“To go and not return” Bykov in brief summary
It was snowing. Putnitsa wandered around the frozen swamp, beginning to worry more and more. Those who sent her also did not expect snowfall, which unexpectedly began about two hours ago. Now Zoska had a clear trail, but soon it would be covered by snow. Worse, she lost her way.
The expected forester was not visible, a dull unfamiliar swamp was stretching around. There is no one to ask – there are eight kilometers to the nearest village. They did not give weapons with them-it could have failed the task, for the same reason they did not give her a compass either. She had a passport and a German ausvays, very shabby, probably many used it. A document in the name of Adelaide Augustevich, Zoska very much liked the name. And then – Zosya Nareiko, although each – his own. She had to cross the swamp, cross a small river and go to the Skidelsky railroad – there will already begin familiar places. There will be their dangers, but here it turned out to be more terrible:
The snowfall seemed to have thinned, suddenly a hare darted from under the feet, forcing the girl to freeze from horror. Looking back, she was even more frightened, as she clearly saw the silhouette of a man. Then she thought that she had indicated herself. Zoska strode swiftly forward, not allowing herself to look back. The swamp has ended, somewhere ahead there should be a small river. We have to look for a ford or a bottleneck to move to the other side. Zoska looked around – there was no one to be seen. Now I had to think about how to overcome the river, look for a suitable railing and try to cross it. The girl went around a few trees, testing the strength of their rough branches with her hand, and, glancing in the field, saw a man walking along her tracks. Twilight prevented to consider going, it was clear only that there was a confident man who knows his
Zoska explained that she was very frightened of the persecution, that’s why she rushed into the river. Anton ordered her to run after him to keep warm. The girl felt that her legs were derevyayut, skirt froze and became a stake. Zoska tried to ask Anton how he was close. But he only answered: “Well, it’s okay.” Well, it’s time to come, or else… “She could not understand why he was tens of kilometers away from the camp, they sent her to work alone, there was no question of Golubin. There’s no power to run, but you can not stop – you’ll freeze. Zoska remembered how they said goodbye to Anton in the morning. She could not say where she was going, she only promised to come back in about two weeks. Zoska wanted to say what she needed for the river, but first, really, it was necessary to dry herself, and she happily grabbed this sympathetic help. Anton knew, somewhere near the village, there you can be dried. He advised me to cross the river near the forest ranger. Zoska was going to, but because of the snowfall she lost her way. Anton smiled: not yet out of the zone and already lost his bearings. “How are you going to be there, scout?” She had nothing to say. But do not be frightened of it, Zoska would not climb into the river, there’s no one to blame. On the run Anton looked around and realized that the village was left out. Golubin grumbled discontentedly at Zoska that they had lost her way because of her, and she wanted to shout that if she had not been there, she was not scared and would not have climbed that river, but she restrained herself, and decided that she would somehow get out. Anton saw the stack and called the girl. In the hay it was possible to dry and sleep in the warmth. In the first haystack the hay was caked and did not succumb to their frozen fingers, but in the second one a laz was ready. Anton ordered Zoska to climb into the haystack, remove wet clothes and wrap in his casing. While the girl was pulling off her wet boots, stockings, skirt, Anton was closing his laz. He cheerfully promised that soon they would breathe and be able to dry. Anton lay down, pressing himself against the wrapped Zoska. She asked Anton where he was going? Golubin replied that they were almost on the way. Zosku was frightened by Anton’s close neighborhood, she first found himself in such a situation: on the one hand, he was her savior, but what he had in mind, she did not know and decided to keep as tight as possible. Anton promised that soon Zoska would get warm. “Better than on the stove in the hut.” Without any connection, he suddenly asked if she remembered Looks? What there were parties. Kuznetsov was at war and loved to walk. “I was young,” answered Zoska, “and there is no Kuznetsov or many.” While the girl was pulling off her wet boots, stockings, skirt, Anton was closing his laz. He cheerfully promised that soon they would breathe and be able to dry. Anton lay down, pressing himself against the wrapped Zoska. She asked Anton where he was going? Golubin replied that they were almost on the way. Zosku was frightened by Anton’s close neighborhood, she first found himself in such a situation: on the one hand, he was her savior, but what he had in mind, she did not know and decided to keep as tight as possible. Anton promised that soon Zoska would get warm. “Better than on the stove in the hut.” Without any connection, he suddenly asked if she remembered Looks? What there were parties. Kuznetsov was at war and loved to walk. “I was young,” answered Zoska, “and there is no Kuznetsov or many.” While the girl was pulling off her wet boots, stockings, skirt, Anton was closing his laz. He cheerfully promised that soon they would breathe and be able to dry. Anton lay down, pressing himself against the wrapped Zoska. She asked Anton where he was going? Golubin replied that they were almost on the way. Zosku was frightened by Anton’s close neighborhood, she first found himself in such a situation: on the one hand, he was her savior, but what he had in mind, she did not know and decided to keep as tight as possible. Anton promised that soon Zoska would get warm. “Better than on the stove in the hut.” Without any connection, he suddenly asked if she remembered Looks? What there were parties. Kuznetsov was at war and loved to walk. “I was young,” answered Zoska, “and there is no Kuznetsov or many.” that soon they will breathe and will be able to dry out. Anton lay down, pressing himself against the wrapped Zoska. She asked Anton where he was going? Golubin replied that they were almost on the way. Zosku was frightened by Anton’s close neighborhood, she first found himself in such a situation: on the one hand, he was her savior, but what he had in mind, she did not know and decided to keep as tight as possible. Anton promised that soon Zoska would get warm. “Better than on the stove in the hut.” Without any connection, he suddenly asked if she remembered Looks? What there were parties. Kuznetsov was at war and loved to walk. “I was young,” answered Zoska, “and there is no Kuznetsov or many.” that soon they will breathe and will be able to dry out. Anton lay down, pressing himself against the wrapped Zoska. She asked Anton where he was going? Golubin replied that they were almost on the way. Zosku was frightened by Anton’s close neighborhood, she first found himself in such a situation: on the one hand, he was her savior, but what he had in mind, she did not know and decided to keep as tight as possible. Anton promised that soon Zoska would get warm. “Better than on the stove in the hut.” Without any connection, he suddenly asked if she remembered Looks? What there were parties. Kuznetsov was at war and loved to walk. “I was young,” answered Zoska, “and there is no Kuznetsov or many.” she first found himself in such a situation: on the one hand, he was her savior, but what he had in mind, she did not know and decided to keep as tightly as possible. Anton promised that soon Zoska would get warm. “Better than on the stove in the hut.” Without any connection, he suddenly asked if she remembered Looks? What there were parties. Kuznetsov was at war and loved to walk. “I was young,” answered Zoska, “and there is no Kuznetsov or many.” she first found himself in such a situation: on the one hand, he was her savior, but what he had in mind, she did not know and decided to keep as tightly as possible. Anton promised that soon Zoska would get warm. “Better than on the stove in the hut.” Without any connection, he suddenly asked if she remembered Looks? What there were parties. Kuznetsov was at war and loved to walk. “I was young,” answered Zoska, “and there is no Kuznetsov or many.”
