Finally making it to the chateau, she was relieved the journey back had gone as smoothly as it had. In retrospect, it may have been stupid. They had been a sitting duck to law enforcement, and escaping safely had been tremendous luck. Perhaps her fondness of the man had clouded her judgement. But, thank goodness, such a decision was behind her.

She noticed Didier was fast approaching from the other side of the gate.

"Élise?" the guard captain said, orange light of a lantern flickering across his face. "Qu'est ce qui se passe ici? Why is that man in a wheelbarrow? And why is he so-"

"He's someone who can help us, Didier. Please, let me through, I'd like to explain the situation to Timothee."

Though seeming slightly annoyed at being left in the dark, he did not ask any more questions. He opened the gate.

Wheeling him through the well groomed gardens, she did her best to ignore the stares of the others guards, focusing only on the decoratively embellished doors at the front entrance. This would be a hell of a thing to explain to the others, but she would start with Timothee before letting this news blow up in the Chobat chateau. Then maybe he would do the rest of the explaining for her.

Arriving at the front steps, she realized she had not thought this through. If she wanted to help support him, she would have to let go of the wheelbarrow, which would cause it to tip. She decided to call to the aforementioned guards.

"Isaac, Alphonse, would you mind helping my friend inside?"

She hoped they would not ask any questions, and arriving, they did not. Supporting him from either side, the injured Assassin returned to his feet. He kept mum, though was probably still in significant pain.

Élise walked promptly ahead, up the steps, and reached for her key, opening the front doors. She entered the main chamber, boots that had trekked across the city pounding the hard-wood floor. At this hour it was barely lit. She pointed to a fancy seat. "Put him on the chair" she said.

Arno's face was a grimace. Finally they set him down on the beige cushion, in sweet rest.

"Thank you," she said to the guards. "You may return to your duty."

She looked at the man. His face was angry and anguished. But she could not find words. It was impossible to add warmth to a situation like this. So she turned and proceeded briskly in the direction of Timothee's room.

Climbing the steps past a portrait of Timothee's great grand-father, she felt unusually grateful to fully intact thigh tendons. To think she had ended up stabbing her first dance partner.

The hallway was barely lit, but lit enough to see. She passed the quarters of Denis and Didier, and arrived at Timothee's door and knocked.

There was, of course, a delay. Élise did not plan to explain anything until after the man had laid eyes on the crippled Assassin.

Timothee opened the door. Night-gown, no powdered wig upon his shaved head, not his usual prim appearance. His wife, Sophie, was peering curiously behind him.

"Monsieur, I'm sorry to wake you out this hour, but I have someone I believe you should see."

The patriarch of the manor handed his spouse the candle and then stepped out. She had been sent out to track down and kill Robespierre, she did not expect him to be elated with the surprise she was presenting, but she expected he would see reason.

They made their way back down the hallway and trotted down the mahogany stairs.

Returning to the main chamber, Arno sat, left pant leg with a large dark stain upon it.

"Who is he?"

"An Assassin."

He looked to her as if affronted.

"And what the bloody hell is he doing here?"

"Please Monsieur, calm down! I believe he can help. His closest friend were killed by Robespierre!"

"You brought one of our mortal enemies into my home!?" It was the first time she had heard him yell. "Now of all times, when our order is so rife with treachery! When the Grand Master himself was murdered by his most trusted guardsmen!"

"Monsieur, I beg of you, please listen!" she said with clasped hands. "For too long the Templars have relied on the artifact that was stolen from us! But think of all I've done for the Order. Think of what another Assassin could do! He proved immune to the effects of the Apple when we confronted Robespierre."

Timothee-Abbé Chobat stood frozen. The words were a lot for him to take in. "They brought back the Apple..." he whispered to himself.

She glanced back to Arno, then leaned in and added in a lower voice, "Yes, and I believed he used it to kill all the other Assassins he arrived with, turned them against each other."

There was a silence. The Templar's expression was one of a stunned man.

Finally he broke the stalemate and approached. Élise followed closely behind.

"So...an Assassin. Élise seems to trust you for some reason. Tell me who you are, young man!"

"Arno. Arno Dorian. That's all you need to know," he replied angrily.

Élise turned to her superior. "I actually met him at the Fête de la Fédération. I didn't know he was an Assassin back then."

Intending a warmer introduction, she turned back to Dorian. "Arno, this is Timothee-Abbé Chobat. He's the patriarch of this manor. He'll ensure you feel most at home."

"I promise no such thing," Timothee growled.

"At the very least tend to his wound."

"Fine," Timothee-Abbé said. He stormed off to fetch their resident doctor.

That had been painful. She looked back to the Assassin. A fire was burning his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Arno. I know this is...unusual. But the Templars welcomed me into their order and -"

"Because you sold out your fellows!"

The words hit her like a musket ball. Their trust had indeed been purchased with blood. Louise, Jules, Jean, Claude, Marie, Simon-Jacques. The Templars claimed most of them escaped, but-

She was paralyzed with a few seconds of silence.

Finally she said:

"It wasn't an easy decision I made, Arno. God knows how it's haunted me. But...but we've really made a difference in Paris, in the whole nation of France. The people are freer than ever before, and -"

"Your kind just want to control! And once you get that abomination of an artifact back, you'll use it to enslave this city!"

Élise knew the prejudice he had bathed in his entire life. "No. We use it very conservatively, as you use your blade. And better us hold it than that madman Robespierre."

Arno was briefly silent. He looked slightly to the side. Maybe that had got through to him.

"That I concur."

She could the muffled rumble of her Templar superior chatting with Doctor Grimaldi.

Then Arno spoke again. "I just have one question. What is an Illuminatus?"