Struggle: The Path to Power - Владимир Андерсон

him? That's gonna be hard to live with, and even harder to lead.

Ah, this beautiful warm downpour. And the thunderstorm reaching us… How beautiful you are!

— The court agrees with the Commander-in-Chief. And that means we need to create such a battalion.

— Yes. Create such a battalion.

— In this case, the Court is authorized to appoint a commander to this battalion since it is created while the Court is in session and with the consent of the Court.

Victor didn't fully realize what was happening. He was expecting someone to stab him in the back. But that didn't happen. It was something else entirely. And the feeling… it said that something had changed, right just now. And the drops flying different, and the noise of thunder different, but what "different"? Better or worse than before? The one that should be or not?

"Stab me in the back, though!" — Victor shouted in his thoughts, glaring at the judges and waiting for whoever was coming from behind. But there are no sharp shouts and no shocking flickers of glances. No one running or aiming.

Victor turned around.

No one. Only the faithful deputy Alexander Zubkov by his side. No one was preparing to stab in the back, the group has nothing to split up over. The case when the system assumes the possibility of error. When everyone agrees. After all, the system is not a foundation, but a shell. The foundation is the thoughts of the people who now agree. Victor thought so, until he saw Bolotnikov's frantic eyes, not realizing how his commander had made a mistake.

— The court appoints Viktor Khmelnitsky commander of the newly created penalty battalion.

Viktor turned toward Zubkov. His eyes were not just giving himself away, they were triumphant and grateful for the opportunity to take his place. Those eyes, which had been so unassuming only a few moments before, were now aflame with power.

"Zubkov for Commander-in-Chief!" — shouted someone on the right, and then immediately 50 people supported him: "Yes! Zubkov! Commander-in-Chief!!!" Zubkov raised his hand and waved at them.

Bolotnikov shouted something to the judges and tried to run towards them, but the guardsmen immediately grabbed him, and one of them knocked him in the back of the head with the butt of his rifle.

The major knelt down and almost immediately glanced sideways at Victor.

On the other side of the crowd stood Misha Zhivenko, and from behind the backs of several people he could not fully see what was happening on the square. Natasha was standing next to him, and next to Seversky, the commander of the Special Forces, the same one who had fought so hard with Bolotnikov during the evacuation from Kremenchug. And now he was standing very close to Natasha, clutching something in his jacket pocket.

— Just move. — whispered Seversky. — We'll kill you and her later.

Misha felt something sharp in his back, and he felt the presence of several more men from the special forces. At this time, closer to the left edge of the square, someone began to shout something for Khmelnitsky, but immediately a scuffle broke out and the shouting quieted down.

Another shouted "Zubkov" from one side, and several men moved towards the former commanderin-chief to escort him away. Someone was already offering Zubkov a mace, which he took triumphantly and waved upward shouting: "We shall win! For the Free Land!"

The judges stood up and bowed solemnly. Those who could shout something against it, tried to shout against it, but it was too late. Now the new Commander-in-Chief, who had been elected in public and confirmed in office in public, stood before everyone. High Priest

The Council of Six. The same gloomy light, the same underflying cries from the cellars.

Everything is in place. From beneath the table a vile, shaky voice of the head of the Holy Sejm.

"I heard the news from Stage 2. They say things are deteriorating. What can Brother Priest Guzoh have to say?"

Guzokh bellowed, "Our sector is conducting new operations, new raids. The week of repentance is feared more and more. More informants. In short…"

"In short," Nevroch interrupted him. — Everything but the numbers."

"The numbers are in order, High Priest Brother Nevroch," the latter could no longer stand these meetings: everything by any means but moving toward his "exile."

About this stage, all decisions have long been made, what remains is to be finalized. Nevroh continued: "Good. What does Brother Priest Katoch have to say?"

–

We've come up with a new technique. We're about to try it out. Everything's going according to plan.

–

That's good. Does anyone have anything to say about this?

No ideas, no suggestions, not even questions. Not about the "new" methodology, not about the numbers, not about anything at all. Everyone pretended to know everything, but in reality almost everyone just pretended.

— Then I declare the council adjourned. The next one in six days.

Everyone dispersed. Samoh, head of the 360-degree sector entering Stage 1, opened one of the yellowed doors and went down the stairs. Neuroch was waiting for him there.

— I'm so sick of having conversations with these lackeys. They can't do anything but talk nonsense about our justice and prove the nonsense of "Silanzhah".

— The most interesting thing is that they believe it themselves," Samokh grinned. The head pinned his new hopes on him. He has the most important apparatus of the Inquisition: supervision over the SCK and the very top. Only he will be able to return the church to its former influence, taken away by the SSchekists. Besides, he has the right notions regarding the distinction between church and faith, and without this one cannot become a high priest: only he who sees the real difference can convince the others of unity. — It's no big deal. It's no big deal.

— Did you have something to say, Master?

— Yes… I sense someone who might interfere with us…..

— Among whom?

— Among the humans. — Nevroh turned around. —