About the book: 2020 / 1571. Ivan the Terrible is concerned about the frequent attacks of the Crimean Tatars. Nomads secretly penetrate Russian cordons and try to scout out the location of fortifications and convenient river crossings. The king instructs his close associate Mahaila Bordak to find out the true intentions of the enemy. On the Izyumsky Way, Bordak’s detachment overtakes the scouts and takes the “tongue” prisoner. He reports about the upcoming invasion of the Horde. We urgently need to warn the sovereign. But the messengers sent with alarming news are ambushed and killed. Clouds are gathering over the Russian border…