Книга «Беги человек — мёртвый человек» | The book «Run man — dead man»

Chapter 2 Patrick Anthony had once received another promotion, and had been in the rank of commissioner for fourteen years since then. At that time, he had regarded his appointment as head of a police station in a very disadvantaged district of the capital as a kind of benevolent favor on the part of the department. But he soon realized that he was thrown to the suburbs out of sight, thereby spitting on his vain dreams of a dizzying career. Sincere thoughts of serving the public good, which Patrick Anthony fueled himself, studying at the police academy, over time, somewhere vanished, burst like a soap bubble, as well as his fantasies of crazy chases with hot shootouts. Instead of them in reality, he was waiting for a dull patrol on the night streets, hooligan antics of juveniles, twisted corpses of drug addicts and drunken debauch in families. In the end, police service for Patrick Anthony turned into a burdensome routine. Day after day, he chewed through criminal cases and affairs like gum. Now Patrick did not care about the peace of the law-abiding population of the southwest part of the city. Patrick was no longer a law-and-order dog. Now he was doing his extremely unpleasant, but socially important work as an onerous duty. At the same time, Patrick Anthony continued to be an extremely vain and unthinkably ambitious man. This pair of qualities of his restless character did not give him rest, gradually nurturing in him a deep resentment, forcing him to look for a way out of the situation. One day Patrick woke up earlier than usual and thought: «Well, if Fortune has turned its fat ass to me, why don’t I give it a good kicking?». This thought helped him to spit on everyone and everything at once. First, he decided to improve his financial situation, realizing that he needed the easiest prey, which could be small shopkeepers. And he diligently began to turn out the pockets of the nouveau riche, looking for illegal violations in their activities. In a short time Patrick Anthony taught the owners of various types of establishments to feel pleasure at the thought that a bribe to the commissioner is a guarantee of his disappearance from their lives for the next couple of months. But even that wasn’t enough for Patrick Anthony. His mercantile demands continuously increased, and soon he turned his attention to drug suppliers. Offering them his cover, Patrick promised that in the future this kind of business partnership would develop into a strong friendship. The suppliers liked the commissioner’s offer. It promised savings on literally everything. Moreover, such a significant support implied to reduce the degree of risk in their criminal business to zero. After a short deliberation and superficial calculations, they agreed to cooperate. That’s how Patrick Anthony got involved in the drug trade. At first he decided not to disappoint his associates. With his easy hand auto repair shop police station repurposed into a transshipment base. It was also the site of some big deals. But Patrick Anthony, unlike the narrow-minded bandits, realized that this could not last. While they were enjoying life, rustling thick wads of cash bills, he gave them up with all the guts of the Department of Especially Serious Crimes. And, having captured the accomplices by his own forces during the next transaction, did not take them to the detention center, having arranged a spectacular car crash on the way. On the same day he gave the money received for the goods to the owners of the drug business, at the same time blaming all the blame for what happened on one of the suppliers. God only knows how it happened that they believed him. But what guided the drug lords, offering Patrick Anthony «orphaned case», no one knows. Naturally, the commissioner accepted. And then, for a week he was tormented by nightmares, Patrick did not expect such audacity from himself. Soon, having chosen the most cowardly and greedy of his subordinates, the commissioner formed a brisk team. Good profits, which fell to all without exception, became a sure guarantee against snitches and other troubles. But even that was not enough for Patrick Anthony. Now he hoped that the criminal money would allow him to take a lucrative position in the police department. And perhaps even more so in the Home Office. Now he was more cautious than ever and didn’t rush things. Patrick Anthony waited patiently for his moment. And, at last, it came. However, luck took the commissioner by surprise: he expected it to appear in a completely