‘Victoria,’ Gregory broke into the office and with rapid steps came up to the girl. ‘It’s a pleasure to see you gain… I wish it had been in the formal setting again.’

Vic raised and took his extended hand. The man slightly squeezed it and started mumbling something, but Vic didn’t listen to him.

The unexpected touch provoked the storm of unconnected pictures. In the beginning Vic saw everything like by a child’s eyes. Funny, carelessly, small problems, worthless draw the childish phycology crazy. There was a phrase “I want” blinked before her eyes. Then the world changed. It grew up, lost its colours and details. But “I want” was still there. Plus “I’ll get it” was added to it. Views of the teenager were so proud, arrogant and stupid, understanding nothing or accepting everything exactly the opposite. And the last world view was filled with the statement “there’s nothing in the world that I won’t get if I want it”. Different faces changed each other in her visions like if someone created a new level one by one in Photoshop with the transparency in 30%. Smiles were broken with tears, tears went into a wrinkled joy, eyes were being emptied, other were being filled with life sense, others sorrowfully looked through the emptiness. There were voices intently whispering in strange language. They were tender, sad, dispirited and stricken. They intermitted with each other like a carefully organized DNA threads, patterned with molecules. There were hands stretching out to embrace and warm, stroke but then those hands wanted to take away, pick up and steal…

Vic opened her eyes and saw Gregory’s face before hers with a share of surprise glanced at her.

‘What’ve you been thinking of?’ he asked with smile, letting her hands. ‘I called you, but you didn’t answer. What’s it?’

‘No,’ the girl whispered, smoothed her hair, ‘no, it’s ok. Just a slight dizziness. Ugh… I’m ready to show the project.’

Gregory smiled with his hands behind his back. Victoria was standing near the table under the pressure of his piercing glance, hiding hers. She frowned, pursed her lips obviously being nervous. The man was relaxed and kept on smiling. Being unable to stand the emotional attack the girl turned her laptop to Gregory and began to jabber her project presentation.

While she was telling the country manager said nothing. He was carefully looking at the screen, diagrams, columns and pile of unbelievably prefect sketches.

‘It’s a good idea, yes, it is.’ Gregory looked away from the black screen. ‘But I think something is missing. What do you think, Vic?’

‘What exactly is missing?’

‘You’re a designer, Vic, so you tell me what is missing.’ Gregory unnoticeably moved closer to her.

‘And as a designer I told you that it’s ok. I don’t see any gaps. If you do, then tell me and I’m ready to correct it’ Victoria quickly smiled at the man.

‘The only gap is that we need to meet in informal settings,’ the man said.

His voice was serious as it had never been before. No mock nor other hints were given. He silently looked at the girl, having turned to her and thrown back on the chair. That was the most disgusting moment when the word “no” stuck in the throat and had no chance to get out of there. It wanted so much but it couldn’t. The girl was unable to say no. How actually was she supposed to say no to the country manager?

‘No problem.’ Victoria lowered her eyes.

‘Fine.’ Gregory rose up from his chair. ‘Lidia will arrange a meeting and send the details to you. I think it’ll be the next week. Is it ok with your schedule?’

‘Yes, it is. Thank you. May I go?’

‘Sure, Victoria!’ Gregory shook her hand and came up to the doors with her.

Kharon was in the centre of Moscow, with no tiredness watched people whom he had never been interested before. In fact, he had despised and mocked them. He beguiled his pride. But it changed now. Funny things were over.

‘It’s been so difficult to find you!’ a man appeared near Kharon. ‘You smell of people totally, you have no yours own. We’re gonna lose you.’

Kharon folded his hands on the chest and pretended to be mean after he had stared at the man.

‘Does Lucifer know you to be here, Akton?’

‘No. I didn’t tell him. I don’t think he notices my absence. I’m here for little, for two hours. I’m fed up with people’s ribs and waists!’

Kharon silently smiled in reply. He couldn’t be said he was too glad to see his compatriot, but he was ok with it.

‘I wonder… Is that the truth what they gossip about behind Lucifer’s castle walls?’ Akton whispered in mystical voice.

‘What do they gossip about?’ Kharon raised up the big cup of coffee demonstratively.

‘Well… about your exile to earth. What did you do to enrage Lucifer so much?’

‘It’s just gossiping.’ Kharon was confused. ‘You shouldn’t believe in what they tell you. I’m tired of so many years work with no stop… I decided to take… vacation.’

‘A vacation?’ Akton looked at the demon suspiciously.

‘A time when you can have a rest.’ Kharon explained. ‘I studied it here. By people. They are always on their vacations when they’re tired. We didn’t even know that it was possible’

‘Did Lucifer just let you go?’

‘Not just but he did.’ Kharon smiled again. ‘How do you like people outside?’

Akton looked around. What could he say about people having glanced at them? People were beautiful. They were proportionated and well-built. They talked a lot and listened less. They thought a lot of themselves in general. They didn’t smile and they weren’t friendly actually at the first sight. Women. They wanted to be more beautiful than they were. People walked quickly. They walked on roads without looking at sides. They laughed a lot and had many cries in their minds which were firmly closed from others. Their thoughts were something personal that shouldn’t be shown to society. They got angry when someone pushed them or walked slowly before them.

That was all that Akton could say about people having been with them only an hour.

‘I had the same thoughts of people… But after I lived with them, I started accepting them different. I understood them very sensitive. They can experience true emotions which we will hardly be able to get through. So, if you think to have a rest somewhere, with no thinking go to the human world. You’ll have no regret. There’s nothing in common with being in their ribs. Yes, dear!’ Kharon interrupted his story with the call. ‘Where? Just a second… In the café not far from Patriarshy Prudy. Shall I be waiting for you here? Are you sure? Ok. I got you.’

‘And… who’s it?’ Akton didn’t missed a word.

‘This one? It’s a cell.’ The demon stretched his cell out.

‘You will show me this stuff later. I want to know whom you were speaking with. That wasn’t Lucifer, was that?’

‘Why can’t he speak with me on the phone?’

Suddenly a man appeared at the table. He seemed to be airy and light but to have so deep bass voice and stony stare. Then his stare became stonier. It had burgundy tone in his pupils. You could hardly notice it, but it was charming, attractive… forbidding. The both demons stopped speaking and looked at their Lord. If Kharon was ok, then Akton was noticeably nervous.

‘Why are you here, Akton?’ Lucifer wondered looking at Akton’s troubled face.

‘I… I wanted to see Kharon.’

‘Why do I know it at the time you’re seeing him?’

‘Lucifer…’ Kharon tried to speak.

The light elegant but powerful gesture turning into an obvious “stop” forbad him to speak. Lucifer didn’t take his eyes off Akton. There was a mocking and manneredly arrogant smile frozen on the lips.

‘Akton,’ the Lord kept speaking after he had understood nobody was going to answer him. ‘Why do I have to look after this, my dear friend? You do know better than I that you’re forbidden to appear in human world. Why did you break my order?’