8 April, Greenland.

Matua-Lue opened his eyes and sat as Turkish on the bear's skin which

served to him as a bed. In spacious dwelling, it was dark. It was some

light only fallen through the vent for smoke and red reflection of the

coals in hearth lighted up the walls of dwelling covered the skins of

Arctic wolves and blankets of polar foxes which lay by pile on the

skins.

In the centre, the hearth covered with the stones was located. On the

tripod, the silver tea-pot of skill work hung.

On a background of the ancient, turned black of time, trunks which stood

by the wall, agnekok sat and, knitted his brow, thought.

Being of not tall, the shaman, because of the crooked legs, wide shoul-

ders and heavy build, seemed almost square. The wide flat face with the

high cheek-bones and fleshy, lightly bent down nose, had the large but

deeply set eyes, the hypnotic look of which felt on themselves all his

sacrifices.

At the lines of the face, the wild and greedy essence of this man was

read clearly, and the sawn and sharpened teeth, not in the least, did

not improve the image.

The long blue and black hair were woven in braid and put around the

head. On the back of the head, the braid was fastened with golden hair-

pin like a spider and divided in two tails, plentifully greased with

inside fat, it fell down the chest by both sides of the neck.

The ends of the ears were pulled by the massive golden ear-rings of

skill but barbarous work.

On the chest, the necklace of human teeth, intermitted with the bear's

and wolf's fangs, lay down.

Matua-Lue got up, took from the biggest trunk the nephrite box, almost

deprived for the decorations, and took out the five inch stamp of red

stone with black layers, plentifully covered with the hieroglyphes and

wrapped up in silky shawl.

- It is Mara's stamp - the shaman whispered with worship.

Here, the noise outside distracted his attention.

- Father of tribe, do you hear me? - this voice belonged to one of the

junior shamans assisted to Matua-Lue during the ceremonies and sacrifi-

cings.

- I hear you, Longa. Come in - agnekok said by low inside bass, and at

the same moment, the fur blind was thrown back, and to dwelling the

young Eskimo in priest dressing came in. Stooped respectfully to the

agnekok, Longa informed:

- Father of tribe, everything is ready for the thanks ceremony. When

do you order to begin?

Matua-Lue hid the Mara's stamp to the box and, putting it to the trunk,

asked:

- Are the sacrifices prepared?

- They are prepared already for a long time. All collected in temple and

waited.

- It does not matter, they will wait - Matua-Lue dressed himself, not

hurrying, the ritual head-dress, snake cloak, hung on his waist the

Mara's rattles made of the enemies' skulls and filled by the teeth of

their children.

Taken the tambourine of death and a rod of power, Matua-Lue went out

the dwelling after Longa.

The icy wind threw into face of the shaman the cloud of prickly snow-

flakes, but he, did not notice that, went over crackled snow crust bet-

ween the hundreds of Eskimo houses composed the village Utpu.

The deafening barking of the driving dogs accompanied him meanwhile he

went to unremarkable stony rock of 20 feet high.

Closely to the rock, the Eskimo house stood. It was lightly inside: on

a support, four lamps, filled by seal's fat, stood. They lighted up the grey stony wall of the rock, on which the big bear's skin hung.

Matua-Lue threw back the skin and, not waiting for Longa, came into nar-

row stony corridor.

By roughly cut steps, he began to come carefully down: in spite of the

lighted lamps and torches, it was rather dark.

Passed three hundreds of the steps and come down for significant depth,

Matua-Lue came in the cave which had more than 50 yards (1 yard - 91 cm)

in diameter, and of 20 yards high.

Lighted up by the half of a hundred of the lamps and torches, the cave

was filled by the people of Utpu.

All the men of the tribe: about five hundred people, excitedly crowded

near altar represented itself the granite pillar of human height, on

which the little statue of Tornasuku of 2 feet high stood.

In front of it, the black basalt sacrificer stood, and three tied naked people: a girl and two men. By their glazed eyes and indifferent faces,

it could be seen that they are under the influence of the drugs.

The junior shamans, with imperturbable appearance, held the captives and

looked arrogantly at the excited crowd.

Here, Matua-Lue appeared: the wild roar, exhausted from the hundreds of

the throats, greeted him while he went to altar.

The crowd broke to him, and closed after him like ocean.

Meanwhile, the roar increased, it seemed that the ancient arches of the

cave would fall and bury the crowd of idol worshippers.

Matua-Lue, for a pair of minutes more, enjoyed by these original applau-

se, and then, took up his hands suddenly.

For a few seconds, the roar calmed down, the stillness began, only in-

terrupted by the crackled torches.

