Page 268 of Edge of Eternity (The Century 3)

Tanya clamped her hand over her mouth to stop herself screaming.

Vasili looked like an old man. He was thin and bent. His hair was long and straggly and streaked with gray. His formerly fleshy, sensual face was drawn and lined. He wore grubby overalls with screwdrivers in the pockets. He dragged his feet as he walked.

Irina said: "Is something wrong, Comrade Tanya?"

"Toothache," said Tanya, improvising.

"I'm so sorry."

Tanya could not tell whether Irina believed her.

Her heart was thudding. She was overjoyed to have found Vasili, but horrified by his ravaged appearance. And she had to conceal this storm of emotions from Irina.

She stood up, letting Vasili see her. Few people were left in the canteen, so he could not miss her. She turned her face aside, not looking at him, to divert Irina's suspicion. She picked up her bag as if to go. "I must see a dentist as soon as I get home," she said.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Vasili stop suddenly, staring at her. So that Irina would not notice, she said: "Tell me about the school we're going to. What age are the pupils?"

They began walking toward the door as Irina answered her question. Tanya tried to observe Vasili without looking directly at him. He remained frozen staring, for several moments. As the two women approached him, Irina gave him a quizzical look.

Tanya then looked directly at Vasili again.

His sunken face was now looking stunned. His mouth hung open and he stared unblinkingly at her. But there was something in his eyes other than shock. Tanya realized it was hope--astonished, incredulous, yearning hope. He was not completely defeated: something had given this wreck of a man the strength to write that wonderful story.

She remembered the words she had prepared. "You look familiar--did I talk to you last time I was here, three years ago? My name is Tanya Dvorkin and I work for TASS."

Vasili closed his mouth and started to collect himself, but still he seemed dumbstruck.

Tanya kept on talking. "I'm writing a follow-up to my series on emigrants to Siberia. I'm afraid I don't remember your name, though--I've interviewed hundreds of people in the last three years!"

"Yenkov," he said at last. "Vasili Yenkov."

"We had a most interesting talk," Tanya said. "It's coming back to me. I must interview you again."

Irina looked at her watch. "We're short of time. The schools close early here."

Tanya nodded at her and said to Vasili: "Could we meet this evening? Would you mind coming to the Central Hotel? Perhaps we could have a drink together."

"At the Central Hotel," Vasili repeated.

"At six?"

"Six o'clock at the Central Hotel."

"I'll see you then," Tanya said, and she went out.

*

Tanya wanted to reassure Vasili that he had not been forgotten. She had done that already, but was it enough? Could she offer him any hope? She also wanted to tell him that his story was wonderful and he should write more, but again she had no encouragement to offer him: "Frostbite" could not be published and the same would probably be true of anything else he produced. She feared she might end up making him feel worse, not better.

She waited for him in the bar. The hotel was not bad. All visitors to Siberia were VIPs--no one came here for a holiday--so the place had the level of luxury expected by the Communist elite.

Vasili came in looking a bit better than he had earlier. He had combed his hair and put on a clean shirt. He still looked like a man recovering from an illness, but the light of intelligence shone in his eyes.

He took both her hands in his. "Thank you for coming here," he said, his voice trembling with emotion. "I can't begin to tell you how much it means to me. You're a friend, a solid gold friend."

She kissed his cheek.

They ordered beer. Vasili ate the free peanuts like a starving man.

---