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Kolitar wasn't lying, her close friend, Ivanna, once worked as a garbage collector around the Citadel, the tallest building in the middle of the island. The woman led us through the tunnel from the incinerator to a strong metal door, behind which there was a garbage chute of the building. The rooms kept a sweet smell of rotting. I didn't throw up, but covered my nose with hand for a long time.
”Now do it yourself,” Kolitar smiled, tugging at the locked door.
"And how do you think we're going to get inside?" May-e-oka frowned.
A shaggy woman put her hand behind the pipe above us and pulled out a rusty key. Inserting it into the keyhole, she tried to turn it, but didn't have enough strength. For a while, everyone stood and watched her push, until Lieutenant Lipovaska took off and helped her. Eventually they opened the door together, showering the audience with an even more concentrated smell of garbage. Savaya vomited porridge.
“Now you yourself,” repeated Kolitar, “we will return…”
“No," I said sternly, "we don't know anything about your customs, we need a guide.”
"At least let my daughter go," the woman pleaded.
“No,” Baraman snapped, “the girl should come with us.”
"You behave just like them,” Kolitar burst into tears.
"Don't whine, you idiot, the Savior needs you," Baraman growled right in front of her face. And the girl jumped out from behind her mother and began to beat his hands.
“Don't scare Mom, scared, don't scare, scared!”
“Circus,” May-e-oka chuckled.
“Calm down, everyone, please. We won't let you offend," I tried to reason with them.
“You don't understand…”
“We don't understand a lot of things here, that's why we need you.”
Kolitar looked up at me with eyes full of bitterness, closed them and nodded.
“That's good,” I gave her a strained smile, “Shae will not take his eyes off you, and will not give offense, right, Lieutenant?”
Lipovaska looked at me with apprehension and nodded.
Inside, behind the garbage chute, there was a staircase and an elevator, as ancient and unreliable in appearance as the whole island.
“It leads to the top, to the senior caretaker.”
I went over and pressed the call button sunk into the metal slot. But nothing happened.
“To summon it from here, you need a special key. But I do not know what kind of key it is. Assuming it still works…" the woman shrugged and stepped back in fear.
"We'll have to walk," I sighed.
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To our surprise, we did not meet anyone either in the lobby or on the floors above. The concrete staircase was so crumbled in places that it was necessary to step over 2 or 3 steps to climb higher. With each floor, more and more of the town surrounding the Citadel could be seen through the broken glass. The sea wind beat in the face, swirling between the floors, and brought with it the smell of death.
When we reached the twelfth floor, I noticed a crowd of people gathered in a huge waste ground behind the Citadel.
“What is it?” I asked Kolitar, catching my breath.
“There used to be a field for playing Soxhup, and now... probably the blackarmbenders are gathering there,” the woman answered panting.
Indeed, there was a vast crowd of people standing in the waste ground, and from a similar pedestal that we had seen earlier on the streets they were broadcasted some illegible speech.
“Are they invited to the pin, too?” May-e-oka asked.
"I... I've never seen what's going on there," Kolitar replied with fright.
“Go, go,” Baraman hurried us from the upper flight, “time is precious.”
I looked at the furry creature with disbelief.
“Where are you luring us?”
“Savior, don't listen to fear, go,” Baraman smiled and disappeared one floor above.
“Did I mention that I don't like all this?” May-e-oka asked wearily and moved up, crunching concrete crumbs falling from the walls and stairs.
At the very top there was an attic, most of which was occupied by an office. There was glass in windows in it, and the wind beat in them with booming blows like a wild beast. In the middle of the office there was a table at which a middle-aged man was sitting.
“Oh, why are you standing in the doorway,” he was alarmed when he saw our motley crew, “come on, come on, we've been waiting.”
After exchanging glances with May-e-oka, I moved across the dirty floor to the center of the room. The walls were lined with cabinets and rusted shelves with papers and appliances, the purpose of which I could not imagine. Between them there were several statues as peeling as the stairs.
“Yes, bad concrete,” the man nodded, catching my eye, “sand does not fit, too large, so everything crumbles.”
His little slit eyes were watching me intently, waiting for something. The dried-up face bore the imprint of great responsibility. And the circles under his eyes hinted at a lack of sleep. Straightening his battered coat, the man got up, left the table and held out his hand to me.
"Captain Ramos Kulagi, at your service," he introduced himself and clicked his heels.
"Bike," I nodded and shook his wiry hand.
"Master Bike is a special representative of the Trade Federation," Lieutenant Lipovaska prompted from behind me.
"Oh," Kulagi drawled, "the Federation is in high esteem with us. In any case," he added, lowering his gaze and letting out a laugh, "as you can see, we are here in unusual circumstances.”
“Oh, please tell why people sit on stakes so willingly,” May-e-oka grinned.
“Of course, of course, but first things first.”
The captain folded his hands behind his back and went to the window. Looking down, he coughed and turned back to us.
“Your companion," he nodded in the direction of Kolitar, "has probably already told you what kind of trouble has overtaken us.”
The woman nodded and hugged her daughter.
“The moon, the moon. The moon has risen," the captain sighed, "it's cloudy today and the thing is not particularly visible, but believe me, it's there in the sky. I suspect Master Bike that it is hiding from your gaze.”
He came over and sat down on the table.
“Fish, land, water, everything was poisoned in a matter of days. Rain, black rain. It fell out with the moon. And so, I look at the stocks that are left in warehouses, and it seems to me that there is no chance. And my advisers... you know these scoundrels; I see you have plenty of them yourself. They ran away, informed everyone. What has started..." he shook his head, "And what exactly did you come to us for?”
“I'm a researcher, looking for old technology of Outs.”
“I see. There are no limits to the curiosity of the Federation, as well as to the Federation itself," Captain Kulagi giggled, "perhaps your curiosity has something to do with an entertaining show in the sky? The stars descended from Astreha. That's what we call the fifth moon here, after the goddess of death from the Epic of Ganymede.”
“How do you know about the descending stars?” I frowned.
"Even our cursed lands are getting news," the captain smiled.
And then I noticed movement in the right corner of the office, where someone was looking out from behind the curtain. I closed my eyes and pulled down in my imagination the beam on which it was hanging. The beam fell, hitting the head of the sailor Fig hiding behind the curtain. He grinned, rubbing his head.
"I've heard a lot about your tricks, Master Bike," Kulagi nodded, "although you were introduced to me as Ogunter Lag, the great worm, the curse of Minea, the demon of death. What else was there?” he turned to the sailor.
“Soul Eater..." he muttered.
"You see, soul eater," the captain laughed, "and here I have, you won't believe it, just the job for a soul eater.”
“Explain,” I frowned.
“You see, my dear, after it became clear that there was not enough food for everyone, anarchy set in pretty quickly. Gangs got their hands of explosives, people were being killed in the streets and at homes, cannibalism began to flourish. And then, as if out of the ground appeared," he looked at Kolitar, "was she your friend? Ivanna. Friend. With such friends… She came to me and said that they would pacify the island. I give her food, I get order.”
He got up and went back to the window.
“Take a look, Master Bike, at their exercises.”
I walked unsteadily towards him. As I approached, I again saw a waste ground outside the window, and on it a crowd of people, as if on command, they threw out their hand, and then sharply beat their lower chest.
“These are her faithful dogs. Black armbands. Orderlies. The orderlies of our island. They have blocked everything to the east of my tower, so that not a single starved child will sneak in. Adults are immediately killed with stakes. What nonsense she inspires them with, I don't even know. What was I supposed to do? I had a dozen people with automatic weapons and a technical maser. Well, we would have lasted a day or two. They would have pelted us with corpses anyway. I agreed. Agreed, yes. And it began.”
The captain yawned, covering his mouth with his hand and looked at me.
“They listen to her as if spellbound. It's as if she's the Ognter Lag, and not you, Master Bike. In agony, she says, salvation is. The more painful death is, the better the world they will end up in. Any madness is forgiven if forgiveness is earned through pain. How do they believe her? Why do adults go by themselves, tie themselves up and quarter themselves? Moreover, a mechanical machine was invented so that a person could do this without outside help. The animals were eaten on the first day anyway. Every last one. But there were no cannibals left. The paradox… A paradox.”
“What do you want from me?” I asked, feeling the weight of his words.
“Only her persuasions do not work on children.”
“Why?” Lieutenant Lipovaska asked, completely discouraged by Kulagi's monologue.
“And you ask your friend,” the captain nodded at the Kolitar.
The woman covered her face with her hands and began to cry. The lieutenant turned his head in fright and hugged her.
“How do I know. And she is unlikely to tell you anything intelligible," Kulagi shook his head, and then looked into my eyes, "That's why I need you, great worm. Go, solve the riddle of the black moon.”
I took my gaze away from the captain's eyes and looked again at the people beating their chests in the waste ground.
“The library of Outs is yours, if you get rid of this woman and her dogs.”
“What prevents me from forcing you to do what I need?” I asked, frowning and looking Kulagi in the eyes again.
"The Savior must agree," Baraman said.
“I'll decide what I have to!” I snapped, feeling like the lack of sleep was finally throwing me off balance, and turned back to the captain, "Do you want me to kill her?"
“Do, do whatever you want, but just give me back control of the leftovers of food. By the way, you came here by ship, didn't you?”
“Yes.”
“Then you need to hurry, clouds are gathering,” the captain nodded at the horizon.
“Black rain…”
“That's right, that's right, rain is still capable of harming tech. It is not as concentrated as when the moon was rising to the sky. But I wouldn't expect you to be able to sail away from here if it finds you here or at sea.”
