Рыбаченко Олег Павлович
Mafia Is Immortal

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  • Аннотация:
    Alina Yelovaya works as a mafia hitman and is practically elusive. But at some point, a brighter feeling awakens within her and she saves a child. She is arrested, and senior investigator Pyotr Ivanov takes a liking to her. But meanwhile, the big boss arranges for the girl to escape and assigns her a new mission.
  MAFIA IS IMMORTAL
  ANNOTATION
  Alina Yelovaya works as a mafia hitman and is practically elusive. But at some point, a brighter feeling awakens within her and she saves a child. She is arrested, and senior investigator Pyotr Ivanov takes a liking to her. But meanwhile, the big boss arranges for the girl to escape and assigns her a new mission.
  PROLOGUE
  Everyone has their own dream, and the 1990s in Russia were a time of immense opportunity. Many beautiful girls turned to prostitution, found work as strippers, or, at worst, became saleswomen. But Alina Yelovaya had a different gift. She was unusually fast, agile, nimble, and an extremely accurate shot. She was very beautiful and slender, slightly above average height, with blond hair. Her appearance was very innocent, like the face of an angel.
  At the same time, the girl was also a master of martial arts. She even earned extra money in mixed martial arts. She already had plenty of money.
  But Alina really enjoyed being a killer. For example, what was she assigned now? Kill a banker. The girl agreed. She would use a special bow that could send an arrow two kilometers.
  The girl climbs the wall. Her bow is a folding, homemade one. She's used it many times before. And it's easy to hide under her clothes.
  The killer girl took off her shoes and climbed up, pushing herself up with her bare toes. And she clung to them firmly.
  Alina found herself on the turret. From there, she could see the banker dining in the restaurant. He was being guarded. And at the entrance to the restaurant stood guards in bulletproof vests, carrying walkie-talkies, machine guns, and German shepherds.
  Alina sees that the restaurant is covered with bulletproof glass. Sniper rifles are powerless against it, but a special bow can easily penetrate it.
  The girl took aim at her opponent with her weapon. And she fired with perfect accuracy. The arrow flew past, struck the transparent armor, pierced the multi-layered wall, passed on, and pierced the banker's fat bulk. An explosion was heard, and one of Russia's richest businessmen was torn to pieces.
  Alina giggled and noted:
  - What a blow!
  And the girl began to descend. She completed the task, brilliantly as always. But then chance intervened. A five-year-old boy climbed onto the roof and, unable to hold on, slid. Alina, who, like any woman, had maternal feelings, rushed to save him. It was her strong move. But it proved her undoing. While she was pulling the boy out, the guards had already begun storming the tower. And one of the snipers fired a needle containing a powerful psychotropic drug.
  Alina's vision went blurry and she passed out.
  CHAPTER No 1.
  Alina was under the influence of the machine and only vaguely perceived how she was being transported to the pretrial detention center, how she moved through the corridors of Butyrka. How they took her fingerprints and photographed her in profile, full-face, sideways, and from behind. It wasn't until she reached the search room that a large, masculine-looking female guard painfully pinched her breast, saying,
  - Oh, what tits!
  Alina suddenly realized she was completely naked, and three large women in rubber gloves were groping her bare, muscular body. And there, in a chair at the table, was a police major, writing something down.
  The girl exclaimed:
  - What are you doing!
  The huge woman grinned:
  - The aunt is groping the girl! Is she hiding something from the police?
  The major noted:
  - She's a murderer! The search must be most thorough.
  The brute of a guard growled:
  - Stand still and don't move!
  And her paws began combing her thick, snow-white hair. Every strand was examined. And it was not only humiliating but also painful. Alina was surprised when they managed to undress her. She hadn't even noticed. The guards peered into her ears and nostrils. But how disgusting it was when the plump woman's paws reached into her mouth. Alina experienced excruciating stomach cramps and nausea.
  It's truly disgusting. There's rubber under his cheeks, rubber under his tongue, and it's twitching. He looks into his mouth and pulls everything out, leaving behind the taste of rubber.
  Finally, the fingers came out of her mouth, and Alina began breathing heavily, even sweating. The girl became even more uneasy. But the search continued, and they began to feel her under her arms. They were shaved.
  The brute guard asked:
  - Are you a lesbian?
  Alina objected:
  - I'm straight!
  The brute of a guard pressed her index finger against her navel. Alina winced in pain and barely restrained herself from kicking back with her bare heel.
  The search continued. A gynecological examination chair stood to one side. Alina was asked to lie on her back. With a sigh, she spread her legs. The guard dropped some Vaseline on her glove to make the procedure smoother. Her paw entered Alina's womb.
  And she did it quite roughly. The killer girl felt both pain and disgust. It was as if she were being raped. And it was a mannish gorilla doing it. And her fingers sank so deep, it felt like they were about to rupture her uterus. Alina moaned, and her bare feet, threaded through the loops, twitched.
  The big guard giggled:
  - Just be patient! This is prison for you, and you're especially dangerous!
  And she shoved it even deeper, and it felt like her womb was about to burst; even beads of blood appeared. Imagine, she shoved almost her entire, not insignificant paw into her womb. And she demonstratively poked around in it.
  Alina tried to imagine something more pleasant. Or rather, something heroic. Like she was a partisan being tortured by the Nazis. And, for example, her bare feet being roasted on an electric stove. The girl turned pale. How humiliating, how vile and impudent it looked.
  Alina took it and began to sing with fury to show that she could not be broken:
  I will not surrender to the enemies, the executioners of Satan,
  I will show fortitude under torture!
  Though the fire blazes and the whip beats on the shoulders,
  And the soul hung like a shaky thread!
  
  Homeland, I am ready to die in the prime of life,
  Because the Lord gives strength!
  The homeland gave me a gentle light,
  Having risen, having dispersed the darkness of the grave!
  
  Those who do not believe are overcome with melancholy,
  He suffers in soul and mortal body!
  And on the coffin a board is nailed with nails,
  You will never rise again as yellow chalk!
  
  Who fought, forgetting the vile base fear,
  He will die without knowing the emptiness of evil hearts!
  And even though the deceased warrior was also in sin,
  God will forgive and place a sacred crown!
  The warden finally pulled out her paw and growled:
  - Okay then! Eat well! Now turn her over onto her stomach!
  Once again, Alina had to endure pain and humiliation. Her anus was penetrated. And the fingers literally tore at her. It was like being impaled.
  Alina exclaimed:
  - You are such a pervert!
  The gorilla warden exclaimed:
  - This will be your punishment! You killed people and were merciless!
  And she continued the actual violence. And it was truly cruel. However, Alina wondered if this was karmic revenge. After all, she had killed people. Yes, most of them were scoundrels, some even mafia bosses. And she didn't touch good people, especially children. Women were among her victims.
  The police major exclaimed:
  - Okay, stop drilling her! We still have plenty of clients. Go ahead and feel her legs and let her go!
  Alina felt relief when the large fingers emerged from her anus, which had nearly been torn. Then they lifted her from the chair and casually felt her soles, checking between her toes.
  Afterwards, the female killer was taken to another room. There, she was photographed again, this time naked and from different angles.
  Then they brought me to the table. And they took fingerprints from my bare feet. They did it all very skillfully. And they left the girl's footprints on paper.
  Then they led her naked into a cage. Several girls in white coats began recording her body features. Alina's body was so muscular and slender, so shapely. They also jotted down her moles, scars, and other details in their notebooks.
  Alina felt like an animal being experimented on. She stood there. A young woman in a white coat approached her. She placed Alina's head in the opening and grabbed her chin with her hand. Then she put her fingers in her mouth. This time, the woman's hands were bare.
  Alina was indignant:
  - It's against the instructions to wear gloves! Especially since I've already been searched!
  The young woman laughed and put on thin medical gloves. Then she leaned toward Alina again and began to feel around her mouth. She did this deliberately slowly and thoroughly.
  Then another woman brought some plasticine. And they took bite marks from the killer girl's teeth. It was pretty cool, even if it was humiliating.
  Finally, they X-rayed Alina. They actually checked her stomach and everything else. The machine worked well, illuminating her insides. And for good reason: Alina had a cartridge containing valuables in her intestines.
  And now it had to be removed. For this, Alina was taken to a special room, where her intestines were to be flushed out with a hose and warm water.
  It is also a very painful and humiliating procedure.
  Alina's bare feet were already starting to get cold, and it was extremely unpleasant. This girl had gotten herself into trouble. She, however, knew that prison was no picnic. But the fact that she had been practically raped, and more than once, was unsettling. And the colon cleansing was proceeding without ceremony or pause.
  Alina tried again to imagine something pleasant. But when a stream of water tears you apart. And then the woman, with a rubber-gloved hand, takes out the cartridge. Inside were diamonds hidden.
  And they had already been sent for examination. And Alina was shaking with pain and humiliation.
  Then they filmed her some more from different angles. Then they sent her naked and handcuffed into the shower. Alina is a gorgeous blonde and very beautiful, and she looks incredibly sexy when her body is naked. Such a gorgeous girl.
  And in the shower, several young women are already washing themselves. Alina looks far too innocent. An angelic face, not a single tattoo. The fact that she's a terrifying serial killer isn't written on her sweet face at all.
  And then a huge, muscular woman with tattoos comes up to her and roars:
  - What, rabbit, did you get caught?! Now you're going to lick me!
  Alina smiled and replied:
  - I do not encourage perversion!
  A large paw attempted to grab the blonde by the hair. But the killer kneed her in the solar plexus. Alina moved very quickly. And her opponent, having received a crushing blow, doubled over and began to writhe.
  The other prisoners squealed with delight. One of them shouted:
  - This is a killer Snow White!
  Alina giggled and replied:
  - For every failure, learn to fight back!
  The huge prisoner tried to attack again, but Alina turned and kicked her in the chin with her bare heel. She fell, completely unconscious. And again, everyone burst into laughter.
  Alina giggled and said with fury:
  - Beneath the angelic appearance lies a hellish spirit!
  And she showed the strong knuckles of her fists. The prisoners murmured approvingly. Strength is respected by the fair sex, too. After which Alina began to wash herself. They even shoved shampoo into her hands. The girl walked happily under the streams.
  A guard and two large police officers were waiting for her at the exit. They handcuffed her again. Alina was clearly considered particularly dangerous.
  The major, who came out to meet her, said:
  - Put her in a government uniform!
  The girl was forced to put on a pair of camp pajamas and heavy boots that didn't fit. After that, she was sent to a cell.
  For now, however, she's not in a general detention center, but in a cramped cell. Apparently, the investigator needs to question the beauty before choosing a preventive measure and determining her whereabouts.
  And Alina was locked in there, and she sat down at the table. She had to sit under the lamps and wait. And the lamps were bright, and the air smelled of ozone.
  The girl sat down and relaxed. She thought how stupid she'd been caught. True, women aren't executed in Russia, or even given life sentences, but she was still facing a long prison term for a series of murders, and in places that weren't exactly pleasant. Where it's too cold in the winter and teeming with mosquitoes in the summer. True, with her skills, she could try to escape from any prison, especially a women's one.
  There were real concerns that she might be killed in prison-she knew too much. And she'd killed many powerful people. That, of course, can't be erased from her biography. Alina isn't exactly an evil girl, but she has a hunter's instinct. And she enjoyed the process of stalking her prey. She's such a remarkable beauty. And a Terminator all at once.
  She committed her first murder at a young age. And not just for fun, but for money. Who would suspect a girl with angelic looks of being a killer? So, basically, if you're going to give everyone a hard time, give it a hard time.
  Alina suddenly felt the urge to take a drag. She rarely smoked; she wasn't addicted to tobacco. But sometimes she'd take a drag on an expensive cigar. She liked the cowboy look.
  But will they give her an expensive Hawaiian cigar here?
  But she didn't want to beg and humiliate herself. Even though she had already been humiliated, and even raped several times.
  Alina also wondered: does God exist? And if so, why is there such chaos in the world, and why does might rule? Indeed, Jesus Christ holds all power on Earth and in Heaven, so why do wolves rule the world, not sheep? And why does evil triumph more often than good? Although these are relative concepts.
  Indeed, what is good and what is evil? These are more than relative concepts. For example, in the Old Testament, God committed veritable genocide against humanity. And yet He was considered good. But our world is terrible. Especially if you look at old women, how can women-the fair sex-be so disfigured?!
  The killer girl said with fury:
  I believe the whole world will wake up,
  There will be an end to fascism...
  The sun will shine brightly,
  Lighting the way for communism!
  The girl took off her rough, prison-issue boots, a couple of sizes too big. She remembered how her friend Natasha, also a natural-born killer, hadn't been so lucky. She'd set fire to a school, leaving both burned and injured victims. She'd been caught and sent to a special school for difficult girls. There, they were also dressed in identical overalls and given government-issued boots. And also a couple of sizes too big. And that's nasty; it wears on the girls' little feet. You have to put paper underneath. Otherwise, the girls tried to go barefoot in warm weather. And their hair was cut very short, like boys'. The food was decent, though, and there was occupational therapy. There wasn't much joy in the special school. You lived by a regimen: either working, studying, or joining some club. And the girls were pretty nasty too, but Natasha fought back. Overall, it was livable. And she spent a couple of years there and got out. Considering that her opponent, whom she had avenged by setting fire to, and several other children and a couple of teachers were disfigured, and one even died, she got off lightly.
  Natasha also became a killer. But she got caught more often. She ended up in juvenile detention for murder. And she distinguished herself there too.
  Well, if you've got fists and a head, you'll be fine in prison. It's even easier in juvenile detention: punch the biggest guy in the face, and you're already a kingpin. It's more difficult in adult detention: you need more than just fists, you also need authority and a track record as a thief.
  Alina grinned... Yes, she was no longer a minor to become a leader so easily, but still, these were the nineties, a time of lawlessness and the cult of force.
  The girl just went and blurted out:
  Anyone who is a man is born a warrior,
  As usual, the gorilla took a stone...
  When the enemies are legion without number,
  And in the heart a flame blazes hotly!
  
  The boy sees a machine gun in his dreams,
  He prefers the tank to the Limousine...
  Who wants to turn a penny into a nickel,
  From birth he understands that force rules!
  Alina laughed... Indeed, her spirits lifted. And she shrugged. She wished she could fly...
  The thoughts were interrupted. A woman in a prison guard's uniform entered, along with three muscular police officers.
  A roar was heard:
  - Hands!
  Alina had to push her hands behind her back, and the handcuffs snapped into place. She winced, and they led her away. Alina left her uncomfortable shoes in the cell and went barefoot. And why not? It was May, and barefoot was even better, especially such rough ones.
  The girl walked, showing off her bare heels. And she felt like Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya. She, too, was walking barefoot, albeit in the snow. And torture awaited her.
  And Alina might be tortured too. They'll demand she hand over the mastermind and confess to other, similar crimes. And they won't care that she's a girl. And if it ends with just tickling her bare, girlish sole with a goose feather, she'll be lucky. But if this happens, they might clamp her fingers in the door, beat her heels with rubber truncheons, and even use a lighter. Or maybe they'll even use a gas mask. And she'll compete with Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya in stubbornness and tenacity.
  Alina took it and began to sing:
  On the rack, naked, the joints are torn out of the shoulders,
  I'm hanging, my back is breaking under the blows!
  And the executioner, with a grin, sprinkles salt on the wounds,
  The merry brute got drunk on intoxicating wine!
  
  But I"m not just a slave, but a royal diva,
  Ruler and earthly sister of the gods!
  And if I suffer, then I suffer beautifully,
  I will not express fear before the terrible grin of fangs!
  
  A red-hot piece touched my bare feet,
  The scorched smoke tickles the nostril with disgust!
  What did I give up my innocent royal youth for!
  Why am I suffering so much? I just can"t understand the fate of my destiny!
  
  But the warrior maidens, I know, are rushing to help,
  Swords crush evil monsters, throwing evil into the dirt!
  Know that we thickly pave the way with vile corpses,
  After all, we have a mighty warrior with us, the prince himself!
  
  The enemy backed away, I see the shit is retreating,
  Cruel executioner, you are no king in battle, no master!
  The destroyed will bloom like cherry trees in May,
  Those who damaged and burned will all get a punch in the face!
  
  And what else is more radiant and beautiful than the Fatherland,
  What is higher than her, and the simplest calling is honor?!
  For which I am ready to give the rest of my life,
  Who should read the holy prayer before the battle!
  
  Of course, there is such a word, it is precious,
  It sparkles radiantly, eclipsing the luminaries of diamonds!
  After all, the Motherland is the understanding of love, absolutely,
  It is limitless, including the entire universal world!
  
  After all, for her sake I didn"t groan in pain on the rack,
  It would be a sin for a princess of the sublunary world to break down!
  Let us bow low to the holy Fatherland,
  Snow fell at home and it became white as white!
  
  Now my word to future descendants,
  Don't be afraid, victory always comes!
  All that will remain of all the enemies will be only fragments,
  And the teeth of the one who opened his greedy mouth will fly out!
  The policemen were so captivated by her wonderful voice that they didn't even try to silence the girl. And they listened to her songs, which are wonderful.
  And so they led her barefoot past the men's section. The males roared, truly amazing, what a wonderful blonde. And the girl just kept walking.
  One of the louts tried to grab her breast, but received a powerful blow in return. He fell from a severe bruise. The other louts burst into laughter.
  Alina noted that the males are quite smelly.
  And so they lead her into the offices, which were now more orderly. And then the girl found herself at the door. It read: "Senior Investigator, Colonel Pyotr Ivanov."
  Alina imagined a gray-haired, respectable man. She was led into the office, and the scent of expensive perfume filled her.
  The secretary sat. Alina was seated on a chair bolted to the floor. Handcuffs were fastened to a hook at her back. She felt an unpleasant pull.
  And here comes the senior investigator himself. He unexpectedly turned out to be young, no more than thirty, and wearing mirrored glasses with a colonel's epaulettes. Because of the glasses, his eyes are hidden, making it unclear what they represent.
  The secretary asked Alina the usual questions: first name, last name, patronymic, position, education.
  Alina answered willingly.
  Pyotr Ivanov looked at her in amazement. She was a living angel. He'd never seen such a beautiful girl, not even in a movie. And the gray robe especially accentuated the girl's snow-white hair and her sweet face.
  His gaze fell on her graceful, knee-length bare legs, and he exclaimed:
  - Why is she barefoot? This is not right!
  Alina replied:
  - No need! I'm much more comfortable barefoot. The government-issued footwear is disgusting!
  Peter noted:
  - We can let you wear your own clothes. Especially since you have such eyes...
  Alina laughed... And answered with a smile:
  - Right on target!
  Petr asked a few questions on abstract topics. What movies does Alina like to watch? Who are her favorite movie characters and actors? Then he asked whether she practices martial arts.
  Alina replied:
  - Yes, I am!
  Peter noted:
  - Have you ever wanted to work as a photo model?
  Alina replied with a sigh:
  I've done a few magazine shoots. I really wanted to be in films. Even as a child, I was cast in the role of a partisan girl. I walked around with a basket a couple of times. But the director remarked:
  - The partisan's features are too Aryan. She should play a German princess!
  And the girl burst out laughing again...
  Peter was at a loss, and suddenly remembered that this girl was a dangerous killer. He forced a smile and ordered:
  - Take the handcuffs off her!
  The policeman noted:
  - She's dangerous!
  The colonel remarked:
  - What in the world isn't dangerous? Even ordinary water can be poisonous!
  Alina sang:
  - And smiling crookedly,
  She shouted on the day of the trial...
  It's not beer that kills people,
  Water destroys people!
  The policeman removed her handcuffs and left. Alina, straightening her arms, remarked:
  - It"s scary for a colonel to be afraid of a girl!
  Peter asked:
  - Have you killed people?
  The killer girl nodded:
  - You could say that, but most of them are not people!
  Peter noted:
  - You're facing a pretty long sentence... Sincere repentance mitigates guilt.
  Alina smiled and replied:
  - Well, there's no point in hanging this nonsense on my ears. Especially since there are other ways.
  Peter asked:
  - Which?
  The killer girl replied:
  - Well, for example, like in the movie Nikita, make me an FSB agent!
  Peter shrugged:
  "That's not my area of expertise. But I'm warning you, if you don't turn in the people who ordered the hit, your case will be transferred to another investigator. And he won't care that you're a woman!"
  Alina snorted contemptuously:
  - They won't kill you, and the bruises will heal!
  Peter asked ingratiatingly:
  - Did you kill the banker Mehis?
  Alina shook her head:
  - No! Not me!
  Peter muttered:
  - Are you playing a game of denial?
  Alina logically noted:
  "What reason would I have to confess? We have jury trials now, and I have a chance of being acquitted. Considering how much they could pin on me, there's no point in cooperating with the investigation. Besides, if I deny everything, I might even survive."
  CHAPTER No 2.
  Mafia boss Herod Borisovsky was very displeased. It was a stupid mistake to kill a hitman who left no trace behind.
  Now there was a risk that the queen Alina, or, as they called her, the gentle death, would crack and give everyone away. What to do now? Get rid of her or...
  Herod cried out:
  - Bring the head of secret intelligence to me!
  A rat-like face of a man in dark glasses appeared on the monitor. He gurgled.
  - I'm listening to you, boss...
  Herod cried out:
  - Can you release the white angel from custody?
  The head of secret intelligence replied:
  "For a professional, nothing is impossible! We just need to keep in touch with her through a lawyer. Then there are two options: either bribe the judge with a large sum of money and he'll release her on bail, or arrange an escape. We have to do something about it, and we'll do it."
  The big boss nodded:
  - Go ahead! I'm not limiting you in resources, but I am limiting you in time!
  And he switched off the monitor. The order had been given, and there was no need for further chatter. Herod still had plenty of targets to push through. And a high-class assassin was definitely needed.
  These are troubled times, a redistribution of property is underway. One class is leaving, and another is coming. The mafia is called the fourth estate. And this estate is formidable and powerful, one that is truly capable of establishing order. However, this estate has a major drawback: too many dictators. Indeed, there are so many different gangs. And each boss considers himself the center of the universe. And between them there is a constant, permanent war.
  The mafia is dispersed, like an octopus without a single center, and it has no main boss. And Herod wants to become that boss. Only there are other contenders for the role of emperor of the criminal world. And they want to send that same Herod to the grave. And a hitman is the most in-demand profession after prostitute, of course.
  Herod, thinking about the prostitute, felt a thrill of excitement. Indeed, a night fairy is wonderful. She's a wonderful woman.
  And pressed the call button.
  A honey-haired blonde appeared in a short skirt and high heels. Heavily made up, she looked striking. She bowed to the boss. Then she walked over to the chair and knelt down. She began to work with abandon, and she, too, found it captivating, like a lustful female attracted to a strong, authoritative male.
  Meanwhile, investigator Pyotr continued his conversation with Alena. The girl looked like a flower in a greenhouse, such an outwardly innocent beauty.
  Peter said ingratiatingly:
  - And when you killed the first person, what did you feel?
  Alina giggled and noted:
  - Can you really call a bandit a human being? Sometimes they behave worse than fascists!
  Ivanov noted:
  - Now some people say: "If the Germans had won, we'd be drinking Bavarian beer. But the prices are crazy and they haven't paid wages for six months!"
  The girl snorted contemptuously:
  - But you cops get paid.
  Peter muttered:
  - Yes, they do pay. More or less regularly. But then others suffer...
  Alina muttered:
  "I even considered killing Yeltsin, on my own initiative! I think Russia would have breathed a sigh of relief!"
  Ivanov grinned and noted:
  - Do you think this would solve all the problems? Or maybe, on the contrary, things would have gotten even worse, and Yeltsin"s entourage would have been torn apart!
  The killer girl nodded:
  - That's why I didn't kill him.
  Peter doubted:
  - Yeltsin has a large security detail.
  Alina squeaked:
  - Large cabinets fall loudly.
  The investigator paused, drank some soda, and then remarked:
  "There's serious evidence against you. Specifically, a bow of marvelous design. And you won't be able to get away with it, even in front of a jury."
  The killer girl muttered:
  - We'll see! A fight is better than no fight. And a suspended sentence isn't on the cards anyway.
  Peter offered Alina a soda. The female killer objected:
  - Better than orange juice.
  The investigator shouted:
  - Juice for us!
  Alina laughed and noted:
  - And being a bandit is cool in its own way!
  Peter noted:
  - Killing people is disgusting in any case, even bad ones! There is a court for that.
  The girl laughed and replied:
  - The ships are for sale! And my bow, much less my pistol, can't be bought!
  The colonel asked:
  - Have you killed with a pistol?
  Alina nodded her head:
  "I've punished bad guys in many ways. And in this regard, anything is possible. But I won't give you the details."
  Peter asked:
  - What do you think of Mikhail Boyarsky?
  The killer girl answered calmly:
  - A good artist and a good singer!
  The colonel clarified:
  - What if you were ordered to kill Mikhail Boyarsky?
  Alina shrugged:
  - Who could need it?
  Peter objected:
  - Who knows? There were plenty of competitors!
  The killer girl answered calmly:
  "I would have refused. I would have found a reason to refuse. So what? Do you think I'm so poor that I'm willing to take the life of a decent person for money?"
  The colonel grinned:
  - It's good that you are like this! Although, it seems to me that maybe you want to seem better than you are!
  Alina took it and sang:
  A flower petal is fragile
  if it was plucked long ago...
  Even though the world around us is cruel,
  I want to do good!
  Peter asked:
  - And at the same time you killed.
  Alina remarked angrily:
  The heroes of the Great Patriotic War also killed. They killed fascists, they killed Nazi collaborators, sometimes they killed innocent people by mistake. But they were considered heroes. And those I killed were all scum. Many of them sold drugs to children, raped women, robbed orphans, and because of them, hungry people hanged themselves! You could say I'm a she-wolf, a forest nurse!
  Peter whistled:
  - Really! You're asking the question like that? Like, I kill bad people and that justifies lawlessness?
  The killer girl noticed and chirped:
  We keep millions in banks...
  And don't care about the law!
  And she stuck out her tongue... And hers was long and flexible. Pyotr thought that perhaps this girl moonlighted not only as a hitman, but also as a night fairy. Although, perhaps the pay for a hitman is higher, the street is safer. And maybe more pleasant. There are all kinds of women here. Some really love the profession of night fairy.
  Alina took a small pebble from the floor and tossed it with her bare toes. She caught it deftly. Then she picked it up and sang again:
  Throw away millions,
  Compete with billions!
  We will beat the evil creatures,
  To put criminals in jail!
  Peter noted:
  - You're playful! Aren't you afraid of being caught on camera?
  Alina shrugged:
  - What should I be afraid of? I can fight better than a man. And I can give anyone a run for their money!
  The colonel remarked:
  - But the cells are overcrowded!
  The killer girl smirked:
  - I'll survive! So what if it's cramped, but no offense. Besides, women have it better than men. They lock us up less often. In fact, there's a song where a girl regrets not being born a man. But I'm happy, a woman has it much easier in prison than a male. And nothing will happen to me. And if I go to prison, escaping with my abilities is easy as pie. And there are no special prisons like "White Swan" for women. It's the stupid men who suffer!
  Peter remarked with a sigh:
  - That's why we're the stronger sex: to bear the brunt of the burden. The burden of power, the burden of war, the burden of authority! But don't feel sorry for us!
  Alina laughed and sang with feeling and pathos:
  There are women in our Russia,
  Why are they driving a plane, jokingly?
  What is the most beautiful thing in the universe?
  That will kill all the enemies!
  
  They are born to win,
  To glorify Rus' throughout the world!
  After all, our mighty grandfathers,
  They were going to collect everything for them at once!
  
  Giants stand at the machine,
  Their power is such that they destroy everyone!
  We are the children of the Fatherland, united -
  A line of soldiers is marching!
  
  Grief cannot break us,
  The evil fire, napalm, is powerless!
  Where the torch used to burn...
  The spotlight is now blazing!
  
  In our country, everything is a torch of light,
  Cars, roads, bridges!
  And victories are sung in songs -
  We are the falcons of light, eagles!
  
  Let us glorify our Fatherland boldly,
  We will lead you to the steep peaks!
  We are in space, like pioneers -
  And we'll wring the necks of the fascists!
  
  We will reach Mars too,
  Let's open the way to Centauri!
  There will be those who fear the predator,
  And who is kind and honest to love!
  
  Russia is the dearest country of all,
  There is something to be proud of, believe me!
  No need to talk nonsense...
  Be human, don't be a beast!
  
  Let's reach the edge of the universe,
  We will build a granite fortress there!
  And whoever lost repentance,
  Whoever attacks the Fatherland will be beaten!
  
