Chapter 3, The Zero Winter, pg. 77-93 Summary

The war has gone badly for Henri. The French never had a chance to invade England. Instead, Napoleon's forces were tied up on the continent fighting the Third Coalition. French soldiers have died by the thousands, fighting for days on end with little food or sleep. Henri has lost an eye. Domino is wounded. Patrick has taken to heavy drinking.

Henri, who seems to be in a high, sea-side holding cell, recalls the Russian campaign. The Russian army didn't try to fight the French. Instead, they retreated into the snow, burning villages, leaving nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep. Russian peasants, so similar to people of Henri's village, helped to burn down their own homes, only to then die in the cold. Numb, half-frozen and exhausted, the French army was rendered impotent...