CHAPTER THREE
Eponine woke early the next morning, as she usually did. For a moment, she kept her eyes shut, unsure of her surroundings and confused as to where she was; the warm, fluffy mattress beneath her added to her growning confusion. And then the events of the previous night hit her. Her visit to the Cafe Musain. Her first trip to the Jardin d'Eden. The man. The attack. And Enjolras, her saviour, who had taken her into the safety of his home.
She blinked open her eyes, squinting slightly as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight that was beaming through the open window, the curtains having been forgotten about in the events of the night before. She could see Enjolras still sleeping on the couch and suddenly she began to panic.
Why had she agreed to go back to Enjolras' apartment? Why had she thought that him walking her home was in any way a good idea? Why was she still lying there when he could wake any minute? She was out of place and didn't belong there. She was a street gamine with no right to be sleeping in the bed of a bourgious student.
As silently as she possibly could, she slipped out of the bed, the wooden floorboard feeling cold against her bare feet. She tiptoed down the stairs, only pausing for a moment to glance at the sleeping Enjolras. He was peaceful and calm, with his golden curls cascading around his head on the cushion. A small smile played on her lips, before she turned to slip out of the apartment. But before she left, something caught her eye; the desk with all of his papers and plans laid out in an organised mess.
Perhaps his plans for the rebellion on amongst those, she thought, tiptoeing around the couch and towards the desk. She rummaged around the papers until she found what appeared to be a definitive list of 'need-to-know' information about the rebellion. Whilst Eponine could not exactly read, she found it easy to understand singular words picked out from a sentence, and used this technique to work out the meaning behind the rest. This is the procedure she used to read Enjolras' notes.
"Barricade." She read slowly. "Cafe Musain." She ran her fingers across the words as she read them, feeling the smooth paper with rough indents from Enjolras' pen. "Car - Cartouches. Cartridges - 107. Guns - 12."
Twelves gun? Was that all? How did he expect to revolt against the king with twelve guns. My God, there were more than double the amount of people in the Les Amis. Her head spun, trying her best to think of a solution to her saviour's problem.
And then it struck her; her father had had dealings in the past with a man named Monsieur Dubois. He was well known in the circles of the underbelly of Paris for dealing in black market weapons; knives, bullets, gunpoweder, and guns. Nodding to herself as a reward for her genius plan, she slipped from the apartment as silently as she could.
She wouldn't go home, not yet. She couldn't cope with a beating so early in the morning. Instead she found herself wandering towards the centre of the city, where she knew her brother would be. He was always in the elephant statue that was situated there, it was almost like his hideaway; a place he would go to escape our parents. She was almost jealous that he had somewhere else he could go, whilst she was forced to return home day after day.
"Gavroche!" She called up and a moment later the beaming face of her brother appeared through a hole in the side of the statue.
"'Ponine!" He beamed, sticking his back into the statue and sliding down the ladder, landing directly next to her. She pulled him into a tight hug, his arms wrapped around her waist.
"'Roche. How have you been?" She asked. She hadn't seen her little brother in a few days, and whilst she knew that he was just as street smart as she was - if not more - she always worried about him when he disappeared, although she knew she could always find him in his statue.
"I've been great. Are you going to the meeting today?" He asked excitedly. Of course, Gavroche had a strange obsession with the rebellion, and it worried Eponine to no end. You could almost say he was a minature Enjolras, but the comparison would be misplaces, because despite their mutual love of their Patria, and their joint determination to make a change, Gavroche was nothing like Enjolras. He was a cheeky little street gamin, witty and clever.
"I suppose I might. But Gavroche, that isn't why I'm here." Eponine started and her brother frowned slightly, noticing the serious tone of her voice. "Do you remember Monsieur Dobois?"
"The one that father worked with? I do, but why do you want to know?" He asked slowly.
"I need you to find him for me. Can you do that?" Eponine asked, a smile appearing on her face.
"Of course I can, I can find anyone. But why do you need to find him?" Gavroche asked, trying his best to put together the pieces.
"It's to return a favour for a friend who helped me out of a jam. Please, can you find him for me?" Eponine asked quickly. Gavroche nodded, hugging his sister one more time, before spinning on his heal and running down the road, swerving to narrowly avoid being hit by a passing carriage.
That's one less thing to worry about, Eponine thought as she began heading towards the Cafe. She was glad Gavroche had reminded her about the meeting that day for she needed to speak to Enjolras about her plan. She wanted to do everything she could to repay him for the night before.
Eponine slid into the cafe, knowing that upstairs the Les Amis would be planning their next move. Clambering up the staircase she was proved right as she saw the Les Amis to the full extent, crowding the small upstairs room. She needed to speak to Enjolras, but he was busy perusing the map of the city once again with two men Eponine had learned to be Fueilly and Combeferre. Marius was sitting with Grantaire, raving about the lark. She was sure she saw Enjorlas casting Marius glares from across the room; perhaps he too was sick of Marius' constant love sick ramblings. Finally, Enjolras rose to his full height, moving to stand beside Marius, casting a glance at Eponine as he did so. She knew he could see stright through her, and she knew he was aware that the conversation was killing her.
