All farms and industrial enterprises are private organizations of bankers, large traders and other nobles, which are closely monitored by the council of the wisest. The city is governed by the only Filzas order something like a party, the ideology of the Osiris, which includes all the attributes of power, culture, knowledge and even a way of thinking. There are three councils in Filzas: the royal council, the council of the eldest and wisest, as well as the organization of mekrs and all private organizations. Filzas, was founded three hundred years ago, at about the same time as the city itself. The Osiris state system is rather atypical than wrong. The constructed hierarchy resembles imperfect capitalism mixed with anarchist democracy. All existing institutions, it turned out to be implemented in practice, only at the expense of a relatively small society, and then, most of them, rely solely on the belief in further prosperity.
Tunor walked slowly through the wide streets of the city. There were difficult negotiations yesterday. Making concessions to the authorities is getting harder and harder. They dont want to hear about the creation of a new order. Today, he decided to take a day off and leave this damn room of the NDC to get some fresh air. Otherwise, you can forget what the sun looks like. The girls give him, apparently forty years old, but in fact, forty-one. Large, curly hair, swarthy, of medium height and strong build, he resembled a typical Osiris. On it hangs an old, worn-out sand-colored dress. People passing by cannot even recognize the great innovative engineer of the present time. People of all professions and nationalities have gathered in this place. What eccentrics you will not find here. Three-eyed Jack, riding a three-wheeled cart, five hundred kilogram fat Wadah, to a circus performance. Oh, and take a look here, in the Bironfer seafood shop. Some type, dressed up in a costume of a nasty octopus and its tentacles dragging along the ground, are trying to bite off the dogs. Poor fellow, I had to throw a big fish for them to get left behind. A strange woman, in a black, tight dress, without a lower jaw, with a hanging tongue, leads two tall giraffes, behind long chains, tied to their collars. The little girl, seeing her missing part of her face, hid behind an elderly woman, enthusiastically bargaining for watermelons, near the counter. A boy, about seven years old, in a white shirt tucked into black pants pulled up to the knee, slowly rolls on a scooter, wearing a bright hat with a visor in front, strongly reminiscent of a modern baseball cap. Here, they sold dyed camels with blue heads, and black and red stripes on the body, like a zebra, fooling people, for fabulous sums. A little further, you can see even more interesting donkeys and horses, which were sewn in long horns, built up feather, artificial tails, similar to peacocks, and drove to various dudes with a mark-up twice as expensive. Two-trunk elephants, a rare breed, were made an artificial, brightly thick mane, and they looked more like cartoon toys than living creatures. It seems that everyone is busy with their own business, but the world of bustle here is closely intertwined with vacationers, just sitting and not thinking about anything. These are not homeless people, but just elderly people. They sit carelessly on the sidelines and watch those around them. One of these was a strange, blind old man, in a burgundy robe with a burnt, disfigured face, and white eyes. He looked towards Tunor, as if he was watching him. Or maybe he just has a phobia. After all, Tunor, there was someone to hide from, and there was something to hide. A terrible grandfather was burned, probably during the great siege, fifty years ago. But, to the meeting, there was a young man, a little above average in height, dressed already more presentable. In a blue raincoat and a light protective corset. This is prince Haste, his own person. It is impossible not to notice him, even if he was dressed, as simply as his friend. Eccentric habits, gait and manner of communication immediately betray him. He is strange to the point of insanity. Distorted, deceptive facial expressions always convey not the feelings that he actually feels, but during an argument, his hands, constantly shaking in front of his head, try to drive away the thoughts or words of the interlocutor that are unwanted by him. Trying to ignore those around him, the young prince is clearly in a hurry. Its very appearance in broad daylight in the city center is a phenomenon.
Where are you going? not having time to reach his comrade, asks the prince.
«To the mall,» Tunor replied with a smile.
What is there to do? The young man raised his eyebrows in bewilderment.
Just take a walk. Chat with merchants from distant lands, maybe what news they tell, treat you with sweets. I found that symbol on page eight. Youre looking for me for this, dont you?
Exactly, behind this, Haste pressed his lips tightly. He took a small roll of parchment from his chest pocket. «Is this symbol here?» Excitedly asking, he pokes him in the face.
