Unconquered Sun

by Philipp Bogachev

  I then did not understand anything from this yet, but always tested before it, on the one hand, the feeling of some fear what then children will feel before fathers, and, on the other hand, invincibly pulled me to it. Why? I do not know. But in his thoughtfulness, in its strange figures on sand there was something mysterious. It seemed to me it is attractive, invincibly attractive. Therefore I watched it, but was afraid to approach and talk.

  And here - he goes to me! Goes, and looks thoughtfully somewhere afar. In a snow-white tunic, a snow-white short raincoat, in a silver diadem on the head with some strange stone in the center. On a breast - a silver kulonchik in the form of a unicorn. It goes and something speaks in beard, something mysterious and mysterious. He does not notice me at all and, perhaps, and would pass by me if not my lodges from sand. He about them stumbled, fell and crushed them all to one! But right there jumped, quickly shook off and only after that, having as if woken up from a dream, saw deeds, was confused and … reddened.

  And at this moment the Creator addressed it, already aloud - probably, He wanted that I heard what He will tell it.

  - Azail! Azail!

  - Yes, the Creator, - at all without being surprised to the Voice Azail answered, he communicated every day with the Creator, unlike us, and put hands on a breast with awe.

  - Whether you see, Azail, this fragile vessel, Stella?

  - Yes, my Creator.

  - Moy's will that you took it to yourself in the wife and would love it as yourself.

  Azail, I remember, with astonishment raised the eyebrows, from it having become even finer, - and told:

  - But, the Creator, it is only five years! It is absolutely a crumb!

  The creator answered nothing his objection. He just some inexplicably took it and I wash hands and connected them together, and then by such marvelous, such loving, tender voice, told:

  - Remember, my children, love each other as! Care about each other, do not quarrel! Azail, concede to the wife, do not evade from her, be not extolled over her! Stella, care for the husband, obey him in everything, help him with everything! Be in all the affairs a whole, uniform flesh, - and repeated these words THREE times, same, and then addressed already one Azail. - Train it in everything that you know itself from Me, and you will begin to live together - when it reaches eighteen years. Your children yes will be blessed!

  And then disappeared - also suddenly and promptly as well as appeared.

  Yes, his words, strange were strange … Then I did not understand them and now - I will not understand. Why he forced us to marry at children's age? Why us? And why we became the first and only couple whose hands It connected?

  But the Creator - is always unclear for mortal, and his ways always were - not our ways …

  I then did not understand anything, but remembered all, and I remember in details still. Though is not present … I after all understood something. Yes, I understood then that now we with Azail a single whole. I felt it all the children's soul, all heart, I understood, as it for me, and I for it there were something another, big, than other associates.

  I, remember, very much was delighted to it, I dreamed to be on friendly terms with it, and then even began to be proud - I noticed that even Natael, the second for a seniority and wisdom, began to treat me somehow very respectfully, not to mention others. And when one of boys took in head to play a trick over me - pulled me an ear - Azail so looked at it that that reddened as cancer, and then not only more so did not do, and even gave way to me behind a dining table.

  Yes, Azail seriously treated what to him was charged by the Creator. From the first day it took me under special guardianship. He moved me in the flower (all of us then lived in big flowers, girls in pink, boys - in blue). He cared for me as about the child. Fed me. To wash my clothes, invented a special spell. So amused me when by one his word my dresses smeared in a pink sand flew on the lake to bathe and washed there - pink water of the lake washed away any dirt without any soap. And still he invented especially for me the spell forcing basts to wash independently me in the pink lake, and magic hands braided braids when my volosik grew.

  But he taught me, without trusting this task to anybody and anything, and besides separately from others. He especially for me wrote the alphabet, invented letters which were not earlier and when I mastered the diploma, he began to teach me to the first spells which he wrote down by means of the invented letters. What it was wonderful time! I opened every day something new, the world changed directly on my eyes!

