KHATUNA. THE GIRLВ WITH THEВ DOLL
VLADIMIR GRECHINOV
The end of the XIX century. A small village of Petrovskoye, lost in the south of the boundless Russian Empire. One rainy evening, a local blacksmith, Nazar, finds an orphan girl on a deserted road, whom he takes home. From this moment on, mysterious events begin to occur in the district. To solve them, a young detective Ledokhovsky is sent to Petrovskoye. He will have to find out what is behind everything that happened and how it is connected with an ancient legend…
KHATUNA. THE GIRLВ WITH THEВ DOLL
VLADIMIR GRECHINOV
Dedicated toВ my daughter Victoria.
© VLADIMIR GRECHINOV, 2021
ISBNВ 978-5-0055-1171-3
Created with Ridero smart publishing system
PARTВ I
CHAPTER 1. PETROVSKOYE VILLAGE
This terrible story happened at the end of the XIX century in the village of Petrovskoye, Stavropol province, in the south of the vast Russian Empire. This village was lost in a steppe area, surrounded by mountains and hills with streams and beams overgrown with dense forest. Mostly Cossacks, gypsies and other newcomers who arrived here long ago in search of refuge and a better life lived in Petrovskoye. More than a dozen years passed before the village grew: adobe huts covered with straw and dry reeds, with small windows and a necessarily carved porch appeared here and there, gradually forming long, though not very slender strings. Over time, they grew into wide streets, buried in the lush greenery of trees and shrubs that planted caring villagers around their huts There were no special attractions in Petrovskoye, except for a large white-stone church – the ringing of its bells was usually heard for many miles, and a colorful market, which everyone here called in the southern manner – the bazaar.
On weekdays, the local people were busy with something: some with hard peasant labor inВ the field, and some with no less light housework, looking after the children, whom there was aВ lot ofВ inВ the local families, and caring for the farm. On Sundays and holidays, people put on their best clothes and inВ the morning went first toВ the church, and then toВ the bazaar.
The trading rows were not only a meeting place for relatives and acquaintances – many came here, so to speak, to show themselves and to look at others. This was especially true of girls: local beauties at a conversation seemed to accidentally boast of new clothes to each other, while they loudly laughed and glanced furtively at the handsome lads walking in the bazaar. Here, boys scurried around in dirty tatters everywhere: some tried to earn some money honestly, attempting to bring something to sellers or visitors to the bazaar, while others simply looked for something to steal from inattentive and slow-moving buyers.
The bazaar itself was a square with the trading rows, where they sold everything what was needed. Eh, what wasn’t there – fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, meat, fish, hay, firewood, coal, clothes… They traded mainly from carts and wagons, while some placed their goods right on the ground.
The wealthy merchants and other successful businessmen had their own covered shops with large signs on which the names ofВ the artels[1 - Artel was any ofВ various cooperative associations inВ the Russian Empire.] were flaunted. Such rich men allowed themselves toВ hire salespeople and barkers who loudly bellowed at the whole bazaar.
The owners themselves spent almost the entire market day inВ the immediately located inn, on the verandah ofВ which they gathered at aВ large long table with aВ samovar.[2 - Samovar is aВ big metal container used inВ Russia toВ boil water for makingВ tea.] Being business people, merchants argued about something noisily, made bets and big deals byВ their standards. Meanwhile, lackeys rushed toВ the table with sturgeons, dumplings, overseas fruits and other dishes. Finished with business, the merchants celebrated, had fun, but sometimes still looked at their pocket gold watch and watched hired salesmen, giving them instructions through the clerk or through the boy footman, who hung around theВ Inn.
In a word, life in the village was boiling on Sunday market day. It was a kind of holiday, after which the streets were empty, and on the morning of the next day the week of heavy peasant workdays began again…
CHAPTER 2. NAZAR
Once on such aВ Sunday aВ local craftsman Nazar was about toВ go toВ the bazaar. He and his wife Galina and two daughters, Ulyana and Vasilisa, eight and six years old, lived on the outskirts ofВ the village, inВ aВ hut standing alone on the slope ofВ aВ high hill. They had no special wealth: aВ small piece ofВ land, aВ horse, chickens, and goats.