  What's next? There's little imagination.
  But believe me, we will resurrect the dead!
  We will tear out the sting of death with a jerk,
  To the glory of immortal Rus'!
  She sang with her magnificent voice. And it was so radiant and magnificent.
  Peter spread his hands and remarked:
  - Wonderful voice and magnificent words! You are beautiful, no doubt about it!
  Alina shrugged and replied:
  - Yes, I could become a singer. But I'm drawn to the romance of the criminal world!
  The colonel objected:
  - What romance is there? Nothing but dirt and violence!
  The killer girl replied with a sigh:
  "Yes, there really isn't much romance, and there's plenty of violence and filth. But the police aren't any better. They're full of werewolves in uniform!"
  Peter said, not too confidently:
  "But we're still guardians of the law. And we serve the law. And you're on the opposite side of the rules established by the majority. Which means we're always more right than the mafia!"
  Alina shrugged and replied:
  "Majority and minority, it's arithmetic. If they wanted, our bosses could gather gigantic crowds of people. And fill all the streets of Moscow. And the people... The people and the mafia are one!"
  The colonel nodded wearily:
  - Yes, we know you can. But you don't even need power! You only want to suck the blood of the people.
  The killer girl objected:
  - The mafia strives for justice! We demand from each according to his abilities, to each according to his work!
  The colonel had to suppress a chuckle. It reminded him of something painfully familiar.
  Alina considered taking the colonel hostage and using him as a human shield to escape. But that seemed too risky. Wouldn't it be better to escape at a different moment? One idea occurred to her: faking a heart attack and sneaking out of the hospital. Like they did in the movie "The Client." Or testifying that she'd killed someone and escaping during the investigative experiment? There were many possible plans.
  In any case, she hadn't planned to linger. Although, of course, she was curious to see how they'd greet her in the cell. She decided, at the slightest provocation, to immediately kick her in the chin with her bare heel. She remembered how San Sanych had organized the prisoners. There he'd first beaten them, and then become their guru. Maybe she, too, could form her own gang in the pretrial detention center. And start a riot. Indeed, why shouldn't the prisoners rise up? Start a great, criminal revolution.
  And she will become a thieves' princess - formidable and unique! Or the queen of Russia.
  And Alina sang mentally:
  But I have another passion,
  This is power, nothing but power!
  No need for gold and money,
  But it is necessary that in front of me,
  People were on their knees,
  People were on their knees,
  All over the surface of the earth!
  Peter asked the girl:
  - Are you thinking about something?
  Alina replied:
  - About lofty matters! And it will be interesting.
  The colonel shrugged and replied:
  - High matters. Do you believe in God?
  The killer girl laughed:
  - In God? Do you believe?
  Peter shrugged his shoulders again and replied:
  "It's a difficult question... When you look at the atrocities happening in our world, you naturally doubt the existence of the Almighty. You think I would do something like that in His place. It would be heaven!"
  Alina laughed:
  "Yeah, I think that way sometimes too! For example, when you look at old men and women, it seems like you could make them all look young and beautiful, which would be awesome. And it would be fun..."
  There was a pause. The killer looked out the window. It was armored, but without bars. Alina wondered if she could break it with a flying kick. The girl was breaking up chunks of ice with her feet. It was practical, I must say, especially in the summer. When you break slate or boards, a lot of debris is left behind. And the ice shards fly apart, then melt and trickle down. And evaporate. And that makes disposal easier. Armored glass can also be penetrated with high-force strikes. The key is to do it quickly.
  Peter interpreted her look in his own way:
  - I can let you play football in the prison yard. You are adorable!
  Alina giggled and sang:
  I am perfection itself,
  I am perfection itself,
  From a smile to a gesture,
  Beyond all praise!
  The colonel asked:
  - Do you play chess?
  The killer girl nodded:
  - Of course! I even invented my own chess sets.
  Peter was surprised:
  - Your own chess set? That's so interesting! Tell me what it's like.
  Alina began to tell with pleasure:
  Hyperchase was a game that featured a series of pieces: archers, runners, slingers, jesters, cardinals, generals, officers, chariots, two queens, the prime minister (who, by the way, is the most powerful piece), a corporal, a cart, a howitzer, a catapult, a ballista, guards, and a galley.
  Yes, it's an impressive army, and it's not that easy to play.
  Yes, the rules are not easy to remember. For example, the Nimble Jester moves like a queen and captures like a knight. Cardinals move like a knight and a queen, but capture only like a queen. The Prime Minister moves like a knight, a queen, and a runner (the latter can leap over its own and enemy pieces, but not capture them!), but captures like a queen, a knight, a catapult, and a ballista (the first like a bishop and over its own piece, the second like a rook, and also over its own piece, but they move just as sluggishly as a king!). The runner darts like a queen, leaping over one of its own and one of the enemy's pieces, but moves like a king. The officer moves like a bishop but captures like a knight, the general moves like a bishop but captures like a king. The howitzer moves like a bishop but captures like a rook. The carriage moves like a knight but captures like a king. The chariot moves like a knight but attacks like a rook. The archer moves like a regular pawn but attacks two squares diagonally and forward. The slinger moves like a pawn and attacks like a pawn, and also attacks in front of him.
  The Corporal moves like a pawn, but can attack like an archer and a slinger.
  An archer, slinger, pawn, or corporal can promote to any piece upon reaching the opponent's top file. The board is large and rectangular, and there are many pieces. Victory, as in regular chess, is by checkmate to the king, who has the same rights. Only castling is longer.
  Alina, in a beautiful voice, described what a magnificent chess set she had invented. Her voice was like a nightingale's trill.
  Peter responded with enthusiasm:
  "What wonderful chess you have! Much more challenging and exciting. But I suggest we play traditional chess."
  The killer girl nodded:
  - That's a great idea! But I play hard, so watch out...
  The colonel replied:
  "I went to the club as a kid and got a first-class degree! So go ahead and play. I suggest you try the white one."
  Alina giggled:
  - Since I'm blonde, white is fine too! White hair means a light head.
  Peter pulled a chessboard out from behind the cabinet. A chess set was already on it. And it wasn't just any chess set, either, but carved from ivory. Tiny precious stones glittered.
  Alina whistled:
  - Nice figures! Do they pay you well?
  The colonel answered honestly:
  - This is a gift from an Indian rajah, we helped him find an emerald the size of a chicken egg.
  Alina giggled and noted:
  - Lovely!
  The girl took the first move-E2-E4, moving the white pawn away from the king. Peter responded by moving the black pawn away from the bishop to C7-C5. Alina moved the white knight to F3 , and Peter responded by moving the knight to F6 . It looked like the Sicilian Defense. A semi-open opening, in this case the Rubinstein Variation.
  Alina, with her strong memory, knew the theory well and played easily. Peter had forgotten the lines somewhat, and the assassin quickly seized the initiative. She launched an attack against the king with White. Throwing both pawns and pieces into battle, Peter began to think.
  Alina asked:
  - Is it unpleasant to lose?
  The colonel replied:
  - Yes, you are strong! How about joining the service of the Motherland!?
  The killer girl asked:
  - Can you offer me something like that?
  Peter replied with a sigh:
  "I'm too small for that. That's at least FSB general level. But with your looks and abilities, you'd make a great agent!"
  Alina giggled:
  "Like Nikita... Of course, being an FSB undercover agent is better than going to prison. Or, even worse, spending years in a pretrial detention center in our prison. But if we're going to talk about that, it won't be with you!"
  The colonel noted:
  - What if I recommend releasing you on bail? You'll go free...
  Alina noted:
  "That's a decision the prosecutor has to make. And given the gravity of my charges, he's unlikely to risk it. You understand, they're blaming me for so much!"
  Peter shrugged. He looked more closely at the board. The attack had been strong, and the king had found himself in a mating net. It was difficult for him to escape.
  Alina noted with a smile:
  - Checkmate in four moves! You better resign!
  Peter nodded:
  - You play well! I've never seen a prisoner so collected. Can you play the guitar?
  Alina nodded:
  - Yes, of course! Although it's difficult to learn, you need to have an appetite from childhood.
  Peter made his move. Alina responded. The colonel, convinced that checkmate was inevitable, resigned. But he offered to play again, this time with White.
  Alina nodded:
  - Come on! It will be much more interesting this way!
  Peter made the first move, as did Alina - E2-E4, the killer girl responded with C7-C5.
  The colonel remarked with a smile:
  - The Sicilian again.
  Alina nodded:
  "Yes, that's the most fashionable reaction to the king's pawn move right now. Black gets a rich game, and in many variations, he even claims an advantage. There are a lot of variations to calculate, the positions are asymmetrical, and it's quite interesting, I must say!"
  Peter was already pondering his second move against such a talented chess player. Specifically, he considered trying the Morro Gambit. This involves sacrificing two pawns in the opening, with White gaining the initiative in return. However, with proper play, Black can easily equalize the position.
  But if they want to hold on to the material, then in this case the most interesting complications arise.
  But Alina seems to be very strong in tactics, and after some hesitation, Peter played: K b1- C3, a closed variation, the Chigorin System. The girl responded: E-7-E-6, resulting in the Korchnoi Variation.
  An interesting maneuvering battle began.
  Peter, in order to speak out, asked Alina:
  - What do you think about Julius Caesar?
  The girl answered with a smile:
  There was a dictator who transformed a republic into a monarchy. Although the Senate continued to function under him, he also waged a difficult war in Gaul. He killed many people. Although Julius Caesar is now considered the embodiment of genius, he was a controversial figure: bisexual, cruel, a gravedigger of democracy. So, many good and bad things can be said about him!
  Peter noted:
  - Just like Alexander the Great! He was also cruel, and thought too much of himself, and called himself the son of God. He even wanted to rank himself among the highest deities.
  Alina answered with a smile:
  Alexander the Great didn't even live to be thirty-three-the age of Jesus Christ. You'll agree, that's sad! On the other hand, had he lived longer, Macedonia, not Ancient Rome, would have been the world power of antiquity!
  Peter said ingratiatingly:
  - And if you could, for example, prevent the assassination attempt on Julius Caesar, would you do it?
  The killer girl shrugged:
  - Perhaps... But why? History has no subjunctive mood. One of my bosses once asked me if I could kill Gorbachev.
  The colonel smiled:
  - And what did you answer?
  Alina said:
  "If only, mushrooms would grow in my mouth!" However, I told him, "Pay me up and I'll kill Gorbachev right now." And the boss replied, "But no one's interested right now!"
  Peter asked:
  - And Yeltsin's bosses didn't want to kill him?
  Alina answered confidently:
  - No!
  The colonel asked:
  - Why not? Maybe it would further confuse the situation in the country.
  The killer girl replied:
  "In this case, the risk of communists coming to power is too great. And that's worse than the current regime. Yeltsin is suiting up the mafia!"
  Peter laughed and remarked:
  "They're not the same communists now. Take, for example, the billionaire Semago, and many others. Do you seriously believe they'll return Russia to the past?"
  Alina noted:
  "The economy may remain a market economy, but a tightening of the screws in politics is possible, like in China, for example. There, the communists allow a market and private property, but order reigns and prevents the local mafia from running amok!"
  Peter made his move and relaxed a little. And then he saw Black seize the initiative and attack again, their pieces like wild beasts, especially the bishops. Still, Alina had found a way to create major complications.
  Peter noted, glancing at his watch:
  - Wow! We've been here for three hours already! Maybe we should call it a day?
  Alina replied:
  - First I'll checkmate you!
  And she made a decisive knight's move.
  CHAPTER No 3.
  The head of the Syndicate's secret intelligence quickly figured out,
  Where is Alina? She was currently talking to the senior investigator, or rather, playing chess with him. The latter seemed rather inappropriate. Really, what kind of game could they possibly play with a serial killer? He should have interrogated her. And he should have done it harshly, for example, by sticking his fingers in the door, or using a gas mask and spraying tear gas into it. He could also beat the beauty's bare heels with rubber truncheons. Or even more drastic, attach electrodes to her scarlet nipples. Now that's a truly effective interrogation method. Just imagine the girl's firm breasts swell from the current-that's truly a treat.
  But that's precisely what wasn't happening. They were playing chess, and the female killer felt quite comfortable.
  What's more, Alina made the final moves barefoot. And delivered another checkmate. She's a very talented girl.
  A tiny camera showed the room where they were playing. The head of the syndicate's secret police seemed unsure what to do. But technically, arranging an escape with the mafia's resources wasn't a problem. There was concern that Alina would crack. As for how it's done, a gentle investigator is more likely to crack.
  Or they use a swaying system: one interrogator is kind, the other is evil. And an effective one, so to speak. Now they'll calm her down, and then they'll go over her bare heels with truncheons and lighter flames.
  Peter noted:
  - It's late. I think that's enough for today. Would you like to be kept alone or in a shared cell?
  Alina grinned and suggested:
  - Can I share a double room with a pretty girl?
  The colonel nodded:
  - Of course you can! With a prostitute, or for an economic crime?
  Alina replied:
  - Economics is better, we can talk about intelligent things! And I have a high level of culture.
  Peter replied:
  - There's this natural blonde working there for foreign currency, with a higher education, she wanted an intelligent partner.
  And the colonel said ingratiatingly:
  - Maybe we should kiss goodbye?
  Alina nodded:
  - On the lips? And what about your teeth?
  Peter said boastfully:
  - Not a single hole!
  The killer girl nodded:
  - Well then, yes, we can!
  And they met lips to lips. And suddenly Pyotr Ivanov screamed:
  - Hurt!
  He pushed Alina away, and she jumped back, laughing. A trickle of blood ran down the colonel's lip.
  Peter shook his index finger at her:
  - You bite!
  Alina answered with a smile:
  - This is so you, Mr. Investigator, don't think I'm a whore! In fact, I'm a decent woman, even though I am a murderer!
  Ivanov said with a sigh:
  - I don't think so. I just think it's love at first sight.
  The killer girl giggled:
  - So let me out of custody?
  Peter replied with a sigh:
  "That's not me, it's the prosecutor who decides. But given the gravity of the charges-a series of high-profile contract killings-it will be impossible to release you!"
  Alina nodded and said:
  - Okay, I understand... - And then she thought: - I'll run away myself.
  The colonel wiped away the blood with a napkin, sprinkled himself with cologne, and gave the order.
  Alina was handcuffed again from behind and, barefoot, led through the corridors of the large building adjacent to Butyrka. Most of the cells were communal. But for some, the most dangerous, there were solitary confinement cells. There were also double cells-considered the most comfortable. People had to pay to get into them.
  Alina walked proudly, her strong shoulders squared. A large convict in her path tried to swear, but was jabbed in the groin with a bare shin. He fell with a roar. The cops laughed.
  The women's wing didn't stink as much-the fair sex is cleaner, and they're arrested less often. Along the way, we encountered a couple of female criminals. But they'd obviously heard of the blonde terminator and nodded to her in respect. One of them whispered:
  - The main thing is don't give up anyone!
  Alina squeaked:
  - You won't get it!
  And so they led her to the cell and removed the handcuffs. The warden handed over some linens, including a perfectly decent mattress, and remarked:
  - You must be a tough bandit! To have such privileges.
  Alina answered confidently:
  - The mafia is immortal!
  After which she entered the cell. Indeed, it was clean inside, with white tiled walls. This truly was a prison with privileges. A girl of about twenty-five lay on her stomach, typing on a computer. The bunk was on the other side. When Butyrka was built, back in tsarist times, the idea was, of course, that it would be a cell for not just ordinary people but also nobles. That's why there was a refrigerator and a big-screen TV.
  The girl turned and said:
  - Hello!
  Alina nodded and answered:
  - Peace to your home!
  And she made herself a rather large and wide bed. And she remarked with a smile:
  - And it"s even cozy in the cell!
  The blonde girl replied:
  - Compared to others, it"s not bad, but in Sweden it was even better!
  Alina was surprised:
  - Did you serve time in Sweden?
  The girl nodded:
  - Yes! More precisely, I served time for someone else. I looked so innocent that they only gave me three months! And they stole ten million.
  Alina giggled:
  - Well, I'll be! Tens of millions of dollars?
  The blonde girl nodded:
  "Dollars, of course! Not rubles. The ruble isn't even a currency." The girl shook her bare foot. She really was beautiful and shapely. Alina thought it would be nice to make out with such a beautiful girl. Although, of course, she doesn't disdain men either. But she does it smartly. So that she's not considered a slut or a slut. However, she does use both men and women for her own ends.
  The girl is probably rich and well-connected, and she probably has internet access. But back in the 1990s, the internet wasn't that fast and wasn't that widespread. And wireless internet was still a rare occurrence. And the laptop, judging by everything, was anything but ordinary.
  Firstly, it is compact and lightweight, and secondly, it has a fairly large screen and is in color.
  Alina sat down next to her partner and asked:
  - Can you watch movies on it?
  The blonde girl nodded:
  - Yes, of course, via a flash drive. And even via the internet, but that will be slow for now. High-speed internet technology hasn't yet developed enough!
  And then she stood up and added:
  - My last name is Dobrovolskaya, and my first name is Nikoletta. Maybe you've heard of her?
  Smart Alina laughed and replied:
  - Something familiar! What's the nickname?
  Nicoletta replied with a smile:
  - White gold!
  The killer girl smirked:
  - Not bad! Although all that glitters is not gold!
  The blonde girl noted:
  - Did you do karate?
  Alina confirmed:
  - Not just karate, but various martial arts! Why?
  Nicoletta replied:
  "The prison authorities sometimes organize no-holds-barred fights for the mafia. And you could compete. If you're good at fighting, of course!"
  Alina laughed and replied:
  - I can fight well! Do you have a coin?
  The girl pulled a newly minted ruble from her pocket. And tossed it to Alina. She caught it easily with her bare toes. And tossed it higher. And caught it again. And then tossed it again, and this time caught it with her teeth, and winked.
  Nicoletta squeaked:
  - Wow! This is turning out great!
  Alina tossed the coin again. She caught it on its edge. And then she squeezed it between the big toe and index toe of her bare foot. And the coin just flattened!
  Nicoletta whistled:
  - What strength! I've never seen anything like it.
  Alina giggled and noted:
  - Natural talent and training! My younger brother is also very strong and acts in films.
  And then she faltered. It was her big secret. And her brother had a different last name, so that if anything happened, he wouldn't get into trouble. Including at the hands of the mafia.
  Nicoletta asked:
  - And in what role?
  Alina answered, trying to turn everything into a joke:
  - As Porthos! I think she's the perfect fit for him!
  And the girl laughed. It looked and sounded truly funny.
  Then she asked with a smile:
  - Have you tried any games?
  Alina nodded:
  - Yes, that happened. For example, in tanks!
  Nicoletta noted:
  - You can play tanks and against each other. There's a new version of the game with downloadable parameters.
  Alina whistled:
  - Really? Interesting!
  A table of characteristics flashed on the screen. As expected in the game, the more expensive and time-consuming the build, the more effective. And it hits with deadly force. There were characteristics of vehicles from World War II and the 1940s, including design specifications. You could arm yourself with the Maus, the IS-7, the legendary T-34, and the diminutive E-25. The latter are pure self-propelled guns, with a low silhouette and cheap to produce.
  Alina noted:
  "Yes, I see a pretty good selection of vehicles. And here you could choose a couple of expensive tanks, or a dozen smaller and cheaper ones."
  Nicoletta nodded:
  "Yes, they're a real treat here. The vehicles are beasts. I especially like the E-25 self-propelled guns; they're cheaper and quicker to build than the T-34, but more effective in combat. You can win with them in numbers. Especially since there are E-25 self-propelled guns with 88mm guns, and they can handle any task."
  Alina decided to give it a try. Indeed, there are heavier E-25s that are equipped with cannons, including the 88mm 100 EL, and they have good penetration against other vehicles.
  While the girls were playing, the mafia was going through its paces. Herod was informed of Alina's cell. And immediately, the head of the secret police began offering to get her out. They could, for money, escort her to a medical examination at the hospital, where it would be easy to escape en route.
  The head of the secret police, or rather, the hacker Kolobok, connected to the internet. And this young man with a tattoo on his face noted with annoyance:
  - She's playing tanks! Why not contact us?
  The head of the secret police, Korshun, growled:
  "It seems she views prison as a rest home or some kind of sanatorium. So she just went and made a soft landing!"
  The young man muttered:
  - Put her in a common cell, then she would have started howling.
  The kite muttered:
  - We can think about it.
  Different guns and vehicles in the game had different prices. But you also need to know how to control tanks. This requires a special skill, particularly to avoid hitting the sides or rear, where the armor is thinner, and the armor slopes are less aggressive. And this is the art of maneuvering. Take, for example, the E-25 self-propelled gun, which has a high speed and fires twenty rounds per minute. You also need to be able to control such a powerful vehicle. Moreover, the vehicle is light, meaning it's not very armored, although its low profile offers good protection.
  Alina thought it was a good thing a similar vehicle hadn't been mass-produced in real history. There would have been problems. So many people had already been lost in less than four years of the Great Patriotic War. What if it had lasted longer? What would have happened then?
  Let's imagine that the E-25, a small, one-and-a-half-meter-tall, easy-to-produce vehicle with a Panther gun, had appeared at the Battle of Kursk. And the Panther's engine, weighing twenty-five tons with roughly comparable armor, and with even more efficiently sloped angles, would have been a significant advantage. There would have been a good chance the Nazis would have won. And in that case, the outcome of the war would have been uncertain. And Soviet tanks wouldn't have been in Berlin in 1945.
  The girls started playing. And it's interesting. The E-25, although a self-propelled gun, is the most effective weapon based on its overall characteristics, including its cost.
  Alina liked this. And of the heavy tanks, the best are the IS-7 and the E-75 in the "Tiger-4" modification. How does it differ from the Tiger-3? It's lighter, has a lower silhouette, and a gas turbine engine. The Tiger-3 weighs ninety-three tons, has a nine-hundred-horsepower engine, and has 200-millimeter thick armor on the front, 150-millimeter thick on the bottom, and 120-millimeter sloped sides, roughly like the Tiger-2. The turret is 252-millimeter thick, with a slightly sloped front, and 160-millimeter sloped sides. And the gun is a 128-millimeter, 55-EL caliber. This tank's turret and upper hull armor are thicker than the IS-7's, while its 130mm and 60EL cannons are roughly equivalent; the Soviet tank is only slightly stronger with a comparable rate of fire. The upper hull sides are thicker on the Soviet tank, but the lower hull is thicker on the German tank. However, the Soviet tank has superior speed and maneuverability, despite its 1,050-horsepower engine and 68-ton weight. Its silhouette is also significantly lower, while the Tiger-3's sides are rather high. In other words, this tank is a significantly oversized King Tiger with a number of issues. The Tiger-4, however, is a more advanced vehicle: its turret is narrower and smaller, its engine and transmission are combined, and the gearbox is on the engine, reducing its dimensions, and it has a more advanced, lightweight, and low-mounted chassis. And the engine is more powerful, producing 1,500 horsepower. The vehicle's height has been reduced, while the armor's slope has been increased. The hull sides were thickened with 170mm screens. The gun became more powerful than the 128mm, 80 EL long, and had a powerful mantlet. The turret's front was completely impenetrable due to its mantlet.
  And the vehicle weighs only seventy-three tons, despite thicker hull sides, and the turret's side thickness has been increased to two hundred millimeters. And seventy-three tons with a one thousand five hundred horsepower gas turbine engine means the Tiger-4 is already faster and more maneuverable than the IS-7.
  Alina remarked with a smile:
  "The designers of this game, I see, value the Third Reich more than the USSR?"
  Nicoletta noted:
  "It's more fashionable now to bow down to Europe. Especially since the Germans had some truly excellent designs in the E series, which they later used on the Leopard. But the IS-7 tank, even in peacetime, never went into production. And if the war with the Third Reich had been going on at the time, the IS-7 would certainly not have gone into production. So the Tiger IV turned out to be more powerful in terms of armor, armament, and driving performance."
  Alina nodded her natural blonde head:
  - Sounds logical! Okay, I'd like to...
  And then the killer girl lowered her voice and whispered:
  - Is it possible to access the Internet?
  Nicoletta muttered:
  - Everything is possible, if you are careful.
  Alina nodded:
  - There's something I need to pass on.
  The millionaire girl replied:
  - It's against the rules. If they find out, they can take away my laptop.
  The killer girl asked:
  - How will they find out?
  Nicoletta replied:
  "If they check the cloud, they'll find out! True, the Butyrka administration may not have it, but the FSB and the best departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs definitely do."
  Alice noticed:
  - Better to take a risk. Especially since I'm sure they're already planning to rescue me.
  The millionaire girl nodded:
  "You're an important person, and they'll help you out. But arranging an escape is expensive. They'll just give me a suspended sentence, or a deferred sentence. And then an amnesty will come." Otherwise, you'll be wanted. True, you could get plastic surgery and change your identity. In any case, consider whether it's worth running away? Wouldn't it be better to secure an acquittal with the help of a good lawyer and bribing the judge?
  Alina whistled and answered:
  - Excuses? That's not a bad idea either! It's possible, in principle.
  The girl was about to say something else, but the cell doors swung open. A uniformed guard appeared. She handed the package to Alina and remarked:
  - It's good that you both don't smoke.
  Nicoletta giggled:
  - Why ruin your health? Especially since even good cigarettes don't smell very pleasant.
  The warden whispered:
  - Malyava in sausage.
  And with a flash of her boots, she left. As was the custom in the cell, Alina treated Nicoletta, although she, too, had many packages, both food and other miscellaneous items.
  The note turned out to be simple, the font rather primitive. It contained only one request: not to turn anyone in, and a promise of escape. They also promised her money and safety.
  Well, dyeing her hair and changing her face and fingerprints is possible; modern technology allows it. And it's also likely that they won't kill her, since she's a very skilled killer and that's valuable.
  Life is generally good. Materially, especially. And no nostalgia for Soviet times. Indeed, she was a schoolgirl then, and it was boring. She didn't really enjoy studying. Sitting at a desk was excruciating. It was a good thing she wasn't bullied by her peers-she was an excellent fighter, and her parents were smart enough to enroll her in martial arts.
  Indeed, knowing how to fight is very useful. Moreover, playing sports curbs cravings for alcohol and cigarettes, which are common among girls.
  There are especially many smokers; times have become more liberal, and cigarettes are sold to teenagers, and girls, as we know, are very self-conscious about excess weight. Yes, nicotine is drying, but the lost kilos come at a high price.
  Alina noted:
  - Well! Maybe I really should leave this sanatorium?
  Nicoletta giggled and replied:
  "Prison's nice, but home's better! Well, you can escape, and that'll be cool. Although if you stay here, they might get you out. There's another option: they'll let you out on bail, and the case will be put on hold until it's forgotten. Or lost.
  Alina grinned and sang:
  Don't lose your head,
  There's no need to rush...
  Don't lose your head,
  What if it comes in handy?
  You write it down in your notebook,
  On every page!
  No need to lose your head,
  Don't lose your head!
  Don't lose your head!
  Nicoletta exclaimed:
  "Oh, that's a great song from the movie 'Shadow' with Konstantin Raikin. Wonderful, don't lose your head, and the guillotine works!"
  The girls, both blonde beauties, took it upon themselves to clap their palms together.
  Alina noted with a smile:
  - Great! But what, do you like guys?
  Nicoletta nodded:
  "You can order a boy here, of any age. Pay the matron, and she'll bring you a male. Why?"
  Alina smiled and sang:
  Guys, guys, it's in your power,
  Protect the earth from fire,
  We are for peace and friendship,
  For the smiles of my dear ones,
  For the warmth of our meetings!
  The girls laughed, as if they had reason to rejoice. Although, really, why shouldn't they be glad they were still alive and on top?
  Alina exposed her scarlet nipple and offered to Nicoletta:
  - Kiss me on this strawberry!
  She licked her lips and replied:
  - You are a delight!
  And she pressed her lips to the nipple, and both girls rushed to heaven.
  Meanwhile, the head of the mafia's secret intelligence service had already received several offers for an escape. In particular, there was even the idea of simply replacing Alina with a double. And that would suit everyone. Technically, there was no escape, the super-hitman was free, and everyone was happy, especially the mafia. And the mafia, as we know, is immortal! And in many ways, it merges with the state. Well, how could one not rejoice? These are such joyful times that anything is possible. And not even the president decides everything.
  The head of secret intelligence ordered a double to be prepared. No problem: perform plastic surgery on a more or less athletic girl, dye her hair, and fake her fingerprints. And everything will be fine, or else hockey!
  So they'll have a female killer, but no one will be looking for her. And they've already started training a double. Herod agreed to pay the expenses. And everyone has a job.
  The most important thing is not to be greedy. This was the 1990s, a time of assassinations. In particular, there were even proposals to assassinate Zyuganov. But that could have paved the way for a younger, more charismatic, and more capable leader. And the very fact of eliminating the number one communist made the CPRF a party of martyrs.
  And that's not exactly advantageous. Especially since Zyuganov himself isn't handsome, has almost no charisma, and is a mediocre speaker. The Communists have generally had bad luck with leaders. After Stalin, who was also terrible, what nonentities led the CPSU. Perhaps if Nikolai Voznesensky had followed Stalin, communism would have come into being!
  Well, it's entirely possible. Voznesensky was nine years younger than Nikita Khrushchev and an academician, while the Ukrainian collective farmer didn't even have a higher education, unlike the academician and doctor of sciences Nikolai Alekseevich.
  The girl looked at the tank specs a bit more... This game only featured vehicles from the 1940s. It's like a longer version of World War II. A sort of dystopia. According to data considered semi-official, the USSR lost twenty-seven million people in less than four years of the Great Patriotic War. And if the Great Patriotic War had lasted ten years? Perhaps there wouldn't have been any men left.
  True, Alina, being an intelligent and sophisticated woman, not just a dumb killer, had her own opinion. That the actual death toll was less than 27 million. Firstly, the pre-war population of the USSR was likely six million smaller. Thus, the census data was falsified to match Stalin's figures. Plus, at least another couple of million-people deported to Germany for labor and prisoners of war-remained abroad, unwilling to return to Stalin's totalitarian paradise. Moreover, the risk of ending up in a Soviet concentration camp was very high. So, most likely, the actual death toll was around 20 million, maybe even less.
  The first census was conducted ten years after the war. And it's possible that the post-war population growth figures are overstated. For example, in Germany after World War II, the birth rate was very low. And why, in the devastated USSR, with its severe shortage of men, food shortages, and financial difficulties, was the population growth rate almost two percent per year? Were abortions banned? And in Germany, too, they were restricted after the war. And now, in the 1990s, Russia's population is declining.
  At least, life isn't so bad materially. And most importantly, under Yeltsin, shortages disappeared. The shelves are stocked with goods, there's an abundance of food, and at affordable prices, and there are plenty of opportunities to earn money. And then there's the internet, and alcohol is readily available and cheap, something that wasn't the case during Gorbachev's time, when buying twenty bottles of vodka cost a month's salary.
  And the birth rate is falling, there are a lot of abortions, and the population is decreasing.
  Therefore, the actual death toll after the war could have been higher than is commonly believed. Stalin cited the official figure of seven million civilians and soldiers killed. But this is likely an underestimate. A closer approximation would be fifteen million, including both civilian and military losses.
  Alina thought she was being overly reflective about these matters. She'd killed people herself, but they were usually bad men. A couple of times she'd met women, but they were far from angels either. Yeltsin, for example, is considered a reformer, yet he unleashed a war against Chechnya. And despite having a population three hundred times larger, he managed to lose.
  Nicholas II is blamed for losing the war to Japan despite having three times the population. Japan was aided by both Britain and the United States with equipment and loans. Yeltsin, however, managed to lose in Chechnya against what was effectively a militia. Moreover, some Chechens sided with Russia. So, if you count Dudayev's men, Russia had a population superiority of 500 to 1. And yet, they had to manage to abandon Chechnya, and even abandon the northern regions they had previously controlled before the war.
  Alina muttered:
  - Yes, there are such idiotic rulers! And why can't they sit still?
  Nicoletta noted:
  - Yeltsin, of course, is no angel, but he gave us such fantastic opportunities that...
  The killer girl corrected:
  "It was Gorbachev who gave us these opportunities, rather. Yeltsin, on the other hand, was just adding the finishing touches, and a rather clumsy one at that."
  The millionaire girl laughed and replied:
  "Perhaps... I even think Zyuganov probably wouldn't return to the past. They're not the same communists they used to be. But it's unpleasant that they walk around under portraits of Lenin and Stalin."
  Alina shrugged and remarked:
  The Crusaders carried the banner of Jesus Christ. And Jesus was for peace and against war. So, appearances are one thing, but the real content is quite different.
  Nicoletta laughed and remarked:
  - Yes! Just like Gaidar, he uses the image of Peter the Great and calls himself a democrat. But Peter the Great was a despot and dictator, perhaps the cruelest in Russian history.
  The girl killer wanted to say something, but then the door opened and the warden entered, accompanied by two police officers, and shouted:
  - Alina Yelovaya, get out!
  CHAPTER No 4.
  Enrique, the killer's younger brother, actually acted in films, which is incredibly interesting. The possibilities here are truly mind-boggling. And you're being cast in several films at once. There you are, a young Pioneer scout, walking through the forest. His bare, childish feet, a very handsome boy of about eleven, splash along the path. And the turf tickles his bare soles so pleasantly. And then, in another scene, a child fires a machine gun.
  Enrique is filmed shooting, barefoot, a tanned boy in shorts. His skin is chocolate brown, while his hair is light and golden. Enrique, Alina's brother, is very handsome, and at the same time fast, agile, and dexterous, like a chimpanzee, and is a very successful martial artist. He's a real find for cinema. Now he's in another film, with him, a red-haired boy named Vovka, black-haired Seryozhka, and a girl named Dasha. The children were jumping barefoot on the grass, firing toy machine guns. And you couldn't tell who they were fighting. Their opponents were some kind of monsters with boar heads. And they hit them, sparks fly, and these creatures roar. Vovka chirped:
  - For Elfia to the end!
  Enrique exclaimed:
  - Yes, victory will be ours!
  And the boy, with his bare toes, deftly threw the boomerang. It flew past and hit the pig-loving creatures in the throats, slitting the throats of a couple of the freaks. This was shown in close-up.
  Seryozhka whistled too. He twisted and threw it at the pig-men.
  Cameras with latches - removed.
  The children's team was doing well on the playground. Here they were fighting against the army of the king of pigs. And it was funny. And they were shooting very accurately. And flashes sparkled. And then Enrique hurled a grenade in a high arc. And there was an explosion. And the enemy line was destroyed.
  At the same time, the tank burns and the rollers fall. They show how they spin and separate.
  Enrique sang:
  How we lived, fighting,
  And not fearing death...
  Believe me, we will kill the pig-faced ones,
  For the god Ares prince,
  We will trample our enemies into the mud,
  We will burn the enemy with continuous fire,
  Let's burn the orcs with furious fire!
  These are truly beautiful fights. And the children are right there. They work without any prejudice, and these are fierce clashes.
  Seryozhka exclaimed:
  - For the Motherland, for new victories!
  And the kids will just start whistling. They set incredibly high standards for themselves. And they're filmed from different angles. It'll be so much fun to see young warriors, boys and girls, in battle.
  And the tank bursts into flames, like feathers emerging from the steel, and purple and orange tongues appear. And then charred boar snouts emerge from it. It smells of roast pork.
  And the children rejoice. Some of the boys and girls from the youth battalion wear red ties. It's warm here, and the gentle nature of the Caucasus. The children squeal with delight. Now the boys and girls throw peas with their bare toes, the lethal force of the peas. And they explode, shattering pig snouts like splashing waves of fire and steel.
  Enrique waves his wand and casts a spell. Candy starts falling from above. The pigs' snouts grab them and stuff them into their mouths. And as a result, the ugly pigs blossom into lush bouquets of flowers. It looks so beautiful. And some of the creatures turn into cakes.
  The children squeal with delight. And that part of the film is finished.
  After which, Enrique and the other boys and girls, their bare heels flashing, run into the pool. And they're having so much fun. And Enrique, Seryozhka, Vova, Sashka, Kolka, and the girls start throwing balls. How fun it is. And beautiful music is playing. And jumping.
  Then the kids had a light snack of protein shakes and ran off to filming again.
  This time, Enrique plays the role of a boy wizard. Here he is, dressed in a prince's doublet, waving his wand and turning guards into squirrels or mushrooms. Then he himself becomes a kite and flies higher, with golden waves emanating from his wings. It truly looks beautiful. Then the bird transforms back into a boy. He whispers a spell, and his dandy boots with diamond spurs disappear, revealing the child crawling barefoot along a steep roof. Enormous fanged bats try to attack him.
  The boy clicks his bare toes. Transformations occur. And the bats become either ping-pong balls or golden chicken eggs. And they fall onto the roof and roll off. One of the eggs fell straight into the damp earth. And from it, shoots of a tall, skyscraper-like palm tree began to grow.
  And a boy, Sasha, and a girl, Katya, started climbing up it. They had magic wands in their hands. But the children took them in their teeth and climbed up themselves, clinging to the bark with their fingers and bare toes. That was amazing.
  A lynx tried to chase the children, but the boy wizard Sasha threw a tiny seed at it. The predator transformed into a domestic kitten. It purred and curled up into a ball.
  The girl Katya sang:
  Kitty, kitty,
  Velvet tummy,
  Soft paws...
  Sashka added:
  - Ugh, how disgusting you are!
  And the magical children burst out laughing. And they continue climbing the palm tree.
  And Enrique was attacked by Baba Yaga. In this case, it was a woman of about thirty with fiery red hair. She began releasing fiery pulsars at the boy. When they hit the steel roof, they caused the metal to burn and bubble up.
  Baba Yaga was in a mortar and pestle, wielding a broom. Enrique responded with his wand. A bubble of mage-plasma erupted. It swallowed Baba Yaga whole. She began to wriggle in response. Purple toads descended on the boy from above. He wriggled and responded. The toads began to transform into fragrant roses. Seryozhka and Vovka came to the rescue. The boy wizards cast spells, and the bubble contracted. The large, red-haired witch transformed into a girl of about five. And she plopped down on the roof and burst into tears. Now that was a truly remarkable experience. A wild transformation, one might say. The little Baba Yaga croaked:
  - They're bullying the poor girl!
  And it was filmed. And a helicopter hovered over Enrique. The girl Lara squealed:
  - For magic!
  And she dropped a ladder down to the boy wizard. And the helicopter was disc-shaped. The boy stepped barefoot onto the ladder. And from there, he began to unleash magical bolts of energy. And then, from all sides, warriors with wolf heads, pig snouts, and elephant trunks came charging. It was truly an aggressive invasion.
  The children from above also fired at them. They did it with precision and courage. They also started throwing banana peels. When they hit, they bounced off, and five or six monsters transformed into exotic fruits.
  And they rolled easily across the roof and bounced. That was really cool and awesome.
  Enrique exclaimed:
  Do not deceive us with words,
  The enemy will be repulsed...
  And the sign above the swords,
  And the bloody axe!
  This one was also filmed with special effects and CGI. Enrique became a true star. He was so beloved in his children's roles. By the way, who said the 1990s were a bad time? Look at all the premieres. Including children's films.
  Then Enrique was filmed with other children on the deck of a ship. The boys had changed into sailor suits but remained barefoot. They fired various weapons, and did so beautifully and artistically.
  But then Baba Yaga appeared in the air again. The familiar red-haired beauty, her copper-red hair fluttering in the air like a proletarian banner storming the Winter Palace. And in her hand, Baba Yaga held a magic wand the size of a mop.
  She waved it, and a whole dozen brooms flew out. They attacked the children's carriage, rushing to tickle the boys. They lunged at the boys in striped shirts, who scattered, their bare, pink heels flashing. In response, Enrique, Vova, and Katya pulled out a pipe, a flute, and a harmonica.
  And the children's orchestra began to play.
  The brooms whirled in a circle and began dancing the hopak. The boys rushed to the cannons again and began aiming them at the enemy frigate. Many of them threw off their vests and showed off their bare, muscular torsos.
  A powerful blow fell upon the enemy frigate. It hit so hard that the masts literally tore off. They fell with a crash and a grinding sound. Monsters with pig and wolf snouts squealed in fear. Fires broke out. It was terrifying and, at the same time, funny. And Enrique, playing, aimed his brooms at Baba Yaga. How they started beating and tickling her. The red-haired woman screamed and fled. Even the mortar began to smoke. Now that, let's say, was a beautiful and wonderful thing.
  And Baba Yaga runs away, followed by brooms, whipping the evil sorceress. And a black tail literally remains behind her. Now that's a real performance.
  But Baba Yaga alone wasn't enough, of course. The real Karabas Barabas appeared. His beard was long and fluttered in the wind. And he began to boom with his deafening bass voice. Even the fish jumped out of the sea, and the ship began tossing and turning on the waves.
  The girl Katya squealed:
  - Wow! That's so cool!
  Enrique muttered:
  Karabas, Barabas,
  Get kicked in the eye!
  And the boy waved his wand. And indeed, a gigantic horse appeared for a moment and smashed its hoof into his eye. And Karabas, struck by the powerful blow, capsized. And roared. But now its roar fell upon a pair of frigates that were attempting to attack the ship carrying the boys and girls. And the masts of both vessels began to snap and the yards torn away, which was extremely dramatic.
  The girl Olga chirped:
  The bird danced the polka,
  On the lawn in the early hours...
  Tail left, tail right,
  But Karabas burst in!
  And she stuck out her tongue. Yes, a cute group of children had assembled. Many of them were skilled in magic and sorcery.
  Enrique and Sashka, using the rings on their bare toes, pushed Karabas and Baba Yaga together. And then there was a thunderous crash. The collision of the two evil wizards flared like a supernova. And again, this was filmed with great passion.
  The boys and girls began to jump and stamp their bare, little feet and sing:
  The anthem of the Motherland sings in our hearts,
  There is no one more beautiful in the whole universe...
  Squeeze the ray gun tighter, knight,
  Die for the God-given Elfia!
  And the young warriors whistled... A wave rose, and the already damaged frigates began to sink. And it looked like streams of champagne were pouring over them. Now that was truly magnificent. And one might even say, unique.
  Enrique noted:
  - This is what the life-giving whistle does!
  Vova chuckled and noted:
  - We will whistle past all our enemies!
  Seryozhka muttered:
  - And we will have a great victory!
  Sashka sang:
  There is no homeland more beautiful than Elfia,
  Childhood years don't interfere...
  There is no more beautiful country in the universe,
  We will be with the truth of peace forever!
  The boy and girl swung their sabers in unison. What a magnificent children's crew. The battleship sailed on.
  The children began grilling fish and shashliking roe deer and wild boar. Fires blazed right on the deck, and spits were turning. It was quite a joyful experience, and music was playing. The girls played the bagpipes, and the boys beat the drums; it was a joyful time.
  Enrique and the other children had an archery competition. They were very accurate, hitting the very center of the target. But it was much more exciting to shoot at a moving target. A girl named Sveta threw clay pigeons, and the other children fired at them. And they also hit and scored.
  Enrico's aim was particularly impressive. And it looked great.
  The children launched arrows along a curved trajectory. Then they began to ride discs.
  They spun and rolled, laughing wildly. It looked so funny. In short, they got so wild that a water spirit appeared. He looked like a fat man with a fish tail and finned ears.
  He was accompanied by four mermaids with silver scales and golden fins, waving fans.
  The water spout gurgled:
  - You children are making too much noise!
  Enrique noted:
  - And when the cannons fired, or Karabas Barabas roared, was it not heard?
  The water spirit grinned and replied:
  "We're used to the roar of Karabas or the cannon fire; pirates often play pranks. But children's pranks stir up the deep turbidity."
  The girl Katya took it and sang:
  There is sun and wind,
  And one elephant for everyone!
  There will be peace on the planet,
  Cheerful, childish laughter!
  Enrique nodded and sang:
  All people on the big planet,
  We should always be friends...
  Children should always laugh,
  And live in a peaceful world!
  Children should laugh,
  Children should laugh,
  Children should laugh,
  And live in a peaceful world!
  The boy Seryozhka nodded:
  - So, did I really portray the water spirit to you? So, the children should laugh, right?!
  The water spirit grinned and asked:
  - Tell me, boy, do you like to laugh?
  The tomboy sang:
  Smile, smile,
  Even if you don't feel like hunting!
  Smile, smile,
  To save money!
  Smile, smile,
  To earn more,
  Smile, smile,
  To pay less!
  The water spirit roared:
  - Great! Okay, how nice it is to hear children's laughter! It literally brings everything to life.
  The mermaid sang:
  - Oh yes! It makes me look younger! By the way, have you noticed how Baba Yaga looks at three hundred and thirty years old? You wouldn't give her more than thirty!
  Enrique chuckled and noted:
  - Baba Yaga exploded! I hope she won't do any more harm to us?
  The water spirit noted:
  - Unlikely! She wasn't vaporized, she was merely transported to another location along with Karabas Barabas. So that pair is still up to mischief!
  The warrior boy Sashka exclaimed:
  - All the better, the adventures continue!
  And the child stood on his hands and began to kick his bare, nimble legs, like the paws of a monkey.
  Enrique also did a handstand. A girl named Katya tossed several colorful ping-pong balls into the air. The boy caught them and began juggling them. And he was really good at it. What a guy he really was. And as agile as a professional circus performer.
  The Water Spirit noted:
  - You're a clever fellow! You're never boring. Guess who's the wisest of them all?
  Enrique, continuing to juggle, asked:
  - What will happen to me for this?
  The water spirit answered:
  - I'll give you a pearl the size of an adult's fist!
  The boy giggled and replied:
  - Well, that's logical.
  And Enrique sang:
  The wisest one is the one,
  He who lives at the expense of others...
  But at the same time, everything is to him,
  Sending loving praise!
  The water spout gurgled:
  - Excellent! Deliver him the pearl! Let it be a gift.
  The mermaids flashed their tails and rushed into the depths.
  And the children clapped and stamped their feet in unison. Indeed, it all looked like a magnificent celebration of young warriors, who slapped their bare feet and sang:
  The ships lie wrecked,
  The chests are open...
  Like a shower of rubies,
  Bloody rain is pouring upwards!
  If you want to be strong,
  If you want to be happy,
  Crush your enemies like flies,
  Crush your enemies like lice!
  Crush your enemies like lice!
  And everyone started dancing, raising their fists. And doing handstands. You could see the boys' and girls' heels shining, and above them, three suns. One real and two artificial. And it was filmed.
  How wonderful. Then the mermaids brought a casket containing a pearl. The casket was made of crystal, and the pearl shone brilliantly in the artificial lights and the May sun. It was truly wonderful.
  The capital boy took a pearl out of the chest, weighed it and sang:
  Pearl of the Gods creation,
  Love for a dear girl...
  I dedicate the hymns,
  With boundless passion, unearthly!
  And he deftly moved it upwards, and then easily caught it with his bare sole. And tossed it again.
  Katya noted:
  - Bravo! This is simply super!
  The water spirit noted:
  - A pearl is great. But maybe you'd like a bag of gold to go with it? A chest, more precisely?
  Enrique noted:
  - Two pirate ships sank. So for you, one chest will be small change.
  The water spirit nodded:
  - Of course! I propose a game of cards. A pearl against a chest of gold!
  Enrique clarified:
  - A big chest of gold. And go ahead, drag it right now.
  The king of the reservoir confirmed:
  - Well, what will be, will happen!
  The mermaids dived into the sea. Several dolphins and a squid appeared. The latter began trumpeting, beating drums, and slapping bronze cymbals, creating a terrible cacophony.
  The girl Olga grimaced and squealed:
  - Ugh! Crap!
  Enrique suggested:
  - Let's play ourselves!
  The kids loved the idea. They started forming an orchestra. They did so with great enthusiasm. And wonderful music flowed.
  The boy Seryozhka beat the drum and sang:
  Children, these are cool warriors,
  If they fight, it will be a disaster...
  The boys' bare feet are fast,
  May your happy dream come true!
  And the young warriors took up the chant. And how wonderful it looked. It was as if magic had returned to the sea.
  And suddenly, eight mermaids and a pair of half-human, half-fish creatures pulled out a truly impressive chest. The water spirit lifted the lid, and gold glittered inside. Such bright, yellow circles. Sashka picked one up, tested it with his teeth, and sang:
  It's just a pity that no one knows,
  And we don"t know ourselves...
  There is no such thing as too little gold,
  It's not enough, they didn't give it enough!
  The children were cheerful and looked very pleased. And the water spirit suggested:
  "Let's play cards. If you win, you get the chest of gold-it's big, as you can see-and if you lose, you get the pearl back!"
  The boy Sasha sang ironically in response:
  I am a water spirit, I am a water spirit,
  Nobody hangs out with me...
  There is water inside me,
  Well, what's going on there!
  The mermaid giggled. The lord of the pool frowned. His expression was not cheerful.
  Enrique nodded:
  - Let's play! It will even be interesting.
  The water spirit took a deck of cards from his bosom. They flashed aces and portraits.
  Seryozhka noticed:
  - Enchanted cards! Watch out!
  Enrique confirmed:
  - God protects those who protect themselves!
  And he added, stamping his bare foot:
  - Come on! Shuffle!
  The water spirit noted with a sweet look:
  - Brave! You behave bravely, boy!
  Enrique laughed and remarked:
  - But you know, boy, at my age men don"t like words anymore!
  The water spirit said sullenly:
  "I'm already three hundred years old, and in any case, I'm older than you. Therefore, I can call even an old human a boy. Be respectful!"
  The young wizard nodded:
  - Likewise!
  The water spirit shuffled the cards and made the first move. Enrique took the cards and crossed them. The move worked. And the portraits lit up. The little terminator fought back deftly. And it was quite a feat.
  The children around them grew quiet and whistled through their noses. It looked like a shadow conspiracy. Enrique moved with great confidence. By crossing himself, he had deprived the cards of the water spirit's magical power and could now play confidently. He could both defend and toss them himself.
  The girl Svetka noticed:
  - Youth often wins, because youth is lucky.
  Petka, this boy fighter, objected:
  Most of Genghis Khan's opponents were younger than him, yet Genghis Khan prevailed. The same can be said of most of Alexander Suvorov's military rivals. Stalin was ten years older than Hitler, and Churchill even older.
  So...
  Enrique nodded in agreement:
  "Youth doesn't always triumph! But in this case, it certainly did. And while we're at it, let's remember Alexander the Great!"
  And the boy very confidently hung the shoulder straps on the water spirit.
  He swore loudly, so loudly that the children even covered their ears, and gurgled with anger:
  - You're lucky, kid!
  Enrique objected:
  - This isn't just luck, it's precise calculation! So, what's my strategic plan?
  The water spirit muttered:
  - Maybe we should play again?
  The boy wizard squeaked:
  - First I'll take the chest, and then we'll play. Gold is never too much.
  The king of the reservoir sang:
  Gold, gold,
  Pure without deception...
  With full-bodied gold,
  Line your pockets!
  Don't swing the hammer,
  Don't bother with a shovel...
  Who owns gold,
  He lives richly!
  And the water spirit said with a tired look:
  "Want to bet on the invisibility cap? I'll bet you one, and in exchange, you'll get a chest of gold, a pearl, and your magic wand!"
  Enrique said sullenly:
  - Won't it be too greasy?
  The water spirit noted:
  "The Invisibility Cloak is a very valuable artifact. Imagine the possibilities it offers."
  Enrique noted:
  "Beastmen have a good sense of smell, like predators and dogs. It would be better if they gave them a hat that would mask their smells."
  The water spirit shrugged and muttered:
  - Unfortunately, I don't have one! And I had a hard time negotiating this hat with Koschei.
  The girl Lara whispered to Enrique:
  - Play! You'll win anyway, and we'll need an artifact like that.
  The boy captain stamped his bare foot and squeaked:
  - Well then! Let's play. I'm ready!
  The children started to chatter, and Enrique added:
  - But first, get us the invisibility cap.
  The water spirit nodded:
  - Of course! But let's be honest.
  The boy captain sang:
  I don't like the confidence of a well-fed person,
  It's better if the brakes fail...
  It annoys me that the word honor has been forgotten,
  And what is honorable about slandering behind someone's back!
  The mermaids rushed to get the invisibility cap. The water sprite even tossed them a golden key. Everyone was in high spirits, especially the children, who were thrilled to have such a captain. And it was all filmed, from three different angles at once, giving the performance a three-dimensional feel. It's all incredibly beautiful.
  Girl Katya noted:
  - Is it proper for children to play cards, especially for stakes?
  Enrique answered confidently:
  - It's indecent not to play! If we lose, that will be shame! But if we win, it will be valor!
  The boy Sasha sang:
  Don't slow down on the turns,
  This is the only way you will learn to win!
  And the children all raised their tightly clenched fists in unison.
  CHAPTER No 5.
  Alina was led through the corridors of such a gloomy institution as Butyrka, Russia's largest prison. It smelled of bleach and urine. The girl even felt a bit disgusted walking barefoot. Although, in principle, she could have put on something of her own. Otherwise, she looked like a beggar. But the girl, let's say, was beautiful, even too beautiful. The men she encountered stared. And they exclaimed:
  - Wow!
  Alina wanted to ask where they were taking her, but curiosity was punishable. Besides, the thought flashed through her mind: should she run away right now? Although she had a feeling that if she did, she'd miss something interesting.
  And so she began to descend with the guards. Yes, Alina knew that beneath Butyrka there was an underground Colosseum where no-holds-barred fights took place. And sometimes even with bladed weapons, with fatal consequences.
  The girl grinned; she wasn't opposed to a fight and some physical exercise, and maybe even a little cash in the process. So she went downstairs and was led into the Butyrka prison chief's office. The man looked plump and unpleasant. He greeted her sullenly.
  His office underground was rather squat. He covered half his face with mirrored glasses. And with a grin, after the usual questions, he said:
  - Do you want to earn good money?
  Alina smiled and replied:
  - Of course! It's better than lazing around in a cell!
  The head of Butyrki noted:
  - I haven't said how yet. Maybe they'll force you to give a blowjob to a black guy.
  The girl answered with a smile:
  "I'm not a racist! Besides, I don't think an official of that rank would suggest anything inappropriate!"
  The head of Butyrki replied:
  - Well, of course! Do you know how to fight?
  Alina sang in response:
  I got used to fighting bravely,
  The girl drained the bottom of many bottles!
  But I never fell in love,
  A long time ago, a long time ago, a long time ago!
  The boss nodded and replied:
  "Take a shower and fight today! You'll get a percentage if you win, plus bets on the pools. But I warn you, there are no points decisions, and you'll be fighting to the knockout. And sometimes fights end in death. We're not responsible for that!"
  Alina jokingly chirped:
  To a bloody, holy and just battle,
  March, march forward, working people!
  To a bloody battle,
  Holy and right,
  March, march forward,
  Working people!
  The head of Butyrki nodded:
  - Agreed! The hostess will take care of you.
  Alina found herself in the arms of a tall, red-haired woman.
  The hostess shouted:
  - Take off your clothes!
  And she puffed out her cheeks.
  After that, she put on thin rubber gloves and began to feel the girl up. Even her private parts. The redhead clearly admired the natural blonde's muscular, tanned body. Alina had perfect proportions, like a model. Her muscles weren't massive, but they were very lean and defined. The redhead also looked into Alina's mouth. As if searching, and partly she was, she slipped her fingers under her cheeks and the roof of her mouth, checked all her teeth, tugged at them, and noted:
  - Not a single hole or spot!
  Alina noted:
  "I'm still young! God himself commanded me to still have healthy teeth. Well, if I were seventy, that would be more pleasant to hear!"
  The redhead answered angrily:
  - There will be more, if they don"t kill me!
  After which I felt her breasts. It was obvious that she was doing this with great pleasure.
  Then she checked her belly button, pressing it with her index finger, and stuck her paw into her groin. Alina felt a ticklish, rather pleasant sensation, and purred.
  The red-haired woman noted:
  - I knew right away you were a slut. And you like to get laid!
  Alina noted with a smile:
  "When you're being raped, it's best to relax and enjoy it! But this kind of personal search feels a lot like rape."
  The red-haired hostess nodded:
  - Yes, you're smart. Well, okay, you'll go far if they don't stop you!
  After which the warden felt her anus, and then moved down to her feet. She stroked her bare soles, noting:
  - I see you were breaking bricks with your feet!
  Alina answered honestly:
  - Bigger ice blocks! They leave less debris. Melt and freeze again.
  The red-haired woman muttered:
  - In short, you're fit! You can go into battle. You'll find a worthy rival. Or do you want a male?
  Alina giggled and replied:
  - If they pay more, then why not?
  The red-haired warden and manager replied:
  - No, the first fight is usually female to female. But I'm warning you - don't rush in. The first three minutes are just for show!
  Alina nodded:
  - I know it! Maybe I'll even let her punch me in the face a couple of times. To make the fight interesting!
  The fire steward muttered:
  - In short, take a shower and get ready!
  Naked, Alina went to the shower stall. There were several fairly large and muscular girls there. They were showering under the supervision of guards and therefore kept quiet. Alina noted how pleasant it was to shower with girls, especially muscular ones. And in general, the women's skin was so smooth and clear. It was very pleasant to touch. However, males have their charms too. Even hairy ones. For example, a man's hair tickles a woman's breasts and nipples, the color of overripe wheat.
  After the shower, the girls were given terry towels, clearly not government-issued, and a hair dryer. Afterward, they were taken to the massage rooms.
  Alina lay on her stomach. Two teenagers, about fifteen or sixteen years old, began massaging her. Judging by their tattoos and shaved heads, they were juvenile prisoners. Apparently, this was the boys' way of earning some extra money. It was a pleasant experience, and you could see their eyes sparkling and their hands moving energetically. However, they didn't go beyond the massage. And then they smeared Vaseline on her naked body and walked barefoot on her back.
  Alina enjoyed it, even though she was being groped by strangers, and even juvenile delinquents. But sports massage energizes her. And she feels a surge of energy.
  The screen shows how fights without rules take place.
  The lightest weights fight first. And the boys in swimming trunks come out. They, too, have shaved heads, and one has a tattoo from a special school. Clearly, they haven't yet reached the age of criminal responsibility. They look about ten years old, their muscles still developing, and their bodies are rather skinny, but wiry.
  Nevertheless, the boys began to aggressively rain blows on each other. Lightweights are so agile. Soon, both had broken noses and were bleeding.
  Alina noted:
  - Is it really possible for such small children?
  The teenage massage therapist replied:
  "These fights are, in principle, illegal! The authorities simply turn a blind eye. Videos of Russian prisoners fighting are spreading around the world. And they're making a lot of money from it. These are the smallest fighters from the bark beetle, but many people like that, too."
  Alina nodded and said:
  My country of mighty giants,
  In Russia, every warrior from the nursery...
  We will not show our backs to the enemies,
  Kill the monster in a wild battle!
  The children continued to beat each other. Then they grappled, but their Vaseline-smeared hands slipped.
  The young masseurs continued to massage Alina. The young prisoners were muscular, thoroughly washed, and even smelled of cheap but strong cologne. They were muscular, and the tattoos on their young, tanned bodies looked even more beautiful.
  Alina really wanted to make love to them, but they were being watched by guards who did not allow them to do anything forbidden.
  The boy gladiators were exhausted and breathing heavily, their tanned bodies glistening with sweat.
  But so far no one could turn anyone off, and the battle dragged on.
  A teenager with a lion tattoo on his chest and stars on his knees remarked:
  "When the little ones fight, the battles sometimes drag on too long. But that's okay, there's stimulation."
  The girl in the bikini actually picked up the torch and held the flame to the boy's bare foot. He screamed and headbutted his opponent in the chin. The boy passed out. Both children were covered in blood and sweat. The winner, whining in pain, his bare foot blistered, rested his elbow on his chest.
  The female referee slapped the boy three times near his head and, since he was motionless, recorded a knockout.
  Alina noted:
  - Just like in wrestling!
  The young man with a dragon tattoo on his chest replied:
  - It's almost like wrestling. Except the winners aren't predetermined!
  The killer girl whistled:
  - Really? Are they all honest?
  The teenage massage therapist giggled:
  - Almost! But we're strict about that, they're fighting for real!
  The next fight was between little girls in bikinis. The rules were slightly changed. The girls had to be the first to escape from a cage lowered above. It was quite a funny sight to see them pushing and knocking each other down.
  The only way out is through the top, and the cage itself is made of plastic. It's relatively small, and the girls are only about ten years old. Besides, they're also from a special school, with tattoos and short prison haircuts.
  The boy with the lion noted:
  - Can we, minors, date female prisoners? Do whatever you want, just don't get pregnant. It's better that way. I don't understand those who mess around with cocks.
  The young man with the dragon nodded:
  - Yes, I think it's a shame for a guy to show off his cock to another guy, although some people think it's cool!
  Alina giggled and replied:
  - Yes, that's right. And why are you here?
  The boys grinned and replied:
  "We have racketeering, robbery, and drugs. We're already, you could say, gangsters and live by the rules!"
  The killer girl asked:
  - And how much will they give?
  "They might not give it to you at all. The mafia is immortal!" the boys exclaimed in chorus.
  The girls started by pushing each other. Then they started throwing punches at each other. They were like boys in this way. Only when they got close, they started to use their teeth. It's understandable that people enjoy watching this. Ultimate fighting is a common sight in prison.
  Alina remembered movies with Van Damme. He also spent time in prison or fought in martial arts. Well, Bruce Lee didn't live long enough to get the traction he deserved for fighting behind bars. But there are movies with actors similar to Bruce Lee, and they feature prison fights, among other things.
  But Alina had never seen films about children fighting in no-holds-barred combat behind bars. Although it would have been funny. And children are warriors. And sometimes killers.
  Her brother Enrique was once offered a contract to kill someone for money. And he actually did shoot someone. But the boy didn't like it and categorically refused to kill. Especially since Enrique was making decent money in the movies, while minors are still paid peanuts for murder. Of course, there's still a risk, although who would suspect a child with such an angelic appearance?
  But one time Enrique still committed a murder, throwing a blade with his bare toes; they offered him a lot of money, and he himself was interested, but after that the boy stopped.
  The girls pushed each other in various ways. And bit. There was a lot of squealing and noise. But so far, none of them could escape the cage.
  The crowd was noisy. Some even swore.
  Alina noted:
  - An interesting spectacle! But the meaning is somehow unclear. They could push and shove like this for two hours.
  The boy with the dragon tattoo replied:
  - Two hours won't work. There's a stimulator here.
  And indeed, holes appeared in the surface where the girls' bare feet slapped. And from them, scalding steam blew. And how it slashed the young warriors' bare, round, pink heels.
  And the scorched ones screamed. After that, the fight intensified. And the girls climbed out of the cage. And then, biting and pushing, they both flew out of the cage. However, the special school student, who was lighter, got there a little earlier. And she was awarded the victory.
  Alina said with a smile:
  - Well, that's an interesting spectacle. The mafia, as they say, in the service of progress!
  The prisoner boy with the lion tattoo made some minor adjustments:
  - This is progress in the service of the mafia!
  A young prisoner with a dragon tattoo added:
  - The mafia is the fourth estate, and the most influential of the estates!
  Alina chirped:
  Hostile whirlwinds are hovering above us,
  March, march forward, lucky people!
  We will boldly enter into a fight with the cops,
  March, march forward, lucky people!
  The boys entered the arena again. This time they were older, about eleven or twelve years old. Though young, they had numerous tattoos, including stars on their knees. They also had a symbol on their arms, a sign of their time in special school. Their blond buzzcuts had already grown back a little after being shaved bald. The young warriors were deeply tanned, with defined muscles. They were holding poles. It was clear they were in for a tough fight.
  Alina was surprised:
  - Where did they get such a tan? That a special school is a tanning salon?
  The prison boy with a dragon tattoo replied:
  "Exactly. Here at Butyrka, there's a solarium, an underground swimming pool, and even a greenhouse. Besides, the youngsters in the bark beetle prison work a lot outdoors. That's why they're so healthy, and the mafia's common fund improves the nutrition of the prisoners' children."
  Alina giggled and remarked:
  - This is how the mafia takes care of children, and children are our future!
  The boy with the dragon tattoo asked:
  - And when you, white angel, killed, did you not think that you were leaving children orphans?
  The killer girl laughed and replied:
  - Man is mortal. And perhaps for some it is better to die before their time, there will be less torment in Hell!
  A boy (he looked about fifteen years old) with a lion tattoo asked:
  - Do you believe in God?
  Alina answered confidently:
  - Trust in God, but don"t be lazy yourself!
  Meanwhile, two gladiator boys began to strike each other. It was possible to place a bet beforehand. And it was incredibly cool. How cute and muscular boys fight.
  And they also try to reach each other with their bare feet, strong, veined from constant training and hard work.
  The young man with the dragon asked Alina:
  - How did they manage to blow up the thief in law Fantik?
  The killer girl objected:
  "I don't usually use explosives. Innocent people could get hurt."
  The juvenile delinquents whistled:
  - Wow! You're a torpedo with a clear understanding! A lot of people have gone wild these days. That sweet boy, who's fighting with a pole now, his nickname was Scorpio, killed four people!
  Alina chuckled:
  - Yes, it looks like it!
  The boy with a lion on his chest answered:
  "And he didn't just kill him out of sheer drunkenness. His father is serving a life sentence for killing three people. And the son decided to outdo his dad and kill four. So he's a staunch ideological killer!"
  The boy with the dragon tattoo remarked:
  "On the rations at the special school, he got fat, grew strong, and became a respected man. The mafia needs ruthless killers. That's why the bark beetle provides warmth and good food for real juvenile bandits!"
  Alina jokingly sang:
  - Solar heating, moonlight, correspondence meals, prison education, conditional reward, unconditional destruction!
  The massage boys and the underage bandits laughed.
  Meanwhile, the fight continued. Scorpio, indeed, a muscular, well-built boy with a cute face, wouldn't have looked like a killer if it weren't for the tattoos. They made him look cool. The boy moved well, but his opponent wasn't bad either. The boys fought in only swimming trunks. It was clear how bruises and abrasions remained on their bodies after each blow. But so far, neither had sustained any significant injuries. On the contrary, they moved nimbly and parried the blows.
  Alina noted with a smile:
  - Yes, it looks cute! And his competitor, is he also a killer?
  The boy with the lion tattoo noted:
  He's charged with a whole host of crimes, including grievous bodily harm. But he hasn't yet reached the point of murder.
  The killer girl giggled and noted:
  The answer is of course simple,
  The boy is not mature enough...
  Let's give him a five,
  To make it easier to manage!
  The children continued to fight. They sweated more and more. Bruises appeared not only on their bodies, but on their faces as well. And then they broke each other's noses. Streams of blood began to flow. What can you say? The fight was completely even.
  Alina noted:
  "The Great Patriotic War contains a paradox. At first, the stronger Red Army suffered defeat after defeat. And then, having become weaker, it began to win!"
  The boy with the lion tattoo remarked:
  - It's like that in movies too. First, the main character is beaten to death. And then, suddenly, like he's learned karate, he takes out the bull.
  The young man with the dragon confirmed:
  - Yes! It's a Hollywood paradox: at first, the hero loses, but then a turning point occurs. Although, for example, Bruce Lee didn't particularly let anyone hit him in the movies.
  Alina took it and sang:
  We haven"t grown up to karate,
  So train better, kids...
  We'll be cooler than Bruce Lee,
  We are the champions on the planet!
  And the teenage bandits laughed. Alina noticed that they hardly spoke any thieves' lingo, which suggested that while they might be bandits by trade, they weren't by culture.
  Meanwhile, both boys grew quite tired, and their movements slowed. Then flames began to erupt from the holes. And the flames scorched the bare, round heels of both young fighters.
  The boys screamed and began hitting each other with their poles with all their might. Scorpio was lucky and hit the point of his chin squarely with the end of the stick. His opponent fell, arms outstretched.
  The young killer approached his opponent and placed his bare foot on his chest. The referee counted three blows. And the winner was declared. The boy's right hand was raised. Now that was awesome.
  The music started playing, and a bronze medal was brought out. Scorpio hung it up and exclaimed:
  - I challenge the champion!
  And the crowd applauded, quite loudly. And at the same time, whistles could be heard. And the boy dipped his bare foot in the blood, leaving a clear, graceful scarlet imprint of a child's foot on the chest of the fallen boy.
  Then two teenagers appeared, they put the defeated boy on a stretcher and carried him away.
  The audience applauded again.
  A beautiful, almost completely naked girl ran out. She twirled and sang:
  We will fight the enemy fiercely,
  The endless darkness of locusts...
  My capital will not bend,
  May Moscow shine like the sun to the world!
  May Moscow shine like the sun to the world!
  And she did the splits. What a wonderful girl, of the most magnificent beauty. Then she stood up and ran on.
  A boy of about ten years old handed Alina a pack of ice cream and whispered:
  - Get ready! One more fight and it's your turn.
  And his bare, little heels sparkled.
  The young man with the dragon noticed:
  - Another one from the bark beetle. They're happy to serve here.
  Alina noted:
  - I wonder why barefoot?
  The boy with the lion replied:
  "Because there's a shortage of small-sized shoes in special schools, and it's warm here, so they save money. But judging by the sturdiness of the soles, you don't like shoes yourself."
  The killer girl giggled and replied:
  - It's hard to say... There are many advantages to going barefoot, and I'm a tough girl. For example, with bare toes, you can climb the walls of houses or trees.
  The young man with the dragon nodded:
  "Yes, prison shoes are rough and uncomfortable. But there's so much germs and spit in prison that you kind of hate going barefoot. It's a different story if you work outdoors. Then it's a pleasure. Especially since both spring and fall have been warm lately, and you can go barefoot for most of the year."
  Alina laughed and ran her hand over the juvenile delinquent's muscular chest. He was shaking with excitement and breathing heavily. It was obvious how difficult it was for the teenagers in prison, especially next to a very beautiful and nearly naked girl. They were ready to pounce on her. But the rules forbade it-they were just masseurs.
  Alina also really wanted to make love with this couple at the same time. She's a spirited girl, after all. And she enjoys sex in all its forms.
  She nodded, and the boys began to massage her vigorously. Meanwhile, a new fight was announced.
  This time, it was something more exotic. A lynx ran first onto the stage, and even the cage bars rose. The lynx was small, but quite predatory. Then a teenage girl, about fourteen, entered the arena. She already had a very good, muscular figure in a bikini. She was beautiful, muscular, and tattooed. It was clear she'd already been to a special school, and now to a juvenile correctional facility. But the tattoos suit her; she looks even more beautiful with them. Her skin was tanned, and her hair was light, though obviously dyed.
  In her right hand, the young girl and criminal held a trident and in her left, a net.
  Her bare feet moved very quickly and almost silently.
  It seemed that the girl herself was like a puma.
  The young man with the dragon noted:
  - That's Puma! That's her nickname. A real fighter.
  Alina whistled:
  - Yes, it"s just like in Ancient Rome!
  The boy with the lion nodded:
  "Of course! When they just fight without weapons, it's not so interesting. But when they fight with swords, they often kill or maim, and that creates problems. Therefore, fighting an animal is the best option. Especially since, even in these times of lawlessness, it's not so easy to write off the death or serious injury of a minor."
  The young man with the dragon noticed:
  "Yes, until you're eighteen, your life is worth something, even to the cops and the mafia. But when you're an adult, you're wasted like a doll."
  Alina nodded:
  - Yes! I've never killed a minor in my life either, although I've had a couple of orders. But I have some ideas.
  The teenage girl knew how to play to an audience. She moved deftly, scratching the hungry lynx with her trident. But she was in no hurry to cast her net. And she deftly dodged the blows. One even scratched her bare, tanned, muscular leg. The girl giggled, clearly in pain.
  The audience roared with delight. Alina noted:
  - Maybe they'll release a beast against me too?
  The young man with the dragon objected:
  "This is your first fight at the Butyrka arena. It's unlikely they'll let a newbie take on the beast."
  Alina objected:
  "Yes, I didn't fight in Butyrka. But I did participate in underground fights elsewhere. And I'm well known, even though I've only had a few fights."
  The boy with the lion replied:
  - I've fought in the ring too. And with gloves on. It still hits you pretty hard on the head. And it can break your nose.
  The young girl, having received another scratch from the lynx, finally threw the net. And the lynx, already bloodied from the trident's blows, became entangled in it. It spun and howled. What a sight it was.
  Alina noted:
  - Lovely! I like this.
  The boy with the lion replied:
  - It could be even cooler! Animals, however, are worth money too. Such fights aren't that common.
  The young man with the dragon noted:
  "But sometimes they fight snakes, and they can even unleash a lion. It's a very difficult fight, though. Usually, the lion is unleashed when a person has been written off. And it will almost certainly tear him apart!"
  Alina giggled and sang:
  And whom we will find in battle, and whom we will find in battle,
  We won't joke about that!
  We'll tear you apart, we'll tear you apart,
  We'll get it out of the water!
  With a few strikes of her trident, the tattooed teenage girl finally finished off the lynx, spilling a pool of blood. Then she placed her bare foot on the broken carcass, raised her trident, and yelled:
  - My gentle and sweet animal, you are dead now, believe it!
  Alina whistled softly as her body was massaged by young men.
  CHAPTER No 6.
  Before Enrique and the Water Spirit could even throw away their first gifts after dealing the cards, something began to hum in the sky. The roar was terrifying, like that of heavy jet fighters.
  Sashka raised his bow and pulled the string.
  Here appeared Karabas Barabas. Apparently, he hadn't been completely annihilated last time. His black-red beard fluttered in the wind. And the monster himself, in the form of a terrifying man, sat upon a three-headed dragon. In one hand, he held a mag-blaster, and in the other, a seven-tailed whip.
  And he roared at the top of his lungs:
  Hey, you barefoot boys,
  For destroying goodness...
  Drive away your gold,
  And don't forget the silver!
  Enrique's smile blossomed like a child's. He shook his wand. A sword flashed in his hand, and the young warrior stood barefoot on a skateboard. He rushed at the dragon. Lights flared, like torches of flame. The children also snatched up their wands. And they unleashed bolts of lightning at the dragon.
  And the fiery flames suddenly died down. And Enrique's sword severed the dragon's head that was in the middle.
  And a stream of yellow blood gushed from his throat. The children squealed with delight. And again they struck with lightning bolts from their sticks. Enrique took the next blow and cut off a tuft of Karabas's beard.
  After which, the boy warrior dodged a mag-blaster shot. The fight continued. Enrique took and severed another head on the right, and scarlet blood spurted. And it began to spurt. And the burning became violent and violent.
  The boy Sasha exclaimed:
  - This is awesome!
  Little Katya stamped her bare foot on the frigate's deck. And then she began to sing:
  Children, this is a great power,
  And they stand firm for the truth...
  We'll blow away the fool Karabas,
  It's no big deal to crush a cockroach!
  Children are magical warriors. And they're so, well, beautiful, and they have such sweet little faces.
  The boy Seryozhka took it and squeaked:
  - Beat Karabas!
  The boy Petka exclaimed:
  - And chop down the dragon!
  And Enrique took and chopped off the dragon's last head. And green blood gushed out. And it seethed and bubbled. And the beast, having lost all its heads, began to plummet. Karabas barely managed to jump off. And then, already falling, Baba Yaga caught him. And the red-haired woman was there again. And together they were again trying to harm the children. And, as the saying goes, good triumphs over evil, but in real life, evil sometimes prevails over good.
  But this is still a movie. And the children started whacking the villains with their wands. Baba Yaga and Karabas Barabas quickly closed their distance. They jumped back. And the red-haired woman pulled a magic ball from her bosom. It looked like crystal and sparkled.
  And she placed it on her palm.
  The boy Seryozhka whistled:
  - Some kind of surprise is brewing!
  Enrique sang, boldly looking his enemies in the face:
  Surprise, surprise
  Long live surprise!
  Surprise, surprise
  Long live surprise!
  Baba Yaga looked at the ball, and a glow appeared there. Suddenly, a rider on a pale horse, with a skull for a head and a scythe in his right hand, jumped out of it.
  Girl Katya noted:
  - What a surprise! Is this what we wanted?
  The boy Sasha squeaked:
  - What did you want? This is complete chaos!
  A rider on a pale horse, brandishing a scythe, attempted to attack Enrique. But the boy leaped nimbly, and the sharp blade flew past, narrowly missing his bare feet. In response, the child star smashed his sword into his skull. There was a ringing sound, and the skull of the skeleton with the scythe began to jingle.
  The girl Lara squealed:
  -Our homeland is against Karabas!
  Another girl, Katya, sang:
  The bird danced the polka,
  On the lawn in the early hours...
  Tail left, hook right,
  Beaten like a mutt Karabas!
  The skeleton warrior was quite resilient. And the blows he received sparked. But it seems this monster is truly resilient. Now that's a fighting ring.
  But the skeleton refused to crumble, swinging its scythe. And nearly hit the jumping boy with its lethal scythe. Now that's a true fighting monster.
  The red-haired witch gurgled:
  Karabas has a terrible bass voice,
  And a terrible grimace,
  More terrible than this Karabas,
  You won't find Barabas!
  Then the boy warrior grabbed a banana peel from the deck with his bare toes and hurled it at the skeleton. And a miracle truly happened. The monster was transformed, becoming a helpless, fallen banana peel. And the children again joyfully took up the gesture and howled. It truly was a powerful move. And unexpected. Enrique loved to use his bare feet. They were graceful, beautiful, tanned, muscular, and more agile than a chimpanzee's. And he could throw everything so deftly with his childish toes.
  Now Baba Yaga tried to release something from the balloon again. And it flew past like a meteorite. It really did resemble a squid woven from flame.
  The girl Lara squealed:
  - Wow! What an adversary!
  Sasha chirped to the boy:
  The enemy is hot as fire,
  And sheds blood like a river...
  But don't give in to him,
  And return the monster to the darkness!
  Enrique, not flustered, picked up the pitcher of water with his bare toes and splashed it on the fire squid. More precisely, it was a mixture of water and wine.
  And the fiery squid reared up and scattered in all directions like a thousand sparks. And then black pearls rained down on the deck.
  The boy Petka sang jokingly:
  - What a blue sky!
  We are not supporters of robbery!
  And sometimes a jug of wine,
  This leads to the fact that you will be mated by Yaga!
  Karabas tried to cast a spell. Several hairs flew out of his beard, hissed, and transformed into snakes. But the child warriors were unfazed. They simply hacked at the reptiles with their swords. And they vanished, leaving only wet stains.
  Enrique chuckled and noted:
  - Is that all you can do?
  Baba Yaga roared:
  - Stupid boy! You have no idea what unimaginable demonic power this ball possesses!
  The boy giggled and replied:
  It's not bad to be strong, that's for sure,
  But we still have to cook the balls!
  Balls, balls, balls, cook!
  Balls, balls, balls, cook!
  Two rabbits jumped out of the ball. They were the most ordinary-looking animals. But suddenly they began to grow, and each one turned into a brute the size of a good-sized bull, each holding carrot-shaped clubs in their hands, or rather paws.
  And their faces became so angry!
  The boy Seryozhka squeaked:
  Magic Rabbit,
  Draws a zero!
  And indeed, the monsters swung their clubs and tried to hit Enrique. But the boy warrior jumped up, and the carrot-shaped clubs flew past. They even smashed into each other's faces. And the rabbit-monsters fell to the ground.
  The girl Lara squealed:
  - Hey, dubinushka, let's go!
  Enrique sang:
  We will defeat the nightmare,
  One jump - double strike!
  The monster rabbits' faces flattened from the blows of the drowsy clubs, and orange blood began to flow. Lara stepped into the liquid with her small, bare foot. She felt a burn. Then, she dropped droplets from her fan onto the long-eared monsters, who were struggling to rise and beginning to stir.
  And the rabbits suddenly turned chocolate.
  The boy Sasha jokingly sang:
  You are a chocolate bunny,
  You are a gentle bastard...
  And one hundred percent sweet,
  Oh, oh, oh, plasma chisel!
  Indeed, there were now two large, chocolate-colored figures. Enrique licked his lips and remarked:
  - How delicious!
  The girl Katya stamped her graceful foot and said:
  - Go away, chocolates, where there are plenty of not nasty children! May they be happy, the chocolate flows into the channel!
  And so, the large chocolate rabbit statues rose into the air and scattered in all directions. First, of course, they broke into smaller pieces.
  Enrique spat fire at Baba Yaga. She took the mirror and held it up to her. It was quite large, in a gold frame. The fiery pulsar struck and shattered. A multitude of firemen appeared. And they rushed to attack the children.
  Enrique snapped his bare toes and commanded:
  - Let's play the Marseillaise!
  The children began to perform something in the classical, French style on the harmonica.
  And the numerous firemen began to dance. It was quite a joy. Both boys and girls, too, began to dance, stamping their bare, nimble feet. And it looked absolutely wonderful.
  Boy Vova began to sing:
  Don't play the fool Orklandia,
  Karabas Barabas is not a brawler...
  We'll bake some pies and pancakes,
  And let's feed the warlike region!
  And let's feed the warlike region!
  Baba Yaga howled:
  - What assholes you are! May your lives be damned!
  And a multi-armed monster appeared, terrifying yet translucent, like a jellyfish. And it howled...
  The girl Lara sang:
  Let me go to the Himalayas,
  Let me go forever...
  Otherwise I will howl, or else I will bark,
  Or else I'll eat someone!
  And the monster spun the empty space so hard that the children flew head over heels. Enrique fired his wand, and his energy bolt hit the void. It flew back, striking the child on the bare heels. It was quite painful. It was as if someone had scorched the child's soles, albeit callused but still alive, with a flame.
  The empty one pounced on the boy, and Karabas Barabas screamed:
  - I'll treat you to a painful seven-tailed whip!
  Enrique, jumping back from the void, sang:
  Who sent you, evil monster?
  It will be beaten hard, believe me...
  Dull your grin,
  Become a victim, this master!
  And the boy whistled... The empty space turned a hundred and eighty degrees. And then it rushed towards Karabas Barabas.
  He screamed desperately. And the monster grabbed the Doctor of Puppetry's beard with its tentacles. And it grabbed him and shook him. Karabas groaned in terrible pain.
  The girl Lara squealed:
  Karabas Barabas, get your flour quickly,
  Karabas Barabas, you're sick of tormenting dolls!
  Karabas Barabas, get a kick in the eye,
  Karabas Barabas, Karabas Barabas!
  The void really did take the villain seriously. It shook him soundly. Then it began to strangle him. Karabas roared in response, like a wounded buffalo. They were indeed threatening to strangle him.
  Baba Yaga took the mirror and pointed it at the hollow, but at that moment, the boy Petka threw a dagger, throwing it with all the force of his bare, childish foot. It hit the mirror and shattered. The monster, in the form of the hollow, was reflected in it. And as a result, the shards shattered, reflecting monsters. And now they began to emerge from them.
  Baba Yaga laughed:
  - This is how you help us!
  Karabas, from which Empty jumped off, howled:
  Who helps people,
  He's wasting his time...
  With good deeds,
  You can't become famous!
  And a mass of monsters and Hollows and other creatures resembling fanged goblins filled the space. And then they began to roar and attack the children.
  The girl Lara squealed:
  - What have you done?
  The boy Petka exclaimed:
  - The more enemies, the more interesting the war!
  Baba Yaga released another monster, this one shaped like a fir tree with the mouth of a crocodile. The monster snapped its mouth and roared:
  I will concrete you,
  I'll swallow you up in a moment, I won't spare you!
  Enrique said with anger:
  Evil is proud of its power,
  And it seems the whole world has come to terms with him...
  But with us is the golden-winged cherub,
  And we will give a powerful response to evil!
  And the boy warrior suddenly blew his whistle. The various shadows of the Hollow and the goblins shifted and collided with each other. Explosions were heard, like firecrackers. And they glowed and sparkled.
  And the boys and girls began to pummel the goblins with their bare, nimble feet. Incredible fun ensued. It was simply terrifying, how awesome. The shadows of the Empty and the goblins finally crumbled, and in their place arose mountains of cakes, candies, chocolates, and other delicious treats of unimaginable shapes and colors, utterly appetizing.
  And they scattered all over the pirate ship, on which the children, positive filibusters, were sailing.
  And how many lollipops and jelly beans were scattered here. Boys and girls enjoyed the magical treat.
  Enrique noted:
  - Overeating is harmful for children!
  The girl Lara confirmed:
  - Sweets are bad for your teeth!
  Baba Yaga roared:
  - I'll knock your teeth out! And rip your mouth open, and gouge out your blinkers!
  The warrior girl exclaimed:
  - How rude is it to say "mouth" - you should say "mouth"!
  The young warrior picked up the gum and popped it into her mouth. Then she began blowing it, quite vigorously. The gum rapidly grew in size, turning into a giant ball. Baba Yaga tried to hit it with her pulsar, but the fiery ball bounced off the elastic surface. The red-haired woman barked:
  - Wow!
  And the children blew on her in unison. And the bubble of gum covered Baba Yaga, and like a sponge, it sucked up the evil sorceress. And she found herself inside, screaming desperately:
  - Save Karabas Barabas!
  The boy Seryozhka exclaimed in response:
  Karabas Barabas, the hour of death will soon come!
  Indeed, the doctor of puppet sciences himself was terrified, and he had no idea how he could save anyone. Two boys and two girls from the barefoot children's squad grabbed Karabas Barabas by the beard. And they grabbed him and yanked him. He went flying head over heels.
  After which, the children grabbed sticks and began beating the doctor of puppetry. And they did so with great enthusiasm.
  It must be said that these boys and girls are such fighters against evil that they don't give evil a break. Goodness must be done with fists and sticks.
  Enrique noted:
  - What if we turn Karabas into a cake?
  The boy warrior Vova exclaimed:
  - What a wonderful idea! Especially with a sponge cake and cream.
  The children liked the idea. They even stopped hitting Barabas.
  The girl Lara chirped:
  - Let's continue playing - let's start casting spells!
  And the children stood in a circle around Karabas, who was already badly beaten.
  But suddenly a rumble was heard. A rider appeared on a black horse, wearing purple armor. He wore a closed, horned helmet, and his horse literally floated in the air. Although it had no wings, a horizontal figure eight glowed on the rider's chest.
  Enrique whistled:
  - Wow! It looks like Koschei the Deathless himself has arrived. What do you need, Koschei?
  The girl Lara reminded:
  "You promised to give up your evil deeds. And in return, we promised not to break the needle with your death!"
  Koschei nodded, so much so that even the steel creaked:
  - I know! We have such an agreement.
  The boy Petka squeaked:
  - A contract is worth more than money!
  Karabas Barabas croaked:
  - And you and I have a deal, Koschei, that if they turn me into something, you won"t let them do it!
  Koschei the Deathless roared:
  - Have you prepared a chest of gold? His Immortality doesn't do anything for nothing.
  Karabas gurgled:
  - Of course, your Majesty!
  The Lord of the Dark Kingdom remarked:
  - Don't you dare give me a fake one. I know your tricks with Baba Yaga - turning mice into diamonds, frogs into pearls, and cockroaches into gold!
  Barabas, with soup running from his nose, exclaimed:
  "How dare I deceive your immortality! I understand that in magic and swordsmanship you have no equal."
  Koschei exclaimed:
  I am not familiar with worries,
  I gave my heart for safekeeping...
  Even a hydrogen bomb can't kill you,
  And even more so, a sword and a knife are useless!
  And he thundered:
  - Well, children, let Karabas give me the chest of gold, and I won"t touch you.
  Enrique noted:
  - Barabas must pay us ransom too! We won't let him go just like that.
  Koschei nodded and twirled his sword:
  - Pay Karabas, pay!
  The Doctor of Puppetry howled:
  - Nothing!
  The Immortal growled:
  - Do you have a chest of gold for me? You're being a bit shady, bearded one.
  The girl Lara squealed:
  - You can't trust the Karabas! They're a dubious bunch.
  Enrique stamped his bare foot and said in a decisive tone:
  "Since Karabas has no ransom, let's turn him into a giant cake. Then we'll cut it into pieces and send them to hungry children all over the world!"
  The boys and girls cried out in unison:
  - That's right! This will be awesome!
  Karabas pleaded:
  - No need! Yes, I will be kinder, I will love children. - Letting tears flow down his beard, the doctor of doll sciences screamed. - Yes, I will, I will be kinder.
  Koschei chuckled and noted:
  - If I sometimes misbehave, and sometimes do good deeds, such a universal individual, then Karabas is an incorrigible villain!
  Enrique nodded:
  - I think so too! Its place is in children's stomachs. Let the boys and girls digest this black soul.
  Then Baba Yaga finally broke free from the bubble gum. Waving her wand, she tried to attack Enrique. The boys and girls struck her with their wands. Lightning struck Baba Yaga, and she flew back into the bubble gum ball. It looked great. It even smelled like something was burning.
  Koschei noticed:
  "Karabas Barabas may be a villain, but he's still a living person, albeit a vile one. Eating him, even in cake form, seems a bit much. Maybe it would be better to turn him into a little boy and send him to a juvenile labor camp for re-education?"
  The children laughed at such an interesting proposal. Indeed, it would be cool to reform the villain.
  Just imagine Karabas as a shaved-headed boy in shorts, marching barefoot alongside other shaved kids in prison uniforms. Yes, that would look pretty cool.
  Enrique noted:
  "What do you choose, Karabas? Will you be a ten-year-old boy and sent to a correctional facility for difficult children, where you'll face the whip and work therapy with schooling, or will we turn you into a cake and eat you?"
  Karabas gurgled:
  "Don't turn me into a boy. Make me a young man, and then I'll perform feats in the name of good!"
  Enrique objected:
  - We don't believe you! You're a seasoned villain.
  Then Karabas started whining:
  Drawn in grey in the fairy tale,
  If you read it, there is no one worse than me,
  How unattractive my portrait is,
  Am I worse than Koschei, am I worse than Barmaley?
  Aren't I charming?
  The Immortal growled:
  - It's in vain that you compare me to yourself, worthless thing. That's what I'm getting at you for.
  And a magic wand flashed in Koshchei's hands. He shook it, and Karabas winced and, right before his eyes, transformed into a hideous, warty toad. And it croaked in fear.
  Enrique noted:
  - Ugh, the appearance matches the content!
  The girl Katya giggled and remarked:
  - But he would have been better as a boy! And perhaps more handsome.
  And with her bare foot she poked the toad in the belly. It jerked. And leaped. At that moment, Baba Yaga flew out of the bubble of gum again. And her handbag flashed in her hands. The toad, into which Karabas Barabas had transformed, was sucked into the bag by a whirlwind.
  The children struck again with their wands. But the red-haired woman managed to dodge and took off running... And her broom even began to smoke from the overload, and a roar was heard, like a motorcycle without a muffler.
  Enrique noted:
  - The villains have escaped again!
  There was annoyance in the boy warrior's voice.
  But Sashka noticed with a smile:
  "I don't want the fairy tale to end. Especially since if Baba Yaga and Karabas disappear, even worse fairy tale characters might appear!"
  Koschei laughed and remarked:
  - Well, I'm actually worse off. I remember they even hit me with a nuke and it didn't make a dent!
  Enrique asked:
  - And didn"t you want to switch entirely to good deeds?
  In response, the Immortal sang:
  - Who helps people,
  He's wasting his time...
  With good deeds,
  You can't become famous!
  The girl Lara noticed, throwing a piece of fin stuck in the deck with her bare foot:
  "You'll get what you deserve with all your misbehavior! There'll be a good fellow who'll sequester you. And we might even take you on if you do anything serious!"
  Koschei grinned. Two more long arms with swords sprouted from his black-armored body, and he roared:
  - Aren't you afraid?
  The girl laughed and replied:
  How long should I be afraid, I don"t understand,
  A strong warrior is born for battle,
  Fear is a weakness and therefore,
  He who is afraid is already defeated!
  Then the head of the Water Spirit and four mermaids appeared from the sea's surface. Apparently, they had chosen to sit out the showdown.
  Koschei muttered:
  - What else? When will you repay the debt?
  The water spout gurgled:
  - Your Majesty... I have a force majeure!
  The Immortal growled:
  - You should borrow it from him. Otherwise, I'll turn you into a jellyfish, or even better, a cockroach!
  The girl Masha suggested:
  - Better in a sponge cake with cream, then we'll eat it with pleasure!
  Koschei answered with a sour expression:
  - It would be better if you turned them into cakes. But, for example, into an excellent wine goblet - that's fine!
  Enrique said jokingly:
  Wine is famous for its mighty power,
  It knocks mighty men off their feet!
  Koschei chuckled and remarked:
  "I once got Ilya Muromets really drunk, and he did some crazy things. He even climbed the bell tower and crowed like a rooster!"
  Enrique stamped his bare foot so hard that even the deck creaked, and the boy exclaimed:
  - Fight drunkenness, alcohol is harmful to children!
  The water spout gurgled:
  - I just wanted to play cards with these kids for fun!
  Koschei grinned, shook his swords and his four hands:
  - With the kids for fun? No wonder I think you're always broke and losing everything. You'll be a rat soon!
  Enrique chuckled and suggested:
  - How about writing off the Water One's debt?
  CHAPTER No 7.
  Alina was getting ready to go out. The juvenile thugs were vigorously and enthusiastically stretching her body. But there was another fight scheduled before her. This time, a boy of about twelve ran out. Also wearing swimming trunks, he had tattoos from the special school, and some that suggested this kid was a veteran. And not the least of the criminal underworld.
  The boy had a sword in his right hand and a dagger in his left.
  The boy with the dragon tattoo remarked:
  "A very lucrative fight. It will spread across the world, like in the ancient Colosseum-a sword fight with bloodshed, and perhaps even casualties."
  The boy with the lion tattoo noted:
  - I don't envy him! He'll be a serious opponent!
  And indeed, the herald announced:
  A fighter well known to you, nicknamed "Wolf Cub," has entered the ring. Let's applaud his courage!
  The audience applauded. Alina felt a sense of foreboding. The young man with the dragon tattoo remarked:
  - Most likely he will fight with the beast. And that's the worst thing.
  The killer girl asked:
  - Why is it worse?
  The juvenile bandit replied:
  - You can come to an agreement with a person, even if you fight with swords, but not with a real animal!
  Alina giggled and sang:
  My sweet and gentle beast,
  I'll kill you, believe it...
  My sweet and gentle animal!
  Indeed, a rather large, predatory snow leopard was being led down a special corridor. It was spotted, with long, sharp fangs. And its claws were quite impressive. Its sunken belly suggested it hadn't been fed for a long time, and its nervous movements suggested it had been injected with something stimulating. So, Wolf Cub wasn't exactly to be envied.
  Alina imagined this unfortunate boy. His head was a little longer than usual, with a crew cut. His muscles were well developed, and he could probably be called handsome. True, the boy's eyes were hard. And they had an expressive look-a typical wolf cub.
  The young man with the dragon noticed:
  "Perhaps he was forced into such a fight for some offense. He has little chance against a leopard. Besides, the kid looks like he was tortured a bit. Even his soles have blisters, and that's saying something."
  Indeed, the boy was shown in close-up at that moment, squatting down to stretch his wiry, childish body. His calloused feet were clearly covered in small blisters, as if from a brazier.
  Alina knew there was such a torture. The soles of bare feet are oiled, and then a brazier is placed at a distance. The flame caresses the heels. It's painful, yet harmless. Only small blisters appear, and after a couple of days the torture can be repeated.
  Alina felt sympathy for the Little Wolf, who had somehow offended the mafia, if his heels were fried by fire.
  The leopard, as soon as he was brought out from behind the bars, rushed at the boy. He roared and his fangs flashed.
  Alina imagined it was a monster unleashed from hell. But the Wolf Cub didn't lose his composure. Leaping from the line of attack, the prisoner boy slashed at the leopard's hide with his sword. It seemed to wound the leopard, leaving a bloody streak across its spotted body.
  The crowd applauded. Bars charged again. The boy deftly dodged the blows. And in response, he stabbed and slashed with his sword. He, this Wolf Cub, was incredibly fast and agile. And yet his body was very muscular and covered in tattoos. From these, Alina realized, the boy had killed people before, albeit in defense of his honor. And not simply for money, or while drunk.
  But his opponent was truly dangerous. The leopard managed to knock the boy down, his claws digging into the child's bare, muscular chest. But the Wolf Cub didn't lose his composure. He managed to stab the villain in the eye with a dagger.
  Alina squeaked:
  -This is awesome!
  The boy with the dragon tattoo remarked:
  - Tough little boy!
  But the mortally wounded leopard sank its teeth into the boy's muscular, sinewy shoulder. Luckily, the boy had slathered himself in Vaseline before the fight and managed to slip free with a supreme effort. Covered in blood, he leaped to his feet. With such desperation, he struck the leopard in the head with both hands that the bone cracked. The dagger sank even deeper into the brain. The predator twitched a few times and then fell silent. The crowd roared wildly. The boy was covered in scratches, his arms and legs shaking with the effort. Nevertheless, he won and raised his sword.
  Alina yelled:
  - Wow! A young gladiator, a hero!
  The boy with the lion tattoo, continuing to massage the killer girl's muscular body, although he was already sweating, noted:
  - Not every adult gladiator can defeat a leopard.
  Blood was dripping from the Wolf Cub, but the boy's sweet face glowed with happiness.
  Alina responded with delight:
  - What a fight! Absolutely top-notch! It'll be amazing when I get there!
  Indeed, the next exit was already that of the female killer.
  The masseur boys, who also happened to be juvenile delinquents, stopped massaging her body. And the newcomer, Alina, had to go first.
  She was wearing only one bikini, but she looked the best in it.
  And she walked to Tchaikovsky's music. Such a tanned, muscular girl. The hall was full of people, including foreigners. And many children. Which is surprising for such a bloody spectacle.
  Hands reached out to Alina, trying to touch the wonderful beauty.
  The female killer had already fought in no-holds-barred fights. And she always won. And so she felt calm. On the contrary, she even wanted to fight someone.
  Especially with a man, that would be awesome. Besides, the massage from the handsome, muscular, tattooed gangster teenagers really aroused her lust. How she wanted a man. A real Hercules.
  This would be extremely satisfying for her. And maybe even copulate in front of everyone. That would be colossal awesomeness!
  And she, smiling, walked into the fenced-in battle tank. It was safe there. And just like in wrestling, no one would run out and hit you with a chair or a seat.
  Yes, wrestling is certainly a spectacle, but more of a game than a sport. However, it must be said that the acrobatic stunts are performed with talent.
  One of the boys finally grabbed her sinewy, muscular ankle, but Alina ignored it. She continued walking, and the boy bruised himself slightly. His peers laughed and made faces. Oh well, it's part of the show. The fight will be real. And they've obviously got something exotic in store for Alina. After all, she's no complete novice. They might even unleash a lion. True, in that case, she'd be given a weapon. Usually, people don't fight animals with just their bare hands and bare feet.
  The girl stepped into the very center of the ring, which was both a cage and an aquarium. There were holes through which fire erupted, and water poured in at the same time. Steam could have burst into flames, too.
  The tattooed girls had just wiped away the bloody footprints of the little Wolf Cub's bare feet. They were quite graceful, and Alina thought that if the young gladiator had been a little older, she would have had a lot of fun with him.
  Alina bowed to the audience and waited for her opponent. She really wanted it to be a handsome man, or at least a teenager. She also imagined an orgy taking place right there in the arena. Now that would be fun.
  How wonderful and cool it would all look. Alina imagined her scarlet nipples being licked by the tongues of very handsome and well-built young men, and she moaned lustfully.
  And she really wanted as much sex as possible right now.
  Finally, the music began-a gallant march-and her opponent entered the arena. She was a tall, large woman with ebony skin. Her breasts were as large as the udders of the finest buffalo, and her hips were as luxurious as the croup of a thoroughbred horse. Her hair, like a mane, was long and curly-black as a raven-and her smile was full of white teeth, like a panther's.
  Alina, looking at her, felt desire and arousal-what a woman. And everyone was reaching out to this black woman. She was accompanied by four very muscular young men with swords and shields. The males were white, even blond. And they were throwing fragrant, vibrant, and vibrant flowers at the black woman's bare feet. And it was beautiful when those ebony-faced, pink-soled feet stepped on the petals.
  The herald announced:
  - We have a guest from America, the heavyweight champion of mixed martial arts among the fair sex, Nicole Armstrong.
  Alina winced slightly. She'd never faced an opponent of such caliber before. Especially since the black diva was much larger than her. She stepped into the ring, towering over Alina by a full head. And her shoulders were muscular, broad, clearly unfeminine.
  Nicole looked at Alina and licked her lips, her gaze becoming gentle and languid:
  - You're a cutie!
  The killer girl replied:
  - And you are also nothing special, gorgeous woman!
  The black female gladiator growled:
  - Watch out, I'll hit you carefully, but hard!
  Bets were placed. And the odds were about one in ten on Nicole. She was muscular, with slab-like abs, and much more massive than the slender, albeit very toned, Alina.
  However, the teenage massage therapists shouted:
  - Win! We bet on you!
  Before the bell had even sounded, signaling the start of the fight, the black woman pounced on Alina and attempted to drive her bare, powerful foot into the blonde's stomach, or more precisely, into her abdominal muscles. But Alina had anticipated this and not only dodged it, but also executed a sweep, sending her opponent tumbling.
  The crowd literally screamed with delight. The black woman jumped up, her face twisted into a grimace, and she growled:
  - What, greyhound? What if I paint your face?
  Alina giggled and replied:
  - Face, face, face - the guy has better testicles!
  Nicole attacked again. She threw punches. And delivered a three-punch combo.
  Alina was extremely agile and fast. She moved with incredible speed, preventing the larger, heavier, and more massive young woman from landing a blow.
  The female killer shifted when her opponent attempted a combination. She swung her fists, which were unfemininely large. Of course, the girls were wearing only thin panties and a narrow strip of fabric across their chests. It made them look even more charming. And Alina slammed her knuckles into Nicole's temple. A seasoned killer could have completely knocked out the black gladiator with such a blow. But she was aiming for the audience. So Nicole fell, but shook her head, which was ringing like a bell, and rose.
  And, twisted with rage, she began to attack. She threw punches and kicks. Alina missed, deliberately, a blow to the chest and fell. Nicole, still on the spot, tried to finish her off with her lower limbs. But the killer deftly dodged and performed a sweep. And again, the enormous black woman fell.
  She rose more slowly now, and Alina landed a combination of punches to the head. She broke the black woman's nose, causing scarlet blood to flow.
  She growled in response. And bared her large, wolf-like teeth. Now that was a real lady.
  Alina took her time. She was working to the crowd, and allowed herself to be hit a couple of times. Including a kick to her tiled abs while she fell backwards. As they say, you have to work for the crowd. In wrestling, for example, a fight is rarely one-sided. Sometimes one gets the upper hand, sometimes the other. And that adds to the spectacle.
  Nicole also got hit, including another elbow to the nose from Alina, which caused the blood to flow even more profusely. And the crowd loved it. It was real no-holds-barred fighting, not childish babble or the wrestling circus.
  It was clear the massive American was tiring from the constant blows and was sweating more and more. But Nicole managed to lift Alina with outstretched arms and throw her. The girl fell. The black woman leaped with all her might to add an elbow strike. However, the blonde woman jumped back. Nicole slammed her elbow hard into the floor, which was anything but soft, and groaned.
  And Alina hit her in the back of the head with her bare shin. The blow was powerful, and the black woman passed out.
  The blonde girl flipped her over onto her back and placed her bare foot on her heaving chest. The referee began pounding the mat until three-a knockout rule, like in wrestling.
  But on the third blow, Nicole finally flinched. It wasn't so easy to finish her off.
  Both teenage masseurs shouted:
  - Give her a piledriver!
  Alina chuckled. "Svaya," it's a famous wrestling move called "The Undertaker." You grab your opponent, flip them upside down, and then sharply bend your knees and slam them into the mat with all your might.
  And Alina decided to do just that. True, first she gave Nicole another kick in the back of the head with her bare foot. To calm her down and stop her from twitching. This woman weighed a hundred and twenty kilograms and didn't have an ounce of fat. Try lifting her again.
  But Alina is strong, and with one jerk she pulled the giant black woman off. She picked her up, turned her over, and held her by the waist. It felt good to touch such a muscular body. When black and tanned skin came together.
  After which the girl bent her knees and pushed Nicole's head onto the surface.
  At that moment, flames burst from the holes, burning Alina's bare soles, with their graceful curves. The killer screamed-it was painful. And she leaped high into the air, landing with her knee on the black woman's face. And sat on her chest.
  The referee counted again, landing punches with measured precision. This time, Nicole was thoroughly stunned and didn't flinch.
  Alina raised her hands. Victory...
  Music started playing and flowers began to fall. Four tattooed boys in swimming trunks carried out a stretcher, placed Nicole on it, and carried her to the emergency room. That's how the fight ended.
  Two beautiful women presented Alina with the Intercontinental MMA Champion belt. The belt was quite large, beautiful, and emblazoned with a globe. Silver on a gold background.
  Alina happily took the belt and shook it over her head. Yes,
  That was great.
  And she slapped her bare, graceful, very beautiful, sexy, tanned and muscular legs towards the exit.
  And hands reached out to her energetically. And everyone wanted to touch the goddess of ultimate fighting.
  Alina was given a shower first, and a doctor examined her. There were bruises on her beautiful, muscular body. Fortunately, none of her ribs were broken. She had put up a good fight. Her singed soles were slightly itchy, but there were only a couple of small blisters.
  The girl was given some medicine to drink and had her feet anointed with ointment. Afterwards, she was taken back to the massage room. There, two teenagers with lion and dragon tattoos, whom she already knew, began massaging her again. It was quite pleasant.
  Alina felt hungry. So she made a gesture. A boy of about ten brought her a large glass of protein shake. The child also had tattoos, was wearing swimming trunks, and limped slightly-he'd recently been beaten on his bare heels with rubber truncheons.
  Alina wanted to ask him why, but then she remembered that in the criminal world, asking unnecessary questions is not customary. And in general, there are so many children of criminals, and it's not very pleasant. What will they grow up to be?
  The killer girl sipped her cocktail. It was sweet and pleasant. Clearly, it contained both chocolate and protein, a highly nutritious and protein-rich mixture.
  The boy with the lion noted:
  - They might call you up for another fight! So don't relax!
  Alina noted:
  - Isn't two fights in one day too much?
  The young man with the dragon noted:
  "Sometimes, under the cup system, there are four fights in a few hours. As the saying goes, he who pays the piper calls the tune."
  The killer girl giggled and noted:
  - Well, I'll fight again! If necessary!
  Two teenagers, about fourteen years old, entered the ring. Both had extensive tattoos. They even had snakes tattooed on them. One had black hair, the other red. They wore only blue and red swimming trunks. The boys fought bare-knuckle. Both were already quite famous fighters.
  The boy with the lion tattoo remarked:
  - They're about evenly matched! They're strong guys. But I think the fight will be interesting.
  The boy with the dragon tattoo muttered:
  - And I would like to see how girls fight.
  And he laughed... Both teenagers were, as they say in their youth, handsome. The boy with the lion tattoo was about fifteen, and the young man with the dragon tattoo was sixteen. And they, of course, dreamed about girls. And in front of them was such a beauty, whom they were simply giving a massage to.
  Now they have crushed the girl's back and legs.
  And Alina watched the fight. Both boys first tried punches and kicks like in Muay Thai. They even used elbows and headbutts. And then the boys went and slammed their heads together with all their might. Sparks literally flew. And it was kind of funny.
  Then the guys started wrestling. They started hugging and trying to twist each other. Their bodies were muscular, tanned, and tattooed.
  The boy with the lion remarked:
  "These kids have been in special schools for difficult children since they were nine. And they've run away so many times. They were even sent to juvenile detention centers at thirteen for particularly brutal crimes. Now that's some fighters."
  The boy with the dragon tattoo noted:
  "Yes, the people here are hot-blooded! Those responsible for us should understand long ago... We are monsters, not children - we want to kill!"
  Alina asked with a smile:
  - Maybe you want to kill me too?
  Both young men exclaimed in unison:
  - No! This is pathetic! We love and respect you!
  The killer girl laughed and sang:
  The sun is shining above us,
  Not life, but grace...
  May the children be happy,
  No need to kill!
  The boys were wrestling, and the referee, who was, by the way, very large and muscular, yelled:
  - Break! Disperse!
  And the young warriors reluctantly broke their embrace. Both of them had short, buzzcut-like hair; only a couple of weeks had passed since their baldness, and they could shave their heads again.
  They are still children, but already seasoned bandits.
  Alina looked at them and thought of the Pioneer heroes. There were once boys and girls who bravely fought for their homeland and a bright communist future. And here the mafia was raising its own successors, like predatory animals. Of course, organized crime also has its own structure and concepts. And within the mafia syndicate, there is a semblance of a quasi-state.
  But what can the mafia build? Her younger brother, Enrique, killed a thief-in-law with a razor blade thrown at him with his bare foot because he was selling drugs to children and raping them. Enrique punished the villain where the law was powerless. Under Yeltsin, the mafia truly became the fourth estate. They even kill judges, their families, and even ministers. And the president himself may be so sick because he's being poisoned by bribed cooks.
  Alina sighed heavily-what was this country heading towards? She continued slowly sipping her protein drink and enjoying the massage given by the skilled teenage bandits.
  And in the ring, the fight was going on; the boys were grappling again. Flames were already spitting from the holes. It burned the boys' bare feet, roughened by martial arts training.
  The kids were real monsters. They pinched and bit.
  Alina imagined Malchish-Kibalchish. Bourgeois executioners had stretched him out on the rack, twisted his joints, and then lashed him with red-hot barbed wire. But the brave boy not only didn't cry or beg for mercy. On the contrary, he began to sing. And even when strips of hot metal touched the child's bare, callused, but living soles, causing smoke to billow out, he continued to sing.
  Ilyich will come and there will be happiness,
  He will certainly resurrect everyone...
  Salvation is in the Supreme Power,
  And faith is a strong monolith!
  