  Here we sit with it in a tenka under a big pink fleshy leaf of its and my "sleeping" flower. Azail as always is serious, concentrated, attentive. It draws something a stick on pink sand - spell formulas. And I - me already seven - look at it and I admire it. What it clear head! What it is important!

  - Stella! Concentrate! Do not distract either me, or yourself! - having noticed my delighted look, he strictly told, having slightly reddened. - To be necessary for you for this spell the maximum concentration. We will pass with you creation of illusions.

  - And what is "illusion"? - I ask it puzzly.

  - Well-at-at-at … - Azail hesitated. - It is what is not present, but it, nevertheless, seems to us.

  - And - and - and-and, - I told, picking at the same time a nose. - When the baby Arielle writes off it from a notebook at Natael, and then shows you?

  Azail reddened and was confused.

  - Stop being picked a nose, Stella! And in general, to spy on others and on them to report - it is bad, understand?

  I quickly began to nod the head, and about myself thought: "here so clever Azail, and puts the five at a lesson at School to this little fool Arielle who everything, well is simple everything, writes off at Natael! And this - the burdock - allows it to write off! What these boys after all little fools! As it is easy to fool them!" is an opening, I remember, struck me up to the soul depth.

  - So, everything, concentrate, Stella. The most difficult in creation of illusions is a representation. It is necessary to strain imagination and to try to imagine that subject from which you will create illusion, in the smallest details. And when you will present - to transfer mentally …

  But Azail did not manage to finish speaking as before his surprised look two figures - the exact copy of Azail suddenly grew and me - only Azail lies on the naked earth, and his head - on, as always scratched and smeared in sand, my knees, and I iron it on the head, so gently and so touchingly!

  - Ch-what is it? - he asked then, having with astonishment stared.

  - Illusion! - I speak to it, very honestly blinking eyes.

  - But I did not tell you still a spell and in general - did not finish speaking!

  - You did not finish speaking, and I already made! Here! - I told with pride.

  - But how? - Azail, I remember, was upset then outright, sat down on the earth, clasped the head with hands, without paying attention to mine with such work and love the made illusion! He was pale as swept and muttered something like that:

  - I am an utterly worthless teacher, the utterly worthless wizard, even the child surpassed me! Pathetic I am mediocrity! And I guessed this formula week!

  I felt sorry for him. I sat down near it on the earth and began to iron it on the head, exactly as in my illusion. And then told:

  - Well, all right, Ozzie (I so called him then), be not upset! You are a clear head! Just it was boring for me when you fell asleep in a flower last night, and to me it was not fallen down, here I also wrote off this lesson from your notebook and trained at half of the night, that's all! You at me the clear head, you are the best of all!!!

  Azail suddenly attentively looked at me with the such beautiful and clever gray eyes, and then seriously told:

  - You very much, are very talented, my dear schoolgirl. You are more capable than all little girls of Community combined, - and it was so pleasant to me to hear from it these words, so pleasantly, from it! And then he looked at my illusions and asked:

  - And why you made such illusions? But
not some birdies, monkeys, butterflies … And what for strange a situation - why I lie, and you iron me on the head?

  - And you as if got sick, and I as if feel sorry for you that it was not so painful to you …

  Azail grinned and shook the head.

  - Well and imaginations at you, Stella! Even if I will also get sick, I will easily cure myself so your help hardly when is useful to me.

