On the observation of evil and the escapism of oneiromancy

Hope is nurtured by self-deception,

With fairy tales, with colors in the bottle of time,

Tired eyelashes with thick curtains,

The void of a single camera...

Inside...

Theodor Bastard, «Come back clean»

— You know, Sandy, — Belkin scattered coins on the table in two piles and pushed one clinking handful towards the pony, — You still haven't found out what was there. Will you go again? — Where to? To the Badlands? Belkin, is everything all right with your head? There will be a lot of Guards and Night Guards there now. Some last-minute scorpio will get papers. — Why would he? — Valentine did not understand. — As I understand it, this chitinous brotherhood is unreasonable with you. — If a multi-legged filth knows nothing about its papers, it does not mean that it does not have them on it. They will take into account and record everyone. — And where was I counted? — In the standard contract for a one-time job, — Pony looked closely at squirrel dog. — That's it? — Isn't that enough? We don't have a Manehatten, and the Guard doesn't need any extra guile. Was he like that? Was. And they will look for it, if anything. — Hm. As far as I know, the state machine is clumsy. And if I don't, figuratively speaking, smear Celestia's door with manure, then no one will look for me until some routine check, when the Princesses decide that the papers are completely neglected this century. hm. As far as I know, the state machine is clumsy. And if I don't, figuratively speaking, smear Celestia's door with manure, then no one will look for me until some routine check, when the Princesses decide that the papers are completely neglected this century. — Ordinary ponies may be interested. And start scribbling complaints that the evil diamond dog looked at them badly, scratched threateningly, and in general... It's not a fact that someone will pay attention to such a piece of paper, but... — I see. Is the informer entitled to a share of the accused's property? Or do ponies «knock» on representatives of other races out of love for this business? For the soul, so to speak? — We don't have a Fillydelphy from the time of the Sisters' Reign, — Sandy smiled wryly. — And in your world, does this happen all the time? — Fortunately, it is no longer constant and not everywhere. — I see. Belkin, — Pony tilted her head slightly, — Should I start being offended? — Uh-uh? — You just gave my people such a cutie mark! It kind of hurts me! — I'm sorry. I'm used to seeing only the bad. — It's noticeable. By the way, why did you split the money? — This is for my current expenses, and that pile is yours. Pony looked at the squirrel dog strangely. She looked stern. It was as if he had just decided that he was accepting a business plan to take the change away from the foals. — Sandy... Listen... I need this money to buy a ticket and get somewhere. And at least eat something on the way. Occasionally, — Valentine was uncomfortable saying all this. — I understand that you gave me shelter, spend money on food, negotiate with the residents of the town... Simply... If I were going to my own people, I would leave everything to you, no questions asked, you can't drag anything to the grave and through the looking glass... But... — Finish it, — Pony offered without emotion. — I thought slavery was forbidden in Equestria. What is physical, what is financial. Or I don't understand some customs. Or... do you really need this money? Is there something urgent? Sandy was already looking at him with outright anger. — That's your Special Talent, isn't it? — The pony was shaking, but she spoke softly. — That's it for everyone... — I'm an outsider. And I don't understand many things that are natural to you. It's just, — Belkin hesitated, — I thought intelligent beings could always come to an agreement. — Yeah. Reasonable... — Do you think I'm unreasonable? Just an animal? But on what basis? — Something seems to be beginning to clear up for a man in the guise of a squirrel dog. — Ah! After all, many of your animals have some kind of primitive intelligence and even speak in simple phrases! But don't you consider griffins dragons to be animals? Or... Too? Yeah. The animal is not entitled to money. It does not understand their essence and value, only some exchange properties, and even then, most often without understanding the nominal value and other things. Pancake. The original plan of not contacting anyone at all, which Petrovich had suggested to him, no longer seemed stupid. Many animals and freedom are understood primitively, not as a conscious need for independent planning and action, but as a discrepancy between the size and properties of the hunting area and habitat desired. — Sandy... Let's do this... I take the bare minimum and leave. At least to Badlands, anywhere. Let's assume that you haven't met me and you don't have any ownership rights over me. I'm just nobody's desert dweller. Wild, but cute, — The squirrel dog smiled angrily. — And I got the jumpsuit by accident, not from the previous owner. Okay? Valentine rose smoothly. He walked backwards to the door, as if saying goodbye. He said that he asked not to mention him with a vengeance, that it was simply not worth making any long-term plans for him, especially without warning... — Stop, — Pony said tensely, and also got up from her chair. Belkin mentally cursed. Bitch, is that why it's always like this? You treat them like humans, they treat you like animals. Or slaveholding. Just because they're not human, but a different species? A different culture? Other civilizational foundations? Fucking, but what are the basics?! It's the same everywhere! That at home, where they strive to «breed» to work for free, what is here. Didn't he see it, asshole? He went to the market with this horse! They were haggling there! Once again, for programmers who are divorced from reality, who have decided that they are the smartest here: they were haggling there! Sincerely, selflessly, as in an oriental bazaar! That is, they tried to deceive each other. Or the enemy of the enemy. Although, still, a friend. «Friendship» is when you are deceived, lied to the eyes, sold and betrayed. And «enmity» is when they silently shoot from behind. There's a lot of stuff here. And this one is going to do something now, from the attack to telling the sheriff that her animal escaped.

***

I almost reached the door. Will I have time to turn around, open the door and run out? Will she chase me? A pony is faster than a human, if I have estimated correctly. Perhaps they are faster squirrel dog. She will shout something like «hold him». Then she will claim that I have embezzled money belonging to her. Persuade her? Chat? Is it urgent to remember how I was taught to break limbs? I can't beat the pony, that's the trouble. Therefore, I can't fight back. I can mutilate. I can kill. But just to fight? No, the categories are different. I'm like a hunter looking at a bear. Who is looking at the hunter. The bear is cautious, smelling metal and gun oil. The hunter is also cautious, since the shot that he recklessly loaded cannot be immediately dumped, and even with fatal penetrating wounds, the beast is still dangerous for a long time. And there is no way to recharge. And my situation is even worse: the gun is hidden in the pantry. To pretend that I'm big, strong, but I came for something completely different and generally «transit here?» And how? Just to talk? She has nothing to talk about with a rebellious thing. Talk to the point where she loses her patience and attacks? Break her leg, stun her... She wakes up and starts yelling, calling for help, demanding that they go hunting. Will they be shot as soon as possible, or mutilated and dragged to a hastily constructed scaffold to be executed with fiction and unhealthy excitement in the eyes of onlookers? They'll write in the newspaper, won't they? Then, stun and stab? Well, or shoot through the pillow, so as not to be very loud. Pony said that my emotions don't show on my face, maybe she won't understand what I'm going to do. Or not finish it off? That's if I can do it at all. Go quickly and to the north, towards the forests. There's a lot of Everfree woodland further on, where all sorts of stuff is found, if the doctor wasn't lying. And the magic is all «wild», many spells must be cast crookedly and expensively. So let's see if there is a genetic memory for partisanship. I'm not a «forest brother», only capable of shooting at rural teachers, I'm a fighter against fascism, an anarchist and all that, different and not so much! — Sandy, — I say, — Please don't try to attack. I didn't steal anything from you, I tried to help as much as I could. I am alive and intelligent, I am not your property. And I don't want to hurt you. Just let me go. You didn't issue any certificates for my carcass while I was fixing your electricity? Have you signed any contracts behind my back? Behind my back. Ponies say «behind the rump». The language has settled down badly. Or, on the contrary, is it too good, since I can pay attention to such differences? I'm not thinking about that. I need to be on my way to the forest now, looking for a secluded place so that no one finds my skull. Is there any river there? Step back so that it's knee-deep, climb into the various reeds there and say the code phrase. And fuck will they find this marker. Damn, the pony is making a move. It seems that it will not be possible to disperse in peace. Nothing angers a robber more than the inability to rob. A slaveholder will never give up owning slaves. It will constantly slide towards this. Constantly. And a runaway slave or one who escaped enslavement is just like boiling water for him. I'm taking a step too. That's it, the door. I have to make a decision.

