– And it does not seem to you that not all can like prospect of life without dream?
– I am confident even in it. – And professor smiled. – I offered somehow in the winter, in the remote village, to one country guy who was surprised that I do not sleep to try on itself my means. He agreed. Next morning I ask it how he feels. «It be wrong! – the guy speaks. – From melancholy nearly died! All village sleeps. One dogs bark. Went, went – a toshchishcha! Climbed on the furnace – a dream as sober as a judge. Thought, night of this and the end will not be!»
Exempt people from habitual work – professor continued – they will start missing too. But all this only at the lowest steps of culture. This culture quickly rises at rational use of «sleepless nights».
– One more question. You say that you do not sleep almost all twenty four hours. But how you are not tired?
– Very simply. The fatigue is the painful phenomenon too. The working brain excretes gipnotoksina, the working muscles excrete kenotoksina – poisons which cause feeling of fatigue. I import antidote – ретардин, and the fatigue as did not happen. Mine ретардин also interrupts a course of disease, the called fatigue as interrupt returnable typhus now, having entered into an organism диоксидиаминоарсенобензолдихлоргидрат – a tongue twister Wagner spoke.
At Gorev took the breath away from this long word. He asked professor to repeat the exotic name on syllables and wrote down in a notebook. «Such words give to article scientific weight» – he thought.
– And now count – professor Wagner told. – Working with two halves of a brain, I double the production. Working as twenty four hours instead of eight, I triple working hours. Means, I work for six, besides without any harm for health. Therefore, in thirty years of working life of people she will be able to perform work of hundred eighty years. Still in other words, in an every half-century the mankind will move forward on the way of progress for three centuries at once.
How you believe, costs it heels of narrow-minded dogs?. – with a smile professor finished.
4. «DICTATOR»
The capacious drawing room of the banker Goldzak who bought recently baronial title was trimmed with heavy magnificence. On the walls trimmed with the carved oak panel horns of deer and the coats of arms of the newly appeared baron flaunted. In a corner the knight in armor and with a sword of the 13th century – doubtful «ancestor» of the baron was located. At windows with narrow lattices color glasses represented the same baronial coat of arms: on a yellow board the hand bent in an elbow chained in armor squeezed an iron glove a sword. Over a hand – five dark blue stars.
In the middle of the room around a big round a black oak table on oak chairs with high carved backs members of the central committee of the German political organization «Diktator» sat. On a chair with higher back, with a carved German state eagle at its top the chairman of the meeting – the old general, one of «heroes» of imperialistic war, the Kaiser’s friend sat. A rough face of the general as if cut by the axe from a piece of a tree, densely compressed bays under the moustaches raised up spoke about big will power. From under the hung gray-haired eyebrows the inquisitive, seldom blinking eyes looked out. On its uniform frock coat only «the iron cross» flaunted.
On the right side from the chairman the host – the baron Goldzak, in a black dress coat, with absolutely bald head, shaven, with a monocle in an eye was located. Further in a strict order, on a rank, members of the committee were located. The general with a narrow forehead, deeply put eyes and an outstanding chin. Something cruel, animal was in this head. Still general… Officials of the ministries, deputies… Large manufacturers and bankers closed a circle.
The young-looking person in a dress coat, with the person and the diplomat’s manners – the secretary of committee – did the report. On a table about it issue of Izvestia with Gorev’s article «Victory over a dream and fatigue of professor Wagner» lay. Here a translation of article into German.
– We did not check up to the end reliability of the data provided in article yet, but, according to the data which are available already for us, apparently, she answers reality.
I should not speak about value of this discovery. If it is used by the Soviet Russia, the ratio of forces between it and other states of the world considerably will change. In some five years power of the Bolshevism will extraordinary grow.
Simultaneous work as both brain hemispheres, fortunately, demands time and a training and therefore it is not absolutely available to masses. But one victory over a dream and fatigue already triples physical and intellectual forces of our political opponents, at the same time and their material resources. Their scientific forces and skilled workers will work three times and even six times more. Production of the industry will increase. In several years they will have new shots of well trained staff in all areas of the equipment. In a word, their power will grow is unceasing. They will work when the whole world sleeps. They will work when we are forced to have a rest after day of work.
