The apparatus discovered under a tarp during the search consisted of several metallic tubes and levers welded together and looked rather menacing, despite a lack of visible indication of its use.
"Well, well..." drawled Javert. "What do we have here?"
The two unfortunate Amis wiggled helplessly in his iron grasp.
"Can you explain this contraption to me, my boy?" asked Javert raising his eyebrow slightly at Jehan, who was hanging limp as a rag about a foot off the floor as Javert's fist held firmly onto his collar.
"It's a potato gun," squeaked Jehan, whose face was turning blue from lack of air. "A toy."
"Yeah, Combeferre made it with a Polytechnic chap," added Courfeyrac, who was anxious to let the Inspector know that he wasn't involved in any shape or form with the project. Javert's eyebrow looked unimpressed.
"Captain, you might want to look at this," said one of the inspectors showing Javert several pamphlets in duodecimo. "Lenoir and I found these in the drawers. And there's whole stacks of them in the attic, maybe several hundred in all. They were obviously printed for distribution."
"Interesting," said Javert quietly. "Very interesting. Well, my lads, let's get you ready. You both have numbers booked at the Conciergerie."
"But we haven't done anything!" meowed Jehan helplessly as he wiggled.
"Oh, I can think up some charges on the way," said Javert lightheartedly. "Breach of censure regulations, for one. Conspiracy against the person of the monarch, for another. And let's not forget the most dreadful trespass of all..."
Javert lowered his voice as he brought his face close to Courfeyrac's:
"Posession of weapons of mash destruction."