Memoirs of Aramis, Book 7

Memoirs of Aramis, Book 7

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The seventh book of the fan fiction “Memoirs of Aramis” tells about the events that occurred after Aramis kidnapped King Louis the Fourteenth and replaced him with his twin brother Philip, who was previously held in the Bastille.
Aramis, who has already become a general of the Jesuit Order, having decided to place the true King in the Bastille in the place previously occupied by his brother, nevertheless decides not to inform his brother, who has taken his place on the throne, about the true location of the King. By doing so, he hopes to ensure freedom of action and independence for himself in the future. To divert his attention, he receives from Philip, who has not yet been exposed, an order to place a prisoner in the Pignerol castle. With this order, he, accompanied by Porthos, goes to the castle to place another prisoner there named Jean Ers. This man was a fugitive from justice for plotting to kill the King, which earned him the death penalty. For him, hiding in the Bastille or in Pignerol under a false name was a blessing, especially if he was kept there like a marquise, offering exquisite food, the best bed and luxuries that the poor nobleman could not even think of in freedom.
The captain of the royal musketeers, Charles d'Artagnan, guessed about the substitution and freed the King, after which, with the help of the Duchess de Chevreuse, he helped Louis return to his rightful place, and he took the impostor, the King's twin brother, to be placed in the Bastille, having in his hands the King's order to imprisonment in the fortress of a certain marquis with an unknown name. Aramis, not suspecting anything about this, went to Pignerol with Porthos, only to convince the impostor King Philip that the rightful King Louis the Fourteenth, the twin brother of the impostor, would be placed in Pignerol.
The king forgave his brother and did not impose a new punishment on him, exceeding what was determined for him by fate - eternal imprisonment. But he is determined to investigate, find and punish the masked criminals who dared to raise a hand against the King, kidnapping him and placing him in the Bastille, replacing him with his twin brother.
Enjoy reading!

Chapter 265

D'Artagnan took Philippe to the Bastille so that, having presented the Marquis de Bezmo with the King's order, he could order his placement in the place where the King himself had been less than a day earlier, and where Philippe had already lived almost his entire adult life, with the exception of a few days when he occupied this cell. first Jean Ers, and then Louis XIV himself. Philip did not try to resist, realizing the futility of such a rebellion, and also realizing that in dexterity and strength he was decisively inferior to the captain of the royal musketeers, who, without hesitation, would rather kill him than allow his escape.
“You said that perhaps my fate will change,” he said sadly to d’Artagnan before seeing the carriage approaching the Bastille. “But I don’t see any reason for this.”
“Are you a prophet to see in the present the causes and signs of future events?” - asked the captain of the musketeers. - Would, say, I myself could have seen a week ago any reasons for what happened the last two days? I just said that you should not despair, because despair is the second of the worst mortal sins, while the first - murder - has already become habitual for us, soldiers of His Majesty, but we will not be held accountable for this sin, since above all we must be loyal to your King. The very one who was crowned.
“I have already realized how insignificant my rights are in comparison with the rights of the crowned person,” Philip answered with a sigh.
“If something irreparable happened to the crowned person, your rights would become undoubted in my eyes, but not in the eyes of France, which is not aware of your existence,” answered d’Artagnan. “However, take my word for it, it happens that the desire of one brave and purposeful Gascon can have a much greater impact on history than the desire of an entire people in an entire state.” I could tell you something, but out of modesty I will keep silent, and we have already arrived. Another time somewhere in the future somehow another time sometime later.
- Next time? Are you seriously? - Philip asked sarcastically. - Do you think we will meet again?
- Why not, Your Highness? - asked d'Artagnan.
“You must be joking, or do you mean a meeting in the next world?” - Philip continued the argument.
“As for what will happen to me in the next world, I’m not used to thinking about it, and I’m not in a hurry to get there, although the doors to the next world have opened for me more than once, as for every soldier of the King,” answered the captain. “But I was never in a hurry to take advantage of this opportunity, and I didn’t even try to look there with a single eye. I'm not curious, and I'm in no hurry to find out what awaits us behind the gravestone. No, Your Highness, I do not exclude at all that we will meet again in this world. I ask, however, to follow you to your temporary home.
