He put the tray on the grass, poured the juice into glasses and handed it to us, drank the rest himself, straight from the decanter. I sat and savored the berry juice. Sweet and sour, reminding me of a mixture of raspberry and redcurrant, slightly astringent, leaving a pleasant light aftertaste. It is made from "ground berries", large berries that grow in the foothills, on creeping bushes that seem to spread out on the ground. It is collected every year with the help of collection robots. Juice is made from most of it, and wine is made from the rest. As our blue doc says, "This is not juice, but a straight vitamin and micronutrient cocktail." The local Azari called it "The Gift of the Goddess."

I hear heavy breathing on my right, I see our bear, a shaggy monster, sitting, looking at me, breathing fast, tongue hanging sideways. I must have been hunting again, and there's a happy face. For some reason, I don't feel well as a dog, unlike a cat. He lay down on the grass, put his paws under the chair, put his head on my feet, and took a deep breath. He lies there, only his eyebrows moving when he glances at me. I started stroking his forehead, scratching behind his ears, he squeezed his eyes shut, and I could faintly feel his joy and pleasure. Another shaggy head is thrust under his left arm, there is a slight feeling of jealousy and expectation of affection, a soft "mrrow" sound: "Haven't you forgotten me, little friend?" I haven't forgotten, my cat!

Gina squeaked,

"I'm just!" — and flew into the house, flew back a minute later.

She holds a sketchbook and pencils in her hands. She sat down in the second chair, putting it in front of her. His gaze became thoughtful and detached, his emotions calm and focused. Her brother stood behind her, leaned on the back of the chair, and watched the process. The further he went, the more his delight was felt, because it's so great to watch a truly talented reasonable person work, and no matter what he does. How, seemingly out of nothing, or out of the most ordinary things, beauty arises. I'm sitting with my eyes closed, basking in their emotions.

The gate creaked, and I was overcome by some wild, unbridled joy, thin arms wrapped around my shoulders, the cold tip of her nose was pressed into my neck, I felt a slight bite on my shoulder and a hot, slightly rough tongue went through the same place. Resentment flashed through the feelings, and in a quiet girlish voice in Turian they said:

"Promise me! What! You! Never! You won't do it again! You will never scare me like that! And yet! Promise me you won't die! You are close to me, in my heart!"

I turn my head and meet Nain's blue-blue eyes, like Dakar's. It flashed through my mind that Turians have bites and such licking is a manifestation of very tender feelings! Only between relatives! And close. And the last phrase is an appeal only to a brother or sister. I look into her eyes and answer in the same low voice in the same Turian:

Jane promised, Nainerr Taanir, that she would do everything so that her eyes would not see Eugene's death. "You, cherished by my heart!"

Nain beamed, snuggled up to me, bit me softly again, and sat down next to the chair on the grass, leaning against the hot side of the couch.

He's here! He wrapped me up with his feelings like a warm terry blanket, he's the only sensible person in the village. A four-fingered hand touches my shoulder, the other one strokes the redhead, the cat calmly puts his head under the caress. He is squatting on his haunches, anxiously looking at me with his sky-light blue eyes.

"I heard what you said to Nain" a soft voice in Turian.

"Do you want me to say the same words to you, Ham?"

"Yes, I do! Will you tell me?"

"You're close to me in my heart," and I look straight into Ham's light-blue eyes. I lean into his face and whisper. "Daddy Ham!"

In response, there is joy in emotions.

"I have heard you, cherishing you with my heart! My sworn sister," He sits down on the grass next to the armchair. He looks in front of him, continuing to stroke the Bars. We sit in silence for a while. The meaning of what happened slowly dawns on me. Turians make such decisions with the whole family.

"When will the parents come there? And when did you decide?"

"At night. Yesterday, we all suddenly realized that you mean much more to us than just neighbors and friends. The rest is empty. Everyone agreed. And they're coming any minute now."

"It's unexpected, but very pleasant! So now I have two more brothers, two sisters, and a couple of caring parents to boot. I'm rich!"

"Just like me!" He takes my hand in his. How warm his hand is...

Kaadi and Dakar enter the gate, with Saleen, the youngest of the Tanirs, born on January 20th last year, waddling next to them. The little one sees Polkan and runs to him with a squeak, sits astride, hugs him. That's it, now he'll be sitting on our dog for at least an hour.

