taras_oleksei

Ilarion looked down for a moment.

"I tried," he said, at last.

He cleared his throat, slightly, running his hand slowly back over his silvery blond crown.

"Just today, as a matter of fact. I put in a call, and I made my case."

Lasha's lip stilled, almost sullen, as his brow shifted, low over his eyes.

"But Aleksandr wasn't having it. He was adamant. Nikanor Grigorivich is coming home, he said. He's needed in Leningrad."

He snorted very softly.

"You can bet that doesn't happen very often."

It irked Lasha now, on a deeper level, that the choice would not be Liadov's alone.

"I don't know what Aleksandr's fixation is. What the hell does it matter? He has me. He has countless drones."