expect you in a day. Bring crowbars and lanterns with you.
Conspirators at the coffin
Princess Sophia herself led Tsykler through an underground passage into the crypt of the Archangel Cathedral, she didn’t trust others. With her were her irreplaceable servants – Ustyan and Dormidont.Key keepers, so to speak, to pick any lock, to open any door,
And with Ivan Tsykler went his relatives-in-law, Alexey Prokofievich Sokovnin, and Fyodor Matveyevich Pushkin. Those whom the Duma nobleman trusted, and those who trusted him. The strelets sergeants from the Tsykler regiment went, Vasily Filippov, Fyodor Yarozhin and the Cossack Pyotr Luyanov. Ivan Eliseevich thought that it was necessary to inform the Quiet Don as well.
It was a long way to go and very dangerous – three people are one thing, and seven are another. Well, what can you do, and they got there. Let Ivan Eliseevich wipe his face with a handkerchief endlessly at the end of the journey.
– It’s hard to breathe, princess, how much longer? – Pushkin could not resist, – how long should we rest?
– Don’t hesitate, follow me, – Sophia ordered in a whisper.
– It’s okay, it can be harder on campaigns. – the archers also spoke up.
But then. they passed three more passes. and found themselves at the treasured door. Ustyan and Dormidont took hold of the noble castle, but it did not hold out either. The door opened.
Sophia, in spite of not running in.
– We need to light… – the princess either asked or ordered.
The archers lit torches, and Sophia walked past the stone sarcophagi, cut with the intricate ligature of an old letter. And here, finally, is that very one…
– Ustyan, Dormidont! Lift the lid! – And Sophia Alekseyevna made an imperative gesture
There were no unnecessary words in response. The archers began to light, and now held oil lanterns, extinguished the torches and put them away out of harm’s way. It became quiet in the crypt, it seemed everyone had forgotten how to breathe. Only the nasty scraping of stone grains on stone was heard.
– Be careful, – the princess whispered, almost begged.
– Everything is already… – Dormidont reassured, and the serfs removed the lid.
Sophia began to cross herself quickly, and when she calmed down, carefully turned up the veil. Even now she closed her eyes…
– Exactly, it was him, – Tsykler’s voice cut through the silence, – I have seen him, Pyotr Alekseevich, many times. The face, everything is exact…
– He is, our late sovereign, – Sokovnin confirmed.
All the service people silently pulled their hats off their wild heads and crossed themselves. At least here they were able to fast with the sovereign in a Christian manner. – And we saw him when we stood guard at the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, – the Streltsy confirmed, – Exactly! The body must be taken. We will carry our sovereign to the Kremlin in our arms, and give him a funeral. All the Streltsy will go.Sophia Alekseyevna! We will put Alexei Petrovich on the throne, and impale all the boyars!
Neither Sophia, nor Tsykler with Sokovnin expected such words. This storm will completely cover them! And whether we will be able to swim out or not, only the Lord will know!
– We need to talk to the colonels, – Fyodor Pushkin began to mumble.
– We need to prepare the matter… – Ivan Alekseevich also began to speak, – so that everything will work out!
– What are you talking about, boyar children! – Vasily Filippov whispered furiously, – or do you not know people, the Streltsy and soldiers! With Peter dead, no one will stop us, and if you start whispering in the corners, the first Streltsy centurion will run to the Preobrazhensky Prikaz “Shout out words and deeds”! What will they think? That you are deceiving them, that you want to ignite the Time of Troubles. I’m not afraid, my business is military, I’m going to die anyway. But we’ll all end up together, on the chopping block of Bolotnaya Square. And then we’ll hang on the spit side by side!
– It’s stupid to take on a blackamoor, – Sokovnin shook his head, – we need to do it smart, prepare…
– They’re getting ready to go to Amsterdam. Apparently, the replacement, the boyar, the Tsar is already waiting there. If we delay, no one will believe us, – Sophia also spoke, – and I’m giving five thousand chervonets for this matter. And another two thousand to the Cossacks.
– That’s what we’ll do… We’ll talk to the colonels and the sergeants, and start with God’s help, – and Tsykler crossed himself, not taking his eyes off the dead Tsar.
The Streltsy, who were already standing around the sarcophagus without hats, also crossed themselves. It was visible how their faces suddenly darkened. They realized that the people at the top were up to something.
Conversations and negotiations
Ivan Eliseevich sat, moving chess pieces on the board. He looked at the pawns, and it seemed to him that they were real, living people. Look, the foreman of his regiment, Stremanny, Ilya Shchukin, will turn up now. The guy died near Azov because of Lefortovo and Sheinova’s stupidity. And how many like him there were, it’s hard, oh hard to think about… The Cossacks took Azov with an army of five thousand sabres, and this time they captured the fortress for the Tsar. And these… Pathetic sadists-grimacers, inept, they killed so many people during the siege, it’s scary to remember… And now he’s taking up the sabre again. Tsykler wasn’t afraid of these funny, pea-colored buffoons in German clothes. Any strelets, a warrior from childhood, fights with a sabre so that it’s a joy, and hits the target with a squeak as it should be. And he chops with a halberd, so that blood flies in all directions. He’s seen it himself… You have to attack quickly, in the Swedish way, without looking back, and take out the enemies with cannons, and so that the guns stand in the front row, and with grapeshot, grapeshot… But who will Sokovnin bring to his house now? Well, snacks are on the table, there is something to welcome guests with. And salted mushrooms, cucumbers too, and finely chopped corned beef, freshly baked bread. Liqueurs and liqueurs. And it’s strange, he saw how these Kukuy Swiss stare at him. He, Ivan Tsykler, is like a splinter in their finger for them. Of course, the son of a Swiss in the service, and now he, and Fonvisin, a Russian from the Russians. And he doesn’t smoke tobacco, and he doesn’t walk around in German clothes. So it’s not about clothes, or a wig, but about the desire to serve and one’s own mind. And it’s stupid to compare Russia with Sweden… How many miles is it to Smolensk? And to Astrakhan? And the writers keep talking about the roads, saying that the roads are bad…So who will maintain these roads? There are few peasants, and they are not able to repair these roads endlessly. And the riflemen need to be mounted on horses, so that they can reach distant borders not on foot, but on horses. They will be able to get there faster, and will not get tired on the road. And before the battle, they will leave the saddles, stand in the ranks and fight, fresh and cheerful! As in the army of Alexander the Great long ago happened. He himself read Arrian.
Okay, enough dreaming. There will still be an opportunity to do important things. It seemed that voices were heard from below in the basement, and the floorboards creaked on the stairs. His serf, Nikishka, opened the doors, and the sergeants of three regiments entered the room: Dmitry Vorontsov, Stremyanny, Veniamin Baturin. A total of ten people known to him.
– Sit down, comrades and glorious warriors! Here are the snacks on the table, and the liqueurs in the decanters!
– Thank you, Ivan Eliseevich, for the honor and kindness! – answered Silin Fyodor.
– Yes, we are glad to be with you! – added Grigory Elizariev.
Those who came sat