Friday, January 19, 2007

Petersburg - post III

There are moments when the difference between dreams and reality is hard to tell and the constant idea of the mid leaving the body makes it seem like a dress rehearsal for what will happen when the bomb goes off.

Bullet points between pages 122 – 178

* The story of what happens with Sofia and her husband Sergei is dealt with quite quickly with his failed attempt to commit suicide while she was at the ball exposed and they then forgive each other

* Meanwhile Nikolai has a showdown with his father that he manages to get away from a confession about the bomb by revealing that his mother has returned from Spain but he is tormented by the discussion he had with a secret agent

* The agent, who also warned his father of an imminent assassination, tells him that he is a double agent and has a choice of either going ahead with the assassination, committing suicide or facing arrest

* After discovering the bomb was in the bundle and is in his room Nikolai seeks out the stranger and tells him that he is no longer prepared to carry out the bombing and that he believes the influence of other party members is outrageous

* He is assured that the matter will be looked into and he will be given an answer about it all but the request was that he held the bomb not use it although Nikolai admits he does not love his father

Who is the double agent? What will become of the bomb? What will happen when father and son are reunited with the mother? More to come…