Squeal was such that stones began to fall from tops of mountains, somewhere the avalanche highly descended. The terrible sphere teeming with feelers flashed as a haystack to which the lightning got, and was rolled up on the ground, trying to extinguish with convulsive blows of feelers a flame. But it is vain. Even water is not capable to extinguish a flame of a dragon. Especially as the dragon sent more and more …
At last, the monster calmed down, and Z-001 wrung out the lever back. Operation is finished. The object is destroyed. The order of its Perfection is executed. The calmed-down monster burned about half an hour until from it there was nothing, only the black melted-off spot on rock.
And at this time the Invincible Sun put Prinze on a small island of a rigid grass at the foot of the mountain. Golems already ran up to it.
- Quickly! First-aid kit! - the lightning mental team followed.
One of golems pressed the button and plates on the left hip dispersed. In his hands there was a small metal box.
The invincible Sun broke a seal and pulled out the syringe, gathered in it some blue liquid, and then entered into Prinze's vein. It was the universal disinfecting remedy decomposing any organic poison. It has to purify blood of poison of all in a couple of hours if only it did not poison the main vital centers any more.
Several minutes painfully expectations. At last, Prinze slowly opened eyes and poorly smiled:
- Again I got into crapes, the truth?
They made the return flight almost in full silence. The prince hardly recovered and there was no wish to speak to him after everything endured. He felt that the Invincible Sun too strongly thought of something. When the Gold Tower ahead seemed, Prinze, at last, with a great effort told:
- Thanks to you … You saved to me life … I also did not think that you can be … such …
But the Invincible Sun did not answer nothing. What It thought of, it was known, probably, to one Creator.
5.
The next morning when Prinze properly slept off, he was woken indifferently by an impatient Voice:
- And now - we will go to my workshops. I will show you something that will shake your imagination and you will understand that I not just like that sat all these millennia here …
On the way lecture continued:
- All these mosaics, gardens and all other, including gold dragons are just like that, entertainment. Really I worked on another and if you do not faint from surprise, I will consider that I spent all this time for nothing... - and again a damned ringing of hand bells in the head.
And then Prinze stepped in the next tunnel in which ladder conducted under the earth. Reflection with two searchlights instead of eyes whisked behind it.
It seemed that the ladder on which Prinze all lower and lower under the earth went down will curl indefinitely. The prince was tired and repeatedly intended to sit down, but every time in his head was distributed a voice: "Yet not time, forward, forward …" and he felt a hot touch again in shovels which so burned it that willy-nilly it was necessary to make haste.
Even here, in vault depths, all walls were from gold. And therefore in the Mountain was lightas in the afternoon.
At last, the tiring descent was finished. Judging by a heat and on a dead air, Prinze thought that here some forge works were obviously carried out.
Soon from where in front the muffled clang, a roar, hissing reached.
Again hot breath touched his back and Prinze, having hardly taken breath, moved forward on a wide tunnel. Soon and it ended.
The prince came to be in a huge hall cave which, appear, had no ceiling at all. At least, Prinze did not see it. All space of a huge workshop was forced by all equipment, the woods, cranes, ladders, carts on rails. Everywhere acquaintances already to Prinze dwarfs and gold golems scurried about. They did not pay attention to it, scurried about here and there, continually bringing something, carrying, clambering on ladders.
"Real ants", - Prinze with involuntary respect and fear thought that organized deeply underground all this terrible ant hill of That.
- Of course, - the Voice answered it. - Just as ants unconditionally submit to the queen, and they - me. This my kingdom, here I am God-almighty, more precisely, the queen and the goddess. And this kingdom can be yours, it is worth wanting … Present how it is fine, - thousands, tens, hundreds of thousands of slaves ready to execute ANY your desire. And you among them - God-almighty... For the sake of it there are a lot of great heroes and heroines of antiquity laid down the life, and you can have it for nothing... How to you?
- Impresses... - vaguely Prinze told, trying to hide far away in soul hiding places the disgust for such brilliant prospects which arose in it. - But tell me, madam, the tsar, what of me, and furthermore - god? I am only Anonymous Prinze - without - Kingdoms, the ordinary person. I suit for walks on forest lawns and river valleys, for picnics and songs outdoors, but not for management of millions of slaves...
- It is fixable, - the Voice indulgently answered. - You think, I always was such how now? I too... However, it is unimportant. When you enter the Stream - everything will change, you will become another, you anew will be born. And then you will want to be that about whom I speak... However, we already came.
They stood near the next wall which silently drove off aside, povinuyas to mental team to the hostess of these places.
"Whether there are in general in this place normal doors with handles and loops?" - Prinze thought - and it appeared in the strange room.
- It is the Malachite room. My staff, perhaps.
The room completely corresponded to the name. All walls, ceilings and even a floor were made of this beautiful green stone. Besides, the big polished table and chairs also were malachite, as well as the big sphere established on a support in the middle of a table.
The prince with a great relief sat down on one of chairs. He was tired from infinite descent on twisted ladders to death.
- From here I operate all security system of the Gold Hall and even all Mountain. Look.
