Грязнов Юрий Алексеевич : другие произведения.

The Serpent

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  • Аннотация:
    Это — перевод рассказа "Змей", помещённого в этом же разделе. Путешественник во времени отправился к первым дням после сотворения мира. Его неосторожное поведение изменило весь ход истории. Annotation: The time-traveler went to early days after the Creation. His imprudent behavior changes Mankind History.
  Yu. A. Griaznov
  THE SERPENT(1)
  (Narration of the Unknown)
  Notification
  I have no intention to define in what manner this manuscript has fallen into my hands (though there was nothing of criminal connected with it).
  I present the text authentic, integral and unabridged, and decline all responsibility for its form and matter; nevertheless I reserve for myself all authorial rights, save somebody would pretend to them having real proves and in term fixed by laws.
  Yu. G.
  Sometimes one fancies that he"s doing some very wise thing, and later on it turns out to be pure foolishness. But sometimes it happens quite the contrary. Rarely, but happens----
  Surely, to pay one hundred roubles for a tin of beer, let it be foreign, or even super-foreign, and, as well, two hundred and twenty roubles for a packet of cigarettes--that"s dead silliness and nothing else. Would I be any stall-owner rolling in the millions, such a sum--pshaw ! But for me, with my engineer"s wages twenty five hundred a month, all in all----
  But I've got a huge pile as a quarterly premium, whole seven hundred roubles, and I decided to conceal a half of it from my better half, and to allow me such a luxury. And thus I"ve purchased one "Berger", a pack of "Camel", and so here I am, sitting in a garden, not far from Zanevskiy, breathing fresh air, smoking a cigarette, sipping beer, looking at ducks in the pond--"It"s warm and light, and flies don"t bite"--as they say. Enjoying splendid life, in a word----
  Just at that time he sat down by me. With the same tin in his hand.
  "It is fine weather to day," he said. "And the beer is fine. I like it."
  "I"ll say ! For such a price !" I said.
  "Why ? Is it too dear ?"
  I looked at him--"Seems quite normal fellow, about thirty",--I thought. The jacket "of firm" and tights--girls wear of the kind--girls with shapely legs; but may be, males also wear them now ?--May be, that"s the vogue to day(2) ?
  "That depends," I said. "For me that"s pretty dear. And you--are you a foreigner(3) ?"
  Truth to tell, I detected his accent at once.
  "I am not sure how to put it----As a matter of fact, I was born not far from here."
  "Ah, you are from Baltic. Though, they also are foreign to day."
  "No, not from Baltic--here--not far from here." He waved his hand somewhere in the direction of "Ladojskaya".--"Across the river."
  "At Yablonovka ? Across Ockervill ?"
  "Yablonovka ?--May be. It was all different those days."
  "Yes, indeed. Last twenty years--great many new buildings--difficult to recognise----But why foreign accent ?--Living abroad, I wonder ?"
  "Abroad ? Not quite so. More exactly--in another variant, if you know what I mean."
  "Another variant ? What for deuce is it ? !"
  He drooped suddenly, and I thought he was on the point of weeping.
  "I would tear my hair and strew my head with ashes: such a thing I have done with our world !--But what use of that ? !----I shall try to mend----But is it possible to mend anything ? Perhaps, it will be from bad to worse. But--could it be any worse ?----And I wished only to look on----"
  Tight, I guessed. By that time I"ve finished my beer and was turning the empty tin in my hands meditating, whether to throw it into a bin, or to treasure up as a memento.
  "Do you want some more beer ?"
  He pulled out from his bag one tin and offered it me. This yellow polyethylene bag he put it on the bench by his side, and judging by the sound, it was full of tins.
  "Thanks, but it"s too costly----"
  "Take it, please; there are a lot of them yet."
  He shook the bag, and the tins rumbled inside.
  I took the tin, thanked, and looked at him attentively once more. As it is, he didn"t look drunk indeed. I drew the cigarettes from the pocket and held them out to him.
  "Would you like ----?"
  "No, thank you, I do not use this."
