
 abdushahili shekrta da sheshinebulma utxra:

 - rogor! mash dgheidan agharaferi viqnebit ertmanetisatvis?

 - nacnobebi, ise, rogorc qristiani da mahmadiani! - miugo qalma.

 - ara! aq mahmadiani aghar aris! xom gaigone, rom qristianad vyofilvar dabadebuli, da dghes gangebam moindoma, rom gamovbrunebuliyav! dgheidan mec tqveni rjulis aghmsarebeli da tayvanismcemeli var. bashi-achuk! mimighet tqvens gundshi, rom amieridan mec tqveni chiri da lxini gaviziaroo!..

 am gulwrfelma sityvebma yvela aghtacebashi moiyvana da didi sixaruli sheeqnat.

 - abdushahil! - cota dafiqrebis shemdeg utxra bashi-achukma. - didia ghmerti da gangeba misi miuwvdomeli! shen shegidzlia, rom chvens qristianobas didi samsaxuri gauwio. movaleca yofilxar da nu achqardebi!.. es, rac moxda, dromde yvelaferi unda saidumlod daimarxo gulshi, mixvide isev shens jarshi da ese daichiro tavi, rom cvlileba araferi getyobodes. daarwmune yvela, rom bashi-achuki movkali-tqo; nishnad waighe es chemi fafanaki da sisxlshi mosvrili miartvi ufrosebs; dagijereben da, chvenc agharsad gamovchndebit, guldamshvidebuli xani wyalobit agavsebs. dromde es yoveliferi sachiroa chveni saerto bednierebisatvis. axla mets agharas getyvi. dawvrilebit mashin gaigeb yovelifers, roca choloyashviltan ertad movilaparakebto! - mivida, gadaexvia da gadahkocna dzmurad.

 - axla chemi shvilebic gebralebodet, marto davyare! - stqva melanom. - droa chemi wasvlis! gamcilebelic xom ghmertma mashovnina, sxva sachiro agharavin aris, chemi dzmac mimiyvanso! - stqva da chahkida xeli abdushahils. pirimzisam, titqo shurit, gaayola tvali, warbshechmuxvnit shexeda; melanom shenishna da cbieris ghimilit utxra:

 - ghame mshvidobisa, chemo rdzalo! da dzili nebisa, rom tkbili sizmrebi agxdenodeso!.. - gavida sichqarit da tan gaiyvana abdushahilic.

 tavi mecamete

 sisxliani fafanaki didxans iyo gamokidebuli moedanze, rom xalxs enaxa da darwmunebuliyo bashi-achukis sikvdilze. didi da patara yvela ulocavda gamarjvebas abdushahils, magram misi pasuxi ki yoveltvis es iyo:

 - me ra?! madlieri unda viyot choloyashvilis. tu imas ara, marto me ras gavawyobdi? dghes bashi-achukic cocxali iqneboda da misi gundic gaufantavio.

 gavida xani, ramdenime tvem gaiara; dawynarda qveyana da gavardnilebis aghara gaugoniat ra. damshviddnen tatrebi. sifrtxiles tavi daanebes. adrinduladve ushishrad daiwyes farfashi. am ambavma yeenis karamdis miaghwia. daufases choloyashvils samsaxuri da ertguleba, magram tviton is ki loginad iyo chavardnili. axmetidan cudi xmebi modioda... ambobdnen, rom misi gamobruneba aghar sheidzleba, damblas orive xel-fexi waurtmeviao. feiqar-xani xshirad kitxulobda da pativiscemis nishnad orjer-samjer abdushahilic gaugzavna. ert saghamos, vighac shoridan momavalma shemoachena oflad gaxetqili cxeni choloyashvilis ezoshi, gadaxta mardad, miaba svetze, rogorc shinauri, aichra kibeze, da shevida pirdapir saxlis patrontan. choloyashvili taxtze iyo wamowolili; dainaxa tu ara mastan shesuli, ucbad wamojda da miadzaxa:

 - oo, baqradze?!

 bashi-achukma mdzimed tavi daukra.

 - ase male moiare? - hkitxa choloyashvilma.

 - moviare, sheni chirime! - moaxsena baqradzem da werilebi gada??ilma gaxsna sichqarit da kitxva dauwyo; saxe ughelavda da tandatan siamovneba etyoboda. bashi-achuki udzravad idga adgilze; rom gaatava kitxva, miubrunda da hkitxa:

 - kai sanugesho ambavia!

 - ghmertma nu mogishalos nugeshi, sheni chirime! mag ambavs ufro adrec movitandi, rom wyaldidobas ar shevecherebine.