The malachite sphere lit up from within and its green beams in air formed some big drawing.
Having peered at it, Prinze with surprise learned both to Gore, and the Gold Tower on it, but only reduced and in a section. Both in the mountain, and in a tower there was a set of the different courses, transitions, tunnels, ladders … Real ant hill! The prince gave a whistle from surprise.
But the most interesting is a large number of the shining pulsing points in different places.
- What is it? - Prinze with astonishment asked.
- These are power points. Here the energy of the sun collected by mirrors from a surface accumulates, and then it is distributed on all mirrors.
- It that in vaults was light-? - fondly Prinze asked, than again caused a fit of laughter of the Hostess.
- Ingenious, indeed! Illumination - this most insignificant function of mirrors. Main consists in another … You that, you think, I hold these golems yes of dragons for self-defense, huh?
- And for what?
Again ringing of metal hand bells.
- Silly! You think, the impact of fairies will be stopped by such insignificant army? Only to frighten people by them yes on monsters in mountains to hunt. They are necessary to me generally for investigation, for sorties of everyones, diversions … Not to win real war with their help.
- And how it is possible to win?
- Look.
The prince saw the increased silhouette of the Gold Tower on the schematic map shining in air. In many places of the Tower Prinze distinctly saw the pulsing shining "power points".
Suddenly from where because of the horizon the eagle seemed. Apparently, it was attracted by the Observation Deck of the Gold Tower. Perhaps, in his bird's head the thought arose that it would be quite good to twist the nest on such high brilliant mountain …
So it or not so, but the eagle flew straight to the Tower.
But once it crossed the hidden border separating to Gore from the Gorge, suddenly
power points flashed bright light and connected in one chain. The shining energy in a flash filled all surface of the Tower. Still a moment - and at once a set of beams, having reflected from a smooth surface of the Tower, directed on an unfortunate bird, instant flash and … - only an ashes handful thin flakes fell down on the earth …
- For … for …, why! - Prinze, nearly crying exclaimed. - Poor birdie!
- Well, well that you for the crybaby such! Not the man, and it is unknown that! I should have shown on someone to you what does me impregnable for army of fairies! By the way, my mirrors can burn anything, even a stone and metal and not that a handful of some there feathers!
But Prinze did not listen to it any more.
- Everything, I cannot any more! I was tired of all your oruzhiya, tools, troops and all other! I am not a military person why to me all this? Leave me alone!
- All right, be not capricious, give you I will show my latest invention, and I will release you. We go back to workshops.
6.
The invincible Sun brought Prinze to the huge, giant metal vessel similar to a huge blast furnace which stood in the middle of a cave.
- What is it?
- You will see. Over there - the elevator.
The prince entered a small wooden cabin to which flat roof the steel cable was attached. Right there the mechanism started working, and Prinze began to rise upward. The prince with escalating fear looked down - height was really dizzy. The dwarfs and golems who are pottering about below began to seem size no more ant.
But here the cabin stopped on the top. The prince came to a wooden scaffold and looked down. In a vessel some liquid from which there was such heat that it seemed to Prinze that it costs at a muzzle of an active volcano which is just about ready to be cast out shone and gurgled. The shining liquid was at the level of a little more than a quarter of a vessel, but is constant, though slowly, arrived.
From above, through an opening in the rock as through a giant window in a vessel sunshine fell. Passing through some sieve weaved out of the thinnest gold rods, already in the form of drops of the boiling sparkling moisture they fell in a vessel, gradually filling it.
- What is it? - Prinze in perplexity asked.
- And unless you did not guess? It is solar juice - the high-concentrated consistence. The highest what can only be reached. I am itself, - here in its voice notes of undisguised pride sounded, - opened a way of production from juice sunshine by means of the magic filter invented by me. Be proud, the mortal little man, you know now what is known any more by nobody though to admit, I even am sorry that it so. Here all these arrogant women from the Supreme Council of Skies who only and are able what to stir would burst with envy, and are not capable of the invention of new magic technologies. But all will feel its consequences soon... - here metal hand bells in the head rang out especially long and stridently, but it is somehow sharp and unpleasant.
- Why to you it is so much juice? - puzzly Prinze asked, and his voice at the same time foully trembled. He, apparently, began to guess - why …
- Everything is elementary simple, - the Invincible Sun answered with tone of "clever professor". - As soon as I have enough juice, I will be able to lift by means of a squadron of gold dragons this vessel highly in the sky and to lower it directly in Tselestiya's center. I already did all necessary calculations. Extremely concentrated juice lowered from a certain height will cause the strongest emission of solar energy. There will be an explosion of the greatest power which will cause death of all population of the country. Force of explosion will be such that everything will burn down - even the sky and the atmosphere, oxygen and clouds. In total. There will be one charred surface. Even the seas - and those everything will dry up …
At Prinze from these words legs gave away. To a throat the lump, and to eyes - tears rose. It it is speeded up began to breathe, and some time to it did not gasp. The head was turned. But the Invincible Sun, being in some feverish ecstasy, did not pay any attention to it.
