Tarot and the Medici Patience. Grimoire

.

Rice. Where to go? Where to seek refuge?49

.

Variant 3: The little Hobbit, dripping with sticky sweat, scampered home in quick, skittering dashes.

All day long, the signs were screaming at him about the imminent and inescapable approach of a white fluffy beast coming for his soul. With every passing hour, the hints from the World became ever more blatant—the cats screamed louder in his ear, and the passersby, who seemed to be uttering random phrases, started giving him increasingly meaningful looks, bending the Matrix itself so much that any minute now they might pop out of RAM onto this side of the screen.

The final sign was a scrap of newspaper by the front door bearing the headline: 'Final Warning to Ukraine from Gazprom,' although only the first half of the headline was left.

‘…I wonder what Castaneda would have to say about this?’ mused the Hobbit, settling himself, half-crouched, on the bench before the entrance.

The answer arrived, as always—in the form of profanities and the soulful cries of young, yet already remarkably gifted ne’er-do-wells, led by Lisp. To the rhythmic hacking of the young, yet already promising KMS crantez-do Gavrila, who slipped into the entranceway as the Hobbit continued to ponder: ‘To be or not to be—that is the question.’

'But of course, strike him—heel to the nose,' mused Gavrila.

.

Rice Nothing betrayed the standard bearer, Dr. Shmir Faces. Even the Long-Range Communication radio was artfully disguised as a worn-out accordion.5051

.

option 4: (…a deep, rolling voice, off-stage… set against a backdrop of peculiar hissing and crackling.)

…the Dal Reconnaissance resident slumbered… Yet he knew that in… however many minutes, he would awaken in his own bed and recall every detail of his dream. Therefore, today he shall forgo the KMS of something-or-other, Gavryusha, and slip into the stairwell out of turn.

…end of transmission.

.

Rice …Three, Seven, Ace… Three, Seven, Ace… Three, Seven, Ace…5253

.

Option five: 'Well now, let's let the King of Spades through, let him through,' Yuri lisped with malicious glee after his last meeting with The Lisping One, ever more enveloped in the role of the local madman, as he ushered Gavrila into the stairwell—Gavrila, who had yet to discover the fateful encounter with The Lisping One that would alter Yuri’s destiny, but was already hurrying towards it…

.

Rice: How’s it going, bro? Who did you bump into today?54

.

Option 6: 'Kings of Swords to the front, please…' mused Herman, gazing coolly into Gavrila’s eyes as they traded empty phrases—and Gavrila, businesslike, dashed off to punch Lisping Guy in the face, just as any card in the solitaire is supposed to do.

.

Rice: People are cards. Cards are people. Where you lay them out—that's where they'll stay.55

.

Option 7: 'Nnnooo, I don’t like this spread…' thought the Stalker, and reshuffled the spread where Gavrila, with his trained leg, delivered a finishing kick to Lisping Guy’s head, forever ridding the stairwell of this infuriating, scrappy pest—but earning his first conviction in the process.

And really—what an honor, to lay out a solitaire for Lisping Guy.

Now, Gavrila—that's a fine chap. I'll have a word with him, and he'll give that fellow a proper thrashing anyway. But Svetka from apartment 54—she's a fool, wagging her tail every which way, blind to her own happiness.

They need a solitaire laid out for them with Gavrila. So they might finally get together and live happily ever after. Then, in the building, by the way, in a decade or so, there will be more decent folk around, instead of all these lispers.

.

Section Chapter 3 – Conclusions.

.

For the skeptics among you, a classification of fingers:

1. Version Zero of Stalking, or…

2. Unconscious Stalking, or: wherever a guardian angel manages to stuff you—that is truly your homeland.

3. 'Aboutооооооооо, enemies once again… 'They've surrounded me—it's an ambush, can you believe it, guys, seriously?'—semi-conscious Stalking, which often glides smoothly into Stalking in the madhouse. All under the watchful care and in the company of kind, attentive orderlies. With haloperidol at the ready.56

4. Stalking the dreamer… or, more precisely, the dreamer's Stalking… or perhaps the stalker's dreaming, probably… or Stalking of the dream, strictly speaking… or a dream within Stalking, perhaps… or maybe Stalking within a dream? …who could possibly unravel these dreams without a council of stalkers…

5. Stalking is not quite a cardsharp yet, but already starting to shuffle… the cards… and the events…

6. Stalking the stalker… or at least, that's what he thinks…

7. 'Surely, by now the stalker ought to become a Stalker,' mused The World…

.

Homework Section No. 3.

.

Rice. Downshifting. Down—the mask. To whoever sees this, consider it a sign.57

.

