Classics fantasy – 3

All respectable family, probably, was very hungry. And I was hungry not less them. We with big appetite looked at each other. I wanted to have dinner bear’s flesh, they – human flesh. The ice wall divided us, and we could only lick lips, looking at each other. Steam proceeding from my body probably was extraordinary pleasant for sense of smell of a she-bear. It rose by hinder legs and put a muzzle in a window. I seized her by a nose. The she-bear began to roar, started back from a window, but did not escape. So tactless address irritated a she-bear, and it is known that any irritation at simple natures only stimulates appetite. Carnivorously glancing at me, the she-bear thrust a paw into a window and began to break a wall. Ice was quite thick, the wall not easily gave in, however the piece behind a piece flew away under mighty blows, and the hole extended.

Business took for me a nasty turn. The she-bear had much more chances to have dinner me, than at me – to regale on bear’s flesh. It was necessary to think of flight. I approached an opposite wall and began to protaivat the second hole. My work progressed quite successfully, but also the she-bear did not linger. It worked already two paws. It is a little more, and the hole will extend so that the she-bear will be able to get into a lodge. And then end…

Came up one more effort, and my head for a wall. Now it is necessary to expand a hole. I was put by shoulders to an ice wall. It is ready. It is possible to get out.

But I was not in time and to promote half as involuntarily screamed and was involved back: I was faced by a she-bear. The cunning animal understood my maneuver. She-bear, seeing that I get out of a lodge, ran all over around and met me by oskalenny teeth.

When the tidbit leaves from under a nose, the nose, naturally, follows a tidbit. The she-bear tried to follow me. But the hole for it was narrow, and a she-bear, having thrust in a hole with running start the head and the right paw, stuck in a window. Temporarily she was imprisoned. It should be used. I got out through the first window expanded with a she-bear and ran.

No, I did not run, I flew with a speed of gale of ten points. The moon well lit to me a way. I ran on the smooth ice path left the rain which was flowing down from my body during a blizzard. However this path came to an end soon, and I ran a virgin soil.

I looked back. Far behind the black point moved, and behind it – two it is less. Medveditsa was released from the trap and caught up with me with the bear cubs. Now there was a competition on speed, and life was a rate. Whether I will manage to reach to the house?. From time to time I looked back and with horror noticed that преследовавшие_меня points all increased. I could already distinguish figures of a white she-bear and her cubs soon. I winded by bystry running. Besides I did not eat long ago and weakened for hunger. But the fear gave me force. I already approached the lake which was near our house.

If to cross the small gulf, then it is possible to reduce a way. But on a trouble during this mad run I lost galoshes. It was very dangerous to run without galoshes through the lake on ice: I could fail as Dashkevich. And I decided to turn aside. But I did not manage to run off also ten meters as I felt burning right hand pain. Pain and burn. I could not understand in what I business, and continued to run. Some more steps to the right, and me were captured by ice cold. Involuntarily I curtailed to the left, and again beneficial heat spread on all body.

Several times this feeling repeated. When I run out from a radio wave beam, temperature of my body goes down to normal, and I begin to experience surrounding cold. Air temperature, has to be, not less than thirty degrees below zero. For the naked person – not a joke!

I am forced to run in the direct direction. But this direct direction conducts me through lake ice. I looked back. Until I stopped and reflected, the she-bear managed to overtake for me considerably. She ran the equal rolling-over amble as though slow, but very spory.

I started running again. Here and ice. If to run very quickly, it will not manage to melt. I run. Solid ice under mine of a stupnyama turns into soft treacle. The leg goes to swill, complicating run. Several times my legs coordinated up to an ankle. It is good still that ice thick… And the she-bear comes nearer.

Now I run almost on an equal basis with a she-bear. Here it overtakes me. Crosses a straight line between me and the house. I am cut off… Medveditsa approaches me. I rush aside and I shout, I shout with all the might lungs. I run on snow zigzags, climbing a slope of the hill on which there is our house. The she-bear runs for me. I am forced to deviate a direct way. Burning cold grabs with the heated nippers my body. But I run, I run, choking, knocking teeth and trembling all over. I hear for myself stumps of a she-bear. One more effort… Бр!. As it is cold! Few steps away from the house I get to a hot stream of a radio wave… Door. If only it was not closed from within!. She-bear near me. She rises by hinder legs and wants to embrace strong me as dear friend. I open a door and I run in the room. I fall on a floor and I faint…

She-bear, obviously, did not touch me because I hear as if in the sleep, voices of professor Wagner and Dashkevich who, likely, returned before me.

– Such disease, of course, cannot be caused by action of short radio waves – professor says. – Companion Rubtsov caught a cold. Wow! Forty and three tenth.

«How I could catch a cold? – I think. – Of course, having only left the sector of the directed radio wave. In it the main inconvenience of artificial heating of a human body. When people learn to regulate randomly the temperature without external influences, then really it will be possible to walk safely in Adam’s suit along the Polar circle».

(The story is written down according to t. I. I. R., recently arrived from Novaya Zemlya. The answer concerning this story is not received from professor Wagner yet.)

Flying carpet

For the first time I learned about professor Wagner many years ago. In one magazine for which it is difficult to find now I read an amusing story – «A case on jumps».

On the Moscow hippodrome there was a big day. Posters notified on «the grandiose program», on high monetary prizes and precious prize-winning cups, on participation in jumps of the best horses, equestrians, Russian and foreign, on a meeting of world champions. The congestion of public was extraordinary. Frequenters of races and races pointed to beginners to the famous equestrians and prize-winning horses, beautiful, vykholenny to gloss, told their sonorous names, remembered their family tree, victories, records, playfulness, names of owners and the plants – the word, everything that can interest the inveterate admirer of the totalizator.

And suddenly among representatives of the horse aristocracy brilliant, proud of the beauty someone noticed an old jade. It was so extraordinary thin that it was possible to count easily at it all edges. The injured legs swelled up in knee joints and are bent. The head is sadly hung, the lower drooped lip moved as if the jade whispered, complaining of the destiny. On a jade the famous boy jockey, barefoot, in a red print shirt sat to nobody. Someone’s sharp-sighted eyes were noticed that the boy is attached to a horse.

Soon an awful jade as if run away from a knackery, also other audience uvidat. People laughed, surprised, asked, were indignant. How this horse could get here? Who allowed such unprecedented mockery? What madman possesses it? You look: it it becomes impudent in the first row with the best racers of morning… The person in the cylinder waves a tag. Copper pipes of regimental orchestra glint in the sun and rend the air march sounds. The start is given, and… the most extraordinary begins here, fantastic…

The boy jockey in a red print shirt low bends to a back of a horse and strong squeezes a rychazhok on saddle onions. At the same moment the jade begins to move legs with such speed that it seems the fantastic centipede rushing a whirlwind on a hippodrome. The best prize-winning horses did not manage to depart from the starting line on three-four cases as the strakhovidny jade ran all over a circle, broke off a breast a tape at the finish, without stopping, rushed around two more times and, at last, stopped as driven, having low hung the head with the drooped lip; at the same time something several times slapped as a cracker. The jade won, and its owner had to take a dizzy prize.

Minute thousands of the viewers were in catalepsy, and in following the hippodrome turned into the bubbling volcano. People went mad, shouted, swung hands, hysterical squealed. Around a jade the bawling crowd quickly gathered. The indignant shouts were heard:

– Deception! Fraud! Down with!

– You watch, under a belly the motor…

– Size about a cigar box…

– And thin levers are attached to legs.

– Who owner of this jade?

– To kill! To tear to pieces it! Where it?

– Here it, in a hat… the inventor Wagner…

– Though physicist, and swindler. Beat him!.

– Misters! – tried to outvoice crowd of people in a hat. – Calm down. I did not put on the jade. I was not going to beat you… Also wanted only…

Shouts of indignation muffled its voice. Over a hat fists, umbrellas, canes rose. It is unknown, than it would come to an end if Wagner did not lift the sphere which brightly sparkled in the sun size about billiard.

– Bomb! – he screamed. The crowd in horror jumped aside. The inventor disappeared.

Such is there was an event described in the magazine. I became interested in Wagner, found for him and, having got acquainted, started talking about a case on a hippodrome. The young inventor hopelessly waved a hand.

