Алексей Никитин - Y.T.

Kurochkin understood. ‘So Malkin gave you the sack, did he? You should have expected as much. It’s not such a bad thing—it’s even good. You’re a free man now. We have something in common to commiserate over… Have you had any other problems?’

‘Nothing new.’

‘So everything’s all right, then? Hey, what do you mean by “new”?’

‘I saw Sinevusov a few days ago. He said that back in ’84 you were the one who reported us to Volodymyr Street.’

‘Ah, yes. It was me,’ he confirmed tersely.

‘So just what can the two of us have in common, Kurochkin?’ I asked after a short pause.

‘Alex, hang on. I’ve been wanting to tell you everything for a long time. It was me, yes, but what can I do about it now? Forgive me. I was an idiot, a boy. I didn’t understand the gravity of what I was doing. I didn’t understand what it was going to cost. And then… well, it all went wrong. One thing on top of another. It’s weighed on me all my life, and I didn’t know how to tell you. And now you can see for yourself how it’s ended.’

‘Kanyuka is complaining about you,’ I went on. ‘He says you ruined him.’

‘You don’t hit a man when he’s already down, do you? It was Kanyuka’s own fault. He shouldn’t have been so greedy. I felt no obligation towards him, but you… I swear to you, I always meant to… Back then I planned to give everyone a hand and make up for what I’d done. You don’t know it, but I even went to Nedremailo to get the file he’d taken from Sashka Korostishevski.’

‘I do know.’

‘Then you know I’m not lying. But he wouldn’t give it to me. That’s when I realized Nedremailo was going to turn us in.’

‘And you wanted to get a jump on him.’ I laughed.

‘At the very least so I could pave the way and make it a little easier on everyone.’

‘Yes, of course. By the way, I found out who sent you the ultimatum.’

‘What does it matter now? What? Really? It wasn’t one of Sinevusov’s cronies? Then who was it?’

‘Guess.’ I suddenly felt unbearably hot. I could hardly breathe. One bead of sweat trickled swiftly from temple to chin, followed by another. ‘You ought to remember this person well.’

‘What? Who?’ Kurochkin stammered helplessly. ‘Who was it?’

I almost said, ‘Sashka Korostishevski has come back, and he wants to see you. He wants to finish the game. And the rest of the guys wouldn’t mind seeing you either.’

I should have said it. I really should. Instead I drew a deep breath and told him about the e-mail from Belokrinitskaya.

‘That is absolutely mad,’ he was saying a minute later, gasping from laugher. ‘I mean, really? Belokrinitskaya? That has got to be the funniest thing I’ve heard in my life. Just think. Classy, huh? Who’d have thought?’

I was no longer listening. I put the receiver down and rubbed my face, trying to wipe away the sweat. But my palms just slid across my cheeks, spreading oil and venom.

ALEXEI NIKITIN was born in Ukraine, USSR, in 1967. He studied physics at Kiev University, spent time in the army, and worked in the gas and nuclear industries—including devising an emergency system for suppressing dust contamination from the Chernobyl sarcophagus. He is the prize-winning author of many novels and novellas. Y.T . is his first work to be translated into English.

Y.T.

Copyright © 2011 by Alexei Nikitin

Translation copyright © 2013 by Anne Marie Jackson

First published in Russia by Ad Marginem Press. First English-language edition published under the title Istemi by Peter Owen Publishers, 2013. This edition published by arrangement with Peter Owen Publishers, London.

First Melville House printing: April 2016

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