The Charm School
Chapter One
"You are already staying in Smolensk two days, Mr. Fisher?" she
asked. Gregory Fisher was no longer confused or amused by the
peculiar syntax and verb tenses of English as it was spoken in this
part of the world. "Yes," he replied, "I've been in Smolensk two
days."
"Why don't I see you when you arrive?"
"You were out. So I saw the police-the militia."
"Yes?" She leafed through his papers on her desk, a worried look on
her face, then brightened. "Ah, yes. Good. You are staying here at
Tsentralnaya Hotel."
Fisher regarded the Intourist representative. She was about
twenty-five years old, a few years older than he. Not too bad
looking. But maybe he'd been on the road too long. "Yes, I stayed at
the Tsentralnaya last night." She looked at his visa. "Tourism?"
"Right. Tourizm."
She asked, "Occupation?"
Fisher had become impatient with these internal control measures. He
felt as if he were making a major border crossing at each town in
which he was obliged to stop. He said, "Ex-college student,
currently unemployed."
She nodded. "Yes? There is much unemployment in Ameri ... read full excerpt from The Charm School ebook