  And then suddenly it became so offensive for me for these his words! I invented this illusion of half of the night, lying in the closed flower bud near the sleeping Azail! I looked at it, at sleeping - such helpless in a dream, ironed it on the head and thought of how it would be good to regret to me it when it is same helpless, same weak really, in reality, but not in a dream! And I told it then:

  - And here I will grow up big-big as you, I will learn spells many very and I will conjure on you such sore that you and be removed a spell itself could not - will quietly lie in a floret, and I will be for you ukha-a-a-azhivat, there will be zhale-e-e-et, will be you gla - and - and - and - adit …

  But he did not allow to finish speaking to me. He suddenly exploded such loud laughter that I could tell nothing any more, and then seized me and pressed to the breast:

  - My dear Stellochka! Well and imaginations at you! And you love me, love! - And then seized me by hands and let's play with me in "roundabout" (to untwist around itself), and both of us laughed, laughed, laughed …

  And still Azail for the night showed me fairy tales. He mentally said spells, and then on the petals of a flower closed for the night various moving images appeared.

  Here the little little mouse runs - full-scale, greyish such, with long thin short moustaches and a tail, peeps - reaches a hillock and begins to dig a mink.

  Azail tells:

  - Once upon a time there was a little mouse, he was called …

  - Ushastik! - I cried.

  - More quietly, more quietly, Stella, already all sleep. Do not play about! And so, once upon a time there was a little mouse, he was called Ushastik. Once it began to dig to itself(himself) a mink in this hillock, - Azail pointed a finger at the moving picture - and …

  But suddenly the Kitten - fluffy, greyish, a tail - a pipe, green brilliant eyes and ears on the top - exactly as real approached Ushastik who Azail's efforts dug already quite big mink!

  - Hey, and from where here Kitten? - Azail asked. - I have generally other fairy tale!

  - And I want (as I will cry!), that there was also a Kitten! I thought up it and conjured. I want that the Kitten cared for Ushastika! Here!

  And really, the image of the Kitten suddenly approached Ushastik digging a mink and told:

  - Mr-r-r-myau! Ushastik! You are such pretty! Give, I will care for you? Why to you a mink, give I you I will better embrace and to you will where sleep in heat without any mink! - And the Kitten suddenly seized Ushastik with a pad, brought it to the greyish muzzle and licked it a pink rough uvula brush. Ushastik laughed from a tickling enough, and then curled up on the earth as it is done by all cats, and Ushastika embraced pads so that that literally rolled in his soft greyish warm hair, as in some fluffy blanket.

  - Hey, Stella, you do not play pranks so, and?! - Azail was indignant. - Ushastik has to dig a mink, and have to help him with it - Bundi's burunduchok, a little squirrel Bella, a gopher Sam, and then they will live together in this burrow a close-knit family. At me absolutely other fairy tale!

  - And I do not want such fairy tale! I want that the Kitten cared for Usha-a-a-astike. Here!

  - Well you will do with you, Stella! - having heatedly thrown up the hands, Azail from the bed in the center of a flower jumped, and began to go to and fro as a pendulum. - You understand nothing! The plan was that Ushastik worked hard, and then other animals began to help it and they together built the general house, and in the course of work they made friends and became it from it cheerfully and to live joyfully in this world. And at you that for sense?

  - And at me - that the Kitten cares for Usha-a-a-astike and lyu-yu-yu-yubit it!

  - Stella! But if to leave everything so, Ushastik will never learn to work! It will be eternally heated in embraces of the Kitten!

  - Well-at-at-at and pu-at-at-ust! And the Kitten will love Ushastik and to care for it!

  There is Azail, remember, there were as a column in the middle of a flower, hands in sides, and I jumped from the bed and too, having imitated it, accepted the same pose. And we stand, we look at each other stubborn and we are silent. And then he, at last, did not sustain and waved a hand:

  - Everything, Stella! Tell yourself fairy tales! Let you will have them such with what you want, and I go to bed! - With these words he laid down on the place, having turned to me a back. Illusion on flower petals gradually went out and to me it became awfully boring and sad. I laid down too and began to iron it on golden hair.

  - Stella! You to me prevent to sleep!

  - Ozzie! You unless do not remember what was told by the Creator? He told me - zabo - about - about - otitsya about you! Here I and zabo - about - about - about - ochus …

  And Azail ka-a-a-ak will jump up! As will stare on me and even began to stammer for nervousness!

