Classics fantasy – 3

Wagner really provided everything. Our room was well supplied with the air stored in special tanks. We were provided with canned food and water. «That is why the housekeeper did not go to a market» – I thought. Having moved to a ceiling, we went on it as freely, as on a floor though, in usual sense, we went headfirst. But the person gets used to everything. I felt rather well. When I looked down, under legs, through thick, but transparent glass, I saw under myself the sky, and it seemed to me that I stand on the round mirror reflecting in itself this sky.

However the mirror reflected in itself sometimes extraordinary and even terrible things.

The housekeeper declared that she needs to go to the house as she forgot oil.

– How you will go? – I told it. – You fall down down, that is up, faugh, the devil, everything was mixed!

– I will hold brackets in the earth, professor learned me. When we did not turn the heads down yet, we had brackets in that house, in a ceiling, and I learned «to go hands», grabbed them and went on a ceiling.

Professor Wagner provided everything!

I did not expect such heroism from the woman. To risk itself, «to go hands» over a chasm because of some oil!

– But nevertheless it is very dangerous – I told.

– Not as you think – professor Wagner objected. – The weight of our body is still insignificant – it only began to increase from zero, and absolutely small muscular force is necessary to keep. Besides I will accompany it; by the way, I need to take the notebook from the house – I forgot to take it with myself.

– But outside now there is no air?

– I have caps with compressed air which we will put on the head.

And these strange people, having dressed space suits as if they were going to fall by a sea bottom, went to a way. The double door slammed. I heard knock of an external door.

Lying on the glass floor, I pressed the person to thick glass and with nervousness began to watch them. Two persons in round caps, standing head over heels and clinging to the brackets attached to the earth quickly «went hands» to the house. Whether it is possible to imagine something stranger!

«Really, it is not so terrible – I thought. – But nevertheless it is the extraordinary woman. Suddenly it will begin to whirl the head?.» Wagner and the housekeeper proceeded in the same pose on steps on a verandah and passed out of sight.

They appeared back soon.

They already passed halfway as suddenly there was something what I grew cold with. The housekeeper dropped to bank with oil and, wishing to pick up her, broke and departed to a chasm…

Wagner made attempt to save it: he unexpectedly unwound the rope attached to a belt and, having hooked on it for a bracket, rushed after the housekeeper. The unfortunate woman fell quite slowly. And as Wagner a strong push gave to the body more bystry movement, it managed to catch up with it. He already gave to it a hand, but could not get: centrifugal force rejected its flight a little aside. And it separated from it soon… Wagner hung for a while a little on the dismissed rope and began to rise slowly from a sky chasm by the earth…

I saw how the unfortunate woman waved a hand… her body quickly decreased… The come night as a curtain, covered this picture of death…

I shuddered, having imagined her last feelings… What will be with it?. Its corpse which is not decaying in Universe cold will rush eternally forward if some star passing close does not attract this corpse.

I was so busy with the thoughts that did not notice how Wagner entered and fell near me.

– Fine death – he told quietly.

I clenched teeth and did not answer it. In me suddenly hatred to Wagner wakened again.

I with horror looked at the chasm which is spread under my legs and for the first time with extraordinary clarity understood that the sky – not blue space over us, and a chasm… that we «live in the sky», having stuck to a mote, Earth, and with the big right therefore it is possible to call us inhabitants of the sky, «inhabitants of heaven», than inhabitants of Earth. Insignificant inhabitants of heaven! Inclination of Earth, obviously, affected not only our body, but also consciousness, arresting it to Earth. Now this communication tore. I felt fragility of our terrestrial existence… Our consciousness arose together with the earth, in sky chasms, in chasms of infinite space, and in the same place it will die away…

I thought, and before my eyes something extraordinary was created… Stones came off the earth and fell up… The whole blocks of rocks began to come off soon… Day and night were replaced quicker and quicker… The sun rushed on a chasm sky, and there came night, stars rushed with the same mad speed, both again the sun, and again night… Here, in the light of the sun, I see how the fence broke and fell, having opened the horizon. I see the dried sea bottom, the devastated earth… I see that soon the end…

But people still are on Earth… I hear how tells a small loudspeaker of our radio station…

The earth is devastated almost to poles. Everything perishes… It is the last escaped radio station, on Wrangel Island. She gives signals, waits and does not receive the answer… Radio waves fly to dead emptiness… Earth is silent, also the sky is silent.

