The Rabbi Who Tricked Stalin Page 16

A night after Natalya’s collapse, Gepau’s Head Antonov wanted to ensure that the letter had been really found by her in the Rabbi’s hut. He sent two Gepau buddies to Rabbi Aaron, in order to validate that. As the Rabbi heard their strikes on his front door, he guessd who they were, and thought that Mogid might have been discovered. ‘But even if that is what happened,’ he told himself, ‘I should deny having anything with his hiding.. . I don’t believe that Blooma has slandered about me. If they tortured her- and had found Mogid with her- then I would face also a real problem: No caretaker for my Raf’l any more. . .But let me see.”

  He was reflecting for a minute, hesitating to open. But he felt that any additional delay would not seem likely for ‘a reasonable time to dress’. However, the Gepaus have already broke his lock and burst in. One long barrel revlover was pulled out by Gepau’s dwarf, who talked Russian in Yiddish accent. Rabbi Aaron knew that his name was Avrum Sverdlov.

  Gepaus’ dwarf entered Rabbi’s bedroom and looked at Raf’l’s small bed inside his ‘coop’. He put off the blanket from the invalid’s sleeping body, and wandered in the room. As Rabbi Aaron escorted him back to the corridor, he indicated the other Gepau man that he hadn’t found anything. The man pointed on Rabbi Aaron, who was standing close to the front door, holding the lighted kerosene lamp. He invited the Gepaus to get into the kitchen, whispering to the dwarf: “Thank you for not awakening my kid, comrade Avrum.”

  “Reb Aaron,” said the dwarf in a flute-like voice,“D’you know a man called: Red Mogid?”

  “I know three men of that namesake.”

  “Are you an acquaintant of a woman, named Natalya Besarobina?”

  “Has something happened to her?” asked Rabbi Aaron.

  “So, you know her!” the dwarf jerked around the table and moved his hand to hint something to the other Gepauman. Both pulled the Rabbi by his beard, slapped his face- and by that broke his round framed glasses, that had fallen on the floor. They folded his hands from behind – and bound them with a rusted chain. The dwarf bent to Rabbi Aaron, fixed on his nose the broken glasses and laughed. Both Gepaus raised him from the floor, by grabbing his elbows.

  The boy began to weep loudly. The two men dragged Rabbi Aron toward the front door, and he turned his head toward the bedroom. He shouted to the boy: “Wait, Raf’l. Wait for Blooma to come. I’ll soon return. Sleep again, don’t worry”

  They Gepaus drove the Rabboi out and banged the door, and he heard that the boy continued to weep: ”Papa, Papa, where are you?”

  Rabbi Aaron was led to Gepau Central Office by a wagon drawned by a horse, together with the two secret policemen. A motorcar was used by Gepau for carrying heavier political criminals, like Natalya, not for the ‘simple tiny suspects’ like Rabbi Aaron.

  At the same night Antonov brought Natalya back to his Interrogation room. Her face was pale. Dark stains surrounded her eyes; her skirt remained stained; her hair uncombed. Her whole figure was leaning away: She was weak and tired, and her face became hot. She was sure that her temperature had risen up to thirty nine C grades, but she did not mention that to her interrogator Antonov, who confronted her again. She was looking to the floor while he spoke to her, standing by his desk. She expected ‘organized text words’ and aggressive tone –and that made her feel tension, but at first Antonov tried to take a softer tone.

  “I hope you feel better, Besarobina,” he said, and she moved her head for : No!

  “Had you admitted your betrayal,” he said, disregarding her reaction, “the sad event would not have happened.”

  “Please, what do…you want now, sir?” she said, using uncommon ‘sir’ in Soviet Russia.

  “You will testify in the People’s Court. We will enable you to appear in a trial. The Soviet state has an excellant justice system.”

  “But what...what is my crime?” she asked.

  “You should confess of conspiring!”

  He walked to the dark curtain, opened in it a narrow gap, and was looking through the window.

  “How? Why?” she said, “I...whatever...”

  He closed the curtain and said, pointing on her:

  “Don’t play with your own life! Admit to what I’ll dictate!”

  “And you will not...torture me any more?”

  “I will not shoot you to death! Isn’t that enough, stupid beauty?!”

  Antonov rang his hand-bell. Tall Aliosha cames in from the side door. He was staring at Natalya, a whip in his hand. He made it whislte very close to her face.

  “Yes, I’ll confess.” she mumbled, “Everything you want me to... Only tell me what to say! Tell me... Please! I want to live.”

  “I’ll guide you. Now is your rehearsal,” said Antonov.

  He showed her the postcard, while speaking to her.

  “Repeat what I say: This postcard is an evidence to my conspiring with Lev Trotsky.”

  “This postcard...is an evidence,” she repeated, “to my conspiring…”

  ”I have met with an American agent,” dictated Antonov, “in the Fair that had taken place in Moscow, alredy in Lenin’s time. He gave me money...”

  Antonov indicated her to declaim this second sentence, which she had done. Then told her to say:

  “I delivered this American’s money to Trotsky’s supporters- Mogid and...” she stopped speaking, and said in excitement: “I’ve forgotten the name, comrade Inquirer!”

  “The man is Dimitry Pik, who had hired a hiding place For Lev Trotsky, enemy of communism.”

  “... Pik, who had hired a hiding place. . .” Her voice was choked and he indicated her, raising his both palms, like a music conductor- to raise it and rehearse his sentence.

  CHAPTER 17