Read online the book “Singing Stones. Andrey Posnyakovsinging stones Andrey PosnyakovViking: Singing stones

11.01.2024

Singing stones

Dear readers!

Writer Sergei Georgievich Zemaitis was born in the Far East and lived there for more than thirty years. He worked as a tractor driver, a sailor on an ocean-going ship, served in the Navy, and was a correspondent for Far Eastern newspapers.

During the Great Patriotic War, S. Zemaitis fought in the ranks of the Marine Corps and other military units.

The writer S. Zemaitis wrote several books for children. Many of you have probably read S. Zemaitis’s story “The Guys from Golubina Pad”, published three times by our publishing house.

The books “Warm Current”, “Crane Road”, “The Adventure of Alyosha Perts in the Land of Homunculi” were published by Detgiz.

The story “Singing Stones” on the wings of a “TU-104”, together with the hero of the story, Kostya Gromov, will take you to the Far East. Here you, together with Kostya and his new friend Tronya, will experience many adventures, meet the fishermen of the Far East and other wonderful people, the flora, fauna and animal world of this Soviet region.

SINGING STONES

UNEXPECTED NEWS

Kostya was returning from school. As he approached the house, a boy who looked like a penguin jumped out of the kindergarten, where kids were playing near a pile of sand, and said in a hoarse penguin voice:

If I tell you something, will you send me a shark from the Pacific Ocean?

Kostya examined Vovka Blokhin’s ruddy face, wondering what kind of secret this cunning boy wanted to tell him.

Well, at least a small one... in a jar. Oh please!

Tell me first.

No, you swear that you will send it.

Banks do not accept parcels.

And you dry it and send it by parcel post, like Aunt Katya sent us felt boots for Goshka.

Fine. Did we receive a letter?

No! “What are you talking about,” Vova’s face showed fear. - There was no letter... Well, will you send it? Well, at least a walrus tusk made of ivory or an octopus!

What happened then? May be...

No no! You won't guess it yourself! Give me an honest Pioneer, then you’ll know right away.

Well, okay - honest!

Telegram! - Vovka blurted out and sighed with relief, showing how much work it took him to keep this important message for so long.

Kostya went down to the front garden, behind which stood a small white house. Without undressing, he ran into the dining room and, as soon as he looked at his mother’s happy and at the same time worried face, at the open suitcases, at the things lying on the table and chairs, he immediately understood where the telegram came from and what it was about.

Are we going to see dad?

No, we're flying. Undress, eat and help me get ready.

Are we flying? When? On what plane?

Early tomorrow morning. On "TU-104". I already ordered tickets and visited your principal at school.

Kostya re-read the telegram several times, feeling how it was taking him further and further away from his friends, from school, from everything that he had not noticed before and that had suddenly become so dear and close. Kostya felt a sad ache in his chest and his eyes stung. The mother watched her son sympathetically.

“You eat and go see your friends,” she said.

What about getting ready?

When you come... There is still time.

Kostya looked at his mother with gratitude and thought: “How does she always guess everything?”

After lunch, Kostya went to say goodbye to the teacher’s apartment and ran into the school. There he stood outside the locker room and ran away, feeling that he would cry if he stayed even a minute longer. I went to see Petya Solovyov, with whom I sat at the same desk for four years. Petya treated his friend’s departure as an event of extreme importance. He was both jealous of Kostya and happy for him.

If you have time, write,” he said, shook hands firmly and walked her all the way home.

At night, Kostya often woke up, listened to the sound of the sea, looked anxiously at the alarm clock with green glowing numbers, and fell asleep again.

Finally this unusually long night ended. The mother hid the alarm clock in her suitcase when it was not yet six o'clock. Car horns were heard from the street. The apartment was filled with neighbors. Among them appeared the sleepy face of Vovka Blokhin.

“Let’s sit down according to Russian custom,” said the old neighbor, and everyone sat down, some on a suitcase, some on the windowsill, and Vovka Blokhin sat on the floor: the furniture was taken to a thrift store in the evening.

The dining room became quiet and sad. But then everyone got up, began to say goodbye and give advice on how to behave in the air.

Advisers for me too! - Vovka said quietly to Kostya. - None of them had ever flown on an airplane...

Vovka took Kostya by the hand and walked with him all the way to the car, thinking with hope and despair that it could happen, like in a fairy tale, and he, too, would fly on an airplane. But, realizing that this time a miracle would not happen, Vovka said in a deep voice, barely holding back tears:

Well, don't forget the agreement. I gave my word!

“I’ll definitely send you something,” Kostya promised, sitting down next to the driver.

On the plane it was the same as on a big bus. Only even more convenient. It seemed incredible to Kostya that this bus-like structure would rise into the air with him and his mother. He involuntarily thought: “What if he falls?” - and felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. But he overcame his fear and looked bravely at his mother.

Passengers sat in large soft chairs.

Here are our places. “Sit down,” said mom.

Kostya sat down by the window. A fat man with a black mustache was already sitting in front. A young beautiful woman in a straw hat sank down next to him.

“I like it here,” she said, looking around the chairs. She nodded to Kostya’s mother, smiled at Kostya and sat down by the window.

The fat man also bowed to Kostya and his mother. A beautiful woman asked him something in French. Kostya studied French at school, but only understood two words: “not lost.” The fat man grabbed his stomach, changed his face, then smiled tiredly and said in Russian:

Lily, he's here. Let him be empty!

But be careful, Jean... Now you can sleep... Your eyes are drooping...

Lily smiled.

Don't waste precious minutes.

I don't know if I'll be able to sleep. - The fat man threw back his chair, pressed his cheek to the back, and fell silent.

Beautiful Lily began to look out the window.

Kostya was interested in these people: they had some kind of secret.

“He has something hidden... Some kind of thing,” thought Kostya. - I wonder what it is? I wish I could find out!”

Kostya began to wonder what kind of people these were and what they were hiding? Maybe spies? Suddenly his attention was diverted by other events. On the side of the plane's wings, the engines roared, the plane rushed, and the ground flashed outside the window.