***

Light Sand was a smart pony and, despite having very little experience with other species, she guessed that Belkin wanted to leave not because he was tired of her, but for erroneous reasons. — Belkin, we need to have a serious talk... He looked at pony incredulously, as if she was about to accuse him of adultery or inform him that she was pregnant. All stallions are the same, only this one is also crazy. Smart, knows a lot, even a lot, has a certain upbringing, although strange, but some kind of... — To talk? Perhaps. Sandy turned around and went to the table. Belkin, after standing for a while, followed. — Where do we start? — The squirrel dog does not look into the eyes, more at the front hoofs. He twitched slightly when Sandy shifted her position. He also keeps his paws in plain sight, but sits a little unevenly on a chair. — You... you're like a griffin aristocrat who suddenly finds out that he's going to be poisoned at a banquet. What is the urge to escape? Am I bothering you with something? You also gave me money for some reason. Again, we're not in Manehatten or Griffonstone, where they don't even sneeze for free. What's wrong with you? — Sandy... I thought, — Belkin shook his head and made a face, at the same time he put his ears in different ways, — That you... in general, I thought badly. — Go on, — Sandy said with a wicked twinkle in her eyes. — I don't know your customs and norms well. At first it seemed to me that you were counting on the entire amount I earned as a reward for finding me a job. But it was a one-time job, and I... I didn't understand, but then why did I work? I felt hurt. Then I thought that... Well, that I belong to you now according to local traditions, since you have sheltered me. Like, in voluntary slavery. Or I owes some kind of ransom. Or something else. — Yeah. Great. And so I don't have to do anything, — Pony's voice trembled. — After the desert. — You've already returned the favor by bringing a marker. And I asked for a bed for the night, forced you to look for a job for me... what if you have some kind of traditional form of oral or even tacit agreement? — Yes, — Sandy confirmed. — We tacitly make commitments to try not to offend each other. It's just... ponies often have... Belkin raised an eyebrow at the pony's funny gesture. t's clear what she wanted to say. Belkin raised an eyebrow at the pony's funny gesture. It's clear what she wanted to say. Ponies often «blow the roof off» with some sudden idea, after which they forget about any friendship magic and start turning fierce shit. If you remember what Sandy told you, it happened here! For some things that had to be forgiven under pressure from Celestia, Belkin was ready to kill. Realistically, he would have strangled her in the doorway with a wire loop. If you remember what Sandy said, it was like this! For some things that under the pressure of Celestia had to be forgiven, Belkin would kill. Really, he would strangle in the yard with a wire loop. Or he would have burned it down along with the house. And judge me all twelve of them. Ponies, on the other hand, are incredibly naive in some matters. And in terms of willingness to forgive any abomination if the Princesses «ask», and that some things are not what they seem. And given their susceptibility to all sorts of nonsense... Well, they caught a strange creature for murder with arson and other «charms». The court, of course. The guards swear that if they had their way... But it's a big deal, and Celestia won't let them go. And he will not be able to keep all sorts of reporters and «cavalry journalists» out of the process. She also needs to show that she is in charge here not just like that or by mistake, but deservedly. But even though you've been ruling for a thousand years, you can guess in advance that the factor destroying the state may just be an idea... although, no. She knows that. She still has to answer for Stalliongrad. But can she imagine being fed the same dish? Oh, don't make my horseshoes laugh, otherwise it's ticklish to walk, as they might say here. She can imagine it, but the moment itself is safely wasted. No, really! They have a permanent fuck-up with this magic here, some regular horseradish from the mountain regularly goes hiking on them, and they just brush off the Elements. And no systematic work. Fuck, and even a week before the appearance of a new unknown shit, these Guardians should receive life-giving kicks, dry food, weapons and a combat mission! You have magic here! But something always goes wrong. «This has never happened before, and here it is again!» And there is a chance that at the trial Belkin, if he is given the floor, will plunge the country into chaos with a few phrases in his speech. He'll let everything go to the pussy. Belkin sighed. A fictional black cloud of malice distorted colors, deformed not objects, but the distance to them. — Okay, let's assume that I owe you... What exactly? — I don't know, — Pony hesitated. — Here's the deal... I have some funds, but they are not available yet. I have to come for them personally and to another city. Far away. — Let's not go into the details of banking in Equestria, — Valentine agreed. — But why did you say you didn't want to take your share? Did I divide it unevenly? — You... it hurt me that... it's like I'm being bought. Rather, that I am ready to sell anything, even my own location. — Then put it in a separate tin and spend it as needed. And then? You said I wasn't reasonable to ponies. And that collar you offered me. — I... no, you misunderstood everything! — How am I supposed to understand? — Belkin tried not to show what he was waiting for, but there was no certainty that the pony was not reading him. — Let's start from the beginning. I ask questions and clarify, then you ask questions. — Good, — Sandy didn't like this conversation. That's why you offered to talk? On the other hand, Belkin is not running away. He's not running away yet, he's just acting weird. — Ask first. — Where are you from? — Pony couldn't get the doctor's words out of her head. She laughed, but the residue remained. — From another world. With slightly different laws. — Is everyone like you there? Sandy put a behavioral component to the question, but Belkin gave a strange twitch of his cheek. It was as if he was trying to show off only half of his face. — My appearance is as unusual for me as it is for a pony. But there is also a certain similarity, which helped to adapt quickly. — Why are you here? — To find the cause and source of some undesirable phenomena in my world. I already told you once. — Okay, — Sandy tried to swallow to «swallow» the lump in her throat, but it didn't work. — Belkin, why are you like this, huh? — Explain it. — You... What makes you think I'm going to hurt you? Or who else? You even looked around the room at the doctor and figured something out. How to escape through the window? — Well... almost. How to open your throat with a piece of glass, if anything. First to the doctor, then to myself. — Here! What are you afraid of? Most ponies are friendly and considerate! — What were you afraid of? I understand that you didn't tell the representatives of the Guard about those shifters. And the strange attitude towards one of the local princesses... and that wonderful attention of the ponies who followed me, as if they were going to play the game «Don't let the stranger escape»? — This is... That's the hay! How can I say that?.. — Tell it like it is. — Yebat' tvoyu princessu! — Sandy switched to Stalliongrad, as she called it. — Belkin, why are you like this, huh? Do you twist things and phenomena? No! You... you find bad things! In a good way! And then I also see bad things only! Here! — I'm not making it up, but I find it? But this means that the bad is already there, it remains only to