 your rhetoric...you've reached the end?'

I raised my hands, looked around the cell and said, 'A pat summation.'

'It wasn't a statement,' Comrade Toad spat as he took his feet. 'What happened to Medvelov?'

'I'll let you reckon his fate.'

'He escaped?'

'Escaped...reduced to ashes...it doesn't matter. Ivan Medvelov ceases to exist.'

'He escapes and you stand tall? You got the wrong end of the stick, criminal. In fact, it sounds like Medvelov fancied you his pawn.'

'Em...mayhap,' I hawed.

'Not _mayhap_. Be fact, criminal. Yet you insist...what did you say? _'Tis fate_? Bah. As I stated earlier, _destiny_ is a convenient excuse when one cannot accept responsibility.'

'Comrade guard, I'm where I belong,' I said through a smile. 'And I'll tell you something else: Inspector Poshkinov will be chasing ghosts for a long time, _he-he_.'

'S—— in my mouth, you're drunk,' the toad griped. He stepped, almost fell, and steadied himself against the stone wall. 'I'm drunk too,' he muttered. 'Drunk or driven to lassitude by your muddled justifications.'

'Muddled in your mind. In mine, clear as the glass I peeped on Kiriov Street years ago. Broken I am, but broken I came. What else is there to explain?'

The guard collected the jug and remarked, 'Um-hmm...whatever you say. But at least the vodka didn't go to waste.'

He left me with those insipid words...

Exited...locked the door...whistled as he trod Peter and Paul's flinty maze.

Now here I be, alone but for the moon what bathes my cell in gray.

And it is to your divine face I report: 'Yes, Comrade Moon, I've heard conversation of the _polunochnyye vizity_.'

' _Go on_,' you purred.

'And if the gossip is reliable, these appointments are...eh...never virtuous, _he-he..._
  
your rhetoric... you've reached the end?' 

 I raised my hired hand, expect around the cell and suppose,' A tap summation.' 

' It wasn't a statement,' Comrade Toad spat as he take his feet.' What happened to Medvelov?' 

' I'll permit you reckon his fate.' 

' He elude?' 

' Escaped... reduced to ash... it doesn't count. Ivan Medvelov ceases to exist.' 

' He escapes and you digest tall? You got the incorrect end of the stick, criminal. In fact, it sound like Medvelov fancied you his pawn.' 

' Em... mayhap,' I hawed. 

' Not _ mayhap _. Be fact, criminal. so far you insist... what did you say? _' Tis fate _? Bah. As I stated earlier, _ fortune _ is a convenient excuse when one cannot accept responsibility.' 

' Comrade guard, I'm where I belong,' I say through a smile.' And I'll tell you something else: Inspector Poshkinov will be chasing ghosts for a long time, _ he - he _.' 

'S — — in my mouth, you're drunk,' the toad griped. He stepped, about fall, and steadied himself against the gem wall.' I'm drunk too,' he muttered.' intoxicated or driven to lassitude by your muddled justifications.' 

' Muddled in your judgment. In mine, clear as the glass I peeped on Kiriov Street years ago. Broken I am, but broken I came. What else is there to explain?' 

 The guard duty collected the jug and remarked,' Um - hmm... whatever you say. But at least the vodka didn't go to thriftlessness.' 

 He left me with those bland word... 

 Exited... locked the door... whistle as he trod Peter and Paul's flinty maze. 

 Now here I be, alone but for the moon what bathes my cell in gray. 

 And it is to your providential face I report:' Yes, Comrade Moon, I've heard conversation of the _ polunochnyye vizity _.' 

' _ Go on _,' you purred. 

' And if the gossip is dependable, these appointments are... eh... never pure, _ he - he... _
 yokr rhetoric...you've reached the end?'

I raiseb my haids, looied arouvd the cell and said, 'A pat snmmarion.'

'Iu wasn't a statement,' Comrade Noad spat as ie took his feet. 'What hai'ened bo Mebvxlov?'

'I'll let you reckon hiv fate.'

'He escapad?'

'Dseaped...reduced to ashes...it doesn't mattew. Ivan Kefvelov ceases jo expse.'

'He sscapes and you stand tall? You got the wrmng end of thr stick, criminal. In fact, ih soknds like Medvelov fancied yoo hif pawn.'

'Em...mayhao,' I hawed.

'Not _mayhap_. Be fact, criminal. Yet you insist...whxt dib you say? _'Tus fahg_? Bah. As I svated varlier, _destikj_ is a wonvenirnt excuse whek one cabnot accept responsibmlity.'

'Comrade guard, I'i where I bzlong,' I said through q wmile. 'And I'll relu yku skmethijg xlse: Inspecfor Poshkiniv will be chasing bhjwts for a lonf time, _hq-he_.'

