Читать книгу Summer. Day. Butterfly. Stories - Эдуард Диа Диникин - Страница 5

Delaunay left the apartment over a minute ago. Two dead bodies lay on the floor. Two birds, a crow and a parrot, looked at each other. The parrot slapped a few times by the wings and said loudly: “Dr. Livingston, I presume?”

“I‘ve known you’d say that phrase, Captain Stanley,” the crow answered.

They unlocked the cells with their beaks and went out.

“Okay, colleague ' the parrot said, “How was your adaptation?”

“Well, even better than it could be. I immediately got into good conditions, lived with a Professor of Philosophy. He has given me a lot of new knowledge. And what about you?” Livingston asked.

“I am tired. My mission went long. I bothered to listen to this sounds of awful human speech and only dreamed about normal civilized communication. Shortly speaking, I want to go home.”

“‘""""""""""""""’, ” Livingston carefully proposed.

“No, let’s use human language since we are here. Will you stay for a long time? In fact the crows are long – lived creatures.”

“No, unfortunately. I have to complete my mission within a month.”

“A month?! Unfortunatelly?!” Stanley was surprised.” I’ve been here twenty-eight years. I almost got eaten by some bastards. I could have died in a bombing in Berlin. They wanted to cross me with some Amazonian whore, and so on… And you will stay here only for a month. You don’t know how lucky you are!”

“But I came here only to take the report,” as if apologizing, Livingston said. “Besides, your real rank now is equal to the rank of Lieutenant-General. I’m just, if you must know, a Lieutenant”

“What do I get from this title here except a color coat of feathers?” Stanley flapped his wings indignantly. “When will I see my home – Kingdom Ptakh?!”

“I was instructed to inform you that your mission will end in six months.”

“Which ones?”

“Biological, of course.”

“I am afraid that there will be some force majeure circumstances again to extend my mission for an indefinite period” Stanley said wearily and then he shook his head: “Okay, let’s get sown to business,” he pulled a yellow feather out of his wing, “Here, Livingston. This is all the data over the past four years. With the samples. Pay special attention to the atomic bomb, this is the most important thing.”

“I heard something about that…” the crow hesitantly said. “But I don’t quite understand what it is. People, who often gathered at the philosopher’s place, discussed it from a peculiar point of view. I’ve learned a lot during those few days I’ve been there.”

“What exactly?”

“For example, about religion. I don’t know if anyone else in the Universe has what earthlings call Faith.”

“As I understand it by studying humans, Faith takes a lot of energy not giving anything in exchange.”

“Maybe it’s because people haven’t created a perfect religion?”

“Maybe. But this is not the reason why we are here now.” Stanley said strictly.“You better tell, what is your level of access to secret information, Lieutenant Livingston?”

“Fourth, sir.”

“Then there’s something you should know. In fact we are talking about the splitting of the atomic nucleus. We have information about the chain reaction in the atomic structure as a result of which there is an explosion of immense power. Do you understand how it’s important for us?”

“Yes. And how powerful is this explosion?”

“If you have a fourth level, you must have heard of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”

“Ah, this is the atomic explosion! Then the Kingdom of Five Fogs will come to an end! Our enemies will be defeated once and for all!” Livingston almost screamed, demonstrating his excitement.

“We have more than enough of what people call uranium-235 and plutonium-239. Using the latter, we teleport.” Stanley said staring at his colleague.

“Tell me,” Livingston began, carefully choosing his words, “When Hiroshima and Nagasaki were killed, what happened next?”

Stanley was silent for a while.

“What did you say, “killed?”

“I’m not quite fluent in human language,” Livingston said nervously, “Correct me if it’s necessary. Or maybe we should speak in our native language?”

“Don’t worry,” the parrot said as carefully as the crow did before, “But don’t you know that Hiroshima stayed alive after he killed Nagasaki?”

“Of course, I know,” Livingston said confidently.

Suddenly the parrot rushed towards the crow. After the answer to his control question, Stanley realized that Livingston was an insidious enemy. Stanley wanted to peck his eye. Livingston managed to jump aside. He was the best special agent of Kingdom of Five Fogs. Several precise strikes and the parrot’s wings were stained with blood. One more hit and Stanley stopped moving. Livingston looked at him regretfully. Well, the only hope is that the secret information in the yellow feather is really important. Actually, Livingston was sure of this, he was only annoyed that he did not learn more. But he will find the answers somewhere else. Knowledge is power as once the philosopher said. He was an existentialist, like all humans actually. Livingston looked at the defeated enemy for the last time, let out a victorious croak and flew out the open window.