“How is your father tonight, comrade? Well, I hope”.
“He fell down some stairs yesterday, sprained an ankle and broke a wrist. Things are going from bad to worse with him, I’m afraid, but thanks for asking. I’ll have one more drink to help me sleep, then I’d better go, I’m not really in the mood to be sociable tonight. Put it all on my bill, please. Goodnight”.
Youriko took her old book of travel permits, which still had seven in it, and cut out the next one and its yellow carbon copier tight to the binding with a razor blade, then she burned the copy, along with Sasha’s report with the reference to Yorgi, and filled in the original permit with the designated destination as Tbilisi, then she stamped and signed it and put it in her bag. Next she stamped and signed the other six and filled
