"STOLEN IMMORTALITY"

The unattractive schoolteacher demanded that he learn letters, form syllables, solve problems, and count... Playing with the boys was much more interesting and fun. So after school, Sasha hurried outside. There he would disappear until late in the evening.

Antonina Yegorovna scolded her son, trying to instill in him a love of school. But she couldn't. Moreover, her husband, Stepan Zavidov, didn't encourage his son to show any zeal for learning. On the contrary, he set a bad example. Every day he drank moonshine, cursed, and started fights.

In the village of Shatalovka, Sasha's father was known as a hardened drunk and a poor family man. In short, a worthless person. This reputation was cemented after his marriage to Antonina Yegorovna. But before this marriage, Stepan was a completely different person. The biggest man in the village. Handsome, funny, a joker. The best machine operator on the state farm. The best accordion player in the village. Every girl liked him, without exception. But he liked only one: Natalya, the youngest daughter of the village carpenter, Yegor Vlasov. He wanted to marry her. The engagement had already taken place, and the wedding day had been set. But suddenly, the bride died. The village doctor concluded that Natalya died from poisoning by poisonous mushrooms. This was strange. The entire Vlasov family picked mushrooms in the forest. Everyone ate them, too. And only Natalya was poisoned. Rumors spread through the village that Natalya had been poisoned by her sister, Antonina, who was secretly in love with Stepan. However, there was no evidence of Antonina's guilt, and the village police officer decided not to open a criminal case. Everyone was told it had been an accident: someone from the Vlasov family had put a fake boletus in a basket instead of a boletus, which then accidentally ended up on Natalya's plate, poisoning her. However, Stepan didn't believe it was an accident and from then on, he glared at Antonina. She, on the other hand, began to court Stepan. Sometimes she'd bring him lunch in the fields, sometimes she'd do his laundry, sometimes she'd drop in late at night to visit...

Six months later, the villagers noticed that Antonina was pregnant. It was shocking news. A scandal was brewing. Yegor Vlasov quickly showed up at Stepan Zavidov's. He demanded that he marry his eldest daughter. Refusing was impossible. After all, everyone in the village knew Antonina was only seeing him. He was forced to marry. And after this marriage, Stepan was like a different person. He became completely different. Sullen, irritable, perpetually dissatisfied. He began drinking heavily. And when he got drunk, he would start a scene, beat his wife, and shout at the whole village: "My wife is a snake in the grass! She poisoned my own sister! She forced me to marry her! I hate her! I hate her!"

During such scandals, neighbors would come running, tear Antonina Yegorovna from the hands of her cruel husband, and call the police...

But neither the neighbors nor the police could make Stepan change. He continued to drink and cause trouble. Antonina hoped that with the birth of their child, her husband would settle down, become a better, kinder person. But this didn't happen. On the contrary, after the birth of their son, Stepan became even angrier. He now hated not only his wife but also his son. Many found this strange. After all, the child wasn't to blame for anything. However, Stepan believed that everyone was to blame for his ruined life. And he took out his frustration on his wife and son.

Antonina wanted to leave her husband more than once. But there was nowhere to go. No one was waiting for her at home. Her father was against her returning home and forced her to live with Stepan. So she lived with her husband, a drunkard. She worked the equivalent of two. After all, Stepan had been fired from his job when, while very drunk, he crashed a state farm tractor.

He crashed into a tree. From then on, he became a parasite, a freeloader. He lived off his wife. Antonina planted a vegetable garden of about thirty acres, kept a lot of livestock, and also worked as a milkmaid on the state farm. The hard work left her very tired and looking older than her years. But she never complained to anyone or lamented her fate. She steadfastly endured all the burdens placed on her womanly shoulders and lived with love and hope in her soul. With love for her son Sasha. With hope for his happy future.

Antonina Yegorovna wanted her son to get an education and have a good job. She dreamed of him becoming the chairman of a state farm or an agronomist—in short, a respected man in the village. That's why she prioritized her son's education. She was upset that Sasha didn't enjoy studying, that he happily ran out into the streets instead of to school. She wanted things to be different.

And so, on that memorable September day, Antonina Yegorovna started a conversation about school while feeding Sasha breakfast.

"Son!" she said. "I want you to study well. Knowledge helps a person in life."

“How do they help, Mom?” asked Sasha, chewing a sandwich and washing it down with tea.

