Inessa looked at him with helpless eyes, and when the little trickles of tears ran down her cheeks, she did not wipe them with the smart handkerchief that lay on the table instead of a napkin.
You, comrade Inessa, do not have sufficient revolutionary courage, weak, and should be happy that even such a damned bourgeois disease as syphilis, gave you not just anyone, not some bourgeois, but genius leader of the world revolution, Lenin. The imperialists specifically sent me a woman with this disease, they are trying to get back at me for exposing them, for raising the masses against them, but they did not succeed. Why didnt it work? because I am a staunch revolutionary. And as soon as I come to power, I will eliminate this disease, and all those who are ill with this disease, I will hang, shoot. This will be the verdict of the revolutionary court. Here you are, you damned imperialists, a cuckoo to you, not a victory over genius, genius cannot be defeated. Even time has no power over him.
10
Parvus did almost everything for Lenin to take power. If there were no Parvus, there would be no Lenin. Parvus could not have imagined that in his effort, in a successful Scam to persuade the German leadership to allocate huge amounts of money for the revolution to a little-known clerk, Lenin would see a subterfuge, a desire to push him away from the Supreme power and basely betrayed his patron.
Inessa, like any sweet and weak woman, froze with the glass in her hands, she was overcome by fear, mixed with love for this man, the glass fell out of her hands and broke into pieces.
Whats wrong with you, Inessa? are you ill? Now I will read you a Chapter from my work What to do? it will make you feel better. The revolutionary spirit it encourages, it leads to victory, and victory is the screams, the whistling of bullets, the flow of blood, the roar of the crowd. And the crowd that flock of sheep. What a thrill, its hard to imagine! Just dont think that I stole the title of my work from Chernyshevsky. He, this novel, so-so. Rus: to the axe, and there is nothing else there. I just recently read his opus, so through one page. I reached the axe and threw it. Chernyshevskys a sucker. We dont need an axe, but a large-caliber weapon. I read the title once and thought: why dont I write a political novel What to do? Want me to read it? There are outstanding places there, where is Leo Tolstoy or Chernyshevsky? This is very important, sit down, listen! Well, I ask you, and my request is like an order from the mouth of the leader of the world revolution.
N-no! I was afraid, sorry for the moment of weakness. Just tell me: do I also fall under this list of patients to be hanged or shot?
What kind of shooting, Inessa? Sometimes execution is replaced by hanging, especially when there are not enough bullets and guns. Lets do this. Read my work What to do? and then go to Paris, see the professors, have them treat you. This syphilis, as you call it, was sent to me by the Czars gendarmes. I will hang this king! no, Ill put him alive in a barrel of acid.
Yes, I tried, I read one page of your work, but, Im sorry, there is such gibberish, such a clumsy syllable, who can read it to the end?
Well, there are separate places you know, they dont belong to me. Gershon Apfelbaum set it up. After his eighth glass of beer, he began to scribble. The fact is that we are writing this outstanding work together, together, so to speak. And this is very important. You know, we always get together with him, genius people have genius fights, and Gershon is the master of these fights. I even hit him on the back with a rolling pin, and it turns out that he likes it: he sometimes cries, then screams with joy. And it is in my brilliant work tries to introduce these squabbles as much as possible. You can avoid them. By the way, Gershon wants to become a Zinoviev, a Russian man, which means that he must break with the Jews. He is ready to betray his faith, his namefor thirty pieces of silver, and all for the sake of a world revolution. So you, after reading at least the first part of my brilliant work, go to France. In the meantime, calm down, be as courageous as any friend of a great man.
Where will I get funds for treatment, Volodya?
Ill give you ten thousand francs, said Lenin. You want fifty. You have the right to help you contribute to the good cheer of the leader of the world revolution. You have no one to take it from, and I take it from my mother, and she sends me part of her pension, and it will continue until she gives her soul to God. Oh, forgive me until she gives me her soul, because I, Lenin, will become an earthly God as soon as the world revolution is complete, as soon as we free all countries from the yoke of capitalism.
Ten thousand.. . Yes, this amount is enough for one reception.
Lenin scratched his head. His mind worked clearly and always correctly. There are two options for helping Inessa: either he will write to his mother send all his pension to the world revolution, mother, or a party friend and his legal wife, Nadia, will hurry to get the inheritance after their parents died. But when will they die? contribute to it. Maybe they should send Kobu to kill them, or rather, put them in bed and cover them with bags of salt so that they dont freeze, the world revolution cant wait.
