The Governor's Appointment
How did Croque become the governor? This is a possibility
***
It had been a hard fought campaign. The last battle with the loyalist troops had almost cost him his life. It was a lucky accident that had saved him. Now he would be Emperor of France. Napoleon Bonaparte finished his dictation of his last battle to win the throne of France and dismissed the secretary.
"Go and finish my history. Make a presentable copy for my beloved Josephine, fail me and the guillotine awaits your head"
Bowing and scraping the floor the secretary fled Napoleon's chambers.
Waiting out side was Thermador August Croque, the brother of Napoleon. (Brother, half brother or stepbrother depending on whose genealogy you examined) After the secretary fled Croque knew it would be a short wait before Napoleon left his chambers and headed to the coronation ceremony.
The door opened and Napoleon walked out followed by his huge bodyguard. He passed by without a glance as Croque bowed deeply. Straightening up, Croque fell in behind the bodyguard as they went down the hallway. Thinking to himself about what was going to transpire.
"When my brother becomes emperor he surely will appoint me to a important post. Perhaps minister of finance, minister of the army, foreign minister or an ambassador to a foreign nation or another important post. That is what a brother would do!"
Lost in his thoughts Croque almost walked into a wall, his brother and bodyguard had turned down another hallway and were nowhere in sight.
"Oh brother, yoo hoo brother, where are you?" cried Croque as he retraced his steps looking for Napoleon.
Napoleon thought about his brother as they went past him. A whining, sniveling, conniving coward, a toady. The mistake that Croque had made that almost cost the emperor his life, his reward of being lord and master of all France. Execution would solve that problem, but so soon after becoming emperor, it wouldn't be a good idea. He needed the support of the nobility yet. Give the bumbling fool a post? No! Exiling him? Perhaps but it would need to appear to be a reward. Wasn't there a governorship in some remote backwater place that needed to be filled?
***
It was a foggy morning; you could sense the impending battle coming. Tension, excitement and fear were in the air. Croque arose, dressed and went over to Napoleon's HQ. Saluting the guards as he passed his thoughts raced, "sleeping in a tent was insufferable but being this close to the battlefield was unbearable. Why you could be hurt! The cries of the wounded and the stench of death were almost too much to bear.
It was well that Camille was in their villa away from the front. She would be most displeased with all that was here."
As Croque stood in front of the HQ tent a dispatch rider rode up with a message.
"A message for the general" cried the rider.
"I'll take it, give me the message" replied Croque
"It is important that the general see is at once" the rider replied
"Oui, oui all the messengers say that, I'll be sure he sees it when he arrives" Croque said as he placed it in his pocket so he wouldn't forget.
The general staff began to arrive and made last minute preparations for the battle. Croque was moved from place to place as officers arrived and set up their area. Other messages arrived and were placed in a stack for sorting. Croque mad himself useful serving coffee to the staff after his efforts to help were rebuffed.
Napoleon arrived and strode into his tent, commands being issued as he moved. "Dispatches, bring me the dispatches now!" Napoleon said to the intelligence officer as he passed by.
As the battle commenced the pace at HQ became furious. Croque became tired at being told to move out of the way. As each dispatch rider arrived the messages were placed in the stack and orders were passed on to the riders. The intelligence officer sorted through the dispatches and routed them to the correct staff member. Croque remembered the dispatch he had taken earlier and removed it from his pocket and placed it in the stack, more reports came in and it was slowly buried.
As the intelligence officer sorted through and read the dispatches he picked up the one Croque had lain on the stack, his face paled and he slowly rose to his feet and asked "Who put this here?"
Croque was watching the road leading to the HQ when he heard the question. He slowly turned to see what was happening.
"WHO PUT THIS HERE?" shouted the officer.
"It came first thing this morning," Croque said as he saw the dispatch, "the rider said the general, my brother, should see at once, but all the riders say that."
"You fool! This dispatch says the enemy has crossed the river and is heading this way. I must inform the general at once!" as he turned to go into the general's tent.
Croque turned pale at the thought of being captured and executed for treason. He turned and started to move towards his tent. Behind him he heard Napoleon shouting about incompetent fools and giving orders to move out. He quickly picked up some belongings, left his tent and moved towards the woods.
The loyalist forces arrived just minutes after Napoleon and his staff left. The only troops they encountered were the rear guard, who where quickly defeated. Croque watched them surrender and slowly moved deeper into the woods.
***
Earlier that morning, near the river a sudden movement caught the scout's eye. As he watched figures moved through the mist. Men on foot, riders on horses, and their lances sparkling in the sunshine as the mist dissipated. Counting the horses and men the scout quickly wrote a note which he gave to his companion "give this to the leuitenantt, I will watch to see what they do and return."
