31. Vaya – other worlds

Nothing special happened for several days after my visiting the higher "floors", except for a very unusual and brief rise in my temperature. I felt perfectly well, but thoughts about the girl with violet eyes persistently agitated my wound-up brain which clutched at any, even the most absurd idea, as to where and how I could find her again. Scores of times I returned to the mental world of Earth trying to find Vaya’s world, but it seemed we had lost it forever. My efforts were in vain. The girl had disappeared and I had absolutely no idea where to find her...

A week passed. The first heavy frost came. I was still unaccustomed to it and the cold air took my breath away every time I went out for a walk and the bright dazzling winter sun made my eyes water. The first snow gently covered the naked branches of the trees with white fluffy flakes. Every morning Father Frost merrily painted fabulous patterns on the windows, while walking playfully on the gleaming hard blue puddles. Slowly winter took possession of the World...

I was at home leaning against the warm stove (our house was still heated by stoves then) and enjoying reading the next new book, when I suddenly felt a pricking in my chest, which had already become an habitual thing, in the place where the violet crystal was. I lifted my head. Enormous, slanting, violet eyes looked straight at me. She calmly stood in the middle of the room, the same as before, surprisingly fragile and rare, and stretched out her tiny palm in which was a wonderful red flower. In a panic my first thought was to close the door as quickly as possible so that nobody could enter!

– Don’t do that. All the same, nobody sees me but you. – The girl said gently.

Her thoughts were verbalised in my brain in a very odd way, as though someone translated a stranger’s speech quite incorrectly. Nevertheless, I understood her perfectly.

– You looked for me. Why? – Vaya looked intently into my eyes.

Her look was also very unusual, as if, simultaneously with her gaze, she passed me images which I never saw and the meaning of which I regrettably still did not understand.

– And now? – The "star" girl asked, smiling at me.

Something "flashed" in my head and I saw a strange but stunningly beautiful world, probably, the one she had once lived in. This world was a trifle like the one we had seen (which she had created for herself on that "floor") but, nevertheless, it differed in the way a picture differs from the reality depicted on it.

A beautiful, bright, violet-blue sun merrily rose over the very lush emerald-green earth illuminating everything with an unusual bluish light. It was a strange and obviously alien morning. All the greenery, which exuberantly grew there, sparkled with golden-violet diamonds of "local" morning dew and, happily washing itself in it, prepared to meet the wonderful new day. Everything glowed with incredibly rich colours, too bright for our eyes accustomed as they were to everything "earthly." Far off, gentle rose-hued, almost "dense" curly clouds which looked like beautiful pink pillows curled in the sky covered with a golden haze. Suddenly the sky flared with gold; I turned around and stiffened with astonishment – an incredibly enormous, golden-pink second sun rose in kingly fashion from the other side! It was much bigger than the first one and seemed to be even bigger than the planet itself.

But for some reason its rays, unlike those of the first one, shone more softly and tenderly resembling a warm "fluffy" embrace. It seemed that this enormous gentle luminary was tired of its everyday troubles, but as a matter of habit still gave its last drops of heat to this incredibly beautiful planet. It was already "going to rest" and readily gave way to a young, "biting" sun which had just begun its celestial journey and shone fervently and merrily without being afraid to spill its young heat, generously floodlighting all around.

Astonished, I looked around and noticed a whimsical phenomenon – the plants had a second shadow, which for some reason very sharply contrasted with the lit part, as if the chiaroscuro was painted with bright, flashy colours, vehemently opposed to each other. In the dark part the air brightly twinkled with miniature stars which flashed at the least motion. It was extraordinarily beautiful and extremely interesting. The awoken magic world sounded with thousands of unknown voices, as if informing the whole Universe about its happy awakening. I felt very distinctly, almost physically, how incredibly pure the air was there! It exhaled an exquisite fragrance filled with surprisingly pleasant, elusive, unknown scents, reminiscent of roses, as if a thousand different sorts were gathered together. The enormous bright "poppies", which I had already seen, coloured everywhere, wherever one looked, red. It was only now I realized that Vaya had brought me the same kind of flower! I stretched out my hand and the flower fluidly flowed into my palm from her fragile palm and suddenly something strongly "clicked" in my chest. Surprised I saw that millions of striking unearthly colours flashed and an amazing crystal opened up in my chest and began to sparkle. It pulsated and changed all the time, as if showing newer and newer facets of its beauty. I stood stock-still with surprise, fully hypnotized by the show, and could not take my eyes off the continuously transforming beauty.

– There. – Vaya pronounced with satisfaction in her voice. – Now you can look at it whenever you want!

– Why is the crystal in my chest, when you put it in my forehead? – At last I dared to ask the question which had tormented me for several days. The girl was very surprised and, on thinking a little, answered:

– I don’t know why you ask, you do know the answer. But if you want to hear it from me, all right: I simply gave it to you through your brain but it should be open where it belongs, in its real place.

– How do I know all that? – I was surprised.

The violet eyes studied me very attentively for a few seconds, and then an unexpected answer followed:

– I thought so, you still sleep... But I cannot awaken you; others will do it and that will not happen yet.

– When will this happen and who will these others be?

– Your friends, but you don’t know them right now.

– How will I know that they are friends and that they are exactly the right persons? – Puzzled, I asked.

– You will recall. – Vaya smiled.

– Shall I? How can I recall that which does not exist yet? – Dumbfounded, I stared at her.

– It does, only not here.

She had a very warm smile which made her very attractive. It seemed as if the May sun peeped out from behind a cloud and illuminated everything around.

– Are you completely alone here, on Earth? – I still could not believe that.

– Certainly not, there are a lot of us, only we are all different. We have lived here for a very long time, if you wanted to ask that.

– What do you do here? And why did you come? – I could not stop asking.

– We help when it is necessary. I don’t remember where we came from – I’ve never been there. I just saw, like you do now... This is my home.

Suddenly the girl became very sad. I wanted to help her somehow, but, to my huge regret, I was unable to do that then...

– You want to go home very much, don’t you? – I asked carefully.

Vaya nodded. Her fragile frame suddenly flared... and I was alone – the "star" girl had disappeared. It was very unfair! She could not simply go away!!! That should not happen! The real offence of a child, whose favourite toy was suddenly taken away, raged within me. But Vaya was not a toy and, frankly speaking, I should be grateful to her that she came to visit me at all. Well, the "emotional storm" destroyed the last grains of logic in my "suffering" heart then and total confusion reigned in my head. Therefore, there was no way to switch on my "logical thinking" and I was "broken-hearted" because of the frightful loss and "dived" deeply into an ocean of "black despair" thinking that my "star" guest would never come back to me. I wanted to ask her about so many things! But she disappeared so unexpectedly. Suddenly I felt shame. If all who felt the necessity could ask her as many questions as I wanted to, then she just would not have time to live! This idea somehow calmed me down. I should simply accept all the wonderful things she had shown me (even if I still did not understand them all) with gratitude and not moan and groan about not being provided with "everything" instead of stirring my becoming lazy brain and finding answers to the questions which had so tormented me. I remembered Stella’s grandmother and thought that she had been absolutely right speaking about the harm of receiving of something for free, because the worst thing that ever exists is a person accustomed only to taking. Moreover, no matter how much he takes, he can never feel the joy and satisfaction of achieving and creating anything personally.

I sat alone for a long time slowly "digesting" the information, thinking with gratitude about the wonderful "star" girl with the violet eyes. I smiled knowing that now I would not stop and rest until I knew what those friends whom I did not know yet were, and from what sleep they would awaken me. Then, I could not imagine that no matter how hard I tried and did my best, it would happen over many, many years and, yes, my "friends" would wake me... But that would be an absolutely different thing from what I could surmise then.

But then everything seemed to me possible and I, burning with fervent ardour and having "iron" persistence, decided to try.

No matter how much I wanted to listen to the reasonable voice of logic, my disobedient brain believed that in spite of the fact that Vaya obviously knew exactly what she was talking about, I would gain my ends and find those people (or creatures) who should help me to be rid of some incomprehensible "bear hibernation" long before it was promised to me. The first thing I decided to do was to try going beyond the limits of the Earth and see who would come to me there. Certainly, this was the most foolish thing one could think of, but as I strongly believed that I could achieve something anyway, I had to "dive" into new, possibly very dangerous, "experiments".

