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Chapter Twenty-One
"One sip of that soup and your appetite will be forever blunted. Ostavlyavich has been criminal in looking after his family. He should know better! They will try to cheat anybody. All the trusts have to be keenly monitored," said Gromenko heatedly. A double chin descended spoon-shaped and hard beneath her short neck. She turned purple with indignation. "In his defense, he stays here so rarely these days." Zina shot a glance at Gromenko, nothing vicious, but just a reminder. Gromenko caught Zina's meaning. "I suppose," the older woman conceded. "He wants to give you three some space. My house is closer to the office. I guarantee, you will have better vegetables tomorrow. And what of meat! Have you had meat lately?" "Not quite. Not really. Some dried ham or something, but as for fresh...no!" "How horrible! I guarantee..." Zina was not quite listening. Gromenko meant well, but thought more of her importance and influence than others did. The Trusts ran according to mysterious and mostly uncontrollable ways. There was no guarantee of anything. Gromenko was in her mid fifties, of medium height and stout. Her flat face was round and rather puffy. She usually wore her long brown hair in a huge bun. Her eyes were brown. Her brows always seemed raised, her lips protruded. A little after Gromenko left, Anya Drugo visited Zina. Anya was anxious about Drugo. He hadn't been gone for a week yet, but Anya had a very bad feeling about his current "mission." And the feeling seemed to be getting worse with every hour. She also needed to talk with Zina about the sexual problem she and Drugo were having. The two friends played with Sasha as he lay on a blanket in the sitting room. He was on his stomach trying to crawl. "Sashenka vomits a lot, you know. So I haven't had him on his stomach much. We're doing more of it now. He should start crawling. Anya dear, are you certain Drugo wants a child?" Zina's sudden question caught Anya off guard. She looked confused, and about to cry. "You know, Anochka, it's very hard for me to think of Drugo as a father. Some men are not the type. With his work, his sensibility...honestly. You know, some women are not the type...I mean maternal...to have a baby. The same thing applies for us...them. Has he told you he wants a child...has he said the words?" Anya got up from the blanket. On that eighth of January, the later afternoon sun shown through the faded curtains and rested on Sasha's little head. He turned toward the light, then quickly turned away and rubbed his eyes. Anya paced around the room, absorbed in thought, absorbed in pondering Zina's comments and question. After watching Zina play with Sasha on the floor for some time, Anya sank down into one of the overstuffed armchairs. "Can it really be? Do you think? His fear of having a child...the problems?" "I don't know much about...psychology...but such a strong emotional issue could damage the physical aspects...I imagine it could happen. This never happened before?" "Never!" "And you can think of no other possible cause?" "Oh, Zina, I thought about it until it has made me sick in the stomach. I'm lost!" "Perhaps the Tarot cards can help you. You could do a reading for Drugo, ask a specific question about his situation," said Zina, her eyes sparkling. Her stunning face locked into such an expression of sudden profundity that it made Anya shudder, then for some reason she laughed. She loved Zina so! She was so glad they were friends, and that she had come that day. "Why not!" said Anya. She hugged Zina affectionately. Zina put Sasha in his cradle and he soon fell asleep. From her little wooden chest under the bed, she got her Tarot cards and two tall candles, one silver and one red. These were the colors that Anya suggested. They were colors that Drugo liked best. It was about 5:00 p.m., the sun had set, and thick clouds had filled the sky allowing minimal light to penetrate the sitting room window. Zina had explained to Anya how to set the cards. Anya had to formulate a precise question that needed an answer. Her concentration and focus on the question was imperative. She did not have to say the question out loud. Zina told Anya to concentrate on her question while she was shuffling the cards, and as she picked out and dealt the cards. Anya's question had been whether her husbandŐs current sexual impotency was caused by the fact that he did not want to have a baby. About 6:45 p.m., Dmitri returned home from work. The soup was as ready as it was going to be. Dmitri was in a rather depressed mood. His eyes brightened, however, when he picked up his son. Sasha pulled at his Papa's hair and lips, smiled and cooed. The baby missed him. "Reading Tarot cards?" Dmitri said