I won’t let myself be taken by force.’

And with a deft, cat-like movement, she escaped his arms, flitted passed the oven, closed the vent, and disappeared into the neighbouring room. He wanted to force his way inside, but the quickly bolted door wouldn’t budge.

‘Bitch!’ he breathlessly hissed through his teeth. ‘But I won’t forget about midnight. You have to come out for the loaves. You won’t leave them there for the entire night.’

Somewhat calmed by this certainty, he began to undress. He assumed that he wouldn’t fall asleep, and so preferred to wait in bed. He put out the lamp and lay down.

The bed was unexpectedly comfortable. He stretched out with delight on the soft bedding, put his hands under his head and surrendered to that particular state before sleep when the mind, wearied from a day’s work, half-dreams, floating like a boat entrusted to the waters by a tired oarsman who lets down his hands.

Outside the wind stormed, slashing the windows with snow; farther on, from the woods and fields, and smothered by the sound of the wild wind, came the howl of wolves. Inside, it was warm. The darkness of the interior was brightened only by the weakly glowing embers left behind by Makryna along the sides of the oven. Through the gaps between the cover and the edges of the aperture, the ruby eyes of coals were visible, capturing his attention … . The engineer stared at the dying redness, and dozed. Time lengthened terribly. Every moment he raised his heavy eyelids and, overcoming sleepiness, fixed his eyes at the roving glimmer in the abyss. In his confused thoughts the figures of the lascivious old man and Makryna alternated, by the law of psychic relationship flowing into some strange whole, into some chimerical alloy, brought about by their mutual lasciviousness; their words, odd expressions, their successive appearances unreeled chaotically in a manifest, though not reasonable, arrangement. From covered thickets emerged previously hatched questions, now indolently seeking explanation. Everything loitered about, got entangled along the road, everything jostled sluggishly, sleepily and absurdly … .

An overwhelming stuffiness took possession of his mind, it prevailed in his throat and chest. A dim nightmare managed to slip in … . His impulsively outstretched hand wanted to hold back the enemy, but fettered, it fell back. A stagnant darkness followed … .

At some time during the night Ozarski awoke. He rubbed his eyes lazily, raised his heavy head, and began to listen. He thought he had heard a noise coming from the region of the oven. Indeed, after a moment, a distinct rustling issued from there, like soot giving way in a chimney. He tried to focus his eyes on its cause, but the complete darkness prevented him from doing so.

Suddenly a strip of moonlight penetrated the frosted windows, and cutting the middle of the room with a bright streak, its greenish glow illuminated part of the kitchen.

The engineer instinctively directed his eyes upward, in the direction of the oven, and to his amazement saw a pair of naked, muscular calves dangling from the hood and over the stove. Not changing his position, Ozarski waited with bated breath. Meanwhile, amid the continual noise of falling soot, powerful shanks emerged from the smoke-hole, to be slowly followed by wide, sinewy loins, then a woman’s abdomen with strong, expansive lines. Finally, with one jerk, the entire figure came out of the opening and dropped onto the floor. Not far from Ozarski, a huge, horrible hag stood in the moonlight … .

She was completely naked, with loosened long white hair falling below her shoulders. Even though, judging by the colour of her hair, she seemed an old woman, her body possessed a strange compactness and flexibility. Entranced, the engineer let his eyes wander along big breasts, firm like a girl’s, along strong, solid hips and supple thighs.