,BOOK #a#a1 ,*APT] #bb 

#ahfiahfi 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,LEO ,TOL/OY 

,TEXT 3 

,MEAN:ILE1 ! CITY ITSELF WAS DES]T$4 ,!RE WAS H>DLY ANYONE 9 ! 
 /REETS4 ,! GATES & %OPS W]E ALL CLOS$1 ONLY H]E & !RE R\ND 
 ! TAV]NS SOLIT>Y %\TS OR DRUNK5 SONGS C\LD BE HE>D4 ,NOBODY DROVE 
 ?R\< ! /REETS & FOOT/EPS W]E R>ELY HE>D4 ,! ,POV>SKAYA WAS 
 QUITE /ILL & DES]T$4 ,! HUGE C\RTY>D ( ! ,RO/OVS' H\SE WAS 
 LITT]$ ) WISPS ( HAY & ) DUNG FROM ! HORSES1 & NOT A S\L 
 WAS TO BE SE5 !RE4 ,9 ! GREAT DRAW+ ROOM ( ! H\SE1 :I* HAD 
 BE5 LEFT ) ALL IT CONTA9$1 W]E TWO PEOPLE4 ,!Y W]E ! Y>D 
 PORT] ,IGNAT1 & ! PAGE BOY ,MI%KA1 ,VASILI*'S GR&SON :O HAD /AY$ 
 9 ,MOSC[ ) HIS GR&FA!R4 ,MI%KA HAD OP5$ ! CLAVI*ORD & WAS 
 /RUMM+ ON IT ) ONE F+]4 ,! Y>D PORT]1 HIS >MS AKIMBO1 /OOD 
 SMIL+ ) SATISFACTION BE=E ! L>GE MIRROR4 

0,ISN'T IT F9E1 EH1 ,UNCLE ,IGNAT80 SAID ! BOY1 SUDD5LY BEG9N+ TO 
 /RIKE ! KEYBO>D ) BO? H&S4 

0,ONLY FANCY60 ANSW]$ ,IGNAT1 SURPRIS$ AT ! BROAD5+ GR9 ON HIS FACE 
 9 ! MIRROR4 

0,IMPUD5CE6 ,IMPUD5CE60 !Y HE>D BEH9D !M ! VOICE ( ,MAVRA 
 ,KUZM9I*NA :O HAD 5T]$ SIL5TLY4 0,H[ HE'S GR9N+1 ! FAT MUG6 ,IS 
 ?AT :AT Y\'RE H]E =8 ,NO?+'S CLE>$ AWAY D[N !RE & ,VASILI* 
 IS WORN \T4 ,JU/ Y\ WAIT A BIT60 

,IGNAT LEFT (F SMIL+1 ADJU/$ HIS BELT1 & W5T \T ( ! ROOM ) 
 MEEKLY D[NCA/ EYES4 

0,AUNT1 ,I DID IT G5TLY10 SAID ! BOY4 

0,I'LL GIVE Y\ SOME?+ G5TLY1 Y\ MONKEY Y\60 CRI$ ,MAVRA ,KUZM9I*NA1 
 RAIS+ H] >M ?REAT5+LY4 0,GO & GET ! SAMOV> TO BOIL = Y\R 
 GR&FA!R40 

,MAVRA ,KUZM9I*NA FLICK$ ! DU/ (F ! CLAVI*ORD & CLOS$ IT1 & 
 ) A DEEP SI< LEFT ! DRAW+ ROOM & LOCK$ ITS MA9 DOOR4 

,GO+ \T 9TO ! Y>D %E PAUS$ TO CONSID] :]E %E %\LD GO NEXT--TO 
 DR9K TEA 9 ! S]VANTS' W+ ) ,VASILI*1 OR 9TO ! /OR]OOM TO 
 PUT AWAY :AT /ILL LAY AB\T4 

,%E HE>D ! S\ND ( QUICK FOOT/EPS 9 ! QUIET /REET4 ,SOMEONE 
 /OPP$ AT ! GATE1 & ! LAT* RATTL$ AS SOMEONE TRI$ TO OP5 IT4 
 ,MAVRA ,KUZM9I*NA W5T TO ! GATE4 

0,:O DO Y\ WANT80 

0,! C\NT--,C\NT ,ILYA ,&REEVI* ,RO/OV40 

0,& :O >E Y\80 

0,AN (FIC]1 ,I HAVE TO SEE HIM10 CAME ! REPLY 9 A PLEASANT1 WELL-BR$ 
 ,RUSSIAN VOICE4 

,MAVRA ,KUZM9I*NA OP5$ ! GATE & AN (FIC] ( EI<TE51 ) ! 
 R\ND FACE ( A ,RO/OV1 5T]$ ! Y>D4 

0,!Y HAVE GONE AWAY1 SIR4 ,W5T AWAY YE/]DAY AT VESP]TIME10 SAID ,MAVRA 
 ,KUZM9I*NA CORDIALLY4 

,! Y\NG (FIC] /&+ 9 ! GATEWAY1 AS IF HESITAT+ :E!R TO 
 5T] OR NOT1 CLICK$ HIS TONGUE4 

0,AH1 H[ ANNOY+60 HE MUTT]$4 0,I %\LD HAVE COME YE/]DAY4444 ,AH1 
 :AT A PITY40 

,MEAN:ILE1 ,MAVRA ,KUZM9I*NA WAS ATT5TIVELY & SYMPA!TICALLY EXAM9+ 
 ! FAMILI> ,RO/OV FEATURES ( ! Y\NG MAN'S FACE1 HIS TATT]$ COAT 
 & TRODD5-D[N BOOTS4 

