in the meantime, at a lecture for party wives she met sergei, the love of her life. sergei was a rising star in the secret police, and he eventually rose to be number three or four in the nkvd during the great purges. they carried on a secret love affair for three years while ivan pretended not to know what was going on. and they went for long walks, had long conversations. agnessa was somewhat shocked that sergei was a true believer. she learned this in a conversation. not in jest, sergei told the