- I already explained it to you, son. If you study well, you'll be able to get into college. And after graduating, you'll have a good job.

"Why doesn't our dad have a good job? Was he a bad student?" the boy asked.

"Our dad drinks. That's why he lost his job," Antonina Yegorovna replied, handing her son a second sandwich. "Here's another sandwich, son. Eat."

Sasha took the sandwich and asked again:

-And how did our dad study?

He was an average student. Not very good. And not very bad. But he didn't get into college. He stayed on the state farm and worked as a machine operator.

- Maybe I should also become a machine operator, like my dad?

- No, son. You should become a state farm chairman or an agronomist. And for that, you need to study hard. Do you understand?

-Mom! Why is being a state farm chairman and an agronomist better than being a machine operator?

- Well, because... - Antonina Yegorovna hesitated for a while, but then found what to answer. - Because the work of the chairman of the state farm and the agronomist is clean and well-paid, and the work of a machine operator is dirty and not very well paid.

- Ah, I get it! - Sasha exclaimed. - You, Mom, want me to be rich!

- Not rich. But well-off. So that you always live well.

-As good as those Jews I visited two years ago?

"Well, there's no point in comparing ourselves to those Jews! We'll never reach their standard of living, son!"

- Why, Mom? Why can't we ever live like Uncle Joseph, Aunt Sonya, and their son Yasha? Are we worse than them?

- No. Not worse. It's something else, son.

"So what's the matter? Explain it to me, Mom," Sasha insisted.

"It's hard to explain," Antonina Yegorovna said thoughtfully. "It's just that we are Russians. And they are Jews."

"I don't understand," the boy said. "Why can't Russians live like Jews? If we're no worse than Jews, then why can't we live like them?"

- Let's not talk about Jews, son! Let's talk about you! Tell me, do you understand the importance of studying well?

-Yes, mom.

"I hope I won't have to blush for you, son! I want you to be one of the best students in the class. Promise me you'll try your best to study!"

“I promise,” said Sasha and got out from behind the table. “I’m full, Mom. Thank you.”

-Well, then, go to school, son. And remember your promise!

-Okay, mom.

Sasha picked up his briefcase and headed for the door. At that moment, the door opened, and a drunk Stepan Nilovich stumbled into the house. Seeing his wife and son, he shouted:

- Ah, who do I see! A snake with its little snake! Where are you going? The snake - to work? And the little snake - to school? Well, then get out of here quickly! I hope your spirit is not here!

"Dad! Why are you arguing again?" Sasha said, looking at his father with fear.

"Son! Don't pay any attention to your dad! He's drunk!" Antonina Yegorovna said, leading Sasha aside.

"What? What are you trying to convince him of, you bitch?" Stepan Nilovich roared, clenching his fists and staggering toward his wife. But he didn't get there. He fell to the floor in the middle of the room.

"Son! Go to school! Hurry!" said Antonina Yegorovna, taking Sasha by the hand and leading him to the door.

-And what about you, Mom?- Sasha asked with fear. - Dad will beat you!

"Don't worry, son! Daddy's going to bed. I'm going to work now. Go to school quickly! Go!" Antonina Yegorovna opened the door for her son.

“Okay, Mom.” Sasha obediently left the house and went to school.

When the door closed behind her son, Antonina Yegorovna turned around and saw her husband’s face distorted with wild rage and malice.

- Stepan! Go to bed! - said the woman. - You were drinking with your friends all night. You need to get some sleep!

- No! I don’t need to get enough sleep! - Stepan said, barely moving his tongue and trying to get up from the floor. - I need you, you scum, to finally tell me the truth!

-What truth? What are you talking about?

-You know it yourself. Tell me, why did you poison your sister Natalia?

"I've told you a hundred times that I'm not to blame for my sister's death! I swear to God, I'm not to blame! It was an accident! Someone in our household picked a false boletus mushroom in the forest and put it in a basket. And then the poisonous mushroom accidentally ended up in Natalya's plate, and she..."

Stepan, finally getting up from the floor, rudely interrupted his wife and shouted:

- Stop telling me about coincidences! I don't believe you! I don't believe you! I know you're lying! You've been lying for eight years! You better confess, or it will get worse!

