 The second half of the novel is told from Achimas' point of view and recounts his life story, up to the plot to kill Sobolev and the investigation.By chance, Achimas discovers that the man who hired him to kill Sobolev was Grand Duke Kirill Alexandrovich, the younger brother of Tsar Alexander III.Apparently, the royal court came to perceive Sobolev as dangerous due to his Napoleonic ambitions, while his immense popularity among the people makes an open trial impossible.