different place and from a different direction. Patrick Anthony stood in the hallway of his own apartment, rubbing his temples nervously with the knuckles of his index fingers. Except for his pajama pants and his right slipper, the commissioner was wearing nothing. He rubbed his temples hard, trying to figure out what holy spirit had brought him here. Just a moment ago Patrick had been sleeping sweetly on a comfortable, low couch. Now he was startled by his own teleportation from the bedroom to the hallway. The front door was wide open, and on the threshold stood a man in a police uniform, gesticulating expressively, trying to tell the commissioner something. At last Patrick Anthony managed to recognize him as his subordinate. — Ah-ah-ah,» he grimaced, «it’s you, Paul. What the hell do you want? — Yes, you must understand, Mr. Commissar, we can’t do without you! There’s something going on out there, it’s crazy! — What’s going on? What’s going on? Why are you drooling like a neurotic woman? Calm down and let’s go through the whole thing from the beginning! — I can’t do that,» Paul mumbled when he had cooled down. — Shall we go, Mr. Commissar? See for yourself. There’s a boy there, he’ll tell you everything. — This is idiotic! No peace, day or night! Soon you won’t be able to go to the toilet without me! — Patrick Anthony grumbled and went to get dressed. — It’s a hell of a thing,» Eloise wheezed. — What?» the boy asked distractedly and howled softly. The others echoed him, swaying slowly from side to side. Eloise looked at the «saint,» his fright clearing his thoughts for a moment. He saw that the triangle was now a mixed-sex creature. Only the lower half of the «Saint» was left, with powerful calves on its legs, while the upper half had surprisingly taken on a woman’s shape. The «Saint’s» elongated face was twisted in a convulsive grimace: his lips moved to the right, his nose to the left. The creature bent its arm at the elbow and set them in place. The sectarians howled, groping their faces and wiping away tears. Eloise felt as stupefied as they were, but reason had not yet left him. He howled along with the others, swinging like a pendulum, unable to stop, crying and at the same time trying to make a more or less sober assessment of what was going on, but the «saint» knew his business. His muscles moved viscously under his skin, taking on various combinations. Eloise recognized himself in one of them: the same arms, shoulders, facial features, only his legs were childish, with feet turned inward. A veil slowly enveloped Eloise’s consciousness. Through it he saw the boy’s frantic look and knew that he was holding his hand, and at the same time someone was knurling a big three on his shoulder … «Whatever!» *** After a hard wake up Eloise, barely opened his eyes. The concrete floor smelled damp and his right side ached unbearably. Shivering, Eloise stood up. The sectarians were sleeping peacefully, piled on top of each other. An unpleasant, nauseating stench hung in the air. Eloise stepped over those lying there and made his way out of the cellar. The «Saint» was gone. «Actually, it should be,» Eloise thought. — Granted the crowd ‘intimate fellowship and ascended to heaven,’» he spat. — I wonder what that monster has with these fools?» It was disgusting to remember: his sleeve was torn off, an ugly number three swelled on his shoulder, and he felt so nauseous that Eloise was ready to turn himself inside out. Outside, impressions of «The Saint» dulled, as if he were a dream. Eloise felt the freshness of the morning, and he was relieved. The Citroen was still parked in Jenny’s driveway. «Okay,» Eloise decided, «I’ll drive up to her place at six o’clock this evening. She should be home from work by then. — Eloise grinned. — I probably wouldn’t be able to make it through a shift after that performance.» He wanted a killer nap. He drove the car onto a suburban road and drove half-asleep, speeding to his brother’s cottage. The mobile police station recorded the offense, but did not stop the speeding Citroen with the sleepy driver. Chapter 4 It was dusk when Eloise was awakened by a phone call. The melodic rattle coming from the living room insistently dispelled the silence of the rooms and the slumber that was in no hurry to release Eloise from the dream world. Eloise pulled his head from the pillow with difficulty, rose from the couch and, entering the living room, picked up the phone. — Eloise Klein? — he heard a woman’s voice. — Yes, what do you want? — This is Jenny Market speaking. Eloise looked up, involuntarily adjusting the collar of