dig in the right place. — Yes! That's why you're looking for sewage under a flowerbed? Look at the flowers! Because, dear Sandy, there is not just sewage, there is a cattle burial ground. Under that flower bed of yours! And when it all gets out or into the groundwater, it's a matter of time. — Maybe I'm just not turning a blind eye to the unpleasant? — You're closing up on the pleasant! — Sandy... — The squirrel dog sighed again and decided to gently take the initiative in his almost squirrel-like paws. — Are you friendly? — In general, yes. — And carnivorous. Partially, of course. — Ponies can do without meat. And even without milk. For a very long time, — The not-quite-horse also sighed and switched back to Equestrian. — But we're either getting weaker or even dumber. We're getting stupid. With enlarged bellies. — Okay, we won't talk about meat yet. Are your cows semi-intelligent? — Yes. Sometimes it's even... It leads to everything... indecent. — Spare me the details. Although you said it was indecent. So, the biological laws of our worlds are somewhat similar. And I will continue, — Valentine inhaled and exhaled several times, calming down to that emotionless state when he began to seem like a doll animated by an evil magician to Sandy. — In our country, due to the unreasonableness of almost all animals, it is not customary to treat them on an equal basis with... with those who are at least formally reasonable. And our cows, like other animals, including ourselves, have a funny feature: the lactation period. It is quite natural for a cow, after feeding a calf, to carry it again. And again, giving milk again. Sandy... Is it the same for you? — In general, yes. We are extending the feeding period with magic and potions. And so that cows are born more, and not steers, — Sandy spoke almost in a whisper. If Belkin had known pony's reaction better, he might have guessed that Sandy was incredibly scared and ashamed. — Good. You got out of it. Almost. Where do the extra calves that are born go? — They... aren't born, — Sandy said, her eyes strangely dry. Not even cry. — A miscarriage? — And pony might also say that an outsider is ruthless at times. — It doesn't work out there. It is more... poured into the substituted tank. And recycled. It doesn't hurt the cow. And they think that... it just didn't work out this time... But that's the way it is. It's magic. And it just doesn't... work out... — Can they do that to a pony? — It just didn't work out this time... — Are you a fool at all? — Sandy snapped angrily. — Absolutely a fool! Who can do such an abomination... only when it is necessary to save a fool who cannot give birth, but even get pregnant! And she's a fool whose tail doesn't go down! And then, it is allowed in the early stages! If not, then let him flaunt a scar across his entire stomach! From the tail to the navel! A foal and a harmless injury usually turn quirky stallions away! — Class... I had the worst opinion of you. But I have another question, — Belkin did not change his intonation, and Sandy did not know what to expect. — Can they do that to a griffin? Well, how about the cow? With the minotaur? With a dragon? With me, if I were a female? It turned out to provoke. Sobbing, Sandy attacked Belkin. The table, of course, got in the way, and the pony had to try to reach the stranger's face with the hoofs of its forelimbs. Belkin still wasn't quite ready. The training period is too short. Even under drugs and with the monotonous speech of the coach. The pony broke through the block simply due to the strength and other anatomy of the joint. It flew like a stick across the cheekbone. But at least not with a piece of iron pipe. The squirrel dog missed the second and third blows, knocking over a chair, jumping up elastically and pushing the table onto the pony with the middle of his foot. He looked around instantly, assessing the situation. — So you can't just do it. But you will definitely do it. It's just a matter of time and possible consequences. I underestimated your Celestia, — Belkin's speech became jerky and completely colorless. — She managed to raise more than just generations of outwardly friendly ponies. She also disguised in each of you a certain program that determines the beginning of sudden aggression. And I'm more and more, fool, on computers and controllers! And here the head is being programmed! Instincts are overwriting! That's where the level is! Sandy, knocked to the floor, floundered and got up, looking at sobakobelkin in bewilderment and resentment. She didn't understand anything about «calculators» and «controllers». Is he crazy? And she beats him. The patient. It's perfectly simple. — You... — Yeah. I guessed it. You can't drink away the skill. Do you have the city of Troy here? A Trojan pony in the head... And I was also told that programmers do not understand others. Yes, we do! — You don't understand anything, you idiot! Nothing! All you have is dirt in your head! And on the tongue! You did it on purpose, didn't you? Belkin shook his head. No, he didn't do it on purpose. — All this time, I didn't know what to expect from a pony. I see one thing, but you're saying something else. And now it's become clearer somehow, — The alien touched his cheekbone. What a week it's been! It flies in the face for the second time. And again, no one is to blame. He misunderstood it himself. — What has become clearer to you? — Sandy walked around the table. The squirrel dog shifted almost in a dancing step. There was an overturned chair between the pony and Valentine. — There's something wrong with your head. Some instincts that are alien to me. I won't be able to interact with the pony. I'm different. And don't tell me that you didn't want to, but I messed up everything. You hit me from the side, in the temple. To break my head. So, why don't I just leave? — The alien grinned, an unnatural mixture of amusement and desperate bravery. — Until you decided to stab me sleeping or chain me up and starve me to death. Or she didn't sell it for organs. It's a shame somehow. I treat you like a living, intelligent and sensitive being, and you treat me like a chicken that I saw in your market. And I have some doubts that someone bought it there for the sake of eggs. Sandy paused, only to scream a second later: — Get out to Discord! You bastard! You came from the freaks, you're a freak, and you're equating us with the freaks! Take your stuff and get out! And don't let me see you anymore! Any dung pony is better than you! Kinder! — Okay, — Belkin shifted once more, intending to take something from the pantry. He was frantically wondering if the storeroom was locked from the outside, if all the walls were made of stone or if one wall was made of wood? — Is my weapon still there? Or has she already made a fuss? Sandy didn't answer. She sat down on the floor. She was looking at the floor. The stranger, without taking his eyes off the pony, reached the pantry, found a bucket and turned it under his feet. He picked up a gun, ammunition, and for some reason threw a couple more coins into the bucket. He carefully walked around the sitting pony along the wall. He pulled out a desk drawer. It's clear. He takes the knife. He rustled in the hallway, slipping on his shoes. The lock clicked. — That's it, I dare not abuse your hospitality. Moreover, I'm a rotten guest. I didn't let myself be killed, I don't want to be enslaved… Any pony is better than me. I wonder if changelings are ponies too? He said that outside. Sandy sat and stared at the floor. «Friendship is magic», — It was spinning in the pony's head. Yes. Magic. Akin to divination from the inside, sending corruption or pestilence, the most shameless deception and destruction of one's own and someone else's soul... Solid, fuck her with the horn of Celestia, good magic!

