Why does everything that shines lead me to the top of darkness, and sit on the top of the crumbling peak and make me weep quietly. ---- "Miracles"

"All right," said Norberg, "I'm going to smash your head, and you're going to get down on your knees." That's great. He stretched out an aging hand and patted Asho's arm.

"We still have some time before dinner is ready. Ah Xiu said, "Do you want to play another game of chess? ”

Norberg lit another cigarette with a match. "How can the conditions not change? Do you want me to kill you twice?"

"Now, you can only knock once, that's all. You told me that this job requires not only strength, but also skill. If you win this time, you'll have two chances to smash my head. ”

Norberg glared at him. "I can do it with a hammer, a hammer! He patted his right upper arm with his left hand, showing that the muscles were still strong, and the soot was all on his hands.

"It's been so long. If you're not very skilled, you might just hit me with a hammer. When was the last time you swung a hammer in a slaughterhouse? Thirty years ago, forty years ago?"

Norberg didn't say anything, his mouth closed like a gray scar on his face. His fingers tapped rhythmically on the wooden table, and then he put the twenty-four pieces back onto the board.

"Chess," he said, "you still play white, and I play black." ”

Ah Xiu took the first step. Norberg followed suit. It occurred to Ah Xiu that Norberg wanted to turn this game into a remake of the previous game he had just won. And that's exactly where he is weak.

In this game of chess, Ah Xiu no longer has any scruples. He seized every small opportunity, stopped thinking, and played completely on instinct without a pause. In this game, Ashu has been smiling confidently: with every move Norberg makes, his smile is a point bigger.

It didn't take long for Norberg to drop his moves harder and harder, smashing the wooden table with a thud and shaking the pieces in the square.

"Eat your one. Norberg said, and Kuroko slammed into one of Ashu's pawns. "See? ”

Ah Xiu didn't say anything, just smiled slightly, and the chess pieces jumped in succession, eating the sunspots that Norberg had just fallen, and then eating another, and another, a total of four pieces, completely sweeping away the sunspots in the center of the chessboard. One of his pawns touched the opponent's bottom line and was promoted to king.

The rest is basically the finishing touch. Take a few more steps and the game is over.

Ah Xiu said: "Do you want to play the third game?"

Norberg just stared at him, his gray eyes as cold as steel. Suddenly, he laughed happily and slapped Ashu on the shoulder. "I like you!" he announced, "you have a kind." ”

A sister sticks her head to the door and tells them that dinner is ready and that they need to clean the table and set up the tablecloth.

"We don't have a restaurant to eat. She explained, "I'm sorry, but I had to eat here." ”

Plates containing meals were placed on the table, and each person was given a small lacquered tray on his lap, on which were tarnished cutlery.

The second sister took five wooden bowls, each with an unpeeled boiled potato, scooped in the heavily colored borscht, and finally added a spoonful of white sour cream to the soup. She handed the bowls to each of them.

"I thought there were six people eating. Ah Xiu said.

"The third sister is still sleeping," the second sister explained, "and we put her meals in the fridge." Wait until she wakes up and eats it herself. ”

The borscht has a slightly sour taste, a bit like pickled beets. Boiled potatoes are too old and boiled into powder.

The next dish was a biting stew with greens – but because they had been cooked for too long, they didn't look like greens and turned into a brown paste.

Then there is the cabbage meat roll, which is wrapped in pork and rice. The cabbage leaves are so tough that they can barely be cut without splashing the minced meat and rice inside. Ah Xiu pushed his share to the plate and didn't eat it.

"We were just playing chess," Norberg said, digging up a large piece of stew. "This young man and I. He won one game and I won one game too. Because he won a game, I agreed to go with him and Drinkward and help them realize that crazy plan. And because I also won a game, I'm going to kill him and knock his head off with my hammer when it's over. ”

Both Zoya nodded with serious expressions. "It's pathetic. The eldest sister said, "If I tell you a fortune, I will say that you will live a long life, live a happy life, and have many children." ”

"That's why you can be a good fortune teller. The second sister said. She looked like she was about to fall asleep, and seemed to be trying to get her spirits up, "You always pick up nice lies." ”

Dinner was over, but Ah Xiu still felt very hungry. The prison meal was terrible, but it was much better than this one.

