Then she said: “I want to see the Chenkov power station.”

“Oh!” said Irina. “But why?”

“I went there last time I was here.” This was a lie, but Irina would not know that. “One of my themes will be how things have changed. Also, I’m hoping to reinterview people I saw last time.”

“But the power station has not been forewarned of your visit.”

“That’s all right. I’d prefer not to disrupt their work. We’ll look around, then I’ll talk to people during the lunch break.”

“As you wish.” Irina did not like it, but she was obliged to do everything possible to please an important journalist. “I’ll just call ahead.”

The Chenkov was an old coal-fired electricity-generating station, built in the thirties when cleanliness was not a consideration. The smell of coal was in the air, and its dust coated all surfaces, turning white to gray and gray to black. They were greeted by the manager, in a suit and a dirty shirt, clearly taken by surprise.

As Tanya was shown around she looked for Vasili. He should be easy to spot, a tall man with thick dark hair and movie-star looks. But she must not reveal, to Irina or anyone else nearby, that she knew him well and had come to Siberia to look for him. “You seem familiar,” she would say. “I believe I must have interviewed you last time I was here.” Vasili was quick-witted, and he would readily understand what was going on, but she would keep talking as long as possible, to give him time to get over his shock at seeing her.

An electrician would probably work in the control room, or on the furnace floor, she speculated; then she realized he could be fixing a power outlet or a lighting circuit anywhere in the complex.

She wondered how he might have changed in the intervening years. Presumably he still felt she was a friend: he had sent his story to her. No doubt he had a girlfriend here—perhaps several, knowing him. Would he be philosophical about his extended imprisonment, or enraged by the injustice done to him? Would he be pathetic, or rail at her for not getting him out?

She did her job thoroughly, asking workers how they and their families felt about life in Siberia. They all mentioned the high salaries and rapid promotion consequent on the shortage of skilled people. Many spoke cheerfully of the hardships: there was a spirit of pioneering camaraderie.

By midday she still had not seen Vasili. It was frustrating: he could not be far away.

Irina took her to the management dining room, but Tanya insisted on having lunch in the canteen with the workers. People relaxed while they were eating, and they spoke more honestly and colorfully. Tanya made notes of what they said, and kept looking around the room, choosing the next interviewee and at the same time keeping an eye out for Vasili.

However, the lunch hour went by and he did not appear. The canteen began to empty out. Irina proposed moving on to their next appointment, a visit to a school where Tanya would be able to speak to young mothers. Tanya could not think of a reason for refusing.