Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2000 07:22:33 +0900
From: Andrej Koymasky <andrejkoymasky@geocities.com>
Subject: chipi 3/9

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CHIPI - A.D. 2574
by Andrej Koymasky (C) 1999 - 2000
Written on December 20, 1994
translated by the Author
English text kindly revised
by Dave

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USUAL DISCLAINER

"CHIPI - A.D. 2574" is a gay story, with some parts containing
graphic scenes of sex between males. So, if in your land, religion,
family, opinion and so on this is not good for you it will be better
not to read this story.
But if you really want, or because YOU don't care, or because you think
you really want to read it, please be my welcome guest.

----------------------------

CHAPTER 3 - Chipi looks for Klare

He stopped, his heart in his mouth, panting. Then he thought: "Which
ever way he could have taken, he has to come back that way. If I wait
for him here, I can see what direction I have to take, but then? On the
other hand, groping my way along I can take the wrong direction and be
lost. Well, I'll wait for him here, where I can watch both the tunnels
and hide in the other when he comes back. And then, once he has passed I
can take the direction he came from."

Chipi sat down, right at the crossing of the metal bars and, feeling a
little hungry, rummaged in his bundle and started to eat something. Yes,
he really needed it. The far dripping to which before he didn't pay
attention, made him feel now the desire to drink. But now was not
convenient to go looking for water, he would have the time later. He
chewed slowly, salivating abundantly with each morsel.

While he was eating he recalled all he had come to know. Volle=fs
station had violet and white walls. At first he thought that the word
"station" had referred to the inspector, but thinking to that again, he
noticed that the square from where he entered the tunnel had yellow and
orange walls, and those of the square he had passed and where he
overheard a piece of the messenger conversation, were orange and green.
Therefore there could be a square having violet and white walls.

Moreover the warrior who had spoken with the messenger said that Chipi
could possibly take the wrong direction at the junction 12 -- was that
the point where he was now? A junction, two things that join, and here
the two metal bars were crossing and he didn't know what direction to
continue. Yes, he had to be at "junction 12". And then, the messenger
was advised his companion to shorten his way by taking the aeration
pit... more exactly, going "down" the aeration pit. And when the
messenger stopped at the first square, he talked about continuing to the
right... but where, at the junction or after going down the pit? And the
pit was after the third station, that is, if he understood correctly,
after the third square. He had just crossed a square, therefore...

All was really uncertain. If he could just have kept the pace with the
warrior! But he had a light and knew where to go, unlike himself. He
closed again his bundle and remained waiting. At times he could hear
faint noises. Pricking up his ears he understood what they were --
squeaks he knew well, mice. He thought a moment and recalled when he
chased mice in the sewers to get some food. Here, at least, he didn't
need them, but...

He took again his bundle and from the cover he pulled out some wefts in
order to obtain some long threads. Then he took a piece of dried meat,
ground it down in small pieces. He knew how to catch mice. He made the
baits, by making noses at the ends of the long threads and waited. He
heard them coming, attracted by the sharp smell of the food. Several
escaped him, but soon he was able to catch four of them. He swiftly tied
their legs and necks holding them fast so that they couldn't bite him
nor free themselves. He wrapped them with the cover to stifle their
scared squeaks. Good, now he knew he had eliminated one more possibility
-- he would not starve.

Finally he heard a noise, then caught a glimpse of light -- it was
coming from the left tunnel. He hid in the right tunnel and waited and
watched. The light rapidly approached, until he recognized the warrior
who went to deliver the message to Volle. The man passed near him,
unaware and disappeared on his way back. The faint glimmer of the man's
light had shown him for a moment the intricate crossing of the metal
bars. He went down the left tunnel. If he could single out the aeration
pit, very likely it was down there he had to take the right. He hoped he
understood correctly.

He reached a new square with orange and blue walls. Before entering it,
he became aware that the tunnel had, on the left wall, wide arches
connecting it to a parallel tunnel. He was starting to understand the
wide maze of long tunnels. He approached the faint glimmer of the
square. On one side the usual low and long small houses. They were
raised from the trench by a set of metal discs with bars leaning on
them, leaving at their center a narrow passage, by which he could
surpass that square without fear to being seen. He was crawling under
the small houses, when he stopped dead in his tracks -- the one over him
was slightly waving emitting strong gratings. He understood that
somebody was just entering in the house. He heard low voices, but could
not single out the words. From his hideout he slipped into the long
niche that was between the houses and the square level. Between the
square floor and the little houses there was a long cleft the width a
little less than his hand span. There were arranged the doors of the
small houses, he could see at times somebody entering or coming out, and
each time the small houses dangled. He decided to surpass that square
and to continue his trip. He resumed his way until he was again in a
dark tunnel.

