Tatiana and Alexander: A Novel(50)

"No!" Alexander's teeth were grit. "What I haven't given you is the satisfaction of knowing you were right. You think you've finally caught the man you've been chasing. I'm telling you, you are wrong. You will not take your impotence out on me. I need to be brought in front of a military tribunal. I am not one of your small-time Party prisoners you can bully into submission. I am a decorated officer in the Red Army. Have you ever served your country in a war, comrade?" Alexander stood up. He was a head taller than Slonko. "I didn't think so. I want to be brought up in front of General Mekhlis. We will resolve this matter immediately. You want to get at the truth, Slonko? Let's get to it. The war still needsme . While you," Alexander said, "have to run back to your Leningrad jail."

Slonko cursed. He ordered the two guards to restrain Alexander, which they did with difficulty.

"You've got nothing on me," Alexander said loudly. "My accuser is dead, otherwise you would have brought him to me. The authority over me lies with my commanding officer, Colonel Stepanov, and with General Mekhlis who has ordered my arrest. They will tell you that I received anOrder of the Red Star in front of five Red Army generals prior to Operation Spark. I was wounded in the storming of the river, and for my effort in the war I received theHero of the Soviet Union medal."

Slonko could barely get the words out. "Where is this medal, Major?"

"My wife took it for safekeeping. Surely, if you have her in your custody, you'll be able to take a look at the medal." Alexander smiled. "It will be the only time you'll get a chance to look at one."

"Iam the interrogating officer!" Slonko yelled, red in the face and his bald head, striking Alexander again.

"Ah f*ck!" Alexander yelled back. "You are not an officer!I am an officer. You have no power over me."

"That's where you're wrong, Major," said Slonko. "I do have power over you, and do you know why?" Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

When Alexander didn't answer, Slonko leaned closer. "Because very soon I am going to have power over your wife."

"Really?" Alexander said, ripping his arms away from his guards, jumping up, kicking away the chair behind him. "Do you have power even over your own? I doubt you'll have power over mine."

Slonko did not back away as he replied, "Oh, be sure I will and I intend to tell you all about it."

"Please do," Alexander said, stepping away from the fallen chair. "Then I will instantly know you're lying."

Slonko snarled into his face.

"Comrade," said Alexander, "I am not the man you're looking for."

"You are that man, Major. Everything you say and do only convinces me further of it."

Back in his small cold cell, Alexander thanked God for his clothes.

They had left the kerosene lamp in his cell and the eye of the guard never left the porthole.

Alexander could notbelieve that what was happening to him came down not to ideology, not to communism, not to treason, or even to espionage, but to the pride of one small man.

Dimitri and Slonko were cut from the same cloth. Dimitri, petty-minded and small-hearted, was first cousin to Slonko who actually had some clout to back up his malice. Dimitri had nothing and his helplessness infuriated him all the more. Now he was dead. Not soon enough.

Alexander was sitting in the corner when he heard the lock turn. He sighed. They just weren't going to leave him alone, were they?

Slonko walked in, leaving the door open behind him. The guard remained just outside. Slonko stood a good twenty centimeters below the ceiling of the cell. He ordered Alexander to stand. Alexander reluctantly stood, bent at the knees, his own head five or six centimeters above the ceiling of the cage. Because of that, his slightly forward-leaning form looked ready to spring, though his head was bent in a way that may have seemed to Slonko like subservience.

"Well, well. Your wife Tatiana is quite an interesting woman," said Slonko. "I just finished with her." He rubbed his hands together. "Quite interesting indeed."

Alexander glanced at the open door. Where was the guard? He reached into the inside pocket of his BVDs and Slonko yelled, "What are you doing?" But he wasn't armed. He did not pull out a weapon.

"I'm getting my penicillin shot," Alexander said. "I was wounded." He smiled. "I need to take my medicine. I'm not the man I used to be in January, comrade."

"That's good to know," Slonko replied. "Are you the man you used to be in 1936?" Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

"Yes, I am still that man," said Alexander.

"While you're fixing yourself up, let me tell you what your wife told us about you--"

"Before you continue," interrupted Alexander, opening the vial of morphine and not even looking at Slonko, "I have read that there are some countries in the world where it is against the law to force a wife to give information about her husband. Amazing, isn't it?" He dipped the needle into the vial and then slowly drew the morphine solution up into the hollow barrel.

"Oh, we didn't force her," Slonko smiled. "She gave it up quite willingly." He smiled again. "And it's not the only thing--"