Millionka 3

Japanese boy named Toli
My name is Toli. I am Japanese. Japanese, born in Vladivostok. My Japanese name is Tokagawa, but my friends changed it to Toli. In this strange story, which began on the penultimate day of the Eastern New Year, I do not play a very big role. Let me start by saying that I am the oldest in this company. In six months I will turn 15 years old. The next morning, after that strange day, I quarreled with my uncle. My uncle is a serious man. Professor of Archeology. A month ago, he arrived from Tokyo to seriously study the history of the Bohai state. This state existed for a very long time, somewhere here, on the territory of the Primorsky region. My uncle has been studying this topic for a long time, but, so to speak, in absentia. And now he decided to see everything with his own eyes. That is, to see at least something. Because, naturally, all this happened a very long time ago and nothing remained of a strong state for a long time. Well, if only some shards. My father runs a big store. Grandfather is too old to work. Eneko’s mother and sister are sitting at home. And that’s why my father was not very happy when he found out that my mother’s brother was coming from Tokyo to join us. As my father said then: “Another weight on my neck!” But my grandfather and mother shamed my father, and he never spoke about this topic again. Right up until my uncle's arrival.

Our house is located not far from Millionka, on Kitayskaya Street, in a fairly quiet quarter, where mostly Russians live. On that strange day, I brought a book that my friends and I found while wandering through the underground passages that permeate the entire Millionka. Or rather, one leaf from the book. But I’d better tell you everything in order. If you know where to go, where to turn, where to go up and where to go down, then wandering underground is not at all scary. But I was scared, because I had very little direction in these underground corridors and went where my friend Pavel directed me with his iron hand. My second friend, Sergei, was also scared, but he didn’t show it. Unlike Pavel, a native of Millionka, Sergei and his parents only recently arrived in Vladivostok from the center of Russia. Sergei's father was an official who quickly became disillusioned with everything that was promised to him, luring him to the Far East.

We wandered around the dungeon for about an hour, when suddenly it seemed to me that something was crawling along my leg. I involuntarily screamed and began to shake this muck off my leg. Panic overcame me in a second, I swayed and began to fall. The voices of Pavel and Sergei became distant. I remember Pavel asked me to calm down and even tried to slap me on the cheek. I pushed his hand away and, unable to resist, ran into something hard, probably a wall. The wall unexpectedly gave way easily under my weight, and I began to fall down. These were the most terrible moments of my life. While I was falling, I managed to ask forgiveness from everyone: my father, mother, Eneko, grandfather and even my uncle, to whom I had not done anything wrong so far. But still he asked for forgiveness from him. When I finally fell, it seemed to me that I had been flying for a very long time, although Pavel later said that twenty-five seconds had passed. Well, when I finally fell, I decided that that was it, I was in the next world. It was dark all around. My bruised leg was burning like fire, many red eyes were glowing around me, and something slippery and cold was crawling over my hands. I screamed. A few seconds later, Pavel threw down a lit and oily rag. And when this rag reached the bottom and landed next to me, a terrible sight appeared before my half-blind eyes, after complete darkness. Rats the size of an adult cat moved around me, and snakes crawled along my arms and legs. However, the nightmare army retreated a little when this hole was illuminated. The snakes slithered from my hands, the rats retreated, but not very far. Sergei and Pavel shouted something, promising help and a rope, and the rats began to gather around me again. The fabric began to fade, and I began to fumble around to throw something at the rat pack. Finally, under the layer of earth, my hand felt some oblong object, something like a book. This turned out to be a book, but a very strange book. Breaking my nails, I raked up the top layer of soil. When I pulled the book in panic to free it from under the layer of earth, something whistled through the air and hit me painfully. In the reflections of the burning fabric, I saw what hit me, and I screamed in fear even louder than before. Although a few minutes ago it seemed that it was impossible to scream any louder. The book was stained with earth and was hard to the touch. The hard cover protected the pages of the book. My gaze was fixed on what connected the book with the object that hit me. There was a chain coming from the book. I've never seen such a chain. And attached to the chain... was a hand. Severed hand. The hand was wearing what had once been a sleeve and... was moving. It was terrible. Of course, I don’t think that the sight of a whole skeleton on a chain would delight me. In this case, I, too, would probably have been scared, but what I saw now went beyond the limits of fear and panic. When I realized that I was hoarse and could not scream, I suddenly calmed down. Especiallythat the rats and snakes had disappeared somewhere. The book in my hands vibrated, the hand on the chain began to move, and I calmed down. But not for long. The hand suddenly began to grab and pull itself up on the chain links. The oily rag went out, but at that moment a rope plopped down at my feet. Pavel told me to calm down and grab the end of the rope. I tried to do what he ordered me, but suddenly the book in my hands suddenly began to shake and vibrate violently. The hand reached my throat and tried to strangle me. Panic again washed over me in its hot wave, and I dropped the book. Something remained in my hand, but I discovered this something only at the moment when I was lifted up, screaming, kicking and spitting. To do this, Pavel had to go downstairs. As he later told me, he did not see any severed hands, books, or rats with snakes. In the state I was in at that moment, it was impossible to lift me to the surface. Therefore, quite a lot of time passed before the admonitions of Pavel and Sergei reached me, and at least I stopped repeating: “Hand... chain... book.” Finally, I calmed down and came to my senses to such an extent that I remembered that today was my mother’s birthday, and everyone had been waiting for me for a long time and had not started the festive ceremony. As soon as I told Pavel about this, we began to slowly go upstairs. At some point, we heard a shot somewhere deep in the dungeon, very far away, which, however, was not repeated. The street greeted us with noise, crackling, laughter and music. We found ourselves in the midst of a festive procession. The Chinese New Year has reached its climax. People of different nationalities, including Japanese, laughed, shouted and clapped their hands to the beat of the music. That's why no one paid attention to us. Having reached the conditional border of Millionka, we parted. Pavel turned back, Sergei went towards Tigrovaya, and I moved home.