"Confess to what? Something I didn't do? Understand, Stepan: I could have been in Natalya's place! It was an accident that the poisonous mushroom ended up on her plate and not mine! Is it my fault that Natalya died and not me? Believe me, Stepan: I would never have poisoned my sister! I loved her, after all!"

-Loved? You're lying! You're lying, you scum!- Stepan grew more and more furious, his eyes filled with blood, and his hands clenched into fists. - I know that it was you who killed my beloved Natalya! It was you who drove her from this world! Because you were jealous! You envied her beauty! You envied my love for her! I loved her so much! I adored her so much! And you, bitch, took her away from me! You forced her to marry you! You ruined me! You ruined my life! I hate you! I hate you, you creature!

Stepan ran up to his wife, grabbed her by the throat and began to strangle her.

- No, Stepan! Let go! It hurts! Let go! - Antonina Yegorovna screamed.

"I'll strangle you, you snake! I'll strangle you!" Stepan muttered, squeezing his wife's throat tighter and tighter. "I don't need you! I don't need your little snake! I hate you! I hate you!"

Antonina Yegorovna tried to resist her husband. But their forces were unequal. Stepan violently choked her. Then, mustering her last bit of strength, she screamed:

-Help! Good people, help! My husband is killing me! Please help!

- Ah! You're calling the neighbors, you creature! - Stepan roared. - It won't work! They won't help you this time! Don't hope! This is the end for you! The end! - The man tensed up and squeezed his wife's throat with all his might.

Antonina Yegorovna went silent and limp. Seeing that she was no longer breathing, Stepan let go of her. Her dead body fell to the floor like a sack. And Stepan quietly said:

-That's it! The end. The snake in the grass is dead! Dead.

The man knelt down next to the corpse and froze in that position. He looked at his dead wife with a hateful gaze and repeated as if in a delirium:

-Well, there you go! I've finally got my revenge for you, Natalia! There you go!

A few minutes later, neighbors, having heard Antonina Yegorovna's final cries, arrived running. Seeing the dead woman, they realized something irreparable had happened. They called the police. The local police officer who arrived arrested Stepan Nilovich and reported the incident to the city prosecutor's office.

The village doctor confirmed that Antonina Yegorovna's death was due to strangulation. He began writing the official report.

One of the compassionate neighbors, Baba Lyuba, went to school to pick up Sasha. When she peeked into the classroom, an arithmetic lesson was in progress. The teacher was working on simple addition problems with the students. Baba Lyuba entered the classroom and timidly addressed the teacher:

-Excuse me. Can I speak to Sasha Zavidov?

"What happened? Why are you barging into the classroom during class and demanding Sasha Zavidov?" the teacher asked sternly.

Baba Lyuba became embarrassed and said quietly:

-Sasha needs to go home urgently.

"Why? What's the matter? Who the hell are you?" the teacher asked even more sternly.

"I'm Sasha's neighbor, Baba Lyuba. Please let the boy out of class!"

-Until you tell me what's wrong, I won't let Sasha go anywhere!

- Oh, how difficult it is to say... - Baba Lyuba hesitated. - Well... In general... You see...

Something bad happened...

"Misfortune? What? Be more specific! What's the matter?" the teacher insisted.

-Okay, I'll tell you... Now... - Baba Lyuba gathered her strength and uttered the terrible phrase in one breath. - Sasha Zavidov's mother was killed!

When Sasha heard Baba Lyuba's last phrase, he jumped up in great excitement and shouted:

- It's not true! It's not true! I don't believe it! I don't believe you! My mommy is alive!

After that, the boy took off and ran headlong home. Behind him, he could hear the screams of Baba Lyuba and the teacher. But Sasha didn't hear them. He heard nothing. And saw nothing. In a state of extreme shock. He didn't remember how he got home. How he opened the door. How he saw his dead mother.

lying on the bed...

Eyewitnesses to the incident reported that the boy quickly burst into the house, ran up to his dead mother, and... and then immediately lost consciousness... He lost consciousness and fell to the floor...

The driver jumped at the sudden shout, turned around, and saw that it was his boss, dozing in the back seat. He lightly touched him with his hand and said loudly:

-Alexander Ivanovich! Wake up! Do you hear? Wake up!

“What happened?” Alexander said fearfully, opening his eyes.

- Nothing. You just dozed off. And then I heard a scream. You must have had a bad dream, and you screamed. So I decided to wake you up.

