"NICOLAS LE FLOCH" "BLOOD IN THE FLOUR" "Stop!" "Give it up, sir, enough frolicking with my men." "Whoever you are, you will pay for this." "It will cost me less than you, as it will cost you your life." "Where are the King's documents?" "Come, we will know where to look ourselves." "In your saddle bags, or on your dead body." "May I at least know at whose hands I die at?" "No, sir, you may not!" "They said not to give you that pleasure." "You have been a thorn in their side for quite some time." "Goodbye, sir." "Well, we seem to have got you out of a tough spot!" "Such warm acknowledgment!" "Such overwhelming gratitude!" "Such intense thanks!" "It's like an almost unbearable burden on my shoulders!" "It's just that your sudden rescue intrigues me just as much as that sudden attack, sir." "Those are strange words, coming from a trespasser." "Do you have any idea as to the motives behind this?" "Not in the slightest." "Who are you and who do you work for?" "Those two questions are not important right now." "I'm a non-entity, sir, and I work for nobody." "I do have a mission, however." "To get you safely to Versailles, where the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Vergennes, awaits with great impatience your news from Vienna." "They're hoping for good news, as here, alas..." "This upheaval doesn't seem worth it to me." "Has it gone on for long?" "For too long, truth be told." "Our Majesty is reluctant to see bloodshed, and he refuses to send in troops, which, moreover, is unsafe." "They say that in order to protect their own interests, some higher-ups are fuelling these agitations behind the scenes, and that some of them are paying off military leaders." "Bloody hell!" "My mission ends where that of the King's household begins." "But who are you, sir?" "Nobody, sir!" "Nobody!" "Till next time!" "We want to see the King!" "Well, Marquis, what news from Austria?" "Nothing that any other messenger couldn't have delivered in my place." "I understand, my friend, but his Majesty requested you personally." "Hand it over, Marquis." "Impossible, Mr Secretary of State." "Impossible?" "As I feared an ambush, I memorised it by heart, thus making one sole message and messenger." "Immediately send for a minister who can take dictation." "It's the same, worn-out story, the Famine Pact." "The King, by his own edicts, out of his own interests, is desperately trying to starve the people." "That pact did much damage at the end of Louis XV's reign." "And here it is, reappearing again, at the time of Turgot's furious reformations." "As if the kingdom needed such agitation, when there is no firm hand to take hold of the reins." "What about his Majesty?" "His Majesty, alas, has fewer friends than enemies, among whom is his own cousin, the Prince of Conti." "And the worst of his enemies is he himself." "Perhaps we should sit, this could take a long time." "Oh, Nicolas!" "These past two months felt like a century to me!" "Well, you're back now, my dear!" "How I missed the city!" "The city has properly stunk since you left." "The kingdom, too." "Enough about that!" "I know a certain somebody who needs a bath!" "Heat the water then!" "Go heat the water!" "Nicolas..." "What is it, my friend?" "A strange event took place last night." "What event, sir?" "You know that I rent out part of my services quarters to a certain Mourut, a master baker by trade." "The man is prominent in his guild and he receives much custom." "Tell the Commissioner what you told me." "Our master left the house last night, dressed in his finest clothes." "Last night, we heard him return to the bakery... and this morning, he didn't come out." "As it's Sunday today, it didn't seem suspicious..." "But you're worried for him." "Yes, of course." "Even his wife didn't see him come back." "Mr Mourut?" "Mr Mourut?" "Mr Mourut?" "Mr Mourut?" "Come here, tell me if this is your master." "There is no doubt, Nicolas, that is indeed Mr Mourut." "Go wait outside, lads." "Well, what is the opinion of Châtelet's best man?" "You don't seem at all shocked by his demise." "After hearing you were at Versailles," "I preferred to await your return rather than unleash the hounds." "But as soon as the two lads told me," "I felt a sense of foreboding." "Look at this." "The grain market only takes place twice per week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, but Mourut was receiving more of it." "The flour arrived secretly at night, via tarpaulin-covered carts." "Some sort of trafficking?" "Would that be a motive for murder?" "I don't want to get involved..." "Would you give me a hand, just until Bourdeau gets here?" "Gladly, Nicolas." "This reminds me of not too long ago, when I myself was in the police, if you take "not too long ago" to mean centuries ago." " Got him?" " Yes, just a second..." "Put him back down." ""Eulalie, 'G' House, rue des Deux Portes Saint Sauveur."" "Does that mean anything to you, your Honour?" "Unless it's one "La Gourdan", a so-called Duchess who has not long lived at that address, and who is most discreet, then I don't know." "This kind of note is used to allow for entry." "Most discreet..." "Would you happen to go there, sir?" "Everyone worth a damn goes there!" "Would it be best to pardon men for their weaknesses as well as their strengths?" "Mourut had his fair share." "Do they need to be made public, now he has passed?" "Should one see, in your condolence, the curious effect of a sort of solidarity between sinners?" "Think what you like, Nicolas!" "Come on, turn over so I can wash your front." "I've a message for you, Nicolas!" "Miss Catherine!" ""Who do you think you are mocking, sir?" "I should really be quite solicitous..."" "Suspicious..." ""I should really be quite suspicious, since you assured me of your fidelity." "Two months will have already gone by since your departure." "Who is holding you back in Vienna?" "Who will hold me back at Versailles?"" "Aimée of Arranette!" "Arranet..." "She's a fiery one, she won't be fooled easily." "I