Classics fantasy – 6

– Arrest? – I asked.

Ale in thoughtfulness raised eyes up, with a type of the person wishing to remember something, then took out the small book from a pocket, turned over it (“Dictionary” – I thought) and answered with a smile:

– No, not arrest. But simple precautionary measure. Exceptional case. I will explain to you. I will arrive exactly at midnight, that is at ten o’clock.

– Means, earlier?

– It will also be exactly at midnight. We have a decimal account of time. And you are spent so far by Ea. – And Ale something told Ea.

Эа, the young man who the first started talking to me approached me and, having friendly nodded, gestures suggested me to follow himself. To protest, object? What could I make, one against all? I went, hardly keeping up with tripping “escort” as I mentally called him, to the side avenue. Passers darted at me glances in which surprise and curiosity shone. Obviously, they were struck by my suit. We came to the small platform among an oak grove soon. In the center of the platform there were several small aviettes of a design unknown to me, with two propellers: ahead and from above, but without wings and without motor.

My satellite indicated the place for me and took seat itself at management. I followed it. Эа pressed the button. The top propeller was almost silently started turning, and we quickly began to rise steeply. Our flight continued no more than five minutes, but probably we reached the big height as even in the cloth suit I felt cold.

Suddenly sideways from us the huge round platform, not movably groundless seemed. We rose even above and fell by this platform. In the middle of it there was a round iron building with a dome-shaped roof.

Chapter 2

AIR PRISON

“Air prison – I thought. – From here you will not escape. Strange these people: do not know the word ‘arrest’, and build such prisons to which builders of the Bastille would envy!”

My young satellite left, having left me one. I approached the region of the platform enclosed with an iron fencing looked down and involuntarily admired.

Here, above, the sun still brightly shone, and below blue shadows already laid down. All visible platform to the horizon reminded a chessboard, with black cages of the woods and lighter – fields. Some rivers or channels a direct, bluish-silvery tape cut through this chessboard in several places. Houses were not visible in blue of twilight. Having turned to the right, I saw something, forced me to scream. In beams setting the sun Ivan Veliky, cathedrals sparkled gold of the head of the Kremlin churches. There is no doubt, it is the Moscow Kremlin. And still it was not that Moscow Kremlin which was known by me… It was impossible to learn also the Moskva River. It, obviously, straightened. Yauza was not visible at all. I strained sight, trying to regard Moscow from this height. But Ea easily touched my shoulder and gesture suggested to follow it. I obeyed and, having sighed, crossed a threshold of my prison.

Strange, unusual prison! The huge round hall was filled in with light. All walls are filled with cases with books. Regiments are faced by tables with the tools unknown to me similar to the broken cameras and microscopes. And all middle of the room was occupied by the huge telescope. Or they have a special system of keeping of criminals, or… or they have no prisons at all, and I was placed in observatory as the most reliable, difficult place for escape. So it also appeared.

The elderly, but vigorous and cheerful person, with a little Mongolian face type, same hairless as Ale approached me. He hospitably raised a hand as a sign of a greeting, with curiosity studying me. I tried to copy its welcome gesture. Near it there was, apparently, a girl in a blue tunic. She also greeted me. Then the elderly person showed me the door to the neighboring room where I also passed in maintenance of Ea. This room was round too, but it is less. There were no tools. The room was arranged with simple, but convenient furniture and served, obviously, a drawing room or the dining room. The wall had a small white screen from some metal, in square meter size, and near it the black varnished box. Эа suggested me to sit down. This time I willingly executed its offer. I felt a little tired. It is not enough. I was hungry. But how to explain me it?

I prositelno looked at Ea, brought a hand to an open mouth and pretended that I chew. Эа approached me and attentively looked in a mouth. He did not understand me, obviously, thought that something hurts me. I negatively rolled up the head and began to chew and swallow expressively. Surprisingly dull people! I изощрял all the mimic abilities. Эа with breathless attention watched me. At last he, apparently, understood me and, having nodded, left the room. I breathed a sigh of relief. But I had to be disappointed soon. Эа brought a wafer of some medicine and a small liqueur glass of water on a gold saucer to wash down this medicine. I made quite vigorous gesture by a hand expressing my disappointment and sharply discharged its plateau. Эа did not take offense, and grieved rather. Then he suddenly brought to a mouth the hand with phone attached to a palm and told something. Light instantly went out.

“Became angry” – I thought.

Suddenly the screen lit up this world; on it I saw a corner of the room and the Ale sitting in a chair. The image was so live that it seemed to me as if I see the historian through the opened window in the neighboring room. Ale rose, approached the screen and, with a smile looking at me, asked:

– What at you happened? You are hungry? Why you refused a tablet? It needs to be swallowed, and your hunger will be satisfied. We do not chew, we only swallow. That is why Ea also did not understand your mimicry.

– But I did not get used to such food – I confusedly answered, being surprised why Ale told about the young man: “Ea did not understand”.

– Tomorrow we will prepare for you something better, to your Moscow taste – Ale smiled again – and today have supper a tablet. I will be in ten – he reminded.

The screen went out, light in the room flashed.