- Temporary?! - Philip exclaimed, looking at the walls of the Bastille.
“As you have already noticed, there seem to be two lights, this one and that one,” d’Artagnan grinned. - I don’t know whether our stay in the next world will be permanent; opinions on this matter differ. But staying in this world can certainly be called temporary. You are alive, you are healthy, you are young, what else do you need? Who knows, maybe the walls of the Bastille will not last forever. But in order for you to get out of here, it will be enough to just unlock the lock. My advice to you, Your Highness, study politics, history, philosophy, ethics, it’s never superfluous. Sometimes people who considered themselves half a step from the throne left this world without ever setting foot on it, while others, who did not even dream of such an opportunity, did not have time to blink an eye before they found themselves on it. There are many examples of this in history. Take, for example, your royal grandfather. Could anyone in the time of Henry II have imagined that this distant relative of his would one day take his throne? On the other hand, your mother, Queen Anne, was supposed to give birth to an heir, and if not for her stupid games with the Duchess de Chevreuse, the pregnancy would have ended, most likely, happily, so that France would have had a completely different person as King, who would now be well over forty years old. Everything is possible in this random world under the Moon, and nothing should be too surprising. Although I still get confused when I can't understand what I think I should understand. But this worry of mine never led to anything good. So this time, perhaps, my ingenuity only worked to my detriment. I like you, Your Highness, but at the moment I cannot advise you anything except to humbly accept your fate, but not to despair.
“I thank you for your advice and I will try to use it,” said Philip.
Then he put on his mask and got out of the carriage, which had already entered the fortress courtyard of the Bastille.
- Order of the King! - D'Artagnan exclaimed, raising the paper above his head.
He was immediately allowed into the office of the Marquis de Bezmeaux, commandant of the Bastille.
“Monsieur General,” said d’Artagnan. “The King orders that the prisoner, called the Marquis of Inconnue, be returned to the same cell where he was held before his release yesterday.
Since Philip looked exactly like the King, and was wearing the same mask, and the order indicated the same mysterious “Marquis of Inconnue,” Bezmo, without asking unnecessary questions, ordered Philip to be escorted to the same cell, which, however, , was a very comfortable dwelling, but had bars on the windows and locked iron doors.

Chapter 266

The next morning, d'Artagnan returned from a trip to the Bastille, after which he only pretended to have slept, that is, he went to his room, freshened up a little, changed his clothes and came out looking as if he had spent the night in his own bed. Passing by the stables, he ordered that his horse be cleaned and ready for a long ride. After that, he looked into the room where the musketeer sergeant was.
- D'Arlencourt, my dear! Twenty men must be ready in forty minutes to head out on a long pursuit. Sergeant, I trust you to form this detachment. “Fed, supplied with camp provisions, gunpowder, bullets and all other camp equipment according to the regulations of military operations ,” ordered the captain of the musketeers.
“It will be done, captain,” the sergeant answered clearly in a military manner.
- And keep in mind, we will be in a hurry! - added d'Artagnan. — Urgent order from the King.
- May I ask, captain? - the sergeant hesitated. — If the order is urgent, why don’t you leave immediately?
“Because this order has not yet arrived,” d’Artagnan smiled. “At the moment I’m not in any hurry with this trip, but in thirty-nine minutes I’ll be in a terrible hurry.” Every musketeer who lags behind me by at least three minutes will be considered a deserter.
After this, d'Artagnan lightly touched the bottom of the brim of his hat with two fingers of his right hand, and the sergeant responded by standing tall and clicking his heels.
Approaching the door of the royal bedroom, d'Artagnan greeted the royal secretary, after which he asked:
“Hubert, my dear, is the King awake yet?” Is he alone?
“His Majesty has summoned M. Fouquet,” answered the footman.
- Already? - D'Artagnan nodded and looked at the wall clock. — How long has he been there, and how long have they been talking?
“Five minutes, Mister Captain,” replied Hubert.
