Tatiana and Alexander: A Novel(58)

"Perhaps the standards are different for officers and regular soldiers."

"Sure they are! But they should be tougher for the frontoviks! After all, those are the guys who are first at the battle line. So they're flunking me out of a program that would have kept me in the rear where I would do the least damage, but instead offering me a position where I'm going to be thrown into the f*cking war zone? No, thanks." Dimitri looked up at Alexander. "Did you get your letter?"

He had gotten it, of course, and was informed of his impending graduation as a second lieutenant, but he didn't think Dimitri was in any mood to hear that. To lie was impractical. Alexander told Dimitri the truth.

"Alexander, this is just idiotic. Our plans are completely f*cked. What good are we to each other, with you an officer and me a private?" Dimitri hit himself on the head for emphasis. "I've got it! Great idea. Only one thing left to do--do you see it?"

"I don't see it."

"You've got to reject your second lieutenantship. Tell them you're honored and grateful, but you've reconsidered. They'll enlist you as a private in a few days, and then we'll be together in one unit and able to run together when the opportunity arises." He was gleefully smiling. "And for a moment I thought all was lost and our plans were as good as dead."

"Hold on, hold on." Alexander looked at Dimitri askance. "Dima, you want me towhat ?" Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

"Decline your officership."

"Why would I do that?"

"So we can execute our plans."

"Our plans haven't changed. If I'm second lieutenant, then I'm commanding a unit that has a sergeant who's in charge of your squad. We'll go to Finland together no matter what."

"Yes, but what good is it if we're not in the same unit? Those were our plans, Alexander."

"Our plans were to become officers together. We didn't say anything about becoming privates."

"All right, but our plans changed. We have to be flexible."

"Yes. But if we're both privates, we've got no power whatsoever."

"Who said anything about power? Who wants power?" Dimitri narrowed his eyes. "You?"

"I don't want power," Alexander said. "I want to be in a position to help us. You've got to admit, one of us being an officer gives us more options, more opportunity to get to where we need to be. I mean, if it were reversed and I flunked and you became an officer, I'd definitely want you to stay an officer. You could do so much for us."

"Yes," Dimitri said slowly, "but I didn't become an officer, did I?"

"Just dumb luck, Dima," Alexander said. "I'd think no more about it."

"I'm hardly going to be able to help thinking about it," said Dimitri, "since I'm about to become everybody's shitting pot."

Alexander said nothing. Dimitri spoke again. "I think it would be better if you and I were in the same squad."

"There is no guarantee of being in the same squad," Alexander said. "They'll send you to Karelia and me to the Crimea..." Alexander broke off. It was ridiculous. There was no way he was declining his officership. But by the look in Dimitri's eyes, by the hunched manner of Dimitri's shoulders, by the unpersuaded sneer of Dimitri's mouth, Alexander heard the first tear in the fabric of his and Dimitri's friendship. Shoddy Soviet workmanship, Alexander decided, and worked harder to convince Dimitri that this was going to work out. "Dima, think how much better your life will be in the army if I'm in the commissioned ranks, helping you out every step of the way. Better food. Better cigarettes. Better vodka. Better assignments. Better girls."

Dimitri looked skeptical.

"I'm your ally and your friend, and I'll be in a position to help you."

Dimitri still looked skeptical.

And rightly so, for, despite Alexander's proffered hand, life was only marginally easier for Dimitri. But Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

there was no denying it--it wasconsiderably easier for Alexander. He was quartered better, he was fed better, he was allowed more privileges and liberties, he was paid better, he received better weapons, he was privy to sensitive military information, and a better class of woman threw herself at him at the officers' club. The benefit to Dimitri was that Alexanderwas his commanding officer at the Leningrad garrison--with two sergeants and a corporal in between. But it was a dubious benefit the first time Alexander shouted at Dimitri for not maintaining order during a forward march and saw Dimitri coil up. Alexander knew he was either going to continue to shout orders at everyone including Dimitri, which was clearly not acceptable to Dimitri, or not shout orders at anyone, which was clearly not acceptable to the Red Army.

Alexander transferred Dimitri into another unit, placing him under the command of one of his quartermates, Lieutenant Sergei Komkov--permanently damaging his relationship with Komkov.

"Belov, you ought to be drawn and quartered," the short, nearly bald Komkov said to him one evening at cards. "What were you thinking asking me to take Chernenko? He is the biggest * I've ever seen! He is a worthless excuse for a soldier. My little sister is braver. He can't do anything right but hates to be told what to do. Can we court martial him for cowardice?"