Classics fantasy – 3

– When you go, steam will not disturb you – Wagner told. – Kind way!

With a blanket under the arm, in rubber galoshes I went on the road, glancing at the compass brought to the eyes. On all my body and on the person hot sweat streamed.

Dogs of our small settlement, увидав a strange show, desperately began a bark and then in panic horror escaped from me. «If animals also are afraid of me, it is quite good» – I thought, going down to the lake.

The moon did not come several days for the horizon, it beat about the bush on the sky, filling with illusive light polar night. Wagner was right: when I went, steam not really prevented me to see. I watched prints of legs of Dashkevich on ice along the coast of the lake. Poor Dashkevich! Without galoshes it is probably hard for it to go. Where it stopped, traces went deep: hot legs melted ice. And Dashkevich had to go, without stopping at least over lakes and the rivers.

Strange thing: I did not pass also hour as felt infernal hunger and thirst. Thanks to high temperature in my organism there was a strengthened combustion, and the organism demanded fuel, that is food. Yes, I could not worry about preparation of hot food: to me was rather crude fish.

I descended on lake ice, spread a blanket, laid down and put a hand on ice. Ice began to thaw soon, and the hand went to ice more and more deeply. I had to lower a hand almost to a shoulder before fingers touched water. To the outlet done by me the great number of fishes came soon. I directly was enough them with hands and ate raw materials. Never in life I ate so much. It is surprising as soon as could sustain my stomach!

And I drank, drank without measure. But it had not to be surprised. I read that the person under tropics, working at the sun, allocates up to twelve liters of water in days and thus the amount of heat, six thousand five hundred liters of water, sufficient for heating, by one degree releases. A certain natural regulator of a body, obviously, by release of water tried to lower temperature to normal thirty seven degrees. The strengthened release of sweat caused the increased thirst.

Having sated and having got drunk, I went further, but again felt hunger and thirst soon, again was accepted to fishing, ate twice more than former and drank nearly half of lakes. I became is gluttonous as the muskrat eating every day so much food how many his body weighs. Interestingly, than Dashkevich who had to have the same terrible appetite, as well as I ate? Dashkevich had no galoshes and a blanket how he could catch fish? However I noticed a hole ashore and the hole which already semi-froze in lake ice soon. Obviously, careful Dashkevich melted snow and ice to the earth and carefully crept up to the region of the coast. Yes, it was difficult for it to get food. It is necessary to hurry to it to the aid.

I quickly went along the lake. Traces of bare feet of Dashkevich were clearly visible. It, as well as I, went on a compass. The moon shone brightly. It slowly moved ahead in the sky, taking a detour over my head as if wished to look from all directions at an extraordinary show – the steam sphere sliding on the ground.

Circle it was desert and it is silent. Only my noisy breath broke silence as heavy sighs of the engine at the lonely abandoned steppe station.

The ice plain extended endlessly, and Dashkevich everything was not visible. I began to be tired, and I wanted to sleep. Judging by position of the moon, there came midnight for a long time. It was necessary to think of a lodging for the night. I went, choosing the suitable town. In the north the horizon darkened. From there was a cloud. And stars at its approach as if fell in a huge black bag and disappeared. Here black бредень clouds collected stars from the half-sky and approached the moon. It is a little more, and the moon was the swallowed dark mouth of a cloud. Darkness came.

Snow went. But, getting on the hot steam cover surrounding me flakes of snow turned into rain drops, and they fell on my naked shoulders and a back as on the heated plate, and evaporated, and from legs flew down on the earth hot then. Yes, as it is strange, being behind the Polar circle in ice cold winter night, I got under damp tropical heavy rain. But this heavy rain existed only for me. Around the blizzard stormed.

And as it happens in the north when the sky becomes covered by clouds, air became warmer. Temperature from forty degrees below zero rose probably up to five below zero. I experienced the real heat. I could not regulate the temperature still. Short radio waves heated me so that I felt, as at burning noon under the equator. Drops of a rain heated up before reached my body, and could not cool awful heat. I several times rushed on the earth to be cooled, and felt how I plunge into snow which literally melted from my excited body.