If he just could have one of these lights without flame, it would be so
much easier. He heard the noise of a strong dripping in front of him. He
singled out the point from where it came. From the ceiling was coming
down water, in a fast trickle. He gathered some in his hands and took
them to his lips. An acrid taste. Was it the taste of that water, or the
dirt on his hands? He gathered more water vigorously brushing his hands
then drying them on his clothes, several times, then he gathered some
water again and tasted it -- now it had a fresh taste. He drank several
sips gathering it a little at a time -- he felt better. He went on.

He surpassed another square, with blue and black walls. Good, now he had
to find the aeration pit, he thought, but how to find it without seeing
at all? If it was like the one in the Raptors storage area, the pit
should have a metallic ladder possibly arriving at the tunnel's level,
but where? Was it on the right or on the left side? In this tunnel or in
the parallel one? Chipi was slowly walking in the darkness asking
himself how to proceed. The warm and stale air was coming from the
direction he was walking towards. It could be just his impression, but
he felt like the air was gradually becoming less warm and more pure --
was it the sign that he was approaching the aeration pit? All his senses
were tense with this activity.

Now the air breath was coming from his back! Therefore he must have
passed the pit! He walked back. He wasn't able to find it right away,
but at last he found it. It was on the opposite side wall from where he
was walking, in a passage between the two parallel tunnels. A low metal
railing surrounded he pit and on its wall he found the C shaped rungs!
Even seeing nothing at all, just exploring with his hands, Chipi became
aware of all this. And from above came the fresh air.

Cautiously he climbed over the railing, clung to the rungs and went
down, It was a smooth tube, and his bundle on his back at times brushed
against the wall. When at his back he felt no more brushing, he
understood he reached the lower tunnel. He groped with his hand,
continuing to go down, and looking for another railing, but before
finding it, his feet landed against sound ground -- he was at the bottom
of the pit. Groping his way he turned towards the right, until the wall
ended and his feet knocked into something. He bent down -- it was a
metallic bar. Good, he was again in a tunnel. He decided to follow the
bar going to his right. He was not sure, but he had no other
indications.

He heard voices and noises coming from the direction he had taken,
amplified by the tunnel's walls. Then he distinguished some faint waving
lights. Somebody was coming towards him. Were they looking to kill him?
He looked for a passage to the parallel tunnel. He found it, slipped
inside, emerged on the other side -- there were also lights and voices.
They were moping up both the tunnels. What could he do? Remain in the
communication passage? They would for sure control all the passages. Go
back to the pit? They could possibly check it also. His heart started to
hammer like a mad.

Unconsciously he caressed Aska's collar while his brain, receiving shots
of adrenaline, which caused his thinking to be vortical. He did not have
much time to decide what to do. Run away in the opposite direction? Try
in some way to hide? He desired to become invisible. But how?

Four lights in each tunnel -- therefore eight warriors in all. For sure
armed. Not even thinkable to face them. If they were all in the same
tunnel! Continuing to caress his collar, he formulated a desperate idea.
A very thin possibility, but...

He freed the mice from the blanket, and they squeaked aloud. The lights
seemed to stop: "Listen... shut up!" a voice said. Chipi freed the mice
one after the other, in hurry, and threw them in one of the galleries,
towards the lights. "Yes, I heard... Hey, he is possibly there..."

Chipi, who moved to the other tunnel, saw the lights run into the
gallery where he threw the mice. He ran, guided by the metal bar between
his feet. "Hey, what the fuck? They are just mice!" a voice said and
laughter thundered in the tunnel. Chipi, running headlong, surpassed the
point where the eight men were, in the parallel tunnel, just in time --
he slipped into a passage arch at his shoulder right while the four
warriors were going back to their tunnel.

