Chapter 29

The tram stopped. The woman conductor went to the door, pressed a button, opened all the doors, and then said to us in a loud voice, "the tram is here, comrades. Let's all get out of the car The sergeant and I got out of the car. Looking at the strange environment around me, I asked the Staff Sergeant: "is this Gonzalo nisgaya?"“ Of course not. There are two more stops from Gonzalo ninesgaya, but the barricade has been built in front of it, so the tram can't drive through. The rest of the way... "He bent down and patted his knees with both hands, and then said to me," we can only walk by our two legs. " I followed the sergeant and went down the street. As I walked, I looked at the faces of passers-by in a hurry, at the windows of the houses with long and narrow black strips, at the shop windows with sandbags, and at the posters on the walls. The further we went, the slower we went, because we had to go around the barricades made of sandbags, logs and planks from time to time. The men guarding these barricades, dressed in plain clothes and armed with bayonet rifles, were seen as temporary militia units. From time to time, they stopped passers-by to check their documents, but we passed through the barricade without any obstruction. For the militia on duty, maybe our uniform is the best pass. After a while, we stopped in front of a stone house“ I'm here, comrade commander. " Then the sergeant pointed to the front and said, "go on down this road. On the right side of the road," may I ask what kind of appointment it is? " I summoned up the courage to ask boldly“ The commander of a certain antiaircraft artillery battalion in the Kremlin has been transferred today for some special reason. There is a vacancy in the position of commander of this army. You can take up this position. " Ah! I was shocked. It seems that what Korolev said yesterday was not a lie, because the enemy aircraft intruded into the sky of the Kremlin and dropped bombs, and the commander in charge of air defense was punished. I don't know whether it was sent to Siberia to dig coal or was directly shot? What about bezikov's fate? If I promise to take up this position, will I follow their lead“ What do you think? " Zhukov saw that I didn't speak and asked impatiently“ You can say what you think. "“ Comrade general, "I can't accept the first appointment, otherwise I don't know how to die in the end. I'm still more concerned about what the second appointment is“ Can I hear what the other appointment is? "“ Of course. " Zhukov nodded and said, "I've become the commander of the Western Front Army. I need a good assistant to accompany me to borojino. But let me remind you in advance: the situation there is already very difficult. " In my impression, it seems that Zhukov has never been in danger in the war, so his own safety can be guaranteed if he follows him. So I answered without hesitation, "I'm willing to be your deputy and accompany you to borojino. Comrade General