1. Prepare your own collection of mottos, epigraphs, proverbs, sayings, or photos for each item in the first part of Chapter 3.

Do it no worse than the author of this book—that pitiful failure untroubled by intelligence!

.

2. Prepare your own collection of mottos, epigraphs, proverbs, sayings, or photos for each item in the second part, 'Summary of Chapter 3.'

Do it at least as well as the book’s author—that illiterate scribbler who imagines himself the Guru of Stalking!

Revise the section titled 'Summary of Chapter 3.' Record it in your journal, along with your epigraphs.

.

3. Determine the KEY, that is, the primary and distinctive features of the Stalker's evolution at each stage. Draw up a diagram of their evolution.

.

4. Apparently, the author has cunningly concealed the secret Knowledge from the masses and conveniently neglected to reveal the three most significant stages of the Stalker's development. Undoubtedly, he did this to clandestinely weigh down the ignorant masses from behind the Veil.

Restore to the people—in your own face, that is, to yourself—the lost inheritance! Become the Chosen One and, in a fit of Channeling, inscribe the three missing articles!

.

5. Seek out on the Internet the secret guidebook entitled 'How to Rule the World Without Attracting the Attention of the Orderlies.'

Download it, print it, purchase it, pen it yourself, bind it into a hefty ancient tome with a lock, and suspend it from a chain above your bed. Into the book, under lock and key, place three secret points of Stalker development that you have uncovered yourself, in Channeling mode.

.

6. If your friends inquire about that intriguing book perched above your bed, deflect with humor, steer the conversation elsewhere, or reply in the words of James Bond or any other literary or cinematic legend.

Your mission: under no circumstances, to anyone, ever, are you to divulge or explain the contents of this book.

You are now the Keeper of Secret Knowledge—on probation. By the way, the Keepers’ probation period is limited solely by the number of their 'blunders.' In other words, if you neither foul up nor blurt out the Stalker’s military secrets, it lasts for as long as your enthusiasm endures.

For example, Eternity.

.

7. Find any cinematic hero on the Internet whom you wish to resemble, and record a selection of their catchphrases in your journal. Master these lines, along with their delivery.

.

Attention!

Do not forget to remain within the boundaries of the Criminal Code.

.

Choose your mask wisely!

.

Fig. Mask to mask. People to people. As you don the mask, so shall it be!58

.

Chapter 4. Pont, simply Pont.

.

Rice A light can be seen at the end of the tunnel. We are drawing ever closer to our goal.59

.

So, what exactly is a Stalker, when you look more closely?

Well then, for instance, let us consider the necromancer. With him, everything is delightfully straightforward—he is surrounded by the dead he has summoned from their graves, who howl dreadfully, are fiercely jealous of anyone venturing too near the necromancer, and will shred to pieces anyone lacking a CASCO policy.6061

Or, for instance, vampires. With them, everything is perfectly clear—no one ever mistakes a vampire for anything else. At least, not before death.

The defining feature of the Bogatyr, let us say, is heroic strength. The Magician—the knack for conjuring. The witch—witchery. The Warlock—working warlockry.

But what, in all the worlds, is a Stalker, and with what, pray tell, do kindly, personable, and exceedingly likeable folk of every dimension eat them?

.

Rice Whether you loved or you suffered—in the end, you wound up here all the same.62

.

Should anyone have perused the preceding chapters with due attention, they may have—quite by accident—noticed that every scenario comes equipped with a multitude of possible outcomes. And, curiously enough, every scenario offers endings both happy and terminal—full stop. Yet, should one toss a handful of scenarios together and give them a gentle stir, it swiftly emerges there are myriad combinations, but they all share a principal quirk: the overall odds of a happy ending, for reasons unfathomable, decline inexorably toward zero. The farther we go, as they say, the scarier it gets.

And yet, the probability of finding oneself three meters underground inevitably marches toward 100% with time—no matter the scenario! And if your script isn't pulled from children’s comics but from the grim realities of life, the disappearance of a happy ending proceeds at roughly the same speed as uttering the word ‘disaster’ with heartfelt conviction.

.

Rice. Why are we standing? Whom are we waiting for? Motherland looks upon you with hope, my son! So what if you just rescued someone? The houses—they keep burning and burning…63

.

At this point, any halfway-competent mathematician will recall the wildest extremes of such hazardous and unwholesome professions as Agent 007, or, for that matter, Indiana Jones.

Everyone wants him, everyone is after him, and their intentions toward the scape— ah, pardon me, the hero – naturally, the Hero – are entirely incompatible with robust health and sound sleep for our leading man.

