Unconquered Sun (70 page)

And still Azail for the night showed me fairy tales. He mentally said spells, and then on the petals of a flower closed for the night various moving images appeared.

Here the little little mouse runs - full-scale, greyish such, with long thin short moustaches and a tail, peeps - reaches a hillock and begins to dig a mink.

Azail tells:

- Once upon a time there was a little mouse, he was called …

- Ushastik! - I cried.

- More quietly, more quietly, Stella, already all sleep. Do not play about! And so, once upon a time there was a little mouse, he was called Ushastik. Once it began to dig to itself(himself) a mink in this hillock, - Azail pointed a finger at the moving picture - and …

But suddenly the Kitten - fluffy, greyish, a tail - a pipe, green brilliant eyes and ears on the top - exactly as real approached Ushastik who Azail's efforts dug already quite big mink!

- Hey, and from where here Kitten? - Azail asked. - I have generally other fairy tale!

- And I want (as I will cry!), that there was also a Kitten! I thought up it and conjured. I want that the Kitten cared for Ushastika! Here!

And really, the image of the Kitten suddenly approached Ushastik digging a mink and told:

- Mr-r-r-myau! Ushastik! You are such pretty! Give, I will care for you? Why to you a mink, give I you I will better embrace and to you will where sleep in heat without any mink! - And the Kitten suddenly seized Ushastik with a pad, brought it to the greyish muzzle and licked it a pink rough uvula brush. Ushastik laughed from a tickling enough, and then curled up on the earth as it is done by all cats, and Ushastika embraced pads so that that literally rolled in his soft greyish warm hair, as in some fluffy blanket.

- Hey, Stella, you do not play pranks so, and?! - Azail was indignant. - Ushastik has to dig a mink, and have to help him with it - Bundi's burunduchok, a little squirrel Bella, a gopher Sam, and then they will live together in this burrow a close-knit family. At me absolutely other fairy tale!

- And I do not want such fairy tale! I want that the Kitten cared for Usha-a-a-astike. Here!

- Well you will do with you, Stella! - having heatedly thrown up the hands, Azail from the bed in the center of a flower jumped, and began to go to and fro as a pendulum. - You understand nothing! The plan was that Ushastik worked hard, and then other animals began to help it and they together built the general house, and in the course of work they made friends and became it from it cheerfully and to live joyfully in this world. And at you that for sense?

- And at me - that the Kitten cares for Usha-a-a-astike and lyu-yu-yu-yubit it!

- Stella! But if to leave everything so, Ushastik will never learn to work! It will be eternally heated in embraces of the Kitten!

- Well-at-at-at and pu-at-at-ust! And the Kitten will love Ushastik and to care for it!

There is Azail, remember, there were as a column in the middle of a flower, hands in sides, and I jumped from the bed and too, having imitated it, accepted the same pose. And we stand, we look at each other stubborn and we are silent. And then he, at last, did not sustain and waved a hand:

- Everything, Stella! Tell yourself fairy tales! Let you will have them such with what you want, and I go to bed! - With these words he laid down on the place, having turned to me a back. Illusion on flower petals gradually went out and to me it became awfully boring and sad. I laid down too and began to iron it on golden hair.

- Stella! You to me prevent to sleep!

- Ozzie! You unless do not remember what was told by the Creator? He told me -
zabo - about - about - otitsya
about you! Here I and zabo - about - about - about - ochus …

And Azail ka-a-a-ak will jump up! As will stare on me and even began to stammer for nervousness!

- You … you … you … that … we-we-we-shonka … m-m-m-menya perhaps? And to-to-to-shka - t-t-you perhaps?

And I as will burst out laughing! Guessed after all! Ooh, what clear head!

