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The next day Dasha still could not get up She wanted to, she just could not Tatiana got the blankets off her and the coats It was nine in the ht o’clock air-raid siren

Tatiana finally left by herself and went to the store She got there about noon and found there was no otten a s

"Do you have anything at all you can giveyou can do to help lass counter The woman could not even answer

Tatiana left and walked to find the only one who could help her

To the sentry at the gate to the barracks she said, "I’uard, whom Tatiana had not seen before, looked at his roster schedule "Yes, he’s here But I don’t have anyone to go and fetch him"

"Please," said Tatiana "Please There was no bread today, and my sister is--"

"What do you think, the captain has bread for you? He doesn’t have any bread Get out of here"

Tatiana didn’t move "My sister is his fiancée," she said

"That’s very good," he said "Why don’t you tell me the rest of your life story?"

"What is your name?" she asked

"Corporal Kristoff," he said "Corporal," he repeated

"That’s very good, Corporal," Tatiana said "I know you can’t leave your post Can you please let o on base? You are crazy"

"Yes," said Tatiana, holding on to the gate She felt as though she were about to fall down, having walked too far But she wasn’t going home without food for her sister "Yes, I aiveyou toyou to do is let me see Captain Belov Please help me in this s tooto you," Kristoff said, taking the rifle off his shoulder "You betterto the gate, Tatiana wanted to shake her head but couldn’t Only her lips eant Petrenko, Lieutenant Marazov, Colonel Stepanov -- they all knowaway Captain Belov’s dying fiancée’s sister"

"Are you threateninghis weapon

"Corporal!" An officer walked across the yard "What’s going on here? Is there trouble?"

"Just telling this girl to get the hell out of here, sir," said Kristoff

The officer looked at Tatiana "Who are you here for?" he asked her

"Captain Belov, sir," Tatiana said

The officer said to Kristoff, "Captain Belov is upstairs Have you called hiate"

The officer pulled Tatiana through "Come, what’s your name?"

"I’m Tatiana"

"Tatiana" the officer said "Was Kristoff giving you trouble?"

"Yes, sir," she said

"Don’t worry about hiht back"

The officer went into Alexander’s quarters Alexander was sleeping He had been on barracks patrol all night "Captain," the officer said loudly

Alexander woke up with a start

"There is a young lady waiting for you outside, sir," he said "I know it’s against the rules Can I send her in? A girl named Tatiana"

Before he finished, Alexander was already up and getting dressed "Where is she?"

"Downstairs I brought her in, I thought you wouldn’t mind"