Напряжение / Voltage: Глава 18

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The heavy drapes turned the bright light into a perpetual gloomy twilight, illuminated by the yellow light of the wall lamps. The owner did not like to open the windows on this side of the house. The same was true of the northern part of the small mansion in the center of Arkhangelsk - it was also perpetually dusky, hiding from its sole occupant the view of what had once been his and his family's property.

Camrad_RIP 02.04.23 в 09:24

Because it is unbearably painful every day to gaze into the majestic silhouettes of factories and shipyards, businesses, and hotels, realizing that all this had been adorned with his family's flags three decades earlier, built by a string of ancestors. Everything from stone foundations to proud spires and... lost in an instant. It was all the more painful to realize that there was only a crumb of what the victor had taken for himself, leaving a handout that was somehow enough for a life worthy of his position. And even that had to be spared, especially in recent years.

Camrad_RIP 02.04.23 в 11:11

Saving on anything that can be hidden from view, of course, for no one must ever see that the Naumov family is impoverished to the extreme.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 08:37

It did not matter that half the house was unheated in winter and that there was one servant, aka the cook, for two floors. Never mind that the basement was moldy and a family of rats had nested in the wine cellar. They visited neighboring houses because there was nothing to eat in this one. It did not even matter that the house had been remortgaged twice: the second time to pay off the first loan.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 08:41

There must be a luxury car in front of the house, and the owner must appear at all important parties, each time dressed in a new suit. Everyone must see that the Naumovs are doing well. Otherwise, the young generation, the hope of the family, will be devoured by their peers. As long as their grandfather shakes hands with their peers' grandfathers, they will be afraid. Years will pass, the grandchildren will become stronger, they will receive gifted brides given in marriage by the old man (not the noblest ones, but he tried his best), and the power of the clan will be restored. Alas, not to the limits of what they had thirty years ago, but a level of well-fed life and prosperity is enough. There was plenty to live for and to act on, overcoming the senile ailments.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 08:44

A seemingly perfect plan - harmonious and full of self-sacrifice. There were no motives of revenge or hatred for the victors, only concern for the future and hope for the best. That is how it must look from the outside - the old man was well aware that the victors were watching his every move. Not so closely, of course, as in the early years after the failed one-day war, when he had almost lost his mind with rage and almost burned himself with posthumous magic - along with those who had come to agree on the reparation list.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 08:47

What kept him from committing suicide was the sympathetic - sincere - look of the man who had come to accept the surrender. A dark-skinned fellow - younger than he - with a slight accent asked to think of the children - they had not been touched by the enemy. They admitted to him that they were alive out of nobility, in memory of their ancestors and their good deeds, but that without the eldest kinsman, the clan would disappear. Children would be scattered among other families, brought up in their way, and would use the family name and all its privileges for their own needs rather than for the glory of the last bearers of noble blood. So he has something to live for. But there is no reason to die - the posthumous curse, as it turns out, has no power to harm his companion, the sympathetic monster who murdered his entire family.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 08:51

The head of the Naumov family managed to hold his own. After a pause, he even bargained for a couple of businesses from that list, which were not the most important or profitable, but at the time, this victory seemed very important amid the black slate of devastation and despair.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 09:06

Thirty years ago, no one could have guessed how another episode of a generally standard family practice would turn out. The Naumovs were selling hopes - almost as much as a poor man buying a lottery ticket. Only the clients were big business, most often young, promising, ambitious, and not accepting the rules and the old tradition of patronage. The strong, pushy managers somehow thought that the days when a commoner had to bow to his lord were over, and their money and huge successes reinforced the fools in this delusion. Of course, no one was robbing them. Why quarrel with the imperial aristocracy, which guarantees the freedom of business, and cast a shadow over the honor of the family by making themselves out to be vulgar brigands? Absolutely not!

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 09:08

Just one day, a call would ring up in the office of the director of a large company, and it would be immediately transferred to the head of the company. It is not right to ignore the representatives of a very wealthy family! However, it was not the bearer of a respected family name who spoke to the director but a trusted person. It is not suited for the head of the family to negotiate personally... But the offer, even if it was delivered by the lips of a servant, moreover, as if it was a great mercy, was tremendous in its scope! The sums in the air made even the veteran businessmen gripe at the edge of the table to be sure that it was real, that dreams had come true, and that the respected clan had come to them itself! They did not pound the doorstep asking for crumbs from the table, but on the contrary - they were invited to take a seat next to them, being treated as equals! And it is not a big deal - to take something that no one pays attention to. It happens even in the twenty-first century.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 09:13