– Well, growth of the industry will happen not so soon – the manufacturer told. – Let’s put, all their plants and factories will work day and night. But further?. It will be not so easy to get the credits for construction of new factories and plants to them. You, the baron, will not grant them the loan? – with a smile he addressed Goldzak.
The baron answered with the same smile and started up a smoke ringlet.
– But there is other danger – the hoarse voice of the general was heard. – I speak about military power of Red army. What if only eight of sixteen «additional» hours a day it is used by them for military training of workers and peasants? It is equivalent to creation of multimillion army. Further, during war they will have fighters who do not need rest. They should not replace soldiers in entrenchments. They will be always sharp-sighted, vigilant, fresh while at us two thirds of soldiers temporarily fail for a dream and rest. Their pilots who are not knowing were tired, will be able to make distant flights… Their command structure, their headquarters will be able to direct operations, without producing threads of management for one minute for rest and a dream. It is possible that they use means of professor Wagner also over horses. Their wagon trains, their cavalry will not know fatigue. All this is too serious!.
The speech of the old general made a great impression on a meeting, in particular on military. Generals frowned, nervously drummed fingers, dragged on cigars more deeply…
– But the most dangerous – the secretary rose again – consists in political value of the fact. Already now the Bolshevism shakes the world, keeps the governments of all countries of the world in constant nervous tension. Wagner’s means triples, or perhaps even ushesteryat number of Bolsheviks. Here, in the circle, we can be frank. We do not know how to cope with one leader of Communistic International. What will be if this leader has an opportunity to work six times more? We will have six such leaders, the Komintern six times increased, millions of Russian Bolsheviks who are not knowing were tired, propagandizing and decomposing masses day and night, day and night, for twenty four hours a day!!
These arguments made a tremendous impression. Hands of the audience shivered, scarfs wiped cold sweat on foreheads and bald heads…
– It is awful!.
– Nightmare! – uneasy voices were heard.
There came terrible silence. It seemed, terrible ghosts got suddenly into this office and filled it with chilling breath of death.
At last the chairman of the meeting shook the head and knocked a hairy fist on a table.
– It cannot be allowed! – hoarsely he shouted. – By all means we have to eliminate the menacing danger! Before the invention of professor Wagner becomes property of Bolsheviks, we have to seize a secret of professor Wagner!
And, induced by fear and hatred, the meeting passed to discussion of a question of how to make it.
One baron Goldzak did not take part in a meeting. To it already grandiose plans were drawn. He thought of that how many it is possible to benefit by opening of professor Wagner if the secret of this opening appears in his hands.
5. «FAN OF SCIENCES»
After trial all schedule of occupations of professor Wagner was violated. To it correspondents of newspapers and magazines, professors, students and just curious public wishing to try «powder from a dream» were. Professor Wagner already got used to these visits and therefore was not surprised when he heard as behind a door someone with a German accent asked for permission to enter.
When the door opened, professor uvidat the young man with a chubby, pink face and the short curling fair hair. Big «fashionable» tortoise points somehow did not go to this young face. The perfect suit gave to the stranger the European look.
– May I introduce myself, dear sir professor!. Herman Taube, member of the Berlin society of fans of natural sciences. From this society I also came to you… Your opening extremely interested us. And society addresses to you with the most obedient request: you could not give in our circle several lectures about your works?
– Unfortunately, I have no time.
– Oh, it will not take a lot of time! – the young man began to fuss. Its female voice was raised to the highest notes, eyes looked prositelno through tortoise hoops of points. It even inclined the head on one side and squeezed hands. – If only you agreed!. If only agreed! For us it will be such holiday! I am the not scientific, but passionate fan of science. My father is rich… is very rich… If you wished, you would find at us all necessary for your works… We would equip to you fine laboratory… tens, hundreds of dogs would be at your disposal!.
Wagner smiled.
– You are very kind, but, unfortunately, I have to reject your offer. I am not going to leave Russia.