Days and nights so quickly replace each other that everything merges in a haze… The sun, flying by on the sky, draws a fiery strip against a dark background – together with the last remains of the atmosphere Earth lost the blue bed curtains, light of a heavenly azure… The moon decreased in sizes, Earth cannot hold more the satellite any more, and the moon moves away from Earth…

I feel how thick glasses of our glass floor napruzhitsya, became convex, shiver… They will not sustain soon, and I will fail in a chasm…

Who it grumbles near me?. And, professor Wagner.

I hardly rise: mad speed of Earth filled with lead my body. I pant…

– You!. – I address maliciously professor Wagner. – Why you made it? You ruined mankind, you destroyed life on Earth… Answer me! Now reduce the movement of Earth, differently I…

But professor silently negatively swings the head.

– Answer! – I shout, clenching fists.

– I cannot do anything… obviously, I made a mistake in calculations…

– So you pay for this mistake! – I exclaimed and, having absolutely gone mad, rushed on Wagner and began to smother him… At the same moment I felt how our floor cracks, glasses burst, and I, without letting out Wagner, I fly with it to a chasm…

V. «THE NEW WAY OF TEACHING»

Before me smiling face of professor Wagner. I with surprise look at it, then around myself.

Early morning. Blue bed curtains of the sky. The sea becomes blue in the distance. At a verandah two white butterflies peacefully flit. By me there passes the housekeeper with a big piece of butter on a plate…

– What is it?. What does all this mean? – I ask professor.

He smiles in the long moustaches.

– I apologize – he says – that I without your permission and even without being with you a sign used you for one experience. If you know me, then you probably know that I work on permission of a question long ago as to one person to contain the huge mass of modern scientific knowledge. I personally, for example, reached that each half of my brain works independently. I destroyed a dream and fatigue…

– I read about it – I answered. Wagner nodded.

– It is better for those. But it is available not to all. And I decided to use hypnosis for the pedagogical purposes. Eventually and in usual pedagogics there is a hypnosis share… Having come today early in the morning for walk, I noticed you… You are on duty not the first day behind a juniper bush? – he asked with a cheerful sparkle in eyes. I was confused.

– Well, here I also decided to punish you for your curiosity, having subjected to hypnosis…

– How, really all this was?.

– Only hypnosis, since that moment as you uvidat me. Isn’t that so, all of you worried as reality? And, of course, never in life you will forget endured. Thus, you had an opportunity to receive a lesson of visual instruction about laws of weight and centrifugal force… But you were very nervous pupil and at the end of a lesson behaved a little heatedly…

– But how many time the lesson proceeded?

Wagner looked at the watch.

– Minutes two, no more. Isn’t that so, productive way of assimilation of knowledge?

– But allow – I exclaimed – and this glass window, these brackets on the earth!. – I gave a hand and suddenly became silent. The area of the yard was absolutely equal; there were neither brackets, nor glass round «window» … – So it… there was a hypnosis too?

– Well, certainly… Confess what you not really missed behind my lesson of physics? Fima – he shouted – coffee is ready? Idemte to have breakfast.

The person who does not sleep

1. STRANGE RESIDENT

– Dez… I will not transfer its loss! Dez – my best friend… I am so lonely…

The citizen Shmeman wiped a lacy kerchief red weak-sighted eyes and a long nose.

– I assure you – it continued, having plaintively sobbed – that this work of professor Wagner. I saw more than once how it brought on a string of dogs into the apartment… What does it do with them? My God! I dread to think! Perhaps, my Dezi is dead… Take measures, I ask you!. If you do not make it, I will go to militia!. Dez, my poor baby!.

And madam Shmeman began to cry again… Her thin old cheeks became covered by red spots, the lower lip drooped.

Zhukov, the chairman of housing association, abruptly turned on a chair and clicked fingers. It lost patience.

