LITMIR.BIZ

      ISBN 978-5-4496-2985-2

      Created with Ridero smart publishing system

      Prologue

      Kuret was standing on the prow of the ship, and the vessel’s thorn cut the waves that hit the side of the ship, and the pitching is not so strong here. The Cretan looked at the high banks that followed his gaze, looked at the sky, it was more transparent, and now with almost no clouds, although there were a storm here, though not dangerous. Again he was in the north, Nearh sailed on a thirty-ship boat along the great river Ra, to the temple of Latona and her children, Apollo-Ulla and Elisia. Health began to fail, he felt that something was wrong with him, his heart ached. Kuret walked by ship from the harbor on the Hyrcan Sea, repeating the path of Darius and Cyrus, but hoped that he would end more and more happily. His wife recently died, his sons grew up and returned to Crete, to his grandfather, and he was no longer holding anything at home. On the river, warriors and ambassadors’ servants often fished, and the accompanying, from local tribes, first Scythians, and then Sarmatians, showed them the way, and pointed out where they could safely stick. At night, when the sky was free of clouds, he measured the height above the horizon of the Polar Star with an astrolabe, recognizing the breadth of the terrain. Kormschik watched the actions of an elderly Cretan man with increasing attention, and once approached him.

      – Do not show what you measure and what device? – asked his Scythian.

      Cretan showed how to install the device to the horizon line, how to calculate the angle to which the Polar Star or Uterus rises, as it is here are called So the road turned out to be filled with training for the local feeder, and less attention was spent on mosquitoes. The river was simply endless, it was here for the second time, but it was still surprised, the delta, where they sailed from the sea, much more than the Nile delta, and there were many islands, and whole forests of reeds. Climbed up the river, and its width was almost ten stages. Local tribal leaders, fulfilling the will of the Great White Tsar, assisted the ambassadors, one of whom was Nearh. They hunted and fished together, especially he liked sturgeon, which he could not find in his native Crete, and then a second time he saw a bear, it would seem an enormous beast, and has no tail, which was unusual for the Greeks who were here with him. The forests here were huge, and the mosquitoes were even bigger, and for the first time when he was here, the nasal bore him a great deal. Soon, in a month, they sailed to the capital of the White Tsar, which was called differently – Belgrade and Tsargrad. The city stood on the tributary of the White Great River, and although the city was full of wood, it was vast and beautiful. As soon as they landed at the pier, the guards came to them, and after finding out who had arrived, the envoys were taken to the Upper City. It was here for the first time, everything was fascinating, the pavements were also covered with wood, but it was beautiful and clean, even the fences of the houses were painted in different colors and covered with carvings. People are dressed in linen, embroidered at the throat and on the sleeves, pants and soft boots. in men, and dresses in women. Nearh with interest examined patterns of clothing residents.

      “Listen, respectable, but I can’t buy myself such a tunic,” he addressed the conductor.

      – Can you find now, answered the conductor.

      And they went to the bargaining, where for some time the Sarmatian retired, and returned with a gray shirt with rich embroidery, and gave it to a Cretan, and soon came to the Kremlin, a wooden Fortress, most of whose walls were covered with earth, so that under a huge shaft, in front of which was a huge ditch. When they approached the gate, the king’s envoy rode up to them, and said, they were waiting for them. for the Stone, down to the Studied Sea. Terem was assembled from huge logs, with a beautiful porch and renmi stairs, beautiful carvings adorned the platbands of the wooden palace. They were led further to the hall, where the White King sat on the throne, a man in a golden root of eight petals. gold growing from the rim covering the head of the lord, also adorned with a fur coat of luxurious furs, fine work of boots, in his hand was a staff. He was guarded by young men in white robes, armed with small hatchets. Ambassadors approached the throne, Nearh politely introduced himself,

      “Greetings, Great White King, we came in respect from the Lato temple, from Crete, and these are our gifts, and the servants offered a casket with offerings, and let us visit the temple of the Golden Goddess.”

      – We are glad to see you, Nearh and your companions too, We will miss you, and there you will be welcome too. – and the king allowed the newcomers to sit down – and you, the messenger, he nodded to Nearh, I will be glad to invite you for a conversation, we need to talk alone on one.

      The companions rose, leaving Nearch with the king, and the petards left through another door, and when everyone left, the Lord of the North descended from the throne, and sat down with Nearh on a carved bench.

      – I am glad that you came back to us, with the guests whom you left with Arifarn all right, the children were born and have already grown, two sons, they ride horses very well, manage with a bow and a spear, mothers do not care about their souls. And magicians-yars love them, and guns, and Sarmatians. They don’t know anything about their father, then at the dedication I’ll tell them everything. The king said this to a Cretan, with a smile on his face, but there was a note of fear in his eyes.

      – Magi? The very ones that defeated Cyrus, and Darius killed them with their deception, and about which they make terrible legends in Judea?

      – Here is their home, they have taken the oaths of Ellisia and Ullus, and since then they have been faithful to them. They go hiking not for fame or fortune, but only in the name of justice. Do not be afraid of them. There is also moksha, and Ars, all of these are warriors of gods. The very first time you and Arifarns went all the way to the very yazhes whom you call Issedons. – He said, grinning, holding one hand on the armrest, and the other resting on his chin.

      – You are the chosen one, they indicated you in a dream. Live as much as you want, “said the great king, and with visible difficulty, he slightly bowed to Nearh.

      – We spend the night and go on the river further. Will Magyars and Guna recognize us and let us through to the Issedons? “The messenger asked.

      “You have a bracelet on your right hand, you are a welcome guest,” the king answered. “It was you who was sent to Ulls, and not to us,” said the sovereign, “we didn’t deserve it.”

      “Probably, there was simply a flaw in us, the people of the South, and He came to make us better, and you are so close to him,” Nearh replied.

      “You can console,” the king sighed sorrowfully, “and this feeling is akin to thirst, and bitterness is still in the heart.” I hope, then tell me about it.

      “Stay, spend the night in the palace,” said the northerner to Nearh. “The quarters are ready. Take a bath, it is hotly heated, and honey and kvass are waiting for guests.

      Travelers washed in a wooden bathhouse of huge logs, it was hot, there was hot water, and the pilgrims washed away the tiredness of the road, and fed them with dinner, local food, which was not fried at all, just stewed in the oven, boiled meat, elk, fish in pots, cabbage chowder, and served bread, round and lush, made from rye flour, sour dough, which was not in Hellas and Asia, and all this was washed down with honey and kvass. They drank from the vessels, which Nearh had seen in Crete, dippers, only here they were wooden and silver. I wanted to try everything, so the guests hardly returned to the room.

      “Thank you, king,” the Cretan man replied, “order me to boil some water for me.”

      – Well, you will bring a vessel with boiling water.

      Soon the servant brought a pot-bellied rounded vessel of bronze on the legs with a tap on one side, and on top of a small pipe steam was flowing. With curiosity, to say the least, a Cretan citizen began to inspect the device, put up a cup, and hot water poured down,

      “How does the curiosity heat up?” -I want to know it, -fire a fire at the bottom? -to show the curiosity in Alexandria, the mechanics of Ptolemy would be delighted, he thought.

      “No,

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