He looked back at his family, and gave them a reassuring smile which Elena didn’t return. The cabin door was opened, and the steps lowered into place. Alexander emerged into the pale fading sunlight. Nothing could have prepared him for what was about to happen.
He was greeted by a mass of people, stretching as far as the eye could see, all chanting, ‘Kar-pen-ko! Kar-pen-ko!’ He instinctively raised an arm in acknowledgement, and a sea of hands waved back.
At the bottom of the steps stood a reception party, led by the mayor and his senior staff. As Alexander began to walk down the steps, the noise reached a crescendo, and he wasn’t sure how to react to such unbridled enthusiasm. He looked back to see his family following him down the steps, his mother apprehensive, his wife bemused, while his only child seemed to be enjoying every moment.
As he set foot on the tarmac, a roar went up that no Russian president had ever experienced. The mayor stepped forward and shook hands warmly with the prodigal son.
‘Welcome back to Saint Petersburg, Alexander. Even in our wildest dreams, we didn’t anticipate this. The chief of police estimates that over a hundred thousand of your fellow countrymen have come out to welcome you back to your homeland. This show of support should leave you in no doubt how many people want you to be our next president.’
‘Thank you,’ said Alexander, unable to find the words to express how he felt at that moment.
‘Perhaps you would like to say a few words to your loyal supporters,’ suggested the mayor. ‘Most of whom have been waiting for several hours.’
‘I wasn’t prepared for such a welcome,’ admitted Alexander, but his words couldn’t be heard above the chants of ‘Kar-pen-ko! Kar-pen-ko!’
The mayor led him towards a small rostrum that had been erected on the edge of the runway. Although he was surrounded by a hundred thousand people all chanting his name, Alexander had never felt more alone in his life. He had to wait several minutes before the crowd had settled enough to make it possible for him to address them, which at least allowed him a little time to gather his thoughts.
‘My fellow countrymen,’ he began, ‘how do I begin to thank you for such an overwhelming welcome? A welcome that has inspired me to dream on your behalf. But for that dream to become a reality, I will need every one of you to also work on my behalf.’
Once again, the chanting and cries erupted, confirming their willingness to do so. He made no attempt to continue until the crowd had fallen silent again.
‘I have long believed that Russia is capable of taking its rightful place among the leading nations of the world, but to achieve this, we must finally remove the shackles of dictatorship, and ensure that the nation’s great wealth is shared among the many, rather than being allowed to line the pockets of the few. Let us at last release our latent genius so the world is no longer fearful of our military might, but instead is in awe of our peacetime achievements. Why are the British described as world leaders when they are smaller than our smallest state? Because they box above their weight. Why is America always described as the leader of the free world? Because we are not free. That freedom is now within our grasp, so let us embrace it together.’ He raised his arms high in the air, and once again it was several minutes before he was able to continue.
As he looked down at the expectant faces gazing up at him, he tried not to let their adulation sway his judgement, although he knew that an opportunity like this might never happen again, and that he needed to take advantage of it. He leant forward until his lips were almost touching the microphone, and there followed a stillness he realized could only last for a few moments before the spell would be broken.
‘It is my father, not I, who should be standing here receiving your acclamation. He risked his life defending this city against our common enemy, for which a grateful nation awarded him the Defence of Leningrad medal. But now we face a more insidious enemy, who has no morals, no scruples, and whose only interest is self-interest. These were the men who murdered my father because he wanted to set up a union to protect the rights of his fellow workers. Greedy, selfish men who represent no one other than themselves.’
The hush that had fallen over the crowd was almost palpable.
‘My fellow countrymen, I have not returned to the land of my birth to seek revenge, but to follow in my father’s footsteps. Inspired by your belief in me, my only wish is to serve you. I will therefore allow my name to go forward for the highest office in the land, and seek to become your president.’
The storm of applause and cheering that followed must have been heard in the centre of Saint Petersburg. But like Mark Antony, Alexander knew there was nothing more he could say, as the time had come for him to march onto the battlefield. He had sown the seeds of revolution, and would now have to wait for them to take root. As he quietly left the stage his followers continued to chant, ‘Kar-pen-ko! Kar-pen-ko!’
Standing alone at the back of the crowd was a smartly dressed, heavily built man who didn’t join in the applause. The recently appointed head of the secret service dialled a number on his mobile phone, but had to wait for some time before he heard a voice on the other end of the line.
Donokov held his phone high in the air so his boss could better hear the acclamation of the crowd.
‘I was about to issue a press release,’ said the Prime Minister, ‘expressing my deep sorrow on learning of the tragic deaths of Alexander Karpenko and his family. An heroic figure, who would surely have become our next president, and played a major role in the building of a new Russia, if I recall my exact words.’
‘A little premature, I would suggest,’ said Donokov. ‘But be assured, Prime Minister, it is under control. I shall not make the same mistake a second time.’
‘Let’s hope so for your sake,’ said the Prime Minister as he continued to listen to the exuberant crowd in the background.
‘I am confident,’ said Donokov, ‘that it shouldn’t be too long before you are able to issue a more up-to-date press statement.’
‘That’s good to hear. But I shall still wait until after I’ve delivered the eulogy at the funeral of my old school friend, before I announce I will be standing for president,’ said Vladimir Putin.