  I opened the tin and sipped a little. He also opened a new tin and took some gulps.
  "Yes, I am from another variant. And even language I speak another. If you were more observant, you would notice that I speak through the translator."
  He patted on the player hanging on a shoulder-belt over his shoulder. As a matter of fact, that his box was too big for a player: some twenty centimetres by thirty by four, but I am not an expert on electronics (in any case, I can"t afford it), and so I thought it was some sort of a player.
  "The translator is here. It analyses your words, translates your speech for me"--he showed me a small thingy inserted in his left ear and connected by a thin wire with the "player"--"and translates, in turn, my speech into your tongue. I speak in a low voice, therefore you hear only the sound from the translator,"
  Indeed, his words sounded from that black box.
  "Japan ?" I pointed at the translator.
  "No, ours, native."
  Funny type he"s, I thought. Lies, surely, but that"s amusing----
  "But what deuce of dreadful have you done with your world ?"
  "Do not you see it yourself ?----What a rotten world it is that I got into !----I hope, you are not offended ?--Is it not true that this world is none other than shit ?----And all that because of my-self ----!"
  Surely, I felt hurt a bit that some foreigner or, well, "intruder" vilifies our world, but, to tell the truth, he wasn"t dead wrong.
  "But what have you to do with it ? Why it"s all because of you ? !"
  But he still couldn"t cool down.
  "In my world nobody kills anybody. Meantime, I, certainly, deserve death !----But my death now cannot change anything. And living I shall try to do something----"
  Touched ?----Well, let him babble. The beer is good. Thanks for the treating.
  He kept silent a little, sipping the beer now and again.
  "Yes, I shall relate you what I have done. May be that will ease my mind. You know, that will be as penitence. It will unburden my soul----"
  He kept silent again, with his eyes shut, and I thought he dosed, but suddenly he shivered as from chill, then wagged his head (nervous fit begins, I thought), and began to speak.
  "It is that cursed machine guilty; all the disasters are through it !----No, what do I say ! !--It is a rubbish--how could be guilty any machine ? ! It is all my fault ! Guilty I am, and no one else !----But they guarded it so bad, that machine !----I got into it stealthily and set co-ordinates of Mesopotamia and the days shortly after the Creation."
  "Days after--what ?!
  "The Creation of the World----Do not you know here ----?"
  That"s the end; for sure, he went off his chump----
  "Yes, something was heard about----And whither were you travelling on that your machine ?"
  "Just there where I desired. I feared to make some mistakes and to get into the Primordial Chaos, or, for instance--instead of Mesopotamia--into the Red Sea; but everything ensued happily: it was Mesopotamia, morning of the thirteen day, Friday, twenty nine minutes past seven, local time."
  "For a beginner--well done ! And how did you like Mesopotamia on Friday, the thirteen day after the Creation of the World ?"
  "I found myself in a mountain country. The mounts were picturesque, though not high, but I desired to reach the valley and started downhill. From somewhere were heard sounds that resembled purring. Having gotten to the open place, I saw a huge lion near-by. He grazed on a mead side-by-side with a lamb. Passing by, I tousled his mane and caressed his back. He purred more loudly, arched the back and rub his muzzle against my leg.
  "Soon afterwards, I came to a brook; the colour of it was milk-white. The analyser showed (with percentage, of course) presence of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and besides, in little amounts, natrium, calcium, chlorine and some other elements. Checking the molecular structure, I determined that the fluid was an emulsion containing albumins, fats and hydrocarbons. No harmful ingredients were found. Then I tasted it and realised, that it was a fresh whole milk. In another brook I detected the natural bee honey."
  I lost patience and interrupted him.
  "Is that analyser on you ?"
  "Yes, here it is."
  He extracted from his "player" a green pin about the size and form of a ball-point pen, and showed it to me. Behind the pin, a thin wire was drawn out of the "player".
  "Would you like to see how it functions ?"
  He dipped its nib into the beer; on the flat surface of the "player" lit up rows of signs in various colours. They didn"t look like numerals or characters of any alphabet known to me.
