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"How many cans of ham do we have left?" Mama asked

"One," Tatiana replied

"That can’t be"

"Maht"

"But it can’t be," said Mao"

The next day Maot any flour left?"

"Yes, we have about another kilo I’ve been "

"Is that what those are? Pancakes?" Dasha said "Tastes like flour and water to me"

"It is flour and water" Tatiana paused "Alexander calls them sea biscuits"

"Can you make bread out of it?" demanded Mama "Instead of silly pancakes?"

"Mama, bread? Out of what? We have no milk We have no yeast We have no butter And we certainly have no s"

"Just mix it with a little water We must have some soy ar in it"

"All right, Maar and the re milk They had the last can of ham It was October 31

"What’s in this bread?" Tatiana asked, breaking off a piece of the black crust and looking inside "What is this?" It was the start of Noveone out for the day Tatiana was procrastinating, trying to o to the hospital

Dasha leaned over froed "Who knows? Who cares? How does it taste?"

"Actually, revolting"

"Eat it What, maybe you’d like some white bread instead?"

Tatiana picked at a little piece of soers, then put it on her tongue "Dash, oh my God, you knohat it is?"

"I don’t care"

"It’s sawdust"

Dasha paused in her own chewing, but only for a second "Sawdust?"

"Yes, and this here?" Tatiana pointed to a brown fleck between her fingers "That’s cardboard We’re eating paper Three hundred gra every last crurily at the one Tatiana was kneading between her fingers, Dasha said, "We’re lucky to have that Can I open the can of tomatoes?"

"No We have only two left Besides, Mama and Marina are not here You knoe open it, we’ll eat it all"

"That’s the idea"

"We can’t We’ll open it tonight for dinner"

"What kind of dinner is that going to be? Tomatoes?"

"If you didn’t eat all your cardboard in the , you’d have some left for dinner"

"I can’t help it"

"I know," said Tatiana, putting the rest of the bread in herit with her eyes closed "Listen," she said when she had sed hard, "I’ve got some crackers left Want to have solanced at Babushka, as sleeping