Nazar basically made his living by blacksmithing and tinsmithing. Local Cossacks and peasants ordered from him horseshoes for horses, various tools and all kinds of utensils. In addition, Nazar had an oral agreement with two traders. One of them – Pantelei – took orders from the local rich, of whom there were many in the surrounding villages and farms. They ordered mainly tin roofs, drainpipes for stone houses, monograms and weathercocks. Pantelei, in turn, selected workers who could perform this work qualitatively so as not to offend a valuable client, and as cheaply as possible so as not to offend himself. The second regular customer of Nazar was Klementiy – the clerk of the merchant Ipatiy Petrovich Volobaev, a very rich man by local standards who had several shops in the bazaar with various goods, including French chocolate that was unusual for those places, which he delivered by a long way directly from France. At the same time, Volobaev was also listed as a leader of the local merchants, for which he enjoyed honor and respect in the village. Nazar usually brought Klementiy bright tin boxes of different sizes with coinage on the lids, in which then the chocolate was packed. Each box had an embossed stamp with the name of the artel of the merchant Volobaev.
Getting up early inВ the morning, Nazar first fed his livestock and had breakfast with his family, and then harnessed aВ horse and put inВ aВ cart all the goods he had made toВ order for the week. The smith was already about toВ hit the road, when suddenly his eldest daughter Ulyana ran out onto the porch.
«Daddy, daddy, take me with you! I also want to go to the bazaar! I’m bored of sitting at home.»
Nazar stopped his horse and frowned at her, «You don’t have to hang around in the bazaar. Stay and help mom around the house!»
«Daddy, please, take me with you,» persisted Ulyana. «I’ll do all the housework afterward.»
Nazar glanced at his wife, who only shrugged, as if leaving the decision to her husband. He smiled at his daughter and waved her hand, allowing her to get into the cart. Then, pulling the reins, he shouted to the horse, «Go! Go, dear!» and the cart, creaking old wheels, rolled down the dusty, bumpy slope, overgrown with creeping shrubs…
At the bazaar, Nazar first went toВ Panteley. Panteley was aВ bald little man ofВ small stature with aВ groovy, at first glance, cheerful character and running eyes. But behind this gaiety, inВ fact, was aВ dodgy cunning and the desire inВ no way toВ lose his interest.
Seeing an artisan approaching the trading rows, Panteley perked up, «Oh, Nazar! I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. Well, come on, come on, and show me what you brought! The clerk of the merchant Kabanov has several times wondered when they will be pleased to receive their order.»
В«Well, IВ did everything as IВ promised,В» Nazar said, throwing back the old cloth that covered the goods.
InВ the cart were forged monograms made for the new estate ofВ the merchant Kabanov, indicating his well-known name inВ the local area, aВ weather vane on the roof, repeating the shape ofВ aВ rooster about toВ jump off aВ pole, and drainpipes decorated with carved flowers.
Panteley looked at the goods with aВ snide smile and, screwing up his cunning little eyes, he began toВ count everything carefully, at the same time trying toВ find at least aВ small defect inВ order toВ have reason toВ pay as little as possible. Finding no flaw, he decided not toВ back down anyway, В«Nazar, IВ will buy all this from you for twenty rubles!В»
The artisan, clearly not expecting such aВ turn ofВ affairs, frowned and objected toВ the merchant, В«How is that, Panteley? After all, we agreed on thirty rubles!В»
«Well, as you like,» Panteley answered him, showing his feigned indifference. «Today things are not going well with me. I can only offer twenty… And then look, I’ll order everything from Tryphon. Maybe he will make the entire order for eighteen rubles…»
В«Tryphon will make everything not properly. And he will not complete this work on time! But the merchant will not wait,В» Nazar said indignantly. В«Furthermore, Tryphon spends aВ lot ofВ his time inВ the pub.В»
Panteley, who liked the product very much and especially the colorful tin bouquets ofВ flowers, was not going toВ giveВ up.
