Chapter 20
We're back to Pierre, on the morning of the 25th, the day inbetween two battles. He's getting a lot of stares in his white hat and green swallow-tail coat, which I can only assume looked like this.
I'd fucking stare, too. I hope all the television serials are accurate to this costume. Anyway, Pierre is leaving Mozhaysk, and is stopped by a wounded solder who asks if they'll be left there or taken on to Moscow. Pierre is too deep in thought to hear him. He's looking at all the other wounded and listening to their song. He eventually answers the poor man then goes on, looking for familiar faces. After nearly three miles, he runs into a doctor of his acquaintance, and tells him that he, Pierre, wants to take part in a battle. The doctor recommends that he speak to Kutuzov. Pierre asks exactly what the armies position is at the moment, but the doctor doesn't know, except that there'll be a battle tomorrow and there isn't nearly enough medical supplies ready. Pierre is amazed to think that of all the men he's seen today - most of whom were staring at his hat - approximately 20,000 of them are predicted to die. He passes the house where Kutuzov is staying, but everyone's gone to church, so he carries on to Gorki. He sees the peasant militia for the first time, and the sight of them all, and the fact that they're clearly not trained soldiers, impresses him with the solemnity and importance of the moment.
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