Classics fantasy – 12

Chapter 3

UNDER FIVE DOMES

It is difficult to move towards on an ocean floor to inflow. It is more difficult, than on the ground against wind during a storm. Konobeev bent the head and rammed it the elastic moving mass of water. And Vanyushka went on the tow, holding hands hips of the old man giant.

When went down in an underwater hollow, at once it became more silent. Here only water “breeze” was felt. Vanyushka was unhooked from Konobeev and raised the head up. The sun was above them the shining indistinct spot. Nervousness on a surface prevented to see sharply outlined sphere as it happened during a calm.

“Midday. It is time to have dinner” – Vanyushka thought.

And at this moment the bell sound was heard. Under water it was heard very distinctly. The bell rang out twelve. In a greenish haze the spark flickered. It the beacon on a roof of the underwater dwelling shone. It was extinguished only when all were assembled. Konobeev straightened a back and quickly went to light. Vanyushka hardly kept up with the leader.

Through the wood of long seaweed light of a beacon inflamed more and more brightly as travelers moved forward. Vanyushka many times already admired an underwater landscape – and could not admire. As though it got on the unknown planet where all other. Long strips, tapes, cords, ropes of brown seaweed quietly fluctuated, coiling as dozing snakes, the flexible bodies. Among these tapes stretched as the serpentine, wide palmlike leaves of laminarias were sharply allocated.

It was possible to distinguish already and the underwater dwelling soon. From a distance it reminded five domes hemispheres of the Byzantine church: as though the temple failed to the earth to the domes. The house stood in the valley between two cross heights which protected from sea “winds” – inflow and an outflow.

Here it was always silent.

Bright light of an underwater searchlight brought together a great number of the fishes who were darting about between seaweed as raznopery birds in the rainforest. Only these birds were silent.

Travelers entered an iron chamber and densely closed behind themselves a door. Vanyushka turned the crane, and water began to go to a pipe. In five minutes strong pumps exempted the camera from water; other pumps filled it with air. Vanyushka and Konobeev took off diving kostima and wet clothes, changed clothes and entered through iron and wooden doors a wooden izba. They were at home.

Under an average, “the public building” from four rooms was the biggest, a dome. In one the general dining room, in another – kitchen from the storeroom, in the third – a reading room and in the fourth – the engine room was located.

Around this big central dome with a beacon four smaller were located. The dome with an exit door directed to the coast was called western. It covered with itself (himself) an izba to two rooms in which Toporkov and Volkov were located. Then followed: a northern dome – there lived the cook Pun and her husband Ji Zi; western – in two rooms of this izba Konobeev and Guzik were located; and, at last, southern – in this dome there were two rooms: one – Guzik’s laboratory workshop, and another – spare – for “visitors” where sometimes spent the night coming from the coast on affairs to Volkov and Guzik.

Vanyushka left to the dining room. It, except an exit door, had two more: directly – in kitchen and to the left – in a reading room. In this room, as well as in other rooms of the central house, there were no windows at all. The strong electric lamp under a ceiling well lit the big, laid by the Chinese pure cloth table with six devices and six stools at a table. Some more spare stools stood at walls. Near a door in kitchen, the wall had a buffet of the Karelian birch; on a round little table the big samovar, the best friend of Konobeev sparkled the polished sides.

In the dining room still was nobody. Vanyushka pulled a nose, frowned and went to kitchen.

At the electric stove small with high cheek-bones Pun in a blue dress and a white apron pottered. Her jet-black hard hair was smoothly combed and collected behind in the bunch which is chopped off by two hairpins with balls on the ends.

History of its emergence in underwater colony was such is. Volkov employed for work of Korean Ji Zi, or – on the Korean pronunciation – Kye Tsa. Agreed about a payment. Ji Zi received a deposit and in the appointed day was with the girlfriend of life which introduced:

– Пунь.

– Why “Pun”? – Volkov who knew that he “пунь” is a small Korean coin asked.

– Is not necessary to Bolsa – Ji Zi answered.

– And you how many you stand? – asked, smiling, Volkov.

– Hundred пунь will be nurses, and ten nurses will be sink. Here how many I stand. Kan! – Ji Zi answered.

– But why you brought the wife? – Volkov asked, glancing at the woman who was obediently standing near the lord.

Ji Zi was surprised to a question and in perplexity shrugged shoulders:

– As, what for? That it worked.

– But I employed you. And you what you will do?

– I will receive money – Ji Zi answered quietly.

Valkov decided that the woman can be useful in the house on economy, and Ji Zi will start working sooner or later, and agreed to accept Pun who implicitly put on a diving mask and followed the husband in ocean waters. Also implicitly it would follow for it even “to the country of shadows”.

