Good Citizens Need Not Fear: Stories

Canning for civilian consumption: sausages in pork fat sausages in tomato sauce kidneys in tomato sauce hearts in tomato sauce roast brains roast pork and rice pressed meat liver paste tongue in jelly fried meat macaroni with beef pork or mutton beans peas with beef pork or mutton meat pies sweet and sour meat mixed offals udder liver heart kidneys head cheek tail ends and trimmings fat salt onions plus one bay leaf whitefish in vegetable oil sturgeon in vegetable oil with the occasional bone to be retracted from esophagus in one of many district clinics available to citizens mackerel in vegetable oil fried red mullet in vegetable oil sheatfish in vegetable oil sprats in vegetable oil pike perch in vegetable oil plaice in vegetable oil sardines in vegetable oil bream in vegetable oil goby in vegetable oil sturgeon in natural juice of the fish salmon in natural juice of the fish Caspian roach in natural juice of the fish whale meat in natural juice of the mammal anchovies in vinegar sprats in vinegar sardines in vinegar also in fish cakes ground or mixed in vegetables tuna cod crab carp caviar sliced eggplant vegetable marrow sliced vegetables tomato puree tomato paste tomato catsup pureed sorrel pureed beet plus one bay leaf green peas in natural juice of the legume asparagus in natural juice of the vegetable cauliflower in natural juice of the vegetable beets in natural juice of the vegetable carrots in natural juice of the vegetable sliced eggplant in tomato sauce with vegetable oil eggplant paste in tomato sauce with vegetable oil pepper and tomato in tomato sauce with vegetable oil eggplant and squash in tomato sauce with vegetable oil vegetable marrow in tomato sauce with vegetable oil sliced vegetables in tomato sauce with vegetable oil tomato puree tomato paste tomato catsup spinach puree sorrel puree red pepper puree green pea puree beet puree carrot puree vegetable soup puree vegetable marrow vegetable marrow stuffed with rice vegetable marrow in tomato to lower national risk of gastrointestinal disease sliced apricots in natural juice of the fruit sliced apples in natural juice of the fruit apricots in sugar syrup quince in sugar syrup grapes in sugar syrup cherries in sugar syrup pears in sugar syrup raisins in sugar syrup apricots pureed pears pureed peaches pureed plums pureed apples pureed for the toothless young and old condensed and dried milk constitute the most common canned milk products cylindrical oval rectangular pyramidal cans are packed in wooden boxes made of dry wood with a water content of not over 18 percent and if one or all of the above food products is unavailable: potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes potatoes

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Daniil reached the entrance to his building in late evening. His eyelids were heavy with fatigue, but his feet resisted going inside. Perhaps it was the hacking coughs, the endless questions, the innumerable pairs of shoes he’d have to dig through just to find his slippers. With his index finger he traced the red stenciled numbers and letters beside the main entrance. Nineteen thirty-three Ivansk Street. The building was a clone of the other two buildings on the block: identical panels, square windows, and metal entrances; identical wear in the mortar; identical rebar under the balconies, leaching rust. Nineteen thirty-three Ivansk was solidly there, in front of his nose. He blinked. But if it wasn’t? He stepped closer to the stenciled numbers, felt the cold breath of the concrete. Was he the only one who could see it? It was there. Or it wasn’t.

“Fudgy Cow?” a voice behind him asked.