Before lunch, after being freed from classes, his neighbor approached Podkovin.
Write me a letter something. To Oryol Province
Okay, Ill write. What is your last name?
Konevyazov.
We will agree with you like this: you do your job, and I will write.
How can it be without me?
Okay. Do not bother me. Ill write, then well talk.
Half an hour later, Podkovin called him.
Here is the letter ready. Read it out loud.
At first he stammered, and then, rather briskly, Konevyazov read:
My dear parents! In the first lines of this letter I ask for your blessing, which will be indestructible over the grave of my life, and I kiss you warmly, and I also bow deeply in love. I send my bow to grandparents, brothers and sisters, and my uncle with my aunt and my dear wife a hot kiss, and I will write her a separate letter. May he love you all and be your own daughter.
I tell you all that my health so far, thank goodness, is good, and my soldiers training is proceeding in its own way. And now I live in the city of Nerchinsk in the barracks, and all of us young soldiers were sent to the battery only from our lands eighty people.
We traveled for a very long time, twenty-five days, and all of Siberia. Thats where the spacious! There are few cities and villages, and more and more mountains and dense forest. In the mountains, gold is dug, and in the forests of fur animals are beaten. A resident of the local, in sight, in abundance. Log houses, under a skeleton roof. All around, even in the forest, hedges, and a lot of livestock.
Transbaikalia, where we now serve, is also a rich side, but it is painfully icy and snowless. You go out into the yard and the boots freeze, and their tops are immediately exactly wooden. More than fifty degrees are frost.Trans-Baikal peasants (they are called here Gurans, and that is, the Old Believers are exiled) are engaged in arable farming and cattle breeding. Their cattle are small and non-dairy. Bread is eaten rye and wheat.
Although we traveled from the Oryol province to Nerchinsk for a long time, we did not get to the end of Russia. It can be said that the Amur River begins from here, which is more than three thousand miles long, and there is a gulf of different fish in it.
Once again, I wish you all good health. Write me a detailed letter.
Rookie finished and said:
Good.
No, not quite well, Podkovin stopped him. Sit down and rewrite the whole letter with your own hand, but do not forget to put your first and middle names. When you rewrite, insert more of your words
3
A week later, Podkovina was summoned to the office of the battery and charged him with the correspondence of the lists of allowances. The senior clerk on the first day said to him:
Read the statutes of the military service, and you will know literature better than your uncle, yes, and perhaps Feldwebel.
Every morning, until nine oclock, Podkovin still had to be in the classroom language. He was jarred by the abnormal relationship between teachers and recruits. In the entire barracks there was not a single thoughtful uncle who would lovingly impart his insignificant knowledge on the charter of military service. They were all rough, petrified faces. Only anger was reflected in their views. They spoke or shouted in hoarse voices.
The uncle of the ten, in which Podkovin was listed, had one tag on his shoulder straps, that is, he was a scorer. Only with this tidbit he was different from the rest.
At first, the uncle abruptly took up the Podkovina: forced him to make jumps, turns, questioned about the ranks and names of the nearest bosses. All of his demands, which did not go beyond the framework of the training program for young soldiers, Tikhon carried out quickly and distinctly. But in the face of the guy it was clear that he was still unhappy. In his orders, a desire to set up the Shoe in front of the whole system in a ridiculous position, and Tikhon became alert. Subsequently, it turned out that the guys and fireworks did not like literate subordinates, and the Shackles for the barracks was the black sheep.
The unkindness of the uncles to Tikhon intensified after the first days of his stay in the office. They followed him, listened to his conversations with his comrades.
Once, on a routine basis, everyone got up early in the morning, cleaned his boots and made beds. There was a forty-degree frost in the yard. The windows were frozen from top to bottom. Despite all the efforts of recruits, their boots did not receive the proper shine.
The training in the ranks was conducted by Osipov, the junior fireworker, who was the separated chief of the fourth platoon.
