The Master of Ups and Downs. Мастер взлетов и падений.

Глава 1Our life is an endless carnival. Sometimes we’re actors, sometimes spectators, but at times it feels like we’re nothing more than mere props—dolls, battered by life, with no strength left at all. It seems as if the best place in the world is just a dusty, dark corner.Konstantin had devised a little trick for himself: during all the New Year holidays, he worked from home, ordered food delivery, stopped communicating with friends, and at night, would slip outside into the yard to ride the icy swings for half an hour. He took lubricant with him, ensuring the mechanisms made no sound, so he wouldn’t get caught doing something inappropriate. It was just those thirty minutes of happiness he treasured.Today, like always, he checked to see if all the late-returning dog owners had already gone home. The neighbor, who’d been smoking by the entrance, turned off her light—meaning she wouldn’…