The Charm School

strapped to the electroshock table, only one language comes out of his or her mouth, and it doesn’t resemble any human language you have ever heard.”
    Burov looked at them both, then said, “Tomorrow morning two interrogators will arrive here from Moscow. The first is a polygraph and drug expert. Your sessions with this man may last several weeks, and aside from some drug hangovers, you will not be uncomfortable in any way. The second interrogator is a man they call the
elektromonter
—the electrician. He dwells in the basement of the Lubyanka, and he has seen things there that would make the three of us sick.” He added, “Luckily for you the choice is yours, not mine.”
    Lisa said, “We’ve chosen.”
    Burov looked into Lisa’s eyes a long time. “What, I wonder, has happened to your spirit.” He shrugged. “Well, anyway, I congratulate you on your wise decision.”
    Hollis asked, “What’s going to happen to Major Dodson?”
    “Oh, you know I have no control over that.”
    “Why not? Who runs this place?”
    Burov seemed annoyed. “You
must
understand, Colonel Hollis, that Dodson, aside from committing a capital offense, has seen too much of the country between here and Moscow. I don’t want him briefing the others about the terrain and such. The man will be executed.”
    “When?”
    “Tomorrow morning.”
    Hollis stood. “You—”
    One of the guards put his hands on Hollis’ shoulders and slammed him back into his chair.
    Burov shrugged. “We simply cannot have people trying to get out of here. It would ruin everything. For all of us. For world peace. For the Americans here as well. They’d be sent somewhere else and probably shot. You understand how important this all is.”
    “I understand,” Hollis replied, “that if Dodson had made good his escape,
you
would have been shot. I understand a system that finds merit in cruelty and uses terror as a management tool.”
    Burov shrugged. “And so do I. But that’s the way we’ve
always
done it here, Hollis, since even before the czars. I terrorize the people below me, and Lubyanka terrorizes me. So terror breeds terror. So what? It works.” He looked directly at Hollis. “I value my head, and Major Dodson’s head is not so valuable to me. I have a family to support.”
    Lisa asked, “Can’t you just
imprison
Major Dodson?”
    “No. We must make a public example of him.”
    Hollis said, “If you kill him, you may have trouble here.”
    “Yes?” Burov looked at him. “You’ve heard that? Well, you can tell your compatriots that I’m prepared to shoot as many of their wives and girlfriends as I have to if they even think of trouble. Will you tell them that for me, Colonel Hollis?”
    “Yes, I will, Colonel Burov. But I was thinking too of
your
compatriots. These young students. How will their new American sensibilities be affected by this execution?”
    “Don’t try to bait me or cow me, Hollis. My students are not going to be affected in any way by Major Dodson’s execution. Even those who knew him will not shed a single tear.”
    “I ask you to consider all the possible consequences of your action, Colonel Burov.”
    “It was up to Dodson and his friends to consider the consequences.”
    Hollis drew a deep breath. “May we go?”
    “In a moment. I want you to report to this headquarters immediately after the execution tomorrow. Yes, it will be a public execution. On the soccer field at eight A . M . You may pass the word around. Any man who does not attend will have his woman shot. Any woman who does not attend will be shot herself. Children are exempt from attending. There will be two hundred Border Guards there, heavily armed. Tell that to General Austin. Let’s try to avoid a bloodbath tomorrow. All right?”
    “Will anyone else be executed?”
    “Yes. Ten others. Major Dodson is now being interrogated regarding his accomplices. If he doesn’t divulge any names, I’ll pick ten people at random, including women.” Burov added, “Don’t feel sorry for them. They knew the rule. I’m sure there won’t be another escape attempt for at least another ten years. Good evening.”
    Hollis and Lisa stood.
    Burov said, “You
will
attend the Halloween festivities tonight. The camp will turn out at the soccer field at eight A . M ., hangovers notwithstanding. You may leave.”
    Hollis walked quickly to the door, followed by Lisa and the two guards.
    They made their way out of the headquarters building and onto the