do so.
'Thank you, Doctor,' Rostnikov said.
'Someone will have to stay with him all night and call me if his breathing changes,' Samsonov said looking back at his patient.
'I'll stay,' said Ludmilla.
'I think it a better idea that Inspector Karpo and I take turns remaining with Mirasnikov,' Rostnikov said confidentially over a sudden renewal of wailing by the old woman. 'The person who shot him might want to make another attempt.'
'Why would anyone want to kill Mirasnikov?' asked Ludmilla moving close to her husband with a shudder.
'The object of the attack was not Mirasnikov,' Rostnikov explained. 'I was the one shot at. The old one came out to help me.'
'Does that mean you know something about Karla's murder?' Ludmilla Samsonov said hopefully. With the excuse to look at her, Rostnikov turned his head and smiled.
'Probably more about Commissar Rutkin's murder,' he said gently. 'The problem is that I'm not sure what I know.'
'I don't…' she began, looking with puzzlement at Rostnikov, Karpo and her husband.
'And what are you going to do, Inspector?' Samsonov demanded rather than asked.
'I have several ideas. For now, and forgive me for moving into your province, I think Mirasnikov should get some rest.'
'Yes,' agreed Samsonov, 'and if you will forgive me for moving into your province, I remind you that my daughter's killer is somewhere in this town in bed sleeping when he should be dead.'
'I'll not forget your daughter's death,' Rostnikov said, his voice a promise.
'Ah, but I almost forgot,' said Samsonov reaching into his black bag. 'I found some of those muscle relaxants I mentioned to you for your leg. They are not the American ones but the Hungarian. Almost as good.' He handed the bottle to Rostnikov who thanked him and put the bottle into his pocket. The simple mention of his leg awakened a tingling prelude to pain.
Samsonov helped his wife on with her coat and then put on his own. The doctor guided her across the room ignoring the thanks of the old woman. Ludmilla, however, paused to hold the woman by both shoulders and whisper something reassuring to her.
When the Samsonovs had left, Rostnikov beckoned to Karpo while he moved to the bedside of the old man. Liana's wrinkled face, a dry wisp of white hair sticking out wildly from under her babushka, looked up as Rostnikov approached.
'Sergei,' Rostnikov said softly, sitting on the bed near the old man. 'You're awake. I can see your eyelids fluttering.'
'I've been shot,' Mirasnikov said. 'I deserve rest, a week off.'
'You deserve rest and my thanks,' agreed Rostnikov. 'You saved my life.'
Mirasnikov smiled,
'But my friend,' Rostnikov said, 'you have a secret. I've seen it in your eyes and you've seen in mine that I know about it.'
'Nyet' squealed the old woman.
'No, she says,' Mirasnikov whispered. 'We're beyond no.'
'But he'll kill you,' she cried.
'What do you think this is, woman?' Sergei Mirasnikov pointed with a finger of his left hand at his shoulder. 'I could be dead by morning. I'm weary of being afraid.'
'Afraid of what, Sergei?' Rostnikov asked gently. 'Did you see who killed Illya Rutkin?'
Mirasnikov nodded in affirmation.
'Who?'
'Kurmu.'
'The Evenk shaman?' asked Rostnikov.
The old woman let out a terribly shriek and hurried from the room into the assembly hall.
'You saw him stab Commissar Rutkin?'
'No, he called to the da-van, the great ruler, and a snow demon arose and killed the man from Moscow,' Mirasnikov whispered, looking around with wide eyes to be sure that no one else was present.
'You saw this?' Rostnikov repeated.
'I saw this,' Mirasnikov confirmed and closed his eyes.
'Sleep,' said Rostnikov rising from the bed and moving toward Karpo. The pills Samsonov gave him were jiggling in his pocket.
'You heard?' Rostnikov asked quietly. ''Yes,' said Karpo looking at the sleeping man.
'And…?'
'He is delirious,' said Karpo.
'Perhaps, but he believed what he said even before he was shot. I've been watching him, as I said. He was frightened. He did have a secret.'
'I don't believe in Siberian gods or snow demons, Porfiry Petrovich,' Karpo said evenly.
'Nonetheless,' said Rostnikov. 'I think we have some questions for Kurmu the Shaman. Maybe he will have some ancient medicine for Mirasnikov. He is feverish already.'
'Shall I call the doctor back?' Karpo asked, 'No, I'll sit with him. If his temperature goes much higher, I'll have the old woman watch him while I go for Samsonov.'
'And what shall I do?' Karpo asked.
'Bring me your report on the comparison of information. I assume you've prepared it.'
'I've prepared it,' said Karpo.
'Good. Then after you've given me the report, I want you to go to the house of Dimitri Galich. It will be dawn soon. He speaks Evenk and knows the taiga. Tell him I want to speak to Kurmu. Go with him to find the shaman. Accept no answer from Galich but yes and no answer from Kurmu but yes. You understand '
'I understand,' Karpo said. 'Anything else?'
'Yes, tell the old woman to make tea, a great deal of tea and to bring it to me. And tell her gently, Emil Karpo.'
'I will do my best, Comrade Inspector,' Karpo said, his unblinking eyes betraying nothing.
'I know you will, Emil. You have my trust.'
The sense that Karpo had something more to say struck Rostnikov again and, normally, this would be the time to pursue it, but this was not a normal time, a normal place, a normal situation and Rostnikov wanted, needed to be alone.
CHAPTER TEN
Neither Karpo nor Galich had spoken for more than half an hour.
The burly former priest had answered his door in a dark robe looking bleary-eyed and confused, his white hair sprouting out wildly. He had ushered Karpo in quickly. Karpo had explained that Mirasnikov had been shot and that he had claimed the shaman Kurmu had sent a snow demon to kill Commissar Rutkin.
'And Rostnikov wants to arrest Kurmu for this?' Galich had said with a pained smile.
'Inspector Rostnikov wishes to talk to him,' Karpo explained. 'Can you find him?'
Galich had run his thick hand through his hair and said, 'I can get to a place where Kurmu will know we want to talk to him. If he doesn't want to talk to us, we can forget it.'
'Then let us go,' said Karpo. 'I can get Famfanoffs vehicle.'
'No vehicle,' said Galich, moving back into the house. 'There's no room in the taiga for a vehicle to get through the trees. Wait. I'll be ready in a few minutes.'
Then he looked at Karpo.
