256 B- POLEVOI
show, for just at that moment the office door was vigor-
ously pushed open and a tall, lean officer with raven-
black hair emerged. Alexei recognised him at once from
the photograph he had seen. Buttoning his greatcoat as he
walked, he was saying something to a general who
followed him. He looked very worried and did not even
notice Meresyev.
"I'm going to the Kremlin," he said to the major,
glancing at his watch. "Order a plane for Stalingrad at
six o'clock. Land at Verkhnaya Pogromnaya." With that
he vanished as quickly as he had appeared.
The major at once ordered the plane and remembering
that Meresyev was in the room he said apologetically:
"You're out of luck. We are going away. You'll have
to come again. Have you any lodgings?"
The dark face of the extraordinary visitor, who only
a moment ago had seemed so determined and strong-
willed, suddenly expressed such keen disappointment and
weariness that the major changed his mind.
"All right," he said. "I know that the chief would have
done the same."
With that he wrote a few lines on official notepaper,
slipped the paper into an envelope, and addressed it:
"Chief of Personnel Department." He gave the envelope
to Meresyev and, shaking hands with him, said:
"With all my heart I wish you luck!"
The note stated: "Senior Lieutenant A. Meresyev has
seen the Commander. He is to be treated with all atten-
tion. Everything possible must be done to help him to
return to combat duty."
An hour later the captain with the little moustache con-
ducted Meresyev into the office of his chief. The old
general, a stout man with fierce, shaggy eyebrows, read
the note and, raising his merry blue eyes to the airman,
laughed and said:
"So you've already been there? Quick, I must say! So
you are the fellow that went up in the air because 1 sent
you to the M.G.B.! Ha-ha-ha!" he burst into a merry
chuckle. "Good lad! I see you are a thoroughbred flyer.
Don't want to go into the M.C.B.! Took offence, did you?...
What a joke!... But what am I to do with you,
young step-dancer, eh? You'll break your neck, and then