there was little that he could do at this time.
They walked across the courtyard and into the main building. They then walked upstairs and along corridors until they came to the boys` cell. The door was opened, and the site that faced Georgii was one of abject horror. Both boys had been lying face down on the floor. There was the foul smell of excrement mixed with urine, it made him wince. It was only when the intrusive daylight forced them to blink and look upwards, that Georgii had some inkling of what the two boys had gone through.
The t wo boys had been roughed up badly. The boys were stripped almost naked and he could see in the dim light that the boys were bruised from head to toe.
He turned towards the adjutant and said, 'I want to see these two boys properly clothed, and I also want them fed. No 'ifs' or 'buts'! Once you have done this I want you to take us to a proper interview room,' Georgii said in the sternest of voices. He added,' Failure to comply with my wishes could mean the harshest of consequences for you, Comrade!'
' Very good,' the adjutant replied. With that he disappeared and left Georgii standing outside of the boy's cell.
' Boys! I want you to listen and listen closely I don't have much time. Tell me what you know about Isaak Goldstein and 'The Kevshors?' Georgii paused looking around him and then said, 'Look if you do this for me, I'll try and help you as much as I can!'
The pair groaned in unison and told him all they knew. They had nearly told Georgii everything when the adjutant returned and ushered the two boys away. He directed him to an interview room in the basement. There Georgii was told to wait, and wait he did. Eventually the two were ushered back into his presence, where he went through the finer details of the incident with the Frenchman in Red Square. After forty minutes the adjutant suddenly announced that the interview was over. Before Georgii left the room, he told the two boys, that they were expected in court the next day. They were to meet him at the famed, 'Peoples Court'. He was taken back to the 'tall comrades' office by the main gate. The occupant placed the receiver back on its hook and bade Radetzky to sit down.
' Comrade Radetzky, it seems that both you and I have led similar lives,' the tall man said.
' Have we?' Georgii said enquiringly.
' Yes we have. Vodka comrade?'
' No thankyou.'
' You don't mind if I do?'
' No ... not at all,' Georgii replied. He looked across as the man poured himself a drink.
' You see we both serve Bolshevik and Tsar! I was an official and soldier, and you also were a policeman and soldier. We have both, in our different capacities, served the state!'
Georgii had an inkling of where this was going. He'd had similar, irksome, conversations with other strangers.
The tall man carried on. 'The difference between me and you, Comrade Radetzky is that I am committed to change and the new Order! You're not!'He stared right at him.
Georgii returned the stare then said, 'I think your being unfair. So tell me why you think you're the only one sitting at this table that is committed to 'The New State! Tell me! Come on!!'
' Because it was people like you that ruined my career ...'
' People like me, eh! I suspect that you were more than capable of ruining your own career. Besides what does it matter now! Has not Russia changed for the better?' Georgii looked at the tall man and faced him with a long hard stare. 'I have not come here to quarrel. I have only come here in the execution of my duties. I think it is you that might not be committed to change! Maybe you are living in the past and you refuse to accept the present! Now, if you don't mind I will take my leave.'
The tall man gave him back his letter of introduction and then instructed his colleague to show the honoured guest out of the prison. Georgii was glad to be going.
Next day he arrived at 'The Peoples Court. 'The place, as always, was a complete joke. All it served to
They walked across the courtyard and into the main building. They then walked upstairs and along corridors until they came to the boys` cell. The door was opened, and the site that faced Georgii was one of abject horror. Both boys had been lying face down on the floor. There was the foul smell of excrement mixed with urine, it made him wince. It was only when the intrusive daylight forced them to blink and look upwards, that Georgii had some inkling of what the two boys had gone through.
The t wo boys had been roughed up badly. The boys were stripped almost naked and he could see in the dim light that the boys were bruised from head to toe.
He turned towards the adjutant and said, 'I want to see these two boys properly clothed, and I also want them fed. No 'ifs' or 'buts'! Once you have done this I want you to take us to a proper interview room,' Georgii said in the sternest of voices. He added,' Failure to comply with my wishes could mean the harshest of consequences for you, Comrade!'
' Very good,' the adjutant replied. With that he disappeared and left Georgii standing outside of the boy's cell.
' Boys! I want you to listen and listen closely I don't have much time. Tell me what you know about Isaak Goldstein and 'The Kevshors?' Georgii paused looking around him and then said, 'Look if you do this for me, I'll try and help you as much as I can!'
The pair groaned in unison and told him all they knew. They had nearly told Georgii everything when the adjutant returned and ushered the two boys away. He directed him to an interview room in the basement. There Georgii was told to wait, and wait he did. Eventually the two were ushered back into his presence, where he went through the finer details of the incident with the Frenchman in Red Square. After forty minutes the adjutant suddenly announced that the interview was over. Before Georgii left the room, he told the two boys, that they were expected in court the next day. They were to meet him at the famed, 'Peoples Court'. He was taken back to the 'tall comrades' office by the main gate. The occupant placed the receiver back on its hook and bade Radetzky to sit down.
' Comrade Radetzky, it seems that both you and I have led similar lives,' the tall man said.
' Have we?' Georgii said enquiringly.
' Yes we have. Vodka comrade?'
' No thankyou.'
' You don't mind if I do?'
' No ... not at all,' Georgii replied. He looked across as the man poured himself a drink.
' You see we both serve Bolshevik and Tsar! I was an official and soldier, and you also were a policeman and soldier. We have both, in our different capacities, served the state!'
Georgii had an inkling of where this was going. He'd had similar, irksome, conversations with other strangers.
The tall man carried on. 'The difference between me and you, Comrade Radetzky is that I am committed to change and the new Order! You're not!'He stared right at him.
Georgii returned the stare then said, 'I think your being unfair. So tell me why you think you're the only one sitting at this table that is committed to 'The New State! Tell me! Come on!!'
' Because it was people like you that ruined my career ...'
' People like me, eh! I suspect that you were more than capable of ruining your own career. Besides what does it matter now! Has not Russia changed for the better?' Georgii looked at the tall man and faced him with a long hard stare. 'I have not come here to quarrel. I have only come here in the execution of my duties. I think it is you that might not be committed to change! Maybe you are living in the past and you refuse to accept the present! Now, if you don't mind I will take my leave.'
The tall man gave him back his letter of introduction and then instructed his colleague to show the honoured guest out of the prison. Georgii was glad to be going.
Next day he arrived at 'The Peoples Court. 'The place, as always, was a complete joke. All it served to
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