"What about him?" I nodded at the Fig.
"He's yours, traitors don't cost much," Kulagi shrugged.
Fig fidgeted in fear in the corner, jerked to the exit, but May-e-oka blocked his way.
"Okay, I'll think about how to solve your question," I said, nodding to the captain.
“And soon,” Kulagi smiled.
“And as soon as possible," I repeated and headed for the exit.
The others started to follow me, but I raised my hand to stop them.
“I'll go alone,” I said, and then I turned to the captain, “Is there an exit from your tower to this courtyard where the ritual of these blackarmbenders takes place?”
Kulagi nodded.
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Indeed, when I went down to the second floor, I noticed a side staircase that led to a courtyard that overlooked a waste ground. My head hurt terribly, and I wanted to quickly sort out this story, in which we got involved so badly. Sand flew into my face, blown up by the raging wind. This wind clearly disliked me, and drove the clouds from the horizon sooner than I would like. I wonder if I can stop the wind or reverse the rain?
In front of me stood a crowd of servants of the Cult of Purification, who continued to do their ridiculous exercise. As I walked between the rows I finally discerned their actions. In the hands of each was a knife or a large piece of glass, or at the very least a metal pin, well sharpened. The audience paid no attention to me.
“And one!” there was a roar over the waste ground, and the audience stretched out their hands, “And two!” and each of them pressed the point to their heart, “And one! And two! And one! And two!”
Completely amazed, I walked past concentrated people repeating the same movements. The voice came from a cone-shaped tube on a pedestal at the opposite end of the square, over which a hefty metal figure was hanging from the building. I hadn't even paid attention to it on the tower, and now it aroused both fear and curiosity in me.
“The time has come!” shouted from the tube, “In the name of chaos! And one!”
The people around me stretched out their hand.
“And two!”
And they pierced their own hearts… It wasn't what I expected at all. The moans of dying people filled my consciousness. The worm rushed first to one, then to the second, tearing my attention apart. But he repeatedly failed to absorb the energy essence, something prevented him. More precisely, something simply did it faster than him. I grabbed my head. It was cracking. A little more, and it would have burst with pain. Around me, people were dying one by one, their life force was leaving them without a trace, and their skin crumbled into ashes. New bodies fell from the mouth of the metal figure above me. They were wearing metal armor and their faces were completely happy. Bodies fell with ringing slaps, raising dust, immediately carried by the raging wind. And then I saw her.
She appeared from somewhere to the side. In a long dark hood. I had fallen on one knee. Slowly she came up to me. Unable to control myself, I writhed in pain. She lifted my face and looked me straight in the eyes. And that look. O moons! I have never seen such a look, and I could not imagine in my worst dream that such a thing was possible. It contained all the horror, all the pain, all the despair of existence, all the absurdity and senselessness of our empty pursuit of eternity, purpose, truth, God, the world, emptiness. She was the primordial abyss from which the first cry came, followed by all the suffering of the world. My consciousness collapsed and disappeared into this darkness.
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“Hey, Bike” May-e-oka mercilessly slapped me on the cheeks, — “Bike!”
I opened my eye with a scream and sat up abruptly, hitting the girl on the head.
"It must hurt," she squeezed her eyes shut, and I saw a dent on her forehead, which immediately began to straighten out.
"Where is she?" I wheezed, looking around frantically.
"Who is she?"
“I'm... here... a woman with the eyes.”
"Formulate your thoughts more precisely, Ogunter Lag," May-e-oka chuckled and got up.
“What happened?”
"That's what I wanted to know from you. You went out into the square, and everyone died. There was panic in the Сitadel. Kulagi wanted to escape, but I tied him and Fig to the table.”
“Wait… What did you do?”
"It doesn't matter what I did, it matters what you did. You have somewhat fulfilled the terms of the deal. Now we need to get the library from the captain of this backwater. If, of course, I understand the purpose of our expedition correctly.”
I exhaled loudly, shook my head and got to my feet with the help of the girl.
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Kulagi reluctantly kept his word and took us to a storage facility in the far part of the island. There, among the various ancient garbage, I found the computing machines of the Outs. I saw the likes of them at an exhibition in the capital, at the Ancestral Museum, they surrounded a great DVD box. But I've never seen them working. Fortunately, we also found the fuel reserves needed for the boat. But we had no time to transfer everything to the ship before the impending storm. And now it was already clear that it was approaching. I did not take the risk to wish all this teleported to the ship.”
We moved the surviving adults and children to the citadel and forced the captain to share the leftovers of food with them. Baraman rejoiced like a child, rushed to hug me every possible time and took an active part in the distribution of food. We ordered Richitina to go down to the depth and not to surface until we give a signal on the wire.
I was standing in front of the same attic window as earlier this day, and was looking at a waste ground full of dead, shriveled bodies. First finely, and then dripping ink on the glass, black rain began to fall.
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