Promised Land #01 31 декабря 2000

Jaroslav Velinsky - the story "epidemic."

       Jaroslav Velinsky. EPIDEMIC



  The bus skidded on a turn. Driver
quietly cursed.
 - And that's before all the machinery of a horse
Force was measured, - for no apparent reason said
broad-shouldered man with a "Kosmoservis" on his lapel and he 
laughed.  - So what? - Angrily replied the driver.

 - Nothing! Horsepower! When I remember,
so tremble ...
 - Some people already do not remember and do not flinch - a 
wry smile, "the driver said. 

  Sitting in the back of an old man rubbed his
Dry hands, cleared his throat and said:
 - My daughter ... - And stopped.

  To him turned around.
 - My daughter - finally he went on, each year the machines 
changed, so now the place itself does not find her legs do not 
feel like walking. 

  Again paused, and then joyfully, in the
the whole bus shouted:
 - Directions!

  And giggled.

  By the old man sat a man with colorless, bulging eyes, 
wearing glasses and briefcase in hand. One word - intellectual. 
He opened his mouth, wanting to join in conversation, but 
changed his mind a long-drawn sigh, and again buried his head 
in the glass.  - The icon will not sell? - Asked the driver

broad-shouldered.
 - No.
 - Well, exchange!
 - No - one word he repeated.
 - Where can I get? Pulled off or something?
 - Yes! - Offended broad .- Yesterday
from Mars to the "Titanic" has returned.
 - Ah, - held out the driver and immediately started up: - Who 
thought of this as your a vessel called? Was, I remember a 
diesel, a hundred years ago in the ocean bulknul.  - There was 
then a diesel engine, - broke the old man .- Then the pair was. 
 - What you want, but only three thousand people - Bulka! - 
Concluded the driver and spun the steering wheel. 

  A passenger with a briefcase finally spoke up:
 - One thousand five hundred and seventeen. And the escaped
one thousand seven hundred and eleven people.
 - Yes? - Politely surprised broad .- A
we have to "Titanic" thirty seven souls, and
all alive. True, connection refused, three months hanging out 
muffled. Returned, and here ..  - Do not know what we have 
going on?  - On the Moon, the first thing about this have been 
reported. News number one.

 - Well you are in space, - groaned the old man .- But there 
are so many people ditch on hundred "Titanic" rack up! On the 
other hand, it was a good little baby face weeks will not see 
all the gas masks! Exhaust Wall phagedenic! - He waved his hand 
and silent.


  The bus was dark. Strong wind
raised brown clouds of rust on the skeletons
cars hooted and howled, shaking twisted metal pieces, was 
driving on the concrete glass leaf litter.  - How is it on 
Mars? - Asked the driver.  - Sun is not enough.


  For a while all was silent. Bus
overcame the slopes and lift, gently
obezzhaya piles of scrap, dirty, oily
shiny spots and whitish stripes broken
glass.

  When driving past the mountains of tires, the old man 
snorted, moved forward, and turning to sitting in the passenger 
compartment, said:  - And I was at the epicenter! However, until

I then did not come to me only then
explained.
 - What are you talking about? - Rose intellectual
with a briefcase and immediately from the kick fell again
on the seat.
 - And then! I have a gas station at the thirty-
the fifth was the highway. Not bad earning,
now so much on vegetables like hell and sweet, though, of 
course, for health Vegetables useful fuel.

 - So what do you have there been? - Flashing sunglasses, asked 
intelligent.  - He was a fine day - sigh starik.Pogoda good 
car, one after another to my column wrap. Here podezzhaet 
Boulder at its Mitsubishi ...  - It was a good car - picked up 
the driver - now these will not see.  - Why can not you see? - 
Surprised broad .- I have a garage, for example, it is worth.  
- ... and here comes the beauty - the old man, - of those that 
hitchhiking trades. Bag is white, blue eyes.

Well, Boulder drive past the skirts can not.
I say mate, look, now Boulder
catch it, and then the whole week will be stories to tell. 
Boulder like too slow started, but then his car was suddenly on 
the field rode, kuvyrknulas and ba-boom! Plot Rape burnt to 
ashes ... and Boulder, poor, Now nothing anyone will tell.


