"I can't see much difference. We're both trying to overthrow a vicious
bureaucracy." He laughed again. "You hate them as much as I do."
"I don't know." She frowned, trying to find words, dropped English and
spoke in Russian. "The Communists made mistakes, horrible mistakes
and--especially under Stalin--were vicious beyond belief to achieve what
they wanted. But they did achieve it. They built our country into the
world's strongest."
"If you're so happy with them, why are you trying to eliminate the
Commies? You don't make much sense."
She shook her head, as though it was he who made no sense. "They are
through now, no longer needed. A hindrance to progress." She hesitated,
then, "When I was a student I remember being so impressed by something
written by Nehru that I memorized it. He wrote it while in a British
jail in 1935. Listen." She closed her eyes and quoted:
"_Economic interests shape the political views of groups and classes.
Neither reason nor moral considerations override these interests.
Individuals may be converted, they may surrender their special
privileges, although this is rare enough, but classes and groups do not
do so. The attempt to convert a governing and privileged class into
forsaking power and giving up its unjust privileges has therefore always
so far failed, and there seems to be no reason whatever to hold that it
will succeed in the future._"
Paul was frowning at her. "What's your point?"
"My point is that the Communists are in the position Nehru speaks of.
They're in power and won't let go. The longer they remain in power after
their usefulness is over, the more vicious they must become to maintain
themselves. Since this is a police state the only way to get them out is
through violence. That's why I find myself in the underground. But I am
a patriotic Russian!" She turned to him. "Why do _you_ hate the Soviets
so, Mr. Smith?"
The American agent shrugged. "My grandfather was a member of the minor
aristocracy. When the Bolsheviks came to power he joined Wrangel's White
Army. When the Crimea fell he was in the rear guard. They shot him."
"That was your grandfather?" Shvernik said.
"Right. However, my own father was a student at the Petrograd University
at that time. Left wing inclined, in fact. I think he belonged to
Kerensky's Social Democrats. At any rate, in spite of his upper class
background he made out all right for a time. In fact he became an
instructor and our early life wasn't particularly bad." Paul cleared his
throat. "Until the purges in the 1930s. It was decided that my father
was a Bukharinist Right Deviationist, whatever that was. They came and
got him one night in 1938 and my family never saw him again."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account