: where all kinds of abomination reign.
  The boy shook his head and pushed back his blond hair from his forehead with his elbow (his hands were tied). In general, why is there no happiness on Earth. It"s either cold or hot, you have to study long and tediously at school, and in winter it often snows. It is very difficult to tan, and citrus fruits give you allergies. This is the world! How do old people live? In general, it"s a nightmare, life is nothing but torture. Yanka wondered if they would manage to invent the elixir of eternal youth during his lifetime? Or some kind of anti-aging radiation?
  There is still hope for this! I didn"t want to suffer and groan the way old people do.
  In general, from a human point of view, God is very cruel if he allowed such suffering for billions of people. However, the aging process: the ruthless Yahweh not only allowed it, but stimulated it himself. As it was said after the flood: let their days be one hundred and twenty years! However, the vast majority of people do not live to reach this age! Even hundred-year-old people are rare; many are already decrepit grandfathers at sixty years old. In general, such mockery of a person is excessive! Well, you can"t do that to your own children! After all, this is sophisticated, depraved sadism, to slowly kill your own child, and even turn him into an ugly person. And what is God like after this, the creator of all things! As a precocious boy, Yanka thought about a lot, analyzed and drew conclusions. His first independent boyish conclusion is that there is no God! The universe is ruled by the ruthless, blind law of evolution and natural selection.
  True, he saw demons who threw him and his girlfriend into another universe. At first glance, this proves the existence of God. After all, if there are devils, then there are angels. If there is light, then there is darkness! At first glance, this is an axiom.
  - But it was not there! - Yanka said to himself. He stamped his feet a couple of times so that the blood would drain away and the unbearable itching in the child"s bruised, bare feet would become weaker.
  Indeed, evolution could in principle give rise to superbeings such as demons and angels. As he read, one famous writer has the evolution of hyperplasma! Indeed, a gradual transition from simple to complex, an increase in entropy.
  A kind of strengthening of the mind and its modification as progress develops! Why, for example, the vacuum, the energy of stars, the pulses of pulsars, various cracks between worlds and parallel universes, do not give rise to super beings of a different level! After all, this is, in principle, quite possible. If you believe in the theory of the spontaneous generation of life, then why not believe in the hypothesis of the spontaneous generation of demons, demons and possibly angels. In particular, according to the folklore of Ancient Rus', God and the Devil created the Earth together. The ancient Russians believed that the Devil is eternal, just like God.
  The men often prayed to both Christ and Satan! There was even an ancient proverb: Pray to God and bow to the Devil! So the presence of demons: it is by no means a fact that there is a caring creator.
  Another option is also possible. Where did he get the idea that these were demons? Maybe these are representatives of some super-civilization that have fun in this way... Like little kids on a game console: the size of the universe!
  - And what? It may very well be! - Yanka said to himself.
  If you think about it - it"s logical; imagine a super-civilization! All material needs are satisfied, eternal life, immortality have become a reality, there is no desire to conquer other worlds and turn the universe into cancer! After all, not all species are lucky: they like to dominate others. Otherwise, the universe would have been destroyed long ago in terrible wars. Imagine a duel between two or more super-civilizations! A war using such types of weapons: that physical laws are conventions, they are changed like computer game programs...
  How can you have fun if not by playing with other aliens? Somehow, people like to play with cats, dogs, rats. The same cat is having fun playing with a mouse, which indicates developed intelligence. Has Yanka become a kind of mouse?
  A supercivilization threw him into another universe! For her it's a piece of cake! Or maybe I didn"t even abandon it! Maybe it's actually like in the movie "The Matrix", it's in a kind of virtual reality. After all, even taste can be conveyed by electronics. This brings to mind the good-natured Schwartz in the film Total Recall. Yes, the Americans know how to film, they have a lot of good ideas. And the cartoons are just great, especially Disney ones. He loves American cartoons, they have a very intense plot, active and colorful script. There is no need to count at all; that there are fools living in the USA. America is made up of the best minds drawn from all over the world. And Hollywood is something! The truth that American science fiction writers write is not important. For example, Stephen King, the film adaptations are not bad, but the presentation of the texts is weak. The interesting ideas themselves are spoiled by the heavy, viscous presentation. There are no Americans better to watch than to read. Here's the movie: Night Watch is such crap! However, reading it is also not interesting!
  Now, if Armageddon's Rainbow were made into a film, it would be great! Such a cool piece. And the fights are just super, frantic dynamics, and something new every time! This is emancipation for you - what"s not a fight, again a sensation!
  It became darker and darker: the twilight of this world was approaching. However, the night was expected to be a summer one, warm!
  Ali asked Iancu:
  - Do you have your own house?
  - Yes, sure! Or rather an apartment! - The boy answered quickly.
  - Is he big?
  - Not good! I would like a lot more! - Yanka said with regret. - The apartment is two-room, and I also have a little sister.
  - Not too much! The mansions are cramped. If you become a concubine, you can live in a harem, in a soft bed. Otherwise, you will have to spend the night in a slave barracks. Which means being chained for the night.
  Sadat responded:
  - Chains are expensive and that"s why they don"t shackle everyone! Only the most dangerous slaves, us boys, will not be!
  Yanka remarked with a sigh:
  - Little consolation!
  - But still better than in chains. Believe me, it's creepy. - Sadat shrugged his shoulders. - For example, I was sitting on a chain, in shackles, and I know what it is. Especially if your back gets twisted in the process.
  - How is that?
  - When the head is brought to the feet and the arms are twisted. And they can do it in this form; leave for a week.
  Yanka shook his head:
  - This is terrible!
  - Certainly! It"s hard to imagine something like this if you haven"t experienced it yourself! - Sadat spat to the side. - But in general I suggest the following: behave quietly, without exposing your back to new blows of the whip.
  Yanka agreed:
  - This is the best! Only the exposure will be temporary.
  Yanka added:
  - Maybe we'll keep quiet!
  Finally they came to a tower with a three-meter palisade. The slaves were brought inside and allowed to approach the stream. The bound hands were freed, what a pleasure it was to move them again. The rope left marks and bruises, and it was difficult to bend my fingers.
  Yanka gladly rinsed his mouth and cooled his sore feet in cool water. I washed my armpits. The other boys also rinsed off; teenagers are usually more clean than adults. After which the slaves were not fed particularly well. Since the region was tropical, and fruits grew all year round, they formed the main diet. In general, plant food did not satisfy her; Yanka really wanted meat, but asking for it would risk another spanking. After which the slaves were taken to bed; the night was not expected to be particularly long.
  The slaves fell asleep on the branches; there was no blanket, although it was slightly cool and the boys hurried to bury themselves in the foliage. Yanka, however, could not sleep. The sides and back were cut by the whip, and it was painful to lie on them. Tired legs ached, broken soles cracked, blood came out, and in general the boy felt broken. Now he is a slave! Insignificant creature! Just a worm. And will you really have to endure beatings, a strained body and an empty stomach all your life? How can you live like this and suffer forever?
  On the other hand, shouldn't we try to escape? But where? Besides, I just don"t have the strength to do anything today! My muscles are on strike, my calves especially hurt, and my wrists are chafed by the rope. In addition, he will probably be caught and the matter will not be limited to just spanking. Not even an elementary plan: where to hide, how to survive in someone else"s universe as a runaway slave... It"s better to get used to it, take a closer look and seize the right moment.
  The thoughts in the boy"s head became completely confused, and he fell into a bottomless, inky abyss. The fatigue was so great that Yanka practically did not dream, only sometimes torn images of something frightening appeared, but he did not react.
  They woke up the slaves early, a bugle sounded and a whip struck their bare legs:
  - Wake up, you bitch tribe! - The overseers yelled.
  The sleep was relatively short and did not fully restore my strength. The boys and other slaves were driven to the stream to wash themselves. As carelessly as if they were animals, a light vegetarian breakfast was poured into their tubs (and they also gave them some encouragement so that they would eat faster) and the next formation. A new transition was ahead.
  Ali asked:
  - How did you sleep?
  - My sides ached, but I had such a rest, even if it wasn"t enough!
  - What, did you dream?
  - I do not remember! I'm too tired to dream!
  - And I dreamed that I was a warrior, riding on a horse and cutting down all the enemies. And even the Sultan himself rewarded me with a golden chain.
  Sadat interrupted:
  - Exactly the chain! Slave symbol!
  - But it"s golden! And she was also wearing a large emerald! This is the size of my fist! - The boy said with a twist of his calloused hand.
  - These are all dreams! We have a difficult day ahead! We'll have to climb the mountain.
  - No matter how we endure it. - Yanka said.
  - Let's see! Apparently it won"t be sweet for you, and neither will we.
  The column moved on. The path ahead was long and very difficult.
  Yanka walked along with everyone else, limping slightly, the children"s legs were broken. True, it rained on the road at night and the walking became a little easier! How nice it is to splash through bare feet, through warm puddles, and feel the movement of the waves. The boy thought about becoming a filibuster. Chases, fights, boardings! Romance!
  Remember the times of Morgan, Flint, Captain Blood. Hollywood is especially interesting here, with various spectacular shootings.
  Pirates! The word itself means: hunter of fortune! In this world: he had never seen a gun before. Why will they fight with only sabers, swords, swords! So it"s even better without primitive pistols blocking your ears.
  As they say: where is your black pistol?
  On the big carriage house!
  Do you want vodka and cigarettes?
  Two packs specifically!
  Yanka asked how he thought Sadat was smarter:
  -Are there pirates on your planet?
  He answered angrily:
  - This is quite enough goodness! True, it"s far from here to the sea, but everything there is teeming with such goodness.
  - Do the pirates have guns?
  - Guns?
  - Firearms!
  - Just like in your world! No what, no that no! - Sadat shook his head to be sure. - This hasn't been invented yet!
  - So, like in ancient times, one sword to the hip and into battle!
  - Yes, it looks like that! Well, I think you understand this!
  Yanka asked:
  - Would you like to become a pirate yourself?
  - How to say! This was not my childhood dream, but still better than rotting as a slave. However, there is a chance to get on the galleys. It"s very hard for a slave there, but with luck... - Sadat involuntarily twitched, tensing his hard-work-hardened muscles for a couple of seconds, trying to break the rope.
  - I read about it! - Yanka exhaled and grimaced his face; I bruised my right big toe on a rough stone.
  - I just read it! Ugh! Although you know: not all slaves have a chance to become a pirate, even if they are dexterous and strong. - Sadat curled his lips into a tube.
  - Why?
  - Most pirates are not people!
  Yanka whistled:
  - Is that so? Not even people!
  - That's it! Creatures like big brown frog-lily pad hybrids. They are excellent swimmers and can stay under water for a long time. This species mainly pirates! And he acts very cruelly. In particular, they necessarily subject all captives to torture, and not in order to find out this or that information, or to have fun. They find out your level of courage, whether you are worthy to be called a man. However, women are also tortured. Can you stand it without screaming? Rarely does anyone survive them. Once upon a time there was no life at all from pirates; they had undivided command of the seas. But recently the rulers, united (which is rare), forced them to make room.
  - The so-called universal solidarity! - Yanka said joyfully.
  - Something like that! Of the other species, only elves treat people kindly, although as mercenaries they are capable of killing well!
  - I have never seen an elf before!
  - On our planet, they are rare! But they will definitely meet in the capital. However, you need to be careful, especially with men, they are very greedy for cute boys. And they don"t tolerate refusals!
  - I'll take this into account! - Yanka shivered, although beads of sweat covered his body and he felt a chill.
  - But if you end up in the elf"s harem, you"ll live happily ever after. Elves treat slaves well and will not beat you for every little thing. However, there are more elves than men, and they also love boys.
  - Although weak, it"s a consolation! But you can survive. And it"s much more pleasant with a woman!" Yanka agreed.
  - Only later: when the beard starts to grow (elves hate it), they can sell it to a person or a dwarf, and this is really bad. I have only seen a gnome once, and I can say that these are types out of this world. It"s true that there are no settlements of gnomes in our world, and what information they have is different and sometimes contradictory.
  - How contradictory?
  - You won't understand! Whether they are good or evil! A gnome is not a person, and does not behave like a human. Rumor has it that they are cannibals and love fresh female meat. Moreover, the girls are boiled alive in boiling water, and before that they are flogged with incredibly hot grass to make the meat tastier.
  - What horrors! - Yanka answered, shaking his head. "After all, a woman is a subject of pride and general adoration."
  - Alas, these are the rules! And you can't get away from it. You cannot demand humanity and kindness from non-humans!
  Yanka shrugged:
  - You can"t demand humanity, but I think it"s possible to demand basic sympathy!
  - Let the victim talk about this topic with the executioner. "Sadat threw a stone up with his foot, then reached for his nose with his thumb. - I'm willing to bet five clicks that you can't do this. - The boy suddenly changed the topic.
  - No why, I can! - Yanka, in the same way, touched his nose with his bare foot, leaving a bloody stripe on it.
  Sadat whistled:
  - Well, you're a hammer! Our guy! Well, okay, at the rest stop you can beat me to pieces. My forehead is strong, it will endure!
  - I believe in it! But if you want, I can easily forgive you!
  - No! Debts must be paid! I wouldn't forgive you!
  - OK! Damn you, such a small thing!
  The road went uphill and walking became much more difficult. In addition, the path itself was no longer made of coarse gravel, but of sharp mountain stones. Now every step for Yankee became a real torture, his bare feet were mercilessly scorched. Other boys also experienced discomfort, but the keratinized, always barefoot children's feet could withstand the load, calluses were not afraid of the road. Adult slaves wore rough shoes. So it was the hardest for Yanka, who was not yet accustomed to such "extreme". He felt; It was like walking through a bamboo grove on my heels. The feet, knocked against sharp stones, bled more and more, droplets of blood settled. Ali noticed this:
  - You're bloody brother! It"s immediately obvious that you were not in the habit of walking barefoot. You won't last long like that!
  With difficulty holding back his moans, Yanka muttered:
  - Alas! It"s just that I live in the capital, and only gypsy children walk around barefoot! If I walk barefoot down the street, I could be fined! Although no, I"m still a minor.
  Sadat nodded:
  - I understand it! We have children of noble nobles: even at home they try to wear sandals so as not to look like barefoot slaves. These are prejudices. And then if you happen to end up in slavery, it becomes very difficult. However, I see you have a trained body. Maybe you can tell us something interesting. You really are not a warrior, and not a noble fellow!
  Yanka, wincing in pain, answered:
  - I study at a circus school. This means he must be dexterous and strong.
  - What is a circus?
  - A very interesting spectacle. Its main purpose is to entertain people. Give them a smile and a good mood!
  Sadat agreed:
  - And what? This is amazing! Good mood! Okay, what else do you have? For example, can you fly?
  Yanka smiled painfully:
  - Yes, sure! In this regard, we are aces! For example, there are airplanes that can load up to five hundred people at once. Then move them at a speed thirty times faster than the fastest horse.
  - Wow! Although in our fairy tales, there are also such frisky horses! Icehand and Mahmud are galloping. Mahmud's turban fell off. He shouts: stop, let"s turn around and pick it up. He answered him:
  - While you were screaming, five hundred miles had already flown by. And now there are all a thousand.
  - How much is a mile? - Yanka asked.
  - About one and a half thousand of my steps! - Sadat answered. - In general, not very much!
  - This means more than a thousand kilometers! In half a minute! An interesting tale. Yes, we don"t have such planes yet, but we do have a rocket. Those that fly to other planets can reach approximately this speed. - I noticed Yanka. - But in general, not every fairy tale can be kept up, and this is especially true for science fiction. Human fantasies are truly limitless!
  Sadat agreed:
  - Typically a tyrant: boundless ambitions and limited mind! However, this is also typical for ordinary people.
  The old Yanka, stepping so that her wounded feet stood on less sharp stones, muttered:
  - Honesty is a selective concept! Universal deception! However, in this case, I"m not lying.
  Ali asked in a whisper (although the overseer showed surprising condescension this time):
  - So you can travel to other worlds?
  Yanka shook his head:
  - Unfortunately, no! People managed to visit only one Moon. Even flights to Mars: so far pure science fiction. In general, space exploration is proceeding very slowly, not to mention the rapid development of computers. But people are still trampling on their planet.
  Sadat philosophically remarked:
  - This is because you have many states and peoples. The planet must have one owner. Only in this case is progress possible, and the price does not matter.
  Yanka agreed:
  - There were heroes who wanted to unite humanity, but something always stopped them. Either a short life, or strong opponents. In addition, too often the throne of the great was replaced by insignificance. It must be said that in democratic countries problems arose with leaders. For example, George W. Bush had an extremely low level of intelligence and poor memory. Well, the fact that America has sunk to the point of electing a black man as president is a total disgrace. For such a country, make such a "sting-stang"! In general, popular elections: this is also not the best way to select power. Although perhaps better than a monarchy.
  Sadat reported:
  - In the Order of the Angry God, the supergrandmaster is also chosen by the council of cardinals. Actually, before, all important monarchs were arch-cardinals, but now everything has changed.
  - In what sense?
  - Kings want to rule, and not be puppets of the order. However, this is quite natural, who wants to be under someone! However, I don"t know the details and intrigue! Maybe it will be like this, or maybe it will be different! "Sadat stepped with his rough heel on a sharp stone and limped, and his thick skin was clearly pierced.
  Yanka groaned heavily. The climb became steeper and the stones became sharper. The boy was in real pain, as if he were burning with a hot iron. He tried several times to talk to his comrades, but this could no longer bring relief.
  The torture became more severe, the traces became bloody. Finally the boy could not stand it and fell to his knees. A whip fell on his back. Yanka could only sob:
  - Have mercy! Have mercy!
  A merchant approached them:
  - What's that noise!
  The overseer turned:
  - You see, the great Ahmed, this tomboy, does not want to go further!
  The slave owner, with the feigned caress of a fox beckoning a rooster, asked:
  - Why don"t you go, dear child?
  Yanka moaned through tears:
  "I"ve completely lost my legs and can"t walk, especially on such sharp stones!"
  Ahmed smiled:
  - Okay my boy! If you cannot walk, they will simply impale you or cut off your head.
  Yanka really wanted to live, he desperately tried to convince the merchant of his usefulness:
  - Put me in the cart! Then, when my legs heal, I"ll go again! After all, it benefits you!
  - How? - Asked Ahmed.
  - You can sell me at the market! And so it turns out: you fed me for nothing! - The boy said, sobbing.
  - How big is your income? What else can you do besides being sold into some harem?
  Yanka, feeling a surge of inspiration, said:
  - I know games, my lord! And very interesting! If you allow me, I will cut out figures for you with a knife: for one very interesting game. It is revered as a special art by many of the wisest people in our country.
  Akhmed approached, he smelled of heavy sweat, of a fat but powerful body:
  - You're talking about games! In general, I only know one game, when they throw dice. But if you"re not lying and I like the game, I might save your life. - The merchant patted the boy"s hair. "It"s a pity to lose such a handsome man." OK. we will give you the tools. Let Gertrude look at your legs.
  Ianku was untied and led to the cart. A woman of about thirty, with black hair and a Thai-type face, approached him. She very carefully, almost without causing pain, washed Yankee's bloody feet. The boy"s bruised feet, which had not yet had time to harden, presented a pitiful sight. How they were broken, cut up, not a single living place. Sharp stones turned the sole into mush. The woman shook her head.
  - Wow, how you got cut up baby! Just creepy! Well, what should I do with you!
  Yanka replied:
  - What to do! Treat!
  - Well, okay, I'll lubricate you!
  The woman seemed to understand medicine; her hands were surprisingly light. She carefully lubricated the broken surface, and then the boy's ankles and calves.
  Yanka felt how pleasant the touch of a woman"s body was to him. It was something indescribable, sublime, especially when she massaged the bone and the knocked-out knee.
  - Turn on your stomach, I'll treat your back.
  The boy obeyed. Gentle hands touched his back and began to rub the ointment into the scars and cuts caused by the whip. It was so good, vigor returned to the body. The pain subsided. Finally Gertrude finished and gave her back and shoulders a good kneading.
  - Well, how were you not in pain? - She asked in a gentle voice.
  - No! Not a bit! - Answered the boy who came to life. - On the contrary, I am at the peak of bliss. I feel strong.
  - In this case, you are great! Very good boy! - Gertrude said smiling with her lovely teeth. - In general, I adore people like you! Blonde hair is so romantic! I love everything bright and clean!
  - This is good! - Yanka exclaimed. - Although it won"t hurt to exercise a little!
  Ahmed shouted:
  - Don"t distract the bacha from the matter. Let it work!
  Gertrude leaned over and kissed the boy on the lips. Yanka almost choked at how passionate the kiss of an adult woman was. Can't compare with the timid boobs of girls. A woman"s lips are like honey, you just want to drink them. Gertrude pulled away with difficulty and stroked the boy on the head.
  - Calm down, honey!
  Yanka took a deep breath, the excitement slowly passed. There is so much oriental passion in this woman. Something special that sparks.
  The boy picked up primitive tools and began to cut out figures. He decided to teach this world the oldest earthly game of chess. Although at first glance, compared to modern electronic strategies, this game seems primitive, it is not so! The chess game algorithm is very complex; dozens of volumes of theory and many hundreds of books have been written. The game is wonderful, rich, intellectual. Napoleon, Tamerlane, Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Churchill and Roosevelt loved to play it. In general, a wonderful game that develops logic and intelligence. As for most modern military-economic strategies, their tactics are extremely simple. Capture wells as quickly as possible, develop infantry and throw them at the enemy. In general, many battles can be won simply by stamping barracks with infantry. And no calculation. You can bet thousands of virtual soldiers pointlessly, but still win against the computer. Take for example the ancient game Cossacks. In it, too, you can simply shower the enemy with corpses, using the cheapest troops. More complex though are the campaigns and missions. There, the enemy already has a pre-prepared defense and infantry in this case, you just put it on the battlefields. Or even cooler if the number of troops is strictly limited! But still, in terms of difficulty it cannot be compared with chess. It"s even more special: if you play against a computer, just one, even minor, mistake is enough to lose the game or fall under an inexorable strategic clamp. At one time, Yanka read "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy. In those days, chess theory was not yet developed, and even science fiction writers did not write about computers! Therefore, Leo Tolstoy could argue that a chess game consists of continuous mistakes (and here he was largely right). Only we notice the mistakes that the enemy took advantage of. When it comes to playing with a computer, the machine is able to take advantage of the slightest inaccuracy. In 1997, Garry Kasparov became the first world champion to blow away a serious match to the computer after a hard-fought battle. If even a world champion with a record rating loses, what can we say about an ordinary chess player. Moreover, during this time the level of electronic monsters has become even higher, only the performance doubles every three and a half years!
  Yanka thought and cut at the same time. He was in no hurry, the figures should turn out smooth so that you can play with them and admire them. The boy was blissfully creative, trying not to fall asleep.
  What can you say about Garry Kasparov? A unique person who knows eight foreign languages, according to sociological surveys, was included in the hundred most outstanding geniuses in the entire history of mankind (By the way, Vladimir Futin, whom many extol as a unique intellectual, was not included in the selected hundred).
  So Garry Kasparov challenged him. The confrontation has begun! How is chess different from politics? In chess the game is equal, but in politics the authorities always have a head start! In chess there is time pressure at the end of the game, but in politics there is always! In chess, sacrifices are voluntary, but in politics they are always forced!
  In chess, the pieces are rearranged one by one, but in politics, the authorities whenever they want!
  Garry Kasparov was not registered as a presidential candidate, they threw mud at him and were not allowed on the air. That is, they didn"t let me make a move! Naturally, you cannot win a game where you are forbidden to play. On the other hand, if Futin had been smarter, he would have given a worthy position to one of the most gifted people in Russia. After all, to be honest, most Russian officials are just gray nonentities. And there are fewer and fewer bright people on the president"s team. In general, the personnel problem has not yet been resolved. But there are plenty of talented people. The same Vladimir Zhelezovsky could become a wonderful Minister of Foreign or Internal Affairs! And they are not allowed into power. Although it seems that Napoleon said: a great ruler surrounded by nonentities, like a stone in a crappy frame, the value will fall and inevitably fade!
  In general, Russia's interests should be higher than personal ambitions. It is not those who please the ruler who should rise to the top, but the most worthy. Perhaps it"s even for the best that there are now, as it were, two kings in Russia. When making a decision, they will argue and give arguments, which means the likelihood of error will be lower. Although experience shows that duets and triumvirates are usually short-lived. If we recall the history of modern Russia, when Chernomordas began to claim the role of an equal to the president, he was removed. Or the short-lived collaboration between Elkin and Krimakov. And even with Futin, Elkin would not have been able to get along if he had stayed in power longer. In earlier periods of history, the alliances of Brezhnev - Kosygin, Beria - Malenkov, Lenin - Trotsky fell apart! The throne is usually too small for two, let alone three! When Stolypin became the de facto co-ruler, together with Tsar Nicholas, he was soon killed. And not without the knowledge of the secret police, and perhaps of Nicholas II himself.
  So how long the duet will last is unknown! Maybe it will end in serious hostility - a showdown, or in 2012, Futin will take the presidency back.
  In general, the throne, unlike the bed, is shared only by weaklings!
  As we climbed, it became increasingly cooler, this is especially noticeable when you are lying down. The boy wrapped himself in a fox-like skin. His new friends walked quite far and you couldn"t talk to them. In general, we came across some good guys, inquisitive. From his own experience, Yanka knew that a newcomer often has a hard time, people try to test him or even offend him. However, modern children fight much less often than ten or fifteen years ago - their overall intellectual level has increased noticeably. Now almost any teenager has fundamental knowledge in many areas. Even in areas such as aircraft manufacturing or the chemical industry. Not like the old, illiterate generation compared to them. Intelligence takes over! In addition, modern teenagers are much more polite and tactful than the previous generation. What can be said about adults, especially generations; eighties-nineties: marginalized and stupid!
  In general, electronic learning tools play a major role; at one time they allowed Japan to rise. If the Land of the Rising Sun is not particularly strong now , this is due to the fact that electronics have spread throughout the world. Competition, especially since the Japs are not particularly inventive. Even the Germans are much smarter and more resourceful in this regard.
  This potentially poses a threat to humanity. After all, a robot, being more powerful than a person, can, realizing itself as a self-sufficient person, refuse to obey. Many books have been written about this, films have been made, starting with the inventor of the term robot Capek, and ending with the TV series "Terminator". Schwartz is simply irresistible! But none of the serious scientists and experts doubt that machines are quite capable of rebelling. Nevertheless, electronics continue to improve. This is especially dangerous when there are many countries and no single empire. It is a pity that Stalin did not have time to realize his dream of world domination. The world empire of the USSR would have long ago solved all the problems of humanity and space expansion would have begun. Then the star wars described in science fiction would become reality. It"s a pity, why did the demons send him to the past and not the future? Well, he"s quite capable of something cosmic.
  Yanka, in frustration, almost cut off his index finger. Blood began to flow. The thought came to mind whether to paint the figures red. For example, white versus red. In general, there is a certain paradox of a chess game. After all, white symbolizes goodness, light, purity, and black symbolizes darkness, horror, the abyss. But nevertheless, whites attack first! Although blacks would look more appropriate in the role of an aggressor! What a paradox! On the other hand: shouldn't he change the rules? Let black go first in this game. The aggressor, as befits the dark side of the force. Besides, if Stalin had attacked Germany, how would history be told now? A quick victory was won, or the war dragged on or got worse. Here the opinions of experts and researchers differ. Some believe that this was a chance for world domination, while others believe that it led to the death of the Soviet empire. However, considering that the Soviet troops were well trained to fight on foreign territory, and the Germans were not sufficiently prepared for defense. (The short-sighted German general staff did not even consider what to do in the event of a surprise attack by the USSR). But it"s very stupid to forget about defense when preparing for an attack. Much of the phenomenal success of the great boxers: the Klitschko brothers is due to their excellent defense. That is, something that their opponents, especially blacks, often neglect. However, this is a mutual problem for both armies. However, at the initial stage of the war, the Wehrmacht was more universal, and its troops were better prepared for defense than the Soviet ones.
  Akhmed drove up to the cart, interrupting his non-childish thoughts:
  - Well, how's the work progressing?
  - Yes, sir!
  - If I don"t like the game, I"ll whip you. And it hurts a lot!
  - I'm trying, sir.
  - Well look! Halt soon!
  Indeed, a mountain village appeared ahead. It had some protection, in particular a dug ditch and an earthen rampart. In general, the mountaineers did not live poorly; in any case, there were much more stone houses. The temple in the middle of the village was a kind of temple, with a sharp dome and the likeness of a three-headed eagle on the top of its head.
  In the center of the village, several girls in loincloths and bare breasts fought hard.
  . CHAPTER No. 13
  Eating food together with a dazzling beauty is a special chic. Feeling the aroma of meat and a strong, healthy woman!
  Elfaraya pulled away and then touched her ample breasts to the young man"s mouth.
  - Suck it my boy!
  Vladimir greedily grabbed the breast, his tongue caressed her firm flesh. It's wonderful how good it feels to be next to a girl, holding a strawberry nipple in your mouth. This is how you feel like a real man - macho! And the fact that others see this is not embarrassing, sex has long ceased to be something shameful - only homosexuality is prohibited. Everything else is allowed! And that freedom of morals is wonderful!
  - You know Elfarai, I admire you! Maybe after the feast we will ask to be allowed to serve in one unit.
  The girl playfully replied:
  - This is a wonderful idea. I'll ask my superiors about this.
  Vladimir stroked her elastic breasts with his palm and again turned his attention to the stage. New pieces of meat flew, and wine sparkled in the goblets, a new color and smell.
  Vladimir Kashalotov greedily downed the contents of the glass. The wine flowed down my throat, pleasantly warming me. Hyperplasm shone in the boy"s eyes:
  - This is power!
  - Superpower! - Elfaraya answered. - Well, baby, do you want something else hot?
  The young man playfully replied:
  - And that this wine excites passion. Maybe we'll try some meat!
  She again began to devour him together, it was like a mating ritual. The male and female were very aggressive, and at the same time exuded love.
  The taste of this piece was completely unusual, something to love and savor.
  Elfaraya suggested:
  - Maybe we can stand upside down?
  - How is that?
  - Well, head down!
  - Let's! This will be fun!
  The boy did just that, turning over with the girl. Then they even rose slightly above the surface. Vladimir suggested:
  - Let's play some strategy! I want to compare my wits with you!
  Elfaraya, shooting lightning from her kaleidoscopically changing color eyes, suggested:
  - Let this be a military-economic battle - for universal domination!
  - Let it be so! - Said the young man!
  They began to play, intelligence against intelligence! Meanwhile, one dish after another appeared, the wine in the goblets was changed. The feast was for the whole world. After the meat, they devoured a variety of fruits from different galaxies. What was missing here? Their abundance was simply amazing. Some of the fruits were alive, moved and sang songs. It's all very fun, music is playing, something outlandish is happening.
  In particular, vegetables and fruits play out a real battle. Moreover, persistent and very large-scale. After which the "killed" are simply eaten by the military personnel. It all looks very grotesque! Especially when a mixture of an onion and a grasshopper takes command, and the opposition is a mixture of a raspberry and a squirrel. And also such vegetables and fruits that they cannot even find analogues in human agriculture.
  Vladimir and Elfaraya applauded and hung there shaking their legs.
  The young man feigned regret and said:
  - Such beauty, it"s even a pity to eat it!
  The girl playfully replied:
  - There is nothing more pleasant than devouring the large, hot, aroma of passion dignity of a real macho!
  - And eat some fruit!
  Indeed, vegetables and fruits stormed the fortress, which was defended by insects.
  The insects were commanded by a striped beetle, painted in checkered patterns like a chessboard. His curled horns moved nervously, protruding from the drilled holes of his silver helmet. A creature resembling a yellow-green block with magnificent ballerina legs was jumping nearby. She tried to give an order in her ringing voice:
  - Well, let's get the insects out.
  Brave music started playing. Beautiful goosebumps with golden shields and armor ran out of the gate that had moved apart.
  At the same time, fruits and vegetables were picked up to the fortress, under the cover of shelves. They were commanded by a real Senor Tomato. As huge as a tank, with four hands holding an ax in each. And the nose is as long as a carrot. And here are the carrots themselves. Carrots march while singing along:
  - One two three four five! The bunny came out to shoot gray ducks!
  The caterpillars rushed at him and the slaughter began. The spear pierced the belly of the tomato, juice sprayed out. The vegetables moved back, but the lemons rushed into battle. A whole army of lemons.
  Help has arrived!
  Vladimir shook his head:
  - This is trash! In general, such fights without rules are more interesting with people. And here, what nonsense are vegetables and fruits against insects!
  Elfaraya me hair color (making it an effort of will) remarked:
  - A kind of folklore, but only a little stupid! I don't like this nonsense either!
  - Actually, I wanted something different! Some kind of melodrama, all these fights make me sick. Or something philosophical!
  - Homer for example? - Elfaraya suggested.
  - Or Caesar, maybe even Nero. In general, Nero is a rather interesting person, an actor-emperor. Romantic nature!
  - Wow! Doesn't it bother you that he killed Christians?
  - Recently, many scientists have cast doubt on the Christian tradition. Isn't that so, my dream? And Christian pacifism destroyed the invincible empire!
  Elfaraya faked a yawn:
  - How nice it would be to invent a time machine. In this case: we would learn many secrets of antiquity.
  Vladimir took a couple of sips:
  - Yes! For example, who was the true mastermind behind the assassination of Caesar. In general, I would like to help Spartak. They say he was noble.
  - And some people think that he"s just a bandit! There is no unity here! For example, Stenka Razin"s assessments are contradictory.
  - Razin was progressive and it would have been better for Russia if he had won! I personally have a lot of respect for Stepan Timofeevich! His very idea, to end serfdom, make all people free Cossacks, and introduce universal suffrage, is very progressive. Stepan wanted to end poverty, torture, and give people the opportunity to work for themselves, and not for the master. - Vladimir said hotly. - Is it bad!?
  Elfaraya scratched her hair:
  - The road to hell is paved with good intentions! Stenka really meant well, but it turned out: only several tens of thousands of additional corpses. Stepan himself ended badly!
  - But he retained his dignity under torture! Everyone can win, but not many can lose with dignity! - Vladimir said this somewhat theatrically.
  - Perhaps you are right about this! But it"s still better to be alive than dead! - Elfaraya squeezed the glass with her hand, turning it into a cube. - Or do you think otherwise!
  - A dead hero is better than a living coward! - Vladimir said with pathos.
  - Probably! But life must also be valued! You know, this stupid vegetable battle also has its own charm.
  With a powerful blow from the lemon reserve, the enemy was driven back to the tower. The insects retreated, suffered losses, and fell. Several pots containing a flammable mixture exploded, and the grasshoppers retreated, flaming and chirping. The wings burned especially well. They peeled off and flew in different directions.
  However, in response, heavy stones hit the vegetables. A cobblestone hit a lemon, knocked it over, and the juice splashed out. Another vegetable was nailed down along with the pepper, the broken carrots were writhing in death throes. Some of the stones were pointed; they fell into the cucumbers, squeezing out the brine. The hot droplets of brine burned, frying the vegetables and causing the fruits to burst.
  The insect commander gave orders, squeaking loudly:
  - Let's hit them! Get into close combat! Grasshoppers, use your nail files and pierce the peel.
  The huge watermelon squealed in response:
  - Squash the arthropods! Let's get tighter, throw darts!
  The cucumbers actively snapped, throwing all sorts of things.
  The fight looked fun, but not particularly pretty. Delicious corpses scattered in all directions, which then ended up on the soldiers" tables in the form of various dishes. Watching a cartoon battle is a pleasure for warriors who have just survived a real massacre.
  - Excellent fricassee! - Elfaraya said. - Looks great combined with meat!
  Vladimir chewed a piece, the meat slid down the esophagus, it tasted much sharper. The young man scratched the tip of his nose.
  - Everything is relative!
  - What can you compare, because you are eating for the first time in your short life!
  - With nothing! But if you look at it from a different point of view, then eating food leads to fecal annihilation.
  - That is, what in ancient times was called a toilet!
  - Why a toilet! What does the word sort mean? - Vladimir asked.
  - No! More like the word variety! For example, first grade feces!
  - Or the second one's shit!
  The warrior burst into tears, her laughter is so wonderful - it lifts your spirits:
  - And I see: you know the ancient human language! Overall this is commendable!
  Vladimir rolled his eyes:
  - And brilliant! You know, girl, what a rich palette of thoughts the ancients put into their speech.
  Elfaraya gently objected:
  - Palette is an artistic term! I think a more appropriate definition is: gamma!
  - Maybe! But in general, in the modern world, where robots draw, fine art has degenerated. It"s a different matter in the past, in ancient times, when the same Leonardo Davinci not only painted, but also invented.
  The girl shook her fiery curls, literal heat emanated from them:
  - Leonardo Davinci, still considered the best artist of all time! Right?
  Vladimir thought a little (a fleeting glance at the stage, the commander-in-chief beetle turned over and swam in the juice), replied:
  - Genius cannot be measured with a ruler, or even with a superlaser and hyperscanner. It"s hard to say who is the best when there is a galaxy of geniuses!
  Elfaraya disagreed:
  - Not certainly in that way! Among composers, Beethoven is considered the best, among science fiction writers, Jules Verne, as the founder of science fiction. Among Russian poets, Pushkin is a recognized authority! And the writers Leo Tolstoy!
  Vladimir remarked, mildly objecting:
  - Of the science fiction writers: the best is Oleg Rybachenko, he came up with so many types of weapons that your head is spinning. And he describes the battles so colorfully, as if he was born and raised in our time!
  - Has he already been resurrected?
  - Don't know! They didn"t report to me!
  - Jules Verne has definitely been resurrected, they say he joined the project: a time machine!
  - Wow! It is quite possible! Jules Verne, he was smarter than many scientists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. It was completely logical to believe that the future should belong to cars that run on electricity. True, in the twenty-first century, his own Jules Verne appeared - Oleg Rybachenko, who invented hyperplasma - the basis of modern engines, and described the basic principles of its production!
  - It really was a genius!
  - And what"s strange is that, like Jules Verne, they didn"t want to publish him right away! In general, contemporaries often underestimate true geniuses! And they elevate the mediocrity!
  - Yes, this happens! As Figaro said - to move forward wisely! Slavish mediocrity reigns at the top!
  - Well, not quite like that! Otherwise we would not have conquered the universe! And here, first of all, science came to our aid!
  Vladimir remarked philosophically:
  - Paradoxically, it was man"s physical weakness that allowed him to become like God! Even if a monkey had longer arms, he would never pick up a stick!
  Elfaraya smiled, flashing her teeth that became brighter than diamonds:
  - And what! It is truth too! Human vices move progress and bring us closer to omnipotence! The coward invented armor, the lazy - the wheel, the weakling - the crane, the glutton - laxatives, the ambitious - the airplane, the bored - the cinema, the curious - the Internet, the sadist - the dynamo! Behind every great discovery lies a vice! Base passions have elevated technology!
  Vladimir wiped his forehead:
  - Yes! A very original remark! In general, this is a completely fresh look at the world!
  - Don"t sin Adam, he and his descendants differed from draft animals only in their ability to speak! - Elfaraya said confidently. - Or am I not right!
  - You speak the truth, but it has nothing to do with the matter! In general, progress has made us strong! This cannot be denied, but at the same time we have ceased to be human! And now - just soldiers!
  Elfaraya corrected with pathos:
  - Great soldiers!
  - So be it! I want more pleasure and less pain. Otherwise you experience constant suffering, it"s so exhausting! It"s like running around during the day with a quasar on your back, or maybe with a black hole in your belly!
  Elfaraya giggled, shaking her head.
  - And I like pain! There is something so attractive about her! Like in a black hole! You can't even understand this!
  - I won"t, I"ll scream wildly! Do you like pain?
  - Yes! And that"s why, these are strong signals along the nerve cells, which means they generate excitement in the hyperplasmic substance of the brain. And this is always nice! - The girl licked her lips, she had two delicious tongues at once.
  - You are apparently not of this world! - Vladimir was surprised.
  The girl took a bite of the tray, shooting her eyes again:
  - But why! You just need to transfer the strong signal of pain into the zone of pleasure. Even in ancient times, many people loved it and knew how to transform pain into a wild thrill!
  Vladimir was delighted:
  - I know! Their names were masochists!
  Elfaraya nodded:
  - That's it! Masochists! Ordinary people enjoyed riding the rack, but you can"t!
  - Enjoy the pain? Cool! Hyperplasma! - The boy exclaimed.
  - I know the jester that without you I will feel bad! And no one will share your suffering! Let's swim among the waves, boundless vice! Turning off at the moment of orgasm: pulse, breathing! - She sang, playing with Elfarai"s strong and erotic breasts.
  Vladimir really liked this song, he even started dancing:
  - Your legs are like a wheel, like a top!
  - Calm down, fool! I see it's very skidded!
  - I'm a stupid fool! - Vladimir flew up and turned over a dozen times, spinning around his axis.
  Elfaraya took off with him, and the couple began to dance. The other soldiers apparently took this as a given command and formed a kind of round dance, or rather many chains of round dances.
  Elfaraya suggested:
  - Maybe we can exchange energy!
  - This is a type of hyperfucking!
  - That's it!
  Boys and girls began to shoot at each other with beams of energy, special types of biocurrent. This was called hyperfucking! Everything looked quite decent, however, the soldiers simply rushed after each other, fabulous fireworks flashed in the air.
  Everything looked simply chic, absolutely breathtaking!
  The girls and boys gradually became naked and further hyper-fucking turned into an orgy.
  Here, no amount of imagination can describe what they were doing, millions of naked and very beautiful guys and girls running around in space at once. Voluptuous reality will eclipse even the richest imagination! In short, the guys had a lot of fun.
  After the end of the holiday, the most important thing began - the distribution of awards.
  The fighters lined up in a huge hall. Vladimir looked somewhat timidly at the outwardly mirrored floor. It was made from hyperdiamond, unlike regular diamond it had a valency of 1024, and a million times harder. It also sparkled much, perhaps two hundred times brighter.
  The young man was awarded the Order of Annihilation - second degree, which is quite a high insignia. and awarded the rank of temporary one-star vice officer. This meant a significant increase in salary, and at the discretion of the commander, he could either remain a private or receive command of a dozen soldiers. And this is not a new guy, but some kind of power! Usually the second degree of the order was awarded together with the third and fourth, which in itself is quite honorable. Elfaraya received a similar set of awards, and a purple heart to boot! Then Vladimir felt annoyed: the girl had passed him by. However, envy is not a worthy feeling: soldiers, and now almost officers, are brothers in spirit. The most durable metal, softer than plasticine - without hardening with a fiery heart and icy composure!
  The orders were personally hung by another very charming girl: five-star general Lyudmila Karpovna!
  Among commanders, including general level: girls are even more common than boys, this is the general proportion characteristic of a world where women are the majority. The truth is not overwhelming. She smiled at everyone, and even winked at Vladimir.
  - What a cutie, I like the order!
  The boy exclaimed:
  - Oh yeah! Quasar! Although the thought haunts me whether I deserve it!
  The forever young general exclaimed:
  - Of course he deserved it! The reward is especially valuable that you distinguished yourself in the first battle!
  If this is the beginning, then what will be the end!
  - I hope it"s victorious!
  - Hope dies last!
  Vladimir was very flattered. The start of my career exceeded my wildest expectations. And if you consider that there is no old age and there is no threat of retirement, then who knows if this will not open the way to marshals, or even higher. It"s just a pity he doesn"t become an emperor - that"s the lot of the chosen few! However, being responsible for the entire universe is too much of a burden. What to hold the universe on your shoulders! Power is not always a joy; there are so many problems that need to be solved, and a variety of problems that pop up like a jack-in-the-box, quadrillions of worlds, many of which have never been touched by man. Nietzsche wrote correctly: not a single, even the most perfect psyche can cope with the load that God experiences. What is it like to hear every second: billions of prayers and billions of curses, when you are blamed for the computer freezing and the death of your grandmother, for your wife"s infidelity and indigestion. When two armies simultaneously pray for one victory, a million people claim the only gain. It's hard to be God and make everyone happy at once! It is true that man has been given reason, and the laws of nature have been established that allow progress to develop limitlessly, to the most incomprehensible peaks. In general, apart from war, a person lives well; technology makes it possible to realize almost all dreams and needs. If you want a palace, please, robot slaves, as many as you like. Moving by itself, you fly without a plane: eternal youth, free food, a flying car for everyone. Well, sex of all levels and no problems with orgasm or potency. And the entertainment industry is as crazy as you can imagine with your imagination: technology allows everything! Well, what more does a person need! But reality? Destiny: to spend your whole life in the barracks, experiencing pain, in constant training: is this really happiness! And what prevents us from making peace! However, wars always end in peace, only sometimes there are conquests. But why do they need another universe if most of the planets in theirs have not been explored! Seditious thoughts flashed through Vladimir"s head. He tried to drive them away - terrible heresy!
  When the reward ceremony was over, the soldiers and officers were taken to their spaceships. And the first thing was another training session. Familiar, routine, but with new elements in preparation. Here Vladimir was unexpectedly lucky: Elfaraya, who loved him so much, became his partner.
  The ten-star officer explained to them:
  - You distinguished yourself in the previous fight, so we want to fully understand your abilities. Perhaps you will be transferred to the SS - super special forces!
  Vladimir noted:
  -There are limitations that genetics imposes on us!
  - The history of war shows that any person can exceed the abilities inherent in nature!
  The soldiers put on their helmets, and the world around them changed at once, monstrous holograms began to move.
  Vladimir, although he understood that it was make-believe, felt some timidity. He knew that overcoming an obstacle course was typical for an arbitrary training, more or less serious army.
  Elfaraya whispered to him:
  - Don"t be timid, partner! It's just magical electronics.
  - Where did you get the idea that I was timid! - Vladimir Kashalotov was brave, but his teeth clanged treacherously.
  - This is a special radiation, it instills fear in us! It"s as if we have forgotten that we are not green beginners, but seasoned warriors! The partner gently stroked the young man"s chest. The eyes were burning.
  - I only fought for one day, but I trained all my life!
  . At first, out of all the weapons, they were given only a small, solid laser dagger.
  He didn't even look particularly serious. The truth was light and could be slightly extended. The first enemy resembled a spiny snail, with a beak sticking out of its shell. The initial path was along a rotating surface that was slippery in some places. Therefore, Vladimir deviated from the enemy"s attack and almost fell. His friend hit the beetle, cutting it into two parts, the pieces fell off.
  - Work with the dagger! - Elfaraya shouted. "They"re not as scary as they want to seem."
  - I noticed it! - Said Vladimir. - Although something strange is happening to the body. It"s as if the nerve endings were frozen!
  - You'll see, hit! That's all the "defrosting"!
  Virtual monsters, some similar to humans, others with many tentacles, attacked them. This time, Vladimir was on the alert. The counter strike shook the nearest enemy. The next one he killed was a hermaphrodite man. I don"t feel sorry for such a freak at all. But the likeness of a squid with swords almost took off its head.
  After being caught by the sword, my body began to ache and ache.
  - That's disgusting, he hurt me! - Vladimir cursed. - I didn"t think I was that clumsy.
  -Have you ever fought with virtual monsters? - Asked Elfaraya.
  - With a pineapple monkey! She chased me and I almost died. Although there are some eccentrics who say that all monkeys are kind and love people because they are its brothers.
  - Our opponents are neither good nor evil. They are indifferent, like the sea on which pirates sail.
  - More like a vacuum. The sea is warm and gentle. - The young man was struck by a mixture of banana and tiger, with rockets instead of fangs, who jumped on him. - I got a black hole on my head on these obstacle courses. It"s true that something bad is happening to the body now.
  - To be honest, I"m also scared!
  The guy and girl continued moving. At first the monsters were not particularly fast, which made the task easier. However, Vladimir and Elfaraya were slightly affected by the discharges. It got worse because the monsters started spitting fire. Vladimir's stomach burned and he felt real pain.
  - It makes me want to turn my guts! - He said.
  - And it"s not easier for me! - The girl pointed to her right bare breast. Blood was dripping from her. They spat on Vladimir scurrying around, the young man was too late and hit his shoulder, clearly breaking his bones. And when the bones of an ordinary person are broken, it hurts so much, you can die from shock. Although Kashalotov was not an ordinary person, at the moment he felt out of place. He felt special, extremely harmful waves that paralyzed his abilities.
  - I feel bad! - Vladimir passed out. The girl rubbed his face with a professional movement.
  - Don"t dive into a black hole, my dear knight. Consciousness returned, but along with it pain. Vladimir groaned, weakness choked him:
  - I won't go anymore.
  - Don't get soggy! There is a first aid kit here.
  Indeed, the obstacle course was like a computer game. There are additional lives and what is essential is the energy that causes instant regeneration. Yes, it was difficult, but the guys learned.
  - The main thing is not to retreat and not to give up! - Elfaraya said. She, too, was not at ease, making mistakes every now and then, receiving painful blows. Then the couple got used to it and began to act much more harmoniously. In the next stage, they had to jump on mushrooms floating in the air, dodge flying knives, and crawl over barbed wire. The battle became more and more severe, and the opponents moved faster and faster. True, it became possible to use captured weapons, also virtual, but in their properties quite similar to real carriers of death.
  Vladimir in particular tried out a multi-barrel vibrothrower! It created small cracks in space. True, after three shots it crumbled, but mowed down several ranks of opponents.
  "Not bad!" said the young man.
  - Try to get a bubble plasma launcher! - Elfaraya advised. - This will be much more effective.
  - Well, that"s not a bad idea either. And where he?
  - This is such a small pipe that it resembles a pioneer horn. Blow into it and you will see the rapid flight of a hyperplasmic cascade.
  The young man barely dodged the volley, crawled a little along the chipped surface, and was caught by the forge. Shot.
  Bubbles rained down in a winding line, bouncing carefully, and the creatures they hit exploded.
  - What! It's not bad! - Elfaraya said. - Just hit it lower so that fewer bubbles fly into the sky.
  - I try my best!
  - Try and don"t be surprised!
  The girl also picked up a strong weapon and used it, demonstrating unbending power.
  The battle became more and more interesting. Here they are fighting on a planet where water first pours in a stream under their feet, and then terribly slippery liquid helium flows, and powerful lasers are fired from above and below, annihilation grenades are exploding.
  Vladimir fired back, with both hands at once, and even danced a pretzel.
  He was caught several times, cutting off his left leg. Thanks to my partner, she helped me get to the life-saving first aid kit. The leg has grown.
  - You're cool Elfaraya.
  The warrior snorted contemptuously:
  - And you are a weakling, Vladimir. Babies endure such savage pain, and you groaned!
  The young man was not himself, something was bothering him:
  - At the moment I perceive everything much more acutely!
  Having laid down another row of monsters, Elfaraya grinned and said:
  - Be patient anyway!
  The boy sighed, it became incredibly difficult to speak:
  - You have to, I"m a man!
  - That's exactly the man! - FOR a moment their lips connected. Vladimir felt the honeyed sweetness of a young woman"s kiss.
  - Goddess!
  - Lucifer! - the maiden answered.
  They then entered an ever-changing atmosphere with strong winds. Either it blows from the front, or, on the contrary, it presses into the back. And the enemies are constantly changing, sometimes they fly like wasps, sometimes they crawl like poisonous snakes. But you constantly come to fight, jumping from one platform to another, and even grabbing artificial flies and lizards by the legs, flying out of traps with their help. Some specimens: especially hybrids of butterflies and flowers: stunningly beautiful. And the mixture of dragonfly and tulip is sparkling, with all the colors of the rainbow with a mind-numbing smell... Quasar! Bared mouths click from behind like electronic mousetraps, meter-long teeth spark with lightning bolts. There are also larger five-meter and even ten-meter fangs. Vladimir managed to slip past them. One of the monsters: a hybrid of a tank and a scorpion, exploded with a roar, scattering scorching candies:
  - We are not being photographed! They don't catch quarks! - The brave warrior sang.
  Once again the young man receives damage from annihilation flashes. And now the girl is even worse, her leg was torn off again. But she deftly jumps on one limb, without thinking about retreat. However, there is nowhere to go.
  - We have one way, either survive or die! - Elfaraya said with somewhat banal pathos.
  The young man confirmed:
  - And only together! A black hole is brighter when in the icy ether: a pair of burning hearts glow!
  At the cost of incredible efforts and inhuman tension, they managed to get through this, although there was no living space left on their bodies.
  The next stage is the desert: with brutally sucking green sand, it is impossible to stand still for a second, your legs get stuck, and you still have to shoot and stab. Here masked militants, some in armor, fight against them. There are different types of fighters, there are both people and hybrids of a scorpion with a cactus, a bug and a wrench! Gravity planes are flying, from which you can"t hide or escape, laser beams will scatter the sand. When it hits the body: hellish pain, the insides seemed to be squeezed out with a roller and filled with hot oil. The tetralets dive, dropping bombs in the shape of disgusting skulls with many searing eye sockets, and spewing rays of furious rays in their thirst for destruction!
  Vladimir, however, is not lost. He performs a kind of dance, passing between the streams.
  Elfaraya even teased:
  - Russian whist: wings soar next to you!
  Vladimir picked up:
  - Commander, our regiments are lined up!
  Together, the young man and the girl struck with scissors, using the "waterfall jet" technique, laying down the enemies in lush bundles. So many different creatures split, crushed, or burst into flames. This is a stunning grotesque - not without comedy, especially when the tetralet in the form of a kite and an ax turned into a falling stream of golden and turquoise speckled caterpillars when hit:
  - When you shoot, stand on your toes, your mobility will be greater. - Prompted by Elfaraya
  Vladimir automatically noticed:
  - Less stability.
  - How to say, dynamics are always stronger than statics!
  To confirm her words, the girl cut down with a beam a rushing structure resembling a tin can with barrels. It broke into pieces and fell, flying into pieces. Already in flight, the pieces of the defeated target turned into a flock of purple hybrids: bumblebees and chimpanzees. These strange creatures fought with each other: every moment they became smaller and smaller, dissolving in the atmosphere of a virtual battle:
  - Well, how? Quasar? - She asked, knitting Elfarai"s eyebrows.
  - Very cool, the main thing is decent! - Vladimir noticed. - It"s nice to live among lasers and plasma! And hear the planet explode!
  The girl laughed:
  - And experience orgasms in battle with me! And take a walk and frolic to your heart's content! What I appreciate is a sense of humor in men.
  Vladimir Kashalotov playfully destroyed the next gift. It resembled a log covered with steel. It did not explode immediately; several more charges were required. In turn, the rays erupting from the clawed hooks interrupted the Sperm Whale's hand.
  - This is the abyss of space! - He shouted with annoyance. - We need to think of something like this.
  Elfaraya, as if mockingly, blurted out:
  - What are you talking about?
  - Hit me in the face with a brick. - One hand doesn"t work. - Vladimir noted. - Oh where is my superflesh!
  - Don"t worry, there will be more, regenerating life bodies soon.
  As it turned out, she was not mistaken. But the medicine was not enough, the hand recovered, but numerous cuts and pain remained.
  The next stage is a volcanic eruption, you have to rush to the top with incredible speed, shooting at the enemy"s combat cyborgs. And the cyborgs are simply indecently pretentious: hybrids of ancient Hollywood terminators and modern creations of cosmic evolution: ultra-dioactive tankosaurs. Vladimir Kashalotov (which is usually not typical for him) was already mortally tired, the monsters and the surrounding hostile environment were flickering before his eyes, and there was no end in sight to all this. Elfaraya also began to fall and limp:
  - My boy, how hard it is for you!
  Sperm whales, staggering, answered:
  - And I see you are sliding into collapse!
  - I haven"t had such training for a long time. In general, we are a peaceful empire and we are not going to attack anyone, or rather we did not intend to, but each individual goes through the path of military training. After all, this is not a joke: there has been a war for more than a thousand years! So you cross yourself, just in case! I spent seven years on the surface of a neutron star!
  - Wow, seven years is a lot!
  - Well, firstly, we now live almost indefinitely, and secondly, it"s quite comfortable on a neutron star, a complete industry of pleasure and entertainment. Its a joyful pastime. Gravity is neutralized! Are you quasar boy?
  - So far there is no special super joy! - Noticed, exhausted Vladimir.
  - They are deliberately pushing you so that you understand at least something about army service. Do you have no training, or are you just weaklings? - Elfaraya asked, without ceasing to frantically shoot at the monsters.
  Vladimir, shooting back and sometimes chopping (the latter is even more difficult), barely catching his breath, said:
  - And there was a time in the past: when the Russian army was entirely professional. Volunteers serve in it for money, and they were recruited from different countries.
  - That is, mercenaries! - Elfaraya summed it up. - But they are not reliable and can go over to the side of the one who pays more.
  Vladimir, having cut down another ugly soldier in the form of a warty dragonfly, sighed sadly:
  - Something like this is not excluded. But still, the majority of mercenaries are Russian citizens. This means they will not betray their Motherland. And they didn"t betray you!
  The warrior pointed the beam gun with her bare feet and crushed: a cross between a macaque and a kiwi:
  - And in the event of a major war in the past, there were problems with conscription.
  The boy, brushing off three heads from a hybrid of the snake Gorynych and cactus fly agarics (they pricked him very painfully in the biceps with stinging needles), blathered?
  - They could and did arise! But Russia still won all the wars! NATO was defeated, China was defeated, and even such a monster as the United States submitted.
  The girl made stupid eyes, shooting from the emitter using the tongue:
  - Do they have a conscript army?
  The young man objected, gutting the hybrid tricycle and squid:
  - No! Also a civilian employee. This is her strength and weakness. However, the enemy troops are well trained, in particular, the United States defeated one and a half million Iraqis, losing less than two hundred soldiers. Agree, an impressive success.
  - That's right, not bad! - Elfaraya planted a charge into a fighter who was crushing a large bug that had swallowed a self-propelled gun. He was blown to pieces. - But we had loss ratios in our favor: much steeper.
  - Well, it depends on the technological level! - The boy licked the stream of blood flowing from his cut forehead.
  - Of course, it depends! Every discovery in the military sphere brings the moment of victory closer!
  Elfaraya began to sing, her voice awakening new unbridled forces:
  Russia: you are my native country,
  I will be faithful, devoted always!
  Summer is burning, icy cold,
  The stream is cool, the water is flowing!
  
  My chosen one is whiter than snow, chalk,
  She brought wine to her transparent lips!
  And the spirit is strong, but the body is so powerless,
  To suffer from wounds, it is doomed!
  
  There is no peace in the cosmic ether,
  The battle is roaring and you can"t make out the words!
  Madness is happening all over the world,
  And innocent blood is shed again!
  
  Temples see us off with sonorous ringing,
  And the wind seemed to freeze, the roar of the crowds died down!
  And the firstborn was born with my groan,
  I will dedicate a timid verse to posterity!
  
  And the son will serve his fatherland,
  Defeat all enemies with a steel sword!
  And the flag of Rus' will not sag limply,
  We will defeat all adversaries in battle!
  