  Then boys and girls,
  Everyone will become young forever...
  And the children's voices are so ringing,
  And happy is man in Paradise!
  
  
  And I'm just a barefoot boy,
  And I run in torn shorts...
  It's not a big bump, believe me,
  But I'll give you a kick in the ass, just so the enemy knows!
  Yes, it was a cheerful song. Even though you're in terrible pain. That's what the pioneers used to be like. And now they're being replaced by beasts.
  After one successful forehead strike to the chin, the teenager in blue swim trunks finally won. He pinned his opponent to the surface with his bare, brown-skinned, tattooed shoulder blades and secured the pin at the count of three.
  After which, both exhausted and battered boys were literally dragged out of the arena. That was truly amazing - a great fight. And you could even say it was awesome.
  The boy with the lion tattoo noted:
  - It was a good fight, but...
  The boy with the dragon tattoo added:
  - Wrestling is still more spectacular!
  Alina giggled and replied:
  - But everything here is real!
  After the boys were dragged away, their noses bloodied and sweating, they had to be examined by a doctor. And the winner was given some kind of flashlight.
  Then a girl entered the ring. She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, fairly muscular, with light, curly hair.
  She walked lightly and quickly. Boy servants scattered rose petals at her bare feet. Yes, the girl looked idyllic in her bikini, with her slender, narrow waist. And then she stepped into the very center of the ring and bowed. A boy in athletic shorts ran up to her and handed her nunchucks. These are two sticks with a chain.
  The girl smiled and sang:
  The onlookers are surprised,
  There will be a fight, believe me, it will be tough...
  The nunchucks started spinning here,
  The girl is barefoot!
  Then music began to play, and a girl, also about the same age, strode into the arena. She was wearing a bikini, but her hair was jet black. She wore a gold hairpin. The music accompanied the nearly naked beauty's entrance. She was so dashing-it was clearly Wagner. Although both girls were young, they had tattoos betokening their authority in the criminal underworld. And these were already experienced fighters, who had already fought many matches.
  Flashing his bare, slightly dusty heels, a muscular boy in sports shorts and with a bare, sculpted torso handed the nunchali to a black-haired girl.
  The blonde and the black-haired woman stood facing each other. They were about the same height and similar in build. Both were tanned and heavily tattooed. Barely covered by clothing, they were quite beautiful.
  They were betting on them. Alina also decided to bet on the blonde. She'd seen her in action, and she wasn't bad. Both girls had nunchucks, but they could also fight with fists, feet, elbows, and other body parts.
  Alina thought: this is just like in the movies. It's really cool. And it's all real.
  At the sound of the gong, the two beauties came together. They twirled their nunchucks and then began swinging their bare feet. It was a fantastic sight. Swinging and swinging. A colossal commotion ensued.
  The girls clashed with nunchucks, sparks flew. And then they butted heads. Now that's a real duel.
  Alina, however, was thrown back... Beautiful bodies here, and so many tattoos. She's the only one here without a tattoo. And it's a shame. She remembered how she slipped arsenic into that nasty boy's soup at school. And he died in agony. And no one suspected it was a sweet girl, and an excellent student at that, and a blonde.
  Alina herself felt a little uneasy about killing a child for something as trivial as a pinch... True, this boy had beaten other, weaker children and was a poor student. He'd even publicly humiliated another boy. So Alina's patience snapped, and she stole arsenic from the school chemistry lab and poisoned him.
  And I must say she didn"t regret it at all then - she was still a child herself.
  But as I got older, I thought: wasn't this a bit too much? Maybe this boy could have improved?
  The girls with nunchakus continued to spar. It was quite a spectacle. But both were skilled in defense and rarely took blows. Their sticks clashed every now and then. Then the girls would clash, then separate. It was truly a fierce duel with minimal damage.
  Alina asked:
  - I want pizza! With cheese and mushrooms!
  A nimble boy in swimming trunks brought her a generous portion on a tray. It contained sausage, mushrooms, and cheese. The protein shake was still unfinished, and Alina used it to wash down the pizza. She was in a cheerful mood. Indeed, she had won, got the belt. And even if she didn't get out anytime soon, her life would be fine. True, the mafia bosses might take revenge. But women are rarely killed, even by gangsters. Alina began eating more energetically. And then the pizza disappeared into her stomach. The protein shake was finished. The blonde girl felt very heavy. And when you eat a lot, you involuntarily feel sleepy. And so, a perfect beauty and killer rolled into one, under the caressing movements of the young masseurs, she fell asleep. And her sleep was unusually rich and stormy, in which a sense of the sweep of fantasy was felt.
  CHAPTER No 8.
  Koschei the Deathless roared:
  - And why should I write off the debt? For pretty eyes?!
  Enrique chuckled and replied:
  - No! But let's say the Water Spirit can be of some use to you. Maybe he'll find something.
  The Dark Lord muttered:
  - Can a thimble of silence reach you?
  The girl Masha squealed:
  - Wow! Cool! What kind of thimble is this?
  Koschei answered:
  - The one that cancels out any sound over a huge distance. A very effective thing!
  Enrique noted:
  - Maybe Koschei the Deathless wants to play cards?
  The water spout gurgled:
  - Don't even think about it. He'll beat anyone.
  The Immortal nodded:
  - Does the boy want to play with me? And isn't he afraid?!
  Enrique sang:
  The world should respect us, fear us,
  The soldiers' exploits are countless...
  Boys have always known how to fight,
  Satan will be destroyed!
  Koschei shuddered and gurgled:
  - Don't mention Messire in vain! Even I'm afraid of Him.
  The boy Sasha noticed:
  - What are we doing sitting here? It's time to deliver presents from the Land of Imagination to the Land of Boringland. The children there are crying!
  Enrique commanded:
  - Raise the sails! Come on, boys, let's sail faster. Great feats and accomplishments lie ahead of us!
  Koschei muttered:
  - Well, I'm taking the magic tablecloth from the Water Spirit to pay off my debt!
  The sea lord squeaked:
  - But I can"t give up the magic tablecloth!
  The Immortal roared:
  - Of course, why not!
  The water spout gurgled:
  - Kikimora kidnapped her!
  The boy Sasha exclaimed:
  "Yes, the Water Spirit isn't lying here! Only this isn't his tablecloth, it's Elizabeth the Wise's."
  Koschei hissed:
  - What kind of a twist is this? The water spirit said he gave a cartload of pearls for her.
  The girl Lara laughed and answered:
  "First, the kikimora stole the tablecloth from Elizabeth the Wise. Then the Water Spirit stole it from the kikimora, and then the kikimora stole the magic tablecloth again!"
  The lord of the deep sea hissed:
  - You know a lot...
  Koschei grinned:
  - Kikimora? Well, I'll deal with her and take the magical artifact!
  Enrique objected:
  "I think it would be better to return it to Elizabeth. She will dispose of this priceless gift more fairly."
  The girl confirmed:
  - Yes, he will fly on a magic carpet and feed hungry children and adults!
  The water spirit noted:
  - And the flying carpet was stolen by Baba Yaga's granddaughter, a very naughty red-haired girl.
  The boy Sasha squeaked:
  - Yagusya? That's how she behaves. And she promised to be a good girl and not follow the example of her bandit ancestors.
  Koschei muttered:
  - The apple doesn't fall far from the tree! So, Yagusya, it looks like this is your chance to do me a good deed.
  Enrique chuckled:
  "We still need to catch Yagusya, she's nimble. Besides, the flying carpet and the magic tablecloth need to be returned to their rightful owners."
  That is, to the hostess Elizabeth!
  The water spirit noted:
  - But she didn't ask for it. Why should we interfere?
  Enrique sang in response:
  I have a simple law,
  I defeat those who are evil...
  Whoever is weak, I will help,
  I can't do otherwise!
  The children's bare feet suddenly bumped together. With all their energy, the children's pack began to sing:
  We are peaceful children, but our armored train,
  I managed to accelerate to the speed of light,
  We will fight for a brighter tomorrow,
  Like angels of light, without the color of a clown!
  And so Koschei and the Water Spirit looked at each other and bumped heads, sparks flying from their eyes. Then they burst out laughing.
  The Immortal said with a good-natured look:
  - I'll give you another month to repay the debt. And if you don't, it's the end for you!
  The water spout gurgled:
  - You are so kind, your immortality!
  And the lord of the sea plunged into the water. Koschei rose up, spurring his horse. The two magical creatures passed each other.
  Enrique commanded:
  - Add sails, hang as many as the masts can support. Time to deliver the goods!
  The children, their bare, pink heels flashing, rushed to carry out their commander's orders. The general mood was cheerful. Enrique, too, was hoisting the mizzen and other masts.
  The children were happy... And the take was filmed with advanced video cameras.
  But here comes the filming again, this time the ship is already unloading in Boredom. Children are carrying gifts. And boys and girls are standing on the pier. Most of them are barefoot and in rags, or half-naked. But there are also children dressed more richly. There's one boy wearing a crown and holding a sword at his side. The epaulette of the weapon is adorned with diamonds and rubies.
  Enrique came out to meet him. The two boys shook hands.
  And the young local prince said:
  - I hope that finally the residents of Boredom will laugh merrily!
  Enrique replied:
  Yes, there is no need to ban this,
  Laughter actually prolongs life...
  We will only get A's,
  And nature will become an eternal May!
  After that, the work became more fun. Bare heels began to flash more energetically. However, when it's warm, going barefoot is a joy, especially for children. And in the fairytale land, there were only children, no adults.
  Enrique helped carry the load. The boy was very energetic. He enjoyed moving, and his young muscles eagerly received the physical exercise.
  The local prince, however, remarked:
  - You bear the title of Duke, but you walk around barefoot and in only shorts!
  Enrique answered, and logically:
  "Well, since I'm a duke, I can walk however I like! It's much nicer and more comfortable to walk barefoot in the three suns."
  The crowned prince chuckled and remarked:
  - Maybe! But the nobles think differently. And boots distinguish us from the commoners and the poor. There's prestige in that!
  Enrique exclaimed:
  - My prestige is in my heart, not in my bare heels!
  The children burst out laughing. And they acted in unison. But the idyll was shattered again. A flying saucer appeared in the sky. It headed straight for the port. And it seemed that the aliens inside were not kind. And suddenly they bristled with three cannons. And with a roar, they released the pulsar.
  Like a bomb, it hit the surface and shattered the pier. Two dozen children ended up in the water. Some suffered scratches and burns.
  The boy prince with the crown replied:
  "These are falibas. They're pretty vicious insects. They've obviously come here to ruin the joy of Boredom's children!"
  Enrique noted:
  - And they will get what they deserve for this!
  The girl Lara squealed:
  The sinful individual will get his due,
  It will be like a spider burning in fire...
  Demons will torment you in the underworld,
  Who sows nightmares on earth!
  Enrique picked up his wand. The aliens tried to fire a pulsar at him, too. The boy jumped, his bare heels feeling slightly hot. He responded with lightning. It struck the disc and reflected off the mirrored surface.
  The boy Sasha noted:
  - Yes, they have protection!
  Enrique exclaimed:
  "The defenses can be overloaded! Come on, kids, let's all fire our wands at the disc!"
  The boys and girls bristled with artifacts. Both the prince and the girl in the luxurious dress and high heels also snatched up their wands.
  Enrique shouted:
  - Let's all work together!
  And dozens of lightning bolts simultaneously slammed into the disc. And it lit up like a supernova. The children howled with delight. It really was hot, and with serious force. And suddenly, it exploded.
  The girl Lara squealed:
  - Wow! We fried them!
  The flying disc shattered into pieces. They shattered into tiny fragments, like the mirror in "The Snow Queen." But three beetles with horns and wings flew out of the fiery whirlwind. They were charred and battered. But still alive.
  The children threw a net over them and began to tie them up. The beetles, the size of large calves, tried to resist. But the children pressed on and pushed them back, even with their bare feet. One boy, a nobleman, even kicked them with the tip of his boot. And the beetle howled.
  Enrique exclaimed:
  - Easy! We're good kids! And we don't hit people who are tied up!
  The boy Petka noticed:
  - I'm a little bit hooked! Maybe we should give them a roast?
  The girl Lara squealed:
  - My heel got burned, look at the blisters!
  The beetles were caught in the net. Some children were injured, but no serious ones. Everyone's spirits were lifted. Especially when the disc's debris turned into chocolates and cake.
  The children's feast began, and there was much joy and fun.
  Enrique noted with a smile:
  "Well, there's some good in every bad thing! Until then, may the good and creative force be with us! And we, I believe, will build Solcenism, and our children will be happy, happy for centuries. Elfinism is a powerful force!"
  After this small victory, the children began dancing with great enthusiasm. Their little bare feet bounced. You could see the dusty heels of the boys and girls flashing.
  And they began to sing with joy and enthusiasm:
  What you have done is radiant,
  Grace has been poured out upon the human race!
  This is what you, holy God, gave me,
  Soul, joy, heartfelt mercy!
  
  Lucifer, having turned us into Sodom,
  The offspring of sin and pride!
  He raised his sword to the sacred throne of the Lord,
  And he decided that now he was omnipotent!
  
  Chorus after each verse:
  My God, how beautiful and pure you are,
  I believe that you are infinitely right!
  You gave your glorious life on the cross,
  And now there will be bitterness in my heart forever!
  
  You are the Lord of beauty, joy, peace and love,
  The embodiment of boundless, bright light!
  You shed precious blood on the cross,
  The planet was saved by boundless sacrifice!
  
  Next come the verses.
  Evil rages in rebellious hearts,
  Satan is tearing the human race apart with his claws!
  But death will be cast into dust,
  And the Lord will be with us forever!
  
  The devil waged war against the Lord God.
  The enemy fought cruelly and treacherously!
  But Christ crushed Satan with love,
  Having proven his truth on the cross!
  
  We brothers must merge into one stream,
  Direct your heart, mind and feelings to Jesus!
  So that the Great God may help us to be saved,
  And forever and ever we will praise the Lord!
  
  So that the soul may find its peace forever,
  The whole world must work together in the Lord"s harvest!
  And forever, O Most High, we will be with You,
  I want to pray harder and harder!
  
  If you have knocked your feet down, the carpet will be covered with velvet moss,
  Jesus will heal any pain instantly!
  He covered the shore with golden sand,
  He is the master of the Sun and the endless universe!
  
  With his word he created the heavens -
  He scattered the stars of the sky with a flourish!
  Jehovah love, beauty,
  Devotion to him, loyalty without fear!
  
  Without the Almighty there are no friends,
  Radiant faces of kind icons!
  That's why I want it more and more,
  Jesus become a part of the flesh!
  
  May God spare us for our sinful debt,
  What, alas, we did not give to You!
  Even though the time for repentance has passed,
  And there is already an abyss where the blooming distances are!
  
  But the Lord gave his grace,
  And he said: I forgive you, orphans!
  I know, unfortunately, I can"t repay my debt to you,
  But there will be a place for you in paradise too!
  
  It is impossible to convey what it is like,
  The Lord of the Universe is harmless!
  And with his Orthodox hand,
  He brings us wicked into the chambers!
  
  Will he really say no to him?
  Accept the request for repentance!
  Patiently awaits the Supreme Answer,
  Forgive us, believe His desire!
  
  We decided to go to torture,
  To strengthen your spirit!
  There is no other way for us who have fallen,
  May the Most High be with You forever!
  
  Here it is, the hour of salvation is near,
  God will never break his word!
  What will happen to us?
  And the winged souls will soar high!
  