***

— In what way! — Valentine said, looking at the opened spool. Or not a spool. The piston was lying separately. So, stop! There must be two pistons, right? And here it's just a cylinder with fasteners. — What do you need? — A pony in a baggy jumpsuit and an indeterminate color cap could not wind some kind of nasty and greasy-looking rope around a groove in the piston. — I'm sorry. I came in by accident. Almost by accident. I've never seen the inside of such a steam engine. — Yeah? Are you saying you've ever seen any of them disassembled? — Well, there is a redirection of steam from one cylinder to another with a special spool... the cylinders are outside. Here, — Belkin scratched the back of his head. — Manure! — Reviewed by earth pony. — Now they do it in Fillydelphia, but my old man walks on four cylinders! Do you know how smooth the thrust is? Only here... The squirreel dog spread his fingers on his paw. — Well, try it, — Pony grinned skeptically. He was all some kind of indistinct gray-brown color, his mane and tail were slightly darker. And even his clothes were similarly grayish-brown, with the exception of coal and oil stains, which gave the stallion a resemblance to some kind of German huntsman, or parachutist. — Is it even legal? Otherwise I'll wind it up, and then they'll wind up my term... — It's actually me who needs to worry, not you. But if you can't, there's nothing to say. Belkin sighed and came over. — How many layers? — One. Turn by turn. — Where are the loose ends going? — Is it the first time? Here, and then clamp it with a screw. And flush to be twisted! — Are we trying to put it back in place? — Belkin cut off the excess, stuck the cut end into the hole and twisted the tricky screw with a knife. The slot allowed it. — You're going to try it on your filly... To stuff... — The earth pony, squinting at the pocket of the squirrel dog, shoved the piston into the cylinder, pulled on the stem. — It's not tight! Let's rewind, we need a second layer! — Just a second! — Belkin plugged the window in the cylinder. — Pull! The finger was famously sucked to the hole, it had to be torn off with a smacking sound. — That's it, kill you as a princess! As with mine! It doesn't seem to be tight, but it's tight! — Uh... you... you know better! — Squirrel dog even took a step back. — I have no experience with ponies at all! — Well, you shouldn't! — The earth pony made a snide face. — And since you're such a fool and a klutz, rewind the rest of the cylinders for me! Let the paws be busy with work, not... All right. Belkin shrugged his shoulders, pretending that he had not guessed about the «paw job». The partially disassembled car was located here, there was no need to go anywhere. Squirrel dog looked longingly at three more horseradish twenty centimeters in diameter. Bronze, ductile iron... and heavy ones, I do not know what. With one piston, it's almost up to shaking hands, and then there are three more! But he has already agreed. Yes, Valik, you're a fool. A fool and a psycho. — And how did you become a machinist in general? — «Sobakobelkin» asked with a slight tension in his voice. With a little tension. Fuck, did they deliberately make such weights? — Let's say «you». That's how I came… At first I threw a coal and gave the tool, then I helped to connect the wagons. — A problem! — Diamond dog seemed to say, — I'm not very strong. — Nothing, you need more skill there, — The earth pony took off his cap, wiped the top of his head and put on his headdress again. — Will you go as an assistant on the flight? Otherwise, the partner went to Las Pegasus for the wedding, as if no one there would be declared a stallion and a mare without his presence. — Where is the flight going at least? Not to Canterlot? — No, before Applusa. Everything is strict in Canterlot, the main directions and all that. The alien looked at the rails stretching away into the distance. Some kind of narrow-gauge railway. And there is only one way, apparently, the «asynchronous mode» of the message, upon arrival of the previous train at the station where there are interchanges. — When is the departure? — We have to be there by lunch tomorrow. So, in the morning. But you need to prepare at night! — Has it been melting for so long? — The fact that the train is smaller than the earthly ones should have shortened the kindling time, otherwise the seven hours Valentine heard in the museum seemed nonsense. — Well, five or six hours, and if supercharged, then four and a half! — What is the boost? — Electric turntables. Have you seen any of them? Belkin was afraid that yes, he had never seen such devices before. It turned out that the turntables are electric fans. Both are under the bottom. One went to the grate area, where the air intake was, the second had to be put under the pipe to help create traction. Valentine got to know this when he helped put the steam engine in place. In general, the locomotive turned out to be advanced, although it looked clumsy and frivolous. The boiler is relatively small, the cabin is closer to the middle. The car was located behind the cabin, leaving a rather narrow passage between the removable casing and the wall. A displaced drywall, an extra length of steam lines, which meant losses, but a two-stage manual transmission and reverse, the passage of spent steam along the roof, a condenser, a pump to return water to the boiler, an electric generator. And the locomotive was melting like an ordinary steam locomotive. They took the fans out of the gates of the locomotive depot. Hammers were banging, someone dropped something, the clink was accompanied by juicy swearing. Almost no one stared at Belkin. Valentine put a leaky fan barrel in front of the train. Heavy riveted frames, plate magnetic cores, solenoids spread out like cylinders of an oppositional or radial engine. A curved crankshaft and gearbox. A mechanical distributor for the power supply of the windings. Installed. One fan got stuck at a dead point, they had to crawl under the locomotive and turn the blade, pulling their fingers away. — Well, now add some coal, — The pony knocked his cap on the back of his head, — And you can light it. Will you keep watch? — It depends on what you need to do, — Valentine sat down next to the wheel. — How and how much to throw up, what to do if the pressure increases greatly... Or it's not growing. — The second is more correct... You know, — The earth pony decided that leaving a novice on duty «on hot» was still bad, — Help me put coal in the furnace, and that's it. And come back in the morning. I saw for myself where our car is parked there. Of course, it's convenient, you don't have to get out to look, but I can hardly turn around with a shovel there! The carbon sensor used to stand, but the whole thing fell apart, such a scoundrel! He can't turn around, bug. Ponies, when working with a shovel or something similar, stand on their hind legs. And without much discomfort. Valentine saw it. But he didn't say anything. Coal is coal. — Will they let me in here in the morning? — Eh? Yes, everyone has already seen you! But if anything, tell me that Charming Coal has hired you as an assistant. Charming Coal is, therefore, me. — Valentine Belkin. — Val... it's complicated. You'll just be Belkin, yeah? — It'll do. I'm used to it already. — Well, then, coal? — Then coal. And tell me where you can eat here. They were still running around this locomotive, turning off one of the fans (blowing too much into the furnace), turning it on again... Belkin asked the pony what would happen if the car did not work. Charming Coal choked on air and mentioned Celestia. — They've already mounted it, — The squirrel dog spread his paws. — You can't take it back, can you? — Your mare... into princesses with a log through all the locomotives and a croup on her head! Don't scare me like that! We did it! How else can you check it? — Is there compressed air in the cylinders? — I think it was like that. We have a legitimate tool running on it. — Is there an illegal one? — Belkin came across some dirty trick again. — There is an electric one. But it loads the network. You can't use several at once. — You also tell me that it was made it is unclear where and by whom, and not at all by unicorns, who own a separate right to make it! Like, magic and other horned things. — Hey, you're done with your insight! Better answer, why do you need air? — The car would have been blown. Is there enough pressure to see if she's spinning or what? — Discord knows her! It should be enough... Okay, it's too late to move anyway. And go to the train station to eat. — Isn't it too expensive there? — Well, how would you like to... say hello from Charming...