Attention! the uncle has ordered.
Separated, pulling his chest out, walked up to a line of young soldiers.
Great guys!
Good morning, Mr. separate!
Junior fireworks quickly walked along the line.
The recruits kept their eyes on him. From the right flank, he turned back and frowned, staring at the feet of the soldiers.
Why are boots poorly cleaned? Loafers! Pay for the first and second!
Half a minute has passed.
The first to the right, the second to the left!..
The soldiers turned and found themselves face to face.
Hit each other on the cheeks!
Podkovin received a slap in the face from a soldier standing opposite, but did not beat him. Separated jumped to Tikhon:
Bay!
Tikhon was still standing, stretching his arms at the seams.
To the right! Two steps forward!
Podkovin out of order.
Konevyazov, come here! Shock Podkovina.
He-hit lightly.
Bay is stronger! The fireworker commanded.
Konevyazov hit harder. Podkovin said:
Sir, separate, report to the platoon about my beating in the ranks.
Oh, are you complaining?!
Yes, I will complain and demand that you be punished.
Why didnt you beat your neighbor, since I order? hoarsely asked fireworks,
I know that your order is illegal and, therefore, I would respond with you. Why do I need it?
There was silence. All pulled neck. Separate reddened.
What will happen to me if I download a stronger ear?
Raising his shoulders, the separated walked over to Tikhon and raised his right hand.
Lose your titles and get into a disciplinary company, answered Loudly, loudly, rejoicing at the question.
The fireworks hand dropped and he stepped back a step.
Report in detail! shouted Tikhon.
Look, broke! Do not worry, report your disobedience
The learning has begun.
In the evening Tikhon was summoned to the platoon.
What are you, Podkovin, want?
I want you to report to the Feldwebel about my beating in the ranks.
Lose your titles and get into a disciplinary company, answered Loudly, loudly, rejoicing at the question.
The fireworks hand dropped and he stepped back a step.
Report in detail! shouted Tikhon.
Look, broke! Do not worry, report your disobedience
The learning has begun.
In the evening Tikhon was summoned to the platoon.
What are you, Podkovin, want?
I want you to report to the Feldwebel about my beating in the ranks.
But you are guilty because you did not fulfill the order of the chief.
you, mister platoon, allow to beat the soldiers?
Guilty.
Then, if you do not give up your words, you will answer as well.
This is too Go!
Turning around, Tikhon glanced at the nearby young soldiers. They nodded their heads approvingly. From afar, Podkovin saw that his neighbor, Konevyazov, was sitting on coal. He would have jumped, but was afraid to betray his excitement.
So the statute says? He asked in a whisper.
Clear. You do not hit anyone else
Now they swell. You said well in front of the line: as if only for yourself, but there will be benefits for everyone
The soldiers saw that in the last three evenings the statute did not go out of the hands of the teachers, who were gathered in groups. Separated Ostapov fell silent. Lessons in literature were now without slaps and goose steps.
More and more often, the teachings on the question: Who is our external enemy? the word slipped: Japan. For the first time in the barracks it was mentioned by Lieutenant Karamyshev. Testing the work of teachers, he asked young soldiers questions about internal and external enemies, and he himself replied that Japan was the external enemy in the Far East, which was preparing hard for war with Russia.
Chapter four
one
In the beginning of January, Modest Vladimirovich Inov with his family left Harbin for Dalny to work as an assistant director in the branch of the Russian-Chinese Bank. The small town, originally laid out on the beach, first liked Valais. Enveloped on one side by hills and bays on the other, it was not like the cold Irkutsk and dusty Harbin. It was a lot of exotic, and in the early days he fascinated the girl. Most of all she liked the beautiful harbor, filled with huge steamships. The long pier protected the inner pond from the swell. In the streets, among the original red-brick buildings, lively crowds often gathered from Russian, German, French, American and English sailors. There were also negros who stood out for their curly hair and tall stature. There were shouts and curses in different languages around Chinese shops and stores.
