Having gone out of the elevator, I saw that I am in the middle of a huge round hall with a high vaulted ceiling. Soft light filled in this to the hall. Extensively from it there were wide tunnels.
We went deep into one of these tunnels leaving afar. I with pleasure inhaled clean fresh air. The tunnel all extended, and at the end of it I saw something, forced me to stop from surprise. It seemed, I see a mirage in the desert. Before us the huge tropical garden grew. Among magnificent, juicy vegetation fountains streamed. Paths were strewed with golden sand. In the middle of a garden the quiet lake of extraordinary pure blue water was based. The great number of birds flew between trees, filling air with chatter and a rustle of wings. And over all this is blue bed curtains of the sky or glass – I could not define it – with huge sun in the middle.
– In this underground city there live employees of our solar station – Li told. – Isn’t that so, good corner? So it is pleasant to much here that they spend underground all the free time, enjoying silence, a cool, fine air and a sunlight which is transferred by system of mirrors here. Radio screens allow them to see everything that happens in the world on the Earth’s surface. Their rooms differ in nothing from my white lodge. If we have time, I will show you a remarkable aquarium, a zoo…
Li’s words were interrupted with some roar which was distributed over our heads. Li pricked up the ears.
– We go rather on a surface, there something happened – he told.
We quickly rose and left rather entered the hot furnace of bright beams of the Turkestan sun.
At the same moment I saw a strange thing: on a clear sky the small black cloudlet was suddenly formed directly over our heads.
Suddenly dazzling even in beams of the sun the lightning cut through a cloud and, having slashed on the sky, struck in the mirror collector of sunshine. I involuntarily bent down from the followed thunderclap. Splinters of a mirror scattered as a golden shower, in different directions.
– Rated sportsman! – Li cried.
But people already knew what to do. Did not pass also minutes as in different places from under the earth crowds of people with various tools began to be shown. It seemed as if someone dug out a huge ant hill and all ants came to light.
I never had to see that people worked with such speed and organization. They were not less than several honeycombs, and nevertheless neither shouts, nor orders were heard. Everyone kept at a distance, worked as a part of well harmonious car. Nobody disturbed anybody. Neither vanities, nor crush. One bore spare mirrors, others moved apart step-ladders, others sorted splinters. Did not pass also several minutes as solar installations were corrected, the garbage and the remains of mirrors are carried away. People left under the earth, and anything else did not remind of destruction. I was delighted with this extraordinary organization and involuntarily remembered Li’s words about the orchestra directed by the invisible conductor by means of thought radiation.
– However what has happened?, From where this unexpected thunder-storm? – I asked Li when everything settled.
– Work of Americans – Li answered. – They condense atmospheric electricity at distance and cause a thunder-storm. Obviously, we had a temporary break of an air obstacle somewhere. Enemies also used it to put destructions to our power plants. But another time they will not manage it. Recently I put storm rated sportsmen. Unfortunately, they were not applied still, considering, as the air obstacle quite protects us.
I did not notice how Ea approached us. She told Li that spies are caught that in the last fight they destroyed two of our ships, but at the same time died also.
– And then … – Ea bent to the ear of Li and whispered something. I was surprised to this excessive precaution.
Li nodded it and, having addressed me, said also in low tones:
– Now we act.
Then he added, having a little raised the voice:
– The moment is too serious. Extra care is necessary. We go.
Chapter 9
LAST FIGHT
In the sky as far as there were enough eyes flocks of birds were visible. It was possible to think that somewhere crows were flown to a lodging for the night from all over the world. But it were not birds, and the air ships among which there was also ours.
– Atlantic Ocean! – Li shouted, trying to outvoice noise of wind behind walls of our shell.
Atlantic Ocean? Whether long ago we were in Turkestan? Resolutely, these people won against time.
The picture developed below forced me to scream from surprise. All seashore was filled by extraordinary beings who could be taken for the terrible died-out animals. It were some strange fresh-water and air animals. Though they were similar at each other, one of them, having reached the region of the low coast, plunged into waves and, obviously, continued the way under water, others floated on a water surface, others flew over the ocean.
– Isn’t that so, it reminds a picture of the primitive world? The herd of terrible pangolins goes on a watering place! These are our fighters. They equally well feel on water, under water and in air.
They were thousands, perhaps, hundreds of thousands. And thousands of the air ships flew in air. “What destructive war! – I thought. – At such number of participants in one day millions of people can die”.
– How many the person contains your army? – I asked Li.
– You wanted to ask probably how many kilowatt? – he answered with a question.
I looked at it bewildered.
– These tools of destruction conceal in themselves billions of kilowatts of energy. And people? Seventy three persons, considering also us.
– But allow who operates all these vehicles?
– These cars have no people. The small number of the people making all our “army” operates the movement of cars at distance, on radio.
– So, means?.
– Means, it will be more war of cars, than people. “That at whom the equipment is higher” will win – so, apparently, spoke also in your time?
In this the world, new to me, I absolutely lost idea of time. Winning against huge speeds of movement against space, these people won also against time. I could not define how many minutes or hours our flight over the ocean continued. Flying at reckless speed, we as though wanted to catch up with the sun. Its last beams still gilded high clouds over us when Li told:
– We fly up to coast of America.
I looked at it and saw that, against usage, he was excited.
– Day came – he told – when the destiny of the world is decided. – Whether we will die or our enemies will die, but the globe will not be divided into two half any more. But I am sure that they will die. We cannot die because for us – the future, and they – the last gloomy page of the past.
Li did not manage to tell this phrase, as well as I already distinctly saw the American coast.
Some more moments, and our ships already flew over the coast, crept out of the ocean, quickly covering with the bulky black bodies the low coast. The place was desert. We flew much more quietly, and I could consider a gloomy landscape well. The coast of otly rose and passed into the extensive plain which regions vanished in a haze of the approaching evening. “The quite good base, is where to be developed – I thought. – But why there is no enemy? We, obviously, took them unawares”.
Searchlights flashed, and at once over the plain “blue day” came.