Approaching the house, I no longer doubted that I had imagined the whole nightmare. I went through the back door into the washroom. The voices of relatives and friends were buzzing in the living room, and I was trying to wash myself. Something was bothering me. And only here I felt that my right palm was cramped. No matter how hard I tried, my hand did not want to relax. Then, using my left hand, I began to bend one finger after another. The hand vibrated. The fingers were like stone. But gradually I calmed down and my fist relaxed. The pain was unbearable. The muscles clenched into a fist began to relax, and I almost screamed. But suddenly the pain suddenly disappeared. The hand relaxed, fell along the body and vibrated. Something fell out of the palm. On the floor of the washroom lay what looked like a torn page from a book. I didn't want to bend over and pick up the sheet. The leaf was proof that everything I experienced was real and not something I imagined. But there was nothing to do. There was a leaf, and there was no escape from it. I picked up the wad of paper and smoothed it out onto the first flat surface I could find.

My hands were vibrating. On the sheet was a script of hieroglyphs. It had nothing to do with Japanese hieroglyphs, and, in my opinion, neither did it have anything to do with Chinese ones. And, to be honest, what was written didn’t look like hieroglyphs at all. Tired of the events that had unfolded, I decided to deal with the sheet later and tried to fold it in four and put it in my pocket. Not so. The leaf, straightened to its full length, seemed to stiffen and did not want to bend. Giving up, I grabbed the paper, sneaked into my room and stuck it in the first textbook I came across. I put the book on the bookshelf, in the place where it had stood before, and with a feeling of accomplishment, I went out into the main hall, where they were already waiting for me. They waited and were greeted with a roar of indignation, laughter and exclamations about how much I had grown and changed since my mother’s last birthday. It’s as if my mother’s birthday was not a year ago, but a decade ago.

Evening has come. I was so tired that even the mere memory of going to the dungeon made me feel nauseous and had a strong desire to close my eyes and sleep, not waking up for at least two days. But my uncle did not know about my strange desire and woke me up early in the morning. Too early. It was dark outside. The blizzard shook the window panes, and my uncle stood next to my bed and persistently repeated my name. My uncle had a book in his hands, into which I put a piece of paper. The book shook and vibrated. Uncle was very angry and did not hide it.

- Tokagawa! Tokagawa! Tokagawa, wake up! Come on, wake up! Open your eyes and don't pretend you're still asleep!

- Uncle, good morning! May prosperity be with you! But I'm actually still sleeping! What's so bad that happened that you wake me up so early? If you don’t know, I won’t have classes at school for another week. We were released for the holidays, and now can I...

- No. Now will you stand up and explain to me what this means? Have you decided to prank me? Me, an adult? I told your father a long time ago that you need to leave here! You haven't been taught proper respect for your elders! In this country they don’t even know such a thing as order and respect! Just look, soon Eneko will be onHe's going to make fun of me!

- Uncle, what happened? What have I done? If I was late for my birthday, then I already apologized and...

- That's what happened! And don't pretend you don't know what we're talking about!

- Uncle, the fact is that I found a book. And then he dropped it because...

-What are you muttering there? Did you know that I came to study documents on the Bohai State and wanted to prank me with this pathetic forgery? Yes, the writing on this sheet is very reminiscent of the Bohai writing, but I assure you... And why does this sheet shake all the time? Is this another form of bullying me? Well, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! Your father did not have a separate room to accommodate me. And so I share a bedroom with a boy, and this boy...

I woke up at two in the morning and couldn’t understand anything! Something vibrated with annoying insistence. I went in the dark to look for the source of the vibration and found it. The shelf on which the books stood vibrated, the bookcase vibrated, even the floor under the bookcase vibrated. But this book especially vibrated. And most importantly, when I pulled out this book, the rest of the vibration stopped. But my hands began to vibrate. I opened the book and understood everything. All because of this leaf! Have you decided to play a prank on me? He staged this performance with vibration for the sole purpose of making me find this sheet and mistake this fake for real Bohai writing! How could you?

And the uncle threw the book with the enclosed sheet onto the floor. And he left.

The floor immediately began to vibrate. The vibration approached my bed, and then I remembered everything. And jumping to my feet, I ran away from the damned leaf. But it was already too late. The vibration, barely touching my legs, immediately spread throughout my body. I suddenly felt very good! There was a chair nearby, otherwise I would have sat right on the floor. It’s so good when in the summer you swim in the baths, at the sea, and then lie in the sun and feel how the moisture evaporates under the hot rays of the sun, and you and the whole world around you are in harmony. It’s so good on your birthday when you feel that the hot rays of love from the whole family are focused on you today. It happens so well... I woke up because the vibration had stopped, and my hands were carefully squeezing a strange piece of paper. As soon as my hands and the leaf were reunited, the vibration stopped. It was as if the strange leaf’s only desire was to be reunited with me. It was getting light. I sat on a chair and yawned, twisting the sheet, not knowing what to do next. I didn't want to sleep anymore. It's still early for breakfast. My uncle entered the room. Confusion was written on his face and... If I didn’t know my uncle, I would have thought that he was tormented by pangs of conscience, and he wanted to apologize to me.

- Tokagawa, you know, a strange thing happened to me! My vision has been restored! When, annoyed with you, I went out into the living room, I thought that my glasses were dirty and needed to be wiped. Having completed all the necessary manipulations, I put the glasses back on. But I immediately felt that the glasses were bothering me. Then I took them off a second time and looked around the living room. I saw everything without glasses. I understand that this is just self-hypnosis, but... But, you see, another strange thing happened. My headache, which had been tormenting me almost since I arrived here in Vladivostok, went away, and after the headache, my irritation with you went away. And I remembered how happy I was when fifteen years ago a letter arrived from my sister and I learned that you were born. Forgive me, Tokagawa, and if you don’t mind, I’ll... go to bed. You do not mind?

- No, uncle!

In order not to disturb my uncle, I threw on my coat and went outside. At night it snowed again. Everyone was asleep. After admiring the sunrise, frozen ice in the bay and white snow, I returned home. A strange anxiety did not leave me. I felt like I had to go somewhere, go up somewhere, come down somewhere. I had to do something! Returning to the house, I heard someone crying. The crying came from my little sister Eneko's room. Having knocked on the room and not hearing the usual “Come in!” I waited a few minutes and carefully opened the door. Eneko, my beloved sister, lay supine on the bed and cried. Entering the room, I was confused! I knew that it was strictly forbidden to enter without an invitation, but today I didn’t care much about that. All I knew was that my sister was crying. And I, the elder brother, must help her.

- Eneko, what happened? Why are you crying?

The sister only pressed her head deeper into the pillow and sobbed even more bitterly.

