Classics fantasy – 11. A. Belyaev

      “Taiga” left extreme northern border of growth of the wood and went on the desert naked area. Somewhere else were seen pathetic as if the trees plucked by wind, the clumsy, bent-down to the earth birches, knotty, curve. They stlatsya almost on the ground. The soil went marshy. In air smelled of sour. Marsh gases escaped from the earth, puffed, gave smacking kiss, grunted, puzyrit oozy water. Geologists sat in the studies and processed material: sorted samples of minerals, numbered, displayed on boxes, noted the location, the area of a bedding in the magazine.

      Kamneva summed up the results and made the report. Research of minerals among continuous massifs of the wood was new business. The geologist rushed into narkomlesovsky possession. Under protection hitherto of the inaccessible woods huge richness of the most various minerals was kept.

      Jim went near laboratory and could not wait when Anna Fokina ends the work. He sighed, sang a song. Eventually Fokina left in a corridor, took it by hand and entered into laboratory.

      – I see that it is boring for you and you hang about. Desire to sit down for work. You will help me to sort samples. But if only you are absent-minded – I will banish.

      Jim tried so that on his dark forehead sweat droplets acted.

      Ignat got acquainted with the navigator Foma Gruzdev closer and learned his biography. Gruzdev spent thirty years in a taiga. He – the hunter pathfinder – traveled all over Siberia from the Urals to Kamchatka and saw much on the century. Was also on the mines, but there it was not pleasant to it.

      – “Gold, gold! How many because of you it is evil!” – he liked to repeat, telling about Aldan of imperial times. – The people were nasty there. On gold the mad. Here, by the way, быль, but not an invention. The priiskatel sails on Kuta’s mouth. And it has a wife yes two children. The wife with children came to the coast: “Take me – says – with himself. What with children of one to do to me?” And at a priiskatel only gold on mind. Sent the wife far away. An oar pushed away the boat. Started singing the song. The wife of one child threw into the river and another swung. Another was managed to be taken away, and the first and sank. And a priiskatel – though that. Even did not stop singing the song – left…

      – How you got on “Taiga”? – Ignat asked.

      – I know a taiga, here and got on “Taiga”. A taiga – it such, as cards will not help. How many these expeditions I saw! People both with cards, and with compasses go, and will stop by in the swamp – and horses and will ruin themselves. The taiga should be known. Or here to go by such ship…

      – It is pleasant to you on “Taiga”? You do not miss hunting?

      – Happens. I got used to wander. And got used to “Taiga”. People are good. As a stop – I ружьишко for shoulders also went to wander. I deliver provisions. Both it is pleasant to me, and all are happy.

      He looked at the horizon and, having shaken the head, muttered to himself in moustaches:

      – Mean place. Go, soaring, to the captain yes tell him that he went round this bog.

      Ignat went to Simakov and gave him Foma’s council.

      – We have to test “Taiga” in any conditions – Simakov answered.

      – Your business – Foma grumbled.

      “Taiga” entered the boggy lowland which overgrew at the edges a sedge. The great number of wild geese was removed and with loud cackling flew by over “Taiga”.

      “Taiga” moved more and more slowly. Day was gloomy, autumn, similar to deep twilight. Low clouds mixed up with the fog rising above the ground. Bright colors of fall grew dull. Gray and black color prevailed.

      In “Taiga” fires were lit already. From round windows on pools and the dried-up grass rays of light fell, crept on the ground and suddenly, having stopped, lit hummocks, moss-grown, with cloudberries, blueberry…

      – Arrived! – Foma grinned.

      Wide, heavy wheels of “Taiga” got stuck in fenny ooze. Simakov ordered to pass to a caterpillar drive. Mechanisms worked well, replacement happened quickly.

      – Full speed!

      “Taiga” moved, crept several meters and again stopped.

      – Backing! – Simakov to the engine room shouted.

      The case of “Taiga” began to tremble from tension, but “Taiga” still stood still.

      – Strongly mudflows – Ignat told. – It is necessary to avralit again.

      – Yes – Simakov shortly answered.

      The bell rang out. All crew rose by the deck. Simakov explained situation. It is necessary to purify the dirt which jammed into tapes of a caterpillar drive and under the vessel case. All armed with shovels and turned to work.

      – When the ice breaker rubs clean ice, nobody says that ice breakers – an unusable thing and that therefore it is necessary to recognize himself won by elements and to refuse swimming in the polar seas – Simakov told, working with Ignat.

      Already absolutely darkened, and it was necessary to light searchlights. From work as everything was hot. By the night wind blew from the North, dispersed clouds. With the wind cold came. Pools dragged on thin ice. Marsh ooze hardened as mixed concrete.

      – And what if to spread out fires and to warm the earth? – offered Kamnev.

      Simakov looked back. Around bush. It is necessary to spend a lot of time to find in this desert of firewood for fires. Wood already far. And fires will not help…

      At midnight the exhausted people threw shovels. Decided to have a rest and for the next day to turn to work again.

      In the morning the southern wind blew, became warmer, and ice thawed. But “Taiga” was still motionless.

      Jim threw a shovel and ran, jumping from a hummock on a hummock, from “Taiga”, on a small height aside. It stayed some time there and then excited returned, smiling.

      – Oll-rayt! I thought up! – he shouted still from a distance. – There, on a hillock, a lake. It is a lot of water. It is necessary to take hoses and to pump over water here. Ooze will become liquid…

      – And we will stick even more deeply – Ignat added. – Eh you, inventor!

      Jim’s face was extended. But Simakov thought.

      – Silent backing! – Simakov ordered to Zhukov, having climbed up the captain’s bridge.

      Travelers stood on the deck and expected, what will be farther. “Taiga” shook, slowly moved back, stopped, once again moved, again stopped… In a quarter of hour the all-terrain vehicle passed only ten of meters. But it obviously got out of the viscous lowland, approaching more dense soil. Blades of wheels began to take sticky dirt.

      – To replace blades with a caterpillar!

      – Take your time to laugh at it – he told Ignat. – You are not familiar with a design of “Taiga” yet. Jim gives quite good advice. If there is enough water, it will raise the case of “Taiga”. We will use ridge wheels. They will play a role and steamship and overland wheels…

      – We