Cold Coasts

In the next post, you'll find my translation of the first chapter of Sergey Lukyanenko's novel Cold Coasts (AST, 2000). Here's the cover blurb:

Two thousand years ago the Godman came into the world; he performed a great miracle and, departing, left the people the Word, with the aid of which it's possible to do the impossible. But the Word is not available to all, though many thirst to possess it. And often a terrible death is died by those from whom they try to discover the Word. So it was, however, that the Word was found by a boy -- a teenager who found himself in the hard labor hell of the Island of Grief. Many wish to capture young Mark, who could change the fate of the world; but only one wants to protect him -- the old lag Ilmar....