If the bolt sliced through the air with breath-taking speed, Sigmund, driven by the Black Hunger, was even faster.
He stopped short and planted himself firmly on his two feet. At the same time, with a precise gesture, he grasped the tip of his sword with his free hand, and raised his weapon vertically, just in the path of the bolt. The steel head struck the sine blade with a spark. The bolt bounced around, swirling, and crashing into one of the ceiling beams, with a hard vibration. Blood beaded around the fingers of his ungloved left hand.
This feat stunned Vaucanson, so much so that he barely realized Sigmund was already on him. The Black Skaven grabbed him by the throat, and crushed him against the stone wall. With a blade slap on the hand, he forced him to drop him crossbow. He pressed his muzzle to the Human's nose, blowing foaming breath in his face. Then he slammed him hard on the floor. He sat on him, put Heart of Unicorn on the floor, grabbed the Bretonnian's head with both hands, and yelled at him at the top of his lungs, before delivering a terrible punch in his face, then a second, then a third. He was about to knock again, but suspended his gesture.
Vaucanson had a busted lip, a swollen eye, and a huge bruise on his forehead. He coughed, spat blood, and moaned softly in pain. Sigmund stood up, picked up his sword, and lowered it towards the Bretonnian Lord's head. The latter opened his mouth and ejected one of his teeth with a lick. The Black Skaven growled:
- So, who is the dirty vermin now?
Vaucanson did not answer, but the Black Skaven did not detect any plea in his good eye. On the contrary, he continued to defy him with his gaze. It was too much for the young ratman.
Too bad for Opa… Such a monster of arrogance doesn't deserve to live!
He slowly raised his arm, about to bring his blade down on his enemy's throat. It was then that the voice of the chaplain resounded in the armoury:
- Siggy, stop!
Sigmund paused, surprised, and looked at Romulus haggardly.
- You're not in jail?
- Villefort let me in. He's afraid for his liege, and asked me to do something.
And indeed, behind the prior, Lord Vaucanson's aide-de-camp was waiting at the door, shocked by the spectacle. Sigmund didn't care.
- There is nothing to do, Prior. I've duelled this old madman, he lost, he shall pay for his crimes!
- This is not the way you will do justice, Sigmund! Look what you've already done with him!
Vaucanson coughed and spat blood.
- Your victory is complete, thanks to your creature.
Angered by the insult, Sigmund raised Heart of Unicorn Heart. The prior threw himself forward and tried to grab the arm of the young Black Skaven. Sigmund pushed him away. Sire de Villefort entered the armoury, and brandished his sword with a cry of defiance. Sigmund turned to him, ready to strike. The prior then threw himself between the two men, and spread his arms.
- Hold! In the name of Shallya's Goodness, lay down your weapons! Both of you! Blood has shed enough today!
Surprised by such audacity, the two stopped, and stood still. Romulus barked:
- And you, Vaucanson, keep your lips sealed! You won't obtain anything constructive by continuing to provoke him in this way.
This demonstration of authority left the three fighters speechless. The prior softened, and held out his hand to Sigmund.
- Come on, Sigmund. Please calm down and leave him.
The Black Skaven protested:
- You know what he did! He plotted against us! He has invaded our villages! Mistreated our citizens! And my father... my father... because of him!
- I know that well, Sigmund.
- I can do it! I have the right, I even have the duty to do so! I've won this duel!
- You've defeated him, no need to go any further!
- He wouldn't have hesitated to kill me!
- But you're better than that, right? I taught you the value of virtues like compassion and mercy. Are you willing to give up Shallya's word, just to do something in anger that you will regret?
- There is no regret in doing justice, Prior. Father died because of this Bretonnian scum! I will avenge him!
- No, Siggy. It is not true. This man did not kill Psody. And it is not by killing him that you will bring him back. Revenge will not ease your pain, it will only deepen it.
- How can you say that?
The priest looked sorry.
- If you only knew how many times I heard in confession someone who had wanted to "do justice" as you are about to make him confide in me that his soul was lost… In a just society, a criminal is executed after having been judged. A duel to the death is not a judgment based on facts, it's just a contest on who is the strongest!
Sigmund insisted:
- Prior! If I kill him, he'll leave you alone for good! Never again will you have to be afraid of him, nor run away from him! You will be free!
- I want the things to be like this! I don't want this freedom you're pretending to offer me!