And he watches how I laugh, and suddenly itself laughed, and then - ka-a-a-a-ak let's me tickle! And I - it! And then we grabbed pillows and let's play pillow fight! Well of course it overcame me, but its pillow burst, and both of us appeared in pink down - from legs to the head - and as sneezed repeatedly and is so loud that roused all others on our meadow! It was necessary to go to bed. I very strong embraced my favourite Ozzie, and he - me, and we became as a single whole, as two halves of an apple, together again … And I, filling up, asked the Creator about that sometime Azail very strongly got sick (but only not to death!), and I would care for it, treated him, heated it as the Kitten - Ushastika, and from this thought to me it was so good!

3.

So there were years, one by one - it is absolutely imperceptible. Here I already suit the eighteenth year. I am already slender girl, the real fairy - with the long fair hair braided in two braids in pink to a tunic to knees. I already am able to create very many spells. And Azail - absolutely already adult. And somehow strange looks at me …

We do not sleep in one bud for a long time - he moved me in the separate flower which is specially grown up by it for me. Also does not feed me more. And I am engaged in washing and a sink. I wanted to look after also Azail, but he was against, and I did not dare to contradict him. And he, of course, does not tell the fairy tale to me.

And then I came to it to a flower itself both created a spell of invisibility and began to wait when Azail comes. It returned almost at midnight, literally one couple of minutes prior to closing of a bud. Probably, again departed with other young men on some, "man's" affairs. It always now such busy! And all the time potters only with boys! I hardly waited for it then, slightly itself did not fall asleep. And he, tired, was filled up to sleep directly in clothes - without sheet, without pillow, without blanket. Oh, these men are dirty creatures! So and to pour over it water, perhaps!

And what? It is idea!

Some more moments - and already I conjured a pink cloudlet directly under the bud arch which spilled a pink fragrant shower directly on the sleeping Azail! Here to laughter was when it swelled up, as scalded, all wet, but smelling of aroma of forest flowers - though does not stink from it now then for mile!

- Stella! Again you play pranks! Who to you allowed to prolazit in my flower?! I told you to sleep in the flower, unless is unclear? Understand, you are already adult! We cannot sleep already together!

- And you who allowed to forget about my birthday, and, by the way, the Creator precept too! - I became visible again and put out the tongue at it.

Azail gasped and clutched at the head, having blushed to the roots of hair.

- Oh, forgive me my Stellochka, for the sake of the Creator! I FORGOT! Just we with brothers finished cultivation of the first live building for our Community and the first avenue today …

But I did not allow it to finish speaking.

- It not a justification, Ozzie! - strictly I told and accepted "a fighting pose" - having angrily rested handles against sides. - I was congratulated today by all sisters, ALL! I prepared entertainments, dances - and - NONE of boys were outlined! How it is called, a-a-a? You stick out on this hill the second month, and even about my birthday - forgot! And it had to be OURS with you day! - It became terribly offensive for me for itself, I wanted even to begin to cry, but … For some reason seemed to me silly to show such weakness before
it, especially
before it!

Azail outright was upset. He just did not know where to put eyes, and I exulted - for the first time for so many years I felt its confusion, its weakness, its need in me - in this case, in my forgiveness - his fault was really heavy!

And I was not slow to use it!

- All right, the hero … - I waved a hand. - Well becomes angry about you? It is already time to sleep, late absolutely. Give, remove the tunic - not only that it all wet, it also dirty … Well you and pig!

And then I made a bed fresh linen (it the, apparently, did not change already few months! Well as he without me lived all these years here?), wrapped up it in a pink blanket and … itself whisked there!

He looked at me somehow strange, I would even tell, a little scaredly, but told nothing. And I to it:

- You what, was frightened of me perhaps?

- The N-no … - also began to tremble all over.

- We slept so many years with you under one blanket, remember? You still told fairy tales to me for the night …

- Yes, but now all differently …

- And - and - and - and - hectare - and-and! After all you are afraid of me! - triumphantly I exclaimed - now I groped its weak place! Here where our clever and glavnenky Ozzie is vulnerable! And that goes, understand, with such important and clever look, and itself - the little coward!

