Chapter 4, Part 1 Summary

Yakov's old enemy, Proshko, tells the Secret Police that the stables burned down at the Brick Factory. Proshko thinks it's been done by evil Jewish magic. Yakov has been hauled to the scene, along with Orthodox priests and other secret police members. It has been a month since his arrest and Yakov does not even recognize himself any longer.

Proshko tells the officials he knew Yakov was a Jew immediately. He says he was suspicious from the start. Proshko tells the officials he has sneaked peaks at Yakov's account books and says Yakov was stealing from Nikolai from the first day, reporting all the numbers wrong. Yakov interjects that really the truck drivers were stealing the bricks and hated him for stopping them. Proshko continues telling a story of Yakov and an old man donning horns to pray in the stables...