Shackles

The beginner suddenly lost patience, again reddened to ears as during reading, his lips flinched, eyes began to sparkle. Vukol grabbed the ruler sprained under a hand and stuck with it into a face of the torturer. The blow incidentally had directly in the laughing teeth, having scratched gums: at the guy blood seemed. He unexpectedly was embarrassed and departed away.

Too began to laugh at the big pupil:

– Eka communicated!

– Beginner! give it looking for!

– I do not fight! – gloomy, as the badgered small animal, Vukol answered.

– You do not fight, and gave a smack in the teeth?

– Well, according to Lyubov with somebody, with more exactly!

It was faced by the robust fellow fellow – hair as rye, blue eyes, a high breast. Its exterior something was even pleasant to Vukol. Not to fight, and to make friends with such. The boy growth was higher than Vukol and addition athletic.

It threw off an undergarment, having appeared in a red shirt and plisovy wide trousers.

– Let’s fight! – and strong squeezed to it forearms, as if investigating muscles.

– Throw! – having flashed, Vukol told and very much squeezed the opponent’s hands.

That with surprise receded.

– Stand, robyata!

Vukol was pushed out in a circle. Some encouraged:

– Fight, at us without fight it is impossible!

– Surely it is necessary to visit fight!

The opponent pushed it in a breast with the left outstretched arm, bringing right above and above.

Vukol turned pale. The audience surrounded them with a ring, encouraging both. The beginner extended the left hand too as a board, and both of them came around, choosing a moment for blow. The opponent came, Vukol departed, changing a position. Suddenly blue-eyed struck to Vukol the first short blow with a poke, but Vukol reflected it the left hand.

On both sides the short blows which were not achieving the objectives fell down.

Vukol quickly adopted methods of fight, new to it: here did not swing the arm widely, fought pokes, striking blow shortly and quickly. The martial art was in that the left hand to reflect blow: the hand of one was linked under an elbow to a hand of another. Blows of the opponent poured immediately on Vukol, but he quickly adapted not to allow them to itself (himself).

Sometimes both, сцепясь, as if not in forces were to be uncoupled and then, having jumped aside, again went around as the fighting cockerels.

From crowd remarks poured: all wanted that “the” fighter knocked down “beginner”, but Vukol, by sight thin less than the opponent, did not give in.

– Add to it, Vanka!

– Pour to the dolgoushy Tatar!

– To Gololoby!

– Give not to the peasant! To Strannem!

Strannimi in the village called strangers to peasants, visitors, landless, the poor people, farm laborers and handicraftsmen working on hiring. Each of small kandalinets got used, imitating seniors, to despise “strange”.

Having uncoupled, they were again linked. Vukol was more flexible, managed to jerk unexpectedly Vanka on himself why that suddenly fell on knees, and, falling, unintentionally hit the opponent with an elbow in a face. Furious Vukol crushed the athlete under himself.

They were separated. Hubbub began. Shouted that Vukol incorrectly struck. But at it under an eye bruise was blown up: was considered to beat “snouts” unlawful too.

Then Vanka zavorotit a sleeve of a shirt and showed bruise on a hand – a trace of “handshake” of a hand of Vukol.

It immediately changed a general view to the beginner.

– Here it is what! Only once zhamknut – and printed all hand!

– Silence! – Vanka cried, shaking off and putting on an undergarment – fight was in a draw! – And suddenly, having friendly smiled, gave a hand to Vukol: – Do not become angry! We have a custom – beginners in fight to test! I am Ivan Chelyak, the son of the miller Amos! Still nobody from legs knocked down me: I love such though you and stranniya! How call?

– Vukol! – the beginner answered, accepting the given hand.

Explosion of the general laughter sounded.

– Vukol! in a corner! knocked!

Rang out in a bell. All rushed in places. Vukola covered with chalk a black eye.

The teacher entered. In a class there came the silence. The teacher attentively looked round pupils and suddenly approached the beginner.

– It that at you under an eye? Plaid pranks?

Vukol flashed and got up.

– Plaid pranks! – he confessed.

– Perhaps, struck who?

– No! – firmly, but Vukol said in low tones – hurt!

– About a door! – someone prompted.

– Yes, about a door! – the beginner confirmed.