“Who knows, and we will not be soon,” said Anton.
Zoska shivered coldly from this prospect. She did not want to die. You can not think about this, going to the task. Anton agreed, it is necessary to think about death – a war, but it is not necessary to speak. Wrapped in a casing, Zoska gradually warmed up and began to doze off.
Suddenly she was awakened by Anton’s voice, remembering how well she danced with him, then she liked it. He asked where Zoska was from. And she replied that from Skidel, she lived there with her mother. Anton knows those places. In the autumn he went to the raid with Kuznetsov. Golubin asked, so Zosya would see her mother, but the girl did not know if she could meet. After all, she is not going to visit, but on an assignment. Anton replied that his friend lives in Skidel. Zoska asked who was it? Golubin replied that she hardly knows him, he is a new man who recently settled in those parts. Zoska agreed – she was living in Novogrudok before the war, she studied at the technical school.
Anton, turning on the hay, put his arm round her shoulders. Zoska tried to pull away. After giving her the hood, Anton began to freeze, so he tightened the girl closer to him, saying that it was so warm. Zosia boasted that she is strong, knows the techniques of hand-to-hand combat. Anton replied that it would be better if she had been given a weapon, certainly not allowed to take it, but the documents are reliable. Zoska retorted, she had a shabby ausvays. Golubin replied that the scruffy documents had more faith. He admitted that he had a revolver revolver system – the most reliable document. Zoske did not like Anton going with weapons, do they know about it at the partisan headquarters? Golubin replied: “I myself know better what to do with.” He advised the girl to hold on to him, he would not be lost. Anton affectionately admitted that after their morning meeting he could not find his place, he was so scared for Zoska. She was pleased, that Anton worries and is afraid for her. Golubin tried to hug the girl, but she too resolutely rejected his affection. Anton smiled: “We’ll sleep”; let Zoska not be afraid of him, he joked. Zoska asked, maybe Anton will go further alone? “While I’ll wait,” Golubin replied. They almost quarreled that Zoska did not want at all.
Burying himself in the hay, Anton pretended to fall asleep. The two under the casing would have been warmer, but he moved away from the girl, so as not to think that for this reason he ran after her. Although he was a man, and she attracted him a lot with her young femininity. Now Golubin did not remember when, for the first time, he seriously drew attention to her, perhaps in Shouts, when he was dancing with Zoska, or when their detachment left a camp and moved to a swamp. After a long march, everyone was hungry and chilled, the platoon commander assigned three to equip the detached kitchen. Two of them followed the water, and Anton set to work on the hearth-furnace, he began digging with a fuse, sweating, sweating, and decided to take off his sheepskin coat, then he saw Zoska, asked: “Did she come to help?” She replied that such an employee did not need help, poured dried peas into his hand and walked away.
All the autumn there were tasks, Anton was not up to Zoska. Golubin by nature was not from the nervous, he had enough endurance. Constant fighting and danger tempered him, there was no case that Anton was frightened or confused. Although some in the detachment was inclined to accuse him of the death of the commander. But there Anton was not guilty of anything. On the contrary, by his ingenuity he saved the four, the first jumping from the attic and shouting to the others: “Jump!” They, panting in the smoke and shooting back from the settling policemen, hardly left. Kuznetsov and the orderly rarely shot from the basement, where the police were throwing grenades. Probably, the commander was wounded and could not jump out, but what could they, four, “against three dozen insolent bobics?”. Golubin respected and appreciated Kuznetsov, he felt sorry for the sensible and brave commander to tears. Going on business, in intelligence, on operations and parties, Kuznetsov always took with him six guerrillas, among which Golubin also began to travel from the summer. Now, from this six, it seems, there is no one left. At first it was not easy. The detachment gathered from different people – the district activist and the NKVD, the Red Army soldiers, the surrounding soldiers, the fleeing POWs and local brave souls. Kuznetsov checked people in battle, where they extracted weapons, showed their skill and ingenuity. Under Kuznetsov, Golubin commanded a platoon, after the death of the commander Anton was lowered to the rank and file. By the fall of the people, they began to wag, began to fight sensibly – and then the commander’s ridiculous death. “Since September, the detachment entered its dark strip, misfortunes and poured on it, one worse than the other.” The commander and three men of his group perished, then Kubelkin’s subversive group went away and did not return. Did not have time to grieve over the best fighters, as the detachment came out to smash the German garrison at the station and got under the organized fire of the enemies – suffered great losses. The lads were depressed, there was no connection with Moscow, there were various alarming rumors about the battles at Stalingrad. One day Golubin heard the conversation between the bucket, a former Vileyka militiaman, with a major about Stalingrad, and examined a map from a school textbook. Seeing the map, Anton was amazed – Stalingrad was in the very depths of Russia. “You can go crazy – how far the Germans have gone! ..” For several days Golubin walked completely dead, he understood that the fate of the city is a foregone conclusion. So why are they here in this forest? What are they going to do here and what are they waiting for in the near future? True, Stalingrad still holds, but how long can this last? All this was very depressing for the partisan. “And then the Kubelkin group disappeared. that Zoska was sent to search for the tracks of the group. The girl smiled affably all the time, it seemed, she did not touch the scourge. Does she not know what awaits her? A brief meeting with Zoska before her departure for the mission turned Anton’s whole life.
In the middle of the night Zoska woke up and remembered what had happened. She grinned at her luck-meeting with the one who had already sparked a spark of interest in herself. She was pleased that someone was worried about her and worried about her, maybe she did. She thought that Anton Golubin was a good man: he came to her aid at the very right moment.
At first, Zoska was performing the duties of the nurse in the detachment with the wounded, then she began to help in the kitchen. Now her services are needed Dozortsevu, preparing from the girl connected. It’s more dangerous, but also more honorable than in the kitchen. It was the second time that she had gone there, where she had not always returned.
Zoska cautiously got out of the stack. There was silence all around, a little freezing. The girl ran into the stack, and then returned to the hole. It was warm here, but it’s time to leave in the morning. Anton, probably, will find a way to cross. Zoska thought, how old could he be? “Probably already at thirty, almost an old man against her.” Soon after getting angry, she fell asleep again. In a dream, she was anxious. Someone who was native to her was at the same time “like an angel and a devil”, he is elusive, and this especially tormented Zoska. Then she saw a dream, like climbing on rocks that she had never seen before, distinctly feels behind her abyss, vainly seeking support for her hands and feet, she wants to scream, but she does not have a voice. Suddenly a bear paw with claws is stretched from above. Zoska is frightened of this paw more than the abyss, breaks down and chokes in frustration. But a few seconds before death wakes up in a cold sweat. The dream puzzles and scares Zoska. Anton is no longer beside him – he is standing outside and calling her for exercises. Zoska hurriedly puts on half-baked things and climbs out of the hole. Anton tried to get into it with a snowball, but Zoska easily evaded. Golubin invited her to wash with snow: “Who will wash the first snow, the whole winter will not catch a cold! And well!” He walked over and rubbed her face with snow. The girl shrank back discontentedly. Anton asked if her clothes were dry. Zoska replied that things were still wet. “It’s okay, they’ll dry up quickly in the frost,” Anton reassured. He gradually learned that Zosia needed to cross the Niemen, for which she was given a password. The girl invited Anton to hide the revolver in a haystack, but he refused. The weapon can still come in handy. Zoska is afraid, she believes in foreboding and predicting prophetic sleep. Anton laughs that the Komsomol believes such trifles. “Wherever the night, go there and sleep,” – and throw the nonsense out of your head. But Zoska remembered how on the eve of the German raid she had a dream, as if she was overtaken by a German shepherd, and in the morning Kuznetsov barely managed to take the detachment beyond the swamp. So do not believe in “all sorts of prejudices.” Anton replied that life is much worse than dreams, and even the commander of the detachment fell into a dump – from former civilians. Here Kuznetsov was a good commander, he knew how to protect people, and not just execute the orders of the center. Anton is confident that it is difficult to fight the Germans, they have strength and power. Zoska was a “little man”, but she believed in the ideals of good and justice, “which in a boorish way and at the same time they trampled down the fascists.” She hated them for killing innocent people. And she said to herself, that it is impossible to live in the same world with this beast, that it will harm them as soon as it can, if they do not solve it earlier. So she went to the guerrillas and for eight months there is no other life for her than the forest, complete danger, hunger, cold – except war.
Talking, we went to the river. Anton began to look for a suitable place for the crossing, noticed a beaver, busily sneaking down the river. The beaver, bellowed by Anton, hid in his hut. Golubin saw a dam set up by beavers. Here you could move. He jumped to the other side, and Zoska was afraid of jumping. Then Golubin stepped into the water and caught the jumping girl. Anton soaked his feet, so he sat down to rewind footcloths, and then confidently went ahead, forcing Zoska to step on the trail. Unexpectedly stopping, so that Zoska flew at him, Anton confessed that he was in the self-winded. The girl was scared, how could he return to the detachment? Anton replied that it was too late to change anything. He can not abandon her, he is afraid for her. After looking at Zoskin Ausweis, Golubin rejected a badly glued photo. At the first check, Zoska will be taken with this fake paper. Zoska did not know what to do. Anton offered to go together, he will not be a burden to him. The girl confirmed: “You will not become a burden, on the contrary!” Anton assured, the two of us go safer. Zoska was in difficulty: how to proceed. Of course, it’s easier and calmer with him. But in the detachment of Anton waiting for trouble, she can not drive him away, and does not want. He managed to do so much for her! Encouraged, Zoska moved after Golubin. He managed to do so much for her! Encouraged, Zoska moved after Golubin. He managed to do so much for her! Encouraged, Zoska moved after Golubin.
Anton confidently went ahead, in the autumn he already walked this route. Entering the forest, I heard voices and went to check. Leaving the girl on the edge, he himself went into the forest. He saw the people at once, bypassing a thick bush. A woman was sitting in the sleigh, a peasant stood beside him, and a freshly fallen pine lay. Anton understood: this village came to stock up on firewood. He approached and greeted me, the guy was frightened, the youngster looked at Anton without fear. After talking, Golubin found out that they were driving a pine tree to replace the old rotten girlfriend. The young woman talked intelligently that they had married recently, themselves from Steblewka, she nodded to the side: “It’s not far off here.” Anton asked about the Loams, and he was shown the direction, Islet is also in that direction. Golubin asked for bread, and the young man cut off a small slice of rye bread and bacon, but did it discontentedly: very little. Anton cursed to himself: you will not ask for anything. A third, bearded man came up, asked who Anton was. “Just a man,” answered Golubin. The peasant said that difficult times have come: they live in eternal fear. “Why do not you take up arms?” asked Anton. The young woman became angry, began to protect her husband, who could not offend the fly. The guy was embarrassed to say that he might decide to go to the guerrillas. The baby cried out. Anton left, he had no time to listen to a family quarrel. Golubin remembered how he worked as a tax agent before the war, traveled a lot around the area, he had a lot of acquaintances. When the war broke out, the old life collapsed. Once, six armed men knocked at him in the hut. Among them was his friend from the NKVD. They also smuggled Anton into the partisan detachment, telling about acquaintances. Now Anton recalled the peaceful life as an unrealizable happiness. War can not see the end. Maybe they kill him, it’s good if they buried him in a human way. Seeing Zoska, he called the girl.
Anton shared with Zoska the bread and fat obtained from the milk and ate his piece with pleasure. Zoska always worried about Golubin, persuaded him to return, but he intended to pursue her for the Niemen.