– My next nonsense. Nonsense. How many times I promised «to go not that street» – not to rasshibat a forehead a wall. And here the next cone … – And it rubbed a forehead on which really there was a cone. – Donkikhotstvo.

– It could be worse – having burst out laughing, I told. – You were saved by resourcefulness. But about what wall and about what donkikhotstvo you speak?

– About a wall of stagnancy, dullness, conservatism of our government and our public. We hopelessly lagged behind in the technician from Europe and America. We still did not leave a plow. Fundamentals of our power still are natural horse backs. From all this it is possible to come to a despair. I cannot reconcile with it, well and still donkikhotstvy. I take each convenient and inconvenient opportunity to convince these people that the small motor can be stronger than a big horse that the self-moving crew will overtake any trotter. – Wagner’s eyes derisively blinked the eyes. – This jade whom you saw, not live is the automatic machine, a mechanical toy. They did not even notice it. Saw only a motor and levers. Isn’t that so, it is well made? – cheerfully he asked, having seen the amazement mixed with admiration on my face. After this he sighed. – I did not manage even to explain. They are mad about money, about the totalizator… Villains! They suspected even that I just wanted to beat them. However we will turn this sad page and somewhat quicker we will forget about it – Wagner already with usual good nature told. – I am occupied now by one fascinating idea… one invention … – And it rubbed the cone on a forehead again.

– It you on a hippodrome was so decorated? – I asked.

– Yes… is not present, it I itself. One idea holds apart the head, and here cones. On a forehead and on a nape. You come more often, a guest you will be.

I used this invitation, became constant visitor at Wagner and every time found it with the new cone on the head and grazes on hands. «Idea» as a disease, came to light. Wagner laughed away and did not open the true reason of these wounds. Once he met me with the bandaged head and the tied-up right hand. Cheerfully smiling, he offered to me the left hand and told:

– The idea ripened. Yes, it seems to me, it is time to reap the harvest.

– Whether not to wait until it is possible to remove bandage? – it is sympathizing I asked.

– Trifles. If you help me… Perfectly. I also did not doubt you. And so, come to me on the dacha tomorrow, and you will see… Yes you will see that you will see … – And Wagner cunning blinked the right eye – left was bandaged.

The next day early in the morning I descended from the train on the thrown substation and walked on the desert country road. Around neither dachas, nor wood. Quite sad, desert town. On the horizon gray country huts – the village Kolodezi – the purpose of my travel. In the village many wells with high cranes were valid. Sign: near the highest crane, in a «pure» half of a country hut, Wagner lodged. He met me already without bandage, treated with strong tea with cream and rye flat cakes with oil and told:

– Well – with if you were not tired, an idemta.

The inventor took a small suitcase from a table, in an outer entrance hall took an oar, two rods and came to the dusty street.

– And rods and an oar what for? – I with astonishment asked.

– Masking – Wagner winked at me. – That for us were not coordinated curious, увидав that people with suitcases go not to the station, and in the field. And so all will decide that we go to fishing.

I about this masking had a dissenting opinion: if as could excite curiosity of natives, so it is rods. I knew well that on three tens kilometers there was around neither river, nor the lake where fish would be found. Fortunately, the village as if became extinct – all were at field works. To us only one ancient old woman who crept out met to get warm in the sun. Having seen rods, she long saw off us the surprised eyes, having slightly opened a toothless mouth.

We went beyond a village fence and vigorously walked to the so-called old ground remote of kilometer on four from a small village. Here once there were military of the camp. The huge field overgrown with weeds, on the one hand was fenced with the lop-sided old fence, with another – became isolated an earth shaft. Near a fence and behind it huge heaps of dry horse manure towered. Wagner stopped near these «Augean stables», threw rods and took seat on a suitcase. He all road kept silence. I was burned with curiosity, but did not ask, knowing that Wagner himself will reveal to me the secret soon. And this moment came… The beginning was unexpected.

– How it seems to you whether the person is well made? It seems to me, badly. Worse than a flea. You laugh? In vain. A flea – an insignificant insect. So. And she jumps in tens and hundreds of times are higher than the growth. The person – a universe wreath – jumps in height on two meters and in length at three-four meters, the most bigger. Unless it is not offensive for human dignity?

– And you decided to correct this injustice of the nature? – I asked Wagner, beginning to guess.

