Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Destiny

The sun is setting.At this moment, on the stone terrace of one of the most beautiful buildings in Moscow, a building built about a hundred and fifty years ago, two figures were looking down on the whole city.This is Wallander and Azazeller.They were invisible from below, from the street—the columns of the balcony and the plaster flowers in the individual plaster flower baskets at the top of each balustrade just kept out the unwanted view of passers-by, while the two men themselves You can have a panoramic view of the whole city. Wallander sat on a folding stool, still in his black robe.His long and wide sword is inserted vertically in the cracks in the stone slabs of the balcony, forming a unique sundial.The shadow of the long sword stretched forward slowly but tenaciously, crawling towards the pair of black shoes on Satan's feet.Woland hunched over on the folding stool, with one leg curled up, his chin resting on a fist, and he stared intently at the large complex of palaces, high-rise buildings, and low-rise buildings that were destined to be demolished. .At this time Azazelle had also taken off his modern fashion-suit, top hat, patent leather shoes, changed into a black suit like Wallander, and stood motionless not far from his king, with the king. staring at the city silently.

Wallander finally spoke: "What an interesting city! Isn't it?" Azazeller moved his body and replied respectfully: "My lord, I prefer Rome!" "Well, everyone has their own preferences," Wallander replied. After a while, Woland's voice was heard again: "What's the matter with the smoke on the Linyin Road over there?" "The house of Griboyedov is on fire," Azazeller answered. "It seems that the inseparable pair of Karlovy and Hippo must have been there." "There is no doubt about it, my lord." There was another silence.The two people on the balcony stared at the west-facing windows on the upper floors of the buildings, at the distorted sun, which was shining like fireballs on the panes of the window panes.One of Woland's eyes was also burning brightly, like one of the many windows, though Woland sat with his back to the setting sun.

At this moment, something seemed to attract Wallander's attention, causing him to turn his gaze from the city to the round tower on the roof behind him.It turned out that a person had come out from within the walls of the tower.This man was wearing a worn-out gown covered in mud, a pair of homemade flat shoes on his feet, a black beard, and a gloomy expression. "Oh!" Woland exclaimed, looking at the visitor with mocking eyes, "I never expected you to appear here. However, I know that you, an unexpected guest, will come sooner or later. Please, come here What are you doing?"

"I have come here specially to visit you, the evil spirit and the lord of darkness." The visitor frowned, looking at Woland very unfriendlyly. "You, the tax collector back then, came here on a special trip, why didn't you say hello and wish me a long and healthy life?" Wallander's tone became serious. "That's because I don't want you to live a long and healthy life!" The visitor's answer was not polite. ①The word "Say Hello" in Russian literally means "May you be healthy".There is a pun here. "However, you have to accept the instigation of reality at this point," Woland retorted, and at the same time the corner of his mouth curled up, and he smiled coldly, "You just came on this roof and did something stupid. I can tell you that you are stupid." Where is it. The stupidity lies in your tone of voice. From the tone of your voice just now, it seems that you don’t want to recognize the existence of darkness at all, and you don’t recognize evil at all. You’d better be kind and think about this question: If there is no There is evil, what can your good do? If the darkness were removed from the earth, what would the earth be like? You know, shadows are born of people and things. Behold, this is the shadow of my sword. .Besides, trees produce shadows, and all living things produce shadows. Do you want to get rid of all trees and living things on the earth, so as to satisfy your fantasy of enjoying complete light? You are stupid!"

"You are an old and experienced sophist, and I don't want to argue with you," replied Levi Matthew. "You can't argue with me either, for the reason I just said: you're stupid," Wallander replied.Then he asked: "Well, don't upset me, just tell me briefly: why did you come here?" "He sent me." "Then what did he ask you, a servant, to tell me?" "I am not a slave," replied Levi Matthew, looking increasingly angry, "I am his disciple." "As usual, we're both speaking in different languages," Wallander replied, "but the things we're talking about don't change. Well, go ahead..."

"He has read the book written by the Master," said Levi Matthew, "so he begs you to call the Master to you and grant him peace. Is it difficult for you, evil spirit? ?” "It's easy for me to do anything, you know that very well," Wallander replied.He was silent for a moment, and then said, "Then why don't you take him to your bright world?" "According to merit, he should not receive light, he only deserves peace." Levi Matthew's voice contained a bit of sadness. "Go back and tell him: I can do it," Wallander replied.Then one of his eyes caught fire, and he said, "Get out of here at once!"

