Named Sherlock

by Bagatur Zhamkochyan

  One of the rat starts to move - slowly, almost imperceptibly flows slightly forward. But I do not cheat, I realize that even half a meter, and it will jump, and if I'm lucky again - the big question.

  At this time, I aim, shoot vile creature in the head. It was at this moment it's a bit changes its position, and instead of a head, I get in the shoulder. Hysterically screamed rat jumps on the spot unfolds! Instantly snatched out of his pocket a new arrow in the fraction of a second re-vzvozhu spring and catch a rat already jumping. Shot! I hit. Once again short yelp, rat falls to the floor, but she's still alive - squealing, squirming, trying to reach my teeth.

  Strong kick sending it into flight, and ... and do not have time to intercept the second thing, which is under the guise of crept up to me on the jump distance and is already flying, aiming snarling mouth right in the face. The only thing I could do was to put forward his left elbow, which she furiously bites. Taking on his chest rather big carcass, I stumble, fall back. Heart-rending cry, blinded by acute pain. Trying to shake off the rat, beat her over the head with crossbow discharged, she answered only more compresses the jaw. Barely coping with pain, putting his right hand crossbow in his pocket, the touch charge it, vzvozhu spring protest creaking teeth, shoot in the rat emphasis in the head.

  Crossbow bolt pierces the skull through. On the sleeve of the jacket, already drenched, pouring out a thick stream of blood mixed with rat brain gruel.

  "Experience 10".

  I suddenly feel a sharp weakness in the legs. I fall to my knees, and I long uncontrollably tears slowly flowing directly into the hall sewage river.

  All. A few minutes later, I sat motionless, stunned and disoriented. adrenaline wave subsided, and I was beginning to beat a strong tremor. If now there is even one enemy, be here and come to my end - a wet, bloody, with knocking horror teeth with dead rats, and hanging on his hand, I could not protect even against aggressive mouse, simply do not have the strength .

  He brought me to my senses are still coming from the darkness, a faint hissing and scraping before aspiring creature that is already well crawled by the army. It necessarily had to finish. The left arm was numb, the rat that I was bitten, fortunately relaxed jaw after death, and I was able to easily and unnecessary pain to unhook her from suffering limb. Rolled up his sleeve, I tried to see the damage, but did not succeed. It was clear that the forearm swell strongly, and in the coming hours, most likely, will hurt more and more, but the blood was flowing like not much.

  Out of the corner of his eye that the interface still in the combat mode, shows a slight decrease in the length of my health bars. No numerical or percentage value was not, but it seemed to me, it was shortened by about one tenth. On second thought I flashed - I wonder what should happen to me, that the strip has decreased, say, half? I have to keep up or pull to release the gut?

  Staggering, I got up with difficulty. Slowly, holding in his right hand a loaded crossbow, I went to the side, from which came the squeak and rustle. Rat punched by two bolts, one of which came in her throat and apparently injured his spine, leaving a wide bloody band persistently tried to crawl away from me.

  I came close to it, took aim. As if in anticipation of imminent death, creature frozen in an angry snarl, watching me with tiny glittering eyes. Practicality tells me not to waste the bolt and finish rat, just stepping on her head, but I imagine it again felt nausea. No more thinking for a second, I shot almost point-blank, rat twitched, and finally died.

  "Experience 10".

  Well yes your mother! Only a few minutes, doing enormous efforts, I was able to stop the attack of hysterical laughter, which served as adrenaline discharge. If someone in this moment could see me from the outside, it would be greatly marveled at the man who sat on the stone floor next to the rat corpse, sincerely and joyfully laughs, occasionally shaking his head and exclaiming: "Rats Well who would have thought, rats!"

  In fact, my reaction, in addition to the banal shock was due to the knowledge of the fact that the destruction of rats - was the first task novice hero in a very large number of games in the past, and almost became a kind of playful punch. In this world, it is a rat became my first opponent, that reminded me of the traditional gaming quests and rat caused this insane reaction.

  Otsmeyavshis, I calmed down. It was necessary to take stock of the fight and count losses. The amount of experience in the 30 units in total for the three rats, I decided to be disregarded, since the award was too insignificant.

