Time of the Octopus: Based on the True Story of Whistleblower Edward Snowden

IN PLACE OF AN EPILOGUE_

“Well, my friend, it’s time to pack up,” the Lawyer grabbed his briefcase, and snapped the lock. “I’ll wait for you…”

“I had everything packed long ago,” Kold said quietly. He disappeared through the door and came back a moment later with a small brown travelling bag. Kold put in on the floor by the table and froze, then nodded at the bottle: “There’s still a lot left. Would you like a drink?”

“Thanks – I’ll abstain.”

“I’ll have a drink, though. People say Russians consume a lot of alcohol because it’s so cold here. It looks like I am going to be Russian, at least for the next year – so I should start getting used to it.”

“It’s a delusion, Mr. Kold, a stereotype,” the Lawyer smiled. “According to statistics from the World Health Organization, Russia, despite its notorious awfully cold climate and no less notorious habit of drinking vodka instead of coffee in the mornings, is not ahead in terms of alcohol consumption. The countries of Southern Europe with their wine are far in the lead in this sense. So you can leave the whisky and begin your emotional preparation with Russian kvas.”

“Kvas?” Kold repeated. He sat down, poured himself two fingers of whiskey and drank it easily in small sips.

“It’s the Russian Coca-Cola, but it was created seven thousand years ago and is made at home out of bread and water.”

“God,” Kold whispered, “Kvas…”

He turned towards the Lawyer and said in a voice deepened by whiskey and worry:

“You know, Theodore Roosevelt, the first American awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the twenty-sixth president of the USA, once said: ‘I foresee a great future for Russia. Of course it’ll have to go through certain shake-ups and maybe severe shocks, but it’ll all pass and after that Russia will rise and will become a stronghold of the whole of Europe, and maybe the most powerful in the world!’ I think by opposing the octopus Russia and its President has made the big step towards the future which Roosevelt outlined for it.”

“Arise, Count! Great deeds await you!” the Lawyer quoted the classic and smiled broadly.

Kold stood up slowly, picked up his bag and walked to the door like a sleepwalker. He looked back longingly and muttered to himself:

“The hour of the octopus… The time of the octopus… I hope it won’t turn out that all my great deeds in life were only in this room…”