A. Belyaev - Classics fantasy – 7. Stories-2

– Wind in three points. You hear how tops of trees rustle? – Miller told. It surely turned the lever. Blades of a rotor were started turning. – Three points – quite sufficient wind to help us to fly up. You remember “Magnus’s effect”, Zoya?

Miller disappeared behind a cabin and told from there:

– Turn the switch near a cabin door.

Za turned. Noise of the motor was heard. In a cabin the electric bulb was lit.

– Here you see, our power plant also earned. Years of tens would not be without celebration back. Now it would seem to triumph in view of that as strange, as concerning conducting of a house electric call. Down I do not give current yet. You should look after the motor. It is established behind a cabin indoors.

Miller approached the region of the deck and, having bent down over an iron fencing, shouted as the real captain:

– Kick off!

The collar was started turning, unwinding a wire, “Condor” began to rise up. The first beams of a rising sun lit Zoya’s face, and still shadows of night below lay. Miller looked at Zoya and tenderly smiled:

– We fly, Zoyka! You are not afraid?

– I am not afraid, Levka!

Whether she could admit that to it it was a little bit terrible?

“Condor” slowly rose. Wind grew stronger. The rotor rotated more and stronger. Miller carefully looked at Zoya.

– In vain you did not take the suitcase. Would put on a sweater. It will be above absolutely fresh. Do not forget that we will live at height where “climate” of mountain tops. But it is our trial flight. Let’s go down and will take all necessary.

– To me it is not cold! – Zoya answered.

She looked down. The horizon extended and as though rose. Every minute all new distances opened: the becoming blue wood, a dazzling-red bend of the river, far factory pipes… On fields as if bugs, potter about tractors. “Condor” will feed them with electricity!

The motor suddenly began to miss.

– Look, Zoya that with a dynamo! – Levka told.

Zoya adjusted the motor, and when returned, “Condor” was motionless already at big height. Behind it it was stretched, gradually falling, the long tail waving from wind.

* * *

– Energy of the atmosphere is inexhaustible. There will pass a little more years, and thousands, tens of thousands here will begin such “Condors” is proud to fly over our country. The wind turned into a current will rotate our cars, to give light and heat. We electrify our life, our life to the smallest details. Wind will undertake the most hard work. Human work will be facilitated. People will have much more free time to give it to science, arts. Life will become fine.

– Yes, Levka, life will become beautiful – Zoya responded.

And suddenly, having made the scared eyes, Zoya exclaimed:

– Levka! And how we will have dinner? What will we eat?

– Nectar and an ambrosia, as well as follows inhabitants of heaven, or a god-send. You got hungry, Zoya?

– To admit and. I am hungry. We had dinner at a groundless or zagalny table!

– Suffer a little. We will go down soon. And when we will fly up for a long time, we will lower a wire and to lift everything that it is necessary for us. There is an electric stove, and we will be able to warm up foods, to make coffee. From time to time we should go down to stock up with gas. As covers of “wings” are dense, nevertheless diffusion exists. I think that leak of gas will be small, and we hardly should go down more often than once a month if only you do not miss on the ground.

– To us will once miss, Levka!

– But at us will be also free time enough. We will stock up with books. On “Condor” there are a fine radio station and the TV. You will be able to see even movies.

– And at night we will go in for astronomy. Isn’t that so, from here it is wonderful to observe stars?

On the atmosphere

Without wheel and without sails

Quietly float in fog

Choruses harmonious shone,

– again Levka recited.

– And if in our atmosphere there is a storm what we will do, Levk?

– We will be attracted to the earth and fixed “Condor” on anchors. On an accident case, for example break of a cable, we have parachutes.

Miller showed to Zoya the put parachutes tied to a handrail and explained how to treat them.

– You take yourself at a breast this belt and – My God bless – you rush down. You fly and count up to ten – remember it – and only when you will count to ten, you will pull here this rope, and the parachute will be developed.

Zoya involuntarily shuddered and told, having lowered a voice:

– You know, I very brave, Levka. But I, apparently, would never decide to rush down on a parachute. Whatever it happened…

– Well, we will not speak about such things. I hope, you should not make such somersault.

– Hallo! – exorcized a radio loud-hailer. – How are you doing?

– Everything is all right! – Levka on a radio telephone answered. – Now I will give current on the earth. Is? Perfectly! You can begin descent!

“Condor” shuddered and began to decrease slowly. Below people reeled up a thin cable on a collar.

– It will be necessary to mechanize work of this collar – Levka told. – So, tomorrow we begin life at our heavenly dacha. Tomorrow we will give current to collective-farm tractors, the plants, military cars, we will give light to houses and heat in electric furnaces. It is enough to idle to wind! From now on idlers will not be already not called vetrenik. Wind will drag, carry, mow, cook elektroshch in collective-farm electrofactory kitchen and even to sing lullabies to children in a collective-farm day nursery. But today we will eat with you yet not electrified Ukrainian borsch!

* * *

The next day there was Zoya Tveryanova and Miller’s settlement “on heaven”. All device was well designed, and, as a matter of fact, on “Condor” it was possible to have one repairman. On small vetrosilovy installations did and absolutely without people. But “Condor” was too powerful vetrosilovy power plant that to put him out of action without extreme need. Just in case on the earth very simple accumulator was arranged: at top of the hill the whole lake was dug out. Electricity lifted water of the small river flowing at the foot of the hill, water filled the lake. When “Condor” for some reason or other stayed idle, water from this tank was started up down a pipe and set the turbine in motion. Thus, all construction was as if combined ветро – hydro – electroinstallation.

Miller permanently was on “Condor” mainly because here it continued the scientific and inventive work. “Condor” was his laboratory: Levka studied wind force at various height, checked work of rotors tested on model wind, kept diaries. Business was new. Miller found any improvements, invented automatic regulators, otmetchik. Zoya actively helped it.

They stocked up with all necessary: warm clothes, books. Food and drink were served every day them “on the elevator”. Miller thought up also “urgent mail” – a small fastened cylinder which quickly rose to “Condor”.

It unusual life in air of five hundred, thousands and above meters was on the ball. Sometimes “Condor” rose over clouds. The worrying cloudy sea curled under legs of hermits. Several times under them the thunder-storm burst. Crushing blows shook heavenly open spaces. Clouds played a repeated echo. Blue lightnings angrily broke in the curling clouds. Below there were chaos, a thunder and a storm. And over “Condor” the clear blue sky stretched and brightly the sun shone.

Sometimes the evening cloudlet reddened by the sun floated near “Condor”. Zoya gave to it a hand and spoke:

– Go to us, the heavenly guest!