1
“Shining bracelets! Do you want a cotton candy? Flirts of different forms! Buy a blaster for your boy!” retail dealers, going along the spectators’ rows, advertised their goods actively.On that Saturday a big hall of Almaty circus was full of parents with their children, grandmothers and grandfathers with their grandchildren, young pairs in love and admirers of this spectacular kind of art. It was only a few minutes till the beginning of the first show of a Moscow circus. It was evident of impatience at the hall, a great wish of the spectators to be carried away from their ordinary life to a magic, fairy world, created by circus showmen. The circus arena, decorated with a colourful patterned carpet, was still lonely and therefore it attracted the spectators’ attention more intense. But the first ring was heard at last. Dealers began to go hurriedly to a foyer, and a pleasant woman voice resounded from amplifiers:
“Dear spectators! Several minutes later we’ll begin our new circus show. Turn off your mobile phones, please. Video recording and photography are forbidden during the show. Thank you for your understanding!”
After a short time, it was rung again, and soon the spectators heard the third ring, becoming a signal for the beginning of the show. The projectors’ rays illuminated the arena, velvet curtains fly opened and to the sound of passionate South American rhythms, eighteen dancing girls went to the both sides of the arena’s middle. The flexible beauties, having bright plumes, colouful bikini and glittering mini-skirts on, repeated synchronously their temperamental rhythmical motions and rocked springily by their thighs as in Brazilian samba. Their merry and impulsive dance, which lasted for only a few minutes, created the atmosphere of a festive carnival at once, having given nobody a chance to be indifferent. The music calmed down gradually and the dancers stopped in spectacular poses near the barrier, not far from the first rows of the spectators. A young-looking man, putting a crimson tail-coat, a blue top hat and a necktie on, went past circus hands and stepped lightly and energetically to the arena.
“Dear friends!” Stanislav Artemiev, the troupe’s manager, said solemnly. “Moscow circus is glad to present its new show “Beasts of prey and their lord”. A magnificent, unforgettable sight is waiting for you. You’ll see breathtaking tricks of air gymnasts, masterly jugglers and equilibrists, very funny clowns and the audience’s pets: sea bears, parrots, dogs and monkeys. Moreover, in our show Mansur Ahmed, a world known trainer from Syria, will demonstrate his risky work with tigers, panthers and jaguars. We wish you a pleasant evening!” finished the showman, having bowed to his interested spectators.
After these words Artemiev, who had his own item at the first part of the show, was not going to introduce his circus partners personally and then only a record with his voice was heard at the hall.
As soon as the troupe’s manager, surrounded with the dancers, disappeared behind the scenes, the young jugglers Gennady Malyshev and Sergey Kotovich, graduating from a circus college recently, ran to the arena. The jugglers, wearing well-dressed silk suits, threw ringing small bells and shinning balls of different dimensions to each other with incredible adroitness and quickness. Each of these objects, playing by different colours in darkness, as if they were enchanted, flew over the jugglers’ heads momentarily, and then found themselves in their hands again. It seemed that it was impossible to count the balls and small bells, which moved in the air at such great speed, that the objects were connected indissolubly with the jugglers.
After the young talents, who got their deserved ovation, the well-known illusionist Igor Danilevsky, putting an oriental suit and a turban on, went quickly to spectators. The illusionist, disliking to waste time, began to show at once his classical tricks, having invariable success. To the sound of alarming music, he closed his assistant, a girl, in a sarcophagus, decorated in the ancient Egyptian style. Having said as if magic words, Danilevsky pierced the unfortunate girl with five daggers and three sabres. But, in spite of this, she survived and it made all the children very glad at the hall.
Time passed rapidly at the circus. A circus performance was replaced momentarily by another one, thus the spectators had no a chance to be bored, quite the reverse they were absorbed absolutely in the show. The clowns Yurik and Borik, whose real names were Yuri Kisliakov and Boris Petrov, as always, entertained the audience between another item. Children especially liked, when Yurik played an importunate beer, which Borik could not drive away even with the help of his huge racket. Except the Moscow troupe, Borbiev brothers, the famous Kyrgyz circus riders, who worked at the Almaty circus by contract, took part successfully at the first part of the show. To merry people’s music the brothers, having national suits on, jumped on galloping horses easily, stood on their saddles, dangled down to pick up a whip from the arena. However not all was well in that time: one of three brothers, who galloped on two horses, lost his balance and fell down suddenly. The rider had a lucky escape, he came to himself fast and jumped on a horse from behind, having caught its tail.
