Chapter 8: The Road to Gold Summary

Kondratiev's fate is chosen in chapter eight. Ever since he has returned from Spain, Kondratiev feels as though he is walking around in a fog. He has a job in Moscow at the Combustibles Trust, but the other directors avoid him. He feels as though he could be arrested any day.

Kondratiev wanders the streets all night and finally comes to the conclusion that if he is arrested, he will fight. He is summoned by the Party Committee, but it has nothing to do with an arrest. They want him to preside over the presentation of the flag to a tank battalion by workers in the Ilich factory. Of course, the Committee gives him a list of topics to discuss in his presentation.

Next, Kondratiev has a chance meeting with Popov. Popov fishes for incriminating...