Chapter 9, Part 1 Summary

When Yakov has been in prison for two full years, a man comes into the cell. He tells Yakov that in honor of the three-hundredth anniversary of the House of Romanov, the Tsar has agreed to pardon Yakov and let him return home. Yakov will have none of it. He refuses to be pardoned as a criminal without a fair trial. All the guards and officials are furious. They pour urine on his head and punish him for his insolence. Yakov decides that things are never as bad as they can be, because each day the officials find a way to make his life worse.

The warden returns with a new indictment. This time, they have restored the mystical accusations and removed the ravings of Marfa. Yakov is now indicted as a ritual murderer. This time the indictment describes his worship...