But what could it mean this photo? What this timer? What will happen after, now, forty-two hours? Perhaps this is a hint that something needs to happen in the real world, so the picture and my real parents, not their virtual copies. And the timer ...
Suppose he counts the time until kakogoto event that somehow connected with my parents. We also assume that I can affect this event here, in the game world, or else why would I even know about it? Perhaps this is precisely the time that is allotted to me to perform a global quest, and if I have time, something will happen in the real world, or vice versa, will not happen ... Damn, guess you can endlessly!
In general, whatever that meant, it was clear one thing - the fact that for a long time to sit around in one place, time was not absolute. So I folded the picture and the timer back to the box, and that again put it in his pocket.
Meat Meanwhile fire, well, at least, seemed to those, so I boldly took off one rod Kusaka and glared at him with their teeth.
And that, pretty good! A bit harsh, but overall, very personal.
- It is a pity that you can not try - Joey snorted in reply and started again to chase butterflies. - Yes, I do not insist, very little.
Here I am, of course, played a cunning trick. Of course, at one time this was the abyss of meat I do not eat, but I fried everything, so in this heat, damp, it would quickly be lost. And so, some piece time I could not think about food.
Thoroughly stamped out the fire, and to ensure even and the bay with water from the flask, which had several times run to the creek, I moved on.
The fact that I was able to relax and have a snack, it was definitely a big plus, as the tired and hungry, coming practically steep climb, I was not very much inspired. And now, I confess, looking at the wall towering over his head, I did not feel enthusiastic, well, not the slightest. However, there was nothing.
He spat on his hands - I do not know why this is necessary, but read that there was a ritual - I started climbing.
A tiny chink, there just can insert the boot toe, jump up, leaning on his right leg, the hand clings to the narrow ledge ... Yep! Like, it was fixed. Nasharivat another crack, grab your fingertips, pull-up, the second leg is also some political support, it is possible to transfer some of the weight on her right hand to intercept just above the ledge, tighten again, leg, arm, again! Intercept, cling, rests, tightens ...
Plaintive whine remaining far below Gioia forced me to lower his head. What? Come on, can not be!
Slack on the wall for about twenty minutes, after exhausting all efforts to shaky hands, I managed to rise above the hospitable plateau about five or six meters. He looked up, saw that over my head has not less than fifty meters of the same steep cliff area. Whether the awareness of this fact because I was shattered, then there really run out of power, but just at that moment the fingers suddenly loosened and relaxed, and I flew down.
Quite successfully landed lucky that the height was quite small. Escaped with a broken heels, and even then, only because of the fact that the surprise did not have time to regroup, and landed on the straight, tight legs. Joy, who barely had time to jump aside, happily circled around, squealing with happiness and twisting tail like a propeller.
- Hmm. Smart in the mountain will not go, clever mountain bypass. That's just the question - is it possible to get around this mountain? What if not? - in the absence of another companion, spoke to the dog. One delighted attention, shook his tail with such zeal that I began to fear that he might not fall on it.
After making a few jumps in place and making sure that the broken-off leg obey me, I decided to walk along the wall, look, if you do not pass to the other side, so even more gentle rise of land.
Slowly passed along the opening portion, I came close to the copse.
- Well, buddy, dive? Go and see your friends, capybaras? - I said to the dog. Someone like understanding my words, growled softly.
I am not afraid to meet on such a tiny forest area kakihto predators, given the time that we met a family of capybaras grazed on the lawn rather carelessly, but the rifle from his shoulder yet removed. As it turned out, not in vain ...
Before we go a hundred yards through the woods as silently Joy suddenly darted forward. And a second later by my arm flew something swift, full of shell, which I could not see, and in front of, behind thick bushes, where he had fled dog, heard the noise of the struggle, and muffled cries.
Without a moment's hesitation, I broke after him, and caught an amazing picture - Joey hung on his arm kakogoto native clutched in her teeth, and he tried to escape from the grip, silently beating the dog a second hand on the head. At the feet of the men were several short javelins, one of which, obviously, and flew over my shoulder.
Seeing me, the native right with shock, which obviously remained after a meeting with Joey, and his free hand grabbed the belt due to the knife. Fearing that it could harm the dog, I raised his gun and cocked the shutter. I do not know if I could finally shoot or not, but, fortunately, do this and do not have to. At the same moment the dog let go of the arm of the attacker, bounced off his meter and then, instantly, grouped, straightened in a jump like a released spring, striking the front legs in the chest of the enemy.
Native rolled on the ground, dropping the knife. I wasted no time, jumped to the lying and pointed the muzzle of the gun against his chest, while trying to look as convincing and menacing. Fortunately, it was not necessary - it is obvious, the man was well aware that the firearms, as limp and clearly rejected the idea of kakomlibo resistance.
And to top it off, it's acknowledgment of receipt of the experience, which is strange, since the enemy had been killed. It is obvious that counted his surrender. And if I am to these two hundred experience points were neither cold nor hot, then Joey them enough just to the next level. Dog received one item characteristics, and one - skills.
- Oe i ke keiki a Tlaloc!
Lying on the ground a man raised his head and looked with obvious surprise at Joey.