- Brothers! The sure sons of one of the greatest Gods! - the hollow in-

side bass of agnekok spreaded along the cave.

- The children of Great Tornasuku, listen, because I saw a vision, -

Matua-Lue did a pause, the people stared surprisingly and tensely at him

but he waited while the strain increased and cried:

- Soon the Time will come - the crowd breathed out surprisingly, and

stood at first row might man of unusually high for Eskimo height pursed

his thick lips cynically. A half-grimace of the leader did not overed as

not recognized for the shaman, and he smiled condescendingly.

- Might Tornasuku occurred me and said that soon the stars will take the

right position and the release will come - by low ominous and triumphant

voice, agnekok continued, - But the release of glorious and wise Torna-

suku is also the release of his old enemies, - the crowd made a noise

threateningly and moved, as if the united organism. Matua-Lue took up

his hands again. The tambourine tinkled quietly and the stillness came

up again.

- But the charms of Great Elders do not allow them to do the first step.

A man-key who would open R'llieh and sarcophagus of our master is needed

- Matua-Lue did a pause, collecting the close air of the cave to the

chest and watching for a leader askance.

He stood being puzzled what for the shaman was needed to talk the things

which all the people knew well.

- There is such man, - agnekok cried out at full might to the crowd

which dashed aside surprisingly, not believing to own ears.

By the stared eyes, the leader did not believe to his ears too.

Matua-Lue smirked self-satisfiedly:

- You will ask me, who is that man?

The crowd cried uncertainly "Yes": many of the people did not come to

themselves yet.

- This man is not from our volk, he lives on Big Land!

The crowd kept silent confusedly, for the majority, the Big Land is as-

sociated almost to the Moon.

- But I did not tell who is he yet. You know him under a name of Cruel

Gortkhaur, Priest-Founder.

The crowd kept silent tensely, thinking this information. The leader

looked perplexedly at shaman, trying to undersatnd how the legendary

governor contrived to live for 50 centuries.

- Cruel Gortkhaur will set free our God, - Matua-Lue increased his voice

- But he won't open the gates of R'llieh and hateful Tstulhu will stay

to sleep by the dead dream.

The crowd buzzed in delight. The leader, knitted his brows, looked sus-

piciously at shaman. By beast flair, he felt a trick.

- Great Tornasuku, in his enormous wisdom, selected the warrior to whom

it is to deliver the long-awaited liberator.

Matua-Lue was silent, looking around the crowd by heavy hypnotic look,

all held their breath and caught each word carefully.

Predatoriely licked the lips, agnekok roared:

- This warrior is our leader Morat-Amine.

At these words, the crowd breathed out surprisingly and stared at the

leader.

Morat-Amine became purple of anger and nearly opened his mouth to ob-

ject, but understood the impossibility of appeal, at impotent fury,

gritted his teeth.

Matua-Lue, with triumphant smile, took up the tambourine of death and

hit in it by rod. The chattering ringing was heard.

- And now, benedict our governor, mightest Tornasuku!

The crowd howled up with joy. Matua-Lue hit in tambourine again, and

the tamtams stood in the niches and grottoes came to life.

Nine junior shamans began to hit in the drums covered with the human

skin.

The crowd roared up, but under heavy rhythm of the tamtams soon began

to exclaim a phrase in a language of Great Elders: Tornasuku bgl'phtarh

uh'hvnerps.

The rhythmic drawing of the drums was in progress: the intervals redu-

ced, the intensity of the strikes increased.

Matua-Lue did a sign for the junior shamans, and two of them, taken the

first captive for the hands tied behind his back, brought him to a sac-rificer.

The action of the drugs almost disappeared. The young Eskimo, with hor-

ror, looked at the black parallelepiped of a sacrificer with the built-

in copper rings at the corners and the hollow for flowing of blood.

The captive cried furiously, but his cry sank in cacophony of the fran-

tic wails issued by the wild crowd. Understood what he will have to, he

began to tear himself away tenacious hands of the devil's serving-men

who brought him to inevitable death. But the hands of the tormentors

were hard, and the captive was weakened by the drugs. His hands and legs

are tied to the copper rings by the ropes twisted of the hair of the

previous sacrifices.

Of the horror and hopelessness, the captive cried piercingly, twisted

by all the body and tried to bite his executioners.

But they have not been touched by his cries. They were preoccupied by

the firmness of the ropes. By own experience, they knew that during the

mortal agony, the forces become at ten times more, and once the sacrifi-

ce has breaken the ropes and nearly spoiled all the ceremony.

Only run up junior shamans saved the situation holding the sacrifice by

the hands and legs while the agnekok made the sacrificing.

