The Russians are Coming!, 14 Months in the Life of the Town
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- Kategorie: Fremdsprachige Liebesromane, Romantic Suspense
«You’re welcome,» he quietly replied, and Mr. Limpson gazed at the young man.
«I think you like my daughter, don’t you?»
«Yes, I do,» Ruslan voiced indifferently. «I’m straight. I like girls, not males.»
«I mean, you risked your life for her.»
«Once, in Moscow,» Ruslan grinned, looking at the businessman with a challenge. «I saw a crow entangled in the phone wire. I climbed up, cut the wire and freed the bird. I spent fifteen days in jail because of that, Mr. Limpson. But I wasn’t sorry. If I see a living being in trouble I try to help no matter who it is.»
«Come on.» Mr. Limpson snorted. «I’ve been watching you for a long time, dear Ruslan. I bet you want to sleep with Lana, eh?»
«If I want to sleep with a slut,» retorted the Russian. «I’d rather use a professional prostitute.»
Shocked, Mr. Limpson barely maintained control of himself.
«We are talking about my daughter,» he finally exhaled.
«Really?» Ruslan did not move his eyes aside. «I thought we were talking about someone who doesn’t care with whom they sleep. Sorry, but it’s the softest word that I know to call such a person.»
«I’m forbidding you, Mr. Grafinsky, to talk about my daughter like this!» roared the incensed businessman, then he sighed. «I believe my poor girl truly loves that damn bastard, and you have no right to blame her for that.»
«Then don’t provoke me, Mr. Limpson,» answered Ruslan in almost a whisper. «You started this talk, not me.»
The businessman hissed in a deep breath, and continued in a regular manner. «Very well, Mr. Grafinsky. What else did you want to show me?»
Chapter 24: Relief
Marina Aleksandrova drove her car away from the town.
She had withdrawn all her money and closed her bank account. She left her security deposit for her apartment, and now she was free as a bird. However, she thought about David and Joe and she felt sick at heart in the utter hopelessness of the case.
«I won’t give up,» she whispered to herself. «I don’t know, Fate, why do you send me these ordeals. Are you trying to test my limits? Great! God help me, I won’t give up…»
* * * * *
Marina stopped at the rest area, filled her car up and went to Wendy’s for lunch.
She wanted to order a salad, fries and orange juice as usual, but something had changed within her, so she chose a combo with chicken nuggets instead.
She sat at a free table, opened the box, and, taking out a piece, looked it all over, then slowly bit about half of the nugget.
Yes, it was what she wanted. The crunchy sound and spicy taste cheered her up, arousing in her wounded soul some foggy dreams and light hope. She took a sip of her soda and enjoyed, feeling sweet bubbles tickling her tongue and throat.
She closed her eyes, and when she looked again, a man was sitting across from her at the table and smiling. His eyes roved over her dreamy face.
«Definitely, it’s good weather today,» he started. Marina stared wildly at him, and suddenly she hysterically guffawed.
People in the hall looked at her. She saw the smile of the man fail, and, the embarrassed Marina quickly left the restaurant and got into her car.
Here she cried thinking, «I need to control myself better. I’m crazy. Why did I react like that? Yes, it was exactly the same phrase from my favorite Russian story, The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. But as I remember, the flirted heroine did not laugh boisterously.»
After calming down, she slowly drove away.
* * * * *
She was driving and driving, and smiled, seeing the landscape become different. Covered by forests, some hills appeared on the plains, and the first mountains came into view on the horizon.
The soft crepuscule overtook the daylight and Marina thought about staying the night.
To her unpleasant surprise the first motel had no room. «No vacancy’ she saw on the next one, and suddenly she guessed it was because tomorrow would be Independence Day and people had gathered for the celebration.
Marina swerved from the interstate and moved her car along a local road. She passed a town, and here she finally found a place for the night.
It was not a real motel building; the owner just placed a few small mobile homes in shape of the letter U, and Marina liked his cleverness. She reserved one of these trailers, and, taking a soda, she sat on the steps, adoring the beauty of this cloudless night.
A man of middle age was sitting on the porch of the next house and he addressed her, «Nice evening.»
Marina nodded continuing to drink. She was afraid he would flirt with her, but he just silently kept his eyes on the sky, and the girl calmed down.
«It would be polite if I say something as a reply,» thought Marina, but she was not in the mood for any kind of conversation, and did not compel herself to utter a sound.
«No need to talk if you don’t want to,» the man said, and his understanding touched the girl.
«Sorry,» she murmured. «It’s not you. I’m just tired, that’s all.»
He nodded.
«Look at the sky,» he told her, and Marina gazed upward.
The magic twinkling of the bright summer stars captured her completely, and, melting into their shining, Marina did not feel the tears running down her own face. For the girl, his monologue seemed as if not from a person talking to her, but from her guardian angel, or the voice of her mind.
«When I look at star stained sky,» he slowly said. «I always think how trifling all our problems are compared to the Greatest Mystery of Creation. How all our reasons to be upset are insignificant in front of the countless number of other worlds. How miserable is all our suffering in the eyes of the Eternity of the Universe. Am I right?»
Marina could not reply.
He sighed. «Good night, sweetheart. I wish you luck. It seems you really need it.»
Stiffened, Marina did not notice where the man had gone. She closed her eyes, and suddenly she believed, believed to the bottom of her soul, that she could be triumphant, and she would be for sure.
«Thank you,» whispered she, but no one was near her, and, becoming confused, the girl went into the trailer and fell asleep even before her head touched the pillow.
* * * * *
The sun was still invisible and just pinked the edge of the sky when Marina left the motel, continuing her escape from the past. Thinking about that strange man, who was talking to her last night, she walked around his trailer a few times, but dared not knock or leave a thank you note.
Sighing, she got into her car. The firm conviction that her happiness was not far away still was in her heart, and she was only sorry that she could not say thanks to the man who made her believe.
* * * * *
Driving, Marina kept her eyes at the road and noticed a hitchhiker. The young man was, about twenty years old, carrying a backpack and a guitar. He held up a sign with the name of his destination, but she did not read it, just stopped to pick him up. It did not matter to her where she went. He smiled, and threw his stuff onto the back seat. Their instruments hit each other and made a sound, and the youth said, «Wow.»
«Do you play the guitar?» he asked Marina, getting into the front seat.
«Yes, I do,» she smiled. This active guy looked so young, naive, and ingenuous that the girl sensed motherly feelings for him despite the fact they were about the same age.
«What a coincidence!» he exclaimed, overjoyed. «Will you play with me?»
He sang, but Marina only shook her head, for this song was unknown to her.
«You don’t know the camp’s anthem?» he wondered. «Are you going to the camp for the first time?»
«What camp?» Marina kept smiling.
Now it was his turn to be astonished. «I thought you read my sign…»
Marina snorted. «I’m a free person.» She sighed. «A little vacation. By the way, buddy, in this state it’s prohibited to travel by auto stop.»
«Really? Damn!» He scratched his head. «I come here every Independence Day, but nobody ever told me that. Thanks. Oh, sorry. My name is Pit, Pit Niles.»
«Marina Aleksandrova,» she replied.
«Marina?» he repeated. «Aleksandrova? Are you Russian?»
«Yes.» The girl was surprised. «How did you guess?»
«I know a Russian girl. If you would like to go with me to the camp, I’ll introduce her to you. An American family adopted and raised her, but she told me her original last name was Aleksandrova.»
Marina’s heart stopped for a second as she thought about her lost sister.
«It can’t be Masha; it’s just impossible,» her inner voice argued. «Don’t cherish this foolish hope. Russia is the biggest country in the world. Thousands of children had been adopted by foreigners.» Nevertheless, she could not keep herself from asking: «What is her first name?»
«Loo.»
Marina’s dreams were cast down. «Maybe her adoptive parents gave her another name?» she thought, trying to hold hope, and she asked Pit, «Is she a brunette?»
The image of her sister stayed in her mental vision. She clearly remembered Masha’s dark brown straight hair.
«No, she’s a curly-headed blonde, like you.»
«This is not her.» Marina felt depression. «Another joke of my Fate.»
Sighing, she drove away her thoughts about Masha. She addressed Pit, and began to inquire about the camp.
* * * * *
It was a typical summer camp. The tiny houses were placed in a semicircle near a lake, and the forest surrounded them.
Preparing for the night bonfire, the young people were pottering about in the middle of the central area. They greeted Pit and Marina with screams of delight. Marina tried to trash her memories and be happy with the present.
Soon the communal merriment took her in, and the girl sincerely forgot about all her troubles.
* * * * *
She was helping with firewood when she heard, «Marina!» and she looked back. Pit came close to her, with a blonde girl next to him.
«Here is Loo.» Pit smiled, and the girls shook hands.
«Do you speak Russian?» asked Marina.
