SERGEI DOVLATOV
173
"Someone has to escort a zek here from Ropcha."
-"For retrial?"
"Don't know."
"By regulation there should be two of you."
"What in the guard section is ever done by regulation? By regu–
lation all they do is lock you up in the guardhouse."
Gusev raised his eyebrows. "And did you ever see aJew locked
up in the guardhouse?"
"You've got Jews on the brain," Bortashevich said. "We're tired
of it. You take a good look at Russians. One look and you turn to
stone."
"I don't argue," Gusev replied.
The teakettle suddenly carne to a boil. I moved it onto a roofing
tile next to the strongbox. "All right, I'm off."
Bortashevich pulled out a card, looked at it, and said, "Oho!
The queen of spades awaits you . I envy you." Then he added, "Take
handcuffs."
I took a pair.
I walked through the zone, even though I could have gone
around it on the patrol footpath. It's a year now that I've been inten–
tionally going through the zone at night . I keep hoping I'll get used
to the feeling of terror. The problem of personal courage is posed to
us here in a rather severe way. The champions in this category are
generally acknowledged to be the Lithuanians and Tatars .
I slowed down a little near the tool shop. At night this was
where the
chifir
drinkers gathered. They would fill a soldier's mug
with water and empty a whole packet of loose tea into it. Then they
would lower a razor blade attached to a long steel wire into the cup.
The end of the wire was then thrown onto a high-voltage wire. The
liquid in the cup boiled within two seconds. The brown beverage
had an effect somewhat like alcohol. People began to gesticulate ex–
citedly, to shout and laugh for no reason.
The
chifir
drinkers didn't inspire serious alarm in anyone. Seri–
ous alarm was inspired by people who could cut your throat without
drinking
chifir.
Shadows moved in the darkness . I carne closer. Prisoners were
sitting on potato cartons, around a small tub of
chifir.
Once they saw
me, they went quiet .
"Have a seat, boss," a voice said from the darkness. "The
samovar's ready."