The lieutenant read the message the scout had given him. The loyalist troops were closer than they had thought. A short ride would bring them into Napoleon's camp before anyone could stop them.
Calling for a messenger he wrote, "Enemy troops have crossed river and will are advancing in your direction. Will engage them to delay, need reinforcements, cannot last more than two hours with troops on hand. Lt. MJ Brogard"
"Be sure the general sees this at once, his safety depends on it! Go!" Brogard told the rider.
"Sergeant, assemble the troop we ride to engage the enemy!"
Lt. Brogard's troops assembled and advanced towards the enemy.
"Engage the enemy, delay them. We must hold them until the reinforcements arrive. Do your duty to France!"
Brogard's troops attacked the loyalist troops near the river. Everywhere was the flashing of swords, the crack of rifle shots, the cries of the wounded. Falling back to regroup the loyalist troops retreated to the river, Brogard ordered his troops to hold their ground.
"They will charge again, we must hold them!" Brogard told his men.
The enemy troops charged again, Brogard's men fought bravely. The number of wounded and dead began to mount. The attacks continued, Brogard's men were being whittled down; slowly they began to lose ground.
They regrouped and attacked. Each time they attacked there were fewer men. Eventually they were bypassed and the loyalist troops headed towards Napoleon' HQ.
Brogard's remaining troops regrouped and set off in pursuit.
"No, no, no, this is not happening." Croque repeated as he ran towards the woods.
"Where do I go, where do I hide, Why is this happening to moi?"
Croque eventually found cover under a fallen tree trunk. He watched the enemy troops search the remains of the HQ area, and then destroy what was left. When one soldier pointed to the woods, Croque crept deeper into the woods trying to get away. He eventually found a hollow log large enough to hide in.
The loyalist troops searched the woods. They were close to where he hid; Croque heard their voices as they searched.
"Where are those rebel scum?"
"Nothing here sergeant"
"Keep searching, any rebels found will face the hangman"
Eventually the voices faded as the loyalist troops moved on. Croque stayed hidden in his log petrified with fear. It was all he could do to keep from running away. The enemy might still be near and they would certainly hang the brother of their enemy, Napoleon.
Brogard's remaining troops found the HQ area empty. It was if locusts had passed through and devoured everything edible and destroyed the rest.
"Search the area, Sergeant, take a detail and search the woods. Find any stragglers and bring them along.
We move out in a hour!" Brogard commanded.
Croque heard men in the woods again. He cautiously crept out of his hiding place to see how far away they were.
"HALT! you there HALT!" came the voice from behind.
Croque froze in place, "Please don't hurt me," he said in a small voice
"Look what we have, a spy, You will hang for sure! Bind his hands and take him to the lieutenant" said the sergeant.
"Lieutenant Brogard, we found a spy in the woods." Reported the sergeant
" I am not a spy!" Croque said in his defense.
"A spy," sneered Brogard " no doubt planning to report our troop movements. Put him in chains. Be sure he is secure. We will deliver him to HQ for sentencing."
"NOOOOO!" cried Croque
***
Croque sat on bench watching the other prisoners. They slowly moved around, without purpose. There were loyalist troops, Napoleon's troops, commoners, families huddled together. Al that were caught up in the ebb and flow of war.
"How did I get here? Why is the world against me? What have I done to deserve this?" whispered Croque to himself.
"Monsieur, monsieur, what is wrong?" came a small voice next to him.
"Why nothing my child" Croque replied as he looked at the young girl next to him. A small girl of 5 stood next to Croque, she was wearing rags and held a cow puppet in her hand.
"And what is your name, my child?"
"Camille, Monsieur"
"Why that is a nice name, my wife's name is Camille"
"Do you miss her?"
"Oui, I do, very much" sighed Croque
"I miss my papa too. He went away a long time ago." The girl said quietly.
"What is this here, your doll?" Croque inquired gesturing to the puppet
"Papa gave me Monsieur Nipples to keep me company until he comes home"
"Monsieur Nipples is very nice. I am sure your papa is safe and will be home soon."
"Camille, Camille is that you?" came a voice from the crowd of prisoners.
"Papa, PAPA!" cried Camille as she ran to her father, dropping the puppet in her haste to get to him.
"My baby, how you have grown. I missed you very much. Let's find your mama." Said her father as they disappeared in the crowd.
Croque picked up the puppet "Looks like I can use your help Monsieur Nipples."
***
"Bring out the next prisoner," commanded the officer seated behind a table. He made notes in a ledger as Croque was brought before him.
"Name!"
