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PARTISAN REVIEW
spoken among themselves with such frankness and insight, inveigh–
ing against soulless officialism, bureaucratism, slavish literalness in
actions and words.
"Comrades!" said the chairman of the kolkhoz, "the district
committee and district executive committee have not confirmed our
production plan. I believe that we have not provided for some things
and allowed them to take their own course. This is not to our credit.
We did not carry on any explanatory activity among the masses
and did not persuade them. But people must be persuaded, com–
rades. You and I .are the levers of the Party in the kolkhoz village–
this was pointed out to us in the district committee .and the district
executive committee...."
The teacher, with cautious, stealthy movements of her hands,
in order to disturb no one, again tied the kerchief around her head.
Her face became hidden from view, and what she was thinking of
now, no one could say.
But Shchukin again began to smile. He took from his pocket
his
lifetime pen, rotated it in his hands, then took out
his
comb,
looked through it .at the lamp, softly blew on the teeth and put the
comb back, not combing himself after all. His face expanded more
and more and in
his
eyes there appeared a sly, mocking light. It
seemed that in just another moment Shchukin would again burst
into laughter. But he did not laugh and only nudged Konoplev in
the side and whispered to him: "You see, what's going on? Do you
recognize him now?"
Konoplev also smiled, but crookedly, without humor.
"All right, now, let him have
his
say. This is how it has to be.
Piotr Kuz'mich is now on his job. The way it is in the district com–
mittee, that's the way it is with us. Like master, like man."
"But what about truth."1
"Truth-it will have its way. It will soon reach us, too, brother,
and it will come like a thunderclap."
"But we'll have reached the end of the rope."
"We won't."
And Konoplev drew up to the table, moved the pot closer and
L
TRANS. NOTE :
Pravda
in Russian may mean either "truth" or "justice." At the
beginning of the story "justice" is emphasized. Here the emphasis
is
on "truth."
