Destiny's Puppets
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«I reported my flatmate to the authorities and now she is going to be fired. Naturally, she will lose her accommodation! The second flatmate is so old and sick that she won’t last long. And you can be registered in my room only if you marry me!» The girl stopped in despair, clenched her fists and stamped her foot.
«Are you sure it will work out and we’ll be able to get the whole flat all to ourselves? And your roommate will be evicted?» Victor stopped, too. A thoughtful mien appeared on his face and a ghost of a smile settled on his plush lips.
«Of course, it will! I wrote to the head of the military base that Svetlana and his deputy are lovers and that I had nailed them in our room! She missed work several times, because I added medicine to her food and she couldn’t get up in the morning! You do realize that this is a smashing reason to fire her!»
Victor peered into his girlfriend’s eyes blazing with rage. He stood still for a while, staring at the light of the streetlamps and the round dance of varicolored leaves on the asphalt. The wind was getting stronger, stealing under his coat.
Nelly was looking at her fianc'e, screwing up her eyes and awaiting approval. Her hair was messed up by the wind, but she took no notice. The girl was staring at Victor. It was obvious that thinking was not an easy task for him. One emotion was giving way to the next one, and this could be easily noticed to see on his handsome face, as if one was looking at the screen. Finally, he looked at Nelly. She tossed her head triumphantly. She won! Now everything will go according to her plan and they will get married, Victor will be registered in her room, and the old hag won’t last long. Nelly rubbed her cold hands and dragged Victor after her with enthusiasm.
«Come on, to my boss! He is expecting us.»
Victor had nothing to do, but to follow his girlfriend.
Half an hour later the girl, with a pleased grin on her face, darted out of her boss’s office and, holding her fianc'e by the hand, went to the ground-floor of the building. She opened the door with the plate “Staff Only” and pushed Victor inside. She swiftly blocked the door handle with the mop and began pulling his trousers off.
«What are you doing? You want here?» the man listlessly took her by the wrist.
«Yes, here and now! I’ve been waiting for this so long. Look, the sooner I get pregnant, the better. With a baby we might get a bigger apartment, and you might be promoted,» whispered Nelly hotly.
The girl undid her uniform skirt and it fell down, showing her pale legs in cheap stockings with plain suspenders. Victor held out his arms, put them round her hips and pressed her body to his. He could feel her heart beating wildly.
«But it’s not convenient here; this place is full of dust. Next time, perhaps.»
Nelly stared at her fianc'e in bewilderment.
«No, I don’t feel like it. Let’s go.»
Nelly, without trying to conceal her mortification, put on her skirt, unblocked the door, pricked up her ears, looked out into the corridor and quickly plunged into the WC.
She was splashing cold water on her flushed face and tears were rolling down her cheeks,
«It does not matter. Everything will be my way. Now the main thing is to get pregnant, and it does not matter who the father is. The child will give me a certain status, and Victor is nearly my lawful husband,» the girl stopped sobbing, wiped away the tears, smiled at her reflection and went to meet Victor in the corridor.
«Everything might work out in the end,» he was pondering, «if I get registered in the apartment, I will continue my service in Leningrad and then I will be able to bring my mom here.» And anyway, he was going to marry Nelly.
5
The Director of the military base Egorov was sitting in his study behind a huge desk. His determined, handsome face had a simultaneous expression of worry and disgust, and there was a hint of fatigue in his hazelnut eyes. Egorov tapped his fingers on the sheet of paper lying in front of him.
«Shit, how did I miss it?» he mumbled again in a low voice.
Egorov took the sheet again and re-read it. The letter, written in a neat woman’s handwriting, was addressed to him. There was a date and a signature at the bottom. At last he drew a deep breath, like before jumping into water, and pressed the secretary’s call-button.
«Svetlana, please, find Morozov and call him here.»
He looked at the sheet of paper with disgust once again. There was a knock on the door.
«Come in,» said Egorov, sat straight in the chair and put on a serious expression.
Morozov, his deputy and a long-time friend, entered the room, stepping lightly. Morozov was a keen sportsman and looked a model Soviet officer. The uniform fit him like a glove.
«Dmitry, come in and sit down. We need to talk. I have a curious document for you. Read it carefully and then try to explain at least something to me.»
Egorov handed Morozov the sheet of paper. Dmitry looked at his boss attentively. His short hair was perfectly combed, and there was nothing but composure and sternness in his eyes. They had been friends for many years and he knew that if Egorov started talking in a dispassionate, indifferent tone it meant no good. Morozov looked at the paper and started reading. From the very first lines he understood what had happened and managed to quickly subdue a wave of rage. He read it and put the paper on the desk, and looked at Egorov. They were sitting silently for some time, staring at each other. Still saying nothing, Morozov got up and walked over to the window.