It took quite a long time before I was able to figure out what happened. Our Eneko, for all her outward restraint and equanimity, is a very vulnerable girl. And impressionable! Our family is generally characterized by restraint. But Eneko outdid everyone. You never know what's going on in this girl's soul. And now she is crying bitterly for her friend, who was harassed by the police and who disappeared two weeks ago. The raid was disgusting and had such an effect on Eneko that her little sister could not come to her senses. That was the first time I heard the name Si. And the sad story of a half-breed Korean woman,thrown out into the street by the will of fate. About Si's father, who sat around all day and waited for the girl to bring some food into the house. About Xi’s mother, who was taken away by the Honghuz many years ago. After calming Eneko down and waiting for her to fall asleep, I tiptoed out of her room. While I was in her room, it was completely dawn, and the street was filled with the usual noise. Grandfather came out of the home chapel and looked at me reproachfully. The last time I entered this room was a week ago, when I asked God for help in an exam. Pretending that I was in a hurry, I hurried to the dining room. After breakfast, when grandfather decided to talk a little, I was surprised to learn that grandfather also knew Eneko’s girlfriend and even saw her yesterday, when she was once again escaping from being chased.

Having dressed mechanically, I was just about to go outside, but my uncle called out to me. He stood in the doorway of my room and looked at me. He never put on his glasses. It was unusual to see him without glasses, but it was even more unusual to see the expression of gentleness on his face. Softness and bewilderment. I undressed and returned to the room. Uncle looked at me and was silent. I was silent too. Finally, my uncle asked:

- What happened yesterday? Even at your birthday party I noticed that something was wrong with you, but I decided to ask you later. And then I forgot. So what happened?

- I... Yesterday... No, uncle, I can’t remember this! I'm sorry, but I can't!

- Let me ask leading questions, and you will simply tell me “yes” or “no.” Yesterday you were in a place where you had never been before, right?

- Yes.

- In this place you saw something that scared you very much, right?

- Yes. Yes Yes! Uncle, I don't want to talk about it! I'm afraid!

“Still, you have to talk about it.” Last time!

- Uncle, I brought from there a sheet from the book that you said was a fake. This book... If you make me talk about it, I will run away from home.

- Calm down, Tokagawa. I won't force you. Everything I wanted to know, I already heard from you. Nephew, I haven’t told you everything yet. A few years ago I broke my leg during an excavation. The chiropractor put the bones together incorrectly. And... Not only did I remain lame for the rest of my life, but now the pain torments me continuously and especially when the weather outside is like today. Yesterday before going to bed, I was prepared for pain, I even went to bed early, hoping to sleep through the pain. Usually this doesn't help. But this time... Early in the morning, when I woke you up, I had no time to walk. And not to the expected pain. And now... Now I discovered that my lameness had passed and the threat of pain, naturally, too. Do you understand what this means?

- No.

“This means that something happened during the night that cured my headache, my lameness, my poor eyesight.” What do you say to this?

- No, uncle! I do not know anything! Nothing, nothing, nothing!

“And I think that you know, you’re just afraid to admit it to yourself.” Well, tell me, what did you bring to the house yesterday?

- This... leaf from a book... there was a book there, and I... Uncle, I can’t!

- Fine. Let's not talk about this anymore. Answer me just the last question, this sheet with writing similar to Bohai, where did you find it?

- Uncle, you said it was a fake!

- I was wrong. And I am increasingly inclined to this idea.

- To what idea?

- That I was wrong. And the alphabet with which the entire sheet is covered is truly Bohai. While you were with Eneko, I compared something. And so far I can only say one thing: I was wrong. So where did you find this sheet?

- In the dungeon. Under Millionka. I went there with friends. With the Russians, Pavel and Sergei.

— With Russian friends, it’s good! But the fact that you went there without warning anyone is bad. If something happened to you, we wouldn't even know where to look for you.

- Well, it just so happened...

- As it happened, it happened, but promise me that next time you will take me with you.

- There won't be a next time. I will never go back there again.

- What if I ask you about this?

- No! Uncle, don't force me!

- Good good! Calm down. Let's return to this topic later. Now let's go and greet your mother. I hear her voice.

“Kenryu,” my mother turned to my uncle as soon as we appeared at the door, “what happened to you?” You look ten years younger!

“That’s because he doesn’t have glasses,” said grandfather.

“But I don’t think that’s the point,” my mother laughed, “our Kenryu probably liked one of the girls invited to the birthday party.” Is that so, Kenryu? It's time, it's time, it's high time! Listen, Tokagawa,” my mother turned her wonderful eyes to me, “didn’t you feel any tremors at night?” There was something like an earthquake! I jumped up and wanted to wake everyone up, but the shaking stopped! Well, Tokagawa, why are you silent? Did you feel something or not?

I turned my gaze to my uncle. He looked at me carefully and then shook his head.

“No, mom, I didn’t feel anything,” I answered.

“Today is truly a day of miracles,” my mother laughed, “you, Tokagawa, speak in a normal voice today!” Somewhere yesterday on a walk you lost your voice. When you came yesterday and spoke barely audibly, I thought it would last for a long time, weeksby two! And today everything is fine! Did you notice father? - she turned to her grandfather.

- Yes, Kan-in, I noticed! - Grandfather answered. - Tell me, Kan-in, how are you feeling today? I heard you were coughing all night again! This city is literally killing you!

- No, no, father! You have misunderstood it! I coughed much less today! And as soon as the earthquake started, the coughing stopped completely!

At this time, Eneko entered. She was gloomy and silent. Grandfather and mother tried to talk to her, and when they failed, they took up raising her. I tried to sneak out of the house, but was stopped by my uncle's exclamation.

- Wait, Tokagawa, I'll go with you!

“Uncle,” I even hiccupped in fright, “I won’t go there!” I don't want to go there! I just wanted to get some fresh air.

- Okay, Tokagawa, go for a walk! I just thought that I had never walked with you! But you were born in this city and you can show me the most beautiful places! Judging by Kan-in's stories, there are a huge number of beautiful places here. Well, will you take me with you? Today is my day off.

- Of course, uncle. Where shall we go?

- Maybe you can take me to the area where you were yesterday? For this... thousand!

- A million?

- Yes, to Millionka.

- Uncle, Millionka is a dangerous area. You can be killed in broad daylight just because someone doesn’t like you. For nothing! Especially after the events of the year before last.

- Nephew, then I don’t understand one thing! Where are your parents looking? And why are they letting you go to such a dangerous place?

- Uncle, but I don’t go there alone, but with friends. And then I’m a boy, no one will pay any attention to me, but you’re an adult and you dress... Well, in general, not like they dress on Millionka.

- That is, if I dress in the fashion of this Millionka, you will take me with you?

- Uncle, you don’t want to say...

“Yes, Tokagawa, that’s exactly what I want to say.” This afternoon you and I will take a tour of Millionka.

- But, uncle!

- Nephew, can you do this for me?

- Okay, uncle, can I take my friends with me?

- Yes. I think it will be even better this way. Are these the guys you were talking about? Those Russians?

- Yes, that's them. Pavel and Sergey.

- It's decided. And now, dear nephew, let's go shopping, you can tell me what they are wearing now in Vladivostok. I didn’t know that men’s fashion in Vladivostok was so different from Tokyo.



“Why are you uncle,” the boy laughed, “what a fashion there is!” Felt boots, a sheepskin coat and earflaps, and no one will distinguish you from a local!

“Oh, Tokagawa,” Kenryu sighed, “if only everything were so simple!”

After a walk through the shops, uncle and Toli sat down on a bench and Kenryu said: “I’ll tell you something now, and you listen carefully.” When I finish my story, you will understand why your discovery yesterday excited me so much!

I have been studying the history of Bohai for a long time. I even have a scientific work on this topic, but, as you understand, I don’t know everything. What I will tell you concerns the research for which I came here to Vladivostok. This concerns the history of Bohai.

The territory of Primorye and Manchuria was never empty and was a tasty morsel for invaders. I will begin my story with a story about the Mohe tribe. Mohe are ancient Tungus tribes that lived in the territory of Primorye and Manchuria.

In order not to die at the hands of the invaders, the Mohe united and formed their own centralized state. This state was named Bohai.

Roads were built that connected ports, military fortifications and villages. Cities were built. These cities had everything: temples and palaces, houses for ordinary citizens and even... schools. The Bohais were a cultured and highly educated people. This was noted by everyone, the Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, as well as the governments of all those countries that sent their ambassadors to Bohai. But the unification saved the Bohai people only for a while. Peaceful life lasted only a few centuries. The Middle Ages came, and the fierce, destructive force bearing the name Khitan swept the great state into dust. But the peoples who inhabited the territory of the former state of Bohai did not remain submissive to the invaders for long.

These rebellious tribes received the name Jurchen. Taught by the bitter experience of the past, the Jurchens understood that if you want peace, you must prepare for war. On the eve of, alas, inevitable wars, they began to surround their cities and ports with a network of powerful fortifications. Caravan routes also fell into this circle. This is how the Golden Empire appeared. Or as it was also called, the Golden Jing Empire.

But time passed and now the Mongols invaded the Golden Empire. After long wars, which were fought with varying success, the main part of the Jing state was destroyed. And only the Jurchens - Udige, who thoroughly knew the underground passages and fortifications, continued to stubbornly and desperately resist. And in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Russians reached the shores of the Pacific Ocean. And a new stage began in the history of the Far East. Settlements appeared, cities were built, agriculture, industry, and trade developed. To protect their Far Eastern acquisitions, the Russians began to build fortresses.

The city of Vl appearedadivostok, the city we are in now. Did you notice anything strange in this story?

- No, uncle.

- That's because you heard this story for the first time. It's hard for you to comprehend everything at once. Even in this simplified version, this story is complex for you. But right away, as soon as I took up this topic, I was struck by this people, their will to live, their desire to survive. His perseverance, the price of perseverance and the fruits of perseverance. And the fruits of perseverance, here they are: life. For almost seven centuries, the Bohais, and then the Jurchens, were burned, killed, cut to the ground, and destroyed. Some time passed, and they were reborn again and this continued for a long time, century after century. Now, after you brought this sheet, everything became more or less clear to me. But I need your help!

- But how can I help you, uncle?

- Tell me where you got this sheet from? Don't turn away! Nephew, are you afraid? Look at me! And don't be afraid of anything, I'm with you! And to make it easier for you, try to imagine that everything that happened did not happen to you, but to someone else. And you're just telling a story someone made up. You tell this story to me.

- I'll try, uncle.

- You promised to take me to Millionka. While we're walking, gather your thoughts and tell us.

- Uncle, I already told you that I have two friends, Pavel and Sergei. We have long been planning to go down into the catacombs or, as they also call it, into the dungeon. Both will be true. But something always got in the way, and yesterday everything worked out. I don’t know Millionka well, but I seem to remember this path. The path along which Pavel led us was quite tortuous. We walked through labyrinths of courtyards and passages, past opium dens, banks, brothels, a counterfeit money factory, and a point for buying stolen goods. Once again crawling through the narrow gap leading from one yard to another, I asked the name of the street. Pavel shook his head and then turned to the Chinese. He asked in Chinese, so Manza immediately answered him. Here is his answer. The street we walked along is called; the yard where the owner Van hanged himself from the crooked top of a tree. There is also a yard to the north of the yard where Master Wang hanged himself from the crooked top of a tree. And also the courtyard to the south of the courtyard, where the owner Van hanged himself on the curvature of the top of the tree, and also, the courtyard to the east...

- Everything, everything, everything! Tokagawa, please stop! I understand everything about the yards on Millionka, I would like the same detail about the place where you found the leaf.

- But uncle, I’m telling you about this! Pavel said that if you walk along this underground passage for a long time, you can, without ever getting to the surface, go outside the city and even go to China! Can you imagine, uncle, with this move you can get to China!

“It’s possible, Tokagawa, it’s probably possible.” But you and I don’t need China, what are we going to do there? Let's immediately return to Japan, the homeland of your ancestors. Will the course not take us to Japan?

- Uncle, I understand and appreciate your humor, but what should I do next, tell me or not? I don’t dare continue if you are no longer interested in my story or don’t believe in it!

- Sorry, my boy, I got carried away! Of course, tell me! I won't interrupt anymore!

- Okay, uncle, if you are ready to listen, then I will continue my story! Uncle, what's wrong with you?

- Wait, nephew, didn't you hear that?

- What?

“Didn’t you hear your mother calling us?”

- Yes, I heard. But I thought it seemed. We are already very far from home.

- Yes, it probably seemed like it. Human ears are unable to hear a call at such a distance. Well, here we go again! I clearly heard your father scolding Eneko!

- Yes, uncle, I hear it too! Uncle, are we sick?

- No. Don't think. Well, that’s it, thank God the obsession has passed! I can't hear anything anymore, and you?

