– Well, beg your pardon. Can you imagine what happened today? After all that consuming my brain and time theory, we finally did some practice – on a flight simulator! It was…ersta-a-aunlich!!!
– Oh, please, don't fill me with your long ugly Deutsch-ish words! I'm kinda unable to understand.
– Na ja… Amazing! Incredible! Just… so-o-o nice!
– Well, the last word's obviously best chosen.
– You know, I'd been so nervous about that, really nervous, I've always… you know, inexplicable desire – wanted to fly, I mean, to fly on a huge complicated machine which is just inscrutably somehow controlled by me, and now I know it's really going to happen cause trainer said I was one of the best, just you know she said it directly to me so that nobody could hear, just not to offend, but… I'm so-o glad! So-o-o proud!!!
– I can imagine your puppy dog eyes…
– Eh? Really? Very likely, cause my relatives've always been telling me that, but… how could you know? We've never seen each other!
– I don't really know. It just occurred to me when I heard your voice. And, really – my congratulations. That's nice, when… when somebody has such a fire inside, you know.
– And my family – they were just overwhelmed, although they still say I'll kill myself as soon as I get the plane off the ground, just… they never believed and they won't, but… now I at least've got a hint of what I can, and that's… rather comforting.
– And aren't you afraid of flying on a real plane, my friend?
– Well, not exactly; not the machine itself's scary but the behaviour of a pilot who's a human anyway; that's true I'm more confident in a plane than in myself. But! I believe it's possible to bring oneself to the state of an automat, and now, again, I believe in spite of what my family says I'm able to do that.
– Larry, you know, that's just great. And, honestly, I believe in you, too.
– That's so inspiring! I mean, you're my only friend really…
– Poor chap.
– Oh, anyway, I've completely forgotten to say – that's actually what I'm calling for – what do you think if I come to Moscow on holidays?
– You really want to spend HOLIDAYS in MOSCOW?
– Well, really, I don't, but I thought it'd be quite interesting to meet… Of course, if it wouldn't disturb you; oh, of course, I don't want to disturb you anyhow, I just wanted to ask, if…