His heart wildly drummed. He peeped out from behind the pillar's corner
and saw the lights go away, while the lewd comments of the warriors
continued. He waited until he calmed down, until his breath and heart
beat became again normal. His legs lightly trembled. It had been a close
shave. He had possibly to sacrifice some more food to get new mice,
Chipi thought continuing to follow in the darkness the track of the
metal bars.

A new gleam of light, a new square. Slipping on the passage under it
edge, he went forward. Here there were no the small houses, but possibly
they were on the opposite trench. All was silent. He peeped out and saw
that the walls of this square were violet and yellow. And just then he
became aware of one thing -- the warriors of the square from where he
started this trip, had an orange and yellow arm-band, those of the
second square had it orange and green -- the same colors of the square
walls. He had not a chance to see the arm band of the group searching
for him, but he guessed it had to be violet and yellow, or...

He had just surpassed this new square when, from the opposite side, he
heard voices. Then saw a light. Just two voices and a single light.
Well, he could avoid these easily. He hid in a communication arch and
waited. When the voices were nearby, he silently slipped in the other
gallery, going up in the opposite direction.

"...ke in a game. And then, or he comes out at a station, or he dies
from starvation. What need have we to look for him?"

"Who knows? Volle says it is a training. In case of an invasion."!

"Invasion? And from who?"

"You know, that new gang, the Polychia..."

"Aaahh, we Bakji remain the masters. We are too strong and well
organized."

"Anyway Volle seems to take that seriously. And he knows his business."

"Yes, he was excited. When he gets excited, he continually caresses his
beard, did you notice?"

"Yes, sure, like that time that..." and the voices faded away.

Chipi had now one more element -- Volle had a beard. And had ordered a
search to look for him. Like a game, a training, and he was the target
to stop. And in Niokko a new band had formed, the Polychia. He didn't
know if this last bit of information could be useful to him or not,
anyway...

He went forward. He was tired, he was walking for hours and the emotions
came one after the other. He didn't have a hint if outside it was day or
night. The messenger wanted to be back for supper, therefore it was
either the dead of night or morning. It was not that for him, in that
deep darkness, it made any difference. He walked more. A faint mice
squeaking. He stopped and decided to prepare again his baits to catch
some more. He had to wait several minutes, but was able to catch three
of them. Like before, he tied them and wrapped them in his cover. They
could be useful, and not just for food. He resumed walking, he heard new
dripping sounds, but now he was not thirsty. Again a far away glimmer.
He approached and his heart started again to beat strong and fast. He
found the niche and slipped inside. He was on the side of the small
houses. He approached cautiously. He got a glimpse of the silhouettes of
two men on watch inside the trench. He moved into the other gallery, but
here also there were two men. It was becoming difficult. What could he
do? Throw his mice? Would they fall for this trick?

Chipi became still. The men were silent and were standing still. If they
looked towards him, could they see him? He looked at himself -- the dark
clothes were not visible. His hands, on their tops, were dirty, dark,
not visible, but his palms were visible. He brushed them on the floor --
now they were less visible. Then he brushed carefully all the exposed
parts of his skin, his face, his arms. So, at least from far, he was now
not easily seen.

Voices. Warriors on the platform, approaching the points where were the
sentries in the trench.

"We came to relieve you..."

"It is about time! Let's go hit the bed, Gert!" one of the sentries
said.

Chipi went to the side of the small houses. He saw the men on the
platform stretching an arm to those in the trench to help them. Chipi,
crouching in the niche, slipped forward and was able to pass beyond the
second warrior right in the moment he was climbing up. He was in the
niche besides the small houses when, turning back, he saw the two new
sentries jumping inside the trench. Still, he observed them and his
heart had a jump -- he clearly saw, for a moment, the arm band of one of
the warriors. Violet and white! He had reached Volle's square!

He squat down more deeply inside the niche, still, almost holding back
his breath. The small houses waved slightly when the warriors who just
got the relieved entered them. He heard the screeching of the sliding
doors that the men were closing at their backs. Good, Chipi thought, he
arrived, but how to meet Volle without being caught by the warriors? It
would be the limit being caught and possibly killed right now. About
Volle he just knew he had a beard, very little, even if to that moment
he didn't see any other warrior with a beard. But there could be others,
besides Volle.