"Marius, you are not longer a child. I do not doubt you mean it well, but now there is a higher cause. Who cares about your lonely soul, we strive towards a larger goal. Our little lives don't count at all."
There he was. The man of marble. The apollo. The statue that Eponine had come to know him as. There were various cheers from the students and Enjolras nodded, turning back to the map.
"Listen up everyone!" Eponine's head whipped around to see Courfeyrac standing with Gavroche by the top of the stairs.
"General Lamarque is dead." My brother called out. Silence fell on the room, and Eponine was sure that it was in fact so silent that the students would be able to hear her heart beating faster in her chest.
"Lamarque, his death is the hour of fate, the people's man. His death is the sign we await. On his funeral day they will honour his name with the light of rebellion ablaze in their eyes. From their candles of grief we will kindle our flame. On the tomb of Lamarque shall our barricades rise! The time is here. Let us welcome it gladly with courage and cheer!" Enjolras called out, once again causing various cheers. Eponine stared at Enjolras. He certainly had a way with words, a way to put forward his point in the most poetic and beautiful way Eponine had ever heard.
"Let us take to the street with no doubt in our hearts!" Feuilly cried.
"But a jubilent shout!" Courfeyrac agreed.
"They will come one and all!" Lesgles interjected.
"They will come when we call." Enjolras finished, calmly. He once again turned back to the table and the map, the murmurs of chitter-chatter echoing around the room in waves.
"'Ponine!" Gavroche called, running over to her. "I've found Dobois and arranged a meeting with him. He said he will bring his goods, if you bring the money."
Eponine thanked Gavroche quickly and rushed over to the table where Enjolras was standing. As she approached Feuilly and Combeferre shot her smiles before she tapped gently on Enjolras' shoulder.
"Monsieur Enjolras, can I speak to you please?" She asked quietly. He nodded slightly, gesturing for Combeferre to take his place at the head of the table, and manouvering through the room with her until they found a quiet spot in the corner of the room to talk.
"Eponine, where did you go this morning? I woke and you were gone. Did you go home alone?" Enjolras asked, his eyes skirting the bruise on her cheek from the day before.
"No, I haven't been home yet. But Monsieur that is not what I came here to talk to you about." She said.
"What is it?" He asked, a frown crossing his face. Eponine glanced down at her hands, only now realising how bad it would sound if she told him she had been looking through his things.
"While you were asleep this morning, I read through some of the papers on your desk." She paused, waiting for the angry response she was sure was to come. But when he said nothing she glanced up at the apollo who gave her an encouraging nod. "I noticed that you have been planning this revolution, which is seems is now to come much sooner than any of us expected, yet you only have a grand total of twelve guns." Enjolras nodded, leaning back slightly and sighing. "Monsieur, you cannot win this revolution with twelve guns between you."
"And what do you suppose we do about it?" He sighed.
"Please, Monsieur, hear me out. I know of a man, he has worked with my father and the Patron-Minette on numerous occassions. His name is Dobois, and he works in trading blackmarket weapons. I took the liberty of setting up a meeting with him, if you don't mind." She explained. She once again waited for an angry comment about how she shouldn't meddle in things that were none of her business, but when she looked up into the eyes of the apollo she instead found he was grinning.
"You've found me more guns?" He laughed. It was strange hearing Enjolras laughing, and it turned the heads of many of the students.
"I found you more guns." Eponine laughed along with him, relieved that he was not angry with him.
"Gavroche tells me that the meeting is to be tomorrow night, the night before the barricades arise. I think we should both arrive early, to show that we -" Eponine began.
"We? Eponine, you are not coming with me." Enjolras inturrupted.
"Why not?"
"It's too dangerous. I don't want you to get hurt." Enjolras explanied.
"Excuse me? Monsieur, I can take care of myself. I will fight on the barricade by your side and I will go to this meeting. Besides, he has met me before and he knows my father well. If I'm there it's less likely that he'll try and con you." Eponine snapped, furious that he would try to stop her.
"I think I can handle it myself."
"Please, Monsieur, not to overstep my mark, but I believe I know better than you when it comes to black market deals. I've witnessed enough to know when someone is being over charged." Eponine stated again. "I'm coming."
"Fine." Enjolras sighed, smiling. He found her determination and stubborness quite appealing, and if he was completely honest with himself, he didn't really want to go to the meeting alone at all. He nodded, rising to his feet and turning back to the table, his path crossing with Gavroche who jumped into the seat next to Eponine.
"Did I hear you were avoiding going home? Do you need a place to stay?" He asked quietly. Eponine laughed, nodding and pulling her brother into a tight hug.