This chapter starts by saying that Pierre reached Moscow on the 13th of August, but I think they must mean 30th, unless we've gone back in time for a flashback, which doesn't really happen in this book. Pierre is met by Count Rostopchin's adjutant, who insists that Pierre come see Rostopchin immediately. It's very crowded when Pierre arrives because everyone now knows that Moscow cannot be defended, so they've all come to ask Rostopchin how to handle it, so it will be his fault when it goes wrong. In spite of all this, a new broadsheet has been published which claims that the Emperor Alexander will defend Moscow to his last drop of blood. Some of the other men show it to Pierre when he arrives. Confused, Pierre asks why the paper says this when every military man he's spoken to knows that Moscow cannot be defended. The men agree with his confusion, then say they've heard of his family troubles with the countess and ask after her. Pierre, now doubly confused, asks what they've heard, but they backtrack very quickly and move on to other gossip.
Chapter 11
The gossip-sesh is interrupted when Pierre is finally summoned to speak to Count Rostopchin. The Count asks Pierre if he's a Mason and then sorrowfully tells him that all the other Masons have been driven out of Russia and he advises Pierre to immediately cut off contact with them. Pierre heads home when he is bombarded with people wanting him to make decisions he doesn't understand. He finally gets rid of them and opens his wife's letter, learning that Andrew is dead and that Helene is remarrying. He doesn't seem to take it in properly - he just goes straight to bed and falls asleep. When he wakes up, the major-domo informs him that Count Rostopchin had sent a police officer to see if Pierre has left town or not, and there are many more people waiting for Pierre to make decisions he doesn't understand. He slips out the back way and isn't seen in Moscow again.
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