eyes. We lived in fear. Always there was fear, but never had it been so close to the surface. Never had it been so threatening. I looked at the man on the floor, then at my
son, the revolver in his hand.
‘I’ll find them,’ said Viktor, but even as he spoke, the sound of the mob outside increased. There was shouting, the heavy fall of many footsteps, then the front door rattled
in its frame and the crowd bayed before their noise abated and fell into a lull.
‘Bring him out, Luka.’ It was as if Dimitri was alone outside our door.
Natalia gripped me closer.
Again, banging.
‘Luka! Bring him out.’
I could feel Natalia tremble. She looked up at me and whispered. ‘Let them have him, Luka. For God’s sake—’
‘We don’t know he’s done anything wrong.’
‘We don’t know he hasn’t . I’m scared, Luka. Let them have him.’
‘He can’t even protect himself.’
‘Luka!’ Dimitri again. ‘Open the door or we’ll come in and take him.’
‘You’ll break down my door, Dimitri?’
‘If we have to.’
‘ Natalia’s front door?’
‘We’ll do what we have to. She’s not safe with him in there.’ His reply was spoken with determination and followed by a murmur of consensus as the crowd grew
restless.
‘Please,’ Natalia begged me. ‘Just—’
‘I’ll speak to them,’ I said, breaking away from her. ‘I’ll make this right. Don’t worry.’
‘Luka . . .’
I ignored her and glanced at my son, nodding at the revolver in his hand, then I took a step towards the door and drew back the heavy bolts.
Dimitri was standing with his chest out and his fists on his hips. Behind him there were at least thirty men and women with red faces and fearful eyes.
‘Go back to your homes,’ I said, scanning the crowd, trying to look each of them in the eye. ‘Go home and think about what you’re doing. I understand your concerns. I know your concerns, but I don’t share your wishes. Please. Don’t bring shame on us. Don’t bring shame on your children.’
‘Children.’ Dimitri seized the word from the air as if it were a solid entity. He snatched it with his fist and he threw it back at my face. ‘Children. That’s who
we’re trying to protect.’
‘Bring him out,’ someone said.
‘So you can kill him?’
‘So we can judge him.’
‘And who will be the judge? You?’ I looked at the crowd, singling someone out with a pointed finger. ‘You?’ I pointed at another. ‘All of you?’
No one spoke.
‘You think you can know what this man is? What he’s done? You think you can know him without even speaking to him?’
‘Then let him speak,’ someone called out.
‘He can’t,’ I said. ‘He can hardly even breathe.’
‘Bring him out!’ Another shout, this time louder, joined by others as the people began to work themselves up again.
Dimitri had told them what he’d seen. He’d told them about the bodies and the butchery. They were old enough to remember the pain of ten years ago, the terrible hunger. They knew how
it could turn men into monsters, and they knew what Dimitri had seen on that child’s leg. By telling them, and stirring them to his own cause, he had infected them with his own brand of
anxiety and bigotry. It settled deep in them, pricked at the fear they all kept buried just beneath the surface. And now they had found something to strike at, someone to punish for their
situation. A way to release their demons into the open.
‘You tried to keep it from us,’ someone called out. ‘Keep a child-murderer hidden. A monster.’
‘No.’
‘And then the police will come,’ a voice called. ‘So they can take all our children.’
‘And our wives.’
Another uproar from the people. Another mess of voices and shouting, and then a tentative surge, not actually moving forward but a testing of the water, as if the crowd had, as one, decided to
try my resolve.
Dimitri was pushed forward by the swell so that he fell against me. I stopped him
son, the revolver in his hand.
‘I’ll find them,’ said Viktor, but even as he spoke, the sound of the mob outside increased. There was shouting, the heavy fall of many footsteps, then the front door rattled
in its frame and the crowd bayed before their noise abated and fell into a lull.
‘Bring him out, Luka.’ It was as if Dimitri was alone outside our door.
Natalia gripped me closer.
Again, banging.
‘Luka! Bring him out.’
I could feel Natalia tremble. She looked up at me and whispered. ‘Let them have him, Luka. For God’s sake—’
‘We don’t know he’s done anything wrong.’
‘We don’t know he hasn’t . I’m scared, Luka. Let them have him.’
‘He can’t even protect himself.’
‘Luka!’ Dimitri again. ‘Open the door or we’ll come in and take him.’
‘You’ll break down my door, Dimitri?’
‘If we have to.’
‘ Natalia’s front door?’
‘We’ll do what we have to. She’s not safe with him in there.’ His reply was spoken with determination and followed by a murmur of consensus as the crowd grew
restless.
‘Please,’ Natalia begged me. ‘Just—’
‘I’ll speak to them,’ I said, breaking away from her. ‘I’ll make this right. Don’t worry.’
‘Luka . . .’
I ignored her and glanced at my son, nodding at the revolver in his hand, then I took a step towards the door and drew back the heavy bolts.
Dimitri was standing with his chest out and his fists on his hips. Behind him there were at least thirty men and women with red faces and fearful eyes.
‘Go back to your homes,’ I said, scanning the crowd, trying to look each of them in the eye. ‘Go home and think about what you’re doing. I understand your concerns. I know your concerns, but I don’t share your wishes. Please. Don’t bring shame on us. Don’t bring shame on your children.’
‘Children.’ Dimitri seized the word from the air as if it were a solid entity. He snatched it with his fist and he threw it back at my face. ‘Children. That’s who
we’re trying to protect.’
‘Bring him out,’ someone said.
‘So you can kill him?’
‘So we can judge him.’
‘And who will be the judge? You?’ I looked at the crowd, singling someone out with a pointed finger. ‘You?’ I pointed at another. ‘All of you?’
No one spoke.
‘You think you can know what this man is? What he’s done? You think you can know him without even speaking to him?’
‘Then let him speak,’ someone called out.
‘He can’t,’ I said. ‘He can hardly even breathe.’
‘Bring him out!’ Another shout, this time louder, joined by others as the people began to work themselves up again.
Dimitri had told them what he’d seen. He’d told them about the bodies and the butchery. They were old enough to remember the pain of ten years ago, the terrible hunger. They knew how
it could turn men into monsters, and they knew what Dimitri had seen on that child’s leg. By telling them, and stirring them to his own cause, he had infected them with his own brand of
anxiety and bigotry. It settled deep in them, pricked at the fear they all kept buried just beneath the surface. And now they had found something to strike at, someone to punish for their
situation. A way to release their demons into the open.
‘You tried to keep it from us,’ someone called out. ‘Keep a child-murderer hidden. A monster.’
‘No.’
‘And then the police will come,’ a voice called. ‘So they can take all our children.’
‘And our wives.’
Another uproar from the people. Another mess of voices and shouting, and then a tentative surge, not actually moving forward but a testing of the water, as if the crowd had, as one, decided to
try my resolve.
Dimitri was pushed forward by the swell so that he fell against me. I stopped him
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