Valentina Modestovna, play for us something. In this city, we so rarely heard good music.
Valya broke out. The words of the captain seemed to her the first technique of courtship. Without taking away her hands, she replied:
What do you? Im just learning.
Beg. The music is comforting, and I miss my family so much. I have a small, eyed daughter
Aaaa, Valya gently stretched out and squeezed a hand to the captain. We will choose together what to play.
The girl took a tray with sweets from the battlefield he was waiting for her at the portiere and went around all the guests.
The captain stood by the window.
I would like to listen to Tchaikovsky, he said when Valya approached him.
Ill play, Nikolay Stepanovich, but later. We do not know the guests What do you say against the Storm on the Volga?
Nikolai Stepanovich nodded approvingly and thought: What a clever girl, exactly like my Natasha.
The musical play was listened to in complete silence, and when Valya finished, Lykov approached the piano.
Divinely! Russian motives, our Volga
How is your health, Valentina Modestovna?
The captain winced and stepped aside.
Valya looked at Lykov and smiled.
Firewood and T-beams have been well studied, but I have not mastered the approach to people, she thought.
Play something else, the lieutenant shouted. Strauss waltz. While Valya was playing, more guests came up: the director of the bank and a trusted local large trading company Churin and Co. with their wives. Modest Vladimirovich announced that the dancing would begin now, and he sat down at the piano. The evening was lively. Valya danced with Lykov, the lieutenant and the captain, but talked exclusively with Nikolai Stepanovich. She asked him about his family, about his service, about the province.
I do not know much about China, and even less about the Japanese I turn red with shame
At the end of the dinner, men more and more began to be put to the glass. Lykov reddened and revived. The lieutenant purred the tune from the Merry Widow. The captain drank brandy, but with restraint. He stopped the lieutenant, who was headed to the living room.
Lets drink I dug up the Martel cognac of the highest brand A curious thing with a lemon Let the girls play. From here its even better to listen.
Valya played a potpourri from Russian songs.
Here it is, holy Russia! exclaimed Lykov. Lets drink to the great Russian people, gentlemen! What are you pouring in there, captain? For the Russian people and brandy? No, you need a glass of little white!
Agreed, said the captain. Russian vodka is so Russian vodka
They all drank and began to eat, and the captain stood with an outstretched hand.
Well, you, Nikolai Stepanovich? asked the lieutenant. Everyone turned toward the captain.
And I will drink. But let me, dear Lykov, tell you, as a Russian man and a merchant, a few words The captain with an outstretched hand in which he held the glass, approached Lykov:
Chase away the Japanese girl who lives with you.
Allow me. This is my private affair.
Not! This is a purely public matter! cried out Nikolay Stepanovich. In your house, not a beautiful Madame for your pleasure, but a Japanese agent.
Lykov blushed deeply.
It can not be! She accepted the Russian faith.
I know. In Japan, Russian money contains a factory of Japanese spies. She is nicknamed the Russian Orthodox mission.
The lieutenant tried to pull out the captain.
You forget, Lieutenant! I understand what Im saying. With knowledge of the Russian language and with a prayer, it is much better to fool No, this is a disgrace! The captain cried out again, responding to the puzzled looks of the guests. We pay spies for our money, we warm them in our breasts Laundresses, hairdressers, battles, tailors All this horde of hundreds of eyes looks at what we are doing here and how many of us are on Kvantun. Try to hide from them and keep state secrets. All of them rope loop, in which we stand with both feet. The time will come, they will pull at its end, and we will clatter We will clash at full length.
Lykov lowered his head. Most of the guests thought, and the supplier of the forest said:
It is necessary to pour on a glass and wash the eyes The coppers and kept women were frightened. Eka, think, passion!
You are a scoundrel! screamed the captain. Come out to the courtyard, Ill rip you by the ears. And here, you know, with ladies uncomfortable.
What? What? blinked eyes supplier of the forest.
Lets go for some fresh air, said the bank director, frightened, and led the fat man to the porch.
