There are I to our plant manager – just arrived, the person new – and I speak to him: “Companion director, I wish to electrify our new house. To carry out electric lighting”. I look, at the director of an eyebrow on a forehead got. Wanted to hide a smile, it was not possible: there are no moustaches, shaven. There is nothing to do, smiled in all face and speaks:
“Very well, companion Sinitsyn. But only it seems to me that for electric lighting electric current is necessary. The power plant is necessary”.
“I know well it, companion director. The station will be, and current will be. I will suit all this”. I see, the director on me and just as looks at the madman.
“How it you will arrange?” – asks.
“Photo cell, companion director. We instead of power plant will have a roof”.
“Fotoeleme-e-ent! – the director stretched and looks at me already only as on half-mad. – What power will be developed by your photo cell?”
And I have a ready calculation. I say how according to the book I read:
“On one square meter the photoenergy kilowatt falls. My photo cell can use only one percent of photoenergy. It is a little, but quite for us it is enough. We, so will have one kilowatt from hundred square meters. It is the area of our roof. And one kilowatt of energy can give light for two thousand candles. For lighting of the room in twenty square meters one bulb in hundred candles suffices. For five rooms – five hundred candles. And we have two thousand. On twenty rooms. One thousand candles on the floor. All two-storeyed house will be lit”.
The director thought. Does not know what now a label to paste to me. Again up threw up eyebrows and speaks:
“Well, well, business good. Light!”
“Companion director. You know that for a photo cell material is necessary. Copper. Copper oxide. Here I also came to ask you, not – whether you allow me to release copper for production of brass plates on a covering them roofs. Then only I also disturbed you”.
“Ah, here it that? – The director drummed fingers on a table. – Companion Sinitsyn. We have to encourage working invention…”
“Yes it not my invention, here a matter of course” – I kill it, seeing where he drives.
“Well, not invention, so mastering equipment. We have to encourage in every possible way. And I would not have anything against to release copper on your experiences if the question went well… about some kilogram. But to do copper roofs when we have two percent of underfulfilment of the plan when each gram of copper on the account when our factories and the plants… so need it” – both went, and went. And resolution, by itself: “to refuse”. “I also – say – the person accountable. What will think of me?.”
I tried to argue with it, I see – to anything. The person rested, is afraid.
“Now – says – the obezlichka is destroyed. Personal responsibility on me. I one answer. I cannot. I am glad and I cannot!.”
There were I from the director, and at a porch already companions wait for me.
“Well?.”
Waved a hand: “Refusal!”
“How so refusal? On such business!.”
Shout, noise. Among my companions there are several Turkmens, Uzbeks was. Hot children. Wanted directly to the director all company to bring down.
“We it is better to a predzavkom we will go, to companion Okizov, the guy, we will agree to it rather!” – someone offered.
“And to predzavky we will go, and to the secretary of a cell. We will lift up all, and we will not give up on the”.
Went to Okizov. That in photo cells understands nothing, but listened to us attentively. Also does not smile, though is where to hide a smile: moustaches are dense, only a beard shaves. “Cross-country” as Turkmens speak – “a bald beard”, beardless.
“Something sophisticated was started by you, companions – says – whether there will be a sense?”
“Will leave! Will leave! – we shout. – We already did. At us already small bulb burned”.
“And you will not light it before me?” – asks.
“Would light and fused”.
“And why fused? Perhaps, and all bulbs will fuse?”
Explained to him. Twists the head.
“If I saw”.
“Yes understand, there is no bulb another!”
“And you get, write out. With own eyes I will see – I will help your business”.
Here we go again! It is good still if in Ashgabat or Tashkent you get. And if from Moscow to write out, you will once receive? It could not wait for us. And there is nothing to do. Distributed letters to acquaintances, the order to Moscow. And we should wait long if not a case.
There arrived the prospecting party of Geolkom. I got acquainted with one Leningrad resident and in the day off went with it to sands. Spent the night in a tent. And he, the friend my new, scorpions, of tarantulas is afraid. Grumbles, turns on a koshma and suddenly as will shout. Someone bit it. Jumped, rummaged around in the dark, and suddenly, I see, light flashed. The small lamp is pocket! I snatched on a small lamp as the basmatch on sheep, the poor creature and a lamp dropped, more scorpion was frightened of me. I somehow explained to him, calmed him. I ask to present or sell a bulb – not at any price! Is afraid to remain in the dark with scorpions. “Last bulb!” – says. Well you will do? Not to suffocate the person because of a bulb, not to steal it. I began it to try to persuade this way and that. And than convinced eventually? The fact that to switch on light even more dangerously that all desert evil spirits climb on light even more. On experience, on the fact proved to it: lit a small lamp, and really spread, zakishet, ran – all to light. Presented!