I, smiling, Ea nodded, took a tablet, swallowed and washed down with water. The tablet was aromatic and left pleasant smack in a mouth. Did not pass also minutes as I felt satiety and gesture thanked Ea. He smiled with a pleased smile. He or she? This question interested me. All these new “Muscovites” so differ from each other both on addition, and on a suit a little that it is difficult to distinguish a floor. As if to me to ask Ea? If they speak Esperanto, then… it is necessary to remember. In Esperanto there are a lot of Latin roots. Man, husband in Latin vir (вир). Let’s try.

– Vee Viro? (You man?)

Эа burst out laughing, negatively rocked the head and playfully ran out from the room. Who could think! Absolutely boy!

Having had supper a tablet, I came to the platform. It was cool. On the dark blue sky six crossing huge light strips which were behind the horizon spread. Precisely easy gold dome-shaped arch covered the earth. It was amazingly beautiful show. Only huge heavy-duty searchlights could create these fiery rivers. When an eye got used to light a little, I saw that on the gold rivers the gold ships – the long, cigar-shaped aircrafts which are scurrying about as shuttles, with amazing speed float.

Having admired this show, I paid attention to some subject reminding a big silk bag. This bag was strengthened on quite high pole, and from it the rope went down on the platform. Several such bags hung also in other places at the region of the platform. Out of curiosity I pulled a rope. Suddenly, before I managed to let go it, pulled me up. The bag rose, with noise revealed in a huge parachute and was thrown overboard the air platform. I grew cold with horror. Fortunately, I noticed something like a trapeze nearby. I took seat on it and departed to a chasm.

Chapter 3

THE SHORTEST NIGHT

It was the shortest night in my life – it filled with the most extraordinary impressions so quickly flew by.

Having unexpectedly broken on a parachute from the platform of air observatory, I got used to the position of the pilot necessarily soon and with interest looked down.

As I fell, quickly grew warm. The breeze carried me aside, towards the Kremlin. Near it I saw a grove of cypresses among which there was a fine marble fountain lit with the ascended moon. These cypresses growing in the open air near the Kremlin walls, struck me. But I immediately forgot about them, attracted with a new show. The parachute transferred me through the Kremlin wall, from Borovitsky gate, and I fell… on the square covered with snow. Staring in disbelief, I took snow a hand. It was the real cold snow, but it did not thaw from the surrounding warm air, even from my hot hand. What for improbable things are created here?

I looked around. There was an extraordinary silence. The moon gilded domes of churches and lit blue sparks of diamonds on the roofs of ancient towers powdered with snow. In one of them, in a small window, with mica instead of glasses, the yellowish spark shone. But on streets it was visible nobody. At the Red porch stood two bearded stremyanny in the warm caftans edged by fur and in fur peaked caps. Leaning on berdysh, they dozed. Trying not to wake them again not to undergo arrest, I carefully bypassed them on the creaking snow and started wandering to the center of the Kremlin, trying to resolve a riddle: in what century I live? My reflections were unexpectedly interrupted with Ale which literally fell from the moon – so quickly it fell on the wings.

– You gave me much a lot of trouble – he told, with reproach looking at me. – You wanted to run?

I was confused and began to assure that everything left incidentally, because of my careless curiosity.

After Ale went down on a double aviette of Ea.

– Well – Ale hasty answered. – You sit down rather, we fly. At least, you visited our museum.

– So it was the museum!

I did not manage to recover as I was installed to the small round room of my air prison already again.

Ale, Ea and I took seat in wicker chairs at a round table. Ale frowned and as though expected something. Very melodious musical chord was heard – as if skillful easy fingers ran on harp strings. The chord sounded and stood.

– Ten hours. Midnight. It was punched by clock radios – told Ale, addressing me. Having laid a hand to a mouth, it asked someone a question in the laconic language. Then nodded – obviously, on the received answer.

“How he hears?” – I thought, looking on Ale.

I noticed in his ear, the small black subject, size about a pea is slightly lower than an acoustical opening. It also was probably the hearing aid.

Unusual silence and concern of my satellites brought me to a nervous state. I took out a box of cigarettes and lit. Ale was lop-sided on smoke and turned away. Эа sat closer to me. Suddenly she strongly began to cough, turned pale and leaned back on a chair back. Then quickly rose and, being unsteady, left the room.

– Stop to smoke – told Ale and, having approached a wall, turned some rychazhok. Air instantly was refreshed. I extinguished a cigarette and carefully laid it in a box.

The door opened. Li, the assistant to the astronomer Tong entered. It gave to Ale a portrait and, having told something, left. Ale nodded and began to look alternately at the brought portrait and at me.

“Compares – I thought. – From criminal investigation department, likely, sent. Was not enough only that I was similar to some criminal!”

But words of Ale calmed me.

– Yes nothing similar – he told, giving me a card. – It is just received on radio from America.

I was struck by artistry of performance. The best photographer of Moscow would envy such work. But the portrait forced me to smile. On it the person whose suit reminded knitted children’s “combination” from wool was represented. Similarity was supplemented by a cap, knitted from the same matter. The neck of the unknown was wrapped by a scarf to the chin. Quite big head without beard and moustaches and even eyebrows reminded the child’s head with a senile look. Only in slightly blinked eyes serious mind and rapacity of a small animal shone.