Soon after Stanislav Artemiev and his assistant, niece Nastia, as trainers appeared before their audience. According to Artemiev’s will a cockatoo and lovebirds walked care-freely along a thing pole, swung into miniature cabins, while Nastia played a ball with a sea bear. Towards the end a marmoset on a poodle came to the arena, and then, after the first unsuccessful attempt, they together went upstairs without a problem.
The air gymnasts’ performance was last at the first part of the circus show.
“Diana Artemieva, a laureate of the International festival in Monte Carlo, and Sagit Kubanov, a rising circus star!” the manager’s voice was heard.
The slim, well-built air gymnasts, wearing red and blue clothes, had nearly the same height and looked as an excellent pair. It seemed that the young people’s performance would be splendid and would make glad the audience by its ease. At first Diana climbed under the circus dome with the help of a lowering rope. Having followed the girl, Sagit buckled punctually a thin precautionary rope on her belt. After that the gymnast, leaning on the frame’s border, dangled down. At the same time, having made a pause, with effort, Diana slid down from a horizontal bar, lifted her hands, separated with Sagit and an instant later she, uniting adroitly by hands with her partner, returned to the point departure.
The tricks, fulfilled by the air gymnasts, were not simple, included complicated jumps and somersaults. At the end of their performance Diana showed her most effective and risky trick: she threw herself down and ropes, fixed on her legs, stopped her jump only at a distance of a few metres. But, inspite of the item was full of various elements, there were no grace and ease, it was evident that every trick was made hard, with great strain. As a result, when Diana and Sagit bowed with their professional smiles, they did not hear loud applause at the hall.
“Dear inhabitants of Almaty and guests of the city!” Artemiev declared by his pleasant voice. “And now we have fifteen minutes’ interval. Those who wish can make photos with performing animals.”
2
“It was an absolute failure! It’s all your fault!” Diana attacked her partner, as soon as they found themselves behind the scenes. “I got a prize for this show in Monte Carlo, spectators were delighted with me, I…”“Beat it! Go to your Monte Carlo!” Sagit flared up with all ardour of his Caucasian temperament. “I have a lot of work without your foolish item. Don’t think too much of yourself! You’re not a world star! But for your father, I’d send you to the devil…”
“Oh, young people, come off it!” Artemiev intervened in the unpleasant talk with the purpose to reconcile the gymnasts again. “Don’t lead a cat and a dog life. The performance wasn’t bad for the first time. I can’t exclude it from the show, so you need to suffer for a month. Sagit, you have also an item after the interval, haven’t you?” the young man nodded assent. “Well, go and prepare to it. As to you, daughter, go to your room, have a rest, calm down. I’m tired of you, I’ve my work cut out for me.”
“Yes, it was a foolish idea to make a pair of them,” Artemiev thought irritably, looking as the young people with dark faces, having turned away from each other, went to different sides.
However Stanislav Olegovich had no time for long reflections. While in the foyer his niece offered to be photographed with the marmoset by nickname of Mickey and two parrots for a pay, Artemiev together with Almaty equilibrists and circus hands prepared the arena for next performance. The second part of the show included only a few items, it was pinned special hopes on extreme “wheel of courage” and Mansur Ahmed’s performing beasts of prey.
Fifty-year-old Stanislav Artemiev was a real clot of energy. His dense chestnut hair did not turn grey, dark-blue eyes were full of fire and only two noticeable wrinkles on his forehead told about the man’s age, having a rich experience of life. Artemiev, who was born in a circus family, worked as an acrobat of a Moscow circus, where he met his future wife, air gymnast Ira. Shortly after they, moving from a Soviet city to another one, began to perform together in acrobatic shows. Several years later their duet became well-known and popular in the Soviet Union. Diana, their only daughter, was born during the parents’ tour in Voronezh. Next year in Tashkent it was happened a misfortune with Stanislav: a rubber cord, holding the net, broke, while he made a somersault. Artemiev flew down from the trampoline at great speed and, having hit upon the barrier, he got the double fracture of his leg. After this incident he needed to forget about acrobatics. Having decided to keep their duet, the loving couple was occupied with the animals’ training. In spite of the Artemievs already had no a former success, they were considered good trainers and earned not bad. Irina’s health got worse with age, constant tours became difficult for her, and therefore their beloved niece Nastia took her place in the performance.