"That's right, Tikhon. You did the right thing by waking me up," Alexander said and sighed heavily.

The events of the past stirred his soul once again. They made him shudder with the horror and grief he'd experienced. They darkened his immortality. He needed to calm down and pull himself together. Alexander lit a cigarette and began to look out the window. After a few minutes, he asked:

-Where are we, Tikhon? How long until we get to the lab?

"No. We're almost there. Just fifteen kilometers left," the driver replied and increased speed.

“Okay,” said Alexander and began looking out the window again.

A few minutes later, the car did indeed pull up to the laboratory gates. The driver honked the horn, and the gates opened. The car drove inside and stopped.

Alexander got out of the car and headed for the lab door. Just then, the door opened. Laboratory director Vladimir Zverev ran out to greet him.

"Alexander Ivanovich, my dear! You've finally arrived!" he said to the boss.

“Did you do anything without me?” Alexander asked as he walked.

"No, Alexander Ivanovich! What are you saying? We were waiting for you!" Vladimir replied, following his boss.

-Where is the young man?

-We put him in a cell.

-Why? You could have just given him a sleeping pill.

- We tried. But nothing worked. He refuses to drink anything. He's afraid he'll be poisoned.

-Well, then I should have given an injection.

- We tried that too. But this young man is so angry that he won't let anyone near him. He's already beaten up two of our guards.

-Whom?

-Fat Nikita and little Alfred.

-I see. And where did you find this young man?

-At the casino

“In the casino?” Alexander asked in surprise, walking quickly along the long, narrow corridor.

“Yes. He was playing there,” Vladimir answered, barely keeping up with his boss.

-Did you win?

- No. I lost. I lost ten thousand dollars in one evening.

-Wow! Cool! Apparently, he's not just some poor Pinocchio! Why did you decide to take him?

"Because he's very handsome. Moreover, he has exactly the type of masculine beauty that Zinovy Izotovich likes. After all, the banker described to us the body he wants. Young, muscular, toned, with refined, aristocratic features. Remember?"

“I remember,” said Alexander and entered the office. “Come in, Vladimir. Sit down.” He pointed to the chair closest to the table and sat down himself. “Now tell me in more detail where and how you kidnapped the young man.”

"We kidnapped him as he was leaving the casino. Four guys jumped on him, twisted his arms, shoved him into a car, and drove him to the lab."

-There were no witnesses to the kidnapping of the young man?

- No. The kidnapping happened at three in the morning. The street near the casino was quiet and deserted.

-I see. Did the guy have any documents on him?

-There wasn't.

-And what did he say? Did you find out who he is, what his name is, what he does?

"We found out. But I don't know if it's trustworthy. The guy said his name was Eric Barskin. He's twenty years old. He's the son of oil magnate Philip Emmanuilovich Barskin. He doesn't work or go to school.

-Why?

- He said he doesn't want to! But he has more than enough money for entertainment! Daddy spares nothing for him! And he also said that they will look for him. And when they find him, they will kill us all!

-Does he really think they will find him?

- I don't know. In any case, he says his daddy can do anything!

"I see. Now tell me, Vladimir, why do we need to go to all this trouble with his father? After all, I asked you to kidnap a young man like him, one who has no relatives. Especially not rich ones."

-Alexander Ivanovich! I think the guy is lying! He's not the son of an oil tycoon!

-What about the ten thousand dollars he lost at the casino?

- This money isn't his. The security guard at the casino told me so.

-Whose then?

The guard said the young man was a thief and used the stolen money to gamble at the casino. He also said the boy was from an orphanage and had no relatives.

"What the guard said doesn't interest me! You should have checked everything yourself! Personally! Do you understand?"

“I understand,” Vladimir lowered his head guiltily. “I’m sorry, Alexander Ivanovich. I made a mistake.”

"A mistake!" Alexander exclaimed angrily. "How else will your mistake come back to haunt us? Who knows. Maybe this young man really is the son of an oil magnate. They'll start looking for him. They'll find you and our guys. And then me too..."

-They won't come out! I told you there were no witnesses to the boy's abduction.

-Well, let's hope so. But there's another problem.

-Which?

"Zinovy Izotovich won't be able to stay in Russia after receiving the body of an oil magnate's son. Otherwise, he'll be found and exposed. Then my secret will be revealed, too. And I don't want that. Do you understand? I don't want my operations of transferring souls into new bodies to become public knowledge!"

