Ловушка для Мыслеформы. A Trap for a Thought-Form. Премия им. М. Булгакова / M. Bulgakov Award (Билингва: Rus/Eng). Александра Крючкова

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      5. Ucatanagon

      I flew into the Mansion five minutes before the fixed time of our literary party, but the Blizzard was delaying the guests.

      «Hello!» the Guardian, as usual, graciously relieved me of the snow-powdered furs and handed them over to the hanger. «Who are you going to introduce to the public today? The cryptic book title on the poster is a real charade! „Ucatanagon“, is it about some „Cat“? Or is it just something „gone“? Another Swampy? Baba Yaga? Or the skeleton of Koschey the Immortal?»

      «You won’t believe the truth,» I whispered mysteriously as I walked into the cafe.

      «One of the Rainbow?!» mirroring my whisper, the Guardian supposed and followed me to make us coffee.

      «No, the Rainbow is still ahead of us! And here… how to explain… The annotation says, it’s like a mystical fantasy about options for the further development of mankind, ruled by Ucatanagon with a certain Ma… However, as you read along, you find the bear having non-standard love with the fox, and then killing it. The bull is engaged in even more unconventional relationship with…»

      «S-stop-stop-stop! I see!» the Guardian laughed, handing me a double espresso with milk. «I figured out who the Ucatanagon is!»

      «It seems to me that even the author himself didn’t understand who Ucatanagon was, but that doesn’t matter anymore.»

      The hall was gradually flooded with guests.

      «I look at them,» the Guardian said thoughtfully, «and I think, isn’t it the Ball of…? You know whom I mean…»

      «The Ball is scheduled for the 40^th night… Tell me, is the Portal located in the postbox room, where letters to the Creator are written?»

      «I can’t answer that question,» the Guardian sighed with a shrug.

      «I felt it there… Are there other rooms nearby?»

      «Yes, there is one next to the postbox room.»

      «Could you open it for me? For a couple of minutes, while the guests are gathering…»

      We sailed into an adjoining room, where I slowly spun around the table. The walls were full of…

      «Would you like me to make an exhibition of your paintings here?» the Guardian suddenly offered.

      «How do you know I paint?»

      «You gave me your „Moon Cat“, there is your painting on the cover, „The Girl and the Cat“. And inside the book, there are the same Girl and the Cat, already as drawings. You have a lot of works about the Girl and the Cat. They are very relevant here. So, do you want an exhibition?»

      «I think it’s better to gift the rest of that serial paintings to the Mansion. Some have already been sold, some have been donated… I will bring you the paintings on the 40^th night as my gift for the Museum. Yes?»

      The Guardian didn’t answer. I thought about it, and suddenly, in the silence, I felt that…

      «The Portal! Is it HERE?!» I exclaimed in surprise.

      The Guardian smiled.

      «Listen, it can’t be like that! I felt the Portal there, and now it’s here?!»

      The Guardian came up to me and carefully ran his hand through my hair.

      «You are very beautiful, Alice…»

      The door opened, the Cat appeared on the threshold.

      «Meow?!!!»

      «He seems to be jealous,» the Guardian smiled, and we returned to the hall.

      While the Zoo lover was sharing with the guests his vague concepts of the further development of mankind and answered questions, I kept glancing at my table with a lonely cup of coffee bored on it.

      I felt… sad…

      I admitted to myself that I got used to the appearance of Roman at our literary parties. I was afraid he wouldn’t come again.

      During the break, I was back at the table when the door to the hall opened and…

      «Hello,» Roman smiled, taking a seat next to me.

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