- And I don’t hear.

- Well, go on, nephew, tell your story! You stopped at...

- I stopped there... Uncle, I feel bad! I feel dizzy! And the whole body vibrates! Uncle, I want to go home!

- What, what’s wrong with you, Tokagawa?

- I need to go home! The housekeeper decided to start cleaning!

- Tokagawa, what are you talking about?

- Uncle, I see it! She was wiping away the dust and dropped a book with a piece of paper inside on the floor. The book and the piece of paper flew in different directions.

- Tokagawa, why are you shaking all over? Do you have chills?

- No, uncle, I’m already better! The housekeeper wanted to throw the sheet into a garbage bag, tried to bend it - the boy shrugged his shoulders chillily - but when she didn’t succeed, she decided to put it back in the book and put the book back in its place. Ugh! The leaf is safe!

- Tokagawa, how can I understand what you just told me? Maybe we can go back home?

- No. For what? Everything is already in order! We are next to Pavel's house. Another two or three minutes and we will be there.

“Wait, Tokagawa, I want to look at something.” There's something written here. Written in different languages. By the way, it’s also in Japanese. Oh, this is interesting! In half an hour, rat fights will begin here. Bets are accepted. Tokagawa, wait for me, where did you run?

- Uncle, I hate rats! In the place where I found the leaf, there were hordes of rats. Probably a million or sobillion!

- Everything is clear with rats! Are you afraid of roosters too?

- Of course not.

- And cockroaches?

- Uncle, are you joking again?

- No, I'm serious! In this booth, a cockfight will now begin, and nearby there will be cockroach races. What would you like to see?

- Uncle, if you don’t mind, I would like to continue our journey. Here is the gate to the courtyard where Paul lives.

- And this... Paviel...

- Pavel, uncle. His name is Pavel.

- This Pa-ve-l... How easy it is for you to pronounce these tricky Russian names and how difficult it is for me. This Pavel, won't he be surprised that you brought me with you?

- I think no. Well, here we are. Uncle, please move this brick! Otherwise I don't have enough strength. Like this! Pavel is such an inventor! When this brick is turned, small stones fly into the tin pipe. Pavel hears this from his apartment and understands that their own people have come. He came up with this!

- Wow, I like your friend more and more, even though I haven’t seen him yet. Look, the brick is in place. What, move it again?

- No, once was always enough! Maybe he's not at home? Uncle, do you mind if I just shout to him?

- I don't mind. But, poor boy, how far you are from the culture of your ancestors. Would a boy from a decent family allow himself to do this in Japan? Stand and scream under the windows!

“Uncle, he’s probably not at home.” Otherwise he would have already appeared.

- Tokagawa, wouldn’t it be easier to go and knock on the door behind which he lives?

- It never occurred to me. He never invited me to his place. And I don’t go anywhere without an invitation.

“I’m glad that Kan-in at least instilled this in you.” You see, Tokagawa, I... Listen, why did it suddenly become so noisy?

— Uncle, today is the last day of the Chinese New Year. The noise is probably because everyone is having fun. It's the start of the festive procession! Uncle, let's go and have a look!

- What, I didn’t see the holidays?

“Uncle, I’m sure you’ve never seen anything like this!” Well, let's go!

- What about your friend?

- He's probably out there somewhere! He loves the holidays so much! And today is the Yuanxiao Festival, the Lantern Festival! Uncle, look how many lanterns decorate the houses and streets. They are all colorful! And when evening comes and all the lanterns are lit, the whole Millionka will become so beautiful!

- Tokagawa, in the homeland of your ancestors they also celebrate the New Year, and... Nephew, what did you buy from this dirty Chinese?

- Uncle, these are round balls of rice flour. They have different fillings. My filling is sweet. If you want, uncle, I will buy you a rice ball too, and you can tell me what filling it has.

- No, Tokagawa, you don’t need to buy me a rice ball.

— One Chinese man told me last year that the balls symbolize the full moon, as a sign of the unity of all family members and the complete well-being of the family.

— Do you understand Chinese?

- A little bit. But this Chinese spoke Russian. So, he said that in China they celebrate this holiday with their families, admiring the full moon and the colorful spectacle of burning lanterns. This Chinese man was born here in Vladivostok, just like me. It will soon get dark, and crackers and fireworks will fly into the sky.

- My God, what a noise! Why so much music?

- Uncle, today all the Chinese orchestras took to the streets. But I didn't finish. The parents of that Chinese man have already died, but he continues to live according to the laws by which they live in the homeland of his ancestors, and honors customs and holidays.

- It turns out that you are a sociable boy. Well, what else did this Chinese tell you?

- Take a closer look at these lanterns. When it gets dark, riddles and puzzles will appear on them, and we will be able to solve them. And yet, there are Yuanxiao in which there is not a sweet filling, but a prediction of the future. Uncle, do you want to know your future?

- No. I don't believe predictions!

- And I want! Wait, I see a Chinese friend. Wang, will you sell me a fortune rice ball?

- Of course, my lord. I will sell it to you and your companion.

- This is my uncle. He doesn't want a prediction.

“He thinks he doesn’t want it, but in fact he just needs Yuanxiao with the prediction.”

- But my uncle doesn’t repeat it twice. And he doesn't believe in predictions.

- My Lord! I'll sell you two balls for the price of one. Take Yuanxiao, you won't regret it.

- Fine. In the end, the uncle does not need to know that one of the balls is for him. Maybe I decided to buy all two balls for myself.

“Nephew, I also want to know what you’ve been talking about with this Chinese for so long!” And in general, it is indecent when two people talk and the third does not understand what they are talking about.

- Forgive me, uncle. I have already finished my conversation with the Chinese. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to take a look at what's inside the ball.

- Okay, my boy. Now we will rest our tired feet. Judging by the hieroglyphs on this house, we can come here and have a snack. I've been wanting to try Chinese vodka for a long time.

- Oh, no, uncle. Not this!

- Do you have any objections?

- No, uncle, what are you talking about? Who am I to argue with my elders? It’s just that one summer Pavel and I had a chance to see in what terrible conditions the Chinese make beer and vodka. And when we saw the process itself, we felt dizzy and started vomiting.

- Fine, fine
. Convinced. I won't take it. But at least you don’t mind sake?

- Uncle, you are an adult. And you don’t have to consult me in this matter at all. You order yourself what you think is right, and for now I’ll read what the future promises. Uncle, you were right, there is some nonsense written in my Yuanxiao.

