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The next day after work, filled with apprehension, not believing her own nerve, Tatiana went to Pavlov Barracks To a save Alexander’s na for sos

Minutes later Alexander walked through the gate The sharply tense expression on his face dissolved momentarily intobut only momentarily He had circles under his eyes "Hello, Tatiana," he said coolly, and stood a polite distance froht?"

"Sort of," Tatiana replied "What about you? You look--"

Blinking, Alexander replied, "Everything is fine How have you been?"

"Not so good," Tatiana admitted and became immediately afraid he would think it was because of hi" She wanted to keep her voice fro else, too She didn’t want Alexander to know it She would try to hide it from him

"Alexander, is there a way you could find out for us about Pasha?"

He looked at her with pity "Oh, Tania," he said "What for?"

"Please Could you?" She added, "My parents, they’re in despair"

"Better not to know"

"Please Mama and Papa need to know They just can’t function" I need to know I just can’t function

"You think it would be easier if they knew?"

"Absolutely It’s always better to know Because then they could deal with the truth" She looked away even as she was speaking "This is breaking them apart, the uncertainty over hi her lip, said, "If they knew, then Dasha and I and o to Molotov with Deda and Babushka"

Alexander lit a cigarette

"Will you try -- Alexander?" She was glad to say his name out loud She wanted to touch his arain, she wanted to co his full uniform He must have come from his quarters, because he wore a barely buttoned shirt that was not even tucked into his army trousers Couldn’t she come closer to hi his head, he didn’t stop looking at her Tatiana tried not to show him the expression in her eyes She o to Molotov?" Alexander asked

"Yes"

"Good," Alexander said without inflection or hesitation "Tania, whether or not I will find out about Pasha, know this -- you have to go Your grandfather is lucky to get a post Most people are not getting evacuated"

"My parents say the city is still the safest place right now That’s why so rad from the countryside," Tatiana said with quiet authority

"No place in the Soviet Union is safe," said Alexander

"Careful," she said, lowering her voice

Alexander leaned toward her, and Tatiana raised her eyes to hierly but avidly "What? What?" she whispered, but before he could say anything, Diate

"Hi!" he said to Tatiana, frowning "What are you doing here?"

"I was co a s just as you’re co up to see me," Dimitri said to Tatiana He sh I’m touched" He put his arm around her "Lether away "Do you want to go so"

"See you, Tania," she heard Alexander call after her Tatiana was ready to break down

Alexander went to see Colonel Mikhail Stepanov

Alexander had served under Colonel Stepanov in the Winter War of 1940 with Finland, when the colonel was a captain and Alexander was a second lieutenant The colonel had had adier but toto keep his rank and run the Leningrad garrison

Colonel Stepanov was a tall man, nearly as tall as Alexander He was slender and carried hientle, and in his blue eyes hung a sad haze that re, sir," Alexander said, saluting hi out from behind his desk "At ease, soldier" They shook hands Then Stepanov stepped away and went back behind his desk "How are you?"

"Very well, sir"

"What’s going on? How is Major Orlov treating you?"

"Everything is fine, sir Thank you"

"What can I do for you?"

Alexander cleared his throat "I just came for some information"

"I said at ease"

Alexander moved his feet apart and placed his hands behind his back "The volunteers, sir, what’s been happening to the, Lieutenant Belov You’ve been training theorod?" Stepanov shook his head "The volunteers were involved in soood"

"Oh?"

"Untrained Soviet worenades They threw rocks" Colonel Stepanov peered into Alexander’s face "What’s your interest in this?"

"Colonel," said Alexander, clicking his heels together, "I’ to find a seventeen-year-old boy ent to a boys’ camp near Tolmachevo There is no answer from the ca at the colonel "A young boy, sir His name is Pavel Metanov He went to a camp in Dohotino"

The colonel stood quietly for a fewAlexander, and finally said, "Go attend to your duties I’ll see what I can find out I’"

Alexander saluted hi Dimitri came to the quarters Alexander shared with three other officers They were all playing cards A cigarette hung languidly in Alexander’sHe barely turned his head to look at Di beside Alexander’s chair, Di officer, Chernenko," said Second Lieutenant Anatoly Marazov, not looking up from his cards Dimitri stood and saluted Marazov "Sir," he said

"At ease, Private"

"What’s going on, Dima?" Alexander asked

"Not o and talk?"

"Talk right here Everything all right?"