Did you fly? - asked Kostya.

Andrey Posnyakov

Viking: Singing Stones

The girl ran as fast as she could. She made her way through the juniper thickets, jumped over trees fallen by the wind. The feet, shod in leather ankle boots, slipped and got stuck in the mud. The spruce's clawed paws scratched its cheeks. It hurts until it bleeds! The fugitive did not pay attention, continued her difficult journey and stopped only on the shore of a forest lake with black swamp water. Take a breath, look around, come to your senses.

Bending down, the girl scooped up water with her palm, drank and froze, listening intently to something. Beautiful - graceful, with small breasts and a sweet face framed by wondrous golden hair, as if drenched in the sun. Beautiful and young, about sixteen years old, maybe a little more. Trembling curled eyelashes, black eyebrows, tensely compressed lips... You could feel how a cheerful, mischievous smile would suit this face, these lake-blue eyes! Alas, the beauty was not laughing today. Her chest heaved heavily, large drops of sweat dripped from her forehead. I'm tired, needless to say.

Weird girl. Strange clothes - a blue, beaded sundress made of thick fabric, thin straps pinned with sparkling oval clasps - brooches. From under the sundress one could see a dress or shirt - yellow, with short pleated sleeves, revealing graceful girlish arms up to the elbows, scratched in blood.

The bracelets look like they are made of gold! - a set belt with a knife hanging on it with a bone handle decorated with ornate script.

Hearing a noise behind her, the beauty grabbed a knife and, looking around hauntedly, rushed to a large gray stone that could be seen not far away, behind the centuries-old pines.

The sun was rising far beyond the lake. Its yellow rays had already painted the high tops of the trees and ran along the black water like a golden path. The pattern carved on the boulder - a spiral - seemed to flare up under the influence of life-giving light!

The girl hiding behind the stone was whispering something, apparently praying, asking for good luck. Around her neck sparkled a necklace of reddish-orange carnelian with white waxy veins. Each bead was carefully polished... and decorated with the same symbol - a spiral. A snake curled into a ball.

Screams were heard in the forest behind. Some people ran out to the shore of the lake with axes and short spears. One - with a narrow, angry face and a sparse beard - flashed a sword in his hands. Not very long, almost without crosshairs, with a rounded end. These are good for chopping, but stabbing and parrying blows is problematic.

- Mister... What if we find it? – a stocky guy in a beaver hat, with a bow in his hands, timidly inquired.

- Kill! – a specific order immediately followed. – If you can’t catch up. If you can, bring it to me. Why are you up? Come on, quickly search everything around, otherwise I will order you to be skinned alive!

Backing away in fear, the pursuers - about ten of them - dispersed along the entire shore, carefully checking every bush, every ravine, not missing any ferns, no junipers, no windbreaks. Someone has already approached the boulder...

The girl didn't wait. She jumped out, pushing away the guys who rushed after her, and jumped into the water with a running start.

Black spray rose into the sky and sparkled in the sun...

Instead of diving after them, the guys froze in fear and backed away.

Someone turned around confused:

- Mister...

“This creature has desecrated the sacred lake,” the leader whispered angrily. “Well... so much the worse for her.” Gordyle! Give me the onion.

- Here, sir... But...

– I remember the spell! However, she herself angered the goddess. I just have to punish. You'll just have to...

– I hope the goddess will not be offended...

- Will not be! Yeah...

Deftly placing an arrow, the narrow-faced man squinted, patiently waiting for the target...

Apparently, the fugitive knew how to swim well. Of course, in shoes and a heavy sundress, she swam almost the entire lake underwater - long and deep. She swam and finally surfaced, looked back...

Immediately the arrow sang! Launched with a well-aimed hand, it hit the girl in the neck!

The black water instantly turned red with blood, the young beauty wheezed, grabbed the wound with her hand... And as if someone grabbed her legs, dragged her down, deep, deep. The thickness of the water squeezed my chest, and it became impossible to breathe, and there was no air around. No air, no light...

* * *

- Ugh, damn it!

Gena woke up in a cold sweat. He cursed, got out of his sleeping bag and, throwing back the tent flap, stuck his head out, greedily gasping for breath in the cool night air. As if he himself had almost been drowned! Yes, they almost drowned...

Damn dream! All the same. Gennady has seen him more than once or twice. An incredibly beautiful girl with golden hair, a chase... And impenetrable forests all around, and a lake. Must-lake, or, in local terms, Must-jarv. Black Lake. Must – black, in Vepsian style. The Vepsians are the remnant of an ancient people, a once powerful tribe, all now living in these places. Vepsians are Finno-Ugric, that’s why all the names here are half-Russian, half-Finnish. Kharagenichi, Korbenich, Ozrovich – Kharagl, Korb, Ozorgl...

Gena has been wanting to go here for a long time. Just like that - kayaks, with tents and everything else.

No, why such a dream, huh?

The young man was about to climb back into his sleeping bag, but suddenly he saw a shadow looming by the dying fire. He took a closer look, threw a long-sleeved shirt over his shoulders to protect him from mosquitoes, and got out:

- What, Lazy, aren’t you sleeping?

- Oh, Gennady Viktorovich, I can’t sleep.

Lazy - Lenka Revyakina from the ninth "A". Good, kind girl. True, it’s not great with teachers, but on hikes she’s reliable. He works like an ox, you have to row - he rows, and he doesn’t sit idle on the shore, even if he’s not on duty.

- Did you pass physics, Lazy One?

“Yes,” Lenka waved it off. Thin, with freckles, she looked a little younger than her age, which, frankly, she was embarrassed about... but she didn’t show her shyness to anyone. But Gena saw it! No wonder I graduated from Lesgaft. I have been teaching physical education in the regional center for three years now, and also taught a couple of sections. He had enough to live on, and he liked what he did, which actually means a lot in these days.

