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5

The Ger at five the air-raid sirens went off and the radio’srad was surpassed only by the frighteningwith inside herself, and the unyielding fear for Alexander’s life, and the frustration with Papa, who had so thoroughly left the faer even kneas still Septe as the siren sounded "They’ve been bo us for what seems like a thousand days"

"No, just eleven, Papa," said Tatiana quietly "Just eleven"

Tatiana’s frustration was not just with Papa these days Mama had withdrawn into her work Babushka painted as if the ere not going on Marina rapped up in anxiety over hertoo much to Marina And Dashawell, Dasha rapped up in Alexander

Deda and Babushka were safely in Molotov She had just received a letter fro and unhappy, drinkinghe had actually pushed Tatiana against the wall near the kitchen , and if Dasha hadn’t come out, Tatiana didn’t knohere that would have led

Tatiana’s only comfort were her friends on the roof and Alexander

When she ca around as usual, hoping for more planes, more bombs The seven-year-old se at the plane for, her curly hair bouncing with her

Anton stood at the ready with his ceuish the incendiaries "But, Anton," Tatiana said, sinking down onto the tar and pulling out a cracker, "what if the bo the cap on your stupid stick, but if the bo to do then? Why don’t you just put a helht now and sit down next to me?"

He wouldn’t, as he continued to talk excitedly about the fragmentation bombs, which could slice you before you even lifted your head to see as co Tatiana could swear Anton wanted to see someone sliced

Tatiana watched Mariska -- her little frame impossibly small -- with tired amusement as she chewed her cracker

Mariska ran up to Tatiana and said, "Hey, Tanechka, what are you chewing?"

"Just a bread cracker," replied Tatiana, sticking her hand in her pocket "Want one?"

Mariska nodded fervently and then grabbed the cracker out of Tatiana’s hand, and before Tatiana could say, "Don’t snatch!" the little girl sed the thing whole and said, "Got anyin Mariska she had not seen before She got up and took Mariska’s hand "Yourwith the little girl to the stairs

Shrugging, Mariska said, "Sleeping, I think"

Anton called after Tatiana, "Don’t, Tania Leave her be"

Tatiana took Mariska downstairs to her rooirl said

Mama and Papochka did not move from the one bed in the room Both were facedown in the filthy pillows The room smelled like Tatiana’s communal toilet "Come upstairs withto eat"

The nextat six-thirty Tatiana, already washed and dressed, stood over her sister’s sleeping body "Dashenka," said Tatiana, "ht o’clock air-raid siren as your own personal alarht now and come to the store"

Dasha barely stirred "Why, Tania?" she said "You’re doing so well by yourself"

"Co back the covers on Marina and Dasha "Coirls didn’tthem back up, "you can just catch the main event promptly at five"

Dasha’s and Marina’s eyes didn’t open

"If youthe roorad, Tatiana thought Maybe he will coht and talk to me as if he is still alive, as if I am still alive Can’t somebody talk to me? No one feels me near them anymore; they’ve all disappeared inside theer here Coht, as she buttoned her coat and walked briskly down Nekrasova to the ration store Co, between air raids, Alexander did co his rations and a very moody Dimitri with him The room was filled with people, as always Tatiana went out to the kitchen to make a dinner of beans and rice Alexander followed her, and her heart beat faster, but then Zhanna Sarkova came into the kitchen, and Petr Petrov, and then Dasha and Marina And Alexander left the kitchen

During dinner the entire family was around the table except for Papa, as intoxicated in the next room Tatiana could speak to Alexander, but she could not look at Alexander, with all those eyes, all those faces She looked at her food, or at Mama She could not look at Dasha, or Marina, or Babushka -- who see about how badly prepared the Soviet Army was to defend the Neva froo , to dig so was in place Even the" -- he lowered his voice a notch -- "the ubiquitous NKVD barely had a presence there"

"They can’t be everywhere at once," said Tatiana "They have too uards, street militia--"

"The Gestapo," finished Alexander "Oh, and let’s not forget the uardians of internal safety"

They ed a small smile, she into her food Tatiana needed to touch his hand to ease him away from his past and into their present She could not touch him: her family was around the table, and so was Dimitri But Alexander needed to be touched In a ive hi fro the table Co around to take his plate, she pressed her hip into his elbow for one slow moment and then quickly moved on

"Tania, you know, if the Germans had attacked properly in the first teeks of September," Alexander continued, "I think they would have been assured success We had no tanks, no guns in place The only ar were remnants of the Karelian force, some underarmed People’s Volunteers" He paused "Hoell trained were the People’s Volunteers in Luga, Tania? As we know, not everyone has Tania’s presence of "

Dasha interrupted, "What are you talking to her about war for? She couldn’t be less interested Talk to her about Pushkin or so She likes to cook now She thinks the war is not even going on"

With a serious face Alexander said, "All right, Tania Would you like to talk about Pushkin?"

Flustered, Tatiana said, "Wait, speaking of cooking -- of food, rather -- where do you think a safe store for et rations, I’ bombed It’sinconvenient," she finished, and Alexander laughed

"That’s one way of putting it," he said "Don’t go anywhere Stay in the shelter during bo"