«Sorry, I don’t,» Loo replied. «I was just four when I came here.»
«Do you know?» Hesitating, Marina searched the young girl’s face. «Do you have any relatives in Russia?»
«I had an older sister. But all that I know is that she had been sent to a different orphanage. My adoptive parents love children very much. They have some money – they are owners of three day care centers. They are sponsoring the local orphanage. I’m thankful for them. They sincerely tried to find my sister. It was not their fault that all their efforts didn’t bring any success.»
«Where are you from?» After listening to this explanation, hope arose into Marina’s soul again.
«Kiev,» the girl answered, smiling.
«Buddy,» Marina sighed, disappointed. «Kiev is not in Russia.»
«I know.» Loo laughed. «I am Russian, but I never said I’m from Russia. My papers were lost, I don’t even know where I was born.»
Forcing herself to stifle any thoughts about her sister, Marina changed the subject.
«If we put this log like that,» she showed, explaining, «it would keep the fire for a longer time.»
The young people obeyed, and started working together.
* * * * *
Evening fell, and the gaiety reached its maximum. Sparkling in the night sky, fireworks flooded the environs with many colored lights turning the usual landscape into a mysterious zone.
For a long time Marina had not felt as lighthearted as now. She laughed, losing herself in bliss. She ran to the lake, threw off all her clothes and jumped into the water. The reflections of the fireworks, moonlight and bright summer stars transformed the dark brown water into a bizarre soup, and the girl felt as though she were swimming in space, in the middle of the galaxy.
She heard someone swim after her. Marina looked back and smiled, seeing Pit. She swam away. Strong and athletic, she easily lengthened the distance between them. Then Marina floated on the water and relaxed, staring at the sky blazing with fireworks. Small waves slowly washed up against her slender body, carrying and swinging her like tender hands.
Panting, the youth reached Marina, and for a while he just silently leered at her.
«Oh God,» he said delightedly. «You’re so beautiful.»
«Thanks.» Marina laughed, and swam again. This time she was moving much slower, and Pit stayed by her.
They reached another shore. When Marina’s legs touched the bottom, she turned towards Pit and fondly embraced him. She was not surprised, sensing he was also totally naked. He caressed and kissed her very passionately, yet she felt there was something that she wanted to get straight, and she stopped him, gazing at his face.
«I’m your first, am I?» she asked. He braved it for a moment, but became confused, and nodded.
«Do you despise me?» he squeezed out with effort.
«Why, you silly boy?» she tenderly stroked his young body trembling with desire.
«I’m twenty-three.»
«Gosh!» Marina noted to herself. «He’s three years younger than me!»
«I’m not sick,» he continued. «I’m not gay. I just wanted to meet the right woman… And I’ve never met a girl like you…»
«Let’s go to your place,» she gently interrupted him.
* * * * *
No one could call this just sex. It was not a simple satisfaction of instincts. It was an initiation into the Sacrament of Passion.
His sincere delight and naïve inexperienced caressing washed out her memories, healing her soul exhausted with suffering, curing her heart that seemed to have been broken forever, and the grateful Marina released all her fondness, not called on for such a long time. She did not just show her knowledge. She shared her capability for selfless Love.
* * * * *
Marina was sitting next to the bed. Lying there, Pit held her hand. Carefully, she drew it back, but he would not release it.
«Don’t go away,» he whispered, falling asleep.
For a long time Marina sat there, observing him sleeping with a glad smile across his boyish face. For the first time in her life she met a man from whom she wanted to have a child.
«The girls usually look like their fathers,» Marina dreamed. «If I have a daughter with him, she will be pretty…»
Finally Marina freed her hand, put on jeans and a long-sleeved blouse as it was midnight already, and went outside.
The fireworks were over, and she saw young people sitting around the bonfire. They sang together, and Marina walked close looking for Loo. She was not here, and Marina asked her friends where she could be.
«She has never joined us here,» one of them explained to her. «When we set a fire she always leaves. She’s at home now. The third building from the left.»
Marina went to this house, and knocked. Loo opened without asking, and Marina entered and was surprised, seeing the window covered with a blanket over the blinds.
«Why do you stay here?» Marina asked, lifting the edge of the blanket. The reddish orange light from the fire oozed through the blinds, and Loo screamed and jerked the blanket down again.
«I hate flame!» the girl said with pain in her voice. «My family died in a house fire.»
Marina stood still. «Impossible, impossible, impossible…» was beating in her head.