– Yes, I dare to think that I will manage to correct this subquality work. The person learned to cross oceans, to rise in air, to skate, ski, get on smooth cable columns. Why don’t it learn to jump in a flea way if not in hundreds then is tens times higher also further the growth? How? Using the muscular force of hands and legs and small adaptation.

Wagner opened a suitcase and took out four springs resembling matratsny from there. Springs were attached to plates, on plates there were belts. Two springs were big – for hands – the inventor explained – and two it is less – foot. Wagner quickly tied plate belts with springs to legs and asked me that I helped to bind springs on hands.

– All this is still primitive. Test of the principle. The main difficulty – to calculate balance – he said while I tightened to it belts. – I thank you. Now you will help me to get on a fence. Here we and an oar need.

The newborn person flea got on a fence. To be more exact, I with own hand raised and seated him as with the springs it was absolutely helpless.

– Well – with, so, we begin. Attention! Time, two, three!. – Wagner jumped. The spring on a leg was hooked for the acting fence board, and the inventor fell sideways.

– Better luck next time – he good-natured told.

– Judging by your cones and scratches, it is not the first pancake – I noticed.

– On these springs – the first. Latest model. Help me to rise, please, and again to climb up a fence.

It became tiresome.

– So, we begin.

– We continue – I corrected.

– All question in successfully to jump on all fours. It is easier for flea to jump, she has six legs – Wagner told. – And well, hop!

Already how it fell – the head down, I guessed that the jump will be unsuccessful again. And it is valid, the first blow – all weight of a body – fell on hands. Threw Wagner up and back. Having described an arch, he disappeared behind a fence.

I found the unlucky inventor on a heap of horse manure. Wagner lay on a back and pottered about as a bug who vainly tried to turn over on legs. To my astonishment, Wagner’s face brightened with pleasure.

– Springs, springs what, and? As threw! This time there will be a sense.

And, when Wagner jumped for the third time, there was a sense. Even, perhaps, bigger, than the inventor expected. «Flea» managed to fall by all four legs and to make a jump. Wagner, apparently, used muscles of legs as the second jump was higher and farther. The third, fourth is even better. And suddenly I heard uneasy shout:

– Hold me! I cannot stop!

Unfortunate! He also did not think of it. I rushed behind it, but where there! Wagner as a huge flea, huge jumps quickly moved away from me. The high earth shaft blocked it a way. The jumper could not turn aside. Some more jumps – and Wagner hit the head against an earth shaft, turned over head over heels and fell.

– I did not punch a hole in earth to a shaft? – slowly, hardly moving language, Wagner when recovered asked me. He still could joke.

* * *

I did not see Wagner several years. Unexpectedly he reminded of himself, having called by phone. He invited me to himself to the dacha so simply as if we left it only yesterday.

«There are news. If you allow, I will come for you on the car».

Did not pass also hour as I already went with Wagner by his car on the magnificent highway Moscow – Minsk. Externally Wagner changed a little, only his beard became as though is longer and more dense. He drove the covered car of the extended, well streamline shape. The car flew with such speed that I could hardly distinguish counter bridges, beautiful hotels standing at the road in picturesque corners – on woody hills or on the river bank. After an hour of such mad driving Wagner reduced speed, turned from the highway to the good highway, about half an hour flew with a speed of fifty kilometers per hour and, at last, stopped near a lonely cottage.

– Here we and houses.

We have hastily breakfast in the cozy dining room with a wide Venetian window. Wagner unexpectedly took out from where from under a table the massive glass and stretched to me:

– Hold!

I accepted a glass and was very surprised, without having felt its weight. Put on a table, but did not manage to unclench fingers as a glass flew up to a ceiling and there remained. Has to be, I had a comic because Wagner burst out laughing look and told:

– Well and a look at you! Though on the screen. However from what you will drink apple cider? Are guilty. I have no other glasses.

– You, maybe, after all explain to me, professor, this focus? – I asked.

– I am not a conjurer and not the wizard – he as though having a little taken offense answered.

– The glass was, apparently, metal. In a ceiling there was probably a hidden magnet. I guessed or not?

