The Beginning of Spring

by Penelope Fitzgerald

It was the Ministry of Defence, political division, or more precisely, the Security police. ‘We are holding Vladimir Semyonich Grigoriev, a student, who has confessed that he broke into your premises on the night of the 16th of March. Can you identify this man?’ ‘There are six thousand students in the University,’ said Frank. ‘But only one of them broke into Reid’s Press on the night of the 16th of March, with the aim either of printing subversive matter or of stealing type and other materials in order to print it elsewhere.’ ‘Nothing was stolen.’ ‘Why did he go there then? He had the whole of Moscow to choose from. In any case, we are requesting you to come round to Nikitskaya 210, and fetch him away.’ ‘Fetch him away! It’s Palm Sunday: I don’t want him!’ Frank said. ‘I’m always being asked to fetch