* * *
Her demons tore her the whole night, again and again scrolling this infernal erotica in her fevered imagination. And she drank and drank from the poison of the vessel, more and more drunk with destructive fury.
It was exciting, painful as looking into an abyss.
But the next day she nearly all overslept on a wild beach, pebble on a robe thrown to the peddle.
She floated, chewed bought from the boy-peddler, plums, cooked corn, and again sank into sleep, managed to burn even in the shade.
And then, already in the room she fell again asleep, warning the hostess that she should call.
And anger slept with her, as it had been separated from her, but belong to her. And she always felt its terrible burden, as a gun hidden in her bosom.
Anton reported that all was fine and that he had come for her car about eight. Givi appointed at seven guests would already be at the table, but still did not have time to load up.
Anton was definitely not himself, though, and he spoke quite reasonable.
These short nervous laugh... As a girl in front of a cage with monkeys.
He suffered a shock. So she did not know it before and ascribed all the boldness of their plan.
But when she herself, trembling with anger and fear, feeling like a murderer, a righteous avenger in full dress, so that passers-by southern people enthusiastic crow flew, calling on their own, flashing hot eyes, when she sat into, Finally, saving Anton's taxi... And seeing him in the back (he always sat behind because a fortune teller told me not to sit next to the driver) - he turned to her familiar and unfamiliar face with from beads of sweat her make-up...
"Oh, God!" she said ony.
And he nodded, according to her:
"Yes, mother, exactly. Oh, God!"
And once she understood and phone confusion. And the fact that she herself unaccountably puzzled at the appearance of Anton Kravchenko.
Beside her in the back seat of Gagra taxi sat spitting image of Dennis.
He was like Dennis!
He was always like him.
Maybe he picked it up while Denis on the role of the Soviet Superman Pavka Kolchugin, a fearless fighter against evil, a sort of pointing finger of subconsciousness.
And now her adventure fiction, make-up of Denis, Anton's face, slightly retouched, and underlined the skillful hands of Nadezhda, showed a sudden their natural resemblance to such a brazen conviction that he was shocked himself Anton and Nadezhda herself, as she later acknowledged, and statistician Gennady casual witness this rebirth.
And most of all herself John.
"Admit it, you did it on purpose... you knew about it" - still nervously giggled Anton, when she was buttoning buttons on it all known Denis' jacket, brought it from Moscow - and his fingers did not obey him and tossed the car when cornering.
And she tittered him: "Of course, she said, she knew."
Let him think so; it is better.
Then they came. They safely passed the gauntlet of cars at the entrance (a s if it were a reception directly in a foreign embassy), through the empty hall, except for the scurrying with dishes of women to the hall, whence came the laughter and applause, interrupting stentorian voice toastmaster.
Before the door, it was the last time meticulously inspect Anton Denis, corrected some finishing touches.
He threw on his head, like a statue, a big piece of gauze, brought back from Moscow and bandaged it all the orange tape and pushed him who was already broken and to the hall.
Being a hopelessly provincial, Anton was always immensely shy of its provincialism and fear to find her in the elite circles of movie.
Apparently, it worked, forcing him to accept the extravagant escapade Yana.
"Dear Givi!" John does not recognize your voice creaking discord in a monotone gay buzz in the hall, like a stylus on the record.
The record hissed stopping.
A toastmaster was silent in mid-sentence, hardens like a flag, a dangling the plug slice red fish.
The hall gradually subsided and, being huge even by Georgian standards, apart from a square table, Arab, with high-backed chairs, antique bronze, crystal chandelier with lamps, candles.
Colorful brushstrokes women's dresses, men who still wore their jackets black and white, like penguins, starched breasts...
Yana look instantly find Denis who was also in a dark gray jacket.
And next, as you might expect, whitish-boyish curls of Helge.
Yeah, everyone was ready assembled.
The excitement took place immediately.
Eritelny hall on the ground, the main actors, too.
Of course, Anton who was wrapped a gift in gauze would be good to wait outside the door, but John is afraid that he would run away.
Thus, it was the third act.
"Dear Joanna... Listen, when I came, eh? Here's a surprise!" Givi stretched his arms to her, smiling broadly, but through the eyes of gnawing perplexity wrapped in gauze piece.
He mutters something in Georgian looking to visitors.
Those, too, after a moment of shock giggling, whispering.
"Listen, you know, What kind of ghost is it?" Givi seemed to be even scared though and he smiled.
Jan sees the corner of my eye that Dennis is sitting motionless, with a stiff smile.
Yana could see everything. Yana laughed.
"It's a gift, Givi. I specially flew from Moscow. It is my present to your anniversary. It is very expensive, it cannot more expensive."
I separated it from myself. With blood, I can say...
'Gift' painful pinched her side. Do not lie
Poor Anton, he still knew nothing!
"Cut the ribbon, Givi."
Being completely mystified, the host cautiously took the scissors stretched by Yana.
The gauze fell.
"Dear Denis..."
Tipsy Givi tried to hug; the guests sang.
But then then they and he understood that Denis, here he was sitting still with the same stiff smile between Helga and purple are close, seemed to faint.
For a few moments to truly sepulchral silence.
Two completely identical Dennis.
Anton in this jacket was even more like.
"Anton, or what?" Denis not too confidently said finally.
" Kravchenko Anton! Kravchenko," - responded the hall. Also, however, has hesitantly. Anton, as it was intended, stood silent and motionless as a mannequin.
