Here is a magic spell: if you eat the spadix of a specially anointed peace lily, you will go mute.

Therefore all florists must examine lily-buyers carefully. They must determine the likelihood that buyers will visit political or intelligence prisoners, and report them if necessary. Visitors sneak the stalks in between their toes, and feed them to those being interrogated, who will then be useless even for amusement, and must be shot.

Here are some ways Vostok tries to recognize sympathizers:

• Are they crying?
• Are they pulling out their hair?
• Are they furtively glancing?
• Do they look like his mother?