She liked to quarrel. At least she pretended to like it. Maybe the very reason to hire her
was to stir me up by her endless mere arguing. Anyway, it makes no difference. No one would ever be able to out-argue
me. Incoherent and hysterical, her contradictions were always hushed by my logical arguments. Having nothing more
to say, she usually started putting my room to order furiously raising huge clouds of dust, though she knew perfectly
how much I hated it. Enraged, I used to curse her at the top of my lungs and finally threw at her anything that
happened to be on my night-table. She answered me with curses, not a little bit less insulting than my own and
started cleaning dust directly onto my bed. By my word, in such a moment I could have choked her with my iron fists.
Mad with fury I usually fell down on the floor and did my best to reach the sneering maid crawling. But I always
failed, as my parents rushed into the room and took me back to my bed at once. Couldn't they get rid of her? Couldn't
they? Any sufficiently skilled nurse would be able to take care of a cripple like me. After one of our usual outrageous
quarrels I threatened to kill her. But the little scoundrel wasn't scared even a bit, she just sneered at me. Beware,
my revenge will begin!
Next morning, when Jelia opened the door to my room, a bucket of water fell right down and hit her head. She yelled
wonderfully. But she was lucky, the bucket was made out of plastic.
The same night a strange feeling of overwhelming fear suddenly woke me up. Dozens of strange, small creatures were
crawling on my body. Their bites were painful and irritating. I switched on the light and screamed with terror.
There was an anthill in my bed. Yes, a real, small anthill. It had been dug out with great care and put in my bed
together with a lump of earth. Of course, it was her who did this! My bedroom window was slightly open. Biting
my lips I toppled down from my bed and propping on my hands I managed to crawl up to the window. I pulled myself
up and glanced out. Of course! There was a ladder fallen on the ground. I clenched my fists and howled with fury.
How can someone treat a disabled man who has lost both his feet like this? I looked down at the two pale mutilations
hanging helplessly below my waist. If it hadn't been for that car crash... My eyes filled with tears. That foul
creature! And she dares to make fun of me! Tomorrow, tomorrow I shall teach her a lesson!
The wardrobe facing my bed was cramped and stuffy. I had to wait in it for a whole long hour, until finally the
door of my room opened with a timid creak. I heard the person behind the door jump back quickly as if afraid for
something that might fall down on her head. Do not fear, this time nothing will fall. I am not such a fool. At
last the creature ventured to sneak cautiously into the room. Yes, it was her, the maid who had tortured me so
much. Jelia advanced slowly, holding a broom in front of her. As I had expected, she stopped beside my bed and
fixed her eyes on the vague figure outlined by the blanket. I had stuffed my bed with rags to create an image of
a lying man. Let's go! I tore the door of the wardrobe noisily open, and with all my strength hit the maid's head
with a crystal vase, held firmly in my hands. Jelia collapsed without a moan. I also lost my balance. The chair
I was sitting on in the wardrobe rocked forward into a dangerous position. Time seemed having stopped. In terror
I watched the floor coming nearer and nearer... I had no doubt about the terrible pain that would pierce my mutilated
legs in a moment. The slightest unwary movement always caused me an intolerable and unbearable pain. But this time
something different happened... I closed my eyes and prayed: let everything happen at once... The unbearable waiting
of inevitable pain was driving me mad. Damn it! When am I to flop down on that dirty floor?! I opened my eyes in
astonishment and swallowed the scream of surprise and fear. My legs, or to be more exact, the remnants of what
had once been my legs, were hanging in the air about thirty centimetres above the ground. I stood erect, and trembling
with fear took some steps in the air with my hanging mutilations. Then I glanced at Jelia. Is she seeing this?
Well, but I have killed her. No, she seems to be breathing. Never mind. If need be I can finish her off at any
moment. Stepping clumsily in the void, I slowly approached to the door. Having opened it, I exited for the corridor
wishing to show myself to my parents. They will be so surprised, so happy to see me like this! The incidental falling
down from the chair had been a shock for me, that it must have aroused my secret psychic potential, hidden somewhere
in my brain cells. Oh, I have always known that I am quite an unusual person! Now I can prove it. I have defied
the laws of gravity! I can teach the others to walk in the air, too! First of all I will teach this poor, innocent
maid who, though quite accidentally, had activated my secret psychic forces. I stopped and turned back. Yes, first
of all I should fix my attention on her. And later both of us will appear in front of my parents, walking through
the air like gods. Jelia was still lying on the floor. I easily picked her up and put on the bed. If I want to
teach her to walk in the air, I must first carry out an unpleasant task. Yes, it was quite unpleasant, but I had
no other choice. Out of the dresser I took a small and sharp knife. Alert and thoughtful I leaned over the callous
body. Her blood poured in streams, colouring the bedding scarlet. Having finished my work I threw the two bleeding
pieces of flesh into the corner. Well, it's over. Now all I have to do is to wake Jelia up and teach her walking
in the air. I shook Jelia's shoulder, but she did not wake. This situation was not part of my plans. Nothing doing.
Let it be, I shall teach her later. Again I slipped out into the corridor. I opened the door of the sitting-room
and suddenly heard my parents talking in subdued voices. I stiffened with my ears up to hear what were they talking
about me. "Professor Jelia said that it was a very extraordinary and unique case of psychosis. After the car
crash he cannot see his feet any more. He believes he is a cripple with amputated feet. But if anyone could provoke
him to take at least a step, he might regain his vision. Or maybe he would think that he was walking on air..."
"Well, yes, but Jelia uses very strange treatment methods. Darling, can it be allowed to treat a disabled
man in such a confusing way? Anyway, she must be sure of what she is doing, if she agreed to fly there from as
far as Berkley..."
I shut the door in silence. There was no more reason to enter the sitting-room. I just looked down and lo! I had
my feet and my strong, muscular, slightly hairy legs back! Oh, it's my physic power! It must have regenerated my
feet! I rushed back into my room where I could already hear Jelia moaning. The first thing I have to do is to regenerate
her feet...