"Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Probationers (engl) " - читать интересную книгу автора

- Not quite, - disagreed Yura. - We won't be working it out over there.
Remove this stack.
The man took his hands off the remote and stared at Yura. The arm of
the crane stopped, the next stack, rocking quietly, hung in mid-air.
- It's a mere trifle, - said the man.
- It's a trifle here, - Yura rebutted again.
The man shrugged his shoulders and placed his hands on the remote
again. Yura incessantly watched the unloading of the defective container,
thanked the man politely and walked on. Very soon he discovered that he is
lost. The warehouse territory was like a whole city, with streets and
side-streets ending in the desert. At the end of such side-streets stood
huge signs with warnings: "Go back! Hazardous radiation zone!". It was
getting dark quickly and Yura followed some column of vehicles riding on
broad elastic tracks and without realising ended up on a highway.
Yura knew that the city is on his right, but to the left, where the
column had gone, multicoloured lights were flashing nearby, and Yura turned
left. Dessert lay on either side of the highway. There were no trees, no
irrigation ditches, just an even black horizon. The sun had set a long time
ago, but the air was still hot and dry.
The multicoloured lights were flashing above the crossing arms. On the
side of the crossing stood a small mushroom-like house. Next to the house,
beneath a street light a policeman was sitting, holding his blue helmet in
his lap. Another policeman was walking in front of the crossing. Upon seeing
Yura, he stopped and walked towards him. Yura's heart jumped. The policeman
came close and stretched out his hand.
- Papers, - he said in a barking voice.
I think I am stuck now, thought Yura. If I get detained... By the time
they will work it out... Why did I only walk here!.. He hastily reached into
his pocket. The policeman was waiting with his hand outstretched. The other
policeman put on his helmet and stood up.
- Weit a minut, - mumbled Yura. - Hang on. Right this minute... Damn,
oh no, just where could it be...
The policeman lowered his hand.
- Are you Russian? - he asked.
- Yes, - said Yura. - Hang on... You see, all I have is a workplace
reference... The steelworks plant in V'yazma... he finally produced the
reference.
- No need, - said the policeman suddenly in a kind tone.
The second policeman approached and asked:
- What's the matter? The chap hasn't got his papers?
- Nope, - said the first policeman. - He is Russian.
- Oh, - said the other one with indifference. He turned and walked back
to his bench.
- I just wanted to have a look at what's here, - said Yura.
- Here we have the cosmodrome, - the policeman explained readily. -
Over there, - he pointed beyond the crossing with his hand. - But you cannot
go there.
- No, no, - Yura said hastily. - Just to have a look.
- You can have a look, - said the policeman. He walked to the crossing.
Yura followed him. - This is the cosmodrome, - the policeman repeated.