***

— Hello! Charming Coal told me that you can have a cheap snack here for greetings from him, and not as usual. Is there anything not made of grass? An indeterminately fawn-colored earth pony measured the diamond dog (the dog?) with a glance. — Why don't you go to Discord's croup, smartass? Right now, and not as usual? You'll eat there... not from the grass... — Okay, no means no. Hey, Charming! Come on, there's nothing fu... here! The visitors all arrived, or they were not there. Pony didn't understand one word. But she guessed it. — What are you lying about? How is it not? What do you mean it wasn't? — Uh... what is there? — The dog rubbed his left paw as if it had been knocked off. He grimaced. — Chamomile sandwiches, lemonade, however, is already warm, — Pony began to list, — Grated egg with herbs. There were also fish fingers... oh, no. Disassembled. And they ate all the pastries. — Is there any tea? — No, — Almost lied Pony, who didn't want to mess with the extinguished stove. Moreover, coal without firewood was ignited very badly, and kerosene was wasted... — Okay, let's have a chamomile sandwich, but without chamomile. And an egg. And... by the way, — The dog thought, — How much will it cost? The price was somehow different from the market price. But Belkin didn't give a fuck, he would soon get out of here, and there he would find a place from where he would be returned by a code phrase. And there will be a new projection point. The whole problem is to sit uneventfully until your flight. And there is a choo-choo, auf unzer steam locomotive dislocated di partizanen. — Is it possible to spend the night here? — Belkin pointed to the benches with his paw. Some were quite like in a park, with a back made of separate horizontal slats. — Actually, the station is closed for the night. Only the staff can stay inside. Get on the platform. — No question. Just get a blanket of some kind, huh? Or a big rag? — There is an old curtain. Will it do? — Pony no longer knew how to get away from an unwanted visitor. There won't be any trains until tomorrow, we should close, but here's this one. Tell the sheriff? She needs to be careful here too. One of them was turned away on the tracks to spend the night, and she is either a friend of this new princess, or a student. Discord will sort them out... — Hey, what's your name... Belkin! — Charming Coal entered the station building. The barmaid shrugged. There are enough dirty pieces of iron there, and then these hoofs on a clean floor! — Eh? — Belkin was just munching on a chamomile sandwich without chamomile. That is, bread with traces of vegetable oil and herbs. — You're going to be here, aren't you? Or will you go where? — Where am I going to go? — Well, to the hotel. Really, it's closed now... or who do you know? — There's no one, — The not-quite-diamond dog chuckled mirthlessly. — Well, then I'll wake you up, if anything? You're going to be here, aren't you? — On the platform. I'm not allowed here. I'm not the staff. Charming Coal sighed somehow through his teeth and beckoned to the second pony with a hoof. Belkin couldn't hear what he was saying, but the indignation of the buffet pony was loud: — How did I know that?! And anyway, it's your problem, who's going to throw coal there! — Yes, you will! — The stallion also turned up the volume. — Did you want a raised croup? Here's an opportunity for you! — A bunch of hay in your ass, not coal! And... and coal there too! Maybe you can get the wagons to Applusa yourself! — Mrs. Klin Dish! You will somehow talk your tongue into something bad! — Oh, you scared me! You're the one! — Pony stretched out her forelimb to the switch lever. The lamp above the sideboard flickered with a tinny sound and went out. The switch shot sparks. The lights came on again. And turned off again. — A... — Charming began when the squeals of this Dish had subsided a little. Valentin thought that he shouldn't do breathing exercises so often. And that in addition to the multitool, which was forgotten at Sandy's, it was necessary to take an indicator screwdriver. And hope that the plastic case does not become cloudy and does not crack. Along with the neon lamp. — Do you have a tool for this? — The squirrel dog nodded at the switch. It smelled like burning.

***

Not at any gate anymore. And then the «tyzhprogrammer» overcomes. By the way, it's funny, but I do not know pony names for screwdrivers, varieties of keys and some types of fasteners. But I do know how a scalpel differs from a lancet. Damn doctor... I hope he also has a headache about why a box with buttons is a «mouse». And how crystals can be liquid. Charming brought a familiar lamp. There are no packet switches here, a couple of sockets went out along with the lighting, I had to walk by the light of a «kerosene» lamp. And so it would be possible to bring a carrying lamp from the depot with a coil of long, crispy insulated wire. We checked the sockets with an electric floor brush. They either don't know the vacuum cleaner here or… Or maybe it's just not available in Dodge City. But there is dust. Funny. I'm picking at the switch, and two horses are snuffling from behind. They stand above the soul. A friend's computer was upgraded somehow, so his cat seemed to be staring. There is not enough water. I mean, there's a burning fire, there's a working jerk, too, but no running water was provided. As it turned out, the spring in the switch had loosened. Accordingly, the contacts began to press poorly and burn well. The wire got hot at the attachment point, the insulation twisted and blackened. No, guys, you don't have to stand there like that. I sent the colt for duct tape (bitch, I'm going to use this stuff again!) and with a spring, giving a crumbling sample, so as not to drag a piece of suspension from the trolley. — Do you have anything to drink? — I ask this Dish, but I think that just tell me that you have already withdrawn the cash register or something similar. — I'll get it right away, — She says. And, fuck, does she leave with a lamp? Are they completely afraid of the dark here? Sandy had similar hiccups. The pony still has some kind of conscience, since she didn't mention the money. Or is it time to pour out this horseradish that has been standing all day? But then she could «sell» me a cup of swill and put the bits in her pocket? Or is she already trading as a private person? Egyptian power, what am I thinking about? Came. Funny ponies walk on three legs. — Mmff! — Pony clamped the lamp in her teeth by the shackle. I took it. The glass was not a glass, but a glass cup. Is it more convenient for horses? Dish put the decanter on the floor, took the cup from it and poured a cloudy liquid. Would she poison him? Yes, I'm a fool and a psycho. And I'm still alive. I hope the poison is slow, and I'll die tomorrow somewhere closer to Apple. Or they'll get me out. Charming is back. He brought some shit, but at least with duct tape. I shouldn't be driving him like this, but he's going to have a steam train ride on me tomorrow, so it's even. My arm still hurts. It wouldn't crack. Either the ponies are so strong, or I'm so flimsy. There was no spring, but there was a funny thing in the form of glasses with a long elastic bow. Just in diameter. Bent it. Yeah, it's unbending. — In general, buy a new switch (literally translated from horse as «lock») and ask a regular electrician to change it. — Yeah, — They both nod. And I can see in their eyes that they're going to invite this regular guy. I screwed everything into place, I thought that the wires under the cladding panels were beautiful, but you horses would somehow burn down the entire station to the Discord grandmother. I went to the switch. These ponies are following me. The light turned on, but not where it was repaired. What the hell is this? Or?.. No, it was just that the switch was in the «off» position. Works. — Do you have any electricity meters? — I'm asking. — There is! — Charming answers. — Special pony-counters record the readings of the devices at the distribution nodes. And then pay extra if you have spent more than a month's allowance. In what way! They have a subscription fee for light here. Well, if you think about it, where should the «products» of power plants be put? Arc melting is not practiced here, and electrolysis of molten salts also does not produce anything in whole wagons. And a single river can completely power an entire city. And there will be more. Dish put the dishes in the cupboard and locked the cupboard with a key. She left the decanter and the cup. — Is there a toilet here, — I grin, — Or is it just for ponies, like outside? They answer something uncertainly about diamond dogs and other visitors. Well, well. But they did not lock the service «pusher». On a kilogram barn lock. To avoid stealing a roll of that fibrous crap that's here instead of toilet paper, no other way. But they wanted to lock it up. All I'm thinking about is how to steal paper and soap from the toilet. And piss past the toilet. And don't wash it off after yourself, that's right there. Okay, I'll spend the night, and there's «tu-tu» and «choo-choo». A toothbrush, of course. This is my weakness, but I saw a piece of chalk with which Dish wrote the «menu» on the blackboard. I'll take a bite, it won't hurt. Well, shall we get settled? Charming said he would come back. And this smart-ass smells like coffee. But he won't sleep all night, and then on the flight. I'll have to keep watch, I feel it. And fuck it. You, Valik, are already sleeping. Under anesthesia and in a special capsule. And you're not a Companion, you're a Bitch now. I did a dirty trick with chalk and, after washing, lay down on a bench. My back will be fucked up in the morning, but there's nothing to do. Charming still doesn't go away. — And what kind of running around did you have here? The princess was jumping back and forth. — Yes, the Guardians of the Elements were in the Badlands. Their campaign was planned for some kind of another magical villain. — And how was it successful? — Well, alive. However, they were all sick and scared, as if monkeys had been chasing them through the jungle for a month with the threat of fucking and eating them, — The pony stopped and looked around. — We weren't going to, — I blurted out. The pony grunted and advised me not to say that. It's clear. What is allowed to a pony is not allowed to a dog. And squirrel dog, too. Then the pony went to keep an eye on the kindling of the train. The coal, as I understood it, was thrown by someone else.

