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le no…longer…perpendicular kholodnoye！ what is your name； and where are you going？〃
〃my name is will； and im going south。 i have lost my family； and im trying to find them again。〃
〃then you must e inside and have some refreshment；〃 said the priest； and put a heavy arm around wills shoulders； pulling him in through the doorway。
the mans crow daemon was showing a vivid interest in balthamos。 but the angel was equal to that： he became a mouse and crept into wills shirt as if he were shy。
the priest led him into a parlor heavy with tobacco smoke； where a cast…iron samovar steamed quietly on a side table。
〃what was your name？〃 said the priest。 〃tell me again。〃
〃will parry。 but i dont know what to call you。〃
〃otyets semyon；〃 said the priest； stroking wills arm as he guided him to a chair。 〃otyets means father。 i am a priest of the holy church。 my given name is semyon； and the name of my father was boris； so i am semyon borisovitch。 what is your fathers name？〃
〃john parry。〃
〃john is ivan。 so you are will ivanovitch； and i am father semyon borisovitch。 where have you e from； will ivanovitch； and where are you going？〃
〃im lost；〃 will said。 〃i was traveling with my family to the south。 my father is a soldier； but he was exploring in the arctic； and then something happened and we got lost。 so im traveling south because i know thats where we were going next。〃
the priest spread his hands and said； 〃a soldier？ an explorer from england？ no one so interesting as that has trodden the dirty roads of kholodnoye for centuries； but in this time of upheaval； how can we know that he will not appear tomorrow？ you yourself are a wele visitor； will ivanovitch。 you must stay the night in my house and we will talk and eat together。 lydia alexandrovna！〃 he called。
an elderly woman came in silently。 he spoke to her in russian； and she nodded and took a glass and filled it with hot tea from the samovar。 she brought the glass of tea to will； together with a little saucer of jam with a silver spoon。
〃thank you；〃 said will。
〃the conserve is to sweeten the tea；〃 said the priest。 〃lydia alexandrovna made it from bilberries。〃
the result was that the tea was sickly as well as bitter； but will sipped it； nonetheless。 the priest kept leaning forward to look closely at him； and felt his hands to see whether he was cold； and stroked his knee。 in order to distract him； will asked why the buildings in the village sloped。
〃there has been a convulsion in the earth；〃 the priest said。 〃it is all foretold in the apocalypse of st。 john。 rivers flow backward。。。 the great river only a short way from here used to flow north into the arctic ocean。 all the way from the mountains of central asia it flowed north for thousands and thousands of years；
ever since the authority of god the almighty father created the earth。 but when the earth shook and the fog and the floods came； everything changed； and then the great river flowed south for a week or more before it turned again and went north。 the world is turned upside down。 where were you when the great convulsion came？〃
〃a long way from here；〃 will said。 〃i didnt know what was happening。 when the fog cleared； i had lost my family and i dont know where i am now。 youve told me the name of this place； but where is it？ where are we？〃
〃bring me that large book on the bottom shelf；〃 said semyon borisovitch。 〃i will show you。〃
the priest drew his chair up to the table and licked his fingers before turning the pages of the great atlas。
〃here；〃 he said； pointing with a dirty fingernail at a spot in central siberia； a long way east of the urals。 the river nearby flowed； as the priest had said； from the northern part of the mountains in tibet all the way to the arctic。 he looked closely at the himalaya； but he could see nothing like the map baruch had sketched。
semyon borisovitch talked and talked； pressing will for details of his life； his family； his home； and will； a practiced dissembler； answered him fully enough。 presently the housekeeper brought in some beetroot soup and dark bread； and after the priest had said a long grace； they ate。
〃well； how shall we pass our day； will ivanovitch？〃 said semyon borisovitch。 〃shall we play at cards； or would you prefer to talk？〃
he drew another glass of tea from the samovar； and will took it doubtfully。
〃i cant play cards；〃 he said； 〃and im anxious to get on and keep traveling。 if i went to the river； for example； do you think i could find a passage on a steamer going south？〃
the priests huge face darkened； and he crossed himself with a delicate flick of the wrist。
〃there is trouble in the town；〃 he said。 〃lydia alexandrovna has a sister who came here and told her there is a boat carrying bears up the river。 armored bears。 they e from the arctic。 you did not see armored bears when you were in the north？〃
the priest was suspicious； and balthamos whispered so quietly that only will could hear： 〃be careful。〃 and will knew at once why hed said it： his heart had begun to pound when semyon borisovitch mentioned the bears； because of what lyra had told him about them。 he must try to contain his feelings。
he said； 〃we were a long way from svalbard； and the bears were occupied with their own affairs。〃
〃yes； that is what i heard；〃 said the priest； to wills relief； 〃but now they are leaving their homeland and ing south。 they have a boat； and the people of the town will not let them refuel。 they are afraid of the bears。 and so they should be； they are children of the devil。 all things from the north are devilish。 like the witches； daughters of evil！ the church should have put them all to death many years ago。 witches； have nothing to do with them； will ivanovitch； you hear me？ you know what they will do when you e to the right age？ they will try to seduce you。 they will use all the soft； cunning； deceitful ways they have； their flesh； their soft skin； their sweet voices； and they will take your seed； you know what i mean by that； they will drain you and leave you hollow！ they will take your future； your children that are to e； and leave you nothing。 they should be put to death； every one。〃
the priest reached across to the shelf beside his chair and took down a bottle and two small glasses。
〃now i am going to offer you a little drink； will ivanovitch；〃 he said。 〃you are young； so not very many glasses。 but you are growing； and so you need to know some things； like the taste of vodka。 lydia alexandrovna collected the berries last year； and i distilled the liquor； and here in the bottle is the result； the only place where otyets semyon borisovitch and lydia alexandrovna lie together！〃
he laughed and uncorked the bottle； filling each glass to the rim。 this kind of talk made will hideously uneasy。 what should he do？ how could he refuse to drink without discourtesy？
〃otyets semyon；〃 he said； standing； 〃you have been very kind； and i wish i could stay longer to taste your drink and to hear you talk； because what you tell me has been very interesting。 but you understand i am unhappy about my family； and very anxious to find them again； so i think i must move on； much as i would like to stay。〃
the priest pushed out his lips