A. Belyaev - Classics fantasy – 3

Therefore, owing to the arrived statements, we decided to execute a search and dredging of its papers at professor Wagner. A search was executed by me in the presence of the chairman of the board of housing association, the janitor and the citizen Shmeman.

Nothing reprehensible was found in the first room of the defendant, except various tools and cars of an unknown origin. In the second room we found six dogs of various breed, gender and age. All of them were tied to a wall on short thongs. At some of them the heads hanged down, as if died or were tired very much. And on a table the white doggie, lokhmatenky, with the hole punched in a skull so brains were visible lay. The citizen Shmeman identified the doggie in a corpse, cried and fainted…

In the courtroom reserved sobbings Shmeman were heard.

– Dez, Dezi!. – she whispered, sobbing.

– The taken-away papers are brought by me into court – the militiaman finished.

– Undersign. Witness Zhukov!

Zhukov, the chairman of the board of housing association, confirmed testimonies of the militiaman.

– To execute a search – he added – we were forced still by that circumstance that professor Wagner is very unclear resident. Residents think that they it the mad, and are even afraid to let out children. In order to avoid panic and disorganization of the population I would ask to subject Wagner to psychiatric examination.

Perhaps, it is dangerous – having for some reason been confused, Zhukov added – and he should be moved.

Professor Wagner smiled.

– What is it dangerous by? – the judge asked.

– As in general abnormal! And neighbors complain: something hisses at it in the room, buzzes, and that explosions suddenly… Still the house will blow up!. And dogs howl the whole night… Inconvenient resident, in a word.

– Citizen Shmeman!

– Mister judge! – she began with the shivering voice, wiping a tear scarf, and immediately recovered: – Citizen judge!. He is a murderer! – She pointed a finger at Wagner with two wedding rings. – I am a widow… I have nobody… It killed my best friend… My Dezi!. – And Shmeman began to cry again.

– You make the civil suit?

– What claim? For what?

– For a doggie… You about it ask in your application…

– Nothing will reward me for loss!. – tragicly she said. – I do not know what there is written…

Other witnesses did not bring something new. The janitor in detail told how dogs on their yard vanished as also the «ostatny» doggie of Dezi was gone as he saw Wagner bringing into the house of dogs…

One of witnesses identified the dog among «victims» of professor Wagner. The dog was live, but she looked extraordinary tired and, brought home, overslept three days deeply.

– Among papers – the judge when interrogation of witnesses was finished told – from professor Wagner magazines with various records, obviously, about the experiments conducted by it over animals were taken in search time. I will announce some of them.

Here – there began the judge – records of professor Wagner about experiences:

«Skilled animal: Diana, a setter, a female, weight is twenty two kilograms. Viscosity of blood during wakefulness – two whole eighty nine 100-th. Viscosity of blood in the period of exhaustion sleeplessness – one and forty six 100-th».

There is also a number of such tables:

«Krioskopichesky point: the normal state – fifty nine 100-th degrees; a condition of imperative requirement of a dream – fifty eight 100-th degrees.

Density: the normal state – one and sixty four thousand; a condition of imperative requirement of a dream – one and fifty seven thousand.

Viscosity: the normal state – two whole seven hundred eleven thousand; a condition of imperative requirement of a dream – two».

Defendant professor Wagner! Testimony and the announced documents, I believe, your guilt is quite established. Why you do not plead guilty? Explain to us…

– Judge’s citizens! I do not deny the fact of kidnapping of dogs, but did not plead guilty, and that is why. Any theft assumes the mercenary purpose. I had no such purpose. You announced documents from which the court could be convinced that I pursued exclusively scientific aims. I conduct the experiences having enormous value for all mankind. That advantage which these experiences have to bring is incommensurable to insignificant harm which I did.

– What it is experiences?

After some fluctuation professor Wagner told:

– I work on a problem of fatigue and a dream. To win against fatigue and to destroy requirement of a dream – here what task I set to myself.

– And you successfully resolved it? Whether the truth that you already do without dream?

– Yes, truth. I do not sleep any more and I can work without exhaustion twenty four hours a day.

In public there was a movement. The surprised exclamations and a whispering were heard.

– Why you did not publish your achievements?

– I continue to improve the methods.

– But whether you why you considered it necessary to resort to such strange and illegal ways of getting of dogs for your experiences explain? If experiences are of value, the government would provide you to all necessary for work!

Professor Wagner hesitated.