  What You have created will last forever,
  Infinite and wise Lord of the universe!
  You illuminated me with the streams of life,
  And I believe that our love will be true!
  The children sang so beautifully. And three angels appeared in the sky. They were girls with gold leaf-colored hair. And they blew a horn. And from above came a shower of all sorts of goodies, and even clothes. High-heeled shoes for the girls, and luxurious dresses, and boots, and luxurious waistcoats for the boys. How rich and beautiful it looked.
  Enrique remarked with a smile:
  "It's nice for poor kids to have nice clothes. But I'm much more comfortable in shorts."
  The prince remarked:
  "But it wouldn't hurt to dress up for the holiday! That's why angels give us gifts. The children will be beautiful and dressed up!"
  The girl Katya nodded:
  - Yes, exactly! We kids are really cool creatures! And we can achieve a lot!
  The angel girls flapped their wings once more and vanished. And it was a time of childish joy and merriment. And there wasn't a single sad smile. Except, perhaps, for three beetles trapped in a cage.
  The boy Sasha noted:
  "They're intelligent. And they shouldn't be kept in a cage; they should be brought to a fair trial first. Or forced to work and do something useful. That would be better!"
  Enrique nodded:
  - We'll get to it. As they say, work is smart, but it loves a fool!
  Girl Katya noted:
  - You have to work smart too. Otherwise, it'll just end up being stupid and done with a paw instead of a shovel!
  Suddenly, a purple cloud appeared in the sky. It was small, but it was rapidly approaching. The children again bristled with wands and bows. The familiar Koschei the Deathless appeared on his flying horse.
  He emerged like a demon from the darkness and landed on the six hooves of a fairytale horse.
  They even sparkled in the three suns. The children exclaimed in unison:
  - A new guest has come here,
  And the gifts are just water!
  Koschei grunted and hissed:
  - I see you've caused quite a bit of trouble!
  Enrique exclaimed with a smile:
  - No, no! Everything is going well! Even great!
  Koschei objected:
  - No! You shot down the Skorobeys' disc craft. And you put three crew members in a cage. Now a whole swarm of insects will come.
  The boy Sasha answered:
  - We are not afraid of the big bad wolf!
  The girl Lara stamped her bare foot and added:
  - And the red beetle too!
  The Immortal shrugged and replied:
  "Some good side has awakened in me. They will avenge their comrades, using beams of technomagic. There may be casualties and maiming. And the rest will be taken into slavery. And the children will be forced to work in the quarries, like slaves in ancient Rome."
  The boy Seryozhka exclaimed:
  We will go into battle boldly,
  For Holy Rus'...
  And we will shed tears for her,
  Young blood!
  Koschei answered with a smile:
  "You can't stand against their entire fleet. So, free the captured Scorobeys and present them with valuable gifts, and maybe then everything will be alright!"
  Enrique, with a smile that was so sweet on his angelic face, chirped:
  If the baby smiles,
  Maybe everything will work out!
  Koschei noted:
  - Skorobeys really love pebbles. But they won't turn down cakes either!
  The girl Katya squealed:
  - We'll conjure them up, a really big cake. And we'll decorate it with insect cream - I think they'll like it!
  The girl Svetka stamped her bare foot and squeaked:
  Everyone wants to be liked,
  It's hard to deal with them...
  It's not easy to believe in heroines,
  The girl is rowing the oar!
  Koschei exclaimed:
  - Make a huge cake quickly, and conjure up some bright stones, they"re already flying here!
  The crowned prince exclaimed:
  Come on little ones,
  All the dancing is over...
  We will have a feast with music,
  Sing along, brothers!
  And the children, having thrown off their expensive shoes before they had time to wear them, began to flash their bare, pink, round heels.
  And they began making cakes from the hay bales. Magic, of course, helped here. And large confections appeared right before their eyes.
  Several girls, their bare, tanned legs flashing, flew up into the air, waving their magic wands.
  And so a cake the size of a three-story house emerged. It was decorated with roses, daisies, peonies, butterflies, dragonflies, fish, and peacocks made of cream sparkling with every color of the rainbow.
  So magnificent and sparkling in the sun. And from firewood and coal, the children magicians conjured up a mountain of precious stones. Which is quite remarkable.
  And then a multitude of glowing dots appeared in the sky. They were flying scurvy beetles. There really were a lot of them, like locusts.
  Enrique noted:
  - Those insects are too prolific. They need to be sequestered!
  The girl Lara squealed:
  - It's okay, they won't fly for long!
  The boy prince asked:
  - And why is that?
  The barefoot beauty squeaked:
  - Because the cream on the cake is shoemaker!
  And the children burst into laughter. Suddenly, numerous flying discs began circling the cake. They hovered like flies in a web, and beetles began to swoop down from them. One of the insects, wearing a shining crown, flew up to Koshchei with the help of a spacesuit and exclaimed:
  - Was it you, your immortality, who suggested the children to prepare such a treat?
  The Prince of Darkness replied:
  - Well, it should be fun! And I'm not just playing pranks, I'm also playing the role of peacemaker!
  The beetle in the crown chuckled and noted:
  - The cake is simply magnificent! I've never seen anything like it! And the decorations are just amazing!
  Koschei muttered:
  "It's not just Boredom here, but also a team of heroes. They're all barefoot, but they wield magic wands that fire powerful bolts of lightning and pulsars, and can transform."
  The beetle in the crown growled:
  - And we will take and set fire to these heroes!
  The other beetles, already covering the cake, began to hum approvingly. Koschei countered:
  - You're a guest, you're being treated! It's not proper to beat the host who brought out bread and salt!
  The king beetle twitched his legs and replied:
  - And your immortality is on the side of children?
  Koschei nodded:
  "Children are such sweet, kind, honest, and sincere creatures that harming them is too vile even for me! That's why I try to become kinder and do more good than bad!"
  The beetle in the crown noted:
  - If you do good, then what will you live on?
  The Immortal suggested:
  - Maybe we should play cards!
  The king beetle shook his head vigorously:
  - No! I won't play with you. You're too cunning and have matured over thousands of years.
  Koschei suggested again:
  - So play with Enrique for a bet. I hope you're not afraid of the boy?
  The beetle in the crown wanted to reply, but... The sea suddenly stirred. And a muzzle protruded from it. A submarine with wheels on tracks began to emerge. Quite impressive in size. And its barrels moved menacingly. The beetles became alarmed. Several dozen of them jumped into the flying discs. And the submarine just fired. The children barely managed to jump back, their bare, pink heels flashing. But several of them were thrown into the air. Boys and girls were bruised and suffered burns of varying degrees. One child even had his bare foot torn off, and he roared terribly in pain.
  Enrique growled:
  - This is outrageous!
  And the entire heroic team suddenly took hold and struck with their magic wands, striking with both lightning and pulsars. And the girl, Lara, said:
  - Transformation and a treat!
  And the underwater boat on tracks crumbled into lollipops, donuts, chocolates, candies and ice cream cones in packs.
  And before the children again appeared the already familiar Baba Yaga, Karabas Barabas, and another young woman with green hair.
  Koschei muttered:
  - Here comes the kikimora! It's the one who whistled the thimble of silence!
  Enrique muttered:
  - What a motley company!
  Meanwhile, the princess from Boringland and two girls reattached the severed foot of a seriously wounded boy. They cast a spell, adding a drop of living water from a vial. And the child's severed limb grew back.
  And Karabas tried to attack with a roar:
  Know the beard, the nightmare,
  One jump - one strike...
  I am Karabas, a terrible bass,
  And I hit you right in the eye!
  From Barabas's company "Adidas"!
  Kikimora giggled thinly, like a mosquito. A thimble glittered on the index finger of her right hand.
  And snakes began to emerge from the beard of this terrifying doctor of puppetry. They hissed, twirled, and tried to grab the bare feet of the boys and girls.
  The children began to lash out in response, either with swords or wands. Everything literally spun around. And Baba Yaga swung both brooms at once and roared:
  My order to the guys is to give,
  On command, everyone sneeze!
  And indeed, not only children, but also beetles began to sneeze loudly.
  CHAPTER No 9.
  Alina dreamed of an alternative history. In it, Hitler attacked the Soviet Union not in 1941, but in In 1944, having previously conquered Britain and all its colonies. In reality, this wasn't difficult. The Führer believed in magic, and the Aryan fortune tellers Baba Yaga and Kikimora predicted that the USSR would not attack Germany anyway, and that first it was necessary to conquer Britain and make peace with the United States.
  The Nazis first dealt a crushing blow to the British base in Malta. Then they launched a landing force. The British base was completely captured. This caused great rejoicing. And the way was cleared for the unimpeded transfer of troops to Libya and Tunisia.
  Baba Yaga also cast a spell of obedience on the Spanish dictator Franco. He allowed German troops to reach Gibraltar. A swift assault followed, and the fortress fell.
  After which, Hitler's troops went to the Black Continent through Morocco along the shortest distance, and the capture of Africa became a matter of time.
  Rommel's troops, having received reinforcements, stormed Tolbuk and then launched an offensive into Egypt. They captured Alexandria and reached the Suez Canal. They crossed it and then continued their offensive into the Middle East, Iran, and India.
  At the same time, half of the 150 divisions prepared for war with the USSR were enough to take control of all of Africa, including Madagascar, within a year. Madagascar fell in May 1942. German troops were significantly superior in combat training and morale to the colonial, British units. And the Belgian, French, and Dutch forces acted in concert. In the Middle East, the local sheikhdoms offered little resistance. Iraq and Kuwait were British colonies, and Syria was French, so the local population greeted the Nazis as liberators. Iran also fell quickly. And in India, the Germans were greeted as triumphant. And the sepoys surrendered and defected to the Wehrmacht to the sound of an orchestra.
  Japan struck from the other side, defeating the United States at Pearl Harbor. It also captured Indochina and most of China. It crushed the United States in the Pacific. Baba Yaga and Kikimora helped the Japanese win the Battle of Midway. As a result, the Hawaiian archipelago was captured. And the United States found itself on the brink of defeat.
  And then Karabas Barabas joined in.
  The Nazis launched an air offensive against Britain. They developed the more advanced Ju-188, which featured a streamlined design, good aerodynamics, and powerful engines. And so, the powerful Do-217 bomber went into production. In reality, this aircraft, even more powerful than the Ju-88, was produced in small quantities due to resource constraints.
  The Focke-Wulf also quickly gained momentum - a powerful fighter that could also serve as a frontline bomber, carrying a ton of eight hundred kilograms of deadly payload, and as an attack aircraft, thanks to its powerful armament and armor.
  The Germans quickly gained air superiority. And the ME-209 appeared, and they were able to launch it, too, because they had far more resources than in real history.
  Submarine production rapidly increased. They were faster and more sophisticated than British and American submarines. In other words, the Nazis had the US and Britain in their sights. Stalin, however, pursued a policy of friendly sovereignty.
  And then the Germans did something unexpected. They landed troops in Britain in November. The British weren't expecting this, and after September they thought it was too cold and the threat had passed. Moreover, the Germans had staged several false starts.
  But the Nazis ultimately outmaneuvered Britain and its intelligence in Operation Sea Lion. They landed on November 8, the anniversary of the Munich Putsch.
  The E-10 self-propelled gun also took part in the landing. It weighed nine tons and could only be lifted by landing modules, but it was also well-protected, armed, and, most importantly, fast, making it the ideal landing vehicle. It was the work of top designers under the direction of Karabas Barabas. It had just two crew members, all lying down-the engine and transmission were mounted transversely, and stood a meter and twenty centimeters tall. It also boasted 82-millimeter frontal armor and 52-millimeter side armor, plus rollers. And a 400-horsepower engine. And then there's the steeply sloped armor plate, which provides excellent ricochet protection.
  Karabas used engineering techniques borrowed from the dwarves, resulting in a magnificent vehicle. Its 75mm 48 EL cannon could defeat all British vehicles at the time. Its nine-ton weight meant it could be dropped from aircraft using landing modules. Furthermore, the Germans had developed a very respectable flying fortress, the TA-400, with six engines, and it could also tow this self-propelled gun.
  So the Nazis carried out Operation Sea Lion without any problems. Within a week, Britain capitulated. But that wasn't the end of the war. In January, despite the winter, Operation Icarus was carried out and Iceland was captured.
  And then Baba Yaga and Kikimora came to the rescue. Moreover, these two sorceresses ensured good weather during the landing in Britain. And everything went like clockwork.
  The Americans were trembling with fear and offered Germany peace. They agreed to pay reparations and also supply equipment, especially B-29 bombers, which carried ten tons of bombs and twelve defensive machine guns using the Hedgehog system. Try to resist those. Furthermore, the US gave Germany a large amount of gold and granted them freedom of action throughout the globe.
  The Nazis, along with the Japanese, also captured Australia. They also occupied Canada and Greenland, also a region rich in raw materials.
  Thus, preparations for the attack on the USSR began.
  And Karabas Barabas developed the new E-25 self-propelled guns. They were armed with new 88-millimeter 71EL cannons, and had 150-millimeter thick, heavily sloped frontal armor and 100-millimeter thick side armor. All of this stood a meter and thirty centimeters tall, weighing twenty-five tons, and was powered by an engine that, when boosted and boosted, delivered 1,200 horsepower. The self-propelled gun itself turned easily, which compensated for the lack of a rotating turret. And imagine a road speed of up to 100 kilometers per hour. Nearly impenetrable, especially from the front, and even capable of flight. And the armament was so powerful that even the heavy KV series couldn't withstand it. Even Stalin had tanks weighing over 100 tons.
  Plus, the Nazis had jet aircraft. And so, on the Führer's birthday, April 20, 1944, the invasion began.
  Plus, Japan struck from the east. So the USSR had only one chance left-an airborne assault by time-travelers.
  Alina and her girls' battalion stood at the forefront of the fascist attack.
  The girls were almost naked, tanned, and muscular. And they had surprises in store for the Nazis. They were the first to attack.
  The attack aircraft took off. First and foremost, the Focke-Wulf and its more advanced evolution, the TA-152. These are truly formidable machines. Try to stand up to them.
  But the female assassin had a surprise in store for the Nazis: small but powerful rockets made of cardboard and coal dust. They were guided by a simple, poppy-seed-sized device based on sound. And the Nazis were in for a nasty surprise.
  At the signal from the girls' flashing, bare, pink, round heels, the rockets soared upward. And struck the German vultures.
  The rockets flew almost silently, leaving behind only a barely visible pale trail. And it looked beautiful. And when Hitler's planes exploded, fragments flew in all directions. And they rained down like broken wine glasses. But in the dream, a special magic took hold. And instead of debris, lollipops, chocolates, cakes, and gingerbread fell.
  Alina sang:
  - The sweet air of dreams flies,
  Above the endless ribbon of houses!
  If the landmine falls,
  The boy is sucking on a chocolate bar!
  Yes, it was funny, how the gorgeous and cool girls worked there. They hacked and shot down Luftwaffe planes with rockets the size of chicken eggs. And it was absolutely fantastic.
  The Komsomol girl Natasha, having launched a dozen rockets at once from the joystick and, using her bare toes, sang:
  How we lived, fighting,
  And not fearing death...
  Shakespeare will also write in poems,
  Who is the prince of rhymes,
  Will rub the Fritzes into the dirt,
  We will certainly conquer the whole world!
  And so the girls just went wild. And they acted with extreme energy. They were so magnificent. You could say they were simply miraculous. And they started launching rockets.
  TA-152s are six-gun aircraft, very fast, and covered in titanium armor. Try fighting those. That's why miniature missiles work against them.
  And so the air attack failed.
  The Komsomol girl Svetlana sang:
  A bomb fell from the sky,
  Straight into the Fuhrer's pants...
  She tore something off of him,
  If only there was no war!
  And the warriors, with their bare, tanned, muscular legs, leaped into the air. They couldn't be picked off from the air. But the enemy would certainly try from land. Well, these beauties are warriors and ready for that. Their high, full breasts are cinched only by a thin strip of fabric, barely covering their scarlet nipples.
  Natasha squeaked:
  Anyone who is human, a warrior from the manger,
  Once a stone, now a laser...
  Kill the fascist enemies, girl,
  And tear the Fuhrer to pieces!
  And how she shakes her waist with her slabs of abs.
  Enrique, Alina's brother, is fighting the Japanese. They're weaker in terms of technology, but there are plenty of warriors from the Land of the Rising Sun. And among them are ninjas. And they're, let's say, serious fighters.
  But the children's battalion fights bravely. The boys and girls use magic wands against the Japanese, demonstrating their supreme skill and the quality of their fighters.
  Enrique turned the Zero fighters, which were noted for their light weight and maneuverability, into flakes of cotton candy. And they began to fall. And the people themselves, these brave samurai, turned into chocolate bars. Now that's really delicious. And how children work with magic. And even though their feet are bare, they can still use them to perform magic, with magic rings and amulets on their toes.
  And so Enrique and Sasha, along with the little girl Lara, release a huge, fiery bubble with the help of their bare toes. And it rolls over the light Japanese tanks, making them roll like a ball.
  And the children laugh and grin. And their teeth literally sparkle like pearls. That's truly wonderful. And the children's battalion
  waving magic wands. Now that's really cool!
  And the Japanese soldiers blossom into lush bushes. Here the young warriors have shown magic.
  Enrique shouts:
  We will set an example for everyone,
  Let's revive the USSR...
  I'm a child superman
  And the solver of all problems!
  And the boy suddenly releases a bolt of energy with his wand. And then he adds to it using the rings on his bare toes. Now that's a truly cool boy wizard.
  I must say he does such things. And he shows no mercy to the samurai.
  And the ninjas, armed with swords and clad in black robes, march into battle. They're ready to demonstrate their supreme fighting prowess. And they swing their katanas, chopping off everyone's heads.
  Enrique squeaked:
  - We will go into battle for communism and defeat the enemies!
  And the children used special magic against the ninjas. And they began to turn into butterflies. And those colorful ones began to flutter. And it was very beautiful. You could tell that a transformation with cosmic power was taking place. And truly devastating. You won't be able to resist such things. And the ninjas turn into insects, literally.
  And then tanks with diesel engines appeared. And they turned into chocolate bars. And they were so fragrant and sweet. Now that was great.
  The girl Lara squealed:
  - Such are the transformations we have!
  Kikimora, however, did something terrifying for the Japanese. In this case, drones. And they flew at Soviet positions. But the child wizards were on guard. And instead of primitive drones, golden, fluffy ice cream glasses began landing. And the young warriors were delighted. That's how wonderful things are in childhood. When you literally create your own worlds.
  These are real child geniuses. And the Japanese don't have it easy.
  However, fighting continues on all fronts.
  Although the USSR had an extra three years to prepare to repel the invasion, it turned out the Red Army wasn't fully prepared for a defensive war. Commanders were primarily trained to engage the enemy on his own territory. And the offensive motive dominated. Therefore, even though the Molotov Line was completed, it still crumbled. And this was a major nuisance.
  So the girls had to move around the entire front to patch up the holes. And they were beautiful, almost completely naked. And they had slabs of defined legs and abs.
  Natasha, launching the satellite, sang with lethal force:
  Ah Fuhrer, eh Fuhrer, oh Fuhrer goat,
  Why did you bother Russia, you ass...
  You'll get it from us, right in the snout,
  You'll run into a girl's strong fist!
  And the warrior will throw a deadly pea of death with her bare toes. These are truly cool and unique girls.
  And Alina even threw off her bra. And from her scarlet nipples, her breasts exploded like lightning bolts. Now that was a truly lethal effect. How can you resist girls like that?
  The girls also use barefoot magic. And they do such things with their lower extremities. It's beyond anything a fairy tale could describe. These are truly beautiful women.
  And bare toes spew fiery pulsars, which rain down upon Hitler's troops. Such fun and destruction ensues. And the Nazi tanks literally melt.
  And the girls will start whistling. And snow will start falling right on the Nazis. And not just any snow, either: the fascists will immediately turn into ice cream cones, whether in glasses or on a stick.
  Natasha squeaked:
  Ice cream is awesome,
  Advertising will sell you ginger!
  And the warriors burst out laughing, showing their long, pink tongues. And their pearly smiles sparkled. And they were so wonderful. And they blew again... The advancing armored personnel carriers and self-propelled guns turned into lollipops. Moreover, the E-25s even turned into ice cream cones with spoons. And so many children rushed in from all directions. They, despite the fact that the weather was still quite cool, were barefoot and lightly dressed.
  And they laughed a lot and jumped up and down, flashing sweet smiles.
  In addition to tanks, the Nazis also deployed aircraft into the battle. Besides the fearsome American B-29 with four engines, the Nazis acquired their own Ju-488, a very powerful bomber. It was truly astonishing, with a speed of up to 700 kilometers per hour (430 mph), 100 faster than the American aircraft, and six defensive cannons.
  The smaller wing area reduced air resistance, and the car literally sped along like a bullet.
  But even more dangerous were the TA-400s, which could bomb virtually the entire USSR, including Siberia, and even Novosibirsk. This made a devastating impression.
  The TA-400 was protected by thirteen aircraft cannons and seven hundred kilograms of select armor. Such a machine couldn't be stopped so easily. And so it rained bombs on Soviet factories and cities.
  But the girls learned to fight them too. They used rings on their bare feet and transformed these machines into trays with sturgeon and garnish. And these were sturgeon with caviar and a ton of oranges and peaches.
  These were delicious. And so wonderful and mouth-watering.
  And the girls did so many things, Natasha even squealed with delight. Here's another swift and irresistible attack.
  And the six eternally young warriors rushed forward, flashing their bare, round heels.
  They ran along, and the girls sang beautifully and harmoniously. Their red nipples, like ripe strawberries, sparkled against their chocolate-colored breasts.
  And the voices are so strong and full-bodied that the soul rejoices.
  Komsomol girls, the salt of the Earth,
  We are like the ore and fire of hell.
  Of course, we have grown to the point of feats,
  And with us is the Holy Sword, the Spirit of the Lord!
  
  We love to fight very boldly,
  Girls, who row the space of the universe...
  Russia's army is invincible,
  With your passion in the battle unwavering!
  
  To the glory of our holy Motherland,
  A fighter jet circles wildly in the sky...
  I am a Komsomol member and I run barefoot,
  Splashing the ice covering the puddles!
  
  The enemy can't scare the girls,
  They destroy all enemy missiles...
  The bloody thief will not stick his face in our faces,
  The exploits will be sung about in poems!
  
  Fascism attacked my homeland,
  He invaded so terribly and insidiously...
  I love Jesus and Stalin,
  The Komsomol members are united with God!
  
  Barefoot we rush through the snowdrift,
  Dashing as swift bees...
  We are the daughters of both summer and winter,
  Life has made the girl tough!
  
  It's time to shoot, so open fire,
  We are accurate and beautiful in eternity...
  And they hit me right in the eye, not in the eyebrow,
  From the steel that is called the collective!
  
  Fascism will not overcome our redoubt,
  And the will is stronger than durable titanium...
  We can find comfort in our Fatherland,
  And overthrow even the tyrant Fuhrer!
  
  A very powerful tank, believe me, the Tiger,
  He shoots so far and so accurately...
  Now is not the time for silly games,
  Because the evil Cain is coming!
  
  We must overcome the cold and heat,
  And fight the mad horde with ease...
  The besieged bear became enraged,
  The soul of an eagle is not a pathetic clown!
  
  I believe the Komsomol members will win,
  And they will raise their country above the stars...
  We started our hike from the October camp,
  And now the Name of Jesus is with us!
  
  I love my homeland very much,
  She shines radiantly for all people...
  The Fatherland will not be torn apart ruble by ruble,
  Adults and children laugh in happiness!
  
  It's fun for everyone to live in the Soviet world,
  Everything about it is easy and simply wonderful...
  May luck not break its thread,
  And the Fuhrer stuck his mouth out in vain!
  
  I'm a Komsomol member running barefoot,
  Although the frost is twisting your ears...
  And there is no descent in sight, believe the enemy,
  Who wants to take us and destroy us!
  
  There are no more beautiful words for the Motherland,
  The flag is red, as if blood were shining in the rays.
  We will not be more obedient than donkeys,
  Victory will come, I believe, soon in May!
  
  Berlin girls will walk barefoot,
  They will leave footprints on the asphalt.
  We have forgotten the comfort of people,
  And gloves are not appropriate in war!
  
  And if there is a fight, let this fight break out.
  We'll scatter everyone into pieces with the Fritz!
  Fatherland, soldier, always with you,
  Doesn't know what AWOL is!
  
  It's a pity for the dead, it's grief for everyone,
  But not to bring the Russians to their knees.
  Even Sam submitted to the Fritzes,
  But the great guru Lenin is on our side!
  
  I wear a badge and a cross at the same time,
  I am in communism and I believe in Christianity...
  War, believe me, people are not a movie,
  The Fatherland is our mother, not the Khanate!
  
  When the Most High comes in the clouds,
  All the dead will rise again in a bright face...
  People loved the Lord in their dreams,
  Because Jesus is the Creator of the Table!
  
  We will be able to make everyone happy,
  Throughout the vast Russian universe.
  When any plebeian is like a peer,
  And the most important thing in the universe is Creation!
  
  I want to embrace the Almighty Christ,
  So that you never collapse before your enemies...
  Comrade Stalin replaced the father,
  And Lenin will also be with us forever!
  This is truly a song, and such delightful voices, and the throwing of bare toes that tear the opponent's skin into tiny strips. Alina was at her best, but there were other magnificent women fighting too.
  Margarita and Oksana, two Komsomol girls, fired machine guns and threw grenades with their bare toes.
  The warriors are very fighting beauties.
  Margarita threw a grenade of deadly force and winked:
  - War is, of course, an evil stepmother, but her husband is heroic patriotism!
  Oksana fired a burst, mowed down a mass of Fritzes, threw an explosive packet with her bare toes and squealed:
  - War is a matter for the young, but it adds a wise gray hair!
  The girl with golden hair kicked the gift of destruction with her bare heel, a very deadly one:
  - A bright head is not always gray, but it does not hide from learning and certainly knows a lot!
  The blonde girl, whose light hair, which had recently been cut bald, was growing out, remarked:
  - If there is a king in your head, then it will be bright from the shine of the crown of reason!
  The girls got really wild and destroyed the Wehrmacht army.
  Alina dreamed of fighting in the air, and her dream came true: she launched her plane into battle and fired her aircraft cannons, specifically one 37mm one. She shot down the nearest German aircraft.
  It's a handy aircraft cannon. It can hit a German head-on and from a distance. You don't get a machine like that that easily. But they gave it to the Spruce. It may be heavier, but it's still lethal.
  And the young woman presses the pedals with her bare heels. And then there's a blast from an aircraft cannon.
  And she fired at the fascists. She sang:
  - And the battle continues again,
  The fire of hyperplasm is boiling...
  And Lenin is so young -
  Strike with swords!
  And again she shoots down a Nazi aircraft. It's much easier for her now. But Alina Yelovaya is forced to maneuver and get behind enemy lines. She only has one 20-millimeter cannon. And she cuts down the enemy with active maneuvers. And the girl, with her bare feet, presses hard, and turns her fighter around. And she knocks off the tail of a Focke-Wulf. And she does it masterfully. After which she sings:
  - Banner of the USSR
  Sparkles over the world,
  We are an example for the whole planet,
  Our Stalin with his idol!
  And Alina Yelovaya will wink at herself.
  This is the greatness of an empire. The Soviet empire, against which virtually the entire world is opposed.
  Alina began to sing, this time going behind the American B-29:
  - But the people of Russia do not give up,
  His will simply cannot be broken...
  He fights furiously with the fascist enemy,
  He can give Fritz a kick in the horns!
  So, without further ado, the girls took on the fascists. And the Nazis were treated to yet another not-so-pleasant surprise. Admittedly, it was a rather spectacular one.
  Gerda wittily remarked:
  - Life is not a movie, but it takes a price for every screening!
  The witty tigress Charlotte added again:
  - Cinema is not life, but the scenario of real life always carries more intrigue!
  From the east, like attacking guard cobras from the underworld, a furious and fiery force surged toward the sky. Gerda watched and crossed herself; she could see four terrifying, fiery columns swirling wildly, sometimes fluttering like cobras to trash metal music, sometimes twisting into strands.
  The snow-white tiger warrior said:
  - Every script assumes an unexpected ending, but unlike real life, it only assumes it!
  The red-haired passion Charlotte nevertheless took the risk of adding:
  - The end of a movie always results in you getting up, leaving your chair, but in life, it's others who respectfully get up, because you've already left your place in the sun!
  On the south-eastern side of the foothills, the forest was burning furiously, like cotton wool soaked in alcohol, or tarred straw.
  And planes appeared in the sky again... And the next act of a scene of stunning liveliness and temperament began to unfold... Now, with a howl, cutting through the atmosphere, huge high-explosive shells, ejected by the gigantic guns of heavy battleships, rushed.
  And they lift up thousands of tons of clay, sand, and turf.
  A frequent, all-consuming crackling sound reaches the triumvirate of warriors, right at the top, accompanied by the roar of giant drums.
  Dry, nostril-searing, sultry currents of the atmosphere tossed flaming clumps of earth and branches into the vast heights of the sky, where the wind, with its invisible hands, snatched them up and twirled them. And having had its fill of play, it angrily, like an angry child , hurled itself into the depths of the ever-burning ocean.
  The sentimental tigress Gerda summed it up sadly and without pretense:
  - There is plenty of fire in our world, but, unfortunately, not the passion of love!
  CHAPTER No 10.
  A rather expensive fantasy blockbuster has been filmed. And Enrique now has a new shoot. This very handsome boy is in great demand in the cinema. Although, of course, the story of Koschei the Deathless, Karabas, and Baba Yaga is not over.
  But patriotic themes are becoming increasingly fashionable, so how can you not fill them? Especially since Enrique has such an epic appearance - a poster boy pioneer, always barefoot. Well, the kid doesn't like shoes. He's tough, after all, and believe me, he's much more agile this way.
  So, let's make a new movie and series. Something patriotic and cool. Something in the style of the turbulent nineties.
  A sequel to "The Elusive Avengers" was filmed there. But the children of the magnificent four fought there: three boys and a girl. They were pioneers, and they showed off their class.
  Of course, the children fought barefoot, although the first episode began in the summer, and this was quite natural for the pioneers, who were much more agile without shoes.
  But that's just the tip of the iceberg, of course. The film was shot very bravely for the pioneers.
  And with songs, of course. And the one who sang most of all, of course, was superboy maestro Enrique:
  The planet is in shock, grief is its lot,
  The space seems like an ink stain!
  The ball is ruled by a terribly terrible lawlessness,
  The darkness of hell burns terribly!
    
  But I believe a ray of hope will shine,
  The sword will cut through the darkness of darkness!
  And the pain in the heart will heal forever,
  Believe my word, people!
  
  The earth will not burn in the atom,
  She will be able to protect the dream...
  The she-wolf howls and the bear roars,
  Why are you so afraid? I don"t understand!
    
  A boy is fighting for communism,
  He can fight very bravely...
  You struck with your bare heel,
  To avoid becoming just a shadow of a backpack!
    
  I am a boy, a pioneer of the USSR,
  Who fights the Wehrmacht like a little devil...
  Well, you'll get a good punch in the face, sir,
  And imagine, I'm a fighter from the cradle!
    
  Moscow is behind us, pioneers,
  Which was pressed from space...
  Satan will not overcome the Russians,
  We will soon see the distances of communism!
    
  In what way, believe me, Rus' is stronger than Sodom,
  Cherubs are circling around it very dashingly...
  And the fascists await defeat by the sword,
  After all, Russians are invincible in battle!
    
  Notice, our Motherland is in bloom,
  It contains endless expanses of space...
  I will bring the light of Svarog to the fatherland,
  I will move if necessary, like giants move mountains!
    
  May my Fatherland rise,
  Under the banner of great communism!
  And there will be a very stormy life,
  Even if the hordes of revanchism attack!
    
  Love in Russia is our Lenin,
  Who pointed the way to the peak of the commune...
  And the dragon of fascism got in the eye,
  And Stalin touches the spirit's strings!
    
  The greatness of my holy country,
  Which is majestic without boundaries...
  We will crush the floods of Satan,
  And glory awaits my Russia, believe me!
    
  The enemy will not set a limit for the Russians,
  Since we have no limits at all...
  Even if the whole universe is re-divided,
  When a pioneer gets down to business!
    
  Although the new Reich will bare its teeth,
  And attacks with the fury of a Jedi...
  Fight for your homeland and don"t waver,
  Overthrowing kings with mighty force!
    
  Our Motherland will not be on fire,
  She herself is like a mighty tank in battle...
  What does that girl see in the window,
  The enemy is very wild!
    
  Our boy is firing from a machine gun,
  He crushes hordes of Asians with ease...
  Well, is Adam really in mourning?
  He wanted apples, but he got pears!
    
  The brave men are tireless in battle,
  And the grenade flies with lethal force...
  The fathers are proud of the pioneers,
  A cool guy is firing a machine gun!
    
  Notice, our Motherland is beautiful,
  A great, boundless power...
  We will work miracles, believe me,
  And great glory awaits the pioneers!
    
  He fights for our Rus' like an eagle,
  There are plenty of boys as mighty as a titan...
  Svarog stretched his sword over the Fuhrer,
  So that there are no fools in the Fatherland!
    
  In the name of my valiant country,
  We will build communism in the Holy Land...
  Even in the offensive of Satan's horde,
  But the pioneer will become a hero, believe me!
    
  That's why this Rus' loves us,
  Yes, because I have a red tie...
  I fight for you, Fatherland,
  And it"s dangerous to wage war with the Russians!
    
  Let the pioneers find immortality,
  And we will give the country a great gift...
  We will sweep away the fascists playfully,
  The Chinese Horde is also in for a blow!
    
  When the great God Svarog comes,
  And will bring cosmic order...
  We will open an endless account of victories,
  I'm a pioneer, which means I'm not a gift!
  Three boys and a girl, all beautiful and fair-haired, were fighting the German army. But there were also Arab mercenaries, who also fought with great ferocity. But the children fired machine guns at them, literally mowing down the pack.
  And then they began throwing grenades of colossal, deadly force at the advancing Arabs with their bare toes. And they tore the mujahideen apart. The flesh smoked and literally burned. Bones were literally exposed in a burst.
  The girl threw a grenade with her bare, childish foot and chirped:
  - I will not surrender to the enemies, to Satan's executioners, I will show fortitude under torture!
  And all four children, and heroes at that, suddenly spat, and instead of saliva, streams of fire flew out, and they smashed into the Arabs. And they literally burned them to skeletons.
  And this patriotic blockbuster has some serious special effects that are a joy to film.
  After which, the boy heroes began singing again in their clear, sonorous voices. They seemed childish, yet at the same time full-bodied and radiant.
  I am a boy, a son of the century of communism,
  Who was born in the USSR of dreams...
  And I believe that we will conquer half the world,
  Although some devil in hell has gone mad!
    
  I wanted to knock a quasar out of my little finger,
  And he hit this star with a pulsar...
  Such a terrible blow I struck,
  After all, I defeat demons, know that it"s not for nothing!
    
  And the power of destruction is such,
  That everything is literally blown away by a stormy wind...
  After all, a child's thought is a sharp needle,
  The boy can mow down bandits with his sword!
    
  Don't believe those who lie that Oleg is weak,
  He crushes Hitler with swords...
  He is the strongest man in the world,
  The boy will break through the rock, just know, with his fists!
    
  It contains strength, fury, joy for centuries,
  How Satan will go crazy in his chest...
  A great dream will come true,
  Because Jesus, believe me, was born!
    
  Know that there will be a harsh defeat for the Wehrmacht,
  Even though space is full of fascists...
  Let's send Hitler's gang to the scrap heap,
  The time of glorious communists will come!
    
  The greatness of the Fatherland is our mother,
  Which, believe me, will build a dream...
  We will kill all the pirates,
  And you know, the boy will become a cool hero!
    
  We will never bend, you know,
  And the pioneer will not kneel...
  Centuries will pass, glorious years,
  And our will will be stronger than steel!
    
  Don't believe that the Fuhrer is a superman,
  Even if all the starships in the world were for him...
  The pioneer will break it in battle,
  And he will become an idol to the universe!
    
  The boy is barefoot and cool,
  He will be able to break the demon from the star...
  He is a pioneer, believe me, a daring one,
  He will immediately raise the Russian army into battle!
    
  We can do it in a jiffy,
  To defeat the fascists by waving an axe...
  And it will be a very strong gift, you know,
  And the wings of angels soar above the world!
    
  The space age is surely waiting,
  Which leads us, you know, to the stars...
  The victories opened an endless account,
  It's not too late for us to win!
    
  Great boundless country,
  Soviet and Red Russia...
  You get away from the Russians, Satan,
  We will do a great mission!
    
  This is what the people of Russia are good at,
  You won't bring him to his knees...
  We will not sell our Fatherland for a penny,
  Stalin and the great Lenin are behind us!
    
  Everything in space flies high,
  How good it is for a boy to become great...
  He scribbles like a woodpecker with a chisel,
  We will crush the onslaught of the wild horde!
    
  We have Pushkin and the fighter Dantes,
  Who crushed the enemy...
  Christ, the great God of Rus', is risen,
  There is no stronger spirit than a Russian soldier!
    
  We will defeat Hitler and the dragon,
  Although they are so, you know, cool...
  The bright cherub spread his wings,
  And the girls run into the snowdrift barefoot!
    
  He is a very powerful God Svarog,
  What created our universe...
  Though the fierce Devil sharpened his horn,
  But the business of Russians is creation!
    
  Everything in space is better on earth,
  Where the great pioneer is rushing...
  We Russians are, so to speak, one family,
  The sun rises brightly over Russia!
    
  What did the Fuhrer forget when he joked with us?
  He wanted to make Rus' holy through slaves...
  And he received a mighty blow to the eye,
  Now we will talk about love!
    
  A quasar is now rising above the earth,
  Which will burn over the universe...
  The enemy strikes a blow at the Fatherland,
  But Rus' is nevertheless flourishing!
    
  My Russia is the homeland of elephants,
  A furry mammoth appeared in it, you know...
  Although there are many donkeys walking on the earth,
  The boys are firing with machine guns!
    
  Hitler doesn't know where to stick his stick,
  And a fierce dragon tagged along with him...
  They won't be able to bend us into a ram's horn,
  And the pioneer fought quite bravely!
    
  No, the Komsomol members are also the coolest of all,
  They cut down all the fascists with machine guns...
  Let's celebrate cosmic success,
  We must fight bravely for our Motherland!
    
  The Russian troops go into battle bravely,
  And Hitler's hordes quickly mow down...
  Know that the Fuhrer will soon be kaput,
  And gazelles and moose run through the forests!
    
  No, Moscow will not fall under bombs,
  She is able to withstand a blow...
  Although the fascist is simply Satan,
  The dragon plays the good clown!
    
  We will make Russia above all others,
  The people and the party are always united for us...
  The USSR will celebrate success,
  We Russians are invincible in battle!
    
  This is a battle, glorious Stalingrad,
  Who forever inscribed himself into destiny...
  The bastard will get a kick in the horns of the dragon,
  How powerful he simply did not seem!
    
  You, the Fritzes, haven't learned your lesson,
  Believe me, you can't bend us even with a sledgehammer,
  So that the dragon of fascism dies in agony,
  And we will prevail with valor and truth!
    
  For us, the people and the power of God, the Family,
  Those who did not succumb to the bandits...
  The ship quickly enters a full grotto,
  And the Byzantine hordes are defeated!
    
  A faith was born that is stronger than nothing,
  What is on earth, believe me, is also true...
  And the Fatherland will not go to dinner,
  We know happiness will be just tomorrow!
    
  In heaven, or even on Earth,
  Our vast expanses of space are vast,
  In the USSR you are in one family,
  And you can move mountains, child!
    
  The boy will cry out with fury of destruction,
  We have won the battle against the enemy...
  Great in glory is the Russian soul,
  There is no stronger in spirit than a Russian soldier!
    
  For our Rus', for a great spring,
  For the one who allows us to live continuously...
  I will crush the Fuhrer without rage,
  And the man will be strong, believe me!
    
  For our heart and great paradise,
  For the Motherland, love and Holy Rus'...
  Fight, boy, simply, go ahead,
  And I will blow a sword to the Fuhrer-dragon!
    
  For our faith, the Russian Christ,
  We will be, know, the sons of Rus and Svarog...
  After all, Stalin and Lenin are with us until the end,
  We have found a place for God in communism!
    
  We admire the feat of the soldiers,
  Fighters of great power without borders...
  A pioneer has a machine gun like this,
  And birds fly over Russia!
    
  We know life will be bubbling like a spring,
  Which Lada gave birth to in the world...
  And the evil hunter will turn into the game,
  And this, you know, is the highest award!
    
  There will soon be a battle for Holy Rus',
  Which, you know, will move to space...
  You, knight, rise with love in the morning,
  So that the pines don"t burn from napalm!
    
  In the glory of Rus' of the cosmic eras,
  What created the stars and comets...
  The dragon of fascism died near Moscow,
  And Russian exploits are praised!
    
  A young pioneer boy serves Russia,
  He is faithful and wonderful, know this, child...
  Shows an example of valor,
  And crushes enemies from the cradle!
    
  When the great God Svarog comes,
  We will make a victorious path to Berlin...
  And Lada will cook us a pie,
  Perun, Yarilo, and the cherubim with them!
  This is how they sing and demonstrate their colossal enthusiasm. These are the militant and aggressive pioneer heroes here. And they wear red ties.
  But one young pioneer, also featured in another scene by Enrique, was captured by the Nazis. The Nazis stripped him naked, leaving only a red tie around his neck. Then they drove the boy through the village, whipping him with willow branches along the way.
  A naked boy slapped his bare feet along the dusty road. A German policewoman lit a torch.
  And she applied the flame to the pioneer's bare heel. The boy Enrique screamed; it was very painful. The tender flesh of the young Leninist smelled. And the Germans laughed vilely.
  After parading the child around the village and burning his heels a couple more times, the Nazis took him to the torture chamber. And without further ado, they hoisted the boy onto the rack. What can you expect from them?
  And the policewoman began to beat the boy Enrique with a whip. The young pioneer, gritting his teeth, remained silent, displaying no small amount of courage. Then a large, portly German woman took a special whip made of wire, heated in a brazier, and began to lash the child. And this, of course, was horrific and painful.
  And from the blows the skin was burned and torn off.
  And then the boys took a red-hot iron and applied it to his bare soles. It was so painful that the pioneer couldn't stand it and started screaming.
  The female executioner muttered:
  - Will you tell me where the partisans are?
  The beaten pioneer boy growled:
  - No! I won't tell!
  And then they started breaking the toes on his bare, childish feet.
  And the pioneer's bones crunched and shattered.
  But Enrique continued to endure. Suddenly, a Komsomol girl burst in and started firing a machine gun at the Nazis. Enrique was released. And when she asked if he could fight, he replied:
  - My older sister is a witch, she can heal any wound playfully.
  And of course, in the next frame the brave boy is back in battle.
  And the four young Leninists fought with fury and ferocity. Their bare feet threw explosive pellets and tore the troops apart.
  And, of course, the guys were joking.
  The boy Petka said, shooting at the Arabs:
  - It"s better to be a young Leninist than an old monarchist!
  The boy Vaska, throwing a grenade with his child's foot, squeaked:
  - There is no happiness without struggle, no result without work!
  The boy Enrique, firing, said:
  - And the pioneers believe in God, only in the Almighty in their minds!
  The girl Katya threw another deadly grenade with her bare foot, tearing off the heads of the mujahideen, and said:
  - A person is like a sprout; only by developing will he become an oak tree!
  And the children burst into laughter. And then they'll come up with their own aphorism, a collective one at that:
  - It's better to be a child forever than an aging senile person for a while!
  And the children laughed, baring their large teeth, which were very unsuitable for their age.
  And the boy Petka, throwing a grenade at his opponent, chirped, baring his mouth:
  - Every child is a genius in his own way, but every old man is stupid from different points of view!
  The boy Vaska added wittily and fervently:
  - A politician is certainly not a child when it comes to grabbing things, but when it comes to gifts, he is a real child!
  The boy Enrique, throwing a grenade at the enemy again with his bare, childish fingers, hissed:
  - There is a lot of dirt in politics, but little fertilizer for good deeds!
  The girl Katya also gave the enemy a good kick with her bare, childish heel and chirped:
  - The politician has many masks and clean suits, but no sincere desire to do good for the voters!
  Then the children enthusiastically whistled in unison, using their bare toes. The whistle was piercing and deafening. The swarming crows suffered heart attacks and fainted. And sharp skulls crashed down on the shaved Arab heads, piercing them.
  After which the childish, fighting foursome came up with another, very witty aphorism:
  - In war you need a whistle, but you can"t whistle the will to win into a whistle!
  And the young, witty pioneers took it upon themselves to sing again:
  There will be new centuries,
  There will be a change of generations...
  But no one ever,
  Lenin will not forget the name!
  And then their bare, childish feet once again hurled a deadly gift of annihilation. It was a homemade explosive made from ordinary sawdust. But it exploded with such a roar and force that it literally scattered an entire battalion of Arabs in all directions and overturned two tanks.
  The heroic children have given it away again:
  - It's good to push, like a tank, just not towards the mines, and without raising the muzzle!
  Enrique didn't stop there, though. The boy commander stamped his bare foot on the ground with all his might. And the surface shook. And the mass of Nazi tanks, along with the Arabs, sank. And turned into sugar-covered jelly beans. And it was magnificent.
  Enrique soared into the air, waving his wand, ready to perform miracles. This was a truly superb Terminator boy, capable of the unthinkable.
  And the other two boys and the girl didn't lag behind. And the powerful flamethrower burst into flames, literally burning through everything.
  The children, who are also the elusive avengers, began to sing:
  Although it seems like we've been pushed to the ravine,
  A terrible nightmare of terrible nightmares has arrived.
  I can sing a saga to my friend -
  In which the hellish demon is resurrected!
  
  A siren sounds a terrible alarm,
  It's as if a fire is blazing here...
  Not everyone can live, believe me, without God,
  But it"s really possible to increase it, know the impact!
  
  The boy is also a warrior from birth,
  As steel and lava splashes in it.
  But I want to ask for one thing: forgiveness,
  That my fist is not a crowbar for the enemy!
  
  Although it"s more likely just valor,
  Fighting is sometimes necessary.
  But don't throw your conscience in the trash,
  Don't get carried away by this hellish game!
  