– Everything will speak in due time. Weather is excellent, to an idemta to breathe clean air. But before I want to weigh you on scales. – He weighed me, for some reason suggested to put 800 grams in a pocket of the weight weighing 1 kilogram and told: Punktum.

We left the house and went to a big field which was seen behind a birchwood. It seemed to me that among the field there is a lake: between white trunks of birches I saw a brilliant surface, and, having only approached closer, I was convinced of the mistake: the most part of the field was covered as if with brilliant felt, equal and smooth. Published this «carpet» with opaque gloss of light gray color it was similar to a water surface.

Wagner safely walked on «lake», I is absolutely timid – behind it. In the middle of «carpet» the area several honeycombs of square meters I saw a small cross as it seemed to me. When we approached it closer, it turned out that one «crosspiece» represented a crack in a carpet, and another – the bolt turned across a crack sitting on a core. From this central cross the brackets resembling door handles dispersed extensively.

Wagner turned a bolt so that it became against an opening. At the same moment I felt that we rise, as on the flying carpet.

– Hold brackets! – Wagner shouted to me. I grasped the handle, and in time as strongly rocked our «plane». Fortunately, wind gusts did not repeat any more, and we so smoothly rose that I could not get off impression as if not we go up, and the earth, the field, a birchwood, Wagner’s dacha slowly fall.

– Our flying carpet would rise quicker if not the resistance of air – Wagner told. He sat against me, holding the bracket similar to the door handle. We were divided by a crack through which when the flying carpet was on the earth, the bolt holding the plane from rise as an anchor was passed.

– Yes, our aircraft of not too streamline shape; at least, when flying down – I responded, hardly forcing itself to speak: to such an extent this extraordinary adventure stunned me.

– Now you will not tell that over us a magnet which attracts us? – Wagner asked, having cunning blinked blue eyes.

– Alas, it is higher than my understanding – I answered. Wagner loudly laughed loudly.

– A difficult task – at last he told. – You can imagine that I invented some kevorit-screen protecting bodies from terrestrial inclination. But kevorit – the most blank and impracticable imagination. You could imagine that I loaded our flying carpet with electricity, of the same name with a terrestrial charge, and the flying carpet jumped aside from the earth as a buzinny ball…

– I imagine nothing – I objected. – Now interests me as highly we will rise. We are dressed as in summer, and we have no oxygen devices.

– You can be absolutely quiet – Wagner answered. – Carrying power of our flying carpet is very small. Its ceiling has only two-three hundred meters. You see, our rise is already slowed down. And when there will come evening, temperature will go down, humidity of air will increase, and our flying carpet will begin to descend. My calculation is absolutely exact. Punktum. Not without reason I verified your weight. There now. For now… we have a lot more time, and I can explain you a secret of our flying carpet… You watch how many boys ran together to look at us. And from where only they undertake?. Shout, wave caps…

Slowly carried us for a grove. The river and crowd of children passed out of sight ashore soon.

– And so – Wagner continued – all these miracles were born from scientific works on physics of thin films, little-known to general public. I advise you to get acquainted with this subject. In sum, our flying carpet is made of a so-called firm chain. This body consisting of a set of cells bubbles. Alloy of magnesium and beryllium. The size of cells is less than one millimeter, and thickness of walls – one ten-thousand millimeter. Emptiness of cells are filled with hydrogen. At a thickness of walls – thin films – in one thousand millimeter weightless material already turns out, and at a thickness of one ten-thousand as at us, metal becomes flying. At the known size of the flying carpet from such metal it, as you can see, can lift not only itself (himself), but also additional freight. Forgive, but I will take off boots – got used to go at the dacha barefoot – he interrupted the explanations, took off boots and put near himself. – So – he told…

But at this moment it is unknown from where flew a wind gust, rocked our flying carpet, boots departed on the earth, the facilitated plane rushed up. Wagner screamed, and this shout resembled groan more. I understood: alas, now we will not be helped by neither night dampness, nor fall of temperature. We could not produce gas to decrease as aeronauts. Gas of our flying carpet was deeply hided in artificial «foamy» structure. We could not operate the movement of the plane neither down, nor across. We were helpless. We had no radio station. We had no stocks of food and water. This Wagner is a quite good inventor, but very impractical person. I was angry on it especially as to me thirst already having felt hungry and tormented.