D'Artagnan nodded and sat down on a leather chair, crossing his legs and twirling his right mustache with his left hand. If Athos, Porthos or Aramis had seen him in this pose, they would have noted that d'Artagnan was noticeably nervous, but if Planchet had seen him, he would have said that his former master was preparing for a decisive leap into the dizzying unknown and was considering every move .
Meanwhile, Louis summoned Fouquet, suspecting him of complicity in the conspiracy. He hoped to bring him into the open and find out the names of all the conspirators and their places of residence. However, since everything went unnoticed thanks to d'Artagnan's efforts, the King remained hopeful that apart from the conspirators, d'Artagnan himself and the Duchess de Chevreuse, no one was still aware of what had happened, including the Queen Mother, who knew about Philip's existence , but, most likely, she did not suspect about the conspiracy, about its short-term success and about the reverse effect to restore the rightful monarch to the throne.
“Monsieur Fouquet,” he began, after the usual ceremonies with which Fouquet paid respect to his King. — Spending the night in your castle Vaux-le-Vicomte was unpleasant for me. Can you guess the reason?
“Your Majesty, I’m afraid I didn’t foresee something,” answered the discouraged Fouquet. “I promise you to personally figure out what caused your discontent and roughly punish those responsible.” I would be grateful if I were allowed to know the reasons for your dissatisfaction.
“Either he doesn’t know anything, or he’s cleverly pretending to be,” thought Louis. “Of course, it’s to his advantage to pretend to be ignorant.” But how can I bring it to clean water? After all, don’t tell him everything! What if he is not involved in the conspiracy? I don’t need unnecessary people to know such an important secret!”
“The fact is that my sleep was disturbed by those who should not have made an attempt on my person,” said Louis.
“Were some nasty insects bothering Your Majesty?” - Fouquet exclaimed in horror. “I took all measures against this possibility.” The windows have nets made of the finest fabrics, so that they allow fresh air to pass through, but not a single flying or crawling insect should penetrate through them. Your bedroom has been rebuilt, all bed and bedding components are made from fresh materials, and no one has slept on them before Your Majesty's arrival! There simply should not have been and could not be a single insect in the bedroom. Not even a single ant, although these little creatures will penetrate anywhere. And yet I cannot help but believe Your Majesty, and I will take measures to punish the guilty, and also try to atone for the inconvenience caused to you by these annoying insects. Let me think, what gift could atone for my guilt?
“The best gift for me, Mr. Fouquet, will be that you will present to my judgment as quickly as possible all those who disturbed my sleep!” - Louis answered.
“Do you want me to collect all the insects we can find in your bedroom?” - Fouquet said in surprise.
“We’re not talking about insects at all,” the King said coldly. — Regarding insects, these are your fantasies. I personally did not see a single insect in the bedroom you provided me with for the night.
- Were they really mice? - Fouquet exclaimed in horror.
“This is more like the truth, but take it higher, Mr. Fouquet,” answered the King.
— Are you bothered by rats? - asked Fouquet, who had turned pale with horror.
“Take it higher, Monsieur Fouquet,” the King said with irritation. - Don’t you understand that we are talking about people?
- People bothered you?! - Fouquet exclaimed in even greater horror. “Did someone really dare to disturb your sleep?” And how could they do this? After all, your bedroom was guarded by musketeers! And in the room directly in front of the bedroom your personal secretary spent the night!
“The bedroom provided to me has original architecture, Monsieur Fouquet,” Louis answered sarcastically. - Aren't you aware? Who, after all, was responsible for the architectural work during the construction of the Vaux-le-Vicomte Palace? Aren't you yourself?
“The house was mainly built according to the architects’ designs, I personally checked the drawings and made sure that everything was most convenient for the guests, more so than for the owners,” answered Fouquet, who called his palace with the simple word “house” deliberately, realizing that the King was dissatisfied the fact that the Vaux-le-Vicomte palace surpassed even the Louvre in some respects.
—Who was in charge of the construction? - asked Louis.
“ If we talk about Your Majesty’s bedroom, the construction was supervised by Monsieur d’Herblay, Bishop of Vannes,” said Fouquet, still not understanding why the King was asking about these insignificant circumstances of the case.
