A. Belyaev - Classics fantasy – 3

– 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!

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.