Пунь it was extremely useful member of underwater colony. She cooked a dinner, washed the dishes, the floors, washed clothes, directed purity and still managed to help men with their work outdoors. But Ji Zi of absolutely nothing did not do, except for receiving a salary.

He for days on end rolled on a bed, smoked a tubule. Once Volkov specified to the Korean that he the smoking cuts the cheese. Ji Zi told nothing, put on a diving mask and went to the coast. What it did there, it was unknown. Possibly, in good days lay on the coast. But by a lunch it was accurately.

– Hi, Pun what you to us heaped up today? – Vanyushka addressed the cook, looking in pots and frying pans. A sea cabbage, sauce probably too from seaweed, trepangs, ivas, still some pryano sauce smelling of unknown herbs…

– Halas of a navaratil! – cheerfully Pun answered, shaking a frying pan.

– Shchets! – Vanyushka sighed, but Pun did not understand him and began to come true in something.

She suddenly very quickly started talking in Korean, and its thin voice was distributed as bird’s chatter.

– All right! – patronizing Vanyushka answered and went to library. Walls of this room were forced by bookcases. Konobeev sat at a round table, having bent over the illustrated magazine.

– The mastodon reading the latest political news! – Vanyushka, увидав the old man behind such “improper” occupation burst out laughing. Really, with the bulky body, a huge beard, hands which were capable to strangle a shark but not to address with the book, it somehow did not approach this situation.

– Look, however – Konobeev told, with improbable efforts overturning the korneobrazny not bent fingers the page of the magazine.

– The crab better you would move sheets. What to watch, however? – Vanyushka asked.

Konobeev showed on a picture of the flying airplane.

– Fly, however!

– Well and that? – Vanyushka asked, without having understood that Konobeev in soul continues to argue with the old woman, asserting the right to live under water. And, without expecting Makar Ivanovich’s explanations, Vanyushka passed to the engine room.

There smelled especially – “electricity” as joking Vanyushka spoke.

– Hi, Guzik! Today we with you were not seen yet! – cheerfully Toporkov to the young man squating a back to him about the electrical machine shouted.

– Here to you and two and a half dielectric constant of ebonite! – Guzik answered.

– You talk nonsense, the brother?

– And, it you, Vanya? Hi! – Guzik rose, shook off and faced Vanyushka. Dense chestnut, a little curly hair over a high forehead and big, very transparent light gray eyes, always the thoughtful, looking somewhere afar, as if penetrating material objects – “x-ray” as Volkov was expressed once. These eyes involuntarily attracted attention.

The young electrical engineer, the scientific inventor Mikola Guzik was simple as the child, and is phenomenally absent-minded. But this absent-mindedness belonged only to the outside world and external things, and there was it because that Guzik was able to concentrate so deeply internally that forgot about all surrounding.

– We go to have dinner, perhaps! – Vanyushka told.

– Yes, yes … – Guzik answered and, having transferred a look of transparent eyes from unknown world heights on a dynamo, again took seat on hunkers and began to potter at the car.

– Mikola-chudotvorets! – Vanyushka cried suddenly and began to shake Guzik for shoulders. – There is enough! Let’s go to the dining room! – And it dragged the scientific friend. – Makar Ivanych to have dinner! – he shouted by the way to Konobeev.

In the dining room Volkov already sat. Пунь gave on a table. To everyone’s astonishment, Ji Zi did not welcome by a lunch.

– Where Kye Tsa? – Volkov Pun asked.

– Цолт зял (the devil took) – she answered. – And let!

Guzik could not eat for days on end. But, having taken seat at a table and having deeply thought, he managed to eat imperceptibly for himself and more, than it is necessary. Once he one ate a big frying pan of the liver prepared for all. Now the young inventor was accepted to the sauce made of a sea cabbage and absorbed it with big appetite, penetrating Konobeev an unseeing look.

– And well, let’s try! – Vanyushka told, moving to himself a sauce-boat and imposing on a plate.

Sauce was very tasty and nutritious, but Vanyushka discontentedly moved a nose.

– Not that! – he told, having sighed.

– Not habit, and more than nothing – Volkov objected – the sea cabbage is more tasty terrestrial and is much more nutritious. When you get used, will not want another. And I am sure that the sea cabbage will be the same necessary dish at each table soon as potato. Potatoes in the beginning did not want too and were even afraid to eat. The locust, ants, swallow’s nests seem to you disgusting, and meanwhile at many tribes these foods are the most delicious dish.

Vanyushka even punched himself a breast.

