arrives every day, muddy, dark, gloomy. Storms, fights about concrete bulls. Dry leaves, herbs, bushes, branches, the whole trees – everything that was taken by the river on the way – stuck around ledges of bulls, litter coast.
But thousands of builders day and night forge chains for the river.
Kuzma Sysoyev works at building together with the wife. It became as though still prickly. Lost weight, acquired a beard. Day works, and does not sleep at night, turns as if he is pricked by dry bones.
– What you do not sleep? – the wife grumbles.
Kuzma in the dark sighs.
– Gleb damned does not give to rest with the artel…
Yesterday there were I to a barrage at night, and it goes about a pipe with air, sniffs up. And change not it. What there it is necessary to it? Uvidal me – was washed away.
– And you what business? – the wife grumbles. – Watch yourself. Here winter is at hand, and you still a fur coat yes did not receive valenoks. Others received long ago.
– Tomorrow it is necessary vostronosy to tell – Kuzma continues, thinking of the.
– And long ago it is time – the wife calms.
Suddenly the beep, faltering, alarm, tears night calm to parts. Alarm…
Kuzma ran out on the street.
That for weather damned! Wind knocks down, the rain whips, the river hoots. Workers run.
Shout, noise not to understand in what business.
– Why alarm? – Kuzma asks.
– Accident. The pipe with liquid air does not work, melted ice, the caisson fills in – someone answers on the run.
Kuzma quickens the pace. The river ate an ice wall and presses a caisson. Here flashed as though the gray-haired head of Gleb and disappeared.
“It… Precisely his hands business” – Kuzma thinks.
The person in an old thick cloth coat without cap runs on the edge of a caisson. Vostronosy. Shouts, swings hands. To a pipe got, potters.
– You leave – shout to it. – Water will fill in.
Where there! Mikheyev sees nothing, does not hear. “If only liquid air went”.
And water is higher and higher, just about will fill in a caisson. Water knocks Mikheyev down, but he creeps again, clings to a pipe…
And suddenly crash, noise; a white cloud, hissing and whistling, fills a caisson. The pipe broke, and liquid air went directly to Mikheyev.
Mikheyev raised hands and… and stiffened, turned into an ice statue.
Storm, roar, noise also howl…
5
Dry Dol’s village as if the ruined ant hill. To look – and you will not understand what happened. At peasants bewilderment is more senior on faces, the youth is cheerful, and women howl, as on the dead man. Nobody stays at home, all run from a hut in a hut.
And at the Village Council the people already crowd, collect a descent.
Two persons came by the car, they also stirred a rural ant hill. Announced: Volga in the steppe turns, and on the Dry Dale water will begin to flow. It is necessary to move to the mountain. On transportation and building money will be given. Who has an old hut, the new wood will be received.
The people rustle. It is good to receive money, to get a new hut. It is bad to throw familiar spot.
Ipat calling himself “the strong middling person” strokes a long beard which for some reason turned gray from one side.
– So it is so. And it is not necessary to agree durolomy too. Perhaps on a hill there is no water. Perhaps there to dig wells – you will not get to the bottom of water.
– Yes at water, a skewbald beard, we will live. Though from a window sup water.
– It grieves it to throw a new hut on the stone base. All base will be crumbled. The reluctance to start.
– To whom hunting? – Ipat answers. – Today on the mountain, tomorrow downhill… Directly put huts on wheels.
– Truly. Let’s not go to the mountain.
Broke into parties. And again came from the city, it is necessary to convince a descent. Fought, postponed until evening.
– Children, and Panas Chepurenko will not go to the mountain at all. Uporisty old man.
– Who is Chepurenko? – visitors ask and learn that Panas – a thick oak of ninety two years, but still strong, the native from Ukraine. It is stubborn as a chock, believes in God. Tobacco smells, itself pounds.
Marishkin and Kurilko who came by the car decide to visit Panas after a descent.
It with a rake in hands digs in a kitchen garden. Answered a greeting with low bow and calls in a hut.
– Yes we here on an open air will talk to you.
But the old man is unshakable.
– Yakshcho on a rozmova, I ask to a hut. – And the first leaves.
There is nothing to do, followed for it.
– Here that, the grandfather – Marishkin says – it is necessary to move to the mountain. If itself you will not be able, people will help.
– And navishche to exchange on the mountain dertitsya. Meni and here much.
– It is impossible, old times. Here water will fill in everything soon.
Panas listens carefully, irons long moustaches, slowly takes out a tavlinka, smells tobacco and at last negatively swings the head.
– Not the mozha tsyy quarrystone – is surely answered by him. – God обицяв, що zliv бильш without awaking.
Visitors exchange glances. They did not expect such objection. Marishkin, at once not to embitter the old man, decided to act diplomatically.
– Yes that about a Flood is told, and here Volga only, will fill in several villages, here and yours too. For irrigation of fields, you understand? From a drought. Fills in villages and villages a spring flood. So same not a flood.
– Повинь – an insha on the right. To Rozilletsya a richka й in protect a znova having come. And ви you show, шо all the hall on vichno. And ви дурницю you show, шо the hall. Not to a mozha tsyy quarrystone. God казав, шо zliv without awaking, thaw without awaking. Nikudi not pita.
Well you will do with it? Marishkin took out a scarf from a pocket and wiped the sweated forehead.
– You
