1636: The Cardinal Virtues by Walter H. Hunt, Eric Flint Page B

Anne’s location than he did. I demurred, and I hope that I conveyed the sentiment that if we did know, it was nothing we were prepared to share with him at this time.”
    “Clever.”
    “Thank you, Uncle. I don’t know if I convinced him, but I might have planted a seed of doubt. In any case, I made it clear that regardless of the outcome of this . . . diversion . . . you were not prepared to fade into obscurity, and further, you considered the count-duke a friend and ally.”
    “What was his response?”
    “That he was gratified, but that friends and allies sought mutual objectives as a result of mutual assistance.”
    “A quid pro quo . What does he want?”
    “Oh, a great deal. A very great deal. Were you to ascend the throne, he would want you to publicly disavow Pope Urban; to make peace in Lorraine and remove the threat to Hapsburg troops in the Germanies; to permit free passage of Spanish troops through French territory—”
    “Indeed!”
    “Yes, Sire. And, of course, eradication of heresy in His Most Christian Majesty’s domains—both here and abroad in the plantations. The other . . . requests . . . were merely conversational; but this last one seemed to be of particular moment. There I think he speaks not as the minister, but as the servant of his king.”
    “Let me speculate,” Gaston said. “He wants France to be rid of the Huguenots.”
    “Essentially.”
    “You didn’t commit to anything.”
    “Of course not. But neither did he. Olivares is canny, Uncle—very much like the cardinal. The Spanish face the past, by and large, but I think he stands apart from the rest of the court. He may even have a radio machine.”
    “The Spanish have no radios. They consider them tools of the Devil, and the Ring of Fire a work of Hell. They may even be right in that estimation.”
    The duc de Mercoeur paused for a moment to evaluate his uncle, trying to discern what was meant by the statement.
    “That is their official policy,” he continued. “But the count-duke seemed altogether too well informed. I would not underestimate him. I did not see any up-timers at the court, or in Olivares’ household, but as we have seen, the skill required to operate the machine is modest. In Turin, the up-timer woman was training servants to do so.”
    “All right.” Gaston ran a finger across his moustaches. “The count-duke de Olivares could be a very powerful ally, as I suspected. But we shall have to hold him close, or he could turn on us. My mother said as much.”
    “And how does the queen mother?”
    “She frets about everything, and chafes at being in Florence. She would rather be back in Paris, but knows that it is unlikely to happen, even in the case that a new royal heir is born. I can’t see her returning as long as the cardinal is alive. But even if she could, she would want to take back her old place.
    “My brother the king would never permit it, and if I were king . . . I am not Louis, my Marguerite is much different from Anne, and enough years have passed by. We do agree on one thing: that the cardinal must go. I made no commitments to her other than that.”
    “You know that our family supports you completely in that matter, Gaston.”
    “The House of Vendôme has been made to suffer at his hands, Louis. I am sure your father will relish seeing him fall.”
    “He would be glad to help in any way. So would my brother and I.”
    “I know, my good nephew, and I prize your loyalty. If Richelieu were brought low, one way or another, I could even accept my exile and my brother Louis could reign in peace. I would be content, for France would be delivered from its tyranny. We will also be able to curtail the influence of up-timers—they are no good for France, and they will have to be swept away as well.”
    “Up-timers.”
    “Yes,” Gaston said. “They have stolen France’s glorious future and replaced it with one that does not belong to this world and this century. We can take that back. And