'The reinforcements are available?'
'There are more than a hundred thousand men behind the wire of the Dubrovlag, from Barashevo to Pot'ma,' said the hunchback from Hut 6. 'There is a division of M V D along the railway line, there is always a regiment of regular army in reserve. They have more than a division to stamp on us.'
'A division… and we have two machine-guns… '
He sat with his back to the door of the Kitchen. He heard Poshekhonov's voice shouting the length of the Kitchen hall.
'The Chief has a visitor. A young lady has called to seethe Chief.'
She looked the length of the wrecked Kitchen, and felt like an interloper. The men who sat on the benches began to turn, and she saw the annoyance in their faces at the interruption of their debate. He was the last to turn. She saw the sunken eyes of exhaustion and the pursing of the forehead in surprise.
His face lightened. In place of strain there was the half grin of amusement. She felt she had made an idiot of herself.
'Morozova, yes?'
'I am Morozova, Irina Morozova.'
'There are more people looking for a way to leave this camp than to join it.'
'There was a hole in our fence. I came before the guards blocked i t… I don't know your name.'
'Michael Holly.'
'I wanted to thank you for what you said to m e… when I was in the SHIzo block.'
His eyes had narrowed. 'I accept your thanks. You should go back to your Zone.' it's wired now. If I wanted to I couldn't.' She tossed her head back, and her thick, black hair wavered over the collar of her tunic. She jutted her chin, she rose to her toes to add to her stature.
'The compound will be attacked this afternoon… '
'I'm going to stay.'
Holly shouted the length of the Kitchen. 'Morozova, if you stay, if you go, I don't care. This Committee is preparing to fight an army. We have two machine-guns. I haven't the time to talk. I'd like to and I can't. Go away, go away and hide yourself. Find me again after the attack, find me if I am here.'
'This is not the man who spoke to me through the walls of the SHIzo,' she shouted back in anger. it is the same man. The same man but a different moment
… ' Holly turned back to the Committee. 'Feldstein wants to say something about the prisoners.'
'I have two and a half hours more of light. I have the Procurator flying from Moscow tomorrow. I have a compound armed with two machine-guns and five hundred rounds minimum. I have a Colonel General as a hostage to inhibit me. What do I do, what do we do?'
Kypov paced the short carpet of his office. With him now were his Adjutant, and the Major who had come from Yavas and who had now assumed command of the regular Company.
'I'm not going in there against machine-guns, not without armour. And where do I find tanks? Where?'
The Adjutant had been silent. His intervention now was quietly spoken, if you were thinking of tanks, how many would you need?'
'One, but there are none in Mordovia.' said the Major.
The Adjutant was not to be deflected. 'There is one tank, on the parade ground at Yavas.' it's a T34 – a museum piece. Has it even an engine?'
'There's an engine,' Kypov said. 'They rolled it out last May Day and trundled it past the General. Bloody near choked him with all the smoke out of its arse.'
'Get it here, Major, that's my suggestion. Get it here before dusk,' said the Adjutant mildly.
The Major flipped the pages of his notebook for the number of the Duty Officer at Yavas, then reached for Kypov's telephone, banging the receiver sharply for a line.
The bolt slid back.
'Get up, Adimov.'
The very sight of the man made Rudakov feel unclean.
His dealings with the criminals were rare. This one he had not met before,
'Yes, Comrade Captain.'
Adimov watched the KGB officer with suspicion. Why should the Political Officer concern himself with Adimov?
'I have a job for you.'
'What job, Comrade Captain?'
'You are to broadcast to the camp, to tell them of the futility of further resistance. Tell them that if there is immediate return to normality only the leaders will be punished.'
'Why ask me?'
'You have influence in Hut 2.'
Adimov whined, 'You know why I went out, Comrade Captain?'
The cell stank. No slopping out that morning.
'Why?'
'My woman is in Moscow. She is dying of cancer. I went out to see her.'
'I am sorry, Adimov, believe me. Do this for me, Adimov, and there will be a rail-warrant and parole, that I promise.
And there will be a sentence review.'
'I will do it.'
Adimov and Rudakov left the SHIzo block together, a smelly zek and a Captain of KGB.
'Have there been any letters for me?' if there is one I'll get it for you.' It would cost Rudakov nothing, a small package of kindness.
Inside the Administration block, Rudakov went first to the Post Room. In the pigeon hole for 'A' there was a letter addressed in a crude, inexpert hand. They went together down the corridor where they had to edge their way past men in combat fatigues, and at the far end of the corridor was the tube of a n o m m mortar lying on a pile of four stretchers, and some of the floor space was littered with a heap of gas masks. Rudakov held Adimov by the arm, Adimov held his letter tight in his fist.
'Wait here…'
Rudakov knocked and opened the door to the Commandant's office. The officers were bent over Kypov's desk and a plan of the camp.
'Commandant, the prisoner Adimov will broadcast to the compound when you wish; he will urge surrender.'
'There's a T34 coming up from Yavas. It'll be here by four. If it's to have a wasted journey you'd better back your man up for before that. They'll have a chance to respond, after that they're blasted.'
'At five minutes to four I'll put Adimov on the loudspeakers. Will you want to address the camp yourself?'
'No.'
Rudakov stepped back out of Kypov's office. Beside him in the corridor a soldier handed back a single sheet of paper to Adimov. There were five lines of writing. Adimov gazed at him impassively.
'We'll wait in my office, we'll have some coffee,' Rudakov said. 'You'll broadcast in thirty-five minutes.' is Holly involved?' i don't know.'
Feldstein had finished, he stepped back from the table. For the first time since he had come to the camp he had spoken of his beliefs. He had preached the warfare of the turned cheek.
Now the storm burst amongst the men of the Committee.
'The Jew had no right to speak. If he wants fucking non-violence let him go and sit in the fucking SHIzo… '
'They're the only card we have. Stick them out in front, let the bastards shoot right through them… '
'We can do a trade. No reprisals for the Colonel General's life. ..'
Holly slammed his fist into the table. The words, the swearing, the hate, had sapped him. Morozova was sitting at the far end of the Kitchen talking with Poshekhonov. Silly old bugger, trying to pretend he was a big man down on the Black Sea when he was just a zek with half a regiment waiting to shoot out his guts.
