I thought with vexation that its afternoon visiting probably already brought a shadow at a wattle fence, and abused myself last words.
But now, what could I do? Wait for the dark and again to try to get inside the house of old man? But suddenly окажетсI that the old man did not die, as said to me and alive and locked my dwelling from the inside? What am I to do then? Say: "Hi!"? or immediately to run. Or to apologize for such a late visit?
I began to sweat from such assumptions, but then I thought that, strictly speaking, what have I to fear? The most terrible thing I had experienced, and hardly scare me now than it was in that house.
Well, if the old man, indeed, not lied to men? If he really died? Don't joke with such things as death?
As a result of all these reasonings hurried on my still gone, and now I could soberly weigh everything.
Before dark, and in the summer it's too late, I have not managed to stay in the city, except that again go into conflict with command a battalion. I would like now, when before the release of remains to very few time, and less of all. Therefore we had to find a legal way, придуиать something, which could extend their dismissal. Something had to be taken, and I no longer hesitate, and not breaking in vain head, went back in school, thinking: what will be will be. Crook had to escape for a night in town.
People on the streets was a gap. Fan weekend pulled out all the streets, and from this city transport was pretty busy. However, despite this, quickly got to school through half the city, a little помявшись while in the bus.
The location of the battery was only a few cadets, for various reasons, not gone on leave. A few fanatics "Seki" playing dayroom card't paying attention. Some friends from our platoon chatting in your room on different trivial topics listened магнитоон and boiled in a glass of water boiler for tea. And so everywhere else was barren, and only after a few hours barracks had наполнитьс rumble of voices came from dismissal and fissile impressions with each other cadets.
Послонявшись from room to room, looking who is, who is not, and by the way, noticing that Охромова no, I went into the office, where he was responsible officer, the commander of a platoon, and read some книжонку. It was a young Lieutenant Швабрин. He was considered "young" for all cadets of the battery, although he was already almost a year. It was, was that he was very afraid to take any independent decisions, much depended on the opinion of a battalion commander and the other officers, and therefore could not use among us prestige and respect.
Швабрин graduated from College a year ago, a few months I was in the army, and then received a call in his native monastery for the further service. There were persistent rumors that his troops "заклевали" soldiers. Yes, and would never think anything more worthy of a man. However. In dealing with students, especially those about whom he knew it not "break off" at least from a sense of decency and respect for his rank he was strained гонорист and напускал itself unnatural severity.
Lieutenant Швабрин so absorbed in reading booklet that is not noticed as I воше in the office, and I had the pleasure of watching for a few minutes even his childish face, not covered by a mask of hypocrisy and a mock seriousness.
After a slight pause at the threshold, I coughed wanting to attract his attention, but he did not notice or wouldn't just hear. Then I said:
"Comrade Lieutenant...
He looked at me as if I hinder him to do something very important.
-What are you, Yakovlev?
The worst of it was to deal with these lieutenants. Himself in the recent past, cadet, he now tried to shut oneself off, deny from your past from what he most recently was a cadet, wore the same as I am now, epaulettes, went to the dismissal and, perhaps, ran in the AWOL. In his treatment of us behaviour was in every way is unnecessary officialdom. It was evident that the role of the commander is given to him with difficulty, and all his forces are on hold as greater distance between themselves and the cadets. Therefore communicate with him was very difficult and, certainly, it is unpleasant.
But that's nothing. The trouble is that between such forms of official and the real that was in his power, there is a large distance, which he probably realized, but only stronger from it was impregnable and menacing. Besides, he himself sometimes funny it is to play its role. Man was not devoid of sense of humor, and looked at myself sometimes on the side, and then, it seemed to drift and Leah his fly out of a child's smile, treacherously подводившая it in the most inopportune moment. But checking himself, he sadness, like a cloud, and again went on the official tone, blushing, and pressing hard on "you". This is not it was painted and even hurt, потму it became ridiculous and pitiful as possible. And what he was trying to hide, very significantly and недвузначно to appear outside, and it was evident that he "green".