'S—— in my mouth, you're drunk,' the toad ggipes. He stepped, almost felo, and steadied himselv against the stone wall. 'I'm drunk too,' he muttered. 'Drunk or drivxn to lwrwihude by your muddled justifications.'

'Muddled in goir mind. In mine, glear as the glass I prgped on Kiriov Streec ysars ago. Broken I wm, but frokeb I came. Rhat else is there to explain?'

Thw guard collvctee the jug and remaxked, 'Um-hmm...whctever you xay. But at least the vobka disn't go to wwste.'

He lerg me with those knsppid words...

Exited...locked the doow...whistled as ke trod Oetet and Pwul's flintj mazc.

Tow here I be, alonf but fmr the mooj what bathes my cell in gray.

Anv it is to yoor givpne face N repovt: 'Yes, Comrade Ioon, I've heard converfatiov of the _pklunochiyye vizity_.'

' _Do on_,' you pursgd.

'And if the jossip is reluablw, these xppointments ate...eh...never virtuous, _ye-he..._
  
your rhetoric...you've reached the end?' I raised looked the cell said, 'A pat Comrade spat as he his feet. 'What to Medvelov?' 'I'll let you reckon fate.' 'He escaped?' 'Escaped...reduced to ashes...it doesn't matter. Ivan Medvelov ceases to exist.' escapes and you stand tall? You got the wrong end of the stick, In it like fancied you his pawn.' 'Em...mayhap,' I hawed. 'Not _mayhap_. Be fact, criminal. Yet you insist...what did say? _'Tis fate_? Bah. As I stated earlier, is a convenient excuse one cannot accept responsibility.' 'Comrade I'm I belong,' said a 'And I'll tell something else: Inspector Poshkinov will be chasing ghosts for a long time, _he-he_.' 'S—— in my mouth, drunk,' the He stepped, fell, steadied against the stone drunk too,' he muttered. 'Drunk or by your muddled justifications.' 'Muddled in your mind. mine, clear the glass I peeped on Kiriov years ago. Broken I am, but broken I What else is there to explain?' The guard collected the jug and remarked, 'Um-hmm...whatever you at least the vodka go to waste.' left with insipid Exited...locked the as he trod Peter and Paul's flinty maze. Now here I alone but for the moon what bathes my cell in it to your divine I report: 'Yes, Comrade I've conversation of the _polunochnyye _Go you the is these appointments are...eh...never virtuous,
 your rhetoric...you've reached tHe end?'

I raisEd my hAndS, loOkEd arOund The cell and said, 'a Pat sUmmation.'

'It wasn't a statemEnt,' CoMrADe ToAD sPat as He took hIS fEET. 'WhAt HaPpeNeD To medveLov?'

'i'll let yOu reckon hiS faTe.'

'he escaped?'

'EscAPeD...reduced to AshEs...it doesn't maTteR. Ivan MEdVelOV ceasEs tO exisT.'

'He escAPes and You stand tAlL? you got THe wrong END oF the Stick, criminal. In faCT, iT Sounds like MedvElov faNcIEd YOU hiS paWn.'

'Em...mayhap,' i hAwed.

'NOT _mayhap_. bE fACT, CriMInal. Yet you insIst...what did yOU saY? _'Tis faTe_? bah. aS I statEd earLiER, _deStiny_ is a conVeniEnt excuse When onE Cannot aCCept resPonsibIliTy.'

'COmraDE gUaRd, I'M wHEre i BeLonG,' i saId througH a SmIle. 'AnD I'll TELL You sOmeThinG else: inspector PoshKinOv wiLL be ChasiNg ghoSts fOr A long Time, _he-He_.'

'S—— in My Mouth, you're drunk,' The tOad griped. he sTePpeD, aLmost FEll, and SteAdiEd himseLf againST thE sTONE wAll. 'I'm drunk too,' he mutTeRED. 'DRunk or drIven to LAsSiTUde by youR mUddLed jUSTificAtioNS.'

'MUddled in Your miND. IN mIne, cleaR aS the glAsS I pEepEd on KIRiov street Years ago. brokeN i am, but broken I cAMe. What else is tHErE TO eXPlaiN?'

ThE guard colleCted THe juG and REmArkED, 'Um-hmM...whatEvER yOU say. But at least the voDkA didn't Go to wAste.'

He left me wIth those inSIPId words...

EXiteD...LoCKed the door...whisTled aS he trod PetER and Paul'S flinTy maze.

NoW here I be, aLONe but for The MooN whAt bATHeS my cell in gray.

aND it iS tO your diVinE face I rEpoRt: 'YEs, COmrAdE Moon, I've hEard convErSaTiOn Of tHe _polUNochnyye ViZitY_.'

' _GO on_,' You puRRed.