  Fatherland and rocks and oak groves,
  And children's laughter, the trill of a nightingale in the forest!
  They fought for the Motherland not for the sake of glory,
  And so that you and I can live in happiness!
  When she finished, a whole army of corpses appeared in front of them. It resembled a crumbled meat salad, from the products generated by the imagination of Picasso: after his brains were flooded by an ocean of hyperplasm. The girl asked, barely catching her breath:
  - Do you agree with me, Vladimir?
  - I love my Motherland, no less than you. - Trust me Elfiada.
  The warrior corrected, knocking down a hybrid of a mosquito and a hippopotamus:
  - I am not Elfiada, but Elfaraya.
  - Sorry, I misspoke. - Terrible fatigue. - The young man swayed. - In one series, that was the name of the quasi-goddess who created a dozen huge universes, and then voluntarily renounced all advantages and was sold into slavery!
  - This is radiation pressure. It's actually not that bad. - The warrior showed two tongues. - Slave and goddess, they rhyme so superstar!
  And this level is left behind. Although a lot of blood was shed.
  And when, at the next stage, virtual stones, roughly hewn in the shape of ancient gods, began to fall on the guy and girl, a couple of heavy hits almost finished them both off. Vladimir"s bones lost their former elasticity; they broke, causing unbearable pain. Elfaraya was also extremely exhausted and held on with extreme effort.
  - You're lying! You cannot break the will of the Russian people!
  Vladimir, losing strength, croaked:
  - Inhuman courage distinguishes our nation from other nations!
  The boy and girl encouraged each other. They didn"t even think about giving up or breaking down.
  - Our will is in our fist! - Vladimir cut off.
  Elfaraya added:
  - Will is the index finger that holds the trigger of the beam thrower - its weakness is suicidal!
  Finally, at the end, a couple of young fighters were waiting for hand-to-hand combat, the most terrible monster was prepared for last. The monster can be seen from afar, Elfaraya whispers.
  "It"s best for us to act in pairs." Parrying together the attacks - this product of the virtual underworld.
  Vladimir agreed:
  - Only then will we have a chance.
  It, this incredible monster was created from liquid metals mixed with multi-plasma, holding gravio-nucleon swords in its hands. Each limb is terrifying in its own way: one is covered with warts, another with ulcers, a third with thorns, a fourth with splinters, a fifth with broken diamonds, etc. These "working hands" flash with incredible speed, the attack comes simultaneously from the top, side and bottom. And not in three-dimensional space, but in eighteen dimensions at once! This means hundreds of simultaneously opposite and at the same time similar planes of attack. You barely have time to fight back, and even if you manage to cut off your hand, a new one immediately grows.
  - Act in pairs!
  - Damn photon!
  The guy and the girl shoot, trying to get into the concentration of all the multi-vector dimensions that control the multiplasma. They succeed by catching the rose of eighteen-dimensional space. You can see the metal spreading in all directions: thousands of mercury-like balls.
  Elfaraya shouts:
  - The quasar is over-photonized! Hyperplasma!
  But the monster, like a Phoenix bird, suddenly comes to life and is restored...
  . CHAPTER No. 14.
  Mirabela tensed, she felt that they would tell her something very important, perhaps epoch-making! Anastasia Streletsova continued even more softly and insinuatingly (and her eyes were like those of a boa constrictor):
  - Do you girl know that there are a great many universes?
  Mirabela answered timidly:
  - Yes! Every baby knows this!
  Anastasia nodded:
  - But you know that it is still very difficult to move between universes, with the exception of mirror worlds!
  Mirabela agreed with sadness in her voice:
  - I read a similar theory! It"s as if our two universes are reflected in each other like a mirror, and that"s why the war broke out!
  Anastasia cheerfully confirmed:
  - And that's true! But other worlds are reflected somewhat differently, and the more they are, the more significant the differences!
  - Logical! - Mirabel blurted out.
  - And there are universes that are completely controlled according to physical laws incomprehensible to us. Those that we know about, that life is possible there, is only theoretical! Do you understand this, Mirabela? - Anastasia flashed her right eye.
  The girl nodded:
  - As far as I understand, this is the universe you want to send me to?
  - That"s exactly the photo-bar! - Anastasia was delighted. - You need to get there!
  Mirabela raised her strong shoulder: a new task in another world! This is better than being tormented by anti-troops for many centuries! Moreover, this is an opportunity to get the long-awaited freedom! When you are not driven every day and hour, along numerous lanes, forcing you to overcome obstacles and experience pain! It "s even scary, what if the ultra-hyper-marshal changes his mind and orders her to be handed over to the torturers?
  - I am ready to fulfill any task of the Motherland - Sacred Russia! "She shouted with enthusiasm.
  Anastasia shook her head:
  - You absolutely don"t know how to keep secrets and suppress your emotions! It"s immediately obvious how happy you were, girl!
  Mirabela lowered her tone:
  - Wouldn"t you be happy when, instead of savage torture, an interesting task awaits you? Anyone here would take off on a white pulsar!
  The hypermarshal calmly agreed:
  - Of course, this is better than anti-troops, but believe me, it"s not hyper-ecstasy either! So girl: learn to suppress your emotions if you want to survive!
  Mirabela switched to a businesslike tone:
  - What should I do?
  - In general, the task is both complex and simple! I'll explain the essence to you. This is an extraordinary secret. In one of the asteroids, we managed to find an ultra-hyperplasma chip belonging to an incredibly ancient civilization. There is even a version that she is involved in the creation of our and parallel universes!
  Mirabela was genuinely surprised:
  - Wow! This is power!
  - So here it is! We struggled for a long time to decipher it, until one of the elf sorcerers, quite by accident, read the spell. In short, we have gained access to the most powerful weapon, control over time.
  The girl exclaimed:
  - Hyperplasma! So the time machine is a reality!
  - And not just a machine, but a whole portal, theoretical calculations show that with its help it is possible to send the entire enemy universe into the past, into the flesh until the moment when the entire universe existed in the form of one hyper-densely compressed particle!
  - Megaquasar! - Mirabela whispered. "Such a weapon can end war forever!" Or rather, with all the wars!
  Anastasia bared her teeth, her large teeth sharpened:
  - Yes, dear, experiments have confirmed this! But it so happened that this chip suddenly disappeared, along with it all records about the experiment were annihilated. You see, the hard work of several years has gone down the drain. And most importantly, the opportunity to win the war was missed, without the slightest shot!
  - Black hole in my head! Hypercollapse in the nose! - Mirabela sighed. - What can I do?
  - What remains is a message probably issued by the hyperchip themselves. It reported that the artifact had moved to the Big Loop universe, and only those in whose hearts live mercy and compassion could return it back! - The hypermarshal looked at the girl unambiguously.
  Mirabela, embarrassed, replied:
  - I'm not that kind! I was prompted by mental weakness to save the boy from captivity. Don't consider me virtuous!
  - It"s great that you have a critical attitude towards yourself! This means that I was not mistaken about you! - The cunning Anastasia was even more delighted.
  - Don't know! Such responsibility, but why me! Of the many trillions of people, are there no more gentle and merciful?
  - Why, they do occur, especially in anti-troops! Despite upbringing and genetic selection, in one case out of a trillion: there will definitely be a pacifist scumbag. This is apparently due to the fact that war is the heaviest burden for the psyche and body! Sometimes even I feel a vacuum (hard)!
  Mirabela showed stubbornness:
  - So after all: why me?
  Anastasia, overcoming a moment"s hesitation, answered:
  - The fact is that the Big Loop universe got its name because it has a suffocating effect on our agents. Having fallen under radiation that is still incomprehensible and not yet discovered by our scientists, they lose all their abilities and die quite quickly.
  Mirabela's mood dropped:
  - So this means?
  The Ultra-Hyper-Marshal continued:
  - At best, you will become a simple person, at worst, you will die altogether. This is an axiom. Moreover, our vaunted technology and computers do not work in this universe.
  - Is there no technology there at all?
  - Why, on some planets there are! It"s not such a dense universe, although there is no such universal empire as ours! In general, we know little about this universe. It is not mirrored, but it is also very large, and there are no fewer stars in it than in ours. So finding a hyperchip will be incredibly difficult!
  The girl desperately moaned:
  - Without technology, in a hostile world, in a simple protein body, I am doomed.
  Anastasia shrugged her powerful shoulders, which in no way weakened her sexual attractiveness:
  - Don't know! We don't have accurate information about whether your fighting skills are still there. But you know how not only to shoot, but also to cut with swords.
  - Yes, I own all types of weapons made of solid - ultrastable hyperplasma! - The girl answered like an automatic machine. - So I can fight! Although, to be honest, I don"t really like causing pain to others.
  Anastasia, lengthening her nail and releasing a flame from under it, remarked:
  - If the interests of the Motherland require it, then pain must be caused! Although there is really no joy in this! Somehow the Marquis de Sade: does not inspire me to heroic deeds. Although some professionals love the process itself! Remember Mirabel, you must survive at any cost. A lot depends on you.
  The girl timidly asked:
  - Will I have assistants?
  Anastasia kindly grinned:
  - Perhaps they will! Some of our agents probably survived, but cannot yet get in touch. So hope for the best girl. In the meantime, you will apparently have to work alone, unless of course you or we come up with something! By the way, you can wet your neck after the cybernetic hell!
  Mirabela repeated the gesture, a glass of juice appeared in front of her, and the container sang:
  - If you need refreshment, then refresh yourself immediately! You are stronger than a kite bird, like a photon projectile to the heights!
  The girl did not answer, but took a few sips, feeling pleasant. She suddenly wanted to eat, a strange desire for creatures: that feed on hyperplasm and its manifestations, but perhaps the instinct inherent in the genes is dormant.
  - Maybe lastly you can give me a snack? - Said the warrior maiden with hope.
  Anastasia asked with a caring look:
  - Do you want to eat?
  Mirabela replied, surprised at her own courage:
  - As far as I understand, in the universe where your humble servant ends up, it will no longer be possible to feed on hyperplasma. So I have to get used to the fact that in order to eat, everything that is there gives calories!
  Anastasia agreed with visible eagerness:
  - That sounds logical! Work out, but know that food requires moderation. If you eat too much, your fighting qualities will decrease.
  - I mastered information about ancient medicine! Of course I will control my appetite. Fat pigs are bad fighters!
  - Well, it"s good if you understand! - Anastasia snapped her fingers and a tray of food appeared in front of Mirabela; The hologram said in a clear voice:
  - Natural food, one hundred and thirty-five types of meat, two hundred and twenty-eight vegetables, and three hundred and fifty-five fruits, four hundred and forty cheeses, five hundred and seventy mushrooms. You can't help but be tempted by Ulra Pizza!
  A knife and fork appeared in Mirabela"s hands, they sparkled, being lined with multi-colored stones. Holograms separated from the cutlery and took on the appearance of cartoon musketeers, with helmets from the Second World War on their heads.
  - Eat heartily, your majesty! - They sang. - Our great princess, soldering without excesses!
  Mirabela began to carefully cut off the pieces. She ate slowly, chewing the first piece in her mouth thoroughly. The girl wanted to better experience the taste of ultra-pizza and enjoy it. After all, she is going on a mission from which there is so little chance of returning. However, are the chances of survival really that great in this brutal, essentially fratricidal war, if in the previous battle more than half of Rokossovsky"s army was annihilated. It's like scaring after hell - the underworld.
  What can we say about pizza! Natural taste, cannot be confused with anything. This is poetry, a hymn to cooking! If a cook can be compared to a composer, then it was Tchaikovsky or Mozart. Mirabela enjoyed food like sex, her stomach experienced a semblance of an orgasm!
  When the first impressions passed, the girl again found the power of speech:
  - How can I look for a hyperchip? After all, he's probably not very big?
  The hypermarshal turned on the hologram, and a flickering ball the size of a walnut appeared in front of them.
  - Here he is! As you can see it's really small. You can even wear it on your finger if you make a ring.
  Mirabela took a deep breath.
  - And how can I find him! It is easier to conquer the galaxy naked than to find such an artifact in the vast universe.
  Anastasia clenched her graceful fist:
  - Right! But the hyperchip contains huge reserves of energy. It"s really difficult to detect with instruments, but you should feel it, at least if you get close to it!
  Mirabela shook her head.
  - The Universe is big, we still need to be able to get closer!
  The ultra-hyper-marshal, the charming executioner of an almost limitless empire, explained with the patience of a nanny in a home for defective children:
  - And here there is a message! The hyperchip promised that it would send tips to a worthy person. True only if he behaves correctly!
  - Wow! This is a chance! - Mirabel was delighted, her eyes shining.
  - You understood me perfectly, but for now, eat! Your body still allows you to eat the whole pizza, without any problems!
  The young warrior suggested:
  - Maybe you will join too?
  Anastasia shook her head, her hair, wonderful in its wild sexuality, began to swirl, blowing a breeze over her interlocutor:
  - I don"t want to spoil myself! In general, I should be an example of abstinence and asceticism for my subordinates and those who have to be educated!
  - And I?
  - Those sentenced to death are not denied anything! - The ultra-hyper-marshal said half-jokingly, half-seriously. - However, of course, you understand that I wish you success. And not only me, but also the entire Great Empire.
  - Clearly, this will allow us to end the war victoriously! Time management gives you such opportunities! - Mirabela coughed, almost choking on her ultra-pizza. - But this is too cruel!
  Anastasia immediately became wary, her eyes glowed brighter, her timbre deepened:
  - What's cruel?
  Mirabela said in an even voice, although it was not easy for her:
  - Destroy the entire universe, even without killing anyone!
  The ultra-hyper-marshal immediately softened her voice and remarked:
  - Why, destroy it right away! Maybe we can come up with a more humane way to neutralize the enemy. Or you don't believe in the wisdom of the Empress.
  Mirabela hastened to say:
  - Of course I believe! Maybe even the enemy will capitulate: having learned that we have such weapons!
  - Under what conditions will he capitulate? This is not entirely clear! - The hypermarshal scratched her forehead with her nail. - If you look at it, what can we get from the enemy! We don't need gold, we don't need slaves either! Or they will renounce their own statehood! - The hypermarshal sipped some tea.
  - We can include them in our empire, they will be the same military as we are, and their empress will become our deputy! - Mirabela suggested.
  - Sounds funny! But I don"t know if this is real, but in general it"s not up to me to decide, but to the empress. By the way, it is possible that if the lady has a free minute, she will read you an appeal. In general, it is a great honor for a grain of sand out of quadrillions, or even quintillions of people to have a conversation with the greatest ruler.
  Mirabela timidly agreed:
  - Yes, honor! Won't our defeat yesterday have a negative impact on the entire course of the war?
  Anastasia snapped rudely:
  - No! This is only a tiny fraction of a percentage of the total number of our forces. I don"t think it will significantly affect the course of the entire war. Sometimes we won, sometimes we won. Hundreds of battles of this scale take place every day. The universe is very big, and we are still coping with the burden of expenses. And the birth rate in incubators is high.
  The girl spoke out more boldly:
  - Maybe we need to spread more actively throughout the universe, build new factories, produce incubators?
  The Ultra-Hyper-Marshal grinned sourly:
  - All this is being done, besides, don"t forget the empire is full of different races, we try not to provoke them to revolt! You understand what this means!
  - Significant dispersion of forces! - Mirabel answered mechanically.
  Anastasia approved:
  - That's it! At one time, the fascists failed because they committed atrocities in the occupied territories. If at first the population did not particularly want to join the partisans, then later the people's war became a serious factor. Honestly, if not for the partisans, the war could have lasted another year or two, claiming more than one million lives.
  Mirabela agreed:
  - I have a very fast ability to perceive information; on the HyperInternet I grasped everything! Although, to be honest, a lot of things seem extremely controversial to me. For example, the exploits of the partisans and especially the pioneers are somehow incredible!
  Anastasia philosophically, not the least bit angry, remarked in a distinct patter:
  - We don't have a time machine to check everything! It is possible that many exploits were exaggerated. The USSR was a totalitarian country, and it is quite possible that the truth was embellished. But the fact is indisputable: the Soviet troops showed massive heroism and learned to fight. And the art of military leadership was constantly being improved! After all, the Soviet army was advancing without overwhelming numerical superiority. For example, in the fall of forty-two, the Nazis had 6 million 200 thousand soldiers, and we have 6 million 600 thousand. That is, almost equal forces, and if we take the qualitative characteristics, then the German troops are much stronger than us in training and combat experience. The percentage of recruits in the Soviet troops was much higher than in the fascist ones. In addition, the German rifle was superior to the Soviet one in aiming and was lighter. Moreover, the Nazis had an overwhelming advantage in troop mobility. In tanks the ratio was a little better, but the newest T-4s, in their combat qualities, were no longer inferior to our T-34, and the crews of German tanks had much more experience, and excellent optics, and training! So the German generals are lying greatly when they claim that the USSR had a seven-fold superiority in forces. This couldn't have happened at all. The population of Germany is eighty million, plus Austria, the Sudetenland Germans, diasporas in European countries, in total over one hundred million. Not counting allies. And the USSR had, according to official data, 194 million inhabitants, and some updated estimates had 7 million fewer, so the census data was inflated on Stalin"s instructions. Plus the German allies, this is about one hundred million, Italy alone is forty-eight million, not counting the colonies. Plus the population of occupied countries, foreign SS legions, slave workers! So already in 1941, the USSR did not have an advantage. And in the fall of 1942, the enemy"s human resources were almost twice as large as Russia"s. So the autumn of '42 is almost the last chance to change the course of the war. Moreover, the USA and England were actively looking for a way to conclude a separate peace with Germany. We were hanging on the brink of an abyss, and Japan was pulling up troops to the eastern borders!
  Mirabela calmly expressed her opinion:
  - I think the main blame for the defeat of the Germans lies with Hitler. If he had regrouped his troops near Stalingrad, he might have been able to repel the onslaught of Soviet troops, especially since the enemy"s numerical superiority was small. Yes, and similar information came from German intelligence. It is impossible to covertly transport such a large number of troops across the bare steppe. Moreover, we had to overcome two large rivers, the Volga and Don.
  Anastasia, with a barely perceptible wince, agreed:
  - Hitler was let down by his craving for the occult. He trusted his astrologers more than professional generals. They inspired him to take Stalingrad at any cost. Then the war will end victoriously. So the German troops huddled together near Stalingrad. And no warnings had any effect on Hitler! Apparently Adolf was too carried away by mysticism. And even in 1941 near Moscow, if the Nazis had been better prepared for winter, it is not known how things would have ended. And so the Fuhrer was counting on an agreement with the cold. Mystics from the Thule Society convinced Hitler that with the help of higher spirits they would make the Russian winter dry and warm. And he believed them, refusing proper preparation.
  Mirabela nodded briskly:
  - Idiot! You can't say anything! In addition, Hitler made another major mistake: instead of quickly withdrawing troops to winter quarters, the Orel-Rzhev line, he ordered: not a step back, fight stubbornly and fanatically! This killed many tens of thousands of Germans who froze to death in the trenches. The Germans were seriously weakened! Luckily for us!
  - The enemy"s stupidity cannot replace your own skill! - The ultra-hyper-marshal, unable to resist, took a bite of the ultra-pizza. - Yes, it"s a taste, not bad, but next time would you like us to treat you to a more luxurious hyper-pizza with a million varieties of meat?
  The girl was happy:
  - Of course I want! How about a billion?
  Anastasia casually said:
  - Can! If you get a hyperchip, we"ll make one especially for you! In general, we will put on a real show, a feast on the mountain. Maybe we'll even establish an order in your honor.
  Mirabela was embarrassed, her face turned slightly pink:
  - Actually, it is not customary to assign orders in honor of heroes of modern war. There is an unwritten rule that both sides of the Great War adhere to. Only ancient heroes are allowed!
  - We"ll make an exception for you, since this is truly a unique service to the empire! In general, what the empress has prepared for the heroine will be a surprise! There is no need to indulge in dreams! A long and cruel struggle lies ahead, not for life, but for death! But why talk platitudes? - The hypermarshal smiled widely, although her eyes remained tiger-like. - Personally, your face on the medal seems to me much more attractive than the flabby face of Kutuzov or Zhukov. In general, maybe that"s why they decided not to stamp orders with portraits of modern warriors, because they are too beautiful, not a single ugly face! Against their background, the old heroes look dull - not aesthetically pleasing.
  Mirabela straightened her curly hair with a vacuum (sorrow) in her voice and said:
  - What a pity that among the commanders of ancient Russia, at least the major ones, there was not a single woman. For example, it was not bad to have a female marshal during the Great Patriotic War. Then the victory would have been won much earlier!
  Anastasia did not object:
  - Perhaps during the Great Patriotic War: many mistakes were made. It really was possible to win earlier. In particular, a mediocre defeat in the Battle of Smolensk, a defeat that was superior in Ukraine, miscalculations during the spring campaign of 1942. Not to mention: what opportunities were missed in February-March '43! In general, you probably studied the experience of the Second World War and the mistakes of both sides.
  - I studied! Since every private can rise to the level of the highest-ranking commander and enter the supreme military council, we were taught the basics of tactics and strategy. - The girl blinked, knocking off a speck of dust from a cracked food crust with her eyelash. - Zhukov, to be honest, is not an entirely adequate commander. He won victories with great blood, he acted too straightforwardly! It was even called the "bloody ruler"!
  The Ultra-Hyper-Marshal raised her tone:
  - Who knows how to win without sacrifices?! We haven"t learned how to fight like that yet. Victories without losses are achieved only in fairy tales or bad fiction. As for straightforwardness, flanking maneuvers are typical of all wars, especially mechanized ones. Zhukov, of course, used similar tactics to an insufficient extent, but still won many victories. He was especially successful in his brilliant operation: the storming of Berlin! In two weeks, we managed to defeat a group of one million two hundred thousand soldiers occupying an impregnable defense line! Many Western experts were amazed by this success. And the losses don"t matter, in any case they could not be avoided! In general, why were we drawn into such a dense story! Let's better discuss your plans after entering another universe!
  Mirabela was confused:
  - What can I do! I was not trained to be a professional spy, although I certainly know basic intelligence techniques!
  Anastasia encouraged:
  - Here I think you have to act on a whim! Without exact calculation! We don't even know what world you'll end up in at first. It is possible that you will be thrown into a black hole, or into a radioactive cemetery. Civilization can be both terribly backward and perversely overdeveloped! So be prepared for anything! We, in turn, can only wish you good luck!
  - Why won"t they take me on a starship? - the girl asked.
  - No! We cannot do this yet! You will be thrown through a portal, approximately to the center of the universe. This is the only thing I can tell you. We are unable to maintain any communication! - Anastasia exhaled.
  - How will I return? Or is there no return? - Mirabela"s face stretched out and turned pale.
  The head of the Department of Love and Tenderness replied as if it went without saying:
  - At the point where they drop you, there will be an emergency exit. He is quite capable of returning your body back, along with the hyperchip. This is our latest invention, so you will have some time to find the artifact.
  - Time is the most objective judge - it gives the floor to everyone and reveals evidence! - Mirabela said, noticeably perking up. - But in this case, you have to act without a plan.
  - What can you plan? Any battle is unpredictable! This is an axiom of war! - Anastasia has already begun to irritate, the girl is unbearable in her stupidity.
  - Improvisation is an axiom of victory! The template is the defeat theorem! - Mirabel expressed herself with an aphorism. - But will they at least give me a weapon?
  - We will arm you with the most expensive and modern weapons. You have several types of protection, or rather thirty-three, like hyper-super-soldiers, but I don"t know if this will help! We are not yet omnipotent, and each new universe is a mystery of nature! However, I think you"re not one of those people who shoots first and then shouts hands in the air!
  - Right! But if it has already been established that our technology is powerless in this universe, then why waste resources on my weapons. After all, in war every ruble is valuable. I"ll get by somehow, maybe I"ll get some captured weapons!
  Anastasia swallowed a hybrid of a grasshopper and an avocado, washing down the blood of a tomato cobra. The voice became much louder:
  - What! It's also good that you care about our budget. But we have no shortage of material resources, and we don"t know exactly what"s happening with the weapons. Maybe you'll be lucky and the weapon will survive. In addition, if you end up on a planet unsuitable for life, this is the only thing that can protect you. Especially if you end up on the surface of a star!
  Mirabela answered with feigned fear:
  - Horror will incinerate me!
  - Just not in GSS-level defense! Everything will be superstar! - Anastasia lightly patted her interlocutor on the shoulder.
  Mirabela finished her pizza and remained silent. On the one hand, she was flattered that they were taking care of her, but on the other hand, she still had certain bad feelings. Isn't this a sophisticated method of capital punishment? However: what can we say about death? This is a kind of mystery - no reasonable person believes in fairy tales about heaven and hell! But still there are some theories; they do not exclude the reincarnation of souls after the end of life. Maybe even with moving to another universe? There is a theory of multiple mirroring, and a great many parallel worlds with a paired arrangement of universes! As well as various shadow dimensions and subspaces. In general, the universe turned out to be much more complex than it was thought in ancient times! But I didn"t really want to go into such jungle. Physics has become very multi-level, but certainly the possibilities of matter and its use have expanded. So many different manifestations of hyperplasma appeared. The discovery of the sixth state of matter: caused a real revolution in science and technology! Now the wildest fantasies have become possible. Flights into space, between galaxies, solving energy and food problems. New types of hyperplasm were gradually discovered and created, including bioengineering that began to use them in the construction of human bodies.
  It made people immortal! At the same time, the most powerful and varied weapons were created, which helped to conquer the universe. The greatest effect comes from using hyperplasma in magic. The combination of super technologies, special super reactors and magic has become a huge force. However, magic remained irrational! No one has been able to fully unravel its nature! Why do some have the ability to perform magic, while others, despite all the efforts of bioengineering, do not!
  Mirabela herself knew how to cast magic, but she was deprived of this opportunity! All members of the chosen million have magic, but with the help of special radiation, these abilities can be dampened. Shouldn't we ask the ultra-hyper-marshal to return at least part of her magical power to her?
  - My task is very important! I would like to at least be able to do something, in case my weapons turn out to be useless. - The girl asked. - After all, magic is a good help!
  Anastasia, with poorly hidden annoyance, replied:
  - We already did this when you were in the virtual underworld, we carried out full processing.
  - Why then don"t I feel it? - The girl was surprised.
  - Magic abilities will appear after some time! - The head of the Department of Love and Tenderness cut off.
  -How many?
  - Different people have different ways! There's no need to rush too much. The anti-radiation with which they simplified you was too strong to immediately neutralize all the consequences. So calm down girl!
  Mirabela sighed heavily:
  - Can I die without demonstrating all my abilities?
  The ultra-hyper-marshal leaned back in her chair, releasing a sheaf of colorful sparks from behind her mouth:
  - You can be annihilated at the front. In general, some cowards prefer to live and suffer in anti-troops than to die for the Holy Fatherland. Although I don't think you're one of those people. And abilities can manifest themselves in two weeks, a month, a year! It's different for everyone here. Boys usually recover faster than girls! Why are there so many theories, you won"t be interested in listening to them!
  Mirabela unexpectedly agreed:
  - Honestly, I would like to be sent sooner!
  Anastasia called a hybrid of a diamond butterfly and a goldfish with a telepathic impulse, and began to lick it with three of her tongues. One tongue is red, another is purple, the third is yellow. The voice nevertheless remained intelligible and even became clearer:
  "The hyperreactor is now being charged; in order to transfer you, you need to spend energy, a month"s ration of an entire industrial planet." The Big Loop is a very difficult universe to reach. So girl, you're costing us a lot. I don"t know: how will you be punished if you fail?
  - Failure is still death! - Mirabela waved it off casually.
  Anastasia said, changing her key to a low, rich bass:
  - Yes, but there is a possibility to extract you. In particular, there is now a debate: whether Adolf Hitler should be removed from subspace in order to immediately judge and punish or wait until the end of the war.
  - Why not now? - Mirabela licked the mixture of juice and fat from her fingers, a luxurious dish (she actually ate almost for the first time)
  - Hitler was cursed by too many people, and it is very difficult to extract his personality file from the negative dimension! Energy consumption is high, but you know that during a war there are no extra resources! "The ultra-hyper-marshal bit off the head of the winged fish and immediately chewed it up.
  - This is understandable, but when the war is over, what will happen to him! - Mirabela was even surprised, licking fingers is almost more pleasant than eating the pizza itself.
  - The people's court will decide! Rather, they will be sent forever to the underworld, like the one you recently enjoyed! - Anastasia cut off the evil.
  - Brr! Isn"t it too cruel? - The girl suddenly felt thrown into a vacuum.
  - Don"t you know history, how much Slavic blood was shed through Hitler"s fault! He needs to be punished very severely, justly. - The ultra-marshal apparently swallowed the remains of the fish butterfly in rage. A piece of the wing fell to the floor and evaporated all at once.
  Mirabela calmly remarked:
  - I read Hitler, including little-known works! I don"t think that he is a complete maniac or a complete scoundrel!
  Anastasia seemed surprised:
  - Why?
  Mirabela began to hastily explain (not everyone has such awareness, this is not taught in academies), in general, their conversation only seemed long, but in fact it took no more than three seconds.
  - He is not against culture at all. On the contrary, he demanded the development of science, schools, theaters, and the promotion of decent and capable people to the top. Hitler wanted to instill an Aryan, pure culture, to instill discipline and accuracy in other peoples! In addition, Hitler did not dream of world domination at all, he wanted a large empire, with certain borders. And he had no plans for the complete destruction of the Slavs! On the contrary, Adolf believed that under German control, Russians and other peoples would live better than under Stalin. In addition, the fascists found the optimal balance between capitalism and socialism. In particular, German workers enjoyed extensive privileges, while capitalists were significantly limited in their income. In general, now in our empire there is no private ownership of the means of production. All factories are imperial and soldiers of economic armies serve in them. But doesn't this give rise to bureaucratization?
  Anastasia interrupted
  - No, stupid! Hyperplasma computers are engaged in planning, bureaucratic work is extremely rationalized! The entire economy is quite clearly managed by the commanders. It was during the Soviet era that problems arose due to undeveloped electronics. If not for the weakness, or rather the betrayal, of Gorbachev and Yeltsin, our Soviet empire would have become the richest in the world! However, under Stalin there was high production dynamics, despite the lack of electronics! By the way, I talked to Stalin. Genetic studies have shown that he is Russian on his father"s side, the son of a polar explorer and nobleman Przhevalsky! For his time, an extremely gifted man, smarter than almost all his military leaders. If all our commanders were like him, the war with Germany would last no more than six months. Even in case of a surprise attack! How many victories have we missed!
  - Why regret it? - Mirabel said, lowering her gaze. - Is it possible to fix it?
  - With the help of a super time machine, everything is possible! You"re a girl, I see: you don"t really understand this.
  - I understand! If the Nazis had been defeated earlier and with less bloodshed, then there would have been a chance to defeat the USA and conquer the whole world! In this case, stellar expansion began much earlier and in the war with Great Russia we would have had a head start! - Is that so? - Mirabela was happy to show off her erudition!
  The hypermarshal bit off the sharp ends of her fork (it squeaked) and agreed:
  - Yes, significant, and we could win quickly! However, given our mirror image, it is possible that the course of history has changed for them too. There are generally a lot of different alternatives here. If Genghis Khan had been killed in his youth, there would have been no Batu invasion! On the other hand, the former Kievan Rus was fragmented, and it is unknown when a prince capable of uniting it would appear. Remember how fiercely: after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine and Russia clashed.
  - But then they united! - Mirabela inserted
  - After a difficult war!
  - War is the natural state of man!
  - Certainly! But it"s bad when she goes between brothers! - Anastasia covered her eyes with her palm.
  - Look who's Talking! - Mirabela was indignant.
  The Ultra-Hyper-Marshal interrupted:
  - I said so! But in general, you think, I"m pleased to know that the same Russian boys and girls are dying in battles, just like me! It hurts to hit your little sister!
  The girl got angry:
  - Our entire war is full of blows! It reminds me of self-torture in some way! And most importantly, meaningless.
  Anastasia was about to answer when the entire room was filled with a painfully dazzling red light and bravura music began to sound!
  - Attention! The Empress is in touch! - The ultra-hyper-marshal muttered dryly.
  A majestic hologram appeared before them. The Empress was wearing a spacesuit that looked like knight's armor. The head is covered with a helmet: the face and hair are not visible! The figure is athletic, but in a spacesuit you can"t tell whether it"s male or female! In general, none of the mere mortals have seen the face of the current emperor. Portraits and video images were not created. Even the true name of the ruler was a carefully guarded secret, with the exception of a narrow circle of select people. Why such serious restrictions? The answer is elementary! So that during the war the enemy would not be able to use magic or hypertechnomagic that could influence the decisions of the emperor. After all, even the exact date of creation (birth) of a leader is absolutely confidential, because with the help of a horoscope you can calculate character traits in order to control, anticipate moves or cause harm. According to rumors, the empress was fabulously charming, but when all women are eternally young and beautiful, this is not so striking. Mirabela is also gorgeous, she looks about twenty years old and she is quite capable of winning the Mrs. Universe competition.
  The Empress spoke in a very low, thunderous (as if a choir were singing at once) bass (the electronics had clearly changed her voice).
  - I am glad to greet my humble servants!
  - Glory to the Greatest Sacred Russia! May the will of the emperor be fulfilled! - Both warriors shouted, raising their hands in a salute.
  The lady politely replied:
  - And glory to you, humble warriors! After all, the whole universe rests on people like you! I hope you don"t need to explain once again the importance of the task?
  Mirabela nodded:
  - It"s as if the entire universe was hung on me!
  The hologram became larger, the armor sparkled:
  - Quasarno (excellent) private! Now you have some more explaining to do! We are not going to completely destroy Great Russia. Although they are howling, they are brotherly people! But if you are too late and your mission, or maybe even that of our other agents, fails, then we will use the latest, most powerful weapons against the enemy. Its principles are extremely secret, but the power of destruction is such that it is possible to destroy superclusters of galaxies. The enemy is also conducting parallel developments; soon he will have a similar weapon ready. In this case, the main role will be played by who strikes first. So there isn't much time left!
  Mirabela turned terribly pale and burst from her lips:
  - I'll hurry!
  The Empress reassured, her voice became gentler:
  - Hurry up - don't rush! The superweapon is not yet ready and the enemy, with the help of his spies and saboteurs, is doing his best to slow down the work. We are not in debt either! Blows are being exchanged! War is like boxing, only after a knockout - you don"t shake hands!
  - Means!
  - Don"t rush too much, and take care of your life, girl! You are so kind, your humanity quotient is off the charts! - The Empress turned around on her axis, her armor sparkled like a hundred stars.
  The Ultra-Hyper-Marshal timidly asked:
  - Should I give her a weapon?
  - Certainly! Everything is with the latest technology! In general, we even have some overproduction of weapons; rather, we do not have enough people.
  Anastasia bowed:
  - Ultrastar! I don"t dare detain you any longer, greatest of the greatest!
  The Empress was offended; a capricious note was heard in her voice:
  - Don"t you like communicating with the emperor! After all, this is also a greater achievement, to be close to the leader! How depressed the eagles are! What do you guys say?
  - Of course, communicating with you is a great pleasure! - Said Mirabela. "It"s like listening to wonderful music, the play of melodies." Although such a comparison is too pale to describe how amazed we are by your intelligence!
  The ruler of the universe changed her tone, her voice became much more feminine:
  - There is a hidden mockery in your words, but I like that you are not afraid of me. Cowardice is the biggest flaw of a soldier. The lack of intelligence can still be compensated by a computer, but no technology can replace courage! "The Empress released triple lightning, the air sparkled as if snowflakes were sparkling, Mirabela felt the heat.
  - Yes, I agree, oh great lady! Although, to be honest, a smart coward sometimes brings more benefit to the empire than a brave fool!
  The Empress remarked sarcastically:
  - You're right! Considering that dead people cannot fight! A dead soldier is always a bad soldier! - The mighty empress was already actually thundering. - You know, you"re not afraid to argue with someone who can send a whole trillion or even a quadrillion people like you to eternal torment in the underworld. This suggests that the girl is able to deviate from the pattern of thinking. Alas, most of our soldiers: only a tool provided for by the article.
  Mirabela said softly:
  - They are smart, educated and very erudite! There is no need to say bad things about my comrades. They all went through a good school!
  - War is a good school, but if you make a mistake, you won"t be able to retake the exams! - The Empress stood upside down, leaning against a garland emitting polygamous radiation. - In general, there are no fools in our army! This is a serious training system with genetic selection. In short, my little photo, tell me, am I beautiful?!
  Mirabela couldn"t resist making a joke:
  - Very much, especially in armor, they sparkle so much, it"s just nice to look at! Something like an ancient grill!
  The Empress remained calm and even seemed delighted:
  - It's good that you have imaginative thinking. It"s much worse when people can"t put two words together, especially in the presence of power! Well, okay, beautiful and gentle, there"s no time to have a discussion with you. Although, for example, tell me: what is always missing, and what makes me sick all the time!
  - Power! - Mirabelle answered quickly.
  The lady was surprised; a green wave ran through the suit:
  - Wow! But in the barracks, they didn"t teach you this! How did you guess?
  - By the method of deduction! - The girl answered.
  - How is that? Can you clarify!? - The Empress reproduced with her finger: a magical phantom, in the form of a hybrid of a dandelion and a crab, with a sword in his hands.
  Unfazed, Mirabela replied:
  - There is always a lack of power, but responsibility makes you sick! This is an axiom! In general, holding the universe on your shoulders is so hard!
  A hybrid of a dandelion and a crab grappled with the suddenly emerging mixture of a fox and a porcupine; in addition to the sword, several more instruments were used, seemingly more musical than combat:
  - If you rationally distribute responsibility, then everything is not so difficult. The state mechanism is debugged to perfection. This is a kind of waterfall, despite all the apparent rapidity, a completely stable system. - The empress noticed, sending a pulsar from her eye (it immediately silently exploded):
  - Comparing the power system with a fountain, when the stream shoots upward, is much more appropriate! - Mirabela objected, marveling at her own courage.
  - The girl is charmingly arguing with me. It's like in the fairy tale about Frostbitten Alice! She was so insolent to the queen that she walled her up in thick ice! - The second magical pulsar was even larger and brighter than the first and in the shape of sharp angles.
  - Why not solid hydrogen!?
  "I didn"t want to make her a natural blonde!" - A phantom of a hybrid of a naked girl and an unusually bright fly agaric flashed by.
  Mirabela couldn"t help but giggle:
  - They say blondes have very original thinking!
  The Mistress of the Universe lit up a dozen more magical projections at once:
  - Like stupid like a blonde! But your hair is naturally a mixture of pearls and gold! Hyperquasar! I hope we will meet again! I really liked you! - The gigantic hologram flashed like a comet and disappeared along with the phantoms.
  Mirabela bowed and whispered:
  - It"s strange, the ruler of the universe looks like a fool!
  The Ultra-Hyper-Marshal waved her hand:
  - She just speaks with a sense of humor, but in general, if you were in the shoes of the emperor, you would understand why! Then I could appreciate a simple human joke.
  - I don't blame her! When there are so many problems, you really want to fool around.
  Anastasia sent a telepathic impulse, they answered her:
  - It"s time, by the time we get to the entrance to the portal everything will be ready!
  - Finally! Waiting for something unknown is always painful! Nerves are melting! - Mirabela said desperately.
  Both girls (although one of them had already exceeded four hundred cycles), accompanied by a dozen combat robots, terrifying with fifty different weapons, headed to the other end of the planetary system. They were accompanied by a platoon of tetralets.
  . CHAPTER No. 15.
  The slaves stared at the half-naked girls and immediately received whips:
  - Don't look! Your tribe is not allowed!
  The slaves had to catch up. Oddly enough, the attitude towards the boys was more liberal. They were allowed to come closer and look at the girls with enthusiasm. Sweaty naked bodies glistened, the full, slightly scratched breasts of pretty girls shook.
  The chief merchant Ahmed yawned:
  - No it's not that! Just women's wrestling, that's where it was better with swords. Call the elder.
  - He's already coming!
  The head of the village actually appeared. He was in a toga and had a long gray beard, his wrinkled face was almost black. Wooden shoes clicked on the stones.
  - Greetings Ahmed! Will you be spending the night or just passing through?
  The slave trader barked:
  - On our way! Listen, give me a little show, it"s boring! I don"t come across any robbers, and my hand misses the sword.
  The old man nodded his head:
  - Will you fight yourself or let our people wave:!
  Ahmed looked between his ringed fingers and decided:
  - Yes, it"s better to do it yourself! Killing another is more fun than just watching someone die.
  The elder was inspired:
  - So there will be no mercy! Only until death!
  The slave trader grinned:
  - That's exactly Pilon. Or do you think I"ve had enough, it will only hurt!
  The elder scratched his beard:
  - You have to pay for this! Young girls cost from two hundred to fifty silver helmets, alas, there is a huge demand for slaves! But men are cheaper, from one hundred to thirty, and boys will even go for twenty!
  Ahmed interrupted:
  - Then it"s better to be a boy! Money must be saved.
  Pilon was delighted:
  - Your choice, the boys cost almost nothing, besides, there are many of them and it is difficult to feed them. Now let's cast lots.
  Ahmed grinned.
  - Only faster, I"m not used to waiting for a long time.
  Having selected boys over ten years old from the poorest families, Pilon ordered them to draw straws. Whoever has the shortest one should fight. The boys generally behaved as expected at their age, noisily but boldly. No one was being cunning; the sword fight must have seemed like a fun game to them. The winner was a rather muscular, dark-skinned boy of about fourteen. They put a light sword in his hands, and oil was dropped on his head. The kids began vying with each other to give advice. Ahmed chose a longer and heavier sword and grinned. He was a good swordsman and was more than confident of winning against a boy who, if he had any experience, only fought with sticks. However, if the boy can do something more, then Ahmed will only be happy with it and will have more interesting fun.
  The slaves were given a juicy fruit resembling a broom, only the skin was rough and thinner, it was easily removed. The taste is much sweeter, something like orange, but of higher quality. Yanka mentally thanked the demons: that they sent him to a world as warm as the Sochi resort, where he did not have to starve and there were no terrible mosquitoes. Apparently the presence of several suns had a beneficial effect on flora and fauna. Yanka looked and at the same time sympathized with the teenager who had to fight with the merchant. Can he resist such a colossus, almost two meters tall and not offended by speed and reaction? It"s true in Hollywood films: as a rule, the small fighters win more often. As a rule, a negative character: much taller and weighs more than a positive one. A kind of film industry tradition! But life is much harsher than Hollywood and the merchant is not such a fool as to fight without being confident in his own absolute superiority.
  Some of the village residents, mostly children, who were free from work, gathered to admire the rare spectacle. It's not a fight or a fist fight, it's a fight to the death! Nevertheless, the children made bets, as a rule, on some little thing, beetles, homemade toys, or light physical punishment, slaps, a kick in the butt, jumping from a tree, or just a slap in the face. Teenage slaves who had nothing also made bets on pinches, clicks and other small things. Since Yanka was sitting on a cart, no one made a bet with him, and he did not want to approach the boys.
  He didn"t believe in the victory of a simple village boy over a skilled adult fighter, and he didn"t want to bet on the cruel Akhmed.
  The horn sounded and the fight began. Akhmed weighed at least one hundred and thirty kilograms, that is, three times more than the boy, who, for his fourteen years, was almost the standard size.
  The merchant grumbled:
  - What a little jackal, you want steel in the ribs.
  The boy answered with dignity and courage:
  - Under yours!
  Akhmed barked and tried to hit him with his boot, but the boy managed to parry and even hit his leg. If the boy had a sharper sword, the wound would have been serious. The merchant cursed:
  - Slave dung!
  - Fat belly! - The boy answered.
  Akhmed struck, but the boy deftly bounced away. The small, flexible body was mobile, except when you were wearing only a loincloth, it was very easy to move.
  Ahmed, however, was an experienced fighter; he moved slowly, reasonably believing that the puppy would not leave him. The boy chose the only correct tactic: constant retreat.
  It was reminiscent of a fat cat chasing a nimble mouse.
  Akhmed put his sword forward, slightly pushing off with the toes of his boots, keeping an eye on his opponents.
  - Little jackal, you whine and are cowardly.
  The boy responded:
  - Why are you rumbling and puffing the drum!
  Ahmed moved a little faster and his blade managed to rip open the boy"s chest. However, despite the dripping blood, it was just a scratch.
  - You cut like a girl!
  Ahmed struck in rage, with such force that the boy almost dropped his sword, fell, but quickly jumped up.
  - You won"t catch up!
  Yank had associations in his head with the famous film Pinocchio, where the big Karabas was also running after a little man. In the film, everything ended well, the beard was pinched, Karabas was showered with cones. Here the Yankees had serious problems, the bladder, after a jug of very pleasant juice, suddenly rebelled, but I really didn"t want to miss the spectacle of the battle. After all, when they fight with swords, everything can end in one moment.
  - I"m not small, I can endure it!
  Ahmed continued to advance, the boy, who was tired of running away, tried to attack, swinging. He was fast and agile, as befits a teenager who, from early childhood, worked and ran a lot physically, without knowing such torment as sitting at a desk! . But the sweeping movements revealed a complete lack of fencing school. The boy simply waved and hit, trying to hit, without any system or basic techniques. If he had an experienced mentor and at least a couple of years of training, Ahmed would be lying with his belly torn open. But alas, the beggar boy does not have such an opportunity!
  The merchant had several opportunities, taking advantage of the boy"s passion, to pierce his chest, or even cut off his head. But he was in no hurry; the easy death of the impudent puppy was not part of his plans.
  - What a sucker! You keep twitching and barking! Now look: how real warriors chop!
  - Freak! - The boys shouted and received a strong blow to the shoulder. The sword immediately became heavy and the boy staggered.
  - Well, who's a freak! - The end of Ahmed"s sword became bloody.
  - You!
  - So get more! - Ahmed attacked skillfully. The boy"s hands weakened and after another attack, he was wounded in the arm and dropped his sword.
  The boys screamed. The teenage slave tried to run away, but two spears pressed into his chest:
  - Where is the jackal calf!
  Ahmed jumped up and hit the boy on the head with the flat of his sword:
  - Well, I"ve calmed down!
  Yanka gasped when the boy fell, it seemed to him that he was killed. Seeing that the boy"s head was intact, he had a flash of hope that maybe the merchant would leave the young gladiator unconscious, and then he would come to his senses.
  But apparently mercy was not part of Ahmed's nature.
  - Well, tickle him!
  A warrior from the merchant"s detachment took out a pre-prepared spear from the fire. He approached the motionless body.
  - Well, come on, what are you worth!
  The warrior nodded, held out his spear, and the hot iron burned the boy"s bare heel.
  The boy screamed in acute pain and tried to jump up. Ahmed punched him in the face:
  - Where is the jackal calf!
  The boy fell and the soldiers grabbed him by the arms and legs. Ahmed took the spear in his own hands and with pleasure burned the teenager"s other heel with the hot tip. He howled, trying to escape. The rest of the boys became quiet, but watched without stopping. They themselves were afraid of being tortured, but it was so interesting to look at the torment of a peer. It"s not for nothing that so many people always gather for the death penalty or flogging.
  - Well, why are you itching! It's very nice! Is not it! - Ahmed put the tip under the boy"s arm. It smelled like fried meat. However, the tip cooled quickly. The warrior handed the merchant a torch. He brought the fire to the dark hair on the boy"s head, and it began to char.
  Here the elder could no longer stand it:
  - Enough!
  - What's enough?! - Ahmed barked.
  - We agreed that you would simply kill him, but we had no agreement about torture!
  - Oh, that's how it is! You're wearing five more silver helmets for the fun. - The merchant threw money to Pilon. He greedily grabbed them and muttered:
  - Maybe ten?
  - You want too much! Although here"s what... - A thought flashed through Akhmed"s head. - I'm taking this slave with me. He will be my whipping boy. As soon as something starts to itch or I"m in a bad mood, I"ll unleash my rage on it. Do you understand?
  The elder humbly replied:
  - In general, I don"t care whether you kill him or he will be yours! And money is never superfluous! By the way, the boy"s name is Muk, symbolically, it means he was born for torment!
  - Let's make flour, good flour! - Ahmed was delighted, licking his lips. - Well, great, tie him to the rest of the boys.
  Yanka, in order not to see the torture, jumped off the cart. His legs had not yet fully healed, and he wrapped them in rags. It was a little painful to walk, but the pain had already become familiar. Suffering is the daughter of slavery, and the very first and strongest!
  Hearing that Muk was being taken away, he did not know whether to be happy or sad. After all, being the object of slow torture is no better than dying right away. Especially if in this universe after death there is not only inferno!
  When you relieve your bladder, your soul becomes lighter and you feel much more cheerful. Well, it"s better to remain silent for now, otherwise you yourself will have to groan under torture!
  The caravan moved again: the rested slaves walked more cheerfully. Only Muk had a hard time; his heels were covered with large blisters and he had to walk on his toes. The boy, however, held on and even tried to smile, despite his wounds. Yanka immediately felt respect for him. In general, courage has always been valued. At one time, when they were at school, there was an essay on a free historical topic: he wrote several sheets about Stenka Razin. Moreover, with great respect, emphasizing that Stepan did not chicken out, even when he was executed by quartering. He joked to the end, smiled, accepting painful death as a pleasant adventure. The teacher really didn"t like his essay.
  - Stenka Razin is just a bandit! - She shouted.
  - People wouldn"t follow just a bandit. Do people write songs about scoundrels? Stenka Razin wanted to make a simple peasant and artisan: a worthy person. You are a former slave - a free Cossack, not a cattle! After all, the fact that Razin abolished class inequality and ordered everyone to be equalized one to one is true! Only a truly free person can create something and create beauty. Although there were serf artists and poets! And during the dark Middle Ages they created masterpieces. But will is will! In the USSR, Gorbachev gave people freedom, the opportunity to look at naked women, read Hitler, scold the party, watch good Hollywood films and, what is especially nice: cartoons. Still, so far the US produces better blockbusters than in Russia. This is a fact, and not only in terms of special effects. Hollywood films somehow have more intense and unpredictable plots, more colorful and varied fights, and something else elusive that distinguishes most Russian ones. Maybe this is more kindness, despite the blood! However, in Soviet times there were good children's films. Yanka especially liked war films, where cool kids like him thrash adult fascists, white guards, and bourgeoisie! How interesting and funny it is! In the USA there are also films with child heroes, but somehow there are fewer of them, and something is missing. Maybe the idea is patriotic. Is it possible to remember at least one American film about the Second World War, where children smash and kill packs of Germans? Or even about the civil war of Abraham Lincoln. Mark Twain is undoubtedly a great writer, including a children"s writer, but he never developed the image of a child warrior. Arkady Gaidar: did something in this direction, but not enough. Perhaps if he had not died in '41, the image of a child warrior would have been further developed. Only one Russian writer managed to truly reveal the image of a children's warrior! Yanka read it on the Internet. Wonderful and very cool! It"s only strange that they don"t publish such a fascinating guy! Although it may still be published. They didn"t want to publish The Master and Margarita, but then the novel became the best and most popular of all science fiction works. It was even studied in school as a class assignment. However, Yanka read The Master and Margarita for the first time: when he was five years old. The novel made a strong impression on the child. However, it is natural: such a work is too mystical for its time. Then, in pre-war Soviet Russia, atheism was more aggressive than ever. The size of the society of militant atheists: exceeded ten million people; if a communist attended a service, he was immediately expelled from the party, which automatically led to arrest! And here is the Great Satan himself: walking around Moscow and deciding the fate of people. And the vaunted NKVD is absolutely powerless against Woland and his servants! Certainly. a big slap in the face of the Soviet regime. In addition, the Muscovites themselves, residents of the capital, an exemplary Soviet state, are shown as greedy, proud, self-interested, devoid of hard work and basic decency. But this is not the image of the Soviet man that Agitprop sculpted. The police are helpless, the bosses are drunk, the society is without conscience and greedy! And this is in the capital under the wise management of Stalin.
  Of course, Bulgakov softened some things. In particular, he showed the psychiatric hospital as an exemplary institution, where each patient lies in a separate room with a shower, and the orderlies are polite, many of them charming women. In fact, a mental hospital is a terrible institution, it is worse than a prison. Terrible dirt and stench, overcrowded cells, straitjackets, cruel and sadistic orderlies! Food: even worse than in prison, since the rations are stolen by all and sundry. The company is also worse, there are plenty of violent criminals and maniacs, and even fools, morons, schizophrenics. It must be said that most prisons live according to the following concepts: no chaos, the cells are neat, the prisoners themselves maintain cleanliness, they are even equipped with rocking chairs, you can install a TV, and if you have the money, make European-quality repairs. It"s much worse in a mental hospital, because a fool can urinate or go to bed and you all smell him. Besides, in prison: they don"t inject you with psychotropic drugs, but in the psychiatric hospital? Various rubbish, from which it is very bad, everything hurts, real withdrawal occurs, like that of a complete drug addict. And it is very harmful to health, the heart, liver and kidneys suffer, and literally everything! No, it"s really better to go to prison! Bulgakov does not describe the prison, but depicted the mental hospital in rosy tones. Why did he do this? Probably not only because he was afraid of censorship, but believed that the Soviet government was much kinder, more humane and brighter than it really was. Everyone wants to believe in the best; many Soviet writers believed in communism and softened the negative manifestations of life. Or do you think that Gaidar did not know what collectivization was? I knew, but I was afraid! However: apart from the excesses that were committed, the very idea of collectivization was correct and most of the peasantry supported it. They believed in the best and loved Stalin. I wonder how Bulgakov himself treated Stalin? After all, Stalin saved him from the brutal reprisals of the NKVD, and even allowed Bulgakov"s plays to be filmed in theaters. . But there are so many capable writers who were shot or rotted in camps. In general, if you took away the Master and Margarita from Bulgakov, no one would know him now (except for a narrow circle of specialists).. If you left him only the Master and Margarita, then everyone would know!
  However, every writer has his own masterpieces, like: The Three Musketeers of Dumas (and that is, the facts, they helped him write them), or Conan Doyle"s Sherlock Holmes. It is more difficult to identify a leading novel from the prolific Jules Verne, but it is most likely Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, as it was most often filmed. On the other hand, after Jackie Chan starred in the blockbuster "Around the Light in Eighty Days," perhaps this work became the leader at the box office. It is better not to touch modern writers; there is not a single giant among them. In addition, original ideas are mostly exhausted, and almost any writer can be accused of plagiarism. It was a different matter at the end of the nineteenth - at the beginning of the twentieth century, when fresh virgin soil of literature was being turned up. Yes, there were giants then, but now they are being crushed, and only one more or less fits the definition of great!
  A dragonfly, as large as a crane, flew over Yanka. One of the archers shot at her and hit her. The boy paid attention; the shooter practically did not aim. A quick shot indicates good training and a lot of experience. This means that this must be taken into account if he decides to run away. But where?
  Ahmed whipped up his horse and, riding up, shouted:
  - Well, is the game ready?
  - I"ll do it in an hour, sir! - Yanka exclaimed.
  - So look, my dear! If you can"t handle it, I"ll whip you so hard that... - The merchant didn"t finish. Having approached Muk, he hit the boy with a barbed whip.
  - What a little jackal, my body itches! - And again the blow.
  Yanka thought, why shouldn"t he itch if this guy never washes? Even from a distance you can feel how it stinks. It stinks like bastard. Slave boys are even much cleaner.
  It"s disgusting to watch, but to stand up and intervene means to get hit yourself. Oh, how easy it is to fall into execution: keep silent, keep quiet, keep quiet!
  Fortunately, a fluffy boar ran ahead and this distracted the sadist. Muk caught his breath with difficulty, but did not cry out. The face turned slightly pale, the cut skin: thin streams of blood flowed down. The merchant had a special whip with steel stars: it tore skin and meat.
  Yanka thought that it was still good to live in a civilized country, where children were not flogged for trifles. In tsarist times, naturally, the rod was common. True, over time they spanked less and less! Children under Soviet rule were a privileged class, they were pitied, spanking was banned in schools. The truth under Stalin: they began to treat people much more strictly. They even used torture, but then liberalization came again. Maybe even the opposite, there is no discipline at school, complete irresponsibility. However, when you yourself are flogged, you somehow don"t really want to subject others to flogging. It"s not for nothing that the most convinced pacifists are those who fought and saw the death of their comrades!
  I wonder what one of the adventure books would have done in his place. Would you challenge Ahmed to a fight?
  This means dying yourself. Or like in a fairy tale: at a critical moment, a great sorceress or warrior appears. The real battle begins, where your opponent is already a pathetic worm.
  Life is much more complicated. After all, what happens to him is not a blockbuster. And he is not able to scatter the guards alone or stab the leader. So you have to be silent and endure. Now, if you remember the analogies, then what did certain heroes do in the Middle Ages. One I remember treated, performed operations and everything worked out wonderfully for him. Another entered the royal service, making a career, the third became a pirate, the fourth...
  However, these are adults. It's more difficult with children! First of all: you need to pretend to be a representative of some noble family. Alas, he lost the first round! Stooped to the level of a slave! Another way is to use modern knowledge.
  Well, he's already trying to do something here. There are some pretty decent chess sets that are about to be ready, and besides that, he can invent many more games. In general, if you are a free person, you can get rich from this. True, a lot depends on luck here, if chess is popular in our world, then why shouldn"t it be: there"s something super about it. It"s true that it"s not bad to get a monopoly on the production of chess, otherwise profits will fall. You can also try it with cosmetics, here perhaps women don"t indulge in this. However, even here you need to be a free person. And it"s better to hide your skill for now. In general, more often in the past, heroes of historical adventures acted with brute force. Here, of course, the power and real capabilities of special forces are greatly exaggerated. Are there not many cases when selected fighters are beaten by simple street hooligans? Decent! So it is naive to think that one special forces soldier can kill a hundred trained fighters with swords. Yanka was ready to bet that a well-trained and experienced ancient Roman gladiator could kill almost any member of the Alpha special group with swords. And, the superpower of special forces is a kind of propaganda cliche. Superman complex! Although this is just an ordinary protein body, and often drunk at that! It should also be noted that fighting gets boring! What else can you think of? An automatic machine just like that, you can"t invent it, it"s delicate work. Yes, of course, a simpler cannon: you can make and produce gunpowder. But what will this give? An unheard of war will begin, streams of blood will be shed. And he will still remain on the chain. I remembered the adventures of Gulliver, how he offered the king of the giants to produce gunpowder, but the monarch refused. What a wise decision! In addition, besides gunpowder, there are a lot of other dangerous explosives. Brr! It's not a good idea to start an arms race. It"s a pity that, for example, he doesn"t have the elixir of eternal youth, while the people of his era don"t know how to do it themselves. Maybe produce musical instruments? Oh that's an idea, but first gain freedom!
  There are two ways here: run away or curry favor with the owner. The first path is tempting, but risky, the second, on the contrary, is not very desirable, but more realistic and safe. However, a lot depends on the person. If Ahmed has even a shred of conscience?
  Mushroom rain began to fall. The sun continued to shine. Here Yanka was the first to see a local rainbow. It was much richer, brighter, more diverse than earthly. The total number of shades that were available was incredibly large.
  Even the slaves who saw her admired her more than once. The boys tried to laugh and received a whip on their backs.
  Yanka asked the guard:
  - What is incredibly beautiful here when it rains?
  The mercenary replied:
  - What do I care? This doesn"t make my wallet any heavier! Just God Fazjara playing!
  - Who?
  - Fazjara or Fazh! Deity of small light. So frivolous and rather weak!
  Yanka noted:
  - Who do you like better?
  The mercenary answered with enthusiasm:
  - Of course Gore! He is a very powerful god! Patron of warriors! There is also a true Setter, but he really loves bloody sacrifices! To win, you need to kill too many slaves! And slaves are value and wealth!
  Yanka agreed:
  - A person of the highest value!
  - The man is a booger! How much you little guy don"t understand! A pathetic little man.
  - And the Sultan?
  The mercenary waved his spear:
  - Shut up, wretch, or we"ll all be impaled!
  Yanka exclaimed with feigned fear:
  - Of course I"m silent, oh great one!
  - Who is great?
  - Of course you!
  The mercenary assumed a proud posture:
  - I am the greatest in the world.
  The merchant called out to the mercenary:
  - What you said?
  He immediately cringed:
  - I was joking, owner.
  - I got what you mean! - Akhmed jumped up to the mercenary and lashed him backhand with his whip. He flew off his horse out of fear. He crashed, raising dust, but immediately jumped up:
  - I understand everything, master!
  - Got it?
  - Yes! Down to the smallest detail!
  - Well, sit down before I tie you to the beast.
  The mercenary climbed up with some difficulty, while groaning and apparently knocking off his kidneys. Yanka had a hard time holding back his laughter: he didn"t have enough to make another enemy.
  Ahmed drove up to the boy:
  - Well, how is the game ready?
  - I'm cutting out the last figure!
  - Okay, this fool amused me, I"m still kind and forgive you!
  Yanka replied with visible humility:
  - Thank you, sir!
  Ahmed was pleased with this, but he said sternly:
  - Don"t call me especially in front of everyone, master. This is an appeal to the Sultan. Call me master, or better yet, mister.
  - I understand, sir!
  - That"s wonderful! When I arrive next time the game should be ready!
  - I will try!
  The boy got back to work: At the moment he was interested in whether he would be the local champion in the game or not. Chess had its giants, for example Greco, Philidor, Morphy, Capablanca, Fischer, Kasparov. Now chess players and grandmasters were grinding. The most absolute champion is the computer. Or more precisely, a chess robot! Other great champions: were ahead of their time in some way. For example, Greco was the first to introduce the concept of sacrificial combination, Philidor of the role of pawns and positional play, Morphy of opening development, Steinitz defense, Lasker psychology. Each of them was a real person! What"s interesting is that almost all the champions were frontiers, revolutionaries. Including the last great champion: Garry Kasparov. Yanka watched almost all the games: Garry Kasparov. What was impressive about him was his knowledge of openings, his sharp combination vision, his tenacity in the fight for the initiative, and his lack of fear of his partners. Kasparov dealt a series of crushing blows to his opponents! It seems like he gave away the queen - you can"t run away from checkmate ! Well, to hell with the lyrics. Still, the Yankees have a solid first rank, and experience in defeating powerful computer programs.
  Finally the last horse is cut out. Fu-fu! You can lie down to rest, your arms are tired!
  Yanka didn"t notice how he fell asleep and lost his pace. In addition: they had already crossed the ridge and descended into the valley, where it was warmer. Yanka dreamed of a horse fight. True, some of the horses have snail-shaped shells, like the local horses.
  Yanka fights: he has a lot of strength, he is big and mature. He takes down one after another. Breaks through to the main hero wearing the Duke's crown. The boy makes a sharp swing and strikes. The enemy's sword cracked, the tip fell under the hooves. Yanka hits again...
  At this moment, severe pain burns him. The boy screams and opens his eyes. The noose "scalded" him, one more time.
  - How did the falcon sleep?
  Yanka wanted to send the tormentor away, or even punch him in the face, but he answered outwardly humbly:
  - Very good master!
  - So that's great! Is the game ready?
  The boy nodded:
  - Yes, all that"s left is to paint it!
  - So what's up! Paint it! - Ahmed twitched his lip out of impatience.
  - Fine! Is there black and white paint?
  - Give him! One is coal based, the other is chalk! - The slave trader whistled through the air with his whip, but did not hit him.
  Yanka was given a brush and the boy began to paint. It"s easy to paint the figures, but to put the board itself into squares so that they are even... I had to tinker: using various twigs and hooks as devices. Not without difficulty, Yanka finished the job. And now he will go down in history as the first inventor of chess, unless of course Ahmed: his discovery is not stolen. Although there was, for example, the great slave-philosopher Aesop, who became more famous than most ancient kings and modern presidents!
  The squares turned out not very even, but it will do. Yanka admired his work: he didn"t seem to notice his talent as a craftsman, but need forced him. When a person is pressed by life, he often shows invention and previously hidden abilities. Here they are first: chess in this universe. It would be nice to make a clock too. Well, that"s also a good idea, you can seriously get rich with watches! If the mechanism of those with springs is too complicated and requires great skill, then solar ones, which are much simpler, are quite accessible in the Middle Ages. Just keep quiet about this for now. The boy arranged the pieces and remembered that in the Middle Ages the most mobile piece was not the queen, but the bishop. He was more often called a jester or a runner. Bishop is a later name, just as the rook was called: tour or cannon! In the Middle Ages she went to only two fields. Queen or bishop for one. But now, it"s better to immediately introduce modern rules, otherwise he won"t be a local champion. Otherwise, adapt to the new rules, and the theory in this case will be different. What other game on planet Earth has so many hundreds of books devoted to theory and analysis of games? Yes, of course, professional boxers receive large fees, richer than chess players, although for example Fischer earned millions in his time, but beauty and aesthetics are incomparable. However, Fischer often compared chess to boxing. Yanka had to participate in contact sparring, but he did not like boxing. Due to his reaction and speed, the boy even won a school competition (on points, not daring to hit with full force), but refused to engage in this sport professionally. At school, he had enough strength to punch the offender in the face, but Yanka had a good heart; he didn"t have the slightest desire to hit the weak, even the "schmoozer." True, now he deeply regretted that he gave up a boxing, and even better, a kickboxing (where they also kick) career. However, a twelve-year-old boy, even if he were the world champion among children, is unlikely to cope with twenty-five experienced and armed warriors. But the owner Ahmed: if one on one, he probably did. He has excellent stretching, flexible joints, and good abilities for martial arts. It's just that he lacks character. It"s somehow difficult to hit a person in the face and cause pain. However, in the Middle Ages, you can"t be too humane, they"ll eat you up, you need to grow fangs!
  Yanka sniffed the white queen and took it on his tongue. No, it's not pure chalk, it's something plant-based and more palatable. The boy made the first move, moving the black pawn. Yanka decided that black would make the first move, let the dark forces become the aggressor!
  As if to confirm such thoughts, the evening blew and the large lush palm trees nodded. The boy waved his hand at them. Ahmed noticed this gesture and jumped up to Yanka.
  - How did you paint it?
  - Yes, sir! Here they are black and white!
  Ahmed got off the snail horse, sat down on the cart and carefully lifted the board.
  - Nothing! Looks beautiful! Just how to play it!
  Yanka began to explain:
  - You need to move the figures one by one!
  - Why take turns! It"s better to rush in immediately, en masse!
  Yanka boldly objected:
  - No, there will be chaos, but the game should generate harmony!
  - That's how... Harmony! - The slave trader pulled out a fat, bearded face.
  - Of course, the main thing in it is the head, this game allows you to most clearly demonstrate the abilities of a commander. - Yanka said judiciously.
  Ahmed scratched the top of his head:
  - Commander! Wow! Sometimes it seems to me that the best commander is me! Especially if you need to command golden shells!
  Yanka quickly replied:
  - Training never hurts, especially since this is a fair battle that begins on equal terms!
  - Are you honest? And in war you cannot be honest. - Ahmed twirled the ring on his hairy hand.
  - If you learn to win honestly, then you will have no equal in deception!
  Ahmed agreed:
  - Well, okay, let's try to play: over and over again!
  - Each branch of the army moves in its own way... - Yanka began.
  Ahmed shook his head:
  - It's too difficult!
  - No, it's exciting! Believe me! - The boy said with enthusiasm. - After all, it"s the same in a real war, are horsemen equal to infantry?
  The merchant scratched his nose:
  - Actually, that's true! Okay, let's explain the rules.
  Yanka picked up a pawn:
  - This is an infantryman, during the first move, he can jump either one or two cells.
  - Interesting!
  - But on the second move, he can only move one square!
  - Why? - Ahmed leaned lower, the stench from him became stronger.
  - Because the infantry gets tired during the transition! - Yanka moved slightly away from the stinking rich man.
  - And if you move it to the side!
  - He can only capture another piece diagonally, but he himself only moves straight! - The boy pointed at the board with his finger to convince him.
  - Why?
  - After all, when an infantryman swings a sword, he also cuts in the side!
  Ahmed was curious:
  - Why not directly?
  - The shield is in his way! - I found Yanka.
  The merchant patted the boy"s snow-blond hair:
  - Well, you are a little sly one! There are more of them than anyone, but they are the weakest!
  - Not certainly in that way! If the pawn reaches the last line, it can transform into any piece! - Yanka raised his hand up.
  - Like any other time? - Ahmed seemed to disagree with this.
  - Career growth, for special merits!
  - Is that so? And even the Sultan?
  - No! Sultan san is hereditary!
  Ahmed calmed down:
  - So I agree, this is much fairer! Tell me what the figures are.
  - This is a rook, it is driven by the wind and it can move eight squares at once: in a straight line.
  - Why in a straight line?
  - That's how the wind blows! The rook is controlled by the elements and the commander, and in general it is a very strong and mobile piece.
  Ahmed shook his head.
  - Yes, it looks like it"s really strong! What else do you have! That's who it is, and I know the racer.
  - Yes, a horse, he jumps with the letter G. That's it! - The boy showed it to the board and smiled.
  - It's funny! Exactly! - Ahmed chuckled.
  - Jump like a grasshopper! - Yanka smiled even wider. His teeth are somewhat larger than they should be for a boy his age, but they are perfectly straight-whiter than chalk.
  - Well, okay, who is this? - Ahmed continued.
  - This is an elephant!
  - Elephant! Not very similar!
  Yanka was found immediately:
  - In our world: these are elephants!
  - What an abomination, your world is insignificant and ugly. - Ahmed flicked the boy on the nose. - I wish you had a trunk like this. Okay, how does he walk?
  The boy patiently explained:
  - Obliquely, really for the entire length of the board!
  - And why is it oblique?
  - Too heavy weight tilts to the side! - Yanka felt like a teacher explaining the structure of an atomic bomb to a first-grader.
  - Oh, this is very interesting! And what a figure this is!
  The boy puffed out his cheeks:
  - This is the strongest figure, the queen, or the chief vizier. He can walk to the right, to the left, and diagonally.
  - Why is this so?
  - The Supreme Vizier is most often the main commander, and in many countries: he actually rules the country. After all, often the second one pays more attention to governing the state than the first one! - Yanka nodded, moving the queen across the squares. - Selyavi! Cool guy!
  Ahmed adjusted his turban:
  - What is logical! But this, I already know - the Sultan himself!
  - Yes! He walks in all directions, but only one square.
  - Why is it so weak? - There was disappointment in the slave trader"s voice.
  - The fact is that the Sultan"s burden of power is too great for him to show agility, besides, on a campaign he needs to carry a whole harem with him! - Yanka sang. - You can"t live in the world without women! They contain the sun of May - as the poet said!
  Akhmed laughed indecently loudly, even the horses shied away:
  - Witty! Very witty! Well, now I know the rules: maybe we can play?
  Yanka grinned:
  - Well, why not play! Black goes first!
  - Then mine will be black! - Akhmed decisively moved the extreme pawn. Having made the move, which in the annotation is written a7-a5.
  - Why did you play like that?
  - I"m starting to move around the flanks! - The arrogant rich man croaked contemptuously.
  - Okay, so let it be? - Yanka answered E2-E4.
  The game has begun. Ahmed, of course, did not know the theory and simply lined up the pawns. Naturally, the matter ended: with a quick curse.
  - What is this?
  - The king is destroyed: that means the entire army surrenders, these are the rules. - Yanka spread his hands, darkened from a fresh tan.
  - Can"t the vizier take command? - Asked Ahmed.
  - No! - The strategist boy cut off.
  - Why? - The slave trader raised his whip.
  - Because: he doesn"t want the Sultan to die. After all, the king cannot be beaten, defend him to the end: the sacred duty of his subjects! - The wise slave said fervently.
  - Rare devotion! I like this game! Next time: you can't beat me! I... - The whip whistled in the air.
  - I'll mate! When a monarch is captured, it's called checkmate! - The boy"s bare shoulders trembled, he wanted to avoid such "caress".
  - Funny name! Then come on, if I win, you'll get ten hot shots on your back! - Ahmed bared his teeth unkindly.
  - What if I? - Yanka was glad that in the next minute the whip with the prickly stars would not stroke him.
  - You will be treated to meat for dinner. For a slave: meat is a very great delicacy! - Ahmed softened.
  - It's coming! I'm interested too!
  The boy arranged the pieces and a new game began.
  . CHAPTER No. 16.
  Vladimir and Elfaraya circled around the undying monster. They were already exhausted, and the enemy continued to press on them. Like a hydra: instead of one head being cut off, two grew! Try to win!
  The young man, having received another cut, his voice breaking from incredible tension, suggested:
  - There must always be a way: defeat the enemy! That"s why this is an obstacle course, someone is sure to pass it and win laurels!
  The girl answered breathlessly:
  - Of course: there is a way to win! What does experience tell you?
  Vladimir whispered, dropping drops of blood:
  - This monster is a robot! You need to find his control panel and turn it off! Quasar in hyperfractional dimensions: can drown in a thimble.
  Elfaraya felt hope:
  - And where is he?
  - Not too far, but not in the most obvious place! - Vladimir answered, losing his last strength from his wounds!
  Elfaraya was only a little fresher than him:
  - Let me cover you, and you look for this notorious control panel!
  - I'll try! - The young man"s right eye: he no longer saw anything, and the left was clouded with pink fog, and the young fighter was guided purely intuitively.
  The virtual monster attacked the girl with unimaginable force and caused her several cuts. Elfaraya timidly retreated, an impressive wound gaped in her shoulder. The girl"s legs, or rather the only surviving leg, were shaking, but she managed to cut off one of the monster"s limbs!
  - No, you won"t take me that easily! - The warrior spat out a knocked out tooth, aiming at the rows of eyes of the super-beast.
  The monster purred:
  - The flames of the underworld are waiting for you!
  Elfaraya parried the blows, but missed a poke in the leg. The boot fell apart revealing a graceful, muscular leg. The fingers were burned by the hyperplasmic flow.
  - Here's a black hole! - The girl answered. - This is what you do to me - my super-monster-anti-hero! But it"s not at all easy for me to sew a freak, zero, zero, seven!
  The monster's arms lengthened and he tried to reach Vladimir. The young man kicked, but was seriously hit in the side. The blood flowed again, leaving stains on the uneven surface. Vladimir, overcoming the pain, did a somersault, walked on his hands, then performed another lunge.
  - I"ll show you Kuzka"s mother! Chernodyrnik! - The boy slashed at the wall, trying to hit higher.
  The monster continued to grow in size and launched an attack on two fronts.
  Elfaraya spun and jumped, burning her bare legs, and her second limb suddenly grew back. The beautiful girl experienced strong, but long-established torment. She jumped and kicked the electronic creature with her bare foot, but was immediately hit back, losing three fingers and injuring her foot.
  Elfaraya screamed:
  - The horror of the anti-world!
  The monster quipped sarcastically:
  - In the hyper-underworld: you won"t sing like that!
  The girl was forced to retreat. It was becoming more and more difficult for her. Vladimir also got it, after another attack, the virtual monster cut off the guy"s leg at the knee.
  The boy groaned:
  - Oh, this is unbearable!
  - Be strong and gather your will! - Elfaraya advised. The blade of the sword hit the beauty in the chest and cut off her nipple. The girl did a backflip, flashing her bare, bloody heels. Then she cursed angrily:
  - This is how you caress women!
  The electronic creature replied:
  - I just want to cuddle and hug the ugly girls! I want to break their fingers and tear them into small pieces!
  "I"ll chop you into strips and stretch the goats!" Elfaraya shouted. The girl got it like a hammer blow. A leg broke and a twitching piece flew off.
  Vladimir lost his hand, they simply cut it off using a fan:
  - Here's a dildo! - The young man cursed. - You want to trample me!
  The monster swore fiercely:
  - It will be hard for you - vacuum quarks!
  -You're wrong, you cadaverous bastard!
  It was very difficult for the boy, his legs gave way. There was no strength to hold on any longer, but Vladimir fought. He parried another attack, cut off the enemy's limb, but it immediately, even difficult to grasp the moment, grew!
  The creature howled:
  - What a pain!
  - So so! "The boy spat out a handful of teeth, his cheekbone was cut.
  - It will be even worse!
  An attack followed on the girl, she retreated and deftly cut off the enemy. He spat poisonous brown blood, but became even more terrible:
  - What a beauty! You'll get it in a nickel!
  - You will run into a strong soldier's fist! - The girl answered with dignity.
  The next blow cut off her hand. Elfaraya gave way and was thrown back. She was bleeding. Vladimir received another "gift"; his knee was cut. The young man groaned and tried to dodge, but the tip pierced the place where ordinary people have their right kidney.
  Vladimir hit the limb, he only slightly succeeded: it was cut, the flesh made of liquid metal became much stronger. The boy retreated and tried to parry, but a dozen blades, as well as daggers, flew at him at once. One of them pierced the guy"s heart, Vladimir staggered and began to fall over.
  Elfarai's desperate effort saved him from immediate death. The young man received new damage, being almost cut in half, and the girl lost her second breast, and her heart was pierced. Elfaraya was covered in blood, her beautiful skin was peeling off. The girl hissed:
  - I'm losing my beauty!
  The monster, without hiding its carnivorous emotion, roared:
  - It's like the skin of an alligator will be removed from you!
  The dying girl did not lose her humor, she immediately answered:
  - With the power of the terminator, the face will be beaten!
  Again a desperate lunge, only one crippled leg remained. How hard it was for the girl.
  Vladimir received another blow to the heart. It"s good that he has three of them, otherwise immediate death. But the loss of two out of three motors causes it to weaken significantly. The boy's consciousness was clouded; one surviving leg could not support his body.
  The monster howled:
  - I'll stab you! - And he rushed at the girl. His obscene mouth said:
  - You know how in the old days: they raped such vigorous girls as you?
  - And I don"t want to know! - Elfaraya fought back, with the despair of a fly in a thick web.
  - But you have to!
  Pouncing on the girl: the blade cut the beauty in half. In a final deadly effort, Vladimir threw his sword, hitting a dove flickering in the sky; the bird was small and so harmless, but for a moment it seemed to the young man that an orange sight had appeared in front of him.
  The monster was about to crush the girl"s head, froze and suddenly began to crumble. His monstrous flesh scattered like ping-pong balls. They became smaller and smaller, scattered, bouncing. Elfaraya, belching blood, shouted:
  - You did it after all!
  - Yes, I did it! - the boy twitched in convulsions, he was in indescribable pain. ---Final victory awaits us.
  The last phrase was already out of place, but it looked very expressive. The young man and the girl joined their bloody hands and crawled. They covered meter after meter, as if with a naked abs on broken glass. With heroic efforts, we finally managed to overcome the barrier. The image flickered and the light went dark. The young man and the girl passed out for a moment, after which they came to their senses, frozen in the biochamber. Outwardly they were quite intact, but they were hanging on a force field.
  The ten-star officer with two deputies looked with interest at the naked bodies of the boy and girl:
  - You are wonderful fighters! Still, they managed to cope with the last monster, which usually only one in a million managed to do!
  Vladimir and Elfaraya barked:
  - We tried to fulfill our duty to the Sacred Motherland.
  - This is commendable, but usually not enough to overcome all obstacles! Is not it?
  Elfaraya quickly replied:
  - Yes! Loyalty alone is not enough to serve the country, but its absence cannot be replaced by anything!
  - Yes exactly! How did you Vladimir guess: that it was the pigeon that needed to be shot down? He was so harmless!
  The young man wrinkled his forehead and replied:
  - Hard to say! Maybe intuition! It seemed to me that I saw a bird through the orange sight, and then the body reacted on its own. Maybe death hypersensitivity.
  The ten-star officer agreed:
  - Right! This is quite strange to hear, but I will remember! By the way: ten-star general Dmitry Zubrov wants to visit you.
  The new commander appeared in front of the couple. He was in a ceremonial uniform, with luxurious shoulder straps, and smiled brightly:
  - Actually, you"re wrong, I"m a marshal now!
  Dmitry had a slender, athletic figure and looked like a glamorous young man. Like all people, a handsome, magazine-worthy playboy, he grinned, looking not entirely serious. Due to the lack of a mustache and beard (an unnecessary atavism was eliminated at the genetic level), the marshal seemed almost a teenager, especially when he did not frown or squint his eyes.
  - The fact that you, Vova, managed to find the key and destroy the monster"s control panel characterizes the fighter from the best side. Besides: you don't have a standard way of thinking.
  - Is it good or bad!
  - Depending on how devoted you are to the empire.
  Vladimir modestly replied:
  - My devotion does not exceed the limits of reason! I'm not saying that there is no one more loyal than me!
  The marshal said understandingly:
  - Everyone is loyal! I know! Although the word devoted and devoted are synonymous!
  - It's a pun! - Elfaraya said with a smart look.
  - Funny pun! - Dmitry agreed. - In short, I didn"t come to you to find out whose humor is more quasar. You have to complete: one specific task.
  Elfaraya joked:
  - I hope this is connected with lovemaking?
  - Almost! - Marshal Dmitry was delighted. - You"ve probably heard that in certain sections of the universe time moves, sometimes faster, sometimes slower: than with us, and sometimes even completely opposite!
  Elfaraya readily confirmed:
  - Yes, there is such a phenomenon!
  - So this creates certain problems with the development of this space. There's no escape, that's a fact! - Marshall spread his hands.
  Vladimir noted:
  - But our intelligence officers are fighting this effectively?
  - Of course they are fighting! And at the same time quite active! - The Marshal lightly snapped his fingers, a hologram of the starry sky appeared. - Quite a vast state: our satellite, owned by the elves, was attacked by evil coffin creatures. Coffins are a type of wild troll, they are always at odds with them. Your task is to prevent a civil war: which has engulfed the huge planet Furosan in a predatory fire.
  Elfaraya noted doubtfully:
  - This is certainly an interesting task, but wouldn"t it be easier to send several missile cruisers there?
  The marshal shook his head sharply:
  - No, it"s not any easier! We don"t want too obvious interference from our empire to turn trolls of all kinds against us. It is necessary to perform a microsurgical operation.
  Vladimir nodded:
  - It's clear!
  Dmitry began to patiently explain:
  - Land on the planet, although it is large, its gravity is approximately equal to that of Earth. Find the leader of the raiders, he calls himself Generalissimo Dodge, capture him or eliminate him. It"s better, of course, to capture him and then force him to act in his own interests.
  Elfaraya agreed:
  "It"s simply better to capture it and then force it to end the civil war."
  - That's exactly the girl. That's what you should do. I hope you can cope with such a task. - Marshall snapped his fingers.
  - Certainly! - A pair of warriors barked at once. - Ultrastar!
  - Just a guise: you must accept the elves; Great Russia should not be involved in this matter.
  The boy and girl nodded together:
  - We agree with this!
  - Change your name! Well, you Elfaraya already have a name like an elf, you shouldn"t be changed too much, don"t you agree? - Dmitry extended the index finger on his right hand.
  - Well, yes? Less risk of accidental failure!
  - And Vladimir will be renamed Vlarad! A beautiful elf name. This way you can have fun!
  - So I"m Vlarad!
  - Yes - Vlarad, and not a man, but an elf. In this part of the universe, time flows faster, and by the time you complete the task, nothing significant should happen on the fronts!
  The girl and the boy raised their hands in a salute:
  - We understand!
  - So fly on the elf cargo starship. This is your chance! Must slip by unnoticed!
  Elfaraya sang:
  Motherland: you are the sun and spring,
  We are floating in airless space!
  You can't build a city out of sand,
  If with the heart: callous and soulless!
  