Inessa started to say something, but he held up a finger, which meant: shut up Inessa. Both of them
11
we heard loud music and the sound of a drum. Lenin started.
This is an attempt! Lenin was afraid. He turned pale and rushed to put the pot on his head, and then, like a frightened cat, leaped through the open window, and was gone.
Inessa couldnt help but laugh, she hadnt seen him like this before, and yet she ran out into the street and watched which way he ran.
Cavalcade of the people of the South nationalities has forced her to stop. Soso Dzhugashvili actually fired a pistol into the air, while others accompanied it with applause and dancing.
A crowd of violinists, slender girls, and two powerful Caucasians appeared around the corner, tap dancing or performing an unknown Georgian dance with the refrain-AssA, AssA!
Soso raised a hand.
Mi na Lenyn, on the guest, on the important guest.
Inessa was not at a loss.
Volodya has just gone to get some mushrooms. You wait for us in the garden, sit in the chairs, there are decanters of mineral water, beer, all sorts of snacks. Red caviar, black caviar, cold smoked eel. We felt that guests were coming. However, we have someone visiting us every day. Gershon alone is worth something, she said his name in a half-whisper and ran away.
A narrow path, strewn with red sand, led down the hill to the mighty fir trees where the paramedics had recently visited with saws.
Volodya! leader of the world revolution, where are you? dont be so careful, as it is in Russian, and cowardly. These are guests from the Caucasus. The delegation is headed by Dzhugashvili, a short, strong man with a pockmarked face.
But no one answered. Suddenly she saw a bunch of spruce branches in a small clearing, they seemed to be moving all the time. It was Lenin who was sneezing on the damp ground. She came closer.
Genius of the world revolution, get up! Its me, Inessa. You have company. They are waiting at the house.
Are you in League with them? admit it, its better. The masses wont forgive you.
The chief hatched and, half crouching, cowardly lowered his head, and went up the hill with his friend, leaning on her arm.
Lenin, as soon as he saw the guests, clapped his hands.
This is Dzhugashvili, the future Stalin and Ter-Petrosyan, two great revolutionaries in the South of Russia and my right hand in expropriation the Jew Krasin.
As soon as the Caucasians entered the house and slammed the bags of gold rubles on the floor, Lenin, as if not paying attention to this wealth, burst into the Homeric laughter peculiar to him, the leader of the world revolution, and said:
Comrade Stalin and comrade camo, be familiar with Inessa Armand-the best revolutionary in France. She came to the future leader of the world revolution, Lenin, to convey that the French people will join the working class of Russia, and together with them will stand on the barricades to the victorious end.
Am I going to be Stalin from now on? Mne white has such a resonant nickname? Me, the Caucasian bandit, life is now Stalin? Ti heard Perdolan-Budosan, Kamo? AssA, AssA, the young Djugashvili, who had been renamed Stalin by Lenin, danced again.
And mine is called Kamo. Ochen wisely chose the name. Stalin-Kamo, Stalin-Kamo. Kamo-Lenin, Kamo-Stalin-Druze, Bratva, how is it better to say it in Russian?
I was planning to make a revolution in Europe, not among these goose dugaks, but Ill have to change my tactics. Tova looking for B onstein claims that the geese are the dung of the isto AI. Its a hi important. But so 11
Ganetsky brought a bag of money. It wasnt a floor-to-ceiling bag, it could hold as many bills as a suitcase, but it was still a bag of money. Previously, the chief was happy with such an offering, dreamed of giving up his mothers pension, which was shared monthly with him, but forgot everything. The proletarian idlers had to live on something. Money bags bubbled and then became flat.
How are you, Ilyich? Is there enough money? Brought two million from Russian patrons for the revolution, and for the salaries of our employees, he said, fixing his red eyes on the safe that stood in the corner and always looked at its true owner, Ilyich. Heres the bag, all right, seals, stamps, you can look at it. Give me the key, open it and pack it.
Lenin narrowed his left eye.
Statement! Youre a scoundrel, I know you, probably stole half the bills. Youre wearing a suit. New, dear. And I, the leader of the world proletariat, have been wearing the same clothes since spring. The jacket and vest arent bad, but the pants smell like piss. You know how it is. The jet reduces the pressure of urine on the pants. I should take it off and throw it away, buttheres nothing to replace it with. How so? Im still a chief, not a dog. Show me your pants! Here, not a single spot. How many times do you change your pants-once a day?