his shirt. He hadn’t expected her to call. — I’m listening, Jenny. — You were at our meeting last night. I recognized you from the pictures I’ve seen of you before, but you know it was impossible to get to you. — Yes, I understand. Do you know anything about my brother? — No, but he left his notes with me. I’d like to give them to you, and we need to talk. Our phones may be tapped, so I’ll meet you at Tonny’s apartment tomorrow. — Tapped by who? — We’ll talk about that when we meet, bye. Eloise hung up the phone, Jenny puzzled him even more. It was now that he realized that his premonitions had not deceived him, and this story had a bad flavor. The clock showed half-past nine in the evening. «Overslept,» Eloise smiled ironically, «and I was going to go to her place at six. Good thing she called.» He walked to the kitchen, made himself some coffee, and made himself comfortable in a chair by the window. «Okay,» Eloise covered his eyes as he pondered, «now it makes sense to me what’s going on. Someone needs Tonny, and I’m a close relative of his. So they’ve decided to go after Tonny through me, but he doesn’t seem too eager to do so. Oh well, I’ll play my part in the story, but only in my brother’s favor.» Eloise set the cup on the table and lit a cigarette, «The worst part is not knowing who you’re dealing with. No, not the police. A boy stirred in his feet. He lifted his stubbled face, his massive jaw sagging. Eloise asked quietly: — Boy, who are you? The boy, clinging to his leg, whimpered. Eloise recoiled. — What’s wrong with you, boy? But the boy only looked at him with round eyes, frightened and pitiful. «Everyone’s gone mad!» — whispered Eloise. Leaning on the dynamite box, he looked around: ammunition and weapons were neatly laid out on the platform. Looked down: the lake, the huge hall of the cave. A dusky hall. The boy, squealing, pulled Eloise by the rags of his pant leg, drawing him into a tunnel leading off the platform and into the wall. — Do you know how to get out of here? He nodded affirmatively and slipped into the dusky hole in the passage. Eloise limped after him through the pain. The tunnel went on downward for an interminable length of time, lit in places by wells in the ceiling. Suddenly the boy stopped, stood up on half-bent legs, and turned his head to listen. There were voices up ahead. Eloise could hardly pick them out of the chaos in his mind. The boy frantically pushed Eloise into a side hallway. The voices were getting closer, and when they became clearly distinguishable, the boy rolled out in front of them and slowly crept into a passage gaping in the opposite wall. Eloise heard someone ask: — Did you see it? — Yes. — Everybody get in here. Hurry up! Five people, one by one, squeezed through the gap in the passage. — It’s widening here,» a voice said in a muffled voice. Then, surreal to the extreme unnaturalness of the tunnel, screams rumbled through the tunnel, and from somewhere under the stones came the muffled thumps of falling bodies. A boy appeared. He grinned an ugly smile and beckoned Eloise to follow him. Forty paces later, in the total darkness, dampness and corpse stench wafted from beneath his feet. Eloise crouched down, groping the floor in front of him with his hands. He shrieked and recoiled: there was a void ahead, a floor that ended in an invisible abyss. Eloise had no time to shake off his fright, but the boy was already pulling him back. Again they dragged long and painfully through the tunnel, but not into the darkness, but into the light ahead. By the time they came to a gentle embankment near the coast, Eloise was exhausted. He collapsed on the gravel, fainting. The boy, crawling around him, whimpered pitifully, pointing down to the seashore. But without getting anything out of Eloise, he crouched beside him and began to lick the ugly tee on his bruised shoulder. Ivan Grigg ran up and down the stairs and corridors of the editorial office in a hurricane. Running into his office, he ordered his secretary not to let anyone in. After locking the door, he stood in front of the mirror for a long time, pointing his finger at his reflection and saying: «You’re a complete moron, Ivan Grig. You belong under the lid of a garbage can, no, under the lid of a uni…no, that’s too much. Wherever that place is, you, Ivan Grigg, will always be a fool! Your brains are chicken brains, your head is not a head, it’s an extension of your neck. And if it is a head, it’s full of nothing but marrow, just like your gaunt mosses. And Edward Grieg is not your grandfather! Your ancestors only recently crawled out