And now, at the end of June, I took the guys on another hike along the Vepsian rivers and lakes. Pasha, Kapsha and others. He took ten people, although many asked. And two more adults - partners. We had a good time, it was fun, although difficult. It was difficult, because the days were hot - there was not enough water in the river, there were mostly rifts and stones. The boats had to be dragged, and often they had to be carried around, dragged along the overgrown bank along with their things, then dried, and the holes sealed.

– Will you finish the fish, Gennady Viktorovich?

Fish... You can finish the fish. Just not with Lentya, to push away my partner, Lyokha, Ivanovich, the instructor from the House of Youth Creativity. Eat fish with it. With vodka, or rather with moonshine. There were still a couple of bottles left. For both ourselves - when tired, and for children - half a tablespoon in tea in the evening, for prevention. So as not to get sick. There is nothing worse when someone on a long hike starts to get sick. The year before last, I remember...

- So fish...

- No, Lena, I won’t. Eat it yourself.

- But I do not want. And it would be a pity to throw it away. I'll put it in someone else's bowl, okay. I need to wash the boiler.

- What do you want? – Gena was surprised. “It’s not your boat that’s on duty today.”

“I lost at cards,” the girl smiled and sniffled. – In “I believe it or not.”

- Oh, I remember... we played in the evening. Did you have seven aces in the deck?

- Was. Don't be fooled, devils.

The nights, as always at that time, were white and bright. The fire had not been burning for a long time, but was just flickering like coals, or, as they say, shimmering. At the edge of the forest, one next to the other, there were two-person tents and one one-room grocery store. A little lower, closer to the river, overturned boats, pulled ashore for the night, bubbled with their humps.

- Gennady Viktorovich, do you know what Tower and Max called their canoe?

- I know. "Titanic".

- What fools! And Timych is even more scathing - “Trouble.” This is all from the cartoon, from the old one. And we have “Black Cuttlefish”... Gennady Viktorovich... will you take me to Khibiny in the spring?

- I’ll take it, you know it yourself.

“Yes, I know,” Lazy smiled slyly. - And Masha, your friend? Masha, you know how strong she is!

“This is Ivanteeva,” Gena squinted. – Does she even know how to stand on skis? No... I won't take it. Until he passes all the tests to me, I won’t take it, even if he doesn’t ask.

- She'll pass. She really wants to be with us. And now I would go, but my parents went on vacation - the entire household is on her.

Look, it turns out that you are an eternal truant. Ivanteeva is such a housewife! Gennady chuckled to himself, but didn’t say anything out loud – we’ll see. There is nothing to promise in advance, especially to children.

“Gennady Viktorovich,” Lenka did not lag behind, putting out the remains of the fish soup from the cauldron. – And you told me something interesting in the evening. About some stones.

-What, didn’t you hear?

- Nope. We cleaned the fish and then swam.

“There is such a legend, local...” Gena closed his eyes. - It’s not even a legend - a true story or a fairy tale. Who knows? Since ancient times, local Vepsians have worshiped special stones. Large gray cobblestones that are around the lakes and in the tracts. Sometimes they erected chapels in those places, in their sacred groves. Paganism - what? And the stones were decorated with drawings, sacrifices were made...

- And people?!

– I haven’t heard about people, but roosters and forest game – easily. These are not easy stones, Lena. They say they start singing in the morning.

- How to sing this?

- Don't know. Never heard of it. But here is a chance to hear. That’s where we are going, to the singing stones – to the Black Lake.

Looking thoughtfully into the sky, Gennady stirred the smoldering coals with a stick and continued, catching the girl’s interested look:

“They say that when stones sing, other worlds open up.” Locals call them kolnu pallistt - “dead glades”.

- Why dead?

– Probably because they are different. Another fairy-tale world and in the same place - the beauty of the forest... or the fairy of the forest, the forest nymph. A beauty with lake eyes and hair like the sun.

Forgetting about the fish, Lazy Girl suddenly sparkled with her eyes: greenish-gray, bold, large. Still, she was a beautiful girl, although she did not yet realize her own beauty. For some reason I was shy about freckles.

– I wish I could see these clearings, Gennady Viktorovich! It's just some kind of fantasy. I read a lot of science fiction - the Strugatskys, and Lem, and Garrison... My dad is into it... Gennady Viktorovich, haven’t you heard anything like that about flying snakes? They are also found here. They say mushroom pickers are being attacked... what a horror!

“Well, they won’t attack us,” Gena laughed.

Lenka immediately agreed and nodded:

“Of course they won’t attack, we’re so noisy.” Any snake will be scared, even a three-headed one! Oh, if only there was water in the river... Otherwise it’s not the Kapsha River, but some kind of Stone Tunguska!

“Podkamennaya,” Gennady corrected mechanically and suddenly froze, listening. I heard some strange rustling coming from the direction of the forest. Maybe some kind of animal, but more likely a dog. She came running from some village to eat up scraps and lick bowls thrown anywhere - this often happened. By the way, it would be a good idea to collect the thrown bowls and throw them into the bushes - let them look for them in the morning. At the same time, see who is this lazy guy? Conduct a professional conversation and send them out to prepare firewood in the evening.

Some rustling noise. Not even - steps.

The young man didn’t even have time to turn his head before Lenka already raised her eyes:

- Hello!

Tourists (though not only them) have this joke - look a person in the eyes, and then look to the side and say hello loudly. The interlocutor will turn around... and there’s no one there. Such humor. Joke.

That’s where I thought,” Lenka joked. However no...

“And may the gods send you health,” responded the old man who came out of the forest rather dully. Tall, thin, in a long dark robe and with a stick, or more precisely, with a staff, he was somewhat reminiscent of a wandering monk, the kind that walked around cities and villages in the hoary old days. True, these were not the same times, not monastic times at all. And there was no cross on the stranger’s chest, but there was some kind of necklace... made from the skulls of small birds!

Tousled gray hair, or better yet, braids, a long, equally gray beard, a large, gristly nose with a beak like a bird of prey. And – hidden, deep-set eyes. Attentive, tenacious. Strange old man. Probably from the locals.

“Sit down, grandfather, by the fire,” Lazy One hospitably suggested. - Would you like some fish? Or this tea?

