Islanders

“Oh! What a surprise!” Arthur moved forward.

“Look!” Lida opened her mouth.

“There are eight …” counted Vera.

“Well and what's from that?” Angelica was calm.

“You are bad at mathematics, darling.” Lida told her. “We are seven.”

“Then has anybody thrown two envelopes?” Zhanna asked. “But why?”

“To be sure.” with a smile Arthur said. “Well? Shall we read them?”

Ivan took the first envelope. Everybody looked at him. The first note dropped out. The letters seemed small. Ivan took the note in his hands and read.

«I love Sergey».

“Oh!” Arthur was surprised. “That's the brave woman!”

“And why do you think that it was written by the woman?” Ivan looked at him.

“But who else?”

“It could write the man, too.”

“Do you want to tell that I or Seva … Or someone from us can be the gay? The gay? Do not make me laugh!”

“It can be.” Lida said.”I am not the gay!” Arthur shouted.

“We do not need proofs.” Ivan noticed. “But it could write both the man and the woman.”

“I am not the gay! Did you hear?” Arthur did not stop.

“And why are you shouting?” Seva noticed.

“Who could think …” Angelica said sarcastically. “Such a pleasant young man … Though …”

“Are you deaf? I am not the gay!”

“Okay, calm down already.” Lida became angry. “You’re not the gay…Well.”

“Stop talking about that!” Arthur returned back to his arm chair. At that time Ivan unpacked the other envelope and read.

“«I envy Sergey». Will you say again that it was written by the woman, Arthur?”

“Why? It was just written by the man.”

“And why cannot the woman envy Sergey?” Zhanna asked.

“Well.”

“May be she envies his professional career. May be, his money at last.”

“I accept.” Ivan agreed. “As well as it can be the motive for the murder. It’s a strong feeling.”

“I doubt.” Seva said.

“Was it written by you?” Arthur looked at him. “Am I right?” “If you wrote the first note…”

“I am not the gay!”

“Silence!”

“Shut up!”

Ivan opened the third envelope and the absolutely clean paper dropped out. Everybody looked at it with astonishment.

“Did someone fake?” Zhanna asked.” And forgot to write the fear?”

“I will confess.” Ivan signed. “I did it. I put the clean envelope in the box.”

“But why? “ they looked at him with the surprise.

“I would like to take part in the game too. But I am neutral. That's why I sealed the clean paper. I have already burnt all my fears.”

“At least, one problem is gone.” Arthur shrugged his shoulders.

“Let's continue.” Vera nodded.

And Ivan opened the next envelope.

«I want Sergey» he read.

“Wow! You are very brave!” Angelica burst out laughing.

“It's not.” Lida frowned.

“Darling, have you written it?”

“What?”

“You are not married. And you want the big strong man …”

“Are you mad? I could not write it.” Lida became red.

“Among us there is the loving woman.” Arthur said watching the women sitting in armchairs. “It is interesting, who is she?”

“That's another question.” Zhanna said angrily. “If the woman constantly wants sex she is ill. And what about the man?”

“He is always the man.” Arthur said. “That's his natural state.”

“And if he is the gay.“ Zhanna asked innocently looking at him.

“Why are you looking at me?!”

“Zhanna wants to say that the note was written by the man or by the woman.” Ivan interfered.

“It's a madhouse any way!” Arthur complained.

“Do not forget that among us there is the murderer.” Vera reminded. “And it is not simply a madhouse. It is the madhouse where one of the patients is the most dangerous. By the way, it is the reason to write «I want Sergey». The murder was jealous.”

At that time Ivan opened the next envelope and said.

“Have a look!”

Through the paper by huge letters was written: «I AM GOD».

“It was written by the madman.” Zhanna said in a low voice.

“It’s an addiction.” Vera added.

“Sure. The maniac.” Arthur nodded.

“Comments do not require.” and Ivan put the note aside.

“Unless the woman would not write «I am Goddess»?” asked Angelica.

“You – I do not doubt.” Arthur grinned.

“Silence. Next.” Ivan stopped them. And he opened the next envelope. His face became strange. Then Ivan read. «I will kill Sergey today».”

There was a long pause. After it Arthur asked.

“That’s the worse than «I AM GOD», isn’t it?”

“This note is about the murder.” Zhanna said slowly.

“It is necessary to find the one who wrote it.” Vera said firmly.

“Is it a joke?” asked Angelica.

“You have got strange jokes!” Arthur answered.

“But this note is direct.” summed up Ivan.

“And no need to open the other envelopes.” said Vera.

“Oh, no!” Seva protested. “Let’s do it!”

“And who argues?” Arthur was not against. “Finally, we will open all the envelopes!”

“I agree there won't be worse.” Vera was pale.

“Who knows?” Zhanna asked slowly.

Ivan opened the following envelope and read.

«I hate Sergey». Not by the printing letters but it seemed by the left hand. An inclination of letters showed it.

“That's the same as «I will kill Sergey today»” Zhanna noticed.

“Nothing similar!” Arthur said sharply. “In my opinion «I AM GOD» is the most important!”