The teacher passed to department, developed the book and, having stroke-oared white the golden beard, told lingeringly and loudly:

– On – ачнем – those!

VII

To Vukol’s brother Vovka there were only four years. On the middle of a forehead it from a scrofula still had scar with wrinkles extensively in the form of a radiant star. It was very beautiful – a star in a forehead – and Vovka was proud of it. In general after a disease during which it as to the patient in everything in a family was given preference, any privileges and advantages it became very ambitious, including itself (himself) the chosen nature.

Thanks to sunny days of windy fall he also down the street ran without cap, in one shirt, barefoot, in the short panties which hardened on a lap and took a motionless and curved form. Such suit and whitish hair a cap did not distinguish it from the other rural children all day long spinning about church under construction at all. He saw many chips and the shavings dumped in one big heap there. Every evening mothers sent children behind church chips. Nobody forbade to make them it: the church was under construction on public country money. Elizar had many chips near the house, but Vovka in imitation companions gathered several chips in a shirt hem once and was only going to carry them mothers as suddenly behind the back of it the severe voice was distributed:

– You what you do it?

Vovka looked back. Behind there was a low priest with a long gray-haired beard, with a staff in a hand. Other children abandoned chips and ran up, having hardly caught sight of the priest, but Vovka was less, it is sillier and more self-confident: and did not come to its mind to run.

– Throw chips! – imperatively the old man ordered.

Vovka threw, having taken offense.

– Where there lives your father?

– And! – Vovka pointed to a fatherly log hut.

– Well! Go!.

The priest slightly knocked him the cane, turned away and went by church to the popovsky house, this time quickly walking small steps and swinging full sleeves of a cassock.

Vovka skipping rushed home, sparkling barefoot heels, but told nothing the house about the meeting: all family sat at supper.

In a few minutes the church watchman came, greeted, told: “bread yes salt”, sighed then and, having lowered a voice, added, addressing Elizar:

– Tyatenka sent for you: ordered to come now!

Elizar was surprised:

– What for?

– Do not know! Told only that it is rather, say without any delay!

Elizar frowned. He did not love the archpriest: once the tyatenk was sent by a denunciation of it as to the harmful parishioner therefore the travel with a hand bell followed. It avoided a meeting with the archpriest, and went to church unless to easter matins, and became on a choir and tightened the chorister a pleasant, soft octave. The severe priest of words does not waste: means, something on construction business sponadobitsya.

He took off an apron, washed up hands, brushed the curly head and the beard streaming curls, put on a jacket from “devil’s skin” and went, the benefit the house of the priest was near. Entered from a black porch, through kitchen, and told the cook:

– Report on a tyatenka: Elizar supposedly came; it sent for me!

The cook left kitchen and in a minute returned:

– In a room calls!

Elizar was surprised: seldom which of poor people allowed a tyatenk in a room, except dear and solid people.

He entered a small, close hall and frostily grunted. In the doorway there was a stocky figure of a tyatenka in a lilac polukaftanye, prepoyasanny the wide belt embroidered multi-colored worsted sherstyam.

The wrinkled face of a protopopitsa looked out of the side room and disappeared.

– Elizar?

– Yes sir, tyatenka.

– Well, enter!

Elizar approached under blessing and kissed a hairy hand of a tyatenka. Then became at doors.

Tyatenka some time went on the room which is purely tidied up with upholstered ancient furniture, with carved legs and backs. The master determined by a skilled look its advantages: still serf masters work. Under a window in a cage the yellow canary hung. Smelled of a cypress. Tyatenka did not invite him to sit down.

The archpriest stopped among the room, severely looked at the parishioner, having thrown hands for a back and tapping with heels.

– Long ago it was turned back to the village?

– Recently, tyatenka.

– You work at construction?

– Yes sir.

– I know that you are Jack of all trades… I remember you… Yes, yes… well that! it was turned back – it is good! I ordered to give you work on an iconostasis… you have to appreciate it?

– He is very grateful, a tyatenka, all of us here under your hand…

– Here only in church seldom and before saw you and now I do not see… for it I will not praise… Orthodox Christian?

– Not the conservative!. And to go to church not always there is time! Why sent?

Tyatenka frowned. It did not like freely keeping parishioner.

