“Brothers,” exclaimed Pétroff, after we had seated ourselves and transacted some preliminary business, “our time has arrived. By the exercise of due caution we shall be enabled to strike a blow that will paralyse Europe, and remove the Tyrant and his underlings. Shall we do so?”
“Yes,” we replied, with one accord.
“Now that the lips of that traitress, Vera Kovalski, are sealed, we are free to act,” he continued. “The Zemliá i Vólia (”Land and Liberty“) group in Petersburg have supplied us with information. The Tzar and Tzarina will leave the Winter Palace this day fortnight for Astrakhan.”
He took from the papers at his elbow a large map of Russia, upon which was marked in red the route by which the Imperial party were to travel. It showed that they would go by way of Moscow, Riazan, Tambov, Atkarsk, to Saratov, and thence by steamer down the Volga.
“You observe, brothers,” he said, “the train will pass over several unimportant branch lines. It is suggested by the Circle in Petersburg that a disaster should occur on one of these, as they will not be so closely watched as the trunk lines.”
“What kind of a disaster?” I asked.
Pétroff ran his fingers through his long, dark hair, and fixed his searching eyes upon me.
“We have yet to decide,” he replied. “Besides, as it would be extremely dangerous for any member of the Petersburg group to undertake the attempt, one of us will be compelled to put the plans into execution, receiving assistance, of course, from our brothers in the capital.”
“There are many ways of causing a disaster,” observed Tersinski. “A charge of dynamite under the metals, as at Moscow, might prove effective.”