«My parents, my brothers, all were gone!» Loo was talking, barely holding back her tears. «My oldest sister rescued me in the last second. She jumped with me out of the window. I was just two. I forgot her name; I forgot her face. All I remember is a flame on the left sleeve of her pajama top. Her sleeve was burning, her arm was like a torch, but she did not cry. A fireman beat off this flame, and took her inside an ambulance, and I never, never saw her again!»
«What have you done with your hair, Masha?» Marina suddenly asked in a very calm voice.
«Bleach and permanent,» mechanically answered the girl, then stared at Marina with amazement. «What did you call me?»
Without a word Marina came close to Loo, rolled up her left sleeve and showed to her the big old scar on her arm, the vestige of the deep burn.
Chapter 25: Alla
At the International Airport the Lapins were waiting for Alla.
Nina’s mother was coming to the U.S.A. to visit them, so Vlad drove his family to pick her up.
«Are you sure it’s the correct gate?» Nina asked with worry, glancing at the wall clock, then at her watch, and all around. Panting, she almost hopped with impatience, but suddenly Larisa said very calmly, «I need to go to the bathroom.»
«Oh.» Nina threw her arms up. «It’s about time. I did ask you. Now you’ll wait, young lady.»
«No, I can’t,» the girl objected, speaking with the same tone that her father usually used, and Nina involuntarily noticed this.
«Go, I’ll stay,» Vlad told her.
«No way!» Nina felt tears fill up her eyes. «I don’t wanna miss Mom.»
«Go, I said,» Vlad repeated very quietly, but steel sounded in his voice and Nina took her daughter’s hand and went away without further argument.
* * * * *
Alla strode through the gate, and immediately saw Vlad. Her daughter and Larisa were not there and concern pricked her heart.
«They live so far away,» she said to herself trying not to be worried. «He probably left them at home.»
Pushing the cart with her baggage, she went close to her son-in-law and hugged him. «Hello, son.»
They looked at each other smiling.
«Still a young boy! I wonder if you’ll ever look like an adult?»
Vlad only shrugged his shoulders.
«Mother!» they heard and saw Nina running towards them and Larisa skipping behind her. The women embraced each other and burst into tears and the girl grabbed the hand of her father.
«Dad,» she asked uneasily. «Why do they cry?»
«Because they missed each other,» replied Vlad feeling guilty.
«I missed Granny too!» Larisa wept, flung herself to them, and the women took her in their circle and sobbed all together.
«Niagara Falls,» Vlad thought, watching them with doleful tender compassion.
* * * * *
Before getting into the car, Alla looked it over with criticism, «Is it your auto?»
«Yes.» Her daughter smiled.
«I thought it’s an old rusty can from some garbage.» Alla snorted, and Nina felt confused.
«It moves at least,» Vlad retorted with a peaceful voice, but thinking, «People in Russia think if you are living in the USA, you are a millionaire.»
He did not tell his mother-in-law that just yesterday the muffler had fallen off, but Ruslan Grafinsky helped them again, simply tying it back on with a wire.
Vlad gazed at the black violet clouds accumulating in the darkening sky. The weather forecast warned about an oncoming thunderstorm, and he was worried.
The trip home was going to take about six hours of driving, and Vlad realized that there was no chance of avoiding the heavy rain.
«Should we stay in a motel?» he thought. «Gosh, it’s too expensive! If I drive carefully everything is going to be fine. I hope.» Still hesitating, he finally sat in the car.
Chatting non-stop, Alla, Nina and Larisa did not even notice his concern, and, again, Vlad was touched by how these women trusted him.
* * * * *
They were half way home when the thunderstorm broke. The raindrops and hailstones pattered on the car, and the women became quiet. Soon Larisa fell asleep, a tired Alla dozed off next to her, and Nina observed them with a happy smile.
They had just passed a town when a sudden siren sounding outside made their skin creep. Nina turned toward Vlad to ask him about it, and she saw his pallid face. He stared at the mirror, and the woman looked back.
Her hair stood on end as she saw a twister, moving directly along the same road as their car. It was getting closer, and Nina gasped with horror.
«What?» Alla woke and gazed at her daughter. «What’s going on?»
Nina could not answer. Alla followed her look and saw the tornado.
«Wow.» She smiled. «My first day in the U.S.A., and what an adventure! Can we stop? I want to take a picture.»
«It’s not funny, mom,» murmured Nina. Her voice squeaked. «Vlad, can we move faster?»
Vlad only shook his head. He glanced at the speedometer and felt despair, for this was the maximum speed that he could press out of this old and oft-fixed vehicle.