«I dont remember Although,» he moved back and took the scrap in his hands. Complex hieroglyphs are carved there. It is not an Osirian language, nor is it a Jerichan. It had nothing to do with our spelling at all. Taking out a small silver pencil-like stick, he carved out another incomprehensible symbol. In my opinion, it was so, he returned the envelope to the prince, and was about to move on, but the prince stopped him, taking his hand and turning him back to face him. What happened? Have you already figured out the sequence? Frowning, he snatched his hand away.
Not. If you helped us, maybe they would. Neilie cant do it alone.
«So help her,» Tunor replied, wrinkling his forehead. Hiding the package in his pocket, Haste narrowed his eyes suspiciously, looking into his eyes: Dont make me follow you, Tunor. Yesterday, you were late at the meeting again. Perhaps you should not be replaced by someone else. Do not misunderstand, I trust everyone equally (the employees of the NDC), but when our only public figure, privately communicates with the authorities, who give us an ultimatum in favor of our own planned development, it makes me twitch more than usual. I know that the issues you are discussing will not lead to consensus. And, I do not know what else can be thought of to fool their brains, at least until the end of this year.
«I am not holding on to my position, my prince.» He smiled, and the nostrils of his crooked nose, covered in beads of sweat, widened. You can put anyone in my place, but I will never betray our oath and our dream.
I guess I look like a senile. You know how curious I am. Agree, the temptation is great. Moreover, we are not going to bend in front of them, which means that they will take action in the near future.
Its my fault, Haste. Sadly Tunor lowered his eyes. «I promise Ill do my best and figure out how to fool the advice.
I will be very grateful to you, the prince turned around, and with a quick step went to where he came from.
We need something more than clay abacus, a slightly plump man, in sandals and a white shirt, stands in the middle of the NDC control room. His name is Vaidah. An ingenious inventor, chemist, mathematician and just a dreamer. By nation, he is a purebred Nahmau. Both of his parents are from the Shelber Valley. They died, under mysterious circumstances, when he was still a child. He, along with other orphans, was taken to the Vayelon orphanage, at the request of the village elders. Our electronic calculator, promises to be fast, multifunctional machines. It will take years to design the hardware and code it correctly. But, in no other way. Is the information in the book worth the effort? he began to stomp around a square table running along the walls, on the blue, luminous floor.
I guess I look like a senile. You know how curious I am. Agree, the temptation is great. Moreover, we are not going to bend in front of them, which means that they will take action in the near future.
Its my fault, Haste. Sadly Tunor lowered his eyes. «I promise Ill do my best and figure out how to fool the advice.
I will be very grateful to you, the prince turned around, and with a quick step went to where he came from.
We need something more than clay abacus, a slightly plump man, in sandals and a white shirt, stands in the middle of the NDC control room. His name is Vaidah. An ingenious inventor, chemist, mathematician and just a dreamer. By nation, he is a purebred Nahmau. Both of his parents are from the Shelber Valley. They died, under mysterious circumstances, when he was still a child. He, along with other orphans, was taken to the Vayelon orphanage, at the request of the village elders. Our electronic calculator, promises to be fast, multifunctional machines. It will take years to design the hardware and code it correctly. But, in no other way. Is the information in the book worth the effort? he began to stomp around a square table running along the walls, on the blue, luminous floor.
As far as I understand, we have solved all the symbols, but we are not able to read? asked a young girl sitting at this gray, metal table, just opposite him.
Right. We know the meaning of all sixteen thousand three hundred thirty-seven characters. But we cannot read them without knowing the sequence of reading. It is completely chaotic.
«Not chaotic,» corrected another man sitting next to the woman. This is Assam one of Hastes closest friends. Another classmate of his. We found out that its content obeys the dependence of two to the power of x square minus one. But, in order to find out which character follows which, it is necessary to brute force them, as a single unbreakable chain.
Exactly, that plump eccentric approached them, tightly squeezing his hands into the castle. Here, the only catch is that the combinations corresponding to the full search are only links, pointers to the true text. These symbols are words, numbers and geometrical values at the same time. Thus, this text encodes itself twice. Only with the help of a powerful calculating machine can the reading sequence be understood.
Incredible. The one who encrypted this must be a real madman, the woman was enthusiastically indignant, stroking the voluminous cover of a large, unnamed book lying in front of her. Then, she quickly flipped through the pages in order.
