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!