  "This is the chemical composition," said he. "And that is the molecular."
  The signs changed.
  "What strength is there ?"
  "Of volume, eight point seventeen per cent of alcohol."
  "Not bad. And what was then ?"
  "Then ?----Later on I descended in a valley. It was a verily paradisian place ! Fruitful trees everywhere, silk grass, flowers----Odours delightful----Nightingales singing, peacocks their magnificent tails spreading----And I perceived people!--A youth and a maid, both of beautiful constitution, were frolicking on the lawn. The maid feigned evading the youth, the latter reached her, they rushed on the grass and gave themselves up to love----
  "Afterwards the youth run away, and the maid was left on the grass alone. Seeing me, she sprang to her feet, salutatory waved her hand, and when I approached, she said gaily: "Hello, Serpent !"--"Why serpent ?" I said. "But who are you ? Look at yourself !" I remembered that my clothes really had a serpentine design."
  The chap stood up, took off his jacket, and I saw that the tights covered all his body except his head and hands. He pulled over his head a knitted hood made together with tights, and got a full likeness to Fantomas(4) as played by Jean Marais (without that ugly mask, of course). His stature was no worse then Marais". The tights were covered with a pattern looking like snake's skin. In such a finery one could, indeed, play serpent in some show or at a fancy-ball.
  "Yes, it resembles----" I said.
  The chap put his jacket on and got back to the bench.
  "I said: "Are you Eve ?"--"Yes, so I am called."--"But I am not a serpent, I am a human being like you and Adam." And I took my clothes off.--"Yes, you really are just the same as Adam;--even a little better in some sense," she added examining me from head to foot. "Heigh ! What is this ?" she asked touching my umbilicus."--"Ah, nothing," I said to avoid too complicated explanations.
  "She was a luxuriant blonde. Thick golden locks fell by waves below her knees. She covered her shoulders with them----"
  "Covered shoulders--with what ?"
  "Ah, with hair, of course. With her luxuriant golden locks she covered her luxuriant shoulders considerably damaged by the sun. The purpled skin came off here and there in patches. Her nose also was red and peeled. "Where is Adam ?" I asked.--"He went to Lilit. She bathes in a river. Whole day long sticks on the beach ! Impossible to drag her away----And I have been burned all over. You see how horribly I look ! But I awfully hate to be alone !" With these words she threw herself into my arms----
  "I should not, indeed, do that: you see, she is my great-great- . . . -great-grandmother, and I could turn my own ancestor, and that would be a paradox ! But at that moment all the wise thoughts flew away from my mind----
  "Adam appeared while we were making love (not the first time). Seeing me, he rejoiced. "Reinforcements arrived !"(5) shouted he. "To tell the truth, the situation is a bit too difficult for me sometimes."
  "He led by the hand a tall svelte brunette with the smooth mat skin tanned in colour of chocolate. Adam was some taller then I, broader in shoulders, with well developed muscles, but seemed a little tired. His sunburn was reddish as it is, as a rule, at rufus", and on his left flank whitened an oblong scar.
  "Lilit looked at me with her great black eyes and said that she was very pleased to meet me. But when she embraced me, I said: "O, my beautiful Lilit ! I am entirely at your disposition, but need some meal to restore my vigour."--"No, no, no ! !" cried they all in chorus when I stretched my hand out to reach a big red apple. "Not of this tree ! These apples are poisonous !" I was greatly astonished, nevertheless plucked that apple and stuck the analyser into it. "Not at all," I said. "The apple is absolutely innoxious." I courageously bit off a morsel. All the three looked at me with awe, but nothing happened, and I finished eating, with appetite, this apple appeared amazingly savoury and fragrant. After I had eaten up two or three more of these luscious apples, Eve also decided to run risks, and commenced to eat and to offer apples to Adam. Thus we three ate to satiety, but Lilit said that she was not hungry and refused even to taste. "Are you replete ?" she asked me. "Do come to me now !" But suddenly I felt embarrassed. "Better let us go there, in the bush," I said. She opened her eyes wide, but said nothing, and we both withdrew at about a hundred metres.
