“In the USA, Sweden, Zimbabwe, North Korea, Estonia, Brazil . . . anywhere you like—the ratio is exactly the same. Unfortunately it has turned out that neither the social system, nor the standard of living, nor the dominant ideology have the slightest influence on the ratio of potential Light Ones and Dark Ones. Therefore it’s a constant. Of course, powerful social upheavals bring about shifts in one direction or the other—but sooner or later they are smoothed out. And whether people belong to the Christian or Muslim faith, or any other, doesn’t change the ratio.”

“Daddy, but that can’t be right,” Nadya objected indignantly. “People act differently everywhere!”

“Yes,” Anton said, with a nod. “Of course they do, er . . . Nadezhda Antonovna. The way people behave depends on the basic moral tenets and norms in a society. Naturally, the Khmer Rouge, Al-Qaeda terrorists, respectable middle-class Europeans, and, say, members of the Komsomol in the 1930s, would behave quite differently in identical situations. But that wouldn’t change the essential point. The ratio of altruists and egotists, even among Benedictine monks and members of the Gestapo, is the same. It’s just that their altruism and egotism are expressed differently.”

“But that’s the whole point!” protested Nadya, refusing to give in.

“For human beings. For them, of course, the difference is very great. But unfortunately not for us.”

“Why? We’re supposed to make people’s lives better, aren’t we?”

“How? The Light Others created a society that professed altruism and universal brotherhood. The result was that they bred monstrous egotists who gleefully betrayed everything that was sacred.”

“We didn’t betray anything!” exclaimed Galina Stanislavovna, jumping up off her chair. Her lips were trembling. “It wasn’t us. We were betrayed!”

“Really?” Anton asked gently. “Remember yourself during those years, please. When leaders betray their people and the people don’t overthrow them, it’s not just the leaders who should be blamed.”

“All power corrupts,” said Denis. “The Light Others should take power into their own hands . . .”

“And drive people to happiness with the whip?” laughed Anton. “Never mind the fact that people understand this happiness differently? And are you certain that the Light Others won’t be corrupted by power? Think about it. And please, for the next lesson, write an essay on the subject: ‘What would the human world be like if the Light Ones decided to take power?’ ”

“Then what is the point of our existence?” Galina Stanislavovna asked bitterly. “If you think that we can’t influence human life and change it for the better?”

“Oh, right,” Anton said with a nod. “That’s another essay: ‘What is the meaning of an Other’s life?’ ”

The class groaned.

“But if we . . .” Galina Stanislavovna began

“In the name of all that’s holy, keep quiet!” Denis implored her. “The last thing we need now is a third essay!”

Chapter 1

Chapter 1