" Yes,” he said in return, and his voice cracked somewhat. “Yes, Comrade General Secretary.” “And now,” Stalin said, “let’s have some soup, shall we?” Beria’s heart sank. He still had too much work to do. “Oh, not you, Beria,” the Vozhd said. “You are excused. Get the hell out of here and go do your job for a change. No soup for you. "

― John Birmingham , Final Impact (Axis of Time, #3)