OPERATION “SINGAPORE”

NICK NEIM

FOREWORD

I don’t know how important this preface is, but in case anyone is curious to know how sometimes a short story transfers into a novella, I’ll give you an example.

I once presented to readers a story of two friends living in different countries in different hemispheres. It was associated with a mysterious event – the disappearance of a young woman, as well as the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, the destruction of the Twin Towers and the death of thousands of people.

You, of course, recognized the short story “Forget the White Monkey,” which caused numerous responses and discussions. At the same time, the majority complained that the story was “so short”; readers wanted to know the details and explanations of the mysterious phenomena.

And the author thought, “Why not?” and went along with their wishes.

What came of it is up to you to judge. The story is in front of you.

ALYOSHA

“In my opinion, Mark is a very good and decent person,” said Zoyka, “He helped me pay for my education and got me an internship in England.”

“Well, I remember that you were in very close relationships with him…”

“That’s the thing. A long time ago, long before the financial ones. I didn’t see him for two years afterwards, and when my father passed away and I had nothing to pay for my studies, Mark lent me money and got me a job, but at the same time he never hinted at the old things!”

“Really never?” Alyosha doubted.

“Yes. Never! Moreover… I don’t even know if I need to tell you this, but since I promised to tell you frankly, so be it! One day, I myself invited him to meet, well, you understand…, but he refused.”

“You offered, but he… refused?”

“Yes exactly so.”

“Did he somehow explain his refusal? Or, just no and that’s it?”

“Well, why so rude? He explained, of course. He said that he did not want to mix his former love with his current business partnership, and that I did not owe him more than what I borrowed from him. And he doesn’t take interest from me, much less in such form.”

Alexey wrinkled his forehead and thought. What Zoya said went well with his knowledge of Mark, a talented businessman and reliable partner. Alyosha liked Zoya’s story. It looks like he can accept Mark’s offer and risk his money for future dividends.

A couple of days ago, Mark paid Alexey for a large batch of imported cigarettes and cigars purchased for his restaurant. They sipped Hennessy, washing it down with thick Turkish coffee. It was very late, one might even say very early, and in Mark’s restaurant in New Park, besides them, there were only cleaners sweeping and moping the halls, and the driver-bodyguard Kolyan was locking the premises. It was damn cozy in Mark’s office, rather resembling a small library of an expensive club or the cabins of an ocean-going yacht, and the atmosphere was conducive to confidential conversations.

“I have a business proposal for you, Alyosha,” Mark began, “Do you want to participate in a business project related to another country? We will deliver them a shipment of goods. They pay well, in dollars. But I don’t want the currency to cross our country’s border and come under control, so that who share my views and have the opportunity to deposit money into the accounts of their loved ones abroad will be able to take part in this operation and get his share.”

“I have a very close friend in the USA,” said Alexey, “We were like brothers all ten years at school. Then we entered the Polytechnic College together, and then, in the first year, he dropped out and emigrated. Since then, we have not seen each other or communicated for twelve years.”

“Well, the candidate is suitable,” Mark approved, “You will need to come to an agreement with him. Let’s discuss some details tomorrow, and then you’ll call him from abroad when you’re on a business trip.”

Alyosha wanted to ask about the business trip, but Mark beat him to it,

“Tomorrow I will tell you the details, but for now I need to have your preliminary consent to the partnership, and you will have to invest some amounts, including travel allowances, into the enterprise.

Alyosha paused and made a counter-proposal,

“Tomorrow I will listen to the explanation, find out the numbers and then in a day I will give you my final answer. If this suits you, then consider that you have my preliminary consent.”

“Okay,” said Mark, “Then let’s say goodbye until the evening. Can you get to the bowling alley in the Park by six?”

“Yes I can. See you at the bowling alley!”

He feverishly remembered where he had the phone number of the beautiful Zoya from a Foreign Language College, who had once had an affair with Mark. Will she be able to add pros or cons to the portrait of a businessman? Still, he will have a difficult decision to make…

MARK

The insinuating voice on the phone asked if everything was ready to receive distinguished guests, according to the reservation for tonight.

“Everything is ready, of course,” Mark answered calmly and confidently, “We will please you with both the assortment and quality.”

He wanted to joke, “regardless of the stature of the guests,” but changed his mind “for the sake of self-security” since the reservation for the evening was made… by the state security service.

Mark’s restaurant was called “Yes” and was advertised with the slogan “We don’t have the word “no” for you! It was a type of a game – no one waiter or bartender was allowed to say “no” to clients, and new employees received two days of training from a linguist. Once upon a time, in the place of “Yes,” an establishment called “Spring,” where Mark worked as a chef, served exclusively party and government delegations, but now any guests who agreed with the reservation rules and price list could dine here. There was no end to visitors, thanks to the cultivated etiquette and the menu designed for sophisticated tastes.

In the evening, a cavalcade of expensive foreign cars drove up to the main entrance, where doormen in the uniform of Swiss Guards with their halberds in the position “Parade” greeted the guests. The lean and fit guests from both the Russian and European sides, demonstrating military bearing even in tuxedos, favorably appreciated such greeting.

Mark met the guests in the hall and invited them to the festively laid table. This part of etiquette was an important element of business when new connections were formed and old ones were strengthened. And now, Mark immediately noticed among the Russian guests General Smirnov, director of the April military plant, located in the Moscow suburbs on the river Yauza. They knew each other from previous meetings and friendly cocktails in Mark’s office.

“Hello, Mark,” the general greeted him warmly.

“I’m glad to see you here, Anatoly Sergeevich,” the businessman responded cordially, “Are you a guest or the host today?”

“A guest, thank God. I can relax.”

“Well, have a pleasant evening, and if you wish, you are welcome to my “smoking room”, they brought me magnificent cigars!”

“Thanks Mark, maybe I’ll take a peek behind the curtain as we’ve seen off the visitors.”

To an attentive observer, Mark, who noticed two or three aircraft designers and electronics specialists, as well as officials from the ministry, a short conversation with the general told a lot – the ministry celebrates successful negotiations with the Europeans on joint flying (into space?) technology, while the general wants to discuss something without witnesses. And, indeed, if we omit the description of the delicious dishes and fine wines served to the table, then by midnight, when most of the guests had already left, the general looked into Mark’s office, where a gentleman’s set of coffee, cognac, and cigars was waiting for him.

“Well, how is it, Anatoly Sergeevich,” Mark asked, “Is business developing, are orders coming in?”

“To my regret, not as I would like. Our capabilities significantly exceed order volumes, especially in the field of electronics.”

“And what, have we become competitive in this area?”

“We have always been! We just never tried to enter the market. Now, Mark, is it possible for you, say, to open a new hall, equip it with imported furniture and entourage and keep it locked, just in case?”

“That’s impossible, Anatoly Sergeevich, we are regulated by the market, we can’t afford this.”

“Well, I believe that a state without an Iron Curtain is also regulated by the international market, but many still use “security” and “secrecy” to cover up idleness and squander of public funds. But the workers of a factory, even a military one, are also part of the state. In a word, if we do not produce what we can, and especially in the volumes that we can, then we get into the pockets of both the state and our own, so we begin to live worse, even with a constant salary.”

“Well, Anatoly Sergeevich, I understand you. I’ll look for a customer. Specify the product.”

The general paused, took a sip of cognac, smoked a cigar, and, apparently having made up his mind, said,

“Silicon chips. Integrated circuits. High tech.”

Mark took a sip too. Smirnov was probably fed up. The information was not only secret, but sounded fantastic. Well, what sober-minded businessman would think that Russia is capable of producing chips? But the general is clearly sober! That’s it – I believed it! So let’s go ahead, with a song! Out of excitement and anticipation of the operation, Mark began to whistle the popular tune in his family, “In the Cape Town’s Port.”

“I’ll make inquiries, Anatoly Sergeevich, and you, come for a visit. We have lunch and agree to go hunting or to the steam room. You will not regret!

CHEN

A few days later, the owner of the just opened restaurant “The Great Wall” in the revived China Town in Moscow, introduced Mark to his brother named Chen, a businessman from Singapore. After talking about this and that, they quickly became interested in each other. Chen – with the desire to purchase cheap electronics, Mark – with the desire to sell it. When Chen realized that we were talking about chips, he could not believe that this product was lying under his feet, and most likely did not trust the excellence of production. On the other hand, his brother recommended Mark to him as one of the most reliable partners he knew in this country.

“Dear Mark, I don’t like mysterious omissions, I’m very interested in buying a large batch of chips for personal computers. I would say very large, but the volume of the order is limited by the speed of new developments, which require new chips. You understand that I am most concerned about the quality of the product.”

“I absolutely agree with you, dear Chen, so I will present you with samples for analysis, which, I hope, will satisfy all international standards. And then we can discuss the financial side of the project.”

“I like your honest approach to the matter, Mark, and I will answer the same straight. If the samples turn out to be not competitive, then the deal will not take place, and now we without waiting for the results of the test, can discuss the contract, believing that everything is in order.”

“Well, Chen, it’s very nice to see a frank and business partner, as you were recommended. What is the order quantity?”

“One million chips!”

“At a unit price…”

“Here I will make a proposal that you can check and approve or reject, but it is unlikely to change. We are interested in dumping prices, and we will not be able to pay more than 50% of the accepted market prices.”

“I think that this clause of the contract will be accepted,” agreed Mark.

“Then let’s move on to specific numbers. With such an order volume, the market cost per unit of production is $20-$25. This means you can count on $10, under one condition – the packaging must have a stamp – the Logo of a certain campaign, not your company.”

“I will try to convince the manufacturer that $50 per chip is an unrealistic estimate…”

“And you will be absolutely right! Of course, such a figure exists, but at volumes two orders of magnitude lower!”

“But the total cost will likely be $12.5 million, including Logo!”

“Let’s round it to twelve, and move on to the details,” said Chen.

“Okay, twelve. Let’s move on.”

“Who will come to Singapore for finalizing the deal?” asked Chen.

“Personally, I will, with my assistants.”

“Very well. You will receive ten percent immediately upon arrival of the cargo, you may have it in cash, and the remaining amount – after customs clearance and our technical check. Usually it takes a day or so.”

“Let’s clarify a little. We don’t need cash, well, except for souvenirs; all transfers are to bank accounts,” said Mark.

“Fine. How many of you will there be?”

“I think, there will be four of us.”

“Everyone will receive ten, and you will receive twenty thousand American dollars – a gift from our company for souvenirs. What about transfer to your bank?”

“A million should be deposited to the each of two different personal accounts. One – immediately upon my arrival, and the other, as well as ten million to the company’s account, a day or two later after verification.”

“This is possible. Only one note – during the inspection you and your assistants will be guests at a country villa, on a fishing trip,” clarified Chen.

“With pleasure. And in return for the courtesy, my friend – your brother, Chen, will spend these same days hunting, also outside the city with my good friends,” finalized Mark.

Chen bowed slightly,

“We seem to understand each other unusually well.”

“Yes, dear Chen, and as it usually happens, we will begin to value mutual accuracy and sincerity even more after the completion of this business project.”

“I have no doubt, Mark, and, if you wish, all the discussed figures can be strictly confidential between us, without being made public in my company.”

“How nice it is to deal with a prudent person! I need the strictest confidentiality between us regarding the very first deposit to a bank account and the usual confidentiality of your company regarding the remaining amount. The first account should be opened in Citibank in the name of Anna Levin, with the password “marianna1990” when the project takes place. And what about the account number?”

“You will receive it in the “good luck cookie” during the tea ceremony, soon after your arrival.”

“That’s elegant! Information for other accounts, personal one and the company account, will be attached to customs documents and invoices.

“Well, this was an extremely useful conversation, I’ll wait for samples for analysis. They can be given to my brother. He will also buy you tickets to Singapore when you need it.”

Mark said goodbye to both Chen brothers. The evening was indeed extremely fruitful and promising.

ALYOSHA

The tourist group, which naturally fitted in a young man named Alexey, was met by a guide at the Singapore airport Changi.

“Well, comrades gentlemen,” he said, “You didn’t expect such modern from a third world country, did you?”

The group hummed in unison, confirming the idea expressed.

“And the whole point is that Singapore is one of the four Asian “tigers”, along with Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong, which are “showing their claws” in the world export, and at the same time barely escaping the seven mile strides of China that steps on their heels.

Then, in retaliation for the cultural enlightenment, the guide was bombarded with questions about where to buy, sell, exchange, look, try and other tourist rubbish, which Alexey did not care about at all. Of course, together with others, he voted for buying a cheap computer and going to the hot spots, since he remembered Mark’s instructions “on blending into the background.” But Alyosha was not at all sure that he would take part in an over program coven.

His personal plan included exploring the city, choosing a room for four in an inexpensive but decent hotel located near a Citibank branch and cafe-restaurants, visiting the post office and a telephone office. All this had to be done in free time, without needlessly missing excursions.

The hotel to which they were taken by excursion bus exactly corresponded to Alexey’s plans. Neat and simple interiors, polite treatment. The first thought was “what else to look for, this is a suitable option,” but then he remembered the instructions “don’t rush, look around, don’t take the first thing you come across” and got ready for an evening walk, although after a long flight he wanted to sleep off.

Apparently this feeling was shared by the majority of tourists, because his roommate immediately prepared the bed and went to the shower, and down in the hall and near the counter Alexey did not notice anyone from their group.

“How much does a hotel room cost?” he asked the receptionist on duty.

“Depending on the time of year and day of the week, the price for a standard room with two wide beds ranges from 60 to 120 Singapore dollars.”

“Is a room with four beds cheaper?”

“On the contrary, it’s more expensive! But this is no longer a room, but a suite; we don’t keep those. There is a door between some rooms, you can open it by paying for two rooms.”

“Is there a post office or internet cafe nearby?”

“There is a post office in five blocks, an Internet cafe in three blocks, there is also a computer connection in the hotel.”

Alexey thanked him and walked away pleased with himself. Firstly, his knowledge of English was sufficient for now, and secondly, in a minute of conversation he learned so much! What he liked most was that the doors between standard rooms were opened for four guests, and people were not pushed into one room for cheap, as in a student dorm. Now it was time to stretch his legs.

The streets were clean and well lit. The area was clearly not touristy, judging by the small number of stores and shops. Mostly there were food items. There were restaurants and cafes. Aha, here’s the bank he needs. Next to the post office. Well, the travel agency very skillfully chose the place to stay – this was a residential area, which meant the hotels were simple and inexpensive, there was somewhere to eat, it was relatively quiet, and our excursion bus would take those who want to the center and for entertainment for an additional fee. And here was a competing hotel. At the entrance there were stylized lions on their hind legs: you could take a bet with yourself that the rooms here would be more expensive. Alyosha boldly chatted with the receptionist and did not understand who won the bet, since the price for a standard room turned out to be from 50 to 150 dollars, of course, “depending…”

On the way back, he found an online store. It was difficult to call this place a “cafe”, even though there was a tea and coffee machine, as well as Pepsi and bags of crunches. But there were computers on small tables, and for a fee you could call any country – by phone or Skype. Alexey figured that it was early morning in New York and, mentally crossing himself, dialed the number.

“Hello,” said a pleasant girlish voice.

“Hello, can I speak to Anya?”

“Yes, please speaking, it’s me.”

“Is it Anya Levin?”

“Yes. And who is it?” notes of dissatisfaction appeared in the voice.

“My name is Aleksey. Regards to you from Mark Vysotsky.”

“Oh, Marik!” dissatisfaction instantly disappeared, “How is he doing? He haven’t called for a while.”

“Everything is fine with him – he’s busy with work,” He asked me to call you because it was about finances and he didn’t want to call from there. And I’m abroad now.”

“Are you in New York? Can we meet?”

“Unfortunately no. I am very far from you – in Singapore. Tomorrow I will send you a letter from Mark, which you will receive shortly. It will contain details and answers to all the questions you already want to ask. For now, I’ll make Mark’s main request. He asks you to fly to Singapore, go to Citibank and take possession of a large bank deposit in your name. A quarter of all the money in the account is yours, it’s a gift from Mark to you, for your future wedding. The other quarter is mine, and the rest of the money is Mark’s. Remember the account password, it will not be present in the letter. This is the name that your grandmother, mother and Marik called you as a child. Do you remember it?”

“Are you laughing at me, or what? I remember it certainly!”

“Okay, so this name, and after it goes the year when you arrive in Singapore. Everything is written together, all letters are small. Right at the bank, when you leave a sample of your signature and complete other formalities, change the password and do not show it to anyone.”

“Well, it’s not often in the morning that you get calls like this!”

“You know, Anya, this is the first time in my life that I’m in Singapore and calling New York. And I’ll be honest – I like it.”

“So call again. Don’t you have anyone here?”

“I have a friend. But we didn’t communicate for “a hundred” years.”

“Especially, call him! Oh, please tell me…”

“If you have a question, Anya, then, please, refrain from asking it. I promise to send you the answers tomorrow. Do you have the same address?”

“Yes, the one Mark used to write to.”

“Then, all the best. We’ll definitely meet again someday!”

“Goodbye, Alexey.”

SMIRNOV

Fallen leaves rustled pleasantly on the paths of the park. Mark had already been waiting for the general for about ten minutes. With the current traffic jams it is difficult to be punctual, and without any irritation he lit a cigarette, pondering the situation.

So far, everything was developing according to plan. Chen highly appreciated the chip samples, Alexey explored Singapore and Anya agreed to help. Now it was necessary to draw up an agreement under which the distributor (Alexey’s company) would pay the manufacturer (“April”) 1 – 2 months after receiving the order (i.e. after the sale to the Singapore customer).

This had its pros and cons. On the one hand, such an agreement protected against the possible but unlikely refusal of the customer. On the other hand, unfortunately, the lack of several million dollars did not allow to first pay off the manufacturer and then deal with both the dividends and the risk ourselves. And one more thing – the production of a large batch of chips will undoubtedly attract the attention of security authorities, after which every step will be under control and, therefore, must be extremely accurate, direct and legally correct.

“Good afternoon, Mark. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long?”

“Everything is fine, Anatoly Sergeevich.”

“Well, let’s determine, where we are.”

“The high quality of the chips is assessed, we can sign an agreement.”

“I clarified that it is legally possible to supply you, distributors, with a product over cashless payments, and receive the money later. But it is not entirely clear why the distributor has such a privilege, and where are the guarantees that the customer will not be deceived?” – asked Smirnov.

“I thought you trust me, General.”

“Let’s say I do. I did not claim that it was you, who would deceive me. These could be customers or your partners. And besides, it may not be me who is deceived, but “April.” For some this makes a big difference, but for me it makes no difference!”

“I have the following arguments: I perform the operation, so I am responsible for the partners. And the customer’s brother spends two or three days hunting with you or your people. His safety is a guarantee of their honesty. Lastly, you don’t pay anything to distributors until the transaction is completed.”

“I will object in order,” said the general, “It’s good that you are so confident in your partners, but this is your confidence, not mine! And then, how and with what are you going to respond for them?

The customer’s brother is good. Where is the confidence that between them there is brotherly love and not blood enmity?

What if you don’t call? Does this mean something bad or did the phone just fall into the water? They’re taking you hunting or fishing too, am I not mistaken? Well, if things really are bad, then who do you think will deal the Chinese? My fighters are not gangsters or terrorists!

And lastly, payment after the operation is a childish argument when it is twenty times less than the amount of the goods.”

“What do you propose, Anatoly Sergeevich?”

“Tell me, Mark, who will go to Singapore?”

“How do you know that we are going to Singapore?”

“It was enough to trace where you took the chip samples to identify the buyer, Mr. Chen from Singapore, the brother of the owner of the “The Great Wall” restaurant. And at the same time we checked whether you know how to get rid of the “tail”. Well, now I know that you are bad dealing with “tails”, but the Chen brothers are really very close. Additionally, no other observer was spotted. Not yet so far!”

“Anatoly Sergeevich, now, you won’t need a mediator to negotiate with Chen…”

“No, Mark, everything remains as it was. You found a customer, made a deal with him, so now develop the operation. But as a partner who risks perhaps more than you, I want to know the details and, according to seniority, intervene in what I am more competent in. So, back to my question: who is going to Singapore?”

“I’m with my partner – Alexey, my driver-bodyguard Nikolay and a translator – Alexey will choose him up.”

“What is Nikolay good with?”

“He is an excellent driver and has belts in karate…”

“When was the last time he competed?”

“About four years ago. Do you think he is not in shape?”

“I think he’s good for your restaurant, nothing more, considering that he’s doing just as bad with tails as you are. Okay, it’s easy to help this matter. Another Nikolay will fly in his place – my man. I think he’s fine with both driving and self-defense. He can protect you and makes sure that no one with money runs away. And your Nikolay will go hunting with Chen from Moscow. I’ll give them a couple of rangers. But keep in touch with Nikolay and give him instructions about Chen yourself. Now, how were you going to transfer the money?”

“According to the agreement with Chen, after a technical check of the chips, which takes one or two days that we spend fishing while Chen’s brother is hunting, we go to the bank and check the availability of money in our company’s account and in your personal account. As agreed – ten and one. Then Chen can finish the hunt, and we return home and transfer the money wherever you say.”

“No, you deposit money into your personal account and the company’s account, but not yours, but “April’s”, which I will give you now. As soon as the transfer is confirmed, and I see it on the computer, my rangers will finish the hunt and everyone will go home. My Nikolay will be in the know. Well, if something doesn’t work out, consult him. Know that he is your friend and helper, as long as we are together!”

“Yes, Comrade General, you turned it all out cool!”

“I wouldn’t say. Just as an officer, I’m standing guard. And you know, Mark, a translator, even the most familiar one, usually works for intelligence. Any questions?”

“Only one. And not on business, but out of curiosity. Where do you get these commercially competitive chips from?”

“It’s simple. In 1951, two communist intelligence officers, Joel Bar and Alfred Sarant, moved to the Union from the States, who escaped arrest in the case of the Rosenberg spouses. Remember? The same ones executed for transferring the secrets of the atomic bomb to Moscow. Here they became known as Joseph Venyaminovich Berg and Philip Georgievich Staros. They were electrical engineers who worked on radar and also had good knowledge of semiconductor devices. For about five years they worked in Czechoslovakia and developed the first Soviet anti-aircraft radar weapon.

They then moved to Leningrad, where they worked on creating computers for the army. In 1962, having met Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev, they convinced him to create a scientific center for electronics – the city of Zelenograd, as opposed to Silicon Valley. The head of the center was Fedor Viktorovich Lukin, the creator of military radar systems, cruise missiles in the fleet, and the Moscow missile defense system. And his deputy for science was Staros. The first Soviet computers and integrated circuits were developed in Zelenograd. Electronics was developing rapidly. But with the end of the thaw, the rapid rise of “foreign directors” ended. The ministry explained to them that the creator of the electronics industry in the Union was the Communist Party, and they had to be content with working in Leningrad, where they created the military computer “Uzel” (means Knot), working on submarines such as Tango and Kilo, and later received an award for the industrial computer “UM-1-HX”. Do you know what this name means? “Um in Russian is brain, intellect; so only one had it, Nikita.”

Approximately since those stagnant years, we began to lag behind. In 1965, the Ministry of Radio Industry issued an order on “the mandatory use of integrated circuits in all new developments.” Well, when you have to invent according to orders, how can you compete with the market? It should be noted that, despite this, considerable success has been achieved in the Union, but the whole world does not buy personal computers from Russia. Where do the cool chips come from? So it’s just a lack of faith in one’s own strength: just in case, we bought branded equipment for the production of chips, but instead of paying it back a hundredfold, we keep it in a closed institution until it becomes morally obsolete.”

“You, Anatoly Sergeevich, need to give lectures! I never thought that listening to you would be so interesting!”

“Well, I hope that applies to everything you heard from me today. In this case, Mark, on Tuesday my Nikolay with the lawyer will come to your restaurant. He will bring a contract for signature, and at the same time you will get to know each other…”

MISHA

In a terry robe and soft slippers, holding a menthol cigarette in his teeth, Misha was editing his translation of Gumilyov’s poem “Giraffe” into English. He was pleased his translation, and wondering whether to try to sell it or to push into publication “for the sake of fame.”

Misha was a professional in English with a second language – Chinese. This combination always provided him with work, especially in the last years of the rapid development of democracy. As always, the greatest income came from work that required a small share of his qualifications – either translation at business meetings with the Chinese in Moscow, or translations for our businessmen when traveling to Chinese-speaking countries. The latter was the most profitable – travel, hotel and food – at the expense of the employer, plus $300 a day for work. But there was nothing “cool” about it.

He printed the poem and translation side by side and re-read it again, enjoying the preserved melody and rhythm.

Жираф    <1907>          Giraffe

Сегодня, я вижу, особенно грустен твой взгляд, 

Today I can see that your look is especially sad

И руки особенно тонки, колени обняв.                

Your hands are especially thin; hug your knees pretty tough.

Послушай: далёко, далёко, на озере Чад

Listen: in faraway lands, there, around Lake Chad

Изысканный бродит жираф.                                  

He wanders – the refined giraffe.

***

Ему грациозная стройность и нега дана,

He owns a delight and a slenderness-grace;

И шкуру его украшает волшебный узор,             

His skin is embellished with magical beauty – a sign,

С которым равняться осмелится только луна,    

That only the moon can compete with, when her silver face

Дробясь и качаясь на влаге широких озёр.          

Are waving and splitting on waters of lakes like design.

 ***

Вдали он подобен цветным парусам корабля,     

Afar he’s alike caravel’s multi-colored sails,

И бег его плавен, как радостный птичий полёт.  

His run is as smooth as enjoyable fly of Egret.

Я знаю, что много чудесного видит земля,          

I know that the world sees how infinite beauty unveils,

Когда на закате он прячется в мраморный грот. 

When a grotto conceals him in marble to hide at sunset.

***

Я знаю весёлые сказки таинственных стран        

I know merry tales from a lot of mysterious shores:

Про чёрную деву, про страсть молодого вождя, 

About the black girl, the passion of а young chief who reigns,

Но ты слишком долго вдыхала тяжёлый туман,  

But you’ve breathed heavy mist very long, and you won’t anymore                                                                                                                                                                   
Ты верить не хочешь во что-нибудь, кроме дождя.

Believe in a thing, but in grey, mesmerizing you, rains.

***

И как я тебе расскажу про тропический сад,        

And how will I tell you about the tropical plants,   

Про стройные пальмы, про запах немыслимых трав…

About the palm trees, the smell of unthinkable lawn…

Ты плачешь? Послушай… далёко, на озере Чад  

You’re crying? Just listen … around Lake Chad, in faraway lands

Изысканный бродит жираф.                                    

