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

while 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.
"Why didn't you show up during the trip? I was expecting it," said
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.