Margont was furious. Don’t reply, don’t reply, the man’s an idiot, no point in replying to an idiot, he repeated to himself.
‘Either they’ll come and fetch you at the printer’s, in which case you’ll have to warn Jelent. At any rate, I’ve told you that my agents will be keeping watch on the place and will follow you while others will go and alert my soldiers. Or they’ll come to your lodgings, which I will also put a watch on. Rest assured, my police know what to do!’
Margont was becoming more and more uneasy. And he was forced to admit that he had not spotted that he was under surveillance. Joseph concluded, with a forced assurance that made him sound more confident than he was, ‘And Catherine de Saltonges and Monsieur de Varencourt are now both being spied on day and night. Ah, Varencourt! The most sensible thing you’ve said so far is that you don’t trust him - we don’t either! He's never told us about a third plan; he demands money all the time ... He does not know that we’ve decided to arrest everyone. Nor does he know that we’re watching his house. Only his house, because he’s impossible to follow! So that he doesn’t suspect anything, we’ve led him to believe that we want more information about the group and we’ve promised him an extra sum of money - twenty thousand francs. Monsieur Natai reported that when Charles de Varencourt heard about that, he was overjoyed. How grasping! The operation will be supervised by Natai’s superior, Monsieur Palenier, who has been kept fully informed.’
Talleyrand leant towards Margont and whispered: ‘At our first meeting, we promised you five thousand francs. Of course, it’s not the money that motivates you ... And the imperial finances are unfortunately not what they were. But on the other hand, it would be quite unfair to offer twenty thousand francs to a traitor and only five to a loyal man. So we would like to ask you: do you also want twenty thousand francs if you succeed in your mission? You only have to ask.’
The tortuous experiment was typical of Talleyrand. It was designed to show that an idealist was as corruptible as the next man, it’s just that his price was higher.
‘Your Excellency,’ replied Margont, ‘I will be quite happy with Imperial Press and the authorisation to launch a newspaper. I propose to use the money to buy—’
‘You’re still harping on that? That’s not just an obsession, it’s an illness!’ raged Joseph. ‘But it’s agreed, help us throw them all in prison and you can have them both - your newspaper and your machine to make it with!’
Margont hid his pleasure, which was immediately replaced by a new worry. ‘What will happen to the prisoners?’
Talleyrand narrowed his eyes. ‘Ah ... scruples. Well, they won’t be executed and they won’t be tortured. Our enemies have captured as many of our men as we have of theirs, so everyone treats their prisoners well.’
That was a highly partisan view, and might be true for the upper echelons, but simple soldiers, NCOs and subaltern officers had endured appalling conditions in Spain, on English pontoons, in damp Edinburgh gaols, in Russia ... Yet neither Joseph nor Talleyrand would take the risk of condemning these royalists to death. Not while there was a chance that the Allies might win. Because to hang those men would be to hang themselves with the same noose ...
‘There’s already been enough bloodshed,’ Joseph assented. ‘Only the man or men responsible for the murders of Colonel Berle and Count Kevlokine will be punished with the death penalty, and then only after a fair trial.’
‘How will you make sure that everyone is arrested?’ asked Margont. ‘Even when the committee meets, you never know how many are present and how many are keeping watch outside. And there’s a lot of them - thirty, perhaps more ...’
‘Well, we’ll send more than a hundred! There will be a company of the National Guard standing by day and night, ready to intervene, as well as my agents. Wherever your meeting takes place, it will be well surrounded - very well! We will be able to arrest everyone quickly.’
Margont could already picture himself caught right in the middle of generalised shooting.
‘But, Your Excellency, you’re going to set off exactly the kind of insurrection you’re trying to avoid!’
That will never happen! Faced with superior manpower, they will give themselves up without resisting.’
‘That’s exactly what they won’t do!’
‘Our decision is taken! At the critical moment, if one of the fanatics wants to open fire, it’s up to you to make them see reason. You should let yourself be arrested along with the others. You’ll all be taken to different prisons. Each prisoner will be alone in his cell. Well lock you up too, so as not to arouse their suspicions about you. But of course, you will be freed immediately afterwards.’
‘And Charles de Varencourt?’
‘He will also be freed. But a little later, after we’ve established that he really is on our side. If we discover that he failed to pass on any information, he’ll find the key to his cell at the bottom of the Seine.’
‘I’m going to have to examine Count Kevlokine’s body.’
‘We knew you were going to ask that. This time the civilian police got there first. Unfortunately they discovered the symbol of the Swords of the King. I’ve personally made sure that they won’t broadcast the fact. There’s a policeman waiting for you in the next room. He will take you to where the count’s remains were found. Everything has been left as it was found. You will find Inspector Sausson there - he’s also from the civilian police so he does not know that my secret police are on the trail of the royalists. He only deals with criminal investigations. He will receive you alone and tell you everything he knows. I have expressly forbidden him to question you and he does not know who you are or why you are involved ... He has understood that, as far as he is concerned, you don’t exist.’
‘But that might not be true! The civilian police also sell information about royalists. I run the risk that someone sees me at the scene of the crime, and describes me physically—’
‘You have nothing to fear, because with your help we’ll be able to annihilate the Swords of the King very soon. You may leave now.’ Margont reached the door, but then turned back.
‘Your Excellency, may I know whether Paris is threatened?’
Joseph was stupefied by his insolence; Talleyrand was amused. The lieutenant-general wanted to reprimand Margont and tell him that there was no risk to Paris, but he was so tangled up in his anger and his lies that it was the truth that emerged from his mouth.
They’re coming
He then added firmly: ‘So make sure that we’re not stabbed in the back while confronting the Allies.’
CHAPTER 25
THE policeman said nothing as he took Margont to the Marais, not far from Place des Vosges. He marched sullenly ahead without looking back once; perhaps he was hoping to lose him ‘accidentally’. He was so put out by having to look after this officious parallel investigator that when they arrived and Margont asked him to go to find Medical Officer Jean-Quenin Brémond at the hospital Hotel-Dieu, he replied with disarming indolence, ‘I’m afraid I won’t be able to find him.’
The words were like flints rubbing together in Margont’s mind, causing sparks of fury to light his eyes. The man quickly changed his mind and hurriedly set off to find the doctor.
Behind its sober facade, the house harboured a stunning luxurious interior. There was a Mazarin desk covered in brass marquetry, a gold table with a white marble top, silver candle-sticks, Dutch paintings, Gobelins tapestries of mythological scenes ... Margont felt as if he had opened an oyster apparently like all the
others, only to find pearls rolling in every direction at his feet. Count Kevlokine did not seem to have led the difficult wandering life of the leaders of the Swords of the King. What’s more, he ran far fewer risks. Had he been picked up by the police half an hour earlier Monsieur de Talleyrand and Joseph would have received him in the Tuileries Palace. Rat-ridden cellars for the ultras, palaces for the moderates.