hate her already, the little..." "I understand your helplessness." "However, this letter was only written three days ago." "Perhaps you'll still have time tomorrow." "Tomorrow?" "You don't know her." "I do know her, just not as intimately as you!" "Thank you." "Have you finished noting your findings?" "Yes, and I have the floor plans." "I also gave instructions to transport the body to the prison morgue." "Has the deceased left any next-of-kin?" "A young widow, whom, in her shop front, many think to be quite the looker, but who did not supply him with any offspring." "Also, a baker boy who lodged there with his own money." "And then the two lads we saw." "Make sure to question all of them, with guards present, at the scene, but wait till tomorrow." "Tomorrow?" "But wouldn't it be best..." "Tomorrow." "I am going to once again plead a case that is dear to me." "My own." "That's love, my friend!" "That's love!" "What do you know of love?" "Not much, I'm a married man!" "You're finally here, Marquis." "We were waiting so long, we were about to give up." "My time belongs to the King, of whom I am not the master." "I doubt the Countess will stand for such nonsense..." "Can you announce my arrival, Tribord?" "No need, Tribord." "I heard his horse galloping on the courtyard gravel." "I recognised the impetuousness of the man who was arriving." "I was about to say my prayers and go to bed..." "Such haste!" "Such eagerness, such ardour!" "You're nothing but a charmer!" "However, before you accomplish your ends," "I intend to make you apologise for a long, long time." "It was about time you reappeared." "Your absence was pressuring me into being unfaithful..." "A handsome officer, a Navy gunner..." "Big, and most handsome, with very somber eyes... who takes without asking." "Big hands, and a rigid, inflexible manner." "A look that goes right through you, as if he didn't see you." "A man who you can immediately tell has already lived a thousand deaths." "Nicolas..." "So, my dearest friend... have I convinced you?" "Convinced me of what?" "Of your constancy, as much as your fidelity?" ""Eulalie, 'G' House, rue des Deux Portes Saint Sauveur?"" "Right..." "And where did you find that?" "Where it was found, in one of your pockets!" "So, did you get a thrill, going through my pockets?" "Do you frequent brothels now?" "Give it here." "I was an idiot to trust you." " Give it here!" " Take it!" "I never want to see you again!" "I hate you, Marquis." "I hate you and I never want to see you again!" "I don't want to see you either!" "The King stole her bread!" "You harbour an upset air, Nicolas." "Did your lady friend leave you in the lurch?" "I had to make many detours in order to safely reach Paris." "Discontent rises as the rumours swell." "Well, here's our agenda." "Sanson, the executioner, has informed us that he is ready to perform, without delay, Mr Mourut's autopsy." "Good." "He fears the victim's stout build will only hasten the decomposition." "He wishes our friend Semacgus assist in the operation." "Also, Mourut's widow and the two young baker's boys are still being kept at the house, but the third baker's boy, Mr Denis Caminet, remains unfound." "Why, may I ask?" "He hasn't returned to the house, but we're continuing to look for him." "And finally, the Police Lieutenant-General wants to talk to you right away." "You finally returned, Commissioner." "I must admit that these foreign missions, though done at the King's request, do not thrill me at all." "Me neither, rest assured, but those are the King's wishes." "Wishes?" "Whims, more like." "Well, what does it matter, you're back now." "Take a seat, Commissioner, you're making me feel dizzy." "This Mr Mourut, are we dealing with a murder?" "As far as proceedings go, it's too early to say, sir." "I understand this took place in the house next door to Noblecourt House, where you reside." "Yes, but that is merely incidental, it has nothing to do with it." "Nothing to do with it?" "How certain are you of that?" "Not very." "The man was found dead in his bakery." "The aforementioned room was double-locked from the inside, with the key in the lock." "Presuming this could be a crime, the body was taken to the morgue in order to proceed with an autopsy." "With our findings noted down and the witnesses kept under house arrest, we can later move on to interrogate them..." "Later?" "Now we've come to the heart of the matter!" "Presuming this to be a crime, isn't it strange we don't question them now?" "What pressing considerations will postpone the executions?" "Considerations of pure commodity, sir." "I guess nature has its reasons that reason doesn't know." "The affair comes at a bad time, however." "We could consider Mourut's disappearance as a minor event of little significance, but we need to quell any rumours." "The masses have been murmuring since Turgot's ideas were published." "I saw that as I came in, in fact." "The people are rallying and protesting." "Yes, but I see something else." ""People" are insinuating the masses are facing a famine, and that the government is speculating with grain in order to clear the King's debts." " Who are these "people"?" " I don't know, I'm afraid." "What we do know, from what we've been told, is that these people, unknown to all, are working to sow discord by using emotionally-charged rhetoric to stir up the least well-informed, those most ready to explode." "What would you have me do?" "I want you to get the upper hand in this affair." "There are shadows which threaten the King's safety." "Investigate everywhere and by any means, in order to foil this plot." " Is that true?" " There really is a plot." "You are aware of parliament's war against the King?" "They say, behind the scenes, this is to force the King to reunite the Estates-General." "We are sailing into troubled waters..." "This man is robust with a heavy complexion." "The preliminary examination did not reveal any lesions or suspicious marks." "Allow me, however, to moderate my