 - male dastanxmdnen?

 - aragvis batoni ara da qsnis eristavebi ki.

 - ician yoveliferi chveni saidumlo?

 - shalvas mets aravis gamovtexivar.

 - mash zaal rogor dastanxmda?

 - ar dastanxmdeboda, rom mis karis mghvdels chveneba ar enaxa chemi misvlis wina dghes.

 - chveneba? - gakvirvebit shexeda bidzinam.

 - diax, sheni chirime, - miugo morchilad da mouyva, rac icoda gveleshapis shesaxeb; isic moaxsena, rom erti im gmirtagani tqven brdzanebulxarto, magram sikvdilis shesaxeb ki araferi utxra. bidzinam sasoebit pirjvari gamoisaxa da tqva:

 - dailocos ghvtis gangeba da misi saswauli! mash mogveshvelebian?

 - dgheis txutmets uechvelad gachndebian.

 - jari mecotaveba! vaitu ver gavwvdet amden tatrebs!..

 - ra brdzanebaa?!. tu ghvtis neba iqneba, at imdensac veyofit. fshav-xevsurebi baxtrions daecemian danishnul droze, qsnis eristavebi mtavari jarit tqven shemogiertdebian tatris jartan saomrad da ulusebs chvenc veyofit.

 - sul ramdeni xart?

 - sakutrad chveni dasi as oci kacia, erti amdeni tevdoradzisac iqneba.

 - isini xom aqet-iqit arian dafantuli?.. zogi tatris jarshia da zogi kedev, vin icis, sad!..

 - ise, rogorc chveni! magram im droistvis yvela ertad moviyrit tavs.

 - mash, kargi, nugha agvianeb! droa saqmes shevudget! wadi, cota sheisvene, rom adrianad vewiot saqmes.

 bashi-achuki gavida. darcha marto bidzina. xelaxla gadaikitxa werilebi, gaimeora gunebashi, rac bashi-achukma utxra sizmris taobaze, adga nela, moixada qudi, mivida xatis win da daichoqa. didxans xelebapyrobili sheschereboda uxmod ghvtismshobels da evedreboda mis dzestan shuamdgomlobas, rom qristianoba gamoxsna urjulos xelidan, gadaerchina kaxeti da mit misi madidebeli mteli saqartvelo gaedzlierebina.

 mkrtali nateli, saxatidan minashuqi, parpalit ecemoda sasoebit aghtkinebul mis vajkacur saxes da mdughare cremlebi wurwurit chamodiodnen wver-ulvashze.


 tavi metotxmete

 ikortashi mghvdelmtavarma gamoiyvana wirva, paraklisi gadaixada da aiazma asxura jars. yvela darwmunebuli iyo, rom eristavebis lashqari imeretshi midioda, magram im ghamesve elizbarma da shalvam mxari uqcies da saidumlod kaxetisaken miemartnen; gzashi aragvelebi dauxvdnen, sul darcheuli vajkacebi. win kirile mghvdeli udzghodat wminda giorgis xatit da sheuertdnen. didis sifrtxilita da siswrafit gavles gza, gadaiares mta da chavidnen axmetashi, sadac bidzina choloyashvili dauxvdat diddzali jarit. aq bidzinam, rogorc mtavarsardalma, orad gahyo sheertebuli jari: naxevari tavistan daitova, meore naxevari mraval gundebad dahyo da aqet-iqit, sxvadasxva mxrisaken, gaistumra, rom ertsa da imave danishnul dros yvelgan tavs dasxmodnen tatrebs moulodnelad.