"Thermador August Croque, brother to Napo…"
"Just your name!" snapped the officer "Charged with spying I see" after he consulted the ledger.
"Over there with the rest of the spies" as he pointed to the left. Croque walked slowly over to the others.
"Bring out the next prisoner!"
"Name!"
Croque had lost track of time while confined, had he been here a week, a month? He had protested his innocence to no avail. He had sent messages to Napoleon but there had been no response. Croque had written to Camille saying he was safe but couldn't say more. There was nothing here but despair.
As he sat and watched the people go past he saw a familiar face.
"No it can not be, Camille, here I am" he called to his wife as she went past with two guards.
Camille kept walking, looking around but didn't hear Croque.
"Camille, here I am" Croque cried loudly.
Camille turned and looked for the source of the voice.
"Camille my love, here I am" Croque repeated.
"Thermador August, my husband, is that you? cried Camille
"My love it is I, your Augie"
"Guards, release this man. He is my husband and no spy." commanded Camille.
As they left the prison area Camille explained why she was there and how she had found him. His last letter was so unlike any of his previous letters, it had scared her. After reading it, she had left the villa and traveled non-stop to where the army had stopped. Camille had begged Napoleon to help her find Croque. He allowed her to check the prisoners but had told her not to expect finding Croque.
"I have too many other matters to attend to, my dear. Find him or not, I do not care" was Napoleon's reply to Camille's request.
After a bath, shave, new clothes, Croque and Camille dined, walked to their quarters and retired for the night. After Croque blew out the candles he leaned over and whispered in Camille's ear.
"Oh Augie, you devil"
***
The next morning Croque arose, dressed and went out to find out what had happened since he was captured. He learned of the outcome of the HQ fiasco, learned Napoleon would become the emperor later that day. Croque returned to his quarters and breakfasted with Camille. He promised not to get into trouble when he went to see his brother. Bidding adieu to Camille, Croque went to Napoleon's chambers to see if he could be of assistance. As he waited out side his thoughts raced, what would he do, where would he serve.
"When my brother becomes emperor he surely will appoint me to a important post. Perhaps minister of finance, minister of the army, foreign minister or an ambassador to a foreign nation or another important post. That is what a brother would do!"
***
Croque and Camille waited along with others waiting for the Emperor's appearance. The town square in front of the cathedral was filled with throngs waiting for Napoleon. After appearing, he would announce his appointments. Finally Napoleon appeared to thunderous applause from those assembled.
Napoleon started with announcing his ministers of state, finance, war and other ministerial posts. With each announcement Croque's heart fell a little bit. Then the ambassadorships were announced, then the heads of the army, navy along with other posts.
Croque grew glummer with each announcement.
"Do not worry my husband, I am sure you will be appointed to an important post" whispered Camille.
More posts were announced, and then the governorships were announced.
"And finally I appoint to the governorship of Pulau-Pulau, Thermador August Croque" announced Napoleon.
Croque brightened up at the mention of his name, "Governor of Pulau-Pulau. How splendid! Where is this Pulau-Pulau? What is it like, what will I need. A thousand things to do!"
***
"Oui, oui Pierre, pack everything. I will be away for some time. Be careful of those. Oh it is impossible to pack with this help. I may have to supervise myself." Croque said from the doorway watching the servants pack his belongings.
"Governor, you have a meeting to attend, then a dinner on your behalf tonight. You must be going"
His aide called from the other doorway.
Camille stopped Croque, as he was about to get into the carriage. "My husband, why am I not going with you to this Pulau Pulau? Did you think you were going to leave me behind?" Camille fumed,
"After almost losing you in that war, I could not bear to have you so far away. And what will my friends say? Thermador August, I must go with you!"
"My dear it will only be a for a short time before I send for you. I will need to tame those savages, it should not take long." Croque explained as he tried to calm Camille.
"But I will miss you"
"And I will miss you too, my dearest love. Besides the shopping and the nightlife there won't compare to Paris."
"My love, you know best. I will stay in Paris until you send for me, I will need a new wardrobe, furniture and a myriad of items you won't be able to get there." Camille cooed as she thought of the shopping that would need to be completed.
"Driver" Croque said as he rapped on the side of the carriage.
Croque smiled as he rode away.
***
At the dock Croque kissed Camille. "I will send for you when it is safe, my love. Till we meet, remember I love you"
"And I love you, my love" replied Camille.
Croque waved as the ship left the dock. He had the papers on Pulau-Pulau to study on the voyage. On board was the captain of his guard, a Captain Brogard. It would be a long trip; Thermador August Croque looked forward to the voyage, besides Monsieur Nipples was in his pocket keeping him company.