This statement left the great Black Skaven stunned.
- What… the…?
- Sigmund, it was the murder of Ignace de Vaucanson that made me leave my bandit life for good. I took a son from his father that day. Even though this son had already done a lot of harm, there was at least one person to mourn him. Horace de Vaucanson is not a filthy scoundrel, he is a terribly unhappy man, who has lost everything.
- Opa Ludwig lost his family too. He didn't become a rabid man, hateful enough to try to conquer an entire kingdom by breaking everything in his path!
- You're right, but the difference is that your grandfather couldn't do anything about it. For Vaucanson, the matter was quite different; the misfortune that had taken his only child from his was not Destiny written by the Gods, but the acts of a flesh and blood man, a man who had a face: mine! That's what caused his wife to wither away to death. And that kept him from turning the page and starting over, like Ludwig did! He had a man to chase! And this "flight" from which you have the arrogance to want to "free" me was only a punishment far too weak compared to what I really deserved.
Vaucanson looked in turn at the prior, his eyes wrinkled in confusion. He took advantage of this moment of hesitation to stand up. Romulus realized this. He continued talking, addressing the nobleman.
- I should have assumed my responsibilities earlier, Monsignor. I believed by dedicating myself to Shallya, and healing all the people I could, I would redeem myself in the eyes of the Gods. But if I had known you loved your son so much, if I had been aware your existence had become a veritable hell because of me, I would have given myself up to you sooner, and you would have made me anything you wanted. I should have remembered. I should have gone back to the Montfort. Instead, I ran away and tried not to think about it anymore. I made a terrible mistake, and too many people suffered. I have sinned, I have been a criminal, men, women and children have suffered the consequences today. I have to pay for this.
Then, coming back to the young Black Skaven:
- Sigmund, please. Calm your anger, spare him, and return to Steinerburg. Your father wouldn't have liked you to become a murderer. Deliberately finishing an opponent down is not justice. It's a murder.
The Black Skaven smiled cruelly.
- It's Black Hunger.
- No! Black Hunger is a second state that removes all faculty of reasoning! As you're speaking to me, this Black Hunger has fallen silent. It doesn't push you to want to take in all conscience the life of this man anymore! Sigmund, you're not a slave to Black Hunger.
- It's in my blood, Prior! Even my sister reminded me! The "stare that calls for blood". Well I'm calling for the blood of that bastard senile old man!
Romulus took a step forward, without taking his eyes off the Black Skaven.
- Sigmund, I can't feel your pain or your anger. And I take you seriously when you tell me that Black Hunger sometimes causes you to succumb to violence. Unfortunately, this is something you inherited from Feral Skaven, and with which you have to live. Feral Skaven are beasts, acting on instinct. Humans say they are hateful. They're right, and you've seen it yourself every time you've faced them! Feral Skaven let themselves be guided by their instincts, and listen to nothing else. Black Hunger turns Stormvermin into slaughterers. But you are not like that! You can tame the Black Hunger, and curb it to make the right decisions! And I suggest you make a good decision: spare the life of this Lord whom you've defeated in a legitimate and chivalrous way, and return to the Rat Kingdom. Let me straighten things out with Horace de Vaucanson, don't worry about me, and get back to your family quickly, they all need you badly.
He pointed to the sword that Sigmund was clutching in his hand to his knuckles whitened.
- Consider this weapon… Do you remember its meaning? Heart of Unicorn is a benevolent blade of justice, not an instrument of vengeful fury!
Justice, not revenge! Bianka's voice echoed in his ears.
He was in danger of breaking the promise he had made to his own sister!
The priest of Shallya perceived the storm swirling in the mind of the Black Skaven. But for a moment he was afraid for Vaucanson. What if the Bretonnian took advantage of Sigmund's confusion to try something? The young ratman would immediately stop him and break him in two without hesitation! What about Villefort? Was he going to intervene?
Fortunately, Vaucanson had understood the same thing. Reckless, but not suicidal, he remained silent and did not move. He even made a small gesture to the attention of his aide-de-camp to order him to do the same.
Sigmund was struggling with all his might to make the right decision. He had to weigh all the data, measure all the issues, and imagine all the possible outcomes at full speed, and all that under the influence of anger.
It was then that he began to whisper something, more and more distinctly.