There will be lawyers going around in circles, and there will be meetings and consultations, but the feeling of a miracle coming true will not go away. Because you have to be an aristocrat to see beyond the numbers, beyond the faceless icons on the map.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 09:14

Emboldened by hope, the rich commoner will make his move, with his characteristic determination flying neck right into the open palm of an aristocrat - the same reason why in the twenty-first century no one pays attention to the richest deposits under the picturesque valley, between two small mountains... What idiot would decide to dig where generations of Gorchakovs' ancestors are buried? No plaque, no description in textbooks? One must have an understanding - princes are buried in family armor, with weapons and rings, and decorated with gems. Who can point out such a place?

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 09:16

And now the rich commoner is running to his friends in panic and wild fear - he has already been told what has been done to those who touched the sacred ancestral land with the shovel and the drill in a just fury. He threatens and demands, shakes papers and correspondence, but finds not the slightest understanding in return. The Naumovs are not to blame for his stupidity. The Naumov family did not enter into any contract with him. But, so be it. The Naumovs will help him solve his very big problem and even stay alive - for half of everything this commoner has. And he will agree. You can be sure.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 09:19

The Naumovs will negotiate, resolving the conflict with a finesse honed over the centuries. There will be arguments, heartfelt repentance, collector's wine, and lengthy arguments about the modern generation. In the end, everything will be resolved. Of course, something will have to be given away - from what is left of the now not-so-rich commoner.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 09:19

And then whatever the Naumovs have taken for themselves, they will give back, nobly and kindly. On one tiny condition, of course. This enterprise will now be under their hand. But is that so important in a truly regal offer, stunningly generous? Especially since the gift is sure to be complemented by new prospects of cooperation, this time without the slightest catch. Emboldened by this new hope, the new servant of the clan will rush to restore what has been lost, hardly realizing that now he is no longer working for himself but for his master. In this way, the right order of the world will be restored to the great satisfaction of all parties.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 09:21

The Naumovs never engaged in forgery. The lands were indeed foreign, other people's ancestors did sleep under them, and the conflict could certainly have ended in the death of a business partner determined to live by law rather than tradition. In this strange cocktail of hopes and disappointments, the respected clan managed to do no mean feat - under their own name. So there were not only nameless valleys with platinum underneath - the same Gorchakovs would have been greatly amazed to find two idiots not wanting to live in a short time. There are all sorts of things on the map - on land and sea - that cannot be touched, even if the place is declared no man's land. Millennia of wars and armistices had accumulated so many "sore spots" in the immense expanse of the Empire that there would be enough for many generations of Naumovs. There should have been enough.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 09:26

Thirty years ago, the servants of the family dialed another number. The new 'partner' that the family had approached looked very promising. To think, in just twenty years, an entire merchant fleet had been created and was operating successfully around the world! Thanks to its size and streamlined logistics, the company did not need the help of the nobility - it so happened in all countries it was desirable to transport some goods on neutral ships and not under anyone's coat of arms. The company successfully carved out a niche for itself and prospered, expanding at an unprecedented ten percent annually - how could one miss that? Especially a family tied to the seashore for centuries, with half of Arkhangelsk in personal ownership.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 09:38

This time the wealthy commoners were offered a convenient route to navigate. A map of the currents and seabed, not at all the same as the traditional nautical atlases, was thrown in. It turned out that the delivery time along the popular transatlantic route could be reduced by a day, gaining a significant competitive advantage and saving on fuel. The 'partners' were quite impressed but refused to believe it. It doesn't happen in the twenty-first century, does it? Satellites are hovering over the planet, planes are flying over the waves, and thousands of ships are sailing the seas - how can one not see a strait where they promise an island ridge and reefs?

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 09:41

It took six months for hope to shine brightly - sailors are unhurried, thorough people. But indeed, it turned out that the respected clan was absolutely right!

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 09:42

The convoy of the ships of the first test voyage was burnt to ashes as soon as the first board had marked the maneuver into the Straits. It is difficult to reconstruct what forces were set in motion and what or who scuttled the four seaboats. No witnesses, no satellite transmissions - simply the beacons installed on each ship stopped transmitting a signal. The search team easily found a smoldering oil slick in the water - something you can't miss.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 09:43

Here the head of the clan would have told with a clever look about the reasons for the sea tragedy, but he did not know what interests of a very rich princely family forced to forge maps and not to allow foreign satellites to fly over this part of the world. To him, it was just another point his grandfather had once pointed to, accompanied by the phrase 'prohibited'. Who cared, anyway? The philosophical musings of the day were drowned in the bustle of lawyers, attorneys, and other professionals preparing for the imminent visit of the bewildered but still wealthy commoner. Not that they had already informed him that they were on their way, as hopeful as all his predecessors, but an hour earlier, an hour later - who cares?

