The Stolen Star

by Halyna Franko

that the Turk wasn’t a Turk at all. But then who could he be? And who were these young lads, where had they come from and what had happened to that huge snake? Maybe she had imagined it all in her fright? Varvara listened in to their conversation and understood that they were talking about her. They were clearly not speaking in Turkish but a language with a number of words that she understood. But who was he, this Akhmet? At the same time, Akhmet had persuaded the boys to explain to Varvara that he wasn’t Turkish but Bulgarian and that of course he wouldn’t do her any harm. The lads agreed that Ben should speak to Varvara because he nevertheless knew Ukrainian, even if it was from a different century. And so Ben explained everything to Varvara. On hearing her native language, Varvara could not hold back her tears and simply threw her arms round him saying:

  “My fellow countrymen!”

  Then Ben told Varvara that he had seen her parents, and Marko and Darya's wedding and that he had even managed to give her mother her cross. He then went on to describe how her family and everyone in her village had been filled with great joy when they understood that this was a sign from her. At this the poor girl turned quite pale and burst into inconsolable tears.

  Dawn was approaching but they all continued to talk and talk. Then Michael and Akhmet also joined in the conversation. And Varvara and Akhmet were especially happy. It was good that they had found these kind lads. It was as if they had been dropped from heaven especially to help them.

  Varvara decided that she would no longer be afraid of Akhmet and bravely follow the road that he was taking, and then later… she would see. But for now Varvara knew that she definitely needed to get to her family one way or another. However, the priority for them all now was to think of a way of getting to Akhmet’s home. They already all knew that Akhmet was in fact called George and lived with his parents in Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria.

  Veliko Tarnovo is in the middle of Bulgaria and after conquering it the Turks very rarely went there except on special assignments. In this part of Bulgaria the native language had been preserved, as had the Christian faith and many other invaluable national traditions. It was decided that Akhmet would return to the military camp with Varvara and then return to George’s home with the boys. What’s more, with the Vizier being a relation of Akhmet’s he would be bound to protect them. Akhmet and Varvara travelled in the Vizier’s military cortege, and Michael and Ben followed them out of sight at a short distance. The rest of the journey passed without any notable mishap or adventure. Although there was one interesting event on the way that happened almost immediately after the boys had spoken to Akhmet and Varvara. Near the village where they had been staying, everyone saw the most amazing rays of light in the sky, they looked like falling stars only they seemed to be heading towards the heavens rather than falling to the earth. This could only mean one thing - the Angel was somewhere near. The cousins knew exactly what the sign meant! The Turkish military caravan brought Akhmet and Varvara right to his home. But the cortege itself carried on further to the Turkish capital. The Vizier was also in a hurry to get home.

  George’s parents were overjoyed to see their son but also Varvara and Michael and Ben who had switched off their invisibility buttons and stood before them in their own guise. And everyone got on extremely naturally. The fact that everything about them was different: from their clothes, to the way that they talked was put down as only natural considering how far away they had come from. Varvara quickly recovered from her ordeal and soon got used to her new surroundings. George’s father began to teach her to read and write in Bulgarian and Greek. Varvara got the hang of everything very quickly and soon the head of this old and respected family gathered together a number of important guests and introduced Varvara as a member of the family. At these words everyone looked at George and he just gestured to Varvara. She blushed deeply and everyone understood that the young couple had come to an agreement long ago. Nevertheless they decided not to rush the marriage because the bride still needed to grow up a little.

  And so the story that had started so sadly with a young girl being taken from her family had ended with the happiest of fairy-tale endings. It was time for the boys to take their leave and so they went to inform Varvara of their decision. She asked them if they could just wait a little because she wanted to give her parents some news. Soon Varvara had embroidered the whole story of their adventures onto a piece of linen and concluded it with a beautiful depiction of Michael and Ben’s faces and a bunch of hollyhocks, her favourite flowers. She knew that her family would understand from the last sign that she was getting ready to get married and that she was happy.

  The cousins took this wonderful tapestry in pictures, said their farewells and went on their way. They hadn’t gone far beyond the village’s boundary fence before the Angel appeared. He was smiling and the boys knew that they had completed their mission well.

  When they were already sitting on the starship, Michael asked the Angel how everything would have turned out if they had not been there to help.

  “Have a look,” said the Angel switching on a screen. And the events that they had just taken part in were played again on screen. At the battle at the fortress, the Cossacks suffered very heavy losses. Twice as many hostages were taken and many women and children suffered especially in the crossing of the river Dniester. Akhmet was able to save Varvara from the river but she was very seriously wounded at the village when the Serbs attacked. Akhmet’s parents then spent a long time healing her and she had been left with a limp, which caused her a great deal of suffering for long time afterwards. After the clip had finished the Angel concluded:

  “Well, of course Varvara was only able to pass on her embroidered message to her parents via her son and for a long time they thought that she had died."

  “And how did our help influence Varvara’s future?” Ben asked hopefully.

  “Varvara, her family and all the generations that follow her will be highly educated people. Varvara will master Bulgarian and Greek and will be able to speak Turkish fluently. During her life she will find some priceless, ancient manuscripts. Being related to people who are close to the Sultan she will be able to hide them and then pass them on for safekeeping to the Rila Monastery, which was hidden in caves not far from Greece during the Ottoman Empire. Being fit and well, thanks to your help, Varvara will be able to visit Greece many times. Later when they find out that she is originally from the Ukraine the Greek monks will give her these priceless historic and ancient manuscripts to take back to her homeland. Then Varvara’s son will take these important writings back to Kyiv where they will be kept in the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. The monks there also used to collect and preserve important manuscripts. They were the most educated people and at that time and the monastery was the focal point for the most advanced scientific and historical thinking, but look we've already arrived," said the Angel.

  Michael and Ben had stopped right next to Varvara’s parents’ house. They were worried that they might not succeed in passing on Varvara’s news in the way that she had asked them because their previous efforts hadn’t quite turned out as they would have liked. Michael knocked on the door and Ben turned the handle. That was just the custom in those days – you just knocked on the door and went straight in. At first no-one noticed that they had come in, the mother was busy at the stove and the father was making something at the window. Ben coughed but no-one even turned to look in their direction. Then Ben decided to take the bull by the horns.

  “We have come to you from Varvara.”

  At the mention of her daughter’s name the mother immediately turned her head.

  “Dear God, it’s those young lads again. Sit down my dears, sit down," said the mother.

  The father seemed to be struck dumb and motionless. Michael produced the embroidered cloth and gave it to the mother. She turned it over and let out a shriek.

  “Dear God, it’s a piece of Varvara’s em
broidery. Dear God, what has she been through,” the mother cried. “Oh my dear daughter, you have been taken by the enemy, the accursed Turk! And what flowers are these? Hollyhocks! Has that dirty infidel taken her to be his wife? Oh my poor little girl! Oh, what bitter fate is this?”

  Ben quietly whispered to Michael:

  “Listen and remember what you are hearing because this type of keening is a typical folk custom of the sixteenth century.”

  It was only then that the father intervened:

  “Wait a bit, wife, you are forgetting yourself. You will be our honoured guests, sit down and tell us everything."

  But it was difficult to stop the mother once she had started. For a long time she carried on keening in this vein, all the time holding Varvara’s embroidery close and kissing it. Then she set about serving the boys some food. Very soon everyone had sat down and been told the news that Varvara was alive and had sent a message.

  People piled into the parents’ house. Darya was the first to run in and was overjoyed that her beloved sister had been found! The house was so full of noise and chatter that nothing could be heard above the racket. Everybody looked at