Something skipped a beat in Gennady’s chest. Golden-haired maiden! Beautiful... Isn't she? From dreams...

“We saw one,” the schoolgirl answered meanwhile. - But it was still during the day, near the village. Yes, and one more – the postwoman. How was yours dressed?

“In a Varangian dress, with brooches about two animals,” the old man vaguely explained, his eyes flashing.

Lenka waved her hand:

- No, she was wearing shorts. And in a T-shirt.

“You’ll find out if he suddenly comes to your camp,” the old man frowned his bushy eyebrows and tapped the ground with his staff. “I’m telling you, she’s powerful and beautiful.” She faces great trouble. Let him come back! She knows where.

Without saying goodbye, the stranger turned and quickly walked towards the forest.

“Hey, hey, grandpa,” after thinking a little, Gena rushed after him. - What kind of trouble is that? What the…

The strange old man disappeared. Dissolved in the forest, as if it had never happened. There weren't even any traces left on the wet path.

“Strange grandfather,” the girl chuckled by the fire. – I’ve heard about such people. How is this... Hippies - wow!

* * *

The next day we sailed from morning until almost evening, taking advantage of the good weather. Towards evening we looked for a parking spot on the left bank. Very close to Black Lake. The forest is three kilometers in total.

Gennady went to the lake before dawn - fortunately the white night allowed. I really wanted to first explore Must-Jarv myself, and only then take the guys. Look at the trail to see if it’s safe enough, look ahead for a place to have a snack, maybe even for swimming.

Since childhood, Gena loved to wander through the forest alone, enjoying the singing of birds and the age-old peace. That's how it is now. He walked slowly, sniffed the spicy smell of trees and herbs, listened: a tireless hard-working woodpecker was hammering somewhere very nearby, a cuckoo was crowing... it started, then abandoned, before he even had time to ask: “Cuckoo, cuckoo, how old am I?” .

Somewhere in the distance, in the swamp, a bittern screamed shrilly. As if in response to her, an owl hooted loudly in the forest, among the pines and firs, and in the copse - it was clearly visible - a hare rushed past as a swift gray shadow.

The traveler reached his destination at dawn. The water in the lake really turned out to be dark, and to the touch – cold, even icy. You certainly don’t buy one for your own pleasure. Maybe just dive in after the bath to freshen up. Where can you find a bathhouse here? Although there were plenty of abandoned villages in the local forests. Once upon a time - about fifty years ago or more - there were collective farms, state farms, and other timber industry enterprises around. Farms, pastures, mowing. Even in the most distant villages there are clubs with cinema and dancing. Today everything is gone. Disappeared. This is truly a different world. Through the looking glass, or, as the local Vepsians used to say – “dead glades” – kolnu pallisht.

The yellow edge of the sun appeared behind the distant pines. The warm morning rays drove away the small fog that swirled above the water, and the black water reflected the sky, transparent and piercingly blue... like the eyes of that girl from the dreams.

Looking closely, Gena saw a stone on the other side. A large gray boulder measuring approximately two by three meters. Round, dignified... with a clearly visible pattern, embossed in time immemorial. Spiral!

That's right, that same stone... singing... But there's another one nearby! And one more thing... True, these are without any drawings, just stones... I should cross over and take a closer look. Or go around... No, judging by the map, Must-Jarv is a long lake, fourteen and a half kilometers. And he, Gennady Viktorovich Ivanov, a teacher of physical education and life safety with the first category of ETS, is right in the middle. Seven miles there, seven miles there... No, it’s better to go back, and then get to the stones with the children. Although these stones are not that far away - straight along the lake. Fifty meters... and, perhaps, less. Swim across? Or – don’t bother?

Grunting, Gena squinted, watching the last remnants of the fog, already not very dense, disappear, melt right before his eyes, like rare cirrus clouds. The rising sun reflected in the water, ran along a golden path... And immediately a sound was heard, as if grasshoppers or cicadas were crackling and tightening their serenade. At first quiet, barely noticeable, the sound grew, became louder, until it turned into a steady hum, not at all a booming bass sound, but a little thinner, similar to the drawn-out note of a lead guitar.

No, these, of course, were not grasshoppers, and certainly not cicadas... The young man only now realized - that’s exactly how the stones sang! These are the ones with and without spirals. Singing... No, not singing, more like some kind of ringing. A long, drawn out sound of a bell... a guitar solo...

Gennady stood as if at a concert, even closed his eyes... swayed... Until he heard some noise on the opposite bank, near the stones! Someone's rude voices, shouts, stomping. It was as if hunters were chasing game... or someone was catching someone, chasing someone.

The noise was quickly approaching... and suddenly a beautiful blonde maiden ran out from behind the trees towards the lake! The same one from dreams. She ran out and dived into the black, cold water with a running start. Exactly the same as in a dream. And just like that, archers appeared on the shore, led by a narrow-faced man in a bright green cloak. Running to the very shore, he raises his bow with an arrow attached...

Gennady understood well what was about to happen; he had seen it all in his dreams more than once. Now this bastard is hitting that girl with an arrow... Eh, she wouldn’t emerge in the center. I should go left... or right. Take a breath of air, and dive again - and then...

Smiling predatorily, the narrow-faced one was aiming at the girl... She was about to emerge... and get an arrow in the neck!

Gennady couldn't stand it. I took off my sneakers and jacket and jumped into the water! He dived and swam towards the girl...

Here she comes up, swims up, breathes air... Left, left, let's go! The girl had almost surfaced. Gena barely made it in time. At the very last moment, he reached out, grabbed the lake nymph by the leg, pulled... If only they didn’t hit, they wouldn’t hit...

We didn't hit! But the girl’s face looked like it was about to choke... Gennady gestured to the left! The beauty understood, took a left turn... emerged, and Gena followed her... We caught our breath, and went back under the water... away from the arrows.

Now - swim, swim under water with all your strength, as long as you can breathe!

