,*APT] #h 

#ahieahie 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,LEO ,TOL/OY 

,TEXT 3 

,MEAN:ILE ,VASILI ,&REEVI*1 ) HIS FEET & ! 5DS ( ! RE9S1 URG$ ! HORSE ON 9 ! DIRECTION 9 :I* = SOME REASON HE EXPECT$ ! =E/ & =E/]'S HUT TO BE4 ,! SN[ COV]$ HIS EYES & ! W9D SEEM$ 9T5T ON /OPP+ HIM1 BUT B5D+ =W>D & CON/ANTLY LAPP+ HIS COAT OV] & PU%+ IT BETWE5 HIMSELF & ! COLD H>NESS PAD :I* PREV5T$ HIM FROM SITT+ PROP]LY1 HE KEPT URG+ ! HORSE ON4 ,MUKHORTY AMBL$ ON OB$I5TLY ?\< ) DIFFICULTY1 9 ! DIRECTION 9 :I* HE WAS DRIV54 

,VASILI ,&REEVI* RODE = AB\T FIVE M9UTES /RAI<T AHEAD1 AS HE ?\<T1 SEE+ NO?+ BUT ! HORSE'S HEAD & ! :ITE WA/E1 & HE>+ ONLY ! :I/LE ( ! W9D AB\T ! HORSE'S E>S & HIS COAT COLL>4 

,SUDD5LY A D>K PAT* %[$ UP 9 FRONT ( HIM4 ,HIS HE>T BEAT ) JOY1 & HE RODE T[>DS ! OBJECT1 ALREADY SEE+ 9 IMAG9ATION ! WALLS ( VILLAGE H\SES4 ,BUT ! D>K PAT* WAS NOT /ATION>Y1 IT KEPT MOV+2 & IT WAS NOT A VILLAGE BUT SOME TALL /ALKS ( WORMWOOD /ICK+ UP ?R\< ! SN[ ON ! B\ND>Y BETWE5 TWO FIELDS1 & DESP]ATELY TOSS+ AB\T UND] ! PRESSURE ( ! W9D :I* BEAT IT ALL TO ONE SIDE & :I/L$ ?R\< IT4 ,! SI<T ( ?AT WORMWOOD TORM5T$ BY ! PITILESS W9D MADE ,VASILI ,&REEVI* %UDD]1 HE KNEW NOT :Y1 & HE HURRI$LY BEGAN URG+ ! HORSE ON1 NOT NOTIC+ ?AT :5 RID+ UP TO ! WORMWOOD HE HAD QUITE *ANG$ HIS DIRECTION & WAS N[ HEAD+ ! OPPOSITE WAY1 ?\< /ILL IMAG9+ ?AT HE WAS RID+ T[>DS :]E ! HUT %\LD BE4 ,BUT ! HORSE KEPT MAK+ T[>DS ! RI<T1 & ,VASILI ,&REEVI* KEPT GUID+ IT TO ! LEFT4 

,AGA9 SOME?+ D>K APPE>$ 9 FRONT ( HIM4 ,AGA9 HE REJOIC$1 CONV9C$ ?AT N[ IT WAS C]TA9LY A VILLAGE4 ,BUT ONCE MORE IT WAS ! SAME B\ND>Y L9E OV]GR[N ) WORMWOOD1 ONCE MORE ! SAME WORMWOOD DESP]ATELY TOSS$ BY ! W9D & C>RY+ UNREASON+ T]ROR TO HIS HE>T4 ,BUT ITS BE+ ! SAME WORMWOOD WAS NOT ALL1 = BESIDE IT !RE WAS A HORSE'S TRACK P>TLY SN[$ OV]4 ,VASILI ,&REEVI* /OPP$1 /OOP$ D[N & LOOK$ C>EFULLY4 ,IT WAS A HORSE-TRACK ONLY P>TIALLY COV]$ ) SN[1 & C\LD BE NONE BUT HIS [N HORSE'S HO(PR9TS4 ,HE HAD EVID5TLY GONE R\ND 9 A SMALL CIRCLE4 ',I %ALL P]I% LIKE ?AT6' HE ?\<T1 & NOT TO GIVE WAY TO HIS T]ROR HE URG$ ON ! HORSE /ILL MORE1 PE]+ 9TO ! SN[Y D>KNESS 9 :I* HE SAW ONLY FLITT+ & FITFUL PO9TS ( LI<T4 ,ONCE HE ?\<T HE HE>D ! B>K+ ( DOGS OR ! H[L+ ( WOLVES1 BUT ! S\NDS W]E SO FA9T & 9DI/9CT ?AT HE DID NOT KN[ :E!R HE HE>D !M OR M]ELY IMAG9$ !M1 & HE /OPP$ & BEGAN TO LI/5 9T5TLY4 