My dear Stella almost stopped "going for a walk" then and for some incomprehensible reason had "a splenetic fit" in her colourful world, not wishing to open to me the real reason for her sadness. But this time I succeeded in persuading her to go with me by arousing her interest in the danger of the adventure and confessing that I was slightly afraid of realizing that kind of "far-reaching" experiment.

I warned my grandmother that I was going to try something "very serious". She calmly nodded and wished me luck (that was it!). Certainly, her reaction roused a storm of resentment in me but I decided not to show her that I had taken offence and, pouting like a Christmas turkey, I swore to myself that today something would happen, no matter what it cost me! Well, something did happen... but not quite that which I had expected.

Stella waited for me, ready for the "boldest feats" and, gathering our nerve, we rushed beyond "the limit".

This time I could do it much more easily; maybe because this was not the first time that I did that, or because the violet crystal was "open." I was rushed out of the bounds of the mental level of Earth like a shot from a gun and getting there, I understood that I had slightly overdone it. Stella stayed at the "border" (upon which we had agreed beforehand) to secure me, if something went wrong. But it went wrong from the very beginning and to my huge regret Stella was unable to reach me where I was now.

The black, ominous space around me breathed with the cold of night. I had been dreaming about it for so long, but now it frightened me with its wild, peculiar calmness. I was absolutely alone without my "star" friends’ reliable protection and my loyal friend Stella’s warm support. Despite the fact that it was not the first time I had seen all this, I suddenly felt little and alone in this unknown world of distant stars, which did not seem friendly and well-known here, like they did if one observed them from the surface of the Earth. Bit by bit, a mean panic treacherously began to seize me, cowardly, squeaking with barefaced horror. But I was a very stubborn little being and decided that there is no use in fearing and lamenting and began to look closely at the place I was cast into.

I hung in the black, almost tangible, emptiness. There was nothing there but some occasional "falling stars" which flashed for fractions of a second, dazzling me with their tails. The so homely and well-known Earth twinkled with blue luminescence. It seemed to be very near, a stone's throw, but to my great regret it was an illusion. In reality it was very, very far away. Suddenly I experienced a wild desire to return!!! I did not want to “heroically overcome" unknown obstacles anymore. I just longed to come back home where everything was so familiar (my grandmothers’ warm pies and my favourite books!), instead of hanging frozen in a black, cold "no man’s land" not knowing how to get away from all this, preferably without any "horrific and irreparable" consequences.

I tried to imagine the only thing which came into my head – the violet-eyed girl, Vaya. It did not work for some reason; she failed to appear. Then it was my intention to open the crystal she had given to me. Immediately everything around me began to sparkle, shine and swirl in a frenzied whirlpool of the never-seen matters, I felt as if an enormous vacuum cleaner had sharply drawn me into somewhere, and…the already well-known, enigmatic and wonderful world, Vaya’s world, unfolded its beauty before me. As I understood later on (too late, I would say), my open violet crystal was the key to this world. I did not know how far this unknown world was. Was it real this time? I did not know at all how I would get back home, and there was nobody who I could ask.

I saw a marvelous emerald valley floodlit with very bright, golden-violet light. The sparkling golden clouds slowly drifted in a strange pink sky, almost covering one of the two suns. Far away the very high, pointed, odd-looking mountains shone with a heavy gold hue. Right near my feet a merry little brook murmured (almost like on Earth), but the water was not in the least earthly – it was "thick" and violet, and non-transparent. I carefully dipped my hand in it. The startling feeling was most unexpected, as if I touched a soft teddy bear... warm and pleasant, but not the fresh and moist feeling to which we are accustomed on Earth. I even felt doubts as to whether it was that which we call "water."

The "plush" brook escaped into a green tunnel which was formed by interlaced "fluffy" and transparent, silvery-green "lianas" thousands of which hung over the violet "water." They "knitted" a whimsical pattern which was decorated by tiny "stars" of white, aromatic, amazing flowers.

Yes, this world was extraordinarily beautiful. But I would give everything up in order to find myself in my earthly world, probably not so beautiful, but so dear and well-known! It was the first time that I felt terribly scared and was not ashamed of honestly confessing that to myself. I was absolutely alone and there was nobody who would give me any friendly advice on what to do next. Therefore, having no other choice and gathering my "trembling" will, I decided to move anywhere and not to just mark time and wait for something terrible (despite such beauty!) to happen.

– How did you get here? – I heard a tender voice in my exhausted with fear brain.

