The teleportation. Chapters from 15 to 21. Part 1

                Chapter 15. Farewell.

          The beginning of July. The day was overcast, warm and without a rain - that's old Paul's the favorable weather. Naturally, today he was in the excellent mood. Somehow, from the memory all the gloom went away, with which he had to come into contact recently. The good mood as if highlighted old and recent happy events, which the life path passed through, long and unusually hilly.
          About Tolik he learnt long before beginning of the collection of information about Colonel and his gang, and he knew this person was unworthy to be helped, however, this fact doesn't cancel the fight against evil. Secondly, he would like to do something pleasant for the people connected with his successor Albert.
          The last provided a great hope and today he reported that yesterday he has succeeded: he teleported home, being one third of a mile from it, but after this he had to come out in order the wife wouldn't see and guess, with what an ability he has become gifted now. Only over time he opened the door with the key and arrived as if usually. Nadezhda noticed nothing.
          As usual, today Paul met him in Kalistovo. Before he led Albert to the same place where he relaxed when he monitored Colonel's flat in Podlipki. Today he agreed he teleports here and wait for Albert during an hour, and this hour, let Albert try to get here, by teleporting. The hour was drawing to a close. This isn't a big deal, the first pancake is always spoiled. Finally, the time was over. Instantly Paul has got into that place, where he left Albert. However, there was nobody. Then he teleported in a well known him entrance into a house in Perlovka, went upstairs onto the third floor and rang the doorbell. Nadezhda opened the door, and worried Albert stood behind her. Seeing Paul, at once he rejoiced.
          -Hello!
          -Hello! It seems, friends, you have lost each other.
          -Yes, we were agreed to meet, but I was late, I had a lot to do, - the old man lied.
          -You have better to sit for a cap of tea.
          The old man agreed and soon they debated in the kitchen, sipping the strong tea. When Nadya came out in the room, Paul noticed:
          -It seems, you lead yourself to the necessary state of mind, you okay with this. But you fail to remember the places. A thing the best you remember, this is your apartment. However, what if here was an ambush? As you see, you have to train the visual memory. Don't think, as if it would be necessary to remember absolutely everything, I couldn't do it too. There isn't a necessary to remember a quantity of the iron bars in the fence of a platform, their diameter, length within an accuracy of millimeters - no need. Nevertheless, if there is a fence made of iron bars painted in yellow, but you are imagining made of concrete and white, you will not get there. The main thing that one time you have succeeded and now you can study independently, because you understand the general idea. And now I have something to say to you, but one must continue talking in the street. I see, you have an interesting book: "Tantra. Book of secrets". I know, there are rewriting from Osho Rajneesh's lectures, he was a great missioner of our riotous century. Bring me third volume, please.
          Albert went in the room and came up to the bookcase. Three volumes of "Tantra" were almost lost among books with titles telling a little to a simple person, however, an inquisitive reader could become tied to home because of the content of these bookshelves, at least, for a year. As usual, he took the third volume from the shelf and went in the kitchen.
          -How many would be seven in the third degree?
          -343, however, what for?
          -Turn to the 343rd page - that's why.
          Albert opened the brown book on necessary page and handed over to old Paul.
          -Not to me. You should remember, then he stopped talking, listening intently around himself, and whispered in Albert's ear:
          -This page will be our hiding place. For example, I climb over here, her day pane... the old man pointed to the side of the room, is known me. To say short, if nobody is at home, I put banknotes there, naturally, in the currency, because you earn money only when you will climb over the space confidently. Also, written messages may be there if some urgent information takes place. So, look there more often even if long was nothing there. The situation, being calm, is able to change suddenly, but you may be in ignorance, so don't sleep, examine the cache. No offence, however, if I put something there, but you don't look there at the first day, I will give a sign, arranging at your home a small mess, turning over the chairs or breaking a little glass - this will be an alert.
          -However, why you cannot show yourself?
          -We may be monitored. I didn't still verify. But we have to finish talking outside.
          In twenty minutes they both came out the entrance. While they were walking, it rained a little bit and ceased. Old Paul interrupted the silent:
          -By the way, I know, in which fields you are going to use your new ability, - he reported, smiling like cats.
          -And in which?
          -If I was a sultan, I would have three wives, - he has sung two lines, almost whispering, from a well known song from an old movie.
          -Nevertheless, you are a telepath. Likely, you denounce me, thinking that I'm going to do stupid things, don't you? Even it's possible, you consider that so I may create a danger, you know what I say about. To say frankly, I'm just shocked by yesterday's event, of course, in the best sense. I don't know how to thank you! However, you are going to demand a victim now, which means nothing to you, but it would be a sizeable loss for me. That is, in order I wouldn't use your gift for personal reasons. And I would have to obey, otherwise, I will not be able to respect myself after this.
          -Here is a wrong guess. "If one is afraid of the wolves, so he'd not go to the forest". This thing would be a trifle for Jesus Christ or Buddha, but not for you. For you, this is an important thing, especially, you are one of a few people who can understand what is the love. Those who are able to love either one beauty, or even four beauties at the same time. Who said, as if you must love only one of them? Is the society an authority for you?
          -I don't care about the society, I hate it! The last thing I need to ask a permission from soviet people how may I screw!
          -You have a wonderful book, the same with the cache. If you have read it one time, it is the same thing, how not at all to read. The Great Teacher wrote that doing the love, we are doing the love with the Existence itself. A girlfriend is a mediator. She is a window, which through as if we look at the wonderful flowering garden of the Universe, where it's alive with life. And certainly, you would better learn this beautiful landscape if you look at it from a few windows. And you are the same "window" to the Universe for them. The jealousy, the rivalry, these things take place because of the egoism. No, at the level of development you are, this thing matters to you very much. Don't listen fools, don't neglect the love. I haven't a right to deprive you of this for security reasons. Just be careful, this is the only thing demanded from you. Sometimes, I had to show this ability too. A few times I disappeared from the militia, using it. It passed without troubles. There is no tail on me from the KGB, I checked and rechecked this.
          -To say frankly, I'm just happy! I just don't know what I may do for you reciprocally. As if since the birth my wings were partly cut, I didn't know about it, but now you have returned them to me and a wonderful world has opened in front of me, which I even didn't suspect about.
          -I need nothing. Only I would ask you don't leave my naughty girl. My former old girlfriend, which we lived together with and understood each other, becoming wrapped up in each other - she died of old age in the eighth decade. But this is young, almost a chick. I love her. I know, in this evil world she may perish without me. I swore that I'd do all possible in order as soon as possible she would turn up abroad, it would be better in the USA. We study English now. If something bad happens to me, save her, please, I'm not going to ask you for anything else, than that.
          -How I'd find her? You still haven't given me her address in Krasnoyarsk.
          -If it's necessary, she will find you. Be ready that she's kind of a weirdo. Attend every her need; it would cost you nothing to perform them. She would ask you never for a thing difficult to do. There is the only difficulty: to do everything in order she would leave for America forever and as far as possible, she would settle legally there.
          -I will do all J can. Also, I'll expand my abilities, including, to be useful for you and for her. What is her name?
          -Olesya. And don't be timid. She may become a fifth mistress in your harem. She will not deny you.
          -Why do you sure so? And what about you?
          -You are astonished, because you don't know her cravings, her inclinations, her principles. But I know her so clearly, I would be astonished if she deny you. She is allowed to enjoy and we don't consider this as a betrayal. Also, she will not leave me while I'm alive. These principles aren't imposed on her from outside. They are her own principles, so she performs them gladly. You wouldn't believe me, but I'm almost her ideal, if some ideal is possible in the real life. If I perish, she will have fun with you, but not more. Her ideal is an old, clever, severe mentor who would look great in spite of his age and in addition to that who would be able to understand any nonstandard manifestations of the human nature, to accept this, to go along with it. This sounds paradoxical, but to look from her point, the main your drawback is your youth. She would love you only when you are fifty years old.
          -So you said that you are going to leave for somewhere, aren't you?
          -You have guessed. Now I'll appear in a very long time, maybe I'll not appear at all. La probability to survive after something I'm going to do, it's less than 50%.
          -How I can learn it?
          -If there aren't news from me during longer than two weeks.
          -What you need it for? Still, you have money. Are you going to change the world? Is it necessary to interfere?
          -You are right. I'm not the Lord God to set to rights in whole the world. It would be the same foolishness, as if your wife would decide to do spring-cleaning not only in your own apartment, but also in all of them in your nine-storey house and for free. However, the places I passed, I want to clean and adorn my way. All my life I do it, since the Earth had become commensurate with your flat.
          My last deal, you know, this is the liquidation of the Colonel by Chechen avengers. It was absolutely safe for me, however the operation was unusual, do you know why? Because I met such scoundrels that didn't meet long ago. Now, I'm sure, Colonel itself sought his own death. He wanted it unconsciously. I just sped up the process. Soon I'm planning more dangerous undertaking, because of which, it's possible, the Lord will take me to Himself if really I haven't to do anymore in this world. I've given you the gift. You are clever not less than me and taught this climbing better than me after the instant of that terrible massacre in the camp barrack when it happened by itself in the first time. So, soon you will be able to climb any place you want. And Olesya will not be lost: I believe, you will not allow this.
          And how to use the ability I gave you, let yourself decide it. Just watch in order other voices wouldn't sound in your mind when you decide something.
          In conclusion, don't forget your security, check, whether you are being watched. Before I told you about it, but I remind you again: these people will do anything to  possess your ability, so if even you don't take care of yourself, take care of those who is close and dear to you.
          And now goodbye! Pray for me. If anything happened to me, don't make divine me. I'm the same sinner, I only strive for perfection. Maybe we'll meet in a long time after, but you've better to assume the worst, in order don't to sorrow after. So not "see you later", but farewell.
          -Farewell, Paul! Try to return. I'll try.
          -Farewell, Alik! - saying this, the old man reflected deeply, as if he has gone into himself in whole and at once disappeared.
               
                Chapter 16. Troubles after joy.

          The autumn has arrived. More and more often Albert succeeded in desirable teleporting. Also more often he had to do little travels to remember more of key places to climb over there and "get out" either near a large city in the future may be necessary, or in beautiful remote places, in general, in the forests of the Moscow region or in the neighboring regions. Also, while visits with his wife to her friends he didn't forget to memorize all details of their flats. Neither Nadezhda, nor her friends, naturally, suspected anything. Sometimes, the old man made invisible appearances, putting under the 343th page 100 or 200 dollars.
