The Syerovs were at home, redecorating the basement. Pavel Sr. had found a great curio box at the hobby store – one of those picture-sized frames with a bunch of cubbyholes for knickknacks – and he and Pavel Jr. were going through a box (Mrs. Syerov called it “the junk box”) full of souvenir shot glasses, golf balls, and other decorations of a similar size, to isplay on the wall at the foot of the staircase. As they were deep in the semi-serious study of what combination of thingamajigs would make the most fun wall hanging, Pavel’s younger brothers, Nicolo...