- Just before the battle, Napoleon – still trying to act out his best cool-under-fire impression – is chatting with his peeps about Paris and what he wants to do with the palace there.
- After dinner he wants to go to rest up for the big day tomorrow, but he’s too stuffed to sleep.
- Napoleon double checks the orders, but everything is all set and ready to go. He whines a bit about the fact that there isn’t yet a cure for the common cold (tell us about it), then whips up some deep-sounding nonsense about the art of war being “the art of being stronger than the enemy at a certain moment” (3.2.24.19).
- After wandering about a bit, Napoleon chats up a soldier near his tent.
- A few hours later he rides to the village of Shevardino, near the left flank of the Russian army. Shots ring out. Dun-dun-DUN! The battle has begun.