,SUDD5LY SOME T]RIBLE1 DEAF5+ CRY RES\ND$ NE> HIS E>S1 & EV]Y?+ %IV]$ & %OOK UND] HIM4 ,HE SEIZ$ ,MUKHORTY'S NECK1 BUT ?AT TOO WAS %AK+ ALL OV] & ! T]RIBLE CRY GREW /ILL MORE FRI<TFUL4 ,= SOME SECONDS ,VASILI ,&REEVI* C\LD NOT COLLECT HIMSELF OR UND]/& :AT WAS HAPP5+4 ,IT WAS ONLY ?AT ,MUKHORTY1 :E!R TO 5C\RAGE HIMSELF OR TO CALL = HELP1 HAD NEI<$ L\DLY & RESONANTLY4 ',U<1 Y\ WRET*6 ,H[ Y\ FRI<T5$ ME1 DAMN Y\6' ?\<T ,VASILI ,&REEVI*4 ,BUT EV5 :5 HE UND]/OOD ! CAUSE ( HIS T]ROR HE C\LD NOT %AKE IT (F4 

',I MU/ CALM MYSELF & ?9K ?+S OV]1' HE SAID TO HIMSELF1 BUT YET HE C\LD NOT /OP1 & CONT9U$ TO URGE ! HORSE ON1 )\T NOTIC+ ?AT HE WAS N[ GO+ ) ! W9D 9/EAD ( AGA9/ IT4 ,HIS BODY1 ESPECIALLY BETWE5 HIS LEGS :]E IT T\*$ ! PAD ( ! H>NESS & WAS NOT COV]$ BY HIS OV]COATS1 WAS GETT+ PA9FULLY COLD1 ESPECIALLY :5 ! HORSE WALK$ SL[LY4 ,HIS LEGS & >MS TREMBL$ & HIS BREA?+ CAME FA/4 ,HE SAW HIMSELF P]I%+ AMID ?IS DREADFUL SN[Y WA/E1 & C\LD SEE NO MEANS ( ESCAPE4 

,SUDD5LY ! HORSE UND] HIM TUMBL$ 9TO SOME?+ &1 S9K+ 9TO A SN[-DRIFT1 BEGAN TO PLUNGE & FELL ON HIS SIDE4 ,VASILI ,&REEVI* JUMP$ (F1 & 9 SO DO+ DRAGG$ TO ONE SIDE ! BREE*B& ON :I* HIS FOOT WAS RE/+1 & TWI/$ R\ND ! PAD TO :I* HE HELD AS HE DISM\NT$4 ,AS SOON AS HE HAD JUMP$ (F1 ! HORSE /RUGGL$ TO HIS FEET1 PLUNG$ =W>D1 GAVE ONE LEAP & ANO!R1 NEI<$ AGA91 & DRAGG+ ! DRUGGET & ! BREE*B& AFT] HIM1 DISAPPE>$1 LEAV+ ,VASILI ,&REEVI* ALONE ON ! SN[-DRIFT4 

,! LATT] PRESS$ ON AFT] ! HORSE1 BUT ! SN[ LAY SO DEEP & HIS COATS W]E SO HEAVY ?AT1 S9K+ ABOVE HIS KNEES AT EA* /EP1 HE /OPP$ BREA?LESS AFT] TAK+ NOT MORE ?AN TW5TY /EPS4 ',! COPSE1 ! OX51 ! LEASE-HOLD1 ! %OP1 ! TAV]N1 ! H\SE ) ! IRON-RO($ B>N1 & MY HEIR1' ?\<T HE4 ',H[ CAN ,I LEAVE ALL ?AT8 ,:AT DOES ?IS MEAN8 ,IT CANNOT BE6' ,!SE ?\<TS FLA%$ ?R\< HIS M9D4 ,!N HE ?\<T ( ! WORMWOOD TOSS$ BY ! W9D1 :I* HE HAD TWICE RIDD5 PA/1 & HE WAS SEIZ$ ) SU* T]ROR ?AT HE DID NOT BELIEVE 9 ! REALITY ( :AT WAS HAPP5+ TO HIM4 ',CAN ?IS BE A DREAM8' HE ?\<T1 & TRI$ TO WAKE UP BUT C\LD NOT4 ,IT WAS REAL SN[ ?AT LA%$ HIS FACE & COV]$ HIM & *ILL$ HIS RI<T H& FROM :I* HE HAD LO/ ! GLOVE1 & ?IS WAS A REAL DES]T 9 :I* HE WAS N[ LEFT ALONE LIKE ?AT WORMWOOD1 AWAIT+ AN 9EVITABLE1 SPE$Y1 & MEAN+LESS DEA?4 