0,:AT DID Y\ WANT TO SEE ! C\NT =80 %E ASK$4 

0,OH WELL444 IT CAN'T BE HELP$60 SAID HE 9 A TONE ( VEXATION & PLAC$ 
 HIS H& ON ! GATE AS IF TO LEAVE4 

,HE AGA9 PAUS$ 9 9DECISION4 

0,Y\ SEE10 HE SUDD5LY SAID1 0,I AM A K9SMAN ( ! C\NT'S & HE HAS 
 BE5 V]Y K9D TO ME4 ,AS Y\ SEE0 7HE GLANC$ ) AN AMUS$ AIR & 
 GOOD-NATUR$ SMILE AT HIS COAT & BOOTS7 0MY ?+S >E WORN \T & ,I 
 HAVE NO MONEY1 SO ,I WAS GO+ TO ASK ! C\NT4440 

,MAVRA ,KUZM9I*NA DID NOT LET HIM F9I%4 

0,JU/ WAIT A M9UTE1 SIR4 ,ONE LITTLE MOM5T10 SAID %E4 

,& AS SOON AS ! (FIC] LET GO ( ! GATE H&LE %E TURN$ &1 
 HURRY+ AWAY ON H] OLD LEGS1 W5T ?R\< ! BACK Y>D TO ! S]VANTS' 
 QU>T]S4 

,:ILE ,MAVRA ,KUZM9I*NA WAS RUNN+ TO H] ROOM ! (FIC] WALK$ AB\T 
 ! Y>D GAZ+ AT HIS WORN-\T BOOTS ) L[]$ HEAD & A FA9T SMILE 
 ON HIS LIPS4 0,:AT A PITY ,I'VE MISS$ ,UNCLE6 ,:AT A NICE OLD WOMAN6 ,:]E 
 HAS %E RUN (F TO8 ,& H[ AM ,I TO F9D ! NE>E/ WAY TO OV]TAKE MY 
 REGIM5T1 :I* MU/ BY N[ BE GETT+ NE> ! ,ROGOZHSKI GATE80 ?\<T 
 HE4 ,JU/ !N ,MAVRA ,KUZM9I*NA APPE>$ FROM BEH9D ! CORN] ( ! 
 H\SE ) A FRI<T5$ YET RESOLUTE LOOK1 C>RY+ A ROLL$-UP *ECK 
 K]*IEF 9 H] H&4 ,:ILE /ILL A FEW /EPS FROM ! (FIC] %E 
 UNFOLD$ ! K]*IEF & TOOK \T ( IT A :ITE TW5TY-FIVE-RUBLE 
 ASSIGNAT & HA/ILY H&$ IT TO HIM4 

0,IF HIS EXCELL5CY HAD BE5 AT HOME1 AS A K9SMAN HE W\LD ( C\RSE444 
 BUT AS IT IS4440 

,MAVRA ,KUZM9I*NA GREW ABA%$ & CONFUS$4 ,! (FIC] DID NOT DECL9E1 
 BUT TOOK ! NOTE QUIETLY & ?ANK$ H]4 

0,IF ! C\NT HAD BE5 AT HOME4440 ,MAVRA ,KUZM9I*NA W5T ON 
 APOLOGETICALLY4 0,*RI/ BE ) Y\1 SIR6 ,MAY ,GOD PRES]VE Y\60 SAID %E1 
 B[+ AS %E SAW HIM \T4 

,SWAY+ HIS HEAD & SMIL+ AS IF AMUS$ AT HIMSELF1 ! (FIC] RAN 
 ALMO/ AT A TROT ?R\< ! DES]T$ /REETS T[>D ! ,YAUZA BRIDGE TO 
 OV]TAKE HIS REGIM5T4 

,BUT ,MAVRA ,KUZM9I*NA /OOD AT ! CLOS$ GATE = SOME TIME ) MOI/ 
 EYES1 P5SIVELY SWAY+ H] HEAD & FEEL+ AN UNEXPECT$ FL[ ( 
 MO!RLY T5D]NESS & PITY = ! UNKN[N Y\NG (FIC]4 

,FROM 3 ,GUT5B]G4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #ahfh 3 ,BOOK #a#a1 ,*APT] #bb -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,FEBRU>Y #a#a1 #bag 3 ,BOOK #a#a1 ,*APT] #bb -- ,ADD$4 

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