Matua-Lue took up the tambourine again and hit in it by the rod. The

rhythmics of the drums changed again: almost constant rumble of the

tamtams began to calm down, the intervals between the strikes began to

increase. Also, the crowd began to roar and vibrate not so wildly. For

a moment, the tamtams were silent, and with them, the crowd too.

Matua-Lue turned to the granite column, on which the statue of Tornasu-

ku stood and fell down the knees.

- Great Tornasuku, - he addressed to idol of black and green stone, -

there is not, in the World, anybody who would be so strong, - the crowd,

as one man, repeated by echo - "so strong" - so wise, so great, so cruel

to enemies, - the crowd, swinging from side to side, repeated - "so wi-

se, so great" - And so magnanimous to your sure children!

Matua-Lue did a pause and, hitting in a tambourine, continued:

- O Might Tornasuku, your children serve to you surely and execute all

that you, in your great wisdom, order to them.

Do not leave, you, o the most glorious, by your benefactor. Do not lea-

ve, you, us, worthless ones in our force. Do not deprive us, mortal

ones, your immortal wisdom.

The crowd, swinging, repeated: "do not leave us..., do not deprive

us..."

- Let the fiery stones fall down your enemies. Let they die by agoni-

zing death, - developping more and more, Matua-Lue, with fury, cried out

the phrases - Let them gobbled by the underground caves.

- Great Tornasuku, take a present of your sure sons and gobble the souls

of these worthless ones who dared not to submit to your will.

- Agrh'phragl ubrokk'lgiyphr ngh'diyh - agnekok cried out furiously.

The crowd stopped to swing and repeated the monstrous phrase which meant

that "living God sleeps by dead dream at time sarcofagus".

The phrase said in the language of the Great Elders by the hundreds of

throats began to pulse widely, reflecting from the dark arches of the

cave and giving the pristine horror of its strange, supernatural origin.

While the crowd, in fury, cried out the phrase, Matua-Lue took up him-

self, left the tambourine and a rod near the idol, and turned round to

a sacrificer.

The eyes of the captive, with horror, watched for the shaman, the face

became white of the fear was covered with sweat; from the lips, not fas-

tidious exclamations escaped.

Matua-Lue took the sacrificing dagger brought by the junior shamans and

feeling how his body fills, by hot dark wave, the excitation.

Taken up the sacrificing dagger, he almost voluptuously moved by his

tongue along the dull dark-purple edge of alloy unknown to him.

His face became red of blood congestion and he, breathing heaviely, came

up to naked man.

The captive, constantly looked at approached dagger. His eyes came out

the orbits, and dried up throat could wheeze only.

Each next second, replied at the shaman's head by the pulsing strikes of

blood, Matua-Lue felt how the excitation occupies him more and more. The

chattering strikes of his heart united in constant rumbling noise, thun-

dering in ears louder than the tamtams. The face with the inflated veins

covered with the film of sweat. The stomach has got a cramp of the loo-

king forward of that that gave the most enjoyment in his life.

Stretched out his hand suddenly, the shaman almost caressingly moved

along the naked chest of young Eskimo.

Of this touching, the captive trembled like of electric current dis-

charge, his body bent by arc and from gone mad eyes the tears spatte-

red.

Matua-Lue uttered inhuman roar jammed by its power the rumble of the

tamtams, and with a face turned in terrible beast mask of furious thirst

of blood and enjoyment pierced the chest of the captive by a dagger.

The man began to knocked ragely, uttering the bubbled sounds, while the

shaman, continuing to press a dagger immersed up to grip into the chest

of sacrifice and, gone off the eyes, with whistle, drew in air through

the closely pressed teeth. The shaman, feeling the necroenergetical or-

gasm, bent out and twitched with convulsions, as if the knife was stuck

in his chest.

Meanwhile, the convulsions of the captive began to weaken, from his

mouth covered with bloody spume, the blood came out and he calmed down

weakened.

Trembling in a paraxism of orgasm, the shaman opened his eyes and by

not seing, grown dim look, he looked at the corpse, as if not believing

that he was already dead.

Matua-Lue pulled out the dagger and looked at blood gushed out into the

special hollow. The large tension weakened, along the body, the status

of bliss and rest poured out.

Agnekok put a dagger and by usual, experienced movements, cut the chest

and cut out the heart.

The crowd seen the bloody heart howled up furiously. The wild uproar

reigning in a cave already not one iota resembled to organized ceremony.

The wild crowd of the people lost a right to call so, with the beast

howling and cries, howled and roared simultaneously doing the most mon-

strous dance which whenever the human eye saw.

Matua-Lue brought up still living, convulsively pressed heart to his

mouth and digged by the sharpened teeth into the muscular sack filled

by blood.