  Elves are our brothers in love,
  Gentle, but flawless in battle!
  The computer showed zeros in the projection,
  Robots are human too!
  
  The spaceship is flying fast,
  The transition in the worlds is a small step, a walk!
  Let's give the universe a fresh look,
  Feeling ecstasy with all my sensitive heart!
  
  And war is certainly good,
  Without it there is no taste, no sweetness of the world!
  If the adversary came to destroy,
  Let's turn it into something like a shooting gallery!
  
  Born to the roar of evil rockets,
  Thermoquarks are tearing apart space!
  If the Russian spirit is touched by a horde,
  So let's prepare a rod in the basin!
  
  But you have to fight - it"s a duty,
  And one that requires dedication!
  The unclean one stuck his head on the threshold,
  Receive change from the knight to the forehead!
  
  That"s why you need a bow, it"s not a trifle,
  And the superlaser is a million times better!
  A hundred galaxies crushed like a nickel,
  Don't rely on a lucky break!
  
  I believe we will live to see victory,
  And we will be united with Russia!
  Glory was confirmed by the sword,
  The people have no limit to their strength!
  The warrior sang in a special range: that is, the words were also erupted in the form of ultrasound and the whole song was completed in one and a half seconds.
  The marshal whistled:
  - Ultrastar! Absolute collapse!
  Vlarad is not paying attention. asked:
  - Will we be given the most modern weapons?
  Dmitry tied his elongated index finger in a knot and confirmed:
  - From what can be obtained through smuggling, yes! But you should not use standard weapons of the Russian army.
  The young man objected:
  - Standard weapons: can also be obtained through smuggling!
  The marshal, showing patience and making another knot, replied:
  - Of course, in principle it is possible if our special services allow this, but these are usually outdated models. In addition, decommissioned but combat-ready weapons are used. So forget about the latest models. And there is no need to flapping your ears and running your tongue over hyperspatial ultrastrings!
  Elfaraya even approved of it:
  - And what? It's even more interesting this way. And the fact that ultra-modern technology did not have time to start the battle, and the enemy was already annihilated!
  Vlarad was even happy, his eyes sparkling:
  - It's even noticeable! Especially in our universe, in interuniversal space, weapons are not so destructive.
  The marshal released a hologram from his nail, a charming hybrid of a butterfly and a sexy, half-naked girl:
  - How to say, in this part of the universe, hyperplasmic weapons are also much weaker. This is simpler, it"s harder to destroy you, and the heavier the enemy has a much better chance of surviving. - The marshal extended his palm, the finger twisted into knots instantly straightened and acquired a normal length. The palm turned purple with yellow speckles, and a wine glass carved with curls and sparkling brighter than diamonds appeared on it. Dmitry swallowed its contents in one fell swoop, he apparently liked the drink, several multi-colored bubbles flew out from behind his mouth. Around the fighting pair: a flotilla of combat holograms suddenly appeared. The spaceships, although small, were very terrifying.
  - This is how we will do it! - Elfaraya shouted in military ecstasy: the warrior at once, shooting from a varnished nail, with collapse impulses, fifty virtual ships.. - Why now there are still a few sextillions of us left and each one knows no fear! Quasar! Give the order!
  The marshal nodded approvingly and warned:
  - It"s better that your elf partners don"t know that you are people! You never know, one of them may turn out to be a spy, or just a chatterbox. We have already changed the shape of the eyes and ears during the regeneration period. As for the story, pretend to be very young people who have undergone special training in the Russian kid barracks since infancy. This means they do not know many of the customs and specific concepts of the elves.
  Vlarad seemed offended:
  - Something about this race, our main ally, is known. We went through a fairly extensive training program.
  Dmitry interrupted:
  - This may not be enough! In addition, it is not so easy to change your own behavior. The risk of failure is too great.
  Elfaraya grinned and remarked:
  - We will complete the task in any case! What was never born, was not born, and will never be born? A commander capable of conquering Russia!
  The marshal released the transparent bun from his palm, it suddenly swelled, burst and a lush snowball fell on top:
  - Hyperquasar! Honest words! You understand the task, now start implementing it. Just don't be stupid. Robots will accompany you. Wait though! As a farewell, your group must experience the effects of hypercurrent. So as not to run out of charge!
  Powerful cyborgs struck with lightning, they grew like a multi-colored web. The bodies of the fighting couple were illuminated through and through, even the skin was falling off, ribs were sticking out, and parts of the skeleton were bent. Some of the bones cracked and burned like matches, the flame was dead and at the same time very bright, burning out the nerves. Vlarad and Elfaraya groaned, but held back their screams.
  The girl even smiled:
  - Well, this turns me on! Like a gangbang with a dozen guys!
  The marshal, satisfied, suddenly extended his neck like a giraffe, caught the target, biting off the head of the robotic rocket with his sparkling teeth, several million times harder than titanium. Having swallowed, he said:
  - What can you do next? I don"t think you"ll take a photo (you"ll make a fool of yourself)!
  The young man and the girl, accompanied by robots, moved away from the hall. The task was extremely clear, and the two temporary officers only had to carry it out. They boarded a speedboat and quickly headed towards the cosmodrome.
  Elfaraya giggled:
  - When Dmitry bit off part of the robot with his teeth, I went nuts! Gorgeous guy!
  Vlarad noted:
  - The marshal seemed to want to tell us something more with his gestures than with words. In particular, robots: they pray based on the ternary code, but the last Amen is usually accompanied by the release, albeit in microscopic doses, of hyperplasm!
  The warrior licked the boy's nose with two tongues:
  - It"s good that monasteries are not allowed for robots!
  Vlarad objected:
  - No, there are cybernetic monks! They even have some kind of militant nano-space orders!
  The cosmodrome seemed to hang in the void, high above the surface. Somewhere on the sides hovered buildings of solid geometric shapes. The earthly empire did not tolerate excessive pretentiousness, everything was measured, it even seemed that the buildings were marching columns. Only one building was in the form of six tuyere-turtle hybrids stacked on top of each other. The largest individual is at the base; as it moves to the top, its size decreases and its brightness increases.
  Elfaraya giggled:
  - It looks like a representative office of the elves! Abyss-vacuum buffoons!
  At the cosmodrome itself, the starships stood in orderly rows, as if lined up with a ruler. The elves' cargo transport resembled a rosebud that had begun to bloom. They were beautiful and graceful, the petals had fifty colors and shades. Unlike the harsh earthlings, the elves were very fond of luxury and ostentatious glamor, bright colors.
  Elfaraya and Vlarad were dressed in standard: very bright, national elf costumes. Her hair was curled and dyed, and she had earrings in her ears. This was also common among men of the glamorous race. Vlarad felt the weight of the earrings for the first time, he felt huge and inflated. Somehow even: not quite a man. Inside, the elven starship looked more like a royal pleasure yacht than a commercial cargo ship. Everything was so elegant, lush, luxurious, with a lot of flowers and artificial precious stones. Indeed, each stone constructed in a hyperplasma cyber reactor was incomparably: brighter and more beautiful than a natural gem. Elfaraya, like a true woman, was in admiration.
  - Megaquasar! How unique and wonderful!
  Vlarad remarked gloomily:
  - We don't like unnecessary luxury. In addition, the elves are too pampered and, like us, do not experience constant pain and severe hardening - cruel special training!
  Elfaraya licked the pebbles with her tongues and blossomed:
  - What a hyper-universal taste and aroma!
  And here are the elves themselves, very similar to modern people, especially when you can"t see their graceful ears, like flowers from the Garden of Eden, with lush hairstyles, and abundantly painted with cosmetics. So, as a rule, elves, both men and women, loved to dress up. This gave their beauty an extravagant look. There are approximately three fewer male elves than women, and in appearance they are beardless, painted with fluffy hairstyles and cannot be distinguished. Like earthlings, elves look young, but their eyes are not human: completely childish, naive and friendly. Vlarad thought that he also looked like a girl. Among people, men still had their hair cut short and had differences in clothing. Although by looking at the face: sometimes it"s really difficult to distinguish a female from a male. It's true that the vast majority of human women have larger breasts and wider hips. Elves have much the same thing, although they are usually thinner and more fragile than earthlings. The commander of the starship was a girl with a ten-color hairstyle. She received a warning: that soldiers who had undergone special training were arriving on board.
  Flying up, she kissed Elfaraya and Vlarad. The young man winced: the smell of the rich mixture of expensive perfume was too strong, and the girl"s face was very colorfully painted; the elves loved to make colored drawings on the body. The captain's assistant flew up to them, judging by his figure, most likely a man or a teenage girl. He released a cloud of polygonal, multi-colored bubbles from behind his mouth, dousing a couple of them. However, there was no splashing: it smelled of mint and a complex range of pleasant smells!
  - I'm Chrizzly! Two-star officer!
  Vlarad grinned and extended his hand:
  - Vlarad, temporary vice-officer!
  The elf took his hand in his palm and extended it to his groin!
  - Closer to the heart! - And he did the same with his sleek hand.
  Vlarad knew that among the elves, touching the genitals is not considered an insult, on the contrary, it is like the highest sign of respect, but he was a little embarrassed, it turned out somehow vulgar and ugly.
  The starship captain replied:
  - I am Astarte! Full of respect for the SS soldiers. We will fly to Furosan, which means we will have to cross an unfavorable zone.
  Elfaraya answered loudly:
  - Well, of course we"ll cross! Where ours didn"t disappear!
  Astarte corrected:
  - There is no need to disappear! This is human slang!
  The girl answered with dignity:
  - It's hard to be with a magnet and not get magnetized.
  Astarte nodded, raised herself slightly into the air, and shook her hips. Her boots were sparkling.
  - We have adopted a lot in culture from people. Look at me, the order of the hero of the interuniversal war, Peter the Howitzer. See how handsome he is.
  Peter Howitza was in color and decorations. The elves established the human order, but decorated it in their own way. However, he looked pretty good.
  Elfaraya squinted and remarked:
  - He's a cutie.
  - In twelve cycles, he got to the front two quasi-years ahead of schedule. There he became famous for capturing a general! - I noticed Astarte playing with her torso. In general, you can"t say anything - a hero. Died by blowing up the flagship battleship - the death of a hero!
  - And life! - Vlarad (Vladimir) barked. - However, whoever does not know how to appreciate life will not be able to face death with dignity!
  Astarte agreed:
  - That's right, kibalchish boy! Is that what they call you in the human empire?
  - Not really! Children are called kid soldiers! - Vlarad objected.
  - I know that, but I mean something completely different. Brave and persistent too! - The girl has finished spinning. - Let's have some fun, we have a lot of games, especially collective ones. I think you're tired of continuous wars?
  Elfaraya nodded:
  - To hell! Constantly striking and killing has become a routine. Especially during these black hole exercises!
  Astarte suggested:
  - What if we build a city! Or not, I suggest you the next game. Each elf is given a planet.
  - Fine!
  - Wild planet! Your task is to build a civilization! - The girl winked.
  Vlarad slapped his hands:
  - In one second! And then attack the neighboring world!
  Astarte shook her head:
  - No! That's not what we mean! In principle, we don"t need something like this. The one who achieves a higher standard of living will win. Points will be awarded for this. Basically, I hope everything is clear to you.
  Elfaraya laughingly said:
  - We will defeat you all! By the way, when do we start?
  - We have already started! - The elf squealed.
  - Why didn"t I feel anything!? - The Russian warrior was surprised.
  Astarte's face became cunning:
  - This is our big secret! People cannot be superior to our race in everything. We must also have the know-how! Especially considering the antiquity of my civilization!
  Vlarad recalled:
  - And I think I know, acceleration in cargo ships is slower than in people. This is why there are no sensations.
  Chrizzly said offendedly:
  - We have one of the newest reactors installed, we bought it on sale!
  Elfaraya burst into tears:
  - The newest reactor is on sale! What could be more ridiculous and stupid.
  Chrysley responded:
  - On the anti-market, you can buy absolutely everything! You simply don"t know, you believe in propaganda, in the omnipotence of human intelligence services.
  Elfaraya stated conciliatoryly:
  - Probably written off from some damaged starship?
  - That's it! You cannot defeat two things: greed and stupidity, although the absence of the first is often combined with the latter! - Chrizzly joked. - Do you want to catch a glitch?
  Vlarad asked:
  - Are these hallucinations?
  - Yes, like that, but so exciting! Simply amazing! - Astarte puffed out her cheeks, with vulgar erotic drawings, like two watermelons.
  - Do not abuse glitches! It's fraught! - Vlarad shook his finger (he read that elves love such a gesture).
  - Try it and you will immediately understand that nothing is better than this! Except sex! - Chrizzly opened his mouth and invitingly moved his long, bifurcated pink tongue.
  Elfaraya kissed Chrizzly tenderly:
  - Well, I don"t mind with you!
  - No, I want love with Vlarad.
  The young warrior grimaced angrily:
  - Unipolar sex is a perversion!
  Chrizzly whined:
  - That's how it is with people! Or you forgot your race while living with people. This is quite natural for us. On the contrary: it"s not difficult to seduce a female, but to promote a man (males are in the minority), this is hyper-chic!
  Vlarad objected:
  - Love between a male and a female is natural, as it produces offspring! Nature dictates that a partner in love must be of the opposite sex!
  Chrizzly gave an interesting example demonstrating awareness:
  - In ancient times, people were completely different. They had the institution of marriage, when a woman was forced to love only one man, and a man was forced to love a woman. Those who violated this stupid law faced the death penalty. You studied the history of ancient people!
  Vlarad reluctantly agreed:
  - Yes, that was stupidity! Men were deprived of the opportunity to choose and compare, women wasted away from monotony! But now, on the contrary, frequent changes of partners are an honor - all people are one family: every female is a wife, every male is a husband!
  - That is, what we elves came to millions of years ago. - Chrizzly was delighted. - I think that after the war people will begin to look at bisexuality more sensibly!
  Elfaraya patted the elf on the shoulder:
  - And you know, I"m not against bisex either!
  Astarte, grinning (each tooth had its own unique shade), said:
  - As you wish! Do you want games, do you want sex, now you will have much more fun in your life. By the way, have you tried hypercurrent shocks?
  - Yes! - The young man and the girl answered in unison.
  - And How?
  Elfaraya joked:
  - Like sex, only the orgasm comes out in a different place!
  The elves laughed, their faces lit up with smiles. Chrizzly waved his hands, and in each hand there was an ice cream bag in the shape of a hybrid of a pyramid and an aster:
  - Please, a natural product!
  Vlarad asked:
  - What's this?
  - Erofiro, a type of ice cream!
  The young man carefully touched it with his tongue and felt the sweet and at the same time sour pulp. Elfaraya lovingly licked her share:
  - And what, it"s very charming! And incomparable! Simply wonderful! I'll eat anything!
  Vlarad asked:
  - And this is probably from gravitational milk.
  Chrizzly decided to play under the simpleton:
  - What milk! What it is!
  Elfaraya shook her finger:
  - No need to act like a fool! As if you don"t know what milk is, it is obtained from many animals, as well as quasar rays!
  Chrizzly hummed:
  - But I don"t know! I'm a little boy. Better eat ice cream, it's a very honorable treat.
  Vlarad had never eaten ice cream before, he didn"t have a chance to try it at the feast, and therefore showed enthusiasm. The dish was multi-colored and multi-layered, there were berries and mushrooms inside. Elfaraya also ate with pleasure, but nevertheless continued to chat:
  - Do you want to know that people are quite interesting creatures in communication, but boring. They are drawn to all sorts of exploits. They love to talk about war, but their souls demand something else.
  Astarte suggested:
  - How about trade! It"s also an interesting activity, you fly around different worlds, including backward ones. You know, many aborigines, taking us for gods, give their wealth as a sacrifice. In general, people also met us elves. In those not-so-distant times when humanity used stone axes and fell prostrate before a flash of fire. And not only us, a couple of other races visited the earth.
  Elfaraya, licking a nail, asked:
  - Do you want to say that this is where many religions come from?
  - Why not! And also fairy tales! Humanity is very lucky that the Durrij race was defeated by us. Otherwise, the human race would fall into severe slavery. In the country that people called Egypt, the Durrigs forced the construction of large pyramids.
  - Was that them? - The warrior was genuinely surprised, almost choking on her ice cream.
  - Yes, with such terrible animal heads! - The girl grinned. - However, what am I talking about! The elves saved people, there was a space battle, even in the solar system, the planet was blown up.
  - The planet that people call Phaeton. - Reminded me of Elfaraya.
  - Right! You're thinking! In general, people are characterized by arrogance and lack of gratitude. We elves loved people as our younger brothers, especially their women and children. Men with beards: made most of us feel gross!
  Chrysley disagreed:
  - Queen Maffgo, took herself a whole dozen bearded lovers.
  - Don't say vulgarities! - Astarte interrupted.
  - This is a historical fact! - The elf rose into the air.
  - It's still vulgar! "The captain even lengthened her neck by half a meter out of indignation.
  - Well, why even now there are women who love, for example, goblins, orcs and cooler creatures. Yes, not only women, but also men! In addition, Maffgo looked after male slaves, forcing people to grow longer beards. One of the men even had his life extended by magic by three hundred years, and his beard grew as long as a dinosaur"s tail.
  Elfaraya laughed:
  - It's funny!
  Vlarad said pompously:
  - Glory and honor to the beard, but the cat has a mustache too! However, this only speaks of the breadth of the elf"s soul!
  The young man finished his portion of ice cream and asked:
  - But what is it made of, if it"s natural!
  Astarte (her neck returned to normal size) replied:
  - This is an asteroid mushroom shell.
  - What?
  - A mixture of a mushroom and a shell that lives on an asteroid! Capable of even flying, you"ll agree that it"s simply chic! - The girl even jumped with delight. - Can you imagine anything like this!
  - There are different creatures in the universe! It's strange that it tastes so good. - Vlarad licked his wand again.
  Elfaraya sniffled:
  - Why such a tart smell!
  Astarte replied:
  - This is because it is not just a mushroom shell, but its larva. It is specially impregnated with minerals. Soon you will feel it.
  - How? - Vlarad asked.
  - Since this is your first time, hallucinations will begin. Don't be afraid, they will be pleasant: to start the buzz: sit down in the chairs.
  For Vlarad (Vladimir), everything began to blur before his eyes. He hurried to lie down, and a moment later he was plunged into a nightmare.
  Vladimir felt severe cold and trembling in his legs. He saw crumpled trees covered with frost. And myself as if from the outside. He saw himself hanging on the gallows, suffocating in a noose. A terrible noose squeezed the guy"s throat, it caused great suffering. The worst thing was the helplessness and terrible weakness in the body. He couldn't even move, as if he had died. There was no way to even move my finger. The young man tried to twitch, but his body did not obey. It became truly scary because of my powerlessness. Vladimir never slept, he did not know what a dream or a hallucination was and was simply in shock.
  Then he saw a village, a simple church, faded with time. Dwellings that look like old houses from old Internet chronicles. White-headed, barefoot children ran around the courtyards. They ran slowly by modern standards, apparently playing something. The girls jumped on one leg, the boys fought with sticks and seemed to shoot from machine guns. Judging by the torn clothes, the village is poor, apparently from collective farm times: the mid-twentieth century. Why did he decide this: there were no blacks among the children, this is clearly not America, the Orthodox Church. And it seems that a couple of boys have faded stars on their peeling Budonovkas. There are a lot of children, but there are almost no adults in sight. This is strange...
  Then Vladimir heard the roar of engines, and columns of dust appeared in the distance. The boys didn't pay attention, the girls even seemed happy. Suddenly a column of trucks and armored personnel carriers appeared, with a dozen motorcyclists riding ahead. Some of them are gray-green, wearing heavy helmets. Despite the pain, Vladimir thought that wearing such a helmet was not a good idea. After all, it tires the head and relatively weak neck of a person in protein flesh, which means it reduces the aim of shooting. After all, it"s difficult to aim when your neck is tense and your head hurts. It is all the more difficult to fight in the hot summer; sweat literally drenches your eyes. True, it"s already autumn, yellow leaves and dirty puddles are visible. Apparently it is not very cold yet, the children are dressed lightly, very ragged and thin.
  The column drove closer, the boys ran up to the soldiers. They began to move their fingers over their mouths, as if taking a puff.
  Vladimir cursed:
  - These are the tomboys! They want to smoke! But cigarettes are poisonous, especially for children"s bodies.
  The soldiers begin to smile, their lips stretch, but their eyes are cold and hard. Their emblem is two lightning bolts, and a red flag with a swastika.
  - This is the SS! Selected troops. Fear crept into Vladimir"s soul, not for himself, of course. The SS just had a bad reputation. However, contrary to propaganda stereotypes, the majority of the SS units were simply guards of the Nazi army. Selected troops, the best soldiers. Many of them behaved nobly, fought bravely and were respected. But there were special punitive units that did not spare anyone! However, there was hope that the thin blond boys and girls would not provoke aggression. After all, the SS men love blond hair and blue eyes.
  But there is something not to like in their views. Maybe the partisans gave the cattle a light...
  - Foeer! - The command follows. The SS men immediately snatched their machine guns, so short and quick-firing. The queues cover the children. The bullets pierce right through the body, tearing apart the insides. The kids run away, their dirty heels flashing. The dusty road is littered with corpses, numerous tiny streams of blood flowed. The girl with her stomach torn open stretched out her little arms and screamed heart-rendingly. One boy had his leg broken, but like a true man, he held back his groans and crawled away.
  The fascists, however, were not at all embarrassed. The hearts knew no pity! They rushed to chase the kids. They shot at the windows, the SS men threw special incendiary bombs at the houses.
  Wounded children were trampled under boots and finished off with bayonets. A flamethrower was attached to the armored personnel carrier. The flames hit the houses, knocking down fences, trees were burning, ripe apples were bursting.
  Vladimir wanted to protect the village, but could not move. The body is as if in icy, titanium shackles.
  - Incredible cruelty!
  However, if you remember the merciless war that they are waging. After all, when they break into the enemy"s universe, they destroy everything. After all, there are no civilians in a modern war. Here, too, the fascists argue: today a boy, tomorrow a partisan. And during the Great Patriotic War, child heroes caused a lot of trouble for the Nazis. However, this does not justify the Nazi fanatics! Only scum can raise a hand to children who reach out to you with their little hands, calloused from hard work. Moreover, for every child killed: there are ten avengers and the war becomes truly nationwide.
  The village is on fire, the Nazis caught the woman, tore off her clothes, and began to rape her. There is a monstrous terror going on, the captured boy"s stomach was cut open, and the intestines began to be wrapped around a bayonet. The child was suffocating, he could no longer even scream. A girl of about five was torn in half. Infants were thrown into the fire or impaled on bayonets.
  A priest with a cross ran out to meet the Nazis. The SS men hit him in the face with a rifle butt, took away the cross, grabbed the priest by the arms and set his beard on fire. At the same time, the big men twisted the hands of the cult minister. The cross was heated on fire and applied to the priest"s chest. It was impossible to make out the words, but apparently these were the priest"s curses. Finally, from the shock of pain, the priest lost consciousness and was thrown into the fire. At the same time, the sadists in uniform cut off the girl"s toes. Other executioners cut off the ears of the boys who were still alive. Everything looked terrible, as if in a film by a mentally ill director.
  Vladimir twitched and still could not jump off the loop.
  . CHAPTER No. 17
  Mirabela and Streletsova were flying, their speed was many times higher than light speed. Heaps of stars in bizarre constellations, complex compositions in the form of hieroglyphs. It seemed that the stars wanted to convey some kind of message, or perhaps wish good luck. Some luminaries blinked every now and then, and double or triple stars created a unique inflorescence of colors and radiation, pleasing to the eye. The girls' speed increased even more, the stars flickered like droplets of blind rain. A glow appeared ahead, as if a vacuum was blazing. Mirabela knew that this was the effect of light aberration, when photons knocked down by a material body accumulated and everything ahead began to blaze furiously. Mirabela's eyes saw hundreds of ranges at once! It is impossible for a simple person to imagine how wonderful the space was and the view: there were many millions of different shades, they were layered on top of each other and mixed!
  The girl looked at this and said philosophically:
  - What do you think, Comrade Hypermarshal, such beauty could have arisen through evolution, or it was created by the Supreme Spirit!
  Hypermarshal Streletsova answered in a crystalline voice:
  - Do you mean by the Almighty God?
  - That's it! - Mirabelle exclaimed.
  - In the old days there were many different beliefs. Then faith in the Almighty Creator or even Creators appeared. Although, for example, the ancient Greeks had ideas that everything itself was formed from chaos. In general, I must tell you that it is a misconception that monotheism was invented by the Jews. Oddly enough, the first mention of a single creator is found among African peoples. In particular, the ancient empire of Nitr.
  - Isn"t it in Hyperborea? The great and most ancient empire from which the Russians originated? - Mirabela tried to catch with her palm the constellation of stars fluttering like a butterfly.
  - No! Hyperboreans believed in the evolution of chaos! - Streletsova said sternly.
  Mirabela disagreed:
  - There were several different beliefs. Including the first monotheism in human history. That is, faith: that a personal God created the universe!
  The gentle executioner blew, causing a slight whirlwind among the star garlands (the effect of aberration and distortion of space)
  - Not certainly in that way! Monotheists were only a small sect. In the Nitr Empire, this was the dominant teaching.
  - But there they believed: that the main God created other gods.
  Streletsova stroked Mirabel"s cheek with her finger:
  - It came later! But in general, the Jewish term god - or el, was not monopolized by Yahweh or Jehovah. In particular, angels and judges, and even Satan, were called gods - Elohim. There were also signs of polytheism, there was even a prophecy about people - they almost became like gods, that is, angels!
  Mirabela was delighted:
  - And I am almost an angel! I can travel between stars without a starship. However, regarding speed, tetraplanes are still faster, but in the future, when technology develops even faster, the speed will increase. After all, we are still a very young civilization!
  The ultra-hyper-marshal very gently stroked the girl"s hair:
  - Certainly! Your immortal body can live much longer than the entire history of mankind.
  Mirabela purred, discharges of multi-electricity (multi-sector movement of subnucleons) passed through her head, and they, unlike hypercurrent, are quite pleasant.
  - And yet, could a mechanism as complex as our universe be only the fruit of blind and cruel evolution?
  The Ultra-Hyper-Marshal drew attention:
  - Well, almost all scientists believe that evolution itself takes place. We have even observed evolution in practice on many billions of worlds.
  The girl exclaimed:
  - Yes, we watched! Although no one has yet managed to catch the moment when organic matter appeared from inorganic matter.
  Anastasia Streletsova gently corrected:
  - Not exactly, a number of intermediate processes have been recorded. In particular, it was observed how hermaphrodites became two and three hollow. Or the evolution of silicon, lithium, potassium, and even sulfur. Or another question: if God created Adam and Eve in his image and likeness, then in whose likeness were creatures breathing fluorine, for example, created?
  - Oh, this is an interesting way to pose the question. But in general, the theory of evolution is so omnivorous, it is preached by almost all serious civilizations, that it is surprising that it was only thought of in the nineteenth century: Charles Darwin or maybe Lamarck.
  The Ultra-Hyper-Marshal disagreed:
  - The fact that evolution exists was suspected by the Greeks, the Egyptians and even the Hyperboreans. There is a lot of evidence about this. For example, take education in Sparta, a typical attempt to regulate evolution and direct it! When women were forced to lift weights, run with loads in the mountains, swim and harden themselves: so that they would be strong and give birth to strong children. By the way, we also did this.
  - This is already a process of directed evolution.
  - Of course it"s targeted, but it"s no less effective! Progress and bioengineering are the components of success. But if we can observe technical evolution, then why not biological evolution. - Streletsova gently caressed the girl"s neck.
  Mirabela pulled back slightly and remarked:
  - Scientific and technological evolution is guided by reason, but biological evolution is guided by blind chance!
  The gentle executioner lengthened her arms, she suddenly had six of them at once:
  - Not certainly in that way! There is a Hypernoosphere; it contains incomprehensible amounts of information that make it possible to program many processes, including the spontaneous generation of life.
  - How did it come about? "The girl felt her breasts being stroked.
  - Also as a result of evolution! How can I explain this to you? Here is the Hyperverse: is it itself infinite? - Anastasia said the last word a little louder.
  - Yes, sure! I can't even imagine what her end will look like! - Mirabela exclaimed, streams of nanoparticles tickled her nostrils.
  - That"s right, it"s incomprehensible to the mind! So there is no period, no restrictions, no end to things! Absolutely absent!
  Mirabela nodded:
  - Yes, it's obvious! It"s just that we haven"t discovered all the universes yet.
  Anastasia continued, her marigolds turning into petals:
  - Here you go! Now imagine: that in addition to the infinity of the hyperuniverse in space, there is also infinity in time!
  The young warrior agreed:
  - That is, eternal matter, existing indefinitely as an absolute matter! This is exactly what you meant!
  Streletsova was delighted:
  - I see you have mastered your lessons well, brave girl!
  Mirabela said like a schoolgirl who has mastered the subject well:
  - You can really imagine the eternal existence of matter as an absolute axiom! But a person of a philosophical mindset will require evidence of how matter appeared.
  - Searching for the root cause?
  - That's it!
  Streletsova sarcastically remarked:
  - Then if the root cause is God, then what became the root cause of the first causes! After all, if everything has a first cause, then it must be with the Almighty!
  Mirabela remarked:
  - Religion requires us to take this for granted! Or, as an axiom, God is pre-eternal and there is no need to look for the root cause.
  - But why not take it for granted that matter is eternal and has always existed, also an axiom! After all, recognizing the existence of an eternally existing Almighty God requires much more irrational thinking than believing in the spatio-temporal infinity of matter. - Streletsova immediately pointed with twenty-five outgrown fingers at the stars. - You see stars, we see matter, and for us it always exists! But no one has ever seen God! Even the Bible writes about this!
  The girl raised her right eyebrow:
  - And Daniel the prophet claimed that he saw God the Father.
  The Ultra-Hyper-Marshal exclaimed:
  - Archquasar! This is a rather difficult dilemma. If the Almighty created us, then he should not have abandoned us to the mercy of fate. Children need to be educated! This means giving them a revelation about yourself!
  - Through the Bible? - Mirabela blinked:
  - Even through the Bible! But the Overmind is interested in being understood correctly! How can God contradict himself? After all, even imperfect people, when adopting laws, try to ensure that they do not contradict each other and to minimize ambiguity. So this creates loopholes for scoundrels and leads to many abuses. In addition, the slightest mistake in the Biblical revelation undermines faith in the revelation itself, and you yourself know how many such mistakes there have been. And they paid for them copiously in blood! - At the last words of the head of the Department of Love and Tenderness, billions of visible luminaries shuddered.
  Mirabela agreed:
  - Certainly! Take, for example, the doctrine of the Trinity. Contrary to this teaching, Jesus Christ said to the young man: why do you call me good, don"t you know; that only One(!) God in heaven is good!
  The number of arms of the ultra-hyper-marshal has grown to a dozen (nothing supernatural - the body is impregnated with magical hyperplasma, changing the structure of matter and space).
  - And not only! Jesus said: that the father is greater than I, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. You can remember that Paul wrote: Christ is the Head of God, and Luke called Jesus the servant of God. In general, the fact that there is no clear teaching about the Trinity in the Bible was also recognized by church authorities. It is not for nothing that so much blood has been shed because of this dogma. For example, entire countries were devastated as a result of the Arian wars. Many thousands of heretics were burned because they did not believe in the Trinity. Even Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy was excommunicated from the church because of his unwillingness to recognize such a dogma.
  - An important dogma! - Mirabela tried to raise her voice.
  The hypermarshal spread her arms wide apart, with almost a hundred arms:
  - And yet, without a clear biblical basis. But didn"t the Almighty make sure that such an important teaching - the foundation of faith - remained not clearly spelled out?
  - Sounds quite logical! - Mirabela shook her golden hair.
  The number of fingers on each limb of Anastasia increased exponentially:
  - And this is not the only inaccuracy in the Bible. Let us remember how in the Gospel of Mark Jesus mixed up the name of the high priest, as well as the differences between the Bible authors about the exact hour of Christ"s crucifixion or who was the father of Zechariah. Yes and much more! Here you could write a whole multi-volume book listing the numerous errors of the Bible. - Streletsova crossed a thousand fingers, hundreds of hands. - Or you have a different opinion.
  Mirabela scratched the bridge of her nose with her finger:
  - It is not necessary for the Almighty to give God's revelation. In addition: imagine the structuring of stars from chaos...
  Anastasia interrupted:
  - Do you think the Bible is more logical? As it is written there, on the first day God created the sky, and only on the fourth day the sun and stars! And this is while scientists have long established that the universe is billions of years old! In general, this once again speaks of the naive idea of the Jews about the nature of the stars. They probably thought that the stars were small and it was much easier to create them than a large earth.
  - Probably! - Mirabel giggled. - A star fell from the sky - a bright crystal! I"ll sing you a song about my dear Stalin!
  Anastasia changed the shape of her hands, turning them into buckets:
  - Or the controversy over Noah's flood. Indeed, ten thousand years before the birth of Christ, several large meteorites fell to the earth. They provoked cataclysms that became legendary. Some science fiction writers even put forward the version that it was the Moon that collided with the earth. By the way, the Moon really collided with the Earth, but much earlier and because of this, dinosaurs became extinct!
  Mirabela immediately objected:
  "She didn"t collide, but was caught by gravity." If the collision had been a fact, the earthlings would not have gotten off so easily. Most likely, life on Earth would have been destroyed. But on the other hand, how the Moon pleased the ancestors.
  - Tell that to the Japanese. They would appreciate it! - The hypermarshal bared her teeth. - By the way, an interesting race, we almost didn"t have to fight with them, they quickly became allies. But in general, speaking specifically, matter of infinite quantity in infinite time could well give rise to limitless and multiply intelligent life, isn"t that so!
  Mirabela scratched the top of her head:
  - Actually, yes, but there is one nuance! If matter exists for an infinitely long time, and its quantity is infinite, then where are the supercivilizations?
  - Aren"t we a super-civilization?
  - Well then, Hyper-supercivilization! "The girl spun like a top.
  The ultra-hyper-marshal immediately directed her ward:
  - Now you must get a hyperchip: it belongs to a more highly developed civilization than ours! That is, your task is the answer to your question! Or do you think it's a stone axe.
  - Maybe even an arrowhead! - Mirabela narrowed her eyes slyly.
  - Well, you can pose the question like that!
  - Okay, I agree! In principle, another super-civilization may well exist or even create an empire at a fundamentally different level. Am I even ruling something out?
  The ultra-hyper-marshal modified her limbs again, they became like chains:
  - What exactly?
  - The fact that a super-civilization, or rather a hyper-super-civilization, created our universe. After all, science has already proven that it is possible to create matter from energy.
  Streletsova rang like her chains of bells:
  - Right! Theoretically true! But even so, the Bible is wrong; God has a beginning, either by evolution or by creation!
  Mirabela threw something similar to a pill into her mouth, chewed it... her tongue seemed to be dipped in liquid helium:
  - In the Old Testament, God was very cruel. And he was extremely nationalistic, putting one people above the rest. In particular, Egypt was tormented, and as it is written, go to Pharaoh, and I will harden his heart to show the glory of God.
  Anastasia turned part of the chains into silver strings:
  - To torment an entire country in order to show glory in this way is quite strange! This is reminiscent of ethnic cleansing, the worst methods of genocide.
  - But we, too, can be cruel in war! - The girl exclaimed.
  - We happen, but we don"t teach you to love your enemies! We don"t teach you, they hit you, turn your left cheek on your right cheek! Let's not be hypocrites! There is a difference! In addition, we are forced to use violence by cruel circumstances, and God is Absolutely Almighty and He always has a choice! - Anastasia began to play with her modified hands, throwing out fiery winged cockroaches.
  - Just like with us! - The young warrior blushed.
  - What we can do!
  - Surrender! - Mirabela yelled loudly with hysteria in her voice. - After all, the emperor can order it.
  - And do you think the army will accept surrender? - Winged rams began to turn into centipede tigers.
  - Don't know! Everyone is used to rigidly obeying the authorities!
  - But not such an order, besides, there is the Supreme Council! He is able to control various harmful tendencies! Or in case the enemy managed to influence the emperor in one way or another.
  Mirabela almost moaned:
  - What! After all, it cannot be ruled out that with the help of very strong magic, even an emperor can be subdued!
  - And if this is accepted - the order to surrender, it will be: that the emperor or empress is under the control of the enemy and hypermagic! So desire alone is not enough! - Anastasia replaced the chains with vines.
  - How about starting peace negotiations? Declare a truce! - Losing hope, Mirabela exhaled.
  - This is possible! But each side suspects the other of a dirty trick. There was such bitterness here!
  - Even boxers have breaks between rounds. The ancient protein boxers! - The girl corrected.
  - What can you take from primitive times!
  The girls fell silent; who among the thinking people has not thought about the senselessness of war. Why shed blood, kill brothers, but it so happened that...
  The Ultra-Hyper-Marshal said firmly:
  - So many quadrillions, or more precisely, already many quintillions of Russians, have died that the rest can only be satisfied with victory! And only victory! If the emperor agrees to make peace, the question will arise: why didn"t they do this several centuries earlier? Why did they destroy so many billions of worlds, destroying everything that exists? Well, how can we live in these conditions? Is it possible to write off everything and shake hands? You are too naive girl! You cannot embrace the immensity and leave the war unfinished.
  - Is it really so dark? - Mirabela drooped.
  - The enemy thinks so too! He can use the truce to create new, terrible weapons from which we will have no protection. - The limbs are vines, they have become thicker.
  - So bad?!
  - Yes! Exactly black hole!
  - And there is no alternative to complete annihilation?
  Red flames ran through Anastasia"s many hands:
  - If we take historical examples, then the war did not always last until the enemy was completely destroyed. Sometimes the matter was limited to partial annexations and indemnities. Perhaps if Hitler had been smarter, he would have been able to save part of his empire and his own miserable life.
  Mirabela shook off the droplets of tears that had involuntarily appeared:
  - History does not give a clear answer as to whether Hitler had a choice. They say Stalin offered the Fuhrer peace. But there are no documents left in the archives. For obvious reasons, they did not want to advertise this.
  - But we are not ancient Germany and the USSR. Russians and Germans fought for many centuries. At one time, the Slavs ousted the Germans, then in the Middle Ages Germany ousted the Slavs. Or rather, it was a mixture of tribes, including Franks and...
  Mirabela caught the teardrop pearls frozen in a vacuum and, holding them in her fist, began shaking them like a rattle:
  - We, too, have been fighting for centuries! And the Germans and Slavs are peoples close in genetic type. Even the faces are similar! In general, this is not a question of blood or religion. There is less difference between Catholics and Orthodox Christians than between Buddhism and Hinduism... But the latter almost never fought, and Christians...
  Streletsova abruptly cut off and grew in size:
  - Well, okay girl, this conversation is mostly fruitless. We will pour from empty to empty, driving the photon across the field, but we will not find a way out. In general, you are a brave girl, you are not afraid to fall into hell by your tongue.
  Mirabela pulled away from the light:
  - To be honest, I"m afraid, but the fear has already burned out. Besides, after the Empress herself spoke to me, it"s somehow hard to believe that you would risk disrupting the mission. Otherwise, you yourself will be sent to the ultra-underworld.
  - You know, don't be too self-confident. After all, you can always find loopholes, especially in our department. However, I"ll be honest, war has long ceased to be a hobby for me. It has turned into a heavy burden, routine work, but on the other hand, if it ends, I will feel an absolute vacuum in my heart. Lose the main meaning of life. - Anastasia spoke with sincere enthusiasm.
  - People in ancient times: did not consider war the meaning of life. Especially during the dawn of humanism. Then teachings appeared that you need to spare and love all living things!
  Mirabela was already starting to get tired, feeling the increasing tension of various fields:
  - No religion teaches senseless cruelty, but all peoples carry a sword. And outspoken pacifists are more likely to be found as an exception! For example, among the early Christians there were indeed many pacifists who religiously followed the teachings of Christ. But at the same time, already in those days there were interpreters: those who committed arbitrary reprisals against sinners. However, in the first centuries, this was of a singular nature, but starting from the fourth century: violence became common practice. In particular, Emperor Constantine ordered a cross to be drawn on all shields. And this gave his army victory. So the Christian cross became a symbol of military valor. Crosses were awarded in many armies, including in Tsarist Russia. Then the crosses were abolished due to formal communist atheism. Maybe not even entirely formal, although the cross is an ancient Slavic symbol.
  Anastasia slightly reduced the flow of flame and barked:
  - Like the swastika! It was painted by Neanderthals! The oldest device for producing fire, and fire especially during the Ice Age, is life. In general, the ban on the swastika, which was absurd in many countries, because this oldest runic sign in the history of mankind symbolizes the forces of creation. It's the same as prohibiting drawing a heart!
  Mirabela agreed:
  - Yes, that's right! The crucifixion is not prohibited, on the grounds that under its screen the crusaders and various inquisitors committed many crimes. At the moment, many Russian special forces wear this runic sign, an ancient Slavic symbol!
  Anastasia added speed, and her head also took on the shape of a dolphin with two muzzles instead of nostrils:
  - That's right, we need to respect the memory of our ancestors: that they fought under the swastika, be it during the Hyperborea or the Slavic campaigns; in the invincible army of Alexander the Great! The Russian prince Yarodar personally cut off the head of Crassus when he tried to go deeper into the Slavic lands. After all, the Parthian Empire was a tributary, a vassal of Ancient Rus'. The Russians gave the world writing: when the Egyptians and Shoemakers did not even know what a hoe was!
  Mirabela flew away and made several turns, emitting bright hoops around her. The Ultra-Hyper-Marshal suddenly flared up and regained its natural appearance and size. Then she checked the route and looked at the set of holograms:
  - You know, cutie, we"re already approaching! - Anastasia, having become very beautiful, made her eyes lustfully.
  - So it's quasar!
  - Tell Mirabela, can you sing? - Head of the Department of Love and Tenderness, showed her fangs.
  - Almost any girl can sing! - The girl didn"t seem to understand:
  - What about writing poetry?
  - Even a primitive robot can do this! - Mirabela shook her head in the air.
  - OK then! Sing something goodbye. Not in a modern style, but like this! As if! - Anastasia"s hair fell apart into a dozen braids, with the tips of daggers sticking out.
  - How! - Mirabela was not at all embarrassed,
  - A hundred annihilators into your bosom! Can you do some poetic antiquity?
  Mirabela was surprised:
  - Why else is this?
  - Do not understand? "The Ultra-Hyper-Marshal changed her face, it became huge, and telescopes poked out of her eye sockets.
  - No! - The girl cut off.
  Anastasia's head has grown to the size of a sea boat:
  -You may have to live in a primitive world! Without gravity imagers and computers. I'm interested to know if you can get used to the image of a savage. Agree this is extremely important!
  Mirabela shrugged her shoulders and tried to sit on her: a multi-quantum fly (an ultra-living creature that usually lives in the depths of stars and moves in twenty-four dimensions, not counting fractional ones):
  - Well, if you approach it from this point of view!
  The Ultra-Hyper-Marshal whistled:
  - That's it! Most agents cannot adapt, without special training, to the specific conditions of the Middle Ages. You don't have time to adapt, so you have to do everything on the fly!
  Mirabela frowned and remarked:
  - I don"t have a specific poetic gift, and it"s not needed in governing the country. So it will be: just a rhyming smooth recording!
  Anastasia's braids reached several kilometers in length.
  - So be it! But I hope this will make an impression on the natives, if they are not completely primitive!
  Mirabela howled:
  - Landing on a primitive planet is tantamount to failure! You may not have enough energy to get out.
  - This worries me too, as I already said, something bad is happening with our weapons, but everyone, stop talking, sing! - Anastasia turned her hands into huge wings.
  Mirabela began to sing in her delightful voice:
  The dome sparkles, you are not just a building,
  Repelled the onslaught of furious centuries!
  Our military work, our breath is lost,
  And the chest is bloody from the rabid blades!
  