          Nadezhda thought her husband has found a new job without telling what is it. Maybe there is something doubtful. Now he went camping alone or traveled more often. She thought, perhaps he carries some goods from one city to another. Also, the old man suddenly ceased to visit with them. However, something calmed down her, she didn't know, what it was. The most likely, as she seemed, it was some causeless joy, his self-assurance and absence any fears, nightmares, which follow usually people who play impure games or are witnesses of the death and maiming of others. One day he took a schoolbook of the geography miraculously kept since childhood. Albert told her, studying at school, while lessons he took it and opened a page where was a low-grade black-white image of New-York, view from the ocean side. He could look at it long, ceasing to see and hear everything around, likely horny someone look at his favorite pornography, but of course, nothing sexual he found in it and the matter was quite different. It took place not only with him. In the consciousness or in the subconsciousness, America embodied the Liberty, which about, one could only dream in this soviet gad. So someone who has poisoned by fumes in a locked house with a faulty furnace, he seeks for a slit under the door, then hungrily falls on her, breathing fresh air, but it is so necessary! Also, who had spilled water in a desert, but find a barely oozing source, with the tears of joy he swallows every precious drop, not bothering himself with philosophical thinking that it's only water. Even some simple water may be such a wonderful and desired thing.
          Now the liberty already was here, although not fully, although with impurities, but still the liberty. From his point after thirty-odd years living, seeing a lot of things, America already was not romantically attractive to such an extent, but he still didn't lose fully the interest in the far lands. He understood that all of them live as at the foot of a volcano, which either will keep silent during a lot of centuries, or will wake up tomorrow and swallow them. One could expect anything from this monstrous state. The West continued to attract him, but now a part of the pragmatic and everyday sense was added to the romantic interest.
          Again and again he looked at this yellowed page with the New-York image, then he closed his eyes and imagined himself either near the Statue of Liberty, or in the Fifth Avenue, or in the Wall street. He succeeded in nothing, and Nadezhda could not understand what occurs to him.
          "Likely, there is a lot of inventions in my imaginable New-York", - Albert has thought. He understood that in vain didn't listen Paul, who advised not to examine pics, but to watch movies with images of needed areas.
          One day he sat in the same cinema during two days, watching the same documentary, in which in a few images was shown a business place in the Broadway. A woman in the cinema. she was a ticket controller, noticed him and already began to think that he is a crazy. It would not have occurred to anyone to watch an uninteresting movie so many times. It's possible, she complained in the mind's eye that in our epoch, it's almost impossible to call an ambulance and put someone in the madhouse who is carrying deep down something unknown and inconceivable. The strange spectator visited on the third day too.
          Suddenly he disappeared just before eyes. He was and now here is nobody, as if he never existed. The ticket controller closed and opened her eyes a few of times. No, the strange spectator has disappeared in fact. She passed into the back rows, stooped, looking down between the rows, as if she looked for something on the floor. Reaching up two guys who were sitting ahead of disappeared Albert and because of this they noticed nothing, she whispered:
          -Guys, excuse me, did someone smoked here?
          -Really? - one of them whispered, and they both opened their palms. - No smoke, so no fire.
          She understood that she had better say never and to nobody about this either crazy spectator, or never existed one: in the last case herself will be considered crazy.
          At that time Albert, being embraced with unprecedented joy, he walked in the quiet streets of morning dawn New York. He succeeded immediately as soon as he has recollected how much time in New York now, which is eight hours behind Moscow time. How could he miss such an evident detail?
          He was full of the joyful emotions. Still a little sad interfered because of the reason that he has to a little work: to choose and remember a few places to have possibility later to teleport in them. However, to be a lot of the pleasant work in the close future: to learn the "points of appearance" everywhere in the United States, even in whole America from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, everywhere in Europe, in the whole world. He wanted to sing songs at the top of his voice, because of the joy. Out of the old soviet habit he restrained himself, but in vain. His singing would be drowned in the noise of the large waking up city. The people hurrying to their work and being busy everyone of them with his own business, they wouldn't pay attention at him and even if they would do, unlikely this provoked a wish to spoil his incomprehensible joy. Proceeding, they would guess that it's possible this man has won the lottery, and having done a hundred steps, they would forget about him.
          -Are you happy, - heard Albert from a passing policeman and answered quite sincerely:
          -Yes, I do very much, - with these words talking was ended.
          Well. If he pronounced a short sentence in English not enough correctly, it cannot wonder even a policeman, because New-York is full of the foreigners. Also, a person keeping inside him a genuine joy cannot be a criminal. Albert understood, to turn up in the police station being suspected, one should try hardly. They say that American police is worse than in Stockholm or in Copenhagen, which he still wasn't in. Maybe, however, this is not Russia, and here the police catches the criminals, but doesn't spit in the soul of people who dared to differ with something.
          The sun rose high and Albert retired further and further from Broadway. Stone wastelands with a heap of any industrial trash became more and more barren. He stopped near a low building either unfinished, or dilapidated one. In Moscow now after 8 p.m., it's time to return. Suddenly he felt something bad on his right. Two young black guys were approaching slowly straight for him with clear aggressive intent. He looked to the left. Also from there two guys, black and white, were coming up to him unhurriedly. It was not necessary to be an American and know English to understand: they are hooligans and their intents heralded nothing good. Immediately Albert teleported to Kalistovo. He was exposed to an evening cool, and late lighting seemed too red. He tried out to teleport back. It happened. After silent the evil voices seemed louder and the lighting after the sunset more blue.
          -Fuck you! I've seen him as you. Just he has just been here.
          -Look! He's here again! Catch him!
          Here Albert saw a thin metal post is height approximately thirty feet above the ground. As in the childhood, the erstwhile boyish excitement embraced him. He hung on the post, pulled himself up and climbed the post, gaining altitude enough fast. One of ill wishers decided to follow him, climbing up this post. Others began to throw small stones, but missed every time. Albert wanted to mock them for last. Reaching almost the top, he pronounced the first words occurred to him:
          -Just I've arrived from the hell. I shall go back. Then I'll return again and kill you all! I shall kill you all! - after this he laughed, imitating Fant;mas.
          Stones began flying from all the sides and the pursuer on the post was already close and tried to grab his feet. Unexpectedly for all of them, Albert jumped down and while falling, being still above ground, teleported in Kalistovo and emerged already not in the air, but on the ground, as usual. However, only a very little fraction of a second before his "disappearing" from New-York, a little stone hit him just under his left eye. He clutched at his eye with his hand already in Kalistovo. He understood that he will return home with a bruise, but all the same loudly laughed. After calming down a little, in order not to shock the neighbors with his either joyful or mad look (he didn't mistake), Albert teleported in a wasteland not far from home, and checked whether did someone see his appearing from nothing. Coming at home, immediately he embraced his wife, stacked their lips in a kiss.
          -What happened to you? Your eyes sparkle. Under the eye is a bruise. Who have you fought with? Let me go. Are you drunk or have you got high?
          -However, you know, my love, I drink nothing excepting the tea.
          This took place in the kitchen. With his right arm, he went on to embrace his wife, with his left hand he reached to switch off. So, she gave herself to him standing, then they went in the room to the bed and he possessed her there at the second time. After this they went to have supper. She noticed, he was much hungry. After supper he fell asleep at once.
          -In a dream you spoke English, - Nadya pointed out next morning, smiling. - I remembered even a few words: "Fuck you! I'll kill you all!"
          -I was tired yesterday. Today I travel nowhere, I stay at home, - Albert said.
           -It's time to calm down. You frolic like a boy. Who hit your eye yesterday? Can they meet you at the second time?
          -That's impossible. They live very far.
          -You still ride. After all, already your age has been the fourth decade.
          -Didn't I tell you that I don't live according to a schedule?
          Albert understood that it's difficult to unlearn his wife from the conventional wisdom. So, it will be more difficult to accustom her to his moral doctrine, which preaches the free love without jealousy. In spite of all, let it be in a secret manner, but he needed try out to flirt with one of his wife's friends. He decided to begin from redhead Lena. When they finished their breakfast, outdoors the heavy rain started. Albert took a newspaper, lay down on the bed and began to plan the actions.
          Lena lived further than others: In Moscow, in district Kuntsevo. Albert remembered her personal Kryptonite to be watching the different Mexican TV series. She worked in a canteen, however, in spite of this didn't get fat, but stayed slim, like her friends. She didn't earn much, but the work was easy and a little income was compensated by free alimentation. Even with Nadezhda she reluctantly shared about her connection with men and many only occasionally. It seemed, she was ashamed even because of the least manifestation of her sexuality, but also, being angry with something, she was able without any shame, at least, in the circle of her acquaintances to say the bad words about circumstance or about its culprits without any shame. Perhaps, this bad habit brought into her subconscious blaming the sex, but the nature demanded its need, so this internal conflict corrupted her character. She knew this and tried less to manifest herself. Some people were attracted because of seeming inscrutability, others were repelled who considered her as shallow and bored. For every lock there are fitting keys and not fitting ones.
          Whatever they say, in the relationships with women Albert had a peculiar experience, which he trusted. In an amicable way, that is without pretending resistance, he was able to persuade very few, only the most complaisant of them. The decisiveness, the persistency, even a little aggression increased a probability to receive desired things. And the most luck results were given by a behaviour, not transgressing the law, but being close from a limit, beyond which the action may be considered as a criminal one. Albert never violated this limit, however, even in the framework of law, not always one could be persistent. This pleasant trait to the lot of women, had its reverse side, giving or facilitating a possibility to slander a stubborn and persistent applicant to be a lover. And this country just differed by a traditional wish its citizens to cause a harm to one's neighbor without some benefit for himself.
          He refused at once to appear suddenly in the apartments. In any case, either suddenly to come out of a toilet, or suddenly climb from under a bed, an owner of the flat may be scared almost to death. It is unsafe even for a woman with a healthy heart. And what for to do so? Lena well knows him. If he rings the doorbell, after looking in the peephole, she will immediately open the door.
          A few years ago, he read in a newspaper about an experimenter who lay down into the bath after switching off and taking care in order the silence would be around him and water temperature was set +34C. As if such an action would train the mystical perception, the super abilities. Albert tried it. Nothing especially took place, however, there was something after all. If fall asleep, the dreams became clearer and more logical than usual and, the main thing, this gave an effective rest or the possibility to collect his thoughts. Although his wife didn't do it, however, she was not against those experiments, which cannot do harm to someone or something. If today he lies down into the bath and asks don't disturb during two hours, she will not be astonished at all.
          So he did one hour before Lena's favorite TV series. After lying ten minutes, he silently dressed, wiped himself a little, finding wife's foundation in the dark, he smeared the bruise with it, then teleported into the toilet of Lena's flat, until which was at least twenty miles. There was no light, neither in the toilet, nor in the flat. He decided to wait for her, came out of the dark apartment, silently closing the door, went downstairs to the ground floor. Suddenly the door of the entrance opened and the woman he was going to hunt, turn out to be toe-to-toe with him.
          -Why are you alone, without Nadya? What a case took place with you both there?