  Who knows if life in this world,
  Everything in our world is true: a shadow, a mirage.
  We will hold criminals accountable,
  When will we be able to instantly catch the courage!
  CHAPTER No 11.
  Alina woke up when someone doused her with ice-cold water from a hose. She jumped up in fright. The red-haired hostess announced:
  - And now it's your turn, beauty!
  Rested and refreshed, the girl headed for the arena. Two teenage massage therapists waved after her. Alina felt like a heroine. That's how great she'd slept. And she really was a tough girl. And she had a tough fight ahead of her.
  This time, she was accompanied by two boys in shorts, carrying the belt behind her. And they threw rose petals at Alina's bare feet. She was already a girl of authority. And she walked with colossal strength and energy. And she left traces of her bare, girlish soles.
  And hands reached out to her, wanting to touch the new, bright star.
  The killer girl playfully extended her bare, graceful legs, allowing herself to be touched, and purred with pleasure. She has sensitive skin, and when the hands of men, as well as women and children, touch it, it feels pleasant.
  Alina covered the distance to the ring in a single leap and stepped into a tank of transparent armor. She stood in the very center and bowed, first to one side, then to three. Then she leaped, performing a backflip.
  And then came a pause. And her opponent was about to enter the arena. Eastern music began to play. The doors swung open, and a huge man of Asian descent stepped out. The herald announced:
  - The big fighter Ekozuna comes out!
  Indeed, the famous wrestler Yokozuna wrestled under the flag of the Land of the Rising Sun. He was a renowned martial arts hero. And despite his great height and weight, he was quite agile and agile.
  The Moscow audience greeted the Japanese guest with thunderous applause. He enjoyed immense popularity worldwide, especially in the United States.
  Alina grinned - the fight would be a money one. And she bet on herself.
  And she had a lot of money. So the girl placed an online bet.
  Having immediately placed three million rubles.
  Yokozuna was well-known and the favorite. Admittedly, he wasn't the clear favorite, as the girl had also made an impression. And she was so beautiful-with her abs like a slab of skin-while the Japanese guy was fat and potbellied.
  Nevertheless, the crowd still flocks to him. Behind him follows a skinny old man carrying a flag, which he uses to deliver sneaky blows in wrestling.
  The sumist had barely even gotten out when he pounced on Alina. Well, that's a standard move in wrestling. But the girl was experienced and expected something like this. She punched the Japanese wrestler in the eye and deftly dodged. He tried to attack her, but Alina tripped him again, sending him slamming to the mat.
  The warrior yelled:
  There is nothing more beautiful than fighting for Russia,
  My homeland, you are the strongest of all...
  There is no country more beautiful in the universe,
  A patriot is the happiest of all people!
  And again the girl met the roaring Japanese man, this time slamming him with her bare sole, spinning around. And the enemy received a blow right in the nose from the girl's bare heel. And blood flowed. It oozed like soup.
  Alina exclaimed with fury:
  - I was sent for a reason,
  Bring you grace...
  In short, in short,
  In short - everyone go to bed!
  And the girl, jumping away from the Japanese, struck him again. Now that was a true warrior. Yokozuna raced after her, trying to attack. Several times, the sumist made stunning moves to grab the girl in an embrace. And each time, she slipped away and landed powerful blows on her opponent. Sometimes to the face, sometimes to the belly. And the fight was intense.
  Alina giggled at her opponent and sang:
  The girl flutters like a butterfly,
  Cool as a magpie's eggs...
  He hits the fighter in the face accurately,
  He'll get his ass kicked, that's for sure!
  And he hits again. Now there are large bruises under the huge Japanese man's eyes. But he has to work for the audience, too. Alina takes a jab to the chest from the pot-bellied samurai and falls. The Japanese man, his bruised eyes flashing, runs up and jumps. He lands on the Russian diva's head. But she gets away at the last moment.
  And the sumist's backside takes a crushing blow. And the girl kicks him in the nose again.
  The old man with the flag would be happy to help Ekozuna, but they were in an aquarium, and only a tall female referee was with them.
  Well, that's more interesting. And Alina continued to hit her opponent. She did it with great enthusiasm. This killer girl was a real superwoman, as agile as a weasel. It was impossible to resist such a diva. The only thing Alina lacked was the bulk to knock out such a monster with a single blow. But she made up for it with speed and reflexes. The girl continued to land blows. Sometimes she even hit him in the stomach. But it was like hitting a punching bag.
  Alina was in control of the fight. The Japanese fighter tried to attack, but she caught him on the counterattack and hit him with all her might. His face was already shaped like a shish kebab. But Yokozuna, to his credit, showed the endurance of a professional wrestler. He continued to stubbornly advance. Even the killer's extremely fast strikes didn't faze him.
  Although it was obvious the Japanese was in pain, Alina relaxed at some point. And Yokozuna grabbed her in his arms. He squeezed her with bear-like strength. Then he threw the girl onto the floor. The blow was so powerful that Alina caught her breath and began to choke.
  The Japanese man stood up, dripping with sweat and blood. But gathering his courage and will, he jumped up. He kicked Alina as he fell. She tried to jump back, but her body wouldn't obey. Then came a terrible blow to the head from the wrestler's boots. And Alina truly lost her composure.
  However, already in the darkness, she was able to weave a rope in the chaos of thoughts and get out.
  Yokozuna was already swinging on the ropes, ready to leap onto the girl, or more accurately, onto her chest with his massive backside. But Alina, with a supreme effort of will, managed to tense her abs and jump back. The Japanese man fell with all his might and collapsed.
  Alina, her mind reeling and her surroundings spinning, nevertheless, on autopilot, grabbed the Japanese man's leg. The referee jumped up and delivered three punches. Thus, according to the rules of mixed martial arts, borrowed from wrestling, the victory was declared.
  Then the girl collapsed, her whole body buzzing. Two boys in swimming trunks rushed up to her. They slapped her cheeks and pinched her breasts. A feeling of shame and awkwardness forced the girl to her feet. And she jumped up on her bare, chiseled feet.
  And she was awarded the Eurasian Men's Heavyweight Championship belt. That's sixteen kilograms of 995-carat gold. Imagine how much that would be in dollars.
  Alina became fabulously rich. True, to get this gold, you have to hold the title for a thousand days. Then the belt is yours forever, and a new one is forged. Apparently, Yokozuna couldn't hold out for a thousand days.
  Alina's face, however, was left with bruises from the powerful blow when that massive body slammed its feet into her head. And her brain was pounding and spinning. It was truly disturbing. And unpleasant. And her head was spinning, like bells were ringing. Imagine, two hundred and seventy kilograms landing on you.
  Alina noted, trying to maintain her composure:
  Don't throw your word to the wind,
  Defeat the powerful wrestlers, child!
  After which, showered with flower petals, she went to rest.
  She really did feel sick. Her head felt like artillery was firing, and a Panther had rolled over her body.
  The girl walked unsteadily, feeling exhausted and beaten.
  She hobbled to the rookery with difficulty. Two attractive teenagers began massaging her sweaty body with great enthusiasm. Before that, however, Alina had been hosed down, washing away both the sweat and the blood. So she wasn't exactly sweaty.
  A woman in a white coat approached her. She looked into Alina's eyes and remarked:
  - You have a concussion. You need to get some sleep!
  The girl replied with a sigh:
  - I'm so excited that I don't think I can sleep.
  The young woman in the white coat replied:
  "Don't worry, I'll give you two injections now. One to restore your brain, and one to help you sleep. And you'll sleep like a baby."
  Alina nodded in agreement:
  - Then hurry up!
  And she held her arm up for the injections. The nurse injected her vein. First one ampoule, then another.
  Everything in Alina"s head went wrong and she fell into a deep sleep.
  And she had such an extremely stormy dream.
  Alina and her longtime criminal friend, Anzhelika, are back in the thick of war. Manchuria, a forest-steppe zone, numerous hills and ravines. The vegetation is rather sparse, and in front of the Soviet troops, ready for a decisive attack, there are fortified samurai defensive lines. It was a wondrous, even slightly crazy, dream.
  The girls were a few hours late for the battle, so the main distribution of generous lead "gifts" with an explosive mixture had already taken place...
  After a massive artillery barrage, a bitter wind blew toward the Soviet positions. The ground was scarred by shells, seeming to groan with pain.
  Even the grass weeps, crushed by the heavy load.
  The hills are twisted and severely skewed, the few trees are still burning, vultures are hovering above them... More unhappy than creepy, for they have to eat bitter food.
  The troops had already gone on the offensive, and the girls, their bare, slightly dusty heels flashing, broke into a run to catch up with their comrades. The wildflowers were quite pale, thorns aplenty... The girls' rough, bare feet bravely crushed them through the undergrowth, the Amazons' relentless advance quickening...
  Ahead are broken Japanese pillboxes, gunfire can be heard, machine guns are spitting furiously.
  And in clouds of smoke, the souls of the slain Japanese and, to a lesser extent, Soviet soldiers are carried into the sky. What awaits the fallen samurai? Which of them will succeed in becoming gods, and which will end up in hell?
  The Earth and Heaven are harsh to sinners, they are full of threats, our world is not a kind family - even roses have thorns!
  Even the most powerful artillery barrage cannot completely suppress all enemy firing positions. And they, like snakes, spit out vicious leaden stings.
  There are dead soldiers lying around. Orderlies are dragging the wounded back... This is no joke.
  A pair of breakthrough tanks, the famous IS-3s, became stuck, having fallen into the roadway. The vehicle, after all, was developed in a very short time and is still far from perfect. The turret, offset forward, is tilted, and the center of gravity places significant pressure on the front rollers, which, in conditions where the ground is soggy after rain, leads to the tank getting stuck.
  On the one hand, this is certainly a bad thing. But on the other, the Isov has good armor on the turret and hull sides, making the vehicle impenetrable to Japanese 47mm guns-the most common-and 75mm.
  The IS-3 is also good at destroying unarmored targets thanks to its powerful armament. However, its rate of fire is lacking...
  The pillboxes, like shards of slate, reveal the heads of tiny Japanese soldiers. Girls fire automatic rifles as they run...
  They are not ordinary soldiers... In dreams, of course, one can have an alternative memory of past exploits. As often happens, we recall previous dreams in which we also performed unimaginable miracles. After Alina and Angelica captured the Führer of Germany himself, namely Adolf Hitler, who was attempting to escape to Mars using a flying saucer of colossal combat power and size, they became the only combat soldiers to receive this highest order, "Victory."
  The high value of such an award is demonstrated by the fact that the "Pobeda" costs almost a fortune - three hundred grams of platinum and another three hundred and twenty diamonds.
  But such information is hidden from local command, and the girls continue to fight like privates. They risk death, but they fight bravely.
  And it turns out it was worth it. Barefoot, slender, and shapely, Alina's bullets hit the surviving samurai snipers without missing. And Angelica's shooting is much more accurate than before. The girls aren't fazed by firing their rifles on the move. They fire single shots, offhand, without aiming to save time.
  There's a Japanese colonel with wide glasses and a face like a deformed whale, kicking the bucket. He fell behind a piece of a pillbox, and his boots flashed through the opening. It's even funnier that way.
  And the pine tree, broken by a shell, charred like a match in an ashtray, even manages to nod approvingly to the girls with its only surviving branch.
  Alina even sang:
  - And the samurai flew to the ground under the pressure of steel and fire!
  Not many Japanese soldiers survived on the front line of the breakthrough. As is well known, soldiers from the Land of the Rising Sun, with rare exceptions, are poor marksmen. Here they are trying to fire, and a few bullets hit the ground near the girls' feet.
  The warriors, quickly inserting clips, respond much more effectively.
  And with their bare toes, they throw lethal pea-sized explosives. They flip Japanese cars over and blow samurai soldiers to smithereens. The girls, nearly naked and with athletic figures, are not so simple.
  They have the latest-generation, multi-shot automatic rifles, capable of firing both bursts and single shots. So the girls have plenty of firepower to fight back with.
  Alina and Angelica, however, having fast fingers, prefer to hit single blows, but very frequently. And five or six enemies fall at once.
  However, the first line, already battered by artillery preparation, especially by such a monstrous weapon as the Andryusha, already resembles a burnt-out village, and the first line of defense is quickly finished off.
  Now the last narrow-eyed opponents are quiet. The girls are full of excitement, and they run on, flashing their bare, pink, shiny, round, seductive heels.
  And they fire on the move, cracking the skulls of Japanese soldiers and officers. And if they come across generals, they get it too.
  The ground burns from the salvos of Soviet rocket launchers. But the warriors rush across it barefoot, letting the flames lick their pink heels, to which the dirt simply won't stick.
  Well, if yogis and many Spanish dancers can dance on fire, then Russian women, hardened by life and harsh frosts, can handle such feats and more.
  Alina remembered her friend Natasha, an IL-2 pilot. She'd advised her to ditch the boots and foot wraps that were tormenting her feet and fight barefoot. As it turned out, this advice was quite effective. Despite Natasha's experience in the depths of hell, her plane never suffered serious damage, but she shot down fourteen aircraft in the air (a remarkable achievement for a hunchbacked, outdated attack aircraft), eight tanks (two King Tigers), nine self-propelled guns (five of which were heavy, including a Jagdtiger), more than forty-five trucks, numerous cannons, pillboxes, and a true masterpiece-the Nazis' newest destroyer and torpedo boat. She also destroyed six more aircraft on the ground.
  The barefoot girl had a much better feel for the old aircraft (newbies, especially girls, were given all sorts of old junk-this Ilyushin was still a single-seat model, given to the pilot as a training pilot) than the famous new Soviet aces. And considering that the girl achieved this in just eight and a half months of war, when there wasn't much time for heroic deeds, and she wasn't exactly allowed to fly missions at first, like just transporting various cargoes, it's a remarkable achievement.
  And she was awarded, in total, the Hero of the USSR star and also the Order of Glory, in addition to the former. Plus the "Great Patriotic War" orders and special naval awards...
  Natasha is a very beautiful and young blonde; she could also be depicted on posters of true Aryans.
  This time, as an elite pilot, she fights against Japan. Her plane, a still-serviceable Il-2, has only had its engine replaced with a more powerful one and its cannon armament upgraded to a more sophisticated and versatile version.
  Here's Natasha herself in the sky... It's hot in the cockpit, and the girl is wearing nothing but a Lend-Lease bikini. The pilot has an athletic figure; she runs and trains a lot. But at the same time, it's erotic, like the warrior statues of antiquity and Greece. She has a slimmer waist with abs, and wide hips with muscles-not massive, but defined.
  The clouds are sparse, and she's on her first mission, Operation White Stork. Why did Stalin choose such a name?
  Apparently he believed that since the stork brings children, the Soviet white stork would bring freedom and communism to the countries of Asia.
  Look at these gentle clouds, like the palms of a fairy, or like Santa Claus's beard. It could be trimmed neatly, or rather... And there, four Japanese fighter jets flickered in the distance.
  The new 37mm cannon, with its pneumatic sight and maneuverability, is capable of hitting both ground and air targets. Natasha feels the roughness of the pedals with her bare feet, her exquisite girlish flesh perfectly sensing the texture of space... The aircraft cannon's muzzle velocity is 890 meters per second, allowing it to be fired from a great distance. Furthermore, the cannons, following the German example, are equipped with high-resolution photocells, a very modern feature... This was done specifically to avoid unnecessary controversy about downed aircraft. Some, for example, doubted Natasha's achievements...
  But no matter, we go ahead and increase our score... After the shots, the Il-2 is shaking from the recoil, but a couple of Japanese aircraft are down. And what do the almost entirely wooden fighters of the Land of the Rising Sun really need? When a 37-millimeter cannon can penetrate the top of a tank's turret, even the most armored and powerfully armed Focke-Wulf...
  The only problem is that the muzzle brake on this machine isn't very good yet, it needs some time to level out... But the Japanese pilots, without changing course, are closing in... They are brave samurai and don't fire, realizing that the IL-2 is too durable for their machine guns, they want to get close and get a good hit.
  The shape of these Japanese aircraft, with their straight wings, looks somewhat archaic. Even this old Il-2 model has elliptical wings. Natasha fires again, the samurai plywood shatters like broken glass, boards fly. A fiery ball erupts from the ignited diesel fuel.
  The girl says with a smile:
  - Three, four! Let's kill that pack of evil ones in the toilet!
  So the first wall has been breached, and below, Soviet tanks are moving to overtake. Their power is powerful; the T-34-85 is no joke, capable of crushing anything. And ahead, the Japanese can only see cannons, machine guns, and loosened pillboxes.
  But even infantrymen fight bravely; here are a couple of samurai infantrymen, letting a Soviet tank get closer, throwing themselves under its tracks with a bunch of grenades...
  In fact, Natasha knows very well that it's only in the movies that you throw a grenade so easily, and the wounded Tiger swayed and became... Funny... Is it possible for an 800-gram grenade to penetrate armor that a 6.5-kilogram projectile couldn't penetrate?
  But a cluster of grenades can rip apart tracks and damage rollers. The Japanese don't spare their own lives...
  It's a good thing they haven't yet established mass production of Faustpatrones; their scientific thought hasn't really been working on anti-tank warfare.
  Natasha flies a little further, and there's the rear zone, where the destructive "gifts" sent by the large-caliber cannon shells haven't reached. This is where she's at her best...
  You can drop small bombs while diving. No, small, shaped-charge bombs that can penetrate the roofs of tanks, and they're also good against aircraft parked on the runway. A little larger ones are good for destroying combat positions.
  Small "bomboshki" (little bombs) once helped win the Battle of Kursk. They shattered the roofs of German Panthers and Tigers, which outclassed Soviet tanks in head-on combat. However, in head-on combat, tank-on-tank, even the "old man" T-4 (1943 model) was superior to the Soviet T-34-76 and KV tanks. However, the bomboshki thinned the ranks of the armored personnel carriers. Until the Nazis discovered a simple way to neutralize them-installing nets on the roof. This allowed them to detonate grenades and bombs at a safe distance from the armor.
  But the delay in responding to this weapon also had an impact on the course of the summer battle. The Battle of Kursk was a turning point; after that, the most the Nazis could muster were short but brutal counterattacks.
  At the time of this pivotal summer battle, young Natasha wasn't yet a pilot. But she was already working in the medical unit and had a couple of medals.
  In particular, as a partisan scout and liaison. The partisans knew that the Nazis would catch and suspect adults wandering alone, and children, especially girls, didn't arouse their strong suspicions. This was especially true given the Third Reich leadership's fundamental reluctance to send women to the front, leading them to conservatively believe that females played a purely auxiliary role among the Russians.
  However, even understanding this, the partisans were not too willing to let girls go on missions, and did not trust them with riskier explosive and sabotage work at all.
  That's why Natasha destroyed her first fascist in the sky!
  How did she become a pilot, why did she draw the lucky ticket, and get to sit behind the controls of an airplane at such a young age?
  After all, being a pilot is prestigious, and on top of everything else, it also comes with rations practically equivalent to a general's. You'd have to be incredibly lucky to get in... Although losses are high, the most lethal aircraft is the IL-2 attack aircraft.
  Here Natasha was helped by chance... She, already having a lot of experience, volunteered to go on reconnaissance and cross the front line.
  Barefoot, wearing a torn cotton dress and carrying a basket, she moved quickly along the forest path. It was night, the sun hadn't risen yet, and sunrise was still a long way off. It was cold, covered in a thick layer of frost, and unmelted snow still lay on the sides of the path, but her quick steps warmed her.
  It was pleasant to walk through the native forest, trying to step on the pine cones and twigs, which warmed her frozen feet with gentle pricks. They hadn't yet softened over the winter; Natasha went barefoot even after the first snow, and the tree roots and twigs only provided a pleasant tickle.
  Natasha was cheerful, since she had already managed to scout out almost everything; she was returning, hoping to make it while the blessed darkness lasted, a decent night frost forcing the Fritzes and, especially, the heat-loving Romanians, to hide in holes.
  In her last days, Natasha ate almost nothing in order to give herself the natural thin appearance of a poor, barefoot girl, inevitable due to the lack of food during the occupation.
  But the growing body wanted to eat, so the smell of fried meat that Natasha"s sensitive nostrils caught turned out to be very tempting.
  The girl didn't even notice how she broke into a run right through the snowdrifts, leaving beautiful footprints with her feet. Her stomach was even cramping with hunger...
  Jumping out onto the edge of the forest, she exclaimed in surprise... A wide-track IL-10 attack aircraft stood slightly askew, some innovative modification with swept wings and enhanced armament...
  The beautiful, heavily armored, duralumin bird was badly mangled. The rear seat was shattered, likely from a rocket hit, or perhaps from the recently introduced formidable Luftfaust.
  And it was from this that the smoke, smelling of burning meat, was rising... Apparently, the radio operator/gunner had burned alive. And in the cockpit itself... Natasha grabbed a large, snow-covered branch, ran up onto the wing, and began to extinguish the fire creeping toward the cockpit. We had to save the pilot, the brave Soviet pilot, from the flames!
  Desperation gave the girl strength, and she managed to achieve this, furiously striking with a wet branch and even slapping her feet. After several hours of walking in the cold, the fire was barely noticeable, and even evoked a blissful feeling.
  The small fire refused to abate, but it couldn't withstand the onslaught of a Russian woman. The poisonous yellow snaking flames died down, and Natasha, opening the cockpit, dragged the pilot out, not without difficulty. Fortunately, aviation, like tank crews, generally doesn't recruit large men.
  It wouldn't be a boy, though, but a man in his thirties, with a colonel's epaulettes, and therefore no longer particularly light. However, Natasha is still naturally strong, and she's bulked up dragging the wounded.
  Although the pilot wasn't breathing, the girl, sensing there was still a chance, pressed her coral lips to the officer's and began performing artificial respiration, combining it with cardiac massage.
  Natasha worked very energetically and with great enthusiasm... Saving the life of a neighbor is great.
  The colonel"s heart began to beat and he began to breathe heavily... Natasha exclaimed:
  - There is still a God, even if He is unable to help every person due to the power of Satan!
  The officer answered heavily:
  - You are a naive soul... God is in each of us... - The Colonel paused.
  Natasha handed him a flask she'd retrieved from the cabin. It contained coffee, chocolate, and a small amount of cognac. A kind of potion to boost the spirits of fighters.
  The officer took a few sips and, having perked up a little, introduced himself:
  - Colonel Yuri Petukhov... And who are you?
  "Corporal Natasha Orlova," the girl stated bluntly. "I'm currently returning from a mission as head..."
  Petukhov interrupted:
  - Are we in occupied territory now?
  Natasha sighed heavily and confirmed:
  - For now, yes! We're in territory temporarily occupied by the enemy. But very soon...
  The colonel interrupted again:
  - No need for pathos... No need...
  There was a pause, Petukhov's face twitched convulsively, and his fingers moved uncoordinatedly, with the limbs themselves lying like loops of rope.
  CHAPTER No 12.
  Her brother Enrique was now starring in another film, this time set during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. It was called "Pioneers of the Livonian War."
  Now the boy actor pretended to be thoughtful.
  Enrique's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden increase in cannon fire, fresh cries from the wounded, and the roar of numerous trumpets... A barefoot girl, Mashka, tugged the boy's shoulder and said delightedly:
  - Well, now it looks like the king of the Poles himself has arrived. What will happen now?
  Enrique answered judiciously:
  "The other part of the Polish army has finally arrived here." The boy shook his rifle. "Victory will be ours." And he added, "You'll see it in this lifetime."
  Masha answered sarcastically:
  - And if you saw the death of an enemy in this life, in the next you will be granted a faithful, keen eye.
  Enrique touched the sniper rifle's scope and said confidently:
  - Even now, my eyes aren't crossed!
  The newly arrived Polish and foreign troops tried to bring into order the considerably thinned army, which was trying to strike from behind an ambush.
  And just a few hours later they were crushing each other, even the dawn began to break in the east, and the rain died down... Because of the thick grass cover, the roads weren't too wet...
  Andrey whispered to Enrique:
  - Act, sniper... Take out the king, and then it will be oh-la-la!
  The boy who had been transported to the past peered into the enemy lines. Meanwhile, the thief boy jumped up to him and showed him a brand-new silver coin:
  - You see the profile... And the King of Poland is proud, he will be with a magnificent retinue and will take a place... Higher, I think.
  Enrique looked carefully, looking for a target, when the cannons roared again and frantic cries were heard, a wave of human excitement swept through the ranks of both mercenaries and Poles.
  Andrey, rising from the branches, as if no longer afraid of being noticed, exclaimed:
  - So it looks like Pyotr Shuisky has struck! Finally, things will be more serious than before.
  Masha was seriously offended:
  "And you're saying it wasn't serious before? See, half the foreign army is incompetent!"
  "And soon the other half will be sent to the archangels' dungeon!" Enrique declared.
  And the children slapped their bare feet.
  The battle had already begun, Russian cannons were pounding the Poles, and the troops, particularly the riflemen, were pressing the enemy in an organized manner.
  And in the Polish king's camp, there was a serious commotion. The boy, a time traveler, saw a luxurious retinue on a small rise. Probably the king was among them. But the distance was so great that even his eagle-eyed profile couldn't be seen clearly... Although, he did have a pair of captured German binoculars.
  Enrique got it out... Twelve-fold magnification... It's fine, although, of course, it's difficult to get the focus right at that distance. Well, at least you can...
  The boy actor's eyesight was already excellent, and after moving and taking a break from video and the internet, it became even better. But the range, of course, was almost the maximum for a sniper rifle hit. A good two kilometers, although a leapfrog rifle should be able to take... Well, even with a precise shot to the face.
  One of the high-ranking nobles had a similar profile... But Enrique doubted it; he looked a bit young. Sigismund, it seemed, was older, according to history...
  But there were no other goals... The boy who had arrived crossed himself and tried, as he had done before, to see the energetic outline of space... Breathing more calmly, through his mouth, absorbing the wonderful air...
  His finger presses the soft trigger, and the couple of seconds until the gift arrives seem like an eternity to Enrique...
  Ugh... one of the nobles falls, lifting up his boots and spurs. And the boy cursed under his breath:
  - What a gaper!
  No, he certainly hit, but not the one he was aiming at. He needs to reload quickly and fire again...
  The Tatars serving the Russians shower the enemy with arrows and retreat. They are distinguished from the Crimean mercenaries by the red ribbons braided into their manes. The Cossacks are with them. The steppe dwellers themselves shoot in a unique way, sharply straightening their right arm. And with a screech, the bowstring releases a deadly gift. The Poles respond.
  The troops, not yet reorganized, recently fighting, are attacked by musket fire from a close formation of riflemen, with the Russians moving in ranks, and then the Cossacks and mounted noble militia form up and fly out.
  The latter are also beautifully dressed, no worse than the gentry, and their sharp sabers sparkle in the rising sun. They even send sunbeams flying. Amazingly, the cavalrymen maintain a semblance of formation while galloping, while buglers play. The drummers (one of Tsar Ivan the Terrible's last innovations) are green, barefoot boys, some even younger than the time-travelers. But they beat the drums like hailstones on glass, encouraging their troops and intimidating the enemy. The Cossacks are also colorful, some wearing beaver hats, while others have shaved heads and shake their long forelocks. And they wave their sabers too much, wasting energy on unnecessary movements. And they gallop, racing, without holding formation... But in a sabre fight, even reiters, dragoons, and arrogant lords are hopelessly outmatched. Well, except perhaps when there are five of them against one.
  Enrique shoots again and again mows down the wrong one... The boy quickly reloads the sniper rifle and bam-baam-bang...
  The Streltsy employ a new tactic, attacking from the cover of the city. This reduces losses from musket fire and archery. And there are many archers, and not just Tatars.
  Muskets of that time do not fire often, but the archers take turns: some kneel and reload, others fire, after which they reload again, and the next ones stand up.
  The foreign and Polish cavalry try to attack and crush the riflemen, but they are met by archers, spearmen, and even cannon fire.
  So much blood and torn flesh. The foreign army begins to flee, losses mount.
  The group of nobles is going crazy, it clearly wants to give in back, all the new dignitaries are falling, as five horsemen jump out to meet them, four giants in gilded armor, one smaller, but on his head, something sparkles brightly in the rays of the rising sun.
  The boy actor's lips whispered:
  - The King. Well, take that, bastard.
  Anger and rage allowed the energy pattern to be seen more clearly than ever. And the bullet struck right in the center of the forehead. The precise shot knocked off the crown, and a cry of horror echoed through the ranks of nobles. And Enrique said in a thunderous voice:
  - It's happened! Sigismund is dead!
  Andrey screamed at the top of his lungs:
  - Sigismund is kaput!
  And all the boys joined in in chorus... And the dashing Cossacks galloping under the trees shouted even louder:
  - Get out! Get out! The Polish Duke is dead!
  Enrique, no longer hiding, fired again without aiming, but his hands and intuition found their victims. The young version of King Sigismund died, after which the surviving nobles ran off at full speed.
  The boy who had arrived winked at the sky and, scratching his chin with the butt of his rifle, glanced at the enormous royal tent... Separately from it, a military banner with the family standard of the House of Sigismund fluttered.
  The boy's calloused and bruised fingers inserted the cartridge into the breech themselves, and the shot...
  The shaft was quite thick, but the impact coincided with a sharp gust of wind, and there was no need to fire again. The enormous royal banner fell, trapping the guardsmen beneath it and fluttering. Howling and desperately hacking at the canvas, the guardsmen turned their backs. The nobleman Lisowski tried to stop them, but Enrique's bullet inexorably found him, piercing almost clean through the bull's neck.
  And following them, the confused and battered guardsmen, came the still numerous, albeit battered, Polish-German army...
  The army surged forward like a flood breaking a dam, throwing down their weapons and heedless of the enemy's threats, the merciless enemy. The faces of the mercenaries were contorted with terror, the lords were losing their saddles and falling from their finely decorated horses. And yet their steeds were royal; a single saddle was worth an entire village with its serfs. Some of the knechts even literally crawled into the ground in fear, or burrowed under corpses. Just to get away, and to hell with all these cannons and banners...
  Here are several heavy, bronze-forged cannons with wheels as tall as a man and a half, captured by the Rus' knights. And with them, forty more, lesser. Kicking off his boots, a young bugler climbed up the gun carriage and blew his horn. The sound of the bugle was so full of youthful exuberance that the Russian army began to fight with even greater ferocity and fervor. Some of the beardless youths shoot from bows so long that they are almost a yard taller than themselves. And they hit quite accurately, though it's no great honor to shoot a mortally frightened partridge.
  The commander himself, Pyotr Shuisky, surged forward. Oh! That's what a mighty prince he is, a hero, even by the standards of the twenty-first century's acceleration. He simply cuts the overtaken foreigners in half. A mountain.
  The boys also jump off and run along with everyone else, shouting in Russian:
  - For the Tsar and Patronymic!
  Luckily, there are plenty of abandoned horses, and the darlings eagerly mount them. Even a girl named Masha... However, the children who arrived in time have experience riding elite steeds in high society, and the young Pioneer boys learned how to do so during their pre-combat training. According to Soviet military doctrine, the transition to mechanization should be gradual. Therefore, it's not a sin to use cavalry.
  And for the horse"s soul, it"s like incense...
  Enrique kicks the horse's croup with his bare heels. The animal is frightened and doesn't try to buck, especially since the skinny boy is lighter than a full-breasted adult.
  Despite all the talk of acceleration, Ivan the Terrible's contemporaries are only a few centimeters shorter than the twenty-first-century average. So they still look like boys. Only Andrei is almost as tall as an adult... Well, how could he be, when he's already fifteen?
  Suddenly, a Polish gentleman, somehow still alive, jumped out in front of Enrique. The boy, without wasting time aiming, reflexively dodged a sweeping saber blow and hit the "boar" in the temple with a grenade.
  Without a pulled pin, a grenade, something like a small club, but the blow was coming towards him, and the brute, having flown by inertia, passed out.
  True, Enrique almost dislocated his practically childish wrist, but he managed to avoid falling, straightened out and said:
  - Everyone falls, but only the spiritually exalted rise!
  The boys try to be chivalrous too; they only shoot at those who are still trying to resist or who look distinguished. Mashka has even changed her tactics and, without any mockery, asks those she manages to catch in German or Polish:
  - Do you want to live?
  If the answer is yes, then the order is to put your hands up and your belly on the ground, but if not... Then according to the laws of wartime.
  Here's one of the German princes, with a small detachment of knights, launching a counterattack. The nobleman has a red, sweaty face and a long, red, curled mustache, like a comic book hero's. He roars in the style of the Nazis:
  - Russish kinder zer Schwein!
  Enrique automatically jabbed and hit him in the chest, practically piercing the cuirass. A fountain of blood sprayed from the silver chainmail, and then the over-a-hundred-weight carcass splashed down. The other boys weren't intimidated either. They mowed down the weeds, along with the Cossacks. They did it without ceremony, squashing the bugs.
  The commander is also a powerful man, slashing with a long sword like a legendary hero. His hair is tied back with a golden, diamond-studded wreath, and his voice is thunderous, like a church choir-yes, an entire choir is hidden within the knight's broad chest. And his blows are so powerful that you wonder if Ilya Muromets was modeled after him.
  The boys, however, are less and less able to demonstrate their heroism. Foreign soldiers fall and beg for mercy. They surrender in droves, in droves... Crawling on their bellies, begging for a pitiful life. Even the lords, with their world-famous pride, are fawning. The battle has already reached a stage akin to picking cherries from a low-growing tree.
  They chased them for about thirty miles, until almost everyone was killed or captured. It was a complete victory, even though it hadn't come at an exorbitant price. The nearly 100,000-strong army, almost entirely mercenaries, ceased to exist...
  And there were a huge number of prisoners gathered...
  Dimka brought the boys who had traveled to Shuisky"s brother Semyon and, bowing low, said:
  "You must forgive me, brothers, for not revealing myself immediately. I was sent as a spy to the Poles' lands, disguised as a beggar. And now, as you see, we are honored, and I believe we will be recognized for our exploits."
  Semyon asked the boys:
  - Who are you, naked people?
  Andrey lied skillfully:
  "Our fathers were taken captive from Rus' by the Crimean Tatars. And they were carried away by the slave trade to the distant lands of China." The teenager spread his arms wide, making a sun with them, and continued. "Then, as the most intelligent children of slaves, we were taught various sciences, wondrous and complex. And also the art of archery."
  Semyon was surprised:
  - From China? But China is terribly far away from us.
  Andrey nodded with a teenage smile:
  "Yes, it's far... We were fine there, but we knew there were sons of the great Russian people. So we managed to escape, even taking with us the best weapons the Chinese had. And since rumors had it that there would be a battle here near Orsha, we headed straight to you and arrived just in time."
  - They also killed King Sigismund, Hetman Chodkiewicz and many other military and noble dignitaries...
  Prince Semyon suddenly became frightened and put his finger to his lips:
  - It's better not to spread the word about the heroic elimination of the king, I beg you, young men, don't tell anyone...
  At this point Enrique couldn"t stand it:
  "And why is that? We should be rewarded royally for this. Especially me, since it was I who took down Sigismund and gave you victory!"
  A sigh passed through the ranks of warriors, followed by shouts:
  - Hurray! Glory to the young fighter!
  The prince made a soldier's gesture, as if to say, "Shut up." He then replied with a sad smile:
  "Our wisest and greatest sovereign, Ivan Vasilyevich, may his name be hallowed forever... He treats members of the royal family with the utmost reverence... Even though his fierce enemy, Sigismund, may order you to be cruelly executed for this... Hide, young men, you have had enough of other glory. Pyotr Shuisky himself will grant you a favor."
  Andreyka bowed lower:
  "We don't even think about awards. Sacred service to the Motherland is the greatest reward. And the fact that we won, too!"
  Semyon objected in a heavy tone:
  "No! You will be generously rewarded, first and foremost a noble title, and then the Tsar will grant you an estate. It is not fitting for such as you, strong warriors, to walk as serfs. But if you become nobles, your career will soar. Our Tsar is merciful and does not care about lineage."
  The warriors began to roar again. Prince Pyotr Shuisky himself rode up to them, accompanied by a guard in white. The Shuisky family was noble, descended from the Rurik dynasty. The voivode himself was immensely wealthy and had risen above all others.
  His thick, long beard makes the prince appear much older than he actually is; he's only thirty-one. But he has plenty of experience, dating back to his time in Kazan.
  The eyes were young and looked kindly at the naked men. The prince's questioning was leisurely, especially interested in the weapons of the young pioneers.
  Shuisky even asked:
  - Well, show me your aim! - He tossed the chestnut higher.
  Wearing only shorts, Enrique, feeling a surge of energy, fired without aiming. The bullet hit right in the middle and... The prince couldn't resist the temptation; he jumped off his horse and raised the punctured chestnut to his face. He whistled like a nightingale:
  - Wow! Right in the center, like a drill... A well-aimed bullet.
  "And no need to set fire to the musket!" added Prince Semyon. "Now these are some guys! Our Russian marksmen!"
  The prince climbed back onto his horse and pointed his fox tail at the bird soaring high in the sky:
  - And will you take it from a long distance?
  Enrique nodded eagerly:
  - No questions, comrade prince!
  And again the gun spat out a cartridge, and the crow released its entrails...
  This was not enough for Shuisky, he demanded:
  - Now shoot down two at once!
  Here the boy who had traveled to another world decided to show his character:
  - Keep shooting and amusing yourself! And what will happen to me for this?
  Peter said seriously:
  "If you hit, you'll get a whole hat of silver from me personally as a gift. If you miss... Twenty lashes on the back, and another twenty blows with sticks on the bare heels."
  Enrique shook his head doubtfully:
  - One cap of silver against forty blows... No, four caps and one of them gold!
  Shuisky's blue eyes flashed fiercely and sternly:
  "Good! You'll get four hats, including the gold one... But if you miss, you'll get a hundred blows on your back and heels." The prince shook his hefty fist. "That'll teach you a lesson for your greed."
  Enrique smiled and muttered:
  - A hundred blows... Well, that's even interesting, I'll endure them without groans and screams... Shake on it!
  The young time traveler and the nobleman clapped their hands. Enrique's palm burned, but his confidence soared.
  Especially since he had experience shooting at double targets in virtual shooters even before hitting the target. So grab your gun and, most importantly, don't hesitate to fire!
  The sky is already a deep crimson, the sun is dying, the stars are beginning to appear... Why isn't he a traveler to some cosmic world? His finger instinctively presses the trigger, but his thoughts are already far away.
  Two shot-through crows collapsed to the ground. And the prince threw up his shovel-like hands in frustration:
  - Well, I see you know how to hit. Good job...
  Shuisky was annoyed by the defeat, but he didn't mind the money. He was already rich, and now they'd seized more loot than they could possibly need. Enrique growled, though:
  - Let's have the winnings!
  The prince briefly ordered:
  - Put the bag here and pour out a full bowl.
  The coins were measured with a small cap, but still, there were about five kilograms of gold, and three to twelve kilograms of silver...
  A decent amount of money, though for Enrique, the former heir to God Neptune's billions, it's not all that significant. He's held more in his hands... though now it's no small help.
  The prince showed generosity, took off a ring with a large emerald from his hand and handed it to Enrique:
  "Take it, boy! This is more than enough for your courage and composure. Your hand didn't tremble, even though you risked so much. You might not be able to withstand a hundred lashes."
  The boy who had arrived proudly objected:
  - And I can handle it! Want to bet?
  Shuisky waved his hand:
  "No, I won't even argue about such nonsense! And that's enough arguing for today. Instead, tell me, can our craftsmen forge a weapon similar to yours?"
  Enrique blinked in confusion... Yes, an interesting problem. The boy rubbed his shin against a broken bush; the blood had dried and made the scratched skin itch. Andreyka, however, answered more simply:
  "We'll try to help them. But here's my thought: maybe it would be better to attach a bayonet to the barrel of a musket."
  Shuisky was surprised:
  - Bayonet, what is this?
  Andreyka took out an ancient device from his backpack and showed it to the prince:
  - Weapons of advanced countries. A single strelets can be both a spearman and a musketeer. A huge saving in army size; everything can be done with a single musket: cut, stab, and shoot!
  Pyotr Shuisky suddenly yawned widely and gave the signal:
  "It's already night. It's time for people to rest, and you too, after such a scolding. And tomorrow we'll enter Orsha, and there you can show off your wonders to the local blacksmiths."
  Enrique, crossing his arms over his chest, remarked skeptically:
  - What if Orsha doesn"t open the gates?
  The prince-commander answered confidently:
  "It will! The city's best men have promised that whoever wins at Nightingale Field will rule the city. So..." Shuisky called over his squire and boyar's son, Nikita Bykov. "Take them to the finest tent and treat them to foreign delicacies. They are our most honored guests."
  Bykov bowed to the prince and ordered the time travelers:
  - Follow me, youths.
  Without arguing, they moved like tails after wolves, the boys themselves staggering from fatigue...
  The tent did indeed look luxurious, and the beds were lined with silk-embroidered featherbeds, but the time-travelers seemed to care less. So they flopped down, fully dressed, and sank into dreams...
  Enrique couldn't remember what he'd dreamed when he woke up, and reality was far more beautiful than any dream. After waking, the maids came in and brought tubs of heated water. They then offered the boys a chance to wash themselves with their modest assistance.
  Andreyka was surprised:
  - And I thought you had puritanical morals!
  The girls didn't understand, but simply ordered:
  - Wash yourselves, noble boyars, for we are going into the world.
  They gave us special soap, made according to ancient recipes. They helped wash their backs, much to the boys' embarrassment. The girls took particular care in scrubbing their blackened heels, which hadn't seen shoes for a good six months. One even expressed surprise:
  - Your soles are like those of peasant children. Although they say you are noble foreign allies!
  Enrique immediately found his answer, remembering Sparta:
  "And it's not customary for our younger generation to wear shoes on their feet. We need to toughen up and get used to physical hardship."
  They were given the elegant attire typical of sixteenth-century Rus', typical of boyar children. Moroccan boots and beaver hats, though not as tall as those worn by the Duma boyars.
  Contrary to the boys' fears, the boots fit perfectly. Vadik suggested:
  - Maybe our tracks were measured and stitched together overnight!?
  Andrey agreed:
  "In Rus', there have always been skilled craftsmen who could build a fortress in a single day. Or maybe they just took their measurements in their sleep."
  Enrico interrupted:
  - What difference does it make? It's easier to run and fight barefoot anyway, and the days are warm, so boots are just a burden.
  Andreyka readily agreed:
  "Of course, they'll only get in the way until the snow falls, it's unnecessary, but... Apparently they want to show us some respect this way. After all, it's not for nothing that the word "bosyak" was considered derogatory in Rus'."
  Masha added here:
  - And precisely from the fifteenth, fourteenth centuries. But for children, barefootness was still natural then, right up until the mid-twentieth century.
  Enrique pouted:
  "Perhaps it's no longer appropriate to consider us children. At least morally and in terms of our worldview, we're practically elders."
  Masha did not agree:
  - No! Physiology plays a role. So we're thinking in terms of a special intermediate option.
  The girl also donned a boy's outfit. Her short hair and thin frame left her appearance almost entirely ungirlish, and her figure was still angular, lacking femininity. So Mashka, too, decided to play the role of a boy. Especially since female warriors were unfashionable in those days. And becoming a military leader was simply unthinkable. Besides Semiramis, a legendary figure many historians don't believe existed, who else could the average person name among the female military leaders?
  Well, Jeanne d'Arc, but her role was generally minimal. She merely inspired the troops with her example, while others drew up the strategic and tactical plans.
  Queens rarely commanded armies personally. What troops, for example, did Catherine the Great command? Although she achieved major conquests. Meanwhile, Tsars Peter the Great, Ivan the Terrible, Ivan III, Vasily the Iron Cross, and others often exercised command themselves.
  The last such tsar to personally assume the role of Supreme Commander-in-Chief was Nicholas II. True, this only made matters worse; Nicholas was an incompetent commander.
  The boys who had traveled to the other world were also given expensive and well-groomed horses with rich harnesses, and they, together with Prince Pyotr Shuisky and his numerous retinue, set off for Orsha.
  The city itself opened its gates to the liberators, and they were greeted with bread and salt... The former greedy and arrogant commander was drowned by the city's own citizens. The remaining warriors, with the exception of a small detachment of Poles, defected to the Rus'.
  The young rascals were honored to ride with the prince, whom everyone secretly called the great one.
  The city of Orsha was a typical medieval city, but it looked quite neat, and the poor people's squalid huts stood side by side with the luxurious stone houses of the rich.
  Flowers were thrown before the prince, musicians played, and prisoners were led in chains. Overall, it resembled a triumphant entry into Rome. And there were plenty of jubilant crowds of townspeople running out to greet the victors. And here the townspeople dressed in their finest; many even had wrinkled dresses, and their boots were disproportionately large for the children.
  The priests performed the service, and everything was done somewhat hastily. The prince clearly wanted to quickly conclude the ceremonies and move on. And the bored look in his green eyes suggested that Shuisky was more likely to be baptized for the common people than to be entirely convinced himself.
  The pioneers also crossed themselves mechanically, and not quite correctly. They weren't interested in it at all.
  Next came the city bathhouse... Incidentally, they had lunch right there, and the girls, barely covered by translucent sheets, vigorously whipped their backs with brooms soaked in kvass and beer.
  After which a council of war opened at the table...
  The feast after the steaming was lavish: venison, wild boar with garnish, sturgeon, partridge, hazel grouse... True, there were no pineapples, nor bananas. They hadn't yet learned to import them from Africa and warmer climates. But there were watermelons, melons, apples, and oranges. The latter, however, were few in number-also exotic, and more for the prince. Fig and date jam, again a luxury for the rich.
  For the first time in months, the boys could dine luxuriously with gold cutlery. Admittedly, it wasn't particularly finely crafted, even though they'd been captured in the royal convoy.
  At the council itself, the prince himself spoke first. His reasoning was simple:
  "The Poles are now defeated and shaken. We must march immediately on Minsk, and then on to Vilnius. Take these cities before the enemy recovers. And then we'll open the road to Krakow, straight to the center of the empire. We'll set out immediately."
  Prince Semyon said doubtfully:
  The city of Vilnius, the capital of the Duchy of Lithuania, has withstood many sieges, including those of the Crusaders. It's well fortified; you could really get bogged down under it.
  Peter frowned, his thick, black eyebrows drawing together:
  - So what do you suggest?
  - Right after Minsk, march on Krakow. You don't even have to take Brest; just march.
  The chief Shuisky did not agree with his brother:
  "And leave the capital of Lithuania unconquered in the rear. That's stupid. Moreover, without taking Vilnius, we won't be able to hold a firm foothold in Livonia either."
  Prince Kirill agreed with Shuisky:
  "If anyone can stand against us after the death of King Sigismund, it's the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. They're not yet accustomed to living under the rule of the gentry. So they might not want to join Rus'. And we'll take Vilnius with a major cannonade. The Crusaders didn't have even a fifth of what we have. So we'll break that backbone, too. And the Poles... Give them time, and they'll squabble even more. Are they going to quickly elect a king now? And Sigismund's nephew and many nobles have fallen on the battlefield."
  CHAPTER No 13.
  Alina's wondrous sleep, stunned by her final fight with the sumist, continued. She merely rolled over onto her other side.
  Finally, Colonel Petukhov said with sorrow:
  "I can't feel my body... At all! But I need to deliver important information, and I can't let the latest IL-10 modification, just delivered to the front, fall into the hands of the Nazis."
  Natasha calmly, as if it went without saying, suggested:
  - Do you want me to lift the plane into the sky and fly it to the airfield?
  Petukhov looked doubtfully at the girl, almost still a child, with her sweet features sharpened by fasting, and muttered:
  - Firstly, I don"t know if my winged horse is running, and secondly, are you sure you can fly and land the plane?
  Natasha nodded confidently:
  "I serviced airplanes and was in the cockpit, they trained me well..." The girl felt ashamed of her fib and clarified. "They showed me the control panel and explained how it was done..." Here Natasha, intercepting the colonel's skeptical look, fibbed again. "I talked them into it, and they let me fly and land, so I have experience."
  Petukhov asked Natasha:
  - Look me in the eyes, Corporal Orlova.
  The girl met the colonel's piercing gaze, no doubt a seasoned ace by now, though the Soviet troops weren't exactly known for their prolific promotion of living heroes. The colonel made up his mind:
  - Corporal is fit! Get started!
  Here Natasha's recollections, who had become too carried away, dropping bombs precisely and coolly, were interrupted by another flock of Japanese fighters that emerged almost right next to her.
  Moreover, one of the samurai pilots, apparently an imperial ace. Machine gun fire struck, and Natasha responded with aircraft cannons.
  As is often the case, shooting off the cuff is the most effective, before the attack aircraft was swept away by recoil, three Land of the Rising Sun fighters crumbled like houses of cards. The broken speech of the surviving ace came over the headphones. Wonder what it was, the most dangerous enemy had survived, and another one, judging by the blue and brown ripples on his wings, a Thai.
  - You're a bad pilot, you're a fool... Banzai!
  Natasha tried to escape, preventing the enemy from engaging her from the rear, where her aircraft had no gunner. While this certainly has its advantages-better aerodynamics and a second cockpit that doesn't protrude from the fuselage-the lack of machine gun armament is a significant drawback.
  Natasha avoids the dense machine-gun fire and knocks the attack aircraft onto its side. For a moment, her sense of spatial patterns returns, and she fires... Two 37mm cannon shells pierce the Japanese aircraft. Shrapnel flies so close that a couple, fortunately small, hit the canopy... It's a good thing the armored glass is 60mm thick, and after a minor redesign, it was made streamlined, meaning it ricochets well. Natasha replies:
  - He who is cruel to people will himself become jelly, devoured by devils in hell!
  There's only one Thai pilot left... But this guy is clearly no ace, he turns around, wants to leave... But the Russian warrior shoots him down without even thinking and taking aim...
  More fragments, and a soul flying... To Buddha, perhaps? It's even strange that Buddhists, of course, didn't wage religious wars, but as for a simple war, well, there you go.
  Another Japanese fighter, or rather attack aircraft, from among those machines that attacked the American fleet at Per Harbor.
  What did the Yankees call him? A winged jackal, I think. Natasha relaxes her body to sense the atmosphere and all its swirls. Especially since there are already two jackals, and they need to be taken down with one or two volleys, since there are no more shells left.
  Natasha whispers:
  - A skilled sniper pilot most often misses when landing on the widest airfield of the underworld!
  After which he presses the buttons... For a moment it seems that nothing is happening, and even the consciousness is drilled by a nasty little thought - did I really miss?
  But then both firecrackers burst and bam! The jackal-like stormtroopers of the Land of the Rising Sun scattered like a bag of candy dropped from a great height.
  The girl exclaims:
  - Bravo! Tenth and eleventh! There's a Union record!
  Of course, Natasha remembers that the official record for the USSR's top ace was nine German aircraft. Moreover, all of the Fritz aircraft destroyed were Ju-87s. The most famous was the "Laptezhnik," or as the Germans called it, the "Stuka." The aircraft, which Yakovlev, the designer, considered hopelessly outdated back in 1940, became the most effective dive bomber of World War II.
  Not very fast, it could, thanks to its wing flaps, hover during a dive and deliver devastating blows.
  The alternative, or rather, a worthy response, was the Soviet IL-2, which was also not highly regarded by Soviet military specialists before the war.
  For a long time, or rather, unfortunately not too long, the Nazis couldn't find a worthy response to the IL... Then came the Luftfaust, a nine-barreled recoilless rifle that fired in a checkerboard pattern like the Katyusha and was carried by a single soldier on his shoulder. A dangerous weapon, it was precisely this weapon that, in an ambush, knocked out the IL-10, which was nearly invulnerable to a single-man-carried weapon.
  Natasha has discharged and is returning... Today is her triumph, and there is hope, if not now, then in a few days, to earn the Order of Glory, highest first degree.
  Although it's the first one-"Courage"-that's most precious to Orlova. She received it when she finally managed to get up and fly behind the front lines with Petukhov, a colonel and two-time Hero of the Soviet Union.
  The hardest part was getting off the ground, as the IL-10 had suffered serious damage, with one engine completely out of commission. But it managed, especially since this particular model was designed for asymmetrical driving.
  Natasha brought the car to a stop and landed...
  First aircraft sortie...
  But not the last... They quickly refueled the vehicle, replaced the ammunition at a rapid pace, and drove off again.
  From the very beginning, Soviet troops advanced at a high tempo. Of course, the Japanese assumed the Red Army would come for them. They dug trenches, mined fields, and brought up strike forces. And the direction of the attack wasn't all that difficult to predict-encirclement and encirclement...
  But they clearly didn"t expect such a force to fall upon them right away...
  The second sortie was mostly limited to striking ground targets that weren't covered by Soviet guns. Natasha only managed to shoot down one winged jackal at range...
  But the third flight, at a greater distance from the front line, turned out to be much more interesting.
  Natasha, in a beautiful bikini, feels great, even though the cabin is hot. She smiles and says:
  "What a wonderful sun we have here! But if the Land of the Rising Sun capitulates, it will be even more wonderful. Incidentally, it seems like a goal has emerged..."
  The girl tilted her nose slightly to get a better view from her car. Now, closer to the front line, Japanese armored columns were moving in. So-called mixed brigades-cavalry and tanks. The Land of the Rising Sun has plenty of stallions, perfect for galloping and wielding menacing katanas.
  But the tanks are worse... The most common of them is the light Chi-ha-ha. Weighing sixteen tons, it has a 47-millimeter gun. Not a particularly scary machine, with two machine guns. The German T-3 of 1941 was more terrifying. But, admittedly, it was nimble with a diesel engine. There are also smaller tankettes, five tons each... And these are generally classy, a model of Japanese technology... Of course, such a weapon is only dangerous to infantry. Although penetrating the T-34-85 in the side is also possible... At close range, the long-barreled version of the 47-millimeter gun with an APCR round can penetrate up to 75 millimeters of armor. So, better to shoot down this light "colossus" to be on the safe side.
  Just in case, Natasha lowers herself and starts scratching her heels against the attack aircraft's pedals. She needs to concentrate, or rather, immerse herself in the spatial pattern, and feel out tank targets. After all, they're vehicles; it's best to hit them with single shots, piercing the top.
  Moreover, the girl wants to carry out an attack maneuver from a horizontal plane.
  Here the Japanese columns crawl like a flock of sheep to a watering hole, and the IL-2s don't even react to the appearance of the gyrfalcon. No, actually, they seem to be trying to raise the muzzles of their machine guns.
  Natasha fires first. She can already see with her paranormal vision that she's hit... Yeah, the roof of the first tank is penetrated... When you fire single shots, the recoil isn't nearly as strong.
  The second goal...
  Natasha whispers:
  - Attack is always more effective than defense, because a punch from the face is a bad block!
  And again, explosions, broken roofs, torn metal. Ammunition detonating, fuel tanks burning...
  The girl threw up her hands and pedaled:
  - That's it! It's a scattering of shrapnel on the asphalt!
  Third tank, fourth, fifth....
  When tanks explode, even light ones, it's a spectacle worthy of a Picasso sketch. Natasha is in a trance, remembering her first time boarding a seriously wounded Colonel Petukhov. The two of them are cramped in the cockpit, and besides, Yuri is delirious. At some point, the aircraft loses control and goes into a tailspin.
  It was then that Natasha saw the pattern of space, and on a subconscious level she was able to press the necessary levers with her fingers and toes.
  And now she sees what she needs to do and how to shoot and hit the target!
  And here come the other attack aircraft, including the IL-10, entering the "harvest." They carefully trim the enemy.
  Eight light tanks and two tankettes-that's not bad at all. Considering our competitors also attacked. Congratulations.
  Lieutenant Gonchar shouts to her through the radio:
  - What a bitch you are! You beat everyone like they were flails!
  Natasha retorts:
  - Let's strike the sheaf with our broad flails! Don't be lazy, it will be of use - there will be a pie in the fall!
  Captain Goryachev confirms:
  - Of course we'll make it! We'll reap the harvest before autumn!
  Natasha nods:
  - Now let's get going! We'll crush you all! And grind you into dust!
  The Chi-ha-ha tank resembles a T-3, only with a lower silhouette. The frontal armor is well-armored and sloped appropriately. It has its drawbacks, too... However, there's no point in talking about them now that the column is gone...
  The vegetation in Manchuria is sparse, making it difficult to set up ambushes and various clever flanking maneuvers, but it does allow for much more effective bombing and bombing...
  Natasha returns and after a while flies out again, because she needs to fight...
  This is what the killer girl saw in her dream, so unusual and cool and amazing.
  But these are other people"s adventures, shown as if in a movie, and now they are our own.
  And Alina and Angelica are fighting on land...
  Here are the soldiers of the Army of the Rising Sun trying to counterattack. They run forward somewhat clumsily, swinging their sabers. What fools are they counting on?
  Alina and Anzhelika, kneeling, greet the enemy with rapid gunfire. They're still too far away, and the enemy can't reach the warriors. The girls look condescendingly at the ants-like running Japs. Any minute now, the IS-3 tanks will crawl up and start pulverizing them with their four machine guns. Alina giggles and nods her tousled head to her friend:
  - No, what is the point of such an attack?
  Angelica answers logically:
  - To show that the Japanese army always moves forward!
  Alina responded to this:
  - Only forward and always to the grave!
  Indeed, the powerful Isov machine guns started working, and then the SUPPs arrived in the battle.
  These are light, but very mobile self-propelled guns designed to fight enemy infantry.
  They have a powerful, carbureted engine, 600 horsepower, and are armed purely with machine guns, but with ten firing points at once. And that's pretty cool! Just look at those machine guns firing their 12-millimeter barrels. Samurai, legs up, no need to even commit hara-kiri, your guts are already hanging out. Even cooler!
  Alina chuckles:
  "But reconnaissance reported accurately, and off we go, attacking with a vengeance! The armored strike battalion is at home in the Far East!"
  Angelica herself, shooting almost without missing, noted:
  - Ugh! We could fight the entire war like this and not even get a chance to accomplish any heroic deeds.
  But the girls were lucky... Japanese attack aircraft appeared in the sky - winged jackals. And what they wanted, it's hard to even understand. Counterattack the advancing Soviet columns?
  So who will give it to them!
  Alina, inserting an armor-piercing incendiary cartridge and setting the rifle to high fire mode, giggles:
  - Well, now we too have a place for a feat!
  Angelica, smearing the blood of the slain samurai with her foot, adds:
  - For a hundred feats, no less!
  The snow-white warrior Alina, having fired at the winged jackal, confirms:
  - Naturally, we won"t settle for less!
  The female snipers' shots are as accurate as ever. Here comes the first Japanese aircraft, leaving a flaming tail behind it, hurtling toward the ground. And then comes the second one... Angelica tries to follow her friend's example and shoot instinctively. Without any lengthy aiming, if she hits, she hits.
  Alina shoots confidently, her movements smooth yet swift, and her beautiful, princess-like face is illuminated by a radiant smile. In the twenty-first century, she would be earning millions in advertising. Such a wonderful diva.
  Angelica is also not at all confused, although she doesn't have the ability to see spatial patterns as clearly as the mysterious blonde Alina. But Angelica's hair isn't just snow-white, it's scorching, like napalm. And she's capable of burning men, and even her enemies, with passion.
  And if a Japanese attack aircraft, falling, leaves behind a meteorite trail, then... This means that the hits are more accurate than ever, and the hand is steady.
  The winged army of samurai tries to damage the USSR tanks by throwing bombs weighing twenty-five to fifty kilograms.
  They're not particularly successful, especially since the La-7s are entering the fray... Massive machines with cannon armament-one 37-millimeter cannon and two 20-millimeter cannons. A heavy modification of the Lagg. But there's something even more serious: the La-9, with two uprated engines. This colossus has the most powerful armament ever, created by special, personal order from Stalin to outweigh the minute-long salvo of both the German Focke-Wulf and the American P-47 with eight machine guns. The LA-9 "T" is armed with three 37-millimeter cannons and four 20-millimeter cannons. Now that's power, and the machine is also capable of bombing.
  Alina whispers:
  - What a beauty! A true fighter, master of the air ocean!
  Angelica waves her hand casually in response:
  - And just look at what it will be like if you install jet engines on such a monster!
  Alina, having set another winged jackal on fire with a precise shot, added:
  - And homing surface-to-air missiles!
  Both girls slapped each other's feet, foot to foot.
  The La-9, for all its advantages, is heavy and heavily armored. This makes it a bit heavy, but its rations knock everyone out. It's like a heavyweight boxer chasing fly-weight opponents. And then Japanese fighters, attack aircraft, and frontline bombers fall, like they've been mown down.
  Angelica blurted out:
  - I once flew to Tahiti... Have you been to greater Tahiti?
  Alina interrupted her friend, who had become overly enraged:
  - You've got Tahiti and Tokyo mixed up... That's where we're going, girlfriends. So, let's get rid of those Fritzes...
  Angelica, with an unsuccessful shot, almost hit her snow-white friend in the nose:
  - No, not the Fritzes... When will you finally learn to tell them apart! Samurai, Japanese, or slant-eyed!
  Alina shook her finger at the fiery devil:
  "They asked us not to call the Japanese slant-eyed for political correctness' sake. After all, we'll be building communism on these islands too!"
  The Japanese air attack was swept away in a sea of fire and lead. One of the La-9s literally blazed at the samurai with its flamethrower. The wooden planes burst into flames, and thus the battle swung back... Or did it even sway? Apparently, the Land of the Rising Sun was initially subjected to a one-sided beating... The Soviet troops, hardened by four years of war with the most powerful army in the capitalist world, like a seasoned, top-class boxer, kept the courageous Japanese army at bay while simultaneously battering it with their long jabs.
  Alina, throwing away a pebble with a sharp kick, yelped:
  - We will reach Tokyo, just like we did Berlin!
  Angelica, picking up a machine gun dropped by someone and firing a burst from it at the yellowish shaved heads emerging from behind the hill, said:
  - He who is quick to fight back quickly comes to good luck!
  Alina added sarcastically:
  - This does not apply to cashiers!
  Now the battle had shifted south, and the girls had to work their legs and run at full speed. Although gunfire erupted again in the rear. You have to give the Japanese credit; they really don't like to surrender. They even consider hara-kiri the best outcome. Although such a death is quite painful. Try plunging a sword into your stomach and twisting.
  Alina, running, scoops up a grenade with her bare toes and tosses it into the trench where the wily samurai is hiding. Two Japanese soldiers are immediately ejected from this precarious cover, flying head over heels through the air. The girl grins with pearly teeth:
  - Now that's what I call a card layout!
  Angelica also can't resist her wit:
  -You can win with brute force, but without subtle diplomacy you won"t retain the fruits of victory!
  Alina adds an aphorism in sync with her:
  - In war there are two problems: finding the hidden enemy and avoiding the temptation to bury your head in the sand!
  But the Japanese, it seems, aren't so tempted. Unwilling to hide in bunkers, they're launching counterattacks. Desperate, making everyone choke on blood, but unwilling to compromise even the slightest.
  Only forward, into machine guns and sniper fire. The grass is burning, the hills are torn up and smoking, there are corpses, and the occasional damaged Soviet vehicle, with repair crews furiously working around it.
  Some Soviet T-34-85 tanks have armored sides, which reduces losses, but their performance, especially when climbing, is worse. However, the reduction in ergonomics isn't that significant. Except, perhaps, on particularly steep climbs. And the tanks keep working, while the girls run faster and faster.
  But from afar you can see four tankettes... Now that's great.
  Alina shoots into the viewing slit of this miracle, and then knocks down the antenna, grinning welcomingly:
  - Now that's our setup! It's difficult, but it requires ingenuity!
  Angelica agrees:
  People like to pile up everything, except those troubles they're willing to forget! However, it's the forgetful who are most likely to have troubles pile up!
  Alina sees a pine tree trunk to her right and runs toward it, quickly using both arms and legs to climb up. Then, from a vantage point, she fires into the tank's fuel tank. The vehicle bursts into flames, a bluish-green blaze of diesel fuel.
  The Japanese launched crazy counterattacks, shouted a lot, often missed during the battle, and generally fought in a disorganized manner.
  Soviet troops also suffered far fewer losses than during the Berlin operation or similar offensives against Nazi Germany. And the Rising Sun soldiers weren't particularly good marksmen.
  They didn't have the virtuoso aim of the Aryan tank crews... Only on the fifth day did the exhausted girls finally encounter the first Japanese medium tank.
  It was a vehicle similar to the T-34-76, only a bit heavier and wider. And the Japanese had a long 75-millimeter gun like the Panther. The tank was something of a cross between a Tiger and a T-34-76, weighing about thirty-eight tons.
  Alina wanted to smash the optics with a well-aimed shot, but this vehicle used a regular viewing slit with mirrors instead of a periscope, which wasn't so easy to blind, even with well-aimed shots.
  But it was possible to observe the duel between the Japanese miracle and the Soviet T-34.
  The battle was one-on-one; the other Red Army tankers apparently decided to give the samurai a chance and not kill him collectively.
  Alina approved of such nobility:
  - That's right! It wouldn't be good to have an excessive advantage in the number of cars, especially if they were superior in quality!
  Angelica, on the contrary, objected:
  "But I think it's the opposite! Why risk your tank crews and give the enemy a chance!"
  Alina giggled slyly:
  - Because it's chivalrous! Very chivalrous, one against one, like in medieval romances!
  Angelica jokingly sang:
  - At tournaments, at the market, on the hunt! Rumors are swirling about the brave Don Quixote! But he's always in a skirt! He's always in a skirt! He's simply been dubbed Alice Through the Looking Glass!
  The blonde warrior giggled in response, sticking out her tongue and saying:
  - It's better to be Alice, or even better, the killer Alina, than that crow that's afraid of the writing bush!
  Angelica corrected her delightful friend:
  - Not a bush, but a table... And anyway, that's just an expression. It's funnier this way. Let's watch the duel instead.
  The Japanese tank, with its 320-horsepower engine and weighing 38 tons, didn't look particularly agile. Stopping, it tried to catch the T-34 approaching. A shot followed... wide of the mark... Then a second, again, a volley...
  The Soviet tank also fired. The shell slightly missed the turret.
  Alina confidently noted:
  - There's an experienced tanker on the T-34-85, he'll take him down now.
  Angelica noted:
  - This tank has 102mm frontal armor and a 30 degree angle of inclination from the vertical... It might ricochet!
  Alina giggled, showing off her pink tongue, which curled like a snake:
  - It doesn't bother me at all!
  The Japanese missed again, though the Soviet tank's speed had slowed slightly, and he fired again. A shell weighing nearly nine kilograms struck the Japanese tank in the forehead from a range of eight hundred meters. The tank's turret shook, and the muzzle slid to one side. Angelica slammed her fist into the grass in frustration.
  - What a hilarious thing! Missed again! Such bad luck!
  Alina consoled:
  "This machine has thirty-six rounds of ammunition. It can still unload them!"
  Angelica burst out laughing:
  - Yes, it can! But every mistake is...
  A T-34 shell rammed the Japanese vehicle head-on again, this time causing it to smoke.
  Shouts of joy ran through the ranks of Soviet soldiers; they would have killed such a monster.
  No, compared to Hitler's tanks, this type doesn't look all that scary, but compared to what was... If the palace collapses, the village bell tower will become the tallest building in the country. And what if the bell tower collapses? The effect won't be the same, although it can still be considered a success.
  After the third hit, the detonated shells of the Japanese vehicle began to explode... Here it is, victory!
  Alina even yawned, covering her mouth:
  - Yes, this is already, in a certain sense of the word, a routine of super-routine!
  Angelica suggested:
  - Well, shall we run further or sleep?
  Alina decided:
  - It's better if we take a break for a couple of hours. It looks like they're making decisions here without us!
  The red-haired giant girl replied with a chuckle:
  - If the vacuum bomb hits us, then we'll switch off.
  And both girls started singing:
  There are gloomy clouds on the border,
  The harsh land is embraced by silence...
  The girls are fighters, believe me, they are wonderful,
  Only bare heels shine!
  And the young, beautiful warriors burst out laughing. It really does look quite funny. And with their bare feet, they hurl grenades of colossal, destructive power at the Japanese.
  Entire fountains of shrapnel, torn bodies, and weapons fly into the sky.
  The girls scream at the top of their lungs:
  How we lived, fighting,
  And not fearing death...
  Let Stalin's Komsomol members live,
  Now Ares is our prince,
  We will trample our enemies into the mud,
  And the evil Fuhrer will be kaput!
  And the evil Fuhrer will be kaput!
  CHAPTER No 14.
  And Enrique, this great boy actor, continued to have fun and joyful filming in which he took part.
  The other commanders and stewards murmured their approval. Overall, they, too, were inclined to favor the successful prince's plan. Especially since the Tsar's favorite, Shuisky, had proven himself adept at taking fortresses and capable of victory, almost never miscalculating.
  Prince Semyon also bowed his head; he understood that Peter had good reason to leave no gaps in the rear. But he was reluctant to give in, and the commander's right-hand man suggested:
  "Let the foreign youths speak out. Why should they remain silent? Perhaps they'll give advice."
  Andreyka stood up, licked his lips, greasy from the venison, and said:
  "My opinion is worthless, since I know little about modern Rus' or Europe. But since Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and Krakow is Poland's, then we need to control both. So perhaps we should split the armies, and one could take Krakow and the other Vilnius."
  Pyotr Shuisky rejected the idea with a roar:
  "Split our forces? If you chase two hares, you'll catch neither. My opinion is firm: let's go to Vilnius, and that's enough discussion..." The prince's voice suddenly grew quieter. "And you, Andreyka, show the blacksmiths how to make a bayonet. It's already time for dinner, and it's best to set out at dawn. That way you'll have time."
  Andreyka confidently confirmed:
  "I'll even draw you a diagram! It's so simple, and I have the right template..."
  The boy took a step. It was no coincidence that he played the role of a pioneer who had just arrived in the movie.
  Enrique couldn't resist butting in:
  - And I can tell you how to improve the ballistics of arrows, their range and flight accuracy, as well as how to make poisons for wetting their tips.
  Pyotr Shuisky exclaimed:
  - Wow! I see you've learned a lot from the Chinese. Such smart guys, great!
  Andreyka remarked with a smile:
  "And that's not all! We can make gunpowder smokeless and fire grapeshot at infantry. We know a lot about that. How, in particular, to load cannons from the breech and..."
  Enrique stated:
  - And also special napalm bombs. They can be thrown from a mortar.
  Prince Shuisky interrupted:
  "Not all at once, guys! Let's shed our foreign knowledge piece by piece... First, master the bayonet, but what about poisons? I don't know how Ivan Vasilyevich, may he rest in peace, will feel if we boil him. As for arrows, won't it be difficult to make them?"
  Enrique, beating his chest, assured:
  "I don't think so! The fletching just needs to be swept back and closer to the tip. I don't think it'll be much work compared to the old one."
  The prince ordered: "Everyone follow me."
  The Orsha forges were already smoking. Gray-blue lambs smoked and soared into the sky, hammers and sledgehammers pounded. Bare-chested blacksmiths toiled furiously, among them both old men and many apprentice boys. The latter worked barefoot and had many burns on their feet and sinewy bodies.
  The young pioneers limped, their new boots chafing their feet and feeling like a form of exquisite torture. It was hot, and they felt a little nauseous after the wine they'd consumed at table. Although Shuisky had prudently ordered the heady wines to be heavily diluted with water, as there was still much work to be done. Still, the sensations were unpleasant, unaccustomed. Enrique struggled to contain himself, trying to breathe deeply through his nose to avoid disgracing himself with a vile burp.
  Andreyka, however, held his own. He showed me the bayonet, and then, having stripped off almost all his clothes, began demonstrating how to fit the thing into the barrel of a musket. He also removed his boots at the same time.
  Enrique and the other boys also took off their boots and decided to help the blacksmiths. Vadik, for example, began drawing them a new plow design and even explained the three-field and multiple-field systems. The other boys also shared their knowledge, particularly regarding cultivators and the shapes of agricultural shovels.
  Enrique also enlightened them on a few things. Having gotten used to the heat, the boys came to life...
  The blacksmiths looked at the plans and began to construct something, but Prince Shuisky rudely intervened and slammed his fist on the anvil:
  "I'm only interested in military matters! We'll deal with agricultural implements later, when the long-awaited peace comes to our land. And we'll be making cannons in a new way, but... You can tell us more about that when you get to Tula. After all, it's supposed to be a secret!"
  The guys agreed and calmed down their ardor... Enrique suddenly became embarrassed, glancing at his bare feet.
  Shuisky encouraged the naked people:
  "You can wear your own clothes on the hike. I like your uniform; it's practically invisible in the forest."
  Masha scowled sharply:
  - Of course! It's khaki, after all. It's a protective color, and apparently you want...
  Prince Shuisky confirmed:
  - That's right! I want to dress my army the same way... Not the whole army, but just the scouts. After all, the Poles practically didn't even notice you up there in the tree.
  Enrique chuckled:
  - Of course! But you're not entirely right here, Prince.
  "Why not?" Imitating Ivan the Terrible, Pyotr Shuisky frowned, trying to look like an ancient Roman quaestor.
  The boy who had arrived in time answered bravely:
  - Because they noticed us, of course... They noticed us, but they didn"t see us...
  Shuisky laughed exaggeratedly loudly and encouraged the naked people:
  - You guys have a good sense of humor.
  So until dark they worked, taught, lectured, and gathered. Then a short nap before the march. Before the departure, at dawn,
  Enrique, overwhelmed with emotions and impressions, managed to dream of something.
  And this dream, of course, was also filmed on a movie, using advanced movie cameras.
  My body was tossed from side to side, like I was floating in a solid fiery ocean. Then the ocean faded, and everything was silent, no deafening roar, no searing pain. A light, sparkling fog and glare, like flashes, appeared before my eyes-a mere trifle. The fog cleared very quickly, and his companions, both male and female, sprang to life, briskly rising from the surface. A mocking, almost electronically altered voice rang out:
  -Welcome, it looks like you're on a new planet in the space imperial worlds.
  Mashka Skvortsova, haughty as a princess of the Windsor family, kicked away a sharp stone with her graceful foot.
  "It's just a planet, like any other planet. Even gray... After all the chaos that happened with us, I have very few impressions here."
  The world around was truly sparse: low mountains, timid as burnt matches, the semblance of trees, a couple of dim suns. And there was no fauna to be seen, not even the itch of insects to be heard; the ground beneath their feet was rocky, covered in a layer of ash. As if the earth had been scorched by a terrible fire.
  -Yes, a little harsh.
  A cool, painfully fresh breeze blew. Andreyka and Petr were also nearby (Mishka and Vadik had disappeared somewhere). The four of them were completely naked; the Magodragons had kept their promise not to give them a technical advantage in this alien world. Enrique raised his arms and, feeling the invigorating gusts of alien zephyr on his tanned, bare skin, shouted cheerfully:
  - Quasar! Absolute freedom! The barracks are over, now there are only four of us, and we're like Robinson Crusoe on a cosmic scale!
  Masha turned around, she became taller and larger, with an almost fully formed adult figure, stupidly blinking her long eyelashes.
  "I don't like being compared to Robinson Crusoe! He's a simple man at heart, and quite a coward, too. He nearly went blind with fear after seeing just one footprint!"
  Enrique was offended by the girl"s lack of understanding:
  - What, you don't get it - slang? I wanted to say... That we're like pioneers, only isolated from the main metropolis.
  Andrey took a few steps and looked around. The glistening, almost mirror-like hills, with a cornflower-violet tint, trembled slightly, as if alive with organic life.
  The largest of the mountains was half-destroyed, heavily distorted into jagged crevices and stripes.
  This world is a trap! It's very dangerous, notice the ominous silence.
  Enrique frowned; the silence was truly too dead. Like a cemetery, in the Tomb, in the very depths of the damp earth.
  - Indeed, where insects, birds, even worms have disappeared.
  Masha tried to dig a hole with her bare foot, and suddenly she screamed, pulling her bare foot away.
  -It burns!
  Enrique jumped up, covering the distance with the light leap of a mountain leopard (amazed by his powers that had suddenly appeared from nowhere), and a sinister greenish-purple eel flickered dimly in the hole.
  - Be careful, it's radioactive. It appears to be a derivative of trans-Plutonian elements!
  Boy Peter shuddered.
  -We could be in big trouble! Even really big.
  Enrique put his hands on his hips and, sticking out his chest, said slowly:
  -Are you saying that this is a planet of radioactive predators?
  The telepath (Peter actually gained the ability to read minds in this dream) seemed extremely confused. Like a kitten surrounded by predatory rats:
  "Almost right! Those Magodragons promised us a fun life." The boy giggled nervously, kicking his feet as the glowing soil burned his heels. "Think about it: the atmosphere is oxygenated, there's plenty of light, and here there are only stunted, half-burnt bushes. A world devoid of fauna, with deathly air."
  Enrique sniffed the air and nodded.
  "There's a strong smell of ozone, and a similar process is observed near the annihilation reactor. Then we have one preventative goal: find the weapon immediately. Where could it be?"
  Peter seemed to have overcome his nerves, although a few beads of sweat rolled down his smooth forehead.
  "I realized something! Grigory, you possess great power, but I'm also a telepath, and the dragons weren't so terrified of me. The weapons are at the highest point of the planet, and that's where our clothes are."
  The boy who became the main one here exclaimed:
  -Then that makes things easier!
  Spruce Jr., now a starfleet officer, sat in the lotus position. He recalled the lessons he'd learned at the Tibetan magic school (when had that been and how old was he now, he still looked like a boy), the rudiments of third-eye vision. Just sensations, the pull of force and mass. Now he could see the mental silhouette of a great mountain, far away, a thousand miles away. But this was serious: thousands of evil, stupid creatures surrounded them. And most importantly, why? After all, these radioactive creatures don't eat protein food; their thoughts, or rather, their minds, are filled with mindless emotions: tear apart, burn, kill!
  "Yes, we'll be in hot water! We can't touch them with our bare hands, they're so hot, though... Get the rocks ready, we'll teach them a lesson and then break through to the top!"
  Four SS soldiers (a similar abbreviation denotes "super soldiers")-that's quite a number. But how many enemies do they have? Tens of thousands of monsters, advancing like a nearly silent lava, a carpet-like pack. Now they're crawling out from behind the hills, a glittering, multicolored blanket. The smell of ozone grows significantly stronger, literally tormenting the nostrils, for in large quantities it's a poisonous gas. The air temperature also rises; these fiery creatures resemble a liquid melt of rubies, emeralds, sapphires, topazes, and other stones, all artificially illuminated. Their shape: four interconnected, unstable spheres. The spheres sometimes stretch into an ellipsoid, sometimes a rectangle, or a rhomboid, and thin tentacles with four-fingered pincers scratch the basalt surface. Enrique threw the stone with all his might, the blow was strong and accurate, one of the balls on the monster's body burst, and semi-liquid colored fragments sprayed out.
  -One - zero! The score is open!
  Masha couldn't help but remark and, having made a successful throw, continued carefree.
  - Two to zero! We're leading by a slim margin!
  The outwardly dry but sinewy Peter hurled stones with the methodical composure of a catapult, while the other fighters threw them with the fury of mad tigers.
  However, it was impossible to stop the radioactive flow, and they had run out of large rocks. A furious leap, and they managed to climb the hill along the almost vertical, mirror-like surface. It's a good thing they were so well trained; even a cat couldn't climb and stay on the sliding wall. The boys climbed onto the platform and stood their ground-the Yulings don't give up! The monsters are trying to storm the hill; they climb, fall, and keep climbing. Radiation heat carries them away, and they have to knock them down with lightning-fast blows of hands, feet, and rocks, otherwise they'll simply roast them with their red-hot bodies.
  -Hold on, the monsters need to run out of steam!
  However, their situation remains extremely dangerous. The trans-Plutonian elemental monsters keep coming, millions of them now, and it's becoming as hot as hell. The rock begins to heat up intensely, baking their bare feet, and the multicolored, four-component creatures, piled high, rise higher and higher.
  Mashka Skvortsova is the first of the fighters (a girl, who can take anything) to lose her cool:
  -Enrique, you are our hero, do whatever it takes!
  "More precisely?" The time-traveling boy, Spruce, pretended not to understand anything.
  Andrey Sokolovsky shouted in despair.
  -Use your superpower! If only I could do it myself!
  Andrey moved his hand sharply, and a small stone jumped into his palm.
  - It worked! I'm on a new level!
  Enrique himself understood that only the power of hyperenergy could save them. A powerful telekinetic strike sent hundreds of nearby monsters flying in all directions.
  -It works! Drive harder.
  Enrique, concentrating his power, delivers blow after blow, some of the monsters explode into fireworks as they collide. The air grows hotter and hotter, this nightmare reminiscent of the planet "Fiery Mire." Rainbow dust burns out the eyes, clogs the nose, radioactive elements corrode the nasopharynx, causing fits of suffocating coughing. Mashka Skvortsova's face has turned purple-green, thick radioactive isotopes are burning out the lungs, the girl is seized by convulsions and spasms. The others look and fare little better, and the monsters keep coming, as if they've deliberately gathered from all over the planet. And that's exactly it, because the damned hyperplasmic interstellar flyers promised to cast us into the abyss of Hell, from which no one ever returned alive. Andrey also became covered in spots and blisters, his skin began to peel, the scorching heat devoured the remaining oxygen, and in despair the star boy cried out:
  "We're burning alive! Grishka, you're the anti-dragon, bring down the hellish hurricane!"
  The former son of the oligarch, out of breath and sweating, said:
  -There are too many of them, I don"t have enough strength.
  Mashka, staggering, threw away the heavy stone with her weakened hand, and already losing consciousness, whispered.
  -Waterfall, waterfall of rain! Use...
  Enraged, Enrique unleashed a powerful psychokinetic wave, knocking down layers of attackers. Some of the monsters were compressed, but this only made the dust thicker, literally rupturing his lungs, especially since the trans-Plutonian elements were literally burning through tissue. A downpour, a rainstorm-only this could stop the tens of millions of rabid "Plutonians." Summon a storm, a water tornado, extinguish the satanic flames of the creeping reactors! How could this be achieved!? Only human gurus, initiates of the highest order, could do such things. Could he, the star prince, really be weaker than the people of Earth? Gather all his power, influence space, and then the streams of water suspended in the stratosphere will condense and, in a turbulent torrent, will crash with terrible force onto the scorched surface of the radioactive planet. And the monsters continue to climb and push, a continuous Plutonian avalanche. How difficult it is to contain them and, at the same time, gather clouds in this almost deserted territory. The last of the ZPR-SS team, Pyotr Lisichkin, was out of action, convulsing in what appeared to be an epileptic fit. And the poor girls, their velvety golden skin almost completely peeled off, their strong, perfectly mature bodies transformed into a solid ulcer, and he himself looked little better. Only the state of hyper-combat trance prevented him from losing consciousness and the ability to move. How monstrously they crushed him with their mass, tens of millions of frenzied atomic caterpillars. One hundred percent concentration of mental energy, the pressure mounts. Even the stones begin to turn red, the temperature is an annihilation furnace, the scorched flesh of his battle comrades is sloughing off, bones are exposed. Come on, gather all your mental strength just a little more!
  A fighting song ran through Enrique's head:
  Where are you running, young maiden?
  After all, it"s clear the path to salvation is far away!
  And autumn is golden on the lush trees,
  You lost your shoe in a hurry!
  
  The young beauty answered me:
  A fierce enemy has attacked our Land!
  She poured vodka down the enemies' throats -
  I believe the Wehrmacht will suffer a severe collapse!
  And my heart won't be so bitter!
  
  I, a young man with a soul, answered her,
  We will win, we know it for sure!
  Don't let Satan rule over the planet,
  Shine, caressing the world for us, bright stars!
  
  For this purpose a sharp sword is a guarantee,
  He has a grenade, a ray gun and a bomb!
  We will not let the cattle burn our house,
  Let the building stand forever, for a long time!
  
  The girl slapped me on the lips in response:
  A gift is a kiss, sweeter than honey!
  A reward awaits me after the battle,
  And the enemy will play in a dark box!
  
  What is space and what is a knight's tournament?
  One comparison and one calling!
  We will conquer the power of the universe,
  Let this evil be a lesson!
  You no longer sense the material world; everything has become solid energy, your body glows like a lightbulb. And then lightning flashes, first one, then another. Lightning discharges pierce the entire sky in a dense mesh, jagged lines of light transforming the inky, ash-gray sky into a solid ocean of raging flame. A deafening roar is heard, and enormous masses of water crash onto the surface like an uncontrollable waterfall. A furious force of colossal, all-consuming torrents weaves onto a living, gem-like carpet of raging radioactive monsters. They are so incandescent that millions of steam geysers, thousands of volcanoes, spew a blinding mixture of radioisotopes and steam. A turbulent gas-plasma tornado tosses upward the mortal remains of the half-burned four. Poor Julings, they are already half-reduced to skeletons. Grishka continued to perceive everything at an accelerated pace, sensing space with the neutrons of his brain and the rhythms of his heart. The power of levitating flight, already familiar and still unusual, felt as if you were holding damaged bodies aloft with the power of your mind, unaware of the thick, icy streams raging around you. They moved like a flock of birds, cutting through the dusty atmosphere faster than a jet. He needed to hurry, or an irreversible chain reaction would begin. Although it would be weakened, tens of millions of trans-Plutonian fighters would explode with a force equivalent to the thousands of nuclear bombs that fell on Hiroshima. The surface flashed by with ever-increasing speed, and there it was, a huge cliff, the highest point of this planet. The summit was covered in a pearlescent mixture of ice and carbon dioxide. It was a striking whiteness, a painful sting to the inflamed eyes. Already in a semi-comatose state, Enrique pulled into a barely visible entrance. His gut instinct told him that this was where the combat suits, weapons, and first aid kit were hidden. Besides, why bother installing a thick door made of an unknown metal? With a final effort of will, Enrique forced it open, and his subsequent memories became fragmented. Now on autopilot, he administered powerful regenerative medications to his rescued brothers-in-arms. It was terrifying to see teenagers, almost children, with charred bones where limbs should be. Then it became dark and calm, and only another nightmare tormented his soul like a poisonous needle.
  He dreamed of his native Earth with its vast, lush forests, trees laden with juicy fruit, brightly blossoming. His native village, its neat huts, his healthy, cheerful former friends, the woman who had replaced his own mother. After all, when he sucked at her breast as an infant, wasn't she his mother? Poor arthropods, ritokoks, raised in their incubators and confined from infancy to barracks. They will never know the warmth of a mother's breast, never hear the beating of a loving heart, never experience basic human affection. Their life is one continuous drill, learning to hate, believing in murder as the highest virtue, a barracks-world, a dungeon-empire. The ritokoks are unhappy and flawed from birth, and now the roar of their punitive exterminators is heard once again. They deliberately emit sounds that burst eardrums, shatter glass, and even rip off roofs. Even combat cyborgs shed their disguise and materialize. Multi-armed metal goblins switch off their camouflage, emerging as terrifying ghosts from the crystal, transparent air. Those consumed by fire are considered lucky. Although it's excruciating to burn like a torch, spinning around, howling like a wild top, trying unsuccessfully to extinguish the inexorable flames. Residents are killed mercilessly and intricately: pregnant women are hung upside down, then a mini-fighter takes off and, upon landing, slams their heads and stomachs into the ground. Their movements are so well-timed that the victim doesn't die immediately, and a preliminary injection of psychotropic drugs prevents them from losing consciousness. Many peasants have their stomachs pierced with sharpened cables, skewering them like meat on a shish kebab. Isotopes are sprinkled on top of their bodies, and they slowly roast in the radioactive radiation. The victims' bodies tremble languidly, while fighter jets and flâneurs leisurely glide over neighboring villages, displaying their perverse cruelty.
  The most terrifying thing is his own mother. Stripped of her jewelry, now naked, almost black with soot, her hair milky white, she runs from terrifying mechanical scorpions and even more terrifying beasts with the faces of over-muscled, pretty people. And they catch her, roughly throwing her down onto the tall, lush grass and orange flowers, so much so that it seems like a theatrical, contrived nightmare. A huge cyborg grabs her arms and breaks them with deliberate slowness. Judging by its design, it's a piloted Terminator "Hearse"-17, with a whole arsenal of torturous weapons on board. Then its cabin opens, and he sees a satisfied, boyish face. Yes, it's that damned Peter, so annoying to the point of a nervous tic-squinting and winking.
  - Look, Enrique, what kind of legs this arthropod macaque has, let's pull them out of the body and sew on wings.
  In one of the hands of the cybor-horror, the transparent wings of a huge dragonfly are indeed visible.
  -She doesn't need legs!
  Limo-laser beams slice off the slender legs of a still young and beautiful woman. Enrique roars like a bull and, in a wild leap, leaps up to the hideous face, slamming his fist into it, and noting with satisfaction how the neck snaps and the joints of the boy-killer crackle. The severed head flies off, the eyes glow with the fires of hell, snakes tumble out of their sockets. A thunderous laughter is heard, shaking the entire surface.
  "There is no death! Have you forgotten? I grew stronger, climbing up the stepped pyramid. And now the head grows, the released snakes multiply. Now it's the size of Ararat, a hideous snake body rises like a cliff, and a fanged, kilometer-long mouth swallows Spruce. Enrique twitches, hits something, hits something, and finally wakes up.
  What idiocy - a dream within a dream!
  More precisely, all the plot films are shot with a movie camera.
  Apparently, with a sudden movement, the boy hit poor Peter, who was real, albeit in a dream, in the jaw. The boy lies unconscious with a receding chin. Mashka rushes to him.
  "Enrique, why are you doing this to him? He's barely come to his senses as it is, a bone-breaker, an "annihilator," or rather, as you say, a sadist!"
  Bending over Peter, she rubs the boy's face; after regeneration, he looks even more fragile and thinner, and she, too, has shrunk slightly, having lost a good fifteen kilograms.
  -You are an animal, Kato the Mastodon!
  Enrique himself was burned not much less than them, and this is already starting to irritate him, especially since he himself is ashamed...
  Someone slaps him on the cheeks, and Spruce wakes up for real. He jumps up from the straw and quickly throws on his camouflage. Then the boys set out.
  Andreyka refused to mount the horse, citing the fact that they should not lose their form:
  - Your legs should get stronger from the transitions, but if you spend the whole day in the saddle, one place will hurt.
  Masha noted venomously:
  - Yes, if you mean your butt, then it already hurts from the hard saddles.
  The cavalry moved slowly, so as not to expose themselves to the infantry, while the boys themselves quickened their pace and advanced to the vanguard. Shuisky himself rode up to them and began asking questions:
  - For example, the Chinese have various potions that allow warriors to become a hundred times stronger and become giants?
  Enrique twisted his mouth:
  "Just think, Prince, if they had that, would they still be sitting in China? The whole world would already be conquered by an army a hundred times stronger than humankind!"
  Peter was taken aback by this answer and fell silent. Grishka glanced around, carefully examining the advancing Russian army.
  There were about eighty thousand fighters here-a formidable force for those times. True, it seems that larger armies were also assembled; for example, Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible approached Kazan with one hundred and fifty thousand.
  But this was the total number of Russian troops they had reached before the final Kazan campaign. In fact, only about ninety thousand actually arrived at Kazan itself, which is still quite a number. As for the supposed million Tatar horsemen of Batu Khan who invaded Rus', modern researchers believe there were no more than one hundred and forty thousand, and some even put the figure lower, no higher than eighty thousand. They were opposed by a total of no lesser Russian forces, albeit scattered among various garrisons.
  So the army marching is great. And magnificent... At the forefront is the light Tatar cavalry. There are even Kalmyks and Circassians. Cossacks with their separate kurens. In their burkas, despite the hot August. Zaporozhian Cossacks with forelocks, seemingly curled, Don Cossacks with caps, and even Yaik Cossacks. The latter even wear headdresses that resemble forage caps.
  The noble cavalry is slightly behind. It's very motley, comprising warriors from a territory vast by medieval standards, and still is today. Tsar Ivan already has more land than all of Europe combined, even if you count the original Russian lands of Europe as Poles and Lithuanians.
  The nobles' boots are so polished they glow in the sun, as do their sabers. Many have helmets adorned with feathers, including peacock feathers for the most distinguished boyars. The horses' blankets and saddlecloths are lavishly embroidered, many with gold. The army is like something out of a fairy tale.
  The strelets infantry also wear white and red caftans, carry muskets, and wear a saber at their belts. Between them walk the spearmen, armed, of course, with spears and halberds. Some even carry bows on their backs. Muskets are still heavy, take a long time to load, and aren't particularly accurate. So a good bow could be better. Although the morale boost is strong.
  Perhaps this is why Pizarro was able to defeat a hundredfold superior Indian force, even though it would take a dozen Indian arrows to fire a musket. And if you dipped the arrow in curare poison, it would be a complete disaster in one hit.
  But bows are still in use... As is the spearman branch of the military. Enrique thought that the invention of the bayonet would allow him to combine the functions of a spearman and a musketeer, which would in turn increase the effectiveness of the Russian army. In fact, Ivan Vasilyevich, having won this battle, could conquer all of Poland. They have the strength and the intelligence.
  In some places the puddles haven't had time to dry yet, and Grishka happily splashes through them with his boots removed. His "hooves" are pretty rubbed, they're not broken in yet... Although only boys under sixteen go barefoot on a hike; older guys are apparently apprehensive. Well, even they can still do it.
  CHAPTER No 15.
  Alina woke up after a long, restless sleep. She felt much more alert and hungry. The two teenage massage therapists had gone somewhere. Sitting nearby were a boy and a girl, also clearly from the criminal underworld, judging by their tattoos. But they wore white armbands.
  The boy, seeing that the girl had come to her senses, exclaimed:
  - Lie still, we 'll call a doctor now!
  Alina said, flexing her biceps:
  - I feel good! And if necessary, I'll go to a third fight!
  The girl with tattoos noticed:
  - I know that you are a cool aunt, but you should be more careful about your health.
  The boy pressed the call button and noted:
  - The doctor is actually very good.
  Alina snorted contemptuously, but didn't argue. Soon, three women appeared. One was about thirty, the other two looked no more than twenty. They donned thin medical gloves and began carefully examining the female killer, as if searching her. They examined her mouth and her eyes, holding them open.
  Finally, the woman in the white coat said:
  - She's in excellent health! She can fight in a couple of days.
  Alina chuckled:
  - In a couple of days? Okay, I'll wait, but what should I do now?
  The woman in the white coat answered coldly:
  - But that's none of our business.
  And they left the cabin. The female killer felt well-rested and wanted to take a dip in the pool, so she asked:
  - Well, can I...
  The criminal boy replied:
  - No! The investigator is calling you in for questioning now. So, for now, fun is on hold.
  Alina giggled and replied:
  - Investigator? Well, he's a very nice colonel. I'll go see him. It might even be interesting.
  The girl changed into her uniform and shuffled along barefoot. They didn't even handcuff her, and only one guard accompanied her. For some reason, I was confident Alina wouldn't escape. Maybe she'd want to make some more money in the ring. And the conditions here were quite normal.
  Before leaving, the female killer drank a cappuccino and snacked on chocolate donuts. She was in a good mood. She believed the mafia was stronger than the law. And that, in any case, she was safe.
  Life was fun even in prison.
  Alina stomped her feet as she climbed. The stadium was located underground, like all the other buildings. Beneath Moscow lies a sizable city that holds many secrets. And it was largely controlled by the mafia. As the saying goes: "Mafia decisions come to life!"
  And this power is truly stronger than the law, the Duma, and even the president.
  Alina chirped:
  - On the big carriage, the mafia is immortal!
  I remembered that even in science fiction novels about the future, the mafia exists. Although, for example, the Strugatskys and Efremov had a different vision of humanity's future. Without the mafia and crime in general. Although, wouldn't such a world be boring? For example, what a thrill it is to bet your fortune in a casino. Or maybe even more than your fortune. And, of course, win!
  One of the female prisoners interrupted her thoughts by shouting:
  - This is the white death!
  Alina puffed herself up and replied:
  - Depends on who! Long live the era of mafia dominance!
  A couple of prisoners exclaimed:
  - Mafia decisions come to life!
  Alina continued walking. She was already in the section where the investigators were meeting and conducting interrogations. A female voice could be heard from somewhere, and something painful was evident.
  But then there's the armored door. And she's led into the office. Peter is sitting in the same place. In front of him are cups of coffee with milk and cheesecakes.
  Alina nodded with a smile:
  - Merci!
  The colonel noted:
  - You're magnificent! You're obviously quite refreshed.
  The killer girl nodded:
  - Yes, that's right! I felt refreshed as hell. And I stretched my muscles and jaw!
  Ivanov grinned and replied:
  - Nevertheless, you are facing serious charges. And sending you outside of Russia is illegal.
  Alina giggled and noted:
  - The law is like a drawbar; wherever you turn it, that's where it goes!
  Peter objected more harshly:
  - With that kind of logic, you'll never get out of prison!
  The killer girl laughed and remarked:
  - After the elections of ninety-six, when all conceivable and inconceivable laws were violated and trampled upon, the authorities lost the moral capacity to talk about rights!
  Peter noted:
  Russia has gone through a long and difficult path of reform and democratization. So, should we throw it all away?
  Alina noted:
  "These aren't the same communists as before. They would have continued market reforms. And Zyuganov is better than Yeltsin, if only because he's healthy!"
  The colonel noted:
  - We can talk about politics for a long time, for many hours. Here, take this gift from me!
  And the senior investigator pulled out a bouquet of flowers from under the table. They were truly beautiful and colorful.
  Alina whistled:
  - Wow! You probably spent a month's salary on them.
  Peter objected with a smile:
  - Don't exaggerate! Our salary is actually very good.
  The killer girl growled:
  - That's why you like the current government!
  The colonel shook his head:
  "What makes you think I like the current government? It's just that we have what we have. Especially since we only elect a president for four years and two terms. So there'll soon be a new head of state, and we'll see how things are under him..."
  Alina sniffed the flowers and noticed:
  "I wouldn't want the communists to return either. They ruled for over seventy years and didn't build paradise. I'd like something new."
  Peter nodded with a smile:
  - I understand! Our hearts demand change. Our eyes demand change. In our laughter and our tears, and the pulsating veins! Change, we await change!
  Alina whistled:
  -Wow! And you can sing too! You have so many talents.
  Ivanov suggested:
  - Maybe we should play chess? I'll definitely beat you this time.
  The female killer stated:
  - I don't like playing for free. Maybe we should bet a thousand dollars?
  Peter replied:
  - How about playing just for fun?
  Alina giggled and replied:
  - Let's do it this way! If you lose, you kiss the bare, round heel of my right foot. And if you win, I'll kiss you right on the lips!
  The colonel exclaimed joyfully:
  - What? It's going well!
  The killer girl laughed and remarked:
  "I walked barefoot through the prison corridors, and I didn't wash my feet after that. Don't think you'll be very happy about that!"
  Peter whispered in response:
  About this barefoot girl,
  I couldn't forget it...
  It seemed like the paving stones,
  They torment the skin of tender feet!
  
  Such legs deserve shoes,
  In morocco leather and pearls quickly...
  So that the beauty's glorious path,
  I didn"t know sadness and sorrows!
  Alina exclaimed with a smile:
  - Well said! Okay, let's play. But mind you, I'll be white.
  Peter nodded with a sweet look:
  - We always give way to a lady!
  The killer girl giggled and sang:
  Don't give up, don't give up, don't give up,
  In a fight with trash, the girl is not shy...
  Smile, smile, smile,
  I know everything will be wonderful and okay!
  After that, the chessboard was unfolded, and the game began. Alina this time played D-2 D-4, both semi-closed openings. Peter decided to respond with the King's Indian Defense, which offers rich opportunities.
  Alina opted for the four pawns option, capturing the center and gaining a spatial advantage. The game was lively. The assassin regained the initiative and launched a powerful attack on the enemy king. Peter pondered for a long time how to repel such a frantic onslaught.
  Alina noted:
  "After all, the mafia is a colossal force. Even politicians are forced to reckon with it."
  Peter answered with a confused look:
  Warriors of darkness, truly strong,
  Evil rules the world without knowing its number...
  But to you, sons of Satan -
  The power of Christ cannot be broken!
  The killer girl giggled. It really did look quite funny. It was a slightly odd pairing.
  Alina calculated the options faster, and in tactical complications she gained an overwhelming advantage, and her attack became irresistible.
  The female killer noted:
  - The fourth estate was, is and will be the most important!
  And she checkmated the colonel... He blushed with embarrassment. But a given word must be kept. And Pyotr Ivanov knelt down and enthusiastically kissed the bare sole of a very beautiful girl.
  She smiled affably and chirped:
  - That's it, my boy! That's great and cool.
  Then she grabbed Peter's nose with her bare toes. He jerked and growled:
  - Don't do that!
  Alina burst out laughing and replied:
  There's a new computer game out now called "Civilization." Let's just say it's incredibly interesting!
  The colonel remarked:
  "I have a pretty powerful computer. We could play Civilization against each other. And that could be amazing and cool!"
  The female killer noted:
  -And they say our police are poor! But they're literally going crazy with money.
  Peter remarked with a sweet look:
  - Yes, when you take a dog out hunting, it is better for him to be hungry than overfed.
  Alina agreed:
  - I also prefer to go to work on an empty stomach, my head works better in this case!
  Ivanov laughed and replied:
  - You couldn"t have said it better - wise thoughts!
  Then the senior investigator turned on the monitor of a huge computer. Symbols began to flash. Then the outlines of a game appeared. "Civilization" was launching.
  Alina sang:
  Even if the game is not according to the rules,
  We'll kill you, operative!
  Peter noted:
  - You are a very playful girl. What would you like most?
  The girl answered with a laugh:
  - To become the ruler of the universe. That would be incredibly cool.
  Ivanov laughed in response:
  - A perfectly understandable desire. And why not fulfill it! Especially in a game.
  Alina confirmed:
  - Yes, they say there's a game where you can conquer the universe and become an Almighty God. I haven't seen it yet, though. But I heard the Japanese made one.
  Peter noted:
  - The Russians could do something similar. So, do you want to play? It would be interesting.
  Alina answered with a bared tooth:
  - Well, let's play! But if we lose, you'll not only kiss my feet, but also lick my pussy with your tongue!
  The colonel winced:
  - What nasty things you say! This is already perversion!
  The killer girl answered harshly:
  "Being in the police is a perversion in itself! But being a gangster is cool!"
  And then she suggested with a sweet look:
  - Okay, if you don't want pussy, then kiss both my soles if you lose, and my scarlet nipples! Is that okay, my boy?
  Peter muttered:
  - And if I win?
  Alina giggled and replied:
  - Then demand any favor from me. I can even use my tongue...
  The colonel muttered:
  - You're such a slut. It's obvious you're a born bandit!
  The killer girl laughed and replied:
  - That's why I'm the mafia! And the mafia likes to break the law.
  Peter muttered:
  - Well then, let's play!
  Civilization presupposed choice... Moreover, the opportunities of different nations were roughly equal. Alina chose to develop for herself through the Germans, and Peter chose the Russians.
  A major construction effort began-without war, for now. Before fighting, they needed to establish an economic base. And build a large army.
  Alina also understood the importance of developing science. This is possible and is the most important thing. But of course, it requires resources. Scientific discoveries, in fact, provide significant resources for future victories.
  The female killer noted:
  - If only Yeltsin had practiced this game, perhaps the results of his rule would have been much better!
  Peter nodded and added:
  "Yeltsin is a destructive person by nature. He has some kind of Gyrostat complex. He's, as they say, a bull in a china shop."
  Alina giggled and replied:
  "I'd kill Yeltsin. Even for free. He's got a kinetic flame of death and ruin burning within him!"
  The colonel replied with a sigh:
  "Yes, Russia's history is not a quiet one. Even under Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, we managed to get involved in Afghanistan."
  The killer girl added:
  - And under Yeltsin, they fought in Chechnya. So much so that they covered themselves in great shame! How could you be so foolish?
  Peter remarked in response:
  "It wasn't the military defeat that played a role here, but the lack of political unity. In this case, the primary cause was a moral defeat."
  Alina objected:
  "And from a purely military standpoint, the Russian troops fought terribly. It was some kind of strange war, like a game of giveaway!"
  The colonel agreed with this:
  Yes, military tactics and planning were, in this case, below par. But it's also worth noting the lack of desire on the part of the army and the people to fight. And if the army doesn't want to... Just like during the Russo-Japanese War, society didn't want a war, it was somewhere over the horizon.
  The killer girl growled:
  - If you don't know how, we'll teach you! If you don't want to, we'll make you!
  Then the computer game got more fun. The first military clashes began. And naturally, there were other countries being developed by the computer. And diplomatic relations had to be established with them.
  And this is a special art, like, for example, promising mountains of gold and playing on the subtle notes of sensitivity. Although with a computer program it's easier.
  Alina noted that she really wanted to talk:
  "People tend to follow populists. Yeltsin indulged in cheap populism, and people followed him. Just like they later followed Zhirinovsky..."
  Peter noted:
  "Zhirinovsky isn't just a populist. He could have restored order. But maybe it was a shame the people didn't follow him..."
  The killer girl noted:
  "The Belarusian Lukashenko is very similar to Zhirinovsky. But the latter didn't perform an economic miracle, but he didn't fail either. He just fell in line under Yeltsin... That's how independent they all are!"
  The colonel asked:
  - What, in the mafia, don't small bosses lie down under the big ones?
  Alina responded to this:
  "We call it something else. But a real thief in law won't obey anyone."
  The female assassin gradually gained the upper hand in the game. Apparently, she had a more developed intuitive sense. She's a warrior and a highly skilled sniper.
  She remembered how she'd killed a businessman. She'd done it so skillfully, she'd pretended it was an accident. Even her clients hadn't wanted to pay her, arguing that she hadn't killed him, but rather that it had just happened by accident.
  And so, you can kill a person with blotting paper. Which, in its own way, makes sense.
  There was once a case where a seven-year-old boy pushed a fat businessman down the stairs for a small sum of money. And it was also supposedly an accident.
  And they say children can't kill. In these troubled times, they grow up early. And sometimes, such things can happen...
  Here's her brother, Enrique... He once managed to steal from an ATM by counterfeiting a card. What's more, he used a candy wrapper as the fake card. A talented boy. He's not only good at acting. He can even play strategy games with a little skill...
  Alina's forces were pressing Peter ever harder. And in strategy, the start of a battle is crucial. Those who win early usually finish vigorously at the end.
  The girl has already put tanks into action. They're quite practical, not too heavy, but with decent armament.
  Alina, who wanted to talk, asked Peter:
  - What about General Lebed?
  The colonel stated decisively:
  "It's just a spoiler! They hyped it up to divert votes from Zyuganov and Zhirinovsky and give them to Yeltsin!"
  The killer girl nodded:
  "I realized it right away. Because the media, instead of slinging mud at Lebed, praised him. Otherwise, the general was a bit thick. But Zhirinovsky also disappointed me. In particular, when Mark Goryachev hit him, he didn't have the courage to respond."
  Peter objected:
  "We don't know what happened there... By the way, Mark disappeared without a trace. Maybe the Zhirinovskyites took revenge on him."
  Alina chirped:
  Two bullets were fired into the body,
  The prosecutor fell to the ground...
  Thieves took revenge on a thief,
  That was their agreement!
  The strategy continued. Alina captured a series of commanding heights and a number of oil fields. The Russians' position in the game became hopeless. But Peter continued his stubborn resistance. And his troops still held out. But their resistance was wearing thin.
  Alina noted with a satisfied look:
  "We're perfectly capable of winning..." She quickly changed the subject. "But our generals are still idiots. They managed to fail so badly in the war with the Chechens. They proved powerless against a handful of militiamen with flintlock rifles."
  Peter objected:
  "Well, it wasn't exactly a handful of militias, but a fairly serious, albeit small, army. But they acted ineptly-that's for sure. They couldn't, or didn't want to, even encircle Grozny. And as a result, Shamil Basayev walked out."
  Alina whistled:
  - Wow, Shamil Basayev... What a handsome man and his beard is black and thick!
  The colonel took it and began to sing in response:
  Shamil Basayev, Basayev is a goat,
  Why did you bother Russia, you ass...
  You'll get it from us, right in the snout,
  You'll run into a strong soldier's fist!
  The killer girl laughed and replied:
  - This is wonderful! You could say it's wonderful! And in principle, it's great!
  The pressure on the Russian troop position in Civilization intensified, and eventually they were hit by bombers. And it was truly carpet bombing. It looked incredibly terrifying.
  Peter noted with a confused look:
  - You are a fearless girl!
  Alina laughed and answered sarcastically:
  - I'm a modern girl, like a computer! And I must say, I can even arrange something like this!
  The remnants of civilization perished under the bombs, and even the unfinished Moscow was reduced to ashes. The game was on: capitulation or total annihilation.
  When the last units were annihilated, Alina noted with a sly smile:
  "Now, boy, keep your promise. First, kiss each of my feet. And not just the soles, but the toes too, and don't you dare spit, boy!"
  Peter nodded with a confused look:
  - I'm ready, madam!
  Alina teased with a laugh:
  - The troops are ready, madam, we will destroy everyone!
  Kneeling, the colonel showered the girl's bare soles with kisses, and then her toes. And it was clear the beautiful assassin was quite enjoying it.
  Alina continued her order:
  - Now give me the nipples!
  And she bared her full breasts. And Peter showered her breasts, sparkling like rubies, with kisses. And he loved it immensely. How wonderful it looked.
  And both the male and the female got started...
  Alina thought about going prostitute. It would be a wonderful idea. Plenty of money, fun, and different clients every time, many of them perverts. It was all so exciting and stimulated her imagination. So why not?
  Although being a killer isn't bad either. Once, she didn't even kill someone. She simply knocked a feather off his hat to scare him. And it had an amusing and terrifying effect.
  That's the kind of girl she is. And you could say she's a terminator.
  When the kissing ended, Alina suggested with a sweet look:
  - Now maybe we should arm wrestle? Or compete in shooting?
  Peter shook his head:
  - No! I have my own duty, too. Are you, by any chance, considering turning in the client?
  The killer girl was indignant:
  - Am I a traitor?
  The colonel grinned:
  - Of course, I understand... Maybe we should go to an investigative experiment?
  Alina nodded with an agreeing look:
  - I wouldn't mind getting some fresh air! Is that even possible?
  Pyotr wanted to say something else. But then the phone rang. He had to pick it up. Ivanov chatted for a bit. Meanwhile, Alina munched on a chocolate cheesecake, washing it down with cappuccino. However, right now she was more in the mood for something rich, like wild boar shashlik. Or maybe some garlic sausage, or something else delicious.
  Peter paused and noted:
  - Okay, they're sending you for a medical examination now. They'll check whether you're normal or not!
  Alina giggled and remarked:
  - That's all... But you know, prison is better than a mental hospital!
  The colonel remarked:
  "Those who have connections don't do badly in the madhouse. Until then, goodbye, I hope they don't take your case away from me."
  The female killer noted:
  - If anything happens, I can pick up any man. Here, guess this riddle: - What is raised manually, but falls automatically?
  Peter muttered:
  - The politician has a rating!
  Alina laughed and corrected:
  - No, it's racketeering! They won't rise until you make a move!
  They shook hands at the end. Alina squeezed the colonel's hand rather painfully. She was a very strong girl. And she discreetly stole the gilded pen with the emerald stone.
  After which she left the room...
  They didn't handcuff her, and only one guard accompanied such a dangerous and powerful girl. But Alina walked slowly. She sensed they were giving her an escape, but first she had to get outside Butyrka.
  Along the way, she came across a boy of about fourteen, skinny and shaved, handcuffed behind his back, accompanied by two mustachioed policemen. The boy shouted:
  - It's a new star!
  And he received a rather powerful blow with a baton between the shoulder blades. This caused the young prisoner to stagger.
  Alina exclaimed:
  - You are bastards, you beat children!
  The policemen bared their teeth... The warden shouted at them:
  - Don't pay attention! This is an important bird!
  The guards apparently realized the girl was beyond their capabilities, and they moved on. The boy was also padding around barefoot, apparently taking good care of his government-issued shoes, and he himself was wearing a uniform. Alina thought that children shouldn't be bullied, no matter what they do. Especially since the cops themselves are no better. Just remember Chechnya; journalists have written about it extensively.
  The female killer continued walking in silence. She was then led into the prison yard.
  An ambulance was already waiting for her there. Alina climbed in, and inside were tall orderlies in white coats and dark glasses.
  The female killer noticed that the glasses were expensive and mirrored. The kind typically used by the mafia. The car moved smoothly.
  Alina wasn't handcuffed. She was generally cheerful and whispered to the boys:
  - Hello, guys!
  They remained silent. At the gate, the driver showed his pass, and they left the confines of the enormous Butyrka pretrial detention center.
  The car picked up speed. They were gaining speed.
  Alina noted with a smile:
  - Looks like an escort!
  Indeed, several motorcyclists joined them, and they continued moving even faster.
  The killer girl asked the driver:
  - And where are we going?
  He answered with a sweet look:
  - To a heavenly place, better than prison!
  Alina was about to say something else when she felt a light prick under her shoulder blade. A heavy drowsiness immediately descended upon her . The thought flashed through the killer's mind that someone had apparently injected her with a sedative. And then she lost consciousness...
  And the cortege headed towards a huge, luxurious palace.
  CHAPTER No 16.
  Meanwhile, Enrique has his own adventures and big filming schedules . The boy, as usual, is a rascal - he's been everywhere. He truly is a young genius, who once knocked out three grown-up scumbags with a blotter. And now he's back filming, this time in a trendy blockbuster about Russia at war with the US and NATO.
  The Freedom jet glider glided smoothly across the sky. Beneath this light, graceful bird, crafted from lightweight plastic, the velvety emerald sea gently lapped. The rising sun on the horizon sparkled the waves with a special light, reminiscent of the multicolored stars of a kaleidoscope, churned up in a blender. Thanks to its exceptionally lightweight construction, small size, and unique wing shape, the glider was invisible to radar and ideal for reconnaissance missions. However, at the controls sat not an American ace, but a simple Russian boy, Enrique Yelovy. Some unknown force compelled him once again to take the glider's controls and steer the plane toward Russia. Perhaps it was a natural desire to see his homeland as quickly as possible, but that was not his only motive. After a detachment of ships from the Pacific Squadron mutinied and refused to submit to Yeltsin's regime, a revolutionary fervor engulfed the entire Pacific Fleet, and then the entire army. And finally, news arrived that the criminal occupation regime in Russia had been overthrown, and the ships were returning to Vladivostok. The journey back, however, was quite long, and there was no fuel for the return trip. Of course, the delay was temporary, but there was no desire to wait. And indeed, the boy-terminator (whom Enrique transformed into in the film) felt a strange, wild energy within him. The feeling was indescribable. The flight ahead was long, and Enrique was lost in memories that were immediately captured on screen using computer graphics. After a crushing blow to the face from a giant black man, a brutal ape capable only of beating defenseless people, he lost consciousness for a long time. The blow broke several bones. Moreover, the impact slammed him into the metal so hard that three or four ribs were likely broken. The injuries sustained from the impact were borderline life-threatening. He arrived at the military hospital in a coma. The doctors considered him almost hopeless, or rather, they didn't care about some dead Russian. They simply threw him on a cot and left him to die. Americans value money, and it's a sin to waste it on other people's children. At first, he was unconscious, then the visions began. The hallucination was colorful and unusually vivid. He saw a large golden staircase ascending high into the sky. The railings on the staircase sparkled with gemstone patterns. The staircase moved upward by itself, like a subway escalator. Near the fluffy clouds, wondrous flowers bloomed, marvelous in color, majestic in size. And then, among the wondrous flowers, little angels with harps appeared. I guess I died and went to heaven. - The child thought.
  -Finally all the suffering will end, the pain will go away.
  Ahead, a huge, mountain-like gate appeared. It sparkled like gold in the bright tropical sun, its brilliant light warming the soul. Suddenly, a majestic and beautiful angel appeared before the mighty gates, wielding an impressive flaming sword. It was extraordinarily large, like the statue of the liberating warrior in Stalingrad.
  -Where are you going, little man?
  - The angel thundered in a voice as thick as a hundred bells.
  - I probably died and now I"m going where God has prepared for me.
  - Enrique whispered timidly, involuntarily fearing the angel.
  "Did you believe in Him? No, don't answer that, you never thought about it. You didn't go to church, you never prayed, and you tried to live for your own pleasure. You didn't drink or smoke, but that wasn't enough to earn salvation, and so hell awaits you! Go to perdition and burn forever!"
  With a dramatic gesture, the angel threw the boy down the stairs. Fiery red tongues of hellfire were visible below. He plummeted into the terrifying abyss of the underworld, right through its gates. There was Bezelvul's head, a gigantic mouth with the menacing teeth of a sperm whale. And he fell there, with no chance to escape. The head began to laugh madly, spewing tongues of flame that fell and painfully burned his skin. At the last moment, the head, resembling a dragon's snout, transformed into the dull, Negroid face of the very fighter who had delivered the crippling blow to the face. Then the face literally exploded before his eyes, and tongues of flame pierced him with unbearable pain. The boy, Enrique, came to his senses. His awakening was accompanied by a furious, pained cry. He came to and even jumped out of bed. His heart was pounding wildly, the blows echoing in his chest like a heavy sledgehammer. However, he felt no weakness; on the contrary, his entire body seemed filled with strength. He felt extreme agitation; his head still ached from the blow, and his brain was already working at a feverish pace. Although, in theory, after broken ribs, every breath should cause excruciating pain. Enrique felt no pain when moving. On the contrary, his body felt weightless, light as a feather. His muscles felt somehow elastic, his energy overflowing. The room was dark and empty; he was alone, the orderlies seemed completely unconcerned. The oak and steel-lined door was locked. In any other situation, Enrique wouldn't have risked ramming it, but now he felt so strong that he tried to kick it down. One miracle didn't happen, and the door held, but the crash woke the peacefully dozing orderlies. Enrique felt incredibly strong, like a Superman character. Like a seasoned karate fighter, he slammed his legs into the armored door with all his might. His bare feet didn't feel any pain; on the contrary, he felt like a second Bruce Lee. The boy felt like a Ninja Turtles game had knocked down a barrier with a series of kicks. Several burly orderlies, all professional military personnel with special training, burst into the room. They were angry and quite ready to give the sleep-disturber a good beating. Perhaps in a normal state, Enrique would have been frightened by the large, mostly black men, but now they seemed no more frightening to him than virtual monsters in children's games. He met them with a series of punches and kicks. Like many boys (and in this film, Enrique was a very modern kid!), he had watched a lot of karate and martial arts movies. Even in some alternate memories, he attended Tek One Do classes for six months, but his technique was weak, inept, perhaps at the level of a white-and-yellow belt. Now, however, his moves and strikes were landing. He moved quickly and skillfully, and the orderlies seemed drowsy. He managed to land a kick to one's jaw and punch another in the solar plexus. The blows weren't lethal, and their speed and mass weren't yet lethal. But for a kid who wasn't even twelve yet, in the movie or in real life, and who weighed less than 40 kilograms, these were decent blows. After a well-placed knee to the solar plexus, one of the attackers went limp. A blow to the jaw nearly sent another orderly into a stupor. Intuitively choosing his target, Enrique aimed precisely at the carotid artery. The blow was aimed at the heaviest of the orderlies, the one wielding a heavy plastic baton. None of the orderlies managed to hit him, but this one managed to land a blow to his ribs. It was extremely painful, especially since the fractures had barely healed and the burns were still lingering. The tall orderly fell dead, blood gushing from his throat.
  I killed him, a wild thought flashed through his mind. The first time you kill, you always feel uncomfortable, even if you've killed a piece of shit. So the little karateka, instead of finishing off his enemies, simply took off running. Away, run away from here as fast as he could. Leave the American base. Down the hospital corridor, his bare heels flashing, the boy raced, perhaps even faster than an Olympic sprint champion. The door at the end was also locked, but fortunately it wasn't armored; the US coat of arms was painted in the very center. A beautiful, Bruce Lee-esque flying kick blew out the carved door. A guard with a machine gun leaned against the other side of the door. The blow knocked him off his feet; he flew a few steps before crashing to the concrete floor, and the machine gun fired automatically. Bullets lightly grazed two more guards, and from behind, the orderlies Enrique had beaten opened fire with pistols. Without losing speed, the boy dashed through the checkpoint. The guards were overwrought; the previous events could have given even a hippopotamus a heart attack. A barefoot boy couldn't have caused such a commotion, so he was simply afraid and running away in fear. And the hospital was being attacked by serious, adult terrorists. So no one paid attention to the combative Enrique; everyone jumped out of their armored booths and, shooting as they ran, rushed inside the building, while a siren blared. The exterior exit of the rather massive building was blocked by thick, transparent armor. And the door itself was locked with a computer code. Only one guard remained in the booth, so it was worth taking a risk. He could approach silently, ask a stupid question, feigning extreme fear, and then, sharply, like breaking a board, punch him in the neck. Then somehow decipher the code. True, he didn't know how, but his body was already responding. However, just as he was about to strike, a car carrying Delta Force soldiers pulled up to the gate, and the guard himself opened the exit. The transparent, slightly bluish armor parted, letting a large, camouflage-colored vehicle pass. Huge, elite special forces soldiers dismounted. Precisely, like units in a computer, they dropped to their knees and then immediately dispersed, gracefully rolling away. They moved in perfect sync and precision, maintaining the sequence of their movements. However, there was no time to admire it; like elevator doors, the gates began to close again. Hitting the guard in the neck with the edge of his palm, buying time, the boy shot out of the guard booth, barely managing to squeeze through the gap between the gates. The Delta Force soldiers weren't expecting anyone there, and they weren't looking for a boy, especially since his blond hair suggested he was most likely one of their own. Enrique ran like a seasoned sprinter. The wind practically whistled in his ears, and several guard dogs rushed after him. They would have easily caught and knocked down a normal boy. Then they grabbed him by the throat and waited for his owners to arrive. After the incident at the hospital, leniency was unlikely. No one would take the case to court; they'd simply kill him and write it off as an accident. So being caught by dogs was the same as dying. Desperate, he gave it all he had, and the ringing barks gradually faded. Perhaps even a full-grown champion shepherd wouldn't be able to escape such large dogs, but here everything was as easy as running a racehorse. The American soldiers weren't particularly staring at him; after all, he was just some boy, most likely a local; an American kid wouldn't run barefoot and half-naked. The airfield was secure, well-guarded, and so was the security post. Huge guards, led by Officer Gunn Fraser, stand guard at the entrance. The guards are yelling in English.
  -Hey you, Tumba Yumba, where are you going?
  Although Enrique's virtual memory of the movie script had previously shown him to have known English only slightly above a high school level, on this unusual night everything came surprisingly easily, and this once-difficult language seemed simple and familiar. He responded as if he'd spoken English his whole life. He had an accent, of course, but it's common for Americans to speak English with an accent. Besides, Enrique had already spent a fair amount of time with Yankees and understood many words even without knowing the translation.
  "Forgive me, uncles, I am in great sorrow. My parents served here, and now they lie paralyzed or dead. My grandmother is seriously ill and asks that I fly to New York as soon as possible; she is afraid she will die without seeing me. Uncles, please help me, help me leave this terrible island and get to our beloved country." Enrique even shed a tear.
  The security officer looked at the Russian child with a searching, appraising gaze. A seasoned intelligence officer in the past, and still no fan, he tried to piece together the words. The speech was slightly odd, but the boy was also odd. He wore torn shorts with blood stains, a torn and scorched T-shirt with holes so bad that almost his entire body was visible. Bruises and abrasions were still visible on his body and face. Deep scratches and burns were also still lingering. Enrique was also thinking hard: high walls surround the airfield, towers and electrified wire above them. At least he could get inside. The officer signaled, "Follow me." Judging by the color of his eyes and hair, he wasn't a local, although the population is mixed these days. Maybe this is our boy; how badly he suffered and was burned, poor thing. There's a place inside the airport building, and they'll deal with him later. He decided to take the boy alone, even wanting to console the child by telling him how much he resembled his son, an American with German roots. Walking along the runway, he pointed out a row of airplanes. One of the machines, a plastic jet glider, stood apart from the others.
  "Don't worry, kid, we'll soon destroy this star vampire monster. Look at our amazing technology. This glider is unique in the world; it's made of plastic and invisible to radar. But that's not all it's unique about; it has such excellent camouflage that you can't even see it in flight. It can take off vertically and land vertically. It's unique, the perfect reconnaissance aircraft; you can see it now while its cybernetic camouflage isn't activated. Russia has nothing like it; it's a fantastic machine."
  -Yes, it"s great, but you and I can only dream about it and blink our eyes, it"s not for us.
  "Well, why not? I'm an NSA officer, and I'm the one with the electromagnetic key to launch this wondrous machine. I've been personally assigned to look after it."
  The boy squeaked:
  - Show it closer.
  -Please, you can even touch it.
  Enrique picked up the cybernetic rod with the launch program. Then, regretfully-it was a shame to hit a generally good man-he kicked him in the temple. Officer Hans stood without a helmet, his head slightly bowed, and the blow was very fast and sharp. Thanks to the unexpected trajectory and speed, the officer didn't have time to react and, missing the "ration," fell like a tree. Enrique quickly opened the hang glider's door and, acting intuitively, automatically launched the machine. The glider was easy to control, and the automatic camouflage was even easier to activate. The glider took off vertically and silently; the guards didn't open fire. Who knows, it's a reconnaissance vehicle, maybe that's what it was supposed to be. It's a shame there was no gunfire or chase; it would have been more interesting. It's still an interesting machine, too, with a video view, only without the usual glass. The cockpit isn't transparent; the entire view is provided by liquid crystals arranged around the movable seat. You don't see the landscape itself, but a computer-processed image on a screen. You can see it at night like day, you can see everything in infrared, and you can even calculate movement. The computer can zoom in, zoom out, and do a lot of things. It's a great machine, but the armament is a bit weak. But there's a small laser. The alarm was raised at the base, and the anti-aircraft guns were firing somewhere in the distance, blind. The missiles are useless; there's nowhere to aim them. They did scramble fighters, but they're flying blind. It's a very clever camouflage system: an LCD screen scans the image provided by the background landscape. It's expensive, but effective. However, one hit and all the camouflage goes to hell. The glider itself is barely noticeable, and you can't detect it with thermal radiation. The fighters are firing blind, but luck hasn't been on their side yet. He'd long ago decided where to go. He needed to save his father. How, he didn't yet know, but he felt a growing confidence that he could do it. And here was the prison ship "Dragon." More precisely, it was a huge warship, but this Russian cruiser's crew almost outnumbered Americans. The Russian sailors had been herded into their cabins, while only Yankee soldiers were on deck. This plastic glider was a magnificent flying machine; it's no wonder the world's best scientists work for America. The landing on the deck of the cruiser "Dragon" went smoothly, without a single scratch. It was strange, having no experience flying planes, but he landed this machine so confidently. Something was changing in him, and changing for the better. The burly, broad-shouldered special forces soldier stood in a semi-combat pose. His large, long-barreled machine gun was aimed predatorily at the glider. It seemed as if the machine had materialized out of thin air, appearing out of nowhere. Judging by his insignia, the Delta Force soldier was clearly prepared for such a confrontation and maintained a calm demeanor. His Scorpion-7 assault rifle was ready to empty its entire magazine. The assault rifle was a formidable weapon, chambering a larger caliber cartridge than the Kalashnikov and boasting a high muzzle velocity. The cartridge had a uranium core and a multi-layered feather tip. Even the armor of an armored personnel carrier couldn't withstand its penetrating power. This weapon had several firing modes, from a single shot to 15 rounds per second. A special hydraulic shock absorber softened the recoil. The optical sight was mounted with a computer and a night vision device. The computer enhanced the image, and a dot flashed in the sight at the bullet's impact point. The computer calculated the trajectory itself, taking into account all local conditions, including pressure, humidity, wind speed, and so on. Thanks to the high density of the cartridge, the effective range exceeded 3 kilometers. This automatic rifle had its drawbacks, however. First, the price; second, its bulky size; third, the bullets themselves were heavy and difficult to carry-one weighed 25 grams. However, for special forces and commandos, nothing was too much trouble.
  Enrique leaped from the jet glider as lightly as a butterfly. There was no time for chatter; he needed to knock out the black guy. The two-meter giant was also black, and a very healthy one. He weighed about 140 kilograms. And he looked very much like his recent attacker, both in face and skin. He had the same idiotic grin; he didn't take Enrique seriously as an opponent. Like a cat, the boy leaped up sharply and quickly and delivered a full-throttle blow to the white boy's balls. The special forces soldier was positioned perfectly for the blow; he even neglected to block, thinking he'd knock him down with just one blow. The blow made him howl and double over, and the next blow came with his other knee. At the moment of impact, the barefoot boy grabbed the Delta Force soldier by the hair with his thin but strong arms. The special forces soldier had long since removed his armored helmet, so there was no one to fear here. This intensified the blow, allowing him to put his entire body weight behind it. Then a couple of punches to the face, also with full force, twisting the body and using the legs. The black man roared like a bull; he was in pain, but he didn't fall, even attempting to counter with a swing. To Enrique, the special forces soldier's movements seemed sluggish, as if inhibited; he easily dodged the blows. Landing punches to the body was completely useless; the bulletproof vest absorbed all blows, and the face could only be reached by jumping. The highly experienced Delta Force fighter knew how to block. The American grew increasingly enraged. A black belt in karate and a master of sports in boxing, failing to hit some barefoot kid was a disgrace for one of the best fighters in the United States. Taking up his massive Scorpion, the black man swung furiously, intending to pin the enemy to the deck of the ship with the butt of his rifle. With a graceful move he'd once seen on television, Enrique caught his opponent's movement. Using his opponent's weight and speed, he judo-flipped him. The movement was light and effortless, as if he'd been practicing this throw for years. The American crashed into the steel deck with a monstrous crash. Enrique's rifle remained in his hands, and he quickly and forcefully slammed the titanium butt of his rifle into the black man's heavy, blunt jaw. The impact shattered a handful of teeth, and the black man himself lay still, unable to move. A pair of sentries, also American special forces soldiers, raised their rifles, and as soon as the boy's opponent fell, they opened fire. Abruptly sidestepping, the young fighter Enrique swung his rifle around and fired a short burst. Both Delta Force soldiers fell, pierced by bullets from the fearsome Scorpion-7. Heavy uranium-cored bullets easily pierced heavy body armor; even a single bullet was lethal, causing instant death. The Americans' return fire pierced the armored door of the cabin and killed another U.S. soldier. The boy knew how to assemble and disassemble an assault rifle, but he was only a mediocre shot. Now, however, he felt like Robin Hood. Setting the rifle to single-shot mode, he headed straight for the captain's cabin. It was a risky move, but how else could he find his father on such a huge cruiser, knowing neither the prison layout nor the enemy's troop distribution? Special forces soldiers were emerging from every crevice onto the deck. However, they were all expecting a real attack, and no one paid any attention to the half-naked boy, who had wisely stuffed his assault rifle into a bag of detergent. Several such bags had been kept on deck in case of a sudden visit from the command staff, so they could quickly scrub the deck. The cabin was protected by a heavy titanium door, and the deputy's door was coded, but this time the captain himself rushed onto the deck. The soldiers were firing wildly, everyone's nerves were on edge in the darkness, and the enemy was nowhere in sight. Enrique, quick as a mouse, managed to dart into the cabin. Wasting no time, he hurriedly logged into the central computer. Perhaps due to laziness, the jail captain had neglected to set up security, and all the data was flowing without a hitch. It turned out that, according to his alternate dream memories, his father wasn't sitting here alone, but with an entire regiment of Russian sailors. The sailors of the Russian Pacific Squadron didn't want to die for some interplanetary showdown. Let America handle this on its own; many openly expressed dissatisfaction with being placed directly under NATO, or more precisely, American, command. These were rounded up in droves and placed on a prison cruiser with the symbolic name "Dragon." Naturally, the Russians trapped in prison chains needed to be freed. But how could this be accomplished? There was no chance of breaking through alone. The computer could override the automatic inter-cell door locks, but the prison hatch was secured with ordinary metal keys. He would free them. But that was little that unarmed sailors could do against heavily armed American commandos. They needed to seize the weapons arsenal first, then their chances would even out, and they also needed to distract the enemy. After firing, the special forces soldiers calmed down; it seemed the enemy had disappeared. A powerful Apache helicopter was turning, and several American soldiers jumped into a reconnaissance glider. The American insignia reassured them. The captain's cabin contained several bazookas, as well as an emergency exit hatch. A detailed plan of the prison ship was found on the computer. All that remained was to get inside. Grabbing a rather impressive bazooka, Enrique carefully opened the cabin door as the special forces soldiers peered tensely out at the sea. The bazooka was one and a half times heavier than the Russian boy, but he considered it a manageable burden. He chose a spot where the Delta Force soldiers were densely packed and unloaded the 50-kilogram charge. The recoil threw him back into the cabin. This saved his life, as several professional soldiers were also keeping an eye on the rear, just in case. Machine gun fire pierced the heavy armor almost completely, but failed to completely penetrate the titanium plating. The explosion scattered the soldiers, killing many, maiming others, and the rest opened fire with fury. After arming the surviving bazookas, Enrique carefully twisted the lower hatch. It led straight into the cruiser's belly. He had a chance to take advantage of the confusion to free the prisoners. Grabbing a bazooka and a Scorpion, the barefoot boy easily descended the stairs, making his way to the prison wing. Only two guards were stationed at the entrance. Because of the heavy bazooka, Enrique hesitated slightly, and the guards managed to open fire.
  However, either fate favored Enrique, or the special forces fired reflexively, expecting to hit a heavier and taller enemy, but the bullets whizzed over his head, and two return shots were dead-on. The guards were down, but their fire wasn't in vain; a couple of bullets ricocheted, injuring his back and leg. Despite the pain, the boy still managed to stay on his feet. The bazooka was also heavy; carrying it for too long forced him to remove it from his shoulder and place it on the metal. A vague noise and muffled thuds could be heard behind the thick armored door. How could they open the doors? Firing a bazooka inside the ship was dangerous, and the guards didn't have the keys to the main prison entrance. But they had radios, so what if...
  "Hello, this is us, the Cloaca sector security guards. A terrorist has planted a plastic bomb in the sector where the prisoners are being held. He wants to blow up the ship and cause a conflict between us and Russia. Send reinforcements!"
  Perhaps something might have aroused their suspicions, but they arrived at the scene with the speed of a cobra. Enrique barely managed to hide in a small fire-extinguishing box. The commandos burst into the corridor, expertly pressed against the wall. Two separated from the crowd and, with quick, precise movements, pried the lock open. Then several of the fighters jumped inside, while the rest opened fire on the prisoners. Fortunately, the sailors were no fools, and most of them lay low in their cells. Bullets whistled down the prison corridor, killing those who were too bold. Enrique, beside himself with rage, switched the Scorpion to forced fire mode on the move and opened fire on the insolent Yankees. The Americans hadn't expected this, but they reacted quickly and professionally. However, fighting in confined spaces is difficult because it's very difficult to fire to kill without hitting your own. The boy fell into a frenzy, jumping from one soldier to another, snatching machine guns and changing firing positions. It was very difficult to kill him without hitting his own, and at first they tried to simply knock out a boy with blows. But Enrique's speed was already beyond human capabilities. Captured Russian sailors also intervened in the battle; they were unarmed, but outnumbered, and they were fighting for their pride and freedom. Pillows, mattresses, and chairs were thrown at the Americans, obstructing their aim and creating new targets. Moreover, most of the special forces soldiers were still on deck, awaiting a surprise attack. The group of American special forces soldiers was destroyed, and the three survivors were tied up by the freed, rebellious sailors. Enrique sustained several more scratches during the battle, but escaped the bullets. The excitement was so great that he felt no pain or blood loss. The Russian sailors hastily armed themselves with the captured weapons. Most of the sailors were still unarmed. The boy gave orders to the rebels in a clear, commanding voice.
  - Let the strongest and most skilled put on body armor and American commando uniforms and follow me to the arsenal, let the rest follow, the captured weapons will immediately be at your disposal.
  It may seem strange, but no one objected to this idea. Even senior officers unanimously supported it. However, the senior officer, Captain 1st Rank Koloskov, stated:
  "In wartime, the highest-ranking officer assumes command. Therefore, I repeat the order to storm the arsenal. This boy helped us free ourselves, and I appoint him as my assistant. His orders are now equal in force to mine. And now we begin what we should have started much earlier: killing these filthy, dirty Yankees."
  The sailors roared their approval in response and rushed into battle. Enrique was the first to rush to the armory. Several sailors, disguised as American soldiers, barely kept up with him. Several US soldiers, accidentally encountered along the way, were shot dead on the spot. Four guards at the armory were also killed within seconds. The previously killed US special forces soldiers had keys to all the rooms of the cruiser "Dragon," and Enrique had disabled the computer code in the captain's central cabin. The Americans had been let down by their overconfidence; they were completely unprepared for a serious fight on a ship they considered their own. Now they, too, were forced to fight under unfavorable conditions. There were more captured sailors than American captors. The cruiser was also Russian, only slightly refitted for American use. The battle engulfed almost the entire ship. The armory was overflowing with weapons, and anger at the Americans was running high. The mutinous sailors fired from every crevice, throwing themselves into hand-to-hand combat. Some even used their teeth. Some of the rebels had donned American uniforms and were making full use of them. Enrique was completely intoxicated, overcome by the wondrous thrill of bloody combat. The shooting and the scurrying through the numerous winding corridors resembled a computer game. But here, everything was much brighter, louder, and more realistic. The blood was real, the corpses were entirely real; the shots were quite capable of killing. Despite his wounds and blood loss, Enrique maintained lightning-fast reactions and speed, and whenever he encountered American special forces soldiers, he managed to hit the enemy first. However, the outcome of the battle was still uncertain; the Americans weren't such weaklings as to simply give up victory. Sailors were also dying, and the scales continued to tip.
  CHAPTER No 17.
  Meanwhile, Alina, in a drug-induced delirium, dreamed of something like this...
  Here she is, with investigator Pyotr Ivanov, in some fairytale world. Only now she's just a barefoot girl of about twelve, and with her is a boy named Petka, also about her age.
  And he's wearing shorts and a red tie around his neck, a white shirt, though his legs are tanned and bare. And Alina felt the red tie around her neck. Now they're a young pioneer and a young pioneer. In some strange world where it's warm like a tropical summer, but the trees along the edges are so unusual. They resemble a violin stuck in orange grass, or giant ferns, or a palm tree with flowers.
  The world around is like a fairytale jungle, and butterflies with multi-colored wingspans of a meter and silvery dragonflies, the size of an albatross, fly.
  Alina giggled and noted:
  - How small you have become, Petka, former colonel!
  The boy in shorts was offended:
  - Why former? I'm still a colonel. I'll be a kid for a while and then return to my former self.
  The girl killer giggled and noted:
  - Well, since we are children, let's go for a run!
  And the young couple rushed along the purple brick path, their bare, round heels flashing.
  And the children's feet were quite hot, as three suns burned in the sky at once. One was red, one yellow, and the third green. And the rays they sent out were so bright.
  Petka sang with delight:
  Summer, summer,
  The sun is shining high, high!
  Summer, summer,
  It's a long, long time until classes!
  Alina burst out laughing and was about to say something. Suddenly, two men appeared in front of them. They jumped out onto the road like mushrooms after a rainstorm. They looked like musclemen, one with the head of a rhinoceros, the other a boar, and they were holding high-tech machine guns.
  Alina and Petka slowed down, gasping in surprise.
  The rhinoceros-headed brute roared:
  - Where are you puppies going!? Run, barefoot!
  The boar-headed brute also growled:
  - Our boss is very interested in you!
  Petka asked:
  - Your boss? Who is he?
  The thugs chuckled and replied:
  "We originally served Shredder, but he turned out to be a failure. And now we have a new boss, Koschei the Deathless!"
  Alina sang with a laugh:
  I'll tell everyone the truth in secret,
  I serve whoever pays more!
  Both thugs started singing in unison:
  Now for me the boss's words are law,
  And there is no doubt about it...
  I am only completely convinced of one thing -
  No need to have convictions!
  Petka asked with a smile:
  - And what does Koschei need from us?
  The boar-headed brute replied:
  - He wants you to get him some boots of seven days!
  Alina asked with a smile:
  - Do you know where they are?
  Both bandits exclaimed in unison:
  - We know!
  Petka asked with a grin:
  - Why don"t you get it yourself?
  The thugs growled:
  - Nightingale the Robber is sitting there. And when he whistles, he knocks even healthy men like us off our feet!
  Alina laughed and glanced at the sky. A cloud had just obscured the green sun, making it a little cooler. It was as hot as midday at the equator. And the children's bare feet were burning; it hurt to stand still, and they kept jumping up and down.
  The girl asked:
  - How will we deal with Nightingale?
  The thugs roared in unison:
  - It's your business! Consider yourself ordered!
  Petka objected, stamping his bare, childish feet:
  - And what does that matter to us? Let Koshchei deal with Nightingale himself!
  The thugs roared even louder:
  - If you don't get the boots of seven, Koschei will drop a Magoyader bomb on Moscow!
  Alina whistled:
  - Wow! And how does a magnuclear bomb work?
  Then another tall man with a rat's head appeared:
  - And so! Where Moscow was, there will be a swamp, and the population will turn into mosquitoes and frogs!
  And the big guy with the rat's face shook his tail.
  The man with the rhinoceros head noted:
  - Yes, and this is the rat king, he can also give you Armageddon!
  Alina nodded to Petka:
  - Well, I guess I'll have to get myself some seven-league boots. There's really no other way.
  The boy colonel chirped:
  We will go into battle boldly,
  For Holy Rus'...
  And we will shed tears for her -
  Young blood!
  The Rat King and the Rhinoceros and the Pig roared:
  - Here's a feather for you, wherever it flies, there will be a tree with seven-league boots!
  And the rat-headed bandit pulled a feather from his bosom, resembling a goose feather. He blew on it, and it flew off to the side, onto the orange brick path. The children, their bare heels flashing, rushed after it. And they had to run as fast as they could.
  The rhinoceros and the pig shouted:
  - Good riddance!
  The rat-headed bandit added:
  - To hell! To hell!
  And the children ran after the goose feather. The orange road made the bare soles of the young travelers feel a little less hot.
  Petka asked Alina:
  - Do you have a plan?
  The girl answered with a laugh:
  - How to defeat the Nightingale the Robber? Of course not!
  The boy colonel remarked:
  In the cartoon "The Three Bogatyrs," Solviu the Robber's granny knocked out his tooth with a stick! And in the movie, they knocked out his whistling tooth with a fist! So what could be a stone?
  Alina laughed and replied:
  - Or even better with a sniper rifle! I'd definitely knock his tooth out from a distance!
  Petka squeaked:
  - Where are we going to get a sniper rifle? We're practically naked and barefoot.
  The killer girl just squealed:
  - Feather-boat, change direction,
  Where there is a cart full of weapons,
  Open the way there for us,
  So that they don't shed tears!
  And the feather shook in the air and flew off in the other direction. The children, splashing with bare feet, ran across the green brick road.
  And off we go again...
  Petka noted with surprise:
  - How did you manage to control the feather so deftly?
  Alenka giggled and remarked:
  - You have to speak in rhyme, that way you get to the magical artifacts better.
  The boy colonel noted:
  - This reminds me of a children's fairy tale. There, everyone spoke in rhyme.
  Alina took it and chirped:
  I rhyme anyhow,
  I'm just exhausted...
  There is little sense in the verse,
  And above us are cherubs!
  And the girl jumped up, walking on her hands for a while. But while her feet were calloused, roughened from long periods of barefoot walking, her palms, like hot bricks, burned even more. It hurt, and Alina jumped to her feet again. And they ran together.
  Petka asked:
  - Do you think that weapons grow on trees in this world?
  Alina giggled and replied:
  The long-eared elephant soars in the clouds,
  The cat with a mustache wears boots,
  Chocolate grows on a tree,
  And the hippopotamus sings for us!
  And the girl burst into laughter. And they continued running. It was quite measured. Especially since they were in the bodies of children who had walked a lot, and therefore were resilient, and running was easy for them. You could even hear the calluses on the children's soles, which had been formed hundreds of miles on the road, hitting the bricks.
  Petka took it and asked on the run:
  - Do you think that if there had been no February Revolution, we would have won the First World War?
  Alina nodded her head in agreement:
  "I think definitely yes. Germany lost this war even without Russia, which concluded a separate peace, and if the Tsarist army had continued fighting, the victory over the Germans would have been even quicker!"
  The boy colonel remarked:
  - But in this case, Tsarist Russia would have had to pay a large foreign debt and could have been shortchanged during the division of territories!
  The killer girl answered confidently:
  "I think the interest on the debt would have been written off, given Tsarist Russia's military contribution, and the rest of the debt would have been covered by German reparations. So that would have been a good thing. Tsarist Russia would have annexed Galicia, Bukovina, Krakow, Poznan, and perhaps even the Czech Republic, plus the Turkish territories, completing the process of unifying the Slavic lands and finally achieving its age-old dream of subjugating Constantinople!"
  Petka giggled and remarked:
  - If only there were mushrooms growing in my mouth. Even better would have been to win the war against Japan, then there would have been no First World War!
  Alina giggled and sang:
  The fascist attacked my homeland,
  Samurai are brazenly creeping in from the east...
  I love Jesus and Stalin,
  Even though anger sometimes breaks my heart!
  And the children became much more cheerful.
  Petka noticed:
  - If the Japanese had attacked in 1941, it would have been very difficult for us to fight back! It's possible that Moscow would have fallen.
  The girl killer sang with pathos:
  We will fight the enemy fiercely,
  An endless darkness of locusts...
  The capital will stand forever,
  Moscow will shine like the sun on the world!
  The children ran a little further, their bare, slightly dusty, calloused soles flashing.
  And then a tree appeared ahead. A large one, resembling an oak, except its leaves were shaped like clips. And growing from its branches were all sorts of weapons. There were sabers and machine guns, sniper rifles, and even grenade launchers.
  And under the oak tree sat a huge cat wearing glasses, purring. Also perched in the branches was a rather muscular mermaid.
  Alina whistled:
  - This is phasmagoria!
  Petka nodded:
  - Yes, there is a green oak near Lukomorye,
  And the machine gun belt in that oak tree...
  And the cat is battle-hardened,
  A war monitor at that!
  The giant cat noticed two children running toward him. Two high-tech machine guns immediately appeared in his paws. He hissed:
  - Where is the new generation heading?
  Alina took it and squeaked:
  - Sorry, but we need a sniper rifle!
  Bayun the Cat giggled and replied:
  - A sniper rifle? Do you have any money?
  Petka exclaimed with enthusiasm:
  - We'll work it out! I give you my word!
  The cat muttered:
  - Work it off? You'd have to toil for a hundred years for that! So, if you want, let's make a bet: if you guess three of my riddles, you'll get a good sniper rifle, but if you guess wrong, I'll sell you into slavery. Children are readily bought as slaves!
  Alenka exclaimed:
  - Freedom of two for one rifle?
  Cat Bayut nodded:
  - In the fairytale world, firearms are highly prized. So, children, be careful. You can refuse if you wish!
  Petka asked Alina:
  - Are you confident in your abilities?
  The killer girl replied:
  - Absolutely! He who doesn't take risks, doesn't drink champagne!
  The boy colonel nodded:
  - We accept the challenge!
  The cat flicked his tail, an hourglass appeared next to him, and purred:
  - I'll give you one minute to think about it! Question one: - Two people came ashore. There was a boat there, which could only carry one person. But nevertheless, both of them crossed. How could this be?
  The cat squeaked and the hourglass turned over:
  - Time is running!
  Petka scratched the back of his head:
  - Two people? And only one boat? It's like the riddle about the goat, the wolf, and the cabbage... Maybe we should disembark at the third spot and go on foot.
  Alina snorted contemptuously:
  - No! It's much simpler here. They were on opposite banks! Do you hear my answer, cat?
  The fairytale Bayun muttered:
  - True... Well, that's too easy. A riddle for children. The second one will be more serious.
  And the cat purred:
  - What is faster than a hurricane and slower than a turtle?
  And again he turned over the hourglass!
  Petka grinned:
  - Yes, it's a paradox. What is truly both the fastest and the slowest!
  Alina answered confidently:
  - Time! It really does rush by like a hurricane, and you don't even notice it, but on the other, it crawls painfully slowly! So, Bayun, it's time!
  The fairy cat muttered:
  - Look at the educated people I've come across. Yes, that's true. But you'll never guess the third riddle!
  Petka noticed:
  "My friend is so smart that she can understand and master everything. And she can answer any question."
  Bayun the cat muttered:
  - Good! Here's your third riddle. What even the smartest fool doesn't know, and even the smartest one knows!
  Petka whistled:
  - Wow! What a question!
  The cat turned the hourglass over. A white powder-like substance rained down. Alina felt a sense of confusion. The question had taken her by surprise, and she struggled to come up with an answer.
  Petka noticed with a sweet look:
  - What might the smartest person not know? And what does the worst fool know at the same time? Shame, perhaps?
  Alina shrugged:
  - Well, even the smartest person can disgrace themselves. But a fool... That a fool is his own shame. No, the answer here must be more subtle.
  Cat Bayun confirmed:
  "Yes, in this case, it's not so obvious. I don't think you'd know the answer to a riddle like that in fairy tales!"
  The killer girl nodded:
  - Yeah, I've never seen a riddle like that in cartoons. It's something like... Something that God doesn't know?
  Petka noted:
  "God knows everything! Although, when a maniac rapes a child, it's not clear whether God wants it or is too weak to prevent it?"
  Alina muttered:
  - Yes, this is the paradox of Monotheism. Among pagans, the Gods are not so insightful and omniscient.
  The boy colonel shuddered:
  - Will you have to go into slavery? I hope at least not to the quarries!
  Bayun the cat growled:
  - Well, time's up! What's the right answer?!
  Feeling inspired, Alina blurted out:
  - The smartest person doesn't know a question to which he wouldn't give an answer, but for the worst fool, any question is such that it won't give an answer!
  The fairy cat jumped up and exclaimed:
  - Oh, really! You're something else - right on! Even Koschei the Deathless couldn't answer that question and lost me a chest of gold in a bet!
  Bayun puffed up his cheeks and purred:
  - Okay, kids! You've earned a great fairytale rifle. Who will you be killing?
  Alina chirped in response:
  - This is our big secret, believe it or not?
  The fairy cat nodded:
  - It's your business!
  And he flicked his tail. A rather sophisticated sniper rifle with a telescopic sight fell at the children's bare feet.
  Alina leaned over and felt it. She chirped:
  - Good weapon!
  And she raised it, looked through the sight, and exclaimed:
  - Cool!
  And aiming at the pine cone, she pulled the trigger. There was a dry click-the sniper rifle was unloaded.
  The girl killer said with disappointment:
  - And the cartridges?
  Bayun the Cat grinned sarcastically:
  "We didn't agree on that. We only bet on the rifle. If they're betting on a chest, they should agree in advance that it contains gold!"
  Alina giggled and noted:
  - Okay! For a pack of bullets, you can ask me another riddle, or even two!
  The fairy cat snorted contemptuously:
  - No! You're too smart! Do you want me to give you a pack of cartridges for this rifle if you sing me a beautiful song!?
  The killer girl nodded:
  - It's coming! I'm ready!
  Bayun noted:
  - Only it has to be long enough and fabulous! And do you understand?
  Alina nodded:
  - Excellent! I can make it up right on the spot!
  And the barefoot killer girl sang:
  On the sea, a brigantine is like an eagle,
  Swift, playful, majestic...
  Svarog the great treasure spread,
  May strength, wisdom and glory be with us!
  
  We girls are born to fight,
  To strike the vile, hairy bears...
  In the name of the Family and His country,
  To heal the poor and hunchbacked!
  
  We love God the Lord Christ,
  Belobog himself is his companion in labors...
  For us, the Almighty Rod replaced our father,
  There will be no more darkness, graves and cemeteries!
  
  When the Supreme God Svarog comes,
  All the orc hordes will perish at once, I believe...
  We will open an endless account of victories,
  Those who were evil will perish by the sword!
  
  The girls make good fighters,
  The beauties are swift in their movements...
  The warriors are just great,
  Tinned beauties in the screaming throats!
  
  On a brigantine they rush across the waves,
  And they cut through the surface of the sea water...
  We are lively beyond our years,
  The girl will turn her bare foot!
  
  I am a karateka - you won't find a better one,
  I'm also used to fighting with a sword...
  The girl looks no more than twenty,
  And he fights the boy very well!
  
  Nothing can hold back my beauty,
  It cannot be measured with a common yardstick...
  When I defeat the orc army,
  I make you believe in your strength!
  God did not deprive me of beauty,
  A natural blonde, like the sun...
  And above me a cherub hovering,
  And karate is not the domain of the Japanese!
  
  I love to scatter the snow barefoot,
  And hit him in the chin with a bare heel...
  I will celebrate cosmic success,
  Because the defeat is a typo!
  
  After all, even if the guy is really cool,
  I'll knock him down with one blow, believe me...
  You'll strain your navel fighting with me,
  I'll douse the sensei with turpentine!
  
  In what unknown country now,
  We are cool girls and we live...
  We'll break even Satan's back,
  Let the evil Cain be destroyed!
  
  That's why, girls, I don't understand,
  I love to beat guys up brutally...
  He likes a fist in the face,
  You were a man, and now you're a cripple!
  
  There will be Solcenism on the planet,
  Faith in the God of Light Rodoverie...
  Why should we take so long to build communism?
  It's just stupidity, superstition!
  
  We can sink any frigate,
  Send legions of orcs to the bottom...
  When Petrograd was on the map,
  Millions died to build it!
  
  The grin is of human fangs,
  Although not wolfish, it is quite understandable...
  Get reliable rear fighters,
  The catch, believe me, will be very impressive!
  
  The girl is a real filibuster,
  Even Superman can be robbed...
  You were a beggar, but now you are a noble sir,
  Such a change has come!
  
  Here comes the assault again - we're going to board,
  The girls are in a very frantic attack...
  This is the kind of crew we got,
  What craves change and a new fight!
  
  When we crush our enemies with the sword,
  And we'll chop off the heads of the orcs...
  Any troubles will be nothing,
  The planet will become a real paradise!
  
  Well, Lord Svarog is so good,
  Girls and boys have fun with him...
  We will not sell our Fatherland for a penny,
  At least we'll definitely get some bumps and bruises!
  
  Here we are carrying noble booty,
  Our pockets are now full of gold...
  And we'll cut off the goblin's head, you know,
  Rain of machine gun fire at the orcs!
  The girl sang with her full-bodied voice. And Petka even sang along.
  Cat Bayun noted:
  - Well, you sing beautifully! You deserve a box of bullets.
  And he waved his fluffy tail. And the gilded box landed before the girl's bare feet. She quickly opened it, fearing another trick. But the cartridges were still there. Alina inserted a bullet into the rifle's breech and kissed the gilding.
  After which she bowed and replied:
  - Thank you! It was a pleasure doing business with you!
  Bayun the Cat nodded in response:
  - Likewise!
  Alina chirped:
  Little feather-boat, take us to the nightingale, I will thank you!
  And it flew away, pointing the way to the place where the seven-league boots were kept!
  The children ran, splashing with their bare, tanned feet. And Alina had a rifle over her shoulder.
  And she bounced on the girl's back while she ran.
  Petka noted:
  - I see many talents in you: shooting, singing, and riddle-solving!
  Alina chirped:
  We are great talents,
  But they are clear and simple...
  We are singers and musicians,
  Acrobats and jesters! So the children ran along the paths. Along the way, they almost encountered a wolf with a curved dagger. But seeing the sniper rifle on the girl's back, the fanged one retreated.
  And the gray one howled:
  How unattractive my portrait is,
  Am I worse than Koschei?
  Is it worse than Barmaley?
  Aren't I charming!
  The children continued running. Suddenly, ahead of them, they saw an oak tree, upon which sat Nightingale the Robber. He looked terrifying, with a mustache and long claws on his fingers. Seeing the young warriors approaching, Nightingale the Robber stuck his fingers in his mouth. Alina stopped, raised her rifle, and, practically without aiming, fired. She knew how to shoot intuitively like that. The bullet struck the whistling tooth and knocked it out. Nightingale the Robber, startled and frightened, flew from the branches.
  Alina exclaimed:
  "With millimeter precision. Precision, the politeness of kings!"
  Petka nodded his bright head.
  - Yes, you pulled that off cleverly!
  Nightingale the Robber tried to rise and spread his claws. Alina reloaded her rifle and shouted:
  - If you move, I'll blow your brains out!
  Nightingale the Robber hissed with his gap-toothed mouth:
  - What do you want, child?
  The killer girl muttered:
  - Give me back my seven-league boots!
  Nightingale the Robber muttered:
  - If it's Koschei, I won't give it up!
  Petka asked with a smile:
  - And why?
  The fairy bird replied:
  - Then he will travel to many countries and acquire such power that he will become a monstrous tyrant!
  Alina asked:
  - What about the nuclear bomb?
  Nightingale the Robber answered confidently:
  - He doesn"t have this bomb, it"s a bluff!
  Alina noted:
  -What if we take them for ourselves?
  "You won't get a damn thing!" came a roar. Three thugs with the heads of a rhinoceros, a boar, and a rat appeared.
  Petka exclaimed:
  - They showed up without getting dusty!
  The rat-man roared:
  - Come on, little ones, all the dancing is over!
  Alina, raising her rifle, exclaimed:
  - If we're going to die, let's do it with music, start singing, brothers!
  And the girl shot at the rat king. She hit him in the leg, so hard that he jumped up and fell on top of the rhinoceros-headed brute!
  Alina threw a pebble with her bare foot and the fighter with the boar's head slipped and flew into the rat king.
  Alina hastily reloaded and fired again. The three thugs were engulfed in a net.
  The girl killer noted:
  - There's a cartridge here that shoots nets!
  Then she turned to Nightingale the Robber and growled:
  - Well, give me your seven-league boots while you're still in one piece!
  The fairy bird took it and wheezed:
  - Yes and I obey!
  CHAPTER No 19.
  Meanwhile, Enrique continued to star in various films. Like this one, for example. It featured an alternate history of the Brezhnev-era war with China. It's cool, Brezhnev versus Mao.
  Enrique Elovoy is back in another mission, or rather, film. As they say, not a moment's peace. This time, it's the Brezhnev era. In March 1969, China attacked the USSR. The aging Mao Zedong longed for the glory of a great conqueror, to acquire territory for China, where the population was rapidly growing. Besides, the old man and great helmsman was bored. He longed for great deeds. So why not attack the USSR? Especially since good-natured Brezhnev had a doctrine: the USSR would never use nuclear weapons first. This meant that ground forces would fight without the dreaded nuclear weapons. The date chosen for the attack was symbolic: March 5, the day of Stalin's death. Mao believed that Stalin's death would be a great loss for the USSR. Therefore, on that day, fortune would favor Russia's enemies.
  And so, millions of Chinese soldiers launched an offensive across a vast territory. The fact that the snow hadn't melted yet and that freezing temperatures prevailed in Siberia and the Far East didn't faze the Chinese. Although their equipment was limited, and what it did have was outdated. But Mao was counting on assistance from the US and Western countries, and on the vastly superior infantry strength of the Celestial Empire. China had a larger population than the USSR, and Soviet Russia would also have to redeploy troops from its European part to Siberia. Which would be a very difficult task.
  And the land army went.
  The direction of the particularly massive attack was the town of Dalny, at the outlet of the Amur River. That is, at the point where this full-flowing river ended on the border between the USSR and China. The hordes of the Celestial Empire could move by land without encountering water obstacles.
  It was there that the most massive attack was carried out using tanks.
  Enrique Yelovy and Margarita Korshunova led a children's battalion of local pioneers to their positions.
  Despite the fact that the snow had not yet melted, the strong Siberian children, seeing that the commanders Enrique and Margarita were barefoot and in light clothing, also took off their shoes and undressed.
  And now the boys and girls splashed with their bare, childish feet in the snow, leaving graceful traces.
  To fight the Chinese, the young warriors, led by Enrique and Margarita, created homemade rockets filled with sawdust and coal dust. These rockets are ten times more explosive than TNT. These rockets can be launched at both air and ground targets. Meanwhile, the Chinese had amassed a large number of tanks and aircraft.
  Boys and girls also built special hybrids of crossbows and machine guns that fired poisonous needles. And some other things, too. For example, children's plastic cars were equipped with explosives and controlled by radio. And that, too, is a weapon.
  Enrique and Margarita also encouraged the children to make special rockets that fired poisoned glass and covered a large area in order to destroy enemy infantry.
  China's main strength lies in its brutal assaults and its innumerable personnel, which compensates for its lack of equipment. In this regard, the country has no equal in the world.
  A war with China differs, for example, from a war with the Third Reich in that the Soviet Union's enemy has an overwhelming advantage in manpower. And this, of course, creates a very serious problem if the war drags on.
  In short, Mao made a gambler's bet. And an epic battle began. Soviet troops met the Chinese with salvos of Grad rockets. And the latest Uragan systems also fired. A beautiful girl, Alena, directed the strikes of the newly arrived battery. And chunks of torn flesh flew from the Chinese.
  And the girls, flashing their bare, pink heels, crushed the troops of the Celestial Empire.
  Although they mostly targeted infantry, knocking out personnel. That's how energetic and sweeping the girls were.
  The Chinese then launched an offensive against the children's battalion's positions. A small number of attack aircraft were the first to fly. These were mostly Soviet-era IL-2 and IL-10 fighters, both considerably outdated. A few newer attack aircraft were also from the USSR, and a small number were manufactured in China, but again under Russian license.
  But Mao has no developments of his own.
  That is, on the one hand, there is China, which is technically backward but has a very large population, and on the other hand, there is the USSR, which has fewer human resources but is technologically advanced.
  The children are heroes, launching missiles at the attack aircraft. They're small-smaller than birdhouses-but there are a lot of them. And the tiny device, the size of a pea, invented by Enrique and Margarita, is sound-guided.
  This is truly a miracle weapon. Child warriors launch it, igniting it with lighters or matches. And they rise into the air and ram Chinese attack aircraft, blowing them up along with their pilots. Most of the Celestial Empire's aircraft don't even have ejection devices. And they explode with savage destruction and a spray of shrapnel.
  And many fragments ignite in the air, reminiscent of fireworks, with colossal dispersion. Now that's a real explosion.
  Enrique noted with a satisfied look:
  - China is getting a kick in the pants!
  Margarita giggled and replied:
  - As usual, we're hitting China pretty hard!
  And the children burst into laughter. And the other boys and girls, splashing their bare, childish feet, laughed and began launching rockets even more energetically.
  The Chinese attack aircraft's attack was stifled. They fell, shattered and flattened, their shells blazing. That was devastating power.
  The boy Sasha giggles and notes:
  - The USSR will show China what's what!
  Pioneer girl Lara confirms:
  - Our murderous influence will be ours! We will crush and hang everyone!
  And the young warrior stamped her bare foot on a small puddle.
  Fighting was indeed raging along the entire front line. The Chinese were advancing like a battering ram. Or rather, an innumerable number of battering rams.
  The first wave of stormtroopers was repelled by young Leninists.
  The boy Petka noticed:
  - Oh, if Stalin were alive, he would be proud of us!
  The pioneer girl Katya noticed:
  - But Stalin is gone, and now Leonid Ilyich is in power!
  Oleg remarked with a sigh:
  - Most likely, Brezhnev is a long way from Stalin!
  Indeed, Leonid Ilyich's reign would be called stagnant. Although the country continued to develop, albeit not as rapidly as under Stalin. But the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) and gas pipelines from Siberia to Europe were built, and Soligorsk and other cities were built. Not all the bad things were connected to Brezhnev. Moreover, in 1969, Leonid Ilyich was not yet old; he was only sixty-two, and not senile. And he had a strong team, especially Prime Minister Kosygin.
  The country is on the rise, and its nuclear potential has almost matched that of the United States. In conventional weapons, the Soviet Union's ground forces significantly outnumber the United States, especially in tanks. America has an advantage only in large surface ships and bombers. In tanks, the USSR has a nearly fivefold advantage. And perhaps even in quality. Soviet tanks are smaller than American ones, but better armored, better armed, and faster.
  Yes, it's true that American tanks are more comfortable for their crews, and they have a more user-friendly control system. The newest vehicles are controlled by joysticks. But this isn't a significant difference. More crew space increased the vehicle's size and reduced its armor.
  But after the air attack wave petered out, and dozens of Chinese attack aircraft-more than two hundred, to be exact-were shot down and destroyed, tanks went into action. These were mostly older Soviet tanks. Among them were even T-34-85s, a few T-54s, and a very small number of T-55s. China doesn't have any later Soviet T-62s or T-64s at all. There are some copies of the T-54, but they are few and far between, and their armor quality is far inferior to the Soviet ones, not only in protection but also in the reliability of the diesel engine, optics, and much more.
  But the Chinese's greatest weakness is their number of tanks and vehicles. So, as in ancient times, they're advancing in large masses of infantry. True, to their credit, the Chinese are brave and don't spare their lives. And in some places, they're breaking through.
  Incidentally, in the area of the city of Dalniy, the commanders of the Celestial Empire assembled a group of armored vehicles and deployed it in a wedge formation.
  The children, of course, are looking forward to it. The Pioneer Battalion is assembled. Some of the kids, however, are already starting to feel cold. Both boys and girls have started pulling on their felt boots and warm clothes.
  Enrique and Margarita, like immortal children, remained barefoot in the movie. Some boys and girls endured it and remained in shorts and light summer dresses with bare legs. Really, why do they need clothes and shoes? It's perfectly acceptable. Besides, the snow in the movie isn't real, it's camouflage.
  Enrique, as an immortal mountaineer, is naturally invulnerable, and his feet and body feel only a slight chill from the snow and icy wind. Like the chill from ice cream, which isn't unpleasant. Or like walking barefoot in the snow in a dream. There's a chill, but it's not at all scary.
  In any case, the clanking of tracks and the movement of tanks can be heard. The IS-4s, old Soviet vehicles, are first. There are only five of them. This is a heavy tank of the post-war USSR. It has decent protection, even from the sides, but it is obsolete. It weighs sixty tons, and its 122-millimeter gun isn't the most modern or rapid-fire. But these are the heaviest tanks and, traditionally, are at the tip of the wedge.
  Behind them come the T-55s, the best tanks in China's arsenal. Then come the Soviet-made T-54s, and then tanks produced in China. But these are, of course, of inferior quality. And at the very end are the weakest tanks in terms of armor and armament-the T-34-85s.
  Here comes this army.
  But children also have a variety of small cars with powerful charges, and missiles that can hit both air and ground targets.
  And so the brutal battle begins. Enrique and Margarita, running, their bare heels flashing, red from the cold, launch the rockets. The other boys and girls do the same. And the rockets fly with deadly force. And the rockets fly, hitting the tanks.
  The first to be hit were the former Soviet, now Chinese, IS-4 tanks. Hit by missiles filled with sawdust and coal dust, they simply exploded into tiny fragments and detonated.
  The vehicles were quite large, squat, and in appearance reminiscent of the German King Tigers, except that the barrel was shorter, but thicker.
  And all five vehicles were instantly destroyed by missiles from a distance.
  And their fragments burned and smoked.
  Then the young warriors took on the more advanced and dangerous T-55.
  And they too began to pummel them with missiles. The children acted quickly. Some of them even took off their felt boots, and now their bare heels flashed.
  The children's bare feet turned scarlet, like the feet of geese. And it was quite funny.
  Enrique, launching yet another missile at the Chinese aircraft that Mao had sent against the USSR, noted:
  -Here the largest socialist countries are fighting with each other for the amusement of the Americans.
  Margarita stamped her bare foot angrily, launched three rockets at once and noted:
  - These are Mao's ambitions. He wants the glory of a great conqueror.
  Indeed, the Chinese leader was quite insecure. He longed for greatness, but the years were passing. Yes, Mao was already great, but he still had a long way to go before reaching the glory of Stalin or Genghis Khan. And by his time, both Genghis Khan and Stalin had already died. But they had cemented themselves in world history as the greatest. And Mao desperately wanted to surpass them. But what was the easiest way to do that?
  By defeating the USSR, of course. Especially now that it's under Leonid Brezhnev, who has adopted the doctrine of no first use of nuclear weapons. So Mao has a chance, at the very least, of carving out Soviet territory as far as the Urals. And then his empire will become the largest in the world.
  And the war has begun. And millions upon millions of soldiers have been thrown into battle. And not just millions, but tens of millions. And it must be said that the majority of Chinese don't spare their lives. And they rush toward Soviet positions like soldiers in a game of Entente.
  But the Russian troops were prepared, too. But even so, such a huge numerical advantage simply couldn't be contained. The machine guns were literally jamming. And some special ammunition would be needed to counter that much infantry.
  Enrique and the other kids are still destroying tanks. They've burned out the missiles, destroyed all the T-55s, and then they've taken on the worse vehicles. And they're pounding them.
  Enrique, who had foresight, thought that attacks by buggies and motorcycles would be more problematic. But China currently has even fewer of these than tanks. And that makes defense easier.
  And the tanks aren't moving very quickly through the snow. And the Chinese vehicles themselves are lagging behind the Soviet ones we bought or donated.
  Nevertheless, the children launch new rockets. The kindergarten cars, slightly modified into combat kamikazes, are also used in battle.
  The battle raged with renewed, furious intensity. The number of Chinese tanks destroyed had already surpassed one hundred, and their number continued to increase.
  Enrique noted with a sweet look:
  - Advanced technology is better than advanced ideology.
  And the guys launched new machines. Two T-54s collided head-on and began to explode. Actually, the Chinese vehicles move much slower than the Soviet ones. The battle is simply escalating.
  Margarita, too, let out something extremely devastating with her bare toes. And the cars exploded, their turrets torn off.
  The girl sang:
  The Wehrmacht's back was broken in battle,
  Bonaparte froze all his ears...
  We gave NATO a good kick in the ass,
  And China is squeezed between the pines!
  And again, with her bare fingers, she pressed the joystick buttons with her incredible strength. Now that's a real Terminator girl.
  These are such wonderful children. And once again, the Chinese tanks are burning. And they're being torn apart. And the torn-up rollers are rolling across the snow. Fuel flows out, blazing, like flames. And the snow is actually melting. This is truly the impact of these young fighters. And the tank destruction count is already approaching its third hundredth.
  Enrique, fighting, thought... Stalin, of course, was a beast. But in November of 1942, taking into account the population losses in the territories occupied by the Nazis, he had fewer manpower resources than Putin had in 1922. Nevertheless, in two and a half years, Stalin liberated territory six times larger than all of Ukraine and Crimea combined. Putin, however, having started the war first and holding the initiative, couldn't even bring the Donetsk region under Russian control for five years-twice as long as Stalin did after the turning point at Stalingrad. So who can doubt that Stalin was a genius, and Putin still has a long way to go.
  But Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev is generally considered soft-hearted, weak-willed, and lacking in intellect and ability. Could he stand up to Mao and his rule over the world's most populous country?
  There's also concern that the US and Western world will provide China with military assistance. Even now, the enemy's superiority in infantry isn't having the best effect.
  In fact, the number of tanks destroyed by their children's battalion alone has reached the fourth hundred. Self-propelled guns are also visible further on.
  The Chinese are also outdated. They try to fire on the move, which is quite dangerous. But child warriors prefer to fire from a distance. And it pays off.
  All new Chinese cars are on fire.
  Enrique noted with a smile:
  - Mao starts and loses!
  Margarita objected:
  - It's not that simple, the great helmsman has too many pawns!
  The young highlander nodded:
  - Yes, pawns are not nuts - they are future queens!
  The children once again used the bare toes of their small but very nimble feet in battle.
  The boy Seryozhka noted:
  - We're giving China a hard time!
  Margarita corrected:
  - We are not fighting with the Chinese people, but with their ruling, adventurous elite.
  Enrique nodded in agreement:
  - It's even kind of unpleasant to kill Chinese people. It's kind of creepy. They're not bad guys, after all!
  And the young warrior launched a missile into the attack on the self-propelled guns.
  The boy, Sasha, pressing his fingers on the button that launched another children's car with explosives, noted:
  - Well, their girls are pretty good too!
  Among the Chinese self-propelled guns were some with 152-millimeter howitzers. They tried to fire at the children from a distance. Some boys and girls even received minor scratches from the exploding fragmentation shells. But there was protection here too-protective stones that reduced the likelihood of shrapnel and shells hitting the children. And it must be said, it worked.
  And the young battalion suffered virtually no losses.
  Enrique noted with a sweet smile:
  - That's how we work...
  More than five hundred Chinese tanks and self-propelled guns had already been destroyed, and that was impressive. Yes, the young warriors had gotten into their stride.
  This is a real dance of death.
  Margarita kicked with her bare, round heel and remarked:
  Woe to him who fights,
  With a Russian girl in battle...
  If the enemy goes berserk,
  I'll kill that bastard!
  The Chinese finally ran out of armor, and then came the infantry. And this is the greatest force. There is a lot of it, and it comes in a dense avalanche, like locusts. This is truly a clash of the titans.
  The child heroes used special rockets containing poison-laced glass shards against the personnel. And they did indeed knock out a ton of Mao's soldiers. But they continued to press on, like a toad on a writhing stool.
  Enrique launched it with his bare foot and noted:
  - We must stand firm in any case!
  Margarita noted:
  - And they weren"t the ones who beat them!
  The Terminator boy remembered computer games. How they mowed down advancing enemy infantry. They did it very effectively. But in "Entente," even the most aggressive assault couldn't overcome a solid line of pillboxes. And the infantry was fatally affected.
  And you mow it down not just by the thousands, but by the tens of thousands. And it really worked.
  And the children launched high-explosive rockets. And then they used toy cars with explosives.
  Enrique thought the Germans couldn't have afforded something like that during World War II. They didn't have that much manpower. However, the Nazis had problems with tanks, too.
  But China is a special country, and there, human resources have never been taken into account. And they've been used up without a problem.
  And now the infantry keeps coming and coming... And the child heroes are driving it out.
  Enrique remembered that the Entente had no ammunition limit. And any tank could fire forever. Or a pillbox. So in this game, you could mow down a billion infantrymen.
  But in a real war, ammunition isn't endless. And won't the Chinese just pelt it with corpses?
  And they keep coming and coming. And the mounds of corpses really do grow. But the boys and girls keep firing. And they do it very accurately.
  And, of course, they've also put crossbow-machine gun hybrids into play. Let's mow down the Chinese. They're working very hard.
  The fighting in other areas is no joke either. Grad rockets and machine guns are being used against enemy infantry. Among them, for example, are Dragon rockets, which fire five thousand rounds per minute. This is quite effective against infantry. And the Chinese don't spare their personnel. They suffer colossal losses. But they still push forward and storm.
  Natasha, for example, and her friends are working with dragons on the Chinese infantry. It's a truly unstoppable onslaught. And whole mountains of corpses are falling. It's simply brutal.
  Zoya, another warrior, notes:
  - These are the bravest guys, but their leadership has clearly gone crazy!
  Victoria, firing the Dragon machine gun, noted:
  - This is simply a hellish effect!
  Svetlana, pressing the joystick buttons with her bare toes, noted:
  - Let's take our enemies seriously!
  The girls held their ground very steadfastly. But then the Dragon machine guns began to overheat. They were cooled by a special liquid. And the shots were incredibly accurate. The bullets found their targets in this dense horde.
  Natasha noted, mowing down the Chinese:
  - What do you girls think, if there is another world?
  Zoya, continuing to fire, replied:
  - Maybe there is! In any case, something exists beyond the body!
  Victoria, firing mercilessly, agreed:
  - Of course it exists! After all, we fly in our dreams. And what is that if not a memory of the soul's flight?
  Svetlana, while hammering away at the Chinese, agreed:
  - Yes, that's probably true! So, even though we've given up the ghost, we're not dying for good!
  And the dragons continued their devastating influence. And it was truly, one might say, deadly.
  Soviet attack aircraft appeared in the sky. They began dropping fragmentation rockets to destroy the infantry.
  The Chinese air force is weak, and therefore Soviet planes can bomb with almost impunity.
  But the Celestial Empire does have some fighters, and they enter the battle. And a striking effect occurs.
  Akulina Orlova shoots down a couple of Chinese planes and sings:
  Heaven and earth are in our hands,
  Let communism win...
  The sun will dispel fear,
  Let the ray of light shine!
  And the girl took it again and kicked with her bare, round heel. That's how powerful it was.
  Anastasia also fights. She looks no older than thirty, but she fought back in the Crimean War, remembering the reign of Nicholas I. Yes, that's what a sorceress she is. And she shot down a record number of German planes during World War II. True, her exploits weren't fully appreciated at the time.
  Anastasia first shoots down Chinese planes in the sky, and then launches rocket attacks on the infantry. Indeed, the enemy has too many personnel. They suffer colossal damage, but they still press on.
  Anastasia noted with a sad look:
  - We have to kill people and in huge quantities!
  Akulina agreed:
  - Yes, it"s unpleasant, but we are fulfilling our duty to the USSR!
  And the girls, having dropped the last bombs on the infantry, flew off to reload. They, the warriors, are so active and tough.
  The Chinese infantry was attacked with all types of weapons, including flamethrowers. This inflicted significant losses on the enemy. More precisely, the Chinese were killed in the hundreds of thousands, but they continued to advance. They demonstrated their outstanding bravery, but lacked technique and strategy. The fighting, however, was fierce.
  Enrique once again employed his know-how, an ultrasonic device. It was constructed from ordinary milk bottles. But they had a simply lethal effect on the Chinese. Their bodies were reduced to dust and a heap of protoplasm. Metal, bones, and flesh all became mingled together.
  It felt like the ultrasound was frying the Chinese troops alive. And that's truly quite terrifying.
  Margarita licked her lips and noted:
  - A magnificent hat-trick!
  The boy Seryozhka noticed:
  - It looks simply terrifying! They look like bacon!
  Enrique laughed and replied:
  "It's mortally dangerous to mess with us. Long live communism in great glory!"
  And the children stamped their bare, sharp feet in unison.
  And then Soviet strategic bombers began to attack the Chinese. They dropped heavy bombs filled with napalm, covering many hectares at once. And it looked simply monstrous. The impact, let's say, was extremely aggressive.
  And when such a bomb falls, the fire literally engulfs a huge crowd.
  Enrique sang with enthusiasm:
  We will never give up, believe me,
  Believe me, we will show courage in battle...
  For God Svarog is for us, but Satan is against us,
  And we glorify the Most High Rod!
  Margarita threw a large, deadly pea of death and squeaked:
  - May the Mother of Russian Gods Lada be glorified!
  And again the ultrasonic device struck, and missiles flew at the Chinese. They were hit with glass and needles. And now the warriors of the Celestial Empire could not withstand the heavy losses and began to retreat. Tens of thousands of charred and peeling corpses lay scattered across the field.
  The boy Sasha chirped wittily:
  - Field, field, field - who has littered you with dead bones?
  Enrique and Margarita exclaimed in unison:
  - We! Glory to the USSR! Glory to Communism and a bright future!
  CHAPTER No 20.
  Alina came to. She was reclining in a chair. It was quite soft. But when the killer glanced down, she saw that her bare feet were shackled, as were her hands. She whistled:
  - Wow! This is so cool!
  She was completely naked and being watched. The hoarse voice of the mafia boss Herod was heard.
  - Well, my dear birdie, have you recovered?
  Alina muttered:
  - You could say that, but my mouth is dry! What did you inject me with?
  Herod answered:
  "Nothing special... a military development. But it had such a strong effect on you that we had a hard time bringing the lady back to her senses!"
  The killer girl nodded:
  "I expected something like this, but not so rude. The escape could have been more subtly organized!"
  The mafia boss confirmed:
  - Anything is possible, if you're careful! But for now, this is what we have.
  Alina muttered:
  - Take off my chains. It's unnecessary!
  Herod remarked:
  - You are a very strong and technical woman, and you can cause a lot of trouble.
  The killer girl replied:
  - I give my word to behave well.
  The mafia boss chuckled:
  - A killer's word of honor? I'm not that naive!
  Alina answered passionately:
  "I'm just trying not to give my word. Besides, I think you'll make an offer I can't refuse!"
  Herod grinned and replied:
  - That's exactly it, I don't tolerate refusals!
  The killer girl giggled and remarked:
  We'll kill all our enemies at once,
  By great order!
  The mafia boss narrowed his eyes and, lowering his voice, said:
  - Even walls have ears. So I'll write you a letter telling you who needs to be dealt with! And you, forget the note.
  Alina replied:
  - But still, take off my shackles!
  Herod gestured. A pair of masked slaves, each holding a key, removed the shackles from her hands and bare, muscular legs. How beautiful Alina looked now.
  The girl winked and noted:
  - Now we are the same!
  The boss handed her a note. Alina read it and whistled:
  - Oh wow! How much is the fee?
  Herod answered:
  - Ten million dollars.
  The girl giggled and replied:
  - Cool! Although I would prefer eleven!
  And she began to burn the note in the candle flame. Yes, here in the large office everything was antique, and the candles burned as if in a medieval castle.
  Herod remarked gloomily:
  - Eleven is possible, but only one week is given to carry out the order!
  Alina grinned and cooed:
  - It's none of my business, of course, but what did you dislike about him?
  The mafia boss responded harshly:
  - If you know too much, you'll soon be old! Can you handle it in a week?
  The killer girl asked:
  - What's the cure? Maybe just a heart attack?
  Herod roared in response:
  - No! There needs to be an obvious assassination attempt. An explosion would be better, but a sniper bullet or even an arrow would do.
  Alina smirked and remarked:
  "He has a very large security force, but large cabinets fall with a loud bang. I think having too many guards is a weakness."
  The mafia boss nodded:
  "I'm confident in your genius! Well, you can have any kind of weapon you want."
  The killer girl replied:
  - And when will the money be given?
  Herod answered confidently:
  - Upon completion of the order.
  Alina objected:
  "No way! It's already profitable for you to remove an extra witness and executor, and now you have this incentive not to pay eleven million. No way, you'll give me a personal card with money that only I can get."
  The mafia boss remarked:
  - But in this case, you, or rather, us, can abandon me and run away.
  The killer girl squeaked:
  - Is this a group order?
  Herod confirmed:
  - In a way, yes!
  Alina muttered:
  "The mafia seems to have placed a high bid. Well, that's none of my business. I need a personal check for eleven million dollars. And it will all be done. And as you know, if I've taken on a job, I've always completed it and I've never screwed anyone over."
  The mafia boss remarked:
  - You are naked and defenseless now!
  Alina giggled and waved. Herod flew out of his chair and knocked down two slaves. The girl appeared next to him and remarked:
  - I can kill by pressing my finger on the carotid artery!
  Herod croaked in fear:
  - Okay, I'll give you a personal check. Just promise me you'll get it done within a week!
  Alina answered with a smile:
  - I give you my word of honor... A knight's honor. I, as you know, was knighted in the Order of Malta for certain merits!
  The mafia boss croaked:
  - You know, I believe you! Okay, you're a wonderful professional and a master of your craft.
  The killer girl grinned and replied:
  - Kiss my nipple. I know you want it!
  Herod took her and gently kissed her nipple.
  Alina grinned:
  - Come on, be bolder!
  Another kiss followed, and Herod latched onto the nipple like a baby.
  The killer girl growled:
  - Enough! Now it's time for me to get dressed.
  The mafia boss asked:
  - Would you like to have a meal with me?
  Alina nodded:
  - If the food is luxurious, then with pleasure! Let's feast!
  Herod stood up and clapped his hands:
  - The most luxurious clothes for the girl!
  The maids appeared in bikinis. They brought a ball gown and jewelry.
  Alina noted:
  - It's not practical!
  The mafia boss remarked:
  - You are my princess and you will shine at the table! This will truly be super.
  The girl killer got dressed and, without much pleasure, pulled the shoes onto her tenacious and nimble feet with the padded soles of a martial artist.
  And so they went into the next room. There, indeed, a feast was beginning. Distinguished guests, usually women, sat at tables, and alcohol was plentiful. Bikini-clad servants carried sumptuous dishes on golden trays. It was very reminiscent of a feast from ancient Rome.
  Even the entertainment was similar. Teenage boys, about fourteen years old, fought with swords in their swimming trunks. True, the weapons were wooden, but the young fighters weren't immune to bruises and scratches. It was clear that the boys' tanned bodies were glistening with sweat and oil. What a fight.
  There were holes in the floor of the arena, and from time to time flames would burst out of them, burning the bare soles of the teenagers.
  Alina noted with a smile:
  - It's an interesting sight, but not new!
  She sat in the place of honor at Herod's right hand. And for now, there was plenty to see. Besides the boy fighters, three girls were dancing, gracefully and fluidly removing almost all their clothing, leaving only a few thin panties.
  And girls in bikinis, with narrow strips of fabric covering only their nipples, carried all sorts of delicacies. There were elephant trunks and snake sausages, giraffe stew, hippopotamus cutlets, sturgeon and catfish with garnish. And, of course, there were also swans, geese, Peking duck, mountains of black caviar in golden glasses, all sorts of exotic fruits, and a whole host of other things.
  Alina asked:
  -What holiday is it now!?
  Herod answered:
  - Today is the day of the great Croesus! More precisely, there's a great Sabantuy here.
  The killer girl sang:
  At Sabantuy music plays,
  And I stand alone on the shore...
  The car is going fast, but the heart is skipping a beat,
  I can't do anything!
  The other guests looked at her. Someone shouted: Bravo!
  Herod noted:
  - Our guest has many talents!
  Alina grinned and sang:
  In business, we should show our talents,
  Diamonds are a girl's best friend!
  And suddenly he burst into laughter. And the others applauded. The boy gladiators grew tired, and their movements became sluggish. And they were driven off the stage with lashes. In their place, two girls jumped out: a blonde and a redhead. One was wearing red swimming trunks, the other yellow. The girls were naked. And they fought bare-chested, tanned and with defined muscles. And both girls held wooden swords in their hands. And they fought with great energy.
  Alina licked her lips and noted:
  - Very good!
  Herod laughed and remarked:
  Should I really point the gun,
  On his Ukrainian wife,
  I will love her more!
  And he placed his hand on Alina's knee. The female killer smirked. She would have preferred someone younger and prettier. Incidentally, handsome young men and women were approaching the guests, allowing themselves to be groped and pinched. Some women even climbed into the young men's swimming trunks, behaving shamelessly, as did the men who pinched the girls' full breasts. Music was also playing, and both men and prima donnas were singing. Such was the buzz.
  Alina thought it reminded her of Satan's Ball. Incidentally, Stalin and Hitler, still alive, showed up in one movie. And they had ladies with them, which is quite amusing.
  Two very handsome young men, about sixteen years old, approached Alina and knelt down, massaging the killer's feet. She agreed and ordered them to take off her shoes and massage her feet. The handsome young men complied enthusiastically.
  Meanwhile, Alina tried black shark fillet soaked in mango juice, quite delicious. She also sipped some turtle soup. But the elephant trunk, generously drenched in spices, was a special delicacy. Yes, the mafia had everything. And yet, this was the 1990s, and many people were simply poor, not receiving their paychecks for six months.
  Alina also tried melons with honey - it was wonderful, and figs with pineapple.
  Meanwhile, both gladiator girls were suffering from a multitude of bruises and scratches from the wooden swords. And fire flickered under their bare feet every now and then. It was quite painful and amusing.
  Alina noted:
  - A good performance! Why not make it bloodier?
  Herod answered:
  - There are some like that. Where they kill, and even ask you not to leave your opponents alive. And they even use firearms. Want to see?
  The killer girl replied:
  - I saw it! In fact, I even participated.
  The mafia boss asked:
  - And did you kill anyone?
  Alina nodded:
  "Yes, Rat! He was too cruel, and even defecated on a wounded man. That was outrageous, and I went out against him to punish the bastard!"
  Herod teased:
  - And make money?
  The killer girl nodded:
  - Of course!
  The mafia boss remarked:
  - You must be very rich?
  Alina answered honestly:
  - Not as I'd hoped. Besides, I love helping the poor, especially orphans!
  Herod whistled:
  - Wow! And it turns out you're virtuous! A rare quality in a killer!
  The killer girl replied:
  - Happiness and good fortune favor the generous!
  The mafia boss noted:
  - So it was you who took down the Rat himself... That means we weren't mistaken in choosing you!
  Alina smiled and remarked:
  Leo Tolstoy once made a very wise observation about mistakes in a chess game. Specifically, the entire game is full of mistakes, but we only notice them when our opponent exploits them.
  Herod noted:
  - Yes, you are my darling... I wish I could make you my wife!
  Alina giggled and replied:
  - You're too old for me.
  The mafia boss gurgled:
  - But I am rich, and I will rake in huge amounts of money with a shovel, with my modest bride!
  Meanwhile, the girls were replaced by a mixed brigade. This time, four women fought against two adult men in armor. The male gladiators resembled medieval knights and looked somewhat awkward. The girls, however, were almost completely naked, wearing swimming trunks. And they moved swiftly on their bare, nimble feet.
  The fight was funny and the girls hit the men with wooden axes, and they fought back with poles.
  And the feast continued. The guests had already eaten heartily, and dessert was being served. This time, cakes, lavishly decorated with roses and curls. The serving girls also carried piles of pastries, candies, doughnuts, and chocolate bars with lollipops.
  Besides the girls in bikinis, the servants serving food occasionally included boys of thirteen or fourteen in swimming trunks. They, too, were all handsome and muscular, with slab-like abs.
  All the maids and servants were barefoot and wore minimal clothing, just like in ancient times. And Alina remembered that it seemed that house slaves didn't go barefoot, as doing so would give the master a bad reputation for not being wealthy enough to provide shoes for his servants. Yes, this is closer to Egypt than Ancient Rome.
  Alina cut herself a slice of cake shaped like Napoleon's tricorne. She chewed on the sweet sponge cake. She smeared it across her lips with her tongue. It was delicious. Then she devoured the chocolate cake. It was also delicious, I must say.
  And then a donut covered in powdered sugar. She ate without fear. It was unlikely they'd poison her until she'd completed her mission. Besides, a top-level assassin like her is always in demand. And in any case, her services would be needed again and again by the mafia, and perhaps even the authorities.
  She has the talent to skillfully kill and be a charming fox. And she's a girl, let's say, of the highest caliber.
  Herod gurgled:
  - Tell me, will you marry me?
  Alina grinned and remarked sarcastically:
  - Aren't you afraid?
  The mafia boss stated decisively:
  - It"s no sin to die from such a lovely hand!
  The killer girl sang in response:
  And a sign over the river,
  Colors of the hellish river...
  The girl became a hero,
  The hands became strong!
  And she ate another piece of cake, this time cutting off the one from the frigate with roses.
  The gladiatorial duel was drawing to a close. The warriors were clearly tired. More and more often, the girls' bare soles ignited streams of flame. And they jumped up and down, squealing. It looked both wonderful and funny.
  The handsome young men massaged Alina's feet and calves, lifting their hands ever higher. And she liked it.
  Herod remarked with a smile:
  - I will give you complete freedom in marriage. You will have as many lovers as you want!
  Alina squeaked:
  - Aren't you disgusted by this? Doesn't it bother you that someone will be pawing at your wife, and maybe even worse?
  The mafia boss replied with a laugh:
  - The young men are groping your bare legs and I even like it!
  The killer girl muttered:
  - Pervert!
  Herod smiled and asked:
  - Haven't you read the Marquis de Sade? What pleasure you find in perversion!
  Alina answered with a smile:
  "I watched a movie called 'Animal Instincts.'" In it, a policeman sent his wife to the streets. And when she gave in, he watched with pleasure and became aroused.
  The mafia boss noted:
  - And here we can also remember Emmanuel's husband. Well, that was great!
  The killer girl giggled and chirped:
  We watched perversions until lunch every day,
  And the cartoon about Cheburashka is cooler than Emmanuel!
  And she actually found it funny. Yes, Emmanuelle, she's a great woman, sexually uninhibited, just like the heroes and heroines of the Marquis de Sade. And it's so inspiring. Good, but not enough. If only they'd make TV series about this.
  Alina took it and sang:
  What kind of people are there in Hollywood?
  Nothing but stars and no people...
  Let's bring ourselves on a platter,
  And even an angel will not condemn!
  Meanwhile, it seemed the feast was drawing to a close. The gladiators had left the hall. In their place, strippers began dancing. They gracefully shed their clothes. This time, they even got rid of their panties. And that was even more exciting.
  Alina noted with a sweet look:
  - What a striptease! I'd like a boyfriend!
  Herod nodded with a smile:
  - You'll get a boyfriend.
  The mafia girl sang:
  Handsome guy,
  The king is always on top!
  Then she threw the cake at one of the servant boys, hitting him square in the face. He licked the cream and bowed in response, exclaiming:
  - Thank you, madam!
  Herod noted:
  - It's very nice for pretty boys to burn bare heels.
  Alina agreed with this:
  - Yes, that's right! I remember the movie "Treasure Island," and how the pirates shouted, "Cabin boy, we'll fry your heels!" But unfortunately, they didn't.
  The mafia boss remarked:
  "It wasn't a boy, but a girl. Although it's even better this way. It's so nice to torment beauties and break their toes on their bare feet!"
  The killer girl giggled and replied:
  - Yes, there is a lot of pleasure.
  The striptease continued. The music changed rhythm every now and then. Multicolored spotlights glowed. And everything was wonderful. And such a peaceful atmosphere.
  All around, all sorts of animals were sitting and even lying around. However, many of the mafiosi looked quite secular. And it felt like it.
  Alina flicked one of the young men's noses with her bare toes. He jumped back and bowed.
  The killer girl chirped:
  New Russian, you are my ideal forever,
  New Russian, influential man...
  But you know, the mafia will come for you,
  You'll get a bullet in the forehead and it won't save your health!
  And then Alina jumped up and slapped her bare feet... That's what a wonderful beauty she is.
  Everyone had already eaten their fill, and many were asking to use the restroom. The killer girl was satisfied. So she headed for the exit. She did a little exercise, doing push-ups on the marble and colorful tile floor. Then she grabbed one of the girls by the bare leg and pulled her down. She pinched her breast hard and chirped:
  - Oh, what tits! How beautiful! Don't be afraid, pussy - write down your phone number!
  She exclaimed:
  - What do you order, madam?
  Alina sang:
  - The troops are ready, madam - we will destroy everyone!
  And she grabbed the stripper's nose with her bare toes. The stripper even howled in pain. Alina's strong toes were pressing too hard on her nose.
  Herod laughed and remarked:
  - This is so beautiful! The coolness is just bursting at the seams!
  Alina let go of the girl. She jumped back and bowed. It all turned out figuratively great.
  The warrior was, let's say, super.
  After the feast finally died down and the guests began to leave, Anina went into the shower. Two very handsome and well-built young men scrubbed her with a washcloth.
  Then she went to rest... She was assigned a bedroom in a special pool-hall. There, Alina retreated to a crystal island in a bed shaped like a golden bud, with a diamond-covered mesh over it.
  The killer girl fell asleep... She was dreaming...
  There she is, flying on a broomstick, having become a witch. So beautiful, her white-golden hair fluttering in the wind like the flame of an Olympic torch.
  Alina holds a magic wand in her hands. Koschei the Deathless appears before her, roaring:
  - Where are my seven-league boots?
  This bony man of indeterminate age sits on a horse of a matte pale color, and in his right hand he holds a sharp, shiny sword.
  Alina giggled and sang mockingly:
  It's a pity there's no ford at the river,
  And the wind has no trace,
  It's a pity that bast shoes are fast walkers,
  Fleeting as water!
  In response, Koschei the Immortal swung his sword, and a pulsar flew from its tip. Alina looped her broom and dodged the energy blast. Then she responded to his Immortality with her wand.
  And this time it hit Koshchei right on target. And the little man of a mysterious age suddenly began shaking, as if he were having a seizure. And then it flared up like a miniature supernova. And in Koshchei's place appeared a small, black kitten.
  He fell down through the clouds and screamed:
  - Mom, save me!
  Alina rushed after him and picked up the little animal, noting with a laugh:
  - It's not Mom who saves you, but Auntie who forgives the brat! And promise me you won't misbehave again!
  Koschei, who had become a kitten, meowed:
  - I promise I'll be a good boy!
  Alina shook her magic wand, with a dragon's heart vein inside, and squealed:
  - Then go to school, boy!
  And she struck him with a pulsar. And indeed, Koschei transformed into a boy of about ten, with blond hair and a neat school uniform. And he was carried away in the direction where children acquire knowledge.
  And Alina sang, giggling:
  What kind of school life is this?
  Where is the test every day...
  Addition, division,
  Multiplication table!
  After which she straightened the broom and cooed:
  - I just need to find a husband,
  And now I will raise him!
  So that he doesn"t drink or smoke,
  And he always gave flowers...
  So that he would give his salary,
  He called his mother-in-law "mom",
  I was indifferent to football,
  And I'm not bored in company,
  And besides, so that he,
  He was handsome, and smart!
  EPILOGUE.
  Alina, as always, approached every task creatively. If someone had to be killed, she'd do it. Even if she was tasked with taking out Russian President Yeltsin himself. And why not? It's unclear, though, what this perpetually senile man was doing to the mafia. Wouldn't they get something worse in return?
  But that's their problem. Eleven million dollars don't just fall into disrepair. Especially in the 1990s, that's a colossal sum. And she didn't like Yeltsin, the old idiot who destroyed the USSR, led Russia to depopulation, and even lost the war in Chechnya. Tsar Nicholas II was blamed for losing the war to Japan, which had a third of its population. But Yeltsin managed to wreck Chechnya, which has a population three hundred times smaller. So that's a disgrace squared, or even cubed.
  Alina took it and sang:
  Hope, my earthly compass,
  Luck is the reward of courage...
  One song is enough,
  So that it only sings about strength!
  Indeed, perhaps things will be better after Yeltsin, no matter who the mafia puts in his place. And if he's going to be a dictator, then let him be a dictator!
  Alina received a personalized check and checked it-yes, it was genuine. This suggests the mafia trusts her and might not eliminate her as an unnecessary witness and enforcer.
  Meanwhile, Alina is doing her job. Take Yeltsin's residence in Barvikha, for example. At first glance, it seems guarded by an entire army, and it's a real challenge to even try to break in. But on the other hand, as a soldier sang in a Russian fairy tale: "If a fortress stands in the way,
  The enemy has lined up...
  We need to go around from the rear,
  Take her without firing a shot!
  And so, indeed, Alina infiltrated the heavily guarded residence quite simply. Disguised as a nurse, she replaced a blonde who looked like her and applied a little makeup.
  And now inside the presidential residence. She sees the garish luxury inside. The Hermitage simply pales. And Alina feels even greater hatred for Yeltsin and his regime, which is destroying Russia.
  Alina noted that the easiest way would be to inject Yeltsin without even the poison, simply killing him with air bubbles. She could do that. But then Yeltsin would simply be declared dead of a heart attack, which wouldn't surprise anyone, given his state of health. But it would have to be an outright murder.
  Well, that's not a problem either, although it does complicate the task. You can get weapons from the guards, or even make explosives. Even flour in the kitchen can explode.
  Alina is a master at this. Or simply poking someone in the neck with her index or middle finger. And a new chapter in history has been turned.
  She feels powerful and in control of the fate of all of Russia. And it's better to change now. Although it's clear that Yeltsin doesn't have much time left. But the mafia doesn't need communists in power either. Although many of Lenin's children have already become embourgeois, becoming capitalists themselves, and many have even joined the mafia.
  So the mafia really is immortal. And a change of president will likely only strengthen it.
  Alina thought blowing up Yeltsin and part of his residence with flour and spices would be a clever and powerful move. However, in that case, other people died. And Alina isn't a reckless woman. She's a girl and a killer with principles. She donated personal computers and truckloads of fruit to orphanages. She gave alms to the disabled. She helped those broke and victims of natural disasters.
  No, she won't kill innocent people. So there's an option: either shoot Yeltsin with a table knife, or use the guards' weapons. Or blow him up with a grenade.
  Yes, it was a seductive path. And with her looks and devilish charm, seducing some security officer would be easy.
  And then, it's not a particularly complicated matter: get hold of a weapon and use it to kill Yeltsin. And you don't even have to pull the trigger; everything can be done automatically. So, make a device and leave early to avoid getting caught in a trap.
  Overall, Alina noted that despite the enormous security, the Kremlin system is just as chaotic as the rest of the country. And that, indeed, the current "tsar" could be captured with bare hands and bare feet.
  Alina was even surprised that the communists didn't take advantage of this. But they clearly have a slave mentality. They couldn't squeeze out the words "Private property" and lost the election miserably. Although that wasn't the only issue. People's memories of long lines, empty shelves, coupons, ration cards, and business cards were too fresh. And there were fears that they would lose not only their bread but also their entertainment. In particular, they would shut down KVN, Kukly, and much more.
  Of course, it's surprising how the Communists, with such bad memories of their rule, managed to win the State Duma elections. However, Zhirinovsky is also to blame; he shouldn't have played dumb and pursued a conciliatory policy. That's how he lost the people's trust. Alexander Lebed was too stupid, and Grigory Yavlinsky was too soft. In short, it just so happened that the choice was between a bad past and a less-than-ideal present. But while people still believed in a bright future under Yeltsin, under the Communists, after seventy years of disillusionment, no one expected to build happiness. Well, maybe except for incorrigible optimists.
  Moreover, the war in Chechnya somehow took a turn for the better during the election campaign. Dzhokhar Dudayev was either killed or bribed to fake his own death. Salman Raduyev was wounded and disappeared. The impregnable Bakhmut was captured. And it seemed the war was about to end victoriously. Although Alina didn't share such optimism.
  She didn't trust Yeltsin or the Communists, and she was disillusioned with Zhirinovsky, a weakling. And Lebed is stupid and most likely a scammer, used to draw votes away from the LDPR and the Communists.
  But then, almost immediately after the elections, the Chechens struck. They managed to capture most of Grozny and Argun, and Salman Raduyev was resurrected. And then Khasavyurt and the de facto capitulation. Russia managed to lose, despite having a population three hundred times larger than tiny Chechnya. That was a disgrace.
  After which, Alina herself considered settling accounts with Yeltsin. True, Lebed-a poorly educated, primitive, and quite aggressive soldier-could have become president. And who would want that?
  Okay, time to get down to business. And why delay, since she already has the money? And without further ado, the girl pins the presidential security officer against the wall and gets down his pants.
  He, of course, gets excited, and his vision starts swimming. And Alina's lips are so soft and sweet. They literally make his head spin.
  And now he's softening up, and mastering the weapon is a matter of technique, and not particularly difficult at that. And then things will be wonderful...
  Alina created a clock mechanism to ensure that the current head of state of Russia would not survive.
  Alina didn't like Yeltsin. In particular, under his rule, Russia's population was declining and depopulation was occurring. The economy was declining, and the army was deteriorating. There were some positives, though. Big money was being made, and the commodity shortages disappeared. And there were more spectacles: just look at the State Duma-it's nothing but a circus. But of course, she wanted something better than both Yeltsin's criminal-mafia regime and the communist Soviet Union. Something third.
  Alina secured the machine gun; it should go off and riddle Yeltsin with bullets. Then it would undoubtedly be murder. But there was still a chance someone else might open the door, leaving the Tsar alive and an innocent person hurt. But Alina had a special device that allowed her to observe from a distance and shoot whoever she needed, like a smartphone-quite advanced technology by the standards of the 1990s.
  And she connected the video surveillance. Now it seems everything is done, the mechanism is in place, and control is in place. And Yeltsin should be arriving any minute now. The only thing left, perhaps for Alina personally, is to leave the residence in time to avoid being caught.
  Well, this needs to be done slowly, without unnecessary fuss, so that everything looks natural and does not arouse suspicion.
  And the girl, as if on a date with a guy, asked permission to leave and began to move away from the residence.
  More precisely, she first left the gate and walked out. And then took an expensive taxi. She was in a cheerful mood.
  Suddenly a familiar voice was heard:
  - What, dear Alina, have you messed something up again!?
  The female killer turned around. Her all-too-familiar boyfriend, Colonel and Senior Investigator Pyotr Ivanov, sat in the backseat.
  Alina giggled and replied:
  - Well, I decided to change my colors and start living honestly!
  The colonel remarked:
  "I doubt it. We've received information from our extensive network of informants that part of the mafia has decided to get rid of the president. So, I have a pretty strong suspicion that you've been assigned this job!"
  Alina laughed and replied:
  "And what does the mafia need from this? They don't have, and never will have, a better president. He's old, sick, and completely senile-it's very easy to do dirty work with someone like that!"
  Pyotr Ivanov nodded:
  - On the one hand, that's true, but on the other... Apparently the bosses have their own ideas. In the meantime, come on, my dear, confess what you're up to?
  Alina logically noted:
  "Maybe this is a chance for Russia to change life for the better. So don't interfere. This is the first elected president, and the first pancake, as always, is a flop!"
  Peter took a pistol out of his pocket:
  - My duty is to prevent the assassination of the head of state!
  The killer girl snorted contemptuously:
  - This scum, who managed to lose the war to tiny Chechnya and disgraced Russia! Is that what you mean?
  The colonel exclaimed:
  - Tell me what you did? Or I'll shoot you!
  Alina giggled and remarked:
  - Really? And I thought you'd become my friend! Or rather, fallen in love!
  Peter exclaimed:
  - Fall in love with a she-devil?
  The female killer noted:
  - So the devil is also an angel! Isn't that so?
  The colonel remarked:
  - Do you even know what a serious crime you're committing?
  Alina answered honestly:
  - Yes, I can imagine!
  Peter said with conviction:
  "You'll get killed for this! The mafia doesn't need such a dangerous and overly knowledgeable enforcer."
  The killer girl logically noted:
  "A talented killer like me is always in demand! And suddenly we'll need to eliminate the successor. After all, he might not suit the mafia either."
  Ivanov exclaimed:
  - Don't be silly! It's too dangerous!
  Alina responded angrily:
  - Danger... I've always been used to looking danger in the eye. And if anything happens, well, that's just fate!
  Peter sighed heavily... And moved his pistol, saying:
  - Okay, we'll evacuate everyone from the residence, including the president, even if he's as stubborn as a ram!
  The female killer stated:
  "They'll get him anyway. With the current chaos, it's inevitable. But just think about what awaits you."
  The colonel muttered:
  - I've been shot at five times already, and I'm ready to die!
  Alina answered with a laugh:
  "But I'm not going to die for that idiot! The one who ruined Russia and destroyed the USSR-a great country. I'd kill him for nothing, a bastard like that!"
  Peter fell silent... His face flushed, and he looked confused. Really, what a dilemma he'd found himself in. Betray his love for the sake of a scoundrel of a president.
  He was hesitant, and Alina also remained silent, so as not to disrupt his thoughts and mood.
  The female assassin glanced furtively at her smartphone. She needed to take out the enemy, in this case Yeltsin. And then everything would be a piece of cake. Yes, she would become a dangerous witness who knew too much. But she knew what she was getting into. And she wanted to destroy the scoundrel.
  Peter, nevertheless, mustering his will, raised his pistol and answered:
  "Yeltsin is certainly a scoundrel, but... My official duty is more important to me. Come on, spill the beans, or I'll start shooting!"
  Alina chirped:
  - Sit down - stand up, sit down - stand up, when we don't agree, we start shooting! An eye for an eye - blood for blood, and so on in a circle, again and again!
  The colonel muttered:
  - Come on, turn out your pockets! And take off your clothes!
  The killer girl giggled:
  - That's what you want - I understand! You want a girl's body?
  Peter fired... The bullet flew over the girl's head and hit the bulletproof glass. It bounced off and hit her bare sole (she, as usual, gets rid of her shoes in a serious situation!). And the girl exclaimed:
  - What are you doing, it hurts!
  Peter exclaimed:
  - It will hurt even more! Do you want more?
  Alina took it and sang:
  And in every police baton,
  I see Yeltsin's grin...
  His drunken, furious gaze,
  Russia's nightmare sunset!
  The colonel fired again. The bullet flew past the girl's ear. And hit the metal paneling. The driver turned around. And a pistol flashed in his hands, too. And he fired at the colonel. But Alina nudged his arm. And the bullet flew past. Pyotr fired back. The bullet hit the driver in the head and crushed his skull. It shattered, like a vase containing something soft.
  Alina squeaked:
  - Are you crazy!?
  Peter exclaimed:
  - This driver is a mafia member, and he would have shot you immediately after Yeltsin"s elimination.
  The female assassin saw something curious. The potbellied, gray-haired Russian president opened the door... and the machine gun went off.
  Alina sees herself covered in blood. It's hard to make out the details, though, as the image twitches so much, like floats in a storm.
  And the colonel tries unsuccessfully to reach the steering wheel.
  A taxi with armored windows jerked sharply and crashed head-on into an oncoming car.
  And both Peter and Alina collided. They crashed into each other, breaking bones. And both the colonel and the female assassin lost consciousness.
  Alina felt her soul flying out of her body, and a melody, so romantic, began to play in her head.
  The cosmos is painted in a black, gloomy light,
  And it seems that the stars have dimmed in their orbits!
  I want love, but the answer I hear is no,
  The hearts of lovers are broken into pieces!
  
  I beg you, my prince, come to me,
  I cried oceans of tears in grief!
  Break all the chains of prejudice,
  I want you to convey the truth to the people!
  
  Love is more important than duty and crowns,
  If you need it, I will betray my fatherland!
  And I will put my beloved on the throne,
  After all, for me my prince is more precious than life!
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Новые книги авторов СИ, вышедшие из печати:
О.Болдырева "Крадуш. Чужие души" М.Николаев "Вторжение на Землю"

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