  - You … you … you … that … we-we-we-shonka … m-m-m-menya perhaps? And to-to-to-shka - t-t-you perhaps?

  And I as will burst out laughing! Guessed after all! Ooh, what clear head!

  And he watches how I laugh, and suddenly itself laughed, and then - ka-a-a-a-ak let's me tickle! And I - it! And then we grabbed pillows and let's play pillow fight! Well of course it overcame me, but its pillow burst, and both of us appeared in pink down - from legs to the head - and as sneezed repeatedly and is so loud that roused all others on our meadow! It was necessary to go to bed. I very strong embraced my favourite Ozzie, and he - me, and we became as a single whole, as two halves of an apple, together again … And I, filling up, asked the Creator about that sometime Azail very strongly got sick (but only not to death!), and I would care for it, treated him, heated it as the Kitten - Ushastika, and from this thought to me it was so good!

  3.

  So there were years, one by one - it is absolutely imperceptible. Here I already suit the eighteenth year. I am already slender girl, the real fairy - with the long fair hair braided in two braids in pink to a tunic to knees. I already am able to create very many spells. And Azail - absolutely already adult. And somehow strange looks at me …

  We do not sleep in one bud for a long time - he moved me in the separate flower which is specially grown up by it for me. Also does not feed me more. And I am engaged in washing and a sink. I wanted to look after also Azail, but he was against, and I did not dare to contradict him. And he, of course, does not tell the fairy tale to me.

  And then I came to it to a flower itself both created a spell of invisibility and began to wait when Azail comes. It returned almost at midnight, literally one couple of minutes prior to closing of a bud. Probably, again departed with other young men on some, "man's" affairs. It always now such busy! And all the time potters only with boys! I hardly waited for it then, slightly itself did not fall asleep. And he, tired, was filled up to sleep directly in clothes - without sheet, without pillow, without blanket. Oh, these men are dirty creatures! So and to pour over it water, perhaps!

  And what? It is idea!

  Some more moments - and already I conjured a pink cloudlet directly under the bud arch which spilled a pink fragrant shower directly on the sleeping Azail! Here to laughter was when it swelled up, as scalded, all wet, but smelling of aroma of forest flowers - though does not stink from it now then for mile!

  - Stella! Again you play pranks! Who to you allowed to prolazit in my flower?! I told you to sleep in the flower, unless is unclear? Understand, you are already adult! We cannot sleep already together!

  - And you who allowed to forget about my birthday, and, by the way, the Creator precept too! - I became visible again and put out the tongue at it.

  Azail gasped and clutched at the head, havi
ng blushed to the roots of hair.

  - Oh, forgive me my Stellochka, for the sake of the Creator! I FORGOT! Just we with brothers finished cultivation of the first live building for our Community and the first avenue today …

  But I did not allow it to finish speaking.

  - It not a justification, Ozzie! - strictly I told and accepted "a fighting pose" - having angrily rested handles against sides. - I was congratulated today by all sisters, ALL! I prepared entertainments, dances - and - NONE of boys were outlined! How it is called, a-a-a? You stick out on this hill the second month, and even about my birthday - forgot! And it had to be OURS with you day! - It became terribly offensive for me for itself, I wanted even to begin to cry, but … For some reason seemed to me silly to show such weakness before it, especially before it!

  Azail outright was upset. He just did not know where to put eyes, and I exulted - for the first time for so many years I felt its confusion, its weakness, its need in me - in this case, in my forgiveness - his fault was really heavy!

  And I was not slow to use it!

  - All right, the hero … - I waved a hand. - Well becomes angry about you? It is already time to sleep, late absolutely. Give, remove the tunic - not only that it all wet, it also dirty … Well you and pig!

  And then I made a bed fresh linen (it the, apparently, did not change already few months! Well as he without me lived all these years here?), wrapped up it in a pink blanket and … itself whisked there!