And I k-a-a-ak let's it tickle! And then I was already simple be not to stopped … And that night I felt absolutely differently, I as if was born anew, I became other. I for the first time felt as the mistress of the situation and it to me very much, very much was pleasant!

I was the first fairy who had a stomach. From generation Primogenital nobody gave birth yet, nobody formed couple though the last couple of flowers from which new associates were born grew five years ago. We were exactly one hundred, one hundred Primogenital - 50 young men and 50 girls. First reasonable beings of Tselestiya …

And therefore all were surprised and with the mixed feeling of admiration and fear of something unknown, of some secret looked at me. And when I began fights, Azail insisted that I gave birth at all Soobshestva, in the Hall of Meetings which is just grown up by boys on the pink hill that in the center of the Island.

- Such is will of the Creator, Stella. He orders that it was seen by all that all Community became the witness of the birth of the first
live-born
that others followed our example. From now on, the Creator told me, our sort will grow and be multiplied only this way. Primogenital will not be any more.

- Yes his will will be blessed from now on and till a century! - reverentially I put handles on a breast, and in myself exulted. I am the first! I to the first will become a mother as the first became a wife! The FIRST in the history of Community, Skies, Tselestiya!

Childbirth was not heavy (they became heavy much later …). I did not feel pain, on the contrary, very much it was even pleasant to me to give birth. It is possible to tell, I felt pleasure and even laughed for pleasure and pleasure. Azail, on the contrary, was pale from concern - after all first labor of his beloved wife. It did not decide to accept them. Told that will encourage me. He and stayed near me, holding me by a hand. And for acceptance of childbirth he made of plush of small animals - a kitten and a puppy - and programmed them on all necessary actions. Except Azail Premudry none of Community knew how to deliver! All others observed sacrament of the birth, with bated breath …

Twins - two girls twins identical as like as two peas were born. And all Community met their birth by joyful shouts and applause. When the Kitten and the Puppy washed and swaddled babies, Azail took them in hand, got up on a round eminence in the center of the Hall of Meetings and majestically looked round the stands filled with associates hardly on thousand part:

- I, the power to me given by the Creator, by the right of the husband and the father, name these first two
live-born
associates names Astra and Esther and I rule that they had the same status, as Primogenital!

Then with tears in the eyes he in turn kissed each of girls on a forehead, and the Kitten and the Puppy brought small kulonchik in the form of fairies with wings and accurately dressed them on krasnenky wrinkled infantile necks.

After that, he also solemnly said:

- Listen, the electee and beloved Sozdatelem the people! From now on all of you have to make married couples and execute its precept opened for me - to propagate and breed and to fill this blessed earth, to make of it the blossoming garden for the benefit everything having to inhabit it to beings! Especially, brothers and sisters, you saw - childbirth is safe, easy and is even pleasant, be not afraid!

Its voice was muffled by a storm of an applause.

Yes, that for blessed it there was time! It, probably, never, nevermore will be …

Young men and girls formed couples, weddings which were carried out by us with Azail took place nearly daily, and then - reproduction began.

If someone asks me how many I gave birth during this time to sons and daughters, I - the Second of Three - could not answer this question even now! Such impression that I was always pregnant, and not only I - but also all adult fairies of Community. Pregnancy lasted only three months, childbirth took place in ten minutes, any pain was not trace and - one strong pleasure, not less, and maybe stronger, than at conception. Babies grew much quicker us - primogenital: feeding by a breast stopped in a month, in half a year it already spoke, in a year - read and wrote, and in fourteen - married. In a year the number of associates reached several hundred. And then began to grow quicker and quicker …

On the thirtieth baby I ceased to remember their names, and therefore we just called their "brother" or "sister" with the corresponding serial number. When the individual became adult - we called her in the place of Service which he took in Community. So, the brother No. 475 was engaged in cultivation of inhabited flowers, and therefore received the name Cultivator of Flowers No. 264 (because before there were 263 brothers of this profession). Sisters served only one - they married and gave birth new generations of brothers and sisters, and therefore called them still just on serial number.