"He also begged you to call to you the woman who loved the Master and suffered for him," Levi Matthew said to Woland for the first time in a tone of entreaty. "It seems that without you, we would never have thought of this. Let's go!" Levi Matthew disappeared.Wallander called Azazeller to him and ordered: "Go to them right away and get this done!" Azazeller turned and left.Wallander was alone on the balcony.But his loneliness didn't last long.Footsteps and lively conversation were heard on the flagstones, and Karloviev and Hippo stood before Wallander.By this time, however, Humpty Hippo was holding something else instead of a gasoline stove: a landscape in a gold frame was tucked under his arm, and a half-burnt chef's work was draped over his arm. In his white smock, in the other hand he held a whole salmon with its skin and tail.Both Karloviev and Hippo smelled of burnt butterflies, Hippo's face was still black with smoke, and one side of his cap was burnt.

"Salute to you, my lord!" Two people who never know peace walked up loudly, and the hippo was still shaking the salmon in its hand. "Well, you two!" Wallander said. "My lord, think about it," Hippo yelled happily and excitedly, "People think I'm a bandit!" "Look at the things you brought." Woland looked at the landscape painting, "you are indeed a bandit." "My lord, do you believe it..." Hippo said in a sincere voice. "No, I don't believe it," Wallander replied without waiting for him to finish.

"My lord, I dare to swear, I made a heroic effort to rescue all Dong Yan as much as possible, but in the end, no, I only rescued this little thing." "You'd better tell me how the fire started in Griboyedov's house?" asked Wallander. Both Karloviev and Hippo rolled their eyes upwards at the same time, and spread their hands to express their ignorance, while Hippo said loudly: "I can't understand! We are sitting there obediently, eating quietly..." "Suddenly—bang! bang! Two gunshots!" Karloviev went on. "The hippopotamus and I were frightened and ran towards the small garden. Seeing someone chasing us from behind, we went back to Timiryazev Avenue. run!"

"But," continued Hippo, "at last our sense of duty overcame our shameful fear, and we went back again!" "Ah, you went back again?" said Wallander. "Then, of course, the little building burned down." "It's all gone!" confirmed Karloviev sadly. "You're right, my lord, that is to say, nothing is left in the name. Only a heap of ashes!" "I broke into the great council room," described Hippo, "the one with the columns, my lord, and I hoped to rescue something of value. Oh, it's dangerous, twenty times it nearly made my wife— If I had a wife--a widow! But, my lord, it is good that I have no wife, and, I tell you, I am happy without one. Ah, my lord, leave the freedom of a bachelor, and put on a Heavy kit, that's not worth it!"

"You're talking nonsense again," Wallander said. "Yes, I'll continue," the black cat replied, "No, I just rescued such a landscape painting. Nothing else could be saved, and the flames flew straight into my face. I ran into the Storehouse, rescued the salmon. Ran into the kitchen and snatched up the smock. I think, my lord, that I have done my best, and to tell you the truth, I cannot understand the look of doubt on your face." "What did Karloviev do when you robbed?" Woland asked. "I'm helping the firemen, my lord," Karloviev replied, pointing to the torn trousers. "Ah, if you helped them, of course a new building would have to be rebuilt." "It will be rebuilt, my lord." Karloviev replied, "You can rest assured about that." "Well, well. I'll just have to hope the new building is better than the old one!" Wallander said. "It will be so, my lord," said Karloviev. "Take my word for it," added the black cat, "I am a true seer." "Anyway, my lord, the two of us are back," Karloviev reported, "and are at your disposal." Wallander stood up from the small stool, walked to the column-shaped guardrail beside the balcony, turned his back to the entourage, and looked into the distance silently for a long time.Then, he left the balcony, walked back to the original place, sat down on the stool again, and said: "There's nothing to do right now. You've all done your best. I don't need you here for a while, you can go rest. There's a storm coming, the last storm, which will finally finish what it should have done. Then We can set off." "Great, my lord." The two funny kings replied together, and then they ran behind the circular central tower in the center of the terrace and disappeared. At this moment, the storm that Wallander had predicted was gestating on the horizon, and it was already gathering strength.A large cloud rising in the west first covered half of the sun and then completely covered it.It suddenly felt much cooler on the balcony.After a while, the sky darkened. This darkness, coming from the west, enveloped the entire huge city.Bridges and palaces are gone.Everything suddenly disappeared, as if they had never existed in the world.A fiery snake flew across the sky, and then a huge boom shook the whole city.There was another thunder, and the downpour followed.The wind and rain were dark, and Wallander could no longer be discerned in the darkness.