I turned around jerkily... and saw the wonderful violet eyes. Vaya stood behind me.

– Oh, dear! Is it really you?! – I almost squealed, being seized with unexpected happiness.

– I saw that you had opened the crystal and came to help. – The girl answered with all the calmness in the world. However, her large eyes again scrutinized my frightened face and deep, "adult" understanding glimmered in them.

– You have to trust me. – The "star" girl whispered.

I longed to say "Of course, I trust you!" and that it just was my silly nature which all my life forced me to "dash against rocks" and comprehend the world through those bumps. But Vaya perfectly understood everything and, smiling her amazing smile, softly said:

– Do you want me to show my world, since you are here?

I joyfully nodded, cheered up and was again ready to perform any "feat." I was not alone anymore, which was enough for all bad things to be instantly forgotten and the world become enthralling and wonderful again.

– But you said you had never been here? – I took heart to ask.

– I am not here now. – The girl answered. – My spirit is with you, but my body has never lived here. I have never known my real home... – The enormous violet eyes were filled with deep, non-child sadness.

– May I ask you, how old you are? Certainly, if you don’t want to answer – then please don’t. – I said, being slightly embarrassed.

– According to earthly time measuring, I am, probably, about two million years old. – The "girl" answered thoughtfully. I became weak in the knees. It just cannot be! Surely no creature is able to live for so long! Or maybe is able, depending on what kind of a creature it is?

– Why do you look so young then? Only children look this way in our world. But you know that, certainly.

– I simply remember myself the way I look and I do feel that this is correct, which means that it must be so. We live very long and, probably, I am young indeed...

My head began to swim from all this news. But Vaya was surprisingly calm, like she always was which gave me the strength to continue asking.

– And who do you call adult then, if they exist, certainly?

– They do, of course! – The girl laughed. – Do you want to meet one?

I could only nod, because I suddenly had a huge lump in my throat and completely lost my colloquial skills. I perfectly understood that right now I would see a real "star" creature! And despite the fact that, as far as I could remember, I had been awaiting this moment all my conscious life, my courage for some reason, swiftly sank.

Vaya waved and the scenery changed. The gold mountains and the brook turned into a marvellous, moving, transparent "city" (well, it looked like a city). A man of very impressive appearance slowly came toward us along the wide, shining with silver, "road." It was a tall proud old man who could not be called anything other than – majestic! Everything about him was very correct and wise: his pure as crystal thoughts (which I heard very distinctly for some reason); his long silver hair which covered him like a glimmering cloak; his kind violet enormous "Vaya’s" eyes and the diamond "star" in his high forehead which shone in the golden light.

– Peace to you, Father. – Vaya softly said, touching her forehead with her fingers.

– And to you, the gone one. – The old man sadly answered.

He emitted endless and everlasting goodness and care. Suddenly I wanted, like a little child, to bury my head on his knees and to hide from everything, even for a few seconds, inhaling the deep rest coming from him and not to think that I was afraid, that I did not know where my house was, that I did not know where I was at all and what was happening to me...

– Who are you, creature? – I heard mentally his affectionate voice.

– I am a human being. – I answered. – Forgive me, if I shattered your peace and quiet. My name is Svetlana. – The old man warmly and attentively looked at me with his wise eyes, approvingly for some reason.

– You wanted to meet the Wiseman. So, now you see him. – Vaya said gently. –Do you want to ask anything?

– Tell me, please. Does evil exist in your wonderful world? – I asked, although ashamed of the question.

– What do you mean by "evil", Human-Svetlana? – The sage asked in return.

– Lies, murder, treachery... Do you not really have such words?

– It was a long time ago... already nobody remembers. Only I do. But we know that it was. It is written in our "ancient memory" in order that we never forget. Did you come from a place where evil lives?

I sadly nodded. I was so sorry for my dear Earth and for life on it, which being so terribly imperfect, forced me to ask me this kind of question. At the same time I wanted very much that Evil would leave our Home forever, because I loved this home with all my heart and very often dreamed that one day:

– One would smile joyfully, being sure that people could bring only good...

– A lonely girl would cross the darkest street in the night feeling no fear that someone could commit an offence against her...

– Everyone could gladly open his or her heart without fear of a best friend’s betrayal...

