The Margin of Evil! by Simon Boxall Page A

do was legitimise and personalise grudges, thefts and murder. Georgii had thought himself quite fortunate that he had not frequented this place before, this dive that mocked the very principles of law and order but, as Georgii Radetzky knew, this was not any civilised society, this was Bolshevik Russia. As always the Peoples Courts were packed solid to the rafters with onlookers, Red Guards and party 'Nomenclatura'. After all, and Georgii had suspected this for a long time, this place provided the best entertainment in town.
    He went down into the basement of the court. The place was heaving with non-persons, wreckers, former members of the aristocracy and other persons deemed to be enemies of the fledgling socialist state. Georgii sat down with the two boys and explained exactly what they were going to do when they took the stand.
    He went back upstairs and took his seat in the packed courtroom. The first case was a strange one. Georgii looked over and saw a young girl sitting in the dock, with four scruffy street urchins. The girl looked well groomed and seemed totally unflustered by the goings on around her. It was the murder of party official Anatoly Gruzinsky, an old woman, and a young girl.
    It soon turned out, and state prosecutor Putinov went to great lengths to explain to the court, that the girl Geghanush Hairabedian was no angel. Indeed, it turned out that during the Kerensky period the young girl had been a maid in a house in Tverskay Street. The old lady that ran the place had fallen on hard times and had been forced to take in a lodger. So state official, Anatoly Gruzinsky, moved in to help her make ends meet.
    The maid was a simple Armenian girl from the south. This girl became besotted by Anatoly Gruzinsky. But Gruzinsky had become besotted with the old ladies apparent wealth. That wealth took shape in the number of precious stones and diamonds that had been showered upon her in her youth when she had been a debutante in fashionable St Petersburg.
    The sta te prosecutor Putinov carried on; Gruzinsky had his sights firmly fixed on the old lady's jewellery. If he could lay his hands on the jewellery, there was every chance he could emigrate from Russia and start a new life for himself in the United States of America.
    By now Putinov had the whol e court enthralled with his tale of theft and murder most foul.   He carried on; part of Gruzinsky's plan hinged on the girl and it was through the girl that he was going to lay his hands on the precious stones. In the meantime the girl had been making eyes towards Gruzinsky and he obligingly returned the stares.  Soon, and unbeknown to the landlady, a hot-blooded romance was going on between lodger and maid. Slowly and cunningly, Gruzinsky, through techniques of subtle manipulation, drew the servant girl into his plan. He instructed her to show an interest in the old ladies precious jewellery. The peasant girl started asking questions about the jewellery she polished and cleaned, and the lady obligingly told her which stones were valuable and which stones were not. By now Gruzinsky had the young Hairabedian firmly in the palm of his hand. He had declared his undying love to her and she said that she would do anything for 'her' young beau.  This and the State Prosecutor Putinov went to great lengths telling the court exactly what her 'young beau' Gruzinsky wanted her to do.
    So , without further ado, they hatched a devious plan to escape from Russia, so that they could start a new life together in the United States of America. Gruzinsky had by now so much control over the girl that she would simply do anything to please him. He made out, and Putinov read her confession out to the court, that the plan to steal the jewels was his not hers. He was her inspiration.
    However he had only told her part of the plan. Gruzinsky had contacted four youths and instructed them as to what their role would be in the theft.  He had told them and the Armenian girl exactly what they