Ganetsky was offended, blushed, wanted to shoot loudly, but it did not work.
The same thing. You dont trust anyone. Do you even believe your mother?
Anything can happen. When a pension is delayed, I just hate it. How so? Her son, the leader of the world revolution, wears only trousers. My mother and you are a pair of boots. You, ganetsky add at least two hundred thousand. On the costume. Bitch d, nowhere notll spend, buy a suit and all. If you want, Ill take the receipt from the store for presentation. Ganetsky is a lousy Jew. And youre driving me, a genius, to beg you. Give me the key to the safe and get out. Hey, Apfelbaum, have you cleaned your house yet? Go get the keys from that lousy Jew. However, you can not give, I will demand that my mother sent a pension. When I really need money, I count it ten times, thinking that my mother hid some of the money, did not exactly divide the pension in half. I am suffering a little nervous. And then the kindness comes, and I start talking to myself: what about her with the old woman, she is old, greedy and we will be the same. Youre a lousy Jew! key on the table! Otherwise Ill turn around and tell you my name. Ill go to the hookers and dump the whole bag.
Lenin was excited. Her lips began to tremble and her face to burn. The pockets were empty the key to the safe was hidden in the back pocket of his trousers.
Look in the moth, you always hide it there.
Oh, Yes, its very important, Leni said, and reached into his pants.
Finally, he waved his hand and started scribbling, and the amount did not interest him at all.
Whats wrong, Ilyich? Throw your Talmud in the oven.
Yes here it does not work, or rather, beyond the fact that nothing comes out. The revolution is on the decline, we are not needed by anyone and will soon become miserable emigrants, thats what happens. Did you bring the newspaper?
Something, something, read it. Our blood brother, Gelfand Israel, called Parvus, wrote something. Its damned interesting. A plan a wise plan. Parvus, the great Parvus. A real Jew, while you and I are both lousy Jews.
Um, they count chickens in the fall. Thats what my mother says when I ask her to send her entire pension to the world revolution.
Nevertheless, the words great Parvus stung Lenin, either in the left side or in the bald spot, and he shuddered and almost broke the inkstand.
This Parvus, this goodgulf, he wants to undermine my authority in the party, I noticed it long ago. I wont allow it. He slammed his fist on the table top and rested his chin on his open palm. How do I get him out of the way? Furstenberg, tell me. Hang or shoot? Koba-Stalin could have done it, if Yakub had called him. Why are you looking at me like a RAM at a new gate? call him and thats it. Why did you come here, I didnt call you, you bastard? Give him ten thousand and thats it. If its not enough, give me twenty. You have the money about a million.
Why clean it? make friends with him. Where did you put this Apfelbaum? He also wrote works, signing them with your name. And sometimes replaced you with a woman. And this, I will tell you, is the best medicine.
Take off your pants, I want to try you out, too.
Im not ready for this. I need to relieve myself.
You forget yourself, Fustenberg. I never did any sodomy, especially after that pretty Inessa arrived. I switched to it.
Volodya, dont be angry. You put everyone away somewhere, send them away you fuck them one at a time, you slobber all over them. Apfelbaum is complaining about you
Is it Zinoviev? Im tired of him. Sent him away, let him go where he wants, let him get some air. Thats it, ganetsky, go away. Im tired of you all. Ill take a NAP, then read this newspaper. What does this Parvus of yours think?
Dont touch Parvus, he will do for you what no Jew in the world will do: he will give you power on a silver platter.
Get out of here, Ganetsky. Im tired of you, too. Im tired of all of you, and Im tired of everything. The leader of the world revolution is angry.
As soon as Ganetsky (Furstenberg) smoothly closed the door behind him, Lenin opened the newspaper and froze in surprise, there was a plan for the future October revolution of 17. Parvus is wise, damn it. But Lenin in this project was listed only as a secondary person, as a performer. It had hurt him. But what was in this plan came in handy for Lenin. He began to alter this plan in his own way. The Parvus plan says: The proletariat cannot strike a class blow at its government without committing high treason, without contributing to the defeat, without helping to break up ' its imperialist great power, " he argued rather confusedly, foaming at the mouth. This was exactly what Parvus later reported to the German General staff. And there they agreed to cooperate with the traitor of their country to Russia, Lenin, Parvus asked for fifty million gold marks. This is Lenins cheered. Why hadnt he guessed? We need to meet this Parvus and strangle him, not the planpass it off as your own.