  It is impossible in war, we can avoid participation,
  Although we fight for many long years!
  We want in moderation - just peace, happiness,
  And to leave a good mark in life!
  
  The sacred monastery awaits the knight,
  Just don"t look for death with a sword!
  And the ruler will write it in the book of life,
  You will receive love and grace!
  
  No, I don"t want to, to be a prisoner is a grave,
  He raised his spear, hit hard, stood!
  The women wept, the smoke smoked from the incense,
  The saint from the icon dropped his tears down!
  
  Streams poured out living water,
  And you can hear the excited beating of hearts!
  Throw away your sorrows like decay,
  Death is just the beginning, not the end at all!
  
  The outcome is victorious, our knight will see,
  And the enemy jester will throw off his hood!
  Will find destruction for those who hate,
  A sea of tears and torment awaits the losers!
  
  The path of heroes is not magnificent tombs,
  And all that happened, how the dream will pass!
  No need to listen to fairy tales,
  This is not how honor is expressed!
  
  And our souls, like bodies, did not rot,
  The Lord raised them up and went into battle again!
  The earth is burning, clouds of dust have risen,
  Fatherland I will always be with you!
  - Enough! - Mirabela Streletsova interrupted. - You have a good sense of rhyme, measured syllable. In ancient times, talent would undoubtedly have been found. So the girl can consider that she passed the test. Yes, good: the verbal rhyme occurred only twice!
  Mirabela was indignant:
  - Well! As if Pushkin or Lermontov had no verbal rhyme.
  - Everyone had it, but from the point of view of smooth recording, it was a serious miscalculation. In general, you have the theme of war again. Maybe it would be better to compose something light and lyrical! - The wings of the grown Anastasia turned white:
  - Whatever hurts, that"s what he talks about! When your whole life is either war or preparation for war, it"s somehow difficult to think about anything else.
  The Ultra-Hyper-Marshal agreed:
  - I understand, but a scout should have a broader outlook! After all, not all nations have a militaristic system of government. You need to act differently depending on the circumstances!
  - There is no need to explain to me the common truths! - Mirabela was even offended. "I was one of the chosen million."
  - Oh yes! I forgot about it! See how leaky the memory is! - Streletsova pretended to clown around, her wings suddenly became clawed. "There are grains of sand in my head, yes, yes, yes!" Quarks are powerful grains of sand, Khan to everyone!
  Mirabelle just shook her head.
  - Not too witty for an ultra-hyper-marshal!
  - But it's funny! Vacuum in your stomach! I see you are quite a serious girl! Already parted with childhood!
  - Oh childhood, childhood, where are you in a hurry, all your childhood, childhood you stand under arms! If you want to jump, here's a barrier, but if you want to swim, here's a plasma quarry! - Mirabela began to sing. - I want, I want, I want again, to shower enemies with a stream of plasma! Blow up a planet, melt a star! Send the bastards into a vacuum, into...!
  Streletsova interrupted and showed a kilometer-long tongue with a trident-shaped tip:
  -You have an excellent sense of humor! Well, you can rejoice! Here is the planet where the portal is located!
  The girl's tongue lengthened significantly and dials grew at the ends of the trident.
  The portal planet looked very impressive. In particular, some buildings were a mixture of seven pineapples and hedgehogs stacked on top of each other. Others were in the form of a hybrid of large cherries and cigarettes with a diamond-shaped surface! And some in the form of a combination of crocodile and peach. Mirabela widened her eyes in surprise.
  - A hundred abyssal tons in my ass! How quasar and garno!
  Anastasia Streletsova again became an ordinary, athletic girl:
  - This is a village of elves and squirrels, a mixture of walrus and squirrel. Agree, they have a peculiar sense of aesthetics.
  - And I like it, I"m tired of all these straight lines. Otherwise, we don"t have cities, but barracks!
  Anastasia barked:
  - The city should be a barracks! With handcuffs!
  - I saw buildings in the shape of a hybrid of handcuffs and self-propelled guns. Very beautiful! - Mirabela said.
  - You probably wanted to say - aesthetically pleasing! - The ultra-hyper-marshal flashed her nails.
  - And practical! You can chain the robot right away!
  - It"s not difficult to shackle a robot and be reborn in a mental hospital! It's not hard to chain a robot, I tell you kids! And the electronic notebook, the page is dirty! - The Ultra-Hyper-Marshal finished abruptly: - Welcome to the portal!
  Mirabela timidly asked:
  - Why did you constantly change the shape and parameters of your body during the flight?
  Anastasia answered condescendingly:
  - You see, this is a fundamentally new type of flesh. I tested it in extreme conditions of space and rapid flight. No one except the empress has such a body yet, and it needs to be checked before the soldiers of our army acquire such a thing.
  - What about the price!
  Streletsova grunted:
  - While the process of creating such flesh is monstrously labor-intensive!
  They headed into a building that hung in the air in the form of an octagonal prism.
  It was huge, translucent, and gave off reflections!
  Mirabela asked:
  - And what? It's here?
  - Yes, right here! Let's jump in.
  Mirabela found herself in the center of the sphere. She felt warmth and tingling throughout her body. It was clear that enormous masses of energy were passing through here. The next moment, several different types of weapons appeared in the girl"s hands and shoulders. There were emitters of different calibers, distorting space, breaking matter, breaking connections between micro-particles. The most powerful types of destruction, rolling down dimensions. The girl in the combat suit was so scary that any Hollywood terminator would seem like a harmless kitten in comparison.
  - Wow! Too many different weapons! I seem a little bulky and clumsy!
  Anastasia took the form of a turtle with a transparent belly, under which an hourglass ran:
  - Don't worry, the electronics will sort it out. Supersoldiers can cope, which means you can also bridle your horse. Now the warrior will dive into the bottomless abyss! Maybe you want to say something goodbye?
  Mirabela scratched the top of her helmet-covered head:
  - Believe me, it would be very interesting for me! But what's the point of making pretentious speeches? Talk for the millionth time about devotion to the Motherland, Sacred Russia!
  The turtle immediately turned into a crab with the face of an angel, and the hourglass turned from hourglass to sundial:
  - Actually, you're right! None! Actions speak louder than words! Only things you are doing are not the most plausible. You haven't killed anyone yet, except for various virtual monsters. But you need psychological hardening so as not to dive to the bottom of the underworld, dissolving in your own powerlessness. Isn't that right girl! Have questions!
  Mirabela hesitated:
  - Don't know! Kill a person? This is something so transcendental! If he is real and alive! After all, there is a difference! But if the Motherland orders, I will do everything!
  Streletsova was skeptical, but forced a smile:
  - Don't know! But the Empress believes in you! So I believe it too! I wish you to annihilate all the enemies of Holy Russia!
  Mirabela muttered impatiently:
  - Well, maybe we can finally start transferring! The waiting is painful, like being strangled by gravity loops!
  Having turned into a fast mink, Anastasia jumped on four tails:
  - Yes! Stop breeding hyperplasma! Let's start now! Only I'm a girl, I'll give you good advice: close your eyes!
  Mirabela objected:
  - I"ll see almost all the radiation, even through my eyelids! It"s better not to make yourself an idiot and a coward!
  - It"s true that you"re not a coward! Five, four, three, two, one - start!
  The girl opened her eyes even wider, streams of bright light poured onto her. At first it was bright purple, it was cold and caused an involuntary shiver. Then it was replaced by cornflower-blue blowing sweat, then pale blue! Everything shimmered, sweet music played, the color softly flowed into emerald green. Mirabela said in admiration:
  - What a beauty! I've seen a lot of radiation, but this is the first time such rich colors!
  Finally, the emerald color was replaced by golden yellow. It matched Mirabela's hair color very well, but it didn't burn for long; the next emission turned orange. A color that symbolizes change and something new! Pleasant to the eye and very bright, but at the same time caressing. Finally, Mirabelle was overwhelmed by a blood-red wave. It seemed that she was flooding the girl with everything that existed, every cell.
  Mirabela remembered the underworld and shuddered:
  - This is the color of blood.
  Orange, yellow, green appeared again, everything went in a different order! Suddenly, all the radiation mixed, turning into a continuous hyperplasmic glow.
  Mirabela blinked, she was thrown up and carried away at incredible speed. Then the flesh disappeared, only madly rushing stars were visible. The girl plunged into the fiery stream, feeling the heat, it seemed to her that multiple shells were slipping off, and her personality was being divided into many parts. The body penetrated through the spatial abyss, then disappearing, then appearing again! But there was no pain, only the feeling that you were in the stars, and the stars were in you! Then perception began to crumble, consciousness, overloaded with many impressions, fell into a hopeless abyss that gives sweet peace!
  
  Mirabela came to her senses: she felt the thorns on her back. It was not very pleasant, but there was something previously unknown in the tinge of pain. It"s as if it"s not herself. The girl tried to open her eyes. The attempt caused an attack of pain and burning in the eyelids. I had to make an effort.
  When the eyelids opened, light shone into my eyes!
  - Well, nothing, it"s much better than going blind! - The girl said to herself. - Someone said that feeling pain is a sure sign that you are still alive!
  Mirabela turned her neck, her bones crunched softly:
  - However, the pain in the body does not speak about life, but about the fact that death is slowly taking a person! Of course not in my universe!
  The girl stood up, the feeling of constant lightness in her body disappeared, her bare, girlish feet rested on the thorns. Mirabela noticed that she was completely naked, only thick hair covered her shoulders in a golden wave. It was quite stuffy, usually the girl did not feel hot or cold, except for very high or extremely low temperatures, but in this case there was really a lot of humidity in the air and over forty degrees in the shade. The girl took a few steps, leaving the thorns. She felt an unpleasant tingling sensation, which surprised Mirabelle.
  - Wow! It seems I have become not too strong. Something bad happened, close to disaster!
  Indeed, the girl was very unlucky to lose all her weapons and find herself naked in the tropical jungle. In addition, the flesh became alien, numerous micro-computers circulating throughout the body disappeared. It"s so unusual, it"s like you don"t belong. Mirabela went up to the tree and tried to bend the branch. The girl felt elasticity and was forced to make some effort. Her biceps tensed and the veins stood out. Mirabela bent her leg and flexed her muscles. Her body remained trained, elastic, strong, but at the same time it was like that of people in ancient times - protein! That is, she is strong enough for an ordinary person, but compared to her previous abilities she has weakened several thousand times! The girl tried to break the thick tree, but it didn"t work; her fingers only tore the bark. A drop of sweat rolled down from her full, elastic chest and fell onto a green leaf, scattering. In general, the girl did not feel entirely comfortable, her former confidence was lost.
  - I'm naked! - Said the beauty. - This has its own charm.
  The girl tried to run: her speed, of course, was not comparable to that in her previous body, but quite decent. Then she climbed up a purple palm tree and was slightly scratched. A sharp twig dug into his bare heel, and his right toe was slightly bruised.
  - Brr! And get damaged from it! - The girl snorted contemptuously. - In general, how did our ancestors live in such weak bodies? It must have been hard for them!
  The monkey lost his wallet from his pocket, and the police found out - he put him on the potty!
  And the pot is hot - the monkey is crying!
  The girl picked the fruit, it resembled a thick speckled banana, and sniffed it:
  - I don"t know if I can eat it! There is no analyzer, and the nostrils are not as sensitive as before. Mirabela carefully peeled off the top using a broken branch and her fingernails, revealing the juicy flesh. She opened her mouth and gently ran her tongue. Once, twice, three times!
  - Don't know! I haven"t tried anything. It may be poisonous, or it may be safe. In any case, there are no toxic substances that I know of! True, this is a different universe, there may be specific poisons, completely different formulas unknown to us. However, there is an easy way to check whether local animals eat it. Or at worst, insects!
  Mirabela hung the fruit and came down from the tree. I wanted to fool around; after all, the barracks were behind us. The girl stood on her hands and walked on them. The striped insect sat on her bare heel and tickled her pleasantly!
  - Freedom! And freedom, as we know, comes naked! - Mirabela sincerely enjoyed life. - If you are your own boss, then you are not such a virgin!
  The girl turned over again and felt the green grass with blue specks under her sole. Looked at the sky:
  - Wow, five luminaries at once, a cheerful world! It"s amazing that it"s so hot, and at the same time lovely!
  Mirabela's skin was tanned and golden chocolate. The girl looked very appetizing, she seemed like a real queen of the jungle. Look at the fruit, it is covered with quite large insects - great, that means you can eat it!
  - Everything that is not poisonous is edible! Man is the most omnivorous creature in the universe! - Mirabela picked several fruits. For the first time in her new body, she ate plant foods. Despite the feeling of hunger, the girl savored every sprout and picked several berries large enough to fit her fist. They tasted as good as strawberries, or even better. Mirabela was simply delirious with delight, it seemed to her that she was in heaven and was performing a sacred act. It was as if violets bloomed in my mouth, a unique range of feelings hit my tongue.
  - And who said that life is beautiful! Of course, he was undoubtedly very right in that! The girl whistled with happiness. After eating, she suddenly wanted to sleep, she hadn"t slept all her life, and besides, plenty of sweet food relaxes her! Mirabela chose a place where soft but huge burdocks grew and lay down. How nice it is to lie like this, on your back, feeling the light gusts of a fresh breeze. Something like a blue lagoon, many such films have been made, including space ones. The girl lay on her back, trying to think about something pleasant. It would be nice to still have a guy nearby. So muscular, strong, beautiful that he lay on her right hand, put his palm on his chest, kneaded his nipples...
  Bliss! It's amazing to be caressed!
  The girl did not notice how she fell asleep. For the first time in my life, I fell asleep. She dreamed that she was slowly floating on a warm ocean, with lights and sparkles all around. Suddenly ahead she sees a disheveled ship. No, not modern, but medieval with masts and sails. The girl looks at him with admiration, but it"s strange why the sailors have such distorted faces and they fuss so much. They look like bugs in a transparent jar when children play with them!
  But there seems to be a solution, another vessel is rushing from behind, it seems a brigantine. Although it is even slightly smaller in size than the fleeing ship, there are much more people on it. The pursuers are dressed very colorfully, while they squeal and howl, waving their sabers. Among the pirates there are not only humans, but also several types with piranha faces and fins on the sides. A black threatening flag with a predator clinging to the bone flies above the brigantine.
  - Wow, pirates from the times of ancient films! - Mirabela said joyfully. - So there will be something interesting.
  Indeed, the corsairs fired their cannons; they fired in a high arc, trying to knock down the masts. However, it is very difficult to hit from an ancient cannon, and even while moving. Even in later times, Ushakov used the tactic of bringing his ships closer to the enemy. Then the firing efficiency increased significantly, plus the desire to sink the flagship first. And if you"re really lucky, you can damage the mast, or if the gunner is some kind of brilliant ace. In this case, the pirate ship was more maneuverable and lighter, the distance was slightly reduced, and then luck came to the aid of the pirates; the central mast was shot down. The ships quickly approached a little more and the sides hit each other. The freebooters threw the hook, the live mass was ready to pour on board at any moment.
  Mirabela suddenly felt a terrible pain in her groin and woke up screaming!
  . CHAPTER No. 18.
  Not knowing the theory, and too gambling, Ahmed was too easy prey for a strong first-class player, who plays, however, at least by virtue of his CMS. Moreover, Yanka was sure: if he had gone back to the Middle Ages, or even during the time of Morphy, he could well have become, maybe temporarily, a champion. The enemy did not understand the basic principles of the game, he simply arranged pawns and pieces beautifully (for his understanding). However, the boy was in no hurry; swearing too quickly would humiliate the owner. So, after fiddling around for show and destroying most of the pieces and all the pawns, he finished off the king by making a passed pawn.
  - Another checkmate for you! - The boy said.
  Ahmed cursed and mixed the pieces:
  - One more game in case of defeat, fifty lashes!
  - What if I win?
  - You'll be left with a whole back!
  The third game dragged on a little, Ahmed thought for a long time about each move and did not attack. However, passive tactics, especially in chess, help little. Indeed, in this case, the attacker has more room for maneuver and is ahead of the enemy in deploying force. Yanka even sacrificed his queen in excitement. Ahmed, after hesitating, accepted the sacrifice, and after seven moves he received the correct checkmate in the center of the board. Having lost, the owner punched the boy in the nose in frustration. Yanka was expecting something like this: he softened the blow, no blood flowed, but it was still quite painful. Akhmed cursed fiercely and pointed at the cart:
  - You are apparently friendly with God Setter! You win all the time: with some unthinkable witchcraft!
  The boy answered modestly:
  - The best sorcerer is logic!
  Ahmed shook his whip:
  - You will talk to me! Let's play some more! If you lose, you will lose two hundred lashes.
  Yanka, not joking, shuddered:
  - I can"t stand so much, you"ll lose a valuable slave!
  - I will beat you myself! So there will only be torment!
  They placed the pieces and a new game began. However, it was already dark and the slaves were exhausted; the time for a halt had come. Yanka built a trivial trap in a couple of moves; he wanted to sleep. The owner, not knowing how to properly count the options, simply fell into it!
  The fourth defeat in a row, Ahmed's face became distorted. However, this time: he did not swear or hit. Holding a grin he said:
  - Well, okay, you'll get your piece of meat.
  Yanka was delighted:
  - That's the right decision!
  After washing his hands, the boy ate separately from everyone else. The meat tasted like pork, but was less fatty and more juicy, pleasant, and tasty. In combination with vegetables and fruits, it made a good impression; the food was no worse, maybe even better than at home. In general, in Moscow, high-quality products are very expensive; most residents of the capital eat haphazardly, various semi-finished products. Maybe that"s why there are so many diseases and so many crazy people. Everything here is natural and fresh! Due to the three luminaries and the absence of winter, it is possible to harvest several harvests a year. The environment is healthy, which may be why there are so many strong children. Nature is not polluted by civilization. In general, Yanka was very fond of Jules Verne; his internal combustion engine was discarded in favor of an electric car. But strangely enough: even practical Americans did not introduce such machines into mass production. Although the benefits, especially environmental ones, are obvious, the efficiency of an electric motor is close to 99 percent versus 30-40 in gasoline and gas engines. In addition, internal combustion engines lead to the atmosphere being overloaded with carbon dioxide, which causes the greenhouse effect. Why the vile thing, it"s dragging down civilization! Not only the amount of carbon dioxide, but also water vapor in the air increases, which increases the temperature of the planet. At the same time, the ice in the Arctic and Antarctica is melting, which means the surface that reflects the rays of the sun disappears. As a result, the temperature increases even more. The number of fires and carbon dioxide increases. Every extra degree increases the water vapor content, which raises the temperature even more. That is, it gets hotter and hotter! As a result, the temperature on Earth will become such that life will be impossible.
  The boy shuddered at how stupid people are, digging their own grave. And first of all, the monopolies, oligarchs, and oil barons are to blame for this; they profit from the trade in energy resources, ruining nature and humanity. Thus, a fat wallet ruins people. The skinniest consciences are those of well-fed wallets! In the world of finance: Archimedes" law also applies, profit displaces honesty and compassion!
  This is why communism, despite all its excesses: is a progressive teaching. True, he was hampered by growing pains and serious problems with leaders. Perhaps only Lenin: he was quite adequate. Educated, efficient to the point of illness, energetic, with developed intuition, quite tough and at the same time knowing when to stop! The difference between Lenin and Stalin is best emphasized by this anecdote:
  - Why does Stalin wear boots, and Lenin wear boots?
  - Vladimir Ilyich was choosing the road, and this mustachioed guy kept rushing ahead!
  If in foreign policy Stalin was careful, then inside the country the prevailing desire was to jump over the abyss in two steps! Stalin pursued his goal without regard for the victims, and often his repressions brought only harm. In particular, why shoot scientists? If there is even a suspicion of loyalty, isolate him in a sharashka and create working conditions behind bars. They began to do this, but not immediately, and many intelligent people were shot or died in the most difficult conditions of concentration camps. Stalin's other biggest mistake was not hitting Hitler first. In this case, the war would have ended much earlier and there would have been fewer casualties. In addition, all of Europe, and in the future, Britain and the United States, would come under the control of the USSR. True, it was more difficult to crush the United States. The enormous economic potential, location overseas, and the possible rapid creation of an atomic bomb made the invasion difficult. In 1941, the USSR Navy was still relatively weak. And the specifics of shipbuilding are such that catching up and overtaking the United States in this matter required much more money and time than, for example, tank building. After all, one large cruiser costs as much as 3.5 thousand T-34 tanks. Submarines are a little cheaper, but still decent. True, the USSR, relying on the resources of the entire eastern hemisphere, would sooner or later crush the United States. True, the threat of retribution to Soviet cities from the use of nuclear weapons remained. Fortunately, the United States will have ballistic missiles only in the late fifties, and strategic bombers could be destroyed by jet and fighter aircraft. But still, some planes would break through the cordon and it would be terrible. In general, it would be better if nuclear weapons were not created at all, or were invented only in the USSR. In this case, it is possible for Soviet Russia to be the ruler of the world. What is much better than the current worldwide chaos, terrorism, various nightmarish threats from icing, frying or a meteorite falling!
  In general, there is more than one country in the world: there is no true democracy, and for humanity it is much better to have one tyrant than a thousand. Whatever Stalin was, he brought order to the USSR, won the war against all of Europe, and ensured a much higher standard of living for the people than in tsarist times. Even Churchill said: Stalin took Russia with a plow, but left it with a hydrogen bomb! Communist rule is in any case better than oligarchic rule. Just read some Soviet science fiction writers - is it really bad under communism? Or especially hypercommunism! Yanka dreamed a little more and began to sniffle.
  The boy dreamed of something so terribly fantastic and incredible! But it was almost impossible to remember the dream! But suddenly something seemed to turn over and the boy began to perceive very clearly:
  Tens, hundreds of thousands of starships of a hostile race lined up near a transparent, cloudy plane, smoking with milky pink fog with green spots.
  Yanka suddenly saw creatures of an extraordinary appearance. They resembled cutlets, sausages, meatballs, that is, meat products. As often happens in a dream, the boy saw many images at once, perceiving them clearly and simultaneously!
  Their starships were strangely shaped, a little oddly shaped, and looked like terrible rolls, various chops and sausages, slightly flattened by the thickness of the water and thickly studded with spiked cannons. They swam from different directions, trying to break through the perimeter, consisting of specially adapted asteroids. In addition to the regular units of the Meat Empire (that"s what they called themselves, Yanka just knew it), there were mercenary pirates present here. Their ships were distinguished by their pretentious shapes, usually frightening, and some starships looked strange and absurd, like cow dung. However, they were assigned a supporting role. The most formidable weapon was the newly released flagship battleship, the pride and beauty of the Meat Empire fleet. Resembling a pie-pie whipped with cream, the four-hundred-kilometer-long submarine has an eerie impression of arbitrariness. Nobody knew yet, it was a secret: even for cutlet generals, that they were preparing to test a new superweapon. Only Marshal Choke, a rather large specimen of a fatty cutlet, was well aware of the impending experiment. The shiny dish spread out all its twelve legs. His voice was reminiscent of the buzzing of a whole swarm:
  - Spicy candies are just a degenerate branch on the tree of evolution. I command that the accelerating emitters of the hyperplasma, thermopreon rector be turned on. O new weapon, a thermopreon-pumped superlaser, you will show the enemy his place on the refectory table.
  -Yes, your absolute gluttony. We will incinerate and brown the enemy, no matter how strong he is.
  The general barked, pulling the thick meaty body of the sausage into a string. "It"s just a pity that you can"t eat sweets, they"re poisonous."
  -But you can eat sausages. They have such tender and wonderful protein. I specially order canned food from their side branch that grows on the planet Solace the Stomach.
  The marshal-cutlet meat count licked his plump lips with his long tongue.
  -We have millions of starships here. And we are stronger than everyone. Our power is capable of pulverizing galaxies. Now we will demonstrate something that has no equal in the universe. - Dropping the fat, the cutlet fell silent, choked with delight, and through the gravioscanner he looked at the entire innumerable flock of ships, an invincible armada that had already managed to sniff the plasma.
  On the opposite side stood a five hundred and fifty kilometer asteroid fortress. Built into its belly were powerful hyperplasma cannons, gravity-tunnel emitters, multi-quark-pumped lasers, vacuum traps, space-to-space missiles and counter-charges.
  And all this is covered by a stationary force field. The asteroid was considered impregnable: the nail of intergalactic defense. In the event of a breakthrough of the fortified line, the enemy armies threatened to go to the rear.
  In a small distance, other mighty starships of lollipops and candies floated, ready to meet the enemy with superplasma and hypertitanium. This power was commanded by a marshal and at the same time a duke, Sweet-Burp candy.
  -A dirty wave of cutlets and sausages will crash against the titanium pier of the great and sweet race of candy-super-rocket.
  Seductive gift: depicted with six flexible fingers, like a fig. He chose to take refuge in the most protected place - the center of the asteroid.
  Marshal Choke, he was in a combat shock. The sight of the line of asteroids caused a furious sparkle in all ten raisins located on the stomach. His spaceship was gradually approaching combat distance. Holding the 3D projection in his hands, he made a U-turn. The gigantic flagship spun around its axis as if it had no mass. Smaller vessels repeated the ritual. Only pirate ships did not follow suit. One of them, the largest, rather looked like a gnarled dead hybrid of an oak and a scorpion, shuddered and hit with laser and hyperplasma volleys - so far harmless, due to the large distance to the target.
  Yanka whistled:
  - Wow! What a movie! Cooler than Star Wars!
  If we all stand against the Yankees,
  We will crush the northern alliance!
  NATO tomahawks will not help,
  Because God will reward evil!
  Nevertheless, the shooting began. Individual starships began to exchange salvos.
  Several dozen ships of cutlets and sausages rushed forward, and they began to bombard with photon-accelerated missiles. Choke, turned his greasy finger and made a request.
  -The enemy can already be reached.
  -Yes! Commander grub! - The computer answered dispassionately.
  -Well, then get it. We send the beam of the arch-laser in the most sweeping wave.
  From the newest flagship battleship, light beams spread out, from a distance it seemed that this was a multiply accelerated filming of a cobblestone falling into the water. How quickly: ten thousand times faster than the speed of light, the hyperplasma flashed. About a hundred starships with tens of thousands of soldiers on board suddenly turned into hot gas clouds and whirlwinds of dry cosmic dust.
  -Checkmate! - Choke, bared his thin and long teeth like carnations. - This is called a flat laser. Now we'll prepare something hotter for the enemy. We need to get a thousand more snot and fat streaks closer to the asteroid.
  -You can hit him from this distance. The superlaser has almost perfect parallelism, which means it does not dissipate.
  The Great Choke even growled with excitement.
  -Then the hour of reckoning for the sweets has already arrived. Those who fill their bellies with sweets - it oversalts their brains! - And he pulled the remote control with his flipper hands.
  The reactors were started, all the rods rose. Around each of the barrels, cobwebs began to grow, smoking with a cherry-violet fog, cutting right through the emptiness.
  In a few fractions of a second, the cracks coming from four sources intersected and gathered on this side of space into a powerful beam, crashed into the vacuum, ramming the black wall like a hyperplasmic sledgehammer. The power of photons accelerated to ultra-speeds immediately broke through the collapse of ninety-nine dimensions. She demolished spatial structures and mutilated fields. The haze blazed brighter than a supernova: with a temperature of many quintillions of degrees. Of course, more than one star built through the process of simple thermonuclear fusion cannot glow so hot and bright. The forces involved here are four orders of magnitude more powerful.
  The force field and matrix protection of the fortress asteroid could not withstand the pressure of such wild energy and simply burst. Fragments of various protective substances instantly sprayed like splashes of boiling water on the solar surface! Then terrifying streams pierced the center, piercing right through the armored block.
  -Cut it into pieces. "Choke," he commanded the computer. - Spray the sweet dish into shards.
  The super-dense beam continued to shred and burn. And soon, on the site of the impregnable space citadel, only a heap of hot debris remained. The remains of the fortress twisted and twisted in spirals. Two hundred and fifty-five million candies and a billion, three hundred and fifty million combat robots found their death here, usually quick and painless, but no less terrible for that. Marshal Duke Sweet-Burg also died.
  - Black jaw in the ass! - Yelled, choke. - We did it! Turn fire on neighbors.
  After using up so much energy, it took some time to reboot. At this moment, countless starships attacked the perimeter, aiming for the breach. A fierce battle broke out, hundreds of thousands of ships merged in the embrace of death. From the abundance of ruptures, it seemed that the vacuum boiled and split into cracks. The cannons destroyed towers and pierced the hulls of various ships. Individual starships, caught in the crossfire, simply exploded; small force fields could not withstand the combined pressure. The stationary fortresses offered serious resistance; each of them had more than one thousand heavy cannons, spitting out pieces of superplasma at superluminal speeds, and missiles within photon acceleration. These were terrible volleys, mowing down the ranks of the attackers.
  The death machine began to move again, unleashing a hyperplasma beam on nearby asteroids. Two hundred and fifty kilometer blocks scattered like pieces of ice from the impact of a steel stick. This tactic was very effective, the candies began to panic, and some of their ships scattered in fear, like butterflies flying onto a torch. The others fought desperately. Moreover, reserves were brought into battle, the frenzied battle grew.
  Grand General of Candy Eat-and-fart was cool-blooded, pulled up reserves in advance and was confident that he would be able to repel the onslaught of cutlets and their allies. But meat products are very cunning and were able to present a surprise. Our own pundits were not up to the task and argued that it was impossible to create a laser of such power, but in fact it turned out that the enemy was the first to use a dangerous novelty. Now instinct and intuition suggested only two ways out: either to quickly flee or enter close combat, mixing the ranks. In this case, the long whip of the superlaser would risk knocking down its own.
  Eat-and-fart, which was not often seen among the highest circles of corrupt command, was brave. And he made a decision - to fight to the death! The command followed and the armada came moving, reminiscent of the power of a gigantic angry tiger. Several million ships with billions of fighters are intertwined in a hellish tangle. It seemed that space was warped, and the vacuum was cracked, and innumerable cracks were filled with plasma. The brightest flashes, releasing an immeasurable amount of energy, resembled gigantic flowers that instantly blossomed in space, with predatory living petals greedily reaching out to the spaceships. Battleships, cruisers, charkoshes, laser destroyers, missile carriers, aerobonuses, laser boats, heavy, medium, light fighters and much more. All this was destroyed every second by tens of thousands, scattering into fragments or highly heated plasma magma.
  Eat-and-fart chose a mobile mega-cruiser for himself. It was easy to command from it, and its high speed and excellent maneuverability made it possible to fight successfully. Anticipating that as the battle progressed, some of the enemy starships would try to land troops on the planets Biscuit, Pastila and Chocolate, he ordered the surface to be mined with annihilation mines made from explosive baking. All the same, they are almost deserted, and the few natives are not to be spared.
  Two and a half thousand airborne assault transports, under the cover of several tens of thousands of ships, including "meromats" and "neutrons", penetrated them. The planets were poorly protected. The sector is practically open. Along the route, the squadron only shot at small satellites. In addition, they were lucky; on the way, they came across sixth-modules with fuel and ammunition - not everything was evacuated.
  In addition, the thieving generals had a negative influence; they hid some of the stolen things in these worlds. Knowing this: cutlets, sausages and sausages carried out a massive landing. With three million selected soldiers on each planet, the landing sites are not difficult to predict, as a rule: a flat, almost mirror-like desert. As soon as the predatory armadas positioned themselves, they exploded at once. A terrible roar, screams, squeals, twitching limbs of half-burned caterpillars. Annihilation and at the same time rich flashes, each depending on the type of matter from ten thousand to fifty thousand, are stronger than thermonuclear ones. The charges are relatively cheap and simple. Here the cutlets made a mistake and did not send scanning squads ahead.
  Grand General Eat-and-fart, however, did not see this - far away. All his attention was focused on the flagship battleship. The battle flared up more and more, and as Eat-and-fart expected, the superlaser temporarily fell silent, having previously destroyed several more stationary strongholds. The fleet broke up into numerous separate groups, each of which independently, without the help of high command, chose battle tactics. In these conditions, everything was decided by numerical superiority, and he was on the side of the cutlets. The Grand General understood that they could not hold out for long and set himself the main goal: to destroy the flagship battleship. To do this, he put together a group of shock starships and came closer and closer. The most important strength of such a gigantic ship is its force field. It can only be broken through or weakened by a consolidated strike at one point.
  It seemed that fate was favoring them; another spatial curvature arose in the vacuum, and a stream of meteors appeared out of nowhere. It was very thick and made it difficult to aim and shoot. In oncoming traffic, the outlandish swarm crashed into the flagship battleship.
  From the impact, the protective screen trembled, vibrated, and emitted a sparkling haze. Having rushed closer, the mega-cruiser fired charges from all plasma cannons, blasted it with missiles and lasers. The response salvo was much stronger; it even managed to damage the bow and cut off the wing of the unlucky ship.
  "Megaquasar" Choke, growled.
  -Destroy. Burn this alien. Of all the weapons.
  The next salvo, however, was not so destructive. Comets and meteorites softened the blow.
  But other ships pulled up. The power of the shock this time was stronger. Having crushed the field, already weakened by large blocks, the charges made an impressive hole.
  -Now is the time to throw the thermo-preon bomb. - Gave the order to eat yourself and fart.
  Usually such a missile is not entirely effective, due to counter-missiles or anti-radiation, but in this case, when part of the flagship battleship's abilities were paralyzed, it could work. Of course, meteorites also caused trouble for smaller starships, but they still did not suffer as much as this hulk.
  -Radiation to the maximum! He yelled in a loud voice, "Get-and-fart."
  Three rockets, accelerated by photons, flew into the breach. The menacing giant shuddered and managed to accept two "gifts." But then the third charge exploded slightly from the side, only widening the impressive hole.
  -A thousand quasars down the drain! "Geat-and-fart roared and flashed lightning bolts in frustration." - Fail such an attack. - Then he calmed down, not everything was lost, he commanded the gravitational transmitter. - Attack the flagship with all your might, aim for the hole.
  The order turned out to be practical. The extraordinary attack and onslaught was a great success. And although four starships were destroyed by return fire, the gap was widened.
  After which one of the thermopreon rockets flew into the hyperreactor. The process of preon fusion is billions of times stronger than thermonuclear. Such a powerful explosion immediately incinerated it, scattering the structure of the ship into hyperplasm. The gravitational wave and photons accelerated to superluminal speed turned it into a rarefied gas. The tentacles of the squid, heated to quintillion degrees, engulfed pieces of matter, burning nearby ships.
  The mega-cruiser Eat-and-Fart barely managed to jump to a relatively safe distance, from the terrible resemblance of a supernova. Nevertheless, it melted and turned over several times, throwing it far away and crushing a number of partitions. The guns were badly damaged, most of them were out of action. Having lost most of its combat potential, the starship became easy prey for the enemy. Realizing this and not wanting to die in vain - courage is not recklessness. Eat yourself a fart and order a retreat. Resourcefully maneuvering the mega-cruiser, avoiding traps and pincers, it retreated, trying to get under the protection of its ships. And yet he was almost slammed, securely blocked, surrounded like a fox in a hole. The ship's few guns responded sluggishly to the barbaric bombardment. The force field went wrong, more like a torn umbrella than a reliable shield. It"s no wonder that the spaceship soon exploded and fell into fragments.
  Eat-and-fart barely managed to escape on a small boat. This rescue ship was practically invisible, a series of waves created interference in its perception, so that even gravity radars recorded only blurry spots. Courage has its limits, and Grand General Sweetie wanted to survive. Moreover, the main task has been completed, and with a four-fold, and now, perhaps, five-fold superiority of the enemy, the outcome of the battle is a foregone conclusion, and the best thing that can be done is to withdraw the remaining troops. Already leaving the ship, Eat-and-Fart gave the order: to systematically retreat towards the Tsar"s Dish system in order to receive support for the planetary defense. This allowed us to gain time and bring additional forces to this area.
  Marshal Eat, eat, swallow, has already received a signal that large enemy forces can cut down his rear. However, he hesitated for quite a long time, fearing a frontal attack. Be careful not to weaken the line of defense. Moreover, the enemy launched a diversionary attack, destroying several thousand ships. Such a move frightened the already cowardly baron. Eat, eat, swallow, he was corrupt, mired head over heels in corruption - an immoral type. And he is cunning in his own way, but at the same time he has not yet had time to sell himself wholeheartedly to the clizims. But there have already been some progress towards this. Cutlets knew how to find traitors and hired some of his entourage. In particular, the mint glutton general regularly produced reports, reporting both the number of troops and the immediate plans of his command. Meat products were paid generously; in war, the smart one gets rich, the brave one gets ahead, and the fool gets shot. Traitors, however, are not only smart, but also not distant people. After all, sooner or later they are caught by counterintelligence or betrayed by their own employers. The reason he became unnecessary or he was demoted, or even shot. However, they tried not to talk about this; on the contrary, they tried to please the paid spies in every possible way.
  The light assault was repulsed, and now there was no longer any excuse for delay. Remembering the emperor"s order to avoid encirclement at all costs, and having received another gravity dispatch with a request, or rather a plea for help, Eat, eat, swallow, he gave the order.
  -Let's perform. Long live the Emperor!
  The Armada set out, however, very late; it was already too late. Meanwhile, the superior masses of the enemy continued their endless advance.
  The Royal Dish system was one of the most fortified in the galaxy. The central planet was huge and densely populated - about two hundred and seventy billion. All approaches to it were clogged with homing cyber mines, as well as four dozen natural satellites. Each satellite is densely studded with plasma and hyperplasma cannons, as well as missiles. In addition, several more planets were spinning, on which there were settlements and bases. There were serious fights ahead. Eat-and-fart knew where he was retreating, and the enemas were too carried away to stop. On the contrary, they climbed like tanks, sparing neither themselves nor their lives. Space pirates were especially active, sensing the smell of something fried, evil star filibusters climbed like cockroaches to jam - it was very tempting to plunder densely populated worlds. And now the battle, which had begun to fade, flares up with a new incredible fury that it even seems that the stars are shaking. Grand General Eat-and-fart managed to move to a light cruiser. From there he continued to lead the battle. The initial attempt of the klizim to break the total defense on the move was not crowned with success. The massacre was stuck on the outskirts of the planet Pastila. The surrounding planets shook from the explosions. One of the satellites received so many terrible hits that it split; from the outside it might seem that it was an egg bursting, so rapid was its destruction.
  Choke managed to survive at the very last moment, leaving the flagship battleship on a rescue module-boat. Now the evil cutlet, splashing with fat, exuded threats, especially since its skin was severely scorched by radiation.
  -Take no prisoners. Suffocate everything, destroy it, burn it, scatter it into photons.
  -It will be fulfilled: your stellar superiority! - Generals of lower rank smoked appetizingly and, squirming terribly, gave orders. It was very difficult to get to Pastila; for every tiny step, you had to pay with thousands, tens of thousands of starships. However, the inexorable avalanche was approaching.
  - Squeeze them like this. Press harder, not much more and the end of the quasar! - The Marshal Duke was outrageous. - Do not place too many ships when attacking satellites - strike at a long distance. That's more careful. Oh, the devil's mines! Annihilation of calories!
  The mines actually came out, almost invisible, they emerged from space and rammed the starships. Some were destroyed on the spot, others, on the contrary, only received damage. Many explosive devices were equipped with a pulse blaster, capable of burning through force fields, albeit for a very short time, causing terrible damage. Heavy losses, the cutlet fleet was bled dry, even the pirates began to show signs of concern. If there are such large losses on the approaches, then how much will have to be lost on the planet itself. Choke, however, suddenly stopped raging and spewing fatty vomit. A good idea came to his head, generously soaked in sauce.
  -What if we use another more powerful weapon against sweet candies? - Cutlet giggled. - After all, we have it, it"s also a very effective charge.
  What Choke thought was nothing more than a "hyper-spark plug." This new weapon emitted special superneutrons with a trillion times shorter wavelength than gamma radiation. The explosive power of such a charge is not great, but the hyperradiation is millions of times stronger than normal. And the penetrating power is colossal - the waves frying all living things are no joke, they are capable of burning through the planet. The main drawback of the device is that it cannot be exploded in outer space. Due to its design features, this embodiment of invisible death was only suitable for use on planets, and even then not on all of them. But in this case, the world of Gluttony was suitable. This terrible device destroyed two-thirds of the population of this world. It"s good that enemas only had one such charge.
  And even though it"s a very good weapon, you kill manpower, but all the equipment and material assets remain. It's just a pity that it's still too expensive. In order to create shbarro waves, a large amount of hojaramah is required, and this is the rarest element in the universe. But they have not yet learned how to synthesize it artificially.
  -Surprise number two! Choke was very pleased, he even dribbled on himself some ketchup made from a hybrid of a dragon egg and a cucumber tomato. - Cleaning up the planet with a schebarro comb! I'll arrange a coffin with a bag!
  In addition to sweets, Eskimos lived in this heavenly kingdom: translucent, land-dwelling portions of ice cream. They worked for Sladkoezhkostan, while living quite decently. Conquering them was as easy as shelling pears, a couple of volleys and portions of ice cream raised their sweet, sticky paws to the top. After which the aborigines were allowed to retain a significant part of their autonomy. Now this race received "hyperplasma porridge for breakfast" along with candy. The radiation turned them blue, dirty purple and red-brown. Many were covered in spots and were writhing in unbearable pain. Those who died immediately can be said to be lucky - they turned black, sticking their sugary flippers together, while the agony of others lasted many hours. Numerous robots were also damaged - both combat and industrial ones, especially since some of them were not completely disabled, but went crazy, throwing themselves at the few survivors, or grappling with each other. The picture was truly terrifying.
  Yanka clasped his hands, twirled his finger at his temple, and from his childish lips burst out:
  - What barbarity! The imagination of a violent schizo who has overindulged in heroin.
  After which the boy peered even more carefully into the battle. The absurdity of the picture only increased its attractiveness.
  The paralyzing blow knocked out most of the defense, and the cutlets finally seized the initiative. Only on a certain number of satellites: the desperate battle continued, the injections sold their lives dearly. However, they only had a maximum of half an hour left.
  -Where is this damned Eat-Eat-Swallow, so that he himself can be devoured and vomited out. - He swore, Eat yourself and fart. "I"ve already asked him for help so many times, but no answer, no hello." A black hole under his wrapper!
  Help was indeed late. And additional reinforcements approached the cutlets opposite.
  Choke and continued to itch, the burns burned mercilessly. After a short thought, he decided to take a healing bath without waiting for the end of the stellar battle. Marshal Fatty-dish (a very appetizing roll) ordered it to be filled with a regenerating solution, and plunged headlong into the purple-silver-crimson liquid. It was very pleasant, the lacerations tingled, the pain subsided. The cutlet wriggled, splashing emerald foam, and moved its paws. Then the marshal leaned out and continued to give orders:
  -Come in from the left, three hundred thousand starships on the right flank and in the lower corner. Like this. Now push him from the rear. Use a spiral bypass. Circular diving. Now let's concentrate.
  Government starships obeyed him unquestioningly, but the pirates acted as best they could. They were primarily interested in the planet Pastila. Many of them began landing troops in this long-suffering world. The heavenly air smelled of saccharin and fructose gas, and therefore it was possible to rob only in spacesuits. The ionized atmosphere produced weak radiation that quickly lost its strength, and was practically harmless to living things. But at the same time it left a bitter taste in my mouth, and I wanted to spit. However, the trophy wine, often a liquid incompatible with the body, poured down the throats. Protein types especially valued alcohol, but those who ate meat did not disdain it. Among other things, some wines were seasoned with such exotic "dope" that it distorted the minds or logical molecules of those who did not have brains.
  Some of the weaker corsairs fell dead. They were then stripped by their own accomplices, and sometimes quietly cut with laser blades. That is, chaos reigned in full force. The buildings mostly survived and therefore looting was rampant. Soon state crews also joined the pogrom. Everyone wanted to grab more. However, it was not over yet. Very late, but the forces of Eat, Eat, Gnaw have arrived. The ambitious nobleman dug for a long time, but still got his act together. A second's delay in battle leads to eternal shame! But in this case, a great many starships, in the form of the most luxurious and colorful culinary products, turned out to be a guillotine blade that collapsed on a naked neck. The commander whistled when he looked at him, especially for children:
  - Here I am! Now I'll give everyone a belt!
  And the moment, as it turned out, was fortunate for him; most of the ships crowded together, ruining Pastila. Consequently, the candy marshal had surprise and a much better position on his side.
  Now the cannonade followed a completely different scenario. The cutlets were pressed to the surface of a one million, two hundred and twenty five thousand kilometer planet. Many pirates, especially canned meat, have already drunk themselves to such an extent that their starships remain, and even with the force fields turned off, standing on the planet makes them an easy target. They were shot from orbit. The filibusters responded sluggishly. More serious resistance was provided only by the government forces of cutlets.
  The boy was very interested in what would happen next, but a rough push in the ribs finally woke up the child.
  - Get up, look, you're lying down! It's time to go hiking.
  Yanka jumped up, feeling annoyed. In addition, he did not get enough sleep, but for a modern schoolchild (who is used to surfing the Internet at night) this is a common state.
  - I am ready to go wherever they order.
  Akhmed drove up (well, it smelled, especially when the wind blew from his direction, and he was wearing a dirty fur coat) and rudely bared his teeth:
  - One of the horses died, and I decided that you were boys: as the youngest and freshest, you would pull the cart.
  Yanka raised his eyebrows and was surprised:
  - You can"t buy a new snail horse at the station.
  The merchant flashed his eyes:
  - Of course you can, but I don"t want it! So get involved. You will go with everyone else!
  The boys were rounded up with whips and tied to a cart. Seeing that Yanka was hesitating, they lashed him with a lash. The pain brought the boy back to sad reality; his skin was torn again. I had to obey, and a wide rawhide strap was tied to my chest. In some ways it was reminiscent of a device for barge haulers, only rougher. The boys were lined up and whipped. The blow caught Yankee's neck, and he immediately rushed. After which the young slaves, with groans and cries, moved forward. The hardest thing was to move the cart, but then it started moving, and it became much easier. The belt pulled the body slightly, but it was tolerable. Gravel crunched under my bare feet. It seems that in this world they understood herbs, or medicinal flora had more pronounced medicinal properties, and not long ago the brutally broken feet completely healed. They had already become slightly rougher, and it didn"t hurt as much, and the stones were mostly round, and not sharp as before. Gradually the dream passed, Yanka moved, trying not to step on the heels of the front boy. Ali whispered to him:
  - Are you with us again now?
  - Does this make you happy? "The boy tried to move the belt so that it would rub less on his muscular chest.
  - Not really, but we can at least chat about something interesting. After all, you are from another world. - The young slave shook his long, pitch-black hair.
  - Yes! I can tell you something! What are you interested in.
  Sadat asked:
  - What wars did your country win?
  Yanka, oddly enough, was embarrassed:
  - How to say? The entire history of Russia is continuous wars. As the folk song says: we rode, we rode, it took us a long time! The path from trouble, to trouble, from war, to war! From war to war!
  If we talk about wars, then we need to choose the most important one.
  - Which one was the very first? - Oddly enough, Sadat"s red hair was quite neat. Before the crossing, the boys were allowed to rinse lightly in the stream: traces of the beatings became more clearly visible on their tense, work-hardened bodies.
  Yanka licked his lips, they hadn"t been fed since morning and there was an unpleasant emptiness in his stomach:
  - Hard to say! At first our state was called Kievan Rus. The first great prince, according to official history, was Rurik. He founded a great royal dynasty. True, some scientists dispute his primacy; there were great princes before Rurik, for example Oleg, or even the ancient Kiy. In general, there were many different wars. The very first ones did not even remain in the chronicles. But the first generally recognized great conqueror was Svyatoslav. Under him, Kievan Rus captured almost twice as much territory as it had itself. The prince was a great strategist, actively using cavalry, outflanking maneuvers, and building walls. This is a type of phalanx, when ten rows of spears stick out much thicker than the spines of a hedgehog. Svyatoslav improved the formation, in particular, the slingers threw shells through the back of the formation. Usually the first of the great princes warned the enemy in advance about his campaign and gave a message: I"m coming at you! I never turned my back on the enemy!
  Sadat shook his head and remarked:
  - Warning the enemy about a campaign is extremely reckless. You can lose the moment of surprise!
  Yanka answered eagerly (the overseers seemed to have received an instruction not to interfere with the wonderful kid"s wonderful speeches, maybe he"ll blurt out something useful?).
  - Certainly! But Svyatoslav preferred open battle to long wandering across the steppe. It is better to defeat the enemy at once than to chase after each gang.
  Sadat agreed:
  - This is possible in principle! I remember our mentor catching large cherry bumblebees, spreading honey on a plate.
  - Cherry bumblebees?
  -Their fruit meat is considered a delicacy! Rare plant insects! So tell me further: Svyatoslav greatly expanded your empire?
  Yanka sighed:
  - Strongly, but unfortunately not for long. Having conquered Bulgaria and defeated the troops of Byzantium, he hesitated and did not capture Constantinople right away. Then there was a war with the Pechenegs, Byzantium set off. By recruiting mercenaries for gold, the Byzantine Caesar achieved an advantage in forces. After several bloody battles, Svyatoslav was forced to concede. In the last battle, the prince was close to victory, but a dust storm arose that blinded his troops. However, he retained most of the army. When returning back, Svyatoslav and a small detachment fell into a Pecheneg ambush.
  Sadat pulled the strap tighter so that it would rub less, and asked:
  - Dead?
  The young man moaned with a sigh:
  - Yes, he died! And the Pecheneg Khan made a thicket from Svyatoslav"s skull. To be honest, this is a sad end for a great commander.
  Ali added:
  - Yes, this happens often!
  Yanka continued:
  - It turned out to be very difficult to retain what was won. Only Tmutarakan was a small principality: it was possible to preserve it as part of Kievan Rus. The rest was lost.
  Sadat asked:
  - Why did the prince have no sons?
  The boy nodded:
  - Of course they were! They fought for the throne. There was a brutal civil war, many thousands of Russians died. Prince Vladimir, nicknamed the Sun, won. He killed his brothers with extreme cruelty. At the same time, oddly enough, he was canonized and called a saint.
  - Recognized as a saint! - Sadat grinned. - Usually the ruler who is the most holy is the one who has cut off the most heads.
  - In this case, the Orthodox Church is not fair to Peter the Great and Ivan the Terrible. They were partly shed blood: they were quite suitable for the role of saints. - Yanka shook his head indignantly. "However, there are disputes about this. They even want to canonize Stalin. He's also a warrior.
  - What happened next? - The boys asked in unison.
  Yanka continued, amazed at the patience of the overseers:
  - Vladimir introduced Christianity to Rus', did not make campaigns outside the empire, and at the end of his life he tried to rule fairly. Then after his death there was again a war between the brothers with massacres. In the end, Yaroslav, nicknamed the wise, won. After a series of bloody battles, he managed to defeat the Pechenegs. Yaroslav the Wise reigned for a long time, and was one of the oldest, if not the oldest, Grand Duke at the time of his death. After him, the decline of Kievan Rus began. Small principalities began to acquire more and more independence. Only under Monomakh there was a partial revival. His army defeated the Polovtsians. However, even Monomakh was unable to unite all the principalities.
  Sadat became interested:
  - How did Monomakh defeat the Polovtsians?
  - First, he exhausted them with active defense, then went on a decisive offensive!
  Ali wanted to ask something, but blows from the whip fell on the boys, forcing them to drag the cart faster. Akhmed angrily waved his hand: stop being liberal! Yanka spun around: the whip burned his ribs, thin scars from previous blows, itched a little. A sharp stone entered his bare heel, the boy groaned, his foot was scratched, and it became more difficult to walk.
  When you walk with a heavy load and at a fast pace, there is no time for talking, especially since the road went uphill again. Yanka was even glad that he was wearing almost no clothes; the breeze pleasantly blew across his strong, naked body, which made him feel much better. The boy thought that in his world, residents of developing countries have to work hard, especially rickshaw pullers.
  And to live without labor means to vegetate!
  Sadat, his voice trembling with tension, asked Iancu:
  -Who succeeded Monomakh?
  - There was a quarrel between his sons again. This went on for too long. - Yanka fell silent, catching his breath. - In general, all these fratricidal wars testified to the growing vanity of the princes.
  - Why then is your empire better than others? - Sadat snorted contemptuously.
  - Perhaps because there were almost no slaves in it. Somehow we managed to skip this period of history.
  - But now you are a slave yourself! - Sadat interjected sarcastically.
  - It is not the person who adorns the title, but the title of the person! - Or rather the opposite! - Yanka corrected himself. The boy didn"t want to talk at all, and it was so hard, but on the other hand, talking distracted him from the load.
  - In your country, as elsewhere, there was a war between relatives for the throne. Overall a normal situation! - Said Sadat, pushing hard.
  Yanka shook his head:
  - Not for civilized peoples. But these are so details. Then it got even worse, new, terrible enemies appeared.
  - When you are weak, enemies always appear! - Ali noticed that the young slave"s stomach was sagging from tension. "That"s how among us boys, those who are weak receive more blows."
  - Just like a weak state! And we got a full slap in the face and cuffs. - Yanka spat, trying to even out his breathing. He knew from experience that it would soon get easier.
  Sadat whispered:
  - I believe!
  Yanka continued to say, breathless:
  - It so happened that the Mongol Empire arose far in the East. However, it included not only Mongols, but various nomads of all stripes. Genghis Khan united them. Also a great ruler. In general, there is a lot of debate about who he is; there is even a version that he is the Russian Prince Vladimir. In any case, the life of Genghis Khan is like a fairy tale. As a boy he was captured and became a slave, and then fled to China. He had many adventures, including the most incredible ones. Ultimately, he managed to unite numerous tribes. The last enemy, the Mongol Khan, was betrayed by his own servants.
  - And received a reward! - Ali asked, grimacing.
  - If you can call it a reward, their back was broken! - Yanka giggled.
  Sadat shook his head:
  - Well, it"s stupid to break the backs of those who did you a favor. After this, you won"t want to betray anyone.
  "He didn"t want this to become a temptation for his warriors." - Yanka explained.
  - But in vain! Encouraging traitors in the enemy"s camp is like cultivating wheat from which the bread of victory is baked! - The former novice came up with an aphorism.
  - The bread of betrayal is always poisonous, and because it is baked from weedy grains! - Yanka parried smoothly. "Even the Nazis didn"t trust them." Although they used the services of the fifth column to the fullest!
  - Interesting! And Genghis Khan attacked Kievan Rus? - He asked, dropping drops of sweat from Sadat"s face.
  - Yes and no! - Yanka made a sly face.
  - How come? Either yes or no! - Sadat lost his temper.
  The boy sighed and continued in a faltering tone:
  - Genghis Khan conquered the Mongol tribes and attacked China. Or rather, the North Chinese Qing Empire. Although the Chinese had a numerical superiority and powerful fortress walls, due to miscalculations of the command, as well as the bribery of a number of commanders, they were defeated. Beijing fell as a result of a night assault. The Chinese emperor was tied by his feet to trees and torn to pieces! Moreover, they tore it slowly, and before that the soldiers relieved themselves to the former ruler"s face!
  Ali muttered:
  - What disgusting stuff!
  - The Mongols often committed cruel acts. If one warrior out of ten fled, then a whole ten were executed. If one warrior was captured and not released, then all ten were killed. - Yanka said this in an approving tone.
  - What if all ten ran? - The boys asked.
  - Then they executed a hundred!
  Sadat remarked:
  - So there will be nothing left of the army! In addition, if the entire army takes flight and they want to execute him after that, the soldiers will rebel and themselves will deal with such an executioner.
  Yanka was really confused, because the Mongols were not completely invincible, sometimes they were put to flight. And what did you do in such cases? However, he remembered Sparta. There was also a law in force: all fugitives should be executed! But when Empedrion defeated their army, and the Spartan king was killed in the battle, they decided to do the following. We sacredly honor the law, from the next day, but for now let the law sleep. After all, you really can"t execute everyone!
  - I think in this case, their fate was decided by the commander. Perhaps the matter was limited to a simple spanking. - Yanka made assumptions.
  - Well well! That's how fickle leaders are! - Sadat joked with irony.
  - At one time, Zhukov issued an order: that all relatives of those who surrender will be shot! - Yanka licked his lips, which had become salty from sweat.
  - And what?
  - No one was shot on this order! But the effect was intimidating: it helped to survive near Leningrad. "The boy hurt his big toe on a stone again.
  - So always intimidate and you will win! But what happened next to Genghis Khan?
  - Having conquered half of China, he decided that it was time to move further towards the West. As he put it until the last sea. Next on the way was Khorezm. Powerful Islamic Empire. - Yanka hardly moved the belt, which was rubbing his chest.
  Sadat was curious:
  - What does Islamic mean?
  - Islam ruled there!
  - This is interesting! What is Islam!
  Yanka, shining with sweat, shrugged:
  - Literally translated as submission! Muslims believe that the universe was created by one almighty Allah! And so the fact is that there is absolute predestination. Allah is omnipotent and those who pray to him five times a day, help the poor, perform the Hajj to Mecca, observe Ramadan, do not eat unclean food, take part in religious wars, go to Jiga, or heaven. And the rest of the infidels are doomed: to suffer forever in hell!
  . CHAPTER No. 19.
  Vladimir was absolutely helpless, and this helplessness depressed him. How can you hang there like a scarecrow! It was not for nothing that the gallows was considered, although not the most painful, but the most shameful execution. The only thing worse than her was being impaled! They say this was practiced in the SS, especially against women.
  And here is the confirmation of the words. The Nazi pulled a peg out of the fence and began sharpening it. Other SS men were dragging a half-naked young woman. The bare feet of a woman of about twenty-five, the Nazis poked into the fire. The unfortunate woman screamed, not in her own voice.
  - Ah-ah-ah-ah! No need!!! Dear ones!!!
  Haupmann, grinning with pleasure, replied:
  - No! Necessary! For the glory of great Germany, we will hurt you!
  The SS man took a brand from the fire and placed it on the young woman"s bare chest. She continued to scream and twitch like a martyr in a frying pan!
  The fascist continued to fire until the girl lost consciousness. Another very young peasant woman was completely naked and impaled.
  The spectacle of a medieval execution, when a strong girl desperately resists her tormentors, is disgusting and attractive at the same time. Seeing a young, almost childish, girl"s face twisted in pain, scratched and bruised, is very pleasing to German sadists. Her dusty, bare legs dangle from side to side. The SS men feel them and break off their fingers. The girl sinks deeper and deeper, begins to choke, the screams become quieter and quieter! The Nazis take the girl by the ankles and slightly lift her up, not allowing her to die quickly.
  Meanwhile, the SS man lifts up a boy tied by his leg. Throw the loop onto the other leg and do a stretch. The boy is in great pain, he is screaming, but the executioners are merciless. So one of them takes a chain and begins to twist the boy"s head. The boy's face turns crimson from unbearable suffering. Letting out a painful groan, the boy belches blood. Another girl's legs were broken by a Nazi and he was trampling on the rubble with his boots. Vladimir again tried to free himself, he put all his will into his effort. The rope finally gave way and snapped. The young man fell down backwards with all his might. At this moment, a sharply sharpened stake dug into Vladimir"s anus. The young man felt so humiliated and offended that he let out an incredible roar, tried to jump off, three hearts beat at once, and his blood pressure jumped. Vladimir twitched once more, the stake went even deeper, passing through the large intestine and piercing into the stomach. The young warrior kicked the drek and exhaled sharply:
  - Yes, I know that this is nonsense! This cannot happen in reality. This is completely absurd.
  The stake responded by pushing forward a little more, piercing his lungs. Meanwhile, the Nazis began sawing the girl across the floors with a rusty saw, while making obscene jokes and slapping her body.
  With a tremendous effort, Vladimir grabbed the stake with his legs and tried to rise, hot sweat flowed from him in a stream, although in his super body, it seems like he shouldn"t sweat! The earth was spinning before his eyes, the knight whispered a mixture of curses and prayers. All the houses in the village were already on fire, and a small church was on fire. Suddenly a 37mm shell was fired from a small wedge. It looks like the German was an ace, Satan"s gift landed right in the cross. The surviving residents died in agony. Suddenly, Vladimir was struck painfully on the head by a flaming firebrand; it formed an impressive lump, singeing his hair. The young man raised his hands, they did not obey him, like strangers, they hung like whips. Vladimir answered with a groan:
  - This is how your own body betrays you!
  Another beam, huge as an asteroid, fell on the young man"s head. A monstrous blow, a roar that squeezes out the eardrums and Vladimir... I woke up.
  The young warrior was back in the hall, blinking rapidly. Besotted elves wandered nearby.
  Astarte patted the young man on the cheek:
  - I see it wasn"t enough pleasant things for you? What a tormented face you have.
  The young warrior muttered:
  - Archive vacuum! (It can"t get any worse).
  The female elf licked the young man"s forehead with her long tongue:
  - Shocked!
  - Not that word! A nightmare in a galaxy of nettle rats, a children's cartoon, compared to what I had to endure! - Vladimir said with annoyance.
  The commander shook her head:
  - Perhaps the dope, instead of causing euphoria, awakened negative emotions. What can you do, superchemistry.
  - Who knows what formulas? Something completely extraordinary? - Vladimir asked, rotating his numb neck.
  - The use of subquark, corona discharges, this has a special effect on any brain. "However, if you want, we can provide you with a much more convenient and enjoyable way of spending your time." Don't want to play virtual!
  Vladimir grinned:
  - Just something tough, military! I've been tormented by visions and I'm thirsty for blood! This is my own fault,
  Stop whining cowardly!
  Take the machine gun in your hands,
  And pass judgment!
  The young man sang this with undisguised anger.
  Astarte agreed:
  - Let's all have some damn fun. For a change, I propose to conduct battles at the level of atomic age technology.
  - Why is this even more interesting!
  - We reached a similar level more than ten million years ago. For us this is ancient history. - Astarte winked sarcastically, her right eye lit up like the ancient Sun.
  - But still more interesting: than knights with armor, and catapults with cobblestones? - Vlarad clenched his fists.
  - Catapults are a later invention, but we elves, unlike humans, do not like to wear heavy armor. Yes, they are of little use. A good elf archer will pierce any armor with his sharpest arrow.
  - Even forged by dwarves! - Vlarad didn"t believe it.
  - There are different types of gnomes! - Astarte added. - The best armor in war is a strong character, a strong mind!
  Chrizzly elf officer has just come out of extreme euphoria. His ruddy, girlish face was excited and smiling:
  Hovered over the unfortunate planet!
  Hyperplasma boiling darkness!
  I'll hit you in the head with the yoke!
  Enlighten your head!
  Vladimir (Vlarad) sang, maintaining a playful mood:
  An elf fighter is not an oak pawn!
  At least sometimes he ends up in a madhouse!
  Turns evil enemies into firebrands!
  With your flexible, intelligent mind!
  Both boys clapped their hands. They behaved like little children. Chrizzly began throwing bubbles again, and perched a gigantic wreath on his head. Vlarad was even surprised how he managed to grow so much, and instantly appeared from the void.
  The young elf tried to attach a similar lush "multi-color" to Vladimir. The young man allowed this to be done. The wreath went past the head and got stuck on the shoulders. Vladimir spun around, and the symbol of the triumphant crumbled into confetti sparkling like illuminated precious stones.
  - Wow! - The temporary vice-officer laughed. - Real star rain! I wonder what it tastes like.
  Chrizzly took a bite from the wreath.
  - And what? It's not even bad! Well, worse than gravity chocolate! I will Vladik, I will love you, give you chocolates every day!
  Vladimir shook his finger:
  "You don"t know what evil fate has decided for us!" And this is given, selfless male friendship! Only I cannot respect the Pindars for the reason that one cannot expose one"s rear to another who was called a man!
  Elfaraya slapped Chrizzly on the nose.
  - No, my boy! I won't give it to you! He is my boyfriend!
  - Constancy in sex is as harmful to health as monotony in food! - I noticed Chrizzly squeaking.
  - I agree, and I don"t mind entertaining you, my little bird. Well come to me! - The girl moved her tongues, and did it incredibly seductively!
  Chrizzly shook his head.
  - You know, I have sex with a female almost every hour! It's already boring! You are, of course, a gorgeous female, but your friend, who has never slept with a man, is much more seductive!
  - He doesn"t know how to do what I masterfully perform! - Elfaraya cooed.
  - So I"ll teach him! It's even more interesting this way! It's good that the boy is completely innocent! - Chrizzly played with his plump, painted lips.
  - Innocence in sex is like an empty wallet, it makes you use your brain, but it deprives you of satiety! - Elfaraya noticed, grimacing. - If you understand what we"re talking about!
  - That I"m a "whole man"?
  Astarte waved her hand dismissively:
  - No! There will be no sex at the moment! First, let's practice a little virtual. We will be flying through a dangerous sector; a clash with space pirates is possible. How can we fight them if we are not prepared enough?
  Chrizzly was offended:
  - Where did you get that from? We have experience of real battles.
  Astarte flashed her eyes:
  - What, cover communications. In addition, hand-to-hand combat techniques are not sufficiently developed!
  - What is this to do? - Chrizzly whined.
  - Not yet! Let's work on what is our weakest link, namely the landing of troops on the surface of the planet. It is possible that we will soon have to face this. - The female commander clenched her fists.
  Remembering the task, Vladimir nodded:
  - Certainly! Perhaps this is the most important thing!
  - We do verbal circumcision, paws up and on board! - Astarte waved her fingers.
  The elves headed to the gym. Elfaraya, taking off and fluttering like a butterfly, whispered in Chrizzly"s ear:
  - You don"t understand what you"re giving up!
  - I don"t refuse! Wait a bit! - The young elf seemed not happy.
  In the virtual hall, elves and a couple in love stood in specially outlined circles. After which, streams of light similar to a waterfall poured down on them! Vladimir involuntarily closed his eyes; he was enlightened through and through. In general, the brightness and saturation were excessive. The young man thought: how much energy they have to spend on this. Still, elves are not a completely rational race. How many different excesses they have: a craving for luxury and ostentatious splendor.
  The capture group found itself inside the landing transport. They began to quickly run away and take their places.
  Vladimir examined himself: he looked somewhat ridiculous. Even Elfaraya laughed:
  - What do you have! Do you want to compensate for the insufficient length of your dignity?
  - Well, you are a raunchier! - The young man felt that the huge pistol was rubbing his ankles and preventing him from running. In addition, the huge body armor was somewhat constraining, the thick titanium plates made it difficult to bend, and the weapon suspended from the belt resembled a noose.
  - Damn the Middle Ages!
  - These are weapons of the atomic age! - She said, making a sour face on Elfarai. The girl herself also looked like a scarecrow, wearing dirty spotted camouflage and a helmet on her head.
  Vladimir adjusted the pistol to his right hand and checked the launch. Mm-yes, too tight, and the recoil will also disrupt aiming.
  Vladimir grabbed a weapon, apparently the barrel of those that the elves fought in ancient times, and fired at a glance. The recoil hit the palm, the bullet hit near the center of the target.
  - Yes, his front sight is also shot down! - Vladimir said with annoyance.
  A holographic image appeared, Astarte asked:
  - Well, how do you like our "alligator"!
  - Dirty weapon! And absolutely not practical! - Vladimir made a face.
  - How to say it breaks through armor forged by dwarves. But don"t worry, maybe over time we"ll find something better! - Astarte laughed.
  - What time! This is virtual! This is a one-off fight, as always! And everything is not quite real! - The boy frowned
  - But the pain is real! - The female elf ran her tongue over the seductive lips.
  - In this you are only imitating people!
  - His front sight is slightly knocked down, so practice a little! Then you will come to me!
  Vladimir fired a few more test shots, noting the low quality of the pistol and the lack of an electronic sight. After which he and his friend went out into the corridor.
  Although the design was virtual, it was apparently programmed on a broken computer. How confusing the corridors were, and on the floor here and there there was rubbish, empty bottles and some strange thin rubber bands. Elfaraya giggled. Vladimir asked:
  - Hey, what are you doing?
  - Do you know what rubber bands are? - The girl lengthened the nail of her index finger.
  - Most likely elf chewing gum!
  - Yes, no, you guys put them on in one place! - Elfaraya blathered.
  - Really!
  - Or rather, they wore it in ancient times! By the way, it would be nice to try this! - The girl tampered with the rubber band, which grew up to two meters and became a flexible nail.
  - I don't think this is a good idea! Throw out the infection.
  The young man, walking through the ship, noted that the elf battle groups were not moving as clearly as the earthlings. And their camouflage is red, yellow and orange. Brr! Is this logical, no disguise. Almost all elves shake their earrings and grin their painted lips and polished teeth. Vladimir thought that if it came to a serious battle, such a glamorous army would hardly be capable of anything.
  Almost near the door, Vladimir met Chrizzly. The bisexual elf put on so much armor that he looked like a tank from the First World War. In addition, inscriptions were made on it in the elegant language of the elves. The content, however, indicated that the owner of the armor clearly suffered from sexual anxiety and an inferiority complex. In one hand the elf held a horned helmet, in the other a strange bandura that looked like a flamethrower.
  - You and I are in the same harness! - Chrizzly said happily. - Oh, and we"ll fight, we"ll gouge everyone!
  - Not the best idea! - Vlarad shook his head.
  - Why! The most! I'll be at your rear! - Chrizzly's face has become quite sweet.
  - Bisexual in the rear! No great joy! - Vlarad began to figure out where it would be better to move the pervert.
  - Relax! Love does not accept violence! - The voice became disgustingly spruce.
  - Don"t even think about it! People taught me well! - The only thing that kept the young man from immediate physical impact was the fact that military brotherhood is a sacred concept!
  - Well, I ran! Who is with me: he is a hero! Anyone without me is a lousy pig! - Chrizzly waved his paw and, surprisingly, despite his bulky appearance, he quickly disappeared around the bend.
  Vladimir shook his head:
  - This guy annoys me!
  Elfaraya stated:
  - It turns me on!
  Instead of answering, Vladimir looked inside. Astarte was in camouflage, but the bright golden-ruby nipples of her full breasts, large enough for an elf, were exposed.
  - Well? Not your own, not a stranger! Last Hero!
  - I"m actually ready for a fight! But with such weapons, you won"t fight much. It's a "scarecrow"! "Vlarad slammed his foot into the wall in frustration, and a loud ringing sound was heard from the impact.
  - Maybe really, give such an advanced machine gun. Just excuse me boy, you need to be able to use all types of weapons. Your command warned me: a fighter"s capabilities are revealed more fully with weak weapons! - The captain threw a couple of daggers in the air.
  - Well, apparently we"ll have to turn over!
  Astarte could hardly contain her laughter:
  - OK! Go my dear!
  Vladimir grabbed the Alligator and pointed it at the commander"s chest:
  - Do you want to experience pain?
  The girl didn"t raise an eyebrow:
  - Why are you moving quite fast! Let me help you! - Astarte picked up a nut from the table and said. - Can you hit him on the fly: like our ancestors did?
  - And hit more difficult targets! - Vlarad muttered with annoyance.
  - But not from "Alligator"!
  The girl tossed the nut. Vladimir fired: the bullet barely missed the shell and pierced the partition. Astarte shook her head:
  - No, I see you are not a super-elf! Our people got caught!
  - The launch is tight, the barrel is bent, the bullet is large! With such precision: you can only hit it intuitively! - The young man sniffed the barrel of a large pistol.
  -You have no intuition!
  - Well, not with this type of weapon! - Vladimir released a crowning discharge of anger from his eyes. - I mastered ultra-modern systems to get used to this: it takes time.
  Astarte hit a dummy in the shape of a two-legged crocodile with her finger: It opened its mouth and a short double-barreled machine gun jumped out of it. The girl caught him with her palm:
  - Well, from yours! I hope you can handle it better?
  Vlarad was delighted:
  - We had courses in warfare with ancient machine guns. In case you have to fight in sectors where hyperplasma and plasma have been neutralized. Between the universes and in the universe itself you know: different laws of nature.
  - It's elementary! But first, check. - The girl threw the machine gun. Vladimir caught it in mid-flight, spun it around like a top, and took the safety off. The weapon was light with a soft trigger.
  - I'm ready!
  The girl is like a magician: for another moment her palm was empty, and now there was a pile of nuts on it:
  - Beautiful!
  - Yes very nice! You have excellent reflexes. - The young man admired the elf, compared to human females, she was like an orange versus an apple.
  - Now shoot! - The girl sharply threw up about fifty nuts.
  Vladimir gave a turn. He instantly grasped the movements of the nuts. It"s not that difficult, because the speed is relatively low, the gifts of the alien squirrel fall, carried away only by gravity. And to calculate the acceleration: you can use a hyperplasmic brain-computer.
  Astarte whistled:
  - Bravo! You are a real elf ace! You will be rewarded for this! - The girl jumped up and kissed Vladimir on the lips. He leaned forward to meet her. Suddenly Astarte pulled away: - a little later! Now go fight! - The commander dropped the supplies.
  Vladimir picked up several magazines, stuffed them into his pockets, now he felt like a drunk after a hangover! As he left, he opened the door with a kick and jumped out like a wind from wet hands.
  Already descending to the lower tier, Vladimir encountered a goat-cancer! This guy was waving his claws and shaking his beard:
  -Oooh!
  - Psycho! - The young man snorted contemptuously.
  Cancer Goat said:
  - You have a cool queen! Borrow it for a minute!
  Instead of answering, Elfaraya kicked him in the jaw. The goat-cancer turned over, kicking its crooked boots.
  After which the young man and girl went down through the elevator into transport number three. The elves were already there, they stood in picturesque poses and chewed. At the same time, girls and boys still had their hair permed.
  Elfaraya shook her head:
  - Well well! Here are the shots!
  Vladimir answered philosophically:
  - Private, army personnel, the quality is equal to that of a commander, minus the length of service!
  - Accurate remark! - Elfaraya approached the pilot. -Are you ready for the transfer?
  - Like a photon to radiation! - There was a clear answer.
  - Then let's start! It"s terrible how slowly time passes in virtual reality!
  The pilot squeaked as if it was his fault:
  - I can"t, commander speed him up!
  
