Classics fantasy – 6

– But pilots fall.

– It is not terrible.

– How it is not terrible?

However before I asked this question, pilots opened wings behind the back and began to decrease smoothly.

– And what if the American starts up a destructive beam in our boat? – I asked with alarm.

– Its surface is impregnable. My invention – Li modestly told. – Its mass application is just adjusted.

The mad pursuit began. Americans flew on the North. Our boat did not lag behind. When morning came, I saw white spaces through a periscope.

– Snow? – I asked.

– Yes, we behind the Polar circle. Mr. spy, apparently, directs the way to America through the North Pole.

We entered a strip of continuous fogs and clouds soon. Even the strong searchlight could not find the enemy.

– Proklyatye! – Li swore. – If America did not disturb, we would make winter-proof also a pole. As a matter of fact, we could make it and now, but benefits do not reward energy expense. Really it will manage to disappear?

However spies, obviously, had a purpose to remain by all means within the European Russia – I call in own way – and to execute some assignment.

We were told that the boat is found behind us, considerably to the south. It went at big height, but it was managed to be found.

We departed on the South. The whole squadron of the same boats, impregnable for devil beams, surrounded the enemy.

– You can incinerate the boat of spies? – I asked.

– It is also impregnable for beams, as well as ours. We can lay down an ordinary explosive shell only.

Obviously, seeing itself surrounded from all directions, the spy suddenly produced volt, absolutely unexpected for me: the boat went vertically up. Our boats followed it.

We moved to a stern. Probably it was very difficult for pilot to operate in such situation.

– Where it? To Mars? – I asked.

– A little lower – smiling, Li answered. – Fortunately or to a regret, both its and our boats are constructed not by the principle of rockets which can fly in vacuum. They move by means of the screw of the special device. You look, the boat reduces speed. Air becomes more and more seldom and does not serve as a support to the propeller. We catch up. But we should rise even above to lay down an explosive shell from above. Whether our car will take out? Perfectly! It does not go further. Still a little… It is lucky… Here…

But at this moment the air boat of the enemy as a shell, crashed down down, and after it also we departed to a chasm. I thought that at me heart will burst.

– Accident? – I asked, choking.

– No, only a trick of the enemy – Li answered, sitting on a chair back.

I looked at a periscope.

– What is it? Sea?

– Yes, Black Sea.

– It crashed down in waves. He died?

– At all. The boat under water also well floats as flies in air. It did not manage to disappear in the sky, and he tries to take refuge in water.

Before the water surface our boat stopped.

– And we?

– You see, other boats already dived after it. The others will be on duty on a surface. From here it is difficult for it to leave. I cannot remain more here, it is necessary to hurry on survey of power plants. But at first we will give rest to our pilot. On the coast. A stop, decrease – Li told.

The boat smoothly fell. The door of a cabin of the pilot opened, and on a threshold Ea appeared.

– Again you? In this dangerous undertaking? – with surprise I asked.

– Unless it is dangerous only to me? – without posing the girl asked.

– Oh, it at us the good fellow, one of the best and bravest pilots. Was tired?

– At all.

– Then we fly rather on the heliostation.

Chapter 8

THE SUN UNDER THE YOKE

The air ship began to take away the screw height.

– We fly to the solar region which once was called Turkestan – Li told. – There we get solar energy. But it is not the only power source. If I began to describe to you all ways of getting of energy by us, you should listen not one days. It is enough to tell that we left coal long ago, it remained too little. It seems, there is no more force of nature which we would not use. We get energy, using wind work. We subdued volcanic forces, terrestrial magnetism and terrestrial electric currents forced to work. To we serve atmospheric electricity. Even a thunder-storm which has no time with horror worshipped as terrible god, we harnessed on service to mankind. Sea waves, sea inflows and otliva – our workers-athletes. I do not speak about water engines any more. We measure culture height by the number of the consumed kilowatts now. And, I think, it is the most right and exact measuring instrument. We overtake all boundless amount of the energy received by us in the central accumulators and from there we extend on radio in all corners of our countries: on the Earth’s surface, into the sky where our ships, fly to ocean depth for our underwater vessels and even under the earth. Well, here we, apparently, also arrived – Li told.

Our air ship softly fell, and I left a cabin. As the ship interior was well lit, I involuntarily blinked the eyes from a bright sun. It hurt the eyes to pain. I was in the south. But this light as though became brighter, is more dazzling.

– Put on dark glasses – Li told, giving points. – You did not get used to this lighting.

Having put on glasses, I saw that the sun, how many the huge mirrors reflecting it blinded me not so much. These mirrors had the form of the truncated cone. On its axis the boilers surrounded with a glass case were located. Special adaptation with the clockwork turned mirrors after the sun.

– You see how all this is simple – Li told. – The mirrors put at an angle collect sunshine in one focus and heat water to a boiling point. Steam turns out It puts electrical machines in action, and energy as I told you, is broadcast.

People in the same suits, as well as he, neither the person, nor an exterior not differing from it approached Li. Li spoke with them about difficult technical questions, throwing words and terms, unclear for me.

When we remained one, I asked:

– You talked probably to engineers. But where workers? I would like to look at them.

Li took of me an amazed look.

– Workers? What such special workers you look for? All of us are workers. One of us knows a little more, another is less, one is more talented, another less, here and all difference. But more true, perhaps, to tell that we have all – engineers. Because each of our workers knows more, engineers of your century thought.