To wait for him to come there? No, many days could pass. He had to find
a way to make him come there, but how? A thousand ideas came to his
mind, but he discarded them one after the other because they were
unrealizable. He felt tired so, at a certain point, he decided it was
better to try to sleep a while. He laid down in the most internal part
of the niche using his food bundle as a pillow and wrapping in his
cover. The mice squeaked when he pulled them out of the cover and put
them on the floor, but after a short while they were again silent.

But Chipi's brain, in his drowsiness, suggested to him a plan. He woke
up, excited. He pulled off his cover from his body, went near the gape
between the square and the small houses, at the level of one of the many
closed door and, slipping his hand on the gape, tried to push a door at
a side. It yielded without screeching. He opened it for about four
inches, groping he found one of the tied mice, took it and, slipping his
hand in the gape of the door, threw it inside and at once hid inside the
niche.

The little tied animal landed on the internal floor with a light thud
and at once squeaked aloud.

"What's that?" a sleepy voice asked.

"A mouse..." another voice answered.

"Switch on the light. How did it enter?"

"Hey, but... who put it here inside? What fucking joke is this?" a voice
exclaimed.

>From another side another voice complained: "What's got your balls-up?
Stop it, let us sleep!"

"Who is the bastard doing such fucking jokes?"

"Stop it!"

"Fuck yourself!"

"Hey, drop it, I want to sleep!"

The voices overlapped, answered back to each other. Several doors
opened, warriors came out with angry voices. But soon the quarrel calmed
down and everybody went back to sleep, Chipi was satisfied. He waited
until all was silent, and when enough time had elapsed, choosing another
door, he repeated his trick. Again complaints, vexed voices, growing
louder than before.

"If I find who is pulling these fucking tricks..."

"I bet it is Jarko!"

"Me? What have I got to do with them?"

"No, Jarko was sleeping, I can assure you."

"Sure, you aid and abet him!"

"Say it again and I'll smash your face!"

"Stop it!"

"Shut up!"

"Let us sleep, bastards!"

With more difficulty than before, the calm was finally established.
Chipi had just one more mouse -- this time a real fight had to burst, or
he had no idea what he could do. He waited longer than before. Chipi
judged that enough time had passed. He changed again his place and threw
his last mouse.

This time all hell broke loose. The ones of the last door, went out
first, shouting: "And now it's enough! Who's the bastard who doing these
fucking tricks?"

Other warriors shouted, came out, started to quarrel, therefore others
were woken up... In a while everybody was on the square accusing each
other, yelling, abusing each other. And the mess didn't seem to placate,
on the contrary. They went down to brass tacks, someone laid hands on
some else who reacted. Some wanted to search all the "cells", but others
were opposed. The rough was sky-high. Somebody started to punch one
another, others tried to divide them and were instead involved.

Until Chipi heard a strong, authoritative voice shouting: "Stop it!" and
for a moment there was silence.

But then a voice raised up: "Station-master Klube, somebody is trying to
be too smart!"

And an animated discussion started again. Chipi was disappointed --
thus, the man who came, was not the inspector Volle! He was at the same
point as before. He sat inside the niche asking himself what to do now.
Above him the row was again rising -- accusations, abuses.

Klube's voice started again to shout: "Stop it, silence!" but now it
seemed that nobody was listening at his order.

"So then? Have you all become crazy?" suddenly a new voice said aloud
and again silence came.

Chipi pricked his ears.

The same voice started again: "Station-master Klube! What's happening in
here? What's this din during the rest time? Will you explain it to me?"
asked with an extremely sharp tone.

"Inspector Volle..." Klube voice started and Chipi felt his heart jolt
in his throat -- he had succeeded!

Without listening any more, he quickly slipped inside the niche until he
reached the end of the square, entered the tunnel and from here he
passed in the parallel tunnel and from here on the trench of the other
side. He run long the niche and when he heard that the voices were again
near, went out, climbed to the square and, right when two warriors saw
him, he shouted: "Inspector Volle!"

A man with a beard turned with a frowned air, saw the boy running
towards him and looked at him in astonishment.

"Inspector Volle!" Chipi shouted again, escaping a warrior who was
running towards him, and arrived at a few steps from the man. Other
warriors were encircling him, and Chipi threw himself on the floor
towards the man with the beard, shouting for the third time: "Inspector
Volle!"