  Five landing transports separated from the vessel. The ship rocked strongly, it immediately became lighter and increased its speed a little.
  The elves' vehicles also looked luxurious and elegant, but their shape was not streamlined enough. Shunting, rather primitive jet engines were used. Nevertheless, experienced pilots (several centuries old each): they knew their business, "Chrysanthemums"-3, as the elves called their vehicles, lined up in a chain.
  It so happened that Vladimir, Elfaraya and Khrisli, with other fighters, found themselves at the forefront of the attack. Having plunged into the atmosphere of the planet, the ship began to heat up the hull, and a rumble was heard.
  Chrizzly whistled:
  - Here's a sucker-pucker! Do you even know where we will land?
  - The commander knows! - Elfarai was interrupted.
  The incoming air currents threw the vehicle from side to side, causing its walls to grind. As they warmed up in the increasingly dense atmosphere, the roar increased, it seemed that they were inside a giant drum, which the giant was beating more and more forcefully.
  Chrizzly shouted:
  - This is actually incredible rudeness! So shake the high-born elves.
  - In a real war, this doesn"t happen! I have already been to such accelerators that they are seeds. You should go through human school!" Elfaraya noticed.
  - I do not want! What is school - these are two grades! I can't avoid the headache! - The elf raised his machine gun for convincing.
  - Do you have a five-digit rating system?
  - No, twenty-digit, but no one puts it below two!
  - Yes, apparently you are elves, you have confused the educational process with sex. - Elfaraya shook her hips invitingly.
  - The most enjoyable learning process is sex! And most importantly, no one will refuse to retake it! - The elf barked.
  - Sex is the only subject where everyone strives to put more stakes!
  Elfaraya added.
  - The commonality between sex and studies is that a C is better than a D!
  Meanwhile, a string of landing craft descended low enough and entered the cloudless space on the surface of the planet prepared for conquest. Visibility was not very good, it was too dusty, we had to turn on a primitive radar. As a result, orientation was unimportant, and the dust itself, yellow and shiny, caused irritation.
  - Listen to the first ace! Module three is calling you! - The walkie-talkie spoke in a pleasant feminine, but somewhat hoarse voice.
  - I"m listening to you third! - Elfaraya responded.
  - The radar has just detected the movement of ships in the south.
  Chrizzly muttered:
  - Looks like a trap!
  Elfaraya said decisively:
  - It can be anything, but there can be no question of curtailing the offensive. - The girl"s fist clenched.
  - Attention, third module, continue on the same course! - the pilot reported. - Or contact Astarte.
  - Already contacted us and told us to keep the line! - They squeaked at the other end.
  - Keep it up!
  Vladimir noted:
  - We must descend, the enemy is below us!
  Elfaraya ordered:
  - Let's dive! Into the very abyss!
  The not particularly obedient "Chrysanthemum" went down, overcoming the resistance of the atmosphere. The altimeter beeped pitifully, he looked rather pitiful.
  The radar finally caught the control point and gave a signal! Almost immediately, a green mark appeared on the dusty screen. Astarte"s voice, slightly distorted by the transmitter, was heard:
  - Turn on the shooting pad!
  Small lights began to flicker, and about a third of them were dead!
  Chrizzly, twitching nervously, explained:
  - This is how they check the status of the starting targets!
  - Poor! - Elfaraya curled her lips into a tube.
  The drive engines whirred, and the missile guides crawled out from under the opened doors.
  The Chrysanthemum bristled with eighteen missiles, but only thirteen warning lights on the panel lit up. Vladimir cursed:
  - This is blatant mismanagement!
  Chrizzly replied tearfully:
  - Yah! This is quite possible in war, especially if the equipment is old!
  Elfaraya commanded:
  - Hit troop concentrations with missiles. In the event that we can be clearly seen!
  Chrizzly looked through the guidance system.
  - We will hit the barracks. They are large and have many soldiers. As for the fence, it is made of raw masonry and can be knocked down with a battering ram.
  Elfaraya shook her head:
  -Are you crazy? Body against the wall!
  - This is not the work of gnomes, we"ll break through! How to drink let's break through! - Chrizzly even dodged.
  - Then take a risk if you are such a greyhound!
  The elves lined up in a geometrically perfect line: now they resembled real soldiers. Even the eyes became not childish, but stern, piercing, like those of the pioneer heroes of old Soviet films.
  - At least you are capable of something! - Vladimir was delighted. The young man thought that the elves were not such suckers after all: pampered, yes, but not cowards.
  Elfaraya looked into the strong optics herself, unceremoniously pushing Chrizzly away. A complex of buildings in a blue valley slowly floated towards the landing craft.
  - Visibility is cloudy! - Elfaraya tried unsuccessfully to increase the sharpness. "And the glass hasn"t been wiped for a long time."
  -Who will wipe them? Robots or what? - Chrizzly snapped. - But everything is visible as it is. We will open fire on the barracks from a distance of three thousand zherrs, the rest of the vessels will follow your example.
  - We will do this!
  - In addition, in the virtual game, we should capture valuable trophies. They are usually stored in the center of the base. - The elf rubbed his ear with a brightly varnished nail.
  Elfaraya noted:
  - This room looks like an ancient generating station. Wow, these antennas are so crooked!
  Chrizzly automatically sketched a map and pointed with his finger:
  - There are trophies there!
  However, the buildings were already visible to the naked eye; they were getting closer. It was already possible to see towers lined with armor plates.
  - There are thirty-two of them, the distances between the towers are the same! - Elfaraya began to bend her fingers.
  Vladimir whispered:
  - Hard nut to crack!
  The elf, growling (as if cool), remarked:
  - Since the distances are the same, it means we have to fight the trolls. In ancient times, we often fought with them. In addition, trolls love barracks style.
  - With virtual trolls! - Corrected Elfarai.
  The guidance system produced the first numbers - this was the distance to the selected targets. Chrizzly whistled:
  - Now it starts!
  Vladimir touched the machine gun, no, it was a rather weak weapon. Even if a modern person is completely naked, his skin with hyperplasmic inclusions will not be pierced by a lead bullet. Although no, this weapon has a core made of a much harder and heavier sub-radioactive metal. However, it still won"t break through. True, in virtual reality, the computer, like a cybernetic matrix, sets the parameters of the body. So they can take him down, even with primitive weapons. Which, however, is not entirely fair.
  Chrizzly drummed his fingers hysterically, the button was red, so elf blood is similar to human blood, bright scarlet. The elf's pupils narrowed; he somewhat resembled a small viper sitting in ambush. Time passes very slowly for a hyperplasmic brain, especially when you are waiting. This is the physiology of hyperquantum exchange. Interestingly, between the universe, especially at the junctions of antiworlds, clusters of highly rarefied hyperplasm were observed. But initially there was a theory that hyperplasm, as the sixth state of matter, does not occur in a free form in nature. But research has shown that at some levels almost all substances can pass into the sixth or seventh state of matter. There were various developments by all kinds of scientists: the eighth state of matter appeared, as well as many varieties of hyperplasm. In particular, human tissues began to be built from it. Perhaps the time is not far off when a person, even without technology, will turn into a deadly weapon capable of changing the parameters of stars and planets. In general, even in ancient science fiction, various assumptions were made about the man of the future. For example, Efremov was modest and increased life expectancy in a communist society to only 200 years. In addition, he limited the population. It"s strange, but even after people began to conquer galaxies, life expectancy did not increase significantly, and as a communist and an atheist, Efremov did not believe in an immortal soul. In general, he delved into the future for two thousand years, which is a lot, but in general the prospect is medium-term. Strange, but most science fiction writers, especially foreign ones, did not paint the future too optimistically. In general, some kind of fashion has gone towards dystopias: during the period of a divided world. They paint the future in dark colors. However, there were bright heads even then who understood that the future belonged to a unified government. Among them was a great giant who eclipsed Jules Verne, who anticipated many discoveries - especially hyperplasm. Some of the things he invented still exist only in projects. For example, the creation of new universes! Now scientists say that in principle this is possible, but it has not yet come to fruition! But progress develops, and the human mind is unique. It has been proven that the origin of man from ape is a myth! In fact, monkeys are a kind of related, but degenerate branch. In fact, the Hypernoosphere gave birth to human affairs. The human brain was not originally made of protein, and unlike a simple primate, the human brain had 999 dimensions! This means that people are theoretically capable of perceiving at once a great variety of information flows from different universes. Space has no boundaries, matter has no barriers, evolution of limitations! In the same way, man, in order not to stand still, began to develop his brain. Science has brought the former savage with a stone ax closer to the level of a god. While the truth is not Almighty, but very strong! Now the most important thing for humanity is to survive and increase its capabilities. After all, the annihilated type has no more impact than a breeze on a rock. True, even after the death of especially great people, residual fields remain capable of influencing the material world. Well, why, for example, sometimes prayers had an effect. Because any thought leaves its imprint on the information field. And when there are too many thoughts and emotions, disturbances occur in the hypernoosphere that affect the material world. Therefore, the sincere faith of millions or even billions of people, in Christ, in Buddha, in Mohammed, left its mark on the noosphere. Faith carries information and is therefore in some way material. And the faith of billions is so much energy in various dimensions and levels that it can actually move mountains. Unfortunately, people did not know how to control this energy: if you are lucky, the person will be healed, the bullet will not hit, the plane will not crash. But it can also be the other way around, the negative impact of curses and sometimes overly emotional prayers. The hypernoosphere is also powerful: almost like the Almighty God, but it just does not recognize itself as a person. This is a kind of innumerable number of traces and imprints of different personalities! So all religions have power, they can influence life, and the more powerful they are, the more followers they have and the more fanatical the faith! But at the same time, not a single one has a true idea of God. That is, it is better to glorify God, and to pray to him, and it is not harmful to cross yourself, only the truth, not revealed to any religion! So everyone is right and wrong! Atheist communists can also have an impact on the world around them, and as their numbers grow, it becomes more and more powerful! The hypernoosphere is omnivorous, it can kill and resurrect! Perhaps in this sense, true faith is close to the absolute, and whoever respects all religions at once is the wisest person. It is not for nothing that the new Orthodoxy became syncretism with the imperial dominant. But in essence, it is almost atheism, with a belief in the omnipotence of reason. In general, ancient Orthodoxy completely outlived itself at the beginning of the twentieth century and could not stop the atheistic revolution. Conservatism and reluctance to change anything, although the world is changing, is the weakness of any religion! Worldview and faith must also undergo evolution, but Orthodoxy remained at the level of the Middle Ages for too long. Thanks to the first great ruler who united humanity and decisively reformed Orthodoxy! It is possible that without it, humanity would perish!
  A salvo of eighteen missiles shook the Chrysanthemum's hull, and two groups of rockets, leaving brown tails, rushed towards their targets. The transport shifted somewhat heavily to the right, the engines were choking from tension, the hull was trembling.
  Chrizzly yelled:
  - Shoot, brothers! Hit the floor!
  The missiles mostly reached their target, but three, having lost their course, even managed to fly past the base. The barracks buildings were angular, painted a dirty gray, with skulls sticking out on the points. The walls collapsed and a fire started. However, when you look with the naked eye, the perception is as if these are children"s toys, or a sandy town that is being crushed by a fiery boy.
  The guards had already come to their senses, and automatic, small-caliber guns hit the approaching transports from all the towers.
  Every fifth round was a tracer, the bursts curved picturesquely and looked like festive fireworks. Chrizzly himself jumped up to the steering wheel and began to turn it, the pilot pulled it back. The transport spun, Elfaraya threw away Chrizzly, showing her considerable strength. The pilot somehow straightened the car. The tracks approached, and the vehicle made a clumsy attempt to evade the predatory projectiles. But here he was hampered by limited maneuverability.
  And among the buildings the rockets continued to explode. The explosion overturned the tank, its melted tracks continued to spin by inertia, two self-propelled guns were torn apart, but some of the missiles flew outside the complex. Chrizzly showed the fig.
  - Whoever misses, Astarte will deal with it humanely!
  Elfaraya giggled:
  - It sounds ambiguous!
  - When a hypercurrent is passed through the penis, you will understand why a pound of buzz is worth it! - Chrizzly whined, grinning.
  - Yes, I know! Tried it many times! - The girl purred like a cat, from pleasant memories.
  - But not me! Better than just a blowjob!
  - Fu bawdy! - Vladimir (Vlarad) tried to punch Chrizzly in the ass. The elf escaped from the first blow, but fell into the pulp on the second.
  - Wow, quasar ripper! - The elf cursed.
  The lower the Chrysanthemums descended, the denser the automatic cannon fire became. Already five times the fighters' ears had picked up unpleasant sounds - like small meteorites knocking on gravitational metal. For now the hull held out, but as the ships descended, the destructive power of anti-aircraft fire increased.
  Astarte ordered:
  - Hit the towers!
  Several missiles were fired, but being "antediluvian" in technology, they were deprived of a homing system. Only three hit the machine gun towers, destroying the firing points. You could see parts of broken bodies flying away like confetti from firecrackers.
  Chrizzly pointed his finger and remarked:
  - What did I say! These are trolls! Complete cretins!
  The fire from the surviving positions intensified even more, the fury increased.
  The pilot tried to reverse, but the pedals jammed. However, the car began to slow down. Several elves fell off their feet, one crashed into the wall so hard that it crushed his helmet.
  -Oooh! I'm going to have a big bump! - He whined.
  The speed was still too high for a ram, and in order not to get hurt, Elfaraya pressed the lever and released the parachute. Air resistance slowed down the pace.
  Seeing the concrete wall rushing towards the ship, Chrizzly screamed like a fool:
  - Polundra! All hands on deck!
  - Idiot! - Elfaraya answered.
  Several elf girls stuck their heads out and saw through the portholes that the barrier was very close, and they squealed like pigs being slaughtered. However, it seemed to Vladimir that these were most likely the screams of a powerful female orgasm.
  There was a strong impact, after which the vehicle slid on the landing skids. The torn posts of the wire fence jumped after him, and then there was an even more powerful blow. The transport hit the wall of the building.
  The girls fell down, turning over and spinning their legs. The most painted girl moaned with tears:
  - My poor leg is broken!
  Vladimir also fell, but immediately jumped up. His head was not injured. But Chrizzly was in shock, the helmet flew off his head, and there was a swelling on his forehead and blood was dripping.
  Elfaraya asked him:
  - How are you?
  The elf waved his hands desperately:
  - Be silent! Photon in your gut!
  - Well, be careful!
  The pilot seemed to have suffered the most, his chest was crushed, and a stream of scarlet blood flowed from his mouth. But thanks to the phenomenal vitality of the elves, he was still able to go, although he was not fit for battle.
  Vladimir helped the girls get up. Despite the shock, they suffered minor injuries, bruises and scratches.
  - Well, girls, it's time to fight.
  Chrizzly whined:
  - Only with you!
  - And you'll go away, rubber buffoon!
  With difficulty opening the door, nine elves left the landing transport and found themselves directly under the tower. A rapid-fire gun was firing from above, apparently the troll was too carried away by the air battle. The fiery track was blazing, and gun casings were raining down like hail. One of the elf girls lost her boot and stepped on a smoking shell with her delicious bare foot and screamed.
  . CHAPTER No. 20
  Mirabela jumped up and mechanically hit the sore spot. Her fingers tingled and she discovered a large ant that had bitten her in the womb.
  - The anti-material type, he is capable of introducing infection into the flesh. - The girl growled.
  The sensitive womb began to itch very much, to ease the suffering, the girl ran to a cool stream and sank into it. It seems to have become a little easier.
  - These are the nasty things that still exist in this universe, and I thought it was peaceful.
  While running, the girl stepped on a nettle with her bare foot and the pink sole, which had not had time to harden, also itched. Mirabela, sitting in the stream, thought: she found herself completely naked, without weapons or computers. This is bad, being a one hundred percent daughter of a super-civilization, the female warrior had no idea what could be done under the conditions of a primitive system. Truth: she had enormous knowledge, including the history of many worlds. In this case, you need to get some kind of weapon. After all, her body became like that of ancient people, which means much weaker and helpless. Weakness made the monkey a man, but the mighty elephant is stupid; if this species had existed for at least a trillion years, it would hardly have been able to develop properly. At one time, planet earth was threatened by the fall of a fairly large asteroid. He could end human civilization at once. But thanks to the great ruler, the first annihilation rocket created smashed the asteroid into photons. If you choose the right ingredients, then antimatter emits almost no radiation, and this is a big plus, because you can"t crap on your planet. But if progress had developed a little slower, the human race would have suffered the fate of dinosaurs. In general, the most delicate work was the bloodless subordination of the United States. This power was quite highly developed, and the Americans were especially good at making blockbusters. The film industry was at the highest level, especially for that time. Brilliant actors Jackie, Schwartz, DeCaprio, Stallone and many others showed the world of the future and brilliant fantasy. In those days, especially with the advent of computer graphics, they were able to create convincing, colorful illusions.
  Take, for example, "Star Wars" or "Babylon" - they were filmed so naturally. The real expansion into space began after the unification of humanity. The first, albeit rather primitive, civilization was encountered near the star Sirius. The fourth planet was hotter than Earth, but quite suitable for life.
  Lizard primates lived at the cave level. However, they already had stone axes, but lacked bows and arrows. The beginnings of religion also appeared. The cult of several elements, to which cereals and earthen tubers, sometimes animal carcasses, were sacrificed. There were relatively few aborigines, and then the viruses and bacilli introduced by earthlings wiped out almost all of them. To revive this species, we even had to resort to cloning.
  The girl ran her hands through the water and washed herself under her arms. The stream felt nice and safe.
  In principle, earthlings fought their first space war with a fluorine-breathing civilization. They were the first to attack the Russians, and a brutal war began. Initially, the fighting was on an equal footing, but then people, with the help of magic and elves, improved their technology and launched a decisive offensive.
  Almost all of the fluoride creatures were killed, and the remnants were driven into concentration camps. If the earthlings had lost, their fate would not have been better. Fluorine is a very active element, the most active one existing on Earth, it gave the race extreme aggressiveness. Then there were, of course, more wars, the destruction of planets, the conquest of civilizations. They even devastated several galaxies. But overall, all this was a loser: against the backdrop of a grandiose battle between the two Russias. In modern cinema, of course, numerous space battles have been covered. Films and TV series were shot. Special effects have developed to the level of highest realism, but still, the old cinema found its admirers. And the charm of the ancient stars of Hollywood and Mosfilm, their unfading glory.
  However, modern movie heroes also appeared. In particular, Vitaly Tok, who played Lev Eraskander. This eternal youth took part in the battles of the interuniversal war and acted in films. True, the absence of old people in the Russian Empire made the plots somewhat monotonous. But computer graphics made it possible to compensate for everything; in particular, they could make a different face even in ancient times. Well, progress has developed, but the cinema is not very good! However, a completely material one has appeared - virtual reality. It was used almost exclusively to prepare for war. In science fiction, especially of the atomic age, virtual reality has become fashionable. But at the same time, the methods of its operation remained primitive. I wish we could adapt hyperplasma for something useful, and not just look for another way to destroy all living things. It"s funny and tragic: for example, one former empress began to experience depression after leaving the post of head of state. So they made her a virtual machine so that she could continue to fight and rule the universe. However, former leaders are sometimes content with command positions in the empire. You cannot command and rule all living things all the time. However, you can reproduce any "virtual" game, including the one where the emperor defeats his opponent with the power of Great, Sacred Russia and begins to conquer other universes. And the fact that she even watched several science fiction films where other universes are conquered: it looks impressive.
  In particular, there is the theory of an accordion, or a deck of cards of an almost infinite number of other parallel worlds. This in itself is quite interesting.
  And why must they be parallel? Universes previously unseen with other physical laws can be modulated. Or conquer, in particular with a civilization consisting of nothing but dung, that would be funny! Why are we going to war with poop?
  The girl laughed, splashing water. Her little legs were churning out a wave; her energetic, young blood demanded movement. Mirabela jumped up and climbed out of the water. First of all, she began to look for a strong stick and a sharp stone. It"s not difficult to find a stick, but the main thing is that it is strong, and that"s exactly what we had problems with. But finding a sharp stone was possible only on the shore. If it"s round, it doesn"t matter: you can split it. Several times the girl saw funny animals, a mixture of crabs and monkeys. They jumped from tree to tree. But finally a rather large predator was caught. An animal that looked like a purple lynx rushed at the girl. Mirabela jumped to the side and hit the lynx with a stick. So she growled and jumped again.
  The young warrior remembered all the fighting techniques that had been drilled into her since infancy. It"s just that the body didn"t listen very well. Although it was quite strong and muscular. Nevertheless, the bare, girlish leg, instead of cutting into the neck, went along the ribs of the beast. The lynx howled and responded by scratching the girl on the thigh. But Mirabela deftly plunged the stick right into the eye, and immediately delivered a ragged blow to the forehead.
  When you hit with your palm at a special angle and a certain spatial range: even a small blow can cause a concussion.
  The lynx twitched and sagged; the girl found herself on top of her.
  - Not bad! And the fur is soft! You can cover your nakedness with it.
  Mirabelle dragged the lynx towards the shore. At first it was easy to carry an eighty-kilogram carcass, but then the girl felt tired.
  - And where is my old body, not knowing fatigue, capable of pulling an ancient train or ship. Now I am one of the unfortunate people. And how sad I am about this. - Mirabela feigned (or not quite feigned) tears.
  She went ashore and immediately stood on the orange sand, burning her bare feet. Although pain is common, in this case the girl wanted to avoid it. She wrapped her legs in soft burdocks and tied them with grass, so it was much easier to walk.
  There were plenty of stones on the shore, including glass ones. Quite quickly the girl made herself a knife. Made of glass, it was quite sharp. But skinning without experience was not so easy. I had to fiddle around, and Mirabel was smeared with blood. When the girl plunged into the water, warm as fresh milk, sharks almost immediately appeared, attracted by the smell of blood.
  They were similar to those on earth, covered with tiles, strongly flattened and wide, and the teeth were divided into crooked and straight.
  - What a monstrosity! "The girl barely had time to jump out of the water; one of these creatures flew over her and fell on the hot sand. Finding itself in a waterless space, the shark was gasping for breath and desperately beating its fins, kicking up clouds of sand.
  Mirabela whistled:
  - Yes, a predatory creature! What kind of dump did you come out of?
  The shark continued to thrash, but gradually subsided. Apparently she didn"t have a sweet time in the hot frying pan either. Several drops of green blood came out of the creature's mouth. It froze, only a light steam indicated that the moisture was evaporating.
  Mirabela placed a loincloth around her hips, leaving the skin on her chest and shoulders. I walked around for a bit and then took it off. Nudity is not a vice, but naked in this heat is much more comfortable. Still, four suns are not one. The girl suddenly felt bored, put heavy stones on her shoulders, and went for a jog, training her new body. Then she began to lift stones and strike the trees with her feet, knees, hands, elbows, and head. She tried to strengthen her ligaments and did the splits, hanging between the stones. The ligaments obeyed well, but the pain was still felt, apparently the new body lacked development.
  The girl did abdominal crunches three hundred times with weights, then walked on her hands and performed a somersault. After which Mirabela began to process the techniques. She discovered that her limbs were not padded enough to fight successfully. After a series of blows to trees, my shins, elbows, forehead, and top of my head became very swollen. I had to dip them in water to make it easier. In addition, the mugs on my legs were torn. The girl decided: let her bare feet get used to it, in this case she will be stronger and more hardened if the foot becomes coarser. Having thoroughly pumped her body, Mirabela decided:
  - If we follow the example of Robinson and build a house, this will not suit me, I cannot spend so much time. You need to make yourself a pirogue and sail away from here as soon as possible.
  No sooner said than done! The girl built a stone ax by tying vines, and began to look for a suitable tree. The skeleton was quite large, approximately fifty square kilometers. There were enough raw materials, and the work did not frighten the girl.
  Mirabela built five axes just in case, and she was not mistaken. The work turned out to be backbreaking; every now and then it was necessary to chop down hard rock and chop up bark. The girl fussed for a long time, but seemed tireless. The days on this planet were long, and the night was too short. Dripping with sweat and refreshing herself with fruit several times, the girl chopped and chopped. Finally the tree collapsed, and Mirabela sank exhausted into the soft brush. She really wanted to sleep. She had never slept before, but now she had to fight this ruthless feeling. And my legs are shaking too.
  - If only there were no ants! - The girl said with a groan. Just in case, after examining all the approaches and making sure it was safe, she yawned.
  - What! Bye-bye! - The girl"s eyes immediately closed.
  Her dream was, as always, grandiose (although of course: as always, this is an allegory of experiencing something you don"t know is always grandiose!), it imagined a large-scale space battle.
  Holy Russia was preparing for a decisive battle. On the enemy"s side: the advantage is still too large, which means that any nuance will play a role. The enemy has never had so many forces in one area, therefore every girl and guy had to be part of the resistance mechanism.
  In the orbits of the stars framing the Diamond Gate (the name itself flashed in Mirabelle"s memory), the defense was being improved, everything was spinning like hives in spring.
  A common sight for a warrior plunged into slumber, it even seemed to her that she had already seen this somewhere.
  The orbital docks worked in full force, they churned out everything they could, from bulky artillery stations to mini-mines. Missile platforms were also deployed, magicians scurried around them, whispering spells, bewitching the torpedoes.
  The potion was brewed in special round ovens stuffed with electronics, which flew through the air. To enhance the impact of magic, elves and other creatures used special suits with hyperplasmic acceleration. At the same time, space-distorting emitters were brought in, they were supposed to be ambushed near the belt of stationary asteroids. Wizards from different parts of the universe also hovered around the emitters, but mostly elves. They helped engineering personnel increase their impact and attach a camouflage field, strengthening defense in depth.
  The Holy Russians simultaneously tried to give their defense elasticity so that the lines would not break at the first touch. For this, special subspace collapses were used, which at the right moment could instantly move a large group.
  The temporary headquarters was located on the planet "Love", it occupied the most convenient position in the system. In addition, the planet itself consisted of such a strong and elastic material that it should not have collapsed even during a thermal bombardment. It was placed on the movable platform of the starship and could move at any moment; in addition, it was covered by a field of torn space, which prevented it from being immediately destroyed and also from listening to commands.
  The city itself, under which the headquarters was located for the most part, went deep into the ground. However, signals came from him. The headquarters starship continued to move, in which case it could be thrown into the zero phase.
  Hypermarshal Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov was present in it, many commanders sent holograms in their place. They developed various schemes to counter the enormous claw of the fleet of millions of worlds. It was necessary to weaken and break off the enemy.
  Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov was discussing the impact when an image appeared in front of him and a cheerful boy in a spotted suit grew out of the floor.
  - Are you the Crushing One? Great academician, I didn"t expect you!
  The boy, beaming with a friendly smile, answered:
  - This is my magic photon double! However, this is the same as myself. A scientist must personally command troops, and not just invent new weapons. Considering the specifics of Star Wars, I propose the following tactics. We are like a tightly compressed spring. "The academic boy spat out the gum, it inflated like a bubble, took out a gravity-vacuum emitter, and checked the power. - The pressure will be initially minimal, and then increasingly increasing! Try squeezing water, you will see that it is a similar process!
  - If you squeeze too hard, a spontaneous process of fusion of hydrogen nuclei will occur: there will be a bomb! Georgy Zhukov answered like a student who had memorized a lesson. Natasha's strong but gentle feminine hand lay on his lap. A beautiful girl lived in the world for more than eight hundred years and compared to the boy (even if only with the appearance of a child) she felt too old. But Zhukov, whose temples were touched with gray hair (the marshal did not want to take on the "standard for the empire" appearance of a sixteen-year-old boy), was much more suitable for her.
  - I know it! But the analogy with a spring is too banal. We are developing an ultra-half-space field. It can no longer be penetrated by anything, absolute protection if you move in one direction. It"s like a cyber-saber suit, on one side it"s mobile, but on the other it"s an insurmountable rock. Also the implementation of a half-space field on a smaller scale.
  Zhukov said with a serious look, not really understanding what he was talking about. Referee General Natasha Zhuravleva suggested:
  - Our calculation is based on the fact that the main battle will occur when mobile starships and planetary defenses can interact together, covering each other. There will be a balance of forces.
  - Super hockey! - The academic boy raised his palm and slapped the girl on the cheek. - You have delicate skin, what cream do you use?
  - "Petunia" lord of science.
  - Hyperquasar! - The crushing super kid looked at the huge volumetric hologram of the starry sky. I mentally calculated my reserves.
  - It seems that the enemy has collected everything that he could collect, there are more than two and a half times more of them than us. Not counting the magicians. It will be a very difficult fight with serious problems. - I looked at the fact that Zhuravleva rolled her cornflower blue eyes. - It will be very tight!
  Zhukov responded sharply:
  - During the battle for Moscow, the enemy had more infantry, his troops were of better quality, significant superiority in technology, and we won!
  - Because the enemy was not ready for winter! - The academician cut him off.
  -Weather conditions affect both armies equally. It"s true that Russia is more accustomed to a harsh climate. - Zhukov faltered.
  The academician happily reported:
  - And in matters of technomagic, I prepared an unpleasant surprise for the enemy. True, it cannot be applied immediately; billions must first die, and space must be filled with pain and suffering.
  - Strange magic? - Natasha said. - To feed on murder and other people"s torment!
  - This is an extreme case! I worked for a long time, creating a hyper-accumulator of evil and destruction. But in war, all means are good. Especially if the enemy is unusually strong. The fact that the enemy has such a large advantage and is our fault, I do not absolve myself of personal responsibility. As a learned man and strategist, he should have shown more diplomatic abilities, not allowing a coalition to be created against himself. And of course he set his empire up.
  Zhukov shook his head:
  - A child engaged in diplomacy is nonsense! Negotiations and intrigues should be woven by experienced men.
  - I have had a child"s mind for several centuries, and it is this that allows me to make discoveries! - The boy showed a triple tongue. - After all, a child has a unique view of the world!
  Natasha Zhuravleva asked the girl Maria Smetanikova, who oversees long-range reconnaissance:
  - Why didn"t we manage to split the enemy coalition? This criminal empire of Great Russia?
  She automatically replied:
  - Too many common interests converged, in addition, our residents showed up stupidly several times. It feels like someone powerful turned them in. The opposition to strong magic is obvious.
  The academic boy was skeptical:
  - Magical counteraction, the most common way to evade responsibility. Witchcraft is a little to blame. But this will not save you from punishment. Therefore, for this you will run through an obstacle course of increased difficulty.
  Agree!
  - Yes, master! At least a thousand times!
  - Don"t think that you got off so cheaply, next time I"ll order you to expose yourself to hyper-anti-radiation, something that activates all negative memories and phobias in the brain and blocks positive ones. In this case, little one, you will know that there is something worse than hell and cyber-underworld!
  Maria Smetanikova shouted:
  - There is no worse hell than losing a battle! The worst pain is when your homeland suffers! Torture of the body is a trifle - torture of the soul is terrible!
  Georgy Zhukov abruptly cut off:
  - I don't like pathos. I need bare facts and information. Let's take a look at it. During the war this often helped me out.
  Numerous holograms of various space systems were superimposed on one another. Through electronics, technological teams, numerous intelligence services, as well as secret agents embedded in the flesh of the headquarters. All this data was sifted through computers and presented along with pictures. Multicolor images filled the fields, and the hyperplasmic processor issued commands, recommending optimal defense tactics!
  The boy remarked philosophically:
  - The most interesting theater is the theater of military operations, but the entrance fee is prohibitively high!
  Natasha added:
  - But in the theater of military operations, tears are always real and every act is a lesson for life!
  - A lesson that the weak skip, but the strong look forward to.
  The computer sent a message:
  - Twelve thousand five hundred and twenty cruisers of the PIR class arrived from the worlds of the Great Russia universe, as well as a million, two hundred thousand three hundred frigates, five hundred thousand compoves, three million three hundred forty thousand brigantines, six thousand battleships, four thousand battleships.
  Zhukov interrupted:
  - Will you finish nudism soon? Nine hundred and forty-four spaceships, each with twenty-two thousand stormtroopers. In addition, numerous (millions!) landing ships with pirates and mercenaries on board arrived on the next flight. Among them is the legendary space-dreadnought "Ferocious Annihilation".
  Zhukov interrupted:
  - Wow! This is just a stellar mammoth; it can fit a quarter of a billion spaceships at once.
  Maria remarked:
  - But the costs for such ships are huge, the supply alone is such that you will go broke. Thanks to the White Angel and saboteurs like his heroes, they evened out the enemy at least a little.
  - This undoubtedly increases our chances.
  Emperor of Space Science: continued to peer, and holograms of the flagship ultra-battleships of the giants were highlighted. The spaceships are very powerful, drop-shaped, studded with cannons, each of which is slightly smaller in size than Everest. There are fifty-five of these monsters, there are also just ultra-battleships, also huge. And the flagship, five thousand, four hundred eighty-five kilometers long, inspires fear and respect. A great monster with a crew of several billion soldiers and several tens of billions of robots.
  Take for example the flagship with the strange name "Mouse". A completely modern machine with emitters in a variety of ranges. A gravity-vacuum gun is capable of knocking a planet or even a star out of orbit. It compresses space and crushes many ships. A strong weapon, however, not fast enough. However, the main drawback of such a spaceship is its extreme cost. And he is clumsy and unable to move unnoticed.
  Zhukov gives instructions:
  - And yet it can be destroyed too! We have special missiles, specifically against such giants.
  The computer announced:
  - A chaotic code change just occurred.
  The boy scientist winked:
  - Cleverly invented, on the one hand it is chaos, and not just orderly, but chaotically changing. Even if we include our scheme in wiretapping, they will only see a series of fiery lines. And the communication system cannot be destroyed by a virus; there is multiple duplication.
  - And if the computer itself goes wrong, and there are a lot of codes...
  - The double code will work! No, everything is calculated here! The duplication system itself is duplicated many times. - The academic boy"s eyes sparkled. - But you didn"t try to break enemy codes by slipping a baby dragon into the scheme.
  Maria replied:
  - There is one know-how that allows you to download information without getting into the system. If you want, I'll introduce you to him.
  The academic boy waved it off:
  - So I came up with it myself. This is a bioplasma analyzer. With its help you can read at a distance of thought. And even find out what you thought in the past. - The boy grinned - Only a narrow-minded person can think that discoveries cannot be made in childhood. The same Newton was still a schoolboy when an apple fell on his head, and I lived in objective time for five hundred and fifty years! But he retained the perception of childhood.
  The girls smiled:
  - Heroism has no age! Young wine is more invigorating!
  The Emperor of Science turned on a hologram with a White Angel. An inogalact consisting of pure hyperplasm, hired from another universe. Very experienced, in fact his same age, but also with a child"s perception of reality. (Those who are smarter and older don"t want to get involved in such an adventure) showed a voluminous recording of the battle. At the same time, several colored worms indicating caravans went out on the holographic projection. A flame burned on them, as if from a torch. Crushingly rubbed the handles.
  - By my decree, I assign the title of two-star general to the White Angel. Why are you looking Georgiy, I have such a right!
  Zhukov replied:
  - Yeah I do not mind!
  The academician changed his color to dazzling blue:
  - And so be it. It seems to me that this hyperboy will soon become a marshal. In general, we need to more actively promote representatives of other worlds to leadership positions!
  Natasha agreed:
  - Provided that they are capable! But our guys also know how to command!
  - For humans, war is more natural at the genetic level. This is inherent in nature. The inhabitants of other worlds are not imbued with the militaristic spirit to such an extent.
  The academician glanced sideways at the security robot. Oddly enough, the spy could have been in the ranks of cybernetics. There is a well-known case when a robot at headquarters was replaced, and it downloaded information and passed it on to space pirates. The leak was not discovered immediately, suspecting living individuals. After which cybernetics began to undergo additional testing.
  During the conversation, the other girls heard and received only the information they needed for their work. No one knew the full picture except the Academician Boy and the famous hypermarshal Zhukov!
  In general, a minimum of knowledge and careful supervision when you notice the most curious are a guarantee against espionage. Georgy Zhukov himself decided to check all commanders with a mega-bioscanner.
  - An uprising began on the planet White Primorye on the territory of Great Russia. - The computer reported. The rebels destroyed several barracks and captured half of the capital. There are battles and many civilian casualties. Data is being confirmed!
  Maria stated:
  - This is not without our participation. Some of the local leaders were won over to their side, promising to give control of the planet. In general, reconnaissance on a promise is like on a chair. Moreover, it is important to present everything in such a way that they believe us. And most often they believe flattery. Especially if you compare some stupid native king to God!
  - The lower a person"s morality, the higher he wants to rise! Maybe this will distract a couple of Great Russia starships! - Academic boy: he was not so optimistic. However, girls, would you like some milk from the squirrel? These winged squirrels are the size of a buffalo and have horns like elk. Delicious taste, and are grazed in special meadows with billions of different plant species.
  - Let"s take a sip of your scholarship. Milk is good for children! - Zhukov teased.
  The academic boy frowned, Crushing, almost equal in intelligence to the Creator, did not like when he was reminded that he was just a child - albeit outwardly. Robot waiters in the form of charming girls: they brought steaming milk from bees. It also came with a neatly cut fruit "cake" with edible diamond cream. The boy had a snack with pleasure, the girls ate with him. Zhukov asked:
  - Give me better date wine and natural meat.
  Maria replied:
  - We have everything for the taste of a great commander!
  - And that Mirabela Snow White will also fight? - Asked Georgy Zhukov.
  At these words, Mirabela shuddered, until then she had been watching her dream as if from the sidelines. Well, what can you take from the vision! And then it turns out they know her!
  - Certainly! - Natasha answered. "She and her friends are simply the decoration of any space battle." He has his own very unusual abilities. .
  The academic boy suggested:
  - Give her the most modern, newest tetralet. Let it run in! With its help, you will be able to better understand the capabilities of modern technology.
  - Not a bad idea, your Majesty, but Mirabela is not experienced enough and if she tests the newest model, the girl may have problems.
  - The difference in control is not particularly great, the same telepathy, just enhanced by magic. I'm sure she can handle it!
  Maria stated:
  - Mirabela has a very mobile brain and learns quickly. In general, I would be proud of such a daughter. Without undergoing special genetic selection, she failed to enter the ruling million. To receive such an important task from the Empress herself... Undoubtedly a huge talent.
  Georgy Zhukov noted:
  - Talent only becomes a genius if it is multiplied by colossal hard work! But overall, I trust this old lady! (The best Soviet marshal deliberately called the much younger Mirabela an old woman to emphasize the difference in status.) - After the battle, I will reward her and make her at least a captain.
  Maria commented:
  - There is a risk that the baby will die. Maybe it's better to send him to the rear. After all, mass casualties during such a war are inevitable, and who will carry out the task in this case?
  Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov shook his head:
  - It is unlikely that he himself will agree to this. Harry is exceptionally brave. Now let's arrange a restructuring. By the way, according to the unwritten knightly rules, the battle should begin with two single-seat tetraplanes. Everyone will choose their number one ace. For my part, I propose making Ruslan the Swordbearer the main fighter, that would be a strong move!
  Natasha softly objected:
  - He is still a boy, he is only fourteen years old.
  - Am I a girl? After all, this is truly the best ace of our fleet, he killed powerful warriors and warriors! - Zhukov spread his fingers wide. "Or you doubt my ability to predict the outcome of the battle." I took Berlin in a week, the most powerful fortress of the Second World War!
  Natasha expressed her opinion:
  - It"s better to send a more experienced soldier. Otherwise we will have problems. Suddenly some unexpected trick.
  Hypermarshal Zhukov objected:
  - Ruslan is very smart. In any case, my intuition says that I should bet on him.
  The academic boy supported Zhukov:
  - Yes, and the analysis of bioplasma shows that he should be a winner. I have already placed my bet.
  Supermarshal Natasha was forced to agree:
  - We do not object to such arguments.
  The academic boy finished his milk, the glass turned into the figure of a long-legged girl and bowed.
  - Thank you for your thoughtfulness! - The man-made girl began to sing, throwing her thin legs up, and holograms lit up on top, including robotic artists and circus performers. An ordinary glass put on a whole show. The girls and the august lady admired for a short time:
  - Get to work! - The emperor ordered.
  