“So this bishop of yours is a conspirator, and you will immediately tell me the place where he is probably hiding from just retribution!” - said the King almost impassively, but clearly and loudly.
— Was there an attempt on Your Majesty’s life? - Fouquet said with despair. “In that case, I deserve the most severe punishment if I allowed this to happen while you were visiting me.”
“Two, you allowed this to happen and deserve punishment, but first of all I would like you to help expose and capture the conspirators, of whom there were at least two,” said Louis.
“Either he really doesn’t know anything, or he’s pretending very skillfully,” thought Louis. - But he’s not an idiot, really! If he had been involved in this matter, he would have been abroad long ago! After all, in this case he would have nothing to count on my leniency. He should have already realized that his plot has failed, and nothing good will happen to him!”
“They dared to raise a hand against Your Majesty, what horror!” - exclaimed Fouquet.
“Yes, they dared to attack me, and wanted to treat me extremely disrespectfully, but fortunately, almost immediately the captain of the royal musketeers d’Artagnan looked into my bedroom, who dispersed them, but, unfortunately, he did not realize too quickly, what was happening, so that the conspirators managed to escape through a secret passage. And for this secret passage you will answer me, Mr. Fouquet.
“I am in your power, Your Majesty,” Fouquet replied.
He knelt down and removed from his neck the gold chain that distinguished him as a minister.
“Get off your knees, Mister Fouquet,” ordered the King. “You, apparently, became a victim of deception; you trusted this very bishop and his gang too much.” If this is the case, you will not be punished. You remain my Minister and Superintendent of Finance, but I warn you that the investigation will be conducted impartially, regardless of persons. But this matter is secret. At present, only you, Monsieur d'Artagnan, and the conspirators themselves know about him. If anyone else finds out about him, I will consider you not only a talker, but also a traitor. I forbid you to discuss this matter with anyone, but you are obliged to assist in the speedy capture of the conspirators, whom I believe you know. One of them, undoubtedly, was this same bishop, who for some unknown reason supervised the construction of my bedroom. Is this a proper occupation for a bishop? We'll look into this later. Tell me the name of the second person.
“Did you manage to see the attackers, Your Majesty?” asked Fouquet.
“I didn’t see them! - the King suddenly realized. “They kidnapped me in my sleep!” But Bezmo had to see them, as well as his people! We need to find out from them the signs of criminals!”
“I will provide you with a description of these two people after I can verify your voluntary cooperation with the investigation,” replied the King. - Describe to me those whom you suspect the most. Write their verbal portraits. After this, I will be able to draw final conclusions about how faithfully you serve me, Mr. Fouquet. So, who else besides this bishop of yours do you suspect?
“The Bishop of Vannes has a friend, Baron du Valon,” said Fouquet thoughtfully. “This is a man of extremely athletic build, a whole head taller than anyone else, and his strength is equal to the strength of four or even five people.” It must be said that the thickness of his arm above the elbow is much greater than the thickness of an ordinary person’s leg, and it is all muscles, not a single speck of fat!
—You seem to admire this man? - Louis asked displeasedly.
“I only admired his athletic build and his devoted friendship with the Bishop of Vannes,” Fouquet replied. “I have no doubt that he helped him in this crime, if it is confirmed that M. d'Herblay is involved in it.” But if this is so, I cannot admire state criminals.
“Okay, go, Monsieur Fouquet,” said Louis. “If everything you just said is true, and if you are really not involved in this matter, I order you to forget about it, we will investigate it ourselves.” But nevertheless, carefully study the structure of the bedroom in which I was asked to spend the night, and give me a full report of everything that you find there. This will go into the secret prosecution of the criminals, this same Bishop of Vannes d'Herblay and his athletic friend Baron du Valon. Go. Tell Hubert to find Captain d'Artagnan for me, let him come to me immediately.
Fouquet bowed and left. Seeing d'Artagnan in the reception room, he told him that the King was waiting for him.
“Tell me, Monsieur d’Artagnan, don’t the names of the Bishop of Vannes d’Herblay and his athletic friend Baron du Valon mean anything to you?” - asked Louis.