  A passenger with a briefcase old man listened in silence.
 - And then at me with an assistant as the old car suffered a 
breakdown! We barely dodged, and her Hughes launched - and the 
wall! Behind her was driving the tank with milk, so it

directly to the old chestnut crashed. Driver
well, just fired from the cab on the road.
 - What else did you notice? - Nervously asked
intellectual.
 - The sea of ​​milk!
 - No, something like that ...
 - What else "this" you need when out
Machine Boulder flame hits from both solder
lamps, the beauty that he did not have time to plant, inside 
turns, and the milk truck driver with blood on the concrete 
ends! Until before the police get called so long as it swung to 
us already do not pick up - broken vehicles for several miles - 
which faced, and which in and of themselves collapsed ... The 
wounded men screaming, cursing, confusion! ..  - Yes - sadly 
shook his head, an intellectual who - like this, or almost 
anywhere and it was one after another, one after another ...  - 
Wow! - Suddenly exclaimed broad .- So in fact you did Professor 
Uilebi! I You on the Moon in the news have seen. You have this 
as it ... Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry! Exactly!

 - Former Chairman - quietly said Professor .- The Commission 
of Inquiry completed its work for lack of subject matter 
investigation.  - How does it lack? - Muttered the old man,

making a wide gesture .- And it all? That
they're all crazy poshodili? You, scientists,
think of what is believed, even though there
learn! Trams, possibly empty. Remember
Trams have long been, in my time ... on
electricity. Huh?

  Professor Uilebi grimly shook his head.
 - Nothing happens. The epidemic affects any vehicle. 
Mechanical, with motor. Carried out research ...

 - Doissledovalis! - Angrily told
old.

  Passengers looked at disapprovingly
He then looked at the professor. A woman in a wig coughed and 
said:  - So what are they ... gone mad?

 - I say - an epidemic! Well, frankly, is still satisfactory
No explanation, so I think my fairly plausible. Although the 
other hand ...

 - Yes, yes, sorry! - The professor took off his spectacles, 
breathed, wiped the glass clean handkerchief handkerchief, and 
continued: - I do not avtokonstruktor not metalloved and not a 
sociologist. I am a biologist, or more precisely - ratussolog 
...  - How? - Surprised broad.

 - Specialist in rats.
 - Heh! - Old man chuckled .- Heh-heh! Krysoved!
 - That's right .- Professor and thought to be offended .- In 
rats, and some other there is a strange animal, not fully

studied phenomenon. As soon as their number per unit area 
reaches a critical value, they seem to go crazy and begin to 
destroy each other. That car now has bred more than people! 
Exhaust fumes have poisoned the atmosphere! Step step 
impossible not to fall under the wheels. And the animals that 
the machines - the laws nature are universal. Started in one 
place gone! Insanity is contagious ... Here potomuto I say that 
it looks like an epidemic. 

  A few minutes on the bus was quiet,
only the motor humming and the wind howled in thin
tightly retracted glass.
 - What have your rats - began cautiously
broad - they are that, while not mutually
destroy, not rest?
 - Well, thank you! - Exclaimed professor.Krysy - a very 
interesting object of study. Once the population is ... Well, 
their number is back to normal, they immediately lose their 
aggressiveness. Very smart beings - is clearly proud of the 
rats completed Professor.

 - Let's say - again said broad, what if the machine does not 
stop?  - Excellent question - and was glad the professor, 
raising his finger, he continued: - Is blunt piece of iron can 
be compared with biological objects of! If a rat - a product of 
and the final product of evolution, which lasted millions of 
years, that car - it is illegitimate Devil engine and wagons, 
mongrel generation of human laziness and petrol! While they do 
not destroy each other, will not rest! That is why the two 
machines on highway is not razehatsya, now hundreds of

meters epidemic spreads, and two cars is close to that 
distance. And it will!  - Amen! - Penetration of the old man.


  Motor bus straining snarl, a machine
skirting the rock, went to Wake.
 - Well ...! - The driver said, and swore .- Do I not like this 
change! 

  Sitting next to him, broad, pale, staring at the windshield 
and the old man rose from his seat and with an idiotic glee 
exclaimed:  - That's sezdili for some bread!

__________________________________________

                               From the collection

                   "Foreign Fiction"

                       Moscow, "Mir", 1986