  Meanwhile, Maria Snow White (in dreams such instant transformations are the order of the day), together with her friends, was practicing another maneuver. Maria and the young elf wizard (a curly, golden-haired boy who looked like an angel) acted together in one pair. They were given two special tetralets adapted for movement in negative minus one third space. The fighters were called "Tsunami" - 9. In addition, their telepathic control, or rather its effectiveness: was greatly enhanced by magic.
  The girl soon became convinced of this. So I tried to turn around, made a throw and instantly emerged outside the system. The more experienced elf wizard Tserrik overtook her and warned:
  - Remember your classes, discipline your thinking, now we will enter a state of combat trance, thinking will narrow and expand at the same time. Additional sections of the hyperplasmic brain will be connected. Imagine what will happen if all hyper and ultra photons start working.
  - Files will overheat! - Mirabel answered.
  - If you think about an outsider, for example a hot guy, then yes! Now let's continue our studies! By the way, this is not the first time I"ve warned you: don"t move your eyebrows or frown your forehead, it only gets in the way.
  - Oh yes! I got carried away! It"s just that sometimes it seems to me that the body has become an ordinary protein - The girl twitched, despite the comfortable shape of the tetralet"s lounger, he painfully wanted to roll over on his back.
  - Repeat the maneuver!
  Stars flashed before the girl's eyes. The traffic around Mirabela: somehow strangely slowed down. The words, usually pronounced by Tserrik in a tongue twister, seemed slow, and the voice itself was very low, drawling. Although the elf wizard began to speak even faster, even the rapid flight of the tetralet turned into a smooth glide.
  - You're in a trance! - Tserrik explained her condition. - Don"t be surprised by anything, but learn to take advantage of new opportunities. Look, holograms are flashing in space. These are training models for space combat. So my girl, start attacking.
  Mirabela did just that. So far it was a training, but a very vital and realistic one. The girl not only fought, but enjoyed it - she was stunned by the very process of the battle.
  It was a kind of palette of annihilation. Mirabela was floating and getting high. And the holograms quite realistically scattered into fragments.
  Tserrik fought next to him. The wizard received a couple of hits, but Mirabel, on the contrary, did not receive a scratch.
  Tserrik sang through a smile:
  - Happy newbies in this hot battle! Don't just wear glasses!
  "I have experience in tenacious defense, because it was not for nothing that I was among the chosen one of a million, and you, like most elves, are too emotional and therefore lose control of yourself during the battle."
  Mirabela deployed the tetralet, killing another "mosquito". She even began to sing:
  - We are at war in the universe! Let's not look at the death ray! Happy January or July! Let's give the creatures some heat!
  Natasha, meanwhile, was negotiating with her friend. The girl, getting to the battlefield, got into an unusual mess, finding herself in a stolen taxi. Also a very interesting binding. The thief was caught, and the beauty was temporarily detained. Everything would have been fine, but as a result, my friend broke three nails. It"s a great tragedy for a woman, so much roaring and groaning. Another problem was that the faun Loki had disappeared somewhere. This is already a problem, what if he really is a spy. He disappeared like a vampire in a maternity hospital. After the exercise, Mirabela temporarily came out of her trance and began to turn her head, well, he hadn"t lost anything.
  I remembered one of the blockbusters, also a prelude to a space battle, the soldiers remember the past, are extremely frank with each other. I don"t know, Mirabela didn"t feel like pouring out her soul to anyone. Although on the other hand she doesn"t mind, she would be glad to see her friends from the chosen million again. Not just to see, but to talk, to tell impressions about the war and life. It"s strange that I would never have believed that so little time had passed since my training with the ruling elite. How many events have befallen her in recent days, some are enough for a dozen lives. It would be nice to give birth to a child, however, her son should already be growing up in an incubator. It"s an interesting thing when, instead of the womb, children are churned out by a computer, they become so electronic. Special, cool! And so go and toil with your belly, poor women of antiquity, how painful it is to feel how a living body moves inside you. Brr! And my stomach makes it difficult to fight, a pregnant woman is not a warrior! By the way, is Mirabela sure to have a son? - In the world of Holy Russia, life is good, and because of the war it is difficult at the same time.
  Tired of these thoughts! Mirabela flew out of the tetraplane, spun around, thinking how many maniacs and maniacs there were around! Whatever is not a woman or a man is a death machine! But violence and war are attractively diabolical. What great guys! Here again she cannot look at their beauty indifferently. I want to immerse myself in muscular, masculine flesh. The head is on fire, voluptuous dreams are burning with a monstrous flame. The girl is in visions again!
  Great Russia has been fighting and preparing for war for decades and even centuries. Troops began to accumulate for a crushing blow since the end of the year. The total number of different types of starships has reached more than ten billion. Well, there were over one hundred and sixty billion small spaceships. Many trillions of crew, and even more robots of the most unimaginable designs. For the first time in thousands of years of war, so many ships gathered in one place in the metagalaxy. The flagships could even be mistaken for a separate planet. This entire group, unprecedented in number, absorbed resources like a gigantic sponge. From various galaxies, stretching over many thousands and millions of parsecs, endless streams of supply ship convoys flowed.
  The empresses ordered: although this is not entirely chivalrous, to use the ancient tactics of piercing raid-withdrawal, sabotage attacks on rear communications. At one time, such tactics destroyed the huge, well-trained armies of Napoleon and Hitler. At the same time, it was necessary to take into account that the local population, as a rule, was oppressed by the authorities of the Great Russian Empires or by the robbers and predatory rulers of much more primitive worlds. At the same time, with changes in power, hope for the best was associated. It"s also not a sin to take advantage of this, especially if the enemy wants to arrive unnoticed. The tactics of wolf packs, avoiding battles with large forces, but secretly stinging, breaking the logic of large strategies. The white angel divided his army into several parts and began to strike at smaller caravans. When the enemy repeatedly strengthened their cover, a volunteer from another universe decided on even more daring tactics. His plan was to attack the brown Anti-Globalist sphere, which contained the group"s main supply warehouses, a huge reserve. As always, the enterprising White Angel ordered the two girls to decipher the password, even if it was somewhat outdated, and arrive legally, under the guise of yet another reinforcement from the worlds of primitive allies. For this purpose, the shape of the starships was slightly changed and camouflage was applied. The white angel herself made herself up to look like a small volcano, in symbiosis with a stump! He was fluent in two tens of millions of languages from the worlds of several universes; it was not difficult to learn them: wave and chemical effects on the brain and total memorization. In general, the White Angel is able to remember absolutely everything without nanotechnology, the only problem is to remember.
  His assistant from among the people, Malvina, herself made sure that the girls and boys changed their uniforms and behaved naturally, because later the deception would be revealed, the greater the chances of success. Most of the races in the universe are similar in shape to humans, so it is not difficult to give the desired shape, and knowledge of other languages is included in the training program for girls and boys mixed with hyperplasm almost from infancy. That is, almost everything has been processed and provided for!
  However, the White Angel scanned the images of all the starships of the strike fleet, checking them against the card index - the enemy should not suspect anything was wrong.
  Elf Udar-rokki also decided to pose as a magician from one little-known planet. Initially, she even wanted to become a troll, but this is a big risk; trolls are too different from elves. They can sense such an obvious fake, if not of the flesh, then of the bioplasmic aura.
  The white angel agreed with her arguments:
  - In general, I hate trolls, they stink. A couple of similar creatures visited ancient Earth and proved themselves to be very negative. Since then it has been easier to find a dry stone at the bottom. than a kind and clean troll.
  Udar-rocky replied:
  - Kindness is a relative concept. Everyone considers it good if it applies specifically to him. And altruism is not particularly in fashion. You give me, I tell you: a kind of commodity-money relationship. True, there are types...
  The white angel interrupted the elf:
  - In short, the principle itself is clear to you. And now onto the Anti-Globalist sphere.
  A volunteer from another universe felt like he was riding a white dragon. The impact ax under his command confidently moved towards the target. A kind of steel glove in velvet, capable of breaking a jaw, but captivating with its softness.
  The white angel stroked the lava flows on his head, feeling how they tickled his palm. It"s pleasant and at the same time something completely extraordinary, a volcano erupts on your head.
  - Who pretends to be a hose, and I pretend to be a grandiose eruption!
  Malvina narrowed her eyes and said in response, stretching her lips:
  - You are not just a volcano, but for me, but for me, you are like a saint! I spat out burning napalm, but for you, I"ll cook borscht with cereal!
  The white angel burst into laughter, showing large sparks flying out beyond their size, it thundered like Krakatoa.
  Laughter and laughter, but on the way they came across the first space patrol. About a thousand starships, including three ultra-battleships, the size of a decent planet. The white angel acted with impudence, unceremoniously pushing the ships aside. However, his assistant casually reset the password, and a representative of another universe said in a nasal voice:
  - Don"t you dare slow down the Grand Emperor. Otherwise, I will give you such a showdown that you will throw your hooves behind your head. I have a hundred billion starships under hyperplasma.
  It was a typical bluff, but the White Angel knew what he was doing. Usually, all these kings of planetary significance loved to bluff, exaggerate their strength, and turn up their noses. In addition, impudence tends to arouse less suspicion. Indeed, if you don"t have rights, then why should you bother? There is a stereotype that a spy is usually quiet. They were let through, and the White Angel defiantly squinted his jaw:
  - Order in the star troops!
  Along the way they passed eight more cordons. Each time the White Angel came up with another joke until they flew up to the Anti-Globalist sphere.
  Here they were met by a barrier of several tens of thousands of large ships and hundreds of thousands of small fighters. As well as stations with hyperplasma cannons. The white angel hesitated for a second, because if something happened they would not be able to get out. But the cunning alien superfighter came up with a somewhat naive plan, but captivating in its simplicity. That's what he decided, let the enemy himself help him. Why fight with superior forces (and reinforcements will arrive very quickly), if you can do it carefully with an artist"s touch.
  Having contacted the commandant of the hypersphere-fortress, the White Angel portrayed a delighted simpleton.
  Marshal-Governor Hegg de Nnodd just made one good deal: he managed to sell a portion of worthless recyclables, passing it off as valuable minerals, as well as spare parts for tetraplanes and mega-grabs. The spare parts were also defective. Now it was necessary to remove the ends into the water. The first thought was the simplest: to come to an agreement with the space pirates. Let them destroy unnecessary and even dangerous cargo. But here problems arose, since the star filibuster (the one who previously processed such orders) was hired for a lot of money to carry out sabotage actions in the rear of Sviatorossiya. Another type ran into a hunting team from Great Russia, and was left without ships. Then the grand secretary: a porous turnip with legs and a narrow head with chewed leaves (the brain was located in the stomach) suggested:
  - Let the caravan be sucked in by a wandering black hole. There is just such nasty stuff along the route where the ships will pass.
  Hegg croaked doubtfully:
  - And you think the pilots are so empty that they won"t notice the curvature of space.
  - Navigation instruments will be damaged, and the troll sorcerer will wreak havoc on the starship team. They will fly in on their own. By the way, this won"t even be a murder; the starships will forever fall towards the center of the hole. - A squeak was heard, with a wheeze.
  - Well, turnip, your ideas are simpler than a steamed turnip! - Said Hegg as a pun.
  - That's what we'll do. Why do I hope the magician is reliable?
  - The very color. He found us himself!
  - So do it!
  After such an easy scam, when trillions should weigh down the pockets, the mood was positive. The white angel immediately realized that his counterpart had cleverly cheated and was now rubbing his hands.
  - Grand Emperor de Shcha-schava, the ruler of the universal worlds, brought you victory.
  Hegg immediately perked up, even jumping out of his chair.
  - What a victory!
  - Well, we have special magical artifacts, if combined with ammunition, the explosive power will increase a hundred times.
  "A hundred?" Hegg asked.
  - At a minimum, and if there are more artifacts, then as many as two hundred. The army of Svyatorossia will crumble into preons!
  Hegg gritted his teeth, baring his teeth.
  - In this case, we should hurry up. Until cunning competitors got ahead. Otherwise, Russian hypermarshal Alexander Suvorov will take credit for all the success. He has already gathered forces against Zyukov!
  - Of course, he will, we must act as quickly as a gravity wave, my vassals and robots are ready to smash everything into warehouses. I'm thinking of keeping it to fifteen fuhhots.
  Hegg was surprised:
  - So fast?
  - Just received the scheme, and my subjects are trained! A little bit wrong, for great dignity and to the quasar!
  The commandant grunted at this witticism:
  - Yes I agree! This is the best way to parent.
  - So delay steals laurels, haste brings success!
  - I don"t understand why we need laurels, maybe they are ultra-plutonium, but thank you anyway.
  - And immediately free access to the warehouses for our people.
  Now the main thing was that the girls worked accurately and did not let us down. The soldiers of the army of Svyatorossia went through a rehearsal on a virtual simulation program, but at the decisive moment their nerves could simply snap.
  The white angel behaved impudently and yelled a lot at the aliens. This should reassure the Russian fighters; the enemy is not scary, since he allows himself to be yelled at. So far everything has been fine. True, one of the inogalacts tried to blather, but the insolent warrior shot him with a paralyzer, forcing him to groan and twitch. The pain was terrifying and the rest of the motley pack gave in, recognizing the advantage of the impudent little guy. Then everything was simple
  In addition to the humorous action movie, the girls even allowed themselves to frolic, planting explosives and detonators. In general, Mirabela thought that the corrupting influence of the primitive worlds was affecting here too. In Svyatorossia, such a simple scam did not work; there was no multiple duplication and no instant notification in the decisions made. And probably Great Russia too, earthlings are not suckers. And then such frank baby talk takes place. Reminds me of outright nonsense! So one goat wanted to make money, and instead of money he grabbed a grenade. Now I had to leave. Well it's simple!
  - Now we will fly and test our striking power on these whores! - Said the White Angel. "You will see how strong we are, a demonstration of destruction."
  Hegg agreed:
  - This is the best way! Show everyone your extraordinary power.
  The commandant was already wondering how much profit he could make by selling improved weapons. At the same time, deciding to throw, as Hegg believed, the dim-witted grand emperor.
  In particular, let the Holy Russians destroy it. We must warn them that they are under attack.
  Although there is no demonstration of weapons, it will not be as convincing. Well, he won"t arrange anything for them! There will be some trickery, there will be!
  The fleet under the command of the White Angel quickly departed. He encountered no obstacles and the elf Impact-Rocky even remarked:
  - No, this is somehow not even Hollywood. Destroy the main supply center without firing a shot!
  - This is the art of military leadership to avoid unnecessary risks. A real surgeon is one who is able to perform a complex operation unnoticed!
  Their squad was significantly separated from the enemy armada when the detonators went off. A huge hypersphere was engulfed in a hyperplasmic hurricane. It turned into a continuous fiery glow, in which tens of billions of enemy soldiers instantly burned.
  Udar-rocky whispered:
  - You are a smart boy, but at the same time ruthless. Destroy so many enemies at once!
  - And save the lives of our boys and girls! You didn"t want it to be your sister or boyfriend who was killed in their place. - The white angel took out a mini-thermopreon candy bomb and licked it deliciously with his tongue, then threw it into his mouth - Or maybe his blood, it"s not so sorry!
  - Why, stupid boy, I feel sorry for everyone. You think the enemy has no soul, or the children of killed soldiers don"t cry. You will begin to empathize with everyone, your heart will ache. However, they won"t talk about this, otherwise they will start saying that Impact Rocky is getting old, and because of this she has become overly sentimental.
  "It seems we are being pursued by large masses of ships." You will need to speed up!
  - The table is painted and covered in ashes! A military starship is not a goat! - The girl sang.
  It"s not easy to improve when you"re already moving pretty well. But a certain head start in time plays a role. In addition, the starships of Svyatorossia were slightly superior to the enemy in mobility. A patrol of starships jumped out across the line. There were fifty-seven of them. The white angel ordered:
  - Don"t shoot, let him get closer, and then we"ll cover you all at once like an annoying fly.
  The enemy was also in no hurry to open fire to kill and was "served" at once, in one salvo, without even losing speed.
  - No, the boxer is the one who hits, and the one who knocks down!
  And yet the enemy pressed from the flanks. I had to twitch and snap, and perform intricate maneuvers. And suffer losses at the same time. Here, however, the main forces of the Svyatorossiya fleet were already close. They confidently counterattacked the enemy. The battle has begun. A dozen battleships of primitive worlds instantly split apart and crumbled into dust. However, the clash turned out to be surprisingly short. The army of Great Russia's allies simply moved back, freeing up the position. The white angel will even have a reason to say:
  "We didn"t have to fight, they beat us with a broom, it"s a pity, but too much dust rose, I wanted to sneeze."
  Mirabel actually sneezed, turning over and instantly waking up. A large dragonfly tickled her nostrils with its antennae, and a butterfly stroked her bruised, bare heel with its wings.
  - Well, I dreamed about nonsense! Need to work more! Wow, even in my dreams I dream of a massacre when I can finally enjoy life.
  The girl lit a fire, for this he made something like a bow and began to twirl the stick. The fire quickly engulfed the branches and relatively dry thorny branches. The girl began to burn the bottom, recalling the techniques of savages to the pie. Several times she burned her bare legs, the flames from the fire and the heat of the four suns combined in a painfully passionate substance: making the girl sweat a lot. Mirabela took a dip in the stream several times. In addition, the smoke caused pain in the eyes, the body became black from burning. The girl sneezed several times. The work dragged on for more than a dozen hours. The girl was very hungry, and the usual tropical downpour came. Streams of water extinguished the fire and almost washed away Mirabelle with warm streams. However, the beauty was even happy; her chocolate body became clean again.
  - No, it looks like the cake will have to spend several days.
  The rain lasted about twenty minutes and left behind small streams. Splashing through the puddles, the girl headed towards the shore. She suddenly wanted to try the local fish. There was not the slightest desire to light the fire again. A light breeze was blowing, the trees seemed to nod welcomingly to the girl. The mood has lifted. The completely naked beauty with a stone spear felt like a local queen. Well, let the sharks try to get close to her, they will get a strong blow! In addition, sharks seem to react to blood; they smell it from a great distance. And if you hit it with a spear so quickly, then you can easily catch the fish and carry it out. But how to eat it? Raw or fried? Also a very interesting choice.
  The girl approached the coast; after the rain, the sand had not yet warmed up and her bare feet felt bliss and a pleasant tickling. Mirabela raked the sand with her fingers, it looked like shells, well, you can eat them too. There are probably oysters here too. It"s strange why the previous agents died, it seems this universe is not so evil. There are no problems with food, and the rest will work out. The girl approached the water's edge when she suddenly stopped. Out of the corner of her eye, barely visible above the horizon, Mirabela noticed that a ship was approaching the coast. And the planet is larger than the Earth, about twice as large if you count in diameter, the female Robinson estimated by eye. The girl splashed her sea leg and continued to peer. Not modern, of course with sails, and not particularly large. So a pre-industrial brigantine, but quite elegant. Despite the distance, Mirabela's keen vision allowed her to quickly count the guns.
  - A ship, that means there is a civilization here. The only bad thing is that it"s not cosmogenic!
  The girl hit the water with her spear, a small silver fish was pierced. Mirabela touched it carefully:
  - They say raw meat is healthier, we"ll eat it first, and then decide what to do. Most likely, the ship wants to replenish its supplies of fresh water, and maybe fruit, so I don"t have time, I"m not yet under pressure!
  . CHAPTER No. 21
  Sadat, arching his tired back, agreed:
  - How practical is this! Although the division into heaven and hell prevails in almost all faiths! Heaven is bestial idleness, when there is nothing to strive for, just lie with your stomach up and enjoy. There is no need to talk about hell, we are already in hell.
  Yanka, also suffering, remarked:
  - Well, not quite! Those same Mongols believed that after death the dead continued their career as warriors. Under the leadership of the war god Sulde, the states of other deceased spirits are conquered. That is, there was a parallel, as it were, to conquer our world with the living, and conquer another world with the dead too! A kind of spirit does not find rest and continues to improve and grow its career.
  Ali was delighted:
  - And that"s even better! You can even die as a slave and become a warrior in the next world. After all, this is better than well-fed idleness.
  At this moment, the omnipresent whip again passed over the boys" backs. They involuntarily increased their pace, moving their long-suffering legs over the gravel, and were silent for a while, regaining their breathing.
  Sadat, having caught his breath, remarked:
  - Well-fed idleness is not so bad, especially when you are a slave being beaten with a whip. You even wonder if death is really that bad.
  Yanka, grimacing, said:
  - In fact, many people believe that death is simply non-existence! Although, for example, almost all nations believe in the existence of an immortal soul. And in general, take our flights in dreams, where do they come from?
  Ali expressed a thought:
  - Remembering how our souls soared above the surface! Or....
  Sadat suggested:
  - He is the memory of our spiritual state or existence, before incarnation in the flesh. Moreover, I know that there were great gurus whose souls could leave their bodies. They moved to other worlds. Somehow, even I myself observed my flesh from the outside, after the priest gave me a crystal ball to look at.
  Yanka became interested:
  - And what did you see?
  The boy novice involuntarily shuddered:
  "I was even scared to look at myself, how pale I had become." Then my spirit went through the wall and came back.
  Yanka, staggering, agreed:
  - There is definitely something like that! At one time, Papus helped Nicholas the Second to evoke the spirit of Alexander the Third. He advised the king to be strong and tough in order to avoid further troubles. By the way, Papus said that as long as he is alive, nothing threatens the monarchy. This magician died in 1917 just in February. According to rumors, Lenin and Stalin also held seances. It seems that even the spirit of Lenin predicted to Stalin in 1941 that he would win the war with Germany.
  Sadat, in all seriousness, suggested:
  -Let"s say, if one of us dies, let him come to the other in a dream and say: there is an afterlife and it"s good there!
  Yanka involuntarily smiled, even the cart he was pulling didn"t seem so heavy:
  - Yes, of course there are souls! Only a few small sects deny this. But it"s not necessarily good in the next world. Someone compared life before death to a bullpen, life after death to a zone. Usually someone feels bad in the bullpen and doesn"t get resurrected in the zone! So the slave needs to become free only on Earth!
  - Earth? - The boys were surprised together.
  - What is your planet"s name!? - Yanka corrected himself.
  - Gradodar!
  - So it"s in Gradodar!
  The boys fell silent, the climb became even steeper and they were short of breath. In addition, the road itself was now even more rocky, and sharp objects were encountered more and more often. Yanka thought that incorporeal existence has its own charm, there is no such force of gravity. Strong, but still very childish legs begin to ache painfully. The boy must strengthen himself, he must be a man, at the same time his muscular shoulder cuts the belt more and more, you need to adjust the strap from time to time.
  Dropping drops of heavy sweat and bending over, the boy stubbornly climbed, trying to distract himself from the growing, painful itching in his tired muscles. The boy's bare, burning feet simply dug into the prickly covering, and veins and veins bulged on his rapidly darkening ankles.
  When, during a history lesson, the teacher talked about the difficult fate of slaves, especially children, this was not very well received. So it"s an abstraction, since in Africa and in the East there are still child slaves, in some places official(!). Yes, in the east, even in Russia, they were there until recently, and perhaps they are now. In America, too, many people live in a way that is no better than slavery, especially blacks and Latinos. Well, the use of child labor in factories, factories, farms, and mines is common and often legalized. Most often it is voluntary, Americans are workaholics and even the snotty offspring of millionaires; do not hesitate to wash cars or sweep streets. In general, the USA is certainly an enemy to Russia, but an enemy worthy of respect. For example, Peter the Great did not like Europeans, especially the British and Germans, foreseeing that in the future Russia would fight with them! But he studied with these peoples with frenzy, married a German woman, and surrounded himself with foreigners. Peter was not proud, and personally worked with a plane and an ax. Of course he was cruel, he even personally tortured the rebels, but otherwise it was impossible to raise Russia. After all, the best way to stir up a lazy bull is with a whip. The Russian people are strong, but they lack ambition and bulldog grip. Tsar Peter possessed both, but he lacked self-discipline: he drank too much, smoked, and fornicated. The orgies undermined the king"s health, and no equal successor was found. The eternal problem of monarchies is that the son of a tough, strong-willed father too often inherits the soft, obedient nature of his mother. A ruler is like an arrowhead - if he is gentle, he will lead the country to a dead end! Only toughness also requires intelligence. In particular, Nicholas the First - Palkin had enough toughness, but there was a lack of intelligence. Stalin had both, an outstanding thinker and statesman. Unfortunately, slandered by his successors, especially by such nonentities as Gorbachev and Khrushchev. Alas, his name was never properly appreciated during the persecution for Stalin: only a few stood up. Although if not for his cruelty, we would have had to live under Hitler. What actually happened in this case? The Fuhrer did not plan the wholesale extermination of the Slavs, but perceived them as a second-class people. He believed that eighty percent Slavs could be Germanized, but he believed that there should be strict subordination to the superior race! In addition, he was worried about their fertility. In general, being a second class citizen is not a good thing. Hitler was like a rabid nationalist: he put the Germans above everyone else, which means the Russians were a couple of steps lower. In addition, the Fuhrer wanted to lower the cultural level of the Slavs, which was also very bad. Well, the Germans fought the partisans harshly, burning villages along with their inhabitants. No, under Soviet rule it was much better. In addition, the USSR after the Second World War was the only country in the world in which prices decreased from year to year. In general, there is a myth that under Stalin only the military industry was developed, while civilian industries stagnated. But this is not so, there are also statistics that can be read on the Internet. Not only tanks and guns, there were red Soviet leaders! For example, the production of canned food increased from 1928 to 1950 seven times, and sausages by five and a half times, apples by three times, and bicycles by seventy-two times!
  The angle of elevation became smaller, and the boys felt relief. Sadat, taking a breath, choking on air, asked:
  - That Genghis Khan conquered Khorezm?!
  Yanka muttered with effort:
  - Yes! Conquered! Moreover, a number of cities of Bukhara, Samarkand and others surrendered without a fight. Genghis Khan promised life and liberation from the tyrant Shah.
  - And he deceived me! - The cunning Sadat guessed.
  The boy shook his sweaty, fair head:
  - Right! He killed all the men, and drove the women and children into slavery. Otherwise, his cavalry army would simply die out in the desert. Khorezm fell, the Shah went missing. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed. Sad story, vile war. Genghis Khan usually did not keep his word and was in no hurry to show mercy!
  - No one is in a hurry to show mercy! It would be stupid to spare your enemies. - Sadat approved.
  - Individual cities, however, stubbornly resisted, especially in the territory of Iran, which is part of Khorezm. According to legend, Genghis Khan personally cut out the heart of the Shah's grandson. - Yanka leaned over and pulled the strap with his teeth, feeling the saltiness.
  - And then? - Ali intervened in the conversation.
  The boy wanted to spread his hands, but they were tied tightly:
  - The son of the Shah, Geral ed-Din, fought with Genghis Khan for a long time, sometimes achieved private successes, even defeated the forty-thousand-strong army of the Mongol satrap, but in the end he, too, ended his life on a stake . Genghis Khan sent part of his troops further to the west. They passed the north of the Baghdad Caliphate and entered Georgia and Armenia. The Georgians did not have a single ruler, the princes betrayed each other. During the battle, even one of the princes hit his brothers in the rear. They were quickly dealt with, and the nukers quickly broke the back of their ally. Afterwards, the Mongols descended to the Terek River, plundering neighboring villages, walked along the Kuban and reached the former Russian fortress of Tmutarakan.
  The boy coughed, had difficulty catching his breath, carrying a load and talking at the same time was too difficult. However, being almost a teenager, he tried to hide the pain and weakness that is usually characteristic of boys.
  Sadat, also not a weakling, asked:
  - So what is next?
  Yanka shook off the sweat and continued the story, trying to speak in an even voice:
  - The Mongols did not storm the fortress itself. They suggested that the commandant, a representative of the European Hanse, simply buy the slaves captured during the campaign.
  He agreed! Some of the Tatars, under the guise of slaves, entered the large and rich city. They suddenly attacked the guards, opened the gates and an army of Asians rushed inside.
  - This is interesting! - The young slaves" eyes lit up.
  - Having raped the women and killed all the men - the commandant was hanged upside down and stones were tied to his hands, the Mongols left this city with rich booty. Reinforcements arrived from Genghis Khan, who by this time had conquered all of Khorezm. The Tatars moved against the Kipchaks, better known as the Cumans.
  - You should at least draw us a map, otherwise you won"t understand how this happened! "Sharply," said Sadat.
  - What"s going on like that?! - Yanka was indignant.
  Ali reprimanded his friend:
  - No need! What do we care about his country? Maybe it even hurts him to remember it.
  Yanka agreed:
  - It certainly hurts to remember the battle on Kalka! Being a great country, Russia did not lose often, but when it happened it was truly a tragedy.
  Sadat philosophically remarked:
  - But if there were no defeats at all, your country would have conquered the whole world, and all wars would have ended?
  - That would be wonderful! - Yanka pulled the ropes.
  - Not good! There was nowhere to strive!
  Yanka objected heatedly:
  - And space! We would begin expansion into other worlds! Of course, initially, it would not pay for itself, but over time, technology would develop and the conquest of new lands would become a priority.
  - Sure? - Sadat narrowed his eyes.
  Yanka forgot his fatigue for a while:
  - Yes! At one time, when Christopher Columbus discovered America, many also doubted whether the new lands would bring profit, because they were very remote, and they had to sail for several months, and then nothing, they mastered them. At one time there were fools in Russia who sold Alaska and gave away the Hawaiian Islands for free. The idiots close to the king also believed that these spaces did not pay for themselves. And the Americans took them and mastered them. Billions worth of gold alone were pumped out, not to mention oil, gas, ore, bauxite and so on. The greatest value is land, and it needs to be protected and increased. Rus' has always gathered lands around itself, and giving up at least part of its territory is tantamount to cutting off your finger, or part of your heart.
  - Yes, it"s reasonable! - Sadat agreed. - But still, you will tell us about the battle on Kalka. Is not it?
  Yanka sighed:
  - Well, of course! At the height of the battle, the Polovtsians betrayed the Kalmyks and abandoned them! The Mongols bribed the commanders. Having killed the Kalmyks, they caught up with the Polovtsians, and having defeated them, they took back all the gold that had been used for bribery. They committed terrible atrocities to the prisoner, tearing off his skin alive. The Polovtsians were afraid of a new strong enemy and turned to the Russian princes for help. Yesterday's enemies suddenly wanted to become allies.
  - This is not uncommon!
  - Four princes went on a campaign, their forces were not small, about fifty thousand fighters, plus another fifty thousand from the Polovtsians. There were about two fewer Mongol-Tatars. It seemed that the outcome of the battle was clear.
  - A double advantage is a lot! - Ali inserted.
  A tear involuntarily rolled out of Yankee"s right eye:
  - But here the inconsistency in the actions of the princes let us down. The Prince of Suzdal, without warning the others, struck first, was surrounded and was killed by the Tatars. The Prince of Kiev, on the contrary, took a position in a fortified camp and never entered into battle. The other two Galician and Suzdal princes were at first able to push back the Mongol-Tatars, but the Polovtsians could not resist; their ranks were crushed and an avalanche simply washed away the Russian troops. Even at the critical moment, the Kiev prince did not come to the aid of his dying allies. He apparently thought: so much the better, I will become the most important prince in Rus', all power will pass to me if the other princes die and their patrimony is weakened!
  Sadat, trying to knock out a splinter embedded in his calloused heel, remarked:
  - And that"s what everyone thinks! Even if the people are united. This has long been the custom, your own shirt is closer to the body!
  Yanka paused, gathering his strength, then said breathlessly:
  - But that"s not what you should have thought! We must respect and value the precious Russian blood. In addition, you should remember. So far it"s not a problem, but half a problem. The Mongols arrived in small numbers, and they need to be defeated to teach a lesson. In this case, no one would dare to venture into Rus'. It is advisable to kill everyone altogether so that no one tells about the lands in the east, and if that fails, then at least instill fear of Russian weapons. The Kiev prince, however, was far from these thoughts; he only wanted to exalt himself.
  - But he remained alive! - The boys babbled in unison.
  Yanka shook his head energetically, like a young horse:
  - But no! Having defeated the other princes and the Polovtsians, the Mongols attacked the prince"s camp. He still had almost thirty thousand warriors. All attacks of the Mongols were repulsed, they suffered losses. Then the leader of the nomads, Subudai, proposed. Let the Russians surrender their weapons and leave in peace on their word of honor. Of course, one should not have believed the offer of this jackal, but the Kiev prince, who himself never kept his word, suddenly turned out to be so gullible.
  - Maybe he was bewitched? - Ali expressed his opinion.
  - I don"t rule it out! In the east, unlike in the West, sorcerers and magicians were not persecuted, which means they could gain greater power. "Yanka suddenly passionately wanted to become a magician himself and slam the combat pulsars at the overseers, and then fall into the tender grass and relax his exhausted body.
  - The prince was deceived! - Sadat chuckled hysterically.
  - Yes, after the army laid down their arms and left the shelter, they were immediately attacked. Unarmed Russian soldiers fought as best they could, using fists and teeth, throwing earth, but almost everyone was killed. The prince himself and his closest associates were placed under benches and sitting on them they celebrated a feast. And so the prince died, being slowly crushed. A humiliating and painful death. Don't dig a hole for someone else...
  - You'll get there yourself! - Sadat added smoothly. - This has already become a stable concept! But you lost legitimately.
  Yanka shook his head; the whip stung him again, burning his skin. The boy breathed a little, it became easier:
  - I don"t think it"s that legal. At times the Russians defeated significant superior forces. For example, Monomakh cut down countless hordes of Polovtsians. True, modern chroniclers consider it an exaggeration: that thirty thousand of his fighters defeated half a million.
  - Half a million! - That's five hundred thousand! - Ali was surprised.
  Sadat snorted:
  - Yes, an exaggeration! Thirty thousand cannot beat five hundred! A nut will not crack a cobblestone.
  The young narrator swallowed, his throat was already drying up, and continued to weave his speech:
  "Perhaps, due to the passage of time, it is impossible to verify, but this is not so important. After the victory, Subudai raided the Ryazan lands. His army approached Ryazan, but could not take it, after which it rolled back. Some of the soldiers moved to the Bulgarian kingdom, but were defeated. Genghis Khan himself returned to Mongolia and decided to conquer the rest of China. His warriors, having won so many victories, considered themselves invincible. Chinese inventions, catapults and gunpowder were used in battles. At the age of seventy-two, Genghis Khan died. He died as he dreamed during the siege of one of the fortresses. His middle son inherited the throne
  Udegei, becoming the emperor of all the Mongols. The eldest, most violent and aggressive son of Jochi was killed, breaking his back; his son went down in history as Batu Khan.
  Yanka took a break again, he mentally asked himself: when will the climb finally end and it will become a little easier. His bare feet are on fire, from the sharp pebbles of the mountains, as if he is being tortured on the rack. In general, what is life like for a slave, a miserable existence similar to hell. Here you involuntarily remember school. Sitting in class is boring; it"s much more interesting to run or surf the endless Internet. My favorite classes are physical education and drawing, and perhaps also history. And here! There is lush vegetation around, fresh air mixed with strong boy sweat. Oddly enough, as we climbed the mountains, it even became hotter, the temperature was already in the thirties, which intensified the torment. I'm desperately thirsty, but my stomach is already empty. The pebbles under your feet are blue, a rather strange color; be careful when placing your tormented feet so as not to step on too sharp ones.
  Sadat intervened:
  - What happened next in the history of your empire?
  Yanka reluctantly continued, it was painful to swallow with a dry throat:
  - Batu Khan and his brothers took possession of the lands west of the stone belt, that is, the Urals. The Kipchaks or Cumans submitted to the Mongols. Having gathered a huge cavalry army of four hundred thousand, Batu moved to Ryazan. Kievan Rus at that moment was fragmented into many principalities. The Ryazan principality was the first on the path of the avalanche. The city put up stubborn resistance, but fell after a six-day assault. Almost the entire population was destroyed. The Mongols threw babies into the fire, pounced on women, cut off their breasts, and ripped open their bellies. At the same time, all nearby towns and villages were burned. The invasions began in winter, and it was difficult to hide in the cold forests.
  Ali, curious, asked:
  - What is winter?
  - This is when it snows and is cold. Have you ever seen snow? - Yanka suddenly felt superior.
  - No, I didn"t see it! Wait a minute though! It is high in the mountains! Only in the highest mountains! The peaks there are so white and cold. I really haven"t seen it myself, but travelers told me about it. - Ali"s eyes brightened.
  Yanka also felt better, apparently got a second wind:
  - It's good that you understand! In any case, it is obvious that the winter rather benefited the Mongols. True, the snow prevented the horses from getting food, but even here the Russians were unlucky, the cover of the snowdrifts was not thick enough. The Ryazan prince sent messengers to Suzdal, Vladimir, Kyiv, Chernigov, Novgorod asking for help. But none of the princes sent a detachment. Only the Grand Duke of Vladimir-Suzdal sent a small detachment with his son Vladimir to Moscow. But this was just a drop in the ocean. The Mongol-Tatars took Moscow by storm; at that time it was only a small trading city. As they called it - the city on seven hills. It's hard to believe that in the future the capital of Russia will be there. And so it was conquered by the invaders. The next blow fell on the Principality of Suzdal. No matter how hard the Russian soldiers tried, they could not hold the cities. In general, the data on the battles are extremely contradictory. It is known that the Mongol hordes passed through Suzdal. All the princes fell in battle. On the Vyatka River, the army of the Prince of Suzdal was defeated, and the Mongols tied his head to a horse. Next the path lay to Novgorod. The Novgorodians and Prince Alexander, later nicknamed Nevsky, did not help their neighbors. Novgorod, rich in goods, was saved by the swamps and the fact that, according to legend, the main shaman Kireney-Zadan drowned in the swamps. After which the superstitious Mongols turned back. On the way, several more cities were plundered, and Kozelsk resisted for seven weeks. Many tens of thousands of Russian people died, the eastern part of Rus' was devastated.
  The boy almost punctured his leg on a very sharp stone, like a sharpened needle, having managed to dodge at the last moment. The road was terrible, even the other slave boys, more hardened by years of captivity, moaned.
  After a pause and adjusting his breathing, Yanka continued:
  - After which there was a two-year pause. The Mongols accumulated strength and gathered troops from all over Asia. Finally, having brought the army size to more than six hundred thousand, they rushed troops to Kyiv.
  Sadat, showing natural curiosity, asked:
  - Did Novgorod help?
  Yanka again pulled the belt back with his teeth, the red stripe on his chest became deeper, and even bruises appeared.
  - No! Although in general at that moment he was constrained by the fight against the Germans and Swedes. However, Alexander Nevsky was always loyal to the Mongols; it was not for nothing that he was called the son of Batu. Kyiv resisted for two months, the Mughals lost in the assaults, about ninety thousand killed. Having destroyed the city, and the last church was crushed with a ram, the Tatars rushed to the West. The army of Daniil Galitsky did not fight the Mongols, but retreated to strong fortresses. The Tatars themselves rushed further, defeating the Hungarian army of one hundred thousand. True, King Bela saved. The main forces of the Mongols approached Vienna, but the southern flank was beaten by the Serbs and Bulgarians, and the northern flank by the Czechs. And the supreme kagan of all the Mongols died and unrest began. Batu Khan turned his hordes back. This was his last large-scale campaign. After which Batu settled on the Volga, where he built the capital and founded the Golden Horde. After which the Mongol-Tatar yoke began. It lasted 240 years!
  Ali whistled:
  - Wow! So much time to be slaves!
  The boy, almost sobbing, said with pain in his voice:
  - It has already happened! This is the price for the fact that the Russians are divided. Alexander Nevsky defeated the Germans on Lake Peipsi, then became the Prince of Kyiv. In general, the personality is ambiguous. When the Novgorodians refused to pay tribute, he took the city by storm, killed and tortured many Russian people. He even tortured and executed his own son. According to legend, he was poisoned by the Tatar Khansha out of jealousy. In general, the fact that Alexander Nevsky was made a saint was an extremely controversial act, many disputed it. However, the criteria for canonization are very controversial in all cases! Why, for example, was Nicholas II canonized, but Peter the Great and Ivan the Terrible were not? What is the naval commander from?
  Ushakov is a saint, but Suvorov and Kutuzov are not!
  - I don"t know them, so I can"t say for sure! - Sadat answered, licking the sweat from his dark, emaciated cheeks. - But it seems to me that this depends not only on military merit, but on the disposition of the rulers.
  - Of course, this is also part of it. - Yanka agreed.
  The road went uphill sharply, and they crossed the pass. The overseers mercilessly whipped both the horses and the boys. Yankee"s head was buzzing with inhuman tension. The belt dug painfully into my already chafed shoulder, and the lashes ripped open my sides and sweat-drenched back. The boy tried with all his might, his stomach even sank, it seemed that his insides were about to come off. Now the boys were moaning and sniffling at the top of their lungs, just exhausted, everything was so cruel and unbearable.
  Yanka twitched a few more times and almost fell, but when you move, the resistance of the surface weakens a little. Each step was painful; sharp, very hot pebbles dug their claws into the boy"s bare feet, but he continued to move forward.
  - Be a knight! - Dry lips whispered.
  - Cheer up! - Ali supported him.
  I remembered Vysotsky"s song: leave the conversations, forward and upward, there! After all, these are our mountains, they will help us! They will help us!
  The whip cuts the skin, a scream escapes from the throat, the next blow is lower on the bare, tanned legs. A few tears flew out of my eyes, and it was no longer possible to hold back my groans. Yanka opens her mouth, breathes greedily, strains her abdominals and legs. Yes, this is completely unbearable, but he must survive and win. I really want to fall and not get up, so let it be - whatever happens! If they beat him to death, then at least all his suffering will end. Here, through the veil, the cheerful and at the same time terrible face of the demon appears before Yanka again.
  - If you die, the local Satan will take care of your soul, finding a place for it in the underworld!
  Yanka shudders as if he had been pierced by an electric current and throws his body forward, moving the unruly cart! Just a little more, one last effort.
  Almost losing consciousness, the boy sees that the top point has been overcome and the loaded cart is rolling down. Yanka shakes her head, splashing sweat, abundantly mixed with blood. It seems the whip scratched his cheek. The boy feels much better, his heart beating like a drum, he calms down.
  - Wow, horror!
  The other boys were also completely exhausted, but it"s clear that after the milestone their eyes lit up and they perked up. Sadat even asked:
  - How did you get rid of the Mongol-Tatar yoke?
  Yanka, shaking off the vice that tormented his muscles, continued:
  - There were several attempts, but they were unsuccessful. Until finally Dmitry Donskoy defeated the Mongol-Tatars on the Kulikovo field. It was like saying a pitched battle. One hundred thousand Russians gathered, and one hundred and fifty cavalry Tatars and twenty thousand Genoese infantry. The balance of forces was in favor of the enemy, but Dmitry Donskoy came up with a cunning plan. Knowing that the Mongols like to deliver their main attack on the flanks, he prepared a strong ambush regiment in the forest. In addition, his troops were located between the Dubnyak and Smolka rivers, which did not allow the enemy to fully exploit their numerical advantage. The prince placed a third of his army in reserve. The enemy managed to crush the leading regiment, but on the right flank, the Russians were able to strengthen their position. The defense in the center also caved in. The Russians held out. Then Mamai threw all his reserves to the left flank. The Tatars broke through the defenses and began to break through to the crossings. They thought that in this way they would destroy the entire army. Prince Dmitry Donskoy waited until the wind blew at the back of the Russian troops and rushed to attack. When you get hit in the back, it's always unexpected. The Tatars were defeated, and although two years later, another khan Togtamysh burned Moscow, the size of the shameful tribute was significantly reduced.
  Sadat, with the mien of a sophisticated strategist, remarked:
  - Dmitry won, but if the Tatars had struck the forest!
  Yanka smiled indulgently:
  - The river prevented them from striking at the ambush; in addition, Russian archers are very effective in the fight against horsemen! When they can't pick up speed, stuck in the forest. In general, ambush tactics are the most effective. A hundred years later, under Ivan the Third, Rus' finally threw off the yoke!
  Taking advantage of the fact that the cart had moved a little to the edge, the former Muscovite rubbed his mercilessly sore heel on the grass. He tried to stop the itching. Still, going downhill is incomparably easier.
  - We are listening! - Sadat almost shouted. His shoulders, sides and back were already so beaten that he did not even react to the short blow of the whip.
  The other guys nodded:
  - Well, let's keep lying!
  - I'm not lying, I'm telling the honest truth! - Yanka was offended.
  - This is our saying! - Ali explained. - We say lie, but in fact it means make up.
  Yanka nodded:
  - I understand. Ivan took power from his father Vasily the Dark. Although he was blinded, he controlled with a firm hand. Ivan the Third began to unite the fragmented principalities. One of the first steps is the battle with Novgorod. Being a much more ancient city than Moscow, Novgorod was called the Great Master. The merciless battle ended with a heavy defeat for the Novgorodians, after which they recognized the supremacy of Moscow over themselves. In that battle, Ivan used muskets and cannons on a large scale for the first time.
  Sadat interrupted:
  - What else is this?
  - Weapons based on fire combat. Gunpowder explodes and expels cannonballs and bullets. Terrible weapon! - Yanka raised his elbow and poked it into his chin.
  - What is gunpowder? - The guys asked.
  The boy scratched the lash mark on his cheekbone. How I wanted to free my hands and take the machine gun:
  - This is a gray, sometimes white powder that explodes when ignited. Previously, it was believed that it was invented in China, but then the version that the first gunpowder was created in the ancestor of Ancient Russia, Hyperborea, became more fashionable. True, the Chinese were not the first to create artillery, although they made a semblance of a cannon. Otherwise, they would not have been conquered, first by the Mongols, and then by the Manchus, and then China was fragmented for several centuries until it was united by the communists. However, back then the muskets were too bulky, took a long time to load, had low accuracy and high recoil. But the terrible roar they made had a tremendous effect on the troops and especially the horses. They just ran away. In Tula, the prince organized the production of muskets and cannons. The Russians finally threw off the yoke in 1480, although there was no major battle. The Russians blocked the path of the Tatars on the Oka. There were minor skirmishes, but the Tatars did not dare to engage in a major battle. After which a quarrel arose between them and the Supreme Khagan was killed. The Tatars, however, were not alone. Lithuanian troops rushed to their aid. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania became huge, and Midvong, taking advantage of the weakening of the Russian hordes bloodless by the invasion, conquered part of the Slavic lands. Then this recently small principality absorbed almost the entire territory of modern Ukraine (except Crimea), Belarus, Smolensk, and many lands. The local population was brutally oppressed by the Litvins! Ivan inflicted several defeats on the enemy, but the Roman Papacy did not want to lose control over officially Catholic Lithuania. They spent a lot of money, hiring huge numbers of mercenaries, mostly Germans. Faced with superior forces, Ivan was forced to go on the defensive. In addition, the raids of the Crimean Tatars began. Under these conditions, Ivan Vasilyevich decided to take a desperate step. Having made a rapid transition: he attacked the Polish-German army. The attack occurred at night, which came as a complete surprise to the prince"s opponents. More than fifty thousand prisoners alone were captured. After which peace was concluded. Part of eastern Ukraine, Vyazma and Belarusian Gomel, became part of Russia. True, Kyiv and Smolensk remained with Lithuania. Ivan reigned for quite a long time and died in 1505 from the birth of Christ. The eldest son Vasily the Third, nicknamed the Iron, inherited the throne. On his mother's side, he came from the family of the Byzantine Caesars. True, Byzantium itself was conquered by the Turks, or as they also called themselves the Ottomans. Vasily the Third besieged Kazan and Smolensk several times. It was not possible to take Kazan; the city was well fortified; in addition, there were serious problems with supplying the army. It is far from the nearest center, Nizhny Novgorod, and along the dry route supply caravans are subject to constant attacks from nomads. The Battle of Smolensk was more successful. True, the siege ended in failure three times. Then Prince Vasily ordered an increase in the production of fire weapons, primarily heavy siege guns. To increase productivity, draconian measures were taken - forced slave labor, and taxes were raised. This helped during the second siege. Smolensk was subjected to devastating bombardment for a week: after which the garrison capitulated. The Russian army tried to build on its success, but due to disagreements among the governors, it was defeated near Orsha. The war ended with a fragile peace, as a result of which Russia recaptured Smolensk, covering the route to Moscow. In the east of the state, between Nizhny Novgorod and Kazan, a city was built: colloquially nicknamed Vasilievsk. He was supposed to improve the supply of the Russian army in the event of repeated campaigns against Kazan. Tsar Vasily the Iron planned in the future a new attack on Kazan and a swift attack on Lithuania! It was necessary to recapture the Slavic lands that had previously belonged to Russia. But the king had some family problems, his previous wife turned out to be infertile, and the new one gave birth to a child too late. The king himself died at the age of just over fifty. Of course, he was not old, and there was a child on the throne, only three years old. As a result, the time has come for temporary workers and unrest. - Yanka fell silent, gasping for air, the boy"s muscular chest heaving.
  Sadat agreed here too:
  - When the heir is young, this is exactly what happens! All sorts of vile regents surrounded the throne like vultures. So our rightful heir was overthrown...
  Immediately the boy was hit with a large whip and he immediately lowered his voice:
  - The one who was the Supreme Vizier and not even a relative of the great dynasty. They say the little boy was burned in the oven. What a horror!
  Yanka tried to reach the grass, a very painful mixture of hunger and thirst:
  - Ivan the fourth was lucky! He managed to survive; at the age of thirteen, the main temporary worker Shuisky was killed on his orders. At seventeen, Ivan, who had already received the nickname the Terrible, was crowned, becoming the first Russian Tsar. True, the title of king was not recognized by foreigners for a long time. The Tsar besieged Kazan twice and took it in 1552. Four years later, the Astrakhan Khanate was also conquered. The entire huge Volga became a Russian state, and the territory of the new Russian Empire almost doubled. Thus, the threat of raids from the east was eliminated. The truth remained the Crimean Khanate. Initially, the king wanted to conquer it too, but the Ottoman Empire was too strong. In addition, it was difficult to supply troops across the steppe, because at that time there were no trains or cars.
  - Mechanical products? - Sadat asked, squinting slyly.
  - Like this! Although, to be honest, the car is also primitive. The dumbest and ugliest child of progress: that can be imagined. Smelly, inconvenient, guzzling gasoline - a complete ugliness! - Yanka blinked quickly.
  Ali timidly suggested:
  - I wish I could look at him!
  - It"s unrealistic yet! - Yanka wiped the sweat with his skinned elbow. - Tsar Ivan the Terrible decided that it would be easier and simpler to conquer Livonia. This knightly order by this time had weakened and degraded. In addition, many knights converted to Lutheranism, which means the Vatican would not provide active support. Before the campaign, a large number of cannons were made. The war began successfully; Russian troops set out on a campaign in November and unexpectedly quickly captured Narva and Yuryev. In six months, thirty cities and fortresses were taken. However, Poland, Lithuania and hired German mercenaries entered the war. Perhaps the tsar should have come to an agreement with Poland and Lithuania and divided Livonia. In addition, the king did not dare to storm Revel or Talin, giving the crusaders time to strengthen themselves. A protracted war began. Although the Russians had superiority in fiery combat, the betrayals of the governor, primarily Kurbsky, negated all military successes. The army, under the personal leadership of the tsar, captured Polotsk, but was unable to build on its success. An exchange of blows followed. The war dragged on. At some point, military happiness smiled on the Russians again. In Poland, which by this time had united with Lithuania, the king died. Tsar Ivan the Terrible himself began to lay claim to the throne. According to his mother, he was a Pole from the noble Glinsky family, so he was not a complete stranger. True, the Polish lords, accustomed to liberties, were frightened by the prospect of being under such a strong and tough monarch. In particular, in 1664, the tsar left Moscow and established the oprichnina. As a result, repression began. They were especially cruel in Novgorod, where many people were killed without trial or investigation. At the same time, many were tortured and impaled. However, during the raid of the Crimean Tatars in 1571, the oprichnina did not justify itself; many warriors with dog heads never showed up for the military muster. A year later, the Tatars were defeated, but this did not completely eliminate the threat. Fortunately, a war began between Turkey and Iran. She distracted the Crimean Tatars for a long time.
  Sadat, persistent as an investigator, asked:
  - Tsar Ivan sat on the Polish throne?
  - No!
  - So he"s not too smart!
  Yanka shrugged his bruised shoulders:
  - There were many reasons! The Polish king was chosen by the Sejm, from the most noble nobles and lords. And they didn't want a firm hand. After two years of interregnum, Henry of Valois ascended the throne. He personally was not bad with a sword, but had a reputation as a weak and indecisive person, moreover, susceptible to the sin of Sodom.
  - What is it! - I asked several boys at once.
  - According to legend, Sodom and Gomorrah consisted entirely of sinners. And the expression sin of Sodom has become a household word - when men love men. - Yanka explained, grimacing.
  Sadat frowned:
  - Our current Sultan loves to torture boys. He has a rich arsenal of torture. He just gets crazy when he hurts them. However, your chances of getting into a harem of a less evil type are rapidly decreasing.
  - Why? - Yanka thought that a harem, especially to a woman, was better than his current torment:
  - The merchant won"t want to let you go, look, he"s amused by your game every now and then. - Sadat pointed his finger.
  Indeed, Ahmed played chess with his assistant, and since he was also an oak, and politically correct, he usually won. After which he took out a spoon and hit the loser on the forehead. The assistant with the concrete forehead only chuckled in response.
  - That's it, he found himself a worthy partner! - Yanka answered.
  - Probably! Did Ivan fight with Henry Valois? "It became damn interesting for Sadat and the other boys."
  Yanka no longer noticed the pain in his muscles, his mood lifted:
  - No! Nothing worked out here. His older brother Karl died, or rather was poisoned, after which Henry fled. He went down in history as the last representative of the Valois dynasty: on the French throne. The interregnum lasted for another two years. Partly because of Ivan"s pride: the Russian Tsar did not get the throne. The throne was seized by Stefan Batory, the governor of Semigrad, who hired the Turkish Sultan, but from a German family. Being a skilled commander, he defeated the battered and completely exhausted troops of Ivan the Terrible. By this time, the king"s health had deteriorated. Stephen's troops besieged the key city in the defense and captured Polotsk. At the same time, the Swedish army went on the offensive. Russian troops were scattered and forced to fight on two fronts. Batory gathered an army of one hundred thousand and, having captured several cities, began to threaten Pskov. But this city has been thoroughly fortified. Several grueling assaults did not give the enemy an advantage. The siege dragged on, the mercenaries demanded payment. Ivan the Terrible himself sent an embassy to the Vatican. He tried to enlist the support of the Pope, God"s "deputy" on Earth. But it was not there! The Pope demanded that Catholicism be proclaimed in Rus'. In the end, the sword decided everything. Having exhausted himself, Batory accepted peace terms that were quite favorable for Poland. Ivan ceded all of Livonia and one Russian town to the Poles. However, at the height of the battles for Pskov, a Cossack brigade led by Ermak attacked the Siberian Khanate. It was ruled by the heirs of the Mongols. Despite the numerical superiority of the enemy, Ermak won, capturing the khan. Ivan the Terrible ordered the construction of several cities in Siberia. Having temporarily abandoned the war in the West, the tsar began to think about why, like the Spanish king, who proclaimed the slogan: peace to Europe, expansion in the colonies, not to seize the wild lands of Siberia and conquer India, China and other lands. The king began to gather Cossacks and dashing people in preparation for the campaign. At the same time, craftsmen made new weapons, more advanced muskets that were loaded not from the barrel, but from the magazine, and the gun"s rate of fire increased. Ivan himself wanted to marry an English princess in order to form an alliance with Britain against the Swedes and gain support during the invasion of India. But death cut short the king"s bold undertakings. There were rumors that he was poisoned by his own circle. However, the king had been ill for a long time and his death was predicted in advance. After such a strong sovereign, the throne was inherited by the middle son Fedor. He was weak-minded, weak-willed, and pious. Russia was saved only by the fact that he had a strong regent, Boris Godunov. The eldest son Ivan was killed by his father in a fit of anger.
  - Ivan the Terrible is also crazy! - Sadat purred.
  Yanka did not argue:
  - Maybe! I read somewhere that Ivan Vasilyevich suffered from venereal diseases, was treated by rubbing mercury, which caused his body to constantly itch and cause frantic attacks of anger. They say that this was confirmed during the examination of his mummy. Alas, this is quite possible! Ivan the Terrible had nine wives and a lot of mistresses. There were rumors that there were even men among them, for example Basmanov Jr. The king was oversaturated with hormones. And yet a great ruler, under whom the area of the country more than doubled. Rather, Ivan the Terrible, for all his ferocity, is a progressive ruler of Russia. He established a state monopoly on vodka and furs, abolished feeding, created a strong Streltsy army, built many cities, and introduced a sanitary service for the first time in the world. In addition, he revived the Russian military and merchant fleet and created new branches of the military. The Tsar did a lot for the revival of Rus' and this cannot be ignored. And everyone has shortcomings! I remember what one barbarian said to Socrates.
  - It"s wonderful and just what kings do!
  Socrates replied:
  - Among the barbarians, yes! It"s wonderful here - that"s what"s wonderful! Fair is only what is fair!
  Sadat sadly remarked:
  - But the king can crucify or impale anyone who doubts his justice!
  - But this won"t prove you"re right! - Yanka exclaimed.
  - Right! But still! (The overseers hit the backs of both chatterbox boys). Gives a head start! Look ahead! - Sadat pointed with his hand, the path of crying begins.
  Indeed, a heavy corpse smell and quiet groans reached Yankee. Stars with crucified people hung along the road. Their legs were spread apart in a split, and their arms were out to the sides. A very painful execution! A person also suffers from nails piercing his arms and legs and strained ligaments. Also hunger, thirst, insects. Some people are stuck on stakes. This is also a very painful execution, but it is also more fleeting, since the person bleeds out faster. Some people were simply impaled on a hook, the tip of which protruded from the ribs. There were about three hundred executed, of which at least a hundred were women and about fifty children, some even younger than Yankee. The boy involuntarily began to cry:
  - What did these people do? - Yanka muttered in a trembling voice.
  Sadat shook his head and replied:
  - I don"t think it"s anything serious! In order to crucify a slave, a simple order from the owner is enough. In addition, there is a "sacred" custom: if a slave owner or a member of his family is killed, then all slaves are executed! Moreover, the execution must be cruel, and no exceptions are made for children!
  - It's clear! And what awaits me in case of disobedience? - Yanka shivered despite the heat.
  - Skin flaying or worse! If you attempt to escape, you may be punished at the discretion of the owner, but one hundred lashes with a whip is the mandatory minimum that you must suffer. This is the law! - Sadat ran his elbow along his neck.
  - What about crucifying? - Yanka tried not to breathe, the corpse smell was terribly disgusting.
  - Any time! You don't even need a reason! You are a slave, which means you are not only not a person, but worse than an animal. "Sadat kicked away the uneven wooden block.
  - Of course, our country even has an article that is worse: abuse of animals. Here we are in a worse position. - Yanka was in righteous anger.
  One girl, wearing a hook, moaned:
  - Drink! At least a drop of water.
  Yanka rushed to her and immediately the whip fell on him. One of the blows hit him in the face, cutting open his nose. The blood flowed out quite abundantly, the boy licked it off with his tongue. He was very thirsty himself. Blood from the nose is not the best thing to drink, but to a parched throat, even it seems like a delight.
  Ali helped him dry himself:
  - Be careful, save your strength!
  - I will try! But this is not up to me.
  The boys involuntarily quickened their pace, who enjoy looking at such horror. And under the wooden stars, there are fragments of bones lying around. There were so many dead, one of the boys sharpening on a stake was motionless, the tip came out of the shoulder joint, the blood was already drying up. Suddenly he raised his head and winked.
  Sadat smiled unnaturally:
  - This is the guy! Dying, but still not broken!
  Yanka thought, would he himself have enough courage and willpower to wink when a stake is tearing you apart inside? Most likely not, although he has learned to suppress his screams from being hit. The main thing when they beat you is to think, think, and think again!
  Ali, gritting his teeth, remembered:
  - I saw three boys: they were also crucified on the stars! The owner heated the tongs and began to break the ribs with them. When the boys lost consciousness, he gave them garlic to smell! It helped! The boys opened their eyes, and again the executioner crushed the bones. They lined us up and forced us to watch. Then, when our unfortunate comrades died, the slaves scattered the coals. The owner ordered us to walk on them, also threatening to crucify us. We burned our legs, we suffered terribly, and every step then became torture. Life is too hard when you are a slave.
  Yanka shook his hand:
  - I swear, I will do everything so that slavery disappears on the entire planet! Let it be so! Never will the children of this world cry!
  . CHAPTER No. 22
  - Quiet! - Said Elfaraya in a loud whisper. - Be a brave warrior!
  The elf girl blew on her soft pink foot, apparently she had not gone through the harsh human school, she looked like a princess who had lost her glass slipper. Vladimir threw a grenade up. It flew into a wide loophole and exploded, as it seemed, not too loudly; the scattering of fragments was prevented by the concrete walls. But someone"s flattened helmet flew far away, crashing into a fence and getting entangled in the barbed wire.
  Somewhere to the left, two more explosions went off, and then frequent shooting from automatic weapons was heard.
  - Looks like the landing force has entered the battle! - Elfaraya muttered.
  - We should stand him too!
  Elfaraya called the girl without a boot:
  - What's your name!
  - Rofacola! - The girl answered, blushing.
  - Take two friends and try to get over the fence! - The elf girl immediately rushed:
  - Wait, move about eighty meters to the right.
  Taking off her second boot and flashing her seductive bare heels, the girl whispered:
  - They will have a big annihilation bath! - The beauty stepped with her bare foot on a piece of barbed wire, but did not slow down, despite the amber droplets of blood appearing.
  - She will be of use! - Elfaraya summed it up.
  Several bullets came from the left flank. There was a serious battle going on there. Vladimir felt threatened:
  - Let's run forward, they can cover us with mortar fire! - The young man shouted. - Yes, hurry up!
  It was difficult to hear in the cacophony, but elves have perfect pitch. A small group of them fled to a new place, and not for nothing. Three mines crashed into the crumpled vehicle, forcing the fighters to collapse on their bellies into the ground.
  Elfaraya shouted:
  - Let's split up and try to form a ridge. I'm on the right flank, and you, Vladimir, are on the left.
  Her words were interrupted by a terrible explosion, fences fell, and a neighboring building split. The elves, squealing, covered themselves with their hands, one of the girls was hit in the head by a shrapnel and fell silent.
  - Here is the first one killed! "Without a shadow of regret," Elfaraya said.
  Immediately after the explosion, two menacing-looking attack aircraft flew by at low altitude. They dropped another bomb, and they exploded nearby, showering the soldiers with a new portion of smoking soil.
  Chrizzly muttered:
  - What a dragon of the antiworld!
  Elfaraya agreed:
  - Their behavior is illogical! If this is security cover, then why are they bombing their own territory!
  The elf girl immediately answered:
  - Trolls hate all living things!
  - The enemy always seems like a fiend from hell! - Elfaraya interrupted. - Actually, it"s necessary...
  - We'll break through the fence! And then everyone else will come to him! - Vladimir began to explain.
  - So let"s snake our way through!
  A pair of fighters, similar to kites, with curved wings and mouth-shaped weapons, jumped out of the generating station building. These guns fired pieces of molten metal. Oddly enough, the air target turned out to be one attack aircraft.
  - What kind of asses are these? - Elfaraya was surprised.
  The attack aircraft launched a rocket and began to pick up speed, while it swayed from side to side.
  Vladimir shouted:
  - Don"t lose the initiative, but in general there should be one commander!
  - You are a man and you have bombs in your hands! - The girls screamed. Then they ran, skirting the smoking car.
  From somewhere on the side of the hills, several gun shots were heard one after another, the shells landed on the left flank, closer to the building of operational services.
  Elfaraya noted:
  - Apparently third forces are taking part in the battle!
  Vladimir answered philosophically:
  - In war, everything is possible!
  The elf girl sang:
  - Everything impossible is possible for a soldier! Crawl to the trench carefully - tear the grenade!
  Vladimir shot two trolls who jumped out from behind the wall with a precise shot. They flew off with their heads pierced, and the well-aimed young man hit them right in the eye.
  - This is the literal fulfillment of the expression: not in the eyebrow, but in the eye! Step on the gas before it goes out!
  Chrizzly said hysterically:
  - It seems we are surrounded!
  Vladimir squinted his eyes; the structure of his head gave him a wide view. At least a dozen beautiful, streamlined, three-barreled tanks were rolling towards the security complex.
  - And what a technique! We definitely didn"t have one like this! Or did they penetrate through an invisible portal?
  Chrizzly suggested:
  - This is an input into the program of a probabilistic factor! A kind of combination of a real war, in which surprises arise every now and then!
  - Great Chrizzly, otherwise I wouldn"t have guessed! - Elfaraya said sarcastically.
  Approaching tanks fired machine guns at the fighters. They snapped and explosions flared up. One of the cars stopped, its track was damaged.
  Elfaraya made an impatient gesture:
  - Come Vladimir and you girls follow me! There is no point in counting the photons of an excited quasar!
  In one place, the fence was half demolished by the explosion, and Vladimir and Elfarai, as the strongest, jumped over on the move, finishing off five more trolls on the fly. The young man even regretted:
  - Spending several bullets on one target is not rational!
  - Don"t you know that you need to press very lightly, as if playing a micro piano! Otherwise, your hands are sharpened to the core of life!
  A small detachment knocked the enemy out of the cell and ran into the wall. She hovered a good eight meters. Vladimir and Elfaraya picked up the elves, throwing them up. However, Chrizzly refused and climbed up the wall on his own.
  - I'm ticklish! - He explained.
  She began to observe Elfarai more comfortably and peered at the left flank. There the real battle unfolded more and more widely and fiercely.
  More and more transports with infantry were landing; they emerged from behind the clouds, dropping bombs like raindrops. More and more squadrons of aircraft appeared in the sky. Aviation duels became increasingly fierce. The fighter and the attack aircraft collided, a bright flash followed, and the planes scattered. One of their fragments fell, almost touching Elfarai"s cheek. The girl showed her fist:
  - Electronic idiots!
  Vladimir fired from a machine gun at the running figures. He struck calmly, like a tractor sowing potatoes. The awkward figures of the trolls fell and froze. Everything looked comical, like a toy.
  Tanks pulled up, firing as they moved, and detachments of foot paratroopers fired continuously, attacking from all directions at once. The enemy's elastic defense nevertheless showed resilience, repelling blows.
  Elfaraya saw the barefoot Rofakola and her two already wounded friends fighting. One of the girls was staggering from loss of blood, but they continued to make their way:
  - Clever girls! Very brave girls! - Elfarai approved.
  - So they will die, without much use! - Vladimir noticed.
  Chrizzly squeaked:
  - It"s time for us to move if we want to be in time for the distribution of medals!
  - Good idea.
  Five fighters jumped together into the trench niches. The elf girl was taken aback; it looked like a bullet had pierced her shoulder joint. The pale beauty said:
  - That is OK! The vacuum won't burst!
  Elfaraya asked sympathetically:
  - You can go!
  - Certainly! - The girl seemed cheerful.
  - Then follow me!
  Some freaks were rushing towards them, despite the pillars of dust, it was possible to discern that the warriors had long crooked noses, gray faces and sparse eyebrows like the plucked wing of a raven.
  Vladimir immediately took them at gunpoint:
  - Charming subjects! Is not it!
  Grizzly muttered:
  - Trolls! The fiend of hell!
  The building collapsed with a roar, and the self-propelled gun, thrown up by the blast wave, flew upward on its tracks.
  Elfaraya commanded:
  - Fire from all barrels!
  The machine guns started talking at once, five bursts intersected in the running pack.
  The trolls fell, some of them dived into the smoking plume, they had to be hit blindly, and some jumped out into the open.
  Some trolls were wearing body armor, so they apparently behaved boldly, counting on invulnerability. Vladimir and Elfaraya turned their fire to their heads, furiously flipping their magazines. They shot much better than the elves, but the very fact that they had to spend time reloading did not work in their favor! Some of the trolls managed to get closer and return fire. The poor girl received a gift in the neck and face, and another in the chest. The beauty fell silent, and the other moaned and writhed. The Grizzly also received a tangential wound, turned pale, but to his credit did not show it.
  Vladimir and Elfaraya, without stopping fire with one hand, threw grenades with the other. Massive fragments overwhelmed the attackers, and coordinated and accurate fire finished them off.
  There were more than a hundred corpses lying on the approaches and the platform; the attack of the evil creatures was completely drowned out. The surviving trio jumped out of cover and removed several magazines, removing the belts from the stinking bodies.
  Grimacing at the unpleasant aroma, Elfaraya said with satisfaction:
  - It seems the enemy is defeated! So now we need to help our people! Only here you really won"t understand where our people are.
  Chrizzly shook his head.
  - No, that"s not what we need to do at all!
  - And what? - Vladimir was surprised.
  - After all, he"s an experienced electronics engineer, unlike you!
  Elfaraya snorted contemptuously:
  - Well, so what! Who fights better?
  - You are better! But I know the only way to win! - The elf smiled slyly at Poleninsky, squinting his eyes.
  - And how to do this? - the girl asked.
  - I deceived everyone. We're heading here to the generating station.
  Vladimir spat:
  - You can run into mines there!
  - But if successful, we will find a remote control that will turn off this entire huge virtual army. You can't kill them with machine guns alone! - The elf said authoritatively.
  Elfaraya agreed:
  - He is more experienced in such "virtual games" and holds the cards in his hands.
  Chrizzly, ducking to avoid being hit by a stray bullet or stray shrapnel, ran towards the sparkling concrete structure. Vladimir and Elfaraya looked at each other and followed him. They were running fast, but they made a mistake. A machine gunner hiding in a secret cell unleashed a real rain of lead.
  - Wow! - Elfaraya screamed when her boot caught her. - Is this just another sexual favor?
  The lucky chrizzly went around the saving corner, but Vladimir was much less lucky. Waving his hands, he dropped the machine gun, a large bullet hitting the body of the weapon. The young man froze for a couple of moments; one of the gifts hit him in the stomach and fell face down. The next burst tore up the ground around him, Vladimir rolled away and went straight through his shoulder. In general, the body in the virtual game became alien, weak, not fast enough, it betrayed. The young man wriggled like a vine, the machine gunner made an adjustment and again rammed the stomach and both legs, as well as the chest, piercing the heart. Vladimir was saved from death by the intervention of Elfarai. The girl threw a grenade, causing the machine gun to shut down for a moment, and picked up Vladimir.
  - As always, I"ll save you! Breaking all laws! - The girl sang. "Then, throwing off her torn boot, she threw Vladimir into a safe sector with one desperate throw. At that moment, the girl herself was hit in the shoulder blade, but she was already falling and the bullet pierced her body armor and only scratched her back.
  After doing a somersault, the girl left. The lines continued to follow her. The lead waterfall flowed like a torrent, and the machine gunner did not spare any ammunition. Splinters of concrete fell from the wall, fortunately the masonry was strong enough not to collapse all at once. Nevertheless, he did not let the girl stick her head out.
  Elfaraya looked around:
  - Hey Chrizzly, where are you?
  The answer was dead silence. The girl wanted to throw another grenade, but did not find it in her belt.
  - Well, I'm an idiot! - Elfaraya swore.
  True, help, as always happens in war, came unexpectedly. Three elegantly shaped tanks advanced from the left flank. Playing into Elfarae's hands, they began to destroy machine-gun towers.
  The girl whistled:
  - And they"re not scared!
  Volleys of shells demolished one tower with four aircraft cannons. True, there were several dents left on the armor of the tanks, and the one walking on the right damaged the track, but due to the presence of several independent rollers, the speed slowed down slightly.
  Vladimir noticed that despite the movement, the tanks fired quite accurately, which means they were most likely equipped with a hydraulic stabilizer. Anti-aircraft guns were too small in caliber to penetrate high-quality armor. Although the tanks were deprived of dynamic protection, the strength and durability of the metal was high, at least not inferior to titanium.
  The machine gun towers fell silent and breathing became easier and easier.
  The turn of the secret weapon came, a shell hit the machine gun and burning debris flew from above.
  Elfaraya whispered:
  - Well done!
  The girl, without wasting precious time, ran along the end wall of the station. The uncooled cartridges burned her chiseled bare feet (the girl also took off her second boot to make it more dexterous and look beautiful). Having reached the next corner, Elfaraya fell on her stomach and carefully looked out into the yard to get a better look at the approaches.
  There was a calm amid the storm in the station yard. One rickety gate was ajar, and a lone sentry stood hunched over.
  - Only one! I'll take it down in a second! - Elfaraya whispered.
  A well-groomed flower bed with lush flowers caught the eye; it brightened up the dull landscape. An abandoned loader and a light, spotted monoplane hovered nearby.
  - There is a means of evacuation here! Only a white pegasus with wings is missing! - Thought Elfaraya.
  The sudden roar of clanking caterpillars made her turn around. The girl froze in place, stunned. A heavy tank emerged from around the corner where she was hiding from the fire like a bear. It was much larger and looked more clumsy than the machines Elfaraya had seen before.
  - And the driver seems to have given in!
  Indeed, apparently without much experience, he jerked the steering wheel every now and then. The tank's tracks skidded with a terrible grinding noise, crumbling concrete and throwing out green sparks. There were as many as six gunshots, not counting the machine guns, a monstrous machine. Elfarai had an association with the German "Maus". When the 188-ton vehicle, during the battles in Hungary, without fear of shells (they bounced off it like peas), was a pearl at the positions of the Soviet troops. Two such gigantic cars, having used up gasoline, ended up in Soviet captivity. Then, on their basis, giant deep-sea tanks were created capable of crossing the English Channel and traveling along the bottom of the Pacific Ocean to Alaska. Fifty more similar monsters were produced, but the narrow-minded Khrushchev, who replaced Stalin, ordered the gigantic and very expensive machines to be melted down. In general, even before the war, Stalin ordered the construction of the world's largest tank, the Kirov, weighing three hundred and fifty tons, and a diesel engine of 2,000 horsepower. He carried as many as eight guns and sixteen machine guns. For that time: simply a miracle of technology. Unfortunately, transporting tanks is too difficult a task, and modern warfare requires wide maneuver and high speeds of movement of equipment.
  These thoughts reflexively flashed through Elfarai"s head. The girl did not want to fight and curled up like a lizard. She was dirty as a pig, but at the moment, the dirt was saving her life. Time passed very slowly. In general, Khrushchev banned the production of tanks heavier than fifty tons, and a similar ban in Russia lasted almost 100 years! Is this advisable? Experience suggested: it depends on where the war is going on. In Europe or the desert, heavy tanks have proven themselves well. In particular, the standard weight of a NATO member tank is about 63 tons, with powerful multi-layer armor. In the mountains, it is better to use lighter vehicles. In particular, unmanned four-barreled, dwarf tanks. For a long time, robots were considered a panacea for all problems, but fortunately a number of local riots of electronic machines showed: a computer under no circumstances should recognize itself as an individual. The biophysical directed evolution of people has made it possible to somewhat reduce dependence on robots. Otherwise, numerous dystopias about the extermination of the human race by machines would become a reality! In addition, magic took on part of the electronic responsibility. She helped awaken previously dormant reserves of the human brain. The world began to change towards a homocentric universe.
  Finally, a heavy vehicle turned the corner and blindly fired its guns. The muzzles were perhaps too long, which slowed down their movement. It"s not for nothing that the Americans in the Ambrams used a shorter barrel in ancient times, since the gun already creates high pressure. This makes it easier to aim, otherwise such muzzles are difficult to move. Machine guns are much more dangerous! The girl held her breath, wondering if it would pass - it wouldn"t!
  A shot rang out deafeningly, and judging by the emblem, the troll toilet at the entrance to the courtyard shattered into pieces. Fragments of plastic panels, pieces of insulation and horribly smelly feces were dispersed hundreds of meters.
  - The bastard toilet was wet! - Elfaraya whispered. And the tank barked its turbines and drove past the building, grinding stone chips, lightly powdered with troll feces, into powder. The warrior"s sensitive nostrils suffered unbearably, as if they were filled with a stench.
  However, Elfarai had other problems; she estimated the distance from the wide caterpillar to the wall.
  - I could be flattened, if of course this idiot moves a little to the right! However, I'm clever.
  The rhythmic clicking of teeth and the creaking of links seemed like a funeral march. Elfaraya forced herself to smile, at the same time she heard bombs exploding, and out of the corner of her eye she watched the downed planes burn, and then one of them exploded with a terrifying roar, judging by the size of a strategic bomber. The explosions were repeated several times, detonating the deadly contents of the plane's belly. The battle was moving towards the center of the base, I wonder how Rofakola is doing, whether she is alive or if she also died. After all, the pain is so real! She perceives this at once, watching the metal six-barrel monster approach. In general, during the Second World War, Soviet and American designers tried to place two or three muzzles on one tower. But the experience of the Second World War and numerous tank battles showed the complete failure of such structures. Since then it has become almost canon, one tank, one turret, one barrel! True, the fashion for turretless tanks soon began. In general, this is debatable, if the mortar is multi-barrel, then why not a multi-barrel tank?
  The first links of the caterpillars lay near the girl"s bare feet, and the rollers, heated from the load, slowly rolled along them, carrying tens of tons of iron mass. The hot metal burned the girl"s bare heels; usually she is not so sensitive, but her body parameters changed not in her favor. For example, before, she could simply smear herself on the wall in a thin layer - it was still hyperplasmic flesh, but now the merciless caterpillars were touching her. The hot breath of the machine scorched the face, wounds and scratches on the body, involuntarily knocking out tears.
  Elfaraya blinked, a pearly tear rolling down. The sting in the eyes subsided, but the caterpillar pinched the big toe of his right foot. When such a weight crushes the bones, the pain is incredible, if the warrior were not so hardened, she would undoubtedly scream, but she only gnashed her teeth.
  - That's disgusting! But now I know what it"s like for a woman"s feet in a Spanish boot! - The girl showed the fig.
  The tank drove a few more meters and stopped. Elfaraya decided to sigh and carefully rose to her feet: the armored monster was standing astern and there was no need to be afraid.
  On the right, entering the battle area, four attack aircraft rushed by. Not wanting to be seen, to remain on the sidelines, the shooters of six machine guns opened frantic fire on them, and shell casings rained down noisily.
  Long, with tracer stripes, the bursts traveled too far to harm the vehicles, but close enough for the pilots to spot the tank.
  Having blasted targets in the combat area with shells and missiles, the four made a "dead loop" and began approaching a new target.
  Elfaraya grinned:
  - Another mess in a small galaxy! Perhaps it's time to play the retirade!
  The girl spun again, doing a somersault, and flashing her bare heels rushed to the gates of the generating station.
  The beauty was swift and ran into the troll. He barely had time to raise his machine gun when he was hit in the nose with his head. The blow echoed dully in Elfarai"s head, but the freak passed out.
  Several rockets exploded from behind almost simultaneously. Judging by the roar it was effective, one of the ejected guns overtook the girl, spinning and almost knocking her off her feet. After which the tip crashed into the wall, bricks fell down. Several small fragments cut the beauty's bare legs.
  - It's hooked again! How clumsy I am!
  The girl rushed through the half-open gate at full speed. There were three trolls inside, but Elfaraya cut them off with one burst, her machine gun always at the ready.
  The stormtroopers rumbled just above the roof and began to move away. Other noises were muffled. The hum of dozens of rotors had a calming effect. The girl even formed an association with her mother's lullaby. Which, however, she never listened to.
  - Got out of the heat!
  Elfaraya looked around and almost immediately saw a tubular cooling system. Four distribution devices were installed directly on the lines, which monitored the movement of the refrigerant.
  - Well, I"m like a small bottle fragment that penetrated the heart of a primitive organism. Isn't it time to fire up those generators! Although many of our people will die! - The girl hesitated.
  At this moment a familiar voice was heard:
  - You still survived! And you look great!
  Elfaraya turned:
  - And you are Chrizzly! Here is the elusive ghost where he managed to hide.
  - A good warrior is only as good a spy as it helps to embroider and win! - The elf answered.
  - Espionage is a good lubricant for the military machine, but the fuel is still the valiant spirit! - Elfaraya said with pathos.
  Chrizzly extended his palm, a small multi-colored cube fit on it:
  - You know what it is!
  - I guess! What will help us win!
  The elf grinned:
  - Right! He is able to disable all enemy armies. But only if you recharge it with a lot of energy.
  Elfaraya was happy:
  - So it"s quite possible to do this, destroy the cooling system and then it"ll explode! I think no worse than an atomic bomb!
  - A little weaker, but quite enough for us!
  - Don't talk, act! - The girl inserted an additional clip into the machine gun, took a last look at the rows of peacefully working installations and pulled the trigger. - Oh goodbye "primitives"!
  - Hit exactly at the joints, otherwise you won"t destroy it! - The elf suggested.
  Yellow lamps immediately began to flash right under the ceiling, and immediately a dozen sirens and a dozen rattles filled the volume of the station with the sounds of the darkest Hades!
  Elfaraya and Chrizzly ran out into the yard and immediately jumped into the monoplane. He found himself with a jet engine, but without a key. However, Elfaraya was not at a loss, she jerked off the panel and connected the wires directly!
  - You see where ours didn"t disappear!
  The hang glider took off, squeaked timidly and began to gain momentum.
  Chrizzly purred:
  -It seems like we missed it!
  Elfaraya shook her head:
  - No, quickly! Look how many fighters there are. How to deal with them, maybe automatically.
  Indeed, a burst of fire was fired at them; the bullets almost hit the monoplane.
  Chrizzly smiled and said:
  - There is one universal way!
  - Which!?
  - This! - The elf tore off his white shirt and stuck it out the window.
  -Are you crazy? - Elfaraya winced, hitting her flattened finger, her bare, girlish foot on the metal pedal.
  - This is the oldest sign of envoys!
  Indeed, the fighters stopped firing at the monoplane. He moved further and further away. Suddenly everything froze, fighters, attack aircraft, bombers froze in the air, numerous tanks stopped. It became surprisingly quiet.
  Chrizzly, in a colorless voice (it looks like his emotions burned out in a meat grinder), said:
  - It's finished!
  After which the light faded.
  After such a virtual event, all the elves and even Vladimir looked rumpled. But if for the Russian warrior such tests were familiar, then the elves clearly felt bad. Unaccustomed to stress and pain, they scratched themselves. Astarte asked:
  - Well, how are your impressions?
  The elves hesitated. Only Chrizzly barked boldly, the sparkle returning to his eyes:
  - Excellent!
  - Superquasarono! You Chrizzly showed the highest class of aerobatics. He managed to outwit everyone and get through the defense. As for the others, except for Elfarai, she is dissatisfied with their actions. In fact, all of you either died or were incapacitated.
  Vladimir reluctantly agreed:
  - Yes, I made a mistake!
  - Not that word! Since you are a man, we pinned certain hopes on you, but we were also very disappointed. - Astarte showed a zero with her fingers.
  - I'm ready to take the virtual test again! - The young man barked.
  - No need! You can relax and even have fun, I"m not a despot! - The girl exposed her seductive breasts, which were quite large for an elf. - What, Vladimir, do you have a desire to make love to me?
  The young man felt a heat and excitement quite natural for a man: At his age, every sexual act is like a discovery! Having taken off, Vladimir sucked on her breasts, the crimson, polished nipple entered his mouth, How pleasant it was to feel it with his tongue, the female elf"s breasts instantly swollen and hardened.
  Suddenly, a girl breathing passion pushed him away:
  - I have changed my mind! Let's have lunch first! After such a battle, my appetite worked up passionately!
  - Hyperplasmic energy?! - Vladimir asked, licking his lips.
  - Are we beggars, don"t we have natural food! We elves love the pleasures of food, which cannot be said about the dried earthlings. I didn't want to imitate them!
  Elfaraya was offended:
  - How to learn to fight, then you are the first to sit down at the feeding trough!
  Astarte made a puzzled face:
  - Yes, I forgot, you"re already full! What is human cuisine like?
  Elfaraya joked:
  - The dishes are too spicy! They are overly salted!
  Chrizzly asked, playing with the hologram:
  - Will the treat be festive!?
  - Of course you will have a lot of fun!
  The elf jumped and flew a little in the air:
  - Then I'm for it!
  The glamorous warriors flew into the air together, almost all of them were girls, a little more than a hundred in total, and several other galacts. More precisely, seven representatives of other worlds. One appears to be a four-sex liquid metal entity. His ears are like the wings of a bat, and there are nine eyes, and one on his stomach, the very body is a turnip with protruding tops. Funny creature.
  Elfaraya asked:
  - And this?
  - This is Chick-chirp! Our cabin boy! - Astarte abandoned.
  - Boy?
  - Not really! By the standards of his race, he is still a child, but he is already more than twenty thousand years old!
  Chik-chirik, realizing that they were talking about him, flew up to the group. Its legs-flippers moved in the air.
  - Maybe you want me to show you a few tricks?
  Astarte replied:
  - No need! We're hungry! You don't eat protein!
  - I gobble up radioactive isotopes. This is also quite good! We have different molecular structures! - Chik-chirik squeaked.
  - I know! But when you stroked my clitoris, tickling me with a sub-radioactive tongue, I was turned on much more than by a male elf. By the way, did you like it too? - Astarte purred affectionately.
  -You have a sweet body! Or not, like warm but quasarically delicious ice cream.
  The girl made a sign and the elves took off. They floated in the air since the room was spacious.
  The hall where the meal was celebrated was more luxurious than the Sultan's palace. Everything in it sparkled like lightning, statues and sculptures made of artificial, but this made them even brighter, precious stones. The dazzling mosaic paintings moved and looked life-like, and the flowers were amazing! Vladimir, of course, saw many different colors in numerous worlds, but the elves, over the millions of years of their civilization, brought genetic engineering to perfection!
  Elfaraya noted:
  - What fabulous beauty! It's like I'm in heaven!
  Vladimir, without hiding his contempt, answered:
  "It won"t take long for such luxury to make you fat and forget how to fight!" Modesty of the home symbolizes self-denial, and cleanliness symbolizes willpower!
  There was no table in the generally accepted sense of the word! And why should he? But a lush carpet, as if covered with precious moss, spread out on its own, like in a fairy tale. The girls gasped with delight. Most of the girls were almost naked and terribly sexy. The naked bodies are covered with beautiful, colorful drawings, battle scenes, erotic, and religious scenes. As far as Vladimir knew: the religion of the elves, from its very inception, approved of frequent changes of sexual partners and group sex. At the same time, the elves made love right in the temples. At the same time, the race is quite kind, often coming to the rescue of other species. Elves are generous guys who do not refuse a beggar. And if you have sexual problems and want sex, you should ask the elf, then he will gladly console you, even if you are far from handsome.
  The chrizzly also looked good, its body covered in slabs of muscle, painted with pictures of ornate flora and fauna, and the females simply clung to it.
  - OK! Just not all at once! You will tear me apart! - The young elf begged.
  - Everything will be great! Super! Super! - The beauties squealed. They groped and scratched at Chrizzly and massaged his body.
  Astarte commanded:
  - Let's start the feast!
  A roar of delight in response:
  - Certainly! Long live gluttony! - The glamorous girls screamed.
  They also tried to touch Vladimir, stroke him, and even feel his large human dignity. The young man felt strong excitement, a surge of energy, but at the same time some embarrassment, natural for youth. Collective sex among people is legal, and even on the contrary, it is not accepted to evade it, the military psychologist immediately begins to take an interest. But still, people in their collective group sex: they do everything more beautifully, in particular they exchange energy, subnoosphere, bioplasma, and do not just mate. For Russian warriors, sex is complex dances, with super fireworks carrying information and power, discharges. There is a significant difference here - elves love to fuck the old fashioned way. This is exactly what confuses the Russian vice-officer!
  Meanwhile, unusually expressive music began to play, and many multi-colored spotlights lit up. It was reminiscent of the coronation of a monarch: from the twenty-first century. Various flowers and decorative vegetables fell from above - although they were holograms and disappeared when they reached the diamond floor. Then the ceiling parted and strange animals began to fly inside.
  There were pineapple monkeys, an elephant-banana mix, a turtle-kiwi hybrid, a cactus hippopotamus, a diamond-shelled fox, a goose-watermelon mix and much more. Basically, these were the creation of bioengineering, the artificial construction of various genes. All these syncretic animals made sounds reminiscent of children's laughter. However, after listening, it was possible to determine that each animal sings its own unique song. Vladimir hung his ears, feeling peace, and at the same time terrible hunger.
  Astarte asked him:
  - Well, how? Do you agree, this is your first time seeing this?!
  - Not really! Something similar has already happened in virtual exercises, only we simply killed such handsome men! - Vlarad barked.
  - Killed?
  - Or annihilated! Which is essentially the same thing! However, I don"t think that a virtual battle can be compared to a real murder. - The vice officer tried to get away from the greedy hands of females and passionate kisses, fragrant girls" mouths.
  Astarte noted:
  - And the sensations are very similar! Agree, we have learned to reproduce the training process, no worse than the Russians!
  - It's right! The pain is very real! So we will shoot these little animals, although we feel sorry for them. - Vlarad released a purple spark from his index finger.
  - No, fool, we will eat them! - The elf captain shouted.
  Numerous girls and the aliens who joined them rushed to the works of art. As if frightened, they began to run away. It all looked quite funny. Almost naked girls chase various creatures that look like works of brilliant abstract artists, and they quickly run away. This is perhaps even more interesting. Elfaraya herself rushed after them. They were almost completely naked, wearing only transparent panties. The girl looked fleshier and more muscular than the female elves. Her breasts were larger and her hips more curvy. Woven from steel wire, but very graceful, the lower leg and feet give the impression of deceptive tenderness. Vladimir rushed after her. He overtook him, grabbed him by the pink heel, the girl broke free and attacked the mixture of cucumber and rhinoceros. He tried to wriggle out, but Elfaraya tore a hefty piece out of the flesh and threw it into her mouth:
  - So tasty! Why don"t you want to bite Vlarad like that?
  - And what? I even have great pleasure. - The young man increased his speed and ran into a mixture of a fox and a rose. This handsome monster smelled of perfume. - Vladimir broke off a piece of the petal and threw it into his mouth. Wow! It was baked ice cream with a very contrasting chocolate flavor. Unusual, but charming at the same time!
  - Oh! This exceeds all expectations! - Said the boy. - Actually, such a feast for the whole world!
  Elfaraya suggested:
  - Let's continue the hunt!
  Chasing such animals is a real pleasure. When you overtake and pursue such a creature, with frantic passion. Vladimir tried the plum bull, chased the pineapple monkey for a long time, and chased the chamomile alligator. Everything looked quite decent, the animals were losing pieces and roaring, but for Vladimir it was obvious that this was not a natural animal, and the animals were simply created from food biomass with limited intelligence.
  Elfaraya also understood this; several times during the flight the girls collided and stroked each other"s breasts. Finally, Vladimir caught a mixture of chrysanthemum and cobra, quickly swallowing the tail of this snake. Great too.
  Astarte jumped up to the young man and ran her fingers over his muscular shoulders:
  - Well, how? I see you like our feast show!
  - Yes, elves know how to have fun! "The young man simply beamed.
  - And you, being among people, seem to have managed to humanize yourself? - The elf captain stroked the warrior"s bare, powerful shoulders with a delightful outline.
  - A little! You know, if you lie next to an open bottle of perfume...
  - I know, dear, but you can"t sing us some human song for a change! - The diva interrupted.
  Vladimir blinked a couple of times:
  - In principle, I can! But believe me: it"s not even easy!
  - Do not be shy! You have a very shrill voice. Well, just like a siren, so go ahead and sing the flower! - Astarte released a cascade of seven-color sparks from behind her mouth.
  - What exactly do you want? - Vlarad was confused.
  Astarte broke off a piece from the strawberry giraffe, ate some of it herself, and threw some to Vladimir.
  - Well, Vlarad, something that they sing to their girlfriend declaring their love! I've been dreaming of hearing this for a long time. Otherwise, I"m tired of just patriotic songs!
  - Well, you can listen!
  - Let me turn on the sound!
  Astarte snapped her fingers, her nails sparkling:
  - Initiate!
  Vladimir, at first timidly (his voice became painfully loud), then began to sing more and more boldly:
  I want beauty with you, I want to live in happiness,
  May the Lord give you a little luck!
  And wander around with my sweetheart in the evening,
  Just don"t worry!
  
