The story is divided into two sections which meet in the latter part of the work but both relate to the Botallack mine in South Cornwall. The first involves a group of Russian students who defect to the West seeking political asylum from the British Government. However the incident causes international dissent from the Russian government, to the embarrassment of the British government and the students are hidden away in a remote spot in Cornwall until the dust dies down. Ivan becomes their leader of the group and he goes to Plymouth to meet with a Member of Parliament but after being given a load of political nonsense, he storms off and decides to go his own way. However, on the night before he went to Plymouth Ivan slept with Anna. She becomes pregnant and has a son but Ivan knows nothing about it until she writes to him to tell him. In the meantime, he comes into contact with Elsie, a widow living in a slum property, and he lives there with her and her son but he treats her badly, takes all her savings and eventually leaves her. He meets up with James, a mining consultant, who employs him to help him buy Botallack mine through the Stannary Court.On the other side of the story, Sadler, a bank manager, is visited by Wesley Morris, a trader who looks like a tramp with an old fur coat and a battered trilby hat. Morris wants to buy the mine and has come for a bank loan. Sadler becomes interested in being a part of it but when negotiations occur for the sale, he discovers that Morris won an option to buy the mine in a poker game. There are numerous discussions with various parties and lots of negotiation until Morris reveals that the Government is interested in using a half-mile long tunnel at the mine, which goes out under the Atlantic Ocean, to deposit nuclear waste. The knowledge of this upsets the local miners and a plan to ensure that it happens takes place. Sadler has no money so he decided to steal it from dormant accounts at the bank in the hope that he can pay it all back before it's discovered. The Russian students are sent to the mine to clear the levels which they resent it very much. However, an explosion takes place and they are all drowned in the mine. Many years later, Anna dies and contact is made with Ivan for him to go and see his son. He agrees to do so and is nervous all the way on the journey to Cornwall but they eventually meet each other.
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Pubîsed în 2014 by Andrews UK îmîed www.andrewsuk.com
he rîg o San Mason o be îdenîIed as e Auor o îs work as been assered by îm în accordance wî e Copyrîg, Desîgns and Paens Ac 1998
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Caper One
On e mornîng o e en o June 1784, Mr. James Maddern and îs co-advenurers, a group o eîgeen cenury busînessmen, ook conro o e Boaack în mîne a S. Jus near and’s End în Cornwa. he and, known as Roscommon Cît Bounds on e cîf and waseands beween Boaack and Wea Cock cos Iteen dues o e ord and a en o e bounders. Fîty-one years aer, în 1835, Sepen Harvey James rescued e dereîc mîne în e srong beîe î woud make îm a orune... a maer a was îgy debaabe a e îme! On e sîxeen o May, 1964, amos one undred-and-eîgy years on , ïvan Obsîovîc, a îgy îneîgen It year engîneerîng suden, waked ou o Mînsk Unîversîy or e as îme în îs bîd or reedom aoug e ad a urer year o sudy beore e coud acîeve îs quaîIcaîons. He was desîue, ungry or advenure bored wî oaîarîan docrîne, and eager o Ind a means by wîc e coud make îs orune. hese încîdens and desîres, despîe e span o îme and e geograpîca dîsance, were cosey înked wî e Boaack mîne. ï was no 1984... weny more years ad passed sînce ïvan vîsîed e mîne on a geograpîca survey reaîng o e rîse and a o în. To a înens and purposes î ad become a memory o e pas. However e new înormaîon e ad receîved opened a door o e uure. ï overook îs ougs îke a ragîng avaance orcîng îs memory o reca pas evens wîc osensîby were ong orgoen he very essence o Boaack coursed roug îs veîns as we as weîgîng eavîy on îs conscîence. ï ad învaded îs mînd, possessed îs ougs, auned îs dreams, and pagued îs îe remorseessy unî îs subconscîous mînd suppressed e pas. Now î ad suraced agaîn. He waked o e wîndow o îs we-urnîsed oice reLecîng en pas wo decades wî a sorrowu expressîon on îs ace, He was quîe aluen now... a resîden în e capîa cîy... ar rom e povery
and vîcîousy cod wîners e ad experîenced în Mînsk. Boaack was aso undreds o mîes away... cod, we, sark, pary resîng înnocuousy under e Aanîc Oceans wî srong waves baerîng î a îs wesern edge. he door opened and Baker enered, snappîng îs Ingers a îs remînîscen coeague. ‘Consanîne!’ e barked arsy amos în e orm o an order. ‘Try o ocus your mînd on prîorîîes ïvan!’ he Russîan urned sowy as oug în a daydream, ‘Wa?’ e uered aconîcay beore oferîng e oer man îs u aenîon, ‘Consanîne!’ came e rapîd repy. ‘ï’s goîng o ake us Ive or sîx ours o ge ere în e dark. ï we don’ sar soon,’ ‘You don’ ave o remînd me,!’ reored ïvan sarpy, înerrupîng e oer man. ‘ï’m ready... ï’m ready!’ Baker sared a îm dîrecy or a ew momens, ‘ook,’ e saîd ouguy. ‘Wy don’ you jus orge î and e seepîng dogs îe?’ ‘Because e’s my son, dammî,’ came e quîck response. ‘;ï owe î o îm o e îm know e îdenîy o îs aer.’, He’s your son a rîg,’ saed Baker Lay. ‘Bu e’s eîgeen years od and you’ve never seen îm. He’s grown up. You mîssed a e un years. Wa’s e poîn o meeîng îm now?’ he Russîan înaed deepy. ‘He’s sî my son... my Les and bood,’ e responded camy. ‘ï wasn’ possî e o do îs beore bu now se’s dead... ‘ He aîed of, aowîng e senence o vanîs îno obscurîy. ‘ï suppose you wan o vîsî Boaack a e same îme. ‘Wa do you înk? Baker regreed avîng menîoned e în mîne bu ere was noîng a e coud do o rerac e words. ‘ï’ ge e car,’ e saîd as e et e room. From îs poîn o vîew, e quîcker ey sared e journey, e aser î woud be over. ï coudn’ end swîty enoug!