“Complete the puzzle!” - it was written in Yuanxiao.
- What puzzle should I do? - the boy got angry. “Or maybe this is not my Yuanxiao, but my uncle’s, and the prediction is intended for him?” Come on, I’ll open the second rice ball. What is written here? Phew, also some kind of nonsense, and even in verse: “The dead man was looking for his thing, but the living one took it. Let the living one return her, and then the dead man will fall asleep. The dead will give his life, and the living his death. This treasure is priceless. Open it and...”

- Tokagawa, show me what I was right about?

“You were right that you shouldn’t have read this nonsense!” It is written here about a dead person who will give his life if in return the living person gives him his death!

- Come on, come on, this is something for me... Nephew, could you lend me these pieces of paper?

- And I wanted to throw them away! Uncle Kenryu, you said that predictions cannot be trusted!

“Tokagawa, what I said still stands!” I just ask you not to throw away these dirty sheets, but give them to me! By the way, how did you read what is written there? Can you read Chinese?

- No, uncle, the prediction is written in four languages: Russian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

- It’s strange, does anyone really have so much time to sit and write predictions in different languages? And, moreover, you need to know all these languages before writing all this!

— Is my master dissatisfied with something? — a Chinese man who sold Yuanxiao materialized next to the table. - Doesn't the master like predictions? Let the gentleman not be offended, I will give two new Yuanxiao with predictions for free.

- Tokagawa, what is this Chinese saying?

— He proposes to replace old predictions with new ones. And he is very afraid that you are dissatisfied with previous predictions!

- Tell him that I am happy with everything. I'm not angry with him, I'm just curious about where he learned to write in four languages.

- Uncle, the Chinese does not understand your question.

- Ask him who wrote these predictions?

“He says he wrote it himself!”

“Then ask him what language are the predictions written in?”

- He says it’s in Chinese!

- Tokagawa, I'm already tired of this old Chinese liar! Here, show him these dirty pieces of paper!

- Uncle, the Chinese says he didn’t write such a thing. There was no such prediction in his Yuanxiao. He says we got something mixed up! He does not write in any language other than Chinese. He can speak Chinese and Russian, understands Korean, but can only write in hieroglyphs!

“You know what, Tokagawa, I’ve lost all mood, and I won’t wait for sake to be brought to me.” Here, give this liar a coin and let's get out of here. It's time for us to find your friend Pavel.

- Yes, there he is! Only he seems to be chasing someone! And this someone... - Tokagawa extended his leg, and the man Pavel was chasing stumbled and fell. - Is this someone... A girl? But you won’t be able to figure it out right away! So dirty, and the clothes are clearly not hers! Four sizes too big!

- Oh, I got it! Thank you, Toli! I've been running after this crap for about ten minutes! I have a burial place in the catacombs, and she wanted to rob me!

- You're lying! — a large and tall girl said in an unexpectedly high and melodious voice, “I didn’t steal anything from you!”

The girl sang the word “stole” in high notes. The sound was so high, clear and piercing that it drowned out the roar of the nearest orchestra. There was a small patch of silence around. Curious passers-by began to gather near the disputants.

“I didn’t steal, you say, but why did I find you next to my burial...” Pavel didn’t finish, seeing how one of the passers-by came almost close to the arguing, “in general, you’re lying!”

- I'm not lying! - the girl sang. — Father Feofan says that lying is a great sin! And I don’t lie, even when I really want to!

“Tokagawa,” the uncle turned to the dumbfounded nephew, “advise the young people to sort things out somewhere in a quieter place, look how the eyes of the onlookers sparkle with curiosity!” Moreover, somewhere nearby there are representatives of the law. The sound of a police whistle cannot be confused with anything. It sounds the same everywhere, whether in Japan or in Russia.

“Paul,” said Tokagawa, who had recovered from his tetanus, “let’s go somewhere where there aren’t so many people and we’ll find out everything!” Yes, meet me, this is my uncle Kenryu! I told you about him!

- I should kill this thief, and not find out! What’s there to find out, she ran away, which means she’s guilty!

“Still, Pavel, let’s go somewhere.”

- Fine. We went to Semenovsky mowing, where there are many secluded corners. We'll talk there!

- What will you do with the girl? Will you tie it to yourself with a rope?

- Hey, you runaway! Will you go on your own or will they really tie you down?

- I’ll go myself!

-Can’t you talk normally? Well, without singing it?!

- I can not! Tell me where are we going?

-Are you also deaf? I said, to Semenovsky mowing!

- I'm not deaf
and I! I just…

- What is simple? Toli, why are you standing there? Go with us! And take your uncle, if he doesn’t mind!

- No, uncle doesn’t mind. We came here to meet you! But you weren't at home.

- And I was just in the dungeon. I wanted to find the place where we were yesterday. I wanted to see for myself, in a calm atmosphere, what scared you so much!

- So what, did you find it?

- No. In such cases they say: “The devil is driving in circles!” It looks like I’m about to leave according to the marks, but no, it’s not the right place.

“Tokagawa,” my uncle entered the conversation, “you haven’t forgotten that I’m also very interested in what you’re talking about!”

“Sorry, uncle,” the boy caught himself, “I’ll translate everything now!” The thing is…

While the boy is translating to his uncle everything that Pavel has said above, let’s listen to what Pavel himself is talking about with the girl.

- If you didn’t steal, then why did you run away?

- I stole, but not from you. So she ran away.

- I don `t understand. If she didn’t steal from me, then why did she run away from me?

- What’s incomprehensible here? I thought you were one of those looking for me!

- Why was she sitting near my burial place?

- I didn’t know about your burial! I just hid in the catacombs and sat there for two weeks. Or so.

— Hungry?

- Yes. I haven't eaten anything for the last three days.

-What do you have in your bosom?

- What I stole.

- What did you steal?

— The dress is from Madame Haruko.

- What for?

—Are you kidding me, or what? I can barely move my tongue, and you ask stupid questions!

- But, but, talk to me again! You're darkening something! If she was hiding, then why didn’t she go deeper into the catacombs? Why was she sitting almost at the very entrance?

- And that’s because!

- Why because?

“Yes, I’ll tell you, and then you, like all boys, will call me a coward!”

- I won’t. Speak.

“I... I was afraid to go deep into the catacombs.” It's so scary there.

- There's nothing wrong there. It's even safer there than up there.