Anton said that he had met peasants who had come for a pine-tree to repair the hut. Zoska became angry: there are so many who want to sit tight behind strangers’ backs, hoping to survive the war. They went out to the road, but it was dangerous in the daytime. Anton turned to the forest and walked along the edge of the forest. Soon the Germans drove along the road, Zoska was pleased with Anton’s foresight. However, they soon “missed” the road, because there was no noise from there. Anton went slower, Zoska, hoping for Golubina, did not think about the road, she again all was wet. The forest is over. On the relief of the terrain, the approach of the river was felt. Zoska was glad that they had come to the right place. Several times in her childhood she saw the Neman in the summer, shrouded, not making a strong impression. Now the view of the river was completely transformed: it was heard from the abundance of water, The rapid and powerful current was fraught with a sinister force. There was a lot of ice along the river. It seemed that the banks respectfully parted, passing the river to the sea. After walking about two kilometers along the shore, they reached the conditional crossing, smoke was falling on the ravine. A fussy and spiteful little dog rushed to meet them. Out of the ravine Petryakov came out, an elderly unshaven man. He reassured the little dog and invited the visitors to the dug-out. Zoska and Petryakov exchanged a password and a recall and, crouching, climbed into a tiny room carved into a ravine slope. Instead of a window, a piece of glass was inserted in the upper part of the door, a treadmill and a well-heated furnace stood. Petryakov invited the newcomers to come closer to the stove while Bormot-hin brought the boat up. He said that yesterday they were transporting from the other side the returning reconnaissance men: two living men, one alive in a shovel. Zoske disliked this conversation. Yes, There was a war and people were killed by the hundreds, but the mention of the murdered scout painfully affected the soul. She was most afraid of getting a bullet in the stomach, although being wounded in the head or in the chest is not any better. Zoska asked Petryakov why he was coughing, probably chilled? The peasant winced, nothing else would help him-consumption. Zoska mixed up, she did not know what was being said in such cases, and whether to console? At last Bormotukhin appeared, looking like a teenager. He complained of a strong wind on the river, moved closer to the stove. Zoska was scared, how could they get across the Niemen in this weather? After a little warmth, the teenager called Zoska and Anton to the crossing. On the threshold of the girl looked back, wishing Petryakov recovery. Anton first entered the boat, helped Zoska. The girl sat on the cross-beam, clutching the wet sides of the boat with both hands. The ship swayed menacingly, when the ice floes struck against the sides, but the bottom did not go and did not even draw water. Bormotukhin confidently wielded the oar, then rowing, then pushing away large ice floes. On the other side, Zoska hardly breathed, but Bormotukhin reassured: “Hiba is scary here?” He pointed to a safe direction for the “drva”, showed where on the way back to look for the boat. Thanking the carrier, Anton and Zosya moved on.
The Neman was left behind. Quickly it was getting dark, and again it began to snow, the wind grew stronger. His impulses rushed furiously, as if they were trying to rip off their clothes. Anton asked when Zoska needed to be in Skidel. She replied that tonight. They did not have time on time: it was still about sixteen kilometers, which is almost impossible for such weather and without a road. Zoska was eager for Skidel, of course, there was her mother. But Anton did as much as the girl. For some time in Skidel settled his old friend Zhorka Kopytsky. But how he will accept Anton, people change, and then there is war. At one time, Anton helped Kopitskiy get a special group formed to transfer to the rear of the Germans. And then their ways parted.
The fact that his current path so successfully coincided with the task of Zoska, Anton was inclined to see a happy sign of his military fate. He was troubled by crossing the Neman, but it went smoothly – Zosya was silent. Golubin was sure that he was cooperating with this scout. “Not a single girl, to which he threw an eye, did not dodge it.” Now Zoska needed him to the extreme, and Anton hoped, if he tried, everything he had planned would be done, if only Kopytsky failed. “
Realizing that Skidel today did not reach, Anton began to think about a night’s lodging. The wind gradually changed direction and now it blew from the west. This promised a change in the weather, noticeably warmed, squelched underfoot. All day Anton intended to talk with Zoska to tell her about the most important thing for which he was next to her, but could not choose the right moment. He knew this region well: in the summer he had already been there and could go on for a long time, and Zoska was tired. They ran across a deserted road and found themselves on plowing. As soon as she moved her legs, Zoska walked behind her. In the distance the farm loomed, but it turned out to be polizei, who arranged a party with an accordion. Moving away from the farm, Anton walked quickly, not adjusting to the step of the girl – he knew where he was going… The God-saved hamlets met them with silence. Anton moved over the fence and helped Zoska. They entered the dark porch, and then into the hut, among which stood the coffin, several women were sitting around him. Anton was taken aback, pulled off his wet cap. One of the women got up, ducking noiselessly into the darkness, and immediately returned, giving them bread and potatoes in their uniform: “Now, do not blame me for the smell…” Do not blame me for the smell… “Anton and Zoska went out again into the night and damp. It seemed that Anton was at a loss, not knowing where to go.
Long, almost blindly, they walked along the bare plain of the field. Zoska was soaked, she could not forget the picture of these women’s funerals. But somehow one had to shake off the depressing mood: “She has a difficult task for a few days, I have to go to Skidel, on two farms, go to Grodno, maybe I will see Mamusya.” There is still a lot to do in life, why think about a funeral? ” Having caught up with Anton, Zoska learned that they had deviated greatly from the route and came to the Kotra river. Golubin said that Skidel can only get to the morning, but Zoska needs to pass at night so that no one will know her. Anton took his bearings and went to take them to the right. After a quarter of an hour they approached the dilapidated ridge, in the corner of which the cube with a preserved stove was fenced off, on which once the fodder and water for cattle were heated, the room was warmed up. Anton melted the stove. It was warming, Golubin hung his jacket and Zoska’s jacket. She took off her wet boots and stockings, sat down on Anton’s already dried casing. They had a bite of bread and potatoes. “For the mention of the soul of that grandmother,” Anton joked gruffly. He asked Zoska if her mother knew that her daughter was so close? The girl answered that her mother had probably buried her, since the spring she had not seen her. Golubin retorted: “People could see Zoska and tell her mother.” Anton once again repeated that for Zoski’s sake he went to “waggon”, because he fell in love. She had not yet admitted to love, it was scary and pleasant. “You know, I, too,” she said softly, “you’re good.” Anton began to kiss her, Zoska tried to evade, but the guy held her tightly in his arms. “Her strength and will were gone, leaving everything in fear and the warm bliss of his embrace. She only felt that it was not necessary, that they acted badly, with a clouded consciousness, she almost clearly understood that she was dying, but there was some kind of joy in this death, and most importantly, there was a consciousness that she was dying with him. “She woke up suddenly, from an alarming push from the inside, and, fearing to move, opened her eyes, it was already dawn, the stove went out and it got colder in the room. “Zoska needed time to gather her thoughts.” It was too late to feel remorse, after thinking, she was consoled by the only one in her position thought: with every but now it’s war. I was going to the nineteenth year, “what’s good, do not grow old in the girls for long or worse, die, never knowing either love, nor men. “About Anton Zoska thought:” He’s a nice,
From the street came a voice urging the horse. Anton jumped up, thinking what was going on. He shod his boots and went out the door. Zoska hurriedly pulled dry boots, every second waiting for the team to run. Soon Anton returned with a revolver in his hand. He said that the policemen drove it. Zoska could not understand the changes that had taken place with Anton. He sat wicked and depressed, his hands drooping feebly.