“These names speak volumes to any Frenchman, Your Majesty,” answered d’Artagnan.
- And it seems they were your friends? - asked Louis.
“Friendship, Your Majesty, knows no past tense,” answered d’Artagnan. “The people whom Your Majesty was pleased to mention were and remain my friends, and they will be so as long as at least one of us lives.”
- So, you are friends with conspirators, state criminals, traitors, scoundrels who raised their hands against their King? - Ludovike asked in a rather calm tone, but sparks seemed to sparkle in his eyes.
 “If they are guilty, their case will be decided by the court, Your Majesty,” answered d’Artagnan. - More precisely, Your Majesty's court. If you consider that they are state criminals, and that my friendship with them is also a state crime, then I am ready to share with them the punishment that Your Majesty determines for them. And I can’t say that this makes me happy, but I don’t think it makes me too sad either. The King's soldier always walks near death, and if I were to die with my friends on the same day, I would consider Fate extremely merciful to me. It is much more honorable and even, I would say, more pleasant - to die with them than to see them executed, and then remain alive to hourly indulge in the grief of losing your best friends.
- Nonsense, Mr. Captain! - Louis objected. “You didn’t betray me.” You are innocent, you are not involved in this crime. I have nothing to punish you for. Friendship with people who have not lived up to it does not in any way cast a shadow on those who have been let down. The sin of Judas does not fall on Christ.
D'Artagnan bowed silently.
“He’s glad that I don’t blame him,” thought Louis. “Now he will serve me even more zealously, in gratitude for the fact that I forgave him for this friendship with the conspirators!”
“If I am now thrown into prison or taken to the scaffold, I will not be able to help my friends,” thought d’Artagnan. “They don’t demand betrayal from me in exchange for freedom.” They just don’t take it away from me. Bye. Well, that's already something! I’ll use it to warn them and possibly save them!”

Chapter 267

When Porthos and I rode towards the fortress of Pignerol, where Jean Herce was supposed to be placed under the guise of an extremely important and secret prisoner, only for Philippe to think that his brother, Louis, was in Pignerol, and not in the Bastille, I thought that the main thing had already been done. In case Philippe rebels, he will not be able to prevent me from having a counterweight to him in the person of Louis, since he does not suspect that I hid him back in the Bastille. While he understands the situation, I can act decisively and quickly. On this side I was on the safe side, and that was enough to get started. I was sorry to waste precious time on a meaningless trip to Pignerol only to hide poor fellow Jean Ers, about whom I no longer cared. He intended to assassinate Louis, I didn’t care. He had already abandoned this idea, this was enough for me, since I put Philip on the throne instead of Louis. So why should I waste time on this overly hot young man, who has already spent time in the Bastille and come to his senses?
“Even the Duke of La Rochefoucauld spent only a week in the Bastille by order of Richelieu, after which the cardinal released him! - I thought. - So is it really possible that some unknown Jean Ers should languish in prison until he rots alive, only for the ridiculous reason that he plotted against the King, whom I dealt with in one fell swoop? He deserved, perhaps, a final slap in the face, or a kick in the ass, and that would be more than enough for him! However, there is no need for him to hang around in France! I’ll send him to Spain!”
- Listen, young man! - I told him. “I thought it was stupid to put you in another prison when you have already had enough time to think and repent.”
“I wouldn’t give up my freedom, but I’m afraid that I will be caught and executed,” the young man answered with excitement.
I thought that I must have gone overboard in threatening him with the death penalty he was supposedly facing. Firstly, the times of the harsh Richelieu have already passed, and secondly, he was just plotting this crime, and even then, probably not seriously! Was it worth wasting time on him, so precious now, when my protege is on the throne, so in need of my advice?
“Listen, buddy, I figured out how to solve your case,” I told him. - Get the hell out of France. It’s better to go to a country that won’t hand you over to the King of France if they suddenly find you there and identify you. For example, to Spain.
- How will I get there? - he asked.