- If you are so brave, why did you hide the burial place almost at the very entrance?

- Yes, because people usually look for what is hidden somewhere in the depths, and it does not occur to them that it is best to hide everything in plain sight.

“Pavel,” Tokagawa intervened in the conversation, “my uncle asks if you saw the book when you pulled me out of the hole?”

“I already told you,” Pavel waved his hand in annoyance, “there were no books there, and also snakes and rats!” There was nothing.

- Don't be angry, Pavel! - Tokagawa said conciliatoryly. “Now it’s not me who’s asking, but my uncle.” I'm just translating!

“I’m not angry at you, but at myself!” I'm such an experienced guide! If only you knew how many people I led through the catacombs, and suddenly I can’t find some hole in the ground. Fresh hole. It should be visible from afar!

- It's clear! — Tokagawa answered, “Uncle suggests going there again.” He says maybe when I'm around, you'll remember something.

- Nonsense. Well, what do you have to do with it? Because you understand... Oops! The girl has fallen! Fainting! Hey you thief! Wake up! What a shame, I don’t even know her name!

- What with her?

- Fainting. Probably from hunger!

“Uncle says he knows a way to bring the girl back to consciousness!” He's an archaeologist. Very often on an expedition...

- Toli, stop being like a nightingale. I believe, I believe! Let him do what he can!

- Uncle said he needed water. Is there water here?

- As many as you like! There used to be swamps here. I will bring it now.

“Tokagawa,” the uncle turned to his nephew, “in fact, I don’t need any water.” I can bring her to her senses this second. I know several points on the body, but... Actually, I wanted to consult with you. Do you trust this boy?

- Weird question. I've been friends with him for three years now, and he never... What happened?

- Nothing happened. Look, your friend is carrying water. Now let’s return the girl to the world of talking, or rather singing. OK it's all over Now. How are you feeling girl?

- I don't understand. Speech is very fast. Boy, what is this Japanese guy asking?

— He asks how you feel?

- That's better. I just really want to eat.

- There will be food for you. By the way, what is your name? It's time for us to get to know each other! My name is Pavel.

- And I’m Anastasia or just Si. That's what all my girlfriends and friends call me.

- Fine. Let there be Si. Now I'll introduce you to these two. This is Tokagawa, we call him Toli. His name is also shortened. And this is his uncle. Tokagawa, this is Anastasia, or simply, as she says, Si.

“And I know you,” Tokagawa smiled, “you are a friend of my sister Eneko.” Just this morning, Eneko was crying, remembering how hard it was for you in life. By the way, she told me about how the police were chasing you. Pavel,” he turned to his friend, “everything she told about the theft and the police was true. Eneko saw everything. And my grandfather even tried to help her.

- Yes, I believe, I believe! My other concern now is what to feed her? I have some food at home. But I'm afraid it simply won't reach my house. She lost a lot of strength when she ran away.

- Pavel, did you hear that?

- What? I hear nothing.

- The policeman's whistle.

“The police again,” Si moaned, “I don’t have the strength to run anymore.”

- What kind of police are you? I hear nothing.

“But I hear, and my uncle hears.” And Xi... now hears too. Uncle, I'm
nyal! Tell me, when you brought her to your senses, did you feel a vibration?

“I wasn’t in the mood for it, but I think I felt it!” Listen, besides the police whistles, I can also clearly hear dogs barking! Isn't it time for us to hide the girl somewhere?

“Pavel,” Toly said, listening to the sounds and stopping after each word, “apparently, the police are on the trail of Anastasia again, we need to hide her.” I don't understand why you can't hear whistles and dogs barking.

-Are you all crazy? Well, okay, now is not the time to understand these problems. Here, somewhere nearby, there should be another entrance to the dungeon.

- Oh no! Not this! I don't want to go there! It's cold and scary there!

- But, Si! We have no other choice. Or do you want to go to the police station?

- No. I agree. Now, I’ll just force myself to get to my feet.

- Si. My uncle will carry you.

- Oh no. Me myself. Right now...

- What are you afraid of? This is your friend Eneko's uncle.

- I'm not afraid. I just... I'm ashamed. I'm so dirty!

- Si, my uncle is an archaeologist. He…

“That’s it,” Pavel intervened, “stop chatting.” Now even I can hear the dogs barking. Follow me. And you, Si, if you want to meet the next morning in freedom, and not in jail, listen to what they tell you and don’t object!

The entrance to the catacombs was quickly found. But the dogs followed the trail even faster. One of the dogs that rushed forward ran up to Si and rushed at the girl. The girl was frightened, her hands flew up to her face. One of the hands touched the dog's muzzle. This was enough for the dog to calm down and whine in a friendly manner, wagging its tail. Kenryu, who had lowered the girl to the ground, picked her up again. The dog whined again, but now out of grief that his new owner was being taken away, but did not dare to follow the people. After standing still for a few seconds, she turned around and trotted towards the people and the pack of search dogs that were already very close.

- What, Fluffy, have you found the criminal? - asked one of the policemen who participated in the search, - if you found her, then where is she? I do not see her! Where is your vaunted dog grip? Where, girl? I'm asking you, stupid dog?

- Why are you bothering the dog? — another policeman entered the conversation. - There is no girl here. Otherwise, Fluffy would definitely have found her. You know that this is the best search dog.

- Oh, bad luck, we won’t see Mr. Haruko’s reward like our ears. And I already reported to the quarterly supervisor that we have the girl.

- Well, why stand still? Let's go, shall we? Let's look in other places. Maybe she returned to her father. Or hiding in grandma's house. Otherwise, let's split up. You look on Millionka, and I and Pushok will go to the Korean settlement. The clerk's son, Philip, said that she had relatives living there.

- Look, how cunning! All Millionka for me, and only Slobodka for him. I don't agree! Let's be honest!

- Fine. Let's do it the other way around. Settlement for you, and Millionka for me.

- You agreed easily. What's the catch here?

- That's it, Gavrila. Stop haggling. I don't care. That on Millionka the devil will break his leg, that in the Korean settlement. Decide quickly, otherwise the dogs are already stagnant.

- Look, you're so cunning! Fast! What if I sell it cheap? I don't like it fast. Then I’ll reproach myself for selling myself too cheap!

- What do you mean, Semenovsky market, or what? He's afraid to sell himself cheap! Go to the market and bargain there!

