Вяйнё Линна - Unknown Soldiers

The squad sent to reinforce the Second Company observed that the enemy had abandoned the second bunker as well, and so started securing it for themselves. The Jaeger platoon Autio had sent from his battalion arrived from the rear and continued the sweep of enemy positions.

Koskela sat on the ground, blinking his eyes and shaking the dirt from his hair. Lehto was on his knees in front of him, bursting, ‘Ho-ly shit! Ho-ly shiiiit! What a stunt!’

‘What?’

‘What a stunt!’

‘I won’t be able to hear anything for a little while. It’s happened to me before. Same thing happened back at Lemetti… But woof, what a blast! Go with Kariluoto. I’m gonna wait here for a bit, till these flaps open up a little. It’s kind of rough out there when you can’t hear anything…’

Bodies were strewn about the trench, many with their pockets already flipped inside out.

‘Look guys, insignia.’

‘Wow, that revolver’s a Nagant…’

‘It’s mine. I saw it first.’

‘Guys, stop scrounging. Keep moving.’ The machine-gunners went back to see Kaukonen’s body. The medics already had it on a stretcher.

‘Where did it hit?’

‘Went in through his cheek. Came out the back of his neck.’

‘Better to go quick.’ Lehto’s voice had an almost cruel pleasure in it.

‘So ends the war for the Kaukonen boy,’ Rahikainen said, and even he seemed solemn, though the deaths of the others didn’t interest him much.

‘Let’s get moving. We’ll be left behind.’

In truth, they just wanted to get away from the body as quickly as possible, as they’d known the guy for more than a year, after all. The fighting of just moments ago still held them in its grip, but even so it felt strange to contemplate this yellowish face. One eye had fallen shut, but the other was bulging out, glassy and empty.

‘You guys go. I’ll be right there,’ Lehto said as he headed off to the rear.

‘Riitaoja.’

A man appeared from the bushes and stood at attention. ‘C-c-c-corporal, sir,’ Riitaoja obediently replied, like a new recruit, smiling an idiotic smile.

‘You motherfucking piece of shit! What are you grinning at?’

‘I’m not grinning, C-c-c-corporal, sir.’ Riitaoja’s smile disappeared, and his terrified eyes started darting about furtively, though he was still standing stiffly at attention.

‘C-c-c-corporal, sir! C-c-c-corporal, sir!’ Lehto mimicked him furiously. ‘You’re not going to get out of this by calling me “sir”. Fuck, I’d make hash out of you – if it was worth it.’

Riitaoja took a few steps backward and stuttered, his voice wavering: ‘It scares me, C-c-c-corporal, sir. When it whistles. That noise it makes.’

‘Oh wah-wah, you miserable piece of shit!’ Lehto was furious and disgusted, but he stopped bullying the poor wretch. He despised Riitaoja’s fear as he despised all weakness – just as he had despised all discussions of anything ‘spiritual’ back in the barracks. He didn’t even know why, as the question had never crossed his mind. He just had this feeling and he responded accordingly. It certainly wasn’t out of any obligation as squad leader or supervisor that he came back to punish Riitaoja, as Lehto couldn’t have cared less who performed his duties and who didn’t. At most he might have forced the others into submission on some point or other just because he couldn’t stand anything that went against his will.

‘You go to the road and you get two cases of ammo from the trucks. Then you come back with the medics from the Third Company. They’re carrying the bodies to the roadside. You’re such a worthless fool you won’t know how to get anywhere otherwise. And don’t you dare just mess around here hiding.’

‘Yessir, C-c-c-corporal, sir.’

Relieved, Riitaoja flew off toward the rear, and Lehto hurried after the company. As he was about to cross the trench, he spotted a mess kit lying on the ground, half-filled with bread-and-water mush. Beside it lay a dark-haired, slant-eyed corpse. The attack had obviously caught the guy in the middle of a meal. At first Lehto started to jump over the trench, but then he lowered himself into it and kicked the mess kit, sending mush flying into the dead guy’s face. Then he gave a cruel laugh and left.

He met up with the company advancing through the forest. The other section had joined back up with them, as Lahtinen’s machine gun was there too. It hadn’t actually been of any use, since by the time they had reached the enemy positions, the defense had already collapsed.

Hietanen was feeling blissfully carefree, fired up with the elation of victory, and smoking some horrible Russian mahorka as he chattered away. ‘Well, that was one bloody day, boys. How’s it go, that song they taught us in school? “ When Lapua’s glorious day was done, von Döbeln rode to see the brave ranks had been sadly thinned… ” Or was it a poem or something like that?’

‘Oh, please. Nothin’ glorious ’bout this day. I’m thirsty as hell and there’s not a sip of water to be had anywhere.’

‘Urho Hietanen, poet extraordinaire! “ The brave ranks had been sadly thinned… ” God damn this bread bag! It keeps slipping down and whacking me in the gut.’

The others poked good-spirited fun at Hietanen’s poetic efforts, which cracked them all up, Vanhala in particular. The tiniest thing was enough to make them all burst out laughing. The drone of death had been ringing in their ears for the past three hours – and yet here they were, still alive. That was reason enough to smile. Hietanen did not appreciate being the butt of the joke, however, and said irritably, ‘Yeah, yeah. That’s what they taught us in school all right. Why in the world I remember it so well is beyond me. I’ve certainly got better things to do than memorize shit some fool made up off the top of his head. All that stuff’s a big waste of time if you ask me.’

‘Quiet! Open field just ahead,’ the scout yelled from out front as he threw himself to the ground.

‘Houses. It’s a village.’

‘What village?’

‘Dangerville, of course. All the villages round here’re dangerville to us.’

‘And this one, too. Everybody down!’

Ta-ta-ta. Phiew phiew phiew.

‘There they are again, the little fuckers.’

‘Shut up!’

‘Cover!’

They heard the rumble of the first shot from the enemy side. Koskela crouched down as he saw the men throwing themselves to the ground, as he still couldn’t hear anything. The forest shook as shells exploded behind them. Faces were anxious, eyes fearful of what was to come.

‘Shouldn’t it be our turn to go into reserve now? We’re the ones who broke through the line. The others were all off somewhere just hanging out.’

‘Dream on. Our esteemed officers’ve got medals to earn.’

‘Machine guns in front! Hurry! Enemy on the right.’

The sight almost took their breath away. On the right, the field sloped down to a small pond. Some forty Russians had emerged from the forest and were calmly heading toward the village, entirely unsuspecting. They were clearly unaware of what was going on. The men quickly set the machine guns at the ready.

‘Get them in your sights. But let the machine guns start,’ said Kariluoto. Burning with excitement, he grabbed a gun from one of the men, saying, ‘Give me a rifle, too… pistol won’t reach.’

The enemy hadn’t noticed anything yet. Lehto settled himself at the gun to shoot, aiming at the densest part of the group. The flesh of his cheeks moved as if he were eating. Calm and expressionless, Määttä aimed the second machine gun.

‘All right, men. Drop the needle. Valse triste ,’ Kariluoto said, registering the horror of the situation, despite his excitement.