—I’m scared.

If she had not been so merciless towards the deserting soldier Leo might have felt sorry for her.

—You’re not here to ask questions. You’re here to provoke them. The captain hasn’t sent you because he thinks you’re a skilled interrogator. There will be people already here who’ll handle the interrogation. You’re nothing more than a prop.

—A prop? I don’t understand.

—These interrogations are theatrical: people are brought in for effect. You’ll be paraded before your parents. That’s all. You’re not expected to ask any questions.

—I can’t do this.

The governor was lingering nearby, trying to ascertain the problem. A trace of impatience crept into Leo’s voice.

—Nara Mir, you’re an agent. You work for the State. You can’t find a task unpalatable and refuse to obey. In the end, you do as you’re told. You do whatever’s necessary. I have failed you as a teacher if I haven’t made that clear.

Nara forgot herself, suddenly angry, snapping at him:

—Would you interrogate your own parents?

Leo put a hand on her shoulder, a gesture of support that was not backed up by his reply.

—These dilemmas feel fresh and raw to you. But they’re old to me. They’re like a song I’ve heard too many times. Try to realize the awfulness of your position today isn’t remarkable, or exceptional, it’s ordinary.

Same Day

An entire wing had been appointed for the more important political prisoners and their interrogations. The stone floors were cleaner, the guards were more alert, and the overhead fans worked, a sure sign there was a concentration of Soviet officials nearby. One man greeted them, another adviser exported to Afghanistan. His expertise was the handling of prisoners, the extraction of information – a professional interrogator.

—My name is Vladimir Borovik.

Medium build, with greying hair and soft hands, Borovik had the anonymity of a mid-ranking bureaucrat. He was younger than Leo, perhaps forty years old, and he displayed unnecessary deference. It grated on Leo, the implication that he was somehow the authority in a place like this. More likely, the man was angling for a friendship, a fellow Soviet to keep him company in town and show him how to survive the next few months, where to drink, where to find women. Borovik ignored Nara completely, despite her being the crucial element in the interrogation. He spoke in Russian, at speed, giving Leo no time to translate: