Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen

That very night, after taking his farewell to the Minister of War and Government, Bolkonsky drove to the troops, not knowing where he could find them.There was also the fear of being stopped by the French on the way to Krems. Everyone in the court of Brunn is packing their luggage, and all the heavy items have been transported to Olmitz.Somewhere near Etzelsdorf, Prince Andrei drove onto the main road.The Russian troops advanced along this road in great haste.The road was so crowded with vehicles of every description that buggies could not pass.Hungry and tired, Prince Andrew hired a horse and a Cossack soldier from the Cossack prefect, and went ahead of the convoy to look for the commander-in-chief and his own carriage.On the way, news came to him that the Russian army was in a dilemma, and the fact that the army did not observe order and fled without authorization confirmed these road reports.

"Cette arme rus sequelor del Angleterrea transporteedesextremitesdeluniverss, nousallonsluifaireeprouverlememesort (lesortdelarmeeaulm). ’ He recalled the words of Bonaparte’s orders to the army before the battle began, which equally amazed him at the hero of genius, aroused humiliating pride and the hope of fame. Outside, there is nothing left, what should I do? ’ he thought, ‘Since it is necessary, there is nothing!I will handle it better than others. " ①French: We will force the same fate (the fate of the army of Ulm) on this Russian army, which brought British gold from the ends of the earth.

Prince Andrei looked with contempt at this endless stream of chaotic trains, carriages, trains, artillery, and again carriages, carriages, and carriages of all kinds, chasing after ones in threes and fours, blocking the dirt road.From all directions, front, back, and back, as far as the ears could hear, came the rattle of wheels, buggy carriages, carts, and gun carriages, the clatter of hoofs, the clatter of whips, the sound of urging horses. Shouts, curses from soldiers, orderlies, and officers.On both sides of the road, from time to time, you can see the dead horses that have not been skinned, and sometimes you can see the wrecked carriages. Walk in groups to the neighboring village, or drag out from the village several hens, rams, hay, or some cloth bags full of goods.On the way up and down the slope, the crowd seemed to be more dense, and the sound of humming was heard incessantly.The soldiers were knee-deep in the mud, holding the gun barrels with both hands, and supporting the covered cart; the whips kept whipping, and the horseshoes were sliding; the noose was about to burst, and they screamed desperately, which hurt their chests .The officers who directed the movement of the carriages and horses drove forward and sometimes backward in the middle of the convoy.Their voices could be heard faintly amidst the din of the crowd, and it was seen from their faces that they had lost hope of stopping the confusion.

"Voilalecher Orthodox army," Bolkonski thought for a moment, recalling Bilibin's words. ①French: Look, this is cute... He approached the convoy, intending to ask any of these people for the whereabouts of the Commander-in-Chief.A strange one-horse buggy came straight from opposite him. Obviously, it was a buggy built with funds raised by a soldier's family.Soldiers drove the wagons, and a woman sat behind a tarp under the leather hood, her head covered in a scarf.Prince Andrei was driving up ahead of them, and the woman in the waggon caught his attention by crying out desperately, and he asked the soldier.A soldier sitting in this carriage as a driver wanted to rush to the front, but the officer in charge of the convoy beat him up, and the leather whip kept falling on the covering cloth of the covered carriage.The woman screamed.Seeing Prince Andrew, she leaned out from behind the veil, and waving her bony arms protruding from behind the carpet-like scarf, cried:

"Adjutant! Adjutant! . . . For God's sake... help me... What's going on? . . . I'm the wife of the surgeon of the 7th Chasseurs... Don't let us pass: we're left behind, My people are all lost..." "I'm going to smash you into pancakes, turn back!" the vicious officer shouted to the soldiers, "turn back with your dirty woman." "Mr. Adjutant, help me! What kind of world is this?" the military doctor's wife shouted. "Please let this carriage pass. Can't you see that this is a woman?" said Andrey, driving up to the officer.

The officer glanced at him, but without answering, turned to the soldier again, and said: "I'm going to go around to the front... You back up!" "Let this carriage pass, I tell you," repeated Prince Andrew, pursing his lips. "Who are you?" the officer said to him suddenly with a drunken look. "Who are you? (He emphasizes the stress on "you") It's the officer, isn't it? The officer here is me, Not you. Back off," he repeated, "I'm going to smash you into pancakes." It appears that the officer prefers this mantra.

"He took back the words of the little adjutant very arrogantly." A voice came from behind. Prince Andrei saw officers go into a drunken madness for no apparent reason, in such a state that a man usually does not remember what he has said.He also saw that he protected the military doctor's wife in the carriage, which must make people feel that this is the most terrible thing in the world, and this will become a so-called ridicule①, but his instinct makes him feel other emotions.Before the officer could finish his last sentence, Prince Andrei, distorting his face in rage, went up to him and raised his whip:

"Please let this carriage pass!" ① French: jokes. The officer waved his hand and hurried aside. "These headquarters guys are making a mess of everything," he babbled. "Whatever you want to do is up to you." Prince Andrei, without raising his eyes, hurried away from the military doctor's wife who called him his saviour, and galloped off to the village where he was told that the Commander-in-Chief was stationed, thinking with disgust of such an insult to self-esteem. The details of the dispute. He drove into the village, dismounted, and walked towards the first house, thinking of a moment of rest, something to eat, and clearing up of the humiliating thoughts that tormented him.