Diana, the Artemievs’ daughter, grew as a sport girl, her abilities to rhythmic gymnastics revealed themselves very early. At the age of twenty-five she was a professional air gymnast of the circus. Blue-eyed Diana with her attractive appearance and long chestnut hair had an impulsive and passionate temperament. The girl’s character could not become better, because of her personal life was unhappy. Diana’s marriage with a footballer of Zenit Club lasted for a year and leaved her only an unpleasant memory. The girl was in the beginning of her romance with her former circus partner, but the extreme biker was killed during a car catastrophe. The tragic news came upon Diana with a great shock. Moreover, the item on air gymnastics, which was assessed at its true value in Monte Carlo, hung by a thread. In a short time, thanks to Stanislav Olegovich, Sagit Kubanov appeared in the well-known item. He was a young perspective gymnast and acrobat, graduated from a circus college a few years ago.
Sagit was born in Makhachkala and, in spite of his youth, had a proud, independent character. The bright brown-haired man with burning brown eyes was younger than Diana by two years, but he never let her order about him. As to Diana, during rehearsals she behaved protectively with Sagit, the tone of her voice was fault-finding and didactic. By this reason their relations went bad at the beginning, and if it were not for Artemiev’s constant interference, the item could be excluded from the circus show.
Meanwhile after the interval the spectators, having a snack at the bar, returned to the hall. The second part of the show was begun from not difficult item of the Almaty equilibrists Nurlan and Venera Tolobaevs, then they were replaced by the clowns Yurik and Borik, already known to the audience. While the clowns with their funny jokes flung large bags of oxygen to the spectators’ rows, the circus hands together with acrobats fitted the construction for the item “wheel of courage”.
This dangerous and extreme item with Sagit Kubanov and Sergei Kostenko made a stunning impression. The acrobats without insurance balanced inside of two huge wheels, which gathered speed gradually and spun around its axis. Being at a giddy height of ten metres, Sagit jumped carefully on the surface of another wheel, and when the young man was above, he jumped through a skipping-rope. The same trick Sagit repeated a minute later, but with a bandage on his eyes. The shocked audience was in transports of joy. The dynamic, cheerful melody from the film “Rocky”, accompanying the item from the beginning, fitted to “wheel of courage” very well. The trainer Mansur Ahmed with his three young tigresses, panther and jaguar were also met with a great enthusiasm by the spectators. Soon after metallic fences were erected, adults were warned to do not let their children go to the arena during the performance.
Mansur Ahmed, who put a rose-coloured shirt with a golden embroidery, black trousers and high light-brown boots on, looked very effective among his striped, spotted and black beasts of prey. The courageous trainer had not tall height and muscular build. Mansur’s large, irregular features were emphasized by his short dark hair. The menacing beasts of prey like obedient kittens obeyed by any order of his lord. Ahmed, cracking by his whip, called names of one of the tigresses, panther or jaguar and compelled them to jump from a stand to another one, come down and run along the arena. A tigress, growling fiercely, jumped by his order through a blazing suspended hoop. After this trick the jaguar licked Mansur’s cheek friendly, and for a second he put his head as if care-freely to the another tigress’s jaws. At the end of the performance, according to the trainer’s wish, the yawning gigantic cats lay on the floor and he, as if nothing had happened, also lay between them and put his hands on the backs of panther and jaguar. A few minutes later Ahmed stood up again, struck with his whip and the beasts of prey, having run along the arena for the last time, jumped into their cages.
There was loud ovation for the trainer from two thousand people, the cheers of approval «bravo!», «well done!» were heard from different sides of the hall. Mansur Ahmed, who was glad of a great success, bowed twice to his ecstatic spectators. At the same time the well-known musical chords from the western «Magnificent seven» resounded and the participants of the show came to the arena by solemn step.
“Well, our show finished, my dear friends. But we don’t say good-bye, on the contrary, we say to you: see you soon!“ Stanislav Artemiev said with a wide smile, and waved a farewell to the sound of applause.
The spectators, full of positive impressions, went home from the Almaty circus. In the evening twilight, by many-coloured lighting the circus became still more attractive, and its unusual hyperbolic dome, playing by different colour hues, gave a special fairy view to the building.