Meanwhile, the junior shamans removed the corpse and tied to a sacrifi-

cer the girl not controlled herself, lost, of the fear and horror, her

sense.

In spite of the young age, the girl had the heavy bust and wide thighs.

The clumsy, short leg, she, however, did not produce an impression of

ugly person. Rather tender, pretty face; light skin and curling, black

like pitch, hair did the girl some beautiful.

It was hard to determine the colour of her eyes because of under the

eyelids only the whites of the eyes were white.

Matua-Lue, calming down gradually, stood by a sacrificer and waited

when the girl will be tied firmly: the inspection of the previous ropes

showed that the young Eskimoalmost broke the ropes tied up his hands.

The crowd, meanwhile, did not pay any attention to a sacrificer, they

were occupied by the terrible eating of killed Eskimo, they were pre-

occupied by that each got by one piece.

The tamtams were almost silent: the interruption in the sinister orgy

was needed, the nervous system would become the normal in order to rush

into unruly horrible action again.

Meanwhile, the girl was prepared; the drums began to increase their rate

again, and Matua-Lue, filled by close air of the cave by all the chest,

cried up:

- Agph'phtagl ubrokh'lgiyphr ngh'diyh.

The crowd, immediately become as the united organism again, repeated

with enthusiasm:

- Agrh'phtagl ubrokh'lgiyphr ngh'diyh.

Taken up his hand with the dagger, Matua-Lue caused the roar of looking

forward.

He looked at the girl, but to his deep grief, did not feel the reply of

organism: "Becoming an old" the shaman thought with hatred and with rage

stuck the dagger into the girl's stomach, did not come to herself yet.

The girl moaned up, opened her eyes, muttered up some words indistinctly

and died quietly. Her body has relaxed, the eyes went out, and from the

mouth, the thin jet of saliva poured out.

Matua-Lue became purple of anger. He felt as personal offense that the

girl has died so quickly. Irritatively cutting the breast, occupied by

the thoughts about the approached old age, he opened up not left but

right side of the chest, and near cut the liver.

Muttered through the teeth the damnations of own absent-mindedness, he

took up his head suddenly and met by the eyes with the leader who nearly

suppressed his laugh watching how the shaman does a trepanation of the

chest cavity.

The agnekok's eyes filled by blood, he pulled out the dagger and prepa-

red to throw it into the leader but came to himself in time and did his

appearance as if he wipes it by the cloak. When he looked at the leader

once more, he did not already smile. With threat looked at once more,

the shaman began to take out the ill-starred organ. At last, he took up

the smoking heart, and the cries of the crowd poured away some balsam

onto the wounds of his self-respect. Looked at the leader, he noticed

that Morat-Amine cries diligently not leaving the collective.

"It serves him right"- smirked self-satisfactory, agnekok thought.

Meanwhile, they prepared the last captive. It was a man of athletic

build of 35 old.

Looked at his indifferent face, Matua-Lue thought: "And this man grew

stupid of fear too, soon it will be dully".

However, the shaman was mistaken very much: when the captive was half-

brought and half-pulled to a sacrificer poured by blood and began to

tie off the hands, the captive was alived suddenly, released his right

hand, he pushed one of the junior shamans onto a sacrificer, he slipped

and hit by head by a stone, lost his sense. The captive hit other shaman

by his fist into face and taken out his sheath the dagger, the junior shamans had the daggers for any case, stuck it into the neck of the

enemy who was struck dumb of unexpectedness. But on a square near the

altar, there were seven more priests, they fell on the captive and clo-

sed him by the mass of their bodies.

Matua-Lue watched with interest for happening one; although some varie-

ty. Unfortunately for him, the entertainment was overed soon: the tall

Eskimo was tied by the tightest way to a sacrificer, and the flushed

priests, like a flock of kites, stood in rank near.

- Really, you, little friend, will compensate me that pale girl that

died without any sound - with the cruel ironical smile, the agnekok mut-

tered up.

But he was mistaken again.

The grown pale face of the man became light-blue, he began to breathe

heaviely, to suffocate and suddenly, with noise breathed out the air,

he died.

The raged crowd was silent confusively. Matua-Lue turned into stone of

fury stood on a place like a statue.

The junior shamans exchanged by the offensive looks.

At last, Matua-Lue was breaken:

- Then, he died! - rushed to the corpse, he hit it by a dagger furiously

- He died himself! - with rage, he cut the stomach of lieing man and

pulled out the intestines and threw them on a floor.

- Himself!!! - in terrible fury, he continued to do the hits ragely un-

til the trunk of the corpse turned into bloody mass.

CHAPTER IV - TOUCHING TO SECRET