I kept climbing the stairs. However, sometimes it seemed to me that it was not me but Shaitan. But for sure it was indeed me. Every time I stepped on a book I felt its incredible shine and smell and (can it be so?) I was reading it with my feet. Anyway, I was climbing And finally, after some time (if time existed there) the staircase was over.
I found myself again in that yard I saw before when I was standing in the street near the café intending to go to the bank. Now, finally, I was standing on the other side of the street. The way here appeared to be rather longer than I had expected. The portal
The bank was deserted except me and a female cashier. What a strange bank no people at all. I produced my banknote with the numbers on the backside. Unlike me, the woman seemed to be absolutely uninterested in my banknote. She peered to the numbers and then printed out the receipts for me and sent me back to the café. Shit! What a collapse in my mind! Even while being asleep I dream about the money and the books without my name on the cover But this time I wasnt asleep. This time I understood that dreams were reality and what I considered to be reality before was only a dream. And now I was in reality. And I felt hungry.
My cutlet with potatoes must have been waiting for me in the café. As I had already paid for my meal I was tryingto find the woman who had been telling me what I needed or her colleague whose money I hadnt picked up but they couldnt be seen anywhere. The café was full of other people. And I was hungry Frowning, I came to the conclusion that they had conned me out of the money. It was quite a common occasion on the Earth among the Unicellular.
A bit later I realized that I was no more welcomed there. Even if they needed me, they definitely didnt wantto see my 50 hryvnias, my receipts and my dull face All this was absolutely superfluous for them, you see?! I started peering around and I couldnt understand why everybody else was being served so cordially Why did they all eat and drink what they wanted?! And then I understood. With time everything resumes its normal course. And everybody as well. Time cures everything. And I was also cured.
In that café everyone paid with smiles. Not with money as I was used to, not with plastic cards or even their fingers There were no bills, no seals, no bill of ladings, no contracts and other papers which I knew perfectly well how to use. No individuals and legal bodies. «What am I doing there if I cant use my knowledge in this place? Maybe someone is going to explain everything to me? Maybe money doesnt mean anything? But then what means? What do they pay with here? With smiles? Then probably smiles are the most important thing here??? Or there is nothing important at all Nothing left!» I thought. Meanwhile, the clients were smiling and drinking and eating everything they wished In this café everyone paid with smiles. What a weird place But, probably, this place was in fact absolutely normal because they paid with smiles and it was me who was strange, who wanted to estimate everything in money That day I wasnt smiling
I looked to my left, then to my right, up and down and diagonally. I looked also the other way round and then again diagonally. Nobody came up to me when I was looking diagonally for the last time. My legs began walking without my knowledge. I didnt feel my head. Apparently, Shaitan was overtaking me again. And then the wings carried me upwards. Yes, it was so.
«Explain yourself! I cant explain myself, Im afraid, because Im not myself, you see».
Lewis Carroll
Height lasted very long, probably because it had never even started. I was spinning in the swirls and then I saw Arbagadabra. I recognized him at once because it was written large on his face. Arbagadabra is a horned Angel with a large blue head and a tail.
You have an inscription on your head, I told him.
You, too, answered Arbagadabra.
What do you mean? I asked him.
Well, just have a look at yourself.
Then give me a mirror.
You are already looking in it.
Im looking at a blue-headed beast with an inscription on the forehead.
Exactly. Thats you.
And who are you then?
Im your reflection.
And is it usual for reflections to speak?
It depends on what they reflect.
Am I really the one you are talking about?
Am I really the one you are talking about?
Hey!
Hey!
Are you here?
Are you here?
But there was no answer. The mirror stopped talking to me. Well, at least I found out that my real name was Arbagadabra. «And thank God, I thought, because I have already started reckoning that my name is Shaitan». «Thank Devil!» he exclaimed and gave a thunder-like laugh.
Something budged in the corner and asked: «Give me some paper». I had no paper on me except the money so I gave it to the creature.
Thanks, it said. Shit, shit, SHIT! Its filthy. You gave me dirty paper.
I gave you the money.
But they are filthy!
Filthy?! Shaitan would have never said something of the kind. Thats probably the reason why were friends. We have common interests.
Well, have a look! And the creature showed me his ass from behind a thick curtain. Paper should be clean, you see?
I gave you the money! Have you wiped your ass with it?
Can you see this stain? he pointed at his left buttock. Can you see it?
Yes, I do, I said suddenly realizing that I had no money any more.
Well, lets go.
He grasped my hand and leaded me somewhere. Or rather, I flew after him because I still couldnt see his face, just his hand and his ass. The rest parts of his body were dark. Ina while we saw an inscription «Universarium». We flew a bit nearer and I discerned the word «Eden». It was written in small letters. I would even say that the letters were tiny and hardly visible. But nevertheless I noticed them and was even able to read them. But then I heard Shaitans voice in my ears and saw him with my eyes. He was speaking again. I strained my ears.
They used to call me a liar so often. It was before I appeared here, in the world of the past in the previous world Well, you got me. But even if you havent, Ill go on with my story.
I asked Shaitan to seat at the opposite sideof Flier because he was pushing my violently. In a while we flew across the space towards a two-meter tower and flew in without any consequences so far.
Five smiles, if you please! said a two-meter-high Toothy.
And he showed all his ninety-two teeth. My Flier leaned his head out of nowhere and quickly smiled for five times. Then Toothy said: «Now its your turn!» and stared at me.
You should pay for the access.
I glanced at Shaitan.
Do as you were told to, Shaitan told me. Im not exactly in the mood to smile, and he looked away.
Yes, I do, I said suddenly realizing that I had no money any more.
Well, lets go.
