Chapter 8
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Athos was wandering around this house like he was haunted by some ghost. Probably the ghosts oh his past, this house were apparently full of memories. Good or bad I had no idea. We spent the night in the house and Porthos' wound was sawn. Athos led to a spare room where I could get some intimacy. I am a woman after all. I woke up rather early and I joined our little company. I arrived to see Porthos and D'Artagnan were awake. Porthos was wondering if anyone had knocked him out by punching him in the face. To which D'Artagnan answered by saying that it was absurd no one would have punched him. D'Artagnan left to fetch some water. I stayed with Porthos and I helped to get in another chair where he could sit at the table.
"Thank you, Emma." He thanked me.
"You don't have to thank me, Porthos." I replied
"Not for that. For staying with me while I was wounded." He explained
"Again, you don't have to thank me. This is what friends do, isn't it?" I smiled
"It is indeed." He smiled.
I left him with Emile Bonnaire while I went to clean myself up. I did my bed and I grabbed my hat before joining the other. I stopped by room where portraits of Athos' family were exposed. I could see his portrait. He seemed younger. He was a handsome man then and he still is now. There was a portrait of another man, younger than Athos. He had similar features to Athos, a brother maybe. There was a damaged portrait and curiosity got the best of me. I was about to see who was on the portrait when I heard someone cried "Don't shoot!" He was Emile Bonnaire. I joined the men outside. Maria Bonnaire found her husband and came to get him.
"You've had a wasted journey." Aramis said to her.
"Can't you see she's injured?" Emile told us.
"I'm sorry Emile but I don't believe that." I argued.
"I was attacked on the road." She started to explain "Two men dressed all in black." The musketeers and I glanced at each other. Maybe she met this two men dressed in black but I still don't believe her. On the other hand the musketeers were ready to believe her. Emile made movement to go to his wife but D'Artagnan stopped him.
"Let me help you down." D'Artagnan offered to her. Maria raised her hidden weapon and pointed to D'Artagnan.
"Patronize me one more time and you'll lose your head." She threatened him. "Drop your weapon."
"Twice, D'Artagnan, you underestimated her twice." I announced.
"Why, you fooled even me. My darling!" Emile laughed. "Now, gentlemen and my lady…as fascinating as this episode has been…now I must dash." Emile said climbing on the horse behind his wife.
"I was Emile's scout in Brazil. There's nothing I can't find if I want to." She explained
"And she chose to find me. True love is a beautiful thing." Emile added.
Maria shot at D'Artagnan's feet and they rode away from us. We went to get our horses. Porthos wanted to come but his wound didn't allow it. We were getting ready; Athos joined us, and ordered Porthos to stay behind. We took off after the Bonnaires. We were close behind them when we heard a shot. Maria was stricken and she fell on the ground. The two men in blacks were the one to shoot Maria. They were charging their weapon and ready to strike again. Emile left the scene and D'Artagnan went after him. The man in black was now shooting us, even after Aramis warned him about shooting the King's men. Aramis shot the man and he fell on the ground. We stopped and examined Maria's corpse. She was gone.
"La resurrección de las muertos y la vida eterna." The man said to us. I don't speak Spanish but I'm pretty sure that there is something to do eternal life.
"Quien es usted? Qué has aquí?" Aramis asked in Spanish. The man died.
"Why would Spain send agents after Bonnaire?" Athos questioned.
Aramis, Athos and I went back to the mansion. We were joined by D'Artagnan and Emile Bonnaire who was walking. We all went in the house to be welcomed by an angry Porthos. The first thing he did was punching Bonnaire.
"No! What are you doing?" D'Artagnan asked him while he and Athos restrained him before he do anymore damage.
"I can explain." Bonnaire said lying on the floor.
"Let me go." Porthos growled and trying to kick Bonnaire.
"Porthos!" Athos cried. While trying to stop him they ripped the stitches on his shoulder. Aramis and I flinched.
"There goes my needle work." Aramis remarked and I hit his chest. Porthos didn't stop to struggle against Athos and D'Artagnan's hold.
"Porthos, look at me. Calmed down and tell me what's going on?" I asked him holding his face in my hands.
"That's Bonnaire's cargo." He said pointing behind my back. I turned around and I saw Aramis went to the table and grabbed some papers. "Men, women, children." Porthos continued. "It's a slave ship." We all fell silent and I turned my gaze to Bonnaire sitting o the floor.
"The drawings making them far worse than it really is." Bonnaire defended himself.
"Look at this one." Porthos said grabbing another drawing. "They are all packed on the desk like fish on the markets." And Porthos went on about how he envied Bonnaire while he was planning on exploit tobacco and having cheap labours. But it wasn't cheap labours, it was stolen lives.
"I am not a prejudice man." Bonnaire cried. "This is business, strictly business."
"Business on misery and suffering." I intervened seething. Aramis placed himself between Bonnaire and me.