- Dada, he, Tlaloc. We are, however, not from him, but that's no matter - he heard the name of his god, native looked at me and went back to sputter something incomprehensible, occasionally inserting into it is the only known me a call.
Joy sat beside him and muffled growl, keeping a wary eye to the man, as if waiting for him new surprises. He, however, lay still.
I took off my belt a coil of rope, wondering how to contrive to associate native, without incurring excessive risk, all the same it was physically well-developed man, and even think he resist, I would not have any chance to cope with it, only to kill. However, correctly guessing my intentions, a prisoner himself stretched out his arms folded, giving me the opportunity to associate themselves. It is obvious that the prisoner seemed a better fate than that which he himself has probably imagined.
Tied his wrists and legs at the same time, I thought. It is obvious that this man could not just fall from the sky, and it is also unlikely to come down with an almost sheer cliff. Although ... No, this is wrong, I think. The fact that I was not able to climb, does not mean that no one can, and especially the "children of nature".
But, I would, of course, to believe that everything they do not crawl every time the rocks, and the man - none other than the guard pass into the valley vaytukku. And this passage is somewhere near, for example, out in the bush! Very much at them suspiciously artificial appearance.
- What do you think, my friend? - I turned to the dog. - Check?
Joey did not answer. However, I felt him tacit support - nothing, it was mechanical and, in fact, not alive. A few strokes of the tail of the dog expressed full approval and consent.
Leaning to the prisoner and check nodes ropes - did not want to be afraid to strike back, I grabbed him under the arms and sat, leaned back against a tree trunk. Down in the jungle, I would not throw a person in such a helpless state. But here, on this tiny patch of forest, the only predator was himself, so that for some time he could easily sit bound.
In fact, no one cou
ld accuse me of excessive cruelty - if desired, the native could easily free himself, which he did with the time, I'm more than sure. His hands were tied behind his back did not, so just fall over a rope on sharp fragments of rock, of which there are many. Creek also close by, want to drink - crawl.
So in the thickets I plunged with a light heart. And almost immediately, without passing fifty paces, I bumped into a deep cleft in the seemingly impregnable wall before the stone.
The narrow, sixty centimeters, the gap was clearly not just a shallow crack which appeared at first sight. Having seemingly natural origin, it is, nonetheless, shamelessly betrayed his true nature after a couple of meters. I must say that the disguise was very, very good, and if I was not a hundred percent sure that the passage just have to be here somewhere, it would never have found.
Looking into the crevasse, I initially saw just a short dead end, and I am sure that at this stage, many would have turned back.
I lit a match and eternal began to look around. The fact that no passage is not immediately found me, actually does not bother - I never for a moment forget that I am looking for a tribe, versed in the mechanics. So one would expect kakihnibud secret buttons, push the panels, and possibly even traps.
However, nothing like I have not found. In fact, the search for it was almost nowhere - a narrow slot with jagged basalt walls, where the turn was almost impossible. I was saved only that I'm pretty thin and narrow-shouldered, though above average growth.
Not wanting to give up, I looked and felt literally every stone by clicking on particularly suspicious places, although to no result, it has not resulted.
- Well, what to do? - I turned to Joey, who, as usual, cool underfoot. - Can you help? Look!
I do not know what I was expecting a miracle, but the dog is clearly perceived the resulting job seriously and approached with great responsibility. To twist on the stone floor, down the nose, he jumped out, I have a couple of seconds - for him. However, contrary to my expectations, Joy did not run on the trail, and returned to the bound of the natives, which in the form of a dog stood as paralyzed.
I do not know that when he saw us, he thought the unfortunate prisoner, but the first time I saw a person in an instant changed the complexion with krasnokorichnevogo, traditional for the local population, on zemlistosery color of ash.
Native, evidently bracing for a meeting with your God, in horror he rolled his eyes and froze. Joey stopped at his feet, a few seconds it carefully sniffed, then turned and walked back to the cave.
- This is it that the sample took ?! - the unfortunate prisoner, it seems, was in a swoon, so do not say anything. Yes, actually, I did not expect.
When I returned I found Joey sitting triumphantly near the cleft on the right side, which I have already examined the length and breadth. Seeing me, the dog jumped up, roll on the ground, sniffed the ground. Then he stood on his hind legs, resting on the front wall and barked several times.
- Are you sure? I'm here already inspected everything ...
- Woof! - Joey's response left no doubt in his confidence, so, with a sigh, I began to feel the second round all the cracks and hollows in the wall, click on every stone and the bulge.
Fifteen minutes later, I gave up. Nothing is pressed, rotate or dragged - whether the passage in the rock was hidden kakimto magic, which I do not rule out, in fact, that he really was in another place.
But, trusting Joey, I decided to check again to start thinking a little to speculate. Perhaps the problem is that I focused on the small details, and it was necessary to look first of all that distinguished this from the opposite wall, that dog was not interested. Something that is not immediately apparent in the eye ...
Stepping back a couple of steps closer to the entrance, I picked up the fire higher up to be able to consider both walls at once. And then I noticed a feature that I definitely could not see by studying them one by one. I can not say whether it was a natural formation or artificial, but it is on the right wall appeared suspiciously large ridges and cracks that are so convenient it would be to use climbing upwards. The left wall was almost smooth.