– People could leave any very expensive object right in the street without being afraid that it would be immediately stolen...

I sincerely, with all my heart, believed that somewhere there was a wonderful world where there is no evil and fear, but the simple joy of life and beauty... Therefore, following my naive dream, I used any slightest chance to learn how it was possible to eliminate Evil from our vital and immutable Earth, so that nobody would ever be ashamed to call himself Human. Certainly, these were the dreams of a naive child, but then I was just a child.

– My name is Atis, Human-Svetlana. I have lived here from the very beginning, I saw Evil... A lot of Evil...

– How did you get rid of it, wise Atis? Did someone help you? – I asked with hope. – Can you help us, or at least, give us some advice?

– We found the reason... and killed it. But your evil is not subject to us. It is different; just as you are different. The stranger’s good cannot always be good for you. You must find your reason for yourselves and eliminate it. – He gently put his hand on my head and wonderful peace flowed into me. – Farewell, Human-Svetlana... you will find the answer to the question. Peace to you.

I stood deep in thought and did not pay attention to the surrounding reality that had changed long since, and we now "floated" on dense violet "water" standing on some unusual, flat and transparent device which had neither handles nor oars, nothing at all, as if we stood on a large, thin, moving, transparent glass platform. However, I felt neither motion nor rolling. It slid on the surface surprisingly smoothly which gave the impression that it did not move at all...

– What is it? Where are we going? – I asked with surprise.

– To fetch your little friend. – Vaya answered calmly.

– But how? She is unable to be here!

– She is able. She has the same crystal as you have. – There was the answer. – We will meet her at the "bridge"." She gave no further explanation and soon stopped our strange "boat."

Now we were at the foot of a shining "polished" night-black wall which sharply contrasted with all the light and blazing objects around and looked like something artificial and alien. Unexpectedly the wall "dispersed", as if it was made of dense fog and a golden "cocoon" appeared with Stella inside it. She looked fresh and sound, as if she had just been out for a pleasant walk and, certainly, she was terribly pleased with all that was going on. On seeing me, her dear little face shone with happiness. As usual, she immediately began to chatter:

– Wow! You are here too! Oh, that’s great!!! I was so worried! I thought something had happened to you. How did you get here? – Dumbfounded, the girl stared at me.

– I think the same way as you. – I smiled.

– When I saw that you were gone, I tried to track you down! I tried and tried and nothing worked until she came along. – Stella pointed to Vaya. – I am so grateful to you for that, girl Vaya! – She thanked her, using her funny habit of addressing several persons at once.

– This "girl" is two million years old. – I whispered in my friend’s ear.

Stella stared wide-eyed, rooted to the spot, slowly "digesting" the stunning news.

– Two million, how can that be and why does she look so young? – The amazed Stella could finally exhale.

– She says that her kind live a very long time. Maybe your spirit is also from there? – I joked. Obviously, Stella did not like my joke, because she heartily objected: – How can you say that? I am like you! I am not in the least part a "violet" one! – It made me smile and I felt a little bit ashamed – my little friend was a real patriot.

As soon as Stella appeared, I felt happy and strong at once. Probably, our common, sometimes dangerous, walks on the "floors" very positively told on my mood, which immediately put everything in its place. Stella looked around with unconcealed delight. It was very obvious that she wanted to flood our "guide" with thousands of questions. But the small girl heroically restrained herself, trying to seem more serious and adult than she actually was.

– Tell me, please, girl Vaya, where may we go? – Stella asked very politely. It seemed that she still was unable to realize fully the idea that Vaya could be so "old"...

– Wherever you wish since you are here. – The "star" girl answered.

We looked around. We wanted to be in all parts at once! All was extraordinarily interesting and we wanted to see everything, but we understood perfectly that we could not be there eternally. I saw Stella fidgeting with eagerness and impatience and left the choice where we should go to her.

– May we, please, see what animals you have here? – Stella asked unexpectedly for me. Certainly, I would like to see other things but, well, it was me who gave her the option to choose.

We found ourselves in some kind of wood, a very bright and colourful one. It was absolutely fabulous! Nevertheless, I thought for some reason that I would not wish to stay in such a forest for long. Again, it was too beautiful and bright, which even oppressed me a little, very different from our calming and fresh, green and light earthly forest. Maybe it is true that one should be where one truly belongs. I thought of our nice "star" girl. She must have missed her home and familiar environment so badly! Only now I could understand a little how lonely she must feel on our imperfect and sometimes dangerous Earth...

