“Not much do,” Irina said, gesturing around the room. “Get drunk. Talk. No talk Georgian.”

“Used to being alone,” Mike replied, shrugging. “Have books.”

“I get sava,” the woman said, standing up.

“Okay.”

Mike ate about half the stew, then picked up the mug of beer, taking a sip. When he did he was pleasantly surprised, pulling it back and looking at it carefully. It was just about the best beer he’d ever had in his life, full and rich without being heavy or bitter. There was just a hint of something other than hops and barley in it but he couldn’t quite place it. It was good enough that he took a deep pull and then set it down. Getting drunk his first night in town wouldn’t be a good idea.

The sava when it was served turned out to be grilled strips of pounded meat, probably mutton, spiced and excellent, something like the meat you got in “gyros” in the States. He recognized some of the same seasoning as the stew. It was one of the better meals he’d had in the last few months.

Mike finished off all the food and the beer and realized he was exhausted. He knew he could keep going for days but it made more sense to get some sleep.

“You said you have a room?” Mike asked when Irina came back filling mugs from a pitcher.

“Upstairs,” she repeated. “Small. Is okay.”

“I think I’ll head up,” Mike said. “How much for the food and beer?”

“One ruble for food,” the woman said. “Three rubles for room. You get bags?”

The combined sum came to about seventy-five cents. If the room even had a bed it was going to be a very cheap place to stay.

“I get bags,” Mike said, pulling out some of the Georgian rubles he’d exchanged for at the border. He handed her five rubles and stood up. “For room and food. And tip. Thank you.”

When he’d gotten his duffel, Irina showed him where the bathroom was and then his room. It was small, at the back of the building and both narrow and low, with a small shuttered window. It was also freezing; there wasn’t any source of heat in the room and the stone walls radiated cold. The bed looked fairly comfortable with newly washed sheets but he knew it was probably filled with bedbugs. The door had a latch, which would last for about one kick. But one kick was about all he’d need if it came to cases.