Feeling that he is close to a solution, I lifted my head up. However, nothing has been seen - at a height of about five meters, and so is not particularly bright light of my miserable match finally cleared, and then darkness reigned.
- Well, who is looking for - that will always find!
Climb was easy - all cracks and ridges were on perfectly reasonable distance, and the question of their natural origin dropped by itself.
Less than a minute, I have overcome the visible space and joined the «terra incognita». However, nothing new on not found - all the same uncomplicated recovery. Another couple of meters, and, instead of the expected stone under his fingers revealed playground. Realizing that close to the goal, I redoubled his efforts, and after a few seconds, rolled over the edge.
The newly lighted match lighted flat stone snout, on the one hand terminating in eight-meter "abyss", the bottom of which ran alarmed Joy, on the other - turning into a perfectly round tunnel, similar to the track that left a full of fantastic giant worm - eater rocks .
The walls of the perfectly round hole in the wall at first seemed to me full of shiny coated with mucus that blikovala in the light of a spark in his hand, but when I dared to touch it, I found that it is nothing like volcanic glass.
Surprisingly, what or who could do it? If the natives possess such technology, it is very strange that they still do not take over the world.
However, coming closer and she looked, I noticed that the walls of the tunnel only at first glance seemed so monolithic - here and there they crossed the cracks of different widths and lengths, and under my feet crunched shiny black hash. It is obvious that this move has done very, very long time, perhaps, in the heyday of power vaytuku, unless of course, it is all their doing.
Impatient whining Joey distract me from thinking.
- Yes, yes, my dear, I do of you not forgotten.
Pomnitto I certainly remember, but how to raise a dog upstairs? The rope, which could be used was all spent on the natives, I was a miserable piece of a length of just a couple of meters. Backpack, which could be put Joey, I confidently leave the hotel. Eh! Now have to pay for their improvidence.
Going down again to the bottom of the chasm, I took off my long-suffering his belt, which has already had to pretend to be a dog leash. Now she faced a task no easier. From his jacket, balance ropes and leather straps, I was able to build a kind of carry, like the one with which help, in ancient times, women wore their babies behind.
The idea is that you could just tie a rope across the abdomen Joy to the sword belt, but I wanted to make it the most comfortable conditions. Yes, there is a possibility that he would not have noticed the difference, yes, most likely, he does not feel pain, and yes - it's all metal. But suddenly? In general, I am carrying a little longer, but the dog is now hung in a convenient cradle behind me.
Rise with a load behind it was a little more complicated, but fortunately, not high. Less than three minutes, as I have already unleashed their improvised carrier, releasing the dog loose.
Twist a few seconds on the court, he again, staring nose to the floor, confidently took the trail and reached for the gaping black tunnel. Sighing, I lit a trouble-free match, just in case the gun was replaced on the bow and stepped behind, into the unknown.
Chapter 14
During the half hour that we were traveling with Joey in the rock mass, I had a feeling that these tunnels - not a work of human hands, but rather traces kakogoto creatures of life, driven by instincts. For example, a worm or shrews.
Why did I make such a conclusion? The fact that in one place the underpass was not aimed directly or one area without unnecessary bending at first glance. It seemed as though some piece huge, unknown to me being just crawled in the thickness of rocks aimlessly, proplavlyaya basalt around. And perhaps it is eating and why not?
These moves are so intricately twisted,
turning sharply to the right and left, lifting, lowering, crossing themselves, which, if not sensitive nose Joey, I would wander here forever. And it would be really awful, because the monotony of the surrounding landscape beginning to get on my nerves after only fifteen minutes.
And just gradually fell upon fatigue and drowsiness caused by this same dull monotony. Finally convinced that absolutely nothing around me, I'm lost in thought.
At first, I thought about the competition and all that surrounded him. Now it was clear as day that all that was associated with it - no more than dust in the eyes, in order to disguise the main goal. But what, and who conceived all this? "VirtArt"? Or against? Or, «InfoComp»? Guess not peregadat ...
Let's say, you can try to analyze the facts known to me. Although they are few, and the reliability is highly questionable, but still.
So, what do we have? Initially, in a marathon virtmirov attended by ten teams from each division. Ideal Worlds, created by the best designers, carefully selected by the players - recognizable, media persons, champions virtbataly one whose participation in the project is able to bring it to a crowd of admirers.
I'm on the second slowed down, remembering the guys sitting next to me in a conference room where we were told the tale of a mad killer.
So, what comes out, if we assume that the real aim of this marathon was exactly the definition of the company, which will absorb the other two, is it not logical to expect from each, absolutely every participant kakihto interesting battles fabulous adventure chegoto absolutely stunning that should grab the viewer's attention?
Even if we assume that in my case, decided to bet on the unusual - yet, as far as I heard from other students Training Center distributed were precisely such a stereotyped fairy, adventure worlds, with bright, prominent facial features characters - all the same, it It would be a huge, unwarranted risk. After all, the people, for the most part, very hard to accept something radically new and different from their expectations.
Named Sherlock Page 79