They surfaced together, near the shore. We got out of the water. Gena looked around - there was no one on the other side, just “singing” stones. Where did the pursuers led by the narrow-faced man go? Have you decided to take a detour? Or they rushed into the water and are already swimming, about to emerge...

No. They didn't rush.

“They won’t get here, glorious knight,” taking her savior by the hand, the golden-haired maiden smiled. It’s like the sun has given it a ray! And in the eyes there is a bottomless blue... Perhaps you will only meet such beauty in a dream.

- The stones had already finished singing... but they didn’t pass, they didn’t have time...

- Who are they? – the young man shook his head madly.

“You’ll find out in due time,” the blue-eyed girl responded mysteriously. - If fate wills it. Oh…

The necklace hanging around the girl’s neck suddenly broke, and the pebbles flew into the grass. The beauty immediately threw herself on her knees and began to pick up... and Gena decided to help her with this. Which is what I did.

“Take it, glorious warrior,” sitting down in the grass, Goldilocks held out a pebble in her palm... one from the necklace. Carefully polished carnelian is reddish-orange in color, warm... hot even! A spiral pattern is carefully applied on the bead. The same as on the “singing stones”.

“This is my stone,” the maiden smiled. - He lives where I am. I'm far away - he's cold. I'm nearby - warm. Which one now?

“H-hot...” the young man nervously swallowed saliva and tried to cross himself - maybe this obsession will disappear after all?

Gennady Ivanov was not at all timid with girls, rather, on the contrary, and they loved him too. And how can you miss such a tall, light-eyed handsome man with dark brown hair and a fashionable stubble beard? He’s good-looking, especially an athlete... That’s probably why Gena still hasn’t gotten married – all because of the girls...

He never felt constrained with them, but here... Maybe it was all about some unusual meeting... or - in dreams?

“My name is Edna,” lowering her fluffy eyelashes, the girl ran her palm over her wet clothes. - Got wet. It’s okay, it’s sunny today - we’ll dry out.

That’s what she said – “we’ll dry up”, not “I’ll dry up”. Well, I got ready... But I got ready! She stood up and instantly threw off her sundress, unhooking the straps. And she was left in only a dress - thin, wet, in no way hiding all the charms of her charmingly slender figure. It looks like Edna would have thrown off her dress, but she didn’t have time...

Gennady no longer remembered what happened next. The stones began to sing again. The black waters of the lake were obscured by a strange greenish fog. It was there, into this fog, right into the lake, that old man Khirb and the golden-haired beauty Edna stepped at once. They took a couple of steps and disappeared, as if they had disappeared into the fog among the singing stones.

Gena woke up about two hours later. The sun was already shining with all its might, blinding my eyes. There was no girl, of course. Just like the old man. Everything was a dream. Again the same dream, only in a different variation. However... the old man was seen not only by Gennady himself, but also by Lazy, a girl from the ninth "A". Are you sure you saw it? Go back - ask... if it weren't...

Yes-ah... however, it will be a ghost!

Yawning widely, the young man covered his mouth with his hand. Something fell into the grass. It fell out of his palm... Gennady began to rummage around with his hands until he discovered a pebble. A carefully polished stone - a bright orange carnelian! Bead with a spiral design. The same stone! From the necklace. Cold as ice.

* * *

The city was called Tarragona. Not big, but not small either, about one hundred and fifty thousand people. In ancient Roman times - the center of the so-called Tarraconian Spain, then - the Visigoths, Arabs, Reconquista. As expected, there are ancient monuments: a Roman amphitheater, a Gothic cathedral, etc. The promenade boulevard is Rambla, almost the same as in Barcelona, located about a hundred kilometers to the north. By the way, there is also Rambla there.

Today was market day, and the entire boulevard was filled with merchants. They sold shirts, jeans, men's and women's underwear, beach towels, flip-flops... whatever they sold. Among the souvenirs, Gennady suddenly saw beads - bright orange, with white runes... almost the same as the pebble with a spiral that hung around his neck. Only that one was a real carnelian, and these... Most likely they were plastic, a cheap fake. And it’s still funny, and they asked for it inexpensively, so Gena took it and bought it.

He put it in his backpack and hastily caught up with his friends who had gone far ahead. They had already sat down near the funny monument to the builders of the “living towers” - castellers. Cast iron people, cast almost life-size, supporting each other, formed a pyramid, somewhat reminiscent of the parades of athletes in the USSR in the 1930s.

Friends - a tall, dark-haired guy - computer scientist Seryoga, and two girls - immediately offered to “look into that cute tavern,” drink wine and beer and order paella. Yes, paella would be nice - if you're hungry, and beer and wine. It seems that here, on the coast, even now, in August, it is not so hot - the thermometer rarely rises above thirty, when in the rest of Spain it is somewhere under forty. Not sultry, but still a bit hot.

- Gena, what are you thinking about?

She persistently called him “you,” a light-eyed girl with a braid and a strange name, Rosalind. Primary school teacher. Tall, strong - she used to do rowing. Large elastic breasts, a quite pleasant face, a long brown braid. It would seem that this is happiness! But no, for some reason Gennady still remembered another... that same blue-eyed girl from his dreams.

From dreams, of course, from dreams, because everything that happened to him then, on the Black Lake Must-Jarv, clearly could not have happened in reality. Some people in ancient clothes, chasing a girl, shooting arrows... No, this can’t happen! It’s understandable - I’ve been tired of it, so I dreamed about it, I imagined it.

I imagined it. However, so clearly, believably... Those blue eyes, golden hair... “Thank you, glorious warrior”... Ah!

Meanwhile, my friends had already ordered. For starters, three Estrella beers and a glass of dry wine. Rosalinda - Rosalinda Mikhailovna - did not like wine, preferring stronger drinks or beer. But her friend Nadenka, the deputy chief accountant from Rono, drank only wine. True, in horse doses, I could easily sit through three bottles of some Rioja in an evening, and without getting particularly drunk. Accounting training, really!

– Gena, let’s order two paellas. One will not be enough. Although it is big, but...

- Two is two. Order now.

