[Then a chair clattered in the next room and a short smart man of medium height and, more surprising, of medium finish appeared in the doorway. «Would you please tell me how to draw a troika? I want to master that pattern for pyrography on cigarette cases.»]
Except for in my early years I have never claimed to be an artist, but then I bravely took a pencil and depicted three horse heads, five legs* and one tail on the board. The heads proved to be daunting at the very least. Saint George from the ancient icon would be able to kill the dragon riding any of those horses but who would manage to harness those monsters abreast? No! Such an adventure would be unacceptable! But Zarutsky was filled with admiration,
«Magnificent! It's just magnificent!»
«I transferred you to Zarutsky,» Veisman said. «He came to me yesterday and delivered an ultimatum; your troika trampled down his philosophy of life.»
I am at the new work.
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* On the picture - six legs.