"Good meals. Drinkward complimented, and with a very palpable look of pleasure, he ate all the food on his plate cleanly. "I want to thank you ladies and gentlemen. Now, I'm afraid we're going to have to ask you to tell us about any good hotels nearby. ”

The eldest sister looked as if she had been offended by him. "Why do you stay in a hotel?" she asked, "aren't we your friends?"

"I'm sorry to bother you again......" Drinkward said.

"No hassle at all. The second sister said, one hand playing with her golden hair, which was not appropriate for her age, and she yawned.

"You can sleep in Bergern's room," the eldest sister pointed to Drinkward, "and it's empty anyway." As for you, young man, I can make you a bed on the couch, and I swear you'll feel more comfortable than sleeping on a feather bed. ”

"You're so kind. "We accept your kindness from the bottom of our hearts." ”

"And we only need to pay a little bit for the accommodation, which is much cheaper than the hotel fee," the eldest sister shook her hair triumphantly, "only a hundred dollars." ”

"Thirty. "Drinkward bargained with her.

"Fifty. ”

"Thirty-five. ”

"Forty-five. ”

"Forty. ”

"Alright, forty-five. That's it. The eldest sister crossed the table and shook hands with Drinkward. She began to clean up the dishes on the table. The second sister yawned so much that Ah Xiu was even worried that her jaw would dislocate, and she announced that she had to hurry back to her room to sleep, otherwise she would fall asleep in the dessert pie. Then, she said goodnight to each of them.

Ah Xiu helped the eldest sister to collect the used plates and plates into the small kitchen. To his surprise, he found an old-fashioned dishwasher underneath the sink, so he put all the dishes in it. The eldest sister stepped over his shoulder and saw it, booed discontentedly, and took out the borscht bowl made of wood. "These, wash them in the sink. She commanded him.

"I'm sorry. ”

"Don't mind. Okay, come on, we also made pies, desserts after meals. She said.

That pie – apple pie – was bought in the store, freshly heated in the oven, and it was very, very tasty. The four of them ate the apple pie with ice cream. Then, the eldest sister told everyone to leave the living room and made a comfortable-looking bed for Ah Xiu on the sofa.

As they stood in the hallway, Drinkward and Ashu whispered to each other.

"What you're doing here, playing chess. He said.

"What's wrong?"

"Awesome job. It's stupid, but it's great. Well, get a good night's sleep. ”

Ah Xiu brushed his teeth and washed his face with cold water in the small bathroom, walked back to the living room through the hallway, and turned off the light. As soon as his head was on the pillow, he fell asleep.

There are numerous explosions in Ashu's dream: he drives a truck through a minefield, and bombs explode on both sides of the car. The windshield shattered, and he felt warm blood trickle down his face.

Later, it is unknown why Loki shot at him.

A bullet pierced his lungs, a bullet shattered his spine, and another bullet hit him in the shoulder. He felt the pain of each bullet hitting him, and he collapsed on the out-of-control steering wheel.

After the last intense green light, everything was plunged into darkness.

I must have been dreaming, Ah Xiu thought in the darkness, I felt like I was dead. He remembered one thing he had heard and believed when he was a child, that when you die in a dream, you will die in reality. But he didn't feel like he was dead, so he tried to open his eyes.

There was a woman in the small living room, and she was standing by the window, her back to him. His heart paused for a beat. "Laura?"

