"Aleksandr Abramov, Sergei Abramov. Horsemen from Nowhere ("ВСАДНИКИ НИОТКУДА", англ.)" - читать интересную книгу автораwhile this one had on an old dark-green sweater, the one Zernov always wore
on expeditions. But Zernov's padded pants and Canadian fur boots, which I envied during our trips, completed the dress of the stranger. Yet he was hardly a stranger, when you come to think of it. Even I, who had spent so many days alongside Zernov, could not distinguish one from the other. Zernov was on the stage, but in the doorway stood a precise, perfect copy. That is definite. The hall gasped, somebody stood up, looking from one to the other in bewilderment, someone else stood with his mouth open. Kedrin, with puckered eyebrows, concentrating, examined the double with interest; a snake-like snigger appeared on the lips of the American Admiral; he was obviously pleased at the unexpected confirmation of his idea. It seemed to me that Zernov himself was rather pleased too, the doubts and fears of whom had so suddenly been brought to consummation. "Come over here," he said almost gaily, "I've been waiting for just such a meeting. Let's have a talk. It'll be of interest not only to us." Zernov's double unhurriedly walked over to the stage accompanied by inquisitive eyes full of excitement and interest that are accorded only rare celebrities. He turned around, pulled up a chair and sat down near the table at which Zernov had been carrying on a running commentary of the film. The spectacle somehow seemed very natural: here were twin brothers meeting after a long separation. The only difference was that everyone knew that there had been no separation and these were no brothers. Simply one of the two was a miracle beyond the comprehension of human beings. But which one? Now I realized what Admiral Thompson meant. Zernov Number One. Zernov Number Two, perplexed, just shrugged his shoulders. "I remember everything prior to that rose-coloured dream. Then there is a hiatus, a gap. Then here I am entering this hall, and listening and watching and it seems to me that I have begun to understand things." He looked at Zernov and smiled ironically. "How much alike we are, after all!" "I foresaw that," said Zernov shrugging. "But I didn't. If we had met like Anokhin and his double, I would not have given away the priority. Who would have proven that you are the real one and I am only a reproduction? The point is that I am you, I remember all my (or your)-now I don't even know which-life, right down to the most minute detail, even better than you perhaps: most likely a synthesized memory is fresher. Anton Kuzmich-he turned to the audience-do you remember our conversation just before departure? Not about the problems of experimentation, just the words we exchanged. Do you remember?" Professor Kedrin was definitely perplexed: "I don't remember." "I don't either," said Zernov. "You knocked your cigarette holder on a packet of cigarettes," said Zernov Number Two without the slightest touch of superiority, " and you said 'I want to give up smoking, Boris. Beginning with tomorrow, that's definite'." Laughter broke out because Professor Kedrin was munching a cigarette that had already died out. |
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