«I also got an order for a long wrought-iron fence. And this, perhaps, will be worth a hundred rubles. So look, Nazar, I’ll give it to another craftsman! Or, perhaps, you will concede everything for twenty rubles? After all, you need to feed your family,» said the trader with a sly smile.
Nazar scratched his head, looked at his daughter, and with aВ wave ofВ his hand, agreed.
В«The hell with you, Panteley! Take it for twenty! But keep the new big order forВ me.В»
«Of course, of course, Nazar,» Panteley melted into a smile, satisfied with the successful outcome of the bargaining. «Of course, I’ll keep it for you! Who else should I give it to but you?»
After counting out Nazar’s twenty hard-earned rubles he nodded to his boy assistants, who hurriedly began to transfer the goods from the cart to the shed. Nazar said goodbye to Pantelei and led the harnessed horse further along the Bazaar to the rich merchant rows, heading to the pastry shops of the merchant Volobayev, which attracted with their fragrance and colorful wrappers local sweet tooth, who were mostly young women and children. Many of them were not even going to buy anything, but came here just to see and enjoy this entire mouth-watering atmosphere.
Nazar approached to one of the central stores and noticed the clerk Klementiy sitting at a small writing desk, as always, very well-dressed – in a belted snow-white starched shirt, a black silk waistcoat, luxurious expensive trousers and polished boots to shine. It seemed that Klementiy was very busy: he quickly moved the beads of the wooden abacus and immediately wrote down something in the notebook. Seeing Nazar, the assistant approached Klementiy and whispered something to him softly. The clerk turned toward the blacksmith and looked at him with tired eyes over his glasses.
В«Ah, Nazar! Good morning! Wait aВ second!В» he said. Then he hurriedly made the last calculations, closed the notebook and went toВ the counter.
Nazar began toВ lay out tin boxes on which were depicted ladies inВ wide-brimmed hats, outlandish birds, fluttering butterflies and dragonflies, delicate buds and large blooming flowers. InВ the rays ofВ the bright morning sun, they shimmered, merrily playing with all the shades ofВ colors and mother ofВ pearl, attracting the attention ofВ curious passers-by. Klementiy quickly looked at the goods and counted out the previously agreed amount toВ Nazar. The clerk was aВ business man and always highly appreciated his time. He had known Nazar for aВ long time and trusted him completely.
«Your boxes are so good! As always, are pleasing to the eye!» Klementiy said, admiring the product. «By the way, in a month we will bring an even bigger batch of chocolate. Ipatiy Petrovich wants to open additional shops on the market square in Stavropol. So, Nazar, please accept a new order for one hundred boxes: forty small, thirty medium and thirty large. If you make it in time, I’ll add three more rubles on top.»
«I’ll make it in time. I will not let Ipatiy Petrovich down!» Nazar answered, taking his daughter’s hand.
Noticing Ulyana, enthusiastically examining sweets inВ the showcase, Klementiy smiled, leaned over and pulled out from under the counter aВ small box, made byВ Nazar himself, and filled with chocolate.
В«Well, help yourself, blue-eyed beauty!В» he said, handing out the box toВ the girl. Ulyana shone with happiness, took the gift with both hands and, unable toВ resist, opened the lid, grabbed one candy and quickly sent it into her mouth.
В«What needs toВ be said?В» Nazar muttered toВ his daughter.
В«Thank you, sir!В» Ulyana answered, beaming with joy, and ran toВ hide the box inВ the cart.