“This is your business, but keep in mind that if you are caught and you tell how you got free, it is better for you not to tell the truth, because it is so incredible that no one will believe you, and your punishment will only get worse,” said I told him. “Here are a hundred pistoles for your journey, and you must promise that you will take the shortest route to the borders of our blessed France, and you will not appear there again under pain of death.”
“A hundred pistoles won’t be enough,” the rogue lied.
“Okay, let it be one hundred and fifty,” I said. “Although I don’t owe you anything, and it’s you who owe me your salvation.” But I'm in a good mood today.
- Thank you, monsignor! - the rogue exclaimed and, jumping out of the carriage, disappeared into the nearest bushes.
- That's how easy it was for us to get rid of him! - I said to Porthos and slammed the carriage door.
“You paid off an unnecessary witness,” Porthos guessed.
“Something like that,” I agreed. “To be honest, I assumed that he would start bargaining, and I even prepared to give him three hundred pistoles, but, to be honest, he doesn’t deserve even twenty.” So, we should now return closer to His Majesty, but just don’t even think about telling him that we have released this unfortunate man.
“So we violated the King’s order and freed the criminal?” - Porthos asked with some concern.
“ Are you concerned about the moral side of the matter or do you doubt receiving the ducal title after this little prank of ours?” - I asked.
“Neither one nor the other,” answered Porthos. — This question interests me purely theoretically. To what extent can you go to disobey your King without losing not only your head or freedom, but also expecting to receive a noble title?
“You yourself have no idea, dear Porthos, how important a philosophical question you have just raised,” I answered. “In any case, I don’t know the answer to it, and it seems to me that the higher this degree of disobedience, the higher the chances of becoming a duke.” Don't you see from the example of all these Dukes of Olean, Guise, Chevreuse and La Rochefoucauld that disobedience to the King is their main occupation? So if you want to become a Duke, you must accept this opportunity for yourself. But please, don’t overdo it. From now on, we will disobey the King only if I first approve this disobedience, or if I myself propose it to you.
- Wasn’t it like that this time? - asked Porthos.
- And this time it was exactly like that! - I answered. “You are not only extremely insightful, dear Porthos, but also very observant!”
- Yes, I am like this! - Porthos agreed and leaned back on the seat with such force that it creaked pitifully under his powerful back.
I was thinking about how to explain to Philip our too quick return without dissuading him that Louis was placed precisely in the Pignerol fortress.
“By the way, the order to place the prisoner we are accompanying in the Pignerol fortress may still be useful to me! - I thought. - D'Artagnan would certainly have saved such paper just in case! I will do the same!”
I didn’t even realize then how right I was about d’Artagnan. The only difference was that d'Artagnan had a real order from the real King, according to which he placed an impostor in the Bastille, while I had in my hands an order written by an impostor, according to which, in his opinion, I should have been placed in Pignerol the real King. However, both orders bore the original state seal, which was affixed by Chancellor Seguier.
“We are heading to Vaux-le-Vicomte to see M. Fouquet,” I said to Porthos. “He’s probably already talked to the King about your dukedom.”
- Very kind of him! - Porthos admired.
Indeed, having arrived in Vaux-le-Vicomte, we found Fouquet there, who had already spoken with the King.
I saw Fouquet from the carriage window. He also noticed our carriage and raised both hands up, after which he waved them in our direction, as if shooing away annoying flies, or trying to hint to me that we both should immediately leave his domain.
“Wait for me in the carriage, Porthos,” I said. — By the way, in the basket there is smoked pheasant, a piece of boiled pork and a couple of bottles of Burgundy. Refresh yourself, it seems that we will rush for your dukedom almost immediately after I talk with M. Fouquet.
“Well, if we’re in a hurry, then we won’t have dinner at Monsieur Fouquet’s,” Porthos concluded philosophically and began to destroy the pheasant. — Should I leave some of this food for you?
“I’m not hungry,” I answered sincerely, since I couldn’t think about food at such a moment.
- What are you doing here, you unfortunates! - Fouquet exclaimed when he saw me. - Leave quickly before you are captured!
— Explain clearly what happened? - I asked.