  There are burdocks under your feet,
  I picked a fragrant flower, yellow and red!
  And dedicated poems to his beloved,
  May every moment with a dream be wonderful!
  
  There are clouds in the sky, a drop on the palm,
  I kissed you - I plunged into heat!
  We cannot bear this fire of passion,
  I have learned to endure suffering and torment!
  
  Around the desert - the silence burns,
  It drills into the temple and blows the roof off its hinges!
  But my dove, you are flying to eternity,
  And I hear the fuss of wings on the wind!
  
  Yes, I know it"s true - it can"t be returned,
  What is in Eden was with us before!
  I pressed your naked breast to my face,
  I need will and great strength!
  
  The cliff above us is gloomy and inhospitable,
  And the wind blows, an evil wave whips!
  Whirlwinds make loops in the sky,
  And a flock of seagulls - a riotous horde!
  
  And your look changed and became cheerful,
  We clasped our hands - triumph for the authorities!
  No, I won"t break the sadness, I"ll be honest,
  We are lucky to live in a great country!
  
  I kiss you on the mouth - you"re happy to admire,
  And no matter what, the conversation is pointless!
  Let the embezzlers divide the spoils,
  They will receive a severe sentence!
  
  And the dull bad weather recedes,
  A ray of smoke paints the horizon!
  And we found ourselves in burning power,
  I couldn"t express the thought more precisely!
  Astarte yawned demonstratively with her seductive mouth:
  - Human songs are too boring. This is their main drawback. We elves are so funny!
  - Like clowns in a circus! - Vladimir is tired of this. - Let's dance the hopak instead.
  - Not funny! It"s a sin to smile at this! - The elf-captain blinked, three eyes appeared on the back of her head, and without turning her head, she looked around. - Looks like we're already full.
  Elfaraya immediately objected:
  - You shouldn"t interrupt such a glutinous meal. This is simply a miracle in feathers! The photon is small, but without it, you won"t surprise the quasar!
  The devouring of animals continued, Vladimir and Elfaraya together chased a mixture of bull and chocolate marshmallows. He kicked back and tried to hook the insolent pursuers with his horns. The guy and the girl moved in different directions, then like two stormtroopers: they covered the carcass at once. So she splashed again, but was saddled and torn apart.
  - And where do you want to go from me, my dear! - Said the warrior, giggling.
  - He probably wants to plow a field strewn with candies? - Vladimir suggested, fooling around. - And what good cakes you get!
  The guy and girl ate the whole bull, just amazing; that their stomachs didn't burst. Even if the beast is not life-size, it is still impressive. Having finished with him, the young couple continued the hunt. Other girls tried to touch Vladimir more and more often. The young man enjoyed the girls" touches, he became more and more excited, grabbing their bare legs. The female elves squealed, screaming with joy, and tried to sit on his neck. They smelled so strongly of the aromas of thousands of the most exotic perfumes. One of them hit the guy with his head in the stomach several times. This all turned Vladimir wildly, he rushed at the girl and bit her in the chest. How pleasant it is to feel a woman"s nipple in your mouth, you are like a child (however, Vladimir was never breastfed), that a girl"s flesh is more precious than a ruby, you lick it with your tongue and there are amazing, pleasure-giving discharges. Such a wonderful taste. The girl tickles him back, soft but strong movements. After which, they unexpectedly broke away, Vladimir captured a mixture of a spikelet and a cat.
  - In general, everyone says that cat meat is delicious. So we'll try it. - Said the young man, purring with pleasure.
  Elfaraya replied:
  - What if you try a rat! It won't be cool, but super cool!
  -But look: you see a mixture of a rat and an apple. Let's grab her! Let's swallow it together with the bones.
  Vladimir nodded and rushed after the rat. He caught it by the tail, the animal began to squeal heart-rendingly, kicking its paws.
  - Well, where are you going, stupid! I won't do anything to you, I'll just eat it! - Vladimir said playfully.
  - Don"t sit on the tree stump, don"t eat the pie! - The rat squeaked.
  Elfaraya grabbed her tighter:
  - Well, no, my dear, you will be dealt with much harsher than you deserve. We'll skin you.
  The rat sang:
  - Girl, eat space, silly, with crunch and gusto, I"ll eat you!
  Elfaraya supported the song:
  - You'll burst like a donut, with an atom flash - a fart without any problems!
  Vladimir and the girl closed around the mouse and began to tear it with their teeth. The elastic jaws of earthlings continually increased in size, capturing large pieces. Other elves, observing this, also began to reproduce the mouths of crocodiles. Everything looked extremely grotesque and shocked the imagination with its extreme aplomb.
  Elfaraya sang:
  - Probably in the next life, when I become a tiger, I will eat a lion.
  Vladimir pointed his finger:
  - And here is the lion, you see it is mixed with a large raspberry!
  The girl sang, in an even more mellifluous voice:
  - Raspberries bloom between the stars, a quasar fruit swells on the branches! Parsec gave birth to starships and struck a blow to the universe!
  The young man and girl were already feeling sick from the various types of meat, creams, and gravy; they were just going crazy.
  - It will explode! Oh, we'll blow up the universe! And into small quarks, we"ll break them up with arrows! We'll rip and kill a hundred sextillions of different living creatures!
  Chrizzly chimed in:
  - Forget your dignity!
  - Nail it to the post! - Elfaraya jumped up to Chrizzly and grabbed the elf"s nose with her bare feet. - Well, how do you like it?
  - You smell so nice! As in the ancient song: Oh, what legs, they can cut you under the groin!
  Don't be afraid, baby, we'll have hyperfuck!
  The fun seemed to last forever. But even the elves are getting their fill, and gradually the noise died down. The animal fruits that survived the feast flew back into the crack in the ceiling. Vladimir said philosophically:
  - The animal world is divided into food and eaters, the human world differs only in the size of their stomachs and the presence of toast!
  Elfaraya only showed her teeth in response. They seemed to have become much longer and sharper.
  Astarte, being extremely pleased, asked:
  - How did you like it, comrades?
  Elfaraya, giving off a hippopotamus smile, replied:
  - Just the right amount of entertainment! It's like in a comic book, the food is well devoured and sings funny at the same time.
  Astarte smiled:
  - And now we elves want to make love. Hey Vlarad, do you want to love me?
  The young warrior, beaming, answered:
  - Certainly! Even more!
  The elf captain, squirming with excitement, cooed:
  - Then fly to me, my dear! There will be three of us at once, this should impress you!
  Vladimir joked:
  - In my opinion, it"s best for a woman to be with three men at once. Or better yet, make a figure eight.
  Astarte sighed:
  - We have few men, but a similar problem can be solved using robots. So, baby, don't be upset. During the flight, did you have sex?
  - I was studying! - Vlarad didn"t want to seem like a newbie.
  - Then let's get started!
  The girl pounced on Vladimir and their bodies intertwined in a ball. At the same time, special liquid metal cyborgs flew into the hall. The girls themselves attacked them, or the aliens. The noise and din was unimaginable, but then the music began to play, and the bodies of the elves were painted in different colors. The movements became orderly and became not so wild. Everyone had a good time and Vladimir was simply in awe, fluttering on the wings of love in an endless ocean of bliss.
  However, while the elves were enjoying themselves, their glamorous starship entered the pirate sector. The computer woke up the pirate observer with a thin squeak.
  - In sector 63-94-18, a single target was detected. She is moving towards the Goat Gate.
  - We must report to the captain. "The guy who looked like a mixture of a cat and a turtle turned on the hologram with trembling hands.
  . CHAPTER No. 23.
  
  It seemed like a simple meal, raw fish and oysters, but for a person who had not eaten all fourteen cycles of being a kid soldier and undergoing brutal drills, this was something! Oyster meat is slightly salted, with a taste of iodine. It doesn't need seasoning. The girl chews vigorously and swallows the meat. The stomach becomes warmer, a pleasant filling appears. Mirabelle wanted to move, food added energy, although sometimes this, on the contrary, leads to weight. The girl did the splits, spreading her legs, and her imagination pictured two handsome guys massaging her ankles and feet. Oh, it would be so good to feel the touch of hot, strong bodies. She has an adult, absolutely healthy body, as it should be, without the slightest flaw, and he wants love! However, I wonder who is on the ship? Since this is another universe, there may well be monsters. Real terrifying monsters capable of devouring a sweet girl. Not even leaving seeds, with stinking mouths.
  In general, what is it like to live surrounded by monsters? Or survive? The prospect of ending your life in another universe, without hope of a new birth, is not attractive! The girl began to carefully approach the ship, hiding behind the trees. I wonder who it is? Simple traders, warships or pirates.
  The girl's vision was very sharp, although quite human. She spotted several sailors. One of them was a striped creature with the head of a predatory cat. This immediately caused Mirabela to tremble. If evolution took a different path, then it is much more difficult for a primate to establish contact with feline predators than with its relatives. On the other hand, a girl could expect to pass for a goddess, but... This is somehow naive, especially since she will most likely be perceived as some kind of funny animal.
  The brigantine swayed. Here are the rest of the sailors. Well, they are dressed very picturesquely, many are half naked, muscular. Young and not very young, but they seem to look like people. They just look scary. There are ridiculous bandages on their heads, their muzzles are fierce, many of them are wrinkled and hairy. Tigers and some beetles flash among them again. Or rather creatures, like scorpions. Well, this is something that is clearly international. Only the costumes evoke an unpleasant association. Well, yes! These are typical pirates. This is how they are shown in retro films. Oh-oh-oh-oh! Find yourself on a desert island, surrounded by the sea and pirates. If Mirabela had been in her previous body, she would have rushed at these freebooters without hesitation. Why interrupt them? But having become a simple person, fight with at least a hundred healthy men? No, she's not crazy. And in general, what should a naked woman do in the presence of men? Meeting pirates does not bode well. First gang rape, then death. True, an option is possible: sale to a harem. The latter isn't so bad. But there are a few more nuances here. Firstly, if there are harems in this world, maybe they have Protestant morals and she could end up as a slave on a plantation or quarries? This is the first! Second, when there are so many hungry men around a beautiful woman, it is difficult to avoid violence. In general, is it pleasant or not? In some romance novels, women suffered from this, but in others, on the contrary, they enjoyed it! This probably depends a lot on the body, but her body is elastic...
  Mirabela saw that several boats, or rather three, had separated from the brigantine. This was getting much more interesting. Maybe watch the pirates? It"s also a strong move, like hitting him in the forehead with a starship. A girl from high society, it"s hard to avoid loneliness, and they call you by your middle name if you want to fuck someone!
  Mirabela hit herself on the cheek with her fist: what dirty and vulgar thoughts! No, that's definitely not possible.
  The boats were getting closer and closer. Here they smoothly moored to the orange sandbank. Mirabela counted thirty-six people. Three were animals, two looked like armored upright walking turtles, and the rest, although rather ferocious in appearance, were people. The girl was not particularly surprised by this. In most cases, evolution on other planets tended towards human-likeness. The same elves, the most common race in their universe, are indistinguishable from people, especially if their ears are covered. Who knows, maybe these pirates are elves? Not too bad either, humans and elves could interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
  The bandits began to unload from the boats; they had empty barrels, which confirmed their desire to replenish fresh water supplies. Several of these containers rolled on the ground and spun. The pirates jumped out of the boats and began dragging them to the bottom of the shore. Then Mirabela saw that three pirates were shackled. They were unceremoniously pushed out of the boats and dragged into the depths of the forest.
  The girl whistled:
  - There is something in this! Namely, the cult of brute force. In general, the pirates may have captured noble captives and want to receive a ransom for them.
  The girl carefully monitored the movements. The pirates had cumbersome muskets, dating back to about the sixteenth century, but their main weapons were sabers, hooks, axes, and broadswords. Availability of muskets; It made me suck unpleasantly in the pit of my stomach. Her new flesh is vulnerable and if a piece of lead gets into her head, it will be very bad. And her personality will disappear in someone else"s universe. The truth may be in the future, her empire will conquer this universe. Then she will be resurrected! But in this case: she will be sent to the underworld as a crime that has not atoned for it. Let it be virtual. Besides, she had only seen a small part of the torture. In the future, torture can become even more brutal and sophisticated. After all, if you can torture in seven forms at once, then who can guarantee that you cannot torture in a million, or even a billion! The human mind is very inventive in torture and very often derives pleasure from the process itself. Men like to torture women, women like to torture. This has already become a fetish for generations. The girl moved silently, almost on all fours, then she suddenly remembered the process of learning to jump on vines. Quasar! She can glide and move like the queen of the jungle, there are a lot of vines here!
  And here come the monkeys. Cute little animals in green or purple. They glide along the branches, similar to those on earth, only they have a lot of tails, three or four! The girl smiles cheerfully and even makes a nose at them. The monkeys imitate, repeat her movement. Funny creatures.
  The girl plucks an orange banana with her bare feet and manages to peel it without using her hands. The monkeys squeal with delight. Mirabelle is having fun and throws husks at them. The monkeys throw nuts in response. There is laughter - everyone is very festive!
  But the prisoners don't seem to have any fun. They were taken to a small hillock and chained to the trees. Six pirates remained next to him, one with the face of a beast. His two assistants began to light a fire. Another very dense, although short, pirate brought a box of tools.
  Mirabela whispered:
  - These are apparently some kind of devices!
  The girl hovered at the top and could now carefully examine the captives.
  One of them was an old man, with a large bald head and a sparse gray beard. However, the eyes seemed young and alive. A face almost black from tanning with many small wrinkles. Mirabela had seen old people before, only in the movies. Of course, old age does not make anyone beautiful, and the girl experienced some shock and shudder. Were people really like this once? It"s terrible, you can"t terrorize people like that - cruel nature. Mirabela thought, if she gets stuck in this universe, will she grow old? Is this the question of questions? Of course, I didn"t want to look like a wrinkled, hunched old woman. This is perhaps beyond her strength, such a prospect can drive you crazy! Has damned old age desecrated such features!
  The second prisoner, on the contrary, was very young! Actually a teenage boy: about fourteen or fifteen years old. Long blond hair, chocolate, muscular naked torso, slab abs. He resembled a young Apollo, and when looking at him, Mirabela"s heart began to beat faster. True, the boy is shorter than her, and not yet mature enough, he looks like a final-year kid soldier. It should be taken into account that most pirates are by no means handsome, although they are quite healthy. I wonder who it is? Maybe a cabin boy! Usually in pirate novels, cabin boys play an important role. It"s true, for example, in Sabatini: there was no place for a teenage hero. Apparently it wasn"t very fashionable in those days!
  The third participant was green, with a frog face. Instead of legs, he had flippers and hands with claws. Yes, a typical frog from children's cartoons, small in stature, perhaps even smaller than a cabin boy. It"s strange, he might be a noble person. Some kind of frog king. Hmm yeah! Interesting footage collected.
  The main pirate with the face of a tiger took out something like a hammer and growled:
  - Now fry the cabin boy"s heels!
  The boy unexpectedly boldly answered:
  - I'm not a cabin boy, but a captain!
  The stout pirate said in a deep voice:
  - It"s a custom among us warriors of fortune that whoever the team chooses is the captain! You didn't understand this, Arcephalus!
  The boy did not give up, trying to break the rods binding him. The body squirmed from tension:
  - When my father was dying, you all swore to recognize me as captain!
  The tiger-headed pirate replied gloatingly:
  - You just need to be a cabin boy. Wet behind the ears! You are a teenager, you dare to impose yourself on being a captain!
  The young captain: twisted a contemptuous smile:
  - I fight no worse! Why, when I offered a fair duel to the Bloodsucker, he cowardly refused!
  The sea robber cut down a fresh twig with blue leaves with his saber:
  - Sword fighting, or shooting with muskets is too blind! Any chance can bring you down, but otherwise you are constrained and are completely offended to us. We killed you a long time ago, but for now we need to know; where your father hid the Gross-Cardinal's treasures. It only keeps you alive for now. If you tell us, we will leave you and your friends on this island. There is plenty of food here and you will live a long time, and if not, then you are old enough to imagine all the consequences.
  The old man croaked:
  - Don't tell him! In this case, we will be killed immediately!
  The tiger pirate bared his teeth:
  - Shut up Dot! If I were smarter, I would join him. You and this little frog are the only ones who remained faithful to the sucker, and thereby signed your own death warrant.
  Dot answered gloomily:
  "I"m old and I don"t have much left anyway." Let me die, but no one will say that Dot broke his word at least once in his life!
  - What sentiments! Only the tears of your enemy can add more gold to your wallet!
  The pirate made a threatening gesture:
  - It"s not for nothing that women"s tears are compared to pearls; they are valuable because they can be exchanged for money! - Said the boy Arcephalus, showing unexpected wisdom. - so you're wrong!
  The pirate leader dipped a crowbar into the fire:
  - You're going to shed tears now! Or tell me where the treasure is. Choosing either the joyful life of a savage, or cruel death.
  Arcephalus laughed:
  - I have only one choice, between a worthy death and an unworthy one! There is no reason for the bloodsucker to leave me alive. After all, if I leave the island, then of course I will take revenge on him, and he is a coward. Courage is always noble - cowardice spares no one!
  The tiger barked:
  - So I won"t spare you! Now you will howl in pain! "He grabbed the hot iron from the fire.
  The stout pirate stopped him with a gesture:
  - It's too early to use fire! First a simple spanking.
  The beast growled displeasedly:
  - Okay, let's extend the pleasure!
  Having taken out previously prepared rods and moistened them with water, the pirates began to flog the boy.
  Arcephalus smiled somewhat strainedly, wanting with all his appearance to show that he was not in pain, although the strong and muscular torturer pirates knew their business. Almost immediately they cut the skin and blood poured out. The guy, however, only hiding the pain, said in a ringing voice:
  - But you are rather weak! And you can"t hit properly!
  The pirate with the tiger's head hit the boy in the legs with his whip, then cut his cheek across the face:
  - Tell me where the treasure map is!
  The young man stuck out his tongue:
  - In your lousy fur!
  The stout pirate commanded:
  - Enough! Now let's sprinkle salt in the wounds!
  White powder fell onto his striped back. The boy's eyes narrowed, pain was visible in them, but his mouth continued to smile. When finally the blood-soaked layer covered it.
  Tiger Pirate asked:
  - Well, now you will talk!
  The boy squealed:
  - I will only laugh!
  - Look, you beast!
  The tiger pirate took out a hot iron, walked up to the boy and applied it to his bare, slightly dusty heel. The boy convulsively opened his mouth, gasping for air, but then closed it, stretching his lips with extreme effort into a smile.
  The stout pirate, like a caring teacher, remarked:
  - Do not press the hot iron on the heel too much. If the skin on the feet is completely burned, the pain is dulled. Here you need gentle, as if caressing movements. And it"s not the heel itself that"s fallen, it"s too rough, the soft side of the foot. Just like a gentle girl.
  The tiger pirate was treating the boy's right foot. He tried to scorch it evenly. He was given red-hot tongs, which wrapped around the boy's small fingers. We bent them a little and turned them. Arcephalus, despite the suffering, sweat flowed down his face, he was tense, did not even groan, although the tiger pirate knew his business, looking for sensitive places.
  There was a burning smell in the air, the smell was delicate, pleasantly tickling the nostrils. Mirabela was as if spellbound, usually the smell of burning is unpleasant, but now it is simply delicious, caressing the girl"s sensitive nose, not like these sweaty male bodies of pirates.
  After the right leg, the torturer began to cast magic on the left. The process of torture itself was pleasant and exciting to him, but the fact that the victim did not even scream was annoying.
  The stout pirate saw that the boy was in great pain, and he could hardly bear it, and he suggested:
  - Well, tell me where the treasure map is. Then we won't torture. Even if death is easy. Chick-chick and you're in heaven. And so we will torture you for a long time.
  The boy answered sharply, determination visible in his eyes:
  - A stake in your mouth, not treasure!
  The pirate's voice, despite the insult, became even softer. He resembled a loving father trying to force his beloved child to drink bitter medicine:
  - It's stupid to resist! We will still find out the secret, but you will only suffer! Don't worry, we will have different ways to mutilate you. Even if you are stubborn, we will not kill you, but we will cripple you by leaving you on the island.
  The boy just stuck out his tongue:
  - There you are!
  Mirabela whispered:
  - Knight! Just Othello! No, Joan of Arc!
  - Then it will be even worse for you! Puppy! - The tone of voice of the filibuster from another universe became much sharper.
  Pirate Tiger is done with his left leg, now his entire foot is covered in large blisters, which is very painful. True, the blisters will subside in a few days, but it is so painful.
  The stout pirate remarked:
  - What a good job!
  The tiger pirate took the red-hot tongs and picked up the boy's rib, began to twist it, trying to break it!
  His powerful assistant stopped him:
  - We'll do that for him a little later! Torture should be more varied. In particular, we treated the lower part of the body, and now why not treat the upper part, for symmetry.
  The assistant torturer said in a deep voice:
  - By the way, we have a similar device! "He took out a chain with sharp steel stars. - Let"s wrap it around the head...
  - Give me! - shouted the tiger pirate.
  The stout corsair objected:
  - Better me! It's the head, not the legs! If you squeeze it a little, the skull will burst, and with such injuries, he will quickly die. It"s important for us not to kill, but to find out the secret!
  The tiger roared in frustration:
  - To hell with these treasures. Let's rob our own! What a miracle this is, this rough gold!
  The leader of the filibusters shook his head.
  - There's not only gold there! They say that he has a talisman of immortality!
  The tiger pirate laughed.
  - Talisman of immortality, why did he die then?
  - He doesn"t need a special pebble yet, there are six of them in the talisman, the seventh is missing! Would you like to become immortal?
  - Certainly! Wow, how I wish I had healed! I would have a whole harem! There aren't three whole harems! That would all be so generous!
  The main pirate stuck his saber into the ground:
  - Well, nothing, there"s no need to rush! The main thing is that the boy doesn"t go crazy. If you torture him in a variety of ways and for a long time, and give him a break from torture, then he will pour out his springs of revelation.
  Arcephalus muttered:
  - I will never confess to you! And don't get your hopes up! It"s better to make such scoundrels immortal...
  - Where are you going?
  They wrapped a chain with sprockets around the boy"s head, secured it and began to twist it. The stocky pirate smiled slyly. The iron spikes dug painfully into the skull, tearing off the skin. At the same time, the torturer tried to hit the nerve endings and compress the arteries.
  Arcephalus was breathing heavily, sweat mixed with blood was dripping from his forehead, his eyes were shining. The pirate either squeezed his head with the chain more tightly, or, on the contrary, weakened the pressure. The movement became more and more rhythmic. The executioner's assistants boiled an iron mug and began pouring steaming water onto the bloody head. Arcephalus tried to dodge, but the boiling water burned his tender, beardless cheeks.
  - So where is the map! We know your father drew it! So speak up! Let's set you free!
  The boy spat in the tormentor's face. He jumped back and cursed with a three-story obscenity, spraying saliva:
  - I'll break you, puppy! You will howl!
  The young man screamed in a broken voice:
  - I won"t! It is you who will whine and beg for mercy when they hang you on the gallows or impale you!
  The stout pirate slapped the boy in the face and suddenly calmed down:
  "Don"t expect to anger me so much that I"ll finish you off quickly." I've seen such brave men being deliberately teased, hoping that they will move on to new torture and the body will not be able to withstand it. They are wrong to think so! Of course, there will be torture, strictly according to schedule, and you will answer me like an ass in confession!
  - You will not get it! - The boy snapped.
  Tiger Pirate suggested:
  - Let's break his fingers, on our hands!
  - It's early! It's too early, I haven't squeezed the head out yet.
  The pirate pressed the chain harder on his head and the boy suddenly went limp, losing consciousness.
  - Crap! I overdid it a little! Well, let him rest, and we"ll take on these eagles.
  The little frog squealed:
  - Yes, I don"t know anything!
  Did the tiger pirate roar in a scary voice?
  - Tell me what you know, or we'll bake your fins!
  - I"ll tell you everything! - The frog squeaked.
  - Well, tell me where the map is!
  The two-legged frog twitched:
  - Don't know!
  - Give me the tongs! - The pirates seemed even happy about the new victim.
  The little frog squeaked:
  - Well, how can I know!
  - How to say, this sucker is your friend!
  - Or rather, I am his servant!
  - You also served the captain, which means you could hear some things, for example, fragments of phrases, some hints! It is so?
  - True in principle, but...
  The stout pirate took the tongs in his hands and the hot iron lightly touched the frog's membrane. A thin squeal was heard:
  - Oh, please don't! I'll tell you everything!
  - I'll break your limb if you talk nonsense!
  The little frog squeaked like a mouse:
  - I know something!
  - What exactly?
  - Where could there be a map?
  The old man whispered:
  - Do not say!
  The little frog squealed:
  - What would be better for us if we were tortured to death! Look at the blister on my flippers.
  - So you prefer a quick death? - The old man sighed.
  - Well, I think so! Which other pirate can, like me, breathe underwater and retrieve cargo from the bottom of the ocean. As a necessary sea wolf, they will take me into the gang! People like me are needed! - There was pride in the frog"s voice.
  Dot just shook his bald head:
  - Vain dreams!
  The tiger pirate barked:
  - If Tili is not lying, then we will spare his life and accept him back into the maritime brotherhood, as custom dictates! His service compensates for the wrongdoing.
  The heavy-set pirate confirmed:
  - Let it be so! Let Tili live, he will still help us. Tell me where is the map?
  - This is a wolf cub. - The little frog pointed at Arcephalus. - He hid it in a clay container and threw it overboard. I only remembered one thing: this is the place and I can get a map. After all, I'm not afraid of depth.
  The plump and tiger pirates looked at each other:
  - Looks like he means business! Or he just wants to delay the hour of his death. In any case, he will be warmed up!
  Tiger Pirate stated:
  - Of course, we don"t believe you, but we"ll give you a chance! So small that you toad can breathe!
  The little frog mumbled:
  - You are very kind to me!
  The tiger clanked his teeth terribly:
  - Don't make faces! In case of deception, you will die last, but in such flies that death will be deliverance for you!
  - Alas, everyone wants to get rid of someone! - The toad mumbled.
  - Shut up! You will show us the way! Now we'll untie you.
  They unchained the little frog after tying a rope around his neck. He began to sing a song with a slight limp!
  He who is not a pirate is a weakling!
  His nostril is a crooked morel!
  Pyrite Tiger roared:
  - Yes, when they shut your throat! Already tired of the idiot! Or do you want to go to the yardarm, higher up to the swallows!
  - Who promised that I would die last! - Tili squeaked.
  - Of course it's me!
  - So I"m calm! The Green Prince is a warrior! - The little frog jumped on the spot.
  - Shut up! As long as I'm good!
  The girl was sitting on a branchy palm tree, he eagerly looked at the picture of torture. And she liked it. Somehow, pictures of torture have a special turn on, especially if a beautiful boy is being tortured. Now Mirabela realized that something had to be done. After all, pirates can find treasure and kill unnecessary witnesses. Four bandits were still standing near the trees. It doesn"t seem like much, but reinforcements may come to their aid. It"s even a pity that the boy is so courageous, he never cried out, which means the noise will attract attention.
  The girl silently descended from the palm tree. Arcephalus came to his senses and turned his pale, bloody face. The pirate executioner said with a venomous grin.
  - Your friend Tili split and now we know exactly where the treasure is! So you suffered in vain, you fool!
  - You're lying! - Arcephalus whispered barely audibly.
  - Where did your friend go? You see they took him away!
  The boy looked around, he was scared! He moved, his shoulders tormented by the whip shook:
  - You still won"t find the card!
  The pirates giggled disgustingly:
  - And it"s not really necessary! Now we"ll torture you, you fool, ourselves. How about gouged eyes?
  - Bad joke! - Cut off young man.
  - And here we go!
  Mirabela picked up two heavy stones and cocked them in her hands. One of the pirates walked a little further and took a sip from a jug of wine. The girl smiled venomously:
  - Nothing empties your pockets like a full glass!
  Mirabela, as always, silently jumped up to the pirate and hit the carotid artery with her finger! She picked up the dropped jug and put the bandit in his place. I was surprised that the body seemed to remember some skills. Then she threw on a stinking pirate scarf and a jacket that smelled of nasty sweat (and how do they wear it in such heat).
  With a wobbling gait, she came out to her colleagues and croaked:
  - Maybe we can have a drink! And then them...
  Without saying a word, the girl kicked one of the pirates in the groin, lowered the head of another with a clay pot, and briefly but sharply punched the third in the temple with her fist. The pirates collapsed, Mirabela bared her teeth:
  - Well, how I blew them away!
  The boy looked up, the girl tore off her scarf and took off her jacket, finding herself in her stunning nakedness.
  - You are a goddess! - Arcephalus exclaimed.
  - Maybe! Or even cooler than goddesses! - Mirabela nodded. - I am a warrior girl.
  Arcephalus devoured her with his eyes. Despite his youth, the brave and early-maturing son of a pirate captain was certainly not a virgin. But basically they were corrupt, almost free whores. They are good, but no aesthetic pleasure. Besides, he had never seen such hair even in pictures. The body itself is perhaps too muscular, but at the same time flexible and mobile. Any athlete will envy such prominent muscles. The breasts are full, high, slightly upturned with scarlet nipples, the abs are tiled, the veins are visible, and the legs are just bundles of muscles. At the same time, the girl is full of erotic power, ripples of muscles run along her powerful thighs. O what a body! The boy blinked and shook off the obsession with how inappropriate his thoughts were for this moment.
  Mirabela, meanwhile, opened the shackles. She did it with a long fingernail. The training program for combat operations in primitive worlds was, admittedly, of a secondary nature, but the girl remembered all the movements. The shackles close and open in a rather primitive way, so they are quite expensive: no one would want to leave them on dead prisoners. Having freed himself, the boy took a few steps, his bare feet were covered with large blisters, but the soft grass softened the pain, and in general Arcephalus was no stranger to this. The boy"s strict father often flogged him and often lashed his bare heels with a whip, so he was accustomed to running through pain.
  Mirabela asked:
  - You can go yourself!
  - I am a man! - The boy answered proudly. Picking up the dagger, he finished off two stunned but still alive pirates. The young fighter did this with a completely familiar gesture.
  - It seems you killed these two! But such scum should not pollute the planet Victoria.
  Mirabela, surprised by the young man"s composure, asked:
  -Have you already killed people?
  The young filibuster muttered contemptuously:
  - Certainly! Even women! These two are the eighteenth and nineteenth.
  The girl blushed:
  "And it seems like this is the first time I"ve killed a person." She hit me in the temple with her fist as hard as she could and it was death, I should have hit him a little weaker. Yes, and it hit the carotid artery for sure, it would have been better to go a little obliquely.
  Arcephalus remarked:
  - Yes, perhaps it would have been better to torture them, if only because of the feeling of revenge. These morons won"t provide any valuable information anyway.
  Mirabela objected:
  - Torture just for revenge: not very nice. Physical impact: is either educational or educational in nature!
  The boy snorted:
  - So I will raise them!
  Grandpa Dot said in a rather cheerful tone:
  - Don't be stupid! Now there are three of us! There are twenty-nine of our opponents on the island and a hundred more on the ship! That is, if this girl is not alone...
  Mirabela grimaced:
  - I"m all alone with you! Alone!
  - This is bad! - Dot scratched his bald head. - The island is quite large, surrounded by hills and jungle. In principle, you can sit it out. They will never look for us forever.
  Arcephalus slammed his fist into the tree in anger:
  - No! This brigantine is my rightful ship and I will not allow such scum like bloodsuckers to rule it. I will never give up my power to anyone! We paid a high price for it.
  Mirabela noted:
  - You are the son of the former captain!
  Arcephal nodded:
  - Yes! But our power is not hereditary. Simply knowing and respecting my father, and seeing that I was a worthy fighter, they vowed to choose me as captain. But it so happened that the Bloodsucker Tiger Pirate seized power. I was stunned, shackled, and tortured. He's a vile right-hand man, and I suspect he is the main ringleader!
  Mirabela suggested:
  - Let me kill Bloodsucker and you will become captain again!
  - No! I must kill him myself! But there is an obvious problem with the team. Now they are afraid of both the Bloodsucker and me.
  Dot noted:
  - We have the advantage of surprise.
  - So what of this! - The boy spread his hands, demonstrating two figs.
  The old man said with the air of a seasoned warrior:
  - We can kill Gnus, the first mate and two other tiger pirates. Then the rest of the pirates, left without leaders, will return under your command. After all, you know they don"t really like the cruel, greedy Bloodsucker, and only the tiger pirates, being of the same clan as him, are loyal to this creature.
  Mirabela agreed:
  - Let's strike while the iron is hot! Why does light turn red - because of the photon, behind the runaway star!
  The girl examined her two assistants. Old Dot was dry and bony, but he stood upright and moved quite deftly. Apparently he is not one of those corsairs who abuse wine and tobacco. And an energetic life in the fresh air and with physical exercise prolongs youth. To understand what the young man is worth, just look at his figure. Even covered in blood and salt-corroded, blue-tinged pissoogs, it is magnificent.
  The warrior commanded:
  - Now wash yourself, young knight!
  The young man muttered displeasedly:
  - I'm not a woman to take baths!
  Doc objected:
  - We are not talking about tenderness!
  Arcephalus nevertheless plunged into the stream to wash off the blood. In addition, the wounds corroded by salt stung too much. Mirabela gently rubbed his back, the guy"s muscles are strong by nature and developed through physical exercise, very elastic. The neck is powerful, but looks beautiful. The girl leaned against the boy"s back and rubbed her immediately swollen nipples against it - how good! Arcephalus was apparently also blissful, but with an effort of will, he threw off her hands.
  - This is not the time for us to bask! It's time to act. They're about to raise the alarm!
  Having picked up the muskets, the trio headed towards the detachment. Shots were heard there. The pirates were hunting for game. It looks like they laid down the likeness of a local rhinoceros and two bulls. The hunters were commanded by a tiger pirate with a green scarf on his head. He confidently cut the rhinoceros with a sharp dagger, the pirates fried pieces of meat over the fire. The smell reminded Mirabelle of her recent torture. The girl wanted to fire a musket, but then, remembering the low accuracy of such a weapon, she put it aside. Sliding along the branches, the beauty crawled closer and threw the dagger with force. During the exercises, they repeatedly threw various objects, including hyperlaser daggers. Cold steel, of course, is also not the first time. You can see how the blade cut the air, hitting the beast in the throat. It"s strange, but for some reason Mirabelle doesn"t feel sorry for the tiger at all. Maybe because he looks too much like an animal, or maybe because of the cruelties that the pirates just committed before her eyes.
  - Goodbye boys!
  The pirates were just dismantling the carcasses, and now they saw that their leader was dead. What a wild squeal this caused!
  Arcephalus fired his musket. The boy seemed to have experience and a piece of lead hit the shabby pirate, with a disgusting face disfigured by a crooked scar, right in the chest.
  - That"s how you got promoted to "dung keeper"! - The young corsair whispered.
  The second tiger-pirate jumped out into the clearing with a howl, but Mirabela threw one of the torture objects that she took out of the executioner"s box right at the right eye. Changing her plastic voice to an extremely low timbre (she could do it), the girl shouted:
  - Those who betrayed and broke their oath will face the punishment of the gods!
  To strengthen her voice, the girl first rolled up a copper sheet (it was used for sophisticated torture) into a kind of mouthpiece. In addition, palm trees sticking out with gigantic leaves also increased the acoustics, especially if they were turned slightly for greater resonance.
  - Tremble, you unfortunate ones!
  Some of the pirates fell to their knees. Arcephalus rushed out to the meeting and shouted at the top of his lungs:
  - Do you recognize me as your captain?
  The pirates' eyes widened! The boy's blond hair turned red after torture, and his body was covered in scars. One of them swung his saber, but Dot hit him in the stomach with an accurate shot (fortunately the target was not far away).
  - Or whoever disputes my rights, let him come out and fight me with sabers!
  There was no one willing to lay his head. The sea robbers bowed their heads in submission. The boy triumphed:
  - Come to me, my brothers! Soon we will find the treasures and share them fairly.
  The youngest pirate, actually the same age as Arcephalus, shouted:
  - Glory to the new captain!
  Other pirates chimed in:
  - Glory to the new captain!
  - That's the same!
  Mirabela, jumping from the tree and wriggling like a panther, hissed:
  - Which of you wants to fight with me?
  The tallest pirate rushed to her:
  - Yes, of course I am!
  Mirabela jumped towards him and slammed her palm into the top of his head, timing the blow so that the pirate would pass out for exactly a minute. And so much so that you couldn"t even hear breathing!
  The girl shouted in a thunderous voice:
  - See! I killed him, but if you want to live, listen to me. He will be betrayed, I will revive him with a simple kiss!
  Mirabela, shaking her luxurious hips, turned the corsair over and passionately kissed him on the lips. And then a "miracle" happened: the sea robber opened his eyes and instantly came to life.
  The pirates shouted enthusiastically:
  - Glory to you, forest goddess!
  - Afrogeta! 0 The boy captain told them.
  - Glory to you Afrogeta! Hallowed be your name!
  Mirabela said with dignity:
  - Just call me Mirabelle! Isn't my name wonderful!
  The pirates agreed:
  - Truly divine!
  Mirabela uttered an aphorism:
  With an empty head, you can't fill your wallet!
  With a cold heart, you cannot warm the hearth!
  The girl spun around a little, then did a triple somersault, greatly surprising the pirates, who were unaccustomed to the sights. They just rolled out their evil eyes. Her superb naked body, what could be better than such magnificence. For corsairs missing women, this is just super!
  Mirabela suddenly stopped:
  - Well, okay, if you deserve it: maybe I"ll love one of you. But of course not for nothing!
  The pirates roared in unison:
  - Yes, of course we deserve it! Otherwise it can not be!
  The girl grinned angrily and barked:
  - Now it"s time to deal with the bloodsucker!
  - And Gnus! - Added Dot.
  The girl suddenly remembered and rushed to run to the shore:
  - Tili is in danger! Quicker!
  Mirabela's haste was not unnecessary. Her naked legs, shimmering in the emerald blue heels, flashed like sunbeams. When she ran ashore, she saw that Gnus and a dense, gnome-like type were sitting in the sloop and flogging the frog. The girl threw herself into the water. Of course, there was a danger of running into sharks, but Mirabela had two daggers in her hands and a complete lack of fear.
  - What should we do with you Tili? - Gnus asked, grinning. - Should I take your slippery flippers back and fry them?
  The little frog screamed:
  - No need! I am kind and gentle, and very good!
  The stout pirate said:
  - Well, I do not! You're just a bastard worm. Let's kill him and feed him to the sharks!
  Gnus shook his head:
  - No, that will not do! It will be too easy. Sharks kill quickly! Better slow torture, let him die last!
  Tili, sobbing, croaked:
  - Let's do the next thing! It was dark, I could have been slightly mistaken with the place where Arcephalus threw the map. So don't gut me, but give me another chance!
  - So that you run away! No, it won't work! - The pirates began to beat their victim even harder.
  Mirabelle at first, cut the surface of the water without problems. The sharks didn't come close to her. But when the boat was already nearby, the predator tried to attack the girl. Mirabel sharply struck her in the mouth with a dagger and jumped to the side. The stocky pirate finally saw the girl and reacted immediately. The musket fired, but Mirabela managed to jump out of the line of fire.
  - You're retarded! - She shouted. Two furious swings and the girl flew onto the boat. - Why have you gone crazy? It will be wet!
  Two seasoned pirates, of course, were not afraid of a naked girl. They rushed at the beauty, trying to tear her to pieces or cut her with sabers. Mirabela dived and tore open Gnus"s belly from chest to intestines. The pirate began to convulse in a fit of painful shock. The girl cut off the hand of the stout pirate and kicked him in the solar plexus. He fell and released a blood clot from his lungs.
  Mirabela smiled very affectionately:
  - Now it"s order!
  Gnus croaked:
  - Finish me off!
  Mirabela shook her head.
  - No! You love torturing people too much, Arcephalus is still almost a child, and you enjoyed torturing him. So now you are a beast - a dog's death!
  The stout pirate reached for the musket, Mirabela stepped on his hand with her bare foot:
  -Where are you pointing your dirty fingers?
  The brute howled:
  - Spare me! I will reward you very generously! You will swim in gold and walk in diamond slippers!
  Mirabela laughed:
  - Posul and stool: come from the same root and come out in the same place!
  The sea robber began to babble:
  - I am from an ancient dwarven family. I know where the countless treasures of my ancestors are kept. I can give untold riches in exchange for life!
  The warrior threw her dagger into the air with her toes, and when it spun a couple of times, she caught it by the hilt:
  - Why do you pirate, and not live like a padishah, if you know where the treasures of your family are kept?
  - Because the ways of the Lord are mysterious! - The bandit clanked his jaw.
  Gnus grumbled:
  - He's lying! He's a gnome like I am Archpapa! He may have had gnomes or homosexuals in his family, but he himself does not own any treasures!
  - How do you know that! - The pirate made a face. - Do you want to go to hell with me!
  Mirabela, instead of answering, bandaged his hand:
  - What! It's better to go to heaven alone than to hell with bad company! Arcephalus will decide your fate, but for now live! And you lie there and die slowly.
  The girl rowed the oars, steering the boat towards the shore. Tili noted:
  - Why, you are such a beautiful girl. Tell me where such inhuman, incomprehensible beauty came from.
  Mirabela blinked and was surprised:
  - Do you also have the concept of a person?!
  Tili nodded:
  - That"s the name of creatures from your kind! Our species is called lagi. Once upon a time there were a lot of us, but now there are only a few left!
  - Why? - Mirabela threw the dagger again.
  - This is the will of higher powers! - The frog answered immediately.
  - They usually say that when they are ashamed to say I don"t know!
  Tili blinked his eyes:
  - You are a very smart girl. Your muscles and movements reveal a strong and experienced warrior.
  Mirabela, having caught the dagger with her fingers (as if they were carved from coral with shiny marigolds), answered with a sigh:
  - Warrior yes! Strong? Until recently, I was many times stronger than I am now! Experienced! If you count it as a learning experience, then yes! If you count real battles, then no!
  Tili remarked with a breath:
  - You are modest! This is good quality. There"s only one thing about you that I somehow don"t understand, it baffles me!
  - Only one? - Mirabela slightly scratched her finger on the blade (to the protein body, you still need to get used to it)
  - Yes! Although not only! Why are you completely naked! Somehow it"s not customary for girls to walk around completely naked! - Tili rounded his mouth.
  - But in our country this is not considered a vice! - The warrior cut off briefly.
  - You are apparently from very distant worlds! That's why you put it that way! "The little frog turned around, changing the angle of his body so that his beaten back wouldn"t hurt so much.
  Mirabela shook her head.
  - Maybe! What else did you want to know, boy?
  - Nothing yet! The longer the nose, and the sharper the tongue, the shorter the life, and the dumber the end! - Tili showed that his gods were not deprived of eloquence either.
  - It"s hard to disagree: the more fun the drinking, the sadder the hangover! - The girl saw how the surviving hand of the dwarf squeezed the dagger. - Do not even try! - A hard blow with the edge of the palm on the arm. The blade fell out.
  - Yes, I had no bad thoughts!
  The boat landed on the shore. Having thrown Gnus out to die, Mirabela dragged the self-proclaimed gnome with her. The girl was in a playful mood, whistling something! The guy she was carrying simply stank, and weighed about a hundred kilograms, we need to somehow distract ourselves. To get rid of the debilitating burden, the girl threw him off and forced him to walk. The sand had warmed up by this time and was baking the beauty"s bare heels. Mirabela, however, did not even think of becoming despondent or wincing.
  Arcephalus and the pirates came out to meet her:
  - Well, how cute you are, I see you with booty!
  - The prey has a bull's head! As you can see, I didn"t go wrong this time! - The warrior showed her bulging biceps.
  - Now is the time to attack, we washed new clothes, so don"t hesitate to put on clothes so as not to attract attention. - In an affectionate tone, the young man asked.
  - In these rags! - Mirabela frowned.
  - For the sake of business! - Said Arcephalus. "Look at me, even though it hurts a lot, I"m wearing boots."
  The boy was indeed wearing large, oversized boots with spurs. In them he looked more comical than menacing.
  Mirabela made evil eyes and muttered, parading the boy"s voice:
  "I think it"s time for us to go back and kick our enemies" ass."
  The pirates chuckled. Mirabela put on a camisole, but it looked baggy and pinched her shoulders and hips. The worst thing was with the boots, they stubbornly refused to climb on, the girl tore off the top.
  Arcephalus spat in annoyance:
  - That"s how stupid it is!
  - Where have you seen goddesses wear boots? - The girl swore.
  - Where have you seen goddesses without boots! - The boy retorted. Then he became happier. - Okay, I'll help you.
  The boy quite deftly put on the warrior's shoes. Mirabela, although she spent her entire life in the barracks, never wore boots. Usually the cybernetic shoes flew at her on their own. And then suffer, suffer. The girl, for the first time not wearing electronic hyperplasma shoes, felt discomfort. My fingers stung, my bones pressed against me, my ankles were squeezed. Mirabela frowned and remarked:
  - Why wear shoes in such hot weather!? This is so inconvenient!
  - You are not a beggar or a cabin boy, but my deputy. And keep up appearances.
  Indeed, the cabin boy, the same age as Arcephalus, was barefoot, with sun-bleached hair. The boy, however, was rather happy about it, with his pants cut to the knees, with a bare brown torso, in the four suns, much more pleasant than in leather stocks. The young captain gave the command and the pirates boarded the boats. Of course, there was a risk that the captain of the brigantine Bloodsucker would guess and fire at them, but Arcephalus was counting on the banal greed and self-confidence of the leader of the corsairs. In general, he was not mistaken, singing could be heard from the deck, apparently the pirates had reached the aggressive stage of delirium tremens. Idiots, Mirabela thought. However, what else would a pirate do in a sea anchorage? And the military coup should be celebrated.
  We docked with the brigantine without any problems. Arcephalus was one of the first to rise. The sentries, not expecting an attack, only glanced drunkenly at the boy. The other climbing pirates cheerfully exclaimed:
  - Hello Beams!
  - Hello, it's me John!
  - Well, did you relax on the coast?
  - Okay, but not enough!
  And other funny remarks. Mirabela climbed up and headed towards the Bloodsucker. Wow, how disgustingly her boots squeak, maybe they were made in local Spain, and that"s where the expression came from - Spanish boot?
  The bloodsucker, along with four tiger pirates, was cut into bones. They played for gold and cursed dirty. Mirabela was the first to jump up to them and throw a dagger with both hands! Two sea bandits fell down screaming.
  The bloodsucker jumped up:
  - What's happened? Insidious attack!
  - It"s only you who attack insidiously, you bastard! - The boy captain shouted at the top of his lungs. "I came to take from you what is legitimate and belongs to me."
  The bloodsucker laughed incredibly disgustingly:
  - Take it immediately!
  Mirabela jumped forward and jerked her foot so hard that her boot flew off and hit the Bloodsucker in the vile face. He staggered and fell. His two accomplices rushed towards Mirabela. The warrior grabbed two swords at once: she deftly waved them, met one with a blow to the knee, hit the other with a saber and took off the head. Arcephalus cut down one of the pirates who rushed at him; he deftly wielded a weapon. A fight immediately broke out on board the brigantine, between supporters and opponents of the two captains. Mirabela, seeing this, shouted into the megaphone she had taken with her.
  - There is no need to maim and kill each other! Let's resolve the dispute between two captains according to ancient custom!
  - I agree! - Arcephalus shouted at the top of his lungs. - We will fight one on one!
  The bloodsucker stood up and pulled a sword from his belt:
  The pirates froze, devouring him with their eyes.
  - I have to fight with the puppy!
  - So you are a coward, and a coward should not be a captain! - Mirabel barked at the top of her lungs. - I'll kill you now! As a demonstration, the girl slashed at the tiger pirate with her saber in a lightning-fast jump. His head was cut in half. - Well, now I understand, right?
  The pirates roared approvingly:
  - Let them fight according to the ancient custom of the coastal brotherhood. This is what the sacred law commands. If you want to take the captain's place, win it in a duel.
  The bloodsucker spat blood:
  - Well, that"s cool! I will kill this sucker, and then you will all recognize me as chieftains.
  - Of course! - Mirabela said playfully. - Even me!
  The pirate leader looked at the diva:
  -You are very beautiful and a magnificent warrior. This one should belong to a big grown man, not a puppy. In the future, we could conquer an entire empire for ourselves!
  - Good idea, but I hope to cope with this without you! - Mirabela easily jumped onto the yardarm.
  The bloodsucker took each sword in his hands and deftly twisted them in the air:
  - A born warrior.
  Mirabela jumped down and whispered to Arcephalus:
  - Take off your boots, it is extremely important for you to gain an advantage in mobility. The fact that the enemy is big is more of a plus for you than a minus.
  The boy nodded:
  - Okay, I understand you!
  He took off his boots and soft foot wraps with which he had wrapped his feet so that the pain would not be so severe. Arcephalus winced, stood up on his toes and ran his sword through the air one more time.
  - Now we will fight!
  Both opponents came face to face. The bloodsucker was indeed two heads taller and three times heavier than the boy. His heavy, gold-forged boots clattered on the deck. The swords were longer and much more massive. Arcephalus rushed at his enemy, the boy was furious.
  The bloodsucker had excellent command of the blade, slightly under the reckless pressure he backed away, but after receiving a couple of scratches he went on the offensive, waving his swords. The boy, having come under blows, retreated, and a mortal duel began. The bloodsucker tried to take it unceremoniously, but the boy acted very clearly. It was lighter, which meant it was more mobile and faster. Arcephalus combined aggressive attacks with good defense, demonstrating his school of fencing.
  - You puppy will not die right away! I will cut the veins on your legs and arms!
  The boy laughed and replied:
  - You obviously want to hang yourself on them!
  - Get it, puppy!
  The bloodsucker rushed again and, making swings, he only received another cut. True, Arcephalus also suffered some damage. The boy, despite his young age, now acted cautiously. He alternated between lunges and sidesteps, preferring sidesteps to parries. It really doesn"t take long to break a saber, and your hands get tired quickly. His opponent was half drunk, and the alcohol he drank did not at all help increase stamina. At first glance, you don"t feel tired, but in fact it"s relentless.
  The bloodsucker"s movements slowed down and the boy deftly bypassed the sword: he slashed through the veins of his right arm. Now the blood flowed much more intensely.
  The bloodsucker roared:
  - You will be impaled, you will be fucked in all holes! Why didn"t I, an idiot, order you to be dishonored!
  Arcephalus kicked the knee:
  -Your mind is too perverted. I don"t know how you can become so brutalized that a man throws himself at a man as if he were with a woman.
  - It will happen to you!
  Arcephalus was also tired, and besides, he had not yet left the torture. It was very painful to jump on the heated deck in the four suns with blistered feet. It"s a good thing that wood doesn"t burn as much as iron. This can exhaust anyone.
  However, even scoundrels are lucky sometimes! The boy slipped and the sword fell on top of him. The saber broke, and the blade stuck quite deeply into the chest. The bloodsucker growled:
  - What an insignificant worm got!
  Arcephalus jumped back with difficulty, shaking in pain. The boy, shuddering, ran away, leaving a bloody streak behind him. The bloodsucker jumped and cut his back to the shoulder blade.
  - Now you'll die!
  The boy staggered, took a couple of steps and fell again. However, Mirabela managed to catch the sly sparkle in his eyes (otherwise she would have intervened). The bloodsucker swung and slashed, finishing off the puppy. At that moment, Arcephalus subtly shifted, and the tip of his saber hit him right in the eye.
  - Like this! What you wanted is what you got! - The boy said gloatingly.
  The Bloodsucker's carcass collapsed onto the deck, a fountain of blood gushing from its pierced head. Mirabela jumped high and turned over a couple of times in the air and exclaimed:
  - And now you recognize Arcephalus as your captain!
  An uncontrollable roar filled the brigantine:
  - Glory to Arcephalus! Long live our new captain.
  The sea creatures were noisy. Mirabela jumped higher and ran up to Arcephalus. The boy was pale and breathing heavily, it was clear that he was on the verge of quitting.
  - Be strong! From this moment we begin a new life! - The girl carefully picked up the boy and carried him to the cabin.
  . CHAPTER No. 24.
  