          -Nothing special, but we have something to talk.
          Lena, without suspecting something, went upstairs and unlocked the door. Albert followed her and closed the door. Lena switched and inquiringly stared at the guest. He stood in the home pajamas with a wet head, with smoothed but not combed hair, so he was not quite look like himself.
          -That's the thing I'm not Albert, - said he, changing his voice a little.
          -Stop fooling around. However, where is Nadya? - asked Lena with the appropriate intonation, but she has already begun to feel something wrong. What if he is not Albert in fact? But he is very similar.
          -Albert is at home with his wife. I am his double. Perhaps, he knows nothing about himself. Forget them!
          Lena looked into his eyes. She has seen, he looked at her like a cat at the meat. She felt a bit horribly and a bit shameful. She blushed. Then she paled. This mute scene lasted not long, but suppressed her.
          -But what do you need? - A shiver in her voice betrayed her.
          -That's you I need! - after saying this he rushed to her and squeezed her, embracing. Suddenly, she with her huge colored nails tried to scratch his hand. He must not allow this at any cost. The scratches on his hands is the evidence that there was himself, not his double. There was the only solution. Suddenly he grabbed Lena's wrist, wrenched her hand and wrapped it behind her back. Lena howled.
          -Behave yourself well, beauty. Then I'll be kind and love you. And do not dare to scratch, otherwise I'll wrap you up higher than nape.
          Being excited, he has begun to cuddle up her behind. Suddenly she shouted with all her might:
          -Fire! Help me! Fire!
          He didn't expect that this quiet one is able to shout so loudly. He heard on the stairs a door opened, then the doorbell rang.
          -Gotcha? Now you are going to be caught like a rabbit. There is a neighbor from the militia with his brother, they both are ham-fisted, you'll get such fucking beatings now and put you in the militia! There they will add!
          -What a scum you are, - Albert said in a whisper.
          -But you, mutt, did you think as it you are allowed to insult and touch everyone with impunity?
          -Go to seek an impotent man for you. He wouldn't insult you - this was said in a very quite silent whisper.
          -But now they are going to insult you, - seeing Albert doesn't keep her more, Lena went to open the door. Albert very silently rushed into the toilet. Exit door has opened.
          -Sneaky coward! He twisted my arms, but now he is hiding in the toilet from you.
          At the door really two strong men were standing.
          -Not a coward, but a fool, - said one of them. And they both surely headed to the toilet. While they went, both became scared. The same word "fool" made them think what the malefactor could count on if he is clever. Now it is not the eighth decade, but the ninety third year. And there is a lot of similar types with a pistol in their pocket. However, they were ashamed to show their fear in front of a pretty mistress. One of them opened the door of the toilet with a sharp jerk and both recoiled, then looked there once more, then interrogatively looked at the mistress of the apartment.
          -There is nobody.
         -But he had just been here, touched me, nearly broke my arm and I clearly saw he came in the toilet.
          The two neighbors examined the whole flat carefully. The windows were locked. Also, nobody hid either under the bed or in the cupboard.
          -Let's go, Vitya. - one of them said with offended voice.
          -As for you, I'd like to advice to take a sleeping pill or something a sedative, - said another, turning to the mistress of flat. You disturb people in vain.
          They came out. Lena switched on the TV and in ten minutes the problems of the screen heroes made her forget about just occurred one. She was very uncomfortable, and she decided to tell about this neither to friends, nor especially to Albert.
          This time Albert lay in his bath, pondering about the case. The failure made him angry and grieved him very much. It was the only a bad mood, what discouraged him to teleport to Lena and try his luck once more. When he wiped himself and came out of the bathroom and opened the book of Tantra, there were neither dollars, nor letters. The last new with hundred dollars from his old friend had been already three weeks ago. This made him come to conclusion that the old Paul was perished under circumstances unknown to him.

                Chapter 17. Love and war.

          About a week Albert was kept crestfallen, and this made him look unlike himself. So, when Lena visited them, she doubted more that real Albert pestered her. She carefully talked out of Nadya, where they were that evening and Nadya without any suspect, told her that also watched the same TV series and her husband, intending to spend two hours in the bath, came out in an hour and twenty. Although to reach Lena's district during one and a half of the hour, even one-way, this would be a problem. Everything pointed at the version of a double.
          Albert really worried because of the possible perish his elderly friend, with which they understood each other without words, in spite of the fact that the friend was old like his late great-grandfather. Nadya understood it, but could not guess that something was added to the main loss and this was a sorrow because of the failure to commit adultery with her shy, reticent and bored friendesse. Albert reacted her presence as well as before, taking all the strength in order nobody could guess about some changing of the relations. However, when he was sure that he is seen by nobody, his look dug into her flesh like a hungry predator. In spirit he undressed her and gloatingly raped her, but as soon as she turned back, he lowered his eyes and called for help any numbers, which he multiplied, exponentiated them, also did others manipulations. This added him a look an unflappable and thoughtful look. Not to show his state of mind, there wasn't someone equal to him in this ability.
          There is a trait of human, also, perhaps of all living world, to cherish in the imagination a forbidden fruit, to be nostalgic for something, what it's impossible to use here and now. This property didn't make an exception in the given case too. Lena seemed him more attractive now. Reasonably examining the problem, he understood that the failure doesn't hold water, as compared with the loss such a man like old Paul. However, lower part of his consciousness rebelled, declaring him a loser, like a hallucination disproving argument of the common sense. Now, in spite of the common sense, the subconscious tried to impose him an idea, as if now he became less interesting for all the women, all of them became less available, and because of this reason more attractive one. This added in his dreams some part of the aggression, of the disrespect them, but in a week the common sense began to prevail. His spirit lifted again. However the rest two friendesses still were more attractive than before, this fact stimulated his purposefulness, and perhaps it played a positive role in the further developments. Sveta had to become the following "his victim". The success was more probably with her. It was not known what expect from Valya, and he didn't want very much to fail at the second time.
          Strangely enough, Tolik's existence didn't prevent the matter, but more likely on the contrary. There is enough large part of the young women whom passion more flare if she has a husband or a lover. The wish of the adultery and adventures in the bedroom makes them more available than before when they were alone. As a rule, they are ingenuous, don't keep necessary secrecy, often spill the beans and because of this they often receive the beatings and shame from enraged jealous men. They stay left, rarely killed, but really they are harmless, almost like children, they deserve the compassion and comprehension in contradistinction to the treacherous intriguers who belong to absolutely different category of people and have nothing to do with these although innocent, but lecherous sheep.
          Sveta Izmailova exactly belonged to this category. It was not by accident, she made him careful hints with her eyes. She was becoming all the way more liberated not only thanks to Tolik, but also thanks to his going for the binges with his bandit "roof", the same roof, whom place the ones out of line under Colonel, tried to occupy. He considered as an honor to share in the feasts with the so called bandits. They seemed to him almost angels after those threatening ones out of line, and he was gettin'reckless and talked too much. There was nothing insulting for them in his talking, so nothing terrible occurred for the time being. The information from drunk Tolik turned out to be quite valuable for someone, and this man, being infiltrated into the "roof", he did anything in order similar sprees would be cheered.
          Albert already learnt a regularity of Tolik's absent and it would be enough to teleport from his toilet into the toilet or under the bed of Sveta's flat, he would discover immediately the presence of Tolik and could calmly teleport back at home.
          This day came in the beginning of September. A cold snap finished. The weather was sunny and warm as in summer. According to Albert's calculations, today Tolik intended to enjoy in a society of the imaginary friends among ringing glasses. Albert has teleported under Sveta's bed. She was lying on this bed and bored with a modern detective novel in her hand. Albert has disappeared under the bed and appeared on the stairs, almost at its highest point near the garret. Then he carefully went downstairs and passing a few floors and rang on the doorbell of a familiar door. The steps sounded and Sveta opened the door.
          -Oh, Alik, is that you?
          -Are you sure that I'm Alik?
          -Stop joking. Come in. Why are you alone? Is at home all right?
          -It seems.
          -Perhaps, you would like tea, wouldn't you?
          She was dressed in a light-green sundress. The curves of her figure were seductively seen through the lightweight fabric.
          -I want you, - Albert answered and immediately hugged her, pressed her to himself, nipping with his palm on the lower part of her spine. She gasped with a slur, but didn't resist.
          -Ah, ah, Alik, what are you doing?! - Sveta repeated in a whisper. How would I face your wife after this?
          -Ask her tomorrow, and she will tell you at that time Albert didn't come out of the home. I am his double.
          -Stop tricking, you think that I don't see, don't you? Let me go! - as if indignantly, but in a whisper she pronounced who was becoming so close and so his desired mistress, he didn't doubted anymore in it. In defiance, he went up under inside her sundress, then dropped off her briefs. She was beautiful, but delicate of build. In the dark, in spite of her 29 years old, she could be mistaken for a girl is 14.
          -Oh, Albert! What are you doing to me?! Nadya will know. Let me go, please. I'm begging you.
          -I'm not Albert. Call me, as you like, but I'm going to let you go in no case. I will do anything to withhold you. Surrender! That's your destiny. You cannot evade.
          Surprisingly, she began to take off from herself all her clothes and has stood up in front of him completely naked, expressing her agreement with a doomed look.   
          -What can I do against you? Only don't tell to Tolik and Nadya, have you understood?
          -You yourself, don't open the mouth.
          Whole Sveta became sagged in his hands. They didn't notice they turned out onto the bed and when he entered into her, she tightly wrapped round him with her legs.
          They were happy being very much together. In the near future, nobody had learnt about this. Even if someone learnt, would be angry in vain. Neither Svetlana, nor Albert wanted to infuriate or to fool anyone. They just wanted to feel the happiness and did it.
          -Do you love me?
          -I love all of you, also yourself.
          -You aren't normal. It cannot be so.
          -You should long study, gain a large life experience to understand, the only so everything takes place. And if it has occurred so, keep silent and don't talk too much. So would be good for everyone.
          -I'll say to nobody.
          -Don't tell to Valya and Lena too.
          -I promise it. Otherwise Tolik will kill me, also you'll get hurt.
          -Is this after what I did for him? Well. Let him think, whether it would occur on the contrary, - after saying this, Albert suddenly understood that he is saying too much. Just before Albert and old Paul, they both succeeded to show, as if the events had taken place by themselves, that is the gang leaders were killed by someone from outside. Only Tolik knew what information was got by Albert. However, if he opens his mouth, because of this he would be killed first and foremost. Knowingly, he would never go for it even if he learns about Sveta's adultery, because it would be his end.   
          -Alik, maybe you are right, aren't you? I am happy with each of you in different manners.
