greater efficiency if I allow myself this indulgence rather than fight against it.'
'You recently had an operation on your left arm,' Zhenya went on, hiding the fact that he was annoyed by the failure of his first surprise. 'An operation performed by a Jewish physician who has been excluded from the Soviet State medical service, a physician who happens to be related to the wife of the same Inspector Rostnikov.'
'Such an operation did take place,' Karpo agreed. 'The arm was injured three times in the performance of my duty, once in pursuit of a thief, the other in an explosion which caused the death of a terrorist in Red Square and the third time on a hotel roof while subduing a sniper.'
'I'm well aware of the circumstances,' Zhenya said with a small smile to hide his frustration.
'I was hospitalized in a State hospital and informed that I would never be able to use my left arm and hand and that I might have to consider having it removed to prevent possible atrophy and infection,' Karpo went on. 'The Jewish doctor whom you mention indicated that the arm could not only be saved but could function. With great reluctance because of my faith in the State medical service I allowed the man to operate on my hand and arm and to suggest a regimen of exercise and therapy. It was my belief that the law allowed me this option. I checked legal passages on medical treatment and Article 42 of the Constitution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.'
'And,' Zhenya said, unable to keep the sarcasm from his voice, 'I am sure you could quote those legal passages and the Constitution.'
'The Constitution, yes,' agreed Karpo giving no indication that he recognized the sarcasm, 'but not all the legal passages though I did take notes on them and have them in my room, at home.'
'We've checked the room where you live, Emil Karpo,' Zhenya said walking around the desk, folding his arms and sitting back against it to look directly down at Karpo. 'We've seen your cell, looked at the notebooks on all your cases. You live a rather ascetic life, Investigator Karpo, with, of course, the exception of your animal sojourns with Mathilde Verson.'
'I'll accept that as a compliment from a senior officer, Major,' Karpo said.
'Are you trying to provoke me, Karpo?' Zhenya said, standing.
'Not at all, Major,' Karpo said evenly.
'You have no secrets, Karpo, no secrets from us,' he said.
'I have no secrets to keep from you,' Karpo responded.
'Then why the thin wire on your door, the feather which falls if someone enters your door?'
'I've made enemies among certain criminals in Moscow,' said Karpo. 'As you know from looking at my notebooks, I continue to seek criminals on whom the files at Petrovka have been temporarily closed. It is possible that some of them might wish to stop me. I think it best if I know when and if they have discovered my pursuit and might be waiting for me or might have placed an explosive device within my home.'
'When you go home you will find your wire and your feather exactly where they were,' said Zhenya softly, adjusting his glasses. 'If we wish to enter your room, we will do so and you will never know.'
'Am I to gather from this, Major, that you wish something from me?' said Karpo.
Major Zhenya did not like this situation. It had not gone as he had planned. Major Zhenya had taken over his office only a few months ago after the death of his superior, Colonel Drozhkin. Major Zhenya wanted to make a quick name for himself. The KGB was at the height of its power. KGB chief Viktor M. Chebrikov had been elevated to full membership and was the first member to announce his support for Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of change. In return, the KGB was being given even more responsibility for surveillance on the performance of economic and agricultural enterprises. New KGB chiefs, younger men, had been appointed in five of the fifteen Republics of the Soviet Union. The situation could change quickly as it had in the past but Major Zhenya wished to take advantage of the moment. He wanted to be Colonel Zhenya and to remain permanently in charge of an important section of internal criminal investigation of which he was now only acting director. There were several bits of unfinished business that he might put in order and thereby impress his superiors. He was attempting to address one of them at the moment.
'This afternoon or this evening you will be informed that you are to accompany Inspector Rostnikov to the town of Tumsk in Siberia. Do you know where Tumsk is?'
'A small town on the Yensei above Igarka,' said Karpo. 'I believe it was one of the small summer ports established by traders in the fifteenth century.'
'You are a remarkable man,' said Zhenya.
'Siberia is the source of great power and potential,' Karpo said.
'You've been reading Soviet Life, Inspector,' Zhenya said.
'When I can,' agreed Karpo.
'Commissar Rutkinand I'm sure you know his entire life story and that of his ancestorswas murdered in Tumsk under somewhat unusual circumstances. He was in Tumsk to conduct an inquiry into the death of a child, the daughter of Lev Samsonov, the dissident who is scheduled to be deported to the West in a short time. Inspector Rostnikov, you and an observer from the Procurator's Office in Kiev will depart by plane as soon as possible to conduct an investigation.'
'I will do my best to assist Inspector Rostnikov,' said Karpo, 'and I will consider it an honor to serve the State in an investigation of this importance.'
Zhenya shifted impatiently and leaned forward, his hands palms down on the desk.
'You will take careful notes on the investigation, notes on Inspector Rostnikov's handling of the entire situation. You will take these notes confidentially, in detail, including every violation, every infraction of the law and acceptable inquiry. You will call this office the moment you return from Tumsk and you will report to me directly with your notes. You understand what I am telling you?'
'Your words are clear, Major,' said Karpo.
'Do you have some sense of the reason?'
'You have cause to believe that Inspector Rostnikov may operate in violation of the law,' he said.
'He has given some cause for concern and we wish simply to check,' said Zhenya backing away, arms still folded. 'You are a loyal Soviet citizen. I expect you to carry out this assignment without question.'
Karpo was quite aware that no questions he might have would be answered and so he nodded. Loyalty also extended to Rostnikov who, Karpo knew, was a bit too independent and had come into conflict with the KGB on at least one occasion. It would do no harm to keep notes and file a report. Zhenya was quite correct and within his jurisdication in asking for such a report and Emil Karpo had every intention of carrying out the assignment.
'Good,' said Zhenya unfolding his arms and going around the desk. 'You may leave. I'll expect your report within an hour of your return to Moscow.'
Karpo rose slowly as Major Zhenya reached for Karpo's folder, put it in front of him and opened it, his eyes examining the words before him or pretending to for Karpo's benefit.
Less than half an hour later Emil Karpo sat in his small room, efficient handbag packed with two changes of clothing and two notebooks. He paused, checking to see if he had forgotten anything, and as he checked he found that he was troubled by his meeting with Major Zhenya. Emil Karpo would have preferred to think that the KGB was efficient, unfailing, but experience had demonstrated that this was not always so. 'Zhenya's ambition had been quite evident. Ambition was personal, destructive. It hampered efficiency. It was Major Zhenya's ambition that had prevented Karpo from catching the two youths who had been preying on visitors to the Exhibit of Economic Achievements. Had they given him but one minute more he would have had the redhead and the other one. Efficiency would have dictated that they allow him to do so. Nothing would have been lost, since they had waited for Major Zhenya even after arriving at Lubyanka. And now the duo might harm, possibly kill a Soviet citizen. It disturbed Karpo, who had changed into his black wool sweater and black pants, that the KGB should be so inefficient.
It also disturbed Karpo to find that while the wire and the feather on his door were, indeed, back approximately where they had been, possibly even close enough to have fooled him, the KGB men who had come through his door had failed to find the single thread of his own hair which he had stretched across the lower hinge. Karpo had no doubt that someone had entered his room.
It was at that point that a sense of loyalty to the State and concern for Porfiry Petrovich Rostnikov entered into an unconscious battle deep within and unknown to Emil Karpo, who did not believe that an unconscious existed.