3
It was the third week of the Moscow circus’s tour. Advertising with the circus show’s fragments broadcasted regularly on STV, KTK and Almaty TV. Moreover, Stanislav Artemiev, Mansur Ahmed, Sagit Kubanov and the others gave their interview to local journalists and took part in different television talk-shows to keep public interest to the Moscow circus. According to the plan, the tour in Almaty, which was begun on April 25th, had to finish on May 17th, 2015, and then the manager was going to continue the performances in Bishkek, Dushanbe and Tashkent. The circus show, which was on Saturdays and Sundays, had the “sold out” notice as before. Stanislav Artemiev was very content with such success, because, although his colleagues and he represented the Moscow circus in Vernadsky avenue, he was forced to take credit at Sberbank to invest these means to the show.With the exception of the only rest-day, the participants of the show, perfecting their items before new performances, spent the most part of their time at rehearsals. As Stanislav Olegovich noticed, the relations between Sagit and his daughter became better for the last two weeks. The young people related more tolerant to each other, at last it was arisen necessary trust between them, which let them perform much successful. During one of the Sunday performances the air gymnasts even declined a traditional insurance to make the item nearer to Monte Carlo’s standards.
Now Artemiev had no serious reasons for worry. The only creature, which could drive the trainer to distraction sometimes, was the disobedience marmoset Mickey. Not infrequently the monkey, which was tired of dull rehearsals, jumped over the barrier and ran to the cool foyer. It was not so easy for Artemiev and his niece to attract Mickey with a dessert, to return it to the arena and compel to work.
After tiresome rehearsals, before their return to a hotel the show’s participants liked to take a walk along green public gardens of Abai avenue, where many cultural institutions are located. They did not lose an opportunity to visit the mountain ranges and sport complex Medeu near Almaty, to climb on Kok Tobe mountain with the help of a funicular and to admire a beautiful panorama of the former Kazakhstan’s capital from there. But an effective performance at Sunkar Centre with flying falcons, hawks and eagles made the strongest impression on the Moscow guests.
As a man of uncommon courage, Sagit made close friends with the trainer Mansur Ahmed, who attracted the youth’s attention by his daring skill and undaunted conduct during his work with the beasts of prey. Unlike Kubanov, thirty-year-old Mansur was from a circus dynasty of trainers. Soon after Hafez, Mansur’s father, got a serious trauma of his leg, for the first time he was forced to use the help of his nine-year-old son during a performance. Since then Ahmed performed with his father many times for their tour in Middle Eastern countries. In Russia Ahmed arrived seven years ago, married the Russian gymnast Marina and began to work at the Moscow circus. His parents, sister and brother stayed in his native city of Homs. Mansur alarmed very much for his family’s destiny, because, after this Syrian city was taken under the control of religious extremists, he got news from his home very seldom.
Sagit was often present during his friends’ rehearsals and liked to visit a menagerie, where he had a good chance to acquaint himself with the tigresses, panther and jaguar. It was a perceptible smell of ammonia and damp meat, mixed with a fragrance of needles, near the cages with the beasts of prey, situated on the other hand from stable. Usually three young tigresses, panther and jaguar, showing their snow-white fangs, walked behind solid lattices or they, putting down their thick tails, dozed calmly on the ground, covered with the fresh sawdust.
“Yes, you’re the real lord of the beasts of prey,” Sagit said one day with admiration, looking as Mansur fed his tigresses, Jasmin, Rose and Gloria, by his hands without fear, and they ate fresh meat with greediness.
“I remember, when they were four-month-old babies,” the trainer smiled. “At first these downy little ones scared, hided in the cage’s corner, climbed on the backs of each other. And now they became beauties, and each of them, my brother, has its own character. It can be kind or wicked. My Jasmin, for example, is of an unkind disposition, it’s angry, jealous,” having heard its name, the tigress began to roar with discontent, flashed by its amber-coloured eyes and walked along the cage independently.”
“Well, it’s a copy of Diana, my partner,” Sagit burst out laughing. “She isn’t very satisfied when I associated with our girls, dancers.”
“Diana can’t like it, if she set eyes on you,” Mansur smiled again, having taped on the young man’s shoulder.
Sagit only brushed off these words, and asked about the jaguar and panther, which had a bad mood on that day: they growled constantly, grinned and beat the floor by their straight tails.