"I am a member of the Black Guard. I am the last bulwark of Vereinbarung. Humans and Skaven are the soul of our Kingdom, and the Black Guard is its shield. We are ready to make any sacrifices to protect what we have built. I am a member of the Black Guard. I am the last bulwark of Vereinbarung. Humans and Skaven are the soul of our Kingdom, and the Black Guard is its shield. We are ready to make any sacrifices to protect what we have built. I am a member of…"
Romulus recognized the credo of the elite corps commanded by the young Black Skaven. He then had an idea: he raised his voice in turn to recite the commandments of his Goddess.
"Love is the noblest of weapons, forgiveness is the ultimate victory. Mercy flattens the highest mountains, and unites hearts. Shallya loves us all, and wants us to live in harmony. Love is the noblest of weapons, forgiveness is the ultimate victory. Mercy…"
The priest and the warrior now faced each other, each repeating his mantra over and over. Horace de Vaucanson followed this duel attentively, more and more curious to know the outcome.
Sigmund concentrated, wanted to keep his rage and hatred towards Vaucanson strong enough to go through with it, when he suddenly saw a face. A small face that smiled at him. He fell silent, and only the voice of Romulus echoed in the throne room. He continued to quote the texts of the Order of Shallya. But Sigmund only vaguely heard the prayer, too upset by the image that had come to mind.
If I kill this man... what will he think of me?
The Black Skaven felt his blood run cold, and the backlash of his fight bruised his muscles little by little. The cut on his shoulder felt as hot as the touch of a brand, and the pain of his broken ribs lacerated his muscles, one pulse after another. Soon, he was all pain and exhaustion. He dropped his sword. The iron tinkled loudly on the wooden floor.
The young ratman's face twitched, tears streaming down his cheeks. He fell to his knees, and burst into loud sobs. The prior approached slowly, put an arm around Sigmund's shoulders, and hugged him gently.
- I... I can't take it anymore!
- I know, my son, I know.
- I miss Father so much!
- I am there. Free your pain.
Sigmund remained in the prior's arms for a long time, during which Horace de Vaucanson didn't pronounce a single word. The Human remembered everything he had been thinking about for the past few months. Only his hatred had motivated him. Only his rage had driven him to act. And all feeling of love had been gone from his heart for years. The nightmares, the voices in his head…everything brought him back to his son, and to his own behaviour. The sight of his mortal enemy consoling the unfortunate Black Skaven overwhelmed him.
By the Love of the Lady of the Lake... what have I become?
The Black Skaven pulled himself together and got up. Romulus turned to Vaucanson and looked him straight in the eye when he said:
- Monsignor, if you need my head to appease your anger, take it. It's yours.
Sigmund felt his heart stop dead. Exhausted, he wasn't in condition to fight anymore. Was he about to have to witness the killing of one of the Humans he loved and respected the most?
The noble did not have to think long to realize the significance of what the prior had said. He shook his head, and articulated in a flat voice:
- You are right, Prior Romulus. My son had many faults, but he loved me. And I loved my son. More than my own life itself.
- I'm sure of it.
- I don't know if, from the Avalon, he can see me, but if so, I think he doesn't like my last actions at all. Maybe even now I'm embarrassing him?
- As long as love flows between you two, he can forgive you. As for me, I am ready to answer for my crimes, if it can help you find the peace you deserve.
Vaucanson resumed his inspiration, and said in a more assured voice:
- It won't be necessary. Many others I know have done like you, and have changed their identity to escape their past. Deep down, however, they remained as they were, and their actions always haunted them. You're the perfect opposite, you choose to recognize the acts of your previous life. And in doing so, ironically, you became someone different. Now, I know Dieter Meyerhold is definitively dead. The man I have in front of me has nothing to do with the murderer of my son. He is a good man. I would like to be like him.
He turned to the Black Skaven.
- And as for you, young man, you have all my respect. Perhaps after all, in this world, the most Human people are not those born of Human parents. The rest of us regard your kind as lesser beings, but I wonder if we're not these lesser beings?
Sigmund sniffled, his breathing returning to a peaceful rhythm. He whispered:
- My father tried all his life to prove there is not inferior or superior between Humans and Skaven. Only two different kinds, that both aspire to flourish. So far, they have done it violently. We want to do it together.