"What should we do, Alexander Ivanovich? Maybe we should find another young man? And let this one go?"

“I don’t know... I don’t know...” Alexander said thoughtfully. “But you’ve already told the banker that you’ve found a suitable young man?”

-Yes. They told him. He's on his way to the lab now. He'll be here any minute.

- I see. Well then, I'll talk to him, and then I'll decide everything. And now, Vladimir, take me to the guy's cell. I want to talk to him.

"Okay. Let's go, Alexander Ivanovich." Vladimir stood up and headed for the door. Alexander followed him. The men walked down the long, narrow corridor again.

"Tell me, Vladimir, did you conduct a comprehensive examination of the young man's internal organs? Did you run any tests?" Alexander asked as they walked.

"No, Alexander Ivanovich. We haven't done anything yet. We haven't had time," Vladimir replied, continuing to walk forward down the corridor.

"What kind of workers are you? You haven't finished yet! You haven't done it yet! Why am I paying you money and saving you from the law? For what?" Alexander lost his temper and started shouting. "For working for me! And how do you work? Badly! Disgusting!" He stopped dead in his tracks and looked sternly at Vladimir. He, too, stopped and said guiltily:

- Forgive me, Alexander Ivanovich! Forgive me! We will improve! Forgive me!

"You're cunning, Vladimir! Very cunning!" Alexander said, and walked down the corridor again. "Now I understand how you managed to ruin four wives and five children. Misled by your cunning, they let their guard down. That's what ruined them! But I won't let my guard down, know that! And your cunning won't help you! If you don't work hard enough for me, I'll fire you! And then you'll go back to prison, because you have no other choice!"

"Ah, Alexander Ivanovich! Anything but that! I don't want to go back to prison! I'm so grateful to you for getting me out of prison! I'm truly grateful! Believe me, I'm not being dishonest with you! You are my savior! My benefactor! I owe you my freedom! And that's why I will try my best to work for you!" Vladimir said in a soft, ingratiating voice, following his boss down the corridor.

"Okay, Vladimir. I believe you. For now," said Alexander, emphasizing the word "for now."

The corridor ended, and the men began to descend the stairs leading down.

“Tell me, Vladimir, how many people are in our cells now?” asked Alexander.

“Fifteen,” Vladimir answered the boss.

-And everything is to order?

-Yes. There are orders for everyone, and you have signed contracts.

-What is the first planned operation?

The first is to transfer the soul of Aleftina Ermolaevna Korovchenko into the body of her niece, Irina. The operation is scheduled to take place in a week.

"I can't next week. I have to be in Dubai. I have a big contract there. So I'll have to reschedule Korovchenko's surgery. I'll have it a little later."

"This news is unlikely to please Aleftina Ermolaevna. She'll cause a scandal."

-Really?

-Yes. Korovchenko is a bitch by nature. Don't you remember her?

- I remember. It's that fat woman who has diabetes.

-Exactly that one. She paid for the operation a long time ago and can't wait to receive her niece's body.

-And how is her niece feeling? Is she healthy?

-Yes. We conducted a comprehensive examination of her body. Irina is completely healthy and ready for surgery.

"Okay. Then let's do it this way: I'll perform the surgery not later, but earlier than scheduled. Then Korovchenko will be happy and won't make a scene."

"This is a wise decision. Like all your decisions, Alexander Ivanovich."

“You flatter me, Vladimir,” said Alexander and stopped near the bars,

which blocked the way. - Well, here we are! - looking into the darkness, he shouted loudly. - Hey, Alfred! Open up!

"Hurry up! Do you hear, Alfred? Our boss has arrived! Open up!" Vladimir shouted after Alexander into the darkness.

Hurried footsteps were heard, and a few seconds later a very short man approached the bars. It was Alfred, a repeat offender,

who, like Vladimir, was saved from prison by Alexander.

Little Alfred had been working in the lab for two years. His duties included guarding and feeding the prisoners confined to their cells and assisting with surgeries, performing the work of junior medical staff. And he always performed his duties successfully. But that day, he was extremely unlucky. The new prisoner turned out to be very stubborn and strong. Evidence of his strength was evident under Alfred's eyes in the form of huge bruises. Somewhat embarrassed by his appearance, the guard stammered: