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“I don’t know,” I say.

Misha appears at the open door with the yellow car in one hand.

Alexei turns.

Misha walks over, takes his hand, and pulls.

“Come on, serious man.”

22

ALEXEI

Misha closes his hand around two of my fingers and pulls me toward the attached playroom. I carry the small wooden chess case beneath one arm, and my radio is clipped to my belt.

“Come on, serious man.”

I look at Vera. She stands near the courtyard door with her arms folded over her sweater. Her mouth opens, but Misha tugs my hand again.

“One hour,” she says.

“One hour,” I agree.

She glances toward the door. One guard stands at the chapel turn, while two more remain beyond the family suite’s secured entrance. They don’t look inside, but Vera knows they’re there.

Misha pulls harder. “You’re slow.”

“I was hurt.”

His eyes widen as he looks at my chest. “You walk now.”

“I do.”

Vera presses her lips together and gives me a pointed look. “Now he’ll ask about your injuries a hundred times.”

“I’m sorry.”

Misha keeps hold of my fingers and leads me into the playroom. Low shelves cover one wall, boxes of blocks and cars sit beneath them, and a padded rug stretches across the floor. A child-sized table and a small chair stand in the center of the room, while a low couch sits beside the wide glass panel.

Oksana brings a chair for me.

Misha points at the chess case. “What’s that?”

“A game.” I place it on the table, pull out a chair, and sit.

“Cars?” He rushes over, grips my knees, and tries to climb onto my lap without looking at the board.

“No.”

“Dinosaurs?”

“No.”

He lets go. “Maybe later.”

“Oksana, please put him in his chair opposite me.”

She lifts him into it. I bend down a little and open the chessboard between us. Oksana takes a seat near the toy shelves. Misha looks at the pieces for a few seconds, climbs down, and returns with the one-eyed bear.