He wanders – the refined giraffe. He’s alone.

– – – ——-

The phone rang and instantly transported Misha from the marble grotto to an apartment that had long been in need of renovation.

“Hello?”

“Mike, hello!” it was an old friend from foreign language, Zoya Ignatieva, “Do you still travel with business people as a translator to the Chinese?”

“Yes, I’m having such a sin sometimes, but the stakes have increased.”

“Oh, that’s their problem. If you don’t mind, I’ll give your phone number to a friend, his name is Alexey. He will call you and discuss everything himself with you.”

“O.K. It’s settled. Better yet, let me read you Gumilyov’s “Giraffe” in English, my own translation…”

“You know, Misha, I won’t catch it now. It’s better to send me an email, you know my address: zoya_ignateva@yandex.ru.

“Okay, Zoya, I’ll try it some other time, the computer isn’t working well for some reason.”

“Well, don’t be offended, Misha, O.K? Then – See you.”

“What are you saying, Zoya, thank you for the clients. Bye.”

He tried to return to Lake Chad again, to the tropical garden with the young black beauty, but the damned phone again tore him out of his dreams.

“Hello?” he said with a question.

“Hello. Is this Mikhail? Alexey is bothering you. Zoya said that she informed you…”

He was “in the know,” wearing a robe, spotted like giraffe skin, wandering around with a dainty menthol cigarette in his mouth. They agreed quickly. Alexey didn’t bargain. And Singapore, which means “city of lions,” interested Misha. It was located in the tropics, almost on the equator itself, and was famous for its luxurious zoo with a graceful… It’s not hard to guess who, right?

“HE WAS AN INTELLIGENCE OFFICER

AND A WONDERFUL FAMILY MAN”

The Line from Vladimir Vysotsky’s song “A parody on a bad mystery thriller” 

His name was Nikolai Ivanovich Pronin, same as his grandfather’s. He held the rank of major, like his grandfather, at the time of his acquaintance with the writer Lev Sergeevich Shapovalov. This acquaintance was old and proven, growing into friendship, which both valued, but it brought more harm to both of them than good. Only the intercession of Sudoplatov saved Pronin Sr. from a fate worse than a long freeze in position and rank. But these were just reprimand in comparison with the fifteen-year sentence to the writer “for disclosing the work of counterintelligence.” It’s good that the ending was fair for both…

His father, Ivan Nikolaevich, while working for Andropov, was friends with Yulian Semyonov. It seems that a penchant for literature ran in the family. And he, a third-generation counterintelligence officer Pronin, has already published two detective stories about the work of his grandfather and father. But this was his hobby, while his main work required the analysis of foreign and Russian enterprises, their financial structures and combinations.

As a professional economist, he completely understood the mechanism for the formation of such symbioses generated by income growth.

And as a counterintelligence specialist, he needed to protect secrets of state importance from the influence of foreign capital and industrial espionage.

Today, as part of this security, he scheduled a meeting with a good translator. According to available data, he was going on a business trip to Singapore, and therefore a preventive “educational conversation” should have been held with him.

The easiest way was to summon an interpreter to a known address and have a stern conversation. Usually, everyone agreed to cooperate and report the illegal actions of their employers, after such conversations. However, it seemed to Pronin that times were changing, and the methods of working with people are changing with them. He would like security service assistants to work out of conscience and honor, and not out of fear of punishment and restrictions, although the benefits of the latter have not yet been canceled by anybody.

In addition, he wanted to look at the apartment and life of a translator who was fashionable in business circles. Nikolai Ivanovich decided to visit his “ward” on the way to kindergarten to pick up his daughter, since both addresses were located close to work, in the area of Chistye Prudy (Clean Ponds) and Pokrovka.

The weather turned out to be excellent, spring had come into its own. After sitting in the office, it was nice to get a warm-up with a walk through the streets, look at the residents of the capital, rejoicing at the victory of colors and light over the grayness and gloom of the cold half of the year.

On the way to Michael Bogdanov, that was the name of the translator, Pronin thought about the tone and content of the conversation. It seemed to him that everything should work out.

“Okay, “a venture is not a torture,” he joked mentally, “I’ll drop by into the house, if lights are on there.”

In the entrance of the old house, the aroma of coffee mixed with the smells of mustiness and mold. On the third floor, a collection of calls indicated that the apartment was still communal. He pressed the button next to the name “Bogdanov,” cut out of a plastic card, and listened. Light but shuffling sounds of slippers, has come from outside of the door, revealing the gait of a young, but sloppy or absent-minded man. The door was opened for him by a tall guy of about twenty-five in a spotted terry robe with a few paper sheets in one hand and a menthol cigarette in the other.

“What can I …?”

Pronin did not let him finish, handing him his FSB identification,

“I have a conversation, would you let me in?”

And taking advantage of Mikhail’s momentary confusion, he stepped into the corridor.

“Please!” the translator said with surprise and took the guest to his apartment, which turned out to be a spacious but neglected.

In the living room, they sat down at a large table covered with an antique brocade tablecloth, burned with cigarettes in two or three places. The table was littered with stacks of books, dictionaries and magazines. A massive green glass ashtray was filled with the butts of menthol cigarettes already familiar to Pronin. Nearby, the screen of a computer was glowing.

“Mikhail Grigorievich, you are probably surprised by my visit,” Pronin began from afar, “Nowadays, it’s not very often that state security officials stop by to visit translators, right?”

“Yes … perhaps… I don’t know.”

“I’ll tell you straight. We believe that you have a sense of civic duty and count on your help. Perhaps many people still have in their memory the denunciations, to which they were forced sometimes by authorities and sometimes by circumstances. I want to immediately explain to you that we are not talking about anything like that.”

“Then…”

“There is an errand for you. We know that you have been hired to work in Singapore…”

“Yes, but I’ve been on business trips to Southeast Asia before, and no one…”

“… Didn’t contact you with errands?”

“Yes! These are not Soviet times.”

“You’re reasoning correctly. Previously, in Soviet times, you would not have made a single trip abroad without cooperation with the KGB, and even at home you would have written essays about all the meetings with foreign guests.”

“Do you want me to start writing them?”

“Yes and no. Let me explain everything clearly. So, your employers for work in Singapore, unlike previous customers, are associated with a defense facility. It is extremely important to know whether or not secret information is leaked when communicating with foreign citizens. This is the first thing. And the second one is foreign exchange transactions. And we offer you, Mikhail Grigorievich…”

“You may call me Mikhail.”

“Okay, Mikhail, we offer you to be the defender of our state during this trip.”

“And what should I do?”

“To observe and to remember! I hope you don’t complain about your memory.”

“My memory is fine, but what if they come to an agreement without me or do something unnoticed?”

“First of all, look carefully. And, secondly, note all the moments when you are left alone, or someone is absent.”

“Well, how will I know about money? This is not always discussed through an interpreter.”

“You’re right. Let us know everything you find out. If we find contacts with the customer, they will call you in Singapore and give you the numbers. You’ll return and write a detailed report.”

“What if I refuse?”

“Well, there will probably be complications with visas. Or maybe not. But is this reasonable? Does my request to you contain anything immoral? Do I suggest you snitch on your friends? Report on loved ones? In Singapore, you will be in the position of a person with access to information. And if this information is harmful to our country, then it is the duty of any citizen to share it with the state security authorities. By the way, where did you start learning Chinese, at the Military Department of your University?”

“Yes.”

“In Lieutenant Colonel Kim’s classes?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know about his work in Asia?”

“Yes, he was once a military attaché, and the whole Department was proud of the old intelligence officer.”

“And you are his student. Did he take your military oath?”

“Yes.”

“Mikhail, look me straight in the eyes and answer, do you agree to the assigned task?”

“I am agree!”

“Then, here’s your pass.” Come to Lubyanka tomorrow and sign a couple of documents. And may I tell you something honestly? I didn’t doubt you. Do you know why?”

“?…”

“Like you, I love Gumilyov. Would you read your translation of The Giraffe?”

“How did you know…? Is my phone tapped?”

“No way, Misha! Nothing like that! Since you opened the door, you’ve still been holding the translation in your hand.”

THREE WANDAS

* * *

Storm clouds were rushing over Krakow, but the rain still did not start. The wind from Vistula blew Wanda’s blond hair. The train of the white dress with silver embroidery flapped like a sail in a storm. The silent retinue watched the queen in alarm. Walk along the edge of a cliff, alone, forbidding everyone to approach?! Well, where has this been seen!

Stanislav, the head of the guard, tensed in the saddle, as if about to launch an attack, feverishly clutching the reins in his left hand. Nearby, two pages in crimson suits dismounted, ready to rush to the aid of their mistress at the first signal.

“Lord, give me strength!” Wanda whispered.

For several days now she had been feverishly searching, but could not find an answer to such a simple and at the same time such a complicated problem that every young woman solves. Four days ago, an envoy from the German Prince Ritiger presented a letter to the Polish Queen. It was a marriage proposal. “If you agree, we will have a wedding and throw a feast for the whole world! If you refuse, we start a war! It’s up to you, Your Highness!”

“Mother of God, help your daughter! “Hand and Heart”? There’s no heart here! One hand in an iron glove! If I get married, a foreign prince will bend my people into an arc. If I refuse, he’ll torment them with fire and sword! Why such punishment for long-suffering people?! How to protect them? How to save?

Oh, why am I a woman and not a man to lead the Poles into the battle for freedom?! I ask you, God, for a sign. Give me a hint. I will not spare my immortal soul, let alone my mortal body. Just approve, don’t leave me alone. After all, your son went to his death to save people.”

And at that moment, a white bird, folding its wings, fell like a stone into the water of Vistula from the sky, as if in response to Wanda’s prayers.

“Thank you, I’ve understood everything,” Wanda crossed herself, “And forgive me, if you can.”

“Hold it!” Stanislav roared.

The servants shouted loudly, head of the guards growled and wheezed! Two pages barely slowed down at the edge of the cliff, from where, a second earlier, Wanda’s rebellious soul went into the river, which became Lethe for her…

* * *

“Where to?!” the soldier guard respectfully but sternly called out to her at the entrance to the Warsaw commandant’s office.

“Third floor, to Herr Major Heinz, on important business,” Nyuta smiled with her irresistible and seductive smile.

If it weren’t for the war, she would have been acting in films long ago, maybe even in Hollywood, where her uncle, Joseph Teitelboim, had invited his brother and his family for many years. The soldier looked the girl from head to toe, noting her luxurious blond hair, beautiful face, lush breasts, slender waist and other charms, and smiled knowingly back, approving of the taste of his superiors.

“What is your name?”

“Wanda. Mrs. Wanda Stashevskaya.”

“Come on in. Room 34,” the corners of his lips still sent a signal of hope.

“Thank you, and you are very sweet. Maybe we’ll meet again…”

It was cool in the building of the former Ministry of Education and it was smelled pleasantly of mastic, with which the floors were polished to a mirror shine. Wanda began to slowly climb the steps, noting the approving glances of the officers and holding back her breathing, which had become quickened by what was about to happen. The goal was simple and clear: go up to the third floor, then turn right, go to room 34, knock, close the door tightly behind you and then continue as usual. She remembered Krzysztof’s instructions,

“The calmer you are, the greater the chances of success. People see what they want to see – a young beautiful Frau or Lady, fashionably dressed and fragrant, smiling at them like an angel of a peaceful life, which everyone, both we and the Germans, yearned for so much!”

“Angel of Vengeance! Yes, I will never forgive them either the ghetto, or Warsaw, or Poland!”

“Wanda, please calm down. The entire underground applauds your work, there are legends about you in the capital, but you are not alone. Be calm and don’t take risks!”

The parquet floor creaked under her foot, making her shudder. Bad sign. Not a creak, but fear. Wanda held her breath for a moment and knocked on the door.

“Come in!”

The office was large and bright with three windows overlooking the square. The white silk curtains were raised, and the soft light of the autumn sun brightly illuminated the youthful-like major, marked with gray hair at the temples and an Iron Cross for courage. She flashed her irresistible smile,

“I have a huge request, Herr Major,” said Wanda, “Take a look at this document, please.”

She slowly, swaying slightly her hips, walked up to his desk, unfastening her elegant Parisian kid leather bag as she went. Placing her bag on the edge of the table, with her left hand she pulled out a document folded in four and handed it to Heinz. In a matter of seconds, while he was opening the sheet, Wanda with her right hand grabbed a small ladies’ revolver from her bag and fired deadly bullets into the officer’s chest.

Without wasting a minute, she left the office and began to go down the stairs. Already on the first floor, Wanda heard screams from above, but had time to leave the building. The familiar soldier smiled and saluted as a joke. Krzysztof was waiting in the car around the corner. Just not panic! Suddenly a siren blared. SS men ran out from around the corner of the building with machine guns at the ready, turning everyone they met face to the wall…

* * *

The readings ended and the guests applauded enthusiastically. The monthly meeting of the artists of the Polish Theater of New York with the charity committee and activists passed on the rise. For the future, it was approved to prepare a script about the Poles in the British army, who fought in the bloody battles for Singapore during the World War II. In the meantime, judging by the reaction of the audience, the spectators most liked the romantic legend of Queen Wanda and the heroic story of the underground activist Wanda, both written by the talented emigrant Wanda Paczynska, who returned to Poland and became a celebrity there.

“You know,” Anya said to her friend Boris, “I would add another story about Paczynska herself and call the trilogy “The Three Wandas.”

“Sounds very good. Can you write it?”

“I’ll try it. Will you help me?” with catlike grace, she rubbed herself against his shoulder, calling for the desired help.

Anya met Boris when he first brought his play to the theater. This was several years ago. And since then, Boris has become his own man not only in the Polish Theater, but also in Anya’s house. Therefore, the question was rhetorical.

“Certainly! What interesting things do you know about the third Wanda?” Boris was interested in the idea.

Paczynska, a modern writer and journalist, was well known in the Polish community of the city, not only as a writer, but also as a major marketing specialist.

“I know a lot of things! Especially about her work and her articles for an underground newspaper.”

“Don’t forget something from her personal life, and let’s go sharpen our quills!” noted Boris.

 “Come on, we better take care of our personal life,” and, hugging, they left the meeting in order to have time to get at least a little sleep before starting work…

ANYA

The letter arrived shortly after the telephone conversation that alarmed her greatly. Anya lived in the Soviet Union only as a child, so understatement and vague hints on the phone were little familiar to her. But she had understood: she must not ask questions, she need to keep her mouth shut and wait for the letter with explanations.

“Dear cousin,” Mark wrote, “I want to offer you a well-paid trip to Singapore.”

And then there were descriptions of the actions that were expected of her. Nothing difficult. Nothing dangerous. Accuracy. Attentiveness. Secrecy. It was a live detective story, and Anya really wanted to take part in it. The only condition was a strictly defined time. She should try to organize a business trip to Singapore for just this time! She liked the idea. It would also be nice to take Boris with him, but he was very reluctant to leave his disabled mother with a home attendant.

“Borya, will you go with me to Singapore for two weeks?”

“I think not. I won’t leave my mother for long, I trust you, and I have plenty of work to do here. So, leave me more information about Paczynska, and you’ll see that the draft version of the play will be ready by the time you return!”

“How amazing!” Anya kissed Boris and began to tell,

“In general, Wanda is close to me in spirit. She, like me, comes from a mixed family. Wanda’s father was a Polish historian, a Catholic, and her mother was the daughter of a Jewish businessman. They lived in Warsaw and, fortunately, managed to escape to Russia from the threat of fascist concentration camps hanging over them. Miraculously, having avoided the other, Soviet camps, they returned to Warsaw, which was completely destroyed, where little Wanda was born in 1948.

Twenty years later, she and her parents left Poland with its anti-Semitic attitude in the late sixties. Her parents remained in Europe, and Wanda, having arrived in the capital of the world, received an MBA in marketing and began working in the banking system. She reached a high position and acquired a lot of connections among bankers thanks to her intelligence and business acumen. All these years, Wanda continued to write plays, criticize fascists and communists, and also write for Solidarity in an underground Polish newspaper.

“And this was all done by one woman?”

“And not only that, she was also a mother and wife!”

“Anya, please, at least partially… and I will be the most satisfied husband in the world.”

“If I could do that, I would also become a press tycoon.”

It was true. When in the early nineties Jaruzelski allowed the official publication of the Solidarity newspaper, Wanda could not stand it and, leaving a good position and salary to Citibank, and a New York apartment to her ex-husband, she rushed, taking her daughter, to her homeland, towards a new life! Everyone was just amazed: to exchange the stability of a well-established American life for the uncertainty and danger of Polish?!

“Do you know how Wanda managed to get rich?” asked Boris.

“I just understand that thanks to her knowledge of marketing and connections with American banks, she managed to get loans and develop the business in such a way that the newspaper turned into an information power, and Paczynska became its president!”

“And, as usual, when the company sold its shares, which employees got for pennies…”

“Absolutely right, 1:100 at least. All members of the editorial board became millionaires!”

“What is the conflict in the play?”

“Well, I’ll think about it… Difficult relationship with Jaruzelski. At first she criticized him very much, and then began to defend him from his colleagues, which did not contribute to solidarity. Difficult relationship with Springer, for whom the new newspaper complex next door is like a bone in his throat. And difficult relationship with the government, which does not allow you to open your own television channel. So the real drama is yet to come! In a word, act at your own discretion. I give this play to you, and in Singapore I will begin to make a fortune for our future family.

“How do you want me to understand this?”

“I will learn the roles of both Wandas, collect materials about the Poles in the English army in Singapore and… think about you.”

“It’s the latter that will bring us fabulous wealth!”

“Maybe it’s not a fabulous…”

Anya hesitated for a moment. She really wanted to share with Boris the details of the upcoming trip, but she remembered Mark’s explanations of why conversations even with her mother or loved one could lead to the failure of the entire operation, loss of income, and for some, freedom, and, biting her tongue in time, added:

“But maybe it brings!”

NIKOLAY’S STORY

Early in the morning, Singaporean customers met us at the airport and, bowing respectfully, took to breakfast. But after a ten-hour flight with lunch and dinner, everyone wanted to sleep, not eat, and we only drank tea with “fortune cookies” – crispy hollow pyramids, inside of which were hidden small pieces of paper with wishes of good luck or a proverb and “winning” lottery numbers.

“In order for the prediction to come true, you need to eat the note,” the owners advised, and while Misha was translating the contents of our messages to Alyosha and me, the superstitious Mark devoured his own notice. His memory is fine, since he wanted to win the lottery, but didn’t write down the number.

We agreed with the owners that after rest and lunch they will give us an introductory tour of the city, and tomorrow we will start working: we’ll clear the cargo through customs and transfer it to our partners.

“Here are the receipt numbers, make sure the cargo is in place for now,” said Alexey.

“This, in my opinion, is reinsurance, otherwise we wouldn’t have departed, but so far everything was looking completely clean,” Nikolai reasoned, “We were met in a friendly manner and took to the hotel, which Alexey named. The hotel turned out to be very representative with majestic lions in front of the entrance. If I didn’t know that Mark was in charge, I would have decided that it was Alexey. Mark knows how to keep a low profile, and the “April” contract was signed with a distribution company owned by Alexey.

He and I were settled in the same room, and the translator Misha and Mark were in the next room. But the door between the rooms was wide open – complete democracy. Everyone is in sight of each other. Everyone made one call home – no mystery. Now to close the curtains, to set the alarm clock for noon, and to go to sleep!

Everyone woke up dissatisfied – not enough sleeping! But as Mark noted, we will sleep at night, otherwise we will not move to a new time: the difference with ours is still five hours. We went for a dinner, to a God knows what restaurant.

It was a portrait of a white monkey on the main wall. Wasn’t that they cook here from monkey meat? But Misha explained that this is a popular character in Asian fairy tales. There is no menu in the usual sense; the names of the dishes are hung on the walls. Misha, of course, can read it, but what’s the point? Which do you prefer “The Joy of the Dragon” or “The Sorrow of the Emperor”?

However, we decided to play our luck and order at random. “The Joy of the dragon,” by the way, turned out to be just right for me – four types of meat with vegetables and noodles. Well, no wonder I was born in the year of the dragon! We also decided to drink local vodka, sake. Nothing like that, the Chinese call it “saki” with the emphasis on the first syllable. I haven’t tried this “saki” yet! But the vodka was weak, no stronger than wine. Despite all these “oddities”, the restaurant turned out to be popular and almost filled up during the daytime. People must have filled it at lunchtime.

Alyosha really liked one girl. Misha and I felt uncomfortable looking behind our backs, but Alyosha stared without a twinge of conscience. Mark didn’t seem to care. Later, the girl went to the Water Closet, otherwise their dirty toilet cannot be called, and did not return. Her companions, the Poles, began to look for her, calling, “Wanda, Wanda!” Alexey got excited and ran with Misha to help – to look for the girl. Mark paid for lunch for now, and we soon left, and the Poles remained waiting for either Wanda or the police.

After lunch we returned to the hotel, where a car was already waiting for us at the entrance. The driver knew his city well, or was a tour guide, so his story sounded interesting, especially when translated. And about the founder of the modern city, Sir Stamford Raffle, and about the bloody battle for Singapore between the British and Japanese during the Second World War, and about the separation from Malaysia and the economic rise of the city-republic. We drove around the city streets, admiring the beautiful views and reveling in the unexpected summer. Misha was still eager to see the zoo, like a child, but everyone decided that we would have time to do it later, after the end of the business. And the city was really cool!

In the evening, when we were brought to the hotel, a world of colorful paper lanterns reigned around. On the street, in front of the entrance, a girl in a black tights and a golden mask showed pantomimes to the sounds of a guitar and harmonica of her partner in a Harlequin costume.

“Look,” said Misha, “This is the first time I’ve seen a European performance in Asia! This is what it means – a mixture of cultures.”

“Come on, we’d better give them money,” Mark added and dropped a red ten-dollar bill into their jar, “wish us luck!”

“Wish us good luck,” Misha translated and continued to translate the artists, “Our small team welcomes residents and guests of Singapore! We wish you good luck in all areas and… love. The old jazz composition “For me, you are the most beautiful” is dedicated to the generous gentleman.”

And the artists began to perform the hit song, well known to three generations of Russians, “But then a French ship burst into Cape Town port in magic glare its powerful searchlights”…

After this musical dedication, Mark was in such a great mood that he spent the entire evening whistling the tune of “Cape Town Port”: in the shower room before dinner, in the restaurant – a real one with chops and vodka, in the bar, where we had a good drink, and even while lying down in his bed. I wanted to remind him of the sign: “don’t whistle in the house – there will be no money,” but I fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, we went to customs to receive the cargo together with the Singaporeans. Mark gave the partners a folder with papers, and they went through everything, only Alexey signed a couple of times. Then the cargo was taken for quality control, and we were taken to the office for a meeting with management, where after short speeches we were given envelopes with money.

I ended up with ten thousand dollars! It was pleasant and unexpected, at least for me. Alyosha couldn’t resist talking about the girl’s “disappearance” yesterday. The owners reacted differently: some with disbelief: “She ran away, of course,” others complained about the crime, and one employee promised to ask a Buddhist monk for advice and call us back. And now, according to the script, while the owners checked the quality of our goods, we were taken on an ocean fishing trip.

Although I am not an avid fisherman, the trip on the yacht turned out to be wonderful. And fishing and crabs, and swimming in the ocean, and an excellent cook, and a full bar. True, I remembered the instructions: I didn’t drink and didn’t really sleep, but only a little, but all this was reinsurance. And thank God! I have never seen such care and politeness at any resort! Then they brought us to a hotel, where we lived for a couple more days: we walked around the city, bought souvenirs and electronics, even went to Michael’s beloved zoo – no regrets.

“That’s it, Anatoly Sergeevich. Uh, calls? Well, there were almost none. Everyone called home that everything was fine, we would arrive soon. One more thing, after fishing, a Singaporean called Misha at the hotel and conveyed the monk’s opinion that the girl had been turned into a monkey, how do you like it?!”

“I like it,” answered general Smirnov.

He already thought that the operation went well, ten million in the company’s account was the proof of that. And a million in a personal account in Switzerland won’t hurt. And new orders will arrive! The plant has already created a subsidiary, “Dubna-Star”, and will soon register it on the Internet. Those to whom Mark’s Singaporean customers sell chips will not be misled by the “Made in Singapore” sign on the plastic packaging. A real facsimile is a microscopic image printed on each chip. Experts will quickly solve the puzzle of which company has the emblem of a green acorn against the background of a red star.

BORYA’S STORY INCLUDING ALYOSHA’S ONE

Many of those living in Russia and the former Republics think that every Russian who comes to live in the States settles down in New York City, in Brighton Beach. If he happens to live in Manhattan rather than Brighton, then he must surely own a penthouse in a skyscraper, ride in a limousine and dine at the “Plaza”. That’s what many of my classmates back in Russia think, especially when they say, “Boris could add fractions faster than anyone while in fifth grade” or “He was the first person who passed Math exam during college freshman year.” 

It would be nice if Math actually helped to get a penthouse in a skyscraper, but it’s rather opposite. Well, I live in Manhattan, close to Chinatown in an ordinary six-story building for low income families, because my mom is handicapped.

“You are lucky!” the social worker said to my mom, referring to her rights for subsidized housing.

Back in September 1986 I was not quite eighteen, and so they placed us in a government-sponsored two-bedroom apartment. It sure was luck, as I never succeeded in becoming a rich man, and a cheap apartment close to downtown have been remained a financial blessing forever.

Living in the vicinity of Chinatown, I eventually became an expert in Chinese food, and easily distinguish dishes of fiery “peppered” Hunan cuisine from fiery “gingered” Szechwan cuisine. I should note that the majority of the Chinese restaurants in New York serve you Chinese-American food that is cooked to the taste of the average American, without any suspicious, looking strange or seemingly inedible ingredients in the dish. But the allure of the Chinese-Chinese restaurant is in its unconventional interior design and authentic food. It is not intended for the occasional hungry tourist, but rather for the true connoisseur of deep-fried quail beaks.

Well, exactly to such Chinese-Chinese restaurant called “The White Monkey”, I took my dear friend Aleksey, whom I had not seen for exactly fifteen years, ever since I emigrated to USA for permanent residency.

This restaurant had a cage in which they kept a rare white monkey, very popular with the locals. Above the cage was a poster with the saying of a sage: “Don’t think about the white monkey – you will live a thousand years!” Also, here in the restaurant, you could buy a handful of roasted peanuts for one dollar and feed the animal. The visitors were not allowed to give it any other food, and the wise (or perhaps overly satiated) monkey packed the peanuts in a carved wooden box. This attraction, apart from good advertising, provided the owners of the restaurant with extra income, because a handful of peanuts that they sold for one dollar cost them ten cents, and small piles of peanuts was constantly replenished from the monkey’s box. It reminded me of the Russian fairy tale, in which the talking squirrel cracked golden hazelnuts and stored the emerald cores, making profit for her owner – the Prince. I just don’t know how to say in Chinese, “Profit for the Prince, for the Squirrel – Honor!”

Neither Aleksey nor I had changed significantly, at least not in looks, but both admitted the transformation from clumsy seventeen-year-old teenagers to thirty-two-year-old men “at the very prime of their lives”. During these years in America I had been living in a stable environment; and I had never taken a trip abroad, same as when I was living in the Soviet Union.

Aleksey, on the other hand, having stayed at home, lived through several changes of regime, from socialism to the debauch of democracy, racket, and then the beginning of stabilization, and had been able to visit ten countries on three continents. That’s why my intention of impressing Aleksey with foreign exoticism turned out to be futile, or at least became late for many years. During this time, he had accumulated experience much wider than mine, and to surprise him with a restaurant even Chinese-Chinese one, was already impossible.

In contrast, my jaw would have dropped even of a name like “General Tso’s chicken” fifteen years ago. For me these words were sounding the music of freedom! Speaking of freedom, after lunch we were planning on visiting the Statue of Liberty and later the top of the World Trade Center for a view of the City. Aleksey well done visiting New York now – the gorgeous weather making September one of the best seasons for tourism here.         

In the meantime, we were relaxing in the coolness of the room, enjoying our renewed communication, the food and weak Asian vodka – sake. Both of us were single. I was already thinking about getting married; Aleksey had been divorced and “didn’t even think about it.” Unlike me, my friend had successfully graduated from the Polytechnic College, but did not work as an engineer – the shallow stream of local commerce had carried him into the wide river of speculation, then the delta of marketing, and finally the sea of international business.

“My first serious business deal,” Aleksey told me, “was to deliver to a Singapore client Russian-made computer chips labeled as if they manufactured at Singapore. That’s where I really became familiar with Asian cuisine. We were extremely nervous – we ate and drank as if we were from famine land. But sake, you know… it’s like wine: good for pleasant conversation, but to relieve stress – forget it! And so, one event happened in Singapore that I cannot forget to this day.

Once, the four of us were having dinner in a cheap restaurant. No regular menu whatsoever. Instead there were strips of paper hanging on the walls, with some Chinese characters that revealed the names of the dishes and the prices. It did not help much, even when our translator could read the writing. The important thing was not the name of the dish, but what it means, right?  So we sat there and played Russian roulette, blindly pointing at the signs, and the waiters brought us what we ordered. But we were lucky; food was not bad at all.

Meanwhile three Poles sat next to the table. To be more exact, two guys and one girl – a rare beauty, with steel-colored hair and coal-black eyes. Where did a Slavic girl get eyes like that? They got their food the same way as we did, by pointing randomly at some of the strips. But on the second run a hitch has happened.

The girl pointed to a pretty golden strip that hung at the very top, right underneath the portrait of a white monkey that looked just like the one they have in the cage here. The waiter in a stale white shirt mumbled something and shook his head, but the girl stubbornly continued to point at that golden strip. Then the waiter disappeared, still chirping continuously and in a half of a minute returned with a fat red-faced giant who looked like a sumo wrestler. He looked carefully at the girl and silently nodded his head. Soon she was brought a small bowl covered with a golden lid. The beauty carefully opened the lid, and a cloud of spicy steam escaped from under it. The small piece of meat or mushroom was floated in the aroma broth. After cooling the dish, the girl emptied the bowl in one gulp. Judging by the expression of her face, she liked the food.

Everyone relaxed. Forgetting for a while about our own problems, we wondered why there had been a delay, who the fat man was, and what the girl ate. But after a short time it seemed to me that the girl was becoming nauseous. She quickly left the table and rushed to the restroom. I had been there earlier: it was a dirty and foul-smelling room, designed for either sex, a place that anyone would be eager to leave as soon as possible. But the girl did not return for a long time.

One of her friends, concerned about her absence, went up to the restroom door and yelled, “Wanda, Wanda!”

There was no answer. Then he started to knock on the door, calling her name loudly. The second friend joined him. Together they put their weight against the door, and the feeble lock gave in. There was nobody inside.

At this point we could not just stand by. Here in Singapore, far away from home, the Poles felt not like brothers, but like cousins to us, and to help them was our duty in conscience. Jumping out of our chairs, we rushed to the rear of the restaurant where the bathroom, kitchen and storage rooms were located. The one thing that amazed me was that the bathroom shone with cleanliness; its glittering walls looked like a TV commercial.

What can I say? We searched the kitchen and the storage rooms. Everything was empty. Nobody tried to stop us. In the utility room, the “wrestler” was eating noodles with chopsticks and washing them down with a sort of broth. Next to him a white monkey slept in its cage. The Polish guys were going crazy. We were also pretty upset, but when it came to calling the police, we cooled down a bit and left before we got tangled up in any unnecessary trouble.

Two days later, when we were getting paid for the chips, we could not resist telling the story about the girl to our Singapore partners. They took us very seriously and complained about rampant crime, but one of them said,

“My brother is a Buddhist monk. Let me ask him for advice”.

We just glanced at each other – we didn’t need his advice.

On the morning of our departure, the Singaporean called the hotel and told our interpreter the monk’s opinion,

“The girl was given a potion that turned her into a white monkey! The antidote is ginseng root. She needs to eat some of it immediately!”

There was nothing to discuss.

“Either a sucker or… even worse!” said our boss, Mark.

“They all are monkeys,” added the bodyguard Nikolay, “And they may stick ginseng roots … you all know where!”

And we flew away home.”

I listened to the story very attentively. Like Aleksey, I did not take the monk’s explanation seriously, though it was a touching story.

“You know,” my friend said, “Every time I see a monkey, I want to treat it to some ginseng… just to clear my conscience.”

 “Have you ever tried that?”

“Of course, not. Besides, this is second time in my life that I’ve ever even see a white monkey.”

“Want to try it?” I offered. It turns out, that sake was not so harmless after all.

“You have ginseng?” Aleksey was surprised.

“No, but we’re in Chinatown!”

I ran outside and came back a couple of minutes later with a ginseng root that I had bought in the store next door. We walked up to the cage and poked the root into the cage, offering it to the monkey. She sniffed it: the white fur bristled, the black little eyes goggling out.

“Wanda!” I called, and the small animal screamed in reply.

Then the waiters, under the owners’ command, attacked us, grabbed our arms, took away the ginseng, and pushed us out of the door.

“Wait, wait!” I protested. I was going to pay for the lunch, but they wouldn’t listen. Oh, well, even better!

The whole way to the Statue of Liberty we howled with laughter at what had just happened. Now I know how to eat for free. You just try to feed some ginseng to the animal at the restaurant “The White Monkey” and the owners provide you with a free meal!

The effects of the alcohol have been waning: the situation now seemed comical, and two of us, forgetting the white monkey, were enjoying the fresh air, the blue waves splashing against the sides of the orange ferry, the screaming seagulls overhead, and the view of New York City – shining golden from the ocean, and the green statue against pink clouds…

We spent too much time at the restaurant of course and it was getting dark when we returned from the Statue of Liberty. When we arrived at the World Trade Center night had already fallen. They still allowed people up to the observation deck, but what could Aleksey have distinguished from above except a sea of lights? I glanced at the large digital screen. It showed “8:45, September 10, 2001”.         

“You know, we’ll get to the Twin Towers tomorrow, bright and early, O. K?” I said.

“Sure, the morning brings counsel! If not for the white monkey we could’ve made it today!”

The wise man is right: stop thinking of odd and worrying things and your life will become happy and long!

MISHA’S STORY

“Thank you, Nikolai Ivanovich, it was a great trip. I wish it would always be like this!”

“Did you like city of lions?”

“Very much!”

“Well, tell me how our friends got on there.”

“First, briefly: there were no, absolutely no conversations about technology or electronics during the trip. Neither with partners, nor among themselves. There was also no talk about currency or any payments. On the second day, when we handed over the cargo to the Singaporeans, they paid us in cash, and that’s it. They received us well and hospitably: they showed us the city, treated us, and took us out to sea for two days of fishing. As you warned, an employee of a Singapore company called me and gave me the numbers: “Ten and one.”

“Did anyone hear this? Didn’t it seem suspicious to anybody that they called you?”

“No, an employee who called me had a relative – a Buddhist monk, which told him that the girl had been turned into a monkey, and at the end the caller added this,”

“You’ll tell your friends this nonsense, but remember for home – two accounts: ten and one!”

“This is something interesting,” noted Pronin, “Tell me more detailed about the girl and the monkey.”

