Напряжение / Voltage: Глава 8

The new watchman was moved in on the second day, and he was... well, not a hero at all! He was slouching and unshaven, with two big arms and legs, and he smelt like the crippled Uncle Kolya had never allowed himself to smell. And when he said hello, baring yellow teeth, I realized - this is what real cannibals look like...

Camrad_RIP 03.03.23 в 17:38

He also fought painfully, dragged muddy water in an unlabelled bottle, and smoked a cigarette out the window. And that was on the first day - as soon as the babysitter closed the door behind her.

Camrad_RIP 03.03.23 в 17:39

Halfway through the night, tormented by the bad smell and pain in my leg, I went over ways to deal with the ogre. There was a foolproof method: the cat in boots. But there were no boots.

Camrad_RIP 03.03.23 в 20:53

The uncle had forbidden me to use the gift openly, which made me feel even sadder. I didn't want to complain to the babysitter; I could do it myself, but I had to figure out how.

Camrad_RIP 03.03.23 в 20:54

And so I lay staring up at the ceiling, cringing at the snoring of the new neighbor. I'd rather have Laika. She's a better watcher and smells tastier. And it's all right that she's untrained. She can be trained. One cutlet and Laika already know the commands "sit" and "voice". I wish it were that easy with humans. Hmm!

Camrad_RIP 03.03.23 в 20:57

I reached under the mattress and pulled out the cherished dictionary volume. Where is the letter "T"? Training is learning by alternating positive and negative reinforcement. And it's never too late to learn - everyone knows that. And neither is learning!

Camrad_RIP 03.03.23 в 20:58

I looked at my neighbor and shook my head in the negative - I'm certainly not giving him a cutlet. And I wouldn't give him a belt, either, I grimaced. I was scratching at the bruise on my leg.

Camrad_RIP 03.03.23 в 21:00

I wish I could be invisible... Or I wish I had a strong friend to punish the evil man. Or better yet, a strong and invisible friend! Hm-hm-hm! Why would he really exist? The lips touched a sly smile - just like the man behind the fence when he was looking at the forgotten coil of wire.

Camrad_RIP 03.03.23 в 21:02

I got up early in the morning (it was easy) and, with some leftover sugar from Uncle Kolya, set out to make good.

Camrad_RIP 03.03.23 в 21:03

When Uncle Sergei woke up and came out of the room, he found two dozen children staring at him regretfully, shaking their heads and recoiling as soon as he stepped aside. Understandably, the new watchman could not stand it.

Camrad_RIP 03.03.23 в 21:05

"What?" he barked angrily.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 08:45

"Uncle, did you know that a housekeeper lives in this room?" The owner of ten cubes of raffinate muttered frightenedly.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 08:46

"Get out of here, you little brat!"

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 08:46

"You should," the others exhaled together (we rehearsed!), "we're warning everyone."

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:07

Even the ogre was touched.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:07

"About what?" Uncle Sergei was already cautiously interrogating me.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:08

"Did you know the old watchman was missing an arm and a leg?" Uncle Sergei was asked in a low voice from behind, and he twitched and turned sharply.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:09

"And what?"

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:09

"We warned him, too..." the boys stretched out and then diverged abruptly, losing all interest in the place.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:12

"Ugh, bloody hell," Uncle Sergei spat on the floor.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:12

He was nervous all the way through the evening, only calming down just before he went to bed. Wrong.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:17

As the watchman sank tiredly onto the mattress, an electric shock ran from the foot of the bed to the base of his skull.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:18

Uncle Sergei flew to the floor, grabbed the bed again, and flew back to my bed.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:18

"W-what the hell..." the watchman stammered.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:19

"The housekeeper," I answered as a matter of course.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:19

"Why didn't you say so?!" The ogre yelled at me angrily.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:20

"I wanted to, but you beat me down," I shrugged. "Good night."

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:28

"What to do?" The man ran his hand through his hair. "Hey, kid, get out of here. I'll sleep on your bed."

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:28

"It won't help."

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:29

But I dutifully left the bed, wondering if my bed would get electrocuted or if more of that mysterious "voltage" was needed. Last time it was enough to discharge with the emotion "I guess it's interesting", but I have two mattresses (people will do a lot for sugar).

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:30

"Damn!" Uncle Sergei flew upwards and bumped to the floor in an arc.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:30

I walked around, poked him on the shoulder with the tip of my foot, waited for no answer, and started figuring out how many pieces of coloring paper it would take to cover up the body. No, I could also knock the wall down on it - Uncle Kolya said that the building was dilapidated, and I could bring it all down with a careless blow... oh, he moved!

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:32

"Mother!"

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:32

"And she's not here," I replied sympathetically, "no one has her here."

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:33

Uncle Sergei huddled against the wall and stared sadly at the bed, figuring something out.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:33

"The Housekeeper doesn't like dirty people," I advised him. "But you may not believe it."

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:34

The new watchman looked at me strangely - I thought he was going to beat me up. Instead, he grabbed some things from the drawer and left for an hour. He came back clean and refreshed. He touched the bed with great care, touched the blanket with his hands, and sat down slowly, exhaling.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:37

"If it wasn't with me... I never would have believed it," he whispered under his breath. "Hey, kid... any more rules?"

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:38

"Two pieces of sugar over there," I nodded to the corner near the exit of the room - there was already a special bowl lying there "and don't beat me."

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:41

"What, is it also a rule?" he glared.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:43

"I've been paying the Housekeeper for five years, and you've been here for the first day," I shrugged again and rolled onto my side against the wall.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:43

A minute later, two sugar cubes clinked against the tiles behind him. //Mwha-ha-ha-ha-ha! as the labor teacher used to say when I brought him some of that murky liquid to swap for wire.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:45

For the next two weeks, we learned to be clean. Then the Housekeeper didn't like that Uncle Sergei smoked, and after another two months, he gave up drinking too.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:45

In early August, he arrived in a nice black suit, white shirt, and tie, neatly cut. I didn't even recognize him at first, though I saw him walking leisurely from the entrance down the path to the door, past the buzzing crowd of kids who had just been brought in from the excursion - and the boys didn't recognize him either.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:46

"I quit, Maxim," he explained with a smile, noticing the amazement of recognition on my face. "I'm an insurance agent now."

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:47

The imposing (I want a suit, too!) man walked over to his cabinet, opened it, looking inside. He chewed his lips and closed them, taking only a huge box of sugar cubes in his hands. Well, it was understandable - the most valuable things had to be taken away.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:48

"Ah..."

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:48

"I came to the boarding school to ask former colleagues if anyone needs insurance. These are turbulent times," he said confidently.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:49

"Let them insure the boarding school against fire."

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:49

"Good idea, I will definitely suggest it," he smiled at me.

Camrad_RIP 04.03.23 в 09:49