«Stupid piece of junk!» Vlad thought with vexation. «I should have rented a car. So, Scrooge, you saved some money, and your damned economy is going to kill your family. Congratulations!»
Watching for shelter, the Lapins looked through the windows with all their attention, but all that they could see were endless cornfields, stretching to the skyline.
«A bridge!» Nina suddenly exclaimed, pointing forward. «Thank God! We’re saved!»
They reached the bridge, it was not big, nor wide, but nevertheless it was some cover, and Vlad parked the car under it, rushed out and carefully took Larisa into his arms.
He climbed up the slope, and sat down in the chink between the ground and the span. He held his sleeping daughter, but suddenly he recalled a story that he had read somewhere about how a twister tore a child from the arms of his mother. Hastily taking out his belt, Vlad fastened Larisa to himself, then looked down.
A roaring van swept past, and Vlad involuntarily noticed the big blue letters on its board. Nina and Alla were still inside the car, and Vlad was worried sick about them and could not imagine what was going on.
The young woman was vainly trying to urge her mother out.
«I’m not going anywhere.» Alla demonstratively sat straight.
«You should not stay in the car.» With desperation Nina glanced at her, then at the oncoming twister. She realized they had no time for discussion. «Mom, please, I beg you!»
Not looking at her daughter, Alla did not response. Then Nina got out, and ran to her family. She saw Vlad’s belt around the body of Larisa, and she took out her own blouse, and tied herself to her husband and daughter.
«If we are gonna die, we die together,» Nina thought, resigning herself to her Fate.
They hugged each other and still cringed, trembling with fear in the face of the Power of Nature, helpless, like people of the Stone Age.
The wind became stronger and stronger, and the Lapins stared at the car down the slope.
«Mommy, mommy,» whispered Nina. She could not tear her eyes from the car, shaking and slowly moving forward.
«We can do nothing, honey,» Lapin mumbled, but Nina did not hear him.
Vlad greatly respected Alla, and, recalling the Wizard of Oz and the witch that had been killed by a tornado, he thought, «Awful! If my mother-in-law is gone, everybody would think I wanted it.»
The wind slackened, and the car stopped. It was over now, and the Lapins sighed with relief.
«I told you it was safe,» Alla said to her daughter when she got inside. Exhausted with stress, Nina did not answer. Holding Larisa, she silently sat on the back seat, made her daughter comfortable and buckled her up, then hugged her mother.
Vlad drove the car away, continuing the interrupted trip.
A few miles further on they saw a van lying in the ditch with its wheels up. Large blue letters blared from its board, and Vlad recognized the truck that had passed their car under the bridge. A police car was on its way, so Vlad did not stop.
* * * * *
Bill Thompson was walking along a path in the city park, and his golden retriever slowly followed him. Goldy was an old dog, very old. The animal had difficulty moving her legs, and Bill looked at his pet with compassion as he had the same problem and had to use a walking stick.
He sat on the bench, and Goldy lay next to him.
Bill looked around the playground. He liked to watch the playing children and their parents. Some of them he remembered from when they were kids.
This is why he noticed the lady. She was an unknown woman, and, he realized at once, she was not from here. First, he saw her legs. Not long, but very thin legs. In contrast with other women, who wearing sport shoes, this woman wore heel-strap sandals with such high heels that Bill was surprised that she was able to move so easily and lightly.
Her black T-shirt, with a deep décolleté, tightly fitted her slender lithe body. Many women tied their hair, but the ponytail of this woman was decorated with a black bow. Although she was not young, this bow looked very natural, as part of her image. Cheerful and active, she resembled a starling, and her long nose only emphasized this likeness.
Thompson suddenly thought how aptly people call the foreigners ’aliens’. This woman really was a being from another world.
She played with Larisa, and Bill was surprised, for he did not know that Nina’s mother was here. The girl ran to other kids, the woman looked about, saw Goldy, and came close.
«What a nice doggie,» she said, as she bent over and petted the dog. The retriever wagged its tail and licked her face. The woman laughed. «I do love dogs. I have two dogs in Moscow.»
She was talking with a strong accent. Bill barely understood her, but he smiled. This lively woman emitted optimism. She beamed, making the world around her bright and dreamlike and wonderful.
«My name is Alla,» she introduced herself. «What is the name of your doggie?»
«Goldy.» He slightly bowed. «And my name is Bill Thompson.»