Im sorry, gentlemen. But please carefully think about my words. Not today, then tomorrow is war, and we are hung up with helpful Japanese Oh my God, when will everyone understand this danger!
The voice of the captain trembled. He wiped his glasses and made a general bow, he left.
What an impossible person! exclaimed the guests.
You do not know Nikolai Stepanovich Rezanov, said the colonel. There is a lot of truth in his words. Japan is growing. Authoritative military experts do not deny serious danger. My colleague, engineer Colonel Velichko, who was sent here to draft the fortress, wrote in his report for 1899: The more the port of Dalniy develops commercially and is more widely supplied with all port facilities docks, marinas, coal, etc. he will be more suitable for the services of the enemy And if the enemy seizes the port of Dalniy and will have to meet his concentration in Arthur, then the railway connecting the Dalniy with Port Arthur will bring him great benefit and allow him to concentrate under the fortress Yew significant siege means. Undoubtedly, a trade port should have been built in Pigeon Bay and its adjacent gulfs. There was a project to connect the channel of the western basin of Arthur with the Pigeon Bay. Then, of course, it would turn out very stable.
The noise in the dining room made Valya alert. She sat at the piano and waited for the captain, whom she promised to play one of his favorite pieces of music.
A lieutenant came swaying.
I never expected it, he laughed. Lykov has a Japanese spy lives on. The lieutenant, having learned about Lykovs courting for Vale, was offended. Merchant licentiousness! Naughty! Lykovschina!..
Valya got up and, turning, looked sternly at the lieutenant.
Where is Nikolai Stepanovich? Gone home? And you, Igor Sergeyevich, know Lykov well? I am not inclined to praise him, and yet, I beg you, do not lose respect for yourself
The lieutenant instantly otrezvetel and clutching his head, ran out of the living room.
What tactlessness! Tikhon would not do that, whispered Valya.
Where is Nikolai Stepanovich? Gone home? And you, Igor Sergeyevich, know Lykov well? I am not inclined to praise him, and yet, I beg you, do not lose respect for yourself
The lieutenant instantly otrezvetel and clutching his head, ran out of the living room.
What tactlessness! Tikhon would not do that, whispered Valya.
2
As soon as Lykov went to visit, Sasha-san sat down at her desk and began to carefully write down the numbers from the railway consignment notes and steamship bills of lading.
Larch bars 1,200 pieces, pine bars 20,000 pieces, T-shaped beams 6,000 pieces, cement 1,500 barrels.
Sasha-san made such notes calmly and freely even in the presence of Lykov.
After the scandal at the Inovy Lykov before everyone went home. He felt sad and annoyed. He laughed internally at the captains conclusions, but the doubt crept in.
Sasha-san met her host with a joyful smile and wanted to go with him to the bedroom.
. Wait, my dear. I need to read one letter. It lies on the desk.
They entered the office. Seeing a long sheet of fine Japanese paper written up, Lykov laughed:
Again, a letter to dad and mom? You teach me to write in Japanese. Beautiful squiggles you go out.
Lykov put his hand on the letter and looked at him.
Numbers. Why the numbers in the letter? He thought, and the blood rushed to his face. He leaned on the table with his whole chest, as if searching for the paper he needed, he looked at the results of the consignment notes and bills of lading. The letter had the same numbers.
I can not find. Did put in the safe? Did you finish writing? Stop it Lets go to sleep. Go get the bed ready and Ill lock the paper. You, my dear, tortured with translations of bills of lading.And I still walk. Sabbat! Seriously take up the Russian case.
The Japanese woman kissed Lykov and went into the bedroom, and he grabbed all the correspondence from the table.
Wait! I have another key to a fireproof cabinet. It probably does not fit here, thought Lykov, locking the safe. He took the key out of his wallet. Very similar to each other. Does not fit. Fine It will be funny if thieves steal the keys
Sasha-san was lying in bed with her eyes closed. Lykov was not allowed to sleep by surging thoughts. Right or wrong captain? Having stretched his arms, Lykov pretended to snore. It took ten twelve weary minutes. Sasha-san pulled her legs out of bed and put her hand under the pillow behind the keys. Rising, she stood to her full height and, pouring cold water into a glass, listened to Lykovs snoring, then moved away from the bed and quietly moved toward the door.