“Here is how it was. On the first day we had lunch in a real Asian restaurant, where the traditional menu is presented in hieroglyphs on the walls. Polish tourists were dining at a table nearby. Their girl, according to Alexey, was incredibly beautiful. I think she was pretty, but I couldn’t see her well because I was sitting with my back to their table. Both we and they ordered dishes at random, poking at the names, until the girl ended up with some expensive and exquisite dish. The waiter didn’t even want to accept the order at first until the chef or owner approved the client. After some time, the girl went to the toilet and did not return, and when her comrades became worried and began to look for her, it turned out that the toilet was empty. This made a strong impression on Alexey, and he rushed off to help the Poles, look for their girlfriend, and I helped him question the restaurant workers. But no one knew anything. Mark and Nikolay paid and came to our aid, but we had already examined the simple kitchen, utility room and warehouse. The Poles were about to call the police, and we, wishing them good luck, bowed and left.”

“What had a Buddhist monk have to do with it?”

“The next day, after customs clearance, we went to the office for a meeting with the company superiors – to make speeches, shake hands and receive cash. It was here that Alexey spoke sadly about the girl’s disappearance. In my opinion, the owner of the company was skeptical about this. But one of the employees promised to ask advice from his relative, a Buddhist monk. He kept his word, and when we returned from fishing a couple of days later, he called me to the phone and told me what I had already told you.”

“How did the delegation react to the monk’s explanation?”

“They laughed, of course, but what else? Alexey only claimed that both the floor and the walls in the toilet were washed. Well, I mean, what if the traces of the abduction were destroyed?”

“And you, Mikhail, what do you think?”

“I think they just washed everything. It was time for cleaning, or it was dirty in there, and someone complained.”

“Well, it sounds convincing. I think that we have fulfilled our duty. And now, Mikhail, I will ask you to talk in great detail and thoroughly about your business trip into the microphone of this computer. The text will automatically be printed, you will sign it, and the formalities are over.”

Pronin left Mikhail with the task and headed to his office.

“It seems that the case can be transferred to the category of inactive,” he reflected, “No leaks of information of defense significance have been identified. Ten million were transferred to the factory’s account, and this is the task of the Ministry of Defense, and not the Secret Services, to sort out the accounting. One million, however, left in an unknown direction, but it will be taxed in the country it enters. It is not at all obvious that we should spend money on its exact localization. Rather, this whole story is suitable for a short story, only the details will need to be thought out…” ​

ANYA’S STORY

I had just finished the rehearsal and turned on the phone when the call rang. It was Boris,

“Hi! How was your day, did you rehearse a lot?”

“Yes, like clockwork actors. You met a friend, is everything okay?”

“Certainly. We’ve already visited the Statue of Liberty. True, we drank a little and were late for Twin Towers.”

“You’re like a jet. You want everything in one day! Or are you making up for years of separation?”

“As always, you’re right. We have already decided to go to Twin Towers early tomorrow morning. And I want to bring you with us, introduce you to our future witness.”

“Isn’t “early in the morning” too early? You won’t be late tomorrow, especially since they are only opened from half past nine. And I could get some sleep.”

“I didn’t even recall that entrance starts since half past ten. Okay, let’s meet at ten near the ticket office.”

“No, Borya, I’ll only leave the house at ten. I’ll be there at eleven. In the end, if you can’t sleep, you can already be upstairs at half past ten, and at eleven we’ll meet downstairs and go for a walk.”

“Okay, downstairs at eleven! We will already have tickets and rise together. You describe the view well.”

“Ah, that’s what you need me for, an exploiter!”

“Not at all. But… well, I kiss you.”

“I love you too. And where is your friend?”

“He is smoking on the sidelines. And so, he asks, is it too late in New York to call a young woman on business at this time?”

“What do you think about this yourself?”

“Anya, I think that while a woman is young, it’s not too late to call her, even in New York!  By the way, Alyosha, when did you manage to get yourself a young woman in New York?”

“I’m telling you, this is about business,” Alexei’s voice sounded to the side.

“You may call her, it is okay,” Borya told him, “OK. Bye,” and we said goodbye.

A minute later Borya called again, but an unfamiliar voice was heard on the phone,

“Hello. May I please talk to Anya?”

“Hello, Anya is listening you.”

“This is Alexey speaking. Remember, once I had called you and forwarded you a letter from Mark.”

“Of course, I remember. Have you arrived in New York?”

“Yes, and I would like to meet you.”

“Certainly. I even know why. Will it work tomorrow? I am free.”

“Great. Would you like to take a walk to Twin Towers? I’m going there tomorrow with my friend,” the guest rejoiced.

“Are you going there? What a coincidence! I’m going there with my friend too. What time will you be there?”

“I’ll ask my friend now. Borya, at what time do we go to Twin Towers?”

“At eleven I meet my girlfriend at the ticket office, and we immediately go up,” said Boris.

“Anya, we meet at the ticket office at eleven. How do we recognize each other?”

“I recognize you right away, and you … maybe you recognize me too. And if we don’t recognize each other, then I’ll call you on this phone, is it okay? ”

“Yes, sure!”

A minute later I called Bora myself,

“Well, your friend has a meeting at Twin Towers?”

“Yes, also at eleven.”

“But when you buy tickets in advance, take three, not four.”

“Why? You cannot attend?”

“I can, I can! Don’t worry!”

“Then I don’t understand.”

“Okay, I won’t prank you, better look at what number your friend has called.”

“And why do you need it?”

“This is not for me, but for you. I already know it.”

“…I do not get it. There is only my call to you.”

“No, this is not your call, but his. You just called one after another on the same number, and the mobile phone saved the last call. In a word, your fiancée and his friend are one and the same person.”

“Do you know Alexey?”

“Only in absentia. True, I think that I saw him in Singapore, and he saw my makeup from the play “Poirot’s Friend”. And the guys called me Wanda. They later said that Alexey was also very worried about Wanda’s disappearance.”

“Not only Alyosha is worried about Wanda’s disappearance, but so am I! Because of this, we hadn’t left time for Twin Towers today.”

“Well, yes! Don’t blame it on Wanda! You said yourself that you just had too much to drink.”

Here Alexei’s excited voice was heard,

“Isn’t this talk about our acquaintance Wanda? Maybe she was found?”

“Tell Alexey that you have found her, and that Alexey will see her tomorrow!”

“Alyosha, Wanda has been found! We’ll see her tomorrow!”

“Can’t we see her tonight?”

“Anya, can we see Wanda tonight? I’ve been waiting for a long time to hear about her adventures in Singapore. Has not time to reveal them came?”

“It has come, Borya, it has! Because Alexey arrived from Moscow! Take some sweets and come to us for tea. Wanda will meet you!”

* * *

It was nice to watch the guys. Both were beaming, and with flowers, cake and champagne, they looked as if they had come to get married. Borya apparently brought Alyosha up to date, because he bowed and said,

“Hello, Wa … Anya! I’m very glad that everything is okay with you!”

“Maybe not really, since you name me somehow like Vanya!”

Everyone laughed. And Borya, hugged and kissed me without saying a word. Mom said,

“Anya, take off your makeup and let’s drink tea!”

And then I took off my steel-colored wig and black contact lenses.

“I envy Borya!” Alyosha shouted, “Green eyes and copper hair – you can be completely stunned!”

He grabbed Borya in his arms, lifted him into the air and spun him around the room.

“I will definitely come to your wedding! Are you taking me as a witness?”

It was as if the long years of separation had never happened, and the life paths of friends, having meandered across continents, came together to walk side by side.

After tea, we went out into the garden behind the house to smoke and talk secrets. Parents with their arrhythmias had no need to listen to these stories.

“It all started with a call from Alyosha, when he conveyed Mark’s request to come to Singapore at a certain time and take possession of an account at Citibank opened in my name. The password was my childhood name Marianna and the year of the operation. Shortly after the call, I received an email from Mark explaining how to obtain an account number. For four days in a row, at exactly one o’clock in the afternoon, I had lunch at a Chinese restaurant until Mark and his friends arrived there. Mark wrote the account number on the wall of the toilet, and I erased it and, so that no traces were left, paid the old cleaning lady, who for twenty dollars licked the whole room until it was shiny. Sneaked from the restaurant I rushed to the bank and, making sure that the money was there, changed the password. Now they have become inaccessible to anyone except me.

When I returned, my colleagues Stas and Tadeusz were terribly nervous and were about to call the police. They said that one Russian was very worried about me. Now I know him. And in the evening, Stas and I went to perform in front of the hotel where Mark, Alyosha and others lived. If we were lucky, we had to perform a song that was popular in our family.

“In the port of Cape Town?”

“Yes, only the real words of the song are Jewish “For me you are the most beautiful”. Is it true?”

“Certainly!” the friends shouted in unison.

“And finally, there’s just a little bit left to tell: I can withdraw any amount of cash from my account, but I can’t open an American account for a foreigner. Therefore, I think we still have a meeting in Europe! Together with Mark.”

“Here’s to new meetings!” said Alyosha, and we finished the champagne.

Borya said, “We must go. Tomorrow at eleven …”

“Boys, is it possible… at twelve?”

“Certainly!” they agreed in unison again.

How great it is when you have good and loyal friends!

THE END