A. Belyaev - Classics of a fantasy

Ball – steel color? To what? Evening receptions, theaters… All this

“there” it is not necessary…

Many hours she wandered about the house. Took one thing in hand and, forgetting about

to it, mechanically put back, went further.

It turned out as a result that she loves nothing and it is not tied to anything.

Ellen has no lovely, expensive things. But why then she so dreamed about

inheritance? In what business? She could not understand it.

With bitterness she entered the room of lady Hinton. The aunt sat at a desk

mahogany and, as the usurer accepting gold in a mortgage

weighed diamonds on pharmaceutical scales.

For Ellen it was day of revelations. Having found the aunt behind this occupation,

Ellen suddenly felt that she hates her and despises. These feelings

long ago were concealed in her soul and now emerged on a surface.

– Selected? – lady Hinton asked.

– Selected nothing, – the girl answered and took seat behind the aunt at

fireplace.

– Why?

– Because I do not know what to select.

– You do not know?

– I do not know! – with extraordinary sharpness Ellen answered. – Any thing

does not interest me, does not stop my attention.

– Choose as I choose. To Earth we still will return when passes

general madness, I firmly trust in it. But what we leave here

it is necessary to consider lost. However, I disposed to hide some

jewelry. In cellars of the lock there are hiding places about which nobody not

suspects. There are storerooms in which it is possible to immure something. Something

it will be dug in a garden, something will be lowered in a well. But unless on servants

it is possible to rely? Means, it is necessary to count only that we can

to take with itself. The centner is after all much if to choose efficiently.

It is necessary to take the smallest by the size and weight of a thing and the most expensive.

Watch how I arrive. – And lady Hinton showed a chubby hand on a heap

the values lying before it on a table.

– I have no your abilities, – noticed Ellen.

– Study. From dresses, linen at least selected something?

– Henry says that it is only excess freight. In Stormer-city

special suits for the rocket are produced. There it will be so warm,

that to put on an excess dress it would be just unhygienic.

– Hygienists! Tell Henry that I will refuse flight if they are

to walk there in indecent suits. Take several dresses, it is more

linen, hat, galoshes, umbrella.

– And galoshes, umbrella, what for?

– They are going to land us on some comet…

– To the planet, aunt.

– Do not interrupt. And if there the rain is or slush?

– Henry advises winter suits to take. It is possible that it is necessary to us

to land on the planet with a frigid climate.

– Let do not land on such. Can choose become warmer. I do not take out

cold weather.

– Today this question will be discussed still.

– You reminded me. Whether rooms for guests are prepared? How many

the person is expected?

– Person twenty. I already disposed.

– And lunch?

– Everything is ready, the aunt.

Now there was not such time to receive guests. But it was also not

standard practice. In the country lock of lady Hinton had to gather

some participants of the forthcoming flight, to discuss very important

questions. So far it was not still precisely solved on what

the planet the crew of “ark” will land. On this congress expected arrival

several most visible astronomers. Well paid them for consultation and

for silence. Except the closest participants of flight, nobody has to know about

“ark”.

It would seem what can be urgency in astronomy where time

it is estimated in billions of years where everything from the terrestrial point of view is firm?

Steadily planets move on the orbits, steadily follow the

in the ways periodically appearing comets… Or astronomers waited for one of

such rare guests, like Galley’s comet, or were trapped full

solar eclipse?. No, not comets and solar eclipses absorbed them

time. They were really extremely busy. Astronomy – science about

the far sky – it was very close to some terrestrial affairs.

Great mathematicians, experts on heavenly mechanics, they were mobilized

for work on superartillery and superaircraft. “The last Mohicans”

capitalism feverishly prepared for war, preparing for the opponent “surprises”

in the form of rocket shells, military stratoplan, superlong-range guns

and other. And scientists jealously carried out charged to them especially scientific

business…

But, working for those who were executed by animal rage and thirst of fight

and destructions, scientists could not refuse the last service and that who

wanted to run from fight. And, having bargained, they accepted favorable

offer.

That minute when lady Hinton was engaged in weighing of the

family values, the philosopher Shnirer also sat in the office for

scales, but its scales were big, and it weighed not on carats, and on

tens of kilograms. On a table before it heaps of philosophical books lay. It

the library weighed not one centner. These books are so heavy! He decided to take

the best of them. From ancient philosophers Platon – it is unconditional, Aristotle —

under doubt. From new – certainly Kant, Schopenhauer, Spengler,

Bergson. But as this old man Kant weighs much! Perhaps, not to take them?

No, they will be necessary “there”.

Shnirer worked methodically, as always. At first made a marking

“the specific philosophical weight” of each philosopher, then noted

the “physical” weight of the book also accurately wrote down on the sheet of paper.

The door of an office was slightly opened, someone glanced through a crack.

– You do not work, the father? – asked Amelie, entering the room. Amelie

never entered to the father when that was busy. It were hours

religious rites. The daughter of the philosopher was excited, her cheeks burned

flush. Shnirer looked at the daughter over points and asked briefly:

– Sport?

– This time not. I saw Otto. The lieutenant Otto Ernst was

Amelie’s groom.

– Well and that? – Shnirer asked, weighing Descartes.

– We with it had a conversation…

– As I see, very hot.

– Yes. I suggested it to take part in flight. He answered that with

its parties it would be desertion. He told: “I have to remain

here, to win or die!” Otto convinced me to remain with him.

Descartes’s small volume trembled in Shnirer’s hand.

– Well, and that you answered? – he asked, trying to hide alarm.

– I answered it that I will follow you, the father. Shnirer frowned,

to hide joy:

– So. And Otto?

– Otto speaks, as you have no need to fly… And all these books you

you want to take with yourself? Whether you gather, the father to give lectures on

philosophies to Martians or inhabitants of Venus?

– If they exist and are rather developed for this purpose, then why to them

and not to get acquainted with philosophers of Earth? – Shnirer answered. – And to fly to me

it is necessary. And it for my part not desertion and not cowardice. On me

the holy duty lies – to keep wisdom of Earth. True philosophy,

thousand-year heritage of human culture. To all this, – he specified on

books, – terrible danger threatens. Who knows what treasures of a thought

were killed in fire at the fire of the Alexandria library? And now approaches