- You are such a taciturn person today.

The waitress brought beer and wine, while we were waiting for the paella, we drank it.

- Boys, let's go to Barcelona tomorrow! – Nadenka suggested, shaking her bleached bangs. Small, dry, lively, she gave no rest to anyone. What a beach! Two hours a day – no more. But of course - you need to see everything, and, most importantly, run through the shops!

By the way, here Gennady completely agreed with her. Not about the shops, of course, but about “seeing”. You can lie down on the beach even at home, there are plenty of lakes and rivers, and this summer has been hot. Here, in Catalonia, there was something to see, although this was not the first time we had flown here, although not exactly with such a company. Last time, three years ago, instead of Rosalind there was another girl, Vera. So thin, like Nadenka. But what's the difference? All the same - not the same one, not the blue-eyed one... Yes, but the old man was real! He couldn’t have dreamed of both of them at once - him, Gene, and the ninth-grader Lenka. Since the old man is real (the local madman, probably), then maybe...

Andrey Posnyakov

Singing stones

The bracelets look like they're made of gold! - a set belt with a knife hanging on it with a bone handle decorated with ornate script.

Hearing a noise behind her, the beauty grabbed a knife and, looking around hauntedly, rushed to a large gray stone that could be seen not far away, behind the centuries-old pines.

Screams were heard in the forest behind. Some people ran out to the shore of the lake with axes and short spears. One - with a narrow, angry face and a sparse beard - flashed a sword in his hands. Not very long, almost without crosshairs, with a rounded end. This is good for chopping, but stabbing and parrying blows is problematic.

Search! - the narrow-faced man ordered, adjusting the cloak thrown over his shoulders. Luxurious, made of bright green fabric with yellow lining. - She couldn't have gone far. I feel like he's hiding here somewhere.

Mister... What if we find it? - a stocky guy in a beaver hat, with a bow in his hands, timidly inquired.

Kill! - a specific order immediately followed. - If you can't catch up. If you can, bring it to me. Why are you up? Come on, quickly search everything around, otherwise I will order you to be skinned alive!

The girl didn't wait. She jumped out, pushing away the guys who rushed after her, and jumped into the water with a running start.

Black spray rose into the sky and sparkled in the sun...

Instead of diving after them, the guys froze in fear and backed away.

Someone turned around confused:

Mister...

“This creature has desecrated the sacred lake,” the leader whispered angrily. - Well... so much the worse for her. Gordyle! Give me the onion.

Here, sir... But...

I remember the spell! However, she herself angered the goddess. I just have to punish. You'll just have to...

I hope the goddess will not be offended...

Will not be! Yeah...

Deftly placing an arrow, the narrow-faced man squinted, patiently waiting for the target...

Apparently, the fugitive knew how to swim well. Of course - in shoes, in a heavy sundress, she swam under water almost the entire lake - long and deep. She swam and finally surfaced, looked back...

Immediately the arrow sang! Launched with a well-aimed hand, it hit the girl in the neck!

* * *

Damn you!

Damn dream! All the same. Gennady has seen him more than once or twice. An incredibly beautiful girl with golden hair, a chase... And - impenetrable forests all around, and a lake. Must-lake, or, in local terms, Must-jarv. Black Lake. Must - black, in Vepsian style. The Vepsians are the remnant of an ancient people, a once powerful tribe, all now living in these places. Vepsians are Finno-Ugric people, that’s why all the names here are half-Russian, half-Finnish. Kharagenichi, Korbenichi, Ozrovichi - Kharagl, Korb, Ozorgl...

Gena has been wanting to go here for a long time. Just like that - kayaks, with tents and everything else.

No, why such a dream, huh?

What, Lazy, aren't you sleeping?

And, Gennady Viktorovich, I can’t sleep.

Lazy, did you pass physics?

Yes, so,” Lenka waved it off. Thin, with freckles, she looked a little younger than her age, which, frankly, she was embarrassed about... but she didn’t show her shyness to anyone. But Gena saw it! No wonder I graduated from Lesgaft. I have been teaching physical education in the regional center for three years now, and also taught a couple of sections. He had enough to live on, and he liked what he did, which actually means a lot in these days.

And now, at the end of June, I took the guys on another hike along the Vepsian rivers and lakes. Pasha, Kapsha and others. He took ten people, although many asked. And two more adults - partners. We had a good time, it was fun, although difficult. It was difficult because the days were hot - there was not enough water in the river, there were mostly rifts and stones. The boats had to be dragged, and often they had to be carried around, dragged along the overgrown bank along with their things, then dried, and the holes sealed.

Will you finish the fish, Gennady Viktorovich?

Fish... You can finish the fish. Just not with Lentya, to push away my partner, Lyokha, Ivanovich, the instructor from the House of Youth Creativity. Eat fish with it. With vodka, or rather with moonshine. There were still a couple of bottles left. Both ourselves - when tired, and for children - half a tablespoon in tea in the evening, for prevention. So as not to get sick. There is nothing worse when someone on a long hike starts to get sick. The year before last, I remember...

So fish...

No, Lena, I won’t. Eat it yourself.

But I do not want. And it would be a shame to throw it away. I'll put it in someone else's bowl, okay. I need to wash the boiler.

What do you want? - Gena was surprised. - It’s not your boat that’s on duty today.

I lost at cards,” the girl smiled and sniffed. - In “I believe - I don’t believe.”

Oh, I remember... we played in the evening. Did you have seven aces in the deck?

Was. Don't be fooled, devils.

Gennady Viktorovich, do you know what Tower and Max called their canoe?

I know. "Titanic".

What fools! And Timych is even more scathing - “Trouble.” This is all from the cartoon, from the old one. And we have “Black Cuttlefish”... Gennady Viktorovich... will you take me to Khibiny in the spring?

I'll take it, you know it yourself.

Yes, I know,” Lazy smiled slyly. - And Masha, your friend? Masha, you know how strong she is!

This is Ivanteeva,” Gena squinted. - Does she even know how to stand on skis? No... I won't take it. Until he passes all the tests to me, I won’t take it, even if he doesn’t ask.

