Ascension. Saksaywaman. Shard of eternity. Alexander Zubkov

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      She nodded.

      – Yes, I did. By the way, a number of world-renowned scientists are working on that question. Not all the results are made public, but even the few that are made public are enough to take it as truth.

      – You talk very interestingly, – joined the conversation Andrew. – I'll be sure to experiment. But let's discuss our expedition a little, though. Bring me up to date, because I shall have to meet Mr. Lambert and give indirect reports.

      – No problem, – Matthew answered, enjoying a hot pizza. – Everything turned out just great with the tickets, though we had to pay a little too much, but given our capabilities, or rather the capabilities of our client, we can afford it. So, tomorrow we leave for Portugal at noon. We only take Linda's equipment with us. We will spend the night in Portugal and the day after tomorrow we will take the liner to Brazil. Of course, this is not the most convenient route, it would be easier and faster to sail to Venezuela, but there are reasons for this. First, Venezuela does not border Peru, and the final destination, as we know, is located there. Going through Brazil, we would only have to cross one border, which is much more convenient. Second, there is a group of specialists in Brazil, including a good friend of mine. It would be foolish not to visit him and ask him about the intricacies of living with the natives, since the main emphasis will be on getting to know and communicate with them. All the basic equipment will be on a cargo flight and will be waiting for us in Peru. Now ready to answer questions.

      – After such an exhaustive report, there can hardly be any questions, – assessed the depth of the plan Andrew. – In any case, everything is clear to me, and to you Linda.

      – As for the trip, – Linda went on, – the itinerary looks more like a walk than a business trip. Though, I must confess, I've been dreaming of traveling by ship for a long time.

      – You're absolutely right, – Matthew agreed. – But the fact is that I recently finished serious work and planned to have a little rest, and this order has made adjustments to my plans. First of all, it's interesting from the financial point of view, and secondly, it's of personal interest to me. It is not even a job, but more of a hobby. Now we are counting the time. We would not fly straight to Peru because of the need to visit the expedition team in Brazil. Direct flights to Brazil take a very long time, which means we would have to fly from Portugal. Including the overnight stay, that's two days. We would also spend about two days in Brazil. Moving to Peru takes three days. That makes seven. Now let's take our itinerary. It is the same, only instead of flying to Brazil, we will sail. That will extend our trip by five days. That makes a total of twelve. Compared to the total duration of the trip, that's nothing. Besides, on the way I will be able to expand my knowledge of the local dialects and get some rest, which, by the way, is very useful before a difficult case. These are all my considerations.

      – Your judgment is as good as ever, – declared Linda solemnly. – And, as I said, I like this route.

      It made no sense to speak loudly, for there was an extraordinary silence in the house, and only the sound of crackling firewood filling the air.

      – Thank you, Matthew, – said Andrew, getting up from the sofa. – Now everything is clear. I suggest we celebrate our forthcoming trip with a glass of champagne.

      – You know I don't drink alcohol, – Matthew reminded. – But as every ceremony has its own meaning, I wouldn't refuse a glass of juice. I wonder what the glasses are for?

      – Frankly, I haven't given it much thought, – she answered. – But if you think about what happens, it brings to mind the clinking. The clinking of glasses. In every culture there is the ringing of either some object, or the same bell ringing in temples. It is a sound that has a very strong beneficial effect.

      – Maybe you're right, – Matthew agreed. – It would be interesting to study the information about the influence of sound on our environment. I will do that when I return home.

      – Juice it is, – Andrew brought the tray with the decanter. – What about you, Linda?

      – I'll support Matthew, – she answered.

      – Then you leave me no choice, – Andrew gave up, pouring the cool drink into the glasses. – Let's complement the crackling of the wood in the fireplace with the clinking of our glasses, and may it bring your expedition success and good luck.

      3

      A beautiful sea liner was smoothly crossing the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, carrying more than a thousand passengers on board. The calm waters stretched for miles around, but many were not at all interested. Most of the passengers behaved as if they were in an entertainment establishment on land, depriving themselves of the basic pleasure of watching the mesmerizing water element.

      The third day of the voyage was approaching, and many had already ceased to appreciate what Matthew would not trade for any achievements of modern entertainment innovations, which the ship was fully equipped with. But there were those who shared his interests and spent all their free time in comfortable loungers on the upper deck, which had a panoramic view of the expanse of the ocean. The day was nearing its end and a huge disk of fiery red would soon touch the horizon with its edge. Such moments Matthew never missed, because of the opportunity to admire the flight of our home planet.

      «During sunrise and sunset, you can truly observe the power of the universe, – Matthew thought. – The planet rushes at tremendous speed around the sun, and we cannot notice it only because there is no proper reference point. How much everything changes when it appears. As the sun approaches the horizon, it is this mesmerizing movement of our planet that we can concentrate on. It's a shame that such moments can be observed only twice a day. And for residents of megalopolises they are practically not available at all. Besides, most people are immersed in illusory problems, which they invented themselves. And if you could just look around, you could admire the world around you. To feel its power. Its power… The masters of the earth… what nonsense they put into our immature minds. Who are we? Just grains of sand. Though some of us are beginning to realize that. I'm not the only one sitting here. And even though it's mostly the elderly, who cares? The main thing is that I am not alone in my thoughts».

      Though the sun's rays no longer illuminated the deck, its soft light made it possible to read, and Matthew picked up the dictionary again, which he had set aside for the time of his viewing the sunset. After half an hour it became difficult to look through the book, so he decided to check on Linda. The girl was not in her quarters, so Matthew made his way to the swimming pool, where she liked to spend her evenings. The pool was also on the upper deck, where Matthew had recently come down from, but only at the stern of the ship, and it took him at least fifteen minutes to get there. As he approached, the splashes of water and the enthusiastic cries of the bathers began to be heard. There was no shortage of visitors at this time, just as there was no shortage of other entertainment venues.

      Since the pool was on the open deck, and the cool ocean cyclone of the night enveloped the ship with its coolness, many vacationers preferred to soak in the warm water. Matthew didn't immediately find Linda, so he decided to take a seat at the bar nearby. He ordered a glass of orange juice and started to watch the customers, trying to find his friend. Soon he noticed her coming out of the pool. Linda also saw Matthew and threw a towel over herself and went to him.

      – Good evening, – he heard a joyful voice. – Who are you looking for?

      – Good evening, Linda, – Matthew answered, getting up from his chair. – Who should I be looking for but you? Have a seat. You're in great shape.

      – Thanks for the compliment, – Linda smiled, and took the cocktail СКАЧАТЬ