to Zina as he made funny sounds on Sasha's belly that made the baby squeak. "Oh, I should gather them up. They shouldn't be left out after a reading! It was for Anya. I'll tell you after I feed Sasha. There - get yourself some soup, delicious soup." She made a horrible face. "Come to me, little one. It's time for you to eat, too." As Zina sat on the bed feeding Sasha, she felt pity for Anya and her problem with Drugo. However, now that Anya consulted the Tarot cards, she seemed convinced of the truth of the situation. Anya was now left with waiting for Drugo to return from his mission so things could begin to be resolved. The Tarot cards were explicit. Position one, the Conveying card; the Signification was the Emperor, contemplation with the issue of the father principle, a challenge to establish the structure of a home and family. Drugo was asked to take a stand, become effective and powerful, formulate his ideas and ethics. The Crossing card was next, position two, the situation that was causing conflict and blockage. It was the Eight of Swords, meaning a situation where Drugo was unable to act because of his fear of the consequences. A decision was necessary, yet any choice would lead to trouble. Avoidance, duplicity, blindness and fear of confrontation to avoid hurting Anya. How right the cards seemed throughout the dealing from position three through nine, which included: The Hanged-Man, The Devil, The Tower; and the Final Outcome -- the Hermit, Drugo in a time of aloneness or withdrawal. Dmitri stuck his head into the room. He saw that Zina was finished nursing Sasha. He came in and stood at the foot of the bed. That look on his face just now...how...where? thought Zina. Suddenly she remembered! Standing at the foot of the bed, just where his mother had stood in Zina's dream that night, the night she died! Zina remembered what Tatiana had told her about Dmitri. What was so very important that Zina must never forget: Honesty, complete honesty with Dmitri in all matters. Zina must always tell him everything, no matter how painful, no matter how terrible. Only then, could she be helped. Only then could she be saved. "Zina! You look as though you have experienced some...some sort of revelation! What is it, darling? What's the matter?"
Professor Holtz had called the hospital the morning of January 7th, and determined that citizen Pshenitsin had been unconscious since January 5th, almost two days. The patient was diagnosed upon recovering consciousness as suffering from amnesia. The following day (January 8), he would be transferred to the sanitarium in Vogel, a half mile from Marburg, and the appropriate Russian authorities could be notified of his condition. Professor Holtz wanted to know if Uchitelnitsky or the network had sent his man to Marburg or whether they had any knowledge of him, or his mission. Uchitelnitsky's correspondence to Holtz consisted of a plan to concentrate focus on the Kremlin's Savior Tower as the possible whereabouts of the Tsar's Library.
Uchitelnitsky hung up the telephone and immediately dialed a number in Moscow. Comrade Flobov answered the call. Uchitelnitsky told Comrade Flobov that in an hour they should meet in the lobby of the Rossiya Hotel at the southern end of Red Square. At that meeting, Uchitelnitsky related the contents of Holtz's correspondence to Comrade Flobov. Comrade Flobov already knew of Ivan Drugo's accident on January 3rd. The two men strolled leisurely around the lobby of the old, elegant hotel, which was now almost exclusively reserved for foreigners. They each bought cigarettes at the Notion's counter. Uchitelnitsky even bought a postcard of the Kremlin. Uchitelnitsky had a profile with an edge. He cut his way through the hotel lobby. Handsome men had an easy confidence. They took risks that plain men never would. "You'll take the train to Marburg tomorrow. Take care of Professor Holtz. You will also take care of Drugo. He is of no use to us now. Notify Agriculture that Cheka will arrange to have the Drugo/Pshenitsin matter settled. Get the proper credentials. You will arrange for an operative from Minsk to board the train there and join you. It must be someone that Drugo does not know. This operative will act as Drugo's Agriculture supervisor and will escort him. We can't run the risk of Drugo recognizing you, coming out of the amnesia, and destroying our cover. There are two liquidations to complete. Do you need another operative?" Comrade Flobov shook his head in the negative. "Fine." Uchitelnitsky continued. "But I am surely sorry to lose Drugo." Comrade Flobov shook his head in the affirmative. "Fine. You have your orders," said Uchitelnitsky. Comrade Flobov walked out of the lobby of the Rossiya Hotel. Uchitelnitsky went to the bar to have a drink.