  "Having returned we saw that Adam and Eve sewed leaves together, made some kind of aprons and girded their loins up with them. Mysteriously, I felt ill at ease and dressed myself. It must be said that in our world people would not be ashamed of naked body, and they did not try to conceal love-caresses. For that reason, my own conduct seemed strange to me.
  "Lilit looked at us with wonder and mockery. "What a silly masquerade do you undertake ?" she said----
  "Just at that moment the fairy light spread throughout. It penetrated each slit, not the least nook remained dark, and no one thing threw a shadow. The sunlight dimmed before that radiance, but notwithstanding such a brightness, it was pleasurable for eyes. All colours blazed richly and beautifully, birds warbled more tunefully and joyously, aromas of herbs and flowers became more delicate and balmy----
  "Adam and Eve bounced up and hid themselves amongst the trees. I asked Lilit about that queer behaviour, but she answered that had not the slightest notion of the subject, that nothing of extraordinaries befell, that the Father merely made up his mind to visit his children, and one should rejoice and by no means be frightened.
  "In a short time before us appeared the venerable Ancient with snow-white hair and beard, dressed in white tunic. The radiance was emanating from that Ancient. Apparently, He already seized what happened, but feigned ignorance and called Adam and Eve. They answered from behind the trees that they felt shy being naked. "Hast thou eaten," He asked Adam, "of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that shouldest not eat ?"--"The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree and I did eat"----"
  "What a lousy type he"s," I interrupted. "To lump the blame on his lass----!"
  "That was his answer.
  "Then the Creator addressed to Eve: "What thus thou hast done ?"--"The Serpent beguiled me and I did eat," she answered. Briefly saying, it was all my fault, and I did not try to deny that. But for Adam and Eve that did not mend matters: they were deprived of Paradise. And I was told that I should yet receive my fate. And now I have my lot: got into the world for which any good word I cannot find."
  I appreciated his humour. A funny character that he is !
  "That"s all ?" I asked.
  "In general outline--yes. Some details could be added. The Creator commanded me to get out from that garden going on my stomach and swallowing dust by the way. He stretched forth his hand, and my legs gave way under me. I could not stand up till I reached my machine. On my way I saw that milky and honey brooks dried up. On the meadow the lion lacerated with his teeth and claws the dead body of the lamb and devoured his flesh. The lion's muzzle was bloodstained. That was a horrific sight !----The lion scented my smell, growled ferociously, lifted his head and bared large teeth in his dreadful mouth. Terror-stricken, I vomited, and the defecation began. Perhaps just that has saved my life----"
  He kept silent, lowered his head and closed his face with hands.
  Look ! There are yet such fibbers, ready to regale with beer if only somebody listens their fantasy !----But this guy is a real artist: such a yarn has spun! Not poor he"s, surely: the beer costs a hundred roubles, as it is ! May be he deals in beer himself ?
  "And what became of Lilit ?" I asked.
  "Do not know. I did not meet her since."
  "But Adam and Eve--did you ever met them ?"
  "On my way back I made some halts. Once I caught a glimpse of them; they were old enough and did not recognise me. They had a hard life. No luck with children, with the two elders. But, I suppose, you know that story----"
  "Well, well----But don"t it seems to you that the Creator, He treated them a bit too toughly ? Firstly: He himself planted that bloody tree in front of them, just under them very noses ! Didn"t He understand what He was doing ? !--Little children they were, only a week old !--Real provocation it was !--That is the name !----Secondly: couldn"t He warn them properly ? He said they would die eating those apples, but that was a lie ! And, besides, I"ve heard a very nice story: He shoved them out lest they should become immortal as Gods having eaten of the other tree !----And that"s a gentle daddy ----!"
  I became more and more resentful of that crying unfairness.