– What a pity!. Oh, what a pity! It seemed to me that here to work… what there to work… But you will not refuse to give at us several lectures! It will take only several days. We will go in the air way, on the passenger airplane of the new company of air traffics «Uenshetlikh унд Bekvemkheyt» – «Safety and convenience». Quite justifies the name… Successfully competes with Deruluft… I undertake all efforts on vising of passports. We will not speak about expenses and the fee… We, of course, undertake everything…
– I could spend for this business no more than three-four hours. I too value time. Do not forget that I have sixfold productivity. If I spend only two days, then for me they will be equal to loss of twelve. No, I cannot accept your offer!
– I am extremely upset. And the head of our laboratory professor Braude will be even more upset. It works in the same area, as you. But its method a bit different…
Professor Wagner quickened.
– Here is how! In what its method?
– He tries … – Taube was confused a little. His face expressed the thought tension as though he wanted to remember something. – It works on method which will give the chance to the organism to produce toxins against гип… гип…
But Wagner already guessed a thought.
– Just I work on it now! Our newspapers exaggerated my progress on this way a little…
– I not from newspapers! – broke at Taube. It reddened from disappointment on itself (himself). – Professor Braude works several years in this area. He so wanted to get acquainted with you and to share experience!. It is very a pity that now it is necessary to upset him…
– It changes business! I think that loss of time will be rewarded… Professor Braude?. I did not hear something about it.
– Young and extremely modest… does not love advertizing… But it is scary ingenious!.
– I agree!
Taube rushed to professor and began to shake his hands.
– Thousand thanks! And I will take care of departure. You will not waste minutes the precious time!
And, having fawned, it was behind a door.
«Strange young man. Dogs wanted to bribe me!» – professor Wagner thought after his leaving.
6. «UENSHETLIKH UND BEKVEMKHEYT»
Early in the morning the passenger-and-mail airplane was removed from airfield and quickly began to gain height. In a cozy cabin on easy leather chairs took place: professor Wagner, Herman Taube, the diplomatic courier of the French Embassy in Moscow and the employee of the Soviet trade mission in Berlin.
If the hum of the motor which is not weakened by the advanced muffler yes smooth rocking, it was possible to think that you sit in a compartment of the car. Through mirror windows the panorama of Moscow with the coiling tape of the river below was seen. As toy, the Kremlin sparkling the domes seemed. And ahead the infinite carpet of fields and the woods which is cut up by yellowish lines of roads and blue windings of the rivers was already spread. Yellow squares allocated fields of the ripening rye. Here and there, as ants, moved on roads and people and animals pottered about on fields.
But professor Wagner not for long admired these bird’s-eye views. As the miser worries over each kopek, so Wagner valued every minute of time. He took out books, attached on a lap a folding lectern and turned to work. Reading the book, he at the same time continuously wrote something to notebooks with shorthand signs.
Having noticed an inquiring look of Taube, he explained:
– I write only shorthand. It is my own system. I reduce and I simplify work where it is possible. I created own system of mnemonic – this great assistant to whom, unfortunately, pay attention a little. By means of mnemonic I am able to store extraordinary large number of figures, formulas, names in memory. Business is facilitated by the fact that thanks to purity of my brain from which the toxins poisoning him are emitted it works with indefatigable clarity and force. All this increases productivity of my work even more. Without exaggeration, I work for ten…
And Wagner became silent, having gone deep into work.
Taube looked out of the window on a tableau vivant of the country, so unclear for it, such poor and at the same time powerful, peace in the developed pictures of work of peasants and the terrible that force which will organize millions of these strong hands…
Some river seemed in the distance. On high coastal hills the city was stretched. On the right coast the city was surrounded with ancient gear walls of the Kremlin with high towers. Over all city the huge five-domed cathedral reigned.
– Dnieper!. Smolensk!. Our first stop!.
The airplane flew by over the wood and smoothly fell by good airfield.
Have breakfast and started on a further journey. The sky tightened clouds. The gusty head wind shook the airplane as the ship on big ocean waves. The movement of flight was slowed down. Kovno nevertheless reached safely. It is the last stop in front of Konigsberg. Despite the increasing bad weather, the airplane went to a further way. Wind passed into a squall. Threw the airplane in the parties, abruptly lifted on counter air waves. Sometimes, as if having lost wings, the device promptly fell down.