"Our duty is to protect him." Athos reminded us.
"And turn a blind eye on his crimes?" Porthos asked him.
"Slavery is cruel and disgusting but…" Porthos grabbed Athos by his jerkin "It's not crime." Athos was right. Slavery was not a crime legally but morally slavery was depriving people from their freedom. I've never been a slave but my father was and as much as he wanted to hide it from me, it was profoundly marked by all those years in captivity.
"I heard stories about those ships as a child." Porthos started. "Horrible stories. Do you know why they're shackled?"
"To stop them from jumping overboard because that's better than seeing your family, your friend, you children die of starvation, of sickness...of hopelessness." I answered
"You'll get your justice Porthos." Aramis assured Porthos and then he turned to me. "You too Emma. The King will see to that."
I left them and I went outside to have some fresh air. I could see Porthos watching Bonnaire digging a grave for his wife. I don't know if it was a good idea to let them both together. For my part I knew that I didn't want to be near him. All I wanted to do was gutting him like a fish or at least give him a piece of his own medicine. Giving him a taste of what those pour people was going through while they were being sold. They were soon joined by D'Artagnan and Aramis carrying Maria's body. I wandered aimlessly around the property. I saw Athos under a tree all by himself and I joined him there.
"Athos, do you mind if I join you?" I asked playfully. He only smiled.
"There's someone I need to see in the village." He answered more seriously.
"Well, let me come with you. I mean you are acting strange since we arrived here." I told him while he was walking past me.
"Keep an eye on Porthos. And don't leave him alone with Bonnaire." He demanded.
"I'm the last person you should be asking that, Athos." I yelled to him. "Can you at least tell me where you are going?"
"Just get back on the road as soon as you can." He said "Get Bonnaire to Paris."
"What and idiot and an infuriating man." I grumbled.
I did as he asked and warned the other musketeers that we should be probably leaving. We were preparing ourselves before leaving while Bonnaire was complaining about his stupid wagon. The answer from us was no. The man was convinced that his gifts will get him into the good graces of the King. Porthos thought we should wait for Athos and I did too. But Aramis was clear. Athos will join us when he will be ready. D'Artagnan and I hesitated before getting on our horse and following the rest of our company. We rode for a few hours but I had a bad feeling about all of this. I decide to go back and D'Artagnan decided to come with me. When we arrived the house was on fire. We called for him and we saw a figure running away in the dark. D'Artagnan went inside the house, I would have followed him but I was scared. It might be stupid but after what happened with my own house I just couldn't face the fire again and the perspective to lose someone else. Does that make sense? Because it sure doesn't in my mind. D'Artagnan came out supporting Athos who looked half dead.
"Thank god, you are alive." I said relieved kneeling beside him while D'Artagnan to grab some water in his saddle. D'Artagnan poured some water on his face.
"What happened? Who was that woman?" He asked to Athos
"Since we arrived I felt her presence everywhere." He answered "I thought it was imagined"
"Who?" I questioned
"My wife. She died five years ago by my orders. She was a cold blooded murderer. So I had to take her from the house and hang her from the branch of a tree." He explained
"Look at me! Look at me!" D'Artagnan demanded "Are you saying the ghost of your dead wife is trying to kill you?"
"She is not dead, D'Artagnan. She survived." He replied.
"This is her revenge." D'Artagnan whispered
"It was my duty. It is my duty to apply the law." Athos cried "My duty to condemn the woman I love to death. I cling to the belief that I had no choice. Five years learning to live without her" He sobbed "What do I do now?"
We rode back to Paris that night. When we arrived we learned that Bonnaire had an audience with the Cardinal Richelieu. The Cardinal gave him 10,000 livres from his personal fortunes to sent Bonnaire to the Antilles to supervise a plantation. A plantation where slaved will work. Athos informed us that the Spanish spies were sent to make sure Bonnaire wouldn't escape and if he did to kill him. We were back to Le Havre to stop Bonnaire. If the Cardinal wasn't ready to do something about it, the musketeers, D'Artagnan and I will. We contacted his old business partner; Paul Menier to help us to lure him. Paul and his men attacked Bonnaire according to plan and we were here to save his life. Porthos and I feigned to disagree with them. Porthos and Aramis got into a fight and Athos asked Bonnaire to follow D'Artagnan to the ship that was waiting for him. Bonnaire was now en route to Spain and we were all drinking wine with Paul Menier.
"Thank you." Porthos for both of us once we were outside. Athos reached for his wounded shoulder but Porthos stopped him. "Mind my wound."
"Mind my needle work." Aramis added. Then the two friends went ahead of us.
"If only all wrongs could be easily corrected." Athos said to D'Artagnan and me.
"Athos, as you said you were just doing your duty. You did what you think was right at the time, it doesn't make it wrong." I told him. He just followed Porthos and Aramis.