  In this short fight I spent 5 bolts and lost, in fact, left hand, which flashed severe pain at the slightest attempt to stretch the muscles. Recharging crossbow I now have one right in your pocket, then cocking spring teeth. It was possible, though much slower than if I did it with two hands, and teeth, it seemed to me, too, the process was not to their liking.

  It would not have been disgusted to do it, but throw the ammunition in my situation would have been very lightly. So I got up and went to inspect the rat corpses, hoping to get their arrows.

  From the first rat at once is not set. It turns out that out of fear, not aiming, I got it exactly razzyavlennuyu mouth, where the bolt and disappeared safely into the depths of the skull, leaving the outside centimeter tail, half-hidden sunken language. Grab him there was no way. Spitting, I moved on to the next corpse.

  There was no chance initially. It was the same, bite me a rat. The arrow went right through him, and judging by the direction of the shot, got into the river slowly crawling. Dive for it in the shit? No really, thank you.

  But the third thing - pleased. Arrow stuck in his shoulder and throat, I pulled out without much trouble, but the one that stuck in his skull, had a little tense. But I coped with it, just stepping foot on a rat's head and jerked harder. Fastidiously wiping extraction hollow jacket, I posted it in his pocket, to the others.

  We had to move. Once again, looking back on the battlefield, I slowly went down the tunnel. Crossbow, this time, he decided to never let go of the hand for a minute.

  Twenty minutes, although possibly more, to me it was difficult to navigate, I walked straight on until finally he ran into another round zalchik pool. Having decided this time not to change his choice, I again went to the right corridor. To my sincere joy, the floor began to slowly but surely go up, I felt that I was going up the hill, and the liquid level has become significantly lower. Relieved that the output is close, I involuntarily quickened his pace. And so briskly, constantly waiting "light at the end of the tunnel", I marched for another hour, and then the tunnel turned sharply to the right at an angle of 90 degrees.

  Stopping to catch my breath, I drew attention to the fact that the corridor through which I was not just turned, and in turn place, actually joined the other tunnel, which looked much older.

  The ceiling is not arched and flat, masonry is not out of the ordinary brick and cut stone, narrow niches in the walls, located at regular intervals - this is not like a sewer tunnel, from which I come, more like some ancient dungeon . Maybe here and there a treasure?

  For a while I was walking along one of the walls, looking into niches along the way, trying to search out the strange-looking stones, behind which may be hiding a cache or something like that. Not that I believe in such a possibility, but it was necessary to somehow entertain yourself, just go be bored.

  One of the niches suddenly seemed more profound than others. The feeling was on the verge of perception, I think, if I had not looked so closely, nothing would have noticed. Stretching out his hand, I was convinced that he was right - there really was deep. It was not at all niche and narrow passage, disguised as her.

  If later, someone asked to tell about the reasons that led me to a broken hand, almost total darkness to climb in some unknown narrow hole - I had nothing to say. They simply did not have. It was a wild curiosity, fear, and somewhere deep, reminding about the treasures and ancient treasures, flashed greed.

  Several times a deep breath as before jumping into the water, I, thrusting the right shoulder and arm wi
th a crossbow, squeezed inside. Well, not that there was too narrow, and I could go straight without turning, barely touching the walls of the shoulders, but an adult - have climbed only sideways.

  The bad thing was that this narrow passage was already quite dark. Fluorescent mold, which gave at least some crumbs of light in a large tunnel - there is totally absent. Fortunately, after a few meters narrow manhole suddenly broke up almost a meter of width, and at the same time, at the end of it I saw a way out in some room, weakly but clearly artificial lighting.

  Try to walk as quietly as possible, I tried to sneak up close to the entrance. Although I had a vague feeling that it is necessary to run away, as soon as possible. But curiosity until overrode fear. However, step by step, feeling uncertain, but the danger of death, becoming stronger. For a moment, flashed a picture in my head of what he had seen as a child of an old film - the main character goes on an empty abandoned house, sounds disturbing music. With each step it louder, darker, more and more the atmosphere glows, until there is something terrible.

  I used to be covered the same feeling! Imaginary music was a crescendo, and I could almost see in the dark to me stretch terrible claws. Intuition does not just suggest she screamed in panic - run! Spitting on stealth, I jumped up and dashed back into the narrow hallway, trying to flee as quickly as possible, occasionally hissing in pain, touching the walls of the wounded arm.

  Already popping up in the large tunnel, I realized that panic is not in vain. Someone big enough to slip a manhole as easily as I, panting, began to squeeze through.

  In a large hall, I turned and ran with all his forces to the side, which has not yet been. I do not have any illusions. A grown man, after all, be sure to catch up with a twelve-year boy, so the hope was only that I have time to run back far enough. And while the pursuer sneaks through a narrow hole for him, I could hide and wait out.

  As luck would have it, a tunnel all pulled and pulled straight without branching and anywhere without displacing. I've heard steps behind her, it seemed to me, they were approaching. Fear gave me a little more power and a short time I was able to slightly accelerate. Steps pursuer sounded quieter. I pulled away, but not for long.

  Finally - turn. Having flown into it, I saw with horror the grille with a large padlock that blocks the way. What the ...?! Oh, would I now have my key! Quickly glancing around, I picked up a large piece of stone, from which the walls of the tunnel were stacked, I started hitting the castle, trying to knock it down. Strike one hand was too weak, I had to connect the second hand, trying not to scream from the sensations that accompany each attempt.

  Steps closer! I hit - more, more! Stronger! Even more! The entire left half of the body already feels like one big site burning, throbbing unbearable pain that eats me alive. For the rumbling sound of the heart I did not hear the steps, but I feel that a couple of seconds, and falls on his shoulder a hand, and then everything will be very, very bad ...

  Suddenly, with a loud clang Castle falls to the floor, I open the door and start running again, driven by horror! Step two, three, four steps into the darkness! At the fifth - floor disappears beneath your feet, and I roll, roll down somewhere, tumbling over the ruts, screaming when the chance to pile on the patient's hand, gradually chalet of mad joy! The darkness around - this is not the darkness of the tunnel, in melteshaschih around me the pictures I have time to notice the starry sky, feel the cold autumn wind!

  I am free! I jumped out, and now rolled down the steep slope, unable to stop. Suddenly, the ground beneath me over, and for a moment felt the feeling of flying, I fell into the icy water! Instantly plunged headlong, surprise swallowed the vile taste of the water. Emerging, while not oriented in space, allowing the river just to drag me forward.

  The current was pretty fast and after a few minutes I drifted quite a distance from the place where I popped to the surface. Honestly, for the guarantee, I'd love to increase this distance even for a couple of kilometers, intuition told me that I had just escaped mortal danger.

  But I felt that the longer I am in the icy water, the faster melting my strength, and soon they will not. Therefore, in a few bold strokes I approached the shore, and clutched his hand in long lashes bare willow branches hanging over the water, sinking in a thick layer of mud, got out on the land.

  Selecting the most dense willow thickets, somehow grabbed with one hand miserable pile of fallen leaves in the very center of them, I got into it and dreaming about warmth, waited for the dawn. A few minutes later, from fatigue no longer feeling any pain nor cold, I, or asleep, or unconscious, or dead.

  Interlude 5.

  Home president's office "VirtArt".

  Leo K., leaning back in his easy chair made of leather, rubbed his tired eyes. Here 3 hours without a break, he gave detailed accounts of the profit and loss account for the different departments, the forecasts of the analytical center, the reports and the conclusions of observers.

  Everything was exactly as it should be, all the figures correspond to the calculations. Competition also took place as expected. For five days, each of the contestants there was some kind of a small private stable audience, but most of the audience is still chaotic migrated.

  And again, for the umpteenth time, Leo K. thought about Proteus. No, he did not share Igor paranoia that Proteus and his boy conceived some cunning scam. Man almost certainly played blindly, but against ... Crafty This clearly plays on his own side, but it is too limited to do something really dangerous. Reflections men interrupted a quiet knock on the door:

  - Dear?

  - Yes, Lisa, come on ...