"Silence!" Joanna raised her hand. Defusing the situation is not included in her plans.
The play had just begun.
In her purse there is piece of paper. The poetry text in the whole page.
In the heat of the evil Joanna knew how to rhyme famously rhymes and a masterpiece was lying a purse.
Instructions attached to the 'gifts' a fine and deadly evil characterization Dennis, designed to destroy it, pulverize.
Oh, of course, at first glance it was an ode of praise wine. But the wine was poison, designed for long-term effect.
Now she was going present poems to hero of the day, the leaf will go for a walk on her hands, something memorable, something was written...
The true meaning came not just (here each line had an insidious double bottom) but it came nevertheless.
And Dennis would become the one among them who he is, Jan, will force him to be - he would become laughable.
His counterpart and this folded sheet would haunt him for the grave life.
They kill not with anger and laughter.
She, Yana, would kill him.
Everyone looked at her.
Unerring instinct of the crowd they sensed the looming scandal, and now were eagerly waiting for.
She hated Dennis who humiliated her.
She felt like a murderer, a slave to the demon of destructive rage. And in this desire for the destruction of anything and everything was hidden a special, hitherto unknown pleasure.
She was like a cat who was gripping a caught mouse in her claws.
This wooden smile of Denis... He felt that not everything is always keenly anticipated the danger and knew how to defend themselves.
But now he did not know where to wait for stroke, in his eyes she saw confusion and fear.
Something was in his face ...
Yana-cat' claws sank deeper into my bag.
Guns from a collection of Givi that were hung on the walls stood still, guests froze in a predatory waiting, jugs of wine...
Time stopped on the old floor clock in the corner. Blood-red 'Isabella' in a cup-horn in hand Givi ...
And then a stranger unscheduled burst noise, increasingly into a sinister web of the scene spun by Yana.
Denis started, looked up from her face.
Guests startled, splashed wine into the cup, guns and pitchers began to shake.
Just a crazy train-dragon flying down the coast from point 'A' to point 'B', Sukhumi and Batumi.
But something has changed.
Yana listened to herself, feeling like just overflowing soul, rushing out into the world, anger quickly, without the rest falls away.
And so it is easy and empty.
Only relief in fright 'Oh my God!' from the delusion that she was going to inflict apparently in a state of aberration.
She stretched out her hand to the full horn.
"Your health, Givi! Let it," she pointed to Anton, "symbolizes three of our hearts, united by love for you."
"Mine, Denniss and Anton's!"
And sipping much out of breath, makes Denis drink to the bottom and then Anton.
Givi delighted that everything was so nicely managed, he bursted into an equally florid response speech.
And fear finally slowly slipping from the face of Denis.
And Helga began in garnet, and purple winked Yana, and the guests...
Disappointing reviews compensates already made fun of the audience Anton, after "penalty" finally mastered the role Denisov twin.
Sitting opposite number in an infinite eastern feast, they exchanged a few words.
If Denis was shocked at the double, then he held on well.
And, of course, about the amendment, shooting, arts counsel...
"Tomorrow," hse waved away, citing fatigue.
It was fatigue but dejectedly, "'Why am I here?"
She now really puzzled, what caused her to throw the case, Philip and fly two thousand miles to dress in Anton and Denis crush on three horn "Isabella?"
Wine, however, was excellent, not to mention hors d'oeuvres.
Feast was not the end, and Yana, in the end, got drunk, and all were drunk.
Helge had disappeared, and Denis with purple thickly discussing tomorrow's mass meeting.
Yana wanted to shut down, is she was able to visit, in a theater in the queue, just touch on some deep keys and be alone with yourself, to think and understand.
This was especially needed now, but somehow could not manage.
It seemed to hit into a dark room, where suddenly something broke.
Where everything seems to be familiar with every detail, but to move forward with arms outstretched, and the danger could be anywhere, and fear itself.
For what is surely going on, something somehow broke.
Right-hand man, Georgian filmmakers tried to draw them into highly intelligent conversation about the aesthetics of cinema, a neighbor on the left squeezed his knee.
On top of all Anton with the guests started a fire from the window of ripening in the garden of persimmon-like orange-tree balls, swaying to magically ghostly light of a lantern.
Instantly sober Denis, he once sober when you have unsuccessfully tried to reason with him. It seems that stocks of mind, patience and humor of her husband were on the wane.
Because many of the guests either drunk, or out of ignorance do not understand what his counterpart, who is now bullies - it Kravchenko in makeup, treating them as just twins.
And if at all confused, thinking that this is Moscow's director Denis Grad rocket firing as the last nut, from an old rifle in persimmon.
And if not him, then his brother. And if you do not even brother and actor Kravchenko, all the same group walks.
That is, wait for the cart to the studio of valor Gagra police.
" Does not vibrate, I ask him to hold me, I actually fell asleep."
"Similarly, take it. Maybe I was with you?"
"Givi offended."
And then, as a leader would say, why do I need two Gradovs?
Yes, even 'tipsy' ...
Denis lightly slapped Yana's thigh.
"Then, see you tomorrow. You did well when came... And you, mother, in order to acquire a tan somewhere managed ... And the dress on her...
May still go away together?
He realized that he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, or, as usual, did not want to understand anything unrelated to the production schedule.
Joanna never knew it.
She took French leave.