Seeing the confusion and surprise in the girls’ eyes, I explained:
"We need to rescue your arrested friends. And if necessary, I'm even ready to storm this monastery!"
***
We left after dark. I only wanted to take Galya Gromova with me, but Romka threw a real tantrum, demanding that I take him along too. All the other girls remained in the house. Officially, to prepare food and clothing for the hungry novices. In reality, I believed that an attack on the monastery that had sheltered them would be too severe a psychological test for the girls, and this heavy burden would weigh heavily on them later. No, I wasn't planning any violence, hoping to resolve the matter peacefully. I even grabbed a megaphone from the travel agency building in case I had to negotiate with the locked-in nuns. Wel
