Barely looking at him, hardly audible, almost in a whisper she abruptly said:
– Who are you?
– Don’t be afraid, everything is well, – he said as gently as possible. – Where is your home?
The face of the child changed, disfigured with horror, as if she recalled the image of a terrible dream. Small snow-white hands grasped the hem of the cloak on his chest, and weakened, driven by the fear of a confused voice declared:
Please, save yourself! They will come again! I am the only one left. They will come back! And after a pause, she exclaimed: Brother!
After that she burst into tears, nestling up to Renter like a drowning man catches at straws.
Scott Renter felt embarrassed, weasel was alien and forgotten because he hadn’t seen it for many years. The cry of a child echoes dissipated in the bottomless void in his soul, scorched with suffering.
«Darkness how long will you thicken in the world!» he thought in a fit of temper. And looking at the old, destroyed village, he said loudly:
– Child, don't worry, I'll never leave you. From now on I'll always be with you! Nothing will dare to darken your face.
And to the surprise of the girl tears started to fall from his eyes. The child stopped crying, stretched her hands to his face, as she knew now, the face of her Savior, not of the blighter. She took off his glasses, but was not frightened with animal sight, radiating goodness and reflecting
the suffering. Though she withdrew her hand, then she held a hand to his cheek. It got warm in his torn soul. Weeping ended; Scott looked into the clear eyes of the girl and with a smile asked:
– What's your name, heavenly creature?
– Iona – she answered briefly, sounding like a bell.
– You're quite cold. Iona, where's your home?
– It’s near…
The former settlement was enclosed with the low wooden fence, mostly
fallen. Wooden huts were standing along the dusty trail.
The village was dead. Scott Renter watched utter wretchedness, felt the
stinking spirit of desecration, which only he could recognize. They stepped onto the narrow road.
Here it is! – Iona pointed to a simple log cabin standing out against a background of half-destroyed buildings.
– It’s beautiful, – said Scott unexpectedly for him.
– Yes, dad was a carpenter… – she said with a pause and wept bitterly. – Don't cry, Jonah, please. From now on everything will be fine. Logging on the porch decorated with cut-outs, with ornate shaped
railing, the wanderer crossed the threshold and bent down to enter the empty doorway. Embossed door, like everything else was lying on the floor. Frowning, Scott Renter asked with a deep sigh:
– Iona, which way?
– I live in the upper room.
And heading up the winding stairs they were on the second floor,
which was, in fact, the attic, masterfully redesigned into three small rooms: a Parent’s, located all over the left side, and two children's rooms on the right side, divided by an additional wall partition. However, everything was nice and looked comfortable.
Scott lowered the girl to the floor. She was afraid to be left alone and pleadingly declared:
– Please, stay with me! I'm afraid you will disappear and I will die! – I'm not leaving you! Show me the way!
In amazement the child gave a glance at him and said:
– You are so huge!
– Nothing to worry about. Where you can’t get in full growth, get bent. – And he knelt down and followed her.
