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[Alexandr Korol]

told me. That all that comes to my mind is true. And so I act on my instincts. I go to my driver, the woman, and say:

– I believe that you are “c**t,” the grail. Please come with me.
– Here are the numbers; please memorize them. Then, close your eyes and repeat them inwardly.
– Okay.

We close our eyes and begin to repeat the numbers to ourselves. Three- fourteen-fifteen-twenty-six-forty-two-five. We did this, probably for six or seven rounds, and then it happened. The sounds and sensations were abruptly lost, and reality disappeared. I feel like I’m about to lose consciousness. I feel the most intense fear pulsing through my body, and then, bang! I start. And I open my eyes. And so does my driver. She looks at me with these wild black eyes. They’re just like mine and just like Nadezhda’s. So heavily dilated you couldn’t close them if you tried.

I turn to face the Nevsky Prospekt, my senses lit up like a searchlight. I’m looking at myself from above. All at once, I understand the geography of St. Petersburg, the relevance of this church, and its connection with the multitude of other churches in the city. St.Petersburg, a big clock, a grand mechanism, and I am standing by one of its numbers. This is how it happened. And then we return to the car, and as we drive away, we are in a state of shock. A different state of mind, and we see the city in a completely different way. We see ourselves differently in the rearview mirror. I decided to check in on my parents:

– Mom.
– Hello.
– What were we talking about last time we spoke?
– This and that, – she says.
– Okay, – I said – All is good at home?
– Yes, all is well.
– I see. well, goodbye.