Volodimir Vladko - Descendants of the Scythians

A wide breach had opened there: the blast tore a gaping hole in the rocks, and jagged pieces were strewn all around. An even light flowed into the cave from this hole. But it was not the bright daylight of the July afternoon they had left behind on the surface. This grayish light, tinged with violet, reminded one of dusk or a rainy overcast.day. But where could this light be coming from so deep underground? What was its source?

There was no time to think about it. The firm voice of Ivan Semenovich rang out.

“No gas is coming through the new opening!”

It was true. And what is more, the gray gas could be seen trickling into the new opening in small rivulets. Did that mean that there was normal air behind that wall? But Artem’s ponderings were cut short.

“My friends! There is only way to save ourselves: we must try to reach the new breach opened by the blast. Dash through the gas, holding your breath,” Ivan Semenovich said. “There’s not a minute to lose! The longer we stay here, the more difficult it’ll be. Artem, can you carry Lida all by yourself? No, you can’t, of course. Stay where you are! I’ll help you and Lida.”

Then Ivan Semenovich, filling his lungs with air, plunged into the gray water-like waves. In a few seconds his head reemerged beside Artem. The geologist caught his breath and said:

“Let’s try to carry Lida over to the breach together. It’ll be safer that way. Dmitro Borisovich, I hope you’ll manage without my help. All right, we plunge into the gas all together now. Now, one… two… three!”

Artem and Ivan Semenovich, carrying the unconscious Lida, made a dash for the opening. Artem, holding his breath, mechanically repeated all the movements of the geologist. Billows of the gray smoke kept moving in front of his wide- open eyes. In an instant, he could see nothing but the grayness on all sides. There was only one thing he was fully aware of — the steady progress of Ivan Semenovich. In fact, all Artem had to do was to carry Lida, mechanically keeping pace with the geologist. Artem stumbled; his feet slid on the slippery rocks; the opening was not yet in sight. There was no air left in his chest; it seemed ready to burst with strain… But he had to push on, no matter what.

Only a few final steps — had the distance been greater, Artem would surely have failed to make it! — and the gas seemed less dense. Wasn’t it the light from the opening he had just gotten a glimpse of?… In a moment Artem’s head was above the surface of the gas. He could start breathing at last!

Guzzling air, Artem forged ahead toward the opening. At the length of Lida’s body away, he saw the head of Ivan Semenovich, but the rest of the geologist’s body — and Artem’s as well — could not be seen yet through the dense gray gas. There it was, the breach… but where was the archeologist? Artem stumbled over a sharp stone. Another effort… how impossibly difficult were those last few steps!

“Higher, higher!” Ivan Semenovich said encouragingly. “Dmitro Borisovich! Don’t lag behind! In a few moments we’ll be out in the fresh air! Just a few more steps!”

His last strength spent, Artem tripped and nearly fell down on the cold, damp piece of the limestone lying in the breach. He could not move another muscle or carry Lida any farther. Artem was at the end of his rope. Ivan Semenovich got there just in time to grab him and keep him from falling.

Artem’s legs and arms must have had some residual strength left in them, since he managed to push himself through the opening. He collapsed on the other side, his head dangling down from the edge. Then, unaware of how it came about, he tumbled headlong, rolling down the face of the rock. His closed eyes did not see anything; his hands were unable to grab hold of any thing to stop his fall. The young man rolled all the way down and landed on a heap of stones. But he was totally indifferent to his immediate fate. A strange torpor had overcome him: his entire body had gone completely out of control. Only his hearing, as earlier, remained unaffected.

Something heavy landed close to him with a thud. Was it Lida? Oh, if only he could open his eyes! But it was entirely beyond his power to do so. Artem could still hear the sounds and voices from the outside world and nothing more. Now it was the voice of Ivan Semenovich — what a man! he managed to remain vigorous and energetic, not forgetting about anyone, always ready to help…

“Dmitro Borisovich! Give me your hand! I’ll pull you up. Did the gas get in your lungs?”

“No, I’m O.K…. I’ll manage… You can choke on that gas… you’ve been down there far too long… what if you fall… what if you fall and Lida tumble down with you?”

“Lida’s already on the other side of the opening. Give me your hand, I tell you! Do you hear? I order you to give me your hand!”

A pause. Then — some rustling or swishing… incomprehensible sounds…

“Give me your hand, damn it, or I’ll come down to fetch you!”

“Just a second… I think Diana’s right by my feet here… I’ll lift her up.”

“You won’t have the strength!”

“I will… here, I’m holding her… now, take her from me! Oh! My camera! It’s gone! I’ve dropped it! I can’t find it in this gas… oh, where is it?”

“Come on, get out of there, quick! Climb up here, quick! Never mind your camera! Quick! See, the rocks up there seem to have moved again, they’re balanced precariously! They can come crashing down any moment!”

“I’ve lost my camera!… How careless I am! No, I absolutely must find it… maybe it’s…”

“Stop it and get up here, I tell you! On the double!”

“All right, all right!”

Another heavy thud… It must have been Diana landing on this side of the opening. But why couldn’t he hear the geologist’s voice any more? What about Dmitro Borisovich? Did they make it through? What was it that Ivan Semenovich had said about “the precariously balanced” rocks?

As though in reply to Artem’s confused and disordered thoughts, a muffled and heavy rumbling could be heard. It increased in intensity by the moment. Something huge seemed to have detached itself from the rocks above the opening inside the cave. It tumbled down, striking the walls, the noise growing louder and louder. Now it seemed as though all the rocks in the world had been dislodged and gone clashing and rolling down into an abyss, breaking up into smaller pieces as they went.

Everything was shaking, quivering and rattling. The very ground quivered beneath the almost insensitive body of Artem. This pandemonium seemed to last for about a minute. Artem could not tell how long it actually lasted but it seemed a long time. He was continuously buffeted by the waves of air compressed by the huge falling rocks.

Abruptly all grew still, and this absolute, all-enveloping palm was more disturbing than the deafening noise of a moment ago, because it was completely incomprehensible to Artem. But was this stillness really so noiseless?.

The weary young man could discern some sounds — occasional stones falling… or perhaps echoes coming from afar?

But what difference did it make, for Artem was lying half-dead and completely motionless… Unable to stir a limb, to move a single muscle. So the stillness continued as far as he was concerned. He couldn’t move in any case… But maybe he had just been dreaming, for so many terrifying things all at once could happen only in dreams!

A sharp stone was prickling his shoulder, but Artem could not even twitch to relieve the pain. Chimerical images ran through his mind.

Surely it was all a dream, and yet not quite. In dreams, one is shut off from the surrounding world completely and is at the mercy of monsters, but Artem realized their unreality; now he felt the painful sharpness of a real stone; he was even aware of the closeness of the immobile hand of Lida… No, he was not mistaken; he knew for sure it was Lida’s hand — motionless but warm, very close to him on the ground. No, he was not dreaming!