The Toksovo Ten

Chapter Four

Nastasya Arkadyevna quietly entered the police station, wearing a light woolen black sweater over her maid's uniform. It was a cool, gloomy morning, cold gray light shining through the grimy windows. The room was empty except for two clerks: the young red-haired one Nastasya had met on her first trip to the police station and another clerk she had also seen several times now, also young but with dark curly hair and a dark, gyspy-like visage. Nastasya went to the red-haired clerk and took a summons out of her pocket and showed it to him. "I've been sent for by Chief Rassudkin," she said.

"Ah, Nastasya Arkadyevna," the red-haired clerk said warmly, and the other clerk sniggered. Nastasya's face darkened and she looked between them warily. "Chief Rassudkin is out of the office at the moment, but he'll be back shortly."

"Alright," she said quietly, and went to take a seat at one of the chairs in the waiting room.

"You know, we've been reading about you in the papers," the red-haired clerk said, and Nastasya's face twitched, but other than that she made no reaction, looking out the window at the clouded sky.

"Yes, we were just talking about that," said the other clerk. "We've seen you come through here so many times, but we had no idea you had such an, ah, interesting life," he said, and the red-haired clerk snickered.

"Yeah, we were just saying, you should have told us about your, ah, profession, because we're both quite interested in your services."

"I don't do that anymore," Nastasya muttered.

"Oh ho," the dark-haired clerk laughed. "Yes, didn't you see the articles, Kolya, she's moved on to bigger and better things."

"Oh, thinks she's too good for us now."

"Yeah, she only sucks Tolstyakov dick now."

"Hey!" Nastasya shouted furiously, snapping back to look at them, and they both burst out laughing.

Just then the door opened and they all looked over to see Rassudkin enter. "Ah, Miss Pochinkova, I'm glad you're here," he said tiredly. "Hopefully the others will arrive soon." He looked between Nastasya's livid expression and the two clerks, who were barely suppressing their laughter. "What's going on?"

"Your clerks have been being very impolite," Nastasya replied, glaring at them.

"Is that so?" Rassudkin asked angrily, and they both immediately stopped laughing, straightening up guiltily. "Well then both of you had better start treating everyone who comes in here with respect, or I'll have to speak with Mr. Kramskoy about hiring new clerks who can do that!"

"Yes, sir," they both said quietly.

"Here, come with me to my office, Miss Pochinkova," he said tiredly. "I'm very sorry about that."

"That's alright," she said quietly, following him to his office.

Nastasya wound up the little wooden soldier toy and then set him down, watching him march jerkily across the dusty wood floor, and Alyoshka shrieked with delight, grabbing the toy from the floor with his little hand. Nastasya laughed, pleased that he liked her gift so much. She glanced back at her mother, who was nursing Polechka on their rickety old rocking chair, hoping Alyoshka's happiness would cheer her somewhat, but she still looked rather stern. Nastasya knew she shouldn't have spent so much money on trifles, knew her father would probably be even angrier than her mother when he got home, but it had been so long since she had seen the children and she was still so excited by the novelty of having her own regular salary that for her visit home on her day off she had spent a little of her money from the Tolstyakovs on gifts for her siblings: a wind-up soldier toy for Alyoshka, a pretty doll for Lidochka, and a knit pink blanket for baby Polechka to keep her warm on drafty nights. Nastasya worried about Polechka's health often, even today was much too cold for June, the air cool and damp in their apartment, cold rain falling outside the broken window.