– Calm down, the citizen! I assure you that we will take measures. And now, forgive… I am very busy…

Shmeman deeply sighed, bowed and left. Zhukov breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to the secretary of board Krotov:

– Faugh!. Exhausted! There are such annoying women!

– Yes … – Krotov thoughtfully responded. – Mischievous old woman! And case should be investigated. It is the fourth case of loss of dogs only on our yard. Neighbors complain too. What for a dog pestilence? I will not be surprised if really it turns out that dogs are stolen by professor Wagner. Only why the hell they are necessary to it? Does collars on a fur coat? Strange person! Suspicious person!

– Professor!

– That that professor? Perhaps, he clips the coin.

– From dogs?

– You do not laugh. There were cases! Dogs – special article. You pay attention: it has in the room all night long light. On a window curtain its shadow is often visible. Is unsteady about the room… Night-bird!

– Yes, strange person… The other day I go home by the tram. I look, professor Wagner opposite sits. According to the book holds in each hand and at once reads both. I in books glanced. One – the Russian, all figures different, and another – German. And here that surprisingly: each eye at it separately on lines runs: one eye reads one book, to others – another. The conductor approached it. «The ticket – says – take!» He on it raised one eye, and another in the book looks. She and gasped. And the public all stared at it. Look, mouths opened from surprise, and it though that…

– Perhaps, he went crazy?

– Everything is possible…

The door knocked. The room was entered by Fima, the old housekeeper of professor Wagner.

– Hello to you! My barin for the apartment sent money.

– There were bars and all left! – Zhukov told.

– Well, owner, perhaps, Wagner.

– And here she will tell us!.

– Tell us, Fima what your «barin» with dogs does.

Fima hopelessly waved a hand.

– It is a lot of dogs at it? Tell the truth!

– How many at it dogs, I cannot tell: it does not let me in the second room where they at it. And dogs are. It is heard as bark. At the night of times I spotted in a shchelochka. Well? The dog attached on a short collar sits. Cannot lay down. To sleep it, it is visible, death as there is a wish. The head and hangs. And he sits near yes it so tenderly under a neck tickles: does not allow to sleep. And he does not sleep. He never sleeps!

– How so does not sleep? The person cannot but sleep.

– I do not know as but only does not sleep at all. And long ago threw out a bed. «That it – says – and the rank was not! A bed – says – only to patients it is necessary».

Zhukov and Krotov bewildered looked at each other.

– There is a madman!

– Not otherwise, as the madman – Fima willingly agreed. – Only my habit: fifteen years live I at it, and that would leave him long ago… There was a person as the person, and already for about a year absolutely to himself is not similar. Just like not in.

– What it began at it with?

– Who knows it? Perhaps to a malefice?. He started it seems anew as to do gymnastics. You will come to it to the room, he as if dances: the right leg it seems as the Pole, and left – it seems as a waltz. And hands differently beats off. And then began to mow with eyes. Sits in front of the mirror and mows with eyes. Once I look at it, and at it one eye in a ceiling looks, and another – on a floor. I so also banged all ware on a floor – was stupefied.

– The doggie shmemansky is known by you? Dez klinut.

– White, kudlastenky such? How not to know!

– And so, whether your owner and this doggie dragged off?

– To see did not see, and everything can be. I was chattered, and there the iron will cool down… There is money!.

– What so it is not enough?

– The barin speaks, my owner that he in TsIKAPU is written down and has the right for the additional area.

– What such TsIKAPU? – asked Moles.

– TsEKUBU! – Zhukov guessed.

– Let the certificate will present for now still has to pay. And report.

– All right! – And, outdoing edge of an apron, red-cheeked Fima ran out from the room.

– It is necessary to report to militia. This madman still will set fire to the house or will bump off whom!

2. ON «DOG BUSINESS»

Case on charge of professor Wagner of theft of dogs collected a packed house of public. Acquaintances, meeting each other, asked:

– You too on «dog business»?. According to the agenda?

– No, out of curiosity!. Professor – and suddenly steals dogs!. What he, eats them?.

– And I according to the agenda. Witness. And my Jolly-boat was gone! Good dog. I think to make the civil suit…

– I ask to get up!.

Judges enter the hall.

