Chapter
15:
The Death
Sentence
I would not be able to tell you truthfully how, but we had arrived
in France much quicker than usual. The tides were with the DayDream
as were the swift winds, and sure enough just as I had finished
becoming Grappin once again, the watcher in the crow's nest had just
given word that land was in sight. Taking a deep breath, I took leave
of my cabin to head for the deadly soil of France.
A good start with nothing amiss or out of place had greeted me on
arrival until I reached the Palais de Justice looking for Chauvelin.
Every time "Grappin" arrived, he was to head directly for the hideous
building and receive his instructions, but this time, they had
confused me, telling me to meet my "employer" at a bistro instead of
his working quarters up the stairs.
Speaking in my disguised voice, I inquired of a nearby soldier,
"Hey now sergeant! Can you tell me as to why Citizen Chauvelin has
requested my presence at this particular place?"
Looking at the paper, the man shrugged. "I would not have the
slightest idea, citizen. He seemed to be in such a dreadful state
when he left here a quarter of an hour ago; that may have something
to do with it."
Demmed idiot must be drunk with madness! "Merci citizen! I
appreciate the help!" I said with a wave over my shoulder. If this
bistro was where I would have to find out about Armand, then by God
that is where I was headed!
* * * * *
Sounds of some wild celebrating met my ears as I went to make my
entrance. Everything from the Ca Ira to the Marseilles to just plain
out shouting and laughing could be heard while my thoughts pondered
if there was a party going on that I was not told about. Figuring
there was only one way to find out, I slowly pushed open the door and
walked through.
Although the sights I found should have been astonishing, I was
not at all surprised. There was a party all right, one of drunken
fools and the self-entitled 'Ladies of the Evening'! However, I had
to disregard them, and making my way throughout the wretched hole, I
searched for Chauvelin all the while avoiding the clumsiness of
intoxicated soldiers and refusing invitations from those women who
offered their services.
Luckily, the damn Frenchman caught my eye quickly having been in
his uniform black clothes, and never had I been so grateful to have
seen him! The insanity in the room had shockingly managed to try my
patience so much that all I had wanted to do was get the information
about Armand and leave. Therefore, pushing through the last bit of
people left between Chauvelin and myself, I grabbed for a chair at
his table and sat down.
Well, I was correct about him being drunk! I thought allowing a
small laugh to escape before I nudged him. The fellow was anything
but sober, I knew from the position he was in. His head laid heavily
against the table, pillowed by his arm and with only his dark hair
for bed curtains. One bottle of wine was already empty beside it, and
another, half full, was held tightly in one bony hand.
"Hey now Citizen Chauvelin!" I said quietly in my usual Grappin
voice. "You may not have all you wits about you but the last thing we
need is for you to be dead!" Yes it would save me the time, but I
have to unfortunately keep you alive!
As if he needed all of his strength to do so, Chauvelin forced
himself up to look at me, his bloodshot eyes and completely
disheveled hair complete proof of his insobriety.
"Oh it's you!" he replied in his usually annoyed tone. "What on
earth on you doing here?"
"Your instructions said to meet you here, and I am not one to
disobey orders."
"No you are not are you?" he mocked laughingly taken another swig
of his wine. "Well I do not really have anything, or if I did…I
forgot. I came here to…keep an eye out for any trespassers on
France's land."
"Then you know who the Pimpernel is?" I asked knowing that he did
not.
"No, I do not know who he is! But might as well watch for
anyone…suspicious."
He must have been sobering just a bit as he finally said something
sensible. I would have been able to help him up, but one of the many
ladies who had been present that evening sat herself down upon our
table. I could have sworn she seemed familiar, but I am on the other
hand a gentleman. The last person that I would know would be one of
her sort.
"Bonsoir Messieurs!" she greeted with a coquettish toss of her
black hair, no doubt attempting to display what her tight fitted
dress had to offer. "You know, I have been looking for some officials
all evening."
Unfortunately before I could speak up, Chauvelin did so for me.
"Really now?" he asked in such a way that he seemed ready to take her
up on her unwanted offer. "And why does such a pretty thing like you
want two men of our rank so urgently?"
Giggling a bit, she answered, "Well what can a girl like me do
when her best customer was arrested? Nothing but look for new
ones!"
"He was arrested recently you say? Who was he?"
"A handsome young pup, Armand St Just. Do you know what they did
with him?" she questioned and in my opinion a bit too eagerly.
But Armand? Having a lover? The young jackanapes already had a
love of his own that he would never betray!
But I could not think about that as I watched Chauvelin's eyes
darken with the threat of exploding, and slowly he rose to tower over
the girl.
"Armand St Just you say?" he answered to which she nodded timidly.
"Well well, that would be rather unusual since he never mentioned
another lover besides Louise Lange to me."
"Oh come now citizen, if you had two lovers would you really make
it known to everyone?"
"I would agree with you, citizeness…if I believed that you
were his lover."
As he said this, Chauvelin ran his fingers through the girl's silk
looking hair and tugged at a strand…that was not black but red!