The warriors jumped on Chipi but at once Volle said: "Let him free!"
then, addressing to Chipi, he said: "Stand up. So, you are the intruder
of Merk's message."

"Yes, the same. My name is Chipi."

"And how could you find me in such a short time? To avoid the warriors I
sent to catch you, and the sentries? Fucking hell, look at him, he is
filthy in an obscene way! He seems a mouse!" he exclaimed. Some of the
warriors laughed.

Chipi smiled: "But you can't kill me, now. You have to listen to me, as
I found you!"

"Sure, mouse! But you have first to wash yourself, to make yourself
decent. Klube, I entrust him to you. See he is thoroughly curried, than
bring him to me. And all of you, once for all, go back to sleep and be
silent!"

"Yes, but if that bastard who does these fucking trick continues, I..."
a man said menacingly.

So Chipi said, interrupting him: "I beg your pardon, may I say
something?"

"What?" Volle asked.

"I am sorry I raised all this mess to attract here the inspector
Volle... it's me who did the tricks with the mice."

Something like a bellow came from the angry warriors and some of them
were about to jump on the boy, but Volle with a gesture stopped them and
the silence fell again.

"So, you did that in order to..."

"I didn't know how to find you without being caught and so... I am
sorry, but I couldn't find another system."

Volle started to laugh and soon others followed suit.

"Klube, take him away, before I change my mind and I kill him with my
hands!" Volle said suddenly serious, but Chipi saw that his eyes were
still laughing.

Klube, seizing vigorously an arm of the boy, took him up a wide
staircase, while Volle was still saying something to the warriors.

He took Chipi into a room and made him undress completely, then gave him
a bar of soap and made him stand in front of a tiled wall, moved away,
and turned a tap on. From the ceiling, suddenly, a pelt of water came
down, like a cloudburst, right on Chipi who jumped aside, astounded. He
had never seen anything like that. Then the boy prudently came under
that artificial rain that was coming from a metallic disk on the
ceiling. The sensation was agreeable. He started to wash himself,
abundantly lathering himself. He washed thoroughly, for a good while,
until Klube stopped the water flow.

The man made him dry off, then gave him some clean clothes, that were
very large on him.

"Come, little pest, let's go to meet inspector Volle." the grumpy man
said.

He guided him through corridors illuminated with those strange
luminescent rods, to a door with two sentries. He made him enter in a
room where two more sentries were standing and from there into a second
room where Volle was waiting from them, sitting behind a massive desk.

"So, then, Chimbey!" Volle said.

"Chipi, my name is Chipi." the boy said.

"Chipi... really a mouse name. So, then, you would like to meet Klare,
our boss."

"Right, inspector."

"To tell him what?"

"Why everybody asks me to tell him what? If I could say it to any
other..." Chipi started to say.

"All right. You don't want to tell it to any other people. But then, how
do you presume I take you to meet him? He has not time to waste."

"But I have to talk with him. If not, it is just the same as if you kill
me."

"This could be a good idea. But first, explain to me how you managed to
find me in so few hours. Besides the detail of the mice..."

Chipi then, started to tell. Volle and Klube listened attentively to
him, interrupting from time to time with questions.

At the end Volle said: "I should say that you are clever and
resourceful. It would even be a shame to kill you. On the other side...
Let me think..." the man said, studying him.

Chipi had the strong feeling that the warrior with lively and
intelligent eyes liked him. He waited.

Volle said: "Good, let's do this -- I'll give you a safe-conduct so that
you can come back here to meet me. No Bakji will harm you, thus. I'll
send you up, on the surface, in an area called Chita. It is one of the
most violent and dangerous areas in Niokko. If in seven days, no more no
less, you can find one of the entrances to the underground city of the
Bakji, but different from that of Chita, admittedly you can survive
seven days there, you can come back to see me and then I promise you
that I will ask Klare to receive you."

"If I have to live for seven days outside, in a dangerous area, may I
have my food and my weapon? The food I left in the niche under the
square, and my weapon is in the hands of the station-master Merk."

"No, I'm sorry, neither of them. You will have to manage, as you are
now. And I warn you, if the people out there find on you the Bakji
safe-conduct, you could even pass a much more difficult moment. But,
without that, you will never be able to come back here."

"All right, as I have no other choice." Chipi said, impertinently.

