The person at it has suddenly become grey, tired, and the crashed out pressure has appeared on it any huge, hitherto
carefully hidden, and now... Or, maybe, obstinacy - severe furious obstinacy. It even has ceased to be similar to itself
(himself). At it after all the person in general is faster languid, with such sleepy aristocratic tuhletsoj, and here it all as if has
hardened. And me it became again terrible. During this moment I have thought for the first time that vecherovsky sits here at
all because wishes me to support morally. And not so therefore he invited me to spend the night at it, and recently - to sit at it
and to work. And though to me it was very terrible, I have suddenly tested pity inflow to it, on what, actually, not based, pity -
only on any muddy sensations based, yes on how his face was suddenly changed.
And here I have recollected unexpectedly that about three years ago vecherovskogo have put in hospital, but not for a
long time, have soon written out... "17."... The form of a good-quality tumour Unknown earlier. Only in a year. And I about all
it have learnt and in general only in the last autumn, and after all there was it each divine day, saws at it kofeek, listened its
Martian uhane, complained to it that furuncles have overcome. And anything, nichegoshenki did not suspect...
And here now, captured by this unexpected pity, I was not kept and have told, though foreknew what to tell it senselessly,
to sense from this any not будет:фил, - I have told, - and you that - too under pressure? Certainly, he has not paid any
attention to my question.
Simply has not heard me. Pressure has left from his face, has again sunk in aristocratic odutlovatosti, red eyelids have
crawled over eyes, and it has strenuously breathed heavily an extinct tube.
I at all do not take you for a ride, - he has told. - you take yourselves for a ride. Same you have thought up the
supercivilization, and in any way you will not understand that it is too simple - modern mythology, and no more that.
At me murashki have spread on a skin. Even more difficult? Still, means, worse? Where it is more? You after all the
astronomer, - continued it reproachfully. - you after all should know about the basic paradox ksenologii...
Well, I know, - I have told. - any civilisation in the development with high probability...
And so on, - it has interrupted me. - we inevitably should observe traces of their activity, but we do not observe these traces.
Why? Because supercivilizations does not happen.
Because transformation of civilisations into a supercivilization for some reason does not occur.
Well, - I have told. - the reason ruins itself in nuclear wars.
Bosh all it.
Certainly, bosh, - he has easy agreed. - too it is too simple, too primitive, in sphere of habitual representations...
Wait, - I have told. - that you zatverdil as a parrot, - it is primitive, primitive. Actually all, probably, at all so is simple... Genetic
illnesses... Any weariness from life... Target reorientation... About same the whole literature exists. I, for example, consider
that displays of supercivilizations have space character, we simply are not able to distinguish them from the natural space
phenomena. Or, please, our case - than not display? Human, too human, - has spoken vecherovsky. - They have found out
that earth dwellers on space threshold, and, being afraid of rivalry, have decided it to stop. So? Why also is not present? Yes
because it is the novel. More truly, the whole literature in bright cheap covers. These are all attempts to pull a formal suit on
an octopus. And it is even not simple on an octopus, and on an octopus who actually does not exist...
The Vecherovsky has removed a cup, has put an elbow on a table and, podpershi a chin a fist, having lifted up red
eyebrows, began to look somewhere over my head.