3
The old jeep glided over the bumps in the road again. The snowflakes were dancing in the yellow beam of the headlamp. Gleb was sitting next to Yar. The Blabber settled between Tik and Alka who were bouncing in the back seat.
“I have an apartment at school,” Yar said to Gleb. “We can discuss our next move over a nice bottle of red wine. I’m so happy to meet someone from Earth…”
“A bottle of red wine, that’s quite something!” Gleb said. “The only thing is, Yar, you and I are from one planet, from Earth, but not from the same world.”
Yar looked at Gleb, puzzled, and said, “What do you mean? Well, you told us about your life in Starogorsk.”
“I lived in Starogorsk for a while, about a month. However, I come from a different world. You know, our worlds are similar, though there are differences. My Earth is probably younger and life there is not as comfortable. But now it doesn't matter anymore. I'll tell you everything later, all right?”
“But… How did you get here?”
“A train. A strange train going to the Bridge Station.”
“This Bridge Station comes up once again… We just can't escape it,”Yar said.
“Well, I guess you’ve already heard about it.”
“Yes. I think the train is not simple - it goes through several parallel spaces, so if you get on the train and ride for a long time, you can find yourself in another world. You have any idea who's behind it?”
“Hard to explain. By the way, we tried to find this Bridge and blow it up thirty-five years ago,” Gleb said.
“Why?”
“We knew that for some reason ‘Those who command’ really needed it, which meant it hurt people. We couldn’t find it... My wife died during a skirmish on a rail track.”
“Did you have a wife? Oh, sorry for the stupid question,” Yar said.
“Yes, I was married… but for a short time,” Gleb said.
“What about children?”
“No... You know, Yar, I still regret that I couldn’t talk my fellow traveler out of returning.”
“What fellow traveler?” Yar asked.
“He was a boy of twelve years. Yurka. Together we left Starogorsk to search for the unknown. He had friends in Starogorsk. He first came with me, and then suddenly he said, ‘No, I can’t leave Helka...’ This happened immediately after the paper dove with the Sparky caught up with us.”
“You know, I don't get it. Who was that boy? Was he from your world?” Yar asked.
“No. He was from your world, from your hometown Neisk,”Gleb said.
“But why did he go with you?”
“It's a long and strange story. He grew up without a father and did not know anything about him. And then he suddenly decided that his father was an interstellar scout. He says, ‘Where is he to be found, if not in this entanglement of space and time.’ You know,Yar, he may have a point. At least here, on the Planet, there is one scaderman... Yar! Have you ever had children?”
Yar suddenly felt his palms get sweaty.
“No, I haven’t… as far as I know. But how did he know that his father was a scaderman?”
“He didn’t know anything. It was his fantasy. His mother once said to him in the heat of the moment, “No one on Earth can say where he is and what’s being done to this drummer.”
“Yar-r, mind your driving!” the Blabber said behind. “Keep the jeep quietly along!”
Yar hardly turned the wheel and the jeep swerved from the side of the road onto the snow-covered track.
“Why the drummer?” Yar asked. He felt his heartbeat ringing in his ears.
“Yurka saw an old picture that his mother had. There was a courtyard, a girl and three boys in the picture. Two of the boys had wooden sabers, but the other boy in the picture had a homemade drum. Yurka noticed that there were similarities between him and the drummer in the picture. He guessed that it was his father the one he never saw.”
“Gleb... Have you seen that picture?” Yar asked.
“No. Yurka told me...”
“The drum... Was it made from an old cooking pot?”
“Yes, that's right. But how did you… Man, I can't believe it! I think we met for a reason.”

Yar pulled the jeep over. His hands were running out of strength and he felt ashamed of his sudden weakness. He said, “Guys, just give me a minute to get things together, okay?”
“Yar, come on. I'll take the wheel,” Gleb said.
“No, I’m fine. I just… just want to ask…” Yar quickly turned back.” “Tik, would you penetrate space so that I can visit Earth? You can do that, can't you, Tik?!”
“Sorry, Yar, but I cannot. I was able to move through space and come to your star cruiser because I knew exactly where to go...."
Yar took a deep breath, sat in silence for a few seconds, then put the jeep in gear.
“Okay then,” Yar muttered.
“Yar, your son must be, like, over fifty wherever he is now,” Gleb said gently. “It’s a kind of time-travel paradox.”
“Does any of this matter now?” Yar asked.
“Well, we'll have to try something else...” Gleb said uncertainly.
Yar smiled sadly and said, “What? Gut Blabber, give the mannequins the Sparky and ask for their help in return?"
“Fortunately, that's impossible,” Gleb said.
Yar sighed and said, "Yurka... I wish I knew more about him. I wish I knew anything..."
"The Windies. They fly everrrywhere. They know everrrything. This is my advice," the Blabber said from behind in his mechanical little voice.
“All right, that's great, but how do we find them? A fat lot of use you are!” Gleb said with displeasure.
"I know where they are," Yar said. "They’re in the Empty City. The school holiday starts soon and we can go there, right, Tik?”
Ignatik was silent for a long time. The jeep pitched from side to side over the icy, snow-covered road. Finally, Ignatik said, “No, there is no need to go to the Empty City. There is a place much closer. I can show you the way."

                                                         ***
After arriving home, they sat beside the cosy open fire, listening to the wood crackle. Ignatik said, “You know, the Windies usually meet together in the forest meadows sometime before the New Year and turn into ordinary boys for a short time. They do this to feel like kids again. They play, have fun, and see friends.”
"So do you know where these meadows are?" Gleb asked with disbelief.
Ignatik nodded and said, "One such meadow is very close, at Black Lake. It is eight kilometers from here... Don’t worry, the Windies are good fellows. You’ll  see.”