Chapter 9

BOLSHEKOV motioned Peter to a chair.

Chapter 10

WHEREVER he accompanied Bolshekov, Peter detected the same terror in the eyes of the officials and workers, and found the same fawning servility.

For everything that went wrong, Bolshekov demanded an immediate scapegoat. He rarely allowed a day to pass without accusing someone of slackness, sabotage or treason. A few weeks afterwards Peter was always sure to read in the New Truth the same self-abasing “confession.” It was always couched in the same stilted, stereotyped language.

The accused would then disappear.

Chapter 11

PETER moved quickly into the Inner Circle. While Bolshekov was still away, he was made a member of the Party. Only about one in every ten Protectors, he learned, was so honored.

“I must act quickly,” was the only explanation Stalenin gave him.

Chapter 12

PETER kept his own notes on the Kansas trip. On the day of their return Bolshekov reported his findings to a special meeting of the Politburo. That evening Peter was called in to give an independent account to his father.

“There are a lot of things in your report,” said Stalenin, “that Bolshekov did not tell us. I like your thoroughness. Perhaps you weren’t completely miseducated after all.”

Chapter 13

HIS election to the Politburo had a mixed effect on Peter. Though he felt guilty about it because he had done nothing to earn it, the deference now paid to him increased his confidence, even in his talks with Bolshekov. He became bolder in his questions.

“Though I have now inspected any number of factories and collective farms,” he said at their next meeting, “I am still not clear how our economic system as a whole works. For example, how do you decide—”

Chapter 14

THE pounding on the door grew louder.

Edith woke up, her heart racing. She pulled on her slacks in the darkness, then turned on the light. The pounding was repeated, this time apparently with the butt of a revolver. She opened the door.

Three members of the Security Police stood outside.

“L—92?” asked the officer.

Edith nodded.

“You’re under arrest.”

Maxwell had come to the door.

“EN—57? You’re under arrest.”

Neither asked why. No one ever asked why.

“Have I time to shave?” asked Maxwell.

Chapter 15

In another five minutes the Black Maria stopped again, and this time Maxwell was led out. When his blindfold was removed, he found himself in a sort of reception hall before a desk. On the wall in front of him was a sign: RUTHLESS EXTERMINATION OF WRECKERS. The man behind the desk ordered him to empty out his pockets. Maxwell took out his ration books, passport, workbook, pencil, watch, and laid them on the desk. They were all he had. A guard felt his pockets.

Chapter 16

YOU’VE come to arrest us?”

The O’Gradys seemed not only resigned but relieved. “We’ll pack immediately.”

It had been Peter’s first opportunity to call on the Maxwells since his election to the Politburo. He gathered finally from this couple, with whom the Maxwells had shared the room, the appalling news that Edith and her father had been arrested in the middle of the night two weeks before.

Chapter 17

WHEN Stalenin regained consciousness he was, as the doctor had predicted, almost completely paralyzed on his right side. His talk was reduced to monosyllables: “No—yes—it—he—she—that—who—where—what?”

Chapter 18

PETER knew it would be futile to try to get anything out of Bolshekov himself. But he had every top official of the secret police, from Kilashov down, report to him individually in his father’s office for cross-examination. All professed to have no knowledge whatever of what had happened either to Edith or to Maxwell. There was no record to be found in any file of their arrest. Kilashov protested that if they had been arrested it had been without his orders and without his knowledge.