said yourself, only a few of the creatures remain. What if this is the only one you ever have to study?”
“It would be a shame. Still, the world holds many unknown creatures.” Yves directed the lackeys in packing ice around the specimen.
“In two or three days, the dissection might proceed,” Count Lucien said offhand.
“Not today?” Marie-Josèphe asked.
“I cannot see how that is possible. Today, His Majesty welcomes your Holy Father.”
Yves nodded, agreeing with Count Lucien. “I must attend His Holiness. The sea monster will have to wait.”
The lackeys covered the ice with a thick layer of sawdust.
“Tomorrow, then?” Marie-Josèphe asked.
Count Lucien laughed. “I assure you, His Majesty will be occupied from morning till after midnight. Ceremonies, entertainments, the luncheon in his Menagerie. Planning Pope Innocent’s crusade against heretical shopkeepers. His Majesty expects to conduct his regular council meeting, and he must practice for Carrousel.”
“Must His Majesty observe?” Marie-Josèphe asked.
“His Majesty wishes to observe,” Count Lucien said, settling her question.
“But if he’s so busy, would he even notice if Yves —”
“Your brother will gain precious little knowledge,” Count Lucien said dryly,
“locked in the Bastille.”
“Marie-Josèphe,” Yves said, “I have no intention of opposing His Majesty’s wishes.”
“Count Lucien,” Marie-Josèphe said, “do you explain to His Majesty. My brother’s work preserves the glory of capturing the sea monsters. His Majesty’s glory!”
“You expect too much of me, Mlle de la Croix. It might be best,” Count Lucien said, with some impatience, “to continue after Carrousel, when the live sea monster will no longer scream.”
“By then, nothing will be left but the sea monster’s bones, and the vermin its flesh generates!”
“Regrettable,” Count Lucien said.
“Forgive my sister, please, M. de Chrétien,” Yves said. “She understands little of ceremony.”
Embarrassed, Marie-Josèphe fell silent. The lackeys swept up the wet, slushy pulp around the dissection table. Their brooms scratched softly against the planks.
“Is your understanding any better, sir?” Count Lucien asked. “You disappointed His Majesty when you missed his awakening. I advise you not to disappoint him again.
He expects you at Appartement, for his entertainments, this evening. Don’t throw away these honors.”
Marie-Josèphe jumped to her feet. “I can’t allow His Majesty to think that was my brother’s fault!” she cried.
The sea monster echoed her exclamation.
“Hush, Marie-Josèphe,” Yves said. “No need to involve M. de Chrétien. His Majesty forgave me —”
“For my error!” The sea monster whistled, as if to emphasize Marie-Josèphe’s mistake.
“What does it matter? All’s well.”
Count Lucien considered, his brow furrowed for a moment. “M. de la Croix has the right of it,” he said to Marie-Josèphe. “His Majesty need not be troubled twice to forgive a single transgression. I must caution you against another lapse.”
Count Lucien bowed to Yves, to Marie-Josèphe, and took his leave. He leaned on his walking stick heavily, after the long hours of inactivity. Though the sides of the tent remained open, he departed through the entrance, and the musketeers held the curtains aside. Outside, his Arabian bowed. He clambered into the saddle and galloped away.
When he was out of earshot, Marie-Josèphe said, “I’m so sorry, I’ve made such a dreadful tangle of today — of your triumph.”
“Truly,” Yves said, “it’s forgotten.”
She gave him a quick, grateful hug.
“Go feed the creature — hurry. And bid it be silent!”
Marie-Josèphe entered the sea monster’s cage and captured a fish. It twisted in the net, weak and nearly dead.
“Sea monster! Dinner! Fish!” She swept the net through the water. Her fingers dipped beneath the surface, into the low vibration of
“It would be a shame. Still, the world holds many unknown creatures.” Yves directed the lackeys in packing ice around the specimen.
“In two or three days, the dissection might proceed,” Count Lucien said offhand.
“Not today?” Marie-Josèphe asked.
“I cannot see how that is possible. Today, His Majesty welcomes your Holy Father.”
Yves nodded, agreeing with Count Lucien. “I must attend His Holiness. The sea monster will have to wait.”
The lackeys covered the ice with a thick layer of sawdust.
“Tomorrow, then?” Marie-Josèphe asked.
Count Lucien laughed. “I assure you, His Majesty will be occupied from morning till after midnight. Ceremonies, entertainments, the luncheon in his Menagerie. Planning Pope Innocent’s crusade against heretical shopkeepers. His Majesty expects to conduct his regular council meeting, and he must practice for Carrousel.”
“Must His Majesty observe?” Marie-Josèphe asked.
“His Majesty wishes to observe,” Count Lucien said, settling her question.
“But if he’s so busy, would he even notice if Yves —”
“Your brother will gain precious little knowledge,” Count Lucien said dryly,
“locked in the Bastille.”
“Marie-Josèphe,” Yves said, “I have no intention of opposing His Majesty’s wishes.”
“Count Lucien,” Marie-Josèphe said, “do you explain to His Majesty. My brother’s work preserves the glory of capturing the sea monsters. His Majesty’s glory!”
“You expect too much of me, Mlle de la Croix. It might be best,” Count Lucien said, with some impatience, “to continue after Carrousel, when the live sea monster will no longer scream.”
“By then, nothing will be left but the sea monster’s bones, and the vermin its flesh generates!”
“Regrettable,” Count Lucien said.
“Forgive my sister, please, M. de Chrétien,” Yves said. “She understands little of ceremony.”
Embarrassed, Marie-Josèphe fell silent. The lackeys swept up the wet, slushy pulp around the dissection table. Their brooms scratched softly against the planks.
“Is your understanding any better, sir?” Count Lucien asked. “You disappointed His Majesty when you missed his awakening. I advise you not to disappoint him again.
He expects you at Appartement, for his entertainments, this evening. Don’t throw away these honors.”
Marie-Josèphe jumped to her feet. “I can’t allow His Majesty to think that was my brother’s fault!” she cried.
The sea monster echoed her exclamation.
“Hush, Marie-Josèphe,” Yves said. “No need to involve M. de Chrétien. His Majesty forgave me —”
“For my error!” The sea monster whistled, as if to emphasize Marie-Josèphe’s mistake.
“What does it matter? All’s well.”
Count Lucien considered, his brow furrowed for a moment. “M. de la Croix has the right of it,” he said to Marie-Josèphe. “His Majesty need not be troubled twice to forgive a single transgression. I must caution you against another lapse.”
Count Lucien bowed to Yves, to Marie-Josèphe, and took his leave. He leaned on his walking stick heavily, after the long hours of inactivity. Though the sides of the tent remained open, he departed through the entrance, and the musketeers held the curtains aside. Outside, his Arabian bowed. He clambered into the saddle and galloped away.
When he was out of earshot, Marie-Josèphe said, “I’m so sorry, I’ve made such a dreadful tangle of today — of your triumph.”
“Truly,” Yves said, “it’s forgotten.”
She gave him a quick, grateful hug.
“Go feed the creature — hurry. And bid it be silent!”
Marie-Josèphe entered the sea monster’s cage and captured a fish. It twisted in the net, weak and nearly dead.
“Sea monster! Dinner! Fish!” She swept the net through the water. Her fingers dipped beneath the surface, into the low vibration of
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