          -Otherwise, it could not be. Through us you cognize the Existence, the Universe. If one cannot give you anything, then another could do. But such a man doesn't exist who would be able to give you all, as well as such a window doesn't exist, through which one would see all the four sides, and in addition all the things situated at different distances, also equally clearly, including those beyond the horizon. By the way, have you ever tried to make the love with girlfriends? If so, it would be an admirable example, when the happiness is given by both matters, but in the different manners.
          -No. I'm not a lesbian. But before Tolik I was with Sergey. Did Nadya tell you about him?
          -No.
          -He pinched me while making love. Sometimes he burned me with cigarettes.
          -Do you intend to say that he was a scoundrel?
          -I loved him. Very much. Sometimes I was allowed to burn himself with cigarettes and I did it, so I don't consider myself as a victim.
          -So what did you miss? Why don't you together now? Were you tired because of his cruel games?
          -However, I already said I was happy with him, but he smoked the marijuana. One day he disappeared. All his relatives looked for him during three days and I was the first who had found him. As if my feet themselves brought me in that basement of the five-storey building. He hung there. He had gotten high and hung himself, so perished because of nothing. Then he was buried... I had a meltdown... In two months I had got acquainted with Tolik and understood the life goes on. Now here you are... And you are abnormal: you need a few women, one is not enough for you. Perhaps I'm the same, maybe even worse. Alik, pinch my back or lower, - saying this, Sveta felt that blushes, but in the half-light, of course, Albert didn't see it.
          -What for?
          -But if a girl begs you... Is it difficult?
          -No, this isn't difficult, but don't take offense at me after this.
          -I? To take offence at you? Never in my life. I'll excuse you everything, but if you don't, what I said about, I'll take offence, in fact.
          "I'll teach a lesson her up now in order she wouldn't be foolish anymore", - Albert thought and with all his might pinched her small, but protruding bottom.
          Sveta straightened and put her head back, voluptuously had jawned and rushed to him to hug, stacked their lips and said:
          -I want else. Else!
          Such girlfriend's behaviour very excited him, and they at once merged together as one again.
          When he returned back through his "meditation" in the bath, naturally, Nadya noticed nothing. Also scarcely that she would have believed in the teleportation. His young body regained the lost strength during a short time and after this his own wife seemed him more beautiful, more desired.
          -What a thing you did, I was so pleased, like never before? - she asked him, after she gave herself to him.
          -I do not know myself. Perhaps the weather is going to change.
          In fact, now he had two wives and Sveta and himself, only they both knew it. He was enough content with that situation, but also he understood, if to add Valya in this "l'amour de trois", it wouldn't be a superfluous one. He understood sooner or later he will dream about this, as he dreamed yet in spring, when he had the only wife. It seemed a paradox, but Sveta was not interested at all, in what way her new lover succeeds to be in the two places at the same time, why he arrives with wet hair and in pajamas, as if just out of the bath. Evidently, she knew nothing, because she was not at all interested in the details, what myths Albert creates for his legal wife and under what pretext he leaves his home when arrives to her.
          Everyone lived his own life, and almost nobody noticed thickening of the dark clouds on the political horizon. Albert unlike the rest didn't react because of another reason. He knew what is the force he possessed. Although he wasn't raised as a ninja, quite the contrary, only being matured, he began to be interested in Yoga, but now with new abilities, which came as if out of nowhere, he would surpass now even a great ninja Goemon. However, from his point, the main thing is no sport. He knew, at least, the main thing he is able to do, he is able now to defend his parents, his wife, Sveta, Valya, Olesya from new cycles of the totalitarianism (of course, if such a thing takes place). Olesya has to appear in half of year after old Paul's death, that's the arrangement.
          That is why the third of October till the evening, when the putsch, headed by Rutskoy, spread like a fire, he only watched the events on TV. However, when the screen has gone black, he teleported in the district Ostankino. It was difficult to understand who was shooting at whom. There was a disorderly exchange of fire and the only useful action one may do, that's to protect himself from a stray bullet. Without a knowledge how to help, one may harm to own side. He couldn't penetrate by teleporting into the TV Tower for a simple reason: He was there never and didn't know its interior.
          The next morning Albert, with an axe in his bosom, and a knife in his pocket, teleported in Moscow. The fact that the communists are suffering a defeat, he has learnt from the fresh reports. The only act he succeeded to do, this is to get to a roof, then to teleport within the same roof to be unnoticed by an enemy, then to sneak up on a sniper who was going to shoot at passers-by, and to stun him with the butt of the axe on his nape. Then he tried to take a rifle with optical sight with him. The rifle didn't teleport with him and he threw it down off the roof. He did all this in gloves. He was sorry that being involved in his private matters, he wasn't prepared to do against the actions of the red-browns, in spite of the fact, it was not difficult to foresee them. Now he had to return to his private life, because the tranquility in the country became set for a long time relatively.
 
                Chapter 18. Twenty miles from Kremlin.

          Being in the aspect of temperament predominantly phlegmatic, Albert didn't like to change his plans. Valya has to be next. Near in a week after the failed putsch, he picked more appropriate day of his choice and again by the same way, coming out into the bathroom, he teleported in the entrance of her low house.
          Valya lived in a town with a name, which still was kept as a record of the Bolshevik marasmus "Behests of Ilyich" (Ilyich - this is Lenin's patronymic - author's note). This settlement was situated not so far as Lena's home, also not so close as Sveta's one. This was partially a resort village, partially one of the social trashes near Moscow. Such settlements in the Soviet Union, now already in a former one, were worse than cities, because everyone knew each other and had possibility to invade in the private lives and reciprocally to plot and harm. Also, they were worse than villages and little towns in remote provinces, because the reciprocal simplicity, even the warmth in the relations among people here was totally absent. A lot of the civilization costs penetrated were kept here in the absence of civilization itself.  Quite recently every bastard and drunkard had an easy possibility to imprison his neighbor for nothing, even if he is an abstainer. To imprison because of the fact that he is better than him, he is cleverer than him and don't wish to degrade together with these barbarians, but dares pursue such a course, which seems them as unknown, incomprehensible and independent. Any person who is intelligent, even a little, if he didn't want or didn't be able to kiss up to this mob, he had not a real possibility to defend himself. However, to say the truth in full, one could defend himself, but only taking a weapon in his hand.
          It was an insulted and oppressed people, whose water could be shut off in any instant or rusty and unsafe water could be supplied into the plumbing. A people who were especially needed in housing, they could be put on a wait list, but these apartments were stolen and data in the list was arbitrarily falsified by local officials. It was people brought up in the ignorance and hypocrisy, people who imbibed the criminal folklore with their mother's milk and being influenced by such a propaganda, also because of fear to be different from the others, they degenerated. A few of them degraded to the point that committed senseless crimes, without any benefit even for themselves, then they were imprisoned in the prison camps, after releasing from jail, they were drinking. With all this they well coexisted with their "oppressors", that is with the local cops and authorities, to which in the West nobody would pay attention, but here in spite of all their spiritually degeneracy, in spite of all their beastliness and narrow mind, they really could feel themselves little czars. This wasn't at all a confrontation of some two forces, but enough viable coexistence of parts of the unified, but sick organism, which was affected by a cancer tumor of the totalitarian system.
          This untidy settlement situated only twenty miles from Kremlin, in which now the electric trains stop only once in an hour, wasn't something special, but on the contrary, it was a typical phenomenon in all Russia. And there was the only way to resist against it, being physically in the area of the town, to be outside of it in spirit, not to participate in its affairs neither "above" nor "below", but to be outside it. Now it wasn't a dangerous thing anymore. Now they couldn't imprison because of this, vilely having fabricated a criminal case of hooliganism, which would be based only on a testimony of the conspiring perjurers. Now such villains may be dumped. Just for this reason Yeltsin was hated, because setting the democracy in the country, he took away a possibility from the scoundrels to imprison people because of nothing. The poverty in Russia is the persistent phenomena, which has grown historically and is typical for it. During a lot of years the people are used to stand in line in the cold, being hungry. Also, they have been used to the low wage labour and a goal of this labor was the slavery, but not a production of the useful goods. So not any compassion for the impoverished people, but the liberty - here is, with which were angry the haters who vilified the democracy. The soviet pigs wanted to go back into the slavery, but there was no slavery already. Those influential scoundrels, but representing nothing and even during Soviet rule didn't hold any prestigious appointment, but they enjoyed recognized credibility and were respected in the town only because hey were able to blend with a herd of pigs and ably grunt, also, because they could use the devil's mechanism of a criminal state and using it to throw a person they haven't liked, into the meat grinder of the red-fascist system of the GULAG, but now these scoundrels became miserable, ridiculous and insignificant. Now they only could, using basest instincts of the crowd, repeat like the parrots the anti-Semitic and patriotic ravings, but this was not more than a political onanism.
          In the epoch of the Khrushchev's "Thaw", Valya's parents left a Ukrainian outback and arrived here in the late fifties to evade the collective farm slavery. Valya was born and remembered herself only in the Moscow region. As before, her parents, having afraid of "separating from the collective", drank often with the inhabitants of the town and even succeeded to gain the respect among them. But it didn't help them. Already at Brezhnew's time, one day, her father being drunk after swearing local cops, relocated in the prison camps, sometimes released only for a few months and returned for a few years in these not very far places, which had become for him like a native home. The mother who had lived a half of the life in the country where "wasn't a sex", so she didn't dare to behave more freely. Sometimes, how by an iron grip, ruthless melancholy squeezed her, making her look for a way out. Unfortunately, she had found in wine the most fast and simple way out. However, when she felt, how it costs her, she started to make moonshine, even without a homemade distillery, but primitive and unskillfully and a little, but often to hit the bottle. No. She wasn't seen drunk in the street. Just without interruption, she sucked her made slapdash beverage, waking up even in the night to take a dose. And then this depression, because of which one wanted to die, weakened its iron grip, and n9ow after drinking one glass, when nobody saw it, she could wag her finger at the invisible enemies, that's at the bad thoughts exaggeratedly depicting in her imagination the despair and problematic of her existence and to laugh at them. Instead the liberty, she had chosen a surrogate of the liberty, and this incorrect choice soon led her to the premature death because of the cirrhosis of the liver.
          That time Valya was eighteen. Already she had tried out a "love" with local guys, but soon her joy transformed into the disappointment. Those who seemed her so sweet, good and tender, now they are spreading dirty gossip behind her. And she understood that all this ostentatious tenderness was only a vile grovelling of opportunists who craved to receive their "victory". No love is known by them. They could manifest no love to her or to someone else, even if they would desire it. This inextinguishable spark of life, what is present in every alive being, was splattered with mud by them, because of their worship of the wrong idols. Their idols are sharp threads and the respect in their herd. Their future is a piss on the table and a muddy beaker.