– Case on charge of the citizen Ivan Stepanovich Wagner of theft is heard…

Professor Wagner approached a table. By sight it could give no more than forty years.

In his nutbrown hair, in a broad fair-haired beard and the hung moustaches it was possible to notice only a few silvery hairs. Fresh complexion, rosy cheeks and shining eyes breathed by force and health.

«And about this person said that he does not sleep at all!» – the judge thought, bewildered inspecting the defendant. He expected to meet the emaciated old man. And already with a keen interest the judge began to ask formal questions.

– Your name, middle name, surname?

– Ivan Stepanovich Wagner.

– Age?

– Fifty three years…

In public with astonishment exchanged glances.

– Occupation?

– Professor of the Moscow university.

– In labor union you consist?

– I consist. Workers of education.

– Party?

– Non-party. Under trial did not consist.

– Citizen of the USSR?

– Yes.

– He is married?

– Widower.

– You plead guilty?

Professor Wagner vaguely shrugged shoulders.

– No, I do not recognize.

– But you abducted dogs?

– Allow to offer an explanation after interrogation of witnesses.

– Well. Write down – the judge addressed the secretary. – «The defendant did not plead guilty». Call the witness, the militiaman in the beat Sitnikov! What can you show on business?

– Applications from citizens of Bondarny Lane about loss of dogs came to our police station. At the citizen Polyakov very expensive setter, at Yushkevich – a pug, and at Deryuginykh – even the Persian cat was gone. Dogs disappeared completely. Their corpses were not found. Obviously, someone stole dogs.

– You made search?

– The dog – business not big was gone. To admit, we had no time in each case search to do. But when complaints of the citizen Shmeman to the citizen Wagner and the statement of board of housing association arrived, we began to inquire. Almost all victims pointed to professor Wagner. It in general strange some. They say, at night does not sleep. Or works at home, or on streets is unsteady. The janitor of their house saw several times as Wagner came back home with a doggie on a lasso at night. In the room of his dog bark, squeal. Proofs were serious.

Therefore, owing to the arrived statements, we decided to execute a search and dredging of its papers at professor Wagner. A search was executed by me in the presence of the chairman of the board of housing association, the janitor and the citizen Shmeman.

Nothing reprehensible was found in the first room of the defendant, except various tools and cars of an unknown origin. In the second room we found six dogs of various breed, gender and age. All of them were tied to a wall on short thongs. At some of them the heads hanged down, as if died or were tired very much. And on a table the white doggie, lokhmatenky, with the hole punched in a skull so brains were visible lay. The citizen Shmeman identified the doggie in a corpse, cried and fainted…

In the courtroom reserved sobbings Shmeman were heard.

– Dez, Dezi!. – she whispered, sobbing.

– The taken-away papers are brought by me into court – the militiaman finished.

– Undersign. Witness Zhukov!

Zhukov, the chairman of the board of housing association, confirmed testimonies of the militiaman.

– To execute a search – he added – we were forced still by that circumstance that professor Wagner is very unclear resident. Residents think that they it the mad, and are even afraid to let out children. In order to avoid panic and disorganization of the population I would ask to subject Wagner to psychiatric examination.

Perhaps, it is dangerous – having for some reason been confused, Zhukov added – and he should be moved.

Professor Wagner smiled.

– What is it dangerous by? – the judge asked.

– As in general abnormal! And neighbors complain: something hisses at it in the room, buzzes, and that explosions suddenly… Still the house will blow up!. And dogs howl the whole night… Inconvenient resident, in a word.

– Citizen Shmeman!

– Mister judge! – she began with the shivering voice, wiping a tear scarf, and immediately recovered: – Citizen judge!. He is a murderer! – She pointed a finger at Wagner with two wedding rings. – I am a widow… I have nobody… It killed my best friend… My Dezi!. – And Shmeman began to cry again.

– You make the civil suit?

– What claim? For what?

– For a doggie… You about it ask in your application…

– Nothing will reward me for loss!. – tragicly she said. – I do not know what there is written…

Other witnesses did not bring something new. The janitor in detail told how dogs on their yard vanished as also the «ostatny» doggie of Dezi was gone as he saw Wagner bringing into the house of dogs…

One of witnesses identified the dog among «victims» of professor Wagner. The dog was live, but she looked extraordinary tired and, brought home, overslept three days deeply.