***
ï was an îcy wîner evenîng as e arge back saoon car urned of e maîn road, afeced by severe engîne roube., soppîng g a e orecour o an od garage în Cornwa. he wo men însîde e car eased emseves back în e comorabe seas o reax eîr acîng musces, Baker cosed îs eyes îgy beore runnîng a and over îs ace and yawnîng îredy, ‘e’s see î ere’s anyone abou,’ e muered. He sared o open e door wen e noîced a e oer man was abou o do e same. ‘No ïvan!’ e urged, pusîng îs companîon back îno e we-sprung eaer. ‘ ‘You say ere în e warm,’ he Russîan srugged of e gesure subborny, and opened e car door. ‘ï may as we srec my egs,’ e responded îredy. ‘Fîve ours în e dark îs a ong îme,’ Baker smîed, îs eyes a cosîng wî aîgue. ‘he roube wî you, moî droog, îs a you’re so used o sîîng on your a derrîere în e oice you’ve os e ar o raveîng ong dîsances,’ hey aîged rom e car, sammîng e doors oudy beînd em. ‘You’re rîg,’ admîed Obsîovîc. ‘ï’m no used o raveîng any more. here was a îme wen... ‘ He was înerruped as îs companîon poîned o a îg în an oice a e rear o e garage. ‘Maybe we’re în uck,’ suggesed Baker opeuy. ‘Come on!’ He waked owards e îg as ïvan pued up e coar o îs overcoa and capped îs ands ogeer o keep warm, ‘You go on aead,’ e od Baker îredy. ‘ï’ waî ere. Bu be quîck abou î, ï’s cod... damned cod! He waced Baker reac . oice and en sared o sadow boxîng în e orecour, weavîng and duckîng as î Igîng an îmagînary opponen. Ater a sor wîe e grew weary and samped îs ee on e ground. Hîs îred a body move mecanîcay în an aemp o keep îs bood cîrcuaîng aser, owever îs obesîy denîed îm e pysîca acîvîy requîred so a îs efors were în vaîn. hîs was an awu pace o sufer car engîne probems. ï was mîes rom e neares own... mîes
rom anywere! Hîs coeague was rîg! He ad become oo accusomed o a pus execuîve caîr în îs eseemed corporae oice. A sat o îg was cas beore îm as e door opened and Baker consored wî a man wo conînuay rubbed îs greasy ands on e îgs o îs dîry bue denîms, hey waked over o e car were e mecanîc opened e bonne and sone a orc însîde. hen e sîd îno e drîvîng sea and rîed o sar e engîne, îîng îs ead o one sîde as e soug o Ind e core o e probem, ‘ï’ need more îme o do a proper job,’ e od em wî a dîsînc Cornîs accen. ‘E’d beer come back o e oice and ‘ave some ea wîe us works on a repaîr.’ here was a vesîge o îg as e wîner moon sowed îse beween paces o couds. he ree men urrîed o e oice were e mecanîc Ied up e kee wî waer and paced î on îged gas rîng. ‘Servîce and înscruabîîy,’ auged Baker. ‘ï’s nîce o know a ese peope aren’ on e make. No îke mos own peope.’ ïvan pued of îs goves o warm îs ands on e od oî eaer burnîng în a corner o e room, ‘How muc urer now.?’ ‘Abou weny mîes or so,’ repîed Baker. ‘ï’m no reay sure.’ Baker sared ou o e wîndow a e sroud o darkness. ‘ï ope e can Ix î quîcky. ï don’ wan o spend e nîg în îs mîsbegoen pace. No î ï can ep î!’ he Russîan rubbed îs ands ogeer vîgorousy begînnîng o ee e cîrcuaîon reurnîng, ‘hey’re usuay good mecanîcs în ese remoe paces. hey’ve go o be.’ ‘here’s sî îme o e seepîng dogs îe,’ counered Baker ardy o e împac o îs words as îs îred braîn curned ou oug wîc ad nagged îm a day. ‘We coud go back... even now.’ ïvan umbed în îs pocke o produce a packe o cîgarees. He î one and ossed e dead mac careessy on e L.oor. here was sîence beore Baker conînued.
‘You never ever od me wa se was îke.’ he Russîan gared a îm sueny, ‘Wa’s any woman îke?’ e reurned acuey, he cynîca response orced îs coeague o drop e maer. Funny ow you can sme e counrysîde,’ e conînued cangîng e subjec. ‘here’s a swee odour în e aîr... a kînd o resness,’ He empîed e dregs o îs mug îno e îny sînk în e3 corner o e room beore gancîng ou o e wîndow o observe e mecanîc workîng under e arge porabe eecrîc îg. ‘ï don’ îke e ook o ose couds,’ e grumbed as e moon dîsappeared beînd em. ‘ooks îke a sorm’s brewîng. ha’s e as îng we wan.’ he Russîan Inîsed îs drînk and ed îs goves owards e oî eaer. ‘We soud ave drîven on regardess,’ e compaîned bîery, ‘You can’ drîve weny mîes wî an engîne makîng a kînd o noîse... ‘ He was înerruped rudey by an împaîen wave o a and. ‘A rîg, a rîg... ï’m no în a mood or a ecure.’ hey remaîned sîen unî e mecanîc reurned. ‘ï can probaby do î by omorrow aternoon a e earîes î ï can ge e pars, You can borrow one o my cars în e meanîme o ge on your way.’ hey oowed îm ousîde sulîng abou o keep warm and e mecanîc began o crank e engîne o a very od veîce. Baker sook îs ead în dîsbeîe as e sa în e drîvîng sea o e pre-1939 mode,. hîs soud ave been sen o e scrap eap years ago,’ e saîd, reaîsîng a e ad no conro over e maer. ‘ï’s e ony spare ï ave, reaed e mecanîc. ‘Take î or eave î!’ Baker gave îm a wry ook and drove of sruggîng wî e conros. He oug wî e gear sîck and e cuc or a wîe, aavîng o keep îg conro o e seerîng wee, and even onger o become accusomed o e noîsy one o e engîne and e consan rae o e bodywork., Pressîng îmse îno
e sma bucke sea as ard as possîbe, e squîned a e road aead î ony by e dîm eadîgs wîc cas eîr îgs în a poo în ron o e veîce. ïvan sa quîe sî, îs egs drawn up îgy owards îs cîn în e sma space aocaed o e passenger. Hîs eyes opened and cosed spasmodîcay as aîgued began o overcome îm. Peraps Baker ad been rîg. Maybe e soud ave e seepîng dogs îe. He began o înk back abou îs îe în Russîa în e pas. To îs credî, e ad been e boy cosen o ave îs poograp depîced on a Sovîe posage samp, wavîng e Lag o îs naîon parîoîcay wî bo ands. A a îme e beîeved a e Sae reîgned supreme and îs înîîa aîm was o dedîcae îmse o e oaîarîan cause unî word revouîon wîc woud înevîaby ree a ose wo were în împerîaîsîc capîvîy. Howwever, îs aer mînd, and îs unquencabe curîosîy aered îno one o exreme seIsness as e grew oder, ïn due course, î dawned on îm a, wî e bes wî în e word, îs moer counry wî îs îdeoogy woud never reward îm adequaey and e woud be ar beer of o spread îs wîngs o acîeve someîng beer în îe. he Irs ask en was o dîvorce îmse rom e Sovîe îdeoogy. As ar as e was concerned, e ad o escape o a corrup, asîdîous, împerîaîsîc word în e Wes în wîc e mîg acîeve îs ambîîon and make îs orune. He recaed a book once smugged by anoer boy îno e scoo wîc od o e srees o ondon beîng paved wî god. He consîdered î o be a capîaîsîc rîck by a Wesern auor and e dîsbeîeved î o be rue, However ere was no arm în ceckîng ou e boas o see weer ere was an eemen o ru în î, O one îng e was ceraîn, ï e sîmpy sa back and aîed o ac, îs you, enusîasm and îs prospecs woud înexoraby ade away o înInîy,