Chapter 13:

Inhabitants of the Court of Miracles each followed a different pattern, waking whenever they wished and setting out to walk the streets at their own particular hours.

This did not make it any easier for Esmeralda as she suffered the pangs of her hunger. She wished to run to the Ile de Cite but unfortunately she was well aware that everyone knew what she looked like, and thus a single performance could turn deadly.

When she first woke, she nearly tripped over Gringoire, and the sight of him brought the shadows of the previous night rushing back.

She had spent so much time trying to befriend Quasimodo, and her success had only moved her to house arrest. How was she supposed to earn food this way?

Djali bleated plaintively at her.

"I know, he took your spot… come on, let's see who else is still around, we'll have to ask someone to share…" she hung her head as she led Djali out of the tent and nearly collided with Clopin because of it.

"So, you've woken," he said, eyeing her with obvious disapproval. "And the sod you took into your tent? That husband-thing?"

"Sleeping. He probably hasn't had a good sleep in a long while."

Clopin rolled his eyes. "How nice for him that he finally gets to sleep. Do you know who can't right now, Essie? Hm?"

She took a deep breath. "I understand, Clopin, and I'm sorry… I couldn't let Quasi—"

One long gloved finger was quickly extended into Esmeralda's face, and Clopin's nose slowly moved forward to join it. "Have I not taught you to look out for this family first? Why did you stick your neck out for Frollo's pet? It was a stupid little punishment, and you had to know it would be over soon. Frollo does not waste anything. He would not waste his pet, he just wanted his men to knock him around for a little while. That's why we got out of there so quickly, and it's why you should have gone with us! Once Frollo starts ruining perfectly good festivals, it's time to leave before he starts to arrest people!"

Finally Esmeralda allowed herself to scowl at him. "When we don't care about anyone but ourselves, how can we expect anyone else to care for us? It's time that everyone Frollo abuses stood up together! We can be so much stronger than him if we just start to—"

Clopin was shaking his head, and he'd already turned away.

Other faces were gaping at her as if she'd said something either stupid or brilliant, but either way her cheeks were burning.

"Just listen to me!" Esmeralda pleaded.

"You will get us all killed, La Esmeralda!" a woman from nearby cried from where she was loading her children into a caravan. "You've given Frollo an excuse to lead another purge against us, all because you were so stupid!"

Esmeralda's hands turned to fists for an instant, but the tension was swiftly over. Of course, this woman would shout at her, of course. What else could she do?

Esmeralda had taken actions which jeopardized the rest of her people, and she hadn't paused to ask any of them if they wanted to be implicated in her rebellion.

What would the more far-reaching consequences be for those she had dragged into her crusade? She had certainly never expected to be a heroine, but it seemed to her that what she had become was an enemy.

Clopin's firm hand was on her shoulder, and she was forced to look at him. His features did not appear so harsh as before, the tiredness had replaced them. "I have told you that you're my favorite, haven't I?" he asked in a hushed voice.

Slowly, fearing one of the others might overhear and jealousy might spark up from their hearts, Esmeralda nodded.

"We will protect you," Clopin said gently. "There are those of us who are leaving the city before it gets too rough, but there are others who are glad to have you back with us, and we will fight for you if it comes to that." Then he was hugging her, and Esmeralda sighed happily to know that she had not lost her dearest friend's love.

"I can't ask you to do a thing like that," she whispered to him, and only then did her tears break through. "I am the one who did this, so—"

"So we will just have to fall in line. This will be pinned on us all, anyway, and if Frollo realizes you are free, he will seek to force us all to confess that we know where you are."

Esmeralda gasped in horror, but Clopin held her steady rather than allow her to jerk away.

"You will see, it gets worse from here, but it cannot be helped. We are a people that's used to being constantly attacked, we will get through it as we always do."

The ominous feelings still troubled Esmeralda's already aching stomach, and she clung to Clopin in her growing terror.

"Is there some way I can help?" Pierre Gringoire asked from behind them, and both Esmeralda and Clopin turned to frown at him.

"What can you do, honestly?" Clopin asked.

"I thought… maybe someone could teach me something…" Gringoire replied sheepishly.

"Is that even possible?" Clopin asked, raising a brow at him.

"Hush, Clopin, be nice… I think today I'll put on a disguise and try to beg some coin. Pierre can come along with me, and I'll see if I can make use of him," Esmeralda said, giving both men a glance which asked them to behave.

"Oh? And shall Djali also don a disguise?" Clopin asked. "Or did you think every girl on the street had a little white goat?"

"I know!" Gringoire cried. "I can watch little Djali!"

"I'll not leave her with you," Esmeralda frowned deeply. "She's my friend, I won't part with her!"

Djali stood protectively beside Esmeralda, as if she had gotten an inkling of what the discussion amounted to.

"I know you are intent on going…" Clopin sighed, gazing steadily at her as if he expected he would never see her again. "I just can't let you go lightly… not when Frollo is so alert…"

"It's a large city," Esmeralda reminded him. "It's possible there are people who won't even know me by sight, and if Gringoire is with me, calling me his wife, they could even think I'm someone different, entirely. Djali could be an ordinary dairy goat."

"With the earring?" Clopin questioned.

Esmeralda cringed. "Well, I guess not." She bent down and gently removed the golden ring from Djali's ear, then hooked it into her own. "Is that better?" she asked when she straightened. "And I'll wear a head scarf, and a longer skirt. Is that a deal? I need to eat, and I can't ask you or anyone else to go finding me food."

Clopin stared tight-lipped at her, but finally relented. "There is a lot of work to do planning everyone who wants to leave getting to safety. You had better come home tonight or I'm going to come hunting for you, and I'm bringing the long knives. Understood?"

Esmeralda nodded readily, already thinking of whether or not she may surreptitiously catch a glance of Phoebus. It would be wonderful, as long as he didn't also see her. He may be compelled to turn her in… best not to think of that.