',QUE5 ( ,HEAV56 ,HOLY ,FA!R ,NI*OLAS1 TEA*] ( TEMP]ANCE6' HE ?\<T1 RECALL+ ! S]VICE ( ! DAY BE=E & ! HOLY ICON ) ITS BLACK FACE & GILT FRAME1 & ! TAP]S :I* HE SOLD TO BE SET BE=E ?AT ICON & :I* W]E ALMO/ IMM$IATELY BR\<T BACK TO HIM SC>CELY BURNT AT ALL1 & :I* HE PUT AWAY 9 ! /ORE-*E/4 ,HE BEGAN TO PRAY TO ?AT SAME ,NI*OLAS ! ,WOND]-,WORK] TO SAVE HIM1 PROMIS+ HIM A ?ANKSGIV+ S]VICE & SOME C&LES4 ,BUT HE CLE>LY & 9DUBITABLY REALIZ$ ?AT ! ICON1 ITS FRAME1 ! C&LES1 ! PRIE/1 & ! ?ANKSGIV+ S]VICE1 ?\< V]Y IMPORTANT & NECESS>Y 9 *UR*1 C\LD DO NO?+ = HIM H]E1 & ?AT !RE WAS & C\LD BE NO CONNECTION BETWE5 ?OSE C&LES & S]VICES & HIS PRES5T DISA/R\S PLI<T4 ',I MU/ NOT DESPAIR1' HE ?\<T4 ',I MU/ FOLL[ ! HORSE'S TRACK BE=E IT IS SN[$ UND]4 ,HE WILL LEAD ME \T1 OR ,I MAY EV5 CAT* HIM4 ,ONLY ,I MU/ NOT HURRY1 OR ,I %ALL /ICK FA/ & BE MORE LO/ ?AN EV]4' 

,BUT 9 SPITE ( HIS RESOLUTION TO GO QUIETLY1 HE RU%$ =W>D & EV5 RAN1 CONT9UALLY FALL+1 GETT+ UP & FALL+ AGA94 ,! HORSE'S TRACK WAS ALREADY H>DLY VISIBLE 9 PLACES :]E ! SN[ DID NOT LIE DEEP4 ',I AM LO/6' ?\<T ,VASILI ,&REEVI*4 ',I %ALL LOSE ! TRACK & NOT CAT* ! HORSE4' ,BUT AT ?AT MOM5T HE SAW SOME?+ BLACK4 ,IT WAS ,MUKHORTY1 & NOT ONLY ,MUKHORTY1 BUT ! SL$GE ) ! %AFTS & ! K]*IEF4 ,MUKHORTY1 ) ! SACK+ & ! BREE*B& TWI/$ R\ND TO ONE SIDE1 WAS /&+ NOT 9 HIS =M] PLACE BUT NE>] TO ! %AFTS1 %AK+ HIS HEAD :I* ! RE9S HE WAS /EPP+ ON DREW D[NW>D4 ,IT TURN$ \T ?AT ,VASILI ,&REEVI* HAD SUNK 9 ! SAME RAV9E ,NIKITA HAD PREVI\SLY FALL5 9TO1 & ?AT ,MUKHORTY HAD BE5 BR++ HIM BACK TO ! SL$GE & HE HAD GOT (F HIS BACK NO MORE ?AN FIFTY PACES FROM :]E ! SL$GE WAS4 

,FROM 3 ,GUT5B]G4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #ahid 3 ,*APT] #h -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,MAY #a#i1 #bba 3 ,*APT] #h -- ,ADD$4 

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