Elemoont/Chapter 14
in which the Elemoont and the Tiger–Cat rush in pursuit of the Cylindrical Hare.
"It is an excellent idea," said the Tiger–Cat, "But at first we must find our way out of his top hat."
"I proposed to do it from the outset," remarked the Elemoont, "but you didn't agree."
"Now I fully agree with you," said the Tiger–Cat, "I don't want to be a savage tiger; I want to be an affectionate domestic cat. I want to sleep on a sofa rolling myself into a ball. I want to drink milk from a saucer. I want to purr peacefully and don't want to contribute to awful intentions!"
"Well, you will not contribute," promised the Elemoont.
"And I shall not," the Cat replied. "But to do it we must avoid large number of dangers, overcome many difficulties, and display great courage. If instead of all those things we could lie down on the sofa and roll into a ball!"
"It will not come out," the Cat said, "At first we have to preventr Mr. Red's awful intentions. Othervise he never let you to come up to the sofa."
"You are right," agreed the Cat. "We must find our way out of here. However, it is not easily. I also told you that Mr. Red's high silk hat is a magic one. Although I suspect it is a swindle."
"A swindle?" was amazed the Elemoont. "I don't see any swindle here."
“It because it is too dark here," explained the Cat, "Generally when somebody drags a hare out of his top hat, it is always a trickery."
At that moment, the Cylindrical Hare rushed past again. "What a nuisance! I forget to take matches!" muttered he.
"Run after him!" exclaimed the Tiger–Cat, "Now the Hare will make a bonfire, the smoke will belch out of the high silk hat and in that smoke we not only can imperceptibly find our way from here but also…"
"Can steal Mr. Red's top hat together with his awful intentions!" guessed the Elemoont.
"It is right!" confirmed the Cat and suddenly barked all over the Cylindrical Universe, "Taxi!"
Unexpectedly, a space ship looking like a sausage (you know all things in the Cylindrical Universe must be cylindrical) ran up to them. "We can't overtake him in a different way," said the Cat opening a hatch and flopping down into the seat.
"Yes," agreed the Elemoont sitting down next to him, "And where is a taxi driver?"
"Any taxi driver is not necessary here," explained the Cat, "All taxies in the Cylindrical Universe are driven by power of thought. An essential thing here that your thought must be perfectly right and absolutely cylindrical, Think something!"
"Something?" asked the Elemoont.
"Yes, something."
"It is time to sit at the table and do our lessons," thought the Elemoont.
Something ground and rumbled inside the taxi, it twitched backward and forward and came to a standstill. "Where did this mad thought come from?" was indignant the Cat, "Is it perfectly right and absolutely cylindrical? That's no good at all!"
"I don't know, it seems to me by chance," cleared the Elemoont, "Now I see that this thought is really no good at all."
"Lessons!" was worked up the Cat, "It is so all the life: you always must do your lessons! And you never have the time to sleep on the sofa rolling yourself into a ball!"
"Well," peacefully said the Elemoont, "We won't to do any lessons."
"Of course we won't!" exclaimed the Cat, "What lessons, if cosmic–cylindrical adventures wait for us!"
"They are waiting for us," remarked the Elemoont, "and the Hare have disappeared already. Now you must try to think about something absolutely cylindrical."
"And I'll think!" said the Cat.
"Think as quickly as possible!" pressed the Elemoont.
"I'm thinking already!" angrily answered the Cat who wanted to think about cylindrical soured cream but could not imagine a cylindrical saucer: it comes out a whole glass, "Ah, all right!" And the Cat thought, "Forward!"
Since that thought was perfectly right and almost cylindrical, the taxi immediately started up and rushed into the outer space.