of the tropical sun… And there is a wish to sleep after all. He removed earphones and again hung the head on a table…
– Watchman! Fell asleep? – he heard Testov’s voice.
– Also did not think – Ignat answered, blinking red eyelashes. – Only took a nap a bit – he burst out laughing.
– That, took a nap – continued by tone of reproach Tests. – It is good that at us everything is provided. – Tests looked at a tape of recording devices and approached a radio telephone. – Hallo, “Taiga”! Yes. “Dragon”. What wind force at you? Six points? And at us nine and to ten. Be on duty at the winch. If wind amplifies, it is necessary to lower “Snake”.
– To admit, I am guilty, did not explain you everything – told Tests, addressing Ignat. – But who could expect such wind! To watch the generator not so important. If as happens to it, the automatic alarm system will report on it now. Yes I also always wake up, even not in the watch if interruptions only begin. And here it is necessary to watch a pressure of wind. The cable can sustain tension with a wind force which is not exceeding ten points… And wind reaches already ten now. If the cable breaks, we head over heels will depart on the earth. It is good still that on “Snake” the automatic machine which begins to operate when wind force passes for nine points is installed. The signal is transmitted and down, to “Taiga”.
Threw “snakes” here and there. There were moments when people from “Taiga” already began to reel up a cable, but by the morning wind was appeased, also the blizzard ceased. Clouds dashed away, there was a light frost. The autumn sun long was not shown over the horizon. Ignat looked in the field-glass. Taimyr Lake became covered with ice.
– In one night! That North! And the earth is white – Ignat told, observing the turned white taiga. It became lighter and as if is even more spacious.
The earth froze, and “Taiga” quickly moved forward. The all-terrain vehicle changed the northeast direction and went north almost directly. The first beams of the sun lit the brilliant surface of the small river. “Taiga” quickly went to it, going down to water on the low coast.
Breaking thin ice, “Taiga” entered the river and, slowly rocking, floated.
– Good fellow Simakov! – Ignat exclaimed.
“Taiga” went on a current, trying to discover the place for a crossing. But the opposite coast was very abrupt.
– It is already worse – Ignat argued. – The all-terrain vehicle after all – not the all-terrain vehicle. Cannot rise by the abrupt coast. Here, perhaps, and I will think up nothing. It is impossible to invent the tank which would climb walls.
This travel continued all day. And only by the evening not far from a confluence of inflow to Taimyr “Taiga” came to other coast, considerably having deviated a course. Now, going to Cape Chelyuskin, it was necessary to go on the northeast.
Again snow went.
“Taiga” replaced wheels with skis and quickly went north, hooting all propellers. The pipe and rotors were laid to reduce resistance.
– And “Dragon” has to brake strongly. Now though cut off it.
– We go on accumulators – told Tests. – You were lucky. Bothered, true to fly on “Snake”? “Snake” we will lay too soon. The winch already started working.
– Where to lay it, such vast object?
– It at us folding. We will also lay on the deck – answered Tests.
– And accumulators will be exhausted what then?
– We will stop at the station of underground gasification. To it will be enough. For now we stand there, again will earn all wind-driven generators and will reserve new “canned food” of electricity. They will be enough to Chelyuskin. Here when we will sweep with chic!
“Dragon” decreased, Ignat already without field-glass well saw Jim and waved to it the cap with ear-flaps.
12. Homesickness
“Taiga” slid on skis on snow with a speed of fifteen kilometers per hour.
– Quite good speed for such large object – Ignat said. – After all you are a good fellow, Simakov.
The captain became cheerful. Holding the ground the captain’s bridge, he spoke to Ignat:
– In these latitudes the sled road stands at least eight months in a year. If “Taiga” was adapted only for winter, it also in this case would be repaid. Only thanks to it it is possible to make researches and in the polar winter now. As far as it accelerates our development of the Arctic!
* * *
The coming polar night nasty influenced Jim. Its organism too got used to the sun, his sight – to bright lighting. Ignat noticed that Jim sees worse him, and assumed that Jim has in general a poor eyesight, did not understand yet that eyes at Jim did not adapt to poor illumination of the North yet.
Ignat passed to Jim’s cabin and in a corridor uslykhat the aching sounds of the Hawaiian guitar which Jim did not leave. From this tool as though adapted for plaintive plaints, cheerful Jolie took the trills splashing fun and roulades until recently. But now the guitar sadly dropped the vibrating sounds as if mourning the dying sun.
– You long? – Ignat asked, entering a cabin. Jim sadly smiled and continued to torment silently strings with the dexterous black fingers. – About what or about whom? – Ignat continued the interrogation. Jim did not answer. – About the sun you cry? – Ignat continued. – Boring country? Unusable climate? Wild, deserted, blind, dead desert? White shroud of snow?. Where green grass? Where pink, red, lilac flowers? Give me a spring branch of almonds with pink colors! And that on it the paradise birdie sat and sang cheerful songs. Ти – ти – whether! Ти – ти – whether! And that bananas fell in a mouth, and green parrots shouted: “Long live sun!” And monkeys shook on tails – Ignat began to recite to the sound of music. – About it you sing? About it you cry? It is a pity, I am not a poet. It is a pity that Stepan Asatkin is not with us. He would compose such bananny stanzas under your music, and you would sing them together. You should get acquainted with it.
But only here that, buddy … – And Ignat sat down by Jim, put to him a hand on a shoulder. – You arrived to these gloomy polar places from the Florida which bathes in the sun, without knowing winter and snow. There is no snow there? Why you arrived here? Because there is a lot of sun, and it is even more people. There is no sun, but it is more than enough of the place for people.
– In the solar countries there is a lot of empty seat – Jim answered.
– So there we are not idle too. Deserts to fields, in gardens we remake. Let’s reach also other world deserts. But it is necessary and to think of such piece how our North. Here riches plenty.
Jim jerked strings. The wild chord was heard.
– Try to persuade our navigator Thomas to go with you from here to your Florida. For any bananas will not go. But I not about that. The person gets used to everything. And here we should
