New Characters
Bosoy: Chairman of the tenants’ association at 302-bis.

Varenukha: Administrator of the Variety Theatre.

Summary
Nikanor Ivanovich Bosoy, chairman of tenants’ association for Berlioz’s former residence, is besieged by requests from people seeking to occupy Berlioz’s old apartment. At noon, when he goes up to apartment 50, he sees the choirmaster sitting at Berlioz’s desk, dressed in his checkered jacket and wearing the pince-nez. A suspicious Bosoy questions the choirmaster, who says his name is Koroviev. Koroviev says he is the interpreter for Woland, and explains that Woland has been invited by Styopa to live in the apartment for a week while Styopa travels to Yalta. A surprised Bosoy finds a letter from Styopa in his briefcase explaining the arrangement. Koroviev answers Bosoy’s request to see Woland by saying Woland is too busy training the cat to see Bosoy. Koroviev adds that Woland’s stay will be profitable for the association, and agrees to pay the association 5,000 rubles in cash for the weeklong occupancy of the apartment. Koroviev also slips Bosoy a wad of cash and a pass for the magic show. Bosoy, although pleased with this bribe, also feels anxious about the entire situation. Koroviev promptly calls the authorities to turn in Bosoy for “speculating in foreign currency,” testifying that he has 400 American dollars hidden in the vent in the privy of his apartment. Bosoy returns to his apartment, wraps his wad of 400 rubles in newspaper and puts it in the ventilation duct of the privy, and goes into the dining room. The doorbell promptly rings, and two citizens step in, find the wad, which now contains dollars rather than rubles, and escort Bosoy out of the house.

As Chapter 10 opens, it is 2 P.M. and Rimsky and Varenukha, the administrator of the Variety theatre, are meeting in Rimsky’s office trying to sort out the meaning of Woland’s magic show. They have also been waiting since 11:30 for Styopa, who had called them at about 11, to arrive, but Styopa has since disappeared from his apartment. A woman comes in to deliver a telegram announcing that a mental case identifying himself as Styopa has been found in Yalta. A disbelieving Varenukha starts calling people to try to find Styopa, but a new telegram mentioning Woland confirms that the man in Yalta is indeed Styopa. The still disbelieving Rimsky and Varenukha wonder how this man knows about Woland, and another telegram arrives, confirming Styopa’s identity through Styopa’s own handwriting. Rimsky tells Varenukha to take the stack of telegrams to the secret police for them to sort out. Varenukha calls Styopa’s apartment to check if Styopa is home and speaks with Koroviev, who identifies himself as Woland’s assistant. Varenukha decides that Styopa must be at a new tavern in Pushkino called ‘Yalta’,” whereupon another telegram from Styopa asks them to send 500 rubles. Rimsky gives Varenukha the money to send to Styopa, and Varenukha goes to his office. He answers the phone, and the caller warns Varenukha against taking the telegrams anywhere. Varenukha thinks someone is trying to play tricks. As he walks into the garden, he feels the urge to go to the summer toilet to see if the wire over its light bulb has been installed. In the toilet he encounters a fat, cat-like man, who fiercely punches Varenukha’s ear, then Azazello gives him a blow on the other ear. The cat-like man points out that Varenukha was warned against taking the telegrams anywhere, and the two men carry Varenukha into apartment 50, then vanish and are replaced by a naked, red-haired girl. The...