on the scene, as if spellbound, so it seemed blasphemous to speak, for example, to the same Stuart about such earthly everyday troubles as childbirth. But descending from heaven to earth was necessary, and Lewis touched Stewart by the shoulder. He turned around and understood everything in his friend's face. He was again overtaken by an almost forgotten daytime nervous chill, and in order to hide it, he said the first thing that came to mind:

- It should be more convenient to shift ... And put something under it.

He got up from his sleeping bag, rolled it up and pushed Charlie:

- Help Flo to lift.

Charlie woke up from musical nirvana, got up and, without asking any questions - there was simply nothing to ask about - the two of Lewis began to lift the girl up so that Stuart could put a roller under her. Their fuss from time to time was interrupted by applause and shouts of "bravo!" From the side it could seem that they applauded them, although in fact they encouraged the musicians. Nancy, at first agitated and singing a little tensely, very quickly became comfortable, and her eclectic songs, in which the psychedelic unexpectedly organically mixed with folk and country motifs, now resembled a deep river. But men were now not up to her ...

“Strip Flo,” Molly advised, drawn for a moment by the hustle and bustle around the bike. - Or at least pull back the bottom.

Florence shook her head, but nervous Lewis squealed at her, “But who sees you!” And the girl quietly went limp. At this time, the child jerked in her, and she screamed. Taking advantage of this, the men laid the girl in such a way that her pelvis was taller than her head, and wrapped the hem of her dress, revealing girlish hips.

“Molly, what else can you do?” - in a whisper asked Charlie.

- What am I to you, midwife, or what? - the girl responded with an evil whisper - “It will be painful for her now - the contractions begin. Flo, can you hear me?

Florence barely turned her head at the sound of her voice.

- You, the main thing, do not hold your breath. Understood me? And slowly try to breathe ...

The girl nodded helplessly. Meanwhile, Stuart pulled a pill out of his pocket, crouched beside her and, looking into his eyes, said:

- Flo, open your mouth ...

Florence, without thinking, obeyed, but Charlie grabbed Stewart's hand:

- What is this?

“Acid,” he explained briefly. “They gave me this afternoon.” Maybe even so it will be easier for her ...

- Do you want her to give birth to a high? - Lewis didn’t believe his ears - Are you out of your mind?

“And you left your mind in New York a long time ago, as I look,” the guy said angrily, snatched his hand from Charlie and, before someone had time to do something, put the pill in Florence’s mouth, at the same time throwing it back . The girl choked and coughed, swallowing and shouting with the tablet: the child moved again.

Lewis moved closer to Stewart and almost hissed in his ear:

- Hack on your nose: if anything happens to her ...

“Lew, leave me alone,” Stewart dismissed. “Did you forget that Flo used to be my girlfriend?” Do you think that I can hurt her or make her ill? Or remind you, who dragged us all to this festival? Better watch her. And keep the water close to you ...

They looked at each other for a minute: Lewis with a withering gaze, Stewart suddenly tired and somewhat aloof. Finally, Lewis mumbled some sort of curse and returned to his seat.

Meanwhile, Sweetwater has already performed all the songs from their first and only album at that time; Nancy warmly thanked everyone for the welcome provided to a little-known band, and the musicians left ...

* * *

20. 55 August 15, 1969

- Tim, can you even stand? And sing? You go out now ...

A young man with disheveled dark hair smiles thoughtlessly, looking at the unusually preoccupied Michael Lang:

- I? I can do everything. I can stand ... I can sing ... I can fly ... What should I do, Mikey? Do you want to share your energy with you? And then you're some kind of sad ...

- Tim, sharing with me is not necessary. You just have to go out and sing some songs. Do you hear me?

- Of course, I hear. How much should you sing? Hour? Two? Day? Two? I can do anything, Mikey. Do you know how the Lord created the earth in six days? He swallowed before this "acid" - and everything could. For six days. Therefore, he did not succeed in something. - The young man giggles. “That's why bastards like Lee Harvey Oswald, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon were born.” And now I am like the Lord: I will leave and create my Universe. And my flock there - the guy nods toward the public - will help me with this.

- Listen, Timmy, the Lord you are our stoned, you do not need to create anything. We still live in the old world, okay? Just a little bit to tweak it, so as not to stink. And for this you need to go out and sing something, if you are able. Okay tim To introduce you?

- Do not. What for? The Lord does not need anyone to submit ... - A young man raises his hand with a guitar. He staggers a little, but he miraculously keeps his feet and in this state goes to the lighted part of the stage. After a minute, the intro to the song starts to sound slightly falseIf I were a carpenter ».

Michael Lang breathes a sigh of relief and hears a muffled laugh. He looks around and sees a swarthy-faced Indian sitting in a lotus position right on the stage, setting up a sitar and at the same time quietly playing something viscous, fabulously oriental on him.

“I have seen Dino Valentino singing at Monterey on Monterey,” he said in a lingering accent. “But Tim seems to have outdone him.”

“Looks like,” Lang doesn't mind. “Well, Ravi, this is America ... The acid is banned, and everyone eats it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.” And during the “dry law” half of the country was drunk. And it seems there was nothing to get drunk ... By the way, do you not want to throw yourself?

“No thanks,” the Indian smiles. “I’ll be leaving soon ... if Tim will allow it.”

Lang involuntarily smiles at a subtle oriental joke.

* * *

It was the same Tim Hardin, who was pumped out from four o'clock in the afternoon from a terrible overdose of LSD and only achieved that he could pick up a guitar, recall the words of several songs and more or less stand on his feet. The Indian was none other than Ravi Shankar himself ...