  Leo K. threw the plate with the report and smiled a member of his wife's office. Elizaveta Andreevna Sušica was a bright, beautiful, well-groomed brunette forty-two years. But, in addition to appearance, Elizabeth Andreyevna could boast of remarkable intelligence and business acumen. It was she who advised her husband to listen to the idea of Proteus and give a chance to the project, despite the Board of Directors who voted against.

  - Lev, I went to a charity reception to Warhol. I will try to get out of there as soon as it is possible and proper. - Mrs. Sušica not like to visit such techniques, saying that she was suffocating in this cesspool of pathos and hypocrisy, but the position of the binding.

  - Lisa, - said thoughtfully Sušica, - tell me, you're watched our competition?

  - Of course! I carefully look at this unfortunate boy protégé Proteus, right, I'm so sorry for him ...

  - That's it. Its a pity - man frowned. - I can not understand why Proteus asked him such harsh conditions? His world is very different from the others, it is much harder, more plausible. Overall, this tactic works, it attracts viewers. Of course, this is only the beginning and much more needs to change, but now he is among the top ten on the display.

  - Is not it, in the end, it was necessary?

  - Yes, of course ... But there is one thing that is not immediately visible to spectators, and as a result, in any way should not affect the attractiveness of the project in their eyes. It works only with the boy for him. In fact, apart from some aspects, the laws of development of the standard role-playing games do not work in his world. They are there, but it seems to me more and more that this is nothing more than decoration.

  - What do you mean, dear?

  - The fact that the change in the parameter values and characteristics of the character, it's just some kind of conditional numbers that absolutely nothing on impact, as a kind of limiting factor. Oh, sorry, that, in terms of the competition, we can not know the specific mechanics and numbers ... Oh well - Leo K. thoughtfully continued, - time will tell.

  Chapter 13.

  I'm not dead. Although a second thought was that perhaps, in vain. Chills to the bone, and knock his teeth against the cold, I started even in a dream. From this terrible feeling and woke up. The hand is not hurt so much, that's just turned blue and swelled up so much that no longer move his fingers. With difficulty moving frozen feet, I climbed out of a pile of leaves.

&nbs
p; It feels like it was very early in the morning. Gray, overcast dense overcast, drizzly sky sparse rain made it impossible to navigate accurately. River with lead-colored water, miserable willow bushes along the banks - the landscape was so dreary and dull, that will ruin the already bad mood.

  Jump, poprisedav and after a few meters along the beach, I warmed up a little, and even a little warmed up. At least, trembling subsided and turned into a weak twitching and slight discomfort somewhere in the region of the stomach. Patted his jacket pocket and checked the bag, miraculously not lost, I thanked the local mechanic, for which items simply could not fall out of my pockets. Could get them, but they, fortunately, are not lost.

  Looking around the slope on which I tumbled yesterday, I marveled that the wounded arm not add a couple more fractures. Honestly, I'm not even sure I can now for him to climb. Perhaps, in that particular place, exactly where I was falling, the slope was more gentle, but even so - I do not care very lucky.

  The map showed that I'm practically on the border of the city and in theory, rising just above the steep bank, I had to see it. The choice was not sure how to pull and meaning with this, so I'm swearing every second sliding on the wet ground underfoot and one hand on the tufts of dry grass last year, began his ascent.

  By some miracle, climbing up the slope, I really saw a dark mass in front of the city. I was to the south, and to get to Hackney, I had to cross the 3 major area. Pleased that now, when I had some money, I could easily hire a cab. Although ... Perhaps not. It is not necessary to tempt the driver a child who will pay the price of gold. I'm convinced that the constant need does not make people stronger moral principles. In any case, there is always an omnibus him I had enough and copper.

  There remained the question of clothing. Pants and shoes were quite decent kind, at least not worse than the majority of street kids in the city, but the jacket ... Self-cleaning apparently works only with whole things, so it remained muddy, soaked, now dried, and my rat blood. Yes, and with tattered rags left sleeve. The problem was that I could not even lift it to, turning more or less clean side out, just to cover his wounded arm. The sleeve had to be cut and the knife I had not.