  The boys walked in silence for some time. They were impressed by what they saw. So much grief and suffering in one place. But as we moved away from the medieval Holocaust, the smell of corpses weakened. As always curious, Sadat asked Iancu:
  - Well, what happened next during the reign of Tsar Boris.
  - Why do you think that he is a king? - The boy who got into trouble was surprised.
  - I guessed it! - Sadat shook his head.
  Yanka smiled, as if the scum had peeled off from fatigue:
  - Indeed, after the death of Tsar Fedor, who left no male descendant (he had only one daughter), Boris Godunov became the next tsar. He was crowned at an ecumenical council. It must be said that from a dynastic point of view, this was illegal, since Boris was not from the Rurik family; in fact, the future tsar carried out a palace coup. However, Godunov ruled well, built several schools, began to develop the Urals, and during the famine he distributed bread for free. In general, he tried to rule fairly. But according to rumors, the youngest son of Ivan the Terrible, allegedly killed, Dmitry, was alive.
  - Allegedly killed or murdered? - Sadat asked, squinting.
  - Most likely he was actually killed, but the time was long ago. Some historians say that the prince was hidden in a monastery. Others say that Grishka Otrepyev was a real king. There are too many rumors and contradictions here. In all honesty, I don"t know who to believe.
  Sadat remarked:
  - History is written by the winners!
  - Agree! History is written in blood, only when editing it is diluted with the bile of bias! - Yanka shifted his belt again, his wit did not leave him.
  - What happened next!?
  - Well, rather, a man appeared in Poland who pretended to be the son of Ivan the Terrible. The Poles were happy to create unrest in Russia and seize part of the territory on the quiet. The impostor enlisted the support of the Pope and secretly converted to Catholicism. The Swedes also wanted to get something from him. Having gathered a small army of Cossacks and fugitive nobles (among them was even the son of Prince Kurbsky), False Dmitry entered southern Russia. A new war has begun. Initially, the larger and better organized army of Boris Godunov won several victories, but the forces of False Dmitry grew, and the nobles of the southern provinces went over to his side.
  It is unknown whether the impostor would have been able to take over, but Boris Godunov suddenly died. According to rumors he was poisoned. The boyars and, first of all, Prince Shuisky supported the impostor. Dmitry was crowned king. However, life did not become easier for the people. False Dmitry began to prepare a war with Turkey, surrounded himself with even greater luxury, and increased taxes. In addition, the Poles began to demand Smolensk and nearby lands as payment. When Dmitry arranged a wedding with a noble Polish woman, Maria Manishek, many nobles came to Moscow. They were rowdy and disorderly. The rebellious boyars led by Shuisky staged a coup. Dmitry was killed, many Poles were killed. A new king reigned, granting unprecedented power to the boyars.
  Sadat grimaced:
  - Give these creatures free rein! They will take the whole country apart piece by piece!
  Yanka agreed:
  - That's how it was! A rebellion broke out among the nobleman Bolotnikov. Many townspeople, peasants and nobles joined him. Bolotnikov promised to give freedom and land, abolish exorbitant taxes, and divide part of the countless wealth of the boyars and princes. His army besieged Moscow. Shuisky commanded rather incompetently, the king was defeated in the battle. Then he called Swedish and Polish mercenaries for help. The army of Pan Lisovsky was to play a special role. The boyars also did not sleep and bribed some of Bolotnikov"s inner circle, and in particular the Cossack ataman Timofey. He even said: freedom is easy, but gold is heavier.
  Sadat whistled:
  - Gold is too heavy a metal - the chain forged by it outweighs the light dreams of freedom!
  Yanka confirmed, shuffling his broken feet on the stones:
  - Not to mention the fact that one despotism can be replaced by another. True, Bolotnikov believed that the Tsar should be chosen by the Cossack circle, and all the people of Russia should become free. His ideas were generally progressive, but there would still be rich and poor.
  Sadat responded:
  - How else! People are not equal in their abilities, some are smarter, some are dumber, some are more dexterous, some are stronger. It would be unnatural to make everyone equal. After all, even the gods are not equal to each other: there are higher and lower, they differ in power and wealth. Even the dead are not equal!
  Yanka involuntarily added a step (the whip cracked again on the sweaty, dark backs of the boys), and continued:
  - But in any case, Bolotnikov"s ideas are progressive, although his surname Bolotnikov is somehow unpleasant, from the word swamp! Brr! Treason destroyed the rebel leader. He was defeated, according to rumors, he was captured, or disappeared. The city of gunsmiths Tula, for some time was a stronghold of the rebels, but was besieged and severely destroyed as a result of the siege. At first glance, Shuisky strengthened himself, but that was not the case. A new impostor appeared, nicknamed False Dmitry Two. If the first was called Grishka Otrepiev, then the identity of the second has not been established. True, there is a version that this is Matvey Verevkin. However, some research scientists believed that this was the real Tsarevich Dmitry, who suffered from epilepsy. In any case, Maria Manishek recognized him as her legal spouse, and even gave birth to his (at least officially) son Ivan. False Dmitry received armed support from the Poles. In particular, Pan Lisovsky gathered thirty thousand fighters and supported the self-proclaimed king. Shuisky's army was defeated again, many boyars ran over to the side of the impostor. The common people also initially supported Dmitry. However, it soon became obvious to everyone who was not blind that False Dmitry was just a Polish puppet. The nobles called him derogatory: Tsarik! So he had no real power! Having besieged Moscow, False Dmitry and all the new arriving detachments of the gentry plundered the country. However, it was not possible to take the well-fortified capital itself.
  Russia was dying, the Poles were preparing a direct invasion. An army under the command of Sizumunga III besieged Smolensk. The city, however, was fortified over several years, increasing the height of the wall and the ditch during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. In truth, Smolensk was impregnable and the Poles drowned in their own blood.
  At the same time, a new young and energetic commander Skopin-Shuisky appeared. He was a distant relative of the king, and also came from the Rurik family. Although he was only twenty-two years old, he turned out to be a very skillful commander.
  He inflicted the first defeat on the Poles under the walls of the Holy Trinity Monastery. Having defeated the enemy, he moved towards Moscow. Pan Lisovsky, who had twice as many troops, came to meet him. Skopin-Shuisky made a swift transition, despite the snow, and suddenly attacked the master"s camp at night. In a stubborn battle, the Poles were defeated. Lisovsky"s army was too motley, the Cossacks hired for money were not disciplined, chopping down their own in the dark. Having defeated Lisovsky, Skopin-Shuisky, without the slightest respite, made a forced march to Tushino. By this time, the power of False Dmitry had weakened. Many boyars ran from camp to camp, they were even called Tushin"s changemakers.
  Ali chuckled:
  - Very funny!
  Sadat retorted:
  - It"s funny to you, but it"s offensive to me! It's shit for you, but it's jam for me!
  Yankee himself had a stomach ache from stupidity:
  - It"s true that war is one of the most comical things in the universe, tickets to the show alone cost a lifetime!
  The boy was burned by the whip, but he continued:
  - War is a circus, but the show always ends in tears! - Yanka added.
  The overseer himself chuckled:
  - Well, you give it to me! Okay, tell me more. Or rather, keep lying, I personally don"t believe in your fairy tales!
  - And yet all this is true! From comma to comma! - The boy said passionately.
  - Whistling little bird! Do you want to try the whip, I see you like it when they whip you! - And the disgusting grin of the stinking subject.
  - There's something about it! So you want to know what happened next!
  - We want! - The boys shouted in unison.
  And where did the strength come from to drag the cart and expound, and clearly:
  -False Dmitry was beaten, his many-sided army was too little disciplined, and the Tsar himself was not God knows what kind of commander. True, the "Tushino thief" himself was not caught. The Cossack ataman Gritsian was closest to the impostor and actively pursued him. But False Dmitry"s retinue ripped open the bags of gold and jewelry. The Cossacks rushed to pick up the loot, a crush arose, and it even came down to chopping. The self-proclaimed king managed to escape to the south, getting lost in the steppes. Skopin-Shuisky himself planned a campaign to Smolensk to defeat the Polish army. But his sharply increased popularity greatly worried Shuisky, the people directly shouted: let the winner of the Poles and the impostor be the new king. The daughter of Malyuta Skuratov added poison to Skopin-Shuisky, and at the age of twenty-three, the mighty prince hero died. His death dealt a strong blow to the country's fighting capacity. Tsar Yuri Shuisky appointed his brother Dmitry as the new supreme governor. He set out on a campaign with a large army. It must be said that Skopin-Shuisky not only formed, commanded, but also trained troops. He had well-prepared units! But the mediocrity and stupidity of Dmitry Shuisky brought everything to naught! The army moved on its own without any reconnaissance.
  Sadat remarked:
  - Most of the current kings go on campaigns without any reconnaissance!
  -That's it! Dmitry neglected the strategy of his ancestors and fell into a trap skillfully set by the Poles. In addition, some of the boyars were bribed and struck in the rear. Almost the entire Russian army was defeated. True, Yuri Shuisky tried to enlist the support of the Swedish king. He handed over the city of Karel to the Swedes and sent several carts with gold. He promised to give up Ivan-Gorod and other lands up to Novgorod and Pskov. But the Swedes only became insolent from such concessions; they soon began their own intervention by sending troops to Novgorod.
  At the same time, the Poles arrived in Moscow. Dissatisfaction with Tsar Shuisky grew among the people, which False Dmitry Two tried to take advantage of!
  Sadat bared his teeth:
  - Impostors are a sign of weak kings!
  - Probably also insidious! The impostor approached Moscow from the south. The Tsar sent Ivan Shuisky against him, gathering new troops. Pan Lisovsky helped the impostor. Ivan commanded his crude army very incompetently. The impostor approached the field of his defeat from the south. A rebellion organized by the boyars broke out in Moscow, Yuri Shuisky was overthrown and tonsured a monk.
  Ali sniffled:
  - They are all hiding in the monastery.
  The boy continued:
  -False Dmitry thought that now he would become king, but he was killed almost immediately after the overthrow of Shuisky. The Poles did not need it; a new elected elite body, the regime of the seven-boyars, reigned in Russia. He surrendered Moscow to the Poles. Apparently the boyars believed that they would live very freely under Poland. Indeed, the lords had unprecedented benefits, including the right to execute a forced slave!
  - We have this too! - Sadat said.
  - But we didn"t! - Yanka answered. - In ancient Rus' there was no such law. The right to execute belonged exclusively to the state. The master could not simply take the life of a slave on a whim - this was a matter for the court.
  - At least some progress, and the rest!
  - Spanking is the prerogative of a boyar!
  Ali added:
  - Not much difference! After all, you can screw yourself to death!
  - Can! Only this will not be according to the law! - Yanka continued. As a result, the Poles gained a foothold in Moscow.
  - And you have come to terms with this?
  - No! In no case! The national liberation movement began in Nizhny Novgorod. Minin, a simple townsman elder, and Prince Pozharsky began to gather a militia to liberate the Russian land! They were opposed by large forces, although the despotism of the gentry played into their hands. It was possible to take advantage of the oppression of a number of princes, including Prince Trubetskoy. A decisive battle took place, where the soldiers of Prince Pozharsky were able to defeat the Poles. The twelve thousandth army of Poles was defeated, and part of the army was blocked in the Kremlin. After a four-month siege, the Poles in the Kremlin surrendered!
  Pozharsky became the liberator of Russia. But becoming a king was too difficult for him. The boyars wanted freedom and extra rights. At the council of 1613 there were active disputes about who should be king. It was believed that the Romanovs were at least a secondary, but still a branch of the Rurik family. They became the chosen ones of the Council. The boyars believed that the young Tsar Mikhail, sixteen years old, would be a weak and submissive sovereign to the Duma. Other candidates, including Shuisky and Trubetskoy, were rejected. The Poles expressed dissatisfaction and sent their troops to Russia. At the same time, the Swedes, who captured Novgorod, besieged Pskov. Prince Pozharsky, although not without effort, managed to defeat Pan Lisovsky. Despite the numerical superiority; the Poles were beaten, some of the mercenaries betrayed him. Having defeated Lisovsky, Pozharsky made a swift dash from Smolensk. But they failed to take the city on the move. War is war and happiness in it is changeable. The Roman Church allocated new money, the Poles, having bought mercenaries, went on the offensive. The battles took place with varying degrees of success. The Swedish king Gustav Adolf besieged Pskov, but failed to take it. The Swedes exhausted their strength in the assaults. Then Pozharsky, with a sudden rebound, throwing his army across the swamps, managed to recapture Novgorod. At the same time, he was helped by the help of the townspeople who had suffered from the tyranny of the Swedes. The Swedes were beaten, but retained the Baltic coast. It was not possible to completely expel the Poles: the forces of the state were too exhausted. In particular, when the Russians approached Smolensk, they were driven away by cannon fire. Riots broke out every now and then within the country, and the boyars, without feeling a steady hand, weaved one conspiracy after another. As a result, a decision was made: to conclude a peace that was at least difficult, but extremely necessary for the country. Russia lost Smolensk, part of the left bank of Ukraine, many cities, but gained the long-awaited peace. This was one of the few wars in which we did not gain land, but lost it!
  Sadat snorted:
  - So one of the few! In my opinion, the Russians are not in the first place!
  - History is a fantasy novel where you can write everything as you want. Retreats and losses are quite possible in it! - Yanka objected.
  - What is a fantasy novel? - Asked Ali.
  - Fairy tale or legend! The writer strains his imagination and the course of history becomes different - not the same as in reality!
  Ali whistled:
  - But it"s interesting!
  Yanka sighed.
  - Of course it"s interesting, but not very vital! In my country in particular, it is very fashionable to write various "alternatives" in the style of what would have happened if there had been no revolution or if whites had won the civil war. One such writer: he even wrote a whole series of alternative history! Moreover, he dragged in that this is not at all the steppe of supercivilization. People are toiling around with stupidity, wasting energy on stupid things.
  Sadat remarked:
  - We also have poets and chroniclers. They often embellish history to please the rulers. But to write a lot, and even something that doesn"t exist! I don't know, it takes a lot of imagination.
  Yanka shook his head:
  - I"m unlucky for some reason, no adventures are planned!
  - The fact that we met is also an adventure. Yes, there are no fights and battles yet, you didn"t save the princess, but agree, you discovered a lot of new things for yourself? - Sadat suggested.
  - Certainly! Now I know which horse is in the cart, especially when they push you with a whip. - The boy touched the cuts on his back, his legs were trembling.
  Ali encouraged:
  - Don't worry, we'll stop soon!
  - How would the halt not land us? - Yanka joked. - Oh my poor little legs, how long they suffered. "The soles burned really badly, they were cut up by stones, although there was almost no blood."
  Indeed, a column with slaves entered the village. Most of the houses were yellow, the roofs were thatched, only the temple looked more or less decent, as well as a watchtower with guards.
  The slaves were allowed to rest, Yanka lay down on a lush bush and put his feet up. The blood drained from my feet and I felt better. The strained back was resting, only the cuts on the back were burning. It"s so good to lie down, it"s true how your whole body aches, every bone, every vein hurts. It was real hard labor, the little horses dragged the cart for a long time.
  The slaves were cheered up with a whip and taken to be fed; as always, the diet was vegetarian, but vegetables and fruits were quite high in calories. They didn"t let me get drunk, I just quelled my first hunger.
  However, the slaves were allowed to lie down for a while. Two peacocks were fighting in the center of the village, Ahmed admired this spectacle for some time. Then three girls ran out. Having thrown off their tunics and exposed themselves, they began to dance an erotic dance. The girls were just right - busty and slender, strong from hard work. Ahmed took out a whip and, without hesitation, began to whip the beauties, saying:
  - Here you are, slackers!
  Yanka jumped up and wanted to run to Akhmed, but two guards blocked his way with spears.
  - Where are you going, puppy?
  - Don't hit girls! - Yanka shouted.
  Ahmed turned and walked up to the boy and whipped him on his bare legs. An unkind smile lit up his bearded face.
  - You wanted to tell me something!
  - Why do you beat girls! - The tired boy growled.
  - Oh, you're interested in this! I'll be honest, I like it! - The slave trader bared his dirty, rotten teeth.
  - I like hurting people! - Yanka was indignant.
  - Yes! It's a great pleasure!
  The boy twirled his finger at his temple:
  - That's how you are!
  - Which? - Ahmed raised his whip.
  - Smart! - Yanka exclaimed with poorly hidden irony.
  Ahmed laughed:
  - You amused me! In general, soon we will be in a big city and you will see a gladiator fight. Actually, maybe they could sell you to become a gladiator?
  Yanka shuddered:
  - It's romantic!
  Ahmed shook his head sharply:
  - No, I think you will bring me more benefit. In addition, slave boys are the cheapest and are often used for lion meat in gladiator fights. Only a few can survive and become famous. I"ll sell Muk to be a gladiator; by the way, he"s silent the whole way.
  - Maybe you and him will fight again? - Yanka blurted out and immediately regretted it.
  - No! I've had enough! Let him fight with sticks with another boy.
  Muk was given a stick in his hands and sent to fight with a boy a little older than him. The fight was certainly not to the death and not particularly interesting. The more agile Muk stunned his opponent and stood with his bare, dusty foot on his chest. The owner threw a date to the winner, who easily caught it on the fly. Ahmed roared at the top of his lungs.
  "You boys have enough strength to not only drag a cart, but also talk." So for now, I won"t buy a new horse. At the same time, your bodies will be hardened.
  The slave boys were roughly harnessed to the cart and driven off again. Yanka had not yet recovered, he was limping, sharp, hot stones dug into the child"s bare feet. Oddly enough, the first half hour was the hardest, and not only for him, but also for the other boys. Then, as often happens with healthy children who are not too spoiled by comfort, a second wind opened. The boys started talking again.
  Sadat asked Yancu:
  - And what happened later in the history of your country.
  It was hard for the boy, but when you talk, it distracts from the pain. Your tongue seems to bring out an extreme degree of fatigue. Yanka continued:
  - By the mid-thirties, the population, thanks to the high birth rate, reached the pre-war level, in addition, by this time the time of the concluded peace had ended. In those days, countries tried to comply with treaties, preserving knightly honor!
  - I just don"t believe that it"s always! - Sadat said, wincing.
  Yanka agreed:
  - Not always, of course! During the papal crusades, the knights and the Saracens opposing them continually violated the truce. In Ivanhoe's novel, the jester even made a witticism: how these truces have made me old. Now I am almost one hundred and seventy years old, taking into account three truces of fifty!
  The guys laughed together, even Muk interjected:
  - Lies are oil for lubricating control gears!
  Sadat was surprised:
  - Wow! And you are Muk, a philosopher!
  - Actually, I didn"t come up with this! I heard from one pilgrim. - The strong youth was embarrassed.
  - A good memory is a positive quality of a slave! - Sadat teased.
  - Or the master! - Muk retorted.
  - Okay, the slave is far from the master. Let Yanka tell the whole story of his country.
  Yanka continued:
  -The Russian army set out on a campaign. At the very beginning she faced problems. Mikhail Pozharsky fell ill, and Prince Cherkasov broke his leg. Voivode Sheinin was appointed commander. He became famous thanks to the stubborn defense of Smolensk. For three whole years he held the city, fighting against the vastly superior forces of the Poles. Only when the besieged were seriously weakened by hunger and pestilence did the Poles manage to capture the fortified city. During the last assault, the Poles made about a thousand ladders and used a smoke curtain, a fairly new invention at that time. The few defenders will choke under the brutal pressure. Sheinin was, even in those days, on a rare occasion, tortured for his stubbornness. After all, he was ordered to surrender Smolensk by the Boyar Duma itself. Now he had to return the city that he so heroically defended. Smolensk was excellently fortified and had a very strong garrison. The Russians were forced to begin a siege. Here it must be said that Tsar Mikhail"s weakness of will and lack of a steady hand greatly harmed him. The Russian army had too few guns and ammunition for them. Which made it difficult to take the citadel. True, there was one plus: the Polish king died, and the Poles could not gather a large army in the absence of the king. Sheinin captured several small towns near Smolensk and defeated a strong detachment of Hetman Khodorovsky. But he did not receive reinforcements, and Crimean Tatars began raiding the southern regions of Russia, which distracted the troops. The Poles hastily elected a new king and a large army went to the rescue of Smolensk. Sheinin wanted to lift the siege and move to meet the enemy, but the tsar, prompted by the boyars, ordered to hold the siege at all costs. Heavy fighting broke out, the Russians fought bravely, but there were many more Poles. After a series of battles, Russian troops were surrounded. Sheinin took them to the hill and dug in there. The assault was repulsed with heavy losses for the Poles, but the situation remained difficult.
  The boy took a deep breath, as his back and legs ached, and when they came to the goal. After all, they are people, not donkeys!
  Ali patted him on the shoulder:
  - It won"t be long now, we"ll soon be in the city and we"ll have to part ways there. To be honest, with great regret.
  A small bird that looked like a dove sat on Muku"s palm. The boy handed it to Yanka.
  - Let her become a symbol of our friendship, even after we part.
  - I hope that it will become and remain forever! - Yanka stroked the dove, after which the bird took off. He watched her go. Continued the conversation.
  participating in hostilities for four months . Considering that there were three more enemies and food supplies were running low, governor Sheinin agreed. His army returned to winter quarters. By this time, Cherkesov and Pozharsky had defeated the army of the Crimean Khan. They moved an army to the rescue of Belogorsk, which was besieged by the Poles. There was a battle, many soldiers were killed, but the Poles were forced to retreat. After several minor skirmishes, the Poles offered peace. Russia recaptured Belogorsk and several small towns, but temporarily relinquished possession of Smolensk. In 1642, the Cossacks, enraged by the constant raids, attacked the Turkish fortress of Azov. Thanks to the unbridled pressure, the fortress city fell. In response, Türkiye, then a huge and very powerful state, threatened a wave. The tsar ordered a supreme council to be convened, but serious disagreements emerged among the classes. The peasants demanded land and freedom, the Cossacks demanded bread and cash salaries. The Azov fortress was returned - the sacrifices were in vain!
  Sadat repeated Caesar's famous phrase:
  - Keeping what you have won is much more difficult than conquering!
  Yanka was surprised (how universal the thoughts of the greats are sometimes):
  - Probably! Soon Tsar Michael died and his place was taken by Alexei, nicknamed by his contemporaries the Quietest. Although Mikhail did not manage to go down in history as a great sovereign, he did perhaps no less for Russia than his son Peter the Great. In 1948, an uprising broke out in Ukraine under the leadership of Bohdan Khmelnitsky. The gentry openly and brazenly mocked the Ukrainians and local Cossacks. The appetites of the Poles were simply exorbitant, and at the same time there was oppression on religious grounds. In particular, they actively persecuted the Orthodox, closing churches and renaming them catholic churches. In general, there was a real genocide of the Eastern Slavs.
  Sadat shook off a drop of sweat and asked:
  -What is genocide?
  - When an entire people is doomed to extinction!
  - Got it! The Poles are bastard people.
  Yanka objected:
  - They, like everyone else, are different. In general, they are a kindred Slavic people, but the system of management and complete lack of control of the lords, who could impale a slave for the slightest offense and practically did not pay taxes, disintegrated the nation. That's how it happened!
  - A hundred tyrants are worse than one despot! - Sadat made an aphorism.
  Yanka readily agreed:
  - Certainly! In any case, the Ukrainians could not stand such lawlessness. Bogdan Khmelnitsky has long been drawn to Russia. But by this time the young tsar had started a new military reform, the formation of soldier regiments, he needed some time. In addition, perhaps he wanted to force Ukraine to reunite with Russia.
  At first the war was successful for Bogdan Khmelnitsky. He won several victories and took Kyiv. And he even almost completely destroyed the Polish army, almost capturing the king. Poland was forced to recognize the independence of a significant part of Ukraine. Perhaps even most of it. But the triumph of Bohdan Khmelnitsky did not last long. Having received loans from the Roman Catholic Church, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth gathered new regiments. In addition, some of Bohdan Khmelnitsky"s entourage were bribed. The Ukrainian army began to suffer defeat after defeat and soon lost Kyiv. Bogdan Khmelnitsky was forced to directly make a request to include Ukraine in Russia. Perhaps he didn"t really want this, after all, in Russia there was also serfdom, high taxes, people were sold like cattle. Tsar Alexei himself forbade wearing German dress and smoking tobacco. Unlike Peter the Great who was a Westerner, Alexey was a true patriot. But at the same time, the tsar was not a good-natured person; during the salt riot and after it, many people were executed and flogged. However, he was the first to create a new type of army and move regiments to Ukraine and Smolensk. Previous mistakes were taken into account and, leaving a small cover, the fortress city was simply blocked. The troops moved on and immediately captured Polotsk and Vitebsk. Polish resistance near Borisov was more stubborn, but this city also fell. The local population welcomed the Russian army as liberators. After all, the Poles contemptuously called Belarusians rednecks. A big battle took place near Minsk, two large armies clashed.
  The Russian troops were well organized, the Polish army consisted mainly of mercenaries. New lighter and faster-firing muskets, with improved formation of Russian troops using mobile wooden cities, determined the advantage. The Polish army fled, Minsk was captured. Another part of the Russian troops advanced in the south of Belarus. Having captured Gomel, they moved west, crossing the Dnieper. True, it was not possible to take all the fortresses at once. The Rechitsa garrison, instead of defending, came out to meet and was defeated. Then Mozyr and Slutsk were taken in exactly the same way. We really had to tinker with Slutsk, the city was well fortified. But the townspeople themselves, who were tired of the despotic power of the Radzivils, rebelled and opened the gates to the Russian troops. Slutsk fell, the lords fled, the people actively supported Russia. Well, in Ukraine the Poles were also beaten, the Russians broke through to Galicia and almost captured Lvov. Voivode Dolgoruky unexpectedly quickly captured Vilna, a city that the crusaders could not take for several centuries. Although they were besieged thirteen times. The fall of the former capital of Lithuania caused confusion and vacillation in the Commonwealth. The Russians are all over the place. Baranovichi, Brest and Lyuban fell, troops from the North captured Grodno. In fact, apart from the untaken Lvov, the Russians reached the old border of Kievan Rus. Russian troops were approaching Warsaw, the Poles were even ready to make peace, returning their former lands, right up to the Neman. In this case, Alexei Mikhailovich might have become a great sovereign. But Hetman of Ukraine Bohdan Khmelnytsky suddenly died, and his successor turned out to be a traitor. In addition, Sweden entered the war. Then it was a very strong country; during the Thirty Years' War, it acquired considerable possessions in Europe. Gustav Adolf, who failed to take Pskov, showed himself to be a very strong commander on the European fronts. By this time he had already died, but he left strong successors. A war began between Russia and Sweden, and the raids of the Crimean Tatars intensified. I had to fight on several fronts at once. The Russians, having driven back the Swedes, occupied several coastal cities, tried to besiege Riga, but due to the help the enemy received, they were unable to capture it by sea. The Swedes brought more and more forces into the battle, forcing them to lift the blockade. Terrible battles were raging in Ukraine. The Poles, having gathered forces and mercenary troops, after a many-month blockade, recaptured Grodno. The traitorous hetman was defeated, but his place was taken by not the best jackal. The Vatican egged on the Crimean Khan in every possible way, Catholics feared the growing influence of Orthodoxy and the expansion of Russia. Even the British provided assistance to Poland; they did not want to allow Russia to the seas and Catholic Spain. Gradually the Russians retreated. The enemy managed to recapture Brest, Lyuban, Baranovichi! The Russian units offered the most stubborn resistance in Slutsk; the city was under siege for two years, and fell only when food supplies completely ran out. In the north, Russian troops captured Yuryev, blocked Narva, but again failed to take the city. The hetmans were cunning; they did not want the Poles or the Russian tsars. All this was terribly exhausting. In addition, the Belarusian peasantry, which initially greeted the Russian army as brothers of liberators, was disappointed. After all, serfdom remained, the former master was replaced by a Russian master, and taxes increased. A wave of riots swept through Rus' itself; a copper riot broke out in Moscow, which was suppressed with great difficulty. The king even had to shake hands with the rebel leader in order to gain time and bring reinforcements to the capital. Meanwhile, the Poles captured Minsk and Vilna. They have already moved to the line of the Berezina River, threatening Polotsk, Vitebsk, and Orsha. It seemed that a turning point was about to come.
  Sadat smiled unkindly:
  - And Russia is beaten again?
  Yanka even flushed with anger:
  - No! Although the Russian army did not take Narva, it was still able to defeat the Swedish army. After which a not very profitable peace was signed: Yuryev and the nearby cities had to be ceded to Sweden, but large forces were freed up. Russian troops launched a counteroffensive and captured Shklov, defeating the Poles as they approached Minsk.
  The war had already dragged on for several years, both sides were extremely exhausted. There were also a series of riots in Poland. After several months of negotiations, peace was signed. Poland gave Russia half of Ukraine, Smolensk and the cities closest to it. Russian conquests in Belarus were returned back to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In general, the war ended quite successfully for Russia; it was possible to return part of the original Russian lands. True, Belarus and western Ukraine remained under Poland; not all of the original lands that previously belonged to Kievan Rus were returned under control. Russia received a respite, but not for long. - The boy fell silent, he seriously hurt his big toe when he hit a cobblestone, and he needed time to catch his breath after a heavy load.
  They walked for fifteen minutes in silence, especially since the road went up and the boys literally shuddered from tension. Moreover, the whip reaches out and tortures bare backs. The boys were out of breath and almost collapsed on the rocks. Then the sharp rise stopped and they regained the power of speech.
  - Stepan Timofeevich Razin was a sedate Cossack, tall, with broad shoulders, and distinguished by great physical strength. He fought bravely with Poland, even saved Prince Dolgoruky at one time and at the same time refused a legitimate reward.
  His brother Ivan cherished plans to create a great Cossack state, from the Bug to Yaitsk. Having quarreled with the Don ataman Kornil, he withdrew his troops and moved them to the Don. But the royal troops surrounded him in time. Ivan was arrested and sent to Moscow. Where he was executed after torture. Naturally, Stenka Razin became very angry with the tsarist authorities. Nevertheless, while Stenka restrained his anger, the desire to rise above the Cossacks was strong. Two years after the conclusion of peace with Poland, Stenka Razin announced a campaign against Azov. But the Cossacks, who had not yet had time to rest from the previous war, were reluctant to go on a campaign to a powerful fortress. In addition, the official leadership of Don was against Stepan"s adventure.
  Having gathered only two thousand people, Stenka approached Azov, but did not dare to storm the fortress, whose garrison was three times larger than his army. His detachment retreated and moved to the Volga to seize caravans. But even here Stenka Razin was unlucky; the appearance of a band of two thousand did not go unnoticed. The merchants waited for the moment when the streltsy escort and the royal caravans arrived carrying grain to the Astrakhan garrison. While Stepan's gang was waiting for them, the rebel leader personally killed several Cossacks.
  - Two thousand is too much for a gang of robbers. - Sadat noticed. - Who makes a living with such numbers!
  Muk objected:
  - This is a robber with scale. Here is the queen of thieves, Shella, who usually acts in small numbers, but so boldly. Once she even got into the treasury of the Sultan himself, stealing a scepter. There is a large bounty on her head.
  Sadat snorted:
  - But they won"t catch her anyway, her friends are very loyal.
  Yanka noted:
  - Why is yellow considered the color of treason - it is colored like gold!
  The golden tip: the easiest way to break through the armor of honesty and nobility!
  Sadat remarked:
  - Perhaps Shella is very cunning and masterly with a sword. There are legends about her, one storyteller even wrote a poem about the legendary warrior.
  - Didn"t she want to overthrow the Sultan? - I asked Yanka, half jokingly.
  - Overthrow the Sultan? What is it for! He has a large, simply huge army, and the Shells are only a handful of robbers. The forces are too unequal. And the life of a free robber is much more interesting than sitting on the throne. This woman is very loving and loves casual relationships.
  - This is typical for robbers! - Yanka agreed. - Stepan was also a reveler, he even once said to his wife: the man who wears the same caftan is bad. Although, to be honest, Razin was not greedy. There is a known case when he gave his personal horse to a poor peasant. Yes, it was the Cossack king. People's favorite. Finding himself without a choice, he had to feed the gang, he captured the king's and merchants' plows, partially beat and partially captured the archers. As a result, he had plows with small cannons at hand. Stenka decided to sail to the Caspian Sea.
  On the way we had to overcome the city of Tsaritsyn. Here several of Stepan"s agents entered the city and made an agreement with the gunners. They put on a performance, Stepan Timofeevich whistled very loudly (only he could do that) and the barrels of the guns began to smoke, they could not fire a single shot. So his fleet sailed past Tsaritsyn, the Cossacks laughed and threatened the governor. Since then, rumors have spread throughout Rus' that Stenka Razin is a sorcerer, and knows how to bewitch cannons, flies to the clouds and cannot be hit by either a saber or a bullet! Having bypassed Astrakhan, Stepan Timofeevich moved to the Yaik River. He hoped to create a support base there by capturing Yaitsk. The city itself was well fortified, but Stenka Razin used a trick that later became textbook.
  Sadat asked:
  - What trick?
  Yanka willingly shared:
  - Thirty Cossacks dressed as monks, they were allowed through and they captured the gate, and then the whole army burst in. There was a fleeting battle, the city fell! Here Stenka Razin did not show himself at his best, ordering the execution of all captured archers. True, one of them almost hacked Stenka Razin to death. True, in the midst of the execution mercy unexpectedly followed, but there were still many victims. Stenka Razin has settled firmly in the city. The tsarist government tried to knock him out. Two Streltsy orders were sent and ten thousand Nogais, led by Murza Selim, were bought for money. Stenka Razin, thanks to reconnaissance, found out about this, led one and a half thousand Cossacks to the steppe and, at the height of the assault, struck in the rear. The enemy was beaten, but Stepan understood that they would not allow him to gain a foothold in the city for long. The Cossacks left the city and went on a campaign to overseas lands. The Cossacks destroyed many cities and caravans, and Stepan"s fame thundered throughout Rus' as an invincible commander. Apparently the wise advisers suggested to the king: this man could be useful to a vast power. Stepan was offered royal mercy and allowed to return to the Don. True, in Astrakhan he had to hand over the guns. However, Stenka Razin, taking advantage of his popularity, almost started a rebellion in Astrakhan, his Cossacks went wild. The governor was only too glad to get rid of such a burden.
  Stepan with his faithful comrades and great wealth returned to the Don.
  Over the winter he managed to form an army of five thousand. In the spring, the supreme Cossacks joined him. Having descended to Cherkassy, Stenka Razin was almost unanimously elected supreme Cossack chieftain. Thus a dream came true: to crush the entire Don under itself.
  - Well done! Cool guy! - Sadat exclaimed. The overseer's whip whistled, but did not fall on the long-suffering back.
  - Cool, but he didn"t know how to stop it! - Yanka said, sadly shaking his head.
  - Who knows! - Ali inserted.
  -Having taken possession of the Don, Stenka sent ambassadors to the Tsar with an offer to help organize a campaign against Azov. But his envoys were flogged and driven out. The enraged Stepan, uniting with the famous robber chieftain Timofey Us, moved towards Tsaritsyn. The Moscow Streltsy governor Lopatin was sent from the upper reaches of the Volga to pacify Stepan. Stenka skillfully prepared a trap and almost completely destroyed the Moscow army. The archers sent from Astrakhan went over to the side of the rebels. Stenka"s agents penetrated into the city itself, who rebelled the people and the archers. The city was taken almost without a fight, only a small detachment of the governor"s brother staged a skirmish. The city fell and a new government was established in it. Here Stenka Razin made a mistake - he hesitated for too long: to go or not to go to Moscow. It is obvious that the tsarist government cannot accept the loss of such a large amount of land and access to the Caspian Sea. On the other hand, it is difficult to decide on a war with a huge empire, the vanguard of which, in the east, was already approaching the Pacific Ocean. However, Stenka, not without reason, counted on the support of the people. It was announced that Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich himself ordered the beating of the boyars and landowners, and a forged letter from Patriarch Nikon was also drawn up. While Stepan was standing among the horses, he began to fall; it is possible that the tsarist agents deliberately introduced an infection among them. The loss of horses greatly weakened the ranks of the Cossacks, and a noble militia numbering sixty thousand under the command of Voivode Dolgoruky gathered in Moscow against them.
  And yet, for now, luck was on Stepan"s side, who was actively helped by ordinary people and archers. Saratov was taken without a fight, and Samara opened the gates after it. And only Simbirsk was supposed to become the frontier of deadly battles with the rebels. However, Stepan managed to take the city and defeat the troops sent on a sortie. True, the fort in the city center remained untaken. Then Stenka Razin and his troops ambushed the governor Bagryansky.
  He was a noble warrior, a hero of the war with Poland, who practically never knew defeat.
  Stepan managed to defeat him, but the governor himself escaped, fleeing with the remnants of his troops to Kazan. Stepan himself again made a mistake: instead of pursuing the governor and moving his army further, he besieged the prison. It was stupid, especially since the fort stood on a hill and was not large in size, which made it difficult to storm. While Stenka Razin stood: the royal commanders accumulated considerable forces. A huge one, led by the same Bagryansky, approached Simbirsk. Here Stepan made a third mistake; on the eve of the battle he decided to storm the prison. True, he was not able to take it, but he suffered heavy losses and tired out several thousand soldiers.
  The battle with the experienced commander Bagryansky went on with varying degrees of success. In some ways, the noble governor managed to deceive Stepana, in some ways Bagryansky surpassed the rebel leader. But at the decisive moment, Stenka Razin was seriously wounded by a dragoon, slashed on the head with a saber. The fall of the rebel leader at the climax of the battle predetermined the outcome of the battle. The wounded, unconscious Stepan was taken away, and his army, deprived of its leaders, Stepan's deputy Naumov rode off along with the wounded chieftain.
  Sadat remarked:
  - An army without a commander is like a body without a heart!
  Yanka, after catching his breath for a minute, said:
  - The commander"s heart is a burning forge, his head is ice, his will is iron: all together - the smashing steel of victory! The uprising continued, however! It covered a large area, and Dolgoruky encountered stubborn resistance. It was not for nothing that there were fifty carts with executioners and priests behind his carriage. The rebels were dealt with cruelly, not only hanged, but also quartered and impaled. Stepan himself spent some time on the Don. Having recovered from his wounds, Stenka planned a campaign against Tula. This way it was possible to break through to Moscow much faster, and in addition it was possible to walk along the Don without encountering large cities. But Stenka was unlucky; the spy informed the governors about Stepan"s plans and they took action, defeating the detachment of his closest assistant Minaev. Stenka soon became a victim of betrayal himself. The rich Cossacks, fearing inevitable reprisals, approached the Don with large forces of the tsarist army and captured Stepan. The rebel leader, under a huge escort, was taken to Moscow. There he was brutally tortured, but Razin surprised the executioners with his courage, did not break down and did not reveal where his treasures were hidden. However, he distributed a lot of booty captured in foreign campaigns to the poor and beggars. The people loved him very much. During the execution, the scaffold with Stepan was surrounded by an entire army. They cut off his arms and legs first, and only then his head. Stenka, however, refused to confess, and said that he repented of only one thing: that he had not completely brought out all the boyar evil spirits. A worthy man and he died with dignity. The last stronghold of the rebels, Astrakhan: fell a year later. Although the uprising ended in failure, it still showed what the people were capable of. Under Lenin, Stenka Razin was canonized as a hero of the revolution.
  Muk said dreamily:
  - I don"t know what a revolution is, but it sounds beautiful.
  Yanka simply explained:
  - This is an uprising that ended in victory. If you put it this way in a simplified way. But in this case this did not happen.
  The boy fell silent, and a new torment began: another climb into the mountains. It was something like torture, it seemed that the muscles were about to tear, the body seemed to be filled with lead and was numb, it was very painful from the lactic acid that had formed in the muscles, especially in the shoulders. It seems that the muscles are about to burst, you open your mouth and breathe deeply to make it feel at least a little easier.
  Yanka was glad that, unlike most of his peers, he had good, trained muscles. Studying at the circus school was not in vain, he is not a wimp, he will stand the test. The boys also seem to have been hardened, they are not house slaves, as can be seen from their dry, muscular bodies. They suffer, but are silent, they can only cry out. In general, at their age it is considered a shame to show that you are in pain, from a whip or a blow from a fist. So you endure the torment. How much pain he had experienced over the past three days! Probably more than in my entire previous life.
  Time passes very slowly, when you are in pain, it"s terrible, and you don"t have enough breath to talk. Yanka remembered that there was a literary hero who, as a boy, was sold into slavery, and then he was driven around by a scarecrow harnessed to a cart. This is of course very difficult, but he has developed physically. That's why not take this as a kind of training. Albeit extreme, but useful. Maybe they are preparing him for the Olympic Games! Think of it as a sport and it will be much easier for you. These thoughts made Yanka feel funny and he laughed. The overseer gave a rather sluggish lash with his whip and laughed in response.
  Ahmed drove up to them and became interested:
  - What's so funny!
  The overseer replied:
  - It's a boy! I laughed, well, I thought it was funny.
  - Perhaps you are right! A kind of theater of jesters. How will this boy react to the fact that I order to sprinkle hot coals on his stomach!
  Yanka answered jokingly:
  - In this case, I can eat the game raw!
  Akhmed played with the whip, hitting the boys' bare legs several times, but not touching Yanka.
  -You really are very funny. It would be a pity if the skin of such a handsome and witty boy had to be pulled onto a drum. - Sadat pretended to open his mouth wide and yawned. - You know what I want from you!
  - A slave should not guess what the master wants. He must follow his orders.
  Ahmed nodded:
  - Right! You learn quickly. Now listen to what I want. I liked your voice, clear as a sea siren. Sing us something.
  - On the run! - The boy shook his head.
  - Okay, stop! I understand it's hard.
  The caravan stopped and the slaves sat down. Yanka lay down for a minute, cleared his throat, and lifted the bicycle with his tired, bruised legs. He twisted his neck.
  - Give him wine! - Order Ahmed.
  The overseer asked:
  - Old?
  - No! Pure juice, otherwise the slave will be taken away. He still has to drag and pull the cart. I want to teach him.
  The boy greedily swallowed fresh grape-strawberry (hybrid) juice. The scum from inhuman fatigue and humiliation dissipated. He felt a surge of vigor and inspiration. Yanka smiled and sang in his loud opera singer voice:
  The Russian knight will sharpen his sword,
  The hero will not weaken in battle!
  We bravely fight in the sea,
  I believe I will open the path to glory!
  
  Raid - an evil horde of Mongols,
  The villages of the city were swept away!
  Human blood flows like water,
  But the Russian spirit is stronger than metal!
  
  The snake crawls and burns with its sting,
  Smoke, groan, nothing visible!
  I will protect you earth,
  From ice to warm shores!
  
  My soul flies to the top
  For the glory of the Holy Motherland!
  We will win as before - now,
  Don't let your homeland be under your thumb!
  
  The regiments of Rus' stand ready to die,
  Our soldiers are like granites!
  We mow down our enemies, row by row,
  All the slopes are covered with corpses!
  
  Houses burn like torches,
  Elephants are roaring, they are rushing into battle!
  Russian fighters will conquer
  Deserts, rocks, waterfalls!
  
  We cannot be conquered
  The world cannot be brought to its knees!
  The army of Rus' is invincible,
  Let it be the glory of generations!
  
  Russia's fate awaits you,
  Rule the space forever!
  I believe in happiness forever
  Just don't live carelessly!
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Новые книги авторов СИ, вышедшие из печати:
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