- Okay, Vasily, don’t make noise! What do I mean, you have been appointed as the head of the capture. It's up to you to ask. Something Fluffy is restless! What, you dog, did we waste the prize? Okay, Vasily, let's split up. I went to the settlement, and you... No, listen, something is clearly wrong with Pushok! He's shaking all over for some reason. The dog wouldn't get sick. You really take Pushka, and I’ll take the rest. Well, am I going?

- Go already, Gavrila, go.

- I don’t like you today Vasily. And I don’t like your Fluff!

- Why do you need me to like me, a woman? Get out of harm's way!

- I’m coming, Vasily. Just don't sell it too cheap!

Meanwhile, the company of one man, two boys and one girl walked further and further. The fugitives' task was simple: get as far as possible from the entrance to the catacombs and find another exit to the surface as quickly as possible. Because Si was already walking with all her strength. Kenryu carried it as long as he could, but there was no way out to the surface, and Kenryu was exhausted. After a short break, Xi said that she was feeling better and would continue on her own. But still, Kenryu and the boys were on alert, because the girl had already fallen several times. Finally Paul said:

“It seems to me that we are going somewhere wrong.” I don't know this way. According to my calculations, we should have reached the surface ten minutes ago. And we all go and go.

- Pavel, wait! -Toly took a deep breath and wrinkled his face, “But this path seems familiar to me.” This is true! I definitely saw this stone in the shape of a bird’s head. And here Sergei fell and scattered matches. You see, some of the matches are still lying near this stone.

- Toli, how observant you are! I would never have thought that! That is, I wanted to say,” the boy stopped speaking, trying to find words more precisely, “how could you even notice anything in the panic that seized you?”

- I
I’m surprised myself. It’s just that, at some point, my vision suddenly became sharper, and I recognized this place.

- Maybe you can take us further? Straight to the place where he fell.

- No. I probably won't be able to. But, by the way... I feel like something is pushing me in the back. Pushes, but doesn’t let you stray from the right path.

- Well, lead us.

“What about Xi,” Kenryu suddenly intervened in the conversation, “maybe we’ll leave this trip for later?”

- No, uncle. I can't stop anymore. I can't turn back. And you, Pavel and Si try to find a way up. Believe me, uncle, it will be better this way. I'm feeling it.

“Feelings are good,” said Pavel, “but we are running out of matches, a little more, and we will be wandering in complete darkness.” And there’s not much left of the candle either. And you propose to split up! Let's all go together. There will be a way out anyway. We got out last time, we’ll get out now! Well, lead us, conductor Tokagawa.

Soon the candle burned out completely, but Toli confidently led everyone forward. When the eyes got used to the darkness, it turned out that additional light was not needed. Finally they stopped near the very place where Tokagawa fell yesterday.

— Should I give you a rope or will you jump there yourself, like last time?

- Do you have a rope? Where?

- How inattentive you are! I told you that I’ve been looking for this hole since the morning. I searched all the catacombs, but could not find it. And you found it the first time!

- And you, Pasha, are you jealous in any way?

- That would be something to envy! We have a saying: “Beginners are lucky!” So you're in luck. However, they say that this happens once in a lifetime!

“Tokagawa,” Xi got scared, “Are you going to go down there?”

- Yes. And no one can stop me.

“No one is going to,” said Pavel, “just tie yourself well with a rope.” So I don't have to go downstairs like yesterday.

- I do not understand anything. Tokagawa, you forgot about me again,” Kenryu inserted himself into the conversation, “judging by his actions, your friend is going to go down this hole.”

- Not him, but me.

- I am categorically against it. You won’t go alone, only with me.

“But uncle, you won’t see anything there in the dark, but I will.” I can still see everything now. The book lies under a layer of earth, but I see it. I also see rats, snakes and something else that I can’t even name. This is an ancient, ancient evil. But I'm not afraid of him. I am not afraid of anything. The book is calling me. And she will save my life and my mind.

- Toli, why are you taking so long to explain to your uncle? Don't forget, Anastasia and I don't understand Japanese.

“I understand,” corrected Pavel Si, “I just speak poorly.” I’m embarrassed because I can’t speak like other people.

- And I like the way you talk! - said Tokagawa. “I have never heard such a beautiful voice.” Can you really sing?

- Yes. That's why I stole the dress.

— Will you sing for me when I return with the book?

- No. I…

- That's it, leave the girl alone! Can't you see that she's all red from embarrassment? If you're going down, then go. Or let me go. I will be more experienced than you.

- No. I was the first to touch the book. She now considers me her master.

- OK Go! I'm tired of you and your book!

- Rope! You promised me a rope!

- I promised, so I will. Aren't you afraid to go down? You said there were snakes and rats there.

- No. Not afraid. Give me the rope.

- Let me tie you up! It's a pity that the candle burned out.

- I’ll tell you everything later! Well, I'm off! Uncle, help Pavel, I'm afraid he won't hold me back.

- Okay, nephew. Together we will definitely hold this end of the rope. But remember, if you feel bad there, pull the rope, and we will immediately lift you up...

The descent didn't take long. The hole in the ground was shallow. A minute or two, and Toly felt the ground beneath him.

“Paul, uncle,” he shouted, “I’m there.” There are no rats. The snake too, in my opinion.

- What is there? - asked Si.

- Let's see.

But quite a long time passed before Toly found something. However, this was not a book. It was a glove. At first, Tokagawa thought that he or Pavel had dropped this glove last time, but upon examining it more closely, he realized that he was mistaken. The glove was sewn onto the hand of a giant, or a very large man, and was woven from thin metal threads. Shaking off the adhering lumps of dirt, Toli wiped off his glove with his sleeve. It sparkled like gold and began to shimmer. Waves of ripples went across the glove. The ripples became stronger and stronger until the boy, almost without realizing what he was doing, stuck his hand into the mouth of the glove. The glove immediately shrank, became smaller and fit exactly the boy’s hand. And as soon as this happened, light came out from all five fingers of the glove. Yes, so strong that it illuminated everything around. After complete darkness, the boy thought he had gone blind. Carefully opening his watery eyes, he tried to concentrate on finding the book. And then I saw her. She was lying near his left leg. A little more and the boy would have stepped on it. Letting out a joyful cry, the boy quickly bent down and tried to pick up the book, but immediately recoiled. However, the severed hand, captured by the chain, turned out to be more agile than Tokagawa. She grabbed the boy's wristika. Tolya screamed wildly out of fear.