I do not remember whether I was in time to it and to tell thanks. Directly so at night also rushed off back in Kounrad, woke the children, and those to Okizov. It from a bed was lifted. And I could do nothing with them.
“Children – I say – yes to anything at night! For my photo cell light is necessary, the element is not loaded yet”.
Okizov annoys on the fact that he was woken in the middle of the night. He heard my conversation with children and speaks to me:
“So, so now you cannot light a bulb? It is necessary to wait for the sun? And on what to me your bulb at the sun, when already light-? Your bad invention, correspondence engineer! I will not give copper!” And again on a bed it was filled up.
Well here and I flew into a rage. I shake it for shoulders: “Wait, Okizov to fall asleep! Give though I will explain to you!”
And he whether really, whether purposely – snored on all room, and will do nothing with him.
In the morning I meet him and I speak:
“Slept, Okizov?”
“Slept”.
“And a dream gained strength?”
“And gained strength”.
“So understand you, as my photo cell here also works. Only it in the afternoon, at the sun, gains strength, and works at night. The sun will load my bulbs with force in the afternoon, and at night they will burn”.
Well as differently you will explain to him? Understood the main thing, however.
Among my companions – young people the Turkmen – already many to the electrician knew also physics, and to it it was not necessary to study at the Soviet school still. Well nothing, I think, we will ground him about electrification too soon.
I that day loaded with light the photo cells, and in the evening Okizov clapped from pleasure, looking at the small burning bulb, and in spite of the fact that already rather late was, itself ran to the director. And we remained to wait.
Okizov absolutely in other mood returned. It was visible that the director a good tub of water poured over it.
“And you did not deceive me, the correspondence engineer?” – Okizov asks.
“How it deceived? In what?”
“And that, maybe, you are this most… элементик from a pocket lamp hid somewhere, from it and current took. Such cases, speak, were. Some inventor assured that from the earth it is possible to extract electricity too. Also got, and then it turned out that at it in the earth elements were dug”.
Here it that! I did not restrain. “Children – I say – the director suspects us of deception! Let’s go to it!”
“Bass!” – one Turkmen Komsomol member shouts. “Bass” means “press”. From this word and “basmatches” are called. Well, we also pressured the director. Forced it to go with us and most to look.
He attentively examined everything, sees – there is no falseness.
Sat down at me at a table, here, where you sit now – in this room all and occurred – lit a cigarette and speaks:
“You forgive me, companions, let’s talk peacefully. Everyone protects himself. Do not think; that I am some wrecker and against your invention. The invention is good. Excellent invention. If it is possible, you will make big business. But become you on my place. And if it is not possible? How you think, will pat me on the back for copper? And not in one copper business. You will be need thin brass plates. At us not to make them. It is necessary to order at the plant. How to issue such order? On whose means?”
“You to us only release copper, and all of us will suit the rest!” – I answer.
“And with copper so the situation is. I, at the own risk, will not give, and do not ask. But let’s try to get permission of trust. I in return promise to support your petition and to confirm that in vitro you achieved success though… um… of course, a lot of things that worked well in laboratory, were not performed in practice… But we will not speak about it now. So on hands?”
All of us are silent.
“You, companion Okizov, will not undertake personal responsibility?”
I see: and Okizov presses close. To it it is pardonable. From where to it know what from our invention will turn out?
“So on it we will also finish – the director says. – Tomorrow we write to trust!”
It left, Okizov left, and we sit who on a table who on a stool and who and directly on a floor, on cards. Time after midnight, and to nobody a dream goes to the head. We think: how to be? And here one speaks:
“The director not against us. The director does not want to be only against himself. He is afraid to release copper because there will not be enough copper for factories and the plants. And we still, our mine, did not execute a promfinplan. Ran into debt to the country. What it is necessary to make that the director gave copper? We will go to it tomorrow and we will tell: all of us register in drummers. We undertake to liquidate break. We will be ahead of schedule. And we will extract copper which is necessary to us for a roof in overtime, free of charge. If from our photo cell nothing turns out, we return to the mine all copper”.
And as it did not come to our mind earlier!
Next morning we stated our plan to the director. The person blossomed. Still! Now not it to us, but we presented such gift to it.
Promfinplan we exceeded. Copper was received. The rest everything was arranged. And, as you see, the house is already covered with brass plates. Today I began to paint them a copper oxide. In several days I hope to end.
The next day I had to leave for work – to catch the river.
It happened so that on the way back I did not manage to come to Sinitsyn though our cars passed late at night absolutely near the copper mine. Windows of the two-storeyed house standing on a hillock were brightly lit with electricity. The correspondence engineer and his companions achieved the objective. The sun of Turkestan began to shine not only in the afternoon, but also at night.
STORM
(story)
– I congratulate!
– With all the heart I congratulate! You were lucky, Levka. From a school bench and, one may say, directly in captains of the air ship.
– Well, my ship on a leash! – with laughter Leopold Miller answered.
– He was twice lucky. Listen! Do not interrupt! – dark-haired living Dunsky tried to outvoice all. – First, such appointment…
– On merits, the brother!.
– Wait, do not interrupt, Zavachkin! First, such appointment, and secondly, such assistant. You will be the idiot, Levka if you do not make to Zoya a proposal of marriage. And I on your place would never go down on the earth. You will be inhabitants of heaven. You will be able to use cloudless happiness – your “Condor” soars above clouds. And you, Zoyka, you will become the ancestor of the new mankind born in the sky!
– Capture with yourself only the good nurse that your future air baby did not fall from height of one thousand kilometers!
– Yes will be to you! – Zoya laughed, stirring up the light-haired short-haired head. – I am not going to get married, and Levka is not pleasant to me at all.
– Well, we will put it!
– The love and a smell of musk cannot be hidden how east proverb speaks!
– You fly on the airplane? – asked Eagles.
– No, we go by an electric train – Miller answered.
– Such backwardness! To the air person did not stick to creep on the ground.
– Given rise to fly to creep is not able or as there…
– I on the way should take some material.
– Watch that Romanians did not hit you. On border most almost you will be groundless!
Miller rose.
– Well, children, it is time for me. Thanks for wishes and hot farewell. Before the road it is necessary to keep within, write some letters. Zoya, you directly to the station?
– It is short to me to gather – the girl answered.
– Eh, Zoyka, we will be deserted without you!
– Come to visit.
– Let’s arrive! Thanks! Farewell! Happy journey!
– Farewell! Farewell!
The modest junket terminated. Miller returned to himself to a small room on the fifth floor.
– To you letter, Leopold Ivanovich! – the elderly woman, Miller’s neighbor in the apartment told.
The letter was from mother.
“Dear Leva! – Elvira Karlovna wrote with bold, sprawling handwriting. – I do not know that I have more, to rejoice or grieve. I am glad to your termination of institute and appointment. You are an engineer. Found the way. But unless there are no good places on the earth? Why offered you such service? At you the head can begin to spin, and you will fall from your air mill. I would prefer that you were as your father, the simple repairman, but the terrestrial, but not air engineer. It is dangerous. And I will not understand why it is necessary. Explain you to me, please, the silly old woman why it was impossible to install your car on the earth? Wind blows everywhere. You write about Zoya. She is a good girl. And to the girl did not stick on air snakes at all to live. And it there! Would marry it and lived on the earth as all people. And that the grandson will be born, and will not have a look at him. Not to climb to me, the old woman, under clouds!”
“And it about the same! – smiling, Miller thought. – About the children born in the sky…”
“And one more disturbs me – continued to write mother. – At us speak about war. And if there is a war yes the Romanian or Polish airplanes will arrive? And you on your attached kite and have no place to disappear. At your sphere will shoot, as at the hanging bottle in a dash. And you have no place to disappear. On the earth after all it is safer also during war”…
Levka leaned back on a chair back, thought and wrote to mother:
“Mutti! You ask me why people needed suit the cars “in the sky”. I will try to explain so that it was clear to you.
You remember, we with you read Wells’s novel “When sleeping wakens”? This Wells in the first years of our revolution was in Russia, having returned to himself to England, wrote the book “Russia in a Haze”. In the book of this Wells was surprised to “the Kremlin dreamers” – as it they start to electrify the country flat, with a slow current of the rivers. Where they will take energy? – to Wells – the thought did not come to the fantast, the dreamer, the seer of the future to mind that for getting of electricity not only energy of water, but also wind can be used. This slow-wittedness especially is strange that Wells in the novel which we read with you describes the vetrosilovy turbines supplying with energy London. But wind can give energy for electrification not only one city, and and the whole globe. Wells probably believed that we will not manage “to take also wind in Bolshevist hand”. But Wells was mistaken in it, as well as in many other.