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After that she burst into tears, nestling up to Renter like a drowning man catches at straws.
Scott Renter felt embarrassed, weasel was alien and forgotten because he hadn’t seen it for many years. The cry of a child echoes dissipated in the bottomless void in his soul, scorched with suffering.
«Darkness how long will you thicken in the world!» he thought in a fit of temper. And looking at the old, destroyed village, he said loudly:
– Child, don't worry, I'll never leave you. From now on I'll always be with you! Nothing will dare to darken your face.
And to the surprise of the girl tears started to fall from his eyes. The child stopped crying, stretched her hands to his face, as she knew now, the face of her Savior, not of the blighter. She took off his glasses, but was not frightened with animal sight, radiating goodness and reflecting
the suffering. Though she withdrew her hand, then she held a hand to his cheek. It got warm in his torn soul. Weeping ended; Scott looked into the clear eyes of the girl and with a smile asked:
– What's your name, heavenly creature?
– Iona – she answered briefly, sounding like a bell.
– You're quite cold. Iona, where's your home?
– It’s near…
The former settlement was enclosed with the low wooden fence, mostly
fallen. Wooden huts were standing along the dusty trail.
The village was dead. Scott Renter watched utter wretchedness, felt the
stinking spirit of desecration, which only he could recognize. They stepped onto the narrow road.
Here it is! – Iona pointed to a simple log cabin standing out against a background of half-destroyed buildings.
– It’s beautiful, – said Scott unexpectedly for him.
– Yes, dad was a carpenter… – she said with a pause and wept bitterly. – Don't cry, Jonah, please. From now on everything will be fine. Logging on the porch decorated with cut-outs, with ornate shaped
railing, the wanderer crossed the threshold and bent down to enter the empty doorway. Embossed door, like everything else was lying on the floor. Frowning, Scott Renter asked with a deep sigh:
– Iona, which way?
– I live in the upper room.
And heading up the winding stairs they were on the second floor,
which was, in fact, the attic, masterfully redesigned into three small rooms: a Parent’s, located all over the left side, and two children's rooms on the right side, divided by an additional wall partition. However, everything was nice and looked comfortable.
Scott lowered the girl to the floor. She was afraid to be left alone and pleadingly declared:
– Please, stay with me! I'm afraid you will disappear and I will die! – I'm not leaving you! Show me the way!
In amazement the child gave a glance at him and said:
– You are so huge!
– Nothing to worry about. Where you can’t get in full growth, get bent. – And he knelt down and followed her.
Soon Iona changed her clothes. Nestled in a warm white blanket she fell asleep, clutching the hand of the man who saved her. Freeing his mighty hand from the feeble hands of the girl Scott silently left the room. He went down and looked around. Noticing a square piece of wood, he approached it, knelt down and gently took the subject in his hand. He turned it and was frightened: huge brown eyes strictly and sympathetically looked at him. The trembling came upon him. The tension of facial muscles made cheekbones visible. It took his breath away; his hands started trembling and pain pierced his heart. He was holding an icon in his hands.
Regal Divine Countenance was facing him. Jesus Christ was neither striking lightning, nor withering anger at him; he looked at him with mercy, waiting for repentance, folding his fingers for blessings. Christ was suffering as the true God unfathomable in love, loving and righteous, one and right God.
It was hard to keep all-embracing space and world. Coming to his senses at last, Scott Renter stood up and sedately but hardly pacing, went to the red corner, put the icon in its proper place and moved a step away. Then with a great effort he made a sign of a cross.
The sun was gradually drooping. Smoke wafted from gray brick chimney.
There was a bundle of firewood near the hearth; the fire crackled, water in the hanging pot was boiling, emitting rich flavor. The broth was ready. Ion, wearing a woolen scarf over a warm sweater, sat on the bench and enthusiastically watched Wanderer who had removed wide in the neck and tapering to the bottom pan of grayish tint from the copper hook, put it on a round stand on the table and was pouring a rich soup with a piece of meat on the bone into a wooden bowl.
Belly-pinched, Iona swallowed, burning, delicious broth. Scott Renter, stared at the child, and the two feelings simultaneously existed in him: the joy hidden in the corners of his lips and the bitterness of regret, looking out of the corners of his eyes like small tears.
Suddenly the child stopped eating and stood up, turned towards the red corner, and looked upon the face of the Savior, prayed:
– Lord, forgive us! Sir, say grace – she said, referring to Wanderer.
– I… I don't know, you say it…, I'll listen. – Scott replied in confusion. – Our Father, who art in heaven – Iona prayed fervently –
Hallowed be thy Name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but… – her eyes were full with tears.
– Deliver me from evil – finished Scott turning white.
– Thank you, – she whispered and sat down, silently continued eating. Through the window one could seen the snow. Heavy snowflakes fell to
the ground like an impenetrable veil.
– Iona, tell me. You, only you…are alive. Brother, father and mother,
all… – he gave her a look. – Can you tell me?
– They… they came from the mountains. I woke up. Horrible screams
woke me up. Brother, my little brother grabbed me in fear and would not let. Mother, bloody, burst into the room, grabbed us and rushed down. The father, holding the gun… could not resist… THAT. Those were not human beings and not animals. They broke into… rabid drove of something terrible. Antosha, like a leaf, like a toy, was ripped in half, by their terrible claws. And mom… they dug their teeth into her. I saw the vile fangs; jets of blood had stained my mother's body. They grabbed me, but mom, I don't understand how she could, but she had thrown herself back and detained… that. – Jonah was sobbing. – Frightened, I huddled in the corner, without thinking, without understanding, and closed with my hands. The roar echoed over me, and it smacked into the wall. And the icon suddenly fell down; I grabbed it and tried to protect myself with it. The terrible creature uttered the hissing gradually turning into screeching, and withdrew from me. So I was sitting, fettered with trembling, and THAT was rough and for a long time one could hear the screams of people. Scott put a hand on the arm of the Iona, and he seemed to see the fateful night firsthand. He heard the high-pitch cries of children and helpless mothers and silent trembling of the earth. Blood, a