- If you think that I just want to destroy this world - you are mistaken. Fool and fool, why to me their death? No, my purpose - is ennobled and noble. I want to make happy the whole world. Only their bodies will burn down, but there will be souls. Extreme concentration of solar energy, by my calculations, will cause an irreversible mutation in their souls, and souls will become penetrated by solar energy and light just as metal is silvered if to place it in poserebryanny solution under the influence of the electric power. Souls will become covered with the thinnest air of a sunlight which will become their new bodies. They will find, thus, the new perfect solar bodies filled with new force infinitely beautiful. Unless it is not healthy? Besides, explosion of solar energy and the strongest shock caused by it will burn in their souls all superfluous - emotions, feelings, passions, memoirs, imagination. The source for sincere torments, doubts, feelings, tortures will leave. They will become equally quiet and happy …
- And I … and I here … and? Why you it tell all this to me … show? - disobedient lips and language of the Prince hardly allowed it to pronounce these words.
- What you are after all weaklings, silly little men! - without having sustained, did not hide the contempt the Invincible Sun. - Not without reason fairies twist you as want! Well and, all right, everything will change soon, - herself was calmed by the solar sorcerer. - And so,
when all this occurs - We with you will be to them, and the grateful changed Tselestiya's inhabitants will bow to us as to gods and will serve us! Itself judge, being made so happy, they will be simply obliged to repay us the debt! It is thought well up, the truth? - And, without waiting for the answer, it continued. - I worked on this Plan of the millennium and my work is close to end, thanks to you!
- I do not understand, and I here at what?
- And besides what to be God of one - very boring thing. I need Sopravitel with whom I can share burden of the Power, Pleasure and Perfection. And to the Sun the Moon is necessary to reflect its divine light and to fill it where it is necessary, isn't that so? You were as it is impossible in time. The vessel is full already on a quarter. A week more - and it will be filled completely. It will be possible to begin operation. There are no you, I would postpone it indefinitely. But you were just in time. And in it I see a decree of fate, a sign of the fact that all will turn out... Well as, you agree to take part in we wash business?
- I so understand, having agreed to it, I have to remain here forever...
- Of course, and how you thought? You think, having shown you all my secrets, I will release you? - Metal hand bells rang out even stronger, but also it is even more unpleasant.
- But I need … to say goodbye... with my wife... at least... Though last time to see it, to look in eyes... I without it cannot do … - weepingly, hardly, Prinze whispered.
- What you are people milksops and drivellers, - the Voice contemptuously sounded. - But do not worry, so and to be - I will give you such opportunity.
- How?! You will release me?! - in utter disbelief, Prinze exclaimed.
- No, of course, just your wife just approaches my possession so I should not release you anywhere. "The ball comes to the player", so, apparently, at you speak?
- Cannot be! - Prinze exclaimed.
- Perhaps can … - and again these damned metal hand bells rang out. - It goes with two plush animals here - and even without magic wand, the lawful weapon! Mad... But, anyway, farewell will take place. It will be here soon - in an integrity and safety. I will take care of it … And now, Prinze, - patronizing tone what is at the teachers addressing the innocent pupils - I think, you should have a rest before we go to top of the Gold Tower where you should join the Stream. Time and tide wait for no man. At me all is already ready. Tomorrow, on my supervision, the sun will be especially active so your transformation will happen quickly and almost without serious consequences - not as it was with me... I had to suffer a little then … Let's go. It is necessary to you still long rise.
The prince did not rem
ember how he went down and as he rose. Everything was as if in some thin fog... And can - it tears dimmed his eyes?
"The fairy, my beautiful fairy godmother, - Prinze thought about himself, and his heart was broken off from silent crying. - You for the sake of me went to such mad act, got directly into a mouth to a dragon and for what? Only to see how I will turn into the same cruel car for murder as this Being who at me language does not turn to call the woman! The creator, is better for me or you to die earlier only not to see it! But as there is a wish to look at least once in your colors of the clear sky of an eye as there is a wish to embrace your brittle, such brittle shoulders last time and to kiss... And to tell the last time: "Darling, forgive me for everything", I so badly left the house, having hurt you so much! To tell the last time that I love and always loved only you, and there and to death it is not terrible to go. To jump off from the rock and to die at least the person!"
And suddenly Prinze felt ill at ease: and suddenly the Invincible Sun reads his mind again?
But the Invincible Sun did not answer nothing.
Chapter 11. Desert of Desires.
1.
When Animals reached to expecting them on one of sandy dunes of the Fairy, they just became exhausted. But the Fairy did not stay idle. It already spread out a white cloth on sand, having placed on it simple dishes of their marching diet that the out of breath Animals could have a rest and bite. The benefit, the Sea Queen took care to give them supplies, they lost the baggage caravan on that side of the Sea.
Generally their poor laid up consisted of sea cabbage - the most favourite delicacy of mermaids. This wonderful plant helped them to be always vigorous and healthy, and also to observe an ideal figure throughout many millennia. However, the Fairy refused fish and mollusks because fairies never eat the animated living beings.
Unconquered Sun Page 33
