Up the river, on foot

The next transition was a little more fun. We went away from the ominous lower Volga. Brilliant and cheerful Kazan was getting closer. And although his soldiers slowly scattered in different directions, or hired on passing ships, Valentin did not care. Kazan is coming soon! Everything will be easier there. And Valentin's stomach hurt less.

Sometimes we turned to the side from the river to buy food in villages. Sometimes, instead of a village, we met only ashes.

"What's going on?" Valentin inquired villagers next villages.

"Bandits, tax collectors," answers were.

"They were Astrakhans," here Valentin launched into lofty arguments about the need to pay taxes, how important this is for the state.

- Khan builds roads!

- Khan opens schools!

- Khan guards the borders!

- Khan is waging liberation wars!

- Khan poisoning rats in the port!

- All this requires money!

"They were Lithuanians," here Valentin began to get angry.

- They are cowardly thieves!

- Their king is a scoundrel!

- And their parliament is a bunch of petty crooks!

- You must tell them that this is the territory of Astrakhan!

- You must write a statement to police and send petitions to the Khan's Chancellery!

- It is because of your indifference that all these outrages are happening!

- You must contact the tax office for additional charges!

- Otherwise, all this will be recovered through the court with penalties and payment to bailiffs!

The dumbfounded peasants then silently went about their business.