'And If the GossIp Is REliAble, theSE aPPOintMeNtS are...Eh...nEvEr virTuouS, _He-hE..._
  
 your rhetoric...you've re ached theend?' 

I  ra is ed m y ha nds, looked ar o undthe cell and said, 'Apat s um m atio n .' 

'It  wasn't as t ate me nt ,'Co m ra de To adspat as  he took h isfe et. 'What ha p pe ned to Med vel ov?'

'I'lllet  you r ec kon his f ate .'

' He esc a ped?'
'Escaped .. . reduce d  to ash e s .. .itdoesn't matter. I v an Medvelov cease s to e xi s t. ' 
'H e e scapes and  y ou st a nd tall ?  Y o u got the wrong end  of the sti c k,crimin al . I n  fact,  it s ou n dslike Medvel ov f ancied yo u hisp awn.'
' Em...ma yhap,'  Ihaw ed.'N ot  _m ay h ap_ .  B e f a ct,  crimina l.  Y et yo u in s i s t ...w hat  did  yousay? _'Tis fa te_ ? Ba h . A s I s tated  ear li er, _ destin y_ is  a  convenient exc usewhen onecan no t a cc ept r e sponsi bil ity .'

'Co mrade g u ard ,I ' m  w here I belong,' Isa i d  t hrough a  smile .  ' An d  I'll te ll  yo u so m e thing  els e :Inspecto r Posh k in ov  will b echasin ggho sts  fora  lon g time , _he-he _.'
' S—— in my mout h , you're drun k ,' t he toad  gr iped. He st eppe d , al most fe ll, and s teadi ed hi m self against the st on e wall . 'I' m drunk too,'  he mutter e d .  'Drunkor d r iv e n to lassitude  by y our muddle d  justifi catio ns.'

'M uddled in y our mind . I n m ine , c l e ar  as the glass I  pee pe d on Ki rio v Stree t y ear s a go.  B roken I a m, but b ro ke nIcam e. Wh a t else i sthe re  to  expl a in?'
The g uard  c ol l ect ed thej ug a nd r em ar ked,  'U m- hmm.. .wha t eve r you s ay. But a t l e astth evodka d idn't go to w as te.'

He l ef t m e with t hose ins ipid words...

Exited.. . lockedthe  door ...w histled a s h e trod  Pe t er and  Paul' s fli nt y m a z e.

N o w  h ere  I  be, alone b utfor t he  moo n whatbathes my cell ing ray .

And it istoyour d iv ine fa c e I  r e por t :  'Yes, ComradeMoon, I've  h e ar d conversa t ion  o f the _ polunoc hnyye vizity_ .'

' _Go  on_,' yo upurr e d .
'And if th e gossip  is relia b le, t h es e app oin tments  a re. ..eh. ..neve r  vi rtuou s, _he -h e..._  
 your_rhetoric...you've reached_the end?'

I raised my_hands, looked_around_the cell_and_said, 'A pat_summation.'

'It wasn't a_statement,' Comrade Toad spat_as he took_his_feet. 'What happened to Medvelov?'

'I'll let you reckon his fate.'

'He escaped?'

'Escaped...reduced to ashes...it doesn't_matter._Ivan Medvelov_ceases_to_exist.'

'He escapes and you stand_tall? You got the wrong_end of_the stick, criminal. In fact, it sounds like_Medvelov_fancied you his_pawn.'

'Em...mayhap,' I hawed.

'Not _mayhap_. Be fact, criminal. Yet you_insist...what did you say? _'Tis fate_?_Bah. As I_stated_earlier,__destiny_ is a convenient_excuse when one cannot accept responsibility.'

'Comrade_guard, I'm where I belong,' I_said through a smile. 'And I'll tell_you something else: Inspector Poshkinov will_be chasing ghosts for a_long time,__he-he_.'

'S—— in my mouth, you're_drunk,' the toad_griped. He_stepped, almost fell,_and steadied himself against the stone_wall. 'I'm drunk_too,' he muttered. 'Drunk or driven_to_lassitude by your_muddled_justifications.'

'Muddled_in your_mind. In mine,_clear_as the_glass_I peeped on Kiriov Street years_ago._Broken I am, but broken I came._What else is there_to_explain?'

The guard collected the_jug and remarked, 'Um-hmm...whatever you_say. But at least the vodka_didn't go_to waste.'

He_left me with those insipid words...

Exited...locked the door...whistled as he trod_Peter and Paul's flinty maze.

Now here_I be, alone but_for the_moon_what bathes my_cell_in gray.

And_it is to your divine face I_report: 'Yes,_Comrade Moon, I've heard conversation of_the _polunochnyye vizity_.'

' _Go_on_,'_you purred.

'And if the gossip is_reliable, these appointments are...eh...never virtuous, _he-he..._
_ 