While Zoska was training in the chamber, Anton ran over the equipment and through the open gates saw two sleds, who were lugging their riders in black overcoats, lazily: policemen. The fright passed, the policemen paid no attention to the equipment. Before Anton came scraps of phrases: “Stalingrad,” “given,” or maybe “taken,” strained, he heard the “offensive” and thought that the Germans had launched a new offensive on the Volga. He did not have any facts, but Anton decided to hurry: you must end up with “guerrilla”, take care of your own head, while it is still on your shoulders, and “take root in a new, German way, life…”, if nothing happened Soviet. He informed Zoska that the Germans had taken Stalingrad, she did not believe it. This news did not embarrass her. She was still going to do the job. Anton began to explain: probably soon the end of the war, if the Germans were fortified on the Volga. While Zoska was running “to the wind,” Anton considered how to start a conversation and convince her to go to the Germans.
Suddenly Zoska appeared with a white face: she found the murdered Surovets-demolition from their detachment, next to it was the body of the partisan, Anton forgot his name, they were killed in the back – “police” work.
Anton feels like he was trapped, how to get out of here, in the field he will be seen five kilometers away. Anton began to explain to Zoska, since the Germans took Stalingrad, it means that soon the war is over, and there is nothing to wait until they are stung in the forest by dogs and starved. You have a mother in Skidel, and I have there, I told you, the chief of police Kopytsky, my fellow countryman from Borisov, he should help. Let’s stop at you. We will live like people, like husband and wife. I fell in love with you, Zoska, “Anton finished. She thought that Golubin was joking, but he confirmed that he was speaking very seriously. Zoska considers this a meanness. Yes, she has not lived at all, she wants to save her life and her mother. But going to the Nazis is worse than death. “We must lose the last conscience, they are the plague of the twentieth century… It’s impossible to live with them, they are animals.” Anton objected, if with them in an amicable way… Zoska against. Anton began to get angry. He is sure: Germans are bastards, but they win, “and we are compelled to reckon with them.” Zoska does not believe that the Germans have won, Moscow, the Urals, and Siberia have not yet been taken… “We are people, and we will never accept them, even if they win.” You say: there is no choice. They are our choice. ” Anton was surprised, as the girl “on-propagandized”. But Zoska objected, propaganda had nothing to do with it; she has eyes and ears, she is sure of her rightness, offered to forget this unpleasant conversation for both. Anton replied that the conversation can be forgotten, but the essence remains. He somehow thought that Zoska loved him. The girl answered: “That’s the whole point, otherwise there would be another conversation.” She again began to send Anton to the detachment, promising, after returning,
Golubin answered, enough, he honestly fought eight months, no longer wants and she will not be allowed. He is sure: with Zoska, we must act decisively, and listen less to her objections.
The rest of the day they remained silent, standing at the entrance of the gate and not taking their eyes off the deserted road. Zoska wept, she was depressed by the closeness to the dead and “this absurdity”, conceived by Anton. She wanted to live, but the way of salvation offered by Anton, she did not fit. Zoska feverishly figured out what to do. I did not want to go further with Anton, and it’s impossible: she will fail the task, ruin people, so she began to persuade Anton to return to the detachment, but he did not go away, keeping a watchful eye on her to keep up. Zoska saw the farm and persuaded Anton to go there, he conspired to leave Skid-la five kilometers away. They came to the farm and, going around it, found themselves in front of the owner. He said there were no strangers in the hut. Anton asked to warm up, the owner invited me to enter. In the hut reigned a semi-darkness. Near the melted stove, the hostess was busy, at the table
M boy-teenager was reading a book. Anton said that they went in to rest. Zoska talked to the boy about a book that lacked a few pages at the end. Zoska once read the “Mysterious Island” and recounted missing pages to Vatsek. The hostess fed Anton and Zoska, boasted that the son – an excellent student, even showed a letter. Zoska wanted to take a little longer, but Anton zasobiralsya on the road. The girl categorically refused to go any further with Anton, she understood: the fight was to be fought, but firmly decided not to yield. As soon as the young people argued, the mistress sent her son to another room.
Anton was puzzled. He felt fooled. He was not afraid of the hosts, he would cope with them with weapons, but Zoska needed him alive, and with it still had to suffer, he felt it. Anton began to tell the hosts that the woman was obstinate, but Zoska abruptly replied: “I’m not your woman! .. You’re lying, you’ve never been my husband!” Anton was angry with the girl who brought the situation to a scandal, which has to be settled with strangers. Anton could not go to Skiden alone – he could be mistaken for a spy, he needed a hostage like Zoska. Like all business people, the Germans adored guarantees. “But here take it, this guarantee, petrified in its wild stubbornness on the bench at the table.” Anton tried all the ways, he was afraid and did stay with his nose. Demanding a rope from the owner, he tormented Zoska’s hands behind his back and tied them, he also tied his feet. Then he demanded from the owner a horse, not to drag her five kilometers on herself. But the horse was not in the village. Anton did not believe, went with the owner to check the barns. He closed the hostess and his son in the next room. While Anton and the owner were absent, Vatsek opened the door, untied Zoska and pointed out to her the back door for the stove. Zoska jumped out into the night and was about to run to the forest, but then she thought that she would be with the hosts of the farm. Picking up an ax, she hid around the corner. She had to stop Golubina. Seeing the shimmering shadow of Zoska, Anton recoiled to the side. The ax just cut the casing on the guy’s shoulder. He did not long, but cruelly beat Zoska, she hoped that he would kill her. But he needed him alive: otherwise how to appear in the Skidel police. Zoska decided that you must die before he dragged her to Skidel. She will grab Antonov from behind his bosom and kill him and himself. Then I thought, why kill yourself is better than him.
