A. Belyaev - Classics of a fantasy

satellites also left bank.

But on it its efforts did not end. Being going to leave Earth, it

cared more that will remain on Earth, than about unusual

baggage.

The banker did not trust even the superfortress. It ideally protects from

thieves? Well. From enemy attack? Perfectly. But whether it can

to protect from revolution?. Attack of enemies on the city not so disturbed

the banker, as revolution and fear to lose the riches frightened.

No walls and underground hiding places will save then treasure of bankers. And

he decided to hide the most valuable that it had, in two places.

He had to make one more trip with the authorized representative,

the friend Ribot on whom he relied, as on itself (himself), to Andorra,

small republic close to Spain. This republic

has only four hundred twenty five square kilometers of the area and

six villages of the population. Surrounded from all directions with unapproachable

mountains, having only one good road through the Spanish border, this

the remote corner of Europe was chosen long ago by Marshal.

Several years ago he bought the abandoned site in Andorra

lands in the deserted area, near the Pyrenean mountains. Here, in the gorge,

the large share of richness of the March la was secretly buried. Iron chests

were deeply dug in different places and are filled up with stones.

If at least one such treasure remains, the banker will be able upon return on

The earth to begin business again. By then, according to the baron,

revolution will be suppressed.

A lot of money for bribery of bank was necessary to spend Marshalya

workers, that large withdrawal did not appear in books and at all not

it would be revealed before flying away of the banker.

Marshal de Terlinzh could fly quietly.

***

Collecting to the road brought the greatest trouble upon Semuel Stormer. But to us

it is necessary to tell before several words about that way which brought in

“Noah’s Ark” of the new participant who quickly seized all threads

managements of “Joint-stock company” and the chairman who moved forward on a post

boards. It possessed also an initiative of creation of the whole squadron

“arks” for rescue of capitalists of the other countries.

Semuel Stormer was once one of the richest people, the member

eighty five joint-stock companies, chairman of sixty others

and away, and so forth. Said about it that it “keeps half of Europe in waistcoat

pocket’. Stormer’s power was present ‘the state in

state”. More than fifteen million people in the different countries

were supplied with Stormer’s companies gas, electricity, coal.

Welfare of millions of small shares holders was in his hands.

– The most difficult was to extract the first million, – ordinary spoke

Stormer to reporters, telling a story of the wealth, – to get

the rest was already easy.

Production of actions was system of this easy getting.

But crisis broke also this colossus.

Operation of the typographical machine making all new and new actions

and military orders did not save either Stormer, or his fellows, and only on

some time removed their final death.

And Stormer decided, what is the best of all, having hidden solid cash,

to disappear, depart “on heaven”.

It unexpectedly like interest to., to a classical antiquity also went

through Paris to Athens to study ancient art of Greece. “Incidentally”

Greece was not connected by the extradition treaty of criminals.

Flight of Stormer and his brother caused noise in the country. Government

demanded Stormer’s delivery from Greece. It was arrested and forwarded in

prison – in the camera arranged better than any salon aristocratic

hotels.

However for other morning when Stormer still stretched in a bed, to

to it the chief of prison and the Athenian lawyer, in most entered the camera

refined expressions apologized for the happened misunderstanding and

declared that it is free. He was obliged by it to the Greek millionaire,

invested the capital in Stormer’s enterprises.

But Stormer did not forget a lesson. It grasped the idea of “Noah’s Ark”. It

the scent said to him that on this business it is possible to profit. Unless one

Stormer is in a stalemate? And it with energy inherent in it

undertook affairs of “Noah’s Ark”, at once having put them in a big way and in that

time actively preparing for final elimination come in

the deadlock put. Induced to leave Earth it not only danger

the coming revolution. Revolution bore to it crash. Any day could

to emerge on a surface dark affairs, briberies, forgeries and even something

it is worse what at best threatened Stormer with full bankruptcy. But

that bankruptcy if direct threatened his life

danger? To leave Earth was for it the best outcome.

Stormer decided to set fire to the palace before flying away and to dramatize

own death in a flame. Thus many will be destroyed

the documents compromising him, and the case of it is dismissed for it

“death”. Everything was prepared for it.

Stormer should have held on by all means before

time, having kept visibility of prosperity. Therefore he could not withdraw from

addresses as Marshal, considerable part of the gold reserves.

And still he prepared a weighty suitcase. But he did not want to leave

to its Earth. He considered the earth insufficiently safe place since

danger of revolution became a reality.

And he asked Zander whether it is impossible to make at least part of the rocket of him

gold. Zander explained that it is impossible. Gold is even softer than silver.

It melts at one thousand sixty two degrees Celsius whereas

iron – at one thousand five hundred. The surface of the rocket at flight through

the atmosphere is exposed to strong heating.

– We risk to burn down in our gold rocket or to be flattened out at

to landing. The strongest refractory grades are necessary for a cover of the rocket

special steel.

Stormer was disappointed and is even offended. For the first time it was necessary to it

to hear that gold is put below steel.

– Well, and on internal hand-made articles?

– It is possible, though is unprofitable: gold too massivno, increases

dead freight. On gazo-and water pipes, perhaps, it is possible to use

this metal if you insist.

– On the sewerage, can be? – being indignant with such profanation

“golden calf”, Stormer asked.

– And at least and for bathrooms, – Zander quietly answered. – In the sky other

quotation of values.

Also settled upon that: in “Noah’s Ark” of a pipe and some details

the equipment will be made of gold.

Stratoplan tilted. For a moment Finger saw the mountain platform and

on it Stormer-city.

This city had an extraordinary appearance. On the central square was

the huge horseshoe attached to the earth by the rounded-off part. Any

the cathedral in the world, any skyscraper could not be made even to it on height.

Around a horseshoe not less strange constructions settled down.

The spherical buildings, huge cylinders which are lying on one side or standing on

the basis. One sphere was glass and as it seemed to Finger,

rotated. Another – absolutely black. The lying cylinder, or “tank”,

had a surface half black, opaque, half brilliant,