***

— And what in the morning? — damn, Belkin even sweated with this coal. — So early in the morning... — And when? — Charming Coal looked around in surprise. — We have to make it before the oncoming train departs! — And to lay the second branch? — Squirrel dog fixed the shovel in the holder. Then we'll have to go and heat coal from the tender to the lifting tray. It was also a non-standard solution, he had never seen anything like it in the museum. — Which branch? Oh, you mean the way... It's on Manehatten with Baltimore, Van Hoover, to the Crystal Empire... They have recently reached the Fillydelphia. And our south is like... well, what is there besides the desert? — Such a strong communication with the Crystal Empire? — No, it's just that the trains can't miss each other. The express from Canterlot goes there for more than a day. And by an ordinary train... But ordinary people don't go there, except for freight trains. — And how far is it? — More than seven hundred miles. For some reason, the exact figures are classified. And you won't find out. There's a delay here, then they overclocked, then something else. And don't forget, even though you're an express train, you need to make a stop to replenish coal and water. — Where are we? — Valentine looked out the window and waited for an answer like «in the box of the locomotive». — Yes, almost at Applusa, there will be an interchange for passing trains. A little over a hundred miles left. — Did I not understand? Are these all steam locomotives? — Oh, come on! This is our way, if you don't save steam, and the rest stop after eighty miles. Well, except for express trains. But those themselves are about a third of the length of the composition, they have a reserve of wow! In the circumpolar forests, they don't stop much. — So the Crystal Empire is not almost at the top of the world? But it was in the books... — Everything was right there! What's in the north? Mountains! And behind them is an ice cap in a third of the hemisphere! Can't live there! Valentine could have given an example of what was possible, but Charming wouldn't have believed him anyway. And correctly. You can't believe it. He's already confided in me once. Valentine understood faith exclusively as trust. He had nothing to do with religion. By the way, when we left, it seemed that behind the apron is Sandy. No, not so. Light Sand. Psycho and nazi with elaborate fantasies about collars. — Charming? — What? — Why don't they make locomotives like ours anymore? — It's difficult. — What's so difficult? It seemed to me that he was even simpler... — Valentin almost said «our usual». What kind of locomotives do diamond dogs have? Or are you not really a dog? — It's only easier to manage. The smoke pump is electric, steam is emitted only at high power, the carbon sensor was also tape, it did not crackle or grind off, — The pony waved his front leg and added, as if accusing the mechanism of indecency. — Also electric. — Yeah, — Belkin agreed. — And a steam engine in the croup. — Well, not without that. But the drive is on wheels under the boiler, not under the tender! — Yes. Through an interesting shaft, — Sobakobelkin interlocked his fingers with rings, hinting at a gimbal on the shaft. — And the bevel gears are wonderful. — There's a lot of stuff there, — Pony didn't like the topic anymore. — It's just that these things cannot be repeated in another size. You have to count them first, but no one knows how. — Double booth, access to the car from the inside, no ice freezing in the wings for lack of such... — Hey, you wouldn't say all this, would you? Don't let Celestia, which unicorn will hear, one of those that go to our bosses. They are the only ones who can hang new magic beads on locomotives! The whistle is more melodious to be, and the exhaust is cleaner. — Okay, let's change the subject. I've never liked whistles and farts either. Are you good at magic? — Are you crazy? I'm an earth pony! — I'm just wondering what kind of spell it is when it's like they put a flat picture on a pony. Well, even when you blink, it doesn't depend on the position of the body and becomes visible for a moment with your eyes closed? Pony shook his head: — I've never seen such discord. — Hmm... maybe it seemed? It's just that I haven't encountered this magic so much to understand how it works there. — But no one understands. There are general patterns, but these are like the rules of versification. — And if you learn them... —...Then you'll learn them. That's all. I'm sorry, but this club is allowed upon presentation of a growth on the head. Yes, you should have known what a growth I had in my head. — It's kind of difficult. So, you said, the whole princess and her friends ran somewhere and did some magic. And it didn't make me feel warm or cold. But I've seen magic! — An unfortunate example. First of all, what the alicorn smells there, the unicorn won't really tell you. Secondly, judging by their appearance, they shat a lot there. — Well, it happens. You can forget it. — It happens, — Charming stretched and blew the whistle. — But when you manage to splatter your own cutie mark with manure... ah, you don't understand! — Is it serious? — It's like telling everyone that you are untenable in your own talent and vocation. The mark is a magical thing, it shows and shows a tendency to undiscovered abilities, or something. — Does he show it or does he show it? — Both. — And you can do it without bread. — Eh? — A saying. So did something similar happen to the princess there? So what? No outsider saw it, did they? — Belkin, you're a good stud. Smart. But sometimes he's so naive! — The pony chuckled. — What difference does it make who saw what if, with all my experience, I ruin a steam locomotive in the simplest case? Well, I won't check the valve or something... I don't even know... Shit yourself, in short, in front of all the world's magic and your life's work. — Hmm... well, no one will think about it... About the princess... — If only! Is it the first time? — The pony clearly has something boiling over, like in a cauldron, since he decided to throw it all out on a temporary partner. — Have you heard about the Pie family? — No, why? — And the fact that they had an episode there when Pinkie Pie, this is one of the Keepers, made a good joke like that. She laughed. A member of the Discord knows who said what and to whom, but ridiculing a relative who has a pet is a stone... — Quite already? — Belkin chuckled and did not finish. «Eboboshenki» was not translated into Equestrian normally. — In short, as I understand from the rumors, this Mod was taken out of the loop in time. There, as if real princesses also intervened, so that this one with fossils in her head could somehow be brought into society. So that you don't have to be alone with your thoughts. Even a boyfriend was found with the same disease as hay in his mouth. Moreover, she was almost made a professor! Stone sciences, fuck you with a horn. And the most interesting thing, you know what? This underweight suddenly changes character and behavior. Sometimes she was turned into a kind of pet by the sight of a crowd of ponies, and then suddenly she was on stage with jokes. I was just waiting for my shift in Ponyville for the return flight, let me go, I think. I went. I just threw away the bits for nothing. — It doesn't fit somehow. I agree. But what is the manure? — Well, what element of Harmony is Pinkie responsible for? For laughing! Well, she laughed it off! The head of the local pony is straightened from the inside with the help of magic! — That's funny. There are four more people left to shit themselves... or can Celestia completely replace the losers with new characters? Here, like your friends, are also Keepers. Were there others? It seemed to you. The pony didn't say anything. He was watching the road. — You know, Belkin, — Charming Coal finally came up with an idea under the observation of the curb passing by the window, — Maybe it's right if the Princesses rewrite the memory of their untouchable robbers, getting a gang of new psychopaths to replace the decommissioned ones. It's just that if Magic has fucked up the problem with magic, Laughter has turned into mockery, then it remains to completely screw up Honesty, commit sophisticated evil to Kindness... And generosity and loyalty in Equestria could never be counted on. And that's it, all their Harmony is down the drain on manticore. — Their Harmony. — Belkin paid attention, but did not show it. You never know, Charming made a mistake, or Valentine imagined it again.