approval of your proposition." "There is a strange, necrotic wound on the right hand." "It could be an unattended graze, a minor laceration, some swelling with a slight effusion..." "I'd say this body has lived a life of hard graft." "You are undoubtedly right." "However, let us note the facts." "He didn't die from suffocation, but the face shows signs of a violent asphyxiation." "Actually, it would be fanciful to determine the exact causes, and as a consequence, to confirm or deny whether this was a murder." "It's an almost impossible effort, I regret to say." "Almost impossible?" "Define "almost"." "The heart and blood vessels are damaged, the lungs show there was a sudden event which caused the asphyxia, which stopped the heart, or both things could have happened." "The cause of this, alas, eludes us." "Could it be poison?" "Nothing in the stomach seems to indicate this." "What right does this copper have to say who comes and goes?" "That goes for both me and my Lady!" "Take us to her, your feigned anger is unbecoming." "You!" "I know you often visit Mr Noblecourt." "Yes..." "Is it true that our master has passed on?" "Take me to your Lady, please." "So, Mourut is dead..." "One cannot begin to imagine the pain you must feel." "If there's one thing I hate more than lies... it's deceit." "Do you deny the effect I'm having on you?" "Not at all, Madam." "That's not the question." "But it is, actually." "I believe you have seen Mr Mourut's body?" "You suspect my own..." "Our union was one of pure indulgence." "Mourut got what he wanted, and so did I." "If he's dead, too bad." "Though, through this outcome, perhaps I also got what I wanted." "Were you already aware... of the status of his will?" "I tried many times to enquire after it." "Alas, just like his notary," "Mr Mourut was always as silent as the grave... with regards to the contents of his will." "Will that be all, Commissioner?" "Not at all." "Did you know..." "Mr Mourut trafficked grain?" "I did not." "I also had no reason to know." "My job was just to work the shop front." "This role for me suited him, as I did it very well." "I can imagine, Madam." "Mr Mourut had three baker's boys." "Two of them were kept in the basement, and the third one, he was allowed to stay in your own home, one Denis Caminet." "How do you justify such..." "I have nothing to justify, sir." "Those were steps taken by my husband." "Perhaps it would be best to pose that question to him... although I imagine he wouldn't be in the mood to talk." "Where is the young Caminet, Madam?" "I have no idea, sir." "Why do you ask?" "Do you miss him?" "You will remain under house arrest." "You are forbidden from coming and going outside of your own home." "Good day." "How the mighty have fallen!" "She had a good thing going, with her fur coats and carriages!" "I sense she's a lively one, Nicolas." "You don't seem to like her." "She's an arrogant wretch." "The way she carries on with that apprentice..." "The apprentice?" "Caminet?" "Yes." "Nothing seems to get by you in this house." "I know more secrets than a dog in a brothel!" "But to get me to talk," "I need a big, juicy bone." "What do you want to know that's worth so much?" "What kind of man was your master?" "He worked hard to make himself poor, he had a knack for increasing his debts and was ferocious in recovering in assets." "And the two baker's boys?" "Tongues wag about those two, some complain about them, others revile them." "People gossip about them, and deplore their camaraderie." "The oldest is too attentive of the younger one." "It wouldn't take much, a few words or a denouncement, then they'd be in trouble." "And you, have you ever..." "Denounced them?" "No, sir." "Visit them yourselves, in the hole that serves as their cell." "Undoubtedly, you will think as I do, if there's a shred of humanity in you." "I beseech you, Commissioner," "Alain and I aren't what they say we are!" "Well, even if you were..." "Is this where your master lodged you?" "What can you tell me about the death of your master?" "Saturday night, he came back..." "Okay..." "We heard the lock being opened... then after that, the door was closed." "And then, the sound of horses and a carriage leaving." "It was like a horse-drawn hearse." "How old are you, my boy?" "Nearly 14 years old, sir." "Have them taken to Châtelet..." "Wait!" "Wait!" "Please!" "Take me, but leave my friend." "Take it." " It's all we have." " Are you joking!" "You have nothing to fear from me, as long as you tell the truth." "The truth..." "This is unjust!" " I'll see you later." " Yes, sir." "Turn around slowly, Monk." "Hurry up!" "Take off your hood." "Slowly, or I'll run you through!" "You wouldn't do anything of the sort, sir." "You're not the kind of animal to kill in cold blood." "So it would seem, sir." "I order you to tell me who you are and who you work for." "I believe I have already told you I have been sworn to secrecy." "Only my master can reveal this to you." "Take me to him." "What right do you have to assign me a shadow?" "Who do you want to protect me from?" "As he neared Versailles, a gang tried to put an end to him." "It was us who put an end to them." " Any idea who the attackers were?" " No, none." "You'd be chatting with Saint Peter if it weren't for the Chevalier's help." "Even his Majesty has no need for bodyguards." "Quite right, Nicolas, quite right." "The Monarch's security preoccupies me first and foremost." "I'm at the Naval Ministry, of course, but nothing involving the King's security is unknown to me." "Following the example of our English friends," "I want to create a squad of Navy gunners, who will fight, at sea or on land, France's enemies." "The main role of this unit, who would be specially trained and equipped, would be to assure the security of the King and those close to him." "I see dark days ahead." "No need for prophecies, the rumours are enough to go by." "And no orders have been given to silence the ringleaders." "The King is in grave danger." "Even you, Commissioner." "Even you are in particular peril." "Behind your back, and against your wishes," "I decided to have you protected." "By this soldier, about whom I know nothing?" "I met Chevalier Lastire during a dinner held by Fleet Admiral François de Berteuil, the Count of Arranet, father to young Aimée of Arranet." "This soldier, as you called him... was recommended to the Naval Ministry, that being me, by your future father-in-law, of sorts." "His Majesty the King is awaiting you at Versailles." "Chevalier, accompany him." "Mr Sartine, let it be known that I am much obliged to you." "I did not note, at the Admiral's dinner, your pipe smoke, nor the constant, repugnant mania you have for scratching your ankle." "Now, the presumptuousness to extend a gloved hand when addressing a minister?" "Sir Chevalier..." "Are you a chevalier in title alone?" "I did not know you had dealings with Admiral Arranet." "If you didn't know, you shouldn't have it held against you." "I fear I had the young lady on my knee well before you did." "She was five years old," "I was a very young officer, deployed to the Count's household by my father." "After her mother died, she took a particular shine to me." "It was I who taught the young lady how to ride a horse." "As it's on the way, what do you say we stop off at Arranet House?" "I say, Quarter-Master, are the winds picking up?" "A mill was raided on this land, the miller was brutalised." "Gangs roam the countryside." "The Count is away, visiting the ports of Brittany." "As she's alone, the Lady wishes to move to her Saumur house." "Where is she?" "I want to see her right now." "Where?" "In her room!" "Miss!" "The little Marquis..." "If you're not here to make amends, your presence here is not required." "Now is not the time for tall tales, they say you're going to Saumur!" "Bloody hell!" "You too, my old friend!" "The man you've become pleases me greatly." "You know you're always welcome here." "That's enough, Madam." "Two men." "Two men who both long for you." "One with ardour and experience... the other with impetuousness and force." "Should I be fulfilled as well as delighted?" "I will not allow you to travel the countryside with so few men." "And by what right?" "By right of loving you." "If you love me, why don't you accompany me?" "You and Chevalier Lastire?" "Between you two, what would I have to fear?" "I can't, his Majesty sent for me at Versailles." "Well, if his Majesty sent for you..." "And you, Lastire?" "Who has sent for you?" "Escort her, Chevalier." "You're of no use to me, you just have to... make sure your master doesn't find out." "Upon reflection, this doesn't seem to be a contradiction of my duties." "I have bad news, Marquis." "The gangs have blocked off the roads leading to Versailles." "They have sticks and stones for weapons, some even have a few nasty-looking muskets." "You won't get through, unless you want to run a terrible risk." "See, when you have nothing, only bread will save you." "Otherwise, you die, or it's the poorhouse." "It mustn't go up in price." "Two sous per pound is already too much." "And for that price, you only get brown bread mixed with bran." "In Paris, that's not enough to eat your fill." "It takes sweat, toil and suffering to earn this bad bread which gives us no sustenance." "If they rip out our throats..." "And you, friend, what do you do?" "I work for a printer's." "They want to poison us!" "They want to poison us!" "They've poisoned the bread!" "See how they want to poison us!" "Look at this mouldy bread!" "Look at it!" "Come closer and take a look!" "Look at this bread that they sell for two sous!" "They starve and poison us!" "Look at this bread!" "Look at the mould!" "They mean to starve us!" "They want to poison us!" "Look at this!" "Look at it!" "They want to poison us!" "Look..." "Catch him!" "Catch him!" "He's a spy!" "Catch him!" "Catch him!" "Catch him!" "Quick!" "Take me swiftly to the King!" " Dressed like that?" " Quickly, I say!" " Do you think that wise?" " Quickly!" "Enough." "Follow me." "Well, Marquis..." "Your speed does you justice." "What news do you bring from the capital?" "They want to make the people think they're being poisoned." "This bread, it isn't mouldy." "It is merely coated with greasy, green paint." "Those who spread this news do not belong to the popular order." "Is this some kind of plot?" "That is certain, your Majesty." "Somebody in the kingdom has taken an interest in reviving that damn Famine Pact." "Last night, the Captain of the Guard, the Prince of Beauvau, committed a blunder, which must quickly be corrected." "When pressed, he announced bread prices had gone up by two sous per pound." "This approach is silly, I agree." "but Beauvau told me there was no middle ground between fixing bread at the prices they're asking for, and using the bayonets." "However, for me, it is a question of restoring civil peace with explicit orders for my soldiers not to use their guns." "Does this damsel appear to your liking, Chevalier?" "Quite so, Miss." "Quite so." "And the little Marquis..." "The young Marquis... it matters little if I reject him." "He is a stubborn breed, he'll soon return with his tail between his legs." "Stop!" "Let go of me!" "Let me go!" "Get off me!" "Carry on, Chevalier, and I'll slit your throat." "You may have won the battle, Miss... but know this, you will not win the war!" "Ah, Nicolas..." "Rabouine and Semacgus await us at "The Mother Morel", where they are serving beef marrow with mashed chard, with profiteroles and candied prunes for dessert." " What do you think?" " That's perfect." "Where did you get this from?" "From Versailles, from where I have returned." " Do you know anything about it?" " Quite a bit." "I can even tell you where it comes from." "Rabouine saw them loading an entire cartful of the stuff." "You'll want him to tell you the location himself." "Come." "Go ahead, I'll catch up to you." "From inside a church, you say?" "In the fiefdom of Prince Conti?" "Conti's fiefdom, that's right." "Two full cartloads." "A roll of bread dropped out, his men hid it away in a hurry." "Conti is a nasty fellow who can only be kept at bay, as he can't be eliminated." "Come, you're exaggerating!" "It is a fact that the Prince, like many of his peers, attracts little compassion!" "They might be doing it to supress the people!" "The people?" "The ones complaining outside, and rightly so!" "That's enough!" "Tell him about your finding." "Oh, yes..." "Glass, Nicolas." "Small, like Bohemia crystal." "It's some sort of vial, I found bits in the necrotic wound, on the baker's right-hand palm." "Remarkable, isn't it?" " A bit green, but still..." " So what is it?" "They inoculated Mourut with some nasty venom." "Inoculated?" "How did they do that?" "Like that." "The Borgia would wear thick gloves armed with poisoned blades." "The slightest bit of pressure would have sufficed." "So we're dealing with a murder?" "Beyond any doubt, my friend." "Wait, sit down." "Be diligent, my happiness depends on this." "Your happiness, Nicolas?" "Yes." "If Lady Arranet accepts... you'll all be my best men!" "She'll be the Marchioness of Ranreuil!" "Nicolas!" "Go, quickly!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "Why?" "It's no use screaming, Miss." " Nobody can hear you." " But why?" "Have you lost your mind?" "That's enough!" "You'll end your days here... in this storehouse, where nobody would think to look for you." "Forgotten by everybody... your remains will be devoured by the rats." "That's it, sir." "Off you go." "Go back home." "I do not understand your reluctance, and I do not share it." "Oh, it's you, Commissioner!" "My Lady will be delighted!" "And you too, Inspector." "Oh, no, I'm a married man, my place remains outside." "You may as well be blind!" "I may as well just wait outside." "Well..." "La Gourdan?" "Rue des Deux Ponts Saint Sauveur?" "You're asking me if I know her?" "That harlot!" "That infamous sow!" "That snake, whom I once held so dearly?" "That vulture!" "That marauder runs an usury office, she sells at 100% loss for the seller." "She poaches married woman from their husbands and offers them young stallions more suited to sate their appetites!" "She traffics virgins and orphans!" "You seem to hold her in low esteem." "It gets worse." "There's a girl I trained, she told me all about her place." "La Gourdan also plays at politics." "Politics?" "Her house is a meeting place." "Gallant encounters?" "No, not at all, blockhead!" "People come here for gallant encounters, within these walls." "Traders, financial clerks, high-flying merchants, those people who we hold to account nowadays, who sell grain and flour." "Those beggars in new clothes who monopolise and stockpile goods." "Go on, you're interesting me." "As are you!" "Their last meeting took place two nights ago." " Saturday evening?" " Yes." "People think they have orgies, but no." "They discuss their trafficking." "La Gourdan's house is full of secrets." "They secretly enter the house through the door reserved for rowdy priests." "I'm about to take a wife, my friend." "I've heard better excuses..." "What does it matter?" "I'm not jealous." "Here's some advice." "Ask for Inspector Marais, he investigates the whorehouses." "He has a long memory, my friend, a very long one!" "Have you received any information on this Inspector Marais?" "Yes, Nicolas." "When La Gourdan's name turned up, I met up with some old friends, one of Rabouine's girls..." "Avenante?" "We have one of the letters from Marais to La Gourdan." ""Their goose is cooked", if you'll pardon the expression." "I do know La Gourdan, yes." "She has people call her "Duchess" for some reason." "Her house is no better nor worse than any of the others." "Your grievances against her seem to be, in my opinion... greatly exaggerated." "So, to the best of your knowledge, you deny them?" "These are trifling matters." "There's no point shaking up the daily routine." "And, this... you wrote this yourself." "It warns her that you had dirt against her." "It indicates the time and place of a meeting, during which she would pay for your silence with 25 Louis gold coins." "I know who you are, Commissioner." "I know you work for Sartine... and that you meet with the young King, as you did with the last one." "I want neither to insult your talents nor look down upon your manner, however..." "Quite often, at La Gourdan's house, and not always via the priest's door, people of high standing frequent this place... among which include the Dukes of Chartes and Lauzun, a certain Count of Saint-Florentin," "and his Excellency Prince Conti." "There, they debate important issues, like resources, as well as government matters, and the state of the kingdom." "You can take me in for questioning or swear me to secrecy, though the secret, as we know, shouldn't be taken lightly." "Investigate La Gourdan as you please," "I strongly doubt they'll let you snoop for long, and nor will your petty exploits protect you from a fate that is as prompt as it is disgraceful." " Marais feels he's protected." " He is, don't doubt that." "This couldn't be more annoying." "I don't care." " Arrest him." " Now?" "Now." "So, you say Inspector Marais is in jail?" "Don't you want to know the reason?" "I'm in no doubt that there are many reasons." "Doesn't Inspector Marais live the high life through random?" "As do you, for that matter." "Quite right." "You don't run a house like mine without taking some money." "Money, Commissioner." "Money turns into more money, and the rest is but an act." "What can you tell me about a certain Mr Mourut?" "A master baker by trade." "He didn't come here regularly." "Saturday night, he came here dressed like a lord, in the Sunday best of a rich bourgeois." "He had a ticket on him, on it was the name "Eulalie"." "There is no Eulalie here." "Saturday was Saint Eulalie's Day." "We wanted to suggest a date, not a person." "So, with whom did he have a meeting?" "I don't know." "And even if I did know," "I'd prefer jail over the torment that would befall me if I obliged you in any way." "Help!" "Help!" "Do you hold Marais in such high regard that you want to join him in Châtelet?" "It's well known that at the time of the notorious Famine Pact, he had a bone to pick with one of his companions, a man named Hénéfiance... a master baker, who lived on rue du Poirier." " Good day." " Good day." "This is a quiet street." "There's nothing to be gained from poor rue du Poirier." "Have you been set up here for long?" "Since I returned from the siege of Prague, with Mr Chevert." "A great man, and a great soldier." "My father knew him well in his youth." "The other boot..." "I owe him his savings, with which I was able to open this shop." "I live, sleep and work here." "Rue Montmartre, third house after the cul-de-sac." "Ask for Catherine, from Nicolas." "There will always be soup, bread and meat for you." "It's not every day old soldiers get to chat!" "Would you happen to know a man named Hénéfiance around here?" "He's a grain merchant." "That nasty tale goes back a while." "Hénéfiance Senior was a very rich man, who was portrayed as one of those leeches who sucks the blood of the people and traffics grain with unscrupulous folk." "Do you doubt he was such a leech?" "I have no idea, sir." "One day, proof arrived in large quantities, and with the judges, they took all he had." "Hénéfiance Senior died in prison." "They say he was treated very poorly." "And the son was sent to the galleys, and was taken in shackles to Brest." "Son?" "What son?" "Oh, he was a most handsome and most courteous young man, who his father cherished dearly, and whom he also cherished." "Rumour was he got away on the galleys at Brest." "But nobody gets away on the galleys at Brest." "Since then, the bakery has been abandoned." "Nothing stirs within." "Where is this bakery?" "Bit further on, behind the ruins of the old wall." "You can't miss it." "On the front, you can still read "The Cèrés Arms"." "Is somebody there?" "Is somebody there?" "Now cabbage grows there, you say?" "It's not in season, so it's an expensive legume." "Chicks and cabbages..." "And a panelled room, fitted with a fireplace, but a brazier was there, which was used not long before." "It was empty and seemed abandoned, and it overlooked two streets." "Chicks and cabbage!" "While you were frolicking in gardens and backyards," "I was consulting the police archives." "I have two leads which will greatly surprise you." "First, everything concerning the Hénéfiance affair has been removed from the dossiers." "I only found a very tenuous link in the father's death certificate and the son's conviction notice." "The effects, without the causes." "This kind of thing, alas, is not uncommon in state affairs." "Yes..." "Both documents were signed by the same person, one Police Lieutenant-General Antoine de Sartine." "Secondly..." "Mr Denis Caminet, the supposed apprentice baker's boy at the Mourut bakery, is in fact the sole and principal inheritor, given that he is Mr Mourut's biological son." "Mourut's son?" "What are you saying?" "A notarial act proves this." " You didn't know?" " I did not!" "Don't believe me if you want." "That dandy, as you call him, undoubtedly didn't know either." "Had he known, would that have stayed his hand?" "What do you know about your husband's death, that you have neglected to tell me?" "Nothing." "There's a high price to pay for patricide." "That goes for complicity too." "Caminet had, on numerous occasions, wished for his master's death." "He hasn't been seen since." "I owe you part of the truth, Commissioner." "Is that all?" "Mr Mourut didn't not frequent La Gourdan at all." "It was I who would go there." "Caminet often took me there for parties with rich merchants." "On the night in question, we met him there." "Did you put a price on your charms?" "Not at all, sir." "My husband didn't neglect to give me money." "I did it out of appetite... because I wanted to feel something." "This, in your eyes, can't be much better." "What do you know?" "What happened?" "We were all very thirsty." "Caminet went downstairs to fetch some refreshments." "He came back upstairs, trembling, as white as a sheet." "He had just crossed a man in his Sunday best, whom he thought was his master." "He feared that upon his return, he would recognise him." "And then?" "We both fled out of the priest's door." "I returned home immediately, whereas Caminet went back." "Went back where?" "How should I know?" "To La Gourdan, undoubtedly." "He wanted to make sure he wasn't mistaken." "In any event, he didn't come back." "Now I've told you this in good faith, are you likely to let me off, Commissioner?" "I don't know, Madam." "I don't know." "The little commissioner is stirring things up." "He might end up causing us trouble." "He's reputed to have the flair of a spaniel, the swiftness of a greyhound and the stubbornness of a mastiff." "This chap is dangerous." "Well, Chevalier, what say you?" "Eliminating him presents no difficulty." " But there's no rush." " No rush?" "Is that for you to decide?" "You seem to be a poor strategist." "Your last flight of fancy cost us several men." "Since when did you care about the men, your Excellency?" "They say you're most wasteful, on the battlefield." "I needed that ambush for Sartine to trust me fully." "What does Sartine matter?" "I need Le Floch to die!" "Stop doing that!" "What vileness afflicts you?" "It would most likely sicken us!" "From what whorehouse did you pick up this chevalier?" "You need me more than I need you, Conti." "As for the Marquis, right now, he is more useful alive than dead." "I have come to doubt your loyalty to me." "Doubt away, Prince, as you like." "Don't they say that doubt often shows a man's intelligence?" "For me, all that matters is Turgot's downfall." "His activism threatens parliament." "But what about you, Mr Lastire?" "What designs are you chasing?" " What strange compulsion..." " Please... your Excellency..." "Checkmate." "Mourut's wife is most strange." "Do you believe her to be guilty of anything?" "Guilty, I don't know, but complicit, perhaps." "However, I did make her drop her guard, hoping she would lead me to her dandy." "Well, Nicolas, our friend Bourdeau told me you were getting into farming!" "Chicks and cabbage!" "Yes!" "The chicks were so tiny!" "I found this in the process." "Take a look." "It was on the ground." "Where did you find this?" "In an old grain storehouse, rue du Poirier." "Once home to one Hénéfiance." "Hénéfiance, you say?" "Yes, Hénéfiance." "Does the name ring any bells?" "That is a chapter of my life I do not wish to return to." "Hénéfiance was no better than his companions, but he was also far from the worst." "Like now, people spoke of the Famine Pact, and the masses were stirring." "It was in order, we believed, to save the former King." "Somebody had to pay for all this." "When he was denounced," "Hénéfiance was viewed as a conspirator." "Who denounced him?" "Mr Mourut, who was already out on bail." "I had no reason to doubt him or his righteousness." "Was this revenge, then?" "I thought the little guy was still sleeping, since he hadn't touched his food at all." "Then, I saw the blood." "Your witness is fine, Nicolas." "although very weak." "Did he try to kill himself?" "No." "But there is some surprising news." "Your baker's boy, what was his name?" "Friope, Alain Friope." "Well, Alain, your baker's boy, is not a boy, but a girl, and a strong one at that." "She's had a miscarriage, from which I hope she'll recover, despite the blood loss." "Bring towels and clean water!" "Well then, what else are you hiding?" "It was Caminet... he found out what Friope really was." "He threatened us." "Either he'd tell on her and get us kicked out... or..." "Or?" "Or, she'd have to give herself to him." "Last Saturday... he gave us a deadline to make our decision." "So I followed him, after he had done accompanying the master's wife." "And what did you see?" "The master was leaving a house when Caminet arrived." "Then a violent dispute broke out." "The master wanted to take him away... but during the squabble..." "Caminet fell over." "His head hit a bollard." "I didn't see him get up." "And then?" "Then, the master stood with his head in his hands, and another man came out of the house." "Would you recognise this man?" "It was dark." "If you're lying, boy..." "Any guard reports?" "The guards found a man who was as dead as he was naked, near Pont Sainte Marie." "This man was around 20 years old, more certainly bourgeois than a man for hire." "Come now, my boy." "Is this him?" "Denis Caminet?" " Are you sure?" " It's him." "Nicolas, your baker's girl will live." "Now, from the cells of Venus, I'm off to "The Cèrés Arms"." "The Lady isn't there." "Who isn't where?" "The Countess didn't get to Saumur." "I went back to Versailles, a man who seemed to watch the grounds told me she hadn't been there either, not since she was sent there by your orders with some chevalier." " Lastire?" " Lastire, yes." "Find her for me." "Move Heaven and Earth!" "Find her for me!" "Sir!" "Have you lost your mind, Commissioner?" "I will hold you personally responsible if anything happens to the Countess of Arranet!" "And how does this concern me?" "As a riot was starting up, I trusted her to your man Lastire!" "What!" "That wasn't his job!" "It doesn't matter!" "He's gone!" "And the Countess didn't arrive at her destination!" "What do you know of him?" "He performed admirably at the siege of Pondichéry, and the father of your countess personally recommended him to me!" "Nothing more than that?" "Nothing more than what interests me." "May I consult your ministry archives?" "Would forbidding you stop you from doing so?" "Certainly not, sir." "I'm looking for Chevalier Lastire, a Navy gunner who took part in the siege of Pondichéry." "How strange, not long ago, another man made the same enquiry." "What was that man's name?" "Arnaud Pierre de Cérès." "Arnaud Pierre de Cérès?" "What did he want?" "He was looking for his cousin, Lastire." "I don't know what he found, but there's a missing page." "However, we do have something." "The crew roster, archived in another book, where all changes were noted." " Pondichéry, you say?" " Yes, Pondichéry, Lastire." "Chevalier Lastire..." "Chevalier Lastire!" "Commander André Blanchard, commander of the schooner Ulysse, reports the burial at sea of the body of Chevalier Antoine Lucien de Lastire, officer of the King's Navy." "Died after being suddenly hit with a violent, unforeseeable apoplexy." "And one Arnaud Pierre de Cérès was also a crew member." "Would you describe the man who came here?" "A big, handsome man, tanned with sombre eyes." "He had a stiff tone, like any officer." "A thousand pardons, sir," "I failed in finding the girl." "Lastire is not Lastire." "Hénéfiance and Lastire are one and the same." "That's why Lastire remains elusive!" "This explains nothing, especially not that." "You!" "Keep looking!" "Go!" "Tell me, Nicolas." "Hénéfiance escaped the galleys, then he joined the Navy under the name Arnaud Pierre de Cèrés." "Then... he stole the identity of one Chevalier Lastire." "The young Lastire, in his youth, served the Admiral of Arranet." "The fake had no problem getting close to him... and his daughter..." "To what end?" "I don't know." "Commissioner?" "Mr Le Noir wishes to see you right away." "Disgraced, my friend." "A large police operation took place without my knowledge." "A vast operation which attacked the people, and not the monopolists." "Men died." "The Monarchy also suffered its own losses." "Now, I've received a message from the King, letting me know that his Majesty will accept my resignation." "This must be the vengeful hand of Turgot." "He triumphs, I'm sent packing." "What does it matter?" "One disgrace follows another." "My successor hasn't yet been named, the interim will be overseen by Sartine." "I tried to carry out my duties in all fairness, with firmness, and, dare I say, with the humanity that the rays of reason allow, and the provisions of a free and moral spirit." "By way of recognition... here's an important clue which is lacking from your current investigation." "The Provost-Marshal of Beaumont." "So widespread was his venom towards the King and his peers, they locked him up for it." "This letter will open the doors, go and question him." "Seven years, sir." "For seven years, I have been imprisoned, in secret." "Subjected to the worse torments..." "This is my kingdom, sir." "Consider, the monstrous abuse of an arrest without cause." "The reason must have been compelling, sir." "The Famine Pact." "It revolved around giving control of grain provisions to four millionaires." "To them, methodically setting up shortages, constant high prices, and during the years of poor harvests, widespread famine throughout the entire kingdom!" "To what end, may I ask?" "In order to raise the prices... by cornering the market on an exclusive monopoly of grain and flour!" "The King found this to his advantage, as did his mistress, Pompadour!" "And where, in all this... does one Hénéfiance fit in?" "Although he was in on the whole thing, they say he still had some scruples... or maybe his cut just wasn't big enough!" "He went and told the whole story to the Police Lieutenant-General at the time, who immediately had him imprisoned!" "What Police Lieutenant-General?" "The infamous, the abominable," "Antoine de Sartine!" "He continued to hate him!" "Him and his progeny!" "The monster who had planned his downfall, as well as my own!" "Why?" "Because it was him!" "Sartine was the Pact!" "Sartine was the Pact!" "Sartine!" "Sartine!" "Sartine!" "By using fine plaster and a damp cloth to pick it up," "I recovered this sinuous print from the chick pen." "Which is found here on the plans of Hénéfiance's old bakery!" "Let's add to that, this skin, which was lifted from the ground." "There..." "And to finish, thanks to Mr Linné's research, your killer is a cold-blooded animal." "However, I couldn't find the animal itself." "Quick!" "We need to get to Sartine!" " Sorry?" " Hénéfiance is after Sartine!" "Quick!" "Protect him whatever he tells you!" "I've your killer, Nicolas." "Quite a large mamba, with a deadly, venomous bite." "Your baker must have perished in agony." "Nicolas!" "Just one bite, and you're dead!" "Damn!" "My Lady!" "You're safe now..." "Don't shoot, Bourdeau!" "I forbid you to shoot!" "Listen to him, Bourdeau." "Let us leave." "Mr Le Floch..." "I fear we've come to an impasse." "You have your gun pointed at me," "I have mine pointed at your master." "So that this doesn't drag on, I suggest you let me leave." "I have a secret weapon to use against you." "You did have one, but now you'll pay for it," "Hénéfiance!" "The Countess of Arranet is safe." "What do you mean, Hénéfiance?" "I don't understand!" "I'm Hénéfiance Junior, Mr Sartine." "Revenge, is there any more ruthless form of justice?" "The baker, Mourut, who said he was good friends with my father, he was the first to pay." "It's your turn now." "I'm going to send you to hell, far from here, far from these gentlemen." " Drop your weapons." " Could you not squeeze so hard..." "Drop your weapons!" "Not so hard, please!" "Not on the table!" "There!" "Further away!" "Further away!" "Kill him." "Kill him!" "Now!" "Nicolas!" "Nicolas, it's over." "It's over, Nicolas!" "You wanted to get me killed, Nicolas?" "You're going to die anyway!" "I'd like to add that even without the Minister's unwillingness," "I was going to protect him without your help, Nicolas." "I could not have overcome Lastire without you, Bourdeau." "Search him!" "Those marks were caused by shackles!" "So that was the cause of his incessant scratching!" "One last thing, sir." "And you owe me an answer!" "What is the truth behind this shameful Famine Pact?" "In his generosity, and for the greater good, the late King tried to regulate grain, prevent speculation, and build up reserves to safeguard against shortages and famines." "In short, to act as a good father to the people!" "I see nothing shameful in that." "The shame did not emanate from him, but from those whom he delegated to organise this arrangement." "Without noticing... he gave, to those richest in the kingdom, the very tools to plan his execution." "It was, to put it one way, like giving the foxes the keys to the henhouse." "This was a well-known fact." "Some seized this opportunity mount a conspiracy against the King and accuse him of speculating on grain... in order to pay off his mistress' debts." "Though it was all lies... the insatiable ingenuity of those gossip-mongers came up with the devastating name of the "Famine Pact"." "Tempers soon reached fever-pitch." "And what was your role in the Hénéfiance affair?" "The truth, if you please." "The truth?" "Which one?" "Who should I believe?" "You or Marshal Beaumont?" "Beaumont is a just man." "His only mistake was being mistaken." "The country needed defending." "The state need defending!" "The King needed defending!" "I did that, and I regret nothing!" "The rest... the truth..." "Don't you know, Commissioner... that the truth is both flexible and ever-changing?" "My love..." "Your prose, though a little stiff... it warms my heart." "You can really see the influence of your Jesuit education... as well as a few flurries of style favoured by law clerks..." "That's a bit harsh!" "It's not that there aren't any good bits here and there... it's this one bit, which is very moving, where you ask me to be your wife." "I love you, you love me, isn't that natural?" "It is, Nicolas." "Of course it's natural." "Do you remember what the late Queen always used to say?" "Marriage is all about having sex, being fat and giving birth!" "I owe you my, so-far, short life." "Do you really want to claim it already?" "My lover, as long as you want it, and for much longer than that, if needs be." "Married!" "Let's just wait until we're very old!" "SUBTITLES:" "RED BEE MEDIA FRANCE"