CHAPTER 7. I SEE NOTHING, HEAR NOTHING, KNOW NOTHING, WILL TELL NO ONE

“You have a real opportunity. So-called Kremlin tower struggles no longer exist, but there is one ‘Tower’ in the Kremlin I’m inviting you to join,” she declared.

She listed programme points, seeking his agreement:

“Normalizing international relations? Restoring the market economy? Fighting corruption? Returning functions to democratic institutions? An independent judiciary? Raising all citizens’ living standards? Nomenclature lustration? Rolling back repressive laws?”

To each, his answer was sincere agreement.

“To accept you, dear, you must prove you won’t betray us as you betrayed your family. That was your shame. You must pay for it, endure humiliation and pain, and reform. Do you want to embark on the path of redemption?” she whispered.

He nodded and mumbled “ahh.”

“You’ll tell no one—preferring humiliation, pain, coma, or even death,” she stated flatly.

He nodded.

“Then prepare to suffer,” she said, replacing the small implement with one twice as large. Then, changing his position, she attached another device to herself and possessed him with steady, sharp thrusts.

Tears streamed from his eyes, but beyond the pain he sensed that this suffering—physical and base—was also purifying, cleansing his soul and hardening his will. She worked until he lost consciousness.

When he awoke in darkness, he lay on the floor for nearly an hour before crawling out. She caught him, laid him in bed, whispered “Sleep, beloved,” and then went to the kitchen.

The next day she indeed left with him for training. The first half-day they were put through separate drills; then came his first judo lesson, in which she taught him to dress properly—especially to tie his belt to match the photographs exactly. Afterwards, he was shown photographs of the original’s partners and given their files to memorize, with assurances that subsequent lessons would be far more interesting.