A. Belyaev - Classics fantasy – 12

Volkov lodged in Primorye not so long ago. Earlier it worked in Belarus on collective-farm construction. But it had an uneasy nature. Having bored with work of the land surveyor, it was attached to one scientific expedition which went to the Far East. Beauty and an originality of this edge so captivated Volkov that he remained to live there.

It had the true intuition of the hunter and a keen eye. If Konobeev “cost” four tens bears, then Volkov had other merits: it with own hand killed two tigers – a quite good experience for the beginner. However, it had to kill one tiger, having incidentally come across it and defending. Only exclusive composure and resourcefulness saved to it life. The tiger was killed, but, already dying, managed to scratch a cheek to Volkov one claw, having left a mark for the rest of life.

Sitting at a fire, Konobeev and Volkov told each other infinite stories from hunting life.

One morning they came to the seashore. There was an end of October. Weather was extremely silent. In the ocean the outflow bared shallows with the heaps of seaweed which are swept together on them. Near the coast two Japanese were engaged in strange occupation. One of them sat in the square-tipped boat loaded with the bamboo branches connected in a bunch. The second Japanese, having put a naked leg on edge of the boat, other leg, leaning all weight of a body, stepped on the conic spade which had two handles as in children’s stilts. Lifting and lowering a spade, it moved along a boat board; following it, his companion took bunches of bamboo branches and stuck them in a bottom.

Such show for the first time was necessary to see Volkova.

– What do they do? – he asked Konobeev.

The old man grinned.

– Cabbage is planted!

– No, really?

– However really cabbage is planted – Konobeev answered. – Sea cabbage.

– But it is not cabbage, but bamboo branches.

– Well, bamboo branches. You what piece Vit: when the sea cabbage releases a seed…

– Disputes?

– Any disputes. Ordinary seed. A seed it flies to water as dust by air. And these bushes detain a seed. And on this place cabbage will begin grow. The place Here superficial, convenient in order that then pal-uumn-with hooks to break cabbage. Here they also sit down branches. The kitchen garden is parted, so, it seems as underwater farmers. However to us climb! Closely they on islands, have no place to move, here and climb. Yes something one Japanese gather us? And Americans what is done? An eye would not be seen! One cats in [54] thousand are exhausted.

– Makar Ivanych, it that it? Illicit requisition of public property? – Volkov heard someone’s young voice and turned back. It was faced by the cheerful swarthy young man, sparkling white teeth. On it the cap, a sweatshirt and leather trousers filled in huge fishing boots with tops was put on the track is higher.

– Vanyushka? Hi! – Konobeev responded and, having addressed Volkov, explained: – Vanyushka Toporkov in our artel works. Komsomoliya. You what not at work? – he asked Vanyushka.

– Day off I, Makar Ivanych! I speak: what does it become? Hello, the citizen – he greeted Volkov. – As they dare to plunder property!

– I and that speak… Closely at them – Konobeev answered.

– I know what is close – Vanyushka was not appeased. – Yes who plunders? Helpers of Toyama of Riokitsa, industrialist tolstopuzy. He will also sell to the Japanese poor this cabbage for four is expensive, and the poor again hungry will be. To drive them from here without any diplomatic notes. Hey you! – he shouted, having threatened a cockleshell on Japanese. – Shoo from here! What take for a disgrace, foot! Shoo, shoo! – And he resolutely walked to the boat directly on water, lifting clouds of splashes.

Japanese quickly talked about something between themselves, then put a spade in the boat and undertook an oar. The boat disappeared soon.

Three – Konobeev, Vanyushka and Volkov – took seat ashore. Over them with shrill shouts seagulls flew. Somewhere aside cormorants pulled. Absolutely near people sandpipers quietly went and pecked.

Makar Ivanovich took out a tobacco pouch, filled greenish tobacco a tube with a short mouthpiece, lit, dragged on and began to speak slowly:

– However now a sea cabbage very little at us get. And earlier got much more. To China, to Japan sold… And what it is so much good in vain vanishes! It is a pity to look!

– Millions of millions – Vanyushka supported.

– Yes, and if to ourselves to undertake cultivation of a sea cabbage as it is Japanese do – Volkov thoughtfully told – we could decuple collecting and sale of cabbage. And if to mechanize all this, to mechanize…

– State farm! About! – Vanyushka exclaimed. – It… it, foot take what it? Export goods. Currency! And? What will you tell, the grandfather Makar?

– However it would be good – having thought, Makar Ivanovich answered.

Vanyushka suddenly jumped, as from a hot plate. He punched the right hand a palm left and started talking, as on a meeting:

– Citizens, who for underwater state farm? Unanimously! Ah, take foot! This will be number! – And he was lost in day-dreams, taken by extraordinariness of the idea: – We will work under water in diving suits. We will build at the bottom the real cities. Let’s carry out roads. Let’s set electric lamps. And on this underwater road we will go by underwater cars to underwater acquaintances! Here so take foot! We will work at underwater tractors… And how, telephone wires can be laid in water? – he asked Volkov.

It is possible, it is only good to isolate them. Cables is called. We will have phones, both radio, and an ear every day because with fishes in one apartment. Directly water having heated fish soup you eat!

It abandoned Volkov with questions: whether well under water it is visible, heard sounds which are made over water as life would change if the mankind lived in the ocean.

– Explained to us – he said – that all live left water. And here if both monkeys, and the person developed in water?

– However far was enough! – Konobeev told. – We about Cabbage began to speak. – These words cooled Vanyushki’s imagination and returned him to practical questions.

– Before thinking of living under water, it is necessary to think of improvement of diving suits – Volkov told. – In modern diving suits long you will not work and too it is difficult and expensive. Our task has to come down to getting the correct economy – to plant a sea cabbage in the Japanese way on new grounds. Japanese can stick the bamboo branches only at very small depth where water over a plantation at an outflow does not exceed one-one and a half meters. Their imperfect tools do not allow to work deeply. You will not make a conic spade too long, otherwise it will be difficult to handle it, and to plant bushes in the made holes, diving from the boat, too difficult and tiresomely, at a considerable depth and it is impossible. If to design the good, convenient diving suit which is not connected with a certain base, then the area of underwater plantations can be increased in many time. It is possible to mechanize, of course, and digging of poles though we should not dream of underwater tractors and cars so far. The tractor without fuel will not move, and burning under Water…

– It is possible to move electricity – Vanyushka was not appeased. – Here wait, I will write to the friend to Leningrad. He is an electrician and the inventor. It works in laboratory of the academician Ioffe. Heard about it? He to us – not Ioffe, but my friend, Mikola Guzik – and diving suits will think up, and underwater tractors. Or perhaps and Ioffe will help. Brainy small!

– However on all this the coin is necessary – Konobeev damped a youthful ardor of Vanyushki again.