"# They'll have the memory, # of a tear or a smile." "# And in their luggage, # perhaps a picture, # but they leave without remorse." "# I think that the sailors go away, # to listen to the song, # of the mermaid with long hair, # and I think that she sang for them." "Since the return of the Narval, Captain Louis Maréchal no longer goes to the office." "He doesn't even answer the phone." "He needs to be alone." "He left aboard the Mary-Morgane without wanting to take either Sébastien or Jonathan." "Sébastien is bored." "Fortunately, Siza came to Morsan to return the car which the Captain had left near the office." "And Sebastian took the opportunity to escort Siza back to the port." "You run fast for a girl." "Oh, you think so?" "Come on!" "He still had the blues today, the Captain." "Basically, he has them all the time." "It's sad." "Say, Siza..." "Why do you hate my uncle so much?" "I don't hate him." "Oh yes!" "Is it because he doesn't like Gwen Théphanie?" "I can't stand injustice." "Your uncle had a great tragedy in his life, but he took his anger out on an entire family." "That's what I blame him for." "If they blamed you and your mother for a bad deed done perhaps by your father, would you think that fair?" "Oh no!" "But all the same, I don't understand." "Excuse me." "I'm an idiot." "Of course not." "You're not an idiot." "But you're complicated." "Do you see the headland over there?" "Yes." "I'll race you." "Siza!" "You cheat." "Me!" "Yes." "I had a stitch in my side." "That's girls for you." "All the same!" "I beat you soundly, you'd do better to admit it." "If it hadn't been for my stitch..." "Yes, but it was still me that won!" ""Who won!"" "What?" "Yes..." "Yes, but I still won." "Shall we start again?" "This is where Gwen was born." "It was his parents home." "Gwen no longer lives there?" "No." "He rents a room at the Sailors Café, an awfully small sad room." "Why doesn't he have a house any more?" "His mother was forced to give it to your uncle." "And your uncle rents it to those who live there now." "Is that what makes you angry with him?" "Tell me." "Tell me, eh!" "Your uncle had loaned money... to Gwen's mother and father, from when they were friends." "One day everything changed, and your uncle demanded to be repaid immediately." "Everything changed when Joseph Théphanie betrayed my uncle?" "They told you about that?" "Everyone talks about it, but no one goes to the end, so it's difficult to understand." "Do you know exactly what happened, then?" "Yes." "You weren't even born." "I questioned people who knew the truth." "To Gwen especially." "He hadn't been born either." "He was quite small when his father died, but later, he had the time to see many things and to understand." "He was 9 years old when he lost his mother." "He doesn't often speak about her, but he remembers everything." "And so, what did he say?" "Aren't you going to tell me?" "I can't." "Why?" "Your uncle is too closely involved in all this." "It's not my place to tell you." "You know, I like the Captain." "And nothing that you tell me about him will change things." "If you don't say anything, I'll question everybody and end up knowing everything." "I'll tell you one day, when you're older." "You're not funny!" "Okay, Eugène?" "Yeah, okay." "Was the fishing good this morning?" "Whiting, mostly and some mackerel." "Who's that you have with you?" "This is the nephew of Captain Maréchal!" "Hey!" "Why do you shout so loud, When you speak to him?" "He's a little deaf, but he knows a lot." "Sébastien!" "It was he who told me about the auction of the Mary-Morgane, he attended it." "What does that mean, "auction"?" "Something awful." "Goodbye." "Won't you come in?" "No..." "I'll come back later." "I have to do something." "Right." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Hi." "Where are you going?" "Home." "Is your father there, how is he?" "Not too bad." "Dr. Sabel is with him at the moment, it was him who sent me for this." "Can I see you later?" "Not today, I must stay with my father." "I had something to ask you." "Urgent?" "Yes." "Well, ask it now." "No time!" "Is it as long as that?" "I don't know, it depends." "It's a favour that I'm asking." "Alright." "Well then, at the Sailors café in an hour, okay?" "I'll be there." "Hey, sir!" "Hey oh!" "Sir..." "Sir." "Excuse me, sir, please." "Sir..." "Hey sir, eh!" "Hello, sir." "Hello, sir." "Hello, sir." "What are you doing here?" "I want to ask you something." "What?" "I want to ask you something!" "Ask me something, I don't have enough time, lad." "I have to go take my basket..." "I can take it if you want." "What?" "I can go and take your basket." "To make a bit of cash, eh?" "You're smart!" "Go seek employment elsewhere, lad." "The basket, I'll carry it myself." "It's me who was with Miss Sophie Virginie." "Don't you recognize me?" "I followed you home." "I saw you." "I just wanted you to tell me about the auction of the Mary-Morgane." "The Mary-Morgane!" "There's no need to shout so loud!" "I'm not deaf." "And what do you want with the Mary-Morgane?" "At the time, it seems that you were there, at the auction." "You want me to tell you?" "Yes." "And why do you want me to tell you?" "Just that." "I would like to know." "So, your name is really Sébastien Maréchal, eh?" "Yes." "How's that old Louis?" "My uncle?" "Very well." "Go, get a chair and sit down." "Where shall I sit?" "Sit yourself there." "Here, you're going to try this." "Come on, sit down!" "lrmat" "What?" "Cheers, eh!" "Is it good, my cider?" "Very good." "I bottle it myself, it comes from my barrel." "It's great." "What?" "I said it's great!" "So, were you there the day of the auction of the Mary-Morgane?" "Ask your uncle, he was there too." "You don't dare!" "He's an awkward customer, old Louis." "It was winter 1945." "It wasn't hot." "Joseph was drunk as usual, to give himself courage." "Joseph Théphanie?" "Yes, who else would it be?" "There he was, the poor thing, sitting on the winch, all pale." "Then, his wife beside him, standing, with the little one in her arms." "Gwen?" "What?" "The little one she carried, was it Gwen?" "Yes." "The son." "But the one we watched mainly was Louis Maréchal, your uncle." "He was there on the dock with us, in the first row..." "He was as white as Joseph." "He said nothing." "He was waiting." "The Commissioner arrives." "The auctioneer, as they say." "He jumps on board and then starts at the reserve price." "A guy on the dock says: "It's not me who'll buy the informers ship."" "And then another says, "You can keep the Mary-Morgane, Joseph!"" "And nothing more." "It was at this moment that Louis Maréchal made up his mind." "He said: "I'll buy!" It slammed like a lash!" "The other replied: "Sold"." "And then it was over." "Suffice to say that he got the boat for almost nothing, your uncle." "But it's not for the good deal that he took it." "Why was it?" "Well, why!" "If Joseph had had the boat, He would maybe have gone out there." "But this, he didn't need." "This your uncle didn't want." "Is it really because of Joseph Théphanie that Claire and Gilles died?" "At the time, I could have sworn it." "And then after, one wonders," "We ask ourselves questions, and we no longer know anymore." "And no one will ever know." "My uncle is sure." "He had to be to do what he did!" "He's not a bad man however." "In the old days, before all this, he was somebody else." "Did you know him before?" "Oh!" "I did some fishing trips with him!" "Until the war." "He was a good captain." "What are you sulking about?" "Well... you're not deaf!" "I've forgotten to shout for almost 5 minutes, and you hear me anyway." "I never said I was deaf." "I'm deaf when people bother me." "Go on, off with you!" "I have things to do." "Do you really not want to tell me any more?" "What?" "Okay." "I understand." "Goodbye, sir." "Go on, go on!" "My name is Eugène." "Goodbye, Eugène." "Thank you for the cider and everything." "Goodbye, Eugène." "They think very much at that age!" "Hello, Ma'am." "Hello." "Say, Ma'am, you haven't seen Bernard Lemoigne?" "Oh no, not today." "Have you known Gwen Théphanie a long time?" "Since he returned to the district." "It will be almost 6 years." "But my husband has always known him, since birth in fact." "He hasn't had it easy, the poor boy." "Because of my uncle?" "That's to say..." "Ah!" "Look!" "Here's Bernard." "Hi." "So what did the doctor say about your father?" "He'll need at least 2 months rest." "It'll be hard, he already wants to get up." "Have you been here long?" "No, I just arrived." "You have a long face!" "Is something wrong?" "Hey... the story about Gwen Théphanie, and what happened to him and his parents, you're aware of it?" "Yes, of course." "All the details?" "What I heard at home and then a bit here and there, yes." "Could you tell me?" "Well really!" "We couldn't say anything about your uncle otherwise you'd get angry." "Are you fed up with your dear uncle?" "No, that's not it, I'm trying to understand." "Where do I begin?" "Not here." "Okay." "Goodbye, Angèle." "Goodbye, Ma'am." "Goodbye, children." "You can't be serious, eh!" "Well, you're rubbing off on me." "That'll teach me to be friends with a kid." "Okay, we're lucky it isn't locked." "This is my cousins shipyard." "He got engaged this morning." "You can bet he has something else to do than to take care of his yard." "Okay, we'll settle here." "We won't be disturbed until tonight, I swear." "I'll tell you everything I know." "Stop me when I'm wrong and when I don't know any more, you continue, okay?" "Joseph Théphanie was a traitor." "Not certain." "Oh no, don't start." "You said, stop you when you get it wrong." "Okay." "Joseph Théphanie was perhaps a traitor." "Anyway, my uncle has always believed that it's because of him that his wife and son are dead." "Then he took revenge." "That's right, and nastily moreover!" "Don't stop me every time, I don't know where I am." "Wait." "My uncle asked for the money owed to him by Joseph Théphanie." "He knew very well that the poor guy couldn't repay him." "He began by pinching his boat and then his house." "A debt is a debt." "Yes, if you want." "After that, I don't know any more." "What happened next?" "Well after that, Marie Théphanie no longer had a husband, boat, or house." "She was broke, but she had a son to take care of." "She looked for work." "She started as a laundress, you realize." "She found accommodation in a farmhouse." "Provided that she worked there." "In the morning she took care of the animals, she did the cleaning, and then she washed." "She was seen at the laundry all day, whatever the weather." "And then, wait, when evening fell, she had to bring in the animals, do the housework, and still do the ironing." "Often until midnight." "Shit!" "Hide!" "No, Francis." "Stop..." "Stop." "Stop." "François..." "No." "What are you doing here?" "Don't get mad, we came here to talk." "Get the hell out!" "Not too friendly, your cousin!" "He's in love." "So what?" "Don't worry." "Come on." "He missed his chance, your uncle, because Gwen is somebody." "He worked, you cannot know how much he worked." "He wanted to be a sailor like his father, and captain like the other." "It was his way for him to take revenge on the old man." "And if he was normal, your uncle, if he had a mind like everyone else, well, he'd die of shame." "You know, I like you, but I wouldn't like to be called Maréchal." "I'm my fathers son, me, it's not my fault we're called Maréchal." "I didn't even know my uncle before." "And now you know him." "Come on, kid." "It was you who wanted to know." "Does everyone know what you told me?" "Yes." "Almost everyone here." "You're not going to be ashamed for your uncle anyway." "It's not your fault, you're not in on it." "And then there are those who find excuses for your uncle, like Karl Walther." "They say that having lost his wife and son, it made him a little crazy." "He's not crazy." "That's what I say." "Hey, do you want to come to my place?" "No, I have to go to the office." "What's the matter?" "Nothing." "Is he here, Gwen?" "Yes." "He's working with my father." "Can I go and see him?" "Of course." "Come with me." "I think it's great, what you did." "Bringing back the Narval, and everything." "So I thank you, for... for Captain Louis Maréchal who forgot to do so." "Your uncle is back." "I know." "I saw the Mary-Morgane in the bay." "He asked where you were." "He's waiting in his room." "Oh..." "# I think that the sailors go away, # to listen to the song, # of the mermaid with long hair, # and I think that she sang for them." "# However, if I were a sailor, # maybe one fine morning, # on lifting the trawl net, # like you don't see anymore," "# I would catch the mermaid, # the mermaid with long hair."