Chapter 8- Amelia in Notre Dame/God Help the Outcasts

Meanwhile, what looked like an old beggar (really Amelia and Feliciano in disguise) was walking around, as though looking for shelter. Captain Francois Bonnefoy noticed the cat's head from underneath the hood and watched on as the two walked into the cathedral.

Inside the cathedral, Amelia uncovered the hood, revealing herself and her cat. Both gazed in awe at the beauty of this architecture.

Just then, the French captain snuck up to the American girl, upon which moment, she pulled out his sword and thrust him to the ground, pointing the sword at him.

"You…" she growled at him.

"Easy, easy," stuttered the Frenchman to Amelia, "I-I-I just shaved this morning."

"Oh, really, ya missed a spot, buster."

"Alright, alright, j-j-just calm down. Just give me a chance to apologize."

"Fer what, Frenchie?"

And with that Francois pulled the sword from Amelia's hands, causing her to fall. As he did this, he said, "That, par example."

"Ya sneaky son-of-a-gun!" snarled Amelia rather angrily.

"Uh-uh-uh. Watch it. We are in a church."

"Are ya always this charmin' or am I just lucky?" said the American girl as she picked up a candleholder and used it to duel with Francois' sword.

"Whoa!" chuckled Francois, "Candlelight! Privacy! Music! I cannot find a better place for hand-to-hand combat!" Then he said to Amelia, "Mon Dieu! You fight almost as well as a man!"

"That's funny," Amelia responded, "I was gonna say the same thing 'bout you!"

"Uh, that is hitting a little below the belt, non?"

"Oh, no. THIS IS!" Amelia shouted as she tried to thrust the candleholder between the French captain's legs. But Francois used his sword to prevent himself some injury. Ever resourceful, Amelia answered to that by thrusting the candleholder up to his chin. "Touché!" shouted Francois, shaking his head. Just then, Amelia's cat Feliciano headbutted the French captain in the stomach.

"Oh," groan Francois in pain, "I had no idea that you had a cat."

"Well, he doesn't take kindly to soldiers in these here parts," said Amelia as she backed up with her hissing cat.

"Uh, I noticed," moaned Francois, still wincing with pain, "Uh, permetts-moi, mademoiselle. Je m'appelle Francois Bonnefoy. It means 'Frenchman of good faith'." Amelia and Feliciano just looked at each other with suspicion towards the Frenchman.

"Et comment t'appelles-tu?" asked Francois.

"Is this an interrogation?" asked Amelia, still suspecting that the French captain had something up his sleeve.

"It is called an introduction," answered Francois, putting his sword away.

"Then you're not gonna arrest me?"

"Well, as long as you are in here, I cannot."

"Why, you ain't at all like the other soldiers," said Amelia, who had softened up a bit to the French captain.

"Merci beaucoup," said Francois in gratitude.

"So," asked the American girl, "if ya ain't gonna arrest me, then whaddya want?"

"I would settle for your name."

"The name's Jones, Amelia F. Jones."

"Amelia. Tres belle."

But Feliciano, Amelia's cat, just looked at the scene with disgust.

"Much better than Francois, anyway," the Frenchman continued. Before either of them had known it, Francois and Amelia were in love.

But their love scene was interrupted by Judge Arthur Kirkland. "Good work, captain!" he said to the French captain, "Now, arrest her!"

Feliciano ran behind Amelia's dress, yowling with fright.

Francois then turned his head to Amelia. "Claim sanctuary," he said to her. But the American girl only gave the French captain a scowl. "Say it!" Francois repeated.

But all Amelia said was, "You tricked me, ya two-faced varmint."

"I'm waiting, captain," said the English judge rather impatiently.

"Je suis desole, monsieur. She has claimed sanctuary," fibbed the French captain. "There is nothing I can do."

At this, Kirkland began to order, "Then drag her outside and…"

Just then, Archdeacon Lovino Vargas entered, shouting at the English judge, "Che palle, Arturo! You will not touch her!"

Then he turned to Amelia, saying to her, "Worry not, mia piccina americana. Ministro Kirkland learned years ago to respect the sanctity of the church."

But Kirkland just snarled at the Italian archdeacon and snapped his fingers, ordering the guards to leave, but not before hiding behind a column.

Lovino then led Francois away as Amelia's cat continued to headbutt the French captain. "All right! All right! I'm going now!"

Meanwhile, Arthur crept up to Amelia, grabbing her lovely form as he did so. She did not like that at all.

"You think you've outwitted me?" the Englishman whispered, rather creepily, to the wincing American girl. "But I am a patient man, and Americans don't do well inside stone walls." Just then, Arthur turned his head and sniffed at Amelia's hair.

"Whaddya think you're doin'?" asked Amelia, almost accusingly.

"Oh, I was just imagining a rope around your beautiful neck."

"I know what you're imaginin'!" shouted Amelia as she pulled herself from Arthur's grasp.

"Such a clever witch," said the English judge to a frightened Amelia, "So typical of your kind to twist the truth to cloud the mind with unholy thoughts! Well, no matter. You have quite chosen a magnificent prison, but it is a prison nonetheless. Set one foot outside, little girl, and I swear, you're mine!" And with those words, Kirkland left the cathedral.

As Amelia ran to try and escape, she was met with a bad sight of English guards, one of them saying, "Kirkland's orders: post a guard at every door." And with that, Amelia slammed the door shut! As her cat came up to her, Amelia told him, "One thing's fer sure, Feli, if Kirkland thinks he can keep us here, he's so wrong!"

"Don't play dumb like that, figlia," Lovino told Amelia, not angrily, "You've created quite a stir at the festival. But it would be unwise to arouse Kirkland's anger further."

"But ya saw what he did out there!" the American girl shouted to the Italian archdeacon, "Lettin' the crowd torture that poor Canadian boy! I just thought that if one person could stand up to him, then…" She paused, then she gave up and told Lovino, "What does he have against them who're different, anyhow?"

"Amelia, figlia," Lovino responded to Amelia, "You cannot simply right all the wrongs of this world by yourself."

"Well, no one out there's gonna help, that's fer sure."

"Bene, perhaps there is someone in here who can."

And with those words, Lovino left. Amelia then walked to a crucifix and turned her head to see people praying to the God whom they knew watched over them all the time. Amelia turned again to the crucifix and began to sing:

"I don't know if You can hear me

Or if You're even there.

I don't know if You would listen

To a Yankee's prayer.

Yes, I know I'm just an outcast.

I shouldn't speak to You.

Still I see your face and wonder,

Were you once an outcast, too?"

Meanwhile, in the bell tower, Matthew heard Amelia's song. He was moved and moved down the stairs as the American girl continued to sing:

"God help the outcasts,

Hungry from birth.

Show them the mercy

They don't find on Earth.

God help my people.

We look to You still.

God help the outcasts,

Or nobody will."

Matthew looked down at Amelia, who was walking past some parishioners, all singing some prayers:

"I ask for wealth.

I ask for fame.

I ask for glory to shine on my name.

I ask for love

I can possess.

I ask for God and his angels to bless me."

And Amelia continued to sing as she and her cat walked to the light shining through the rose window:

"I ask for nothing;

I can get by,

But I know so many

Less lucky than I.

Please help my people,

The poor and down-trod.

I thought we all were children of God.

God help the outcasts, children of God."

As Matthew looked at this kindly American girl, he knew that he was in love with her.