A few roars of hear, hear, good idea, were followed by raucous laughter. Sasha waited for silence to return before he continued. ‘You may laugh, but if we were in the Soviet Union, everyone who spoke in favour of this motion tonight would have been arrested, and every student who even attended the debate would have been expelled and sent to work in the docks. I know, because that’s what happened to me.’ Sasha was quite unaware of the effect his words were having on his fellow students.
‘My mother and I were able to escape from that totalitarian state, and were fortunate enough to end up in England, where we were welcomed as refugees. But I must tell this house, I would return to the Soviet Union tomorrow to fight that despotic regime, and be willing to die if I thought there was the slightest chance that the communists could be driven out and replaced by a democratic state in which every one of my countrymen would have a vote.’
The cheer that followed gave Sasha a chance to gather his thoughts. Only when he had complete silence did he continue. ‘It’s been fun to debate this motion without fear or favour, to have a vote, and then be allowed to join your friends in the bar. But had I made this speech in my country, I would have ended up behind bars, and spent many years, perhaps the rest of my life, in a labour camp. I beg you to defeat this motion, because supporting it will only give succour to those evil despots around the world who consider dictatorship a better system than democracy, just as long as they’re the dictator. Let us send a message from this house tonight, that we would rather die in defence of our country and its values than be subjected to tyranny.’
As Sasha made his way back to his place, the whole house rose to acknowledge him. He was touched to see both Mr Wedgwood Benn and Mr Ali on their feet joining in the ovation. When everyone had finally settled, the president stood again and invited the house to divide and cast their votes.
Twenty minutes later, the vice-president rose from his place and declared that the motion had been defeated by 312 votes to 297. Sasha was immediately surrounded by a throng of students, congratulating him and wanting to shake his hand, while Ben sat back and basked in his triumph. A member of the committee leant across and whispered in his ear. ‘The president wondered if you and your friend would care to join him for a drink in the committee room.’
‘You bet,’ said Ben, who led Sasha out of the hall and up a wide staircase to join the presidential party.
The first person to walk across and congratulate him was Mr Wedgwood Benn.
‘A magnificent contribution,’ he said. ‘I can only hope you’re considering a career in politics. You have a lot to offer.’
‘But I might not sit on your side of the house, sir,’ said Sasha.
‘Then I would consider you a worthy opponent, sir.’
Sasha was about to respond when they were joined by a young woman who also wanted to offer her congratulations.
‘This is Fiona,’ said Ben. ‘The only woman on the Union committee.’
Sasha was impressed, not only with the achievement, but also by her radiant beauty, which didn’t require any announcement.
‘I’m surprised we haven’t seen you before, Sasha,’ she said, touching his arm.
‘He rarely abandons his books to join us lesser mortals,’ said Ben, who didn’t notice that Sasha couldn’t take his eyes off her.
‘I was hoping to be able to convince you to join CUCA.’
‘CUCA?’ repeated Sasha.
‘The University Conservative club,’ said Ben. ‘It was Fiona who recruited me.’
*
‘I hear your speech at the Union went down rather well,’ said Streator, moving a rook to protect his queen.
‘The British are such a civilized people,’ said Sasha, as he studied the board. ‘They allow anyone to express their views, however ridiculous or ill-informed they might be. I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise to you, sir, that we didn’t have a debating society at my school in Leningrad.’
‘Dictators don’t care too much for other people’s opinions. Mind you, even the Duke of Wellington, after chairing his first cabinet meeting as prime minister, was surprised to find that his colleagues didn’t seem willing simply to carry out his orders, but actually wanted to discuss the alternatives. It was some time before the Iron Duke was prepared to accept that his fellow cabinet ministers might have opinions of their own.’
Sasha laughed, and moved his bishop.
‘But be warned, Sasha, civilized as the British are, you shouldn’t assume that just because you’re clever, they will accept you as one of them. There are many who are suspicious of a first-class mind, while others will make a judgement based not on the words you say, but the accent in which they’re pronounced, and some will be against you the moment they hear your name. However, should you choose to remain at Trinity once you’ve taken your degree, you will only come up against such prejudice if you were foolish enough to venture outside these hallowed walls.’
It had never crossed Sasha’s mind that he might stay at Trinity and teach the next generation. Only a few days ago a cabinet minister had encouraged him to consider a political career, and today his supervisor was suggesting that he should remain at Cambridge. He moved a pawn.
‘You’re a natural,’ said Streator, ‘and I’m sure the college will want to hold on to you.’ He moved his rook again. ‘But I suppose you might consider us a pretty dull lot, and think there’s a far more exciting world out there for you to conquer.’
‘I’m flattered that my future has even crossed your mind,’ said Sasha as he picked up his queen.
‘Do keep me informed of any plans you might have,’ said Streator, ‘either way.’
‘I only have one plan at the moment, sir. Checkmate.’
*
The phone on Dr Streator’s desk began to ring, but he ignored it.
‘The decision to divide Berlin into four Allied sectors following the Second World War was nothing more than a political compromise.’ The phone stopped ringing. ‘And when those people living in what in 1949 became East Germany began to flee to the West in droves, the government’s reaction was to panic and build an eleven-foot-high barrier which became known as the Berlin Wall. This concrete monstrosity topped with barbed wire stretches for over ninety miles, with the sole purpose of preventing the citizens of East Germany escaping to the West.’
The phone began to ring again.
‘Over a hundred people have lost their lives attempting to climb that wall. As a monument to the virtues of Communism, it has proved a public relations disaster.’
The phone stopped ringing.
‘I hope that in my lifetime, and certainly in yours,’ continued Streator, ‘we shall see it torn down, and Germany once again united as a single nation. That is the only way to guarantee a lasting peace in Europe.’
There was a loud rap on the door. Streator sighed, reluctantly rose from his place and walked slowly across the room. He had already prepared his first sentence for the intruder. He opened the door to find the senior porter standing there, flushed and clearly embarrassed.
‘Perkins, I am in the middle of a supervision, and unless the college is on fire, or about to be invaded by Martians, I would be obliged—’
‘Worse than Martians, sir, far worse.’
‘And what, pray, could be worse than Martians, Perkins?’
‘Nine men from Oxford are lurking in the porter’s lodge, intent on doing battle.’
‘With whom?’
‘With you, sir, and the members of the Cambridge chess team.’
‘Typical of that lot to turn up on the wrong day,’ said Streator. He returned to his desk, opened his diary and said, ‘Bugger.’
Sasha had never heard the senior tutor swear before, and had certainly never known him lost for words.