“Well, let's open the last envelope.” Ivan reminded. “I am curious what is there.”

“Yes.” Angelica said firmly.

And the last note had fallen on the table. Ivan took it and read like an actor.

«I am with Sergey in sex relations».

“Will you insist that it was written by the man?” Arthur was indignant.

“I do not say that all three notes «I love Sergey», «I want Sergey» and «I am with Sergey in sex relations» are written by the man.” Ivan answered. “But only one is. Is it important?”

“So who among us is the gay: me or Seva?” Arthur asked.

“I would think that you are, darling.” Angelica sang.

“Is it because I guessed that you went down in the hatch and closed the door?” Arthur asked angrily.

“Come on, darling.”

“By the way, you insulted me!”

“By the way, you are talking too much and Seva is silent.”

“That doesn't prove anything!”

“Calm down.” Ivan again stopped them. “Let's sum up.”

And he accurately put all eight notes on the table. The clean one was above and then he read.

«I love Sergey»

«I envy Sergey»

«I want Sergey»

«I AM GOD»

«I will kill Sergey today»

«I hate Sergey»

«I am with Sergey in sex relations»

“So.” Ivan said. “Except me, does anybody wish to make a confession?”

“We have forgotten one thing.” Vera said slowly.

“What is it?” everybody turned to her.

“What has Sergey himself written?”

“You're right!” Arthur cheered her. “Absolutely right!”

“In all the notes the name Sergey is mentioned.” said Lida. “He could not write about himself, could he?”

“You're right.” Arthur praised her. “But one moment: the name isn't everywhere. How do you find the note «I AM GOD»?”

“He was the madman, wasn't he?” Zhanna asked.

“Anyway there is only one note where there is no name Sergey.” Ivan noticed. “I had the idea that Sergey had written it. Though there are maybe variants.”

“It's interesting, what variants?” Seva looked at him.

“For example: «I will kill Sergey today». What if he decided to commit suicide?”

“Fine!” Angelica supported Ivan. “He is right as the psychotherapist!”

“And why isn't he writing that he'll kill himself?” Arthur objected. «I will kill myself today».

“Don't turn it upside down.” Vera said. “You may say "I am with Sergey in sex relations." as making sex with himself.”

“Vera!” Lida was embarrassed.

“What is it? We are adults. And these are not toys any more. And you, Lida, suffer by yourself.”

“She is old-fashioned!” Angelica sniffed. “By the way why the dead could not write, for example «I love Sergey»? That's not strange that he loved himself. We all love ourselves.”

“I personally come to the idea that Sergey wrote «I AM GOD».” Seva signed.

“Did you know him so well?” Vera looked mad.

“He didn't seem to me so mad.” Angelica shrugged her shoulders.”Anyway we never know what exactly he had written.” Zhanna said. “Because … because he … he died. And he wouldn't tell anybody anything.”

“We do not know if only the others do not say what each had written.” Ivan noticed. “Then by an exception we’ll find Sergey's note. We should confess.”

“But at first we should find a way to get out from here.” Seva said. “I would prefer to call the police.”

“I thought you’re bad, Vsevolod,” Arthur said.”I even guessed that you're the gay. I was mistaken in you!”

“Personally I find some aggression in him.” sang Angelica. “If to speak by Hippocrates language…”

“Where did you find these words, darling?” said Lida. “It seems you even haven't got the diploma, have you?”

“She is the different one.” Arthur noticed.

“What do you want to say?” Ivan moved forward.

“When we left in a corridor, she told Sergey she would wait for him on the balcony. They wanted to talk. And I understood they had known each other.”

“Lovers?” Vera moved.

“Nothing similar!” Angelica was indignant.

“What were you going to tell him?” Lida asked.

“That's my business!”

“But we want to know.” Ivan reminded. “I start to believe that you went down through the hatch on the ninth floor and closed it. And then rose by the lift and locked the door. As well as Arthur said.”

“Yes, I was on the balcony but it doesn't mean anything! And where, by the way, were all of you?”

And Angelica looked around. They didn’t move and she said.

The Meeting

There was a long pause in the reception room. The islanders tried not to look at each other. Zhanna again nervously wounded a light lock of hair on the finger, Arthur indifferently looked out of the window, Lida bit her lips, Vera and Angelica smoked.

“I shall begin probably.” Ivan said. “Angelica is right. We should find out where each of us was while Sergey was murdered. Personally I went out to the other room.”

“What for?” Vera asked. And then she complained. “I have never smoked so much.”

“Not to disturb you. I wanted to think. I prefer to do it in loneliness.”

“But the entrance door of the apartment comes to the corridor.” Zhanna noticed. “You could go through it and kill Sergey.”

“Why could I do that?” Ivan asked. “I said I didn’t write it. With Sergey we were connected only by relations the doctor – the patient. There is no motive or reason to kill him. The murder was made by the person with mental problems. I think it is necessary to search among patients. How about you Zhanna? You went to the kitchen to make coffee. Were you alone there?”

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