"E.Voiskunsky, I.Lukodyanov. The Crew Of The Mekong (англ.)" - читать интересную книгу автора

film? Yes, I've read it."
"Not a bad idea," Koltukhov remarked. "It's been picked up abroad. So
don't say we don't know how to transport liquid goods."
"There's an idea that keeps preying on my mind." said Privalov. "It
concerns the physics of surfaces. All surfaces possess energy, don't they?
Suppose we found a way of using this energy to alter the properties of
surface tension. I mean, building up surface tension to such a degree that a
stream of oil would be contained in a 'skin' of its own surface."
"Where'd you get that idea?"
"At the bazaar." Privalov told Koltukhov the gist of his talk with the
two young engineers.
"Why, I see you're just an old day-dreamer." Koltukhov gave a short
laugh. "You'll lead those young men of yours astray. I'd advise you not to
read Jules Verne the last thing before going to sleep."
"Oh, all right, all right."
"You're too long in the tooth for that sort of thing, Boris."
"What's age got to do with it? I read what I like, and I like Jules
Verne. He's refreshing."
The telephone rang. Privalov lifted the receiver. "Yes? How do you do.
Certainly you may." He put down the receiver. "Opratin from Marine Physics
is dropping in."
"Oh, our old acquaintance. Do you see much of him?"
"No, not really. I'm better acquainted with the surveyors from that
outfit. They're helping us to lay out the route."
Koltukhov glanced out of the window at the building of the Marine
Physics Institute on the other side of the street. He watched a lean man in
a straw hat step out of the front door and stride quickly across the street.
"Our neighbour's in a hurry," he remarked. "They say he's efficient.
I'll wager he hasn't read Jules Verne since he was a boy."
A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. "Come in," Privalov
said.
Opratin opened the door and, removing his hat, stepped into the room.
He smoothed down his thinning hair. "How have you been keeping?" he
asked Koltukhov. "Haven't seen you for some time. How are things?"
"Not so bad." When talking with visitors Koltukhov liked to give the
impression that he was just a "plain, down-to-earth Voronezh peasant", as he
put it. And he really did come from Voronezh peasant stock. "I spend my time
making the rounds and giving advice."
"Still dabbling in resins and plastics"?
"We executives don't have much time for anything except organizational
matters," Koltukhov said with an apologetic note. "But I do have a cubbyhole
of my own, with mixers, thermostats and a press. Whenever I see a couple of
young men engaged in idle conversation in the corridor I punish them by
recruiting them to help me make a couple of plastic models. Besides, you
know, those resins have an awful smell." After a slight pause he said, "I
hear you had quite an adventure."
Opratin chose to be noncommittal. "Really?"
"Your director told me you fell into a pit in Derbent while on a
business trip and had to prolong your stay there."
A shadow flitted across Opratin's face. "Yes," he said, "I did run into