– Here that: badly you raise children, today I found your younger son behind stealing of church property. Stole a church tree and wanted to carry away home. Of course – the child, I do not blame him, but all answer falls on you: you sent the child to steal? and at whom? at church!

Elizar shuddered and became straight.

Tyatenka raised the voice, eyes sparkled from under the shifted gray-haired eyebrows…

– What does it smell of? What it is necessary for theft of church property? Once I want – and tomorrow will be in prison again! You know – here the archpriest stuck himself with a finger into a breast – I am a chief here, nobody is more! That I will want – that and I will make over you!

With each word of the archpriest Elizar turned pale more and more. At the words “I am a chief here” in his breast the old hostility flashed: too much he bore offenses from chiefs. Remembered wanderings on the plants and factories: everywhere there were chiefs threatening with prison. And now, hardly he tries to begin life and work without chiefs, the new master over his life and death – the pop petty tyrant long ago hating it, perhaps, only for the fact that did not see at it appropriate humiliation is… Elizar trembled: he knew that the criminal charge brought to it means, knew the boundless power of the archpriest and not prison was frightened: was afraid for destiny of a family. Not for fear turned pale – with the burning hatred which accumulated in soul during all life full of unfair offenses and humiliations; something prikhlynut at it to a throat, brawny hands shuddered, ready to seize the dangerous enemy by a throat.

The archpriest did not understand his state and danger to which was exposed: with pleasure looked at the pale, trembling victim.

Elizar broke himself, constrained what bubbled in him, silently was tumbled down before the archpriest, kneeled, told by the silent, shivering voice:

– Forgive, a tyatenka… did not look through for the son… did not send him and I know nothing that he made, but of oversight it is guilty!. Forgive!

The face of the archpriest cleared up. A look humiliated, in ashes of the lying enemy, the poor, for something dear we howl the village – satisfied it. The gait with the zakinuty curly head and an independent air of the workman since old years revolted him. It was necessary to bend, crush the arrogant man: for this purpose he chose by the tool the child.

– Get up! – the archpriest by softer voice told – on the first time I forgive! but – look! Go! Yes go to church more often! all of you such – wandering, I live you knock about the world! Moreover here that: get out from the church apartment! That also to spirit of yours was not!

When Elizar left the popovsky house, green circles went before eyes. Only having humiliated, he could save a family from a shame and an orphanhood. The hatred which was just boiling in him cooled down, having turned into a cold and firm, insoluble lump.

– Villain! – he whispered, having looked back to the popovsky house – I will never forget, I will never forgive, I will never go to your church!

Elizar did not go home, walked along the long village. Slow steppe twilight was condensed. In houses sparks flickered here and there, women milked cows, from the field the sheep herd came back. In evening air of silent fall various evening sounds, bleating of sheep and a voice of hostesses were far heard.

Two young guys slowly went along the road and, having embraced, harmoniously sang lingering, extremely sad song: its sobbing motive reminded crying on dead men. Elizar sorted words:

You are my darling mother…

Whether you recognize the son свово small?.

Reached the end of the village and in thought stopped at the two-storeyed house of Neulybov. Above in a window fire shone.

Several minutes Elizar in thought stood on a porch, with a gloomy and gloomy face, then shook curls and resolutely knocked with an iron ring.

The door was opened by Trophîme’s son – Fedya studying at school together with Vukol, he cheerfully smiled to the father of the companion. Having learned that Trophîme Iacovlevitch of the house, Elizar rose upward. Fedka ran ahead.

Trophîme sat one at a table, in purely tidied up room arranged with bentwood chairs. From a ceiling the trailing lamp under the green tin lamp shade shone. The old man read the huge church book in an ancient cover.

At Elizar’s entrance raised the head, rose and gave a hand to the guest:

– Welcome, Elizarushka! what late? Sit down, sit down also you, there is nothing to stand, no sense in standing when you can sit!

Elizar sat down and hard took breath.

– With a big request, Trophîme Iacovlitch! I do not know how you will accept it but only not to the it is more!.