Anton found out from the owners where you can take a horse. The nearest farm is two kilometers away. Anton sent his master there, threatening: “But you’ll be cunning, you will not bring a horse,” I’ll burn the village. “Did you understand?” Anton gave the owner an hour to understand the axis, this hour of time became a measure of her capabilities. For this hour, something needs to be done, then, probably, it will be too late.
Anton gave the hostess to sew the hood cut by Zoska, and himself> pchanė. The Nagan he pushed into his pocket, from there Zoska could not get it any more – “all her idea went to pieces.” Zoska tried to move, to lean against the wall, Anton forbade, again bandaged her. She called Anton a traitor. He protested: who forced him to do this? He did not intend to betray her. “I wanted to live with you, as it should be, like a human, and you make a traitor out of me.” Zoska answered, let her betray him. Not the first, one already choked with thirty pieces of silver. But Anton did not seem to touch the ancient analogies.
He scolded Zoska for ingratitude. She wanted to kill him, and he helped her for two days, without her, she would have disappeared. Anton was partly right, but she did not ask for his help. Now Anton hoped for the price of her life to buy her own. Zoska bitterly thought that it would be better for her to quietly drown on the Shchar, than to experience so much emotion and even the upcoming torment.
Anton occasionally looked at Zoska, thinking, let him disappear, if such a fool. How many would have been found in the detachment of men who, for the sake of such a snot, would risk risking their heads, saving her from the war. But he decided, left the detachment, led her through the hornets of police nests, protected, warmed. And she? Than for all this repaid? It would have been seized by the Germans so and so would have shaken all the information they needed. So let her serve him, save his life now. Of course, his conscience tormented him, but he tried not to listen to his thoughts: “If you listen to your conscience, you will soon throw off the hooves.”
The owner was not there, Anton asked the landlady: “Your kurkul did not run away?” She answered that she would not run away, but would lead the horse.
Zoska did not notice how she dozed off, crouched on the cold floor. She felt uneasy, not understanding her reason. In the dream in front of her was a spring green field with a white bell tower of the church. She did not feel physically, but she knew that there was someone who was kind should have just appeared before her. Zoska knew, he should be respectful. There were people all around, they were also waiting for him. Suddenly Zoska saw that she easily and freely hovered over the crowd, then became heavy and began to drastically decline. People ran after her, trying to grab her with long, grasping hands, she tried to dodge, waved her hands, gradually turned into black wings of a bird. And Zosya herself turned into a bird. But the wings did not help her to fly, she was on the ground, in a huge snowdrift in the snow field. Then she seemed to be separated from the bird and saw her from the side, spread out in the snow. The bird was dying, and along with her, in despair, Zoska seemed to die.
But no, she did not die, woke up with the consciousness that the situation had changed. Anton opened the front door, into which the host burst in and behind him three more armed men. The sergeant ordered one of the visitors to search Anton. Golubin was frightenedly justified that he was his own, “from Suvorov…”. The newcomers turned to Zoska. She realized that they were from the Lipichansk brigade. Anton said that she, too, from Suvorovsky, and tied it because Zoska wanted to spill over to the Germans. “You’re lying,” the girl cried, shuddering. One of the visitors recognized her, even named her. Zoska objected that Anton wanted to betray, the owner can confirm. But the owner did not understand much about Zoski with Anton and did not know who was telling the truth. Zoska was unleashed. Now they tied their hands to Anton, threw a sheepskin coat and took them from the farm. Zoska was also taken with him. She conspired with the assignment, but she was not released, but threatened to “slap”. She had no choice but to walk dutifully over the snowy field: her unexpected rescuers were in a hurry. The sergeant ordered several times: “Salay, wider step!” Zoska realized that they were moving away from Skidel in the direction of the Neman, but what she could do was lead her as arrested, without even explaining where. On her side was the truth, and, it seems, the patron appeared, this agile fat man Pasha, who saw her somewhere and knew by name. And meanwhile it was completely light. Anton asked about the situation at the front. He was told that “Stalingrad gave the Germans teeth, pogled the Germans at Stalingrad.” Anton was surprised, it means that the Germans lied that they had taken Stalingrad. The sergeant replied that the Germans had suppressed Stalingrad, they had been thrown back for sixty kilometers.
Anton was deafened by what he heard. Maybe he should thank Zoska for her salutary stubbornness, try to make peace with her. A new turn in the war forced Anton to reconsider his previous decisions, to reorganize in accordance with new circumstances. It was necessary somehow to persuade the partisans to untie his hands. He could only be rescued by Zoska. Saley did not return. The sergeant rose from the ravine and called to the others. In the middle of the slope Anton slipped and fell. It was almost impossible to climb up with tied hands, yet he somehow got out, leaving a trail of blood on the snow. Zosya walked over and wiped the blood from Anton’s chin, but did so in such an indifferent manner as a burdensome duty. Saley returned, reported that they had taken Gray and could not pass through the birch tree-there was a round-up. A field can not be either – they will see from the village, you can try to go along the “cast iron”, if crawling, through the mound will not see. The guerrillas began to quietly discuss something, they seemed to want to shoot Anton, who posed a certain danger for them. Golubin was frightened, began to explain that he had been fighting for eight months against the Germans, he was his own: they had no right to organize lynching. The sergeant objected, not to drag Anton himself. Golubin himself is able to crawl, only he should untie his hands. He turned to Zoska for help: “Tell them: I’m not an enemy, you know, I honestly fought and will honestly fight. What’s wrong between us, what’s wrong with them, say, Zosia!” Zoska was silent, and Anton humiliatedly asked her to intercede, because they want to shoot him. Zoska said that he was mine, he did not have to be killed. “I’m from evil!” Anton was unleashed, but no weapons were given. Zoska again made an attempt to take time off in Skidel, but this time she was refused. She was intimidated that the partisans were tearing down her task. The sergeant resolutely retorted: “You yourself broke your mission,” – and moved forward. He walked first, behind him – Pasha, Anton, Zosia, the closing was Saley. The sergeant ordered him to shoot Anton if he tried to escape.