of a puddle of infusoria and amoebas. In short, you’re a fool, Ivan!» Thus having analyzed his physiology in detail and identified every branch of his genealogical tree, he calmed down a little. From his desk drawer he took out the St. Petersburg subscriber’s directory, found Professor Dvoretzky’s telephone number and called. At the other end of the line came the voice of an answering machine: «Are you sure that I want to talk to you? If yes, hang up and don’t call me again. If not, do it even faster.» Ivan, emitting either the groan or the trumpet shriek of an agitated elephant, rattled the receiver against the phone. When his flushed face turned slightly pink, he called Anna at the mayor’s office. — Darling, what’s the status of my request? In response, Anne giggled. Her laughter finally pissed Ivan off. — I…you…yes…pre…stop! — he yelled. — ‘First of all, you stop yelling at me,’ Anne replied nonchalantly, ‘and secondly, calm down. I just talked to him,» she giggled again. — ‘Well, and…? — He said that he is absolutely indifferent and Grieg, and Tchaikovsky, and the Pope. And when I began to convince him of the necessity of your meeting, he just sent all composers to hell, and you along with them. That’s it, honey. — What do we do now? — Ivan was in a state of near shock. For the first time in his life he had been so unequivocally and openly neglected. He collapsed in his chair and suddenly began to hiccup, shuddering convulsively. — First of all, drink some water. Then think carefully about what you’ll say if you get to the professor. I’ll call you tonight, bye. Ivan’s phone receiver buzzed briefly. He threw it on the table and, wrapping his arms around his head, ordered himself, «Think! While there’s still time, you have to do something about it.» Through the chaos of thoughts the only more or less logical consideration came to his mind. He decided, by all means, to sneak into the professor’s manor and talk to him. Ivan ignored Anna’s last wish: «I’ll get my bearings on the spot, after all. I think an original topic of conversation will find itself.» The antique clock struck midnight with a measured swing of its pendulum. Dworetzky was half reclining on a broad sofa, leaning against a stuffed tiger cub. — Why do you think, Jacky,» he said to the Dalmatian who had appeared in the doorway, «why do people like to take without giving anything in return? The dog, ears perked up, looked at the professor, snorted, and wagged his tail. His impenetrable multicolored eyes (one green, the other black) all glittered understandingly. — As usual, you keep silent while I ponder God knows what and ask stupid questions,» Dworetzki brushed the sparse strands of hair on his head with a miniature brush, wrinkled his nose, and rubbed his temples with his fingers. — The fire is dying out. The Dalmatian, entering the room, went to the neatly stacked firewood bin, caught a log with his fangs and, dragging it to the fireplace, threw it into the fire. — You know, Jackie. Everything has to be paid for in this life: I to you, you to me; you to me, and I to you. And the Lord God made this mess back in Paradise by giving Adam and Eve a show trial. The professor, conducting with his right hand to the beat of his measured speech, began to recite: — Once, an angel inquired from the Almighty: «Will not a woman give in to temptation, will not try the forbidden fruit, which is called — the apple. And whether a man will not disobey You, O Lord, and will not be tempted by voluptuous sin. Will they not give birth to children, who will squawk instead of birds of paradise in your garden and thereby hinder you from thinking about Eternity?» «I don’t know,» God answered the Devil. — But it would be interesting to see the purity of what I have created.» Not a year later, Eve, unable to resist temptation, tasted the forbidden fruit. You can imagine, Jackie, she took just a small bite of it, but from then on, it was off and on. The man was immediately recommended as therapeutic pills earthly life, correctional work, cough, runny nose and two meters of earth over the coffin lid. Such was the wages for the sins of our forefathers and for the irrepressible curiosity of God and Satan. The dog, having thrown another log into the fireplace, stood for a minute watching the flames. Then he climbed onto the sofa and lay down at his master’s feet. — That’s how it is, Jackie, — Professor Dvoretzky rose and stroked the Dalmatian. — I created you, named you, raised you, taught you to think, and now you owe me for the rest of your life. And if you disobey me even one iota, I guarantee you