Van, David called out to him.
Silence. Dr Capri turned to Jean-Pierre. So did all the other earthlings.
What?! replied Jean-Pierre in a mute rebuke. All right.
He took a few wide steps to get closer to the flying Valikhilya ahead of him.
Im sorry, I didnt want to offend you.
Van cannot be offended, the little creature replied without looking, but, he paused meaningfully, you cant call one living being by another. Im Valikhilya, and Im proud of it.
I see it, Jean-Pierre smiled.
Van shook his head, inviting everyone to move on.
So there are no people here? David asked.
People are a form of body. In order to travel to other planets, you have to adapt to life on them. If your body is not suitable, you have to change it.
I dont understand, said Yulia.
A human being is, Van tried to find a word, one way to live on the Earth. To live on another planet, you need another way.
We use spacesuits for that, David said.
I know, Van replied, expressing some level of distaste. I dont imagine how thats possible.
David looked at the doctor and smiled.
Dont you have such technology?
Technology? Van grinned. Its a real punishment, isnt it? To be trapped in a cocoon that you cant get out of, and to think youre in another world. You cant even see the world for what it is.
So we changed bodies? David clarified.
Bodies? Van laughed. Took the suits off. You must feel very well now without your bodies.
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. Yulia shook her head, not wanting to hear these words.
But I can see my own body and theirs, she said in confusion.
Everyone has a body, but theyre different. For example, in your world, the basis is water. In our world, its fire. Each world has a different ratio of elements. We have bodies, too, but they are different, he thought of how to phrase it differently. My body is finer than yours on the Earth, so you think that no one lives on the Sun. When a resident of a grosser world goes to a finer world, he leaves his old body behind in the world he came from.
But why cant I see the difference? I am the exact same, David wondered.
Van smiled and pointed his finger at him:
Everyone has his sound.
Sound?
The way he sounds, and you cant change it. Or rather, its hard to change. The body forms itself around that inner sound. Here and there You are the same, though the bodies are different.
You mean soul? Debby smiled.
Van looked at her with an affectionate look and nodded.
Soul. But its not just the soul that creates the body, a lot of things are involved.
Past actions, desires, Dr Capri continued Vans thought.
Valikhilya nodded:
We call it sound.
Dr Capri smirked at something and continued to follow the soaring Van.
By the way, David remembered something, do you all speak English here?
Van grimaced to show that he didnt know what he was talking about.
Language, said Yulia. You understand us, and we understand you.
Ah, Van brushed her off. Thats right, you have different languages there. Its not like that here. When you change bodies, you have already acquired the ability to speak and understand the language of the Sun. Only on Earth are so many languages. Its stupidity that prevents your life, he shook his head.
So we all speak the suns language now? David wondered. I feel like Im speaking English.
Yulia listened to herself:
And Im in Russian.
Van only smirked.
Tell me about your world. What is it like? looking ahead, Dr Capri asked.
Its the most beautiful world there can be. Everyone here is happy, and we all help our king, Ra.
I thought you said his name was Jean-Pierre couldnt remember the name.
Vivasvan, the doctor helped him.
What? said Van in surprise.
He looked at Jean-Pierre and after a second laughed in his ringing voice.
Ha-ha, he laughed. I had completely forgotten that in the lower worlds you have only one name. Its not like that here. The king has many names. His name depends on what the one who addresses him wants to say. Ra is the same as Vivasvan. But Vivasvan is a personal reference or remembrance of the king. The name Ra is used when you see the king in the distance or his palace.
Palace? Where is it? David asked, looking around.
There it is, Van pointed to an approaching cloud of light on the horizon.
This cloud looked like the sun, but it was moving quickly right toward them. A huge fire column was erupting from this cloud onto the surface of the Star.
What was that stream? Dr Capri asked, squinting.
Van raised his small hands above his head and smiled.
It is the shadow of our emperor.
Everyone looked at each other with undisguised excitement.
Are you leading us to him? Jean-Pierre asked.
To Him? No, Van frowned. We are going to Dandins.
Is he, Jean-Pierre grimaced, wak-ha-nilla too?
Van looked at him with contempt:
Valikhilya. No. He is an aide to the emperor.
While they were talking, the flying castle approached. It could be seen hovering high above the surface. If one squinted, one could see its yellow color and a glow of such power that ones eyes could not stand it for long. The castle was rushing right at them.
How are we going to get up there? Will you lift us up? Or will someone throw down the ladder? Jean-Pierre asked Van, looking at Debby and Yulia.
Both of them were walking with their eyes wide open in amazement. They pointed at the castle and stared at it in fascination. The palace itself glistened as the walls let in the strong light that was hidden inside. David and Dr Capri, too, opened their mouths and turned their heads, gazing at the clump of mountain above them. The noise grew, and the giant approached closer. Van raised his hands in the air and then lay down on the ground, bowing.
What are you doing? Jean-Pierre inquired.
Van rose from his bow, bright and happy. He began to glow a little.
I am greeting my King.
His voice became less squeaky and his gaze changed. He was smiling.
How are we going to get there? Jean-Pierre repeated the question. Do we go up like you?
Van began to rise slowly upward.
Here, everyone can fly. If you still think you have bodies, perhaps you should take off some of your clothes.
Dr Capri began to look at his clothes in wonder. He took off his jacket and looked questioningly at Van. He made a sign to drop it. The doctor threw his jacket to the surface, a moment later the jacket simply disappeared.
Here you are what you want to be, and you do what you want to do, his voice sounded loud, but his body was no longer visible.
The huge flying castle was already almost over the heads of the travelers. The upper part of the city, which looked like a medieval citadel made of some kind of metal, was covered by the base of the flying island. From below, it looked like an unhewn rock that had been torn from the surface of the Sun. A huge stream of light burst from the center of the city downward, piercing the surface of the Star with force. The flow ignited the bowels, feeding them and heating them.
The earthlings threw their heads upward and stared in fascination at the impending island. The powerful roar of the ray grew stronger. It was approaching like a great tornado.
What do we do? hoping that someone had a plan, shouted Jean-Pierre.
I dont know, David shook his head.
We left our bodies on Earth, Dr Capri said quietly so that no one could hear him, the laws are different here. We need to understand what its like to fly.
Hey You! Its time to tell us how to fly, Jean-Pierre began to shout and looked around for shelter.
Suddenly, Van spiked from on high and shouted:
Just take off after me! Otherwise, you will burn! No one can withstand this heat.
We cant! Jean-Pierre shouted. We have never flown before.
He looked at the fire stream tearing up the surface, turning it no longer into the lava, but into a moving volcano. All the travelers began to rush in different directions. Yulia cried out, David panicked: