Stepsons of the Eighth Commandment

The strange gift belongs to the adopted children of Samuel-baṭsa from the remote village of Shaflyary in the Lower Tatras: people as people, but they have abilities that a person shouldn’t have. They’re thieves—but not the kind who cut purses of passersby or clean houses at night. Their theft is of thoughts, hopes, skills, and knowledge from other people. Samuel’s adopted kids have set themselves up quite well in life. Jan is an abbot in a monastery of Benedictines in the town of Tynets and is soon to become a bishop; Teresa is the wife of a wealthy merchant; pan Mykhal is a warlord in a count’s castle—he married for love, and he is a fine fencer, so in the turbulent 17th century he’s in demand. But with little Marta it didn’t work out: Marta was a companion and best friend of Baroness von Eisendorf, lived in Vienna itself, went to balls and receptions—yet she fell in love with the unfortunate Marta of a common thief-pickpocket, Joseph. After that, she fell ill and was already at the edge of the grave— but the cheerful Joseph bought her from Death, trading the Devil his own soul. And now—it's time to pay the bill… Music: Daria Ozyorina, Dmitry Polonetsky Sound editing and montage: Sergey Onets Correction: Victoria Rozhkova