He grasped my hand and leaded me somewhere. Or rather, I flew after him because I still couldnt see his face, just his hand and his ass. The rest parts of his body were dark. Ina while we saw an inscription «Universarium». We flew a bit nearer and I discerned the word «Eden». It was written in small letters. I would even say that the letters were tiny and hardly visible. But nevertheless I noticed them and was even able to read them. But then I heard Shaitans voice in my ears and saw him with my eyes. He was speaking again. I strained my ears.
They used to call me a liar so often. It was before I appeared here, in the world of the past in the previous world Well, you got me. But even if you havent, Ill go on with my story.
I asked Shaitan to seat at the opposite sideof Flier because he was pushing my violently. In a while we flew across the space towards a two-meter tower and flew in without any consequences so far.
Five smiles, if you please! said a two-meter-high Toothy.
And he showed all his ninety-two teeth. My Flier leaned his head out of nowhere and quickly smiled for five times. Then Toothy said: «Now its your turn!» and stared at me.
You should pay for the access.
I glanced at Shaitan.
Do as you were told to, Shaitan told me. Im not exactly in the mood to smile, and he looked away.
But I have no more money on me, I told Toothy. I gave everything I had to that bloke whatever his name is Flier or something? He wiped
Shut up! Shaitan cried.
I had no chance to finish the sentence. At first I even wanted to point to Flier who had wiped his ass with my money but he wasnt there. Toothy wasnt interested in Shaitan as much as he was in me. «They have probably got acquainted with him already, I thought. Or he has a travel card».
Well, perhaps you have imagination, any dreams or ideas? Toothy asked.
Dont talk to him, Flier warned me, appearing again out of thin air. He wants to take what you appreciate most. Its energy, you see?! Five smiles! He told me and smiled again to Toothy showing all his perfect teeth.
Its not necessary to smile for six times, said Toothy, five will be enough to enter. But if you want to smile instead of that one you brought with you, then I have to tell you its no way. We will fine you. And exile you to the Camp where you will smile till the end of life. Or rather till its start.
But can one smile intentionally, I mean, on purpose? I asked Flier.
We always do it, said Flier and added, if you dont smile right now, Toothy will eat you up.
And Toothy smiled cunningly.
It was like a kick in the arse or like a burr under my saddle. The world changed at once for me. I even noticed all its papier-mâché decorations Then I smiled quickly for five times and they let us in. I didnt have the least desire to know whether anything like that had ever happened before. In a moment the door through which we came closed behind us and we found ourselves in the opposite side of the hall, far from Toothy. I gavea sigh of relief
Well, you see, said Flier, smiles are our main force, and then he asked: «You are not from here, arent you?»
«Tell him that you are indeed from here», demanded Shaitan who had already possessed me again. Or does he constantly possess me now? Does he like it?! I had to obey.
Well, it seems to me that Im indeed from here but I didnt realize it before.
All right, he replied, lets go.
So we proceeded on our way.
We saw an art gallery in front of us. There were no pictures there. To my left and to my right, above and below the walls, the ceiling and even the floor were covered with frames screwed upon them. There were a great number of various frames from the plainest to the most exquisite but I didnt care much. What I really did care was the fact that inside the frames there were sheets of white paper instead of pictures.
What is it? I asked.
Its an art gallery, Flier told me.
But there are no pictures there! I exclaimedin puzzle.
Why do you think so?! Look around! There are plenty of pictures there!
But I cant see any pictures, just blank sheets of white paper. In the frames.
Firstly, these are not blank sheets of paper, they are clean. Unlike that paper you gave me last time. And secondly, are there any other art galleries except like this one?!
And we proceeded with walking. And the further we went, the more I had the impression that in fact we were going only nearer. And then I suddenly thought that I was wrong. And then that I had the right impression again. In the end I decided to aska question.
How was this world created?
Dont you know? asked Flier. Well, you are really dull. Our world was created by smiles. There were the Three First Smiles who originated it.
And how did they appear? I asked.
What does it matter? frowned Flier and suddenly vanished with a great bang leaving me absolutely puzzled.
He rolled himself up into a tube despite the fact that he was very plump. And then the roll he made became very thin and soared in the sky. «Probably thats his magic cloak?» I thought. And then I fell under the impression that Flier wasnt thinking of anything. Anything at all Like our politicians in the world I came from. But maybe at the moment I was not in this new world but in my own? Anyway, I existed it was clear. And maybe I was just a loony and Flier wasnt a Flier at all, he was just a keeper who thought that I was Napoleon? Well, anyway. Lets drop it. The point is that I felt good. And it was the most important thing. But lets assume that at the moment I was indeed in this world, in the world created by the Three First Smiles. And if I believe its True, then Truth will believe in me. And I was right.
In front of me I saw women breasts. There were not two of them, as I was used to, but much more. A naked woman body was standing in front of me and there were no black squares in the area of breasts and pubis like they show on TV; a horizontal row of breasts occupied all the space. They had beautiful shape and were at the right height. It was wonderful. I walked around the statue and then I realized that it was not just a woman, it was a barrel of the «Field of Dreams» game. Moreover, that day it was not just a barrel, it was a small milk plant. But I wasnt thirsty, I was hungry and I used this plant as a barrel. I grasped one of the nipples with my right stronger hand, stroked it and then pulled it horizontally. The barrel began to spin The whole body, however, remained immobile but the girl smiled prettily. Her smile gave that odd sensation you feel when you look at Mona Lisa on the famous picture or Einstein who pulled out his tongue on his photo in orderto show the others his attitude to himself I was ready to shout «Bonus!» when the bonus appeared by itself. It came out of the dark room that had never been opened.