‘What now?’ ‘We go back to town,’ he says. ‘Get the cart and go on. To Moscow. That was your plan, wasn’t it?’ I nod. Only it feels strange. Sergei seems to know too much. ‘We need to talk,’ I say. He nods. ‘I know. But not now.’ We hasten on, and for a while it’s fine, only Katerina begins to get cramps, in her chest and stomach. We stop and let her rest and they subside. Sergei wants to press on while it’s still light, but I’m far from happy. Katerina says nothing, but I know she’s worried about the baby. ‘Do you think you can go on if we walk slowly?’ I ask her. ‘I’ll try.’ And it’s that perseverance that I love about her. Only I’m worried now, and even as we limp our way through the forest back towards Tver’, I wonder if this really is the best thing to do. Whether I oughtn’t to jump back and throw myself upon Hecht’s mercy and beg him to save Katerina and my child. Only I’m not going to. Not until I have to. Until there’s no other option.