Ivan was exceedingly pleased with the results of his three-month sojourn in Aleksandrov. He was triumphantly returning to Moscow with a mandate from the people. A delegation from the various strata of society had come to Aleksandrov to petition the Tsar to not leave the throne. They offered him unlimited powers to remove any resistance to his ruling of Mother Russia. "The Little Father" now had the legal sanction to do what he had been doing previously. Now, he could legally amass the manpower he needed to fully exert his will. To this end, Ivan had, while in Aleksandrov and temporarily living at the Monastery, conceived of a separate armed force, accountable only to him, and specifically responsible for eliminating any resistance to his will. Organized like a monastic order with me as the 'Abbot,' strict rules and discipline. Monastic clothing -- the hooded robes with swords underneath - will inspire fear in those who see them. The best of the military, expert warriors and killers. Brutal, fierce, fearless and above all totally loyal to me. Rewards? Many. High pay. As much food, drink, and women as they want when the desired results are accomplished. All living together in a secret location. A secret organization! The Tsar was formulating his ideas as the sleigh glided over the snow. He chose the Russian word for separate, "Oprich" -- as the name for this organization. He broke into a broad smile. Then, he roared with laughter. He threw his hands up towards the sky. "God bless this little Father!" he shouted out loud. Later on during the day, before the entourage would be stopping at a prearranged location to spend the night, Tsar Ivan was formulating different ideas. Those ideas also exceedingly pleased him. During the three months that the Tsar stayed at the St. Aleksandr Monastery, he had ample time to explore its confines. He was particularly interested in the underground passageways and vaults that existed, and the possibilities for more of them to be constructed. The Tsar was emotionally unstable. He was a very fearful man, in spite of his almost godlike authority. He had spent his whole life involved with intrigues, power struggles, treachery and deceit. At that moment in time, he trusted only one man --Metropolitan Makari. The conception of the Oprich, his secret army, gave him some sense of security. But he needed much more. The Tsar's possessions were of the utmost importance to him. His fear was that his possessions would be stolen from him. Or that a disaster, such as a fire or flood could befall his possessions. His possessions included rare coins, icons, paintings and a collection of books and manuscripts in Russian, Greek and Latin that he had amassed, and that had come down to him from Tsar Ivan III. He had come upon the idea of having a location outside the capitol where he might secretly secure his possessions. As the entourage drove into the courtyard of the wealthy landowner who would be hosting the Tsar that night, Ivan thought that he might have found that secret location. Back to Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four |Chapter Five
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ina removed the lid from the big pot and smelled the soup. The aroma from the broth, cabbage, onions and potatoes did not please her. She stirred the contents with a large wooden spoon and put the lid back on. The cabbage, potatoes and onions were of very poor quality. She stopped short of calling them rotten. Hours before, when Zina was cutting the vegetables, Aglaya Afanaseevna Gromenko stopped by to leave some documents for Ostavlyavich. He was out of Moscow that day on business, but was expected at 120 Novokirovskaya in the evening. Gromenko saw the state of Zina's vegetables and was appalled.
t the University in Marburg, Germany, Professor Holtz informed the secretarial staff in the mailroom that a courier would be picking up and probably delivering correspondence on Monday, January 7th. That did not seem so unusual, and no one involved thought anything about it. Professor Holtz had composed a letter to E. G. Uchitelnitsky asking for verification as to whether Dmitri Dumatskoy had received Fichte's list that Holtz had mailed on 12/3/21. In this letter, he also indicated a willingness to support any legitimate efforts to discover the whereabouts of the Tsar Ivan Grozny Library. Holtz also included in the correspondence a Marburg newspaper article dated January 3rd, which reported that the local police found a man lying unconscious on Grunstrasse, near the entrance to the university. A Derringer, a short-barreled pocket pistol, was found a few feet away from the man. It was uncertain as to whether the gun belonged to him. No permit for the weapon was included among his papers. The man was taken to the hospital and admitted. He was identified by his passport as a Russian citizen, a resident of Moscow, K. K. Pshenitsin, occupation - grain dealer. The article was, of course, in German and Professor Holtz paraphrased its contents for Uchitelnitsky, being unaware that Uchitelnitsky could read German.
n the early evening of January 8th, E. G. Uchitelnitsky answered the telephone call at his apartment in a house on Dmitrova Street. It was the Network Courier calling from Vsyokoye, the railway stop on the Russian side of the border with Poland. The courier was returning from the scheduled correspondence exchange with Professor Holtz in Marburg, Germany. The courier read Uchitelnitsky the contents of Holtz's message.
sar Ivan's sleigh, pulled by a team of six black horses, moved through the snow. Ivan was alone in the sleigh. The Tsaritsa, the Metropolitan, and the attendants and guards were in sleighs behind the Tsar. The entourage had just left the little town of Aleksandrov, and was about 24 miles from Moscow, heading west. It was the middle of March and still very cold. The morning sky looked like lead to the Tsar as he tugged at his gray beard and squinted his blue eyes against the wind. He had a bearskin cap on his head, and a bearskin rug was wrapped around his body.