– Tell us, please, Vaya. Why did Atis call you a gone one? – At last I asked the question which had been obtrusively twirling around in my head.

– Long ago my family voluntarily went to help other creatures which needed our help. It often happens here. And the gone ones don’t ever come back home... This is a choice of free will; they totally realize what they have decided upon. That is why Atis felt sorry for me.

– Who leaves, if it is impossible to return? – Stella was surprised.

– Very many do, sometimes too many. – Vaya became sad. – Once our wise men were afraid that we would not have enough viilises to render our planet habitable.

– What is a viilise? – Stella asked.

– We are viilises. Like you are humans, we are viilises. Our planet is called Viilis. – Vaya answered.

Only now I suddenly realized that the idea of asking this question for some reason had not occurred to us before! But it had to be the first thing which we should have asked!

– Did you change or you were always the same? – I asked again.

–We changed, but only inwardly, if that is what you meant. – Vaya answered.

An enormous, terribly bright, multicoloured bird flew over our heads. A crown of glittering orange "feathers" sparkled on its head. The wings were long and fluffy, as if the bird were carried on a multicoloured cloud. It sat on a stone and stared at us.

– Why does it scrutinize us so attentively? – Stella asked huddling up. It seemed to me that she had quite another question in mind – "Has this "birdie" eaten anything today?" The bird carefully jumped nearer. Stella squeaked and jumped back. The bird made one more step. It was three times bigger than Stella, but did not seem aggressive, rather curious.

– Why? Does it like me, or something? – Stella pouted. –Why doesn’t it go to you? What does it want from me?

It was funny to observe Stella’s attempts at self-restraint in order not to shoot off like a bullet from a gun. It was obvious that Stella did not cherish any kind feelings for the beautiful bird. Suddenly the bird opened out its wings and we were dazzled by the amazing radiance. The fog, like the one which we observed over Vaya, when we met her for the first time, slowly began to curl over the bird’s wings. It became thicker looking like a dense curtain, and enormous, almost human, eyes looked at us from this curtain...

– Oh, is it turning into someone?! – Stella squealed. – Look, look!

Indeed, the sight was well worth looking at, because the "bird" suddenly started "morphing", transforming into either a beast with human eyes or a human with an animal body.

– What is it? – My little friend’s brown eyes goggled. – What is happening with it?

The "bird" slipped out of its wings, and a very unusual creature stood before us. It looked like half bird, half human, with a large bill, three-cornered human face and very flexible body, like a cheetah’s, with predatory, wild motions. It was very beautiful and, at the same time, very frightful.

– This is Miard. – Vaya introduced the creature. – If you wish, he will show you "animals", as you call them.

The creature called Miard began to acquire his fairy-tale wings again. He invited us to follow him waving with them.

– Why has it to be exactly him? Are you very busy, star Vaya?

Stella had a very unhappy face, because she was obviously afraid of this strange "beautiful monster", but she did not have the nerve to confess. I think she’d rather go with him than confess that she was terribly fearful. It is highly likely that Vaya read Stella’s thoughts, because she hurried to calm her down:

– He is very affectionate and kind, you will like him. You wanted to see the living things, and he knows this better than all others.

Miard slowly came to Stella, as if perfectly realizing that she was afraid of him. But I felt no fear this time for some reason; rather to the contrary – he awoke my keen interest in him. He walked right up to Stella, who was almost squeaking inwardly from horror, and carefully touched her cheek with his soft, fluffy wing. The violet fog began to swirl over Stella’s red-haired head.

– Wow! Look! I have the same thing as Vaya has! – The girl exclaimed enthusiastically. – But how did it happen? O-o-o, it is beautiful! The latter referred to the new place which suddenly opened before our eyes, we saw absolutely unbelievable animals. We stood on the hilly bank of the wide, mirror-like river, the water of which was strangely still. It seemed as if one could walk on it – it did not move. The sparkling fog like delicate transparent smoke curled above the surface of the river.

At last I understood that this "fog" which we saw everywhere somehow strengthened any action of the creatures which lived there: it made their vision brighter, served as a reliable means of teleportation and helped them in everything, whatever they did. I think that it was used for something much greater too which we could not understand yet.

The river meandered like a beautiful wide "snake" and, flowing easily receded into the distance, disappearing between succulent-green hills. Both its banks were covered with amazing beasts which walked, lay and flew. It was so beautiful that we stood absolutely still, staggered by the striking scene. The animals looked very much like extraordinary kingly dragons, very bright and proud, as if they knew that they were beautiful. Their long bent necks sparkled with orange gold, and crowns with scalloped edges reddened on their heads. These majestic animals moved slowly and regally; their scaly, pearl-blue bodies, which brightly flashed under the golden-blue sunrays, shimmered at every motion.

– It is so beautiful!!! – Delighted, Stella could hardly exhale. – Are they very dangerous?

– The dangerous ones do not live here. We haven’t had them for a long time. I don’t even remember for how long. – The answer sounded, and only now did we notice that Vaya was not with us and it was Miard who spoke to us. Stella looked around fearfully, apparently not feeling too comfortable with our new acquaintance.

– That means that you don’t have any danger at all? – I was surprised.

– Only externally. – He replied – If we are attacked.

– Does that happen too?

– Last time it was before me. – Miard answered in earnest.

His voice sounded in our head softly and deeply, like velvet, and it was very strange to think that this unusual semi-human creature spoke our "language." But, probably, we had already become accustomed to so many different wonders that in a minute we found ourselves animatedly chatting with him completely forgetting that he was not a human.

– So, do you never have any troubles whatsoever? – Stella shook her head with a good dose of distrust. – But then it must be very boring for you to live here! – Her inextinguishable, earthly "thirst for adventure" spoke. I understood her perfectly, but we might find it difficult to explain that to Miard.

– Why boring? – Our "guide" was surprised, and suddenly, interrupting himself, pointed at the sky. –Look! These are Savias!!!

We looked up and froze. Fairy-tale creatures soared in the light-pink sky! They were absolutely transparent and incredibly colourful like every single thing on this planet. It seemed that amazing sparkling flowers flew in the sky, only they were incredibly large... and each of them had a fantastically beautiful, unearthly face.

– O-o.... Look... it is amazing! – Absolutely stunned Stella whispered for some reason.

I think I never saw her being so shocked. But all this truly was well worthy of surprise. No imagination, even the most refined one, could ever depict such creatures! They were so light that it seemed that their bodies were woven of the fulgent fog. Their enormous wing petals were gently swaying nebulising the blazing gold dust into a fine cloud. Miard strangely "whistled" something, and the fairy-tale creatures began to descend forming an enormous "umbrella", flashing with all the colours of their incredible rainbow, over us. It was so beautiful that it took our breath away!

The first Savia which "landed" near us was a pearl-blue pink-winged one. She folded her shining wing petals in a "bouquet" and began to look at us with enormous curiosity feeling absolutely no fear. It was impossible to look indifferently at her whimsical beauty which attracted like a magnet and evoked the desire to admire it endlessly.

– Don’t look too long. Savias charm. You will not want to leave. Their beauty is dangerous, if you don’t want to lose yourself. – Miard said gently.

– But you said that there was nothing dangerous! It’s not true then? – Stella felt resentment.

– It’s not the danger which one needs to be afraid of or fight with. I thought you meant exactly that when you asked me. – Miard was distressed.

– All right, all right; obviously, there will be many phenomena and concepts which we will understand differently. That’s normal, isn’t it? – The little girl "nobly" calmed him down. – May I speak to them?

–Yes, you may, if you are able to hear them. – Miard turned to the Savia and showed something to her. The marvelous creature smiled and walked nearer to us. The rest of her (or his?) friends soared right above us, sparkling and shimmering in the bright sun rays.

– I am Lilis...lis...is... – The amazing voice rustled like an echo. It was very soft and at the same time very resonant (if it is possible to unite such opposite concepts).

– Hello, beautiful Lilis. – Stella joyfully greeted the creature. – I am Stella. And she is Svetlana. We are humans. And you are Savia, as we already know. Where have you arrived from? And what is Savia? – The questions rained down, but I did not even try to stop her, because it was absolutely useless. Stella simply "wanted to know everything!" She always was like this.

