Глава 16

Has it...?;Stopped moving?

I think so...

The roaring and the heavy breathing have ceased. Did we kill it?

But it's still standing—

Don't move! I'll check.

Mon3tr ascertains that the other two are at a safe distance, and approaches it on her own.

The manglerbeast stands quietly, no sign of the madness that had engulfed it only moments ago, its strange forelimbs hanging still in front of its body. Part of the Originium covering it has been chipped away.

Mon3tr approaches carefully.

She observes the manglerbeast. It was dangerous to begin with, and its mutations make it look strange, almost otherworldly.

The influence of Originium is turning it into a 'human' physiologically...

It must be in a great deal of pain...

Mon3tr, look out!;It's moving again!

Oh—

But the manglerbeast does not attack or even move from its spot. It falls toward the ground—

Until its forelimbs touch the ground again with a thud.

Now's our chance to leave, Mon3tr.;We should leave and go back to the lab, now.

No, Doctor.

Mon3tr?

It's still breathing!

And it sounds like it's... in pain? I think.

I can't sense another's emotions like Amiya can, and this is just a mutated animal. But...

I know it will die, even if we don't do anything.

The Originium has impaled its throat. Every part of its body is in pain. It would claw out its own mutated organs if it could.

Perhaps this is why it attacked us. It's not in control of itself anymore.

Let's end its pain, then.

Yes.

I can do it. I can...

End its pain.

She walks towards the fallen beast. Standing next to it, she puts her claws against a piece of fur with fewer crystals.

Mon3tr gazes at the manglerbeast with incredible calm in her eyes.

Then, she surgically extinguishes the mutated manglerbeast's last, intermittent breathing.

Let's go, Doctor.

Back to the lab.

Mantra continues to listen.

She knows she cannot trust what she sees, whether it is twisted by intention, or reflecting reality by accident.

And so she listens, until the first word of prayer drops in the crowd like the first snow.

Yurodstvo...

'Gabrielus.'

I'm listening.

Then stop.

Stop—

Stop it all!

I cannot stop what never began.

What you see is only in your mind.

Mantra stops trying to communicate. She steps forward and tries to steady the trembling red, white and black threads.

As she stretches out her hand—

—Mantra—

Mantra!

What?

You were completely motionless.

I've never seen you like this... what happened?

Did you hear that?

Hear what?

The old woman does not immediately answer.

She looks around and realizes that the remaining miners look different from before. She frowns and glances around herself.

Where is Eloysius?

She heard me and ran outside.

So you did tell us to leave.

Yes, but I don't remember why... this is strange.

Mental Arts.

Are you sure? I've received specific training. I would not be defenseless against such attacks.

Check for short-term memory interference, Raidian.

What sort of interference?

Interference that I can create.

One time, I had Mechanist forget that he wanted to ask you about borrowing Dendie and Axie. Not by wiping the memory, but by blocking its formation.

I remember... that was the first time you tried to use your Arts like that, I think? We forget when information in our brain is not successfully stored in the memory.

Yes. It was your idea. You are far more experienced than I am in the understanding and utilization of human bioelectrical signals.

You think someone here uses the same sort of Arts?

Unsure. Perhaps I just saw and heard more than you did.

What do you mean?

The Yurodstvo of Ursus may be here, Raidian.

Yurodstvo? Why do you bring that up—

The Yurodstvo is here? But the last Yurodstvo was burned alive in Grypherburg two years ago. Could another be born so soon?

I don't know. I'm going to find out.

If it's really the Yurodstvo, and it was hidden in the group, without me detecting it... then it's extremely dangerous.

I'll put the others on alert. Be careful.

The danger is not physical. Not yet, at least.

I'll seek help if necessary.

Don't forget it.

Mantra turns around and walks towards the place where the red was, a few moments ago.

The assembled miners either give way to her, or reach out to her.

Who are you... looking for?

We're still going, to Grypherburg, right?

We'll l-live...

(Nods)

But they look like, they don't want, to leave? I asked Dyadya Volya. He doesn't want, to leave.

He'd rather, his wounds rot, than to run.

But isn't surviving, the most important thing?

You're not, talking...

Stranger.

Are you going to see Nadia? Then go on your knees, and raise your eyes to her.

See her, repent, and be forgiven. Then you will realize how foolish you were, for struggling and failing to find peace.

Mantra neither assents nor dissents. She does not speak to them with Arts. She simply nods and passes them by, staring straight into the deepest reaches of the room.

You will understand... when you are in her presence.

A hunched, tiny grey-white figure sits at the end of the room like a statue.

—Yurodstvo?!

Impossible. It's impossible! The Yurodstvo is dead!

The Tsar granted the madman the mercy of defending himself before his sentence was pronounced.

Seven days! He engaged in sophistry for seven days without stopping, without eating or drinking.

He had the audacity to stand in the middle of the State Council, telling everyone who came to listen—