"Aleksandr Abramov, Sergei Abramov. Horsemen from Nowhere ("ВСАДНИКИ НИОТКУДА", англ.)" - читать интересную книгу автора

that had just lain here.
I continued filming all this in a hurry to catch the latest
transformations. It had begun. The whole flower had now detached itself from
the ground, and as it rose the rim curved upwards. The bell, spread out in
the air, was likewise empty: we could clearly see that there was nothing
whatsoever inside, we saw the rose coloured interior and the delicate
expanding edges. It would now turn into a rose "cloud" and vanish beyond the
other real clouds. And on the ground there would be only one airplane and
one pilot. That is exactly what took place.
Zernov and Martin stood silent, stunned, just like I was the first time
that morning. I think Zernov had already come close to deciphering the
puzzle which to me was still only a faint glimmer of a possibility. It did
not shine, it only suggested the outlines of a fantastic but still logically
admissible picture. Martin was simply crushed not so much by the horror of
what had occurred but by the single thought that this was only the fruit of
a disturbed imagination. He obviously wanted to ask about something, his
terrified look restlessly flitted from me to Zernov until, finally, Zernov
smiled as if to say, go ahead. And Martin put the question.
"Who was it I killed?"
"We can take it that it wasn't anybody," Zernov smiled again.
"But that was a real live man," Martin repeated.
"Are you sure?" Zernov asked.
Martin was confused.
"I don't know."
"That's just it. I would say temporarily alive. The same force created
it and wiped it out."
"But why?" I asked cautiously.
He answered with exasperation-not like him at all.
"You think I know more than you do? Let's develop the film and see."
"And you think we'll understand then?" I no longer tried to hide the
irony.
"It might be," he said deep in thought.
Then he went out ahead without even inviting us to come along. We
exchanged glances and followed together.
"What's your name?" Martin asked familiarly taking me by the arm. He
must have seen we were of the same age.
"Yuri."
"Yuri, Yuri. Mine's Don. Do you think that thing was alive?"
"Yes, I have an inkling it was."
"Something local?"
"Don't think so. No expedition has ever encountered anything like it."
"Then where did it come from?"
"You'll have to ask somebody smarter than me, I don't know."
He was already getting under my skin. But he didn't seem offended.
"What do you think it is, jelly or gas?"
"You tried to take a sample, you should know."
He laughed.
"I wouldn't advise anyone to try. I wonder why it didn't just gobble me
up there in the air? It swallowed me and then spit me out."
"I suppose it didn't find you very tasty."