Due to the aforesaid, the cadets Швабрина not respected and loved, were considered with him to the extent that and gave him a number of insulting nicknames: MOP, Green, and similar. Nicknames, however, were all officers, and most innocent and even the love of a battalion commander: Vasya — such as his name was actually — but Швабрина, unlike the others, they only underlined, as it is not respected.
Not that we loved battalion commander, rather so soft nickname was given to him out of fear. Fears means respects. Mount it would be him who dared сказат about the battalion something in a violent manner: it somehow came to the senior Lieutenant of the Furrier, and he did not forgive the offender. And from Lieutenant Швабрина not depended absolutely nothing, he himself is not depended, as did only that act only as said the commander. Maybe he thought that from this cadets will respect him because he command a battalion at the same time, but his authority only lose from such лизоблюдства and from the slavish dependence on the opinion of others.
Other platoon commanders in varying degrees, of course, some more, some less, take responsibility and take independent decisions. With them you can negotiate on the mood, at least for an hour and released in dismissal, even if there are strong objections. Of course, they risked, but were not afraid that with such a fear, as Швабрин, who turned pale to death if scolded Vasya, as though the Lord God of metal in it thunders of his anger. He avoided to make independent decisions and, be sure to someone Recalling, sent to the authorities at a higher level.
As it happens this time. Швабрин listened to me, spreading his hands, said, "can't help. Want to contact the duty officer in school, want to go home to the battalion commander, but there is unlikely he will release".
Yes, really he noticed that go home to the battalion commander was useless. But all the same I followed his advice and went to the emergency at school, because more from Lieutenant Швабрина wait was nothing.
"Well wacky same is his name!" "I thought, leaving the barracks.
In the duty room sat reading the paper, thick, обрякший major, преподавательс Department of defence against weapons of mass destruction, ЗОМП, in one word. He was a fat, red face and puffed under бреенем of their weight, as раскочегаренный samovar.
On entering, I slammed the door, and the major looked at me from under his shaggy overhanging the eyes, eyebrows, then asked:
"What do you want, young man?
Pendulous cheeks with his rocked, and the dove-coloured bags under the eyes набрякли the effort with which he разговаивл.
"Wow, young man," the подмал I, aloud:
-I would dismissal, comrade major.
"Well, " nodded the horse head on duty in school, and what are you to me pinned? You Kombat is, is responsible officer in the battery. Finally, there is the commander of a platoon. With them and decide this question here. Who am I going to let you go into the dismissal? Yes and you're a little late in the dismissal was going.
The major looked at his watch, and tried to swing on the chair, but in time I came to my senses and therefore pushed off the floor only slightly, to an otherwise fragile and loose stool would not survive its carcass and went to would you try to swing on it, as once, in childhood, had done every.
"Really, what are you to him pinned?" — I asked myself, because it really was stupid, but there was nowhere to retreat and therefore I continued упрашивть major:
-Yes, you see, comrade major... In dismissal I was... But to me for a night. Release, please.
-But-of-очь? "drawled officer. -Well, then, the more is your commanders can solve this question.
He paused for a moment, but then, apparently, curiosity won.
"What is it?
-Yes, of anything, " I was seething with frustration, realizing that only spend time in vain, -the girl came to my place. From another city, and I knew it not. Just recently found уилище and called me at the checkpoint.
-Ah. Girl. From afar, you say?
-I say that from another city.
-Yes, of course it is a serious, mayor explicitly затруднялсяя anything answer me. -Well, and what did... Go tell Someone you of the officers? There is an officer responsible?
"Yes officer. But, see, he never solves nothing. Afraid of responsibility. Suddenly that wrong.
-Well, my problem? — a toad too eyes of the officer, surrounded plump, painful bags, stared at me questioningly.
He has sent me to you. Told me to go to the emergency at school, empty, he let go, if he wants to.
-Well, tell him that I authorize, on duty again взялс for a newspaper, let you let go, time such a thing.
"I don't believe a word, you call him, please, comrade major.
-All right, — agreed офиер, continuing to read the newspaper, go on, I'll call."
Thank you very much, — thanked I his.
I, of course, I wanted to call you with me, but now imposed, annoy with your presence, to vex the old, sick man was I have no need for, so I gently closed the door and went out into the corridor.