          Valya was very lucky, it's possible due to a bitter experience and bad luck in her former lives. She was understanding much. She had understood that her social environment is hostile, but she shouldn't say this aloud about. She kept herself apart more and more from the former friends and friendesses, desiring faster to burn every bridge. She found rich lovers, who generously showered her, and at this time she disappeared in an unknown direction out of the settlement during a few months. Maybe, she will never find a real love in this life, but at least, she will never be a slave of the state, and this already means a lot.
          She was rumored that they are going to imprison her for the "parasitism". She knew who from the former friends snitched to the militia against her. She started to hate the settlement and its habitants. She started to go in for chemistry to make at home technologically feasible, but deadly poisons. Her ill wishers didn't guess that they climbed towards their death. And she could do it so that nobody would find anything. The case would be taken for an incurable disease. However, there nothing occurred. The perestroika started up, and the enemies lost their force. And a weak enemy, already it is not an enemy, but a jester. Valya was ready to live with the guilt, but only because of the extreme necessity. Now such a necessity was no anymore.
          As the years passed, which during she learnt a lot of the skills in bed, enjoying with her life as far as it was possible, living for today, and only in the deep recesses of the soul, keeping dreams and hopes for almost still unknown happiness, a happiness of a higher order.
          About a year and a half ago, accidentally meeting with redhead Lena on an electric train, Valya turned out on the well known us circle with Albert, Nadya and her friends. She could not explain even to herself why she was attracted to them. She was attracted so, she would prefer just to sit together in their circle instead to go to the next series of the sexual adventures and experiments. "Is it only because of the fact that they don't harm each other?" - she asked herself. Also, she didn't want to ruin the formed peace among them and forbade herself even think to seduce Albert.
          But here is himself came in. She didn't expect it. If she could foresee it, then she would think over before, how to resist. To resist not him, but her desire.
          He looked very much strange, in pajamas, the hair wasn't dried, while there is a piercingly autumn cold outside. But this was Albert and as soon as he opened the door, she had understood what he wanted with her. She grumbled a little, resisting in pretence, however, she was quickly broken by a hurricane of the feelings, which embraced her. She gave him herself in that position he wanted. Almost in full losing the control over herself, she was spinning and loudly howling because of pleasure. Only ten minutes after this, when like a short circuit the most voluptuous instant had sparkled, for which all energy of them both was spent on, she acquired again the ability to think clearly.
          -Here is one can see sometimes, lives and learns. I didn't want it, what a meanness I've committed against my friend! You, bed-hopper, have succeeded to entrap me!
          -This is an imaginary meanness. If you both recognize another morality, it would be so that nothing bad took place. On the contrary...
          -That's convenient to think like this only for you, - she interrupted him. During the whole history the adultery was considered a shameful and criminal. Because of this they not only fought, but also killed. This is breaking the holy commandment of Christ.
          -During the whole history the people made war, killing people similar to them to rob wealth, hiding behind the holy name. Then they went so far, started to burn alive persons similar to them only for their convictions, then for their daring to read the Word of God without any interpreters. And what a result of all this took place? They made a deal as if God doesn't exist, as if Christ was never and have begun to kill millions of people and to build a lot the concentration camps for them - the factories of death. In spite of the godlessness in full, the persecutions of free love didn't stop. Because for a successful subordination and oppression of a person, it's necessary to subordinate and oppress the sexual aspect of the person.
          -But what about the Ten Commandments?
          -In the Gospel it's deployed that the Ten Commandments exist to observe the two main Commandments: to love God and one's neighbor. Moses bequeathed not to  be interested in other men's wives, because, among the savages this would lead to conflict situations with the bloodsheds. It would be a sin if after this we don't keep the peace between us. The tree is known by its fruits. If I have a few of the wives and I pay attention to one of them more than another, a sin because of the consequences will be with me. And if one of you hate another in spite of the fact that I pay attention to you both equally, already a sin will be with her. If we love each other by three, even let's by ten, however, we keep the peace between us, no sin will be.
          -But that will be not normal.
          -And what about the soviet power, was it normal? The wars, the fires of inquisition, was it normal? The NKVD and Gestapo - was it normal? It's a matter of custom. You are accustomed to think in the traditional manner. You aren't accustomed to thinking freely. Though, it is a tribute to you, you are more free than aborigines of this settlement.
          However, I'm going to facilitate your task. I'm not Albert. Because,  now Albert is washing in the bath at his home. If I'm similar to him, you may call me Albert Second.
          -Enough fooling around! Then, Nadya even wouldn't punch me in the face, although it should be. I'll call her and come clean about everything. Let her berate me, let her consider me like a worst bitch. I'll not explain away, although I don't know, how another woman do if she was in my place. Still, I'm alive, not of iron.
          -If you call her, she will not feel the anger and jealousy, but a compassion towards a good, but an unhappy girlfriend who went mad in the prime of life. Her husband is washing in the bath now, - saying this, Albert stood up, opening the exit door and added:
          -Good-bye, my love! Call now and ask Albert to the phone, - finally he closed the door, after which the noise of his steps was sounded, retiring downstairs. But this noise was interrupted quickly. There was such a silent on the stairs, as if nobody was there. She arrived downstairs, opened the door of the entrance. Two old women were standing near the door, it seemed already long. They talked something about and at once, now they stared at her.
          -Excuse me, a man dressed in the pajamas, did he come out now?
          -No, - said one of the interlocutors, smiling a little. Already we were standing here about an hour and a half.

                Chapter 19. Mistaken for a lookalike.

          Valya hasn't missed out to put the keys into her pocket and to close the exit door behind herself. She went upstairs till the second floor, then till the staircase near the garret. The garret was locked. How did he succeed to slip out so unnoticeably? She opened the exit door on the first floor with the key, examined every corner in her apartment and after this headed to the phone. There were a few unsuccessful attempts, still she succeeded to dial the Moscow number.
          -Hello, Nadya. Is it you?
          -Yes, I'm.
          -Just I've seen a strange thing. Some man passed under my window, he is similar to your Albert very much. I was going to hail him, but I scrupled.
          -Now he is going to come out of the bathroom. He lay there silent and meditated. Even kind of creeps me out, as if he didn't breath, but I didn't want to disturb... Here is he, let me put him on.
          -Hallo, Valya. Is it you? How are you?
          Valya nearly dropped the handset from her hand. But she quickly regained her composure and succeeded to pronounce in a cheerful voice:
          -Everything is clear, now I'm sure that's you. The point is that under my window a type passed and he was similar to you very much. I thought already, whether you've arrived to us.
          -Sometimes there are similar persons, including the doubles.
          -However, have you such familiars?
          -I cannot remember. Why are you so interested?
          -Because he was similar to you very much. He was not alone, but walking with known local scumbags. I know all of them. Two of them were released out of a prison camp recently. What if they do something bad, and after this you will be blamed? - Valya lied.
          -And now are you convinced? I've the alibi, - Albert laughed, saying to himself: "Wow, how she lies! I've given her a puzzle with two unknowns!"
          -Don't worry. I'm at home. Now I'm giving the phone to Nadya. Good talking.
          Valya switched the conversation to a neutral subject and the girlfriends chatted on the phone about ten minutes else. Closer to the end of talking a feeling of horror embraced one of them.
          She didn't believe in the miracles. It means... Oh God! She doesn't know who she has given herself to! It was no Albert! It would be not so bad if he is an usual rogue. But this type pretended as if he would be Albert and did it so skillfully and even he avowed the imposture, but this fact only made her more sure in the monstrous lie. Who was it?!
          Also, superstitious ideas were added to her fear that he was almost a devil. In spite of the logic, such thoughts invaded and increased the fears.
          "But, Lord, who is this?!" Valya remembered with horror that "Albert the Second" knows perfectly well real Albert, knows his wife, knows they both are together at home and even knows that Albert is being in the bath now. Therefore, Albert knows him too. He hides something. There is some secret. Likely, both spouses know this secret, but maybe he alone knows. But they will not tell. Regarding Sveta, this romancer and dreamer girl who is obsessed with herself, with her lover and with the love, she is blind to things, which are occurring in front of her face. The superstitious fear started to transform into an extreme degree of thrilling. This was just a state of being possessed. She had to call in Moscow again, but there it is.
          Irritated, she again was dialling Moscow number through the "8", after which there was always "busy". Finally, a long beep has sounded and the phone was picked up at once on the other end of the call.
          -Valya, is it you? - the sleepy voice of Lena has sounded.
          -Lena, how have you succeeded to guess?
          -The call sounded like a long-distance one. Except you, there is no one.
          -Listen, Lena. Do you know, whether Albert has a twin brother, who is very similar to him?
          A very long silence was being on the other end of the call.
          -Lena! Are you hearing me?
          -I'm sorry, a neighbour has distracted me with the doorbell. All the way they keep interrupting me with their nonsenses. So, what do you ask about?
          -Has Albert a double, who is similar to him very much? Maybe his twin brother? Even the voice is similar!
          -I know nothing. If I know, I would tell you. But what is the matter?
          -That's right, just a dude passed under the window and he was very similar to him.
          -A dude? Passed under your windows? He is very similar to Nadya's Alik, wasn't he?.. That's interesting... Listen me. Recently I got a gift, a bottle of a very good wine, I wouldn't like to drink it alone, If we drink it four together, it would be a little bit. Come to me tomorrow, to sit, to talk, you didn't visit me long. I'm off tomorrow. For you, it's all the same when to ride. Already you forgot how to work.
          -I work mentally.
          -I know well, how mentally, - finally Lena laughed. - Not to say by phone. Whether do you take offence?
          -No, you are in the loop. Even, I'm a little happy. At least, I can say it to myself candidly. But can you say to yourself the same thing in the same manner?
          On the other end of the call the silence began again. The tears rolled from Lena's eyes and a sobbing, coming from inside and trying to splash out, prevented her to speak. Through the phone this couldn't be seen.
          -Do you know, - finally she answered, feigning a deep pensiveness, - it didn't occur me before. But now I've taken a look at myself and seen there either a fear or misgivings.
          -You have better to be less at home alone in the days off. Well. Tomorrow I'll arrive to you.
          -Arrive, I wait. Only without lie.
          -Did I deceive you ever?
          -No, but what about your last boyfriend? What if he comes?
          -He will not come. Yesterday, he left for Turkey, to buy a merchandise. Such a deal one don't during one day.
          -Then I'll be glad to see you. Bye.
          -Bye.
          In three days the imaginary "Albert's double" appeared again in the Valya's apartment. Suddenly she saw him standing in the hallway and smiling when she passed from the kitchen into the room.
          -Ah, you have scarred me! How have you come in? However, what is the devil you are?
          -I'm not Albert. Last time I confessed you in it. If you suspect me like a devilry, you may commit any Christian rite in my presence. I will only welcome it and I am even ready to participate in it. You may make the sign of the cross above me, give me to drink the holy water, set icons around me...