He wiped his cheeks, and the flames in his eyes flared up. But her breathing didn't get wheezier this time. It was in a calm voice that he articulated clearly and confidently:
- You killed my father, Horace de Vaucanson. True, you were not the one you who put the poison in his plate, but it happened at your command. I could kill you, I even really want to, but it won't bring him back. It could only make things worse, because your King might not accept we kill one of his overlords, even if it's done in the rules, even if this overlord is a foolish madman, with lust for revenge, far from his land and his people. On the other hand, he won't oppose a trial conducted according to the rules. Also, I will bring you back to my grandfather, as he ordered me, so that you may be judged.
The Bretonnian lord did not answer, but his determined expression confirmed that he had already accepted this fate. Unlike Villefort.
- Wait! I can't let you take my Liege without defending him!
- Yes, you can, Villefort! replied Vaucanson. Your loyalty is honourable, but they are right. I've lost, I assume. I surrender, and I order you not to interfere.
Then he continued to Sigmund:
- I will follow you, Captain Steiner. Spare my fellow citizens still alive, let them return to Bretonnia, and accept my surrender. Sire de Villefort will give instructions that no Bretonnian come and risk his life or that of anyone else to come and fetch me.
- Perfect. Your soldiers will be free, you have my word.
Prior Romulus then put his hand on Sigmund's shoulder.
- Siggy, I don't think that's the right thing to do.
- What? What are you saying there, Prior?
- I think we should be lenient with him. You defeated him honestly, he admitted his defeat, and he was kind enough to forgive me, after twenty years of suffering.
- What about the villages he annexed, Prior? The citizens he caged and beat like animals? Are we going to let him go, in defiance of the suffering of the inhabitants of Pourseille and the surrounding area?
- Lord Vaucanson will give us his whole treasure, that will serve as compensation, answered the prior without taking his eyes off Vaucanson.
- And Opa Ludwig? You're asking me to disobey him!
- I'll take care of explaining things to him. As long as we have material compensation, whether or not Vaucanson is imprisoned will not change much for Vereinbarung.
Knight de Villefort glanced worriedly at his lord. The old Bretonnian nodded silently.
Sigmund slowly approached him, and whispered:
- Very well, so be it. I want to prove to you I am capable of more mercy than you believe. So we're going to leave without you. But as soon as I would have left this building behind me, you will withdraw from the Renegade Crowns and return to Bretonnia with your troops. Maybe I'll forgive your ghost in twenty years, but for now, I'll just forget you. Go, now, and if you ever try to harm my kingdom or my family again, there will be no other chance!
- I hear you, Captain Steiner. I swear to you. Take my gold. Let my men go, and we'll leave your kingdom. Be sure you will never see us again.
Sigmund did not answer. Villefort took the opportunity to observe:
- My Liege, for that, we shall need a little time. We have to take care of the wounded, bring the equipment… If we leave in a minute, it could be disastrous.
- What time frame are we talking about? Vaucanson muttered wearily.
- I would say… three days?
- I'll give you one day, Sigmund replied.
The aide-de-camp grimaced.
- One day... it's so short, Cap...
- One day! cut the Black Skaven. Not a minute more! You are not in position to be difficult! You need time, I'm granting you one day. Take it or leave it!
A cold sweat slid down Romulus' spine.
Siggy, don't! You're going to screw it all up!
Fortunately, neither the noble nor his aide-de-camp took offense. The two Humans were too eager to see the end of this story. Vaucanson sighed with a helpless gesture:
- Let's make it quick, Villefort. One day should be enough. Take only the minimum, and leave the rest here for de Beyle.
- At your command, my Liege.
Sigmund calmed down, and headed for the stairs. Before crossing the door, he stopped, looked over his shoulder, and spat in farewell:
- May your Lady of the Lake soften a little what awaits you on the Other Side, murderer!
Then he descended the steps, immediately followed by Romulus and Villefort. The three men crossed the throne room again, Sigmund took the opportunity to retrieve his glove left on the floor. Arriving on the main staircase, Villefort spotted Henri de Beyle. Without a word, he motioned for him to follow him. The fat Bretonnian obeyed without daring to say a word, both relieved and very distressed.
As the four men burst into the yard, the tension was palpable. The wait had sank everyone's nerves, and everyone was waiting for the conclusion of this gruelling battle. Villefort was the first to speak.
- Soldiers of Montfort, we have lost the battle, but we will not lose anything more. Captain Steiner, here, spared our Lord's life, and promised to let us go, provided we returned to Bretonnia immediately. That's what we shall do. Captain?
The Black Skaven spoke in turn.
