Напряжение / Voltage: Глава 4

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"Why are you looking at me like that?" Uncle Kolya wiggled his gaze.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:02

"Maths - eighth grade!" I read expressively, shifting the book loudly from one place to the other. "In-or-ga-nic che-mis-tr-y!"

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:05

"I asked for books to prop up the table, and that's what I got!" The watchman muttered, turning away to the window.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:06

"And I'm supposed to study that?" indignantly, I shook the large book with "Geography of the Empire" above my head.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:07

"Well, they're magic books, too." the uncle said cautiously, "you're just too young and stupid to understand them yet."

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:08

"Really?" I squinted my eyes and turned my head slightly sideways to let him see how much I didn't believe him.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:09

"Do you want me to prove it?" My neighbor stepped forward and grabbed the volume from my hands. "Here, look!"

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:10

And he opened the cover.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:10

"What's that?" I stared at the picture painted in blue, yellow, and green.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:12

"It's a picture of our country from a great height," explained his neighbor patiently. "This white one is the North Pole, with perpetual snow even in summer. Polar bears live there. The blue one is the Arctic Ocean, and everything below that line is our country. There are huge mountains here, the biggest lake in the world, and that little spot is our capital, Moscow."

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:20

"Cool!" I grinned and studied the magic page for a long time, asking the uncle for details. I followed the threads of rivers from their beginnings to the seas and oceans. I counted - and kept getting confused - the number of cities. I tried to spread my fingers so that my thumb was on Vladivostok and my index finger was on Moscow, but it didn't work.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:21

"And this little dot here is our town," the uncle poked his fingernail towards the very sea at the top and left of the page.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:22

"Where am I?" came the most important question.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:23

"You're too small for this map," grinned Kolya.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:23

"So what's she for if I'm not there?" I was indignant in response. "At least they could have written a name! And pointer."

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:24

"It is not customary to write the names of individuals on a map."

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:24

"Well, it's written: The Principality of Istomin. Why can Istomin be written but not me?"

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:25

"Because it's his land," the uncle explained, losing patience. "When you have a principality, your family name will be here too."

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:26

"On this little scrap? It's shallow," I hummed.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:26

"All right. If you take over the world, it'll have your name written all over it."

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:27

"So why postpone it? I've got a felt-tip pen!"

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:28

"You don't get it. First, you seize it, then the inscription appears. And not immediately, but after about three or four months."

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:29

"It's too long," I shook my head, discreetly putting the book behind my back.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:29

I shall become emperor of the world at night after all! Twice - in blue and red felt-tip pen!

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:30

"Wow! Is this one magical too?" I grabbed the next volume. "Ka-ma..."

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:30

"Um, how did it get in here... Give it back!"

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:37

"Mine!"

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:31

"This is very powerful witchcraft!"

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:37

I followed the movement of the tome closely, noting where he had hidden it, and set a second target after the binoculars.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:38

"Phy-sics, eighth grade," it said on a shabby little book. It must be boring. I moved it indifferently to the second stack.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:38

"You're throwing it away for nothing," commented the man.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:39

"What's so interesting about it?" I did leaf through the yellowish pages and even tried to read some of the text - nothing is clear.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:44

"Find out why your bracelet is warm," he nodded at my left arm. "Eighth grade is electricity. Your gift is electricity."

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:44

"It will come in handy," I agreed, looking at the enigmatic volume in a different way.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 12:45

The book came back and was pinned on his knee for safety.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 14:32

"Then study." He lay down on the bed and turned his back.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 14:33

"When are you going to teach me how to fight?" I reminded him of an old promise.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 14:33

"Go over to the wall and hit it," he muttered, falling asleep.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 14:34

With a shrug, I walked over to the bare wall and punched it with my fist.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 14:34

"It hurts!" I shook my palm and blew on my knuckles.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 14:35

"You hit a wall, it hits you back. It's always like that in a fight. That's the first lesson. If you beat the wall, wake up," the man yawned and fell asleep.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 14:36

Probably another test. I eyed the wall suspiciously, pounded it again, and shook my hand again. The wall was clearly stronger, and it was a good thing it didn't hit first.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 14:37

I had to use magic, but how? To test it, I yelled a cryptic and magical phrase from a memorized booklet and swung my arm. I bruised my hand on the edge of my bed and added a few more powerful phrases I'd overheard from my roommate to the spell. It didn't work - the wall was still intact.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 14:39

"What to do?" I got sad. I can't break my fingers...

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 14:39

I tried to remember the sense of energy the uncle was making me look for, and I think I found something, but the punch on the wall was just as painful and pointless again. I guess there's just something I don't know. But it's in the magic books!

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 14:40

"...that I don't understand at all," he sighed, sitting down on the bed.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 14:41

He scrolled through the pages he had memorized, not finding anything he could understand enough to use. He strode across the room, glaring angrily at his neighbor and the wall. I wanted to hit them both but could not. In the end, I kicked an empty book bag and hurt my little finger; there was something left in it. I looked down at the bottom of the bag: it was indeed a black book with golden letters. It was heavy and not too small to get lost, just a big bag. I picked it up, shook it off, and quietly read: Dic-ti-o-nary. Hm... Hm! My lips were pursed with sweet anticipation, like a second cutlet for a refill.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 14:45

The dictionary didn't fail! That's why it was put under the mattress - they'll find it and take it away, and such magic will come in handy!

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 14:47

The seemingly incomprehensible and strange words appeared to be not so difficult - it was just that the adults liked to name five simple words with one cryptic word. And all I had to do was get my gift to cover my entire fist twice and then punch it! There were two more pages on how to do it, but when it was all dark and quiet outside, I made it!

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 14:53

The sound of a suitcase falling from the top shelf was heard, and the whole room shook with the floor, the clinking of cups, the rattling of windows, and a woken-up Uncle Kolya's curse.

Camrad_RIP 27.02.23 в 14:54