Read Online The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons - Free Book Online
Authors: Paullina Simons
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“Oh, no, no,” said Dimitri. “Alexander is an officer, and I’m just a lowly private. No, he is a number of ranks above me. Which,” Dimitri said with his smirk, “allows him to send
me
to the front in Finland.”
“Not Finland,” corrected Alexander mildly. “And not to the front, but to check out reinforcements at Lisiy Nos. What are you complaining about?”
“I am not complaining. I’m lauding your farsightedness.”
Tatiana stole a glance at Alexander, uncertain how to respond to the ironic stretching of Dimitri’s rubber lips.
“Where is this Lisiy Nos?” she asked.
“The Karelian Isthmus,” Alexander replied. “Are you going to be all right walking?”
“Of course.” Tatiana couldn’t wait to get home. Her sister would die when Tatiana showed up with two soldiers. She carried the lightest crate, the one with the caviar and coffee.
“Is that too heavy for you?” Alexander asked.
“No,” she said. Actually, it was quite heavy, and she didn’t know how she was going to get to the bus. They were going to the bus, weren’t they? They weren’t planning to walk to Fifth Soviet from the Field of Mars?
The pavement was narrow, so they walked in single file, Alexander leading, Tatiana second, and Dimitri bringing up the rear.
“Alexander,” Tatiana panted, “are we planning to… walk home?” She was out of breath.
Alexander stopped walking. “Give me that,” he said.
“I’m really fine.”
He put down his crate, took hers, and placed it on top, lifting both crates easily. “Your feet must be killing you in those shoes. Come on. Let’s go.”
The pavement expanded, and now she could walk next to Alexander. Dimitri flanked her on the left. “Tania, do you think we’ll get some vodka for our trouble?”
“I think my father might find some vodka for you, yes.”
“So, Tania, tell us,” Dimitri asked, “do you go out much?”
Go out? What a strange question. “Not much,” she said shyly.
“Ever go to a place named Sadko?”
“No,” she said. “But my sister often does. She says it’s nice.”
Dimitri leaned over a little. “Next weekend, do you want to come to Sadko with us?”
“Umm, no, thank you,” she said, lowering her eyes.
“Come on,” Dimitri said. “It’ll be fun. Right, Alexander?”
Alexander did not respond.
They walked three in a row along the wide pavement. Tatiana was in the middle. When other pedestrians headed toward them, it was Dimitri who stepped behind Tatiana to let them pass.
Tatiana noticed that Dimitri moved behind her with a reluctant sigh, as if it were a last resort, a battle, as if he were ceding territory to the enemy. At first Tatiana thought the passersby were the enemy, but soon she realized that, no, she and Alexander were the enemy because they never moved over, continuing to walk side by side, shoulder to shoulder.
Quietly Alexander asked, “Are you tired?”
Tatiana nodded.
“You want to rest a minute?” He put down his crates.
Dimitri did, too, eyeing Tatiana. “So, Tania, where do
you
go for fun?”
“Fun?” she said. “I don’t know. I go to the park. We go to our
dacha
in Luga.” Turning to Alexander, she asked, “So will you tell me where you’re from, or am I going to have to guess?”
“I think you’re going to have to guess, Tania.”
“Somewhere around salt water, Alexander.”
“You mean he didn’t tell you yet?” said Dimitri, standing very close to them.
“I can’t get a straight answer out of him.”
“Now,
that’s
surprising.”
“Very good, Tania,” Alexander said. “I’m from Krasnodar, by the Black Sea.”
“Yes, Krasnodar,” said Dimitri. “Have you ever been there?”
“No,” she replied. “I’ve never been anywhere.”
Dimitri glanced at Alexander, who picked up his crates and said curtly, “Let’s go.”
They passed a church and crossed Grechesky Prospekt. Tatiana was so lost in thinking of a way to see Alexander again that she walked
“Oh, no, no,” said Dimitri. “Alexander is an officer, and I’m just a lowly private. No, he is a number of ranks above me. Which,” Dimitri said with his smirk, “allows him to send
me
to the front in Finland.”
“Not Finland,” corrected Alexander mildly. “And not to the front, but to check out reinforcements at Lisiy Nos. What are you complaining about?”
“I am not complaining. I’m lauding your farsightedness.”
Tatiana stole a glance at Alexander, uncertain how to respond to the ironic stretching of Dimitri’s rubber lips.
“Where is this Lisiy Nos?” she asked.
“The Karelian Isthmus,” Alexander replied. “Are you going to be all right walking?”
“Of course.” Tatiana couldn’t wait to get home. Her sister would die when Tatiana showed up with two soldiers. She carried the lightest crate, the one with the caviar and coffee.
“Is that too heavy for you?” Alexander asked.
“No,” she said. Actually, it was quite heavy, and she didn’t know how she was going to get to the bus. They were going to the bus, weren’t they? They weren’t planning to walk to Fifth Soviet from the Field of Mars?
The pavement was narrow, so they walked in single file, Alexander leading, Tatiana second, and Dimitri bringing up the rear.
“Alexander,” Tatiana panted, “are we planning to… walk home?” She was out of breath.
Alexander stopped walking. “Give me that,” he said.
“I’m really fine.”
He put down his crate, took hers, and placed it on top, lifting both crates easily. “Your feet must be killing you in those shoes. Come on. Let’s go.”
The pavement expanded, and now she could walk next to Alexander. Dimitri flanked her on the left. “Tania, do you think we’ll get some vodka for our trouble?”
“I think my father might find some vodka for you, yes.”
“So, Tania, tell us,” Dimitri asked, “do you go out much?”
Go out? What a strange question. “Not much,” she said shyly.
“Ever go to a place named Sadko?”
“No,” she said. “But my sister often does. She says it’s nice.”
Dimitri leaned over a little. “Next weekend, do you want to come to Sadko with us?”
“Umm, no, thank you,” she said, lowering her eyes.
“Come on,” Dimitri said. “It’ll be fun. Right, Alexander?”
Alexander did not respond.
They walked three in a row along the wide pavement. Tatiana was in the middle. When other pedestrians headed toward them, it was Dimitri who stepped behind Tatiana to let them pass.
Tatiana noticed that Dimitri moved behind her with a reluctant sigh, as if it were a last resort, a battle, as if he were ceding territory to the enemy. At first Tatiana thought the passersby were the enemy, but soon she realized that, no, she and Alexander were the enemy because they never moved over, continuing to walk side by side, shoulder to shoulder.
Quietly Alexander asked, “Are you tired?”
Tatiana nodded.
“You want to rest a minute?” He put down his crates.
Dimitri did, too, eyeing Tatiana. “So, Tania, where do
you
go for fun?”
“Fun?” she said. “I don’t know. I go to the park. We go to our
dacha
in Luga.” Turning to Alexander, she asked, “So will you tell me where you’re from, or am I going to have to guess?”
“I think you’re going to have to guess, Tania.”
“Somewhere around salt water, Alexander.”
“You mean he didn’t tell you yet?” said Dimitri, standing very close to them.
“I can’t get a straight answer out of him.”
“Now,
that’s
surprising.”
“Very good, Tania,” Alexander said. “I’m from Krasnodar, by the Black Sea.”
“Yes, Krasnodar,” said Dimitri. “Have you ever been there?”
“No,” she replied. “I’ve never been anywhere.”
Dimitri glanced at Alexander, who picked up his crates and said curtly, “Let’s go.”
They passed a church and crossed Grechesky Prospekt. Tatiana was so lost in thinking of a way to see Alexander again that she walked