a cough and a runny nose, and a two-meter layer of earth over the coffin lid. The dog, listening attentively to the professor’s monologue, snorted at his last words, turned away, and, resting his muzzle on his paws, closed his eyes. — That’s life, Jackie, harsh and cruel,» Dworetzky stood up, tightened the girdle of his robe around his round belly, and went out onto the balcony. The marble was pleasantly cold on the professor’s bare feet. He stretched with pleasure, throwing his arms high above his head and standing on tiptoe. Then he leaned on the massive railing and, humming softly, began to admire the night garden. A faint haze of mist shimmered among the trees and shrubs above the dense grass. Field and ornamental flowers growing anywhere seemed to float above the ground. And threads of moonlight streamed down the high stone fence surrounding the mansion, giving it the appearance of medieval walls. The human voice that suddenly sounded was so alien to the magic of the night garden that the professor shrieked with indignation rather than fright. — Who’s there? — Pardon me…excuse me…I wish…. Dvoretzky, leaning over the railing, looked down. Literally at his feet, clinging to the creeper that grew from the ground to the balcony, hung a man. — Who are you and what do you want? — I’m Edward Grigg. I mean Ivan. My name is Ivan. — Well, well, — the sight of a tall man floundering in a thicket of creepers made Dvoretzky laugh, — so you decided to come to visit me? Isn’t it a little late? — They told you about me today, — Ivan Grig panted, feeling that he was losing his strength. — I remember very well the conversation with the nice girl in the town hall. And here’s what I think: if you fall now and crush to death, it will be a trivial accident in my life and yours, and if I save you and… — the professor thought for a moment, curving his plump lips in a grin, — then you can be useful to me. — And, leaving the balcony, he threw over his shoulder: — Climb up, and I’ll take the dog away. Sweat pouring down his face, Ivan clumsily slumped over the railing. He wiped his flushed face with his handkerchief, and, thinking that he looked properly, entered the room. Dvoretzky, once again comfortably seated on the sofa, greeted him with a nod of his head. — You may sit by the fireplace, — and while Ivan tried to place his heavy body on the low small pouffe, the professor scrutinized his appearance. — You know, I had the same original meeting with a journalist three years ago in Australia. Ivan Grig smiled, considering Dvoretzky’s words as a compliment. — And then that guy had an accident. On the shore of the vast sea, sparkling in the sunlight, he was shot. So prosaic, pooh,» the professor, jabbing his finger in Ivan’s direction, laughed, «and the man was gone. However, he suffered for his unbridled curiosity. How about a story for another article? Ivan, not knowing how to react to what Dworetzki had said, kept silent and smiled stupidly. Not paying attention to his embarrassed look, the professor continued talking: — Before your appearance, young man, I was philosophizing about debts and sins with my Dalmatian. And what are your thoughts on the subject? Ivan, shrugging his shoulders, replied: — I think you’re right this time,» she said quietly to Anne, scrutinizing the police car frozen across the road. Anne had to pull the Opel onto the sidewalk to avoid it. — Yeah, Jimmy, you don’t look like a hero. — What am I, Greek or something? He’s the one who cleaned the stables. He’s got a lot of health. I’ll take care of it. — You mean Hercules? — What do I remember? I saw him in a movie. He was always looking for something. Anyway, he’s a cork in every barrel… and we need to get to the sump. — So it’s Hercules. — Well, that’s him,» Handrix nodded in agreement. — Pick up the speed. Did you fall asleep? It’s faster to walk on a bicycle! Anne braked sharply. — No, I can’t do that! I’ll go and have a look after all. — I’ll do it,» Jimmy stopped her by grabbing the sleeve of her blouse. — You’re like Hercules! I can’t stand it! Swearing loudly, he got out of the Opel and looked around anxiously. There was an indistinct noise coming from the police car. The nearer Handrix came to it, the more distinct and violent it became. Someone was in the car, obviously trying to get out of it. A shadow was flitting about the unlit interior. It lunged at the covered windows and scratched at them with its claws. — Hey, what are you doing there? — Jimmy shouted, and was silenced when he saw the gun lying at his feet. He picked it up and held it out in front of him as he