  "And you ain"t guilty of nothing ! He had to tell them strictly and honestly: if you gorge from that tree--I"ll hurl you both out, and plague on you ! Then all is clear: no--means--no, and none of analyses ! But what did He do ? He lied ! And you only exposed His lie ! That was the first lie on the Earth ! Hence--all other misdeeds ! And after all--"A scapegoat is wanted !" That"s----that"s real foulness !"(6)
  "Do not blaspheme. How can we judge about all that ? Inscrutable are ways of the Lord."
  I remembered myself. Why should I lose my hair because of some silly fables ? !
  "Well----By the way, is this the same attire in which you were going (as you have formulated that) on your stomach ?"
  "Yes."
  "Very unlike that is: it looks brand new !"
  "We know how to make textures very bearable, and they did not soil."
  "Greatly enviable !----Tell me some more about your world--the one which you lived in, and that you"ve lost."
  He drooped again and nearly wept.
  "It was a very good world. It was no Evil there. I am afraid, it is lost for ever----Let us drink some more beer."
  He took out from his bag two tins, and offered me one.
  "I think, that will do," I said. "Thanks. Beer is poison for liver. Worse than vodka."
  "Your liver is ill ? Give me your hand, please."
  He moved aside a little lid on the flank of his "player" and inserted my index in the opening. On the "player" again lighted up coloured signs.
  "Oho ! The whole collection ! And the liver, and the stomach, and the pancreas, and even the kidneys are out of order ? And a chronic bronchitis in addition. A bit too much for your thirty eight years ? Apropos, I am one hundred and seventy now----Take a pill, here it is."
  He offered me a capsule some six millimetres in diameter and fifteen long, light blue, in gelatine.
  "Take it with beer. Do not be afraid: it is only a stimulant, it will aid your organism to manage--Though, in such a habitat the most robust health will not endure long. I have checked some of your alimentary products: poisons everywhere ! And the air ?----It is marvellous that you all are living yet !--On the whole, in some ten years you return to present state----To my sorrow, I cannot give you these pills in stock: term of validity is limited. Do not be afraid," he repeated seeing my indecision. "Well, I also shall take----for company. Prophylaxis will not be superfluous."
  He put his hand under the "player", caught in flight the same capsule, sent it into his mouth and washed down with some beer. I don"t know why, but I also swallowed the capsule. Perhaps because he determined my age with such exactness.
  We"ve drank a couple of beers.
  "To the point, is there money in your world ?" I asked.
  "No, in our world there is no money."
  "Where did you get money from, then ? If it isn"t a secret----"
  "What secret ? I have sold a leopard"s hide there," he pointed at mixed stalls with all kinds of things for sale, standing at a some distance from the garden(7). "I was paid quite well. This is the jacket I have bought, and beer, and there is some more----"He produced from his pocket several hundred-rouble notes."
  "And leopard"s hide--where from ?--From your world ?"
  "I have told you that I made some halts on my way back: I wished to see historical progress----At one of those halts----I was given a present--"
  "And how did the history progress ?"
  "I think, you know that better than I do. To all appearances, there was nothing good to be expected."
  "And now you"ve returned in your time ?"
  "Yes. In my time and in my place. But--alas--in other variant."
  "And what now ?"
  "I will try to return in those days and on this occasion not to suggest Adam and Eve eating those apples. On the contrary: it is necessary to put them on guard against anybody who would try to seduce them !----Though, I do not know what my own future would be: you see, I also have eaten those apples, and do not fit, most likely, for my former world. But how can I return in my own past ? Nothing but paradoxes would not come of that. But of what importance is my destiny----?" He fall silent. "I suppose, it is time to start. Do not you mind to see me off ?"
  I agreed, surely. We went to the stalls. In one of the kiosks (it seems, in that stall I have bought the cigarettes) I got sight of yellow spotted fur inside.
  "It"s that ?" I asked.
  "Yes."
  "And who"s presented you such a nice hide ? And if honestly: don"t you filch it ?"
  He cast down his eyes.
  "Yes, I avow, I have stolen it from one hunter, the Neanderthaler. What can I say----Such is this world as it is----"
  Artist----!
