through the piles that were about to become part of the scene. Every now and then he stumbled upon workers in construction helmets and orange overalls who, without paying attention to anyone, were busy with materials and quarreling with each other and with all at once on walkie-talkies. From time to time, from the side of the stage, there was a loud but distinct polite-persistent young voice, amplified by speakers, which seemed to appeal to everyone at once: “Please do not climb on metal structures ... Please do not climb on the structures, otherwise they will fall, and everyone will be crushed ... "

Turning around the assembly site, Stewart stopped for a moment: there were several water tanks near the pond, already plastered with a motley crowd on all sides. On each of them, several people fussed: who stretched the hoses, throwing them directly into the pond, who installed the pumps ... From the trees to the cisterns they dragged incomprehensible bags, which then together threw upstairs. The guy came closer:

- Uh, dudes, what will happen here?

“We will be giving away water,” turned to him a black-haired, smiling guy with pronounced Native American features.

- What to distribute, Joey? - angrily grunted someone from above. - Dollar per gallon. Oh, there is one dollar for everyone ...

A young Indian broke out with indignation.

- I'll give you a dollar! He shouted, looking over the agitated line. - Whoever wants, let him pay, I'm not going to pay for anything. This is my land, after all, and I have the right to drink a cup of water in my land for free. And what are you, Hugh, will you sell me my right to the dollar per gallon, damn asshole?

“So go to the pond in your own land and tell the local fish even the whole Bill of Rights!” - snarled from the tank. - Is it enough for you that you will listen to free rock and roll for three days?

However, Joey unexpectedly supported, and the invisible Hugh finally succumbed. Meanwhile, the pumps were turned on, and water began to fill the tank. At the same time one of the volunteers standing on it began to untie the bags, whose contents rushed into the water in a white uncontrolled stream.

- You are there with bleach, at least do not overdo it, hear! - shouted from somewhere in the crowd. - It’s impossible to take water in your mouth.

- Do not worry, you will not even feel it, this bleach! - responded from above. - There is such a volume ...

“M-yeah, well, you give ... - unwittingly thought to Stuart. - It seems that the words “Do not be afraid” and “Do not worry” are almost the motto of today's concert ... ”

Typing water, the guy returned to the girls. The next couple of hours stretched for him unbearably long: he sat next to them, hung around at a distance, trying not to go far, tried in vain to find a tent with a doctor, listened to scraps of conversations, ran a couple of times for a sandwich that was distributed free of charge in a tent at the other end of the field members of the Jewish community of Monticello, a town located 9 miles from the Yasgura field. Once with the words “Hold it, man, this is a gift from the Bear,” someone shoved him a few pills of LSD. Stewart nodded mechanically and put them in his jeans pocket. He was visibly nervous, he was not left by an internal tremor, mixed with incomprehensible arousal. Each time, returning from aimless wanderings, he was afraid to catch the beginning of labor, he was afraid of his ignorance and insecurity, and every time he sighed with relief, seeing that everything was unchanged - except that Florence was becoming paler. Sometimes it began to shiver for real, and in order to crush this nervous tremor with fatigue, Stewart again set out on endless adventures in a crowded field. However, the sugary-sweet, thick air, in which the smoke from a lot of “jambs” with marijuana already did not dissolve, did its job: the head began to slowly swim, the body acquired a strange lightness, in spite of will, a silly contented smile crept out of the face from time to time.

Accidentally near the stage, Stewart heard the same voice, asking no one to climb metal structures, saying: “Guys, do not feel sorry for the sheets. On average, it should withstand at the same time fifty to sixty people and about a ton of equipment ... "-" Why so much, Chip? "-" Groups will replace each other almost without a break. Nine are waiting, one is playing - such is the situation. Solid non-stop guys. I myself do not remember this anywhere ... "

Finally, once again returning to the scene, the guy saw Charlie and Lewis. From the heart, he immediately relieved: for some reason, he was calmer with them, although no one had any experience in providing first aid, much less in taking births.

- Where were you? - Charlie looked at him. - How are you doing here?

Stewart took him aside:

“Things aren't good, Charlie.” I'm not special, but it seems that one of the girls will give birth today.

Charlie ran a barely perceptible shadow across his face, and Stewart, with a strange mixture of surprise, satisfaction, and some kind of gloating, noted that he was also worried, despite all his boastful and self-confidence. However, after a couple of seconds, Charlie put his hand on his shoulder encouragingly:

- Boy, don't worry. Everything will be fine, you'll see. We can handle it.

Stuart did not want to share his concerns with him, so he turned the conversation to something else:

- I'm completely confused in time. When will start, you do not know?

- Must start at four, as far as I heard. - Charlie looked at his watch. - In half an hour, it means. I hope these hard workers will finish with the stage by that time. Although ... still not all gathered. But in any case, it will be something unforgettable, believe me. - He winked at Stuart.