Ken Follett - Fall of Giants

Grigori even felt guilty for a moment, then recalled how Lev had begged for the ticket. “Maybe I shouldn’t have helped you escape from the police,” he said crisply.

“I suppose you did your best for me,” Lev said reluctantly. Then he gave the warm smile that always caused Grigori to forgive him. “As you always have,” he added. “Ever since Ma died.”

Grigori felt a lump in his throat. “All the same,” he said, concentrating to make his voice steady, “we ought to punish the Vyalov family for cheating us.”

“I got my revenge,” Lev said. “There’s a Josef Vyalov in Buffalo. I fucked his daughter and made her pregnant, and he had to let me marry her.”

“My God! You’re part of the Vyalov family now?”

“He regretted it, which is why he arranged for me to be conscripted. He’s hoping I’ll be killed in battle.”

“Hell, do you still go wherever your dick leads you?”

Lev shrugged. “I guess.”

Grigori had some revelations of his own, and he was nervous about making them. He began by saying carefully: “Katerina had a baby boy, your son. She called him Vladimir.”

Lev looked pleased. “Is that so? I’ve got a son!”

Grigori did not have the courage to say that Vladimir knew nothing of Lev, and called Grigori “Daddy.” Instead he said: “I’ve taken good care of him.”

“I knew you would.”

Grigori felt a familiar stab of indignation at how Lev assumed that others would pick up the responsibilities he dropped. “Lev,” he said, “I married Katerina.” He waited for the outraged reaction.

But Lev remained calm. “I knew you’d do that, too.”

Grigori was astonished. “What?”

Lev nodded. “You were crazy for her, and she needed a solid dependable type to raise the child. It was in the cards.”

“I went through agonies!” Grigori said. Had all that been for nothing? “I was tortured by the thought that I was being disloyal to you.”

“Hell, no. I left her in the lurch. Good luck to you both.”

Grigori was maddened by how casual Lev was about the whole thing. “Did you worry about us at all?” he asked pointedly.

“You know me, Grishka.”

Of course Lev had not worried about them. “You hardly thought about us.”

“Sure I thought about you. Don’t be so holy. You wanted her; you held off for a while, maybe for years; but in the end you fucked her.”

It was the crude truth. Lev had an annoying way of bringing everyone else down to his level. “You’re right,” Grigori said. “Anyway, we have another child now, a daughter, Anna. She’s a year and a half old.”

“Two adults and two children. It doesn’t matter. I’ve got enough.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve been making money, selling whisky from British army stores to the Cossacks for gold. I’ve accumulated a small fortune.” Lev reached inside his uniform shirt, unfastened a buckle, and pulled out a money belt. “There’s enough here to pay for all four of you to come to America!” He gave the belt to Grigori.

Grigori was astonished and moved. Lev had not forgotten his family after all. He had saved up for a ticket. Naturally the handing over of the money had to be a flamboyant gesture-that was Lev’s character. But he had kept his promise.

What a shame it was all for nothing.

“Thank you,” Grigori said. “I’m proud of you for doing what you said you’d do. But, of course, it’s not necessary now. I can get you released and help you return to normal Russian life.” He handed the money belt back.

Lev took it and held it in his hands, staring at it. “What do you mean?”

Grigori saw that Lev looked hurt, and understood that he was wounded by the refusal of his gift. But there was a greater worry on Grigori’s mind. What would happen when Lev and Katerina were reunited? Would she fall for the more attractive brother all over again? Grigori’s heart was chilled by the thought that he could lose her, after all they had been through together. “We live in Moscow now,” he said. “We have an apartment in the Kremlin, Katerina and Vladimir and Anna and me. I can get an apartment for you easily enough-”

“Wait a minute,” said Lev, and there was a look of incredulity on his face. “You think I want to come back to Russia?”

“You already have,” Grigori said.

“But not to stay!”

“You can’t possibly want to return to America.”

“Of course I do! And you should come with me.”

“But there’s no need! Russia’s not like it used to be. The tsar is gone!”

“I like America,” Lev said. “You’ll like it too, all of you, especially Katerina.”

“But we’re making history here! We’ve invented a new form of government, the soviet. This is the new Russia, the new world. You’re missing everything!”

“You’re the one who doesn’t understand,” Lev said. “In America I have my own car. There’s more food than you can eat. All the booze I want, all the cigarettes I can smoke. I have five suits!”

“What’s the point in having five suits?” Grigori said in frustration. “It’s like having five beds. You can only use one at a time!”

“That’s not how I see it.”

What made the conversation so aggravating was that Lev clearly thought Grigori was the one who was missing the point. Grigori did not know what more he could say to change his brother’s mind. “Is that really what you want? Cigarettes and too many clothes and a car?”

“It’s what everyone wants. You Bolsheviks better remember that.”

Grigori was not going to take lessons in politics from Lev. “Russians want bread, peace, and land.”

“Anyway, I have a daughter in America. Her name is Daisy. She’s three.”

Grigori frowned doubtfully.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Lev said. “I didn’t care about Katerina’s child-what’s his name?”

“Vladimir.”

“I didn’t care about him, you think, so why should I care about Daisy? But it’s different. I never met Vladimir. He was just a speck when I left Petrograd. But I love Daisy, and what’s more, she loves me.”

Grigori could at least understand that. He was glad Lev had a good enough heart to feel attached to his daughter. And although he was bewildered by Lev’s preference for America, in his heart he would be hugely relieved if Lev did not come home. For Lev would surely want to get to know Vladimir, and then how long would it be before Vladimir learned that Lev was his real father? And if Katerina decided to leave Grigori for Lev, and take Vladimir with her, what would happen to Anna? Would Grigori lose her too? For himself, he thought guiltily, it was much better if Lev went back to America alone. “I believe you’re making the wrong choice, but I’m not going to force you,” he said.

Lev grinned. “You’re afraid I’ll take Katerina back, aren’t you? I know you too well, brother.”

Grigori winced. “Yes,” he said. “Take her back, then discard her all over again, and leave me to pick up the pieces a second time. I know you, too.”

“But you’ll help me get back to America.”

“No.” Grigori could not help feeling a twitch of gratification at the look of fear that passed across Lev’s face. But he did not prolong the agony. “I’ll help you get back to the White army. They can take you to America.”

“What’ll we do?”

“We’ll drive to the front line, and a little beyond it. Then I’ll release you into no-man’s-land. After that you’re on your own.”

“I might get shot.”

“We both might get shot. It’s a war.”

“I guess I’ll have to take my chances.”

“You’ll be okay, Lev,” said Grigori. “You always are.”

Billy Williams was marched from the Ufa city jail, through the dusty streets of the city, to the commercial college being used as temporary accommodation by the British army.