 umtvaro ghame iyo. pirvel mamlis yivilze, roca qveyana miwynarebuli iyo da mxolod mdinareebis ertnairi shxuili shors da shors uwevda, avarda ali mravali gaghma-gamoghma alaznis pirad, moedva ulusebis saxlkarobas da gaaqatqata aremare. dasces kijina da mas tanave mohyva sazareli vai-uisa da godebis xma. gavardnilebi bashi-achukis taosnobit daesxnen tavze tatrebs da dauwyes jleta. imave dros baxtrions shemoertynen aragvelebi; cixe-galavans gadaevlen tavs fshav-xevsurebi da gaavles musri. eseve ambavi moxda bevrgan sxvaganac da daidzra bidzinas winamdzgholobit mtavri jaric. ali-yuli-xans rom sxvadasxva kutxeebidan cnoba mouvida, sheshfotda da abdushahilis taosnobit mteli misi mxedroba miageba win qartvel jars. magram bevr xans aghar gauvlia, rom moulodneli da zardamcemi cnoba mouvida: ert viwro xeobashi moaswres tatris jars, sheimwyvdies, iaraghi daayrevines da abdushahilic tyved waiyvaneso. es sul iman hqna, rom abdushahilma aravisi rcheva ar daijera da gzis simoklis gulisatvis iset ghriankelshi sheiyvana jari, rom gashla ar sheidzleboda da sadzraoba aghar hqondato. imave dros ki, turme, iqve axlo chasafrebuli qartveli jari shemoertya gars, tvalis daxamxamebamde gadauchra ukan gasabrunebeli gza da titqmis datyvevebulebs daeriao. amis gamgone ali-yuli-xani shishis qarma aitana da atrtolebuli xmit brdzana, rom jandierisatvis sheetyobinebiat. magram swored imave dros moichra erti cxenosani da acnoba: "jandierma gvighalata da misi qartvelebit choloyashvilisaken gadavidao". tavzardacemulma feiqar-xanma didxans xma veghar amoigho da bolos titqo tavistvis wailaparaka: "aki choloyashvili dambla iyo da jandieri ki chveni yurmochrili ymao? ha, giaur! axla ki vxedav, rac aris, magram ragha dros?" - stqva kbilebis ghrchenit.

 - cxenio! - daidzaxa, moajda unagirs da iseti siswrafit gaudga gzas, rom orma-samma mxlebelma dzlivs moaswro gayola. is im ghamesve qurdulad gavida kaxetit da meore dghes, samshvidoboze gasuli, sparsetisaken mieshureboda misi oriode mxlebelit.

 darchen tatrebi kaxetshi usardlod da upatronod, da aq-iq cixe-simagreebshi chaketilebi, mxolod imas fiqrobdnen, tavi rogorme gadaerchinat, magram welgamartuli da gaguladebuli kaxelebi mosvenebas ar adzlevdnen. isini, vinc gushin tatris ertgulebasa da qartvelebis mtrobas ichendnen, dghes pirveli tavdadebuli qartvelebi gaxdnen, da ramdenime kviris ganmavlobashi ise gaiwminda kaxeti tatrebisagan, rom mati chachanebac agharsad iyo. daxshuli eklesiebis karebi gaigho da xelaxla gaisma zarebis reka; gulis sighrmeshi chaechra didsa da pataras, rogorc nishani saqristiano, is eklesiis ena da sheiqna saerto litanioba; qali da kaci, moxuci da yrma, maghali da dabali, yvela ertxmad adidebdnen ghmerts da aqebdnen gmirebs. bidzinasi, shalvasi da elizbaris saxeli yvelas tuchebze ekera aghtacebit. kaxetis sixaruli qartlelebsac gadaedot da mat tanagrdznobas mati mefe vaxtangic gulshi dasturs adzlevda, magram, rogorc shahnavazi ki, vitom, javrobda da piridan cecxlsa hyrida: - "rogor gabedes eristavebma chemi urchoba da didebuli shah-abazis ghalatio?!"

 shah-abazma rom es ambavi gaigo, filenjis qarma mouara da ficxeli brdzaneba sheutvala ganjis xans: "kaxeti shentvis mibodzebia, wadi da aaoxreo!" xanmac wyalobisatvis madli moaxsena didebul shahs da gamotexili sheutvala: "tu mandedan jari ar momashvelet, axla ise gaguladebuli da gamagrebuli arian kaxelebi, rom chemi saxano ertioradac rom ufro meti iyos da ufro dzlieri, mashinac ver gavbedav kaxetze saomrad misvlas, radganac darwmunebuli var, rom veras gavxdebi da tavs shevircxveno". am moxsenebam ufro metad daaghona da daafiqra yeeni. brazi moawva gulze da sircxvilis ofli askdeboda.

 am dros mouvida qartlidan shahnavazis werilic. samdzimars utvlida da tanac atyobinebda: "kaxetis gamarjvebam qartlic shearyia; eristavebi gamidgen, agharas mijerian da moighet wyaloba, tqveni udzleveli da qveynis dampyrobeli jari momashvelet, rom urchebi isev davimorchilo da kaxetsac sashvilishvilod shevanano tqveni orgulobao. amastan esec unda mogaxsenot: dghevandeli gamarjvebit imdenad welgamartulia qveyana da gatamamebuli, rom, tu ar diddzali jari, cotati veras gaxdebito". shah-abazma gadaikitxa werili, dachmuchna da daaxetqa dzirs.