She turned, her figure bathed in the moonlight, outlining her body. "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I didn't mean to wake you up. Her voice was soft, with an Eastern European accent, "I'll go." ”

"No, it doesn't matter. "It wasn't you who woke me up, I just had a nightmare." ”

"I know," she said, "you're screaming and moaning. Part of me wanted to wake you up, but then I thought, no, I'd better not disturb him. ”

In the faint moonlight, her hair was white. She wore a long white cotton dressing gown with a high collar trimmed with lace trimmed and a hem trimmed. Ah Xiu stood up and was fully conscious. "You're the third sister...... he hesitated for a moment, "it's the sister who has been sleeping." ”

"You're right, I'm Zoya's sister. Your name is Ah Xiu, isn't it? Second Sister told me when I woke up. ”

"Yes. What are you looking at here?"

She glanced at him, then extended her hand to beckon him over, and stood with her by the window. She turned around as he got up to put on his pants. He walked over, and although the room was small, it seemed as if it had taken a long time to get to her.

He couldn't tell her real age. There was not a single wrinkle on her skin, her eyes were dark, her eyelashes were long, and her waist-length hair was silvery white. The moonlight diluted all the colors, making them both ghostly. She was taller than both of her older sisters.

She pointed to the night sky. "I'm looking at that. She said, pointing to the constellation Ursa Major in the Big Dipper, "See?"

"Ursa Major. He replied.

"Look at it here, it looks like a big bear. "But where I came from, it had a somewhat different shape." I'm going to sit on the roof and watch it, would you like to come with me?"

She opened the window, climbed out barefoot, and stood outside on the fire escape ladder. A cold wind blew in through the window. There was something that made Ah Xiu feel uneasy, but he didn't know what it was. He hesitated, then put on his sweater, socks, and shoes, and followed her outside to the rusty fire escape ladder. She stood there waiting for him. His breath froze into a white mist in the cold air, and he watched as her bare feet treaded the cold iron staircase, and then he followed her up to the roof.

A cold wind blew, blowing her nightgown against her body. Ah Xiu uncomfortably realized that this young girl, who still looked like a girl, was wearing nothing under her nightgown.

"Aren't you afraid of the cold?" he asked. At this time, they happened to climb to the top of the fire staircase, but a gust of wind blew his words away.

"What did you say?"

She bent down and leaned her face close to him. There was a hint of sweetness on her breath.

"I said, aren't you afraid of the cold?"

In response, she held up a finger: Wait. She stepped lightly over the edge of the roof and onto the flat roof. Ah Xiu followed awkwardly, following her past the roof and into the shadows of the water tower. There is a wooden bench there. She sat down, and he sat beside her. The water tower became a shield against the wind, which made Ah Xiu feel very happy.

"No," she replied, "I'm not afraid of the cold." This time is mine: I don't feel a little uneasy at night, just as a fish doesn't feel unhappy in the water. ”

"You must love the evening. Ah Xiu said that he wished he could say something smarter and deeper.

"My sisters have their own time. The eldest sister is Dawn. When we were back home, she was always the first to get up, open the door, and let our father drive his—oh, I forget what that word said. A cart, pulled by horses. ”

"Carriage?"

"His carriage. Our father would drive out. Then, the second sister will open the door for him at dusk and welcome him back to us. ”

"What about you?"

She stopped. Her lips were plump, but pale and bloodless. "I've never met my father. I've been sleeping. ”

"Are you sick?"

She didn't answer, just shrugged her shoulders imperceptibly. "Just now, you want to know what the hell I'm looking at. ”

"Ursa Major. ”

She pointed her arm at it. Once again, the cold wind scraped her dressing gown against her skin. At that moment, her **, as well as**the small goosebumps around her, were all pasted on the white cotton cloth, which was clearly visible. Ah Xiu couldn't help but fight a cold war.

"The carriage of the gods, as some call it, is also called the constellation Ursa Major. In my hometown, we believe, there is a monster up there, it's not a god, but it's a bit like a god, an evil monster, bound in chains, imprisoned in that constellation. If it breaks free from its chains and escapes, it will devour everything in the world. In charge of guarding the sky are the three sisters, who keep watch all day and all night. Once the monster imprisoned in the stars escapes, the whole world will be destroyed. 'Poof', it's over. ”

"People believe in such legends?"