"Well, Klube, make him go out through the Chita exit. Oh, let him have a
meal, before, it could be his last meal." Volle said and dismissed them
waving his hand.

Klube took him and guided him to his own room, Here had the boy sit down
and ordered one of the warriors on watch to bring some food for the boy.

While Chipi was eating, Klube said him: "I doubt you can remain alive,
up there on the surface."

"But plenty of people live up there, right?"

"But you are a stranger, alone, you don't belong to any group.
Therefore, you are at the mercy of everybody, there in Chita... I don't
envy you at all."

"What's the most dangerous group?"

"In Chita? The Pwertans, or else the Mahyohs."

"And one of the most weak?"

"Oh, several -- the Aishs, the Jooheshs and... for sure the Saints."

"The Saints? Who are the Saints?"

"Some nut cases. They presume to save the world... singing!"

"And if a Pewertan meets a Saint, will he kill him?"

"If he feels like it. But it is more likely he would kill a Mahyoh, they
are deadly enemies. For sure they will kill a lonely Bakji."

Chipi nodded. Then asked: "And how can one recognize a Saint?"

"Well, they don't have a distinctive way to dress. They sing and dance.
And they hold a bowl with which they beg for food."

"A bowl like this one?" Chipi asked pointing to that from which he ate.

"Well, any bowl. What do you have in mind?"

"I don't yet know, but if you could give me this bowl.."

"For sure it is not a weapon, then... Would you try to pass for a
Saint?"

"Who knows. At times the weaker people, are not even worthy enough to be
killed, therefore, possibly..." Chipi said.

Klube smiled and nodded: "I wish you to succeed. I can't do more for
you."

"Yes, you can possibly do one more thing for me."

"I'm listening..."

"Can you give me one more bowl identical to this one?"

"Another? And to do what?"

"If I tell you... will you not deny it to me?"

"This, I cannot yet say."

"I cannot for sure make a weapon of it, this metal is too thin and
soft."

"All right, I'll ask for another bowl." the man said, curious.

When Chipi had the two bowls, he superposed them, studied them, then
parted them again. He took his safe-conduct, put it between the two
bowls then using the knife he folded all the edge of the two bowls
inside out blocking the two bowls so that now it seemed to be only one.

Klube smiled nodding: "Shrewd! Hoping nobody steals it or breaks it."

"Why should they? A bowl like this, I think that can't tempt anybody. At
least I hope."

"Good, boy. My wishes, then. It is time I send you to the surface."

When the four warriors left him amongst the ruins in the Chita's area,
one of them said reminded him: "You cannot enter again from this exit,
remember."

"I know."

"Go in that direction, now."

"All right." Chipi answered and left.

There was a path amongst the ruins, traced by thousand of people who
passed there. It was late morning. Chipi, while slowly walking, looked
around carefully, being on alert. At first he saw no living soul. Then
passed around a bend, saw two women and two men, dressed in rags, who
were scavenging. He approached them singing and dancing and stretching
towards them his bowl.

"Get out of my way, Saint!" a cantankerous woman yelled at him,.

"For the world salvation, a bit of food!" Chipi sang, hoping he said the
right sentence.

One of the two men straightened up brandishing the tool with which he
was digging: "Go away, lunatic! If you want to eat, work!"

Chipi went away continuing to sing and dance. He felt ridiculous, but he
was happy -- they took him for a Saint without problems. He went forward
and crossed a skeletal old woman sitting on a cement low wall. He made
again his scene. When he was at some ten feet from the old woman, she
started to scream and Chipi suddenly was surrounded by a group of men
and women.

"What's up, Mum? He is just a Saint, you have not to be scared!" one of
the men said.

Chipi stretched out his bowl, continuing to dance and sing words with no
sense.

The man said: "What do you want from us, we have no food to waste. And
you seem even in a better shape than us! Scram!"

"For the world salvation..." Chipi started.

"But what fucking salvation! Try to save your skin from the Pwertans,
you, with these fine clothes on you!"

"Do you want them?" Chipi then readily asked him, "In exchange with your
clothes?"

The man stared at him like one looks at a mad-man, but nodded in assent.

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CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 4

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In my home page I've put some of my stories. If someone wants to read
them, the URL is

http://www.geocities.com/andrejkoymasky/

If you want to send me feed-back, please e-mail at

andrejkoymasky@geocities.com

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