«Be careful, Neilie,» Haste approached her, grabbing the book and putting it aside. Perhaps this book is not from our world.
Come on, the fat man in the white shirt laughed. You wouldnt believe it just because you found an hourglass next to her, going backwards? Perhaps this is one of Lafars books on programming methods {x, y}.
It would be nice if so, Before the prince floated a whole collection of different clocks, under glass, recessed in the stained-glass wall. There were also arrow stands, solar, mechanical, and, of course, classic sand. «Lafar was not crazy enough to encrypt his books this way. And besides, who cares? As far as I know, no one understood his books, except for a handful of his mentors. Taking in his hands one of these large glass vessels, in a beautiful stone case, he approached his fellow inventors. This semi-mechanical old watch, he got from his grandfather, as a gift. Inside the container, there are round discs and thin gears. Blue, fine-grained sand, distributed between these discs, with a mesh bottom. Separate sections showed hours, minutes, days, years, full moons, and solar eclipses. Putting this decorative item on the table, he silently watched as sand poured from different sections at different speeds.
«This clock, made in Shelber,» he finally broke the silence. To find out what time we live in, you dont have to turn them over for years. When the minutes are up, the hours remain higher. When the days are up, there will be years, and then eclipses. But, sooner or later, they still have to be turned over. In his other hand was a watch from the dungeon. He placed them next to his watch, watching the grains of sand rising in it. If the sand fell first down and then up, they would work forever. I know that eternity inextricably connects us with the world around us. We must devote all our efforts to building an electronic computer, and read this devilish book next month.
What?! Vaidah was indignant, clutching his stubble. Its impossible. Why is there so little time?
«If this is the book mentioned in Svurts Law, Shelbers governors will want to take it for themselves. Our find cannot remain a secret for long. Moreover, we all know that unknown diseases are spreading in the Nahmaut valleys, turning people into monsters. Perhaps this book, which they are so diligently searching for, is to blame. Having learned that for more than one century, it turns out, we were hiding from them, their main treasure, without a doubt, they will decide to crush Vayelon to the ground. If, fifty years ago, Rohvem did not need even a reason for the attack, then what can we say about our case. Damn the king who decided to bury this thing right below us. He set us up pretty well.
«Shelber and Vayelon have always been on good terms,» a young woman stood up from the table. «Lets make some books and just give the original to the Supreme Governor,» she suggested, blinking her big brown eyes.
There is no more supreme governor, Haste spread his fingers on his hand and brought them to his chin. Galbront imprisoned himself in an eternal prison, fearing the complications of the disease, uncontrollable strength and rage. The previous viceroy, Okkrat, jumped out of the window. And, the one that was even before him was killed by his own guards. In the Shelber Valley there has been no contact with the outside world for a long time. They are already dangerous to themselves. What kind of good relationship are you talking about? You better stay tuned, Neilie, otherwise why are you here?
«Actually, you yourself called me here,» indignantly, she straightened the long bangs of her short haircut. I am the only person in the city who would have translated this book for you in two days.
«I dont care about the translation,» he jumped wildly towards her, frightening the fragile woman. Better tell me how to read it correctly?
Fuck off, she pushed him, with both hands and left the underground laboratory.
«Dont get excited, my prince,» Assam put his hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. Women love good manners. You should have learned from them, otherwise, you wont be able to find a worthy wife. Haste removed his hand from himself, and, grumbling something under his breath, put his watch back into the sideboard.
Who would talk about a worthy wife, Vaidah laughed at him, finally, sitting down at the table. We all would not be disturbed by worthy women. Using the services of priestesses is no longer so interesting. I want a little more to be loved. Hey, whats wrong with you, arent you listening? Assam ignored him. His stone face, completely emotionless, as if under hypnosis, and his eyes look at one point. Slowly turning his head, he looked around, as if someone had possessed him, or he had come here for the first time. He has never been seen like this before.
Again these strange feelings, the boy grabbed his face. This is the first time this happens to me at such a time. Maybe its all the same controversy? Wake up, wake up, wake up, he begins to lightly beat himself on the head. Noticing that something was wrong with him, Haste went up to his friend, helped him to sit at the table, and gave him a glass of coffee. You said that this is innate in me, he turns to the prince, then why, I now feel it again. The attacks became sudden. Previously, they were cyclical, now, they are completely random.