Zoska scarcely suppressed her irritation: she had to go no one knows where, she was seized by anxiety for an unfulfilled task. “She long ago missed all the deadlines, broke every order, messed up everything and complicated it to the extreme.” She repented that she had interceded for Anton, probably without him it would have been easier, he deserved to be shot. in general, no one suited a judge, because in many ways she was to blame. ” She decided not to interfere in the unpleasant business of Golubina. Then they will come to the detachment and then they will judge him. There are people more intelligent and intelligent about it.
Meanwhile the group moved rather quickly, it was easy to go, but the forest soon came to an end. It was necessary to run through the open field to the embankment of the “cast iron”. Running through the open space, they lay at the mound, then about a kilometer overcame the crouching and short dashes. The mound became lower and lower, almost level with the ground. Then I had to crawl. Zoska quickly drenched, but did not feel the cold, barely keeping pace with Anton’s flickering boots in front.
Suddenly the team followed: “Fast! Forward!” Zoska tried to keep up with Anton and still lagged behind. Pashka surpassed her. She expected that he would overtake Salay, but he stubbornly kept from behind. Zoska knew she had to crawl faster, but she could not.
On the left appeared a few sledges with riders, riding across the “piece of iron” and creeping. While they did not see the guerrillas, they would soon see. Zoska froze until she heard Salei shout: “By By! By By, you can not see?!” She rushed after the sergeant, Pasha and Anton leaving for the pine forest. Now the worst thing for her was to fall behind the rest. Shoots were heard. She fell, but immediately jumped up and rushed forward. Then they all lay down again in the ditch. The Germans fled to the forest, trying to cut off the rescue route to the partisans. The sergeant commanded: “Forward!” – and all ran, after a while again lay down, firing back from the Germans and policemen who were settling. Now it was necessary to skip the rails and run to the saving grove. Zoska almost reached the pine forest, intending to jump over the ditch, as a bullet hit her head. Zoska did not fall, but continued to languidly run on. Behind someone shot. She looked back and saw Anton, running with a rifle. After running twenty paces, Golubin again looked around and fired. Zoska was horrified: the policemen overtook them. The sergeant and Pasha disappeared somewhere; Anton overtook Zoska and disappeared into the pine forest. She rushed to the same place. Now Zoska was hoping for Anton. The policemen seem to be behind. She trailed after Golubin, so that he bandaged her. She herself could not do this. Soon he called to Zoska. She trailed after Golubin, so that he bandaged her. She herself could not do this. Soon he called to Zoska. She trailed after Golubin, so that he bandaged her. She herself could not do this. Soon he called to Zoska.
Anton waited for Zoska – and what he had to do was not to run after this troubled sergeant. Now no one needed Anton. He obtained the rifle of the murdered Salei, but, seeing the wounded Zoska who had come out on the edge, he took pity on her. Behind him were the voices of his pursuers. Anton dragged Zoska further. They ran to the edge of a grove. Anton did not have a bint, he tore off a strip from his shirt and bandaged Zoski’s wound, feeling “a feeling of pity and almost irresistible disgust”. Policemen finally fell behind. Anton helped Zoska get up, with short stops they crossed the field and went into the next grove. It was hard for Zoska, but she persevered. Anton did not recognize the locality for a long time, walking at random. A lonely tree loomed ahead in the field, a shape resembling a stack… The village loomed ahead of the snowfall. Approaching the tree, Anton stopped. It was a wild pear, splendidly spreading the crown almost to the ground. Immediately, stones were collected from the field. Behind them you could hide from the wind. “” There’s a village, see? “He nodded to Zoska as she dragged herself to the tree.” Zoska answered that it was Knyazhevodtsy, here she was in the summer with a friend. Anton was delighted, will be where to hide. Meanwhile, it was necessary to wait until dark. He turned out a huge stone, and Zoska sat down. Anton asked what they would do next, but she did not say anything. Anton was delighted, will be where to hide. Meanwhile, it was necessary to wait until dark. He turned out a huge stone, and Zoska sat down. Anton asked what they would do next, but she did not say anything. Anton was delighted, will be where to hide. Meanwhile, it was necessary to wait until dark. He turned out a huge stone, and Zoska sat down. Anton asked what they would do next, but she did not say anything.
Golubin was angry with himself that he hurried, wait two more days, he would have learned about the victory at Stalingrad. He again thought, maybe Zoska saved him from a rash step, asked the girl where her friend lives? If from this end, you can try to pass now, without waiting for the evening. Zoska asked if he was not going to Skidel? Anton replied that he should return to the detachment. Zoska was surprised at the change in Anton’s plans. He explained that, in connection with the victory at Stalingrad, the course of the war is changing. Anton returns to his usual life. But we must reconcile with Zoska. He asked her not to be angry. He promised that they would get along again. But Zoska categorically replied: “No, we will not get along.” Anton asked Zoska to write to the commander, as he helped her, to cover the group, which was passing the piece of iron. Zoska was surprised, why write, Does he bury her? She still hopes to return to the detachment. Anton objected that, while she returned, he could…
It began to get dark. He helped Zoska to get up, heading for the village. But she stopped him: she would go alone. And let him go for the Niemen. Anton angrily asked: “Do not trust?” -“I do not trust”. Anton was offended. He helped her on the way, saved her on a piece of iron, did not abandon her wounded, and she is so hostile to him. Arriving in the detachment, she would lay out everything about his conversations, and he would not be happy. Anton asked Zoska not to tell him what he wanted with her to Skidel. But she objected: “What am I going to say instead of saying that I slept with you in the night in the curb, that I did not get to Skidel, because I spent the night in the farm?” What did this task fail, trusting you? “That round idiot, idiot and criminal, court?” Yes, the prospect opened before Anton, I must say, unenviable. He was offended, she wants to shield herself by sinking him. Zoska retorted, her own kindness destroyed her. Anton said that he is not an enemy. Zoska sure, there are worse enemies. Anton from these words shook in anger. He remembered the good he had done, for which she tried to repay evil. He cursed her. Zoska rose with difficulty and went to the village. He looked after her with hatred. Throwing a rifle behind his back, he was about to follow the Niemen. Henceforth, their paths diverge. “He walked a dozen steps from the pear and in confusion stopped, startled by a new thought: what if she was lucky? She would find a friend in the village and tell him everything that had happened, sooner or later it would become known in the detachment…” No. He can not allow this. Anton called to Zoska, but she did not stop. He threw up his rifle, aimed and smoothly lowered the trigger. Zoska fell and lay in a dark spot on the snow. He reloaded the rifle, but the second shot, probably, was not required. In addition, the last cartridge could still come in handy. Anton decided that it would be better.
