Chapter FATE. PART FOUR.
And I, too, hardly kept my surprised cry at the sight of what was in front of me.
Suddenly, I found myself in a real city, which came down from the pictures from the history books.
The most ordinary houses with balconies, counters where you could find anything, streets that led further into the city, and most importantly, the smell of impending rain, suddenly told me that this city was London.
In my life, I've never seen such architecture. But these houses, these walls and statues that adorned the roofs, were all my dream.
But what surprised me the most was that here, people were dressed in clothes from the Victorian era.
Women were in long and exquisite dresses, well, men were in suits.
Looking at them, I said, "Are we made a leap in time and are in the past."
"No. Alas, science is not yet able to invent a time machine. It's just another dimension created by those who love the history and aesthetics of past centuries," Higgdalph replied.
"I mean, it's like a history club."
"Yes. I discovered this dimension recently, when I was wandering around the nooks and crannies of space and matter."
"It's unbelievable!"
Running up to the counter where the flowers were sold, I was so excited that I wanted to dance. And even if here, everyone just played a role and pretended, I was still so happy that the woman who traded flowers, gave me a bouquet of roses.
Noticing that Comet was also curious about everything, I handed him a bouquet of flowers.
"They're beautiful," he said.
And I thought, "But like everything which is beautiful, they'll wither quickly."
Feeling on my hand the light touch of Higgdalph, I looked at him and caught his already friendlier look.
"Come on, I want to show you something."
With quick steps heading along a number of the most real houses, where used to live the real aristocrats, Higgdalph did not let go of my hand until we were in a deserted alley with many street lights and flowers.
"Look at the sky," he said.
Really, the sky here looked real. Although, the clouds did not move at all.
"It's just a projection, but sometimes, I imagine it's a real sky," he said. Now, in his voice, you could hear the sadness.
I supported him, but nevertheless, I had to say it, and I said, "Look at us, we are immortal beings. We're in good health, but look at us! We stand here and dream of the sky! We complain that we can't see the sky! What an ungrateful creature this person is."
For the first time in that time, laughing, Higgdalph, already with a relaxed and calm expression, looked at me and said, "You are right. Man is the most ungrateful being in the universe."
Suddenly, I broke into laughter.
Nothing brings people together like laughter. I understood it only now, when almost falling, laughing, and Higgdalph, falling on the bench supported my fun.
"What is the reason for such fun?" Sennhandd's melodic voice was heard.
"Man, the most ungrateful creature!" Higgdalph exclaimed, and continued to laugh.
Now, he was a very different person than he was a few minutes ago.
"Ungrateful?" Comet asked in surprise.
Having hardly stopped, I sat down next to Tesla and leaned against the back of a wooden bench.
"Oki, can I call you that? Oki, I want to show you something. And just you," Higgdalph said and looked at Sennhandd.
"In that case, we'll go."
"You're always so understanding."
"Will we see each other again?"
"Of course!"
When they left, we were alone, in the middle of a beautiful alley.
The people around us, though, were dressed in clothes of ancient times, and although they tried to look like ladies and gentlemen, they were still modern people who lost interest in anything.
Even if there was no wind, freshness, I was comfortable. And for a moment, my mind told me it was reality.
Catching Higgdalph's gaze, a look full of joy and interest in everything around me, I asked, "What did you want to show me?"
"Let’s go then.”
Walking beside him, I noticed that we were so different in appearance. Even though I was tall, he was much taller. But it didn't bother me at all. I loved walking next to him.
As I bent the streets filled with flowers and books, I never ceased to admire the city that surrounded me.
Have you ever seen a beautiful city where every house looked like a masterpiece of art? Well, I was in a place where it looked like a true masterpiece.
But most of all, I liked these little three - storied houses with small balconies. And also, this silence, pleasant, soothing silence of the ordinary city.
Passing by a brick house, which was surrounded by a variety of flowers, and in front of which was a bookstore without a seller, Higgdalph suddenly stopped and took out from his pocket something that looked like a camera, said, "You don't mind if I take a picture of you?"
"Of course not. Only, I haven't been photographed in so long."
"Can you walk over there?" he asked, pointing to the bookstore.
After doing what he said, I tried to smile, but as usual, I couldn't show emotion, and instead, I just stood with a serious face.
After taking the picture, he quickly put the camera back, as if afraid that I would demand to delete the photo.
"We are here. Come on," Higgdalph said and opened the door of that brick house.
"How much effort it took to build it all."
"Yes. You are right. There was a lot of effort."
When I got inside the house, I realized that this place belonged to him.
It was the most ordinary house I had seen in the pictures of my books.
The first thing I saw was the fireplace.