– These experiences are too courageous. They could seem even fantastic. I believed in success, but on the way inevitable failures lay. They could ruin both business and my reputation before I would achieve positive results. And I decided to make them in calm of the office, at own risk. But I had few personal funds for acquisition of dogs for experiences. To refuse them when the task was half resolved, I could not. And I was forced…

– To steal dogs? – with a smile the judge added. Professor Wagner became straight and answered with tone of deep belief in the correctness:

– A dog century – some twenty years. The cost of a dog – rubles, is a lot of – tens of rubles. Having destroyed several dogs, I will extend mankind life three times, at the same time I will treble also the value of human productivity. If for it I deserve punishment, judge me! I have nothing to add more.

Judges left to confer. The public rustled as an alarmed beehive. In all corners small groups arguing on the forthcoming sentence were formed. Separate shouts were heard:

– Theft remains theft!

– But its experiences can do much good for mankind!.

– Not to sleep at all?. – some smiling fat man spoke. – The servant is obedient! Allow to refuse this blessing! Still Turgenev told that all our life – a dream and the best in life – besides a dream!.

– Perhaps, he lies?

– Who? Turgenev?

– Well, Wagner as if he does not sleep at all. The person cannot do without dream!.

– Court all right!.

At breathless attention the sentence was listened. Admitting the theft fact established, the court awarded professor Wagner by a month of imprisonment without strict isolation. «Taking former non-conviction of the defendant and lack of the mercenary purposes, punishment to apply conditionally into account, having established the annual term of test…»

– Case on the claim of housing association is heard…

The public rushed from the hall, discussing a sentence which, probably, satisfied the majority: formally Wagner is punished, actually bailed.

Only some criticized a sentence.

– Means, it is possible to steal and kill with impunity? – defiantly loudly Shmeman asked, looking around at supports.

– If there is no self-interest, then there is no theft also! Wagner should submit the cassation! – told others.

Under cross views doctor Wagner made the way along the corridor vessels. But he did not pay to anybody attention. It was ozabochivat by a thought:

«From where I will take dogs, necessary for experience, now?.»

Trial had unexpected consequences for professor Wagner: to it popularity, perhaps, came earlier, than he wanted it. On court session incidentally there was a correspondent of one small Moscow newspaper. In several days in department of the judicial chronicle there was a note with the intriguing name «The Person Who Does Not Sleep». In a note trial of doctor Wagner was described and it was reported that professor «won against a dream»: he does not sleep at all and can work tirelessly twenty four hours a day.

Result of this note was the fact that in several days the housekeeper reported on Wagner on arrival of the correspondent of Izvestia. Wagner discontentedly frowned: he got used to preserve the mystery of the works. But, having thought a little, professor decided to use visit of the representative of the press: if it is impossible to catch more at night dogs, it is necessary to resort to government aid. To continue experiences secretly it was not represented possible any more and in it there was no big need also: with what it reached, it was already possible to act publicly. The correspondent was accepted.

Making the way via the heated-up machines and devices, the correspondent Gorev uvidat professor Wagner and in amazement stopped. Wagner stood at a high desk. From a nose of professor there were two rubber tubes coming through an opening of a window frame to light. These tubes as if integrally connected professor with the cars surrounding him as if also he half turned into the car. And one more struck Gorev: the left eye Wagner checked some book and did of it by the left hand of an extract, and the right eye it directed on the visitor and gave it the right hand.

– I ask to sit down! – kindly Wagner told, without stopping working the left hand.

Gorev, worldly-wise as any skilled correspondent, was so struck that forgot all usual approaches of the journalist and is silent, with full bewilderment looked at the left eye of professor running according to the book and the manuscript, at tubes in his nose.

Professor noticed this puzzled type of the visitor and smiled.

– You are surprised by these tubes? – kindly it began. – But it is so simple: I too value the time to walk. Meanwhile clean air is necessary for health of a body and lucidity of mind. And here I made small adaptation: I removed outside, over a roof, two tubes which ends with special adaptation are inserted into a nose. At inhalation of air one valve opens, at exhalation this valve is closed by pressure of air, and another which lets out the air fulfilled by lungs opens. This small adaptation gives me the chance all the time to breathe fresh air, and see what rosy cheeks at me! The trifling invention, but it can bring big benefit. Present patients who cannot be taken out from the room. And modern ventilation leaves to wish a lot of the best. By means of this device all patients can breathe clean air. I expect bigger: if still ancient Romans were able to carry out water for hundreds of kilometers, having created the monumental aqueducts, then why don’t we create «aeroduka»? It would be possible to deliver on pipes, for example, mountain or sea air. Eventually, it would be cheaper, than to send patients for the sake of air for hundreds and thousands of kilometers. The central pipes with the special supercharger will give air to our cities, and there it will be distributed. The mountain, sea, steppe or given to drink by needles air will be available to all…

Professor Wagner spoke quickly, without ceasing to write with the left hand. The right eye he continued to look at the visitor.

Gorev, at last, found gift for speaking.

– Tell how you can do it?. – And he looked at sloping eyes of professor and his left hand.