"This is a bunch of bad guys, not an army," he thought, making his way to the window of the first residence when an acquaintance called out his name. Looking back, he saw Nesvitsky's handsome face peeping out of the small window.Nesvitsky, chewing something with his red mouth, called him to him, waving his arms. "Bolkonski, Bolkonski! You can't hear, can you? Come on," he cried. Prince Andrew entered the house and saw Nesvitsky and another adjutant dining.They hurriedly asked Bolkonski if he had any news?Prince Andrei saw the consternation in their faces, which he knew well.This look was particularly striking on Nesvitski's face, which was always smiling.

"Where is the commander-in-chief?" asked Bolkonski. "Here, in that house," replied the adjutant. "Well, to be honest, peace and surrender are nothing, are they?" asked Nesvitsky. "I'm asking you. I don't know anything, and I've only come to you with difficulty." "What's the matter with us here, man! Terrible! I plead guilty, man; Mark was laughed at, but we made it worse," said Nesvitski. "Sit down and eat something." "Duke, I haven't found a carriage, and I haven't found anything. God knows where your Peter is." Another adjutant said.

"Where is the base camp?" "We will rest at Znaim." "I reloaded all the things I needed on two horses," said Nesvitski, "and the harnesses fit perfectly. Even if we were to slip across the Bohemian hills. My brother, It's very bad. You're really sick, why are you trembling all the time?" Nesvitsky asked, noticing that Prince Andrey shuddered as if touching a capacitor bottle. "Never mind," replied Prince Andrew. At this moment, he recalled the conflict with the military doctor's wife and the delivery team officer not long ago. "What is the Commander-in-Chief doing here?" he asked. "I don't know at all," Nesvitski said. "One thing I know: everything is repulsive, repulsive, repulsive!" said Prince Andrew, and went to the residence where the commander-in-chief was stationed. Passing by Kutuzov's chaise, past the horses of the weary entourage, and the loudly chattering Cossacks, Prince Andrew went into the outer room.Prince Andrew was told that Kutuzov himself, Prince Bagration, and Weirother were all in a cottage in the countryside.Weiröthel was the Austrian general who replaced the devoted Schmidt.In the outer room, the diminutive Kozlowski crouched before the clerk.The clerk, with the cuffs of his uniform rolled up, sat on the bottom of the barrel turned upside down, and hurriedly copied the documents.Kozlowski looked tired, and it looked like he hadn't slept all night.He glanced at Prince Andrew without even nodding. "Is the second line . "Your Excellency, I can't keep up with you," replied the clerk, looking back at Kozlovsky, irreverently and angrily. Now Kutuzov's excited, dissatisfied voice could be heard through the door, interrupted by other, unfamiliar voices.The words were clearly audible, Kozlovsky glanced at him indifferently, and the weary clerk uttered insults. The clerk and Kozlovsky were only a few feet away from the commander-in-chief, and they sat around the barrel. On the floor, several Cossacks were leading their horses and laughing under the window of the house—from all this, Prince Andrew felt that some unfortunate and serious incident must have happened. Prince Andrei asked Kozlovsky several questions with great urgency. "Prince, answer at once," said Kozlovsky, "a written order is being given to Bagration." "Are you going to surrender?" "Not at all, the combat order has been issued." Prince Andrew walked towards the door, behind which voices could be heard.But when he wanted to open the door, the voices in the room stopped and the door opened automatically.Kutuzov, with his fat face and hooked nose, appeared at the threshold.Prince Andrei stood upright opposite Kutuzov, but from the expression of the commander-in-chief's one-eyed expression a certain mood and anxiety haunted him, as if blinding his vision.He looked intently into his adjutant's face, without recognizing him. "Well, what, is it finished?" he said, turning to Kozlovsky. "Write it at once, my lord." Bagration, who was not tall, with an oriental expression and a straight face, withered and not yet an old man, came out with the commander-in-chief. "It was a great honor to come as ordered," Prince Andrei repeated in a loud voice, handing over a letter. "Oh, from Vienna? Very well. In a moment, in a moment!" Kutuzov followed Bagration up the steps. "Ah, good-bye, prince," he said to Bagration, "Christ bless you. Wishing you great success. " Kutuzov's face suddenly softened, and tears filled his eyes.He drew Bagration to him with his left hand, made the sign of the habit with his ringed right hand, crossed him, and stretched out his fat cheek to him, which Bagration did not kiss. Instead of kissing his cheek, he kissed his neck. "Christ bless you," repeated Kutuzov, and going up to the carriage, "come with me," he said to Bolkonsky. "My lord, I wish to serve here. Please allow me to remain in Prince Bagration's army." "Sit down," Kutuzov said, noticing that Bolkonsky was wasting time, "myself, I want to use some good officers." They got into the carriage and drove in silence for some minutes. "The future is bright and there is a lot to do," he said with the insightful expression of an old man, as if he understood all of Bolkonski's inner workings. I'll thank God if he comes back with his troops," added Kutuzov, as if talking to himself. Prince Andrew looked at Kutuzov, and at a distance of half an argent he could not help looking at the cleanly washed scar on Kutuzov's temple, where a bullet in the battle of Izmail He was shot through the head, and lost his eyeball, and Prince Andrey was also struck by his watery eye. "Yes, he has a right to speak calmly about the deaths of these men!" Bolkonski thought for a while. "It is for this reason that I have asked to be assigned to this army," he said. Kutuzov did not answer.He seemed to have forgotten what he had said and was still sitting in deep thought.Five minutes later Kutuzov turned his face towards Prince Andrey, and was rocking steadily on the springs of the soft carriage.There was no trace of excitement on his face.With veiled sarcasm, he asked Prince Andrei about the details of his meeting with the Emperor, what remarks he had heard at the palace about the Kreme campaign, and about women whom everyone knew.