          -You are a deceiver, here who are you. Why don't you confess, what means all this? Are you his brother? Are you twins?
          -Let it go so.
          -What does your "let it go so" means? I must know the truth. You had used me, but what a right you had?
          -The full right, as I see now. Because you enjoyed with me. You wished this to such a point that you did against your friendesse. Now you may joy. You may be happy without provoking the someone's jealousy.
          -He made me happy! What a benefactor is found, I don't think. What if I call for help? Is it that you want to rape me? One time you had used me without any right and are going to do again.
          -Call! I will go away without a trace and you will bring shame on yourself, because it would be the same thing as to shout "Fire!" while there is not any fire. Why do you fool? However, you are not the same like the inhabitants of this settlement. You have to obey me!
          Saying this, he violently grabbed her wrist with his both hands and twisted, then put her hand behind her back. She bent over. He started to lift her dress and take off her panties. Valya tried to resist, but he said threatening:
          -Now you will gnaw the floor, - and he put her hand so high, she gave a squeak. 
          -Let me free, I agree.
          -However, don't dare to fool, otherwise you will be sorry.
          She started to take off all her clothes, saying:
          -What can I do, male dog? Can I match for you?
          -To be a male dog is better than an impotent or a drunkard. Kneel, pretty! You are so Beautiful! You are my dream!
          Entering into her from behind, he grabbed her long plait and pulled it to himself, although she curved even without this, breathing heavily because of the passion, being unable to hide, how much she is enjoying with him.
          After they have finished and come to themselves, suddenly she with tears hugged him and with weeping voice pronounced:
          -Hurt me never, do you promise? I don't like it, that's offensive.
          -Will you love me?
          -Don't you see?
          -Will you fool again?
          -No. Also, I didn't fool. Just I don't know, who are you? I don't even know your name. Where are you from? Why do you know your double Albert?
          -A name changes little. This is only a label. You may any label put on the bottle, the contents don't change. However, if you try to dig some secret, one day you will dig such a thing, because of which a harm will be for everyone and primarily for yourself. To uncover a secret is dangerous not for me, but for you and to a certain degree for your friends. Do you want to cause a lot of trouble to yourself and to the people around you?
          -Maybe I was wrong. I'll try not to fool, as you said. I promise.
          -Then I will not hurt you too. And if you love, don't shame of it, but be proud.
          -I love you, - pronouncing this, she looked into his eyes, and he read in her eyes her wish and plea.
          -Say, you want to give me yourself.
          -I want to give you myself.
          -Are we going to undress?
          -How will we do it?
          -We are going to invent it now.
          This day they said goodbye, being happy. Albert pretended as if hurried to the electric train, which soon had to arrive in fact. However, he didn't reach the train. Pretending as if he is going to relieve himself, he crossed the double-track railway and became hidden in the shrubs. Making sure, no one sees him, he teleported immediately into the bathroom.
          The love for three beauties didn't drain him, also, he didn't visit them too often, in any case, not every day. This helped him become more active, more effective and now these were the travels, in which he manifested his activity. The travels became available as never before. Already he knew well a large part of New-York and began to learn other cities of the United States.
          The whole world was opened in front of him, while the anxieties troubled him less and less. Even in America, sometimes strangers mistook him for a lucky foreigner, who has arrived nobody knows from where, and as if he has got suddenly a large inheritance.

                Chapter 20. A bolt from the blue.

          The sun was coming out from the constellation of Libra and some of these days was going to enter into the constellation of Scorpio. The October is as if divided into two parts and at this time the summer part of the month is ending and the winter one is beginning. In these days, if go on a camping trip, one may come out in summer and return already in winter. The trees become deprived their beautiful farewell costume and just at the point the first snow is expected. Now it darkens early and the criminal curve is sharply increasing. In one of sunny, but a cold and damp evening Albert was returning from a shop with a small quantity of foods. Thank God, now in the shops already all was selling, also, he had money.
          As usual lately he was walking, being glad, to say more exact, he reproached himself a little, because he was in America very many times, but now in New-York if even it is warmer than in Moscow, but not much. Now he would like to teleport into the Mediterranean resorts, but in his imagination there weren't any even the European landscapes neither in the North, nor in the South, also, he had not any idea about Ceylon, Congo or the Latin American tropics. But it would be very good, where the time difference is small, to teleport there and to spend the night in the bosom of nature there. He knew, Europe is densely populated, and if one is going to spend the night on the nature, he has to inform someone who runs that place, but he even can do without these formalities. If someone turns up a vigilant and pernickety, he is able to disappear just in front of him. That person even wouldn't report to the police, because  he will not want to be known as a madman. And by the way, such sleepovers would be considered by his wife as more suspect than his "meditations" in the bath, which are quite far from the chastity. However, in the summer she considered his camping trips alone quite tolerantly and sometimes even she joined to him.
          He walked with these thoughts. The sun was becoming more red on the horizon. And there a girl was standing in front, he would like to name her for some reason "a Girl of autumn". She had a haircut exactly like Lena had, and the same reddish-gold color of her hair, which successfully adorned the general picture of his field of view, while the sun set, it adding this autumn color, which was already in short supply among the bare and lonely trunks of the trees and shrubs. Nostalgic notes have started to sound in his soul because of the same girlfriend, one of the four, he failed to achieve. However... whether is this a dream? She had stepped to him. She explicitly was looking at him. My God! That's is Lena.
          -Wait, Alik, - he didn't know that she is able so greedy to look at someone, he did not expect that she is able so insistently to block his way. - May I hug you?
          Saying this, she moved from words to action without waiting for a permit.
          -You may if you want it, - answered Albert, attempting to pretend to be pleasantly surprised. But what has occurred to you?
          -Forgive me! I was wrong. I can kneel in front of you, do you want? Last time I didn't expect your visit. I couldn't understand at once that you are my love, my destiny! Only to the subsequently I came to my senses, but it was late. You continue to disregard me. Are you offended very much?
          -I like you. I don't reject you. But I cannot understand, what do you mean? When was you wrong towards me? What should I forgive you for?
          -Don't pretend. I had banished you. I called a neighbor and his brother who is a cop on you. Now I want to clean my conscience, to merit your love. Call me into any remote place, including the forest, and I'll follow you. I love you, but I didn't realise this at first. You are entitled even to kill me for this thing that took place, and I'll not resist, because the life without you is not a life, and I have a feeling. So I have better to die because of your hand. I'm ready to receive everything...
          -But I'm not going to kill you and I don't understand what are you saying about. Evidently, you got tired and confuse a dream with the reality.
          -Let it would be so, however, even if I saw such a dream, it means what vile I am, because I not only rejected you, but also I called the people against you who were able to beat up and imprison you without any guilt. This means, in my dream I thought so. But do you love me, at least, a little? You said that you like me, you don't reject me, is this right?
          -Yes, that's right, but I want to do nothing here. There wouldn't be a sin in our love if everything takes place without negative consequences. Nobody must quarrel because of this, let alone fight, jealousy and divorce - this is the only my condition. But in this area Nadya can be informed. I hope, you don't want your friend would be worried, do you? While she still doesn't know, she will not feel worse, but better because of my adulteries. And I love everyone of you, - he let slip at the end of the explanation. Lena only has taken an amazed look at him, but immediate Albert stacked their lips in a kiss, by the free hand without the bag he moved down along her spine, through her light coat until the coccyx, hugged her and pressed her to him.
          -I could arrive to you now, but what if you change your mind during the way home?
          -I will never change my mind and it is really convenient to date each other at my home.
          -However, how have you appeared in my district? Where do you go now, either to my home or from it?
          -Just now I saw your wife.
          -But I came out recently. Do you traveled this distance only to talk during a few minutes?
          -That's you who I need, but I visited her to have pretext to appear in your district. Also, I saw Sveta in her home. She has a trouble, Tolik is dead, he was killed.
          -When?
          -Yesterday. Just in the street, they shot him with their gun and slipped away. Nadya will tell you the details. What are you thinking? We have nothing to do with this. We will extend these condolences to Sveta, being sad together a little, according  to custom... -
          -Yes, - pronounced Albert thinking, - nothing to do with... He has understood this is revenge from some underling. The important ones were killed by the avengers from Ichkeria.
          -Wake up finally! What! Is this "I've gone into myself, I'll not return soon"? - Saying this, Lena almost hung on him and stacked their lips in a kiss. This made him forget the danger for a while. The love prevailed.
          -Are you going to go home now? - he asked. - If you love me so in fact, I'll arrive to you in about three hours.
          -I'll never deny. Even, I'm ready not to go work tomorrow. All the same they pay me badly.
          -No one needs these sacrifices, - Albert answered, thinking: "She begins to behold the truth. Who has helped her? Who? How does it occur that she has become so desirable, such a close one? Now she is another at all".
          The more he stood together with her, the less he suspected that she pretends, and if she pretends, it will be clear this evening. Such a vile prank will be never forgiven by him, but a knowledge suggested him she is going to give herself to him at all, in full.
          -No one needs these sacrifices, - he repeated. - I like you since long ago and I will not kill you or do so that you would lose the job because of me. Just I will come into your home in three hours and I want you would be obedient, you would give me yourself, because I like you. When you were standing, waiting for me, then I thought: "What is the "Girl of autumn" is there?" You so beautifully fitted in the autumn landscape at the sunset! In spite of the fact I'm not an artist, but it was amazing! I'll arrive to you, but if you delude, I'll hate you all my life.
          She smiled, hearing these compliments. A little naughty sparks appeared in her eyes.
          -I wait for you. Come. I have to run to the electric train.
          She pecked him on the lips and started to run away, one time she turned back, shouted "I'm waiting!" and continued running away. Soon the noise of the braking train was sounding. Likely, she reached in time.
          While coming at home, near the door Nadya told him the new he knew already. The first thought was that she is not worse than Lena at all, and he understood, if the last one was his wife, he would run to Nadya and the other friendesses also gladly. Every of them was beautiful in the own manner. They didn't rival, but excellent complemented one another, and a love connection only with one of them, excepting the others at all, this would significantly impoverish the existence. Only being with all of them, he was really able to cognize the universal Beauty and Love.
          Just a minute still didn't pass, Albert had to change the subject of thinking under the pressure of inexorable reality the wife told him. Tolik was shot insolently, in broad daylight on a street of the Mytishchi city, which is not the busiest street, but also far from the deserted one. The testimonies were quite scarce for the formal investigation. No one wanted to be connected with another dirty gang hit. Nevertheless, the rumors spread throughout the city and a little beyond its limits, enough minutely, but maybe exaggeratedly they described what was happening.
