Magic Summary

Golubev is meeting with his chief, Stukov, who is a straight-forward man who is not cruel. Stukov likes to talk to people, including convicts, about new inventions. When Stukov wants to pick out carpenters from a new delivery of convicts, he can by looking at them. He can tell which ones are the peasants and is even able to know which are good clerical workers. Sometimes Stukov hesitates, but then when he gets another transport of prisoners, he again chooses the ones who can assist him in the camp. Stukov then receives an order to pick out the men who used to work in the secret police, who are also non-political prisoners. This is a very unusual request, and 2,000 men are silent when it is asked. One man steps out and says he worked as an informer. Stukov tells him to get the...