She'll pass. She really wants to be with us. And now I would go, but my parents went on vacation - the entire household is on her.

Look, it turns out that you are an eternal truant. Ivanteeva is such a housewife! Gennady chuckled to himself, but didn’t say anything out loud - we’ll see. There is nothing to promise in advance, especially to children.

Gennady Viktorovich,” Lenka did not lag behind, laying out the remains of the fish soup from the cauldron. - And you told me something interesting in the evening. About some stones.

What, didn’t you hear?

Nope. We cleaned the fish and then swam.

There is such a legend, local... - Gena closed his eyes. - Not even a legend - a true story or a fairy tale. Who knows? Since ancient times, local Vepsians have worshiped special stones. Large gray cobblestones that are around the lakes and in the tracts. Sometimes they erected chapels in those places, in their sacred groves. Paganism - what really. And the stones were decorated with drawings, sacrifices were made...

* * *

Chapter 1

The bracelets look like they are made of gold! - a set belt with a knife hanging on it with a bone handle decorated with ornate script.

Hearing a noise behind her, the beauty grabbed a knife and, looking around hauntedly, rushed to a large gray stone that could be seen not far away, behind the centuries-old pines.

- Search! - the narrow-faced man ordered, adjusting the cloak thrown over his shoulders. Luxurious, made of bright green fabric with yellow lining. “She couldn’t have gone far.” I feel like he's hiding here somewhere.

- Mister... What if we find it? – a stocky guy in a beaver hat, with a bow in his hands, timidly inquired.

The girl didn't wait. She jumped out, pushing away the guys who rushed after her, and jumped into the water with a running start.

Black spray rose into the sky and sparkled in the sun...

Instead of diving after them, the guys froze in fear and backed away.

Someone turned around confused:

- Mister...

“This creature has desecrated the sacred lake,” the leader whispered angrily. “Well... so much the worse for her.” Gordyle! Give me the onion.

- Here, sir... But...

– I remember the spell! However, she herself angered the goddess. I just have to punish. You'll just have to...

– I hope the goddess will not be offended...

- Will not be! Yeah...

Deftly placing an arrow, the narrow-faced man squinted, patiently waiting for the target...

Apparently, the fugitive knew how to swim well. Of course, in shoes and a heavy sundress, she swam almost the entire lake underwater - long and deep. She swam and finally surfaced, looked back...

Immediately the arrow sang! Launched with a well-aimed hand, it hit the girl in the neck!

* * *

- Ugh, damn it!

Gena has been wanting to go here for a long time. Just like that - kayaks, with tents and everything else.

No, why such a dream, huh?

- What, Lazy, aren’t you sleeping?

- Oh, Gennady Viktorovich, I can’t sleep.

- Did you pass physics, Lazy One?

– Will you finish the fish, Gennady Viktorovich?

- So fish...

- No, Lena, I won’t. Eat it yourself.

- But I do not want. And it would be a pity to throw it away. I'll put it in someone else's bowl, okay. I need to wash the boiler.

- What do you want? – Gena was surprised. “It’s not your boat that’s on duty today.”

“I lost at cards,” the girl smiled and sniffled. – In “I believe it or not.”

- Oh, I remember... we played in the evening. Did you have seven aces in the deck?

- Was. Don't be fooled, devils.

- Gennady Viktorovich, do you know what Tower and Max called their canoe?

- I know. "Titanic".

- I’ll take it, you know it yourself.

“Yes, I know,” Lazy smiled slyly. - And Masha, your friend? Masha, you know how strong she is!

“This is Ivanteeva,” Gena squinted. – Does she even know how to stand on skis? No... I won't take it. Until he passes all the tests to me, I won’t take it, even if he doesn’t ask.

- She'll pass. She really wants to be with us. And now I would go, but my parents went on vacation - the entire household is on her.

“Gennady Viktorovich,” Lenka did not lag behind, putting out the remains of the fish soup from the cauldron. – And you told me something interesting in the evening. About some stones.

-What, didn’t you hear?

- Nope. We cleaned the fish and then swam.

- And people?!

– I haven’t heard about people, but roosters and forest game – easily. These are not easy stones, Lena. They say they start singing in the morning.

- How to sing this?

- Don't know. Never heard of it. But here is a chance to hear. That’s where we are going, to the singing stones – to the Black Lake.

Looking thoughtfully into the sky, Gennady stirred the smoldering coals with a stick and continued, catching the girl’s interested look:

“They say that when stones sing, other worlds open up.” Locals call them kolnu pallistt - “dead glades”.

- Why dead?

“Well, they won’t attack us,” Gena laughed.

Lenka immediately agreed and nodded:

Some rustling noise. Not even - steps.

The young man didn’t even have time to turn his head before Lenka already raised her eyes:

- Hello!

That’s where I thought,” Lenka joked. However no...

“Sit down, grandfather, by the fire,” Lazy One hospitably suggested. - Would you like some fish? Or this tea?

“I don’t want anything, thank you,” the stranger refused with dignity and smoothed his beard. - I’ll go about my business - I’m in a hurry. I just want to ask you - have you seen the golden-haired maiden here? Powerful and beautiful, like death.

Something skipped a beat in Gennady’s chest. Golden-haired maiden! Beautiful... Isn't she? From dreams...

“We saw one,” the schoolgirl answered meanwhile. - But it was still during the day, near the village. Yes, and one more – the postwoman. How was yours dressed?

“In a Varangian dress, with brooches about two animals,” the old man vaguely explained, his eyes flashing.

Lenka waved her hand:

- No, she was wearing shorts. And in a T-shirt.

– What exactly is this girl? – finally asked Gennady. -Where does he come from and for what purpose does he wander through the forests here? What is your first and last name?

Without saying goodbye, the stranger turned and quickly walked towards the forest.

“Hey, hey, grandpa,” after thinking a little, Gena rushed after him. - What kind of trouble is that? What the…

The strange old man disappeared. Dissolved in the forest, as if it had never happened. There weren't even any traces left on the wet path.