Lilis came very close to her and began to stare at Stella with her whimsical, enormous eyes. They were brightly crimson with gold dots and sparkled like gems. The face of this fairy creature looked surprisingly tender and fragile and had the form of a petal of our earthly lily. She "spoke" without opening her mouth, at the same time smiling with her little, round lips. But her hair was, probably, the most amazing thing. It was very long, absolutely weightless and almost reached the edge of the transparent wing. It didn’t have a permanent colour and all time flashed with different and unexpected shining rainbows. The transparent Savias’ bodies were asexual (like the body of a little earthly child) which transformed into "petal-wings" in the back which make them look like enormous bright flowers.

– We came from mountains-s-s. – The strange echo sounded again.

– Maybe you can tell us much quicker? – The impatient Stella asked Miard. –Who are they?

– Once they were brought from another world. Their world was dying and we wanted to save them. We thought at first that they could live with all of us, but they could not. They live very high in the mountains; nobody can get there. But if you look into their eyes long, they will take you with them... and you will live with them.

Stella huddled up and slightly moved aside from Lilis. – And what do they do when they take somebody?

– Nothing, they simply live with those who they take away. Probably, there was otherwise in their world and now they do that as a matter of habit. But they are very useful for us; they "cleanse" the planet. Nobody got sick since they came.

– This means that you saved them not because you pitied them, but because you needed them! Is it correct – to use somebody?

I was afraid that Miard would be offended by her words (as the saying goes: Don’t go into a stranger’s house with your knee-boots on) and strongly nudged Stella, but she did not pay any attention to me and turned to Savia.

– Do you like living here? Do you miss your planet?

– No-o... It is beautiful-ul-ul here... – The soft voice rustled. – And nice-ice-ice...

Lilis unexpectedly lifted her shining "petal" and gently caressed Stella’s cheek.

– A little one... Nice... Stella-la-a... – The fog sparkled over Stella’s head for the second time, but it was multi-coloured now. Lilis gently flapped with her transparent wing-petals and slowly began to rise until she joined her flock. The Savias became agitated, then suddenly flared and disappeared...

– Where did they go? – The little girl was surprised.

– They went away. Here, look... – Miard pointed to the marvelous sunlit creatures which soared in the pink sky already very far from our place heading to the mountains. –They are going home.

Vaya appeared unexpectedly.

– It’s time for you to go. – The "star" girl said sadly. – You cannot stay here so long. It is difficult.

– Oh, but we still did not see everything! – Stella was distressed. – May we come back here, dear Vaya? Farewell kind Miard! You are good. I will come back to you! – Stella said goodbye, as usual, talking to everyone at one and the same time. Vaya waved and we again begun to spin in the crazy whirlpool of shining matters and in a short time (or maybe it seemed short for me?) we were "thrown" out onto our familiar Mental "floor".

– It was very interesting there! – Stella began to squeak with delight.

It seemed that she was ready to endure the heaviest loads, if only once again she could go back to Vaya’s colourful world that she loved so much. I thought that she really liked it so much, because it looked like her own, which she adored to create for herself here, on earthly "floors"...

My enthusiasm dimmed a little, because I had already seen this beautiful planet and now I madly wanted to see something else! I had experienced this dizzy "taste" of the unknown and I longed to taste it again... I already knew that this "hunger" would poison my further existence and that I would miss it all the time. Therefore, if I wished to remain a happy person in the future, I should find a way to "open" the door into other worlds... But then I hardly understood that it was not so simple to open such a door... and that lot of winters would pass before I could "go for a walk" wherever I wanted and that another person would open this door for me... and that my wonderful husband would be this person.

– Well, what we are going to do next? – Stella tore me out of my dreams.

She was disappointed and sad because she did not succeed in seeing more. But I was very glad that she again became herself and I was sure that from this day on she would stop "having the blues" and be ready for whatever "adventures" may appear.

– You will forgive me, please, but I think I will do nothing more today. – I said feeling terribly sorry. –But thank you so much for your help.

Stella shone. She adored the feeling of being necessary; therefore, I always tried to show her that she meant a lot to me (which was absolutely true).

– All right, we will go somewhere else some other time. – She consented complacently.

I think that she was also "worn a bit thin", but like always, she tried not to show it. I waved in farewell... and appeared at home, on my favourite sofa with a pile of impressions which now I had to comprehend and "digest" slowly and unhurriedly...

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