And the most curious thing is, even if, in the grand tradition of Indian cinema, you fire 150 shots from a six-shooter, they somehow still manage to shoot back! And – as a Rule – in bursts! And these fiends, wouldn’t you know it, come running at you from all sides. Like, honestly, as if it's some kind of clearance sale.

Vampires, now they have it easy in such moments—just latch onto a couple of scoundrels in some shadowy corner, top up on hells, and off they go, carried on the wings of the night. But what’s a humble Pont supposed to do in this predicament?64

These questions, oddly enough, trouble him very little. Without a trace of nerves, he glides from episode to episode, alive, well, and positively rosy-cheeked. Well, perhaps just a little bit worse for wear courtesy of the latest sex maniac. But how does he pull it off? Why is he slathered in chocolate and all manner of Halle Berry? And yet here, you see, the sandwich inevitably falls butter-side down?!

A film, you say? But someone does win the national lottery! …or becomes president… And someone—perish the thought!—becomes the president’s wife!!!

.

Rice One squirrel keeps spinning another in the wheel, round and round. Always and everywhere. People are forever turning the eternal puzzle.65

.

And if you look closely at Pont's actions in the film, you’ll spot one distinctive detail—he, that sly dog, is always right on time!!!

Not a second sooner, not a second later… the very instant the guard turns away, lost in musings on the meaning of existence… wham, Pont materializes—impossible to erase! And, taking advantage of his fleeting introspection (and sparing ammunition for the remaining 149 guards), you give him a good thump with your charisma right on the noggin, and off goes the soul—racing straight to par… ah, no, well, to hell, of course. I mean, obviously, to ааааааааааddd.

It’s just that the dear lady, for a few minutes, was overtaken by a bout of delicate feminine weakness.

And there’s Pont, right on the spot! Ready for use, as if he knew all along, that scoundrel…

And that’s always the way with him: give an inch—Pont’s already seized everything. What once belonged to someone else—now is Pont’s!

Even an old crone has her off days, so tell me, how are villains supposed to snatch a moment’s rest from their misdeeds? Pont takes full advantage of these breaks in the most shameless way, and then looks you straight in the eye—bold as brass—and brazenly announces, ‘Pont. Just Pont.’

What a delightful rogue, eh?

But the most intriguing part is—he manages to play his ‘one in a million’ chance with the consistency of a Swiss chronometer, inevitably slipping from episode to episode, deftly weaving through bursts of machine-gun fire and slipping between shapely legs in those rare moments when they were relaxed and defenseless.

.

Rice. The instructions are simple. Take it—wave your hands about. If only a smidgen of strength remained for personal growth.66

.

Here’s another fairly well-known new film—‘Next’, starring Nicolas Cage.

There, Kolya had the uncanny ability to see the future—literally, three minutes ahead. Yet, as it turned out, that was enough to duck at the right time and raise his head at the perfect moment. He sprinted between machine-gun bursts no less expertly than that dashing fellow, Pont.

The first time I saw him, I thought, ‘That’s it—Pont has gotten plastic surgery again.’

Their moves are just identical: no one fires a shot, you’re not even issued a pistol—just like in the construction battalion—yet the enemies tumble left and right, lining up neatly in stacks as if strictly following GOST standards!67

Thus, it logically follows that since Kolya never waved a pistol around in ‘The Prophet,’ and Pont doesn’t make a habit of shooting either, their chief weapon is the uncanny ability to appear in the right place at the right time—and, naturally, to greet incoming bullets with a broad, photogenic, bulletproof smile worthy of toothpaste advertisements…

Perhaps that’s what blinds the bullets—there’s really no other explanation for why they always end up missing…

.

Rice As one poet put it: ‘Everything is trivial, except for time!’68

.

And if one were to employ strictly scientific language for the especially fastidious, one might offer the following formulation:

A significantly increased likelihood of success, even in those near-impossible survival situations, is afforded these individuals by their innate or acquired ability for absolutely synchronous interaction with aggressively disposed entities—thus enabling them to realize their wishes and capabilities in the most optimal fashion.

Did anyone understand any of that?

This, you see, is one of the distinguishing marks of Stalking—absolute synchronicity with The World, with the barest whisper of force, aggression, or weaponry.

On this note, I am reminded of verses—by Guberman, if memory serves:

My comrade nourished lice upon himself,

Refashioned rags, trembling all the while,

Took scissors to the fabric of The Universe,

And paid visits to God…

…without a knife.

.

Homework Section No. 4.

.

