© Copyright 1991 Victor Pelevin.

Dedicated to the heroes of the Soviet Space.
This translation copyright © 2001, Yuri Machkasov. Permission to
distribute this work in its entirety or any of its parts by any and all
electronic means (including, but not limited to creating local electronic
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this notice appear unchanged in any such distribution. All other rights
reserved. The author may be contacted by means of electronic mail at
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be usurped or infringed upon by this translation and remain property of the
corresponding copyright holders, or in public domain as the case may be. All
endnotes are by the translator.

1.
Omon(1) is not a particularly common name, and it maybe isn't the best
there is. My father gave it to me. He worked in police all of his life, and
he wanted me to become a policeman too.
- You see, Ommie, - he would tell me often after having a couple of
drinks, - with this name, if you decide on police... And especially if you
join the Party(2)...