Summary

In Chapter 10, Lev, Sonya, Kolya, and Timofei ate hearty soup made from the rooster, whom they had named Darling. That night, Timofei and Lev played chess. Lev played skillfully and excelled. Timofei asked Lev if he was 14 and whether he had to shave yet. He replied that he was 17 and that he did have to shave his mustache, though it grew slowly in the winter, and Timofei did not seem to believe him. After Timofei fell asleep, Lev heard Sonya and Kolya having sex and felt lonely.

The next morning, Kolya woke up Lev early, saying that they would be going to Sonya's uncle's poultry farm in Mga. Lev thought the plan was absurd because they would have to cross German lines, but he agreed because Kolya exuded confidence. Before leaving, they sat down and heard someone nailing posters. Lev imagined that the...