Rice – Give me a place to stand, and I shall overturn the world! – That point is not outside, but within you, my friend! – Oh, what a fib! Come on!!! No, rууууууу!6970

.

1. Look up and watch the film 'Next' (2007), starring Nicolas Cage.71

.

2. What enabled Cris Johnson to perform his feats?

.

3. What possibilities does this grant him (C.J.) that set him apart from ordinary people? Compile a list of such abilities. And what could these offer their possessor? List at least five points.

.

4. What drawbacks accompany Cris’s abilities?

.

5. Compare the behavioral strategies of Cris Johnson in 'Next' with those of James Bond in the Bond series (take at least two or three films with the same actor, for example, Daniel Craig).

Create a list (or table) of similarities and differences, their distinguishing characteristics, and the consequences of those differences. In your conclusions, endeavor to substantiate them. Cite references supporting your conclusions by indicating the relevant series and episode timestamp.

.

6. If such a person prefers not to flaunt their powers of foresight, can these abilities still be discovered? How? Create a list of specializations and professions where the gift of foresight might secure success in society.

.

7. Search the internet for information about the prototype of Bond. What is he like?

.

8. Search the internet for information about the prototype or analogue of Chris Johnson. What is he like?

.

9. Might modern power structures and special services be interested in employees like Chris Johnson?

.

10. Search the internet and compile a list of countries and TV channels that feature a show similar to 'Battle of the Psychics.' Take note of the years these shows first appeared. Take heed of the expenses incurred in hosting the show and its overall return on investment. What, pray tell, is the goal of these shows?

.

11. Treat yourself to about five episodes of the series 'Mentalist' (2008–2015), starring Simon Baker—perhaps from the very first season. Pay attention to the show's length, its budget, and the Ukrainian remakes.72

Delve into the history of the series and its archetype.

What is the English translation of the words 'stalker' and 'stalking'?

Who, exactly, were Chikatilo, Red John, Red Dragon (give it another watch), and those other maniacs?7374

If there is a Shadow, what is it that balances it?

Which Order is known by the unofficial title 'Dogs of the Lord'?

Would counterintelligence ever flaunt itself and its activities?

.

12. In what other exotic guises or forms might the contest, 'Battle of the Psychics,' be held to reveal those with extrasensory abilities?

.

13. If one were to draw a comparative analysis between Chris Johnson and James Bond, Patrick Jane and Hannibal Lecter, who among them stands closest to the Stalker?

What, would you say, is the defining trait of self-adoring professional athletes?

What, then, marks most serial killers and maniacs as a breed?

What do 'styag', 'to amass', and 'to amass the Holy Spirit' actually mean?

So, who exactly is a Stalker?

What are considered 'trophies' for a stalker following this self-taught guide?

Please justify your opinion in writing, point by point, with evidence where possible.

.

14. In the film, is Chris Johnson a puppet, or a conductor?

Please justify your opinion in writing, point by point, with evidence where possible.

.

15. Watch the 2008 film 'Say Leo.'

Spot Chris Johnson in it.

.

16. Recall and make a list of films where—if only fleetingly—the main or supporting characters possess the gift of foresight as part of the plot.

.

17. Bonus.

Watch the series 'Vampires of the Middle Lane.'75

.

Rice If only I had known the winning hand, I’d be living in Sochi! Some people know, but they’re not telling! (For the record, he lives far better than in Sochi.)76

.

Chapter 5 The cat darted by, waving its tail…

.

Rice 'I know that I know nothing' (a distorted and incomplete maxim, commonly misattributed to Socrates).77

.

What does it mean to be in the right place at the right time?

To put it in the pedantic tongue of incorrigibly clever mathematicians: it is to possess the correct spatiotemporal coordinates at just the appointed moment.

In other words, F(x, y, z, t) = f(t), where f(t) is that very sly function responsible for success, acclaim, and the ever-elusive feeling of deep moral fulfillment.

Has anyone understood anything at all?

.

Fig. To sleep or not to sleep. Through the dream – to see. If you haven't awakened – you can't unsee it.78

.

To put it more simply, let's take a simple example: a cat dashes across the road. Right in the thick of traffic. Which, incidentally, could easily run her over.

Personally, three things have always astonished me:

1) The cat, as a Rule, runs without glancing about, but instead fixes her gaze on some distant point;

2) If she stops darting across the road and begins to look around, that's exactly when, as a Rule, she tends to get run over;

3) A simple, yet astonishing fact: where just a moment ago there was a cat, a car now passes by—but the cat is no longer there!

And here, quite naturally, analogies of this very kind come to mind:

.

Rice The clever learn from the successful. The wise learn from those who achieve results.79