Finding herself at the safe, she used the usual gesture to take the key and shoved it into the well. Excluded. Turned over. Again not included. Sasha-sans forehead was covered with cold sweat.
Any new keys? Why dont I know anything about them? She thought, and returned to the bedroom. Lykov was still snoring.
Likhomanka shook. Are you worried? The key did not fit? So its a serious matter. Cleverly I thought up! Dad and Mom will not receive another letter. Lykov could not resist and laughed.
Whats the matter? screamed the Japanese and threw back the blanket.
I had a merry dream. Sleep Tomorrow I will tell.
The troubles of the night tired Sasha-san, and before dawn, lulled by the light snoring of her host, she fell soundly asleep. Lykov played the sleeper all night. It was not difficult the annoyance of himself inflated his nerves.
At eight and a half hours he got up and, having chosen yesterdays bypass from the safe, went to the bank.
There, probably, there are translators. Ill check, and tomorrow Ill take action. Scandal!..
Returning to dinner, he did not find the Japanese. It soon became clear that she had disappeared along with Cherry-san.
3
And the second night Lykov was worried, but already alone. He did not regret the Japanese woman, but he was stifling anger: how was that? He, a Russian merchant, was suddenly held by the Japanese! Babu fooled! A captain is right a thousand times
The next morning, Lykov went to Arthur, instructing a reliable person to watch the departing Japanese women on the pier.
Port Arthur lived the life of a large port city, and Far from it seemed an abandoned exhibition that played its role and was subject to destruction. The plans of the governor Alekseev were opposite to the plans of Count Witte. The deputy did not pay attention to the Far, and tried to build more commercial buildings in Port Arthur itself. Forty millions spent on a commercial port hung in the air long before the declaration of war. Port Arthur would look completely different if these millions were spent on it.
As soon as Lykov arrived in Port Arthur, he was stunned by all sorts of rumors. Tokyo still defends the demands made of St. Petersburg, and in every way intimidates our government; in turn, in Petersburg they talk ungraciously with the Japanese ambassador. The Japanese living in Arthur, liquidate their affairs and leave. Lykov was personally convinced of this: the Japanese barber shop of the chief chief of the Kwantung Oblast (as it was written on the sign) was closed. Lykov spent the whole day unshaven and often mentally exclaimed:
All is fine with them. They will come to shave, they talk, and the Japanese spy listens. There are no Russian hairdressing salons, but the Chinese are not very clean
Particularly intriguing was the rumor about a treaty between the Chinese government, Japan, and the United States, according to which the Celestial Empire gave some of its ports to the designated states.
Lykov was surprised to see the fighting ships repainted gray. Many of them were urgently filmed with excessive rigging and inventory-disturbing equipment.
The soldiers marched in full ammunition, and decently dressed civilian Japanese walked around the harbor.
There are plenty more Japanese, thought Lykov, but there really shouldnt be any on Kvantuna at all.
An alarming condition swept the inhabitants. And only the military looked calm and, it seemed to Lykov, even careless.
However, what to worry? To be ready for everything is their direct duty, decided Lykov.
four
It was the eve of the Chinese New Year. The streets were discharged merchants and coolies. Red stickers with various good wishes glittered on shops, carts, gates of dwellings, hauliers of peddlers and even on rocker arms of water carriers.
In the restaurant, Lykov met a familiar naval officer.
How are you in the Far? he asked.
We live as if in an abandoned village. Meanwhile, events seem to be brewing.
Yes, the Japanese squash.
Are we ready?
Sure.
I dont like the external raid, said Lykov. It is difficult to keep track of the enemy destroyers.
Sorry, but this is a naive question. Every night there are patrols of combat light vessels. But we, the sailors, do not assume that there will be military actions, although we want them. Japanese should have taught a lesson.