The Winter Thief

67

Terrified that Vahid and his men would discover her, Vera slipped into the alley behind the stable and made her way through the unfamiliar back lanes until she found Gosdan’s shop. No one was there, but the door was open. She crept in and hid behind a stack of crates. Would they know to look for her here? After a few minutes, Gosdan returned, carrying a sack. He locked the door behind him and called out Vera’s name.

When she emerged, he said in a troubled voice, “I went over to make sure Marta was all right. You can’t go back. There’s someone watching the rectory.” He handed her the sack. “Marta thought you might come here. She asked me to give you this.”

The sack was filled with neatly folded sweaters and other warm clothing. Gosdan went to the back of the shop and returned with a pair of thick-soled leather boots. Vera still wore the attractive but flimsy city shoes that the publisher’s wife had given her.

“Thank you, both of you. Please tell Marta…” Her voice cracked.

He nodded distractedly and went over to the trays of vegetables arrayed against the wall and began to rearrange the leeks.

Vera didn’t ask him where she should go. She felt ashamed at having caused trouble for so many people. She had always been lazy, she thought, launching herself into other people’s lives as if they were a sea whose only purpose was to bear her up. She would spend the night in Gosdan’s shop, if he allowed it, and tomorrow Apollo would fetch her and she would leave.

“Apollo!” she exclaimed. “He can’t go near the rectory.”

“He’s been told. He’ll come here.” Gosdan pulled out a stool, then fetched a jug and two cups from a shelf. “Here, sit down.” He poured something from the jug and handed her a cup. “Have some boza. It’ll put flesh on your bones.” Vera tried to sip the viscous liquid. Her hands were shaking.

He pulled up a stool facing her and, after a few moments in which he seemed to be trying to make up his mind about something, said in a gentle voice, “It’s good that you’re leaving, Vera. The darkness is drawing closer. The Agopian family has suffered a loss.”

Vera stared at Gosdan. “Who?”

“Monsieur Agopian fell from a window. The neighbors across the street said it looked like he was struggling with someone before he fell, but the police claim no one was at home except the servants, and they saw nothing.”

Vera moaned and covered her face with her hands. In her mind, she saw Monsieur Agopian wrestling with a man in a black uniform. He couldn’t have told Vahid where she had gone. He didn’t know.

Gosdan lowered his eyes. “And Sosi is dead.”

Vera fell onto her knees. “I should have gone back for her,” she wailed. “I shouldn’t have left her alone.” She curled into a ball of pain, the foul breath of the creature from the dream hot on her back.