  "Tell me, please, if you don"t mind, was it not you, accidentally, who killed Caius Julius Caesar ?"
  "----I see, you do not believe me----"
  We"ve made some more steps, and he stopped.
  "This is my machine."
  He pointed at one of the kiosks, almost the same as adjacent ones; the shutters were closed tightly. "All is clear (I thought): now he opens his shop and starts his small trading".
  He opened the door and gave me his bag and jacket.
  "This is for you."
  I didn't understand.
  "To hold while you make some adjustments ?"
  "No, I leave this to you. It is dangerous to take anything in the past. Paradox is possible. And recede, please two or three steps."
  I threw the jacked over my left arm, took the bag in the right hand, and made two steps backwards. He got into the kiosk, waved his hand to me, and slammed the door. In some five seconds resounded a bang like a tyre"s blowing up (but not so loud), and the kiosk--disappeared. A strong torrent of air pushed me from behind, and I hardly remained standing. On the spot where a moment ago stood the kiosk, rotated in a whirlwind scraps of paper, dust and cigarette-ends; in a few seconds all that sank into a small heap. People standing around turned to the sound and stared at me with suspicion. I don't know what they thought about. There was nothing to do any longer there, and I went home.
  Such a jacket is around ten thousand. In the pocket were found thirteen hundred. Seven tins of beer remained in the bag, plus four we"ve drunk together, plus one more he finished before my eyes; how many he drank before, I don"t know, but I guess that not too many; most likely, that tin was his first. And the bag--about twenty, perhaps. I don"t know how much cost leopard"s hides today, but my wife said he has sold that too cheap. For sure, that"s true, she knows such things better than I. But it can"t be helped now.
  Our world still exists. So, that guy failed in his project. Perhaps, he should return here, but may be, the lion devoured him----And may be, he chose for his last station another time or place ?----In any case, I suppose, he wouldn"t require his things back----
  It"s true, the pill has cured me. Doctors are even amazing. It"s a pity that I didn"t ask such a pill for my wife--
  But a hundred and seventy years--that"s a brazen lie. By sight he was no more than thirty. Well, thirty five at most---- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Notes:
  (1) Judging by the mentioned realities (geographical names, prices, wages etc), described events took place in Saint-Petersburg (Russia) in the autumn 1992. (All comments-- by Yu. G.)
  (2) Regardless of the fact that the alien himself was the first who entered into conversation even not being introduced, impertinence of the narrator deserves the most severe reprobation.
  (3) These tights became out of date long ago and were substitute by jeans that hide legs completely thus ensuring full "uravnilovka" (soviet term that may be translated approximately as egalitarianism) and eliminating unfairness of Nature distributing its gifts sometimes utterly unjustly.
  (4) "Fantomas"--French film with famous Jean Marais, the artist of athletic constitution, as the protagonist.
  (5) It is extremely doubtful using similar expression by Adam, as far as at that time there were no military forces on the Earth. This anachronism and the likes (and there are not a few of them in this narration) should be put down on account of the translator. But, on the other hand, taking into consideration that the First People possessed the gift of speech right from the very moment of appearance in the world and, besides, bearing in mind their extralonglifeability, it cannot be excluded that their thesaurus had been calculated for the very long-term perspective.
  (6) Some peculiarities of the manner of speech give evidence concerning appurtenance of the narrator to that category of Soviet people ("Sovoques") for which Solzhenitsyn invented the term "obrazovaniets" of which the root is common with the word meaning education, but the genuine sense reveals through linguistic affinity with untranslatable word "zasraniets" having negative shade.
  (7)At the time in question in Russia was "The epoch of romantic capitalism". The President proclaimed: "Sell what you want and where you want ! " and home-made kiosks and hawker's stands emerged on the each free place all over the city. It should be admit that they vivified the town very much. They were open till night, and some of them were open twenty-four-hour. But the city-administration under pressure of owners of big shops began liquidation of the street-commerce. And today there are no more hawker's stands, and number of survived kiosks diminishes permanently.
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