“They’re angry with me, probably, that I didn’t feed them first of all,” assumed the trainer, coming to the cages with the beasts of prey. “Well, well! Roxanne, don’t be a bad girl, wait your turn. Sultan and you will get your helping,” in answer to his words the gigantic black cat only casted an unkind glance at Mansur by its shining green eyes and put out its claws. “To tell you’re the truth, this pair has a trashy character,” he continued calmly, giving pieces of meat to the panther. “They are flexible, adroit beasts, but it needs lots of time and work to teach them even a simple trick.”
Afterwards, having got his initial fear, after rehearsals Sagit liked to feed the beasts of prey under the care of Mansur and his assistant. During a month the tigresses, panther and jaguar stopped to perceive the youth as a strange man and got accustomed to his voice. This doubtless success inspired Kubanov on his dreams of a new circus profession.
4
The third week of the tour passed in everyday work and trouble. It was Saturday, on May 16th, the last but one day of the circus show, which foretold its participants nothing unusual.The trainer of the beasts of prey came into Artemiev’s room an hour before the beginning of the show. Ahmed was not similar to himself: his assured behavior, sense of humour, proud bearing disappeared somewhere. The man, shocked with a great misfortune, as if growing old for several years, stood in front of the manager.
“We worked very well together, Stanislav Olegovich,” said Mansur, selecting his words with difficulty. “But devil always intervened in the people’s fate in this world … Now my brother at a Turkish camp for refugees. He wrote me that our parents and sister were killed by terrorists…”
“Oh, my God! What a grief, Маnsur!” exclaimed Artemiev, shocked by the tragically news. “I’m condoling with you, my dear. I’ll curse all these wars, all these bloody murderers!” Saying these words, he embraced the trainer strongly. “But what’s to be done now? Can you perform in such condition? May be, it will be better to cancel the show, until we…”
“No, I’ll be in the arena,” Mansur answered by his hoarse voice, and, having turned his back to Artemiev, he went out of the room.
The first part of the show passed without incident. Stanislav Olegovich, being near circus hands, behind the wine-red curtain, heard the audience’s laughter and applause from the hall. The well-rehearsed items changed each other, it seemed that everything was all right, but a state of anxiety did not leave Artemiev.
“Sagit, can I have a word with you?” said the manager, having beckoned Kubanov during the interval. “I worried Mansur’s performance. You’re close friends. Look after Mansur, when his item begins. Will you do it?”
“Of course, I shall,” the young man, knowing his friend’s condition, agreed at once.
The beginning of the show’s second part, the equilibrists’ item and the attraction “wheel of courage” flew past as a moment for Artemiev, all his thoughts were full of the trainer’s item. The audience already waited for the performance of Mansur Ahmed. Assistants wheeled the cages with the beasts of prey and put them in front of the doors, which were moved apart a few minutes later. When the cages were opened, the tigresses, panther and jaguar ran out rapidly. The beasts jumped on five black stands, located at a short distance of each other. To usual loud applause Ahmed, who could not control himself, came uncertainly to the beasts with a whip in his hand. The trainer’s motions were lifeless and uncoordinated, he, striking with a whip carelessly, called the beasts of prey and gave orders to them by his hoarse, inexpressive voice. The tigresses, jaguar and panther began to rush about the cage, they sometimes ran to Mansur, sometimes returned to the stands. It was the impression that the experienced trainer was substituted, he forgot his performance’s sequence and confused his own orders. The irritated beasts did not understand, why Mansur infringed the habitual order, their eyes flashed fire, hair stood on end, their fierce growl resounded.
The tigress Jasmin, driven to distraction, jumped off a stand suddenly, approached swift to the trainer with its menacing growl and struck on his leg by its paw. Staggering Mansur threatened the tigress with a whip, and it jumped aside for a short time. Shouts of horror and alarm, frightened crying of children were heard from different sides of the hall, however only the people, connected with the circus show, understood all the risk of this situation.
Stanislav Olegovich and Sagit ran to the arena. Now every minute had a great importance.
“Маnsur!” Sagit shouted. “What’s up? Маnsur!”
The trainer did not answer and, being in a prostration, he continued to strike absurdly with a whip.
“Open the doors faster,” Artemiev ordered to the trainer’s assistant and circus hands, standing not far from the arena. In a minute the men moved apart the metallic doors, opening entrance to the cages. At first the excited, disorganized beasts of prey did not notice it. But then, having seen the opened doors, the tigress Gloria ran to them and Jasmin was going to follow it. At that moment Маnsur took a step after them, all of a sudden Jasmin turned round quickly, attacked the trainer and overturned him on the arena.