They believed. Once upon a time, they believed. ”

"Have you been watching, wanting to see that you can see monsters in the stars?"

"Pretty much. You're right. ”

He laughed. If it weren't for the fact that it was too cold, he would have thought he was dreaming. Everything that happened around me felt like a dream.

"May I ask you how old you are? Your sisters look old. ”

She nodded. "I'm the youngest one. The eldest sister was born in the morning, the second sister was born in the evening, and I, I was born at midnight. I am Midnight among the Sisters: Keeper of the Night. Are you married?"

"My wife died. She died in a car accident last week, and yesterday was her funeral. ”

"I'm sorry. ”

"She came to visit me last night. "It's not difficult to tell the secret. What you would not dare to think of during the day in the dark night and soft moonlight, now it is so natural to say.

"Did you ask her what she wanted?"

"Nope. I didn't ask. ”

"Maybe you should ask her. Asking questions of the dead is the wisest option. Sometimes they will tell you the truth. Second sister tell me, you played chess with Norberg?"

"Yes, he won the right to smash my head with a hammer. ”

"In the old days, they always took people to the highest place on the top of the mountain, to the high ground. They made sacrifices to Norberg by smashing the back of the heads of the victims of human sacrifice with stones. ”

Ah Xiu couldn't help but look around. There was no one, just the two of them on the roof.

The Night Elf laughed. "Fool, of course he's not here. But you also won a game of chess. He won't break your head until it's all over. He promised. You'll see when he's going to kill you. Like the cattle he killed, they always knew right away that death was coming. Otherwise, it's not interesting at all, is it?"

"I feel," Ashu said to her, "I feel like I'm in a world with its own set of logic, and this world has its own set of rules. It's like dreaming. Even in dreams, you know that dreams have rules that you can't break, even though you don't know what they are. I'm conforming to the rules of this world. Do you see what I mean?"

"I understand. She said, taking his hand in a cold hand. "Someone once promised to protect you, even the sun gave you. But you lose that protection. You gave it up. The protection I can give you is much weaker. It comes from the daughter, not the father. But a little protection is better than nothing, right?" her white hair was blown by the cold wind and fluttered on her face.

"Do I have to fight with you in order to get this protection?" he asked.

"You don't even have to kiss me to get it. She told him, "Just take the moon away from me." ”

"What?"

"Take the moon. ”

"I don't understand. ”

"Look. The Night Elf said. She raised her left hand and placed it in front of the moon, her thumb and forefinger as if pinching the edge of the moon. Then, with a gentle movement of his fingers, it seemed to pull the moon hanging high in the sky. At that moment, she seemed to have literally plucked the moon from the night sky. But then, Ah Xiu saw that the moon was still shining in the sky. The younger sister opened her palm to show him, and between her index finger and thumb was a sterling silver dollar coin with the image of Lady Liberty printed on it.

"Well done. "I didn't see how you hid the coin in your hand, and I didn't understand it at the end. ”

"I didn't hide it in my hand," she said, "and I took it off." Now, I give it to you to keep you safe. Then, don't give it to anyone else this time. ”

She placed the silver coin in the palm of his right hand and closed his fingers for him to hold it. The silver coin felt cold in his hand. The Night Elf leaned over, closed his fingers lightly in his eyes, and kissed him, kissing him on the eyelids of both of them.

Ashu wakes up on the couch and finds himself fully dressed. A long strip of sunlight filtered in through the window, and dust flew in the sunlight.

He got out of bed and walked to the window. During the day, the room appears even smaller under the daylight.

From last night until now, there is something that has been bothering him. When I looked out into the street, it suddenly became clear: there was no fire escape ladder outside the window. There are no balconies and no rusty metal ladders.

But what still held in his palm and glittered in the daytime sun was the 1922 silver dollar with the head of Lady Liberty.

"Oh, you're up. Drinkward poked his head in from the doorway, "Great." Want to have a coffee? Let's go rob a bank. ”