Nodding with an evil, victorious smile, he turned to address the
crowd.
"Mes amis! Would you please turn your attentions to the center of
the floor?" he called out as he dragged the protesting girl by the
arm roughly to the directed area. "Citizens, we have in our midst one
of the former favored daughters of our beloved la Mere France! She
has used her acting abilities tonight in one of the most wonderful
performances that I had ever seen her in, and undoubtedly wanted to
share it with everyone!"
Never before had my blood frozen in fear so quickly as he made
public the girl's identity.
"Citizens, I give you, Marguerite St Just, the famed actress of
the Comedie Francaise!" Pulling off the mass of black hair, Chauvelin
revealed none other than my beloved herself.
* * * * *
"Grappin, go fetch the girl's 'lover' and quickly now!" Chauvelin
ordered me as he pulled and shoved Marguerite towards one of the
interrogation rooms. "I shall handle Citizeness St Just on my own!"
he added looking at her and taking a slap to one part of her that
should have never been touched.
"Citizen!" she screamed managing to tear herself from him and
falling to my feet. Taking my hands, her tears falling onto them
slowly, she pleaded, "Citizen please! Do not let him hurt me!"
You are so damn lucky that I can not rip you apart! I thought with
helpless tears as my stare went from Chauvelin then back to my
terrified wife begging for mercy that I knew she would not
receive.
"Citizen Chauvelin!" I began trying not to reveal myself by my
emotions. "I do not ask for much, but I beg you. Be as kind to this
woman as you could!"
Obviously ignoring my pleas, he stomped over to her and literally
threw her by the arm into the room. "This woman shall get what she
deserves, and the last thing she should have is mercy! Now bring her
brother to me!" he concluded with a slam of the door.
As Marguerite's screams rang through the bars of the door's tiny
window, my love for her forced my feet to run as fast I could to
reach Armand. The sooner I brought him, the sooner Chauvelin would
cease the sufferings he would place upon her!
* * * * *
"Armand St Just?" the jailer called at my request into the cell
and soon enough the boy was dragged out to us. "Citizen Chauvelin
requests to see you! Now you go with this man!"
"I would sooner die than go to see Chauvelin!" the jackanapes
protested tiredly. "The hell with him and his threats! Neither will
make me talk!"
Just as the guard was about to give him quite a blow, I stopped
him. "No need to strike the lad now, citizen; I shall take care of
him myself! Come along now you rebel!"
And with that, I pulled Armand to his feet, hauling him down the
corridor and around into a cove. "You know, you could have gotten
yourself killed just now you wretched fool!" I said in my normal
voice.
"Percy?" he asked bewildered from sheer exhaustion. "Is that
really you? Thank God we are saved!"
"Not all of us just yet, my friend! Your sister had the same ideas
as the league and came to France on her own free will to save you;
Chauvelin has her waiting to see you as we speak."
"Marguerite? She is here? Lord help me should he do anything to
her!"
"He has already started and so we must hurry! Now play the
prisoner and we will be on our way!"
"I have brought the boy for you Citizen!" I said, just before I
stopped dead in my tracks inside the room. Chauvelin was there,
looking as pathetic as usual, but that did not concern me in the
least.
Lying there on the ground, in the feeblest state that I had never
thought possible, was a frail but living Marguerite. The only noise
in the room was coming from her as her sobs were anything but hidden.
She was clutching herself protectively, and as she turned her gaze
upward I caught sight of a line of red making its way down from her
mouth.
Unfortunately, Armand had seen it as well, and being as crazy as
he was, first went to help his sister sit up, and then turned to
Chauvelin. His eyes had never been so dark as he used all of his
strength to stand up and lunge himself at the brute, and I ran to
Marguerite myself, holding her up as if she would die if she went
back down.
"You dog!" Armand shouted, holding Chauvelin to the wall
threateningly. "You damn, heartless dog! Give me one good reason not
to break every bone in your body!"
With hardly any effort, Chauvelin pushed him directly to the
ground. "Just as long as you give me one good reason not to kill you
right where you are! You wanted your sister, and there she is! I was
going to let the both of you go, but obviously you are not as smart
to stay quiet as I thought! The both of you die tomorrow
morning!"
Now it was my turn to speak up! "Citizen please! You want the
Pimpernel not them! The word out is that he is arriving tomorrow at
the seacoast outside Miquelon; why not bait the woman and the boy
there in order to catch him?"
For a moment I thought he was going to refuse, but then looking at
me thoughtfully he replied, "That does sound rather interesting. All
right then, bring the boy back to his cell! I shall keep a guard on
the woman."
"NO!" I shouted suddenly, but as he stared at me oddly I explained
more sensibly. "I mean, no Citizen. You bring the boy back, and go
home to get some sleep. I shall take care of this one!"
As Armand nodded a quick thanks to me, Chauvelin answered, "Fine
then, Grappin, but should she escape, I shall have her hunted down,
found, and the three of you shall lose your heads!"
With that, he grabbed Armand and left Marguerite to me. What would
happen now, I knew not, but there had to be a way to talk to
her…somehow!