Zoska was very ill, sore in the side and difficult to breathe. She could not understand what had happened to her, only she felt that she was dying, and all was startled in fright.
The main thing was done, she realized the danger threatening her and determined to resist it. She was very afraid of death and wanted to live. Zoska realized that she was lying on the snow and was dying, she was falling asleep, and soon she would cover everything, so she moved both her hands and feet and lost consciousness. The next glimpse of consciousness, Zoska remembered that she was going to the village, and Anton shot after him. She did not want to cry, but tears poured from her eyes. She gathered the rest of her strength and slowly crept forward. Crawling for a long time, it seemed, for an eternity, fainted and regained consciousness. Her pain ached heavily in her side. Zoska tried to crawl to tell people about this turnip – Anton Golubin. Otherwise, he will return to the detachment, get into trust and again betray at a convenient moment for him. “To betray, deceive, abuse him is worthless, because for him there are no moral prohibitions, he will always be the way circumstances turn him. And circumstances in the war are a changeable thing, Golubin will be just as slippery and changeable towards people. “Zoska was not sure that she had enough strength to reach people, but only they could help her, it would be terrible for her, her mother, to the comrades who sent her from the forest, to go and not to return, as their former commander Kuznetsov did not return from the assignment, the group of Surovets did not return, Saley, killed on the “iron”, will not return, and whoever else is. force, do not succumb to death and return to your own. “Zoska was frightened, suddenly come back Nton to finish it. Why he did not kill her immediately, or found murdered? Or in a hurry to leave? She finally got to the fence, trying to overcome it, broke the pole and began to knock it, somewhere the dog barked. Zoska was delighted, she could be heard, and fainted.
Forever parting with Zoska, Anton felt relieved, as if he dumped a great deal of care from his shoulders. Now there were no witnesses of his weakness, he is again pure, honest, sinless in relation to the Motherland, people and his comrades. Killing Zoska, he did not feel remorse: she was to blame, she died through her stupid character. Anton walked through the forest, barely scraping through the thorny sushnyak. This deafman should be avoided, he turned back, but everywhere he ran into impenetrable thickets, then barely pushed himself to the edge. Walking around the field, Anton thought up how to explain his three-day absence: went to the villages, tried to get hold of the shoe: the boots fell apart completely. He repeatedly warned the platoon commander, but he did not react. And what part of him is a partisan in winter without shoes? I did not report to the authorities, because they would not let him go. “Maybe they will not shoot.”
Stopping to catch his breath, Anton saw that he was already passing here with Zoska, ahead of him was a familiar pear. If you walk at a rapid pace, the road will take twenty minutes. He did not understand why he had to go there, it was almost necessary to once again visit that place, to look at Zoska’s dead body and move with a light heart to the Neman. Anton ran the whole field, but there was no girl. He stumbled on a barely visible mark, she crawled away. He realized that he had not killed, but only wounded Zoska, he was angry with himself for having regretted the patron and ruined his life. Where should he go? The way to the detachment was ordered to him. For thirty years of his life, Anton was not accustomed to admit that he was guilty, he was always ready to blame others. In this case, across the life of his life, the guerrilla scout Zosya Nareiko, the culprit of all his troubles, rose fatally.
Almost mechanically Anton wandered to the Polish farm, where he had spent the last night with Zoska so unsuccessfully. He will take his experience into account and will not let anyone out of the farm until he leaves. He was weak and felt that he was falling asleep on the move, except for this, he also lost his way. Then he looked around and realized that he was near the barrier where he had spent the night with Zoska. There were no human traces around him, he entered the darkness and lay down on the straw: it would be good to take a nap, he would have had twenty minutes to take off the stupor.
Anton thought how things had changed in two days. Until recently, Zoska was near, with her he linked his own, even illusory, but hopes for the future. Then they dispersed their enemies. “It was impossible to live on this earth together with Zoska.” He could not understand why he was dependent on this snot. Is it stronger, smarter, or more adapted to this war? After all, after her injury, she was already breathing on incense, with one foot in the grave, and he only gently pushed it. And nevertheless she survived, somewhere hid, and still the power over his fate is in her hands. Then he dozed off, it seemed, for five minutes. He was awakened by a non-malicious cursing and urging on a horse. Anton jumped out of the vat and in the doorway saw a sleigh heading to Skidel. In them a man stood on his knees, urging a red horse, with peeling sides.
Anton called to the peasant and, calling to himself, asked for bread. The man shook his head. He goes to Skidel for the doctor, he himself is from Knyazhe-vodtsev, where there are no policemen or partisans. Anton asked, for whom the man is lucky doctor? “For the daughter of Ale…” – he answered. Anton, not allowing the old man to come to his senses, asked: is it not for Zoska or Nareiko from Skidel? The man was so scared that he could not answer. Anton realized that fate gives him one more chance. He shouted that the peasant urgently took him to Skidel. The main thing now for Anton – make it.
Zoska fully relied on the people who came to her rescue. She was bandaged, asked who wounded her, but there was no strength to answer. She was given milk. Zoska was delirious in imagining herself to be small, she was ill, her mother was also courting her, giving milk. Zoska can not die, because she will not leave her mother alone. Mom is the main joy of her life, just like she is for Mom. People said that the face and character of Zoska was all in the mother. Then the girl heard the conversation and the word “doctor”, again recurred memories of childhood: a festive table, she lives in a feeling of quick joy.
After waking up, Zoska sees the sky above him and realizes that she is being taken on a sled. The same voice that offered milk, reassures Zoska: “It’s all right, girl, everything will be fine.” “I’ll put you in a good place, somehow you’ll be okay.” “You’ll still be young, you’ll live, you’ll have children.” It’s not the century of this accursed war, like a fresh fontanel in the summer noon, reassuringly sounds next door, and Zosya benevolently calms down under a warm skin. Perhaps, in fact, the truth is that the terrible is behind us, and somehow it will get out of its misfortune.
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