Aman-Jalil didn't forget about Gulshan, his shot gazelle, whose tender body he dreamed of every night. After the murder of Sardar Ali, Aman-Jalil sent his people after Gulshan, but those sent returned with nothing, the widow and daughter left somewhere unknown, sold the house, garden, land and all livestock… Aman-Jalil slapped them on the cheek.
– The fools of the heavenly king, how will you catch spies if you couldn't find the girl, they didn't fly away through the air, didn't rise into the sky. Blockheads, urgently question, if necessary, neighbors, cashiers at the station… I give you two days, if you don't find out where the widow and daughter went, blame yourselves!
What this word meant, none of the agents knew, but what followed it, they learned so well that they "dug up the earth" until they found a villager who saw the widow in the city at the bazaar, where he brought peaches and a little hashish, you have to live, for sale. The villager was very surprised to see her, they told everyone they were leaving for another vilayat to relatives, not the city. It was harder to search in the city, but Aman-Jalil had his people in every police department, he raised all his own, and a few days later Gulshan was brought to his office.
"I felt he wouldn't forget my body," said Gulshan. "He found it, even though my mother swore no one would find us in the city, not a single devil. One devil was found who found it. I wonder how he found it? Okay, I'll find out later!.. Should I tell him we'll have a baby or not? We'll see… Will her mother have a baby too? Also, a relative. Who will he be to us? My son – brother, because they have one father, at the same time he is also my brother, we have one mother, so he is my son, although I won't give birth to him. Who will he be to his father? A son is clear, a brother like my brother-in-law, and more?.. Will the mother have a son and grandson at the same time. You can get confused… Found to marry? Maybe ashamed? Afraid of the authorities? Scare him?.. No, he won't be scared, won't marry. Two to hell I'll just live with you. First get married, my dear. I'll give birth to your children, we'll live like people."
Aman-Jalil looked at Gulshan and felt his soul overflowing with tenderness and love.
– How her beauty blossomed, what pleasure it will be to dress this body, and even more to undress it. Give her gifts of pleasure, – Aman-Jalil thought, examining every detail of her body.
He drove away other, sinful thoughts: he wanted to undress her right here, in the office, on the wide leather couch he confiscated, where, he didn't remember anymore, and enjoy her instead of this exhausting work.
– Intentionally disappeared? – he asked, jealous.
– What's your business? Are you my husband? – Gulshan jumped up. – In your opinion, did we have to stay for the entertainment of the whole street, or even the city.
– That's right, you couldn't stay, the city is solid! – Aman-Jalil threw contemptuously.
– Listen, what have you attached to me? – offended for the native town Gulshan raged. – You came, trampled on all the laws of hospitality, adat and Quran in addition, did your dirty, black business and still make fun. You, villain, even dishonored my mother…
– Don't talk nonsense, woman, I needed your widow when you were nearby.
– Ara, means you mean, she went for a walk and had a baby?
– This is a driver, eh! I'll tell him, he'll marry your mother… Are you happy now?
– I will be happy if you follow his example and marry me, I'm also expecting a child…
Aman-Jalil was pleased.
– Well done, you make me a man… But I can't get married. Don't ask: why, why? I can't and that's all!..
…It's hard to explain what you don't understand yourself. Ahmed recently called him with a report on confiscation. He was pleased with his share, the amount sent to the capital, to the emir's palace, rejoiced like a child, and when Aman-Jalil was going to leave, he returned him from the door.
– Boy, why don't you get married? The bride didn't grow up?
Aman-Jalil was embarrassed.
– I'm joking, joking, – Ahmed laughed. – Not married yet. I found you a bride: beautiful, smart… True, I can't persuade her, but hope and wait. I said, I'll help!
– Thank you, teacher! – only Aman-Jalil found to say.
Perplexed, he left and couldn't work for a whole day because of excitement, – amused: he took out of a box made of rubber, where winter take, glued them in different places, walked, trained, knocked down with a rubber band, then tied several "flies" to the fan, turned it on, the flow of air spun "flies", and Aman-Jalil shot them "on the fly".
But the confiscation and ruin machine worked, once launched, already independently.
…Aman-Jalil tried to kiss Gulshan, but she sharply and dissatisfied pushed away.
– It's hard to explain to you, even I don't understand.
– What to understand? The child must have a father, and you will be his, or I will go to your boss, remember, I'm still a minor, and I'll tell him everything.
Aman-Jalil laughed, just laughed.
– You're a beauty! – he moaned between fits of laughter. – Parroting your mother's words like a parrot, while you – a gazelle, a doe, a roe deer, should be yourself: timid, graceful, tender. Look at the words you've learned, picked up from that one prisoner, passing on his knowledge to me every day, very smart, a great philosopher, a professor… And here you are talking like a market vendor from the central market. Shame on you!
– Me, ashamed? – protested Gulshan and… burst into tears, wiping them away childishly with her fist. – Who invited you, damned one, came, disgraced, doesn't want to marry and still lectures me.
Ignoring her tears, Aman-Jalil opened the safe and took out the photographs. Gulshan continued to sob.
– Stop crying, enough. Look at these pictures, they're real.
Aman-Jalil threw the photographs on the table in front of Gulshan, then moved to the window. He had admired the photographs so many times that he knew them by heart: all showed Gulshan, naked and in poses she, he was sure, had no idea about… Only one showed her naked partner – Sardar Kareem.
Outside, snow was falling, and rare passers-by hurried to leave the inhospitable, drafty street… Behind Aman-Jalil, there was the sound of a falling body. Aman-Jalil turned in fright and rushed