Nazar bowed toВ Klementiy and headed further along the trading rows, looking for gifts for his wife and daughters. He bought aВ festive shawl and beads for Galina and patent leather shoes for the girls, which at that time not every artisan could afford toВ buy for his children. Nazar was about toВ return home, when suddenly Ulyana grabbed his hand and exclaimed:
«Daddy, look, what a sarafan[3 - Sarafan is a Russian traditional folk women’s costume.] was bought for a girl! I wish I had one like it!»
The sarafan was really beautiful. It was made ofВ red chintz, decorated with white patterns, embroidered with colored braid and beads. Nazar estimated how much money he still had left, looked at his daughter, sighed heavily, and went toВ the tradeswoman.
В«Good day! What price do you ask for such aВ sarafan?В» Nazar asked the owner ofВ the goods.
«Six rubles, but this was the last one. I’ll bring the same one back only in two weeks,» the saleswoman chattered. «Right now I can offer a few other cuts and colors. It will be cheaper, but without beads and braid.»
«Well, Ulyana, we’ll have to wait two weeks,» Nazar said, stroking his daughter on the head.
Ulyana’s face turned red, grimaced, and bitter tears flowed down her cheeks.
«I don’t want to wait so long!» he girl sobbed.
Not wanting toВ lose aВ client, the tradeswoman quickly figured out what toВ do.
«I live in Nikolina Balka, ten versts from here. At home, I have the same sarafan of the appropriate size. So if you decide, come tomorrow. So be it, I’ll give it to you for five rubles.»
«Well, what can I do,» Nazar sighed. «I have to please my daughter. I’ll come to you tomorrow for a sarafan by noon.»
Having made an agreement with the tradeswoman, the blacksmith got into the cart with his daughter and headed home.
CHAPTER 3. AВ MEETING
By noon the next day, Nazar, as promised, arrived to Nikolina Balka and bought a gift from the tradeswoman promised to his daughter. But on the way back, something unexpected happened: when leaving the village, the cart suddenly creaked strongly, and then a wheel fell off. Nazar had to spend a lot of time repairing the damage. When at last everything was fixed, he, being late, set off again. Despite the unfortunate incident, Nazar rode along the deserted road in high spirits, whistling and singing a Cossack song. It seemed that the whole steppe around him was singing along with its chirping of birds and the chirping of crickets hiding in the tall grass, which swayed slightly in the light steppe wind. Carried away by the road, Nazar did not immediately notice how dusk had fallen. The birds stopped singing. And almost in the middle of the way, near the hills, in a deserted area, a strong wind suddenly arose, driving from nowhere black heavy thunderclouds. Lightning flashed – and in a few seconds the rainfall began to fall. The horse whinnied in fright and rushed forward.
Suddenly Nazar noticed that aВ pack ofВ wolves was rapidly approaching him from the side ofВ the hills from aВ wooded gully. These wolves were almost twice the size ofВ those whom he had ever seen inВ his life. Their fur stood on end, their eyes, bloodshot, glowed inВ the dark with bright red lights, and huge fangs were visible from their grinning mouths with tongues hanging toВ one side. Nazar stood up inВ the cart at full height and with his hands trembling with fear and horror began toВ shake the reins and shout toВ the horse:
В«Well, come on, honey, help me out! Faster! Faster! Please! Take me out ofВ here! Do not let die aВ cruel death!В»
The horse, as if understanding its master, galloped as fast as it could, snorting its nostrils and uttering a wheezing sound. The wolves, having caught up with the wagon and ominously clicking their teeth, tried to surround it on both sides. Nazar’s life flashed through his head, he remembered his wife and children who could be left without him. Fear seemed to intoxicate and deafen him. Nazar no longer even looked back at the wolves. In front of him he saw only a horse rushing forward and heard the beating of his heart, which was sometimes drowned out by the sound of the hooves of a faithful friend rushing in terror. Already almost resigned to his terrible fate, the blacksmith caught himself thinking that he was still alive. Nazar turned back and found that those wolves were gone. He was filled with joy. Exhaling a sigh of relief, he slowed down the horse’s pace, but still felt his heart pounding and tearing from his chest.
