Konrad and Alexandra (PDF) - Rolf Gross

and put on his coat and shoes, he remained deep asleep.It was a clear night, the moon was full. As they sped through the enchanted woods Otto woke and fantasized excitedly ofriding on an elephant, of a poisonous snake winding around his arm, and of a mouse who was waiting to marry him whenhe came back. His mother smiled.Otto stared at the moon above the glistening snowfields and buried his head in his mother’s lap. "Mummy, the moon is sobig. It frightens me. Can you take it down?"Alexandra sang him a Georgian song about the moon in the trees. He was fast asleep in her arms when they reachedthe train.Nobody waited for them at the station in the City on the Neva. They piled their luggage into a droshki and drove to theirapartment. It was empty. Izabel had left a letter saying that they had suddenly to leave for Armenia. She thanked themfor their hospitality. She would write soon.39.The new St. Petersburg1905Konrad was wandering aimlessly through town. Weary from the long journey, he was trying to reconnect to his oldroutine. St. Petersburg was no longer the town he had left a year ago. Elegant ladies crowded the fashionable cafés onNevsky Prospect, shops were overloaded with expensive imports: fresh oysters, caviar from Persia, oranges fromMorocco, lemons, terrines de pâté, vintage Grand Cru wines and French champagne, clothes from Paris, shoes fromItaly…As he passed Kluchkov’s bookstore the irrational idea suddenly seized him to look for the lingering presence of Vladimirand Alexandra, her scent, their intimacy. The familiar, musty smell of tobacco greeted him. Kluchkov removed his pipeand delightedly welcomed Konrad. He involved Konrad in a drawn-out chat about Witte’s new political order underscoringthe important points with the pipe in his hand."Count Witte has accomplished amazing things. For me the most important one is, of course, the lifting of the stiflingcensorship. Look," he waved his hand over a table loaded with new books, "these books have existed only in clandestinemanuscripts for the past eight years."The blaring horns of a detachment of police automobiles interrupted him, followed by a cavalcade of crack-troops of theministry of interior on horses. The contingent raced down Liteini Boulevard towards the outlying districts. Konrad went tothe window to watch the ominous spectacle. People ducked into house entries. As soon as the spook had passed, streetlife continued as usual. Kluchkov was puffing at his pipe as if nothing had happened."Where are they going?"Kluchkov shrugged. "Who wants to know? It happens so often these days that we no longer pay attention to ourgovernment’s crazy actions. Stay out of their way. It is all politics."Kluchkov picked a collection of poetry by Blok and the latest novel by Tolstoy off the table."Look at these, Blok’s poems have been suppressed for two years. He has become the most exciting new poet in thiscity. And this novel by Tolstoy was withheld for six years—for religious reasons! What a national shame to havesuppressed the writings of our greatest living writer for so long. It is no Anna Karenina, a late work by an old man whopreaches revolutionary Christian morals. But Tolstoy’s Russian is unsurpassed."Konrad, still pondering the demonstration of despotic power, sat down and leafed absentmindedly through the Tolstoy.Voskresheniye, The Resurrection, a mystical love story between an aristocrat and a prostitute who is exiled to Siberia inchains. Saturated with religious fervor, very Russian, not his kind of taste.Distracted, Konrad scanned the stalls for traces of Vladimir and Alexandra. Where had they met? He was emotionally tooabsorbed in this game to ask Kluchkov for the whereabouts of Vladimir.Really, how childish I am, Konrad thought, and then Vladimir’s name jumped at him from a slim volume."Well, he is still around," Konrad exclaimed staring at Vladimir’s first volume of poetry.Alexandra called Vladimir to congratulate him—the Sisakians had installed a telephone. The Nomikoff’s grouchy oldmajordomo answered and called for the young master. Vladimir showed himself surprised but was delighted to hear hervoice.He seemed much less harassed and paranoid than a year ago and took her good wishes in stride. His father was back inpublic life. However, his mother had died. The excitement and apprehension of her husband’s imprisonment had127