– Among papers – the judge when interrogation of witnesses was finished told – from professor Wagner magazines with various records, obviously, about the experiments conducted by it over animals were taken in search time. I will announce some of them.

Here – there began the judge – records of professor Wagner about experiences:

«Skilled animal: Diana, a setter, a female, weight is twenty two kilograms. Viscosity of blood during wakefulness – two whole eighty nine 100-th. Viscosity of blood in the period of exhaustion sleeplessness – one and forty six 100-th».

There is also a number of such tables:

«Krioskopichesky point: the normal state – fifty nine 100-th degrees; a condition of imperative requirement of a dream – fifty eight 100-th degrees.

Density: the normal state – one and sixty four thousand; a condition of imperative requirement of a dream – one and fifty seven thousand.

Viscosity: the normal state – two whole seven hundred eleven thousand; a condition of imperative requirement of a dream – two».

Defendant professor Wagner! Testimony and the announced documents, I believe, your guilt is quite established. Why you do not plead guilty? Explain to us…

– Judge’s citizens! I do not deny the fact of kidnapping of dogs, but did not plead guilty, and that is why. Any theft assumes the mercenary purpose. I had no such purpose. You announced documents from which the court could be convinced that I pursued exclusively scientific aims. I conduct the experiences having enormous value for all mankind. That advantage which these experiences have to bring is incommensurable to insignificant harm which I did.

– What it is experiences?

After some fluctuation professor Wagner told:

– I work on a problem of fatigue and a dream. To win against fatigue and to destroy requirement of a dream – here what task I set to myself.

– And you successfully resolved it? Whether the truth that you already do without dream?

– Yes, truth. I do not sleep any more and I can work without exhaustion twenty four hours a day.

In public there was a movement. The surprised exclamations and a whispering were heard.

– Why you did not publish your achievements?

– I continue to improve the methods.

– But whether you why you considered it necessary to resort to such strange and illegal ways of getting of dogs for your experiences explain? If experiences are of value, the government would provide you to all necessary for work!

Professor Wagner hesitated.

– These experiences are too courageous. They could seem even fantastic. I believed in success, but on the way inevitable failures lay. They could ruin both business and my reputation before I would achieve positive results. And I decided to make them in calm of the office, at own risk. But I had few personal funds for acquisition of dogs for experiences. To refuse them when the task was half resolved, I could not. And I was forced…

– To steal dogs? – with a smile the judge added. Professor Wagner became straight and answered with tone of deep belief in the correctness:

– A dog century – some twenty years. The cost of a dog – rubles, is a lot of – tens of rubles. Having destroyed several dogs, I will extend mankind life three times, at the same time I will treble also the value of human productivity. If for it I deserve punishment, judge me! I have nothing to add more.

Judges left to confer. The public rustled as an alarmed beehive. In all corners small groups arguing on the forthcoming sentence were formed. Separate shouts were heard:

– Theft remains theft!

– But its experiences can do much good for mankind!.

– Not to sleep at all?. – some smiling fat man spoke. – The servant is obedient! Allow to refuse this blessing! Still Turgenev told that all our life – a dream and the best in life – besides a dream!.

– Perhaps, he lies?

– Who? Turgenev?

– Well, Wagner as if he does not sleep at all. The person cannot do without dream!.

– Court all right!.

At breathless attention the sentence was listened. Admitting the theft fact established, the court awarded professor Wagner by a month of imprisonment without strict isolation. «Taking former non-conviction of the defendant and lack of the mercenary purposes, punishment to apply conditionally into account, having established the annual term of test…»

– Case on the claim of housing association is heard…

The public rushed from the hall, discussing a sentence which, probably, satisfied the majority: formally Wagner is punished, actually bailed.

Only some criticized a sentence.

– Means, it is possible to steal and kill with impunity? – defiantly loudly Shmeman asked, looking around at supports.

– If there is no self-interest, then there is no theft also! Wagner should submit the cassation! – told others.

Under cross views doctor Wagner made the way along the corridor vessels. But he did not pay to anybody attention. It was ozabochivat by a thought: