A Just Vengeance

Day 253 of A Year of War and Peace

The great French nation has, like many nations before and since, been the author of some fairly horrible moral outrages. The Reign of Terror. The crimes of colonialism. The introduction of andouillette to the global menu. Today their unjust invasion of Russia is complete as two French soldiers, an officer and a private, quarter themselves in Bazdeev’s home where Pierre currently resides.

Let us quickly review the beef — du boeuf — Pierre has with the French at this particular moment. They have invaded his homeland. They have occupied his city. They have murdered his best friend and hundreds of thousands of his countrymen. Pierre has plenty to be upset about. By all accounts it’d be perfectly understandable if he were to loose a raging homicidal fury down upon these two usurpers.

But he doesn’t.

Far from it. In fact, Pierre betrays his plans of maintaining the secrecy of his identity and knowledge of the French language, a tactic in his mission to kill Napoleon. Pierre sacrifices his own plan in order to save the two French soldier’s lives as Makar Alexeevich, that drunken buffoon, comes barreling into the room firing off his pistol at them.

Pierre could have allowed Makar Alexeevich to have his way. It probably wouldn’t have been too difficult to let the two French soldiers die. Chances are they could have gotten away with it and no doubt they’re guilty of murdering Russians.

But that’s not Pierre Bezukhov, fat beautiful bastard that he is.

DAILY MEDITATION