Let the Children Boogie

News got to his senior lieutenant first about the escaped prisoner, leaving him with the regrettable job of telling Ivan. Ivan remained stony. They went up and inspected the room. There was no obvious means of escape. The lieutenant went to the window and opened it, noting the three stores drop to the street below. He suggested to Ivan the prisoner possibly could have used the drain pipe. Or had help. To which Ivan put his fist through the wall, followed by much incoherent Russian swearing as he flipped the cot Tauras used as a bed and kicked a table. After he had calmed down enough, he sent for the guards and the doctor to question them -- though he did leave the plaster dust from the wall on his uniform as a not-so-subtle warning to all of them.

He was most suspicious of the doctor, not believing someone as injured as Tauras was could have gone out the window and climbed down the pipe on their own, without help. But Ivan could not prove it -- the guards saw the doctor leave. The doctor's housekeeper saw him return home. No one saw him go back to the custom's house later that night. After that, Ivan had to assume Tauras did it all on his own. I think because of that, he may have regretted sending the doctor only for the fact if he hadn't, then he would have been 100% sure Tauras did escape on his own. When Ivan makes a decision, he tries to do it to leave no room for doubt. It's either A or B, 1 or 2. He can't stand leaders who cannot make a decision, a by-product of serving in Crimea. So he always aims to be as resolute as possible. Which doesn't always work. He does have doubts, he's human. As much as he wishes things could always operate logically and in the most efficient manner, feelings do get in the way and cloud things sometimes.

Ooohhh, I like the scolding from Divinity take! But I honestly don't see Ivan as very religious or one to believe in things like karma. He doesn't really start trying to come to terms with that part of his past until later. He sees the similarities between himself and Matas as coincidence at first, and it does inspire a fondness, though the fact Matas keeps bringing up Tauras whenever Ivan visits does irk him. But again, he does see the similarities between himself and Matas at that age too. He did keep the letters his sister sent and would write to her, so he understands it in a way. When Tauras turns himself in, Ivan is truly thrown. He doesn't know what to do. He can't believe this prize he's been hunting, the person responsible for the smuggled books, is also the same one who escaped under his watch. He also can't believe Tauras willingly turned himself in, and runs through a gamut of emotions from gloating to suspicious. He thinks he got everything he wanted...but it doesn't make him feel any better. And the colonel's reaction only solidifies that. That's when he starts to question and confront his past with his sister.