Chapter 30

The following evening, sitting by the kitchen window, he awaited Elizabeth, who was due to return from the café. "Her suffering brings me more pain than my own," he thought. A premonition of something very bad was killing whatever remained of his good spirits. He heard Elizabeth enter the hallway. She carelessly removed her outer garments and walked into the kitchen, where Konstantin was waiting for her.

"Oh..." Liza was surprised to see Kostya by the window. "What are you doing, why aren't you asleep yet?" Elizabeth drawled in a voice somewhat unlike her own.

"I cannot sleep," Kostya answered gravely. "Have you been drinking?"

"A little," Liza lied, "and what of it? You're allowed to, but I'm not?"

"Yesterday I had two glasses with a friend whom you know. And besides, you could have come with us yesterday," Kostya said, raising his voice in an uncharacteristic manner.

"Don't you tell me what to do!" Elizabeth was approaching a shout. "What do you want, for me to sit at home all the time like a prisoner?"

"You're not a prisoner," Kostya began speaking more quietly, "I simply want a little respect and warmth."

"Pfft... is that what you want. What respect? Look at yourself," Elizabeth began speaking in a mocking tone.

"Do you not love me at all?" Kostya attempted to awaken some pity for himself.

"You're a nobody!" Liza insulted Konstantin. "And besides, I'm bored with you."

"Why then have you been with me all this time?" Konstantin asked, feeling rage beginning to take hold of him.

"I pitied you. And there wasn't much choice anyway!" Liza raised her voice ever higher. "Don't make such a sad face! You won't surprise me with it, you're always like this, nothing brings you joy, you're a doormat! I can no longer stand being near you. Why didn't you leave me in peace many years ago?!" Elizabeth continued to wound him painfully with her words.

Kostya could bear it no longer. He approached Liza and seized her hands abruptly. The next instant he regained control of himself and tried to embrace her, but she pushed him away.

"Don't touch me. I'm leaving!" Liza headed for the door. Kostya stood before the door, blocking Elizabeth's way.

"I will not let you go anywhere at night," Kostya said, now completely calm, holding Liza back.

"Let me go, leave me alone!" Liza's shouting was turning to hysteria. She ceased resisting and began to weep. "You have ruined my whole life!" Elizabeth hurled through her tears.

Konstantin himself was on the verge. He approached Liza. "No... don't touch... don't touch me," Elizabeth stopped him. Turning around, she went into the room and latched the door behind her.

***

"Why has everything turned out this way?" Kostya asked himself this senseless question. He sat on the windowsill with his legs dangling down, holding a bottle of wine in his hands. Konstantin could no longer torment himself, and still less her. "She doesn't merely not love me, she hates me," Kostya tortured himself. "Is it that I shall never live happily? How foolish all this is—a man creates for himself a picture called 'happy future,' and when his hopes turn to dust, he begins to suffer. And he suffers, in essence, only because of his own foolish fantasy." Kostya took out the notebook in which he recorded his thoughts. "Truly laughable—someday you and I will laugh about this together," Kostya addressed someone mentally and threw the notebook down from the fifth floor.

Before the notebook in its free fall could reach the ground, a familiar voice was heard from behind: "So, are we going to jump or not?"

Kostya was not frightened; there was not a hint of fear in him. For two years now, Kostya had sensed the presence of someone third. "Ah, it's you. Pleased, are you, rejoicing, is that not so?" Konstantin sighed.

"I simply cannot fathom what displeases you now?" the demon spoke in a mocking tone. "I gave you what you craved more than anything, what you rightfully considered yours. So go, Sir! Enjoy yourself—she is in the room."

"That's not it," Konstantin said wearily.

"You humans never know what you want. I want this. No wait, that. No... this after all," the fallen spirit clowned. "What do you mean that's not it? There can be no mistake—go to her. Well, she got a little heated—it happens to everyone."

"She doesn't love me," Kostya sadly informed his interlocutor and took a sip of wine.

"Well, forgive me. That is not within my competence. I merely removed your possible rival. Although, I must confess, in those days you had no rivals—not like now, when every mongrel from under the fence could give you a head start," Astaroth continued in his manner.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that!" Kostya leapt to his feet, turning toward the demon.

"My, my... how he barks," Astaroth laughed. "Quiet, mongrel! You'll wake your betrothed!"

"Enough! Return everything... return everything as it was!" Kostya disobeyed the counsel.

"One hand washes the other. Or how does it go with you?" the interlocutor spoke calmly.

"What do you want?" asked Konstantin, ready for anything.

"Now then, that's more like it," Astaroth began cheerfully. "Before I do you another favor, you must swear an oath. Are you ready?" After Konstantin's affirmative nod, the demon commanded him to repeat words in Latin. Konstantin fulfilled his bidding.

"Long live the triumph of reason!" Kostya heard the demon's exclamation, and reality plunged into darkness.