***

It seemed to her that an impudent squirrel face flashed in the cab of the locomotive. You're completely crazy, Sandy! But after a sleepless night, it's not too complicated. Quite to myself. And not such a Discord is imagined. She then sat for a long time and was stupid, trying to realize the depth of the pit where Belkin «invited» her to look. And what did she do? She showed squirrel dog that the pit is even deeper! Then she rushed to look, but the stranger seemed to have disappeared through the ground. No, well, where could he have gone? He didn't go to the depot, did he? And what was left? Smearing tears with a hoof, sitting on a croup in the middle of the street and yelling? No, she needs to go to the sheriff. Sandy imagined how a stranger suddenly turned out to meet him, saw that they were already going to catch him, changed his face as much as possible for a squirrel dog's face, and... «He will start shooting», — Pony decided. He'll start. And he'll blow his skull off with the last bullet. Like Godric Pfeil. Will the corpse disappear in the ring of fire? Or will it just lie there? In short, she didn't go to any sheriff. She went home. The night passed without sleep, in a kind of trance constantly interrupted by indistinct heavy visions. When she was a foal, she had fears that there was someone else at home. Now she is scared of the realization that there are no strangers at home. Empty. All that's left of the alien is a tool lying on the bedside table. Toothbrush. The boxes are green. There aren't even any drawings, Sandy took them to that pegasus Strong. He also hissed at her that she was not a fool, dragging around the city a diagram of the device of a hoof bomb and a weapon clearly under a bad cartridge. Yes, Strong Cloud, she's a fool. Impenetrable and fabulous. Perfect. It so happened that she has no close friends, no coltfriend with this vocation of hers, not even a relatively permanent stallion. There is only loneliness. How it often ends is quite understandable. For Sandy, everything had to end in the desert. But... In the morning, she went around Dodge City again. Maybe someone saw him after all? The pony's feet brought it to the station. The freight and passenger train to Applusa was just leaving. There is a transfer to Canterlot, and then a direct flight to the capital once a week. They can let in a special train, similar to the one on which the Keepers arrived, but how do they get back? Surely the train won't be waiting for them indefinitely? Back to the princess with her retinue or what she did with the transfer. Not so much, apparently, she's still a princess. — Belkin, — Sandy whispered after the departing train, as if the stranger had bought a ticket and was sitting there in the carriage. — Is that how I am here without you? — Excuse me, miss, are you feeling ill? Or have you lost something? — In a lightweight flight suit of uniform colors and with an emblem in the form of a wheel with wings, pegasus gently fell to his feet, raising a small hurricane. The coat is the color of coffee with cream, very light, the same, but darker, feathers, mane and tail. Almost colorless blue eyes. A five-petalled pink «mare-like» flower on the Mark. There are circular risks inside the flower, like on a dial. — Ah? — Sandy shuddered. — I'm Silk Wing, I work at the station... — I get it, — Sandy nodded at the logo. — No, it's all right. — Are you sure? It's just that if they hadn't helped me recently... — Pegasus walked away a little, preparing to fly away. — You won't believe it, some kind of hybrid of a diamond dog and... — Wait, — Sandy took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut, making up her mind. — I've lost something. And now I feel bad.