approached the car. As Jimmy leaned over the windshield, the noise suddenly stopped. — Hey, where are you out there? A muffled growl sounded in reply. From the depths of the cabin, a pair of eyes flickering with green light slowly approached the glass. — Holy shit! — Jimmy whispered, finally recognizing the human or bulldog face. He jabbed the muzzle of his gun into the glass: «What are you doing here? The face clenched its ugly jaw, and hands with curled fingers appeared beside it. The mutant rushed forward, but, hitting the plastic barrier, disappeared again in the darkness of the cabin. — Holy shit! — Handrix shrieked and bounced off the car with surprising agility. A bat flew over his head, spreading its wings through the air. Unoriented, it crashed through the window of a two-story house, knocking out the massive window frame and disappearing into it. Jimmy shrieked with redoubled vigor and began firing his gun at everything. A few bullets clattered against the mayor’s armored car, and immediately Hendricks’ angry roar was joined by Anne’s hysterical scream. Frightened by it more than anything else, Jimmy squatted down, staring dazedly into the darkness of the street. But seeing nothing, he ran on all fours to the Opel and climbed in, nearly tearing the handle from the door. *** It wasn’t until twenty minutes later that Handrix finally managed to catch his breath with a startle. He made himself comfortable in the seat again and said: — That’s the way it goes. It’s always about the broads…well, what did you want there? Unlike him, Anne was unable to calm down. Overcoming a nervous shiver, she asked quietly: — What’s going on, Jim? — Uh-uh, just…stuff,» he replied lingeringly. — At least, I think so. How much farther? — We’re almost there. I was so scared, Jimmy, you can’t even imagine how scared I was. I don’t know how I didn’t hit something on the way out. — You’re all right, actually. If you hadn’t yelled, you’d have been fine. — Khandrix chuckled, looking at Anne ironically. — But you’re good, too! You almost shot me! — Yeah, right. I remember it’s not a car, it’s an armored car. So don’t think I was scaring them away from you. — I know, I know, Jimmy. You did! — Or it wasn’t! Both smiled, feeling somewhat relieved. The deserted streets of the city outskirts began to thin noticeably, as if letting Anne and Handrix out of a web of moisture and night gloom. The car was now traveling on a wide highway that stretched across the plain from the city to the dam. Anne could barely make out the outline of the road. The poor visibility and the open space, the boundaries of which were lost in the purple haze, made her nervous again. And then there was Jimmy, keeping her from concentrating. He rolled down the window and, breathing in the fresh air, sang loudly, happily demonstrating his lack of vocal ability and his complete lack of musical ear. His singing finally pissed Anna off. — I wish you would shut up! — she exclaimed. — Or do you want to destroy me with your roaring? Khandriks stopped talking, and with a hurt grimace said: — What’s the matter? Betty used to love it. You know what she used to say? — Remembering, Jimmy smiled sadly. — «Your singing, sweetie, makes me shake like a railroad track on a sleeper.» She also used to say: «When you sing, my bunny, you get as plain as my daddy’s bald spot. That’s your real face. That’s why I love you!» And then she gave me a gentle kiss. Oh, yeah! Handrix’s passionate monologue dispelled Anne’s nervousness. She could hardly restrain herself from laughing. — You said that, didn’t you? — Why are you smiling? You better steer or we’ll get hit! — We’d have hit it if we had anything to hit it with. — Steer anyway. Fuck it. — I’m driving. — Then drive, I didn’t bring you here for that! Got it? — I got it, I got it. No offense, Jimmy. I’m just nervous. — Really? — Yeah, I’m just not myself. Chandricks gave her a concerned look and then added in a more friendly tone: — «Well, smile, then. — Thanks, Jimmy. Anne slowed down and turned onto a narrow road adjacent to the highway, drove the car leisurely through the wooded area that ringed the water treatment plant, and soon stopped the Opel near a two-story square building. Staring out the windshield, Jimmy looked anxiously at the dimly lighted entrance hall for a while, then asked quietly: — Where’s the sump? — It’s in front of you,» Anne answered him equally quietly. — Have you never been here before? — Not… and what do I stand for! I’ve been to the dam. There fish, and the beach is a short walk away — spit and got. What about here? — When you were at