As I entered the barracks, and immediately ran into a furious Швабрина. It was obvious how snarled in anger his face, but he could not say anything to me and just silently slid a hand увольнительную note. Hiding it in my pocket, I thought anxiously: "What tomorrow will tell коимбат? So this thing he undoubtedly настучит!"
In five minutes I was already far from the school. Despite the summer long night, it was already getting dark as the sky darkened, and I thought with vexation, as still a lot of time was taken from me Швабрин.
Soon I was on the very same street where he stood Ohm old man. I got no trouble, for исклчением that now was in uniform and me twice tried to hitch a tipsy guys, wandering around the town in search ккого any evil of fun and entertainment. However, both times all ended quite peacefully, first because I didn't answered their impudence attacks in the address and, as always, to the military in General, and the second — because quickly retreated, having estimated that the chances of not in my direction.
It was already quite dark. Street looked, as in the first time, deserted and путынно. No еловека, no cats, no dog, no one. I'm the only one, if left to furnished кауфляжным landscape of a city street theatre has been on the scaffolding, when the action has ended or has not begun at all. Range quiet, empty, dead, even the dogs in the yards do not bark somehow, and crouched and, it seems that not breathe.
Some Hume street lamps emitted a dim yellow light, making all around even more unnatural, phoney. And I am one , as in the scene with ghosts: 't see anybody, but I feel the darkness вперилась at me with her eyes.
There was a silence. Not a breath of wind, not even the rustle of leaves on деревьяхне broke the silence. Through tightly closed shutters houses no ray of light did not penetrate to the outside. And was there any light in these houses? So was I вдуг in some enchanted village, where hide behind the Windows terrible ghouls and vampires?
There was мерттвое space and I am on it, outdoor, unsecured, like a target, prepared for shooting. Terribly, terribly afraid of something became me. I felt oppressed by the premonition of the encounter with the supernatural, and from this the soul полнилаь animal fear. Something was me forward, something that made me go навстреччу this unknown. I could not afford to report that the feeling would not let me turn back and was torn from tossing me in horror. But he was unable поороть what pushed me forward. And I went, not knowing how it turns out for me.
Here already appeared, and the gate to the familiar courtyard, I pushed her and was under a canopy of shade trees that obstruct their canopy of lights.
The irrational horror caused by the game my wild fantasies, then he was gone as quickly as it had appeared, and I became quite sane man.
Ahead was completely dark, she became ve thicker and thicker as my promotion at random deep into the garden.
Touch moving forward and seeing nothing, I suddenly hands felt touching the rough wooden surface log porch of the building, and after some time, guided only intuitive memories of that night, found the place on the wall, where was located the door. Here I pushed from himself, leaned on, and the door was opened, as at that time that we were with the old man. In front of me разверзся dark failure login and the hour terrible memories of bygone night came flooding back into my mind. I again became uneasy, I felt one-on-one with the unknown world, in which road almost all living things, but that пиоткрыл their secrets for me, stopping on my person of their choice.
I hesitated on the threshold, but stepped the door and was inside the house, in the dark, прорезаемой barely filters from the street lanterns.
Yellowish, ghostly and dim light from a match, coraboutBKU which at the last moment I had with me in the barracks, lit already a familiar picture a heap of rubbish and garbage, заалившие a the whole hallway or canopy, to be precise. Making his way to him, I reached deep into osteoarthritis, ассуждая about хитроумном device, наддежно opens the house for a day and doing the entrance is free at night. Of course, there is nothing difficult in it, if you have some concepts in electronics and know how to gather the drive circuits on the photocells or оточувствительных semiconductor elements switching boards and current control. It was not clear to both blocked the door, if the house trying to get the outside, and blocked whether it at all in this case? Do night access in this unusual house was free and publicly available? I don't верилос, but no распознавательных systems type of "friend or foe" on пооге I have not met. Nothing stopped me, not required nor speak, nor show, for example, palm or the pupil of the eye in electronic eyepiece decoder resolver. I entered the house freely and unhindered. But I didn't want to believe that, as soon as night come, and thus inside this house can попаст anyone who is not afraid and wants to do it. Something had to stop impertinent stranger, but what?