“Strange grandfather,” the girl chuckled by the fire. – I’ve heard about such people. How is this... Hippies - wow!

* * *

Smiling predatorily, the narrow-faced one was aiming at the girl... She was about to emerge... and get an arrow in the neck!

Gennady couldn't stand it. I took off my sneakers and jacket and jumped into the water! He dived and swam towards the girl...

Now - swim, swim under water with all your strength, as long as you can breathe!

No. They didn't rush.

- The stones had already finished singing... but they didn’t pass, they didn’t have time...

- Who are they? – the young man shook his head madly.

“You’ll find out in due time,” the blue-eyed girl responded mysteriously. - If fate wills it. Oh…

“This is my stone,” the maiden smiled. - He lives where I am. I'm far away - he's cold. I'm nearby - warm. Which one now?

“H-hot...” the young man nervously swallowed saliva and tried to cross himself - maybe this obsession will disappear after all?

He never felt constrained with them, but here... Maybe it was all about some unusual meeting... or - in dreams?

- Who are you? – Ivanov finally asked. - And where did it come from?

“My name is Edna,” lowering her fluffy eyelashes, the girl ran her palm over her wet clothes. - Got wet. It’s okay, it’s sunny today - we’ll dry out.

An old man suddenly appeared from the bushes! The same shaggy one who talked to Gennady at night... So that’s who he was looking for, it turns out...

“There you are, my dear,” nodding his head, the old man tapped his staff. – Glory to the Great Corvala, I finally found you!

- I'm just following orders.

Edna suddenly flashed her eyes with reproach and anger:

– You know, they almost killed me just now! The vile Earl of the Kylfings Thorkell Kyu and his servants pursued me and, if not for this courageous young man... I don’t know whether I would be talking to you now or not.

- Is Torkel Kyu in these places? – old man Khirb asked in surprise. – Did he dare to venture into the waters of the sacred lake?

- I didn’t dare. But he dashed with arrows. Almost missed it...

Yes-ah... however, it will be a ghost!

* * *

- Gena, what are you thinking about?

I imagined it. However, so clearly, believably... Those blue eyes, golden hair... “Thank you, glorious warrior”... Ah!

– Gena, let’s order two paellas. One will not be enough. Although it is big, but...

- Two is two. Order now.

- You are such a taciturn person today.

The waitress brought beer and wine, while we were waiting for the paella, we drank it.

- Gen, are you for Barça or what? Still, we went recently.

– We went, but didn’t go to the Spanish village. Let's go in and have a look. It’s beautiful there, I saw it on the website. And the ticket is thirteen euros in total.

- Wow - thirteen euros! Moreover, the train is eight trains - and this is only in one direction.

- Well, let's go, boys, huh? What should we do here? Everything has already been climbed out.

Everything - but not everything. Just yesterday, standing on the observation deck of a steep cliff, pompously called the “Balcony of the Mediterranean,” Gennady noticed something interesting. Below, right behind the railway, the beach began, or rather the whole coastline of beaches - the Costa Dorada, smoothly turning into the Costa del Garraf and stretching all the way to Barcelona and beyond - Costa del Maresme, Costa Brava...

Far to the left, Gena saw rocks - a whole pile of light gray stones, reminiscent of the same “singing” boulders that stood along the swampy shores of the Black Lake. Maybe these ones sing too? The carnelian bead hanging around his neck, by the way, was warm all the time! “This is my stone. He is where I am. I'm far away - he's cold. I’m nearby – warm.” So spoke the golden-haired beauty Edna. Fairy of forest dreams...

- Hey, Gena. Where are you? Come on - here's to all the good things! Chin-chin.

In the morning Gennady woke up early, much earlier than the others. He rose at home in the same way - with the first rays of the sun, and often even before them. About six o'clock in the morning. Exercise, run about seven kilometers, light breakfast and by eight - like a cucumber, at work. Here, on vacation, Gena did not change the regime - why? So that you can get used to it again?

I woke up and went out onto the balcony of the apartment I had rented for a week. Apartments – as they used to say here. A large living room with two sofas and a kitchen, plus a bedroom, which Seryoga and Nadenka immediately occupied. The living room with sofas was left to Gennady and Rosalind. No, they haven’t slept together yet, but everything was heading that way. Tomorrow they will definitely sleep or the day after tomorrow - it’s a matter of time.

Trying not to make noise, the young man closed the door behind him and, going down the stairs to the street, walked towards the sea. It was still cool, the hot southern sun had not yet risen into the sky, but the city was no longer sleeping. I woke up with the rattling of garbage cans, the rustling of car tires, and the ringing voices of street cleaners pouring water from long multi-colored hoses onto the pavements. It was good all around, not hot, cheerful! The early birds were already singing, and somewhere below the first train roared towards Barcelona.

Having passed the railway, Gennady took off his sneakers and walked along the edge of the surf. His viscous footprints left on the yellow coarse sand were immediately licked up by the waves. There were always waves here. Sometimes they are big, sometimes not so much. Because it’s the sea, because it’s the wind. It always blew here.

The stones turned out to be quite ordinary. Rocks are like rocks. Light gray, licked by waves and wind... and, of course, with drawings! And with graffiti and inscriptions. The names of some small towns, unknown to anyone except the residents themselves... names - Vanya, Lena, Fernando: musical groups - "Saratoga", "Tiera Santa", "Slayer", "Baron Rojo", and - "Football" Barcelona club - how could we live without it?

Gennady grinned: should I write “Zenit is a champion”? It would be right on topic, but there’s nothing to it. If only some kind of fragment... Down there, just right. Like…

Without being lazy, the young man went down the stones, almost to the very surf, casually looked back... and shuddered! On the lowest rock, closest to the sea, there was a white spiral! The same as on the singing stones of Lake Must-järv!

Coincidence? Or some general Neolithic symbol? And damn it... And yet, it means he didn’t come in vain, and the bead... The bead is warm... Although, it’s true, it just warmed up.

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