While the audience was in a panic, Sagit opened wide the door and burst into the lattice frame. Having gripped the lying whip, the courageous youth struck Jasmin on the heard with it. The tigress howled and, having jumped away, it rushed to exit and then came into its cage. At the same time the trainer’s assistant and a circus hand ran into the arena, lifted Mansur, who was out of his senses, and carried him behind the scenes.
Sagit, holding the whip in his hand, looked round. One of the tigresses, the panther and jaguar, winking confusedly, sat on the stands as before. The young man could not know that three gigantic cats would obey his command or would not. Sagit was in a tremble, but he, remembering how his friend, trainer, did in that case, tried to take himself in hand. While Kubanov plucked up his courage, the cages were prepared and the doors were moved apart for the beasts of prey.
“Rosa, Roxanne, Sultan,” he ordered by his loud, sonorous voice and struck with the whip. The beasts of prey jumped off the stands and ran to their cages.
Having sighed with relief, Sagit bowed low to the audience and went behind the scenes at a shaky walk. With the purpose to distract the spectators’ attention till the end of the show, Stanislav Artemiev sent the clowns Yurik and Borik into the arena, who tried to relax the tension after the last item by their skill.
Having found himself behind the velvet curtain, Sagit, trying to do not fall down, leaned against the wall tiredly. Only now the youth felt as he deprived of strength for two hours of the show.
“Sagit, I was so nervous, I worried about you very much,” having come to his partner, Diana embraced the young man impetuously and kissed him. “Oh, you’re a real hero! Of course, I was delighted with your courage, but I didn’t wait for it… But you’re trembling! Let’s go, I’m leading you to your room. You need come to yourself, calm down,“ and the resolute girl conducted Sagit along the corridor.
***
Several days passed. The friends and colleagues visited Mansur Ahmed at a hospital twice. They were glad to know that the trainer got better. At the same evening, when the tigress attacked Mansur, a surgeon sutured on his face, right shoulder and leg. But, in the psychiatrist’s opinion, the man was far of full recovery. Most of all, Mansur worried his younger brother’s destiny, who he planned to find and take to Russia.Unfortunately, the trainer declined an offer to take part in the next performances. The item of Mansur Ahmed was the hit of their circus show and it was senseless to continue the tour without him.
Having hanged his head low, grieved Artemiev came down into the hall of the hotel “Rahat Palace”, where his colleagues and he lived during a month.
“Stanislav Оlegovich, good afternoon!” said the equilibrist Nurlan Tolobaev, rising from a comfortable arm-chair. “I need you, I have a good offer for you.”
“Really! And what are you talking about?” Artemiev was interested.
“I heard that Mansur couldn’t go with us,” the equilibrist, smoothing his dense black hair, began to explain. “Yesterday our good friend, Honoured Artist of Uzbekistan Ilias Karimov phoned me. Tonight he returned from Astana. By the way, his wife, very beautiful, enchanting woman, performs with him. If I was single and she was unmarried, goodness knows, maybe, I even …“
“Сertainly, it’s fine, Nurlan,“ having smiled involuntarily, Stanislav Olegovich interrupted him. “But let’s talk sense. What are professions of your friend and his charming Shahrazad? “
“They are great trainers, work with brown and Himalayan bears. His wife name isn’t Shahrazad, she is Yulduz. Take them in the tour and you’ll be not sorry. They are magnificent, very experienced, world stars, visiting the all Central Asian countries, “ Tolobaev advertised his friends as if a professional toast-master during a wedding.
“OK, I agree,“ Artemiev said. “Tomorrow, at two o’clock, I’ll wait for your wonderful trainers. Аll in good time.“
“It tuned out the situation isn’t so bad, as I supposed at first,“ Аrtemiev, being in the lift, thought with optimism. “But it’s necessary to rename the show. Let it be “The lord and his beasts” instead of “Beasts of prey and their lord”. To my mind, the title is good… Аs to my capricious daughter, her life as if will come right,“ at this moment a mocking smile appeared on his face. “Yesterday she returned late from Sagit, and was so satisfied. But it’s her choice, she always liked extreme guys“, the doors were opened, and Artemiev, full of energy and cheerfulness as before, went to his room on the fourth floor.