Trafika Europe 13 - Russian Ballet

Val Votrin

off, and I would slide down the hill on my stomach towards the foot of the mound. And then Nishkni came and explained that I will not succeed in climbing to the top – the temple won’t let me. It is a special temple,” she added. “Special in what way?” I asked. She measured me with her calm gaze. “The Great Spirits make their appearance there,” she said. “All at once?” I asked naively. “Not necessarily,” she replied. “They come in the guise of black smoke?” I continued my inquiries. She smiled and pronounced: “Not necessarily.” “Not necessarily! Then in what other guise?” I wanted to ask. But Nishkni said nothing, and I didn’t dare ask her. Many of our people had interactions with the Tengers, but that was much earlier. They say that, in the olden days, it was easily possible to form an acquaintance with a Tenger. They themselves quite often befriended various people – back then, they took a greater interest in us. Even when I was a child, I would hear that the parents of one or another of my peers socialized with the Tengers. Such a relationship brought prestige,

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