          As if Tolik, as usual lately, he has come into his office in a bad hangover. Before, in such cases he sent his subordinates to buy the beer. But as was told, this day in the office it seemed him it was stuffy and he decided to walk himself, in the same time to breathe fresh air, this would relieve a hangover.
          Just he had passed only one block, suddenly three types appeared out of nowhere. They were in leather jackets, which were looking in the same manner, under these jackets there were discreet sweaters, which covered lower parts of their faces in the same manner, all of them were with short cut hairs and exuding equally evil views, because of which they even more scared the eyewitnesses, with the pistols TT in their hands, approaching to the taken aback and bewildered hapless businessman, they opened a sporadic fire. There was neither a weapon left at the crime scene, nor a control shot in his head. In general, the shooters turned up to be bad, because with so many bullets, none shot was fatal and the victim died because of the huge blood loss and the ambulance not arrived at a high time. If this doesn't relate to Albert, he could do at all without thinking about this. But what if it relates? Certainly, this is a revenge committed by unskillful scumbags, which lost their warm place under the scoundrel Colonel's wing. There was a lot of them in that movie on the cassette, where they were standing near the fence of a factory. After death of the chief, everyone of them walked by his own way. Others, who stayed alive after those gang hits, they turned up more fortunate or less vindictive.
          But how could they know? Even if old Paul was alive, even if he turned out an evil genius, pretending to be an angel, all the same, at his own initiative, he wouldn't betray by a very simple reason, because his actions were consecutive and logically explicable. He wouldn't destroy a person, whom he taught so hard, because with Albert he would bury the teleportation. The version of tortures is excluded completely, because he was able to teleport to any place from any torture armchair. Who possesses such abilities, one can only suddenly shoot him from a short distance. There was only one unlikely version remained, this is taking Olesya as hostage, but after thinking a little, Albert excluded it too, because it would be a miracle. To guess that the old man has so dear girlfriend and to clarify her distant coordinates, such a task would be accomplished only by a famous clairvoyant like Vanga or Messing. In addition, Albert knew, from Paul's point, he and Olesya were considered as equally dears and there could be no question about any exchange. And finally, in what way they would find old Paul before than Albert himself? Only three persons knew about the data transfer: he, Paul and Tolik. The last, as Sveta told him, he drank with bandits of his "roof", however, this is a few persons. He drank with them and chatted too much. Clearly! The idiot had chatted for his own death. However, if it is so, he got in trouble not only himself, but Albert too. Consequently, they know that Tolik transferred him the data and that Albert himself transferred this data into unattainable for them "obscurity". Then the chechen avengers came from this "obscurity" and had messed things up for them and disappeared after this, blending into the mountains, where, it's possible, even the KGB or CIA couldn't find them.
          Therefore, I am the last chain link, which is attainable for them, but they know nothing about the teleportation and are bad shooters, they would have time only to wound. If they had a sniper rifle at their disposal, then Tolik would be killed by it. But all the same, at least, within a radius of seventy feet from himself, he must not allow any white spots, no obscurity. It would be good to figure out their persons, addresses, also to steal their weapons. He must safeguard Nadya, she must be reliably insured against an attack or kidnapping, he must do it during a few days, even a few hours. To some extent, the criminal modus operandi consoled him. It's seen from everything, they would prefer not to complicate the operation, and to look from their point, it would be much easier to empty a clip into him just in the street than to penetrate in the apartment, to fiddle with the relatives, to take hostages and something like that. However, he must insure in any case. If his close people are affected, unlikely he could forgive himself someday. It would be especially dangerous for them if an attempt to shoot down Albert in the street is failed. Yet there was no such an attempt. He promised to Lena to arrive in three hours. Forty minutes passed already. She awakened such feelings in him! He wouldn't like to miss, and if he deceives her, it wouldn't be good. Suddenly he had a eureka moment: just he can every five minutes come out of the bathroom and ask whether is all right.
          At the appointed time Albert appeared on the stairs of already fourth beloved in a row. Here in Moscow, where he turned out, having jumped over the twenty miles distance at once, he felt himself in the full security. No one will shoot him and those neighbors aren't more dangerous than a viper, which would be crawling and hissing in a distance twenty feet from him. Really no one shot him and no harmful neighbors were looming. But he didn't notice two pairs of eyes were observing his "appearing from nothing" from the upper floor. The owners of these curious eyes didn't show any emotions, but behaved soberly and prudently, like experienced scientists in a laboratory. Albert rang the doorbell. Joyful Lena opened the door. The "eyes" weren't against.

                Chapter 21. A tail.

          -You have come, my lover! I was waiting for you. Let's this evening be ours. How long you may be at my home?
          -About two hours, hardly three ones.
          -That's less, but never mind. You are here not at last time. Do you see. I didn't deceive you. No neighbors, no scandals. I'm nor a stupid touch-me-not. Do you want I would become for you a girl, daring, mischievous and accessible one?
           The last words, pronounced at the moment of the increasing excitation even already without them, led his passionate obsession till the maximum possible one. Only owing to his decision to extend the pleasure, he didn't leap on Lena as a tiger on its prey, but sat down on the sofa and ordered:
          -Come here, lassie!
          Lena obeying came up. Albert started feeling under her skirt and to fumble on the most private places. Lena shut her eyes and was breathing hard. There weren't panties or swimsuit under the skirt. It was seen that she has prepared for the date. She really allowed him everything, confirming her words about her accessibility, in fact.
            Suddenly she smiled, finger-wagging playfully, she said:
          -What an imp you are! You came in, being dressed in the same pajamas, but deny that you were at my home last time, pretending as if you don't know what I talk about. That was you, only you, without any doubts. Before I didn't doubt too.
          -If that's the case, what a pity! - he didn't say, but had sung, joking, these Herman's words from the final scene of the "Queen of Spades".
          -Do you know, Alik, with this thing one can receive much more pleasure, however, the most of people have got no idea, their fantasy is weakly developed, even if something occurs to them, it stays only a fantasy. However, being with me, you may do everything you want. I'm your debtor, so I will allow everything and stand for this without taking offence.
          Saying this, she started to undress and in a minute she was standing naked in front of him.
          Albert remembered Sveta. He took a cigarette out of the pocket and began to smoke. Without looking away from the red-haired naked girl, who was standing in front of him, he pronounced:
          -I want to extinguish the cigarette on your bum. 
          Lena turned pale, but said:
          -I have no right to refuse you, - saying this, she opened the door of the cupboard and took a clean white rag. - Make a gag and gag my mouth, because maybe I will cannot stand and begin to shout.
          Her hand with the rag extended to him noticeably trembled. Albert understood that she is not a masochist, but only wants to be liked.
          -I changed my mind. I don't like to cause pain to girls.
          -Do you test me?
          -Masturbate in front of me till you will cum at the first time.
          Lena threw the gag and started to do it with her fingers in her crotch. Soon she moaned voluptuously, bending and holding her head back.
          -Tell me, what a way do you want? - Finally, she pronounced. I want you would be happy with me, and I agree with everything, you know.
          Suddenly, Albert remembered the words excited him and repeated them to her: 
          -Be daring, mischievous and accessible with me.
          She was not at a lost, came up to him, grabbed his object of the passion, perched above it and started to bounce over it.
          -Aren't I  daring? Aren't I mischievous? Aren't I an accessible one? - repeated she during the shortness of breath. Ah!
          They both froze for a while in the only pose, and it seemed to them both as if they've broken into another dimension. The earthy world transformed into a paradise.
          Albert has been at her home less than three hours, but he succeeded to screw with her three times. Lena turned out the only and beautiful one in her own manner.
          -I'd like to ask you one favor, - he said shortly before the last coming out. During this date he succeeded unnoticeable and secretly "to fly" home five times. - I'd like that Nadya would live in your home a few days. So, I would be calmer. Some day I'll tell you, why I need it.
          He was astonished, noticing, she likes this proposal.
          -You may arrive even tomorrow.
          -Well. She will arrive tomorrow. I'm going only to accompany her.
          This night his wife noted in mind again that it was more pleasant than usual with husband. He couldn't finish long, but even she liked it. And he himself was again more joyful and happy than usual. So she was astonished when Albert told her that killing of Tolik may be connected with them to an extent that it is dangerous her to continue being at home.
          -Will Lena let into the apartment? I didn't ask her about this. I hadn't thought that we may be connected with such a matter.
          Instead an answer, Albert stood up and dialled a number. It was about three o'clock in the morning, so, before Lena came to the phone, there were about ten long beeps in the handset.
          -Excuse me that at night. That's Alik is saying. Do you remember, yesterday I met you when I walked from a shop and you went from our home to the railway station? Also, I told you, it couldn't hurt to live a few days in your home and you agreed. Say this her, because she doubts. I put her on the phone now, - saying this, Albert gave the phone to his wife. The girlfriends talked a little about this and that.
          -Well, Lena, we have agreed. Tomorrow at eleven o'clock we will arrive. Good-bye.
          Albert was troubled, she didn't hint or talk too much about his visit to her. However, after this telephone conversation she didn't show any sign of the jealousy or suspicion. Instead of this there was a feeling of anxiety for Albert staying at home, and nothing he could do to explain her that with regard to him all this is, at least, one hundred times safer. To tell her about the teleportation would be inadmissible.
          They set the alarm clock for eight, got up at the high time and had breakfast. Albert decided to accompany his wife till Lena's apartment. At nine in the morning they started to leave, but as soon as they came out of the entrance, two men in plainclothes blocked their way and there was seemed something "police" in whole their appearance. Albert was walking ahead not to expose Nadya under a possible fire. In front of him were not only these two men who politely but insistently have demanded to produce the identity document. A little further there was flashing a lot of men, about ten ones, in the spotted camouflage uniforms and black masks. Three types  in black leather jackets were laid out on the pavement, their hands were clasped behind their backs, and just at this moment they were becoming handcuffed. From above the machine guns were aimed at these lying guys, likely for security reasons. Yet a little further as if the "Black Maria" was standing. Albert, at first being sure that it is OMON (a special police), even he have not payed attention what is written on the red certificates of the people in plain clothes. They understood it. Observing, what was occurring in the yard, Albert didn't notice that just opening the first page of the passport, the detective stared at him, examining him whole with a great curiosity like an interesting object for their institution, suddenly becoming seen by them. And there was in this look something predatory and nasty at the same time. Also Albert didn't notice that the second detective gently pushed the first one who was looking the document in his back. And only after this he turned his look at the document, then close it and returned it back to the owner, saying dryly: "Excuse". Albert wasn't such a scatterbrain, but now with a great astonishment, he has seen what he didn't see in the first instants: it was written "Bread" on the lorry, which seemed him before a "Black Maria". To see from outside, this mode of transport didn't so much differ from an usual bread van. Being  detained and searched for weapons in a reliable manner, the types were loaded into this van at gunpoint. It was a morning of Sunday and there was a bit of the onlookers. They weren't allowed to come up close.
