about the privatization he believes Russia needs to catch up to the rest of the world, while the Khasbulatov group insisted on a strong legislature that would reestablish the laws of the land."
"Yes, I recall. Also, that in July, there was a legislative push to take control of the entire reform program and pull it out of the President's hands."
"It was a calculated risk, unimaginably dangerous for both sides," observed General Samocherny. "When you left for Seytchan last week, the situation was still only simmering."
"And now?" asked Sergey, anticipating the reason for the General's call.
"Well somebody has turned up the heat. The pot is boiling. Khasbo is determined to reduce Yeltsin to a mere figurehead at the next session of the Congress and to present a whole basketful of anti-reform measures. This morning, Yeltsin neutralized the move by dissolving the very same Congress of Peoples Deputies in the name of the national security. The parliament has countered by installing its own man as acting vice-president. Neither of them, of course, has the authority to make these moves, but until this matter is settled one way or the other, I suppose they both do.
"Meanwhile, over the last two weeks, Yeltsin has visited me several times. He needs the full support of the Army and our Intelligence Service if he is going to bring this mess to a happy conclusion. Yeltsin promised me virtual autonomy for the FSB in exchange for total support against his adversaries. He promised that there would be no more snooping committees trying to interfere in our affairs. The FSB would be answerable only to him. We would have even more autonomy than we do now."
"What did you decide?" asked Sergey.
"I know Boris. I have known him for twenty years. I know how he thinks, and I know that with his back to the wall, he keeps his promises. I told him he had our full support."
"And the Army?"
"He negotiated with them and also has their full support. I think he promised them restored pay and position. He probably threw in a dozen juicy promotions at the same time. They deserve it, especially the men coming home from their occupation duty. Anyway, what does it matter to him, as long as he maintains control?"
"True enough," agreed Sergey.
"Today, the legislators, frustrated at being outmaneuvered at every turn, foolishly entrenched themselves in our Russian White House. They played right into Yeltsin's hands, and he was ready for them.”
"What's the next move for FSB, General?"
"We are going to stand by and see how everything unfolds. While Yeltsin has the Belyi Dom under siege, the rest of the country and the whole world are watching their televisions to see who will resort to violence first. Whoever does is doomed in the eyes of every Russian. We haven't come all this way through Peristroika and Glasnost just to throw it all away and return to violence as a means of solving problems."
"Shall I continue here or do you need me back?" asked Sergey.
"I need you out there, remote from all this. I want to see how things play out. If Yeltsin falls, I will be in danger of retribution. If they throw me into one of my own cells, I want you and the others in the field to be in position to get me out."
Sergey understood the General’s strategy. It was a smart move.
"Good enough."
"If they should move on me, I'm sure I will have time to get a call out to you and the others. If you get that call, arm the Cossacks, Sergey. Use your wits and get me out.”
"You can count on it, General."
Sergey reflected on the continual fear in every Russian: who will be the next person to threaten the stability of one’s life, of the life of the nation? His mother insisted men should not be running the world because they love to fight. They love to fight and put everything on the line, their lives, their families’ lives, the survival of the whole human species. They always believed they would win even if they lost over and over and over again, she said. “You don’t see the women starting wars, do you?” she said. Well, the women would have to get hold of all the weapons if they ever wanted to change the recklessness of men.
But this was the reality, and he had to find a way to survive. He knew there would be tension, confusion, some losers, and only a very few actual winners at the end of this siege. Sergey intended to be one of those winners.
He put on his coat, gathered up the snacks and vodka and headed down through the building and out to the guardhouse.
“Yuri. How about a snack?” And he pulled out the vodka.
“I’ll wait on the sauce til later, Serge.”
Sergey pulled up a chair and sat down laying out the snacks for Yuri.
“The General says things are heating up. He has confirmed our status, and we are on the alert should things go south.”
“We could join those things going south, man. It’s cold up here. How bad is it going to get?”
“Not sure.”
“We’re never sure.”
Sergey noticed the unusual lack of energy in Yuri’s response, and asked more seriously, “How are you doing since your mother died?” Yuri had taken her sudden death, a month after a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, with difficulty.
“Well, you know, I think about her every day. When she was alive, I hardly thought about her, maybe once a week. But now, - every day. What is that all about?”
“It’s hell. They die and we go through hell, Yuri.”
“I had a friend years ago – not even a close friend. Sometimes I didn’t see her for months, then she died, and now I think about her so often, the memory is really meaningful, really important,” Yuri said, obviously uncertain. “Why are they not here?”
“Yep, I don’t want people to think about me like that when I die. I want them to remember me once in a while, maybe, but not everyday.”
“Right.”
Yet they both knew if either of them died, they would remember the other one every day.
“You know mom really believed she was going to a better place. Well, after what she suffered, anywhere would have been a better place,” Yuri said.
“My grandma used to say, ‘It’s God’s plan.’”
“OH, sure. Was it God’s plan to have my mom suffer like that? He should get a new plan.”
“You know, Yuri, that was one thing communism did right – reduced the power of religious leaders so that we had a couple of generations without their undue influence.”
“Has Russia ever had a religious war?”
“Not directly that I know of. As a smoke screen for other purposes, maybe. I don’t know anyone who would fight in it these days, although some of the old people are rejoicing in the new freedoms,” Sergey replied as he loaded up the untouched vodka and the food mess and buttoned up his coat.
“Thanks, Sergey. Hours are long out here in the guardhouse.”
“I hope to have something for us soon, my man.”
Sergey knew people who hated to be alone because they had time to think about painful stuff. Sergey’s thoughts usually defaulted to his Tanya and then to his brother. Why can’t he stop thnking