«Thompson!» She threw up her arms. Bill was surprised by her reaction. Alla opened her bag and took out a book. «My daughter, Nina, told me about you, and I bought this book just for you. I bet you have never read this.» She gave it to Bill, and, astonished, he took the book, and looked at the cover: Seton Thompson… a naturalist, writer… the first Chief Scout of the Boy Scouts of America…
«He’s my favorite author,» she explained emotionally.
«It’s very interesting.» Bill wanted to return the book, but Alla stopped him. «No! It’s my gift to you. Take it, read it. I’m sure you will like it. Chink, the puppy. Snap. The Winnipeg Wolf. When I was reading these stories I cried.»
Bill saw Vlad Lapin walk toward them.
«Hello.» He nodded to Bill, and addressed Alla in Russian. «Where is Larisa?»
The woman waved toward the playground, and he called out, «Larisa!»
«I’m very glad to meet you, Mr. Thompson.» Alla shook his hand.
«Me too.» He smiled back. Larisa ran to her father, climbed up on him, and all the Russians went to the parking lot.
Bill followed them with his eyes, then took out his glasses and opened the book.
* * * * *
It was like a deep sleep. Bill Thompson finished reading the first story, and noticed with amazement that it was already evening. Soft wind was bringing freshness, and the sun hid behind the trees.
«Goldy, girl,» he addressed his dog. «How could I forget about you? Wanna drink?»
The animal sighed and put its head down again.
«Where does the time go?» Bill thought with sadness about the rapidity of life.
* * * * *
At home Bill Thompson had supper, then washed the dishes, but all his thoughts led him back to today’s meeting with Alla.
«What a woman,» he whispered, shaking his head. «Interesting, how old is she? Gosh, what a book she gave me. It’s some kind of magic. What a shame I’ve never heard of this author. Heh-heh! The same name. Yeah. Thank God, she didn’t blame me for her daughter’s trauma. It was an accident. How her hubby looks at me all the time. I bet he couldn’t forget that his wife stepped on the nail while working for me. She’s still limping, poor woman.» He smiled, recalling Alla. «Her mother is so energetic. I’m wondering, is she so active all the time or was it just the thrill from her arrival? When she hugged Goldy… Yeah, by the way, how’s my poor girl?»
He looked at his pet and noticed the retriever had not even touched its evening portion of food.
«You should control the amount she eats making sure she eats the basic volume.» Bill recalled the words of the veterinarian, and he sat on the floor next to the dog’s bed.
Taking the bowl, Thompson pinched out a small piece and offered it to the retriever. The animal sighed and turned its muzzle aside.
«Goldy, girl, you have to eat,» the old man said fondly as he carefully moved the food closer to dog’s nose. «Smell it, how delicious. Please, don’t make Daddy upset.»
Wagging its tail, the retriever licked his fingers with the food.
«What a good girl.» Smiling, Bill took another piece and, talking, he continued feeding his pet. «We’ll be fine. We’ll show the youngsters that we’re not as helpless and worthless as they think. Remember the lady that hugged you? She’s full of zip like a little girl. You did like her, didn’t you? Me too. Heh-heh! You licked her, lucky you. How did her skin taste? I wish I was a dog.» He laughed surprising himself as erotic dreams were gathering in his mind.
In bed Bill took the book again. Usually he did not read before sleeping, but today’s excitement overwhelmed the old man, and he decided just to take a quick look to calm down.
The wizardry of the words captured him again. He read, and read, and did not become aware of how his eyes closed, and like a soft cloud enveloping him, instantly removing all the burdens of his age.
…The King, he was hunting in the sunlit autumn forest. He galloped on a bay stallion, hot as a Devil’s creature, and his golden retriever ran beside him. The numerous tints of colors of the leaves dazzled him, and he did not remember the exact moment when he saw a beautiful lady fly next to him on the back of a black horse.
«Who are you?» he breathed out, panting with ecstasy.
«I am a queen from another country,» she declared vociferously, and her ringing voice with strange hard accent filled the forest, just as though the trees and bushes shouted it themselves.
«Welcome,» he answered, adoring her. «You can use all the treasures of my kingdom as if they are yours!»
She sharply halted her horse, and stared at him.
«The only thing I want to get is your heart,» she whispered, and he embraced her.
«You already have it,» he murmured, kissing her deep into her mouth, smelling and tasting like fresh red grapes.
* * * * *
Bill Thompson was asleep, and the forgotten book, lying on his chest, slowly moved up and down with his calm and peaceful breathing.