He kept silent, shook curls and suddenly started talking – passionately as if filled with inspiration:

– The thought, Trophîme Iacovlitch was at me! You know my life: since the childhood was at landowners a domestic serf, and the will left – the worker became, but I will not find the place in life. Everywhere offense to the working person! There was a wish to be beaten out from a low rank, it was wound on the cities, while the family was not – now a family! Difficult, Trophîme Iacovlitch! Young years left on factories and the plants! Was in exile – for the people! I see, you will not be beaten out! I am uneducated!. the craft does not ask to drink-eat, not the yoke, behind shoulders does not hang!. I want to settle in the village! For children I want to live, Trophîme Iacovlitch! My dream – to give to children at least small education.

– Correctly – Trophîme confirmed – for them all we live! Старшенький yours – was heard by me – studies well, can will reach business, the assistant will be! But about what such I think you began?

– And here! heavy on others corners to live! Stranny I! I live on the apartment and not everyone and will let with a family! Pay Kazhny month, and all to the house you live in the stranger! Will want – and go you want a kuda! Now here from the church apartment refused! and kuda you will go? At the kazhny man the log hut is full! Also I decided the log hut to ogorevat and there is no force! Trophîme Iacovlitch! help, the kind soul! I will pay as for the apartment, and there will pass time – my log hut will be, nobody will expel! It is not a shame to bow to you, there is no humiliation therefore – I know – you were a poor, felt need, remember it! I know, poor people are helped by you, help also me, not For goodness sake I ask – I will work!

Elizar for the second time this day kneelt.

Tears on his beard flowed.

– Get up, Elizar! – having discontentedly frowned, Trophîme told – get up, I speak, I am not a god, to him bow to one, and I am the same sinner, as well as all of us! Sit down, we will talk plainly!

Elizar hard rose from knees, and both sat down one against another.

Trophîme stroked a beard, drummed fingers.

– You want to ogorevat a log hut? that!. it is valid – a family, and the worker you is one… I know long ago… you are honest, though is poor… and your life I know… much you were offended lyudyam, distressful you, and for it I esteem you! – He kept silent, shook the head. – And I same was, maybe again I will be a poor, I do not forget about it… In Yurlovke here, on Yura, on the edge of the selling izbenka new absolutely… just built sat down to eat! and not expensively ask – only five quarter!. in two windows on the street and two to the alley, it will be rather small, well and you are the master… you ukhyotat an izbenka, will make an extension, it also will be good! and on force… you will pay five quarter to you little by little, I will not force, the raboteshka will be on my mill. I build a steam mill!. masters with the head it is necessary for me!. here we will also pay back!. Kindly! you will have a log hut, Elizar!

Elizar did not trust the ears, though knew Neulybov’s kindness. Wanted to tell something, but a spasm of a prikhlynul to a throat, tears dimmed eyes. Wanted to fall on knees again, but conservative Neulybov did not love bows. Involuntarily Elizar compared two patriarchal people of the village – Neulybov and the archpriest. What was then, he not absolutely understood. Trophîme saw him to a threshold and, having again returned to a room, began to leaf through the big book.

Coming downstairs, Elizar heard how he in a low voice slowly and distinctly continued reading:

– There lived a person in the earth Uts: the name to it was the I-island!

* * *

There was a dark night when Elizar came back home. Night comes early in the fall, in log huts sparks shone everywhere: till a dinner sit at house needlework for a long time, weave, spin, knit, “stranny” shveets sew a sheepskin odezha, passing from a log hut into a log hut where will call; alien sherstobita on a thick and long belt string beat wool. It was thought to Elizar: prosperity, but motionless, almost same, as a century ago, раскольничья Russia with heavy life, with ceremonial religiousness, with roughness, with Maslenitsa and fisticuffs.

It was thought that it is difficult to punch still this thickness of the hardened, stiffened, old life and it, fully whether much more left her forward, whether much more became above it, having read something, and, above all – пообтершись on city factories and the plants where the worker’s life where golodny, than here, about the full, grain, prosperous man.