The Japanese kept themselves apart. Anger and envy were concentrated on their yellow faces.They viewed the harbor, ships, new buildings and merry Russian sailors frowningly.
A capacious theater was erected near the sea. The cathedral, hospital and city government were already built.
From the very first days of her stay in the Far, Valya noticed that in the town they live happily, even too merrily and carelessly.
Inova occupied a beautifully furnished apartment. The whole furnishings of the apartment belonged to the bank and were handed over to the newly arrived employees during their work in the city of Dalny.
Two weeks after arrival, Modest Vladimirovich gave a semi-official evening, to which representatives of the city, military units, as well as commercial dealers, the banks main customers, were invited.
Inovs wife, Serafima Prokopyevna, was worried. She wanted the first to come family colleagues, but the servant introduced Lykov.
Old friend. Very happy.
Lykov, shaking his head, wanted to say something, but a group of guests arrived, and the hostess rose to meet them. In the first days of the arrival, the Inovy Lykov often came to them. Valya did not go into the living room when Lykov was there.
One of the guests, a supplier of the forest, obese, with a drooping chin and small eyes, after adjusting his long mustache, asked:
Whats new, gentlemen?
The Japanese are moving, said Lieutenant Gladyshev.
And the fortress is poorly armed, including Kinzhou, said the captain in gold glasses, and his voice seemed to everyone somewhat squeaky and irritated.
Its unthinkable to imagine a fortress appearing by magic, the colonel of the engineering troops remarked with a grin.
They spent twice as many millions on a toy town Dalny, the captain shouted even louder. Meanwhile, the place chosen absurd. Firstly far from the fortress, secondly the device of the harbor requires tremendous costs and, thirdly once far from the fortress, it is necessary to put batteries here against the attack of the enemy from the sea. One attack of the destroyers and all commercial ships captured in the commercial port, will fall to the bottom of the bay. We need a fortress as a safe haven for naval military vessels, and not a trinket like the city of Dalny.
Nikolai Stepanovich, you are an impossible person. You look at the surroundings from your bell tower The main task of the Russians is the commercial development of the region. We must show the British, the French, the Germans, and the Japanese, that we are engaged in peaceful affairs on the Kwantung Peninsula.
Politics, politics Measure, but do not get carried away, do not forget the danger the captain did not let up. A fist hangs over your head, and you have a decoration with the words peaceful construction.
Do not exaggerate the danger.
Modest Vladimirovich entered. The owner was an elegant and pleasant-looking man. His broad face with a broad forehead enlivened large light brown eyes.
Hello, master. Its boring without you, rising from the table, said Lykov.
Sorry, today I unexpectedly stayed in the bank.
Almost after Modest Vladimirovich, the mother and daughter of Lastochkin entered. Tanya Lastochkina looked at the guests with surprised eyes.
Lykov, leaning over to his neighbor the lieutenant, whispered:
Here you, Lieutenant, and the first swallow.
Pretty but impassable fool. I am familiar with her. Finger about the finger does not want to hit, and reads only the application to the magazine Homeland.
Tanya went to the room Vali. The captain was still arguing with the colonel. The lieutenant approached them.
Inov knew about the restless captain, whose judgments aptly hit the mark. He was disliked.
I wish the currency would come and play, the owner thought.
Serafima Prokopievna returned to the living room, accompanied by Tanya and Vali.
Gentlemen, I ask for a glass of tea.
A Chinese servant appeared in soft shoes on high soles because of the drapery, followed by a fight with a dish filled with biscuits and sweets. None of the guests paid attention to the servant and the boy, dressed in silk national costumes. Everyone looked at Valya. Her large, oblong face was stern. She smiled with her eyes and that was enough: the guests saw before them a beautiful and calm girl. Valya matured. Thin wrinkles lay on her forehead near the bridge. Guests with a low bow shook the girls hand. The captain greeted the last. Holding her hand, he asked: