The Case of the Victorious Monkey

ILLEGAL USE OF DRUGS, PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES, AND THEIR ANALOGS CAUSES DAMAGE TO HEALTH. THEIR ILLEGAL DISTRIBUTION AND TRAFFICKING ARE PROHIBITED AND ENTAIL RESPONSIBILITY UNDER THE LAW.

Alternative reality, modern times. Between the Baltic Sea and the Yellow Sea stretches the splendid Ordu of three capitals: the eastern Khanbalyk, the midland Karakorum, and the north-western Alexandria of the Neva. And Mосыке, famous for its temples, loud markets, and the manufacture of ergothou, is a city that is not capital-grade—more a place for trips and impressions. Exactly there goes on vacation the lanzhun Bagatour Lobo with his fiancée Stasya, who is living through a year of mourning: the trip is supposed to help restore closeness and warmth in their relationship.

But a calm vacation doesn’t happen. In Mosyke, minfa Bogdan Ouyangtsev‑Sy arrives as well— recently returned from the Solovki (after the events of “The Case of Fox-Werewolves”), and he has a mysterious assignment. Soon, law enforcement officers have to intervene in a dangerous tangle of confrontation between two religious movements, and students from the law department of the Great Alexandrian academy join the investigation, among whom stands out a charming young woman from Khanbalyk.

At first, the narrative develops at a measured pace, but then it suddenly accelerates: causes get mixed up with consequences, like in a kaleidoscope; a sophisticated hunt sets traps for those accustomed to being hunters; and the finale turns out to be both unexpected and bitterly tragic.