Here though to take Neulybov, Trophîme Iacovlevitch: concepts at it shocking. No education above rural school is going to give to the only son. The archpriest has it – the first guest, the archpriest such – rich and religious peasants, “well-intentioned”, believing in the tsar-father, as in the defender of the people against his angry enemies – noblemen and officials loves. Try to object it – and will not want to speak: it has the belief, probably not without secret sectarianism because at the archpriest Trophîme is more as the intercessor for the world country, in church it is never visible it. The yesterday’s poor salesman, and now the tenant-hlebotorgovets – in effect a fist professional, and here is how took others grief, a grief of the poor very much to heart, revived Elizar! Elizar ten times is of own will ready to work a debt, nevertheless Trophîme’s act did not consider kulak: just human feeling did not die in Trophîme yet, did not forget own recent poverty!. It was always joyful to see in people good, brotherly feelings to Elizar, it lifted in him spirit, gave new strength.

Elizar went in the most excellent, vigorous mood which quickly replaced in his heart which is just endured. He felt as if looked younger, risen, went light step, harmonious, dashing, high, with gold curls. Thirty five years were to it. Unintentionally in the dark came across about someone’s log hut a short log – easily lifted it over the head, carried by several steps on one hand and, having laughed, threw: Elizar has still a sileshka!

Not far the rumble of ordinary fisticuffs becoming everything was heard is more heard: has to be, just this end of the village from where Elizar came back receded; wordly drove conservatives.

Suddenly towards to it in all directions with a rumble and shouts “hand over ours!” – the crowd of receding flew in a disorder.

Elizar just in case prepared for protection: would not fly who.

In the dark it was necessary to be directed more sounds and roar of the battle, than to distinguish figures of people which number could seem more than it was actually.

Elizar at random wanted, keeping is closer to houses, to pass by a wall of fighters where went, povidimy, a desperate dump: footfall of legs, blows of mittens and shouts merged together. The crowd of fighters as a stream, entrained it, and Elizar vaguely distinguished a figure of the stocky person rushing ahead of a moving general wall of coming. From blows of the low person to the right and on the left one, other hand at simultaneous kick – fell and head over heels people as if the sheaves thrown by a pitchfork slid: the person as if laid a glade in the dense wood.

“Eh, great beats!” – Elizar involuntarily admired and did not sustain – rushed to him towards: they сшиблись, having run one on another, and, having for a moment linked, stood in an immovability. The stocky person, like the anchor which went “paws” to the earth Elizar could not raise from the earth how many strained. The dark figure seeming to pig-iron seized a belt his iron ticks. Fist fight calmed down, the crowd surrounded with a ring rivals from whom any did not concede to another. But here Elizar slowly and flexibly began to become straight as if lifting on itself excessive weight, and low, having heavy knocked by knees about the frozen earth, sighed. In fight embraces they close uvidat each other.

– Amos? – with astonishment Elizar shouted, bending. – Chelyak?

– I also am! – having taken breath and hard rising, the miller answered.

Both easily sighed. Elizar remembered accident at the plant again.

– Well and force at you, Amos, for the first time we met in fight fist!

– In a draw left! – spoke, dispersing, the people of kandalinskiya.

– Not in that force that a mare Siwa! – Chelyak objected the friend – we should not struggle with you, and to stand up to one for another. Let’s come to me: long ago I am going to talk to you!

Chelyak stroked a wide chestnut beard and took a thoughtful air. They went along the wide street of the autumn village, on strong rolled, ringing road.

– Here that, Elizar, I will tell you: let’s have a heart-to-heart talk. There was an hour such, know when also I could appear, but God was merciful, I failed on crops, I have nothing now, except my chicken pox and that it is necessary to sell, firmly I feel: not rich men to me the company, and simple men, the working people. And about you, about your destiny remembered: not without reason you were in exile, I know for what business! Before I hesitated, but now – I respect this business quite!

Chelyak stroked a beard again.

– And looking for here that! – having kept silent, it continued – nobody and in a mustache blows that the end will come to rent soon: I heard from Kirill Listratov, from our student that this earth – as soon as will come to an end rent – all entirely will depart to our Volga millionaires! What then with our people will be? Ась? You what you will tell on it?

– In total as is – without the earth you will be left! – quietly Elizar told – the earth will leave to the big capital!

– Here, here! – joyfully Chelyak exclaimed. – The capital across Volga at full speed brings down! here to what state rent led us! It is necessary, oh, it is necessary, Elizar to hold the black people, for to blacken, for the poor, to look at the simple man! – He sighed and has interrogatively a look in eyes to the interlocutor.