PARTISAN REVIEW
29
LENIN: People's Commissars.
Hm.
And the government as a whole?
TROTSKY: Soviet. Soviet of course. Soviet of People's Commissars.
LENIN: People's Commissars. Excellent. Smells frightfully of revolution.
As chairman of the Council of People's Commissars I propose Com–
rade Trotsky.
TROTSKY: I beg leave to decline.
SVERDLOV: Trotsky was too long outside the party. He's been with us
only a few months.
LENIN: There are no better Bolsheviks than Trotsky. He stands at the
head of the Petrograd soviet. I state this categorically. There are no
official records of these days. Only scribbled notes and verbal orders.
None of us has time to write history. Who knows how many of us will
still be here in the next weeks, months? Those who follow us will re–
port
incompletely, perhaps misrepresent. I put on record that Com–
rade Trotsky planned every step of the rebellion. He led the Petrograd
soviet to victory.
TROTSKY: I would rather stay outside the government. Look after the
party press.
LENIN: Take the commissariat for internal affairs. The fight against the
counterrevolution is now the main task.
TROTSKY: Shall we give the enemy the extra weapon of saying I am a
Jew?
LENIN: We are engaged in a great international revolution. What do
such trifles matter?
TROTSKY: Maybe the revolution is great. But there are still fools enough
about.
LENIN: Must we do things to suit them?
SMIRNOV: Lev Davidovich should be set to tackle Europe. He knows it.
He should take over foreign affairs.
LENIN: Do you accept Smirnov's suggestion?
TROTSKY: With reluctance. What's there to do? I'll issue a few revolu–
tionary proclamations to the peoples of the world and then shut up
shop.
A
SAILOR
in dirty uniform enters.
SAILOR
2:
In the Peter and Paul fortress the officer cadets first said
they couldn't fire the guns. Rusted, compressors not oiled. And the
crews vanished. Then a few marine artillerymen came up. No ex–
perience, but good Bolsheviks. They got the guns ready, can fire with–
out oil. We couldn't find a red lantern. Lost a lot of time looking
for one. But found it in the end. It's up. The
Aurora
has answered.
TROTSKY: Did you shoot?
SAILOR
2:
Not necessary. The Winter Palace is ours.