          -Pass, don't stop, citizens. This isn't not a movie to watch, but an usual detention the criminals! - Albert and Nadezhda heard the said them words. - Nothing interesting.
          They went. The Sunday and a bit of people benefited them. Firstly, waving with their hand, they stopped a private car, then in Moscow they stopped a taxi. It was easy to ascertain, thanks to still comparatively deserted streets, that no one follows them.
          At the same time, the bread van we know already, rushed along Moscow, approaching to the center. Yet didn't pass a half hour, the detained ones, being led by convoy, walked from the van to the massive doors and already ascertained that they were brought to the Loubyanka (A street, which the KGB is situated on - author's note).
          Having led them into the building and quickly exchanging with a few words with the guards, they led them along intricate corridors and finally literally pushed them into a room with a very astonishing inscription on the door for their situation: "cinema room". "OMON" stayed outside and two men in plain clothes who accompanied them, came in following them and proposed to sit down on the bench.
          -Now, boys, we are going to show you a very interesting film and you will watch it. We suggest you, don't be silly, however, it is only just in case. We think, you aren't stupid to such an extent.
          The detained saw well-known street in Mytishchi on the screen. But as soon as they saw their recent victim, a man walking in this street, still alive and unharmed, every of these three has paled, and it was because of what. When they saw themselves approaching to the victim from three sides with the pistols in their hands, their knees started to falter and their hands started to tremble. They tried to hide their fear, but one of them, nevertheless, being not able to cover his face with his hands because of the handcuffs, bent over face down and closed his eyes.
          One of the men in plain clothes pressed a button and a scene from the movie was captured, in which their victim, Tolik, already being bloody lay on the pavement. The power brokers of these murderers were not without humor.
          -Now, boys, tell us, what seeing the NAME of the thing just you've seen on the screen? - asked one of the detectives, doing an accent on the word "name". Come on! More courageous! What cool you are on the screen! But here you look, as if have hidden your tongue into the bum. Say, otherwise we will be offended, but in your situation, it would be very unfavourable if we take offense. Here you, who almost have climbed down under the bench, what is the NAME of the thing, just you saw on the screen? Answer, stop beating around the bush!
          -That's... killing, - this type who was asked, pronounced with the faintest intonation, taking sitting position again but continuing to look into the floor.
          -That's right! Killing! - the detective confirmed with a joy in his voice. He looked, as if he was a teacher in school who was explaining a new interesting subject, asked a question about it and had received a right answer for better. - Well, boys, for killing you may be imprisoned. And you will not succeed to get yourself out of if we are those who insists on your condemnation. In which year you will be released, you may calculate. However, believe me, the most lucky of you will be released not earlier than in eight years. But if we take into account further...
          -Excuse me, - interrupted one of them who turned out a little more courageous, - But why the KGB? This matter is for the criminal police.
          -Firstly, not KGB, but FSB. Secondly, I was going to tell about this, but you have interrupted me. However, let's look the movie further, - the speaking one let go the "pause. The victim, being smitten by a lot of bullets, was present on the screen a bit of seconds else, and the image disappeared.
          -And now the second episode, just we got it, - saying this, he has replaced a film in the projector.
          The "second series" of the movie was with audio description. Three detained appeared on the screen again. They were conspiring, allocating roles and arguing, however, not long, then a scene of the detaining them followed. Then the door of the entrance has opened, a man is coming out who at once has approached and blocked the view. A beautiful woman looks at the cinema room from behind him. His passport begins to be examined, it seems, he is looking up just into the cinema room. The "pause" was pressed again.
          -Eating and scratching wants but a beginning, doesn't it? One murder is small, you wanted more, didn't you? But this time you failed. Do you want out?
          Keeping silent.
          -Do you want out. It seems, it is you, whom I am asking.
          -Is this possible, - asked one of them.
          -Including, it's possible, we will bring everyone of you to the cops in the police station of the Moscow region, not in Mytishchi. You will be imprisoned at first in the cell, then brought to the Butyrka prison. Maybe there is a hope, but you must be very, very frank with us. Why did you kill the first victim?
          -Our protector, we lived better under whose authority, he was killed because of him. I guess, the details are not interesting you.
          -Then why were you going to kill the second one?
          -They both are in the same deal. The first of them collected some dirt on him and brought to the second one. The second of them had brought it to somewhere else.
          -Where?! - Now both detectives approached and stared in turn in eyes at everyone of them. Being untrained it was difficult them to stand these looks, and they were turning away. Finally, one of them has twigged:
          -We'll find out. If you need, we will find out. I'm sure, you will not make us to rat on ours, because our dudes cannot be your clients. But these gudgeons aren't ours. To rat on such dudes is not shameful. If you need, we are ready to help you, however, how we would do it in the Butyrka prison?
          -Do you know, why your victim had died?
          -The Ambulance was late. He had bled to death.
          -Not this.
          -Whether we have killed?
          -I don't doubt in it, but that's not the main point.
          -Being drunk, he talked too much while he drank with his "roof".
          -Do you understand, if we let you go... but you will get drunk and too much talk in the pleasure? This matter is much more grave than you think.
          -We can help you...
          -Thank you. One time you almost "have helped" us. You aren't pros and you are mistaken if you think as if we going to make you informants. Maybe you would be useful for the cops. You still haven't understood, why you are here. We know the first your victim, he was the first chain link. The second one you can see on the screen now, but further even we don't know. And this second chain link you almost liquidated, you almost have messed things up. Do you think, as if we need to deal with you? To jail you, to perform cops' work, do we need this?
          -They have understood everything, - interrupted the second detective.
          -This is, - continued the first one, - our object, he is under our surveillance. But you have interfered with your gang hit. Why we need him, we aren't going to report you. Also, we don't need your help, we can handle it.
          -We didn't know... Is it possible, we would interfere if we knew?
          -You will prevent us very much even if from afar you observe him, even don't dare even to think about him! You have killed one and aren't you satisfied? But here you have to make an exception. We have you on the hook now. In which case, we can bring you to the cops with an information, what kind of "good"boys you are.
          -So, do you let us go?
          -Yes, but don't hurry to be glad. Soon you will be jailed for a long.
          -Why? Do you let us go only for a while?
          -Because even if one of you get drunk and talks too much, you will be jailed all three.
          -No, we never gonna talk. Let die who just opens his mouth. We ourselves will, - saying, he almost said "kill", but stopped at the high time. - We aren't such gossips. Among us one may lose his head, talking too much. We got used already and we are able something.
          -Is it possible, anyone besides you would approach to our object with a knife, with a pistol, with anything in his hand, - a detective asked who was a little older.
          -No, except us this string doesn't lead anywhere. Maybe only the first chain link.
          -Does it through that dude you killed?
          Instead an answer, the bandit only nodded, keeping silent.
          -You are responsible for the safety of the object. We don't joke.
          -However, if someone from a high chain link attacks him, a type who is unknown, neither you, nor us, what would be going to happen?
          -We will distinguish this at once. You aren't responsible for that side. But you are responsible for everyone, with whom your "friend", dead now, drank and much talked. Do you know all of them?
          -Yes. And interlopers don't need your object.
          -I don't say about interlopers. You well understand, it concerns the stooges of the so called, Colonel, now dead.
          -I know all of them. No one would do, except us. Do you see, how frank, we are? If someone decides to attack this gudgeon, we will be informed immediately, and we will can to some kind of agreement with him.
          -We hope, otherwise we wouldn't let you go, - saying this, a man in plain clothes took a black bag from a small cupboard, then he looked out the door and called two guards who were dressed in the same camouflage uniform without any identification marks.
          -Take off their handcuffs, and you determine your things, where's whose.
          -They have returned even the pistols! -  Gladly, but in whisper one of them reported to the accomplices.
          -We nothing took away from you and haven't detained. Forget it, - older detective talked, sarcastically smiling. -In order not to be jailed for a very long time, that's simple, you have to behave very well, I hope, you know how. If you haven't understood, well, your career will be over. Accompany them till the exit, please, otherwise they would get lost.
          -Good bye! Thank you!
          -Not at all. You have better - farewell, - then he added quietly after them, - we have better too.
          At the same time, Albert with his wife, riding by taxi through still a not built-up part of the city, He asked the driver to stop the car in the open area where the road was seen far and the cars passed not often. This part of the nature still was not touched, but surrounded from all the sides by the huge city, it waited for enforcement of a sentence of the planners: to be obliterated from the face of the earth, to be covered with the asphalt, to be penetrated by the underground communications, to be pockmarked by the foundations of the multi-storey boxes. But now it stayed similar to an oasis in the desert, that is why these boring fields, in spite of the fact that they were of such a sort, they were visually pleasing against the backdrop of a multimillion human anthill and gave possibility, at least, to be alone and get a little rest for the soul.
          Yet Nadya began to grumble because of the fact that they are going, but still cannot arrive.
          -I brought you here not to get rest, understand this. For the resting there is a lot of more appropriate areas. I just want to reduce the probability that a tail would follow us, and reduce it till a limit. Till a possible limit, do you understand? - Albert was justifying himself and in spite of the discontentment, expressed by the wife, he waited a little more than an hour, as he planned before. After this he has caught a car going in the opposite direction, however, for good fee the driver agreed to go back and deliver them just to the entrance. Nadezhda wondered that he so evading the tail, but at the same time he is going to visit them often here.
          Lena opened the door for them immediately. Her behavior towards Albert did not differ in any way from the usual one. He understood, in all probability she will not talk too much, and he didn't mistake. All of them sat at the table about forty minutes. Being informed guests' manners, Lena prepared some strong tea for them. Finally, Albert promised to arrive tomorrow in the evening, also he said that now he is going to go by metro and go to the station walking, for a stroll. Turning a corner into a yard, he came into the first entrance, he found, looked around to be sure no one sees, and teleported just at home.
          Enough quickly he noticed an unfinished cup of tea under the table. He touched it. The tea still didn't cool down. A joyful thought flashed in his mind. Almost instantly he grabbed the third volume of the "Tantra" and opened the page 343. A chit was tucked there:
                "You are exposed. A tail follows you. Let's meet in New-York in October 2... at 18 o'clock Moscow time, that's 10 o'clock New-York one, on the Broadway and N-avenue corner. If you couldn't at this time, wait for the next message. A map of New-York is tucked into the book "Aerodynamics". Eliminate this chit immediately. Your friend, safe and sound. You must guess..."
          2... October was today. It was noon. He had 6 hours until the meeting. No plane would overtake him. Albert burned the chit above the gas stove. He threw the charred rest into the sewer, drowned it and washed his hands. In six hours he will see the friend he considered perished.
                (The end of the first part).