By Uncle Abdul

"Here she is Sir," the soldier said. He then pushed the smartly-dressed but besmudged young woman by her arm into the office.

"That will be all, Comrade," the young man wearing wire framed spectacles replied. The Cheka officer casually returned the soldier's salute who then left the office closing the door behind him and leaving the two alone--interrogator and prisoner.

The officer--still sitting on the corner of his desk and reading the sheaf of papers before him--asked, "Name?"

"Countess Alyona Ivanova Kuznitzova," the young woman replied. She tried to stifle any show of the terror she felt inside. "May I sit down?"

"No," snapped the officer as he threw his papers on the desk and shot an angry stare at her. The light caught his spectacles so that all she saw were two burning coals for eyes. "You nobility have lost all privileges afforded you before the revolution. You are no better than any other person who comes into this office. You will remain standing and answer my questions promptly and deferentially. The people rule now, and I speak for the people."

"Yes Comrade officer," said the young woman. She folded her hands on her skirt in hopes that this lout wouldn't see her trembling. This was a dangerous time. And he did have power of life and death over her.

The officer was now circling around slowly her like some imperious overseer examining a lowly field serf on her father's estate. She felt his eyes burning into her, and she knew that he was enjoying her discomfiture and the power he had over her. The Countess kept her eyes lowered.

But now the officer was standing in front of her. He reached out and lifted her chin until their eyes met.

"Countess..." he hissed. "I've known and hated nobles like you all my life. After a landowner flogged me, I joined the revolution, and now it is time to make haughty bitches like you pay for your oppressions." The mere force of this verbal attack cut into the Countess' composure. For the first time her face exhibited shock.

The Countess then stared at the young officer.

"Serge?" she said tentatively.

"Yes Countess, Serge, a field serf on your father's estate. The very one who chanced upon you bathing in the river. The very one you drove nearly mad teasing me with your body, knowing full well that you would never permit me to have you. I fell in love with you bitch, and for that you had your father knout me. It could have killed me, but I survived. The only thing that was killed was my love for you. From that day forward I swore I would have my revenge."

In panic the Countess recoiled against the wall putting her hand to her mouth. "No... no... Serge, I-I'm-m so-o-o sorry, I..."

"Now... Now you are MY prisoner, and I can do ANYTHING I want with you," said the officer. With that he pressed forward towards her and began to grope her breasts and other parts of her body.

Something snapped inside the Countess. This was an affront she would not permit. After all, she was the Countess Alyona Ivanova Kuznitzova, and she would not permit this... this... serf... to touch her.

In rage she struck the officer hard across the face with her fists. In shock he dropped to his knees and stared at her like some serf who had just been caught stealing silver from the manor.

"You're still a filthy serf, Serge," she screamed. "You know why I teased you at the river? It was because you belonged to ME. I was your Mistress, and I... I could do anything I wanted with you."

For what seemed to the two of them like a long moment frozen in time, no one spoke. Then the Chekist officer broke into sobs and crawled on his knees kissing her dainty shoes. "Oh please Mistress Alyona, I confess that I still love you and want to be with you. The knouting couldn't really kill the love I harbor for you. I would go through any pain to be with you."

The Countess reached down and grabbing a hank of his hair forced him to look at her. "That is up to you Serge. That is entirely up to you."

It took several minutes for the officer to regain his composure. During that time the Countess sat. Finally he called the soldier into the office.

"Comrade," he said, "I've determined that Comrade Alyona is indeed one of the people and supports our glorious revolution. I'm ordering her full release. And seeing that she needs a residence, I'm having her set up in the quarters adjoining mine at the apartment in Leninskaya. This way there will be no question of her loyalty to the cause."

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