Chapter 5- The Palace of Justice
Finally, Captain Francois Bonnefoy and the English guards had reached the Palace of Justice, where a whipping was going on. The man being whipped was a Spaniard by the name of Antonio Fernandez Carriedo and the man whipping him was a Swiss man by the name of Basch Zwingli. Suddenly, Arthur, who seemed to have carried out the whipping, told Basch, "Stop."
"Yes, sir," Basch asked the English judge.
"Ease up," Arthur said to his Swiss torturer, "Wait between lashes. Otherwise the old sting will dull him to the new."
"Yes, sir," the Swiss torturer responded, and off he went.
Just then, Arthur turned to see Francois. "Ah, so this is the gallant Captain Francois Bonnefoy, home from the German Wars," he said.
"Reporting for duty as ordered, monsieur," said the gallant French captain.
"Your service record precedes you, Bonnefoy. I expect nothing but the best from a war hero of your caliber."
"And you shall have it, monsieur. I guarantee it."
"Yes. You know, my last captain of the guard, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, was, er, a bit of a disappointment to me."
"Ten merced, por favor!" screamed Antonio as Basch savagely whipped his back once more, while Arthur smirked at the sight.
"Well, no matter," Arthur said as he returned to Francois, "I'm sure you'll… 'whip' my men into shape."
"Merci beaucoup," responded Francois, "That is a great…tremendous honor, monsieur."
On the balcony of the Palace of Justice, Arthur was having another conversation with Francois.
"You've come to Paris in her darkest hour, Captain," the English judge was telling the French captain. "It will take a firm hand to save the weak-minded from being so easily misled."
Francois was confused. "Misled?" he inquired.
"Look, captain. Americans," Arthur said, showing Francois the Americans touring Paris. "The Americans live outside the normal order. Their heathen ways inflame the people's lowest instincts, and they must be stopped!"
"I was summoned from the wars to capture cowboys and Indians?" asked Francois.
"Uh-uh-uh," Arthur answered, "The real war, captain, is what you see before you. For twenty years I have been 'taking care' of the Americans…one by one." As he said this, he pressed his fingers onto some ants on the sill, killing them. "And yet, for all my success, they have thrived!" As he said this, he lifted the brick, revealing a whole swarm of ants. "I believe they have a safe haven within the walls of this very city. A nest, if you will. They call it the Court of Miracles."
"And what are we going to do about it, monsieur?" asked Francois.
Kirkland, rather than giving a spoken answer, chose to smash the brick over the ants, killing them all in one blow.
"You make your point quite vividly, monsieur," said Francois.
"You know, I like you, captain," the English judge said to the French captain. "Shall we?"
Just then, some trumpets sounded, announcing the Festival of Fools.
"Oh, bloody hell," groaned Arthur in frustration. "Duty calls. Have you ever attended a peasant festival, captain?"
"Not recently, monsieur." Francois answered.
"Then this should be quite an education for you. Come along."
And Francois and Arthur went the Festival of Fools, whether the latter liked it or not.