– Semyon Alekseevich! I feel, I understand! If did not understand, then and on a bottom would not get. For the sake of what I got? For the sake of this most sea cabbage got. But only, Semyon Alekseevich, did not get used I still. Here Marfa Zakharovna treated us with Russian cabbage soup recently. Natural. Ah, it is impossible to forget, Semyon Alekseevich! Beauty! – And suddenly, having slapped Konobeev on a back, Vanyushka exclaimed: – Makar Ivanych, you remember? No, as you want, and we will bring Marfa Zakharovna here. If under water at us Russian cabbage soup begins to smell, absolutely other ocean will be. Beauty! Only as, Makar Ivanych? On what a hook on what bait to us to catch this small fish – Marfa Zakharovna, that is?

Konobeev sighed and even put a spoon aside.

– Still such hook on which it would be possible to catch such independent old women is not made – he answered. – Is afraid of a sin, by stupidity of babsky. Staroverka it at me.

– And you are a conservative too? – Vanyushka asked.

– Was and all left, however! – Konobeev answered. – Temnost.

Makar Ivanovich deeply thought of something, then, without having ended a lunch, rose because of a table and left.

– Misses! – said Vanyushk in low tones, having nodded after Co-nobeevu. – Eh you, a kruchenye-muchenye with this floor, with a long hem.

And Konobeev passed to the room, gloomy, anxious. His dense eyebrows, moustaches and a beard puffed up and continuously moved. He put on a diving suit. The old man wanted on the coast, but he did not decide to show the face to Marfa Zakharovna. And it went far to the South, to investigations. Konobeev very much loved these investigations. Then he reported on all seen under water on Volkov: where what soil where seaweed where they do not grow grow, but can grow.

Konobeev wandered the whole day, returned late at night, settled on a floor – he did not like to sleep on a bed – and began to turn and sigh so that he woke Guzik.

– What do you turn, Makar Ivanovich? – asked it Mikol.

– By bad weather. The typhoon will be – Konobeev answered. – Always I feel!

But not one approach of a typhoon forced it to turn and sigh on – elephant. He felt sorry for the old woman, Marfa Zakharovna who this night turns one in the Chinese fanza under a fir-tree. The fir-tree rustles, the door creaks, the dog barks, and it is one…

It is not a pity for the old woman, but also he can throw water. No, cannot in any way! And how to give up the adjusted business, whether a joke?

Makar Ivanovich began to remember the life up to that moment as it met Volkov.

Chapter 4

UNDERWATER STATE FARM

Konobeev was born and grew up in Primorye. His father was a hunter. And Makar Ivanovich still the ten-year-old boy already went with the father to a bear. How many it laid them then on the century, coming to an animal “in private”! But unlike the father who was present “a forest person” Makar Ivanovich had a public vein. In old time, before revolution, he tried to organize artel of hunters and fishers. But from this nothing left. Konobeev trustfully distributed to members of artel money which he saved, selling furs; he was deceived, left with money and did not return.

After the revolution Makar Ivanovich removed to the ocean coast and was engaged in fishing – at first one, then in small artel from Dalselsoyuz. But from time to time in it the hunter woke up, and he threw a seine and to a jail to undertake the gun and a bear spear. During these hunting hard drinkings Konobeev also met the agronomist Volkov, too the inveterate hunter. They made friends soon as two isty professionals.

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.

– And there is a lot of? – Toporkov by the trembled voice asked, having turned the head to Volkov.

– It is a lot of – that answered.

There came the pause. Three heads strenuously thought. Vanyushka, having forgotten about money, again dreamed, Konobeev remembered the failures with the organization of artel, and Volkov thought whether it is possible to create underwater state farm at least on the most modest beginnings. Certainly, it is possible to make a lot of things, even without moving on an ocean floor. The main issue in money. Business new can also meet natural mistrust…

– Currency! Here it! Take it! – Vanyushka shouted, continuing to weave thread of the dreams, and so waved a hand that frightened off a flock of the birds pecking almost at his legs.

This time no practical decision was made. However the foundation was laid. These three incidentally met persons represented already some force. One without another they could hardly make something and would probably be limited only to the fact that would dream of underwater plantations and returned everyone to the affairs. But at addition of these three human sizes, contrary to school arithmetics, the sum was equal to three plus X. This X was as if percent on the capital of the joint work. Not without reason the boiling water weighs slightly more, than at a freezing temperature. Vanyushka, Konobeev and Volkov supplemented each other. Vanyushka had “fire”, the imagination, courage of the thought which is not connected by old prejudices, scintillating enthusiasm of youth. Konobeev had practical wit and long-long knowledge of life, and Volkov had knowledge and persistence on achievement of goals. Fire burns, water extinguishes fire. But if on fire of Vanyushkiny enthusiasm to warm up cold water of konobeevsky Life experience in a copper of volkovsky knowledge, then steam which will move the car can Turn out!.

Friends (they were already the friends connected by the general idea) decided to meet in several days.