exchanging winks as you read the list of my uncles and aunts living, together with their sons and daughters, in New York, Paris and Buenos Aires? A friend of mine once joked: 'I've got an aunt in New York. I always knew that hunger's no friendly aunt; now I know that aunts mean hunger.'
The list of his relatives abroad turned out to be almost as long as the list of his scientific works. And if one added the list of those who had been arrested…
This was how to flatten a man. He's an alien! Throw him out! But it was all a lie. Science needed
What was all this? He knew only too well. The statistical method! Probability theory! There was a greater probability of finding enemies among people of a non-proletarian background. And it was on these same grounds – probability theory – that the German Fascists had destroyed whole peoples and nations. The principle was inhuman, blind and inhuman. There was only one acceptable way of relating to people – a human way.
If he were choosing staff for his laboratory, he would draw up a very different questionnaire – a human questionnaire.
It was all the same to him whether his future colleague was a Russian, a Jew, a Ukrainian or an Armenian, whether his grandfather had been a worker, a factory-owner or a kulak; his relationship with him would not depend on whether or not his brother had been arrested by the organs of the NKVD; it didn't matter to him whether his future colleague's sister lived in Geneva or Kostroma.
He would ask at what age someone had first become interested in theoretical physics, what he thought of the criticisms Einstein had made of Planck when the latter was an old man, whether he was interested only in mathematical theory or whether he also enjoyed experimental work, what he thought of Heinsenberg, did he believe in the possibility of a unified field theory? What mattered was talent, fire, the divine spark…
He would like to know – but only if his future colleague were happy to say – whether he enjoyed long walks, whether he drank wine, whether he went to orchestral concerts, whether he liked Seton Thompson's children's books, whether he felt more drawn to Tolstoy or to Dostoyevsky, whether he enjoyed gardening, whether he went fishing, what he thought of Picasso, which was his favourite story of Chekhov's.
He would also like to know whether this future colleague was taciturn or talkative, whether he was good- natured, witty, resentful, irritable, ambitious, whether he was likely to start an affair with the pretty young Verochka Ponamariova…
Madyarov had spoken extraordinarily well about all this – perhaps he really was a provocateur… Oh my God…!
Viktor took his pen and wrote: 'Esther Semyonovna Dashevskaya, my aunt on my mother's side, has lived since 1909 in Buenos Aires, working as a teacher of music.'
54
Viktor entered Shishakov's office determined to remain calm and composed, not to utter a single aggressive word. He knew very well how stupid it was to take offence simply because he and his work were held in such low esteem by a mere bureaucrat.
As soon as he saw Shishakov's face, however, he felt a sense of uncontrollable irritation.
'Aleksey Alekseyevich,' he began, 'one can't of course go against one's own nature, but you haven't once shown the least interest in the assembly of our new apparatus.'
In a conciliatory tone Shishakov answered: 'I shall certainly visit you in the immediate future.'
The boss had graciously promised to honour Viktor with a visit.
'I think that in general the administration has been sufficiently attentive to your needs,' Shishakov added.
'Especially the personnel department.'
'What difficulty has been occasioned you by the personnel department?' asked Shishakov in the same conciliatory tone. 'You're the first head of a laboratory to make any complaint.'
'Aleksey Alekseyevich, I've been trying in vain to have Weisspapier recalled from Kazan – in the field of nuclear photography she's quite irreplaceable. I protest categorically against the dismissal of Loshak-ova: she's an exceptional worker and an exceptional human being. I can't imagine how you can dismiss Loshakova – it's inhuman. And finally, I wish to have my nomination of Landesman confirmed; he's a very talented young man. You underestimate the importance of our laboratory. Otherwise I wouldn't be wasting my time on conversations of this nature.'
'I am wasting my own time too,' said Shishakov.
Viktor felt glad that Shishakov had abandoned his conciliatory tone; now he could give free rein to his anger.
'What strikes me as particularly unpleasant is that these conflicts have arisen principally around people with Jewish surnames.'
'Very well, Viktor Pavlovich,' said Shishakov, taking the offensive. 'The Institute is faced with a number of very important tasks. As you know, we have been entrusted with these tasks at a very difficult time. I consider your laboratory unable at present to assist us with these tasks. And your own work – as disputable as it is interesting – has received far too much attention.
'This is not merely a personal point of view,' he went on, a note of authority appearing in his voice. 'There are comrades who consider that the excessive attention paid to your work has disrupted scientific research. All this was discussed in considerable detail only yesterday. The view was put forward that your theories contradict the materialist view of the nature of matter and need to be reconsidered. You are to be asked to give a speech to that effect yourself. Certain people – for reasons that are obscure to me – would like to establish various doubtful theories as central tenets of our science – and at a time when we need to focus all our energies on the tasks imposed on us by the war. All this is extremely serious. And now here you are making terrible insinuations concerning a certain Loshakova. Excuse me, but I was unaware that Loshakova was a Jewish name.'
At this, Viktor lost his head. No one had ever spoken to him about his work with such undisguised hostility – least of all an Academician who was the director of his own Institute! No longer afraid of the consequences, Viktor blurted out everything that was on his mind.
He said that it was of no concern to physics whether or not it confirmed philosophy; that the logic of mathematical proof was more powerful than that of Engels and Lenin; that it was for Badin of the Scientific Section of the Central Committee to accommodate Lenin's views to mathematics and physics, not for mathematicians and physicists to accommodate their views to Lenin's. He said that an excessive pragmatism would always be the death of science – though it were commanded 'by the Lord himself: only a great theory could give birth to great practical achievements. He was confident that the principal technical problems – and not only technical problems – of the twentieth century would be resolved through the theory of nuclear reactions. He was only too willing to give a speech to that effect if this should be considered necessary by the comrades whose names Shishakov preferred not to reveal.
'As for the matter of people with Jewish surnames, that's not something you can laugh off quite so easily – not if you consider yourself a member of the intelligentsia. If my requests are denied, I shall be compelled to resign from the Institute immediately. I am unable to work under these conditions.'
Viktor took a breath, looked at Shishakov, thought for a moment and said: 'It's very difficult for me to work under these conditions. I am a human being as well as a physicist. I feel ashamed before people who expect my help, who count on my protection against injustice.'
This time, Viktor had only said: 'It's
Shishakov obviously noticed this. Perhaps for this very reason he insisted: 'There's no point in continuing this conversation in the language of ultimata. It is my duty, of course, to take your requests into consideration.'
Throughout the rest of the day Viktor had a strange feeling of both joy and depression. The laboratory equipment, the new apparatus – already nearly assembled – seemed a part of his life, a part of his brain, a part of