school, didn’t they take you on excursions? — Hey, listen to me!» Handrix shouted at her. — I’m not dumb enough to take that long to learn! I graduated from this school in a year! You got it, right? And anyway, get off me! He opened the door, and then he jumped out of the car, disappearing from Anne’s sight in a split second. — Jimmy, — she whispered, barely containing her laughter, — where are you? — On the star! That’s where…for fuck’s sake… Handrix rose to his feet and crumpled to his feet, rubbing his bruised knees: Doc fell silent, remembering the caution that is so useful in such an official administrative place. «Think big, talk small,» he thought, looking away from the screen, and continued to reflect on Vaclav Krege. — In many ways my and his life principles coincided. Perhaps we could have become good friends if I had known what they were. Could have gotten close in a business partnership if we had the same end goal. Perhaps he wouldn’t be dead now if he knew what life was given for. If he had wisdom instead of cunning, like a thousand or two others like him who are the «summiters of human destinies.» If he had strength not in his greed, but in his existence. Can I devour my own kind? It is so obvious — good generates a plurality that has nothing to do with it. Evil, on the other hand, gives rise to itself — unified and all-encompassing. That is why the whole history of mankind is an endless evil, with barely visible specks of good, which is not a sincere urge, but the most available means for survival. Why doesn’t humanity want to recognize this? Cowardice, yes, cowardice is the reason. Existing according to its laws, one can only dodge, looking for entrances and exits. To gnaw into the flesh of the Universe like a parasite, carving confusing labyrinths in it. For centuries to enjoy their floridness, convincing ourselves that this state of affairs is characteristic of evolution. One thing is beyond question here: TRUTH is a philosophy. A philosophy as unnatural as the opposition between good and evil, life and death, god and devil. Unnatural because of the absence of these concepts, as such. In the universal immensity there is no reason for their emergence. That is the only reason why mankind to this day has not bothered to answer the questions of what is good and evil, life and death, god and devil. And it never will. It is doomed to crawl from one epoch to another, devouring everything in its path, not forgetting to hope for paradise or, at worst, for a bright future. Though I don’t understand his need for both. Perhaps only to avoid cold, hunger and boredom. In that case, it’s much easier not to be! This conclusion is as objective as the philosophy of cowardice is unnatural. To remember oneself and to understand, however, is not given to man. This requires intelligence, not cunning. It is the mind that is capable of generating will and strength. Only if there is a place for them, wisdom appears. This is as clear and simple as it is alien and unacceptable to humanity. It cannot… be! It strives with all its being … not to be! For cowardice makes it impossible to take the right step — never, ever!» *** Doc rose from his chair and walked leisurely to the window. The sunlit metropolis stretched out before him. He looked out at it with a cold, unfeeling gaze, and whispered: — Everything would have been different, Václav Krež, if it had not been for your cunning. It was it that awakened your greed and allowed you to bring me closer to you. After all, you could have done without the acquaintance of my brothers in the Senate. Though how could you know what true power is? You came into contact with it only indirectly, so that the next day, in the morning…» Doc’s face contorted again with a squeamish grimace. — And the next day, in the morning, the monkey jumped out of the cage, forgetting that it was not a bird and could not fly. You didn’t even bother to say goodbye to me. Nevertheless, I forgave you for that. Your tactlessness was such a trifle compared to your recommendations about me. If you could now, you would be convinced that your place is now occupied by a worthy person. The corporate leadership voted unanimously in favor of my candidacy. So fly away, monkey. The zoo doesn’t need you anymore! Doc covered his mouth with his palm and shook his whole body in silent laughter. His cheeks swelled with tension, and his eyeballs popped out of his eye sockets, hanging from nerve endings at his chin. Doc carefully slid them back into place and left the office. The employees of the publishing house were to meet their new chief today.