Alexander II_ The Last Great Tsar - Edvard Radzinsky [142]
Early on the morning of April 25, Yakovlev showed up again at Freedom House.
He told Nicholas he had to take him away from Tobolsk, but he did not have the right to disclose where.
Nicholas was stunned. He had not expected this; he had been certain that Yakovlev was just the new commissar, replacing the departed Pankratov. Such a “little man in a big fur cap.” The situation heated up: Nicholas refused to leave—Alexei was too ill, he must not be touched.
Yakovlev went down to the commandant’s room, where Avdeyev and Khokhryakov were sitting. Yakovlev was distraught. (A new game!) He conferred with the Uralites about what to do. In fact, he was still trying to involve the Uralites in his mission.
Once again Yakovlev went up to the tsar’s room. He declared: resistance was useless; if Nicholas did not agree to go peacefully, he would be taken by force. Of course, he said all this gently, again endlessly begging his pardon. He suggested to Nicholas that he go alone. “Alone!” Naturally, it occurred to the tsar: a way out! After all, without him, they would probably be freed immediately.
Then Nicholas agreed.
Yakovlev left to prepare for the departure. An immediate departure, at dawn. He realized the departure rumor could not be confined to the house now.
Nicholas returned to his family, where something unexpected awaited him: Alix! She had already found out from Kobylinsky that they were taking the tsar to Moscow. She was horrified. Her first thought was the Treaty of Brest. The trial was a ploy, of course. They were taking him there to sign that dishonorable peace. They wanted to sanctify that loathsome paper with his name. The Germans must be demanding it. Only a peace signed by the tsar would have any value. That was why they wanted to take him to Moscow without her! Without her, he had always been forced to make dreadful decisions. No, she would not allow that. There was the duty of a sick child’s mother, and there was the duty of a tsaritsa. Her duty before the people and God.
He went out for a walk, and she, who could not stand for even five minutes because of her weak legs, paced restlessly around his office for an entire hour. Her thoughts were leaping about, she was going mad.
Alix’s diary:
“This is the first time in my life I have no idea how to act. Until now God has shown me the way. Right now tho’ I cannot hear His instructions.”
When the tsar got back from his walk she said determinedly: “I am going with you.”
Then she went to see her son. She took herself in hand and explained to the boy very calmly that she and the sovereign must leave. When he was better, he and his sisters would join them.
“THAT NIGHT, NATURALLY, NO ONE SLEPT”
In the evening the boy cried out in pain, calling to her, but she would not go to him in his room again. She was afraid she would not have the strength to say goodbye to him one more time. She wept, repeating: “No, this is impossible, something has to happen.… No, I am certain something will have happened by morning.… God will send an ice floe—and this trip will not take place.”
Gradually she calmed down; she had made her final decision. But the boy kept crying and calling out to her.
She decided to split up the family; she could not travel alone. But which of her daughters to take? Tatiana—the most reliable—had to take care of Alexei and run the household. Olga’s health was too fragile—it was 300 kilometers to Tyumen in an open cart. Anastasia was too small, and Alexei loved her so much. “I will go,” said Marie.
Thus witnesses (Gilliard and others) recounted this scene.
But Alix and Nicky too described the whole drama in their diaries.
He: “12 [25] April. Thursday. After breakfast Yakovlev came with Kobylinsky and announced he had received an order to take me away, not saying where. Alix decided to go with me and take Marie: no point protesting. Leaving behind the other children, with Alexei sick, and given the present circumstances, was more than difficult. We have already begun packing the essentials. But then Yakovlev said he would come back