[ Any Russian knows how Yezhov's reign ended. How Yezhov's time ended. Konstantin, he realizes, is just asking him for verbal confirmation, giving him a chance to say it in his own words, to put words to the state's betrayal, to his greatest pain prior to this moment.
Konstantin hasn't reacted to the revelation. It is, no doubt, the shock. Vasiliy's heart races so fast he feels nauseous; he feels the strength of his quickening pulse in his hands, his breast, his face.
He swallows. The tears spill over, but he doesn't weep. ]
...Until I was shot, [ he whispers, hoarse, eyes welling with a fresh wave of tears. ] I was shot. Executed. Like them. I earned it. They didn't.
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Konstantin hasn't reacted to the revelation. It is, no doubt, the shock. Vasiliy's heart races so fast he feels nauseous; he feels the strength of his quickening pulse in his hands, his breast, his face.
He swallows. The tears spill over, but he doesn't weep. ]
...Until I was shot, [ he whispers, hoarse, eyes welling with a fresh wave of tears. ] I was shot. Executed. Like them. I earned it. They didn't.