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I remember very little of my return to my island that night. The worldwas horribly dark and cold, the red moon had gone, and a machine-gunpursued me all the way home like a barking dog. I crossed the bridgefrankly with nerves so harassed, with so many private anxieties and somuch public apprehension, with so overpowering a suspicion that everyshadow held a rifle that my heart leapt in my breast, and I was suddenlysick with fear when some one stepped across the road and put his hand onmy arm. You see I have nothing much to boast about myself. My relief wasonly slightly modified when I saw that it was the Rat. The Rat hadchanged! He stood, as though on purpose under the very faint grey lightof the lamp at the end of the bridge, and seen thus, he did in truthseem like an apparition. He was excited of course, but there was more inhis face than that. The real truth about him was, that he was filledwith some determination, some purpose. He was like a child who isplaying at being a burglar, his face had exactly that absorption, thatobsessing pre-occupation.
"I've been waiting for you, Barin," he said in his hoarse musical voice.
"What is it?" I asked.
"This is where I live," he said, and he showed me a very dirty piece ofpaper. "I think you ought to know."
"Why?" I asked him.
"_Kto snaiet_? (who knows?) The Czar's gone and we are all free men...."
I felt oddly that suddenly now he knew himself my master. That was nowin his voice.
"What are you going to do with your freedom?" I asked.
He sighed.
"I shall have my duties now," he said. "I'm not a free man at all. Iobey orders for the first time. The people are going to rule. I am thepeople."
He paused. Then he went on very seriously. "That is why, Barin, I giveyou that paper. I have friendly feelings towards you. I don't know whatit is, but I am your brother. They may come and want to rob your house.Show them that paper."
"Thank you very much," I said. "But I'm not afraid. There's nothing Imind them stealing. All the same I'm very grateful."
He went on very seriously.
"There'll be no Czar now and no police. We will stop the war and all berich." He sighed. "But I don't know that it will bring happiness." Hesuddenly seemed to me forlorn and desolate and lonely, like a lost dog.I knew quite well that very soon, perhaps directly he had left me, hewould plunder and murder and rob again.
But that night, the two of us alone on the island and everything sostill, waiting for great events, I felt close to him and protective.
"Don't get knocked on the head, Rat," I said, "during one of your raids.Death is easily come by just now. Look after yourself."
He shrugged his shoulders. "_Shto boodet, boodet_ (what will be, willbe). _Neechevo_ (it's of no importance)." He had vanished into theshadows.
The Secret City Page 32
