Part 36 (2/2)
”I see no reason to suppose otherwise,” said Jones.
”Very well. I will see you in a quarter of an hour,” said Eliza, in adamant maternal style.
”Oh, Mama, it shall not even be that long.”
Eliza departed. Johann stood for a few moments, watching her go, then announced, distractedly: ”Let's to it. We are losing the light!”
”Er, why do you need light, my lord?” Smith inquired, after he had caught up, which took some exertion. Jones was already miles behind.
”Why, so that Mr. Braithwaite can see the going-away present that I will give him!”
THE GARDEN-THEATRE WAS A SLOPING rectangle of ground, walled in by hedges, and guarded by a picket line of white marble cherubs. These were charming in daylight but now took on the spectral, glabrous appearance of stillborns. A raised stage was at one end. Several of the French guests had climbed atop it and were amusing themselves with the trap-door. Braithwaite stood below the stage, in the orchestra, conversing with a man who like everyone else was dressed in black. But his clothing did not consist of the usual breeches, waistcoat, &c. but rather a ground-seeping ca.s.sock with a hundred silver b.u.t.tons. As Johann drew nearer he recognized the man as Father edouard de Gex, a Jesuit of n.o.ble birth, who'd figured into some of mother's more disturbing Versailles anecdotes. rectangle of ground, walled in by hedges, and guarded by a picket line of white marble cherubs. These were charming in daylight but now took on the spectral, glabrous appearance of stillborns. A raised stage was at one end. Several of the French guests had climbed atop it and were amusing themselves with the trap-door. Braithwaite stood below the stage, in the orchestra, conversing with a man who like everyone else was dressed in black. But his clothing did not consist of the usual breeches, waistcoat, &c. but rather a ground-seeping ca.s.sock with a hundred silver b.u.t.tons. As Johann drew nearer he recognized the man as Father edouard de Gex, a Jesuit of n.o.ble birth, who'd figured into some of mother's more disturbing Versailles anecdotes.
Johann stopped about ten paces short of this pair-close enough to interrupt their conversation. Bringing both hands together at his left flank, he gripped the junction of scabbard and baldric with his left, and the hilt of the rapier with his right. He drew the blade out a foot or so-enough to loosen it. But knowing the weapon was too long to pull free in a single movement, he then raised the whole rig-rapier, baldric, and scabbard-up in front of his face and lifted it clear of his shoulders. A sideways gesture sent the leather goods hurtling away into the cheap seats, leaving him free of all enc.u.mbrances, with exposed rapier in hand. His left hand was now free to draw the serpentine dagger as before. He stood squarely facing Braithwaite, dagger and rapier in front of him, both tips aimed at the hollow at the base of Braithwaite's throat, knuckles down and backs of hands facing outwards, for Johann had been trained by Hungarians.
By this time Braithwaite, and all of the Frenchmen save one, had got their own swords half drawn-a cultivated reflex. De Gex had slipped his right hand into a slit-pocket in the breast of his ca.s.sock.
”Father de Gex,” Johann announced, ”you shall not be needing whatever that is.”
De Gex's hand dropped to his side. Johann made sure it was empty. ”This is not a melee but a duel. Your presence is requested, padre; first, to act as Mr. Braithwaite's second; after, to give him last rites. My second is one of these two gentlemen behind me; I care not which, and leave them to sort it out. If I should be struck by a meteorite during this combat, and killed, they will convey my apologies and my love to my mother.”
Johann guessed that he might have derived some low entertainment from observing the faces of Smith and of Jones at hearing this unexpected news; but having gone this far, he could not now remove his gaze from Braithwaite's eyes until Braithwaite's heart had stopped beating. De Gex uttered something that caused all of the Frenchmen to re-sheathe their swords. Then he said something rather different to Braithwaite; but Braithwaite remained frozen with his blade half out.
”Braithwaite! It is my prerogative as a gentleman to make you defend yourself with that weapon you are forever carrying around; will you please act like a gentleman, and draw it?”
”I propose tomorrow at dawn-”
”By which time you shall be where? Prague?”
”A proper duel is never conducted in haste-”
”This looks like dawn to me,” Johann answered. He could not even tell what language he was speaking now. He advanced a step, quickly, which finally prompted Braithwaite to draw his small-sword. Johann continued, ”Dusk and dawn come so close to kissing at this time of year I never know which is which.”
Braithwaite had finally extracted his small-sword, and, with some a.s.sistance from de Gex, got himself disentangled from the scabbard and its strap-work. He got into a stance resembling Johann's, but with the hand oddly curled under, in the English style. De Gex withdrew. Braithwaite had already cornered himself by standing with his back to the stage. Johann advanced. Braithwaite raised his weapon. Johann stung it out of the way with his dagger, put the tip of his rapier against Braithwaite's solar plexus, shoved it in six inches, and then punched the hilt downward. Then he jerked it out, turned around, and walked back towards the palace where his mother and his sweetheart were waiting for him. ”So much for awkward,” he said.
DANIEL W WATERHOUSE REMOVED a handkerchief from his breast pocket, draped it over his hand, and used it to grip the handle of the a.s.sa.s.sin's dagger. The weapon had been borne into the room-a servants' pantry near Princess Caroline's apartment-on a silver tray, like an hors d'ouevre. Daniel held it several inches above a candle, so that the blade split the current of warm air rising from the flame. Then he leaned forward and got his beak into a position some distance above that. He gave the air the tiniest sniff, then recoiled and turned away from it. The dagger he set back on the tray, and the handkerchief he wadded up and threw into a cold fireplace in the corner of the pantry. a handkerchief from his breast pocket, draped it over his hand, and used it to grip the handle of the a.s.sa.s.sin's dagger. The weapon had been borne into the room-a servants' pantry near Princess Caroline's apartment-on a silver tray, like an hors d'ouevre. Daniel held it several inches above a candle, so that the blade split the current of warm air rising from the flame. Then he leaned forward and got his beak into a position some distance above that. He gave the air the tiniest sniff, then recoiled and turned away from it. The dagger he set back on the tray, and the handkerchief he wadded up and threw into a cold fireplace in the corner of the pantry.
Johann could smell it now, too: an acrid, smoky reek that reminded him of something.
”Nicotine,” said Daniel.
”Never heard of it.”
”That may be, but you have some in you right now, if you have smoked a pipe in the last few hours.”
”That's what the smell reminds me of, a bit-an old pipe-bowl that has never been cleaned out.”
”It is an extract of the tobacco plant. When I was your age, it was in vogue, among certain Fellows of the Royal Society, to prepare this poison and inflict it on small animals. It is soluble in oil. It is bitter-”
”You've tasted it?!”
”No, but persons who have, invariably remark on its bitterness before they stop breathing.”
”How does it kill?”
”I have just told you-the victim stops breathing. But not before becoming twitchy and spasmodic for a brief time.”
”That was true of the dog, when I saw it. Then I lit out in pursuit of the other a.s.sa.s.sin. He had been pursued to the edge of the ca.n.a.l, and jumped in rather than perish at sword's edge. He was slos.h.i.+ng about-for the water was but chest-deep-looking for some apt place to scale the opposite wall of the channel. Then he stopped moving, and sank below the surface. When we pulled him out he was dead.”
”Did water drain from his lungs?”
”Now that you mention it, no.”
”He did not drown then,” Daniel said. ”If you examine the corpse carefully you shall find some place where he nicked himself with his dagger, or let it brush against his skin.” Daniel planted a hand to either side of the silver platter and gazed at the weapon. ”This is an expert preparation, solved in some fine light oil, such as whale-oil. Smeared on the skin it would convey the nicotine into the capillaries and thence to the lungs in a few minutes' time.” He looked up at Johann. ”When you smoke your pipe, you feel an initial rush of stimulation, followed by a calmness, a steadying of the nerves. This is but a trace, a shadow, of nicotine poisoning. If you were cut with this dagger, that relaxation of the nerves would advance to the point where you would simply forget to breathe, and drown in air...every time you smoke tobacco, you are prefiguring your own death.”
”Horrid...it makes me want to smoke something just to calm down.”
”Mr. Hooke experimented with an herb called bhang bhang that would cure what ails you-alas, it is harder to get.” that would cure what ails you-alas, it is harder to get.”
”I shall make inquiries. It is strange. During the events, I had a clarity of mind, a sharpness of perceptions, I'd never known before. Now, sitting here, I am terrified.”
”As I should be, if I had just received such a tongue-las.h.i.+ng from the d.u.c.h.ess of Arcachon-Qwghlm.”
”You could hear it this far away?”
”I do believe that the King of France sat up in his bed at Versailles wondering what new war had broken out in Germany.”
”It's true, I have never seen her so angry. She did did tell me never to duel. And I tell me never to duel. And I did did promise. But this-” promise. But this-”
”You chose the moment well,” Daniel a.s.sured him. ”Physical violence is a means that I have never employed for any purpose. The risks are enormous, and a man of my mentality, who sees dangers where they are and are not, can always find a reason to take some other course. You are young and-”
”Stupid?”
”No, but less perceptive of risk. When, G.o.d willing, you have reached the age of forty, you'll sit up in bed in the middle of the night, covered in sweat, with the memory of this night fresh in your mind, and say, 'My G.o.d, I cannot believe I once fought a duel!' Or so I hope.”
”Why do you hope for me to sleep poorly?”
”Because though I have not done done violence I have violence I have seen seen rather a lot of it. Not all of the men who employ it are stupid, or evil. Only most of them. The rest use it reluctantly, as a way, when all else has failed, of seizing the main chance. Thus you tonight. Your mother will understand this and get her equilibrium back. But like a man who imbibes tobacco-smoke, you have died a little death tonight. I do not recommend that you become addicted to it.” rather a lot of it. Not all of the men who employ it are stupid, or evil. Only most of them. The rest use it reluctantly, as a way, when all else has failed, of seizing the main chance. Thus you tonight. Your mother will understand this and get her equilibrium back. But like a man who imbibes tobacco-smoke, you have died a little death tonight. I do not recommend that you become addicted to it.”
”It is very good advice. I thank you for it. As I thank you, again, for giving us information that saved Caroline's life. You may expect that she will reward you-”
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