Stalin's Barber by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-04-24T04:00:00+00:00

* * *

Shortly after six o’clock the next morning, Basmanaya’s phone rang. Dr. Leshin had called to curse the clinic director.

“The man on duty, last night, said Alexei entered her room. Are you trying,” Leshin shouted, shaking the phone like a rattle, “to get us both posted to the outer reaches of Russia?”

“He must have a key.”

Leshin repeated mockingly, “‘He-must-have-a-key!’ Of course he does. Any imbecile could deduce that.”

Basmanaya swore without conviction. “Damn it, I forbade him.”

“A year in a work camp might do him some good.”

“Or a military assignment.”

“How many times do we have to repeat this exercise?”

“Are you saying we’re at risk?”

“You are twice an imbecile. Of course, we’re at risk! From the first signs of trouble, I told you to bug her room and record every word. No, you had to be softhearted and just let her be.”

“Do you suppose he is trying to psychoanalyze her?”

“You’re the director of the clinic, not me!”

“Andrei, you must admit that I did recommend she be sent away.”

“What, so she could spread rumors through every camp in the country? I was right: better to keep her locked up.”

“Psychoanalysis,” Basmanaya mumbled. “I hate the word. Why is it the things we hate have so many syllables? Psychoanalysis! Six syllables. If you break it up into two words, ‘Psycho,’ and ‘analysis,’ then the longest word has only four syllables.”

“You really are an imbecile. What’s your point?”

A confused Basmanaya had lost the thread. “My point about what?”

“Breaking it up into two words.”

“I just thought it worth mentioning.”

“Leonid Basmanaya you come from a good family. You have a kind wife, with relatives in Moscow. Act the part!”

“My apologies.”

“The last two physicians were charged with immoral behavior. What will this one be charged with?”

“Why not the same thing?”

“Your problem, Leonid, is that you suffer from a lack of imagination. What if every time I stole, I stole the same things? Don’t you think the repetition would be noticed and prove my undoing?”

“But you wouldn’t steal, doctor. So it’s a moot question.”

“Leonid, I am going to murder you!”

“I was just trying to help.”

“Then keep still.” After a disquieting pause, Leshin continued, but deliberately and subdued. “When a man sentenced to internal exile for political activity inimical to the state violates the terms of his exile, he is subject to imprisonment—or worse.”

“Alexei will say he’s a doctor with a right to see the patient.”

“Ah, so in that thick skull of yours, there is actually some semblance of thought.”

“In school, my teachers said I was quite clever.”

“That was the old Russia, where the teachers were all blind. Now the schools have Soviet teachers who can recognize fools.”

“The trouble is: He hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“Not yet, but like the others, he will. That’s why I want him to continue seeing her, and I want a microphone installed in the room.”

“I see. He’ll gain her confidence, maybe more, and then . . .”

“We’ll have access to both her words and deeper feelings.”

Basmanaya shook his head at the phone as if Leshin could see him through the receiver.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.