Mom stands on the porch and looks at Kaadi coming up to her, holding a glass of juice in her hands, a smile on her lips. He goes down the stairs, puts an unfinished glass on the top, turns around. Kaadi approaches, takes his mother's right hand in his left hand, covers it with his right hand, leans close and says something. Mom's amazement is visible to the naked eye, her left hand is pressed to her chest, and her emotions are a real storm. It's not every day that Turians make such an offer to people... I don't think I've ever heard of it. Although, of course, they don't shout about this on all corners. Mom tilted her head to the left, tears glistened in her eyes, she hugged Kaadi and whispered something in response, there is no doubt that!

"Did I miss something?" Deniska's voice came from the left. He was already sitting on the grass next to Ham.

Nain got up, walked around the chair and hugged her brother, whispered a phrase in his ear, Hem bent down and repeated it after his sister. Denis sat in silence for a few seconds, just clapped his eyes wide open.

"Are you serious about this?" emotions are in turmoil. He just can't believe it!

Turians look serious.

"This is not a joke, brother!" I say. "What do you say?"

He hugs Nain tighter, bends down and hugs Hem with his other arm:

"I hear you! Those close to me! Cherished by my heart!" the brother whispers a ritual phrase in Turian. I watch as Dakar approaches Mom, the ritual repeats, but Mom continues to stand, pressed against the Turian's chest. He raises his head and looks intently into each other's eyes. I read lips:

"Thank you, brother!" Mom speaks in Russian.

His father, Leshka and Vanka come out from behind the house, his father has a folding table in his hands, Leshka has two folding chairs, Ivan, puffing, drags another one. Seeing the gathering on the lawn, the father smiled broadly. Slightly surprised, Kaadi approached him, ran her hand over his cheek, bent down... The table that had fallen out of his father's hands clattered loudly. Her father took Kaadi by the shoulders and fixed his gaze on her face. He looked at her for a few seconds, smiled broadly at her, hugged her, and answered. Then he pulled away, walked up to Dakar, the men held each other's forearms, looked into each other's eyes, said the ritual phrase softly, and then hugged tightly. Nino broke away from Deniska and skipped over to Leshka, who put down the chairs and bent down. Nain hugged his neck, his brother straightened up and picked up the girl, she bent over to his ear ... from what she heard, Leshka's eyes became — well, just like an anime character. He hugged the Turian tightly, answered, and just stood there for another minute, hugging Nain tightly.

"Have you forgotten about me?" a clear voice from the right. I turn around and meet Tam's shining green eyes. Behind all this, Coel watched with a smile, barely hiding his delight. And Gina, who manages to sketch something in an album with incredible speed. Then Ray and Vaska came, and Azari gave me a box of glass balls, saying that this was the best simulator for a beginner biotic.

In the evening, I heard my parents talking in the kitchen.

"Mishka! Is everything going to work out for us! Is this whole multi-species colony thing really going to work?"

"Yes, Dayan! Now I'm absolutely sure of it!"

"You were right! You're right! It's a pity that my father doesn't see it. All his arguments would have been shattered in dust!"

"Contact Steve, let him bring the old people to visit, and he hasn't come for a long time! My best friend completely forgot about me."

It looks like my dad is at the origin of the colony. So it's not easy! I'll have to ask him and the other seniors about it!

I emerge from the depths of memory, forcing the balls one by one to dive into the box. The gate slams, loud laughter is heard from the lawn, interspersed with heavy breathing. I go to the window, and the brothers are lying on the grass with their arms outstretched. Deniska's skin glistens with sweat.

"13:50, Hame! We have improved our time!"

"Oh, yes! I thought at the end that I would just fall and die!"

"Look, Eugene is looking at us!"

"We see you, Little Fox!"

I look at the vacationing brothers, and an amazing meeting that took place last June comes back to my mind. A meeting that finally set the record straight, gave me amazing knowledge, taught me how to control my empathy, and allowed me to feel this world much more deeply. I realized with all doom that I would have to face a living nightmare... the Reapers!

Chapter 6. It's not like that at all.

Eugene (Mendoir, June 2360)

The Hectic Year (part two)

June 10, 2360, 6:45 a.m.

The workout is over, I'm going down to the kitchen. There is peace and quiet at home, the whole family, except for Deniska and me, is still asleep. My father is not here, he is on duty at the plant. I go into the kitchen, take a one-and-a-half-liter plastic canister of juice in the refrigerator, pour half of it into a glass carafe and dilute it with water. Pure juice is too sweet, and after a workout it's not exactly what you need. But it's worth diluting — that's it! I take plastic cups from the locker and go to the brothers. They're just lying on the grass, a quick glance in my direction, joy and malice in their feelings.

"I told you she'd come and bring you some juice!" This is Hem speaking.

"That surprised me... Yes, the Fox Cub has a chuika — you and I, the poor ones, never dreamed of it! I wish I had that... uhhh!"

"Don't be jealous, it's not good!"

"That's who's talking! By yourself!"

"I can!"

"That's why?!"

"I have white envy!"

"And I have a black one, then?!"

"And you're just jealous."

"I do not understand... What does simple mean?"

"Where are you going! It's not for average minds...."

"Does that mean I have an average mind?! That's it, then! Sir Haymon! I am offended in the best of feelings and demand immediate satisfaction!"

"Ha ha! Sir Denis! I accept your challenge! Where are the trainees?!"

"Over there, in the shoe box."

The guys pulled out training knives, they are made of soft and flexible plastic, but they leave bright luminescent marks after blows. It is extremely difficult to injure them, but the result is clearly visible. They kicked off their shoes and socks, and pulled off their T-shirts, leaving only light sweatpants. They stood opposite each other and bowed slightly. The beauties! Deniska is slightly shorter, but much stronger and slightly heavier than Hem, with already well-defined muscles. Hem, on the other hand, is faster and more flexible, with an amazing predatory grace, the collar has already formed, has not yet hardened, and is soft, as are the protective plates on his head and body. Tight rolls of muscles curl around the body and arms. In a couple of years, he will become a thunderstorm of women's hearts. Beware, young Turians!

They moved slowly in a circle, not taking their eyes off each other. Slightly crouched, deceptively relaxed, the right hand with the knife slightly in front, the left slightly closer to the body and lower, the palm turned down. I feel excitement and anticipation of a fight.

I'm missing the moment when the movement starts. A moment, a flicker of hands, a bunch of deceptive movements, the brothers tangled into a ball and fell apart, panting heavily. Deniska has a bright blue stripe running diagonally across her peritoneum, Hem has a bright green stripe running from her right shoulder through her collarbone and down her throat, disappearing at the ear opening.

"Ha! I got you! In real life, I wouldn't blow your head off," Denis said, panting.

"Look at yourself!" Hem is panting.

"Oh!" says Denis, staring at his stomach. "My giblets went for a walk! My poor guts! I'm blown away", the brother falls on the grass, spreading his arms. "It's a draw again! I don't like sparring with you, Ham! It doesn't do any good!"

"I agree! I know you like crazy! All your feints and tricks."

"Tell me, when was the last time our sparring ended with a victory?"

"Uh... well, it was like last week.... You kind of won."

"Sort of?.. You were in the clouds then! Master Tanris scolded you back then. And by the way, who is she?"

"What are you talking about?!" Hem flashed with embarrassment.

"Yeas well, come on!" Denis broke into a smile.

"Who were you thinking about? Come on, come on!"

"It seemed to you," Hem replied, even more embarrassed.

"Oh, brother! You seem to have fallen in love!"

"Don't be ridiculous! I'm telling you, you imagined it!"

"Ha ha ha! Oh, I can't! Hey, uh! You don't know how to lie at all!" Deniska reaches into the box and takes out bags of wet wipes, throws one to Ham. "Catch it, lover! Otherwise you'll be shining a green stripe on your neck!"

Ham opens the bag, takes out a napkin and begins to wipe off the paint, his gaze blurs and he, looking into the distance, just smears it on his skin in vain. Deniska lies down on her stomach, supports her head with her hands and, smiling, begins to follow the manipulations of her brother-in-law. I set the decanter on the grass, drop the glasses, take the napkin from Hem, and carefully begin to clean up the stains. Hem looks at me, at the smiling Deniska, blinking in surprise.

"Well, why did you interfere, Little Fox? This lover would have smeared a marker all over his neck right now and wouldn't have noticed. And then it would be green!"