- You guys, listen to me: put away your weapons, we're leaving. Lord Vaucanson swore he would leave in one day, we will trust him.
The aide-de-camp beckoned to the standard-bearer.
- Lombard, take some men with you and go down to the cellar. Pull up the treasure chest.
Lombard swallowed his saliva realizing what this order meant. Villefort noticed this.
- This is the price of our freedom, Lombard. Please don't delay.
The standard-bearer bowed, motioned for two men to follow him. A minute later they were back, the two soldiers bent under the weight of a four feet long chest, and as high as it was wide. They put it on the ground. Lombard picked up a key from his pocket. A click later, he moved the lid, presenting the contents: Bretonnian gold crowns, jewels, a few precious objects like silver candlesticks.
- Van Habron? asked Sigmund.
Van Habron picked up a coin at random, and bit into it.
- Looks real to me, Captain.
- Right.
Ickert and Himmelstoss loaded the chest onto one of the carts stored in the stable. Neither Lombard nor Villefort dared say a word. Sigmund shook his head.
- Come on, we've wasted enough time here! The Rat Kingdom needs us!
Having said this, he hastened to get back on his mare. He looked up at the keep, and saw the sad face of the noble Bretonnian at the window. He reviled with a furious index finger:
- The clock is ticking now, Vaucanson! A scout will come and check tomorrow at the same time. I guarantee you'll be so sorry if you haven't all disappeared!
Once again, Vaucanson was too broken to respond in the same defiant tone. He just nodded. Satisfied, Sigmund heeled his mount and left the fort, followed quickly by his warriors.
A few minutes passed, then there was no longer a single Vereinbarung soldier within the walls of Castle Beyle.
Horace de Vaucanson went down into the yard. He felt tired, but wanted to keep his dignity, and face the gaze of his vassals. Some of the soldiers, very embarrassed, did not dare to look at him when he passed in front of them.
He stopped so that everyone could see him.
- Soldiers, unlike me, you have accomplished your duty. Have no doubt, no shame, no bitterness. In the eyes of His Majesty Louen Leoncoeur, you have valiantly respected the ideals of our country.
He turned towards Villefort.
- How does our retirement look, Villefort?
- By pushing a little, we should be able to break camp tomorrow morning.
- You will come and get me when everything is ready.
- At your command, my Liege.
Vaucanson answered with a little nod, and went back up to his apartments.
The villagers of Pourseille returned to their homes. The Humans thanked the soldiers profusely. One of them, a peasant named Gaspard, looked worried.
- What will happen to us, Captain? Please, tell the Prince we had no choice! We're not traitors to the Crown!
Romulus laid a kind hand on his shoulder.
- Have no fear, my friend. The Prince knows exactly where your loyalty lies. Anyone would have done the same under the threat of such heinous blackmail. On the other hand, the case of Beyle is different. He was not obliged to help Vaucanson.
- That scoundrel sold us all! cried an angry old woman.
- We must hang him! yelped a teenager.
Other people joined in this beginning of vindictiveness. Sigmund raised his fist and shouted in a powerful voice:
- Silence!
Calm immediately returned to the village square. The captain explained more gently:
- This is not your problem. We have a very urgent business to settle, but when we are done, the Prince will take care of judging the burgomaster. Maybe you will have to design a new one, I don't know. In any case, you must not go and do justice by yourself. If I hear that you set fire to his castle, I promise you big trouble. Well, soldiers of Steinerburg, it's time to go. Good people, rebuild everything you can, and wait for the Prince's delegation. Don't make any mistake, and everything will be fine.
With these words, the army left Pourseille.
Half an hour later, they slowed down a bit. Sigmund was still leading the procession, lost in his thought. Romulus brought his horse up to him. He waited a few moments, then simply whispered:
- Psody would be proud of you.
The ratman's face creased in annoyance.
- Are you sure, Prior?
- You behaved like a true honourable Knight. Perhaps more Bretonnian than Vaucanson himself.
- I had to call on Black Hunger to get the upper hand, and I almost crushed him with my bare hands. Is that really "honourable", Prior?
- Your soul knew how to dictate to your heart what to do, and prevented you from committing the irreparable.
- If you say so...
A few yards on his left, her left arm in a sling, Sergeant Lescuyer trotted wordlessly. The Black Skaven realized she hadn't heard her say a single word since their assault on castle Beyle.
- Sergeant Lescuyer, is something wrong?
- Eh? Oh, no, Captain, I'm fine.
Sigmund felt his face wrinkle with bitterness.
- Sergeant, I have already seen this expression several times on my own face when looking at myself in a mirror after a misfortune. Not everything went as planned at Pourseille, that's a fact, but why does that bother you?
Sergeant Lescuyer bit her lip.
- Just before the explosion of the boom-boom mole, one of ours did not have time to flee. If I had realized before I pulled the pin, he would still be alive today.
- You were supposed to be last in the cart. The orders were clear: once you sounded the dispersal, everyone was to flee. You were in the cart, you couldn't afford to waste time checking. One minute is enough to get out of range, especially if it was a Skaven.
- This unfortunate was indeed a Skaven, but he received a bolt in his leg. When I saw that, it was too late, the machine was about to explode.
Sigmund thought for a mere half-dozen seconds, then replied in the same impassive tone:
- Your compassion honours you, Sergeant, but that's usually the kind of thing that happens in battle. This soldier knew what he was risking, and if you had joined him, you would not have had time to evacuate him, and the explosion wouldn't have caused a single death, but two. You found yourself in a situation where there was nothing you could do. Nothing to do, no responsibility, no remorse to have.
- I will tell everything to his family, my Captain.
- Don't beat yourself up about it, Sergeant, this is my job. You volunteered to do the most dangerous thing, the plan worked thanks to you, no need toworry yourself sick. This is war, and in any war, there are deaths. Make sure you're not next, and everything will be fine.
Romulus smiled kindly again.
Night had fallen on Castle Beyle. Lord Vaucanson listened to the first report of Sir Reginald de Villefort.
- De Beyle can't definitively be found, he probably fled.
- Well, that's not our problem anymore. Where are we?
- We should be able to leave at dawn. However, let me suggest something.
- I'm listening, Villefort?
- We should allow our men to rest for two hours sleep time. There will be enough of them to continue working in rhythm.
- Permission granted.
Villefort bowed and retreated towards the door.
- I'll come back for you tomorrow morning, when we're ready to leave.
- Villefort?
The aide-de-camp, who was about to descend the stairs, stopped. He turned around, and had a stroke in the heart; his overlord seemed to have been more ravaged by bitterness than by the blows of the Black Skaven.
- Did I really deserve such mercy, Villefort?
- Such was the will of the Lady of the Lake, my Liege. Otherwise, you'd be in a cart to jail, or on your way to Avalon.
- Maybe, but I'm beginning to understand what that ratman meant.
- In what sense, my Liege?
All the fatigue in the world weighed on the sigh that escaped from the parched mouth of the Bretonnian lord.
- Twenty years… I've spent twenty years tracking down a man who no longer existed. And during all this time, I multiplied the errors, again and again.
- You have never failed in your duty to the King, nor to your subjects, my Liege. No matter what that ratman said or did, you always acted in the interests of Bretonnia.
- I could have, I should have done much better. And today, it seems very difficult to me to catch up. Villefort, I am tired, and not only because of the years. And after what I've done, I doubt I can be welcomed into the Kingdom of Avalon. I really hurt a lot. I ordered the murder of a man many people loved, and his own son wanted to do like me, except that he was able to stop in time, thanks to the one I made responsible for my misfortune.
- Can I speak to you frankly, my Liege?
- Please, Villefort. I've had enough of pretences.
The aide-de-camp took his inspiration, and said in one go:
- I have felt in recent weeks your judgment has been increasingly impaired. We attacked several villages in Vereinbarung, destroyed crops and slaughtered livestock. People have been killed, taken prisoner, or have succumbed to starvation or wounds. I didn't approve of this crusade. But I am a knight of the Kingdom of Bretonnia. I obey my suzerain's orders as long as they don't conflict with the spirit of the Lady. All these peasants were our declared enemies, and if we had dominated the Rat Kingdom, your vassals would indeed have benefited greatly. In the world in which we live, the progress of a people sometimes passes through the martyrdom of an unknown life.
A slight, sad smile floated on Vaucanson's bruised face.
- Maybe, but things would have been different if I hadn't listened to my anger more than my subjects. We could have avoided this mess.
Villefort didn't answer. He was about to take his leave when Vaucanson detained him with a sign of his hand.
- We shall go back to Montfort, but before that, I want to make up for at least one of my mistakes.