have time to visit the village seventy kilometres away, where the shepherds would serve them hot kebabs made of fresh- ly skinned mutton in the open air. Wouldn’t that be preferable to gazing all morning at the figure of a tan- ner with a sheep skin in his outstretched hands? Each member of the delegation was to be given photographs of the statue, taken from different angles. The foreigners clapped their hands together again, signifying their acceptance of the changed programme. While the guests were eating dinner, a group of men from the district committee again turned up at Ashten’s place and with all sorts of apologies. They began to explain to him that the programme had suddenly changed and he would have to go up on the plinth tonight instead of in the morning. ‘Alright,’ he said, stretching out his hand to the trousers hanging from the headboard. ‘I’ll stand up for the district committee!’ ‘But not a word about this to anyone! Even your wife must not know about it.’ ‘Why? One of the young men hurriedly took out an envelope and handed it to Ashten. He opened the envelope, peered into it, and silently slipped it into his trouser pocket. ‘Three,’ said the young man who had passed the envelope, ‘then you’ll get two more.’ ‘Isn’t that a bit small? ‘Have a conscience!’ One of the instructors burst into tears. ‘Five hundred roubles for half an hour! That’s your salary for four months.’ Ashten, who had already put one foot in his trouser leg, began to pull it back out. The young man who handed over the envelope grabbed Ashten’s trouser leg. ‘My dear man, don’t take your trousers off, I beg you! It was just a thought. It just came out of his mouth. Didn’t it, eh?’ He turned to his companion, winked, and told him off. ‘I didn’t mean to,’ he apologised slyly. ‘I wonder how it came out of my mouth…’ Ashten began to pull on the other trouser leg. Fi- nally, having dressed Ashten up like a bride for a dress fitting, they picked him up from under his arms, led him out the door, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. ‘Where are you taking him in the middle of the night?’ his wife shouted after them. Ashten turned around and proudly said: ‘Stay out of the district committee’s

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