At last the snow snow-storm stopped. Black бредень clouds began to shake out stars back. The moon looked out soon. I looked back and saw the ice strip sparkling on fluffy snow which was left by the rain freezing behind me which is flowing down from my body.

It is time to have a rest. I spread out a blanket on snow – it was damp from a rain – and stretched on it. But I did not risk to catch a cold, the blanket began to dry quickly, only my body touched it; from a blanket steam, as from damp clothes which are ironed too hot iron went.

I strong fell asleep. Having opened eyes, I saw nothing: obviously, clouds tightened the sky again. However I never before saw such black, impenetrable darkness. Attentively looking round, I, at last, noticed a star over my most-headed. That for strangeness! As though clouds covered all sky, except for a small circle in a zenith. I quickly rose and went forward, but then hit against an ice wall. Turned aside, took several steps – again a wall. It was unclear. I well remembered that I fell asleep on absolutely flat and open place, and now I was in some ice cave.

I went back and fell in a hole which was in the middle of a cave. Having reached walls, I bypassed around. Walls were smooth, ice and had no exit anywhere. The ice floor of a cave had a slope to the center and in the center – a big hollow. All cave had a hemisphere appearance with a small opening in a ceiling. Perhaps, this dwelling of some locals who found me on ice and brought to themselves in a yurta. But this yurta had neither doors, nor windows, and besides in it was nobody, except me.

How I got here? Only only through an opening in a ceiling. It was over my head at the height of four meters. It is surprising how I not расшибся if I was dumped from there! Yes, I in a trap. In this mousetrap I will starve to death if I do not get out from here. But how? To a hole in a ceiling not долезть. Walls? I knocked in walls. They, probably, were very fat. Unclear history! I sat down on the earth and the forehead began to rub to itself. Under me there was no blanket, and I felt how my body slowly plunges into the snow thawing under me. Suddenly I slapped myself on the head and burst out laughing.

Well, of course! Everything is very simple. I set myself in this prison. When I fell asleep, my hot body kindled snow around me. Despite a blanket, I slowly plunged into snow, it was not lying on the stony soil, as if in the center of a funnel yet. Steam which is coming out my body froze together and fell around me hoarfrost, forming an ice ring. It gradually accrued, turned into a wall which became isolated from above the arch. Hot breath punched in this arch a hole absolutely the same as in a den of the bear who is filled up with snow. I appeared in the center of an ice dome. From warmth of my body of a wall of this hemisphere melted inside and were increased outside by hoarfrost into which the warmth leaving an opening turned.

It, however, is surprising! I quietly fell asleep on the naked ice plain, and woke up in own ice house, such strong that any bear will not get into it. The house which grew self-building. It is very convenient. Unfortunately, the architect did not provide the door device. However, this business reparable.

I approached an ice wall of the self-harmonious house and, having bent the head, pressed a cinciput to ice. From a wall steam tumbled down, and on the earth water began to flow. Ice quickly thawed. I felt soon that my head passed through a wall. The window was ready. I twisted the head, expanding a hole, then pulled in the head back and looked outside.

Before me there was a same snow infinite plain which is filled in with moonlight. I turned the head on the left, to the right. Suddenly saw a polar bear not far. No, it is a she-bear with two bear cubs.

She-bear raised the head and expanded nostrils involved steam which was coming out the window made by me. Warm fur and a thick skin, obviously, did not protect bears from action of the directed short radio wave. From a she-bear and bear cubs brought down thick steam. Animals felt Unusual and, probably, unpleasant feeling of heat. They wound the head, were rubbed the nose during snow, rose by hinder legs and waved lobbies, as if blowing in themselves, then suddenly fell on the earth and began to ride in snow. Bear cubs roared such dense bass what could not be expected from babies them age, at least and a bear origin.

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.