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 09:46

Soon a delegation of three did arrive in town on a barge laden with coal. Only they did not want to talk.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 09:48

Grey dust shot up into the air, covering the port and its surroundings in a dark cloud that, to the bewildered eyes of the townsfolk, immediately split into swirling arms that stretched across the city. And there was thunder - incessant, making people hide their eyes from the bright blue flashes, covering their ears from the terrifying thunder.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 09:50

A primal fear was breaking the will, pressing the gaze to the floor - because something incredible was going on in the sky. Electric flares danced through the steel-dark swirls, a vicious roar of light shooting into targets unseen from the residence, where the enemy was striking. North of the city, the guardhouse and arsenal. North-east, the power station. South, the television tower and communications. The heart whimpered, unable to see the return bursts of fire from the defenders, unable to hear the answering rumble of generic artillery in the wild roar of natural calamity. //Just hope we stay alive..." - whispered the mind, while the head of the clan organized with an iron hand the defense where he was. Naumovs are strong allies, and it is enough to hold out until help arrives. After a moment it became clear that no one would help. Simply - no one would know of anyone else's misfortune.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:16

The phones did not work, the machinery flickered with empty screens, unwilling to work, and a haze of atmospheric interference buzzed in the receiver of the old corded phones. And even the mere cries for help from the maddened servants were drowned out by the roar of the storm. The clan was alone - as if in a wild forest, as if nothing existed around them: no computers, no cellphones, no satellites hovering over the planet, no hundreds of years of progress and achievement.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:19

"What should we do?" Financiers and economists shouted in panic.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:19

"This is illegal!" The auditors and lawyers were shaking the papers.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:20

Outside the window was not their millennium. There, behind the armored windows, the word 'law' had not yet been invented. The prehistoric era was upon them, and the elements were upon the caveman, unstoppable, merciless, with wings of ash covering everything around them. So it was time to act according to the times.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:21

In inclement weather, ancient people prayed to the gods for leniency by sacrificing livestock. These gods would demand enterprises and gold - and Naumov was willing to pay.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:21

His men climbed onto the roof of the building, waving a white cloth sheet in the desperate hope of being seen. The cloth turned grey with dust, charred with ash, and almost caught fire altogether until someone thought to run water over it. They were noticed - not immediately. Perhaps ostentatiously, they were blindsided by the fire and the oblivion of their surroundings. Then the head of the clan took the filthy rag himself and tried to shout in despair to quell the storm of other people's anger.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:24

Silence filled the ears as if a giant switch had been flipped, the thunderous cannonade ceased, and the grey clouds parted, making way for the sky and the sun. Only black flakes continued to fall from the sky. The communication was switched on.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:25

The loss shook the imagination. So much so that it took the head of the family a long time to make a move on the roof - the realization of having to walk on ashes that had once been his associates, his friends, and his helpers were stultifying to the mind.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:26

The wind relented and swept the black flakes aside, allowing the head over the hundreds who had become corpses to descend inside the house. Those who were to sign the peace were already standing on the threshold, politely knocking on the front door - two in elegant suits and a lady in an evening dress, as if they had come off the cover of a publication about the capital's celebrities and social bums.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:27

All the preparations made that day came in handy - the symbols, the regalia, the armorial seals. But this time the imprint was put under someone else's document, created by someone other than his kind, but with the same superb punctuality describing everything that would have to be given away. In order to live.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:28

The parties bowed politely to each other, accepting their copies of the papers. The winners departed on their own, while the losers were left to put out fires and bury their loved ones.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:29

After about half an hour, friends suggested the cause of the disaster, and the last of the older Naumovs wanted to catch up with the enemy to run posthumously again - to at least take the assassin's associates with him. But those were no longer in town.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:29

That's all - an ancient clan was offended that its name was being used in a murky matter.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:30

They were not even asked, persuaded, or given fate as payment!

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:31

//Is such a thing possible?! - It was pounding in his temples. - Was it worth it?! - A mute cry ripped through my chest. - They've done this on purpose! They did it on purpose, to ruin it and take it all away! - The resentment over his ruined life screamed in him, as intense as that of a boy who had seen a company of soldiers walk through the sandcastle he had built.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:32

And just like a boy, there is nothing he can do to the offenders. In a world of strength, as obvious as it may seem, strength determines everything. Naumovs would not have had the strength to fight such an enemy before, and now they would not even have the strength to get away with it.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:33

Could he have taken revenge? No. Had he given up the idea? Never.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:33

Years go by, the past fades into oblivion, old conflicts are forgotten, enemies no longer seem dangerous, and resources are reallocated to priority targets. None of the winners have cared about the old man for ten years. And this is all very well for those aspirations and plans that warm the soul with an unbearable fire of hatred - which has not died out to this day.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 10:34

Naumov was helped by chance. After all, his family's holdings were too large for the new masters to change everyoneю Traditionally they simply reshuffled the key personnel, and the big bosses were kicked out with a wolf's ticket. But there were also the ordinary workers who had not yet forgotten who their true master was - the clan had never abandoned a servant in need, so the dispatcher, whose wife had literally been pulled from the dead, always remembered to whom he owed his good fortune.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 11:23

The faithful servant was interested in a general routine request from his superiors - not to notice the clan plane taking off. Thinking, "Why?", "Why?" - he wasn't supposed to, but why not let his imagination run wild during his boring watch? Only reality proved to be more interesting than fantasies. First, the plane had quite different take-off characteristics, exceeding the set take-off speed for its class. Second, the plane did not take the standard set of food and water. Third, the plane arrived towards the end of its duty, having requested an ambulance to the gangway. Fourth, the dispatcher had been killed as soon as he had sent his reflections to his own e-mail. And it was not because of the last fact. Naumov had long read the monologues of a dozen loyal servants and had all the necessary passwords.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 11:45

The head of the fallen clan became interested and pulled other strings, picking up rumors and news from the victorious camp. Somewhere they ordered new mirrors of gigantic size - just like those that decorated the gallery of the main palace - to replace the broken ones (and where else to order for a strong clan, but not in their own factories?), somewhere they were told about the disgrace of the lord to his young wife. Trifles gradually coalesce into something not at all obvious even to a monster intuit of the clan's chief level. Unless, of course, that head was missing a large chunk of the overall picture. A big chunk that he wasn't supposed to know. But his grandfather had told him a lot.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 11:48

There was a funny and educational story in those stories about the Vedeneevs. A couple of hundred years ago, the most powerful fortune-teller in the family predicted the appearance of a visionary of incredible power, whose name would be Sophia. The whole generations, row after row, started to whittle children, calling every girl and sometimes even boy - Sophia, until the family has become an incredible viper's nest, having lost all honor and conscience. Nowadays, they're just regular charlatans playing Tarot cards with a crested pattern. Such a disgrace.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 11:50

One of the prince's official wives was named Sophia, which did not make her a strong visionary at all, despite her maiden surname. But it did make her the kind of woman one could become cold to after a scandal - because of the weakness of the family. There was always kin behind princely wives who turned family quarrels into political conflict, so some mirrors could not become the cause of discord. And even later, a quiet divorce - just another faithful servant noticing that the beautiful mistress did not have a ring on her ring finger...

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 11:52

It is difficult to explain by pure logic what drove him to think, forcing him to pull one or the other faithful person, to make small talk so that he would be told about the facts he was interested in. For example, the prince had a very young daughter - very interesting information, as the information about children old families tried not to let out over the threshold of the house. Except that none of the gorgeous, glamorous official brides had missed the social life in the last year, adorning the picture of TV channels and glossy pages with their perfection. Intuition dragged him through the maze of inaccurate rumors and broken descriptions to a clue. The answer, found after six months of effort, fit well with the princely ambitions.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 11:55

His enemies decided to play at raising a Visionary. And in such a way that no one would even think of it. It was standard practice to separate the future visionary from her mother, and the young mistress was not going anywhere at all, staying daily in the palace as if for show. But it is not necessary to use the mother for this purpose... Another close relative, such as a newborn baby brother or sister, could be quite sufficient. This, of course, is more difficult than with a mother - an adult, aware of his duty to his family, himself hides and plays great hide-and-seek with the future prophet. But it is quite realistic if you organize it properly, isn't it?

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 11:57

And no one would think to look for a bearer of noble blood, sacrificed to the potential power of the clan... And where to look for him? The world is vast! The world, of course, is huge, but Upper Novgorod, where the prince's plane was heading that night, is only a half-million town, in which, if he sets his mind to it, it is not so difficult to find a child even for him. Only one must proceed with extreme caution! It is foreign territory, after all, and one should not forget about surveillance.

Camrad_RIP 06.04.23 в 11:58