- You are wanted as state criminals! - Fouquet continued to rage. “How could you disturb His Majesty’s sleep in the middle of the night?” It’s good that you left in peace and did not cause him any harm. But what is all this for? And most importantly, how dare you betray me so cruelly, because the shadow of your crime will fall on me too! I am already out of favor with His Majesty!

Chapter 268

I understood everything instantly. I still didn’t understand how Louis returned to his place and where Philip had disappeared, but that didn’t matter anymore. Of course, only a real King could talk to Fouquet like that. Although I recommended that Philippe not immediately show his favor to Fouquet, he really couldn’t have been so overzealous in his desire to be like Louis that he would declare me and Porthos state criminals and order my arrest! And let Fouquet know about it! After all, Fouquet, I believed, was still not so offended by my actions as to hand us over to the King. And I was not mistaken about it, thank God, at least in this!
“I cannot allow you to be arrested on my estate,” he said.
“Of course, because in this case you will be considered an accomplice,” I said with undisguised irony.
“That’s not the point,” Fouquet waved him off. “The King has already considered me your accomplice, but he has no evidence, and that’s the only reason I’m not free yet.” I just don’t want you to be arrested, because you are my friends! Here's how we'll do it. Go to Belle-Ile as soon as possible. The King's guards will not reach you there. If you feel that you will not be able to hide from persecution there either, well, I hope you can take refuge outside France. Take any of my warships and sail wherever you see fit! You are already known there as my friend and assistant, but I will write a letter with the proper credentials for you.
“There is no need for any letter, it is too dangerous for you if this letter falls into the hands of the royal investigators or the King himself,” I replied. “Even if it was just seen by someone whose loyalty we shouldn’t rely on, it would be a death sentence for you.” However, you are already on the verge of death, and this is not at all due to our nightly actions. Come with us, and you will be saved, just like us!
“That’s it, dear d’Herblay,” objected Fouquet. “I will not demand from you an account of your nightly adventures in the King’s bedroom.” We simply don’t have time for this, I understand that you won’t tell me your idea in a nutshell. Yes, this is not necessary, I guess that you were going to force His Majesty to forgive my guilt before him, which is still unknown to me, and to see me only as a friend. The impulse is noble, but in vain. Besides, how could you be sure that a promise made under duress would be kept? This is a fool's errand, but I have no right to judge you. Just save your lives.
“Your life is no less in danger than ours, believe me, so I again suggest that you immediately come with us,” I said.
- Nonsense! - Fouquet objected. “An innocent person has nothing to justify, but my flight would finally convince the King that I am your ally and, therefore, a conspirator, a state criminal!” I'm staying, even if I have to pay for it with my head! It is better to die innocent than to be saved guilty. If I escape, I will be guilty of at least this much. The king ordered me to stay at Vaux-le-Vicomte and sort out the arrangement of his bedroom. He suspects secret passages into it.
“Well, figure it out,” I said, feeling how little respect I had for such selflessness, which was no different from ordinary stubbornness mixed with stupidity. “You remind me of a rabbit who himself approaches the mouth of a boa constrictor in the hope of his affection on the simple grounds that he heard somewhere that boas are very fond of rabbits.”
- Don't joke like that, d'Herblay! - Fouquet objected. - If you spend another half hour on your jokes, you won’t have time for jokes! And give up the carriage. Pick up Rapide and Fodre from my stable. These are my fastest horses. They are already saddled, like Robuste and Balle. I give them to you, or any other horses you prefer.
- You give us your best horses! - I exclaimed. “I didn’t expect anything else, thank you!” But I’ll leave Faudre to you in case you come to your senses. For Porthos, Robuste is more suitable, it is more hardy.
Fouquet nodded and headed into the palace, apparently with the intention of exploring the King's ill-fated bedroom. Without wasting time on further words, I waved for Porthos to follow me and headed towards the stables.
— Was your guess confirmed? - asked Porthos.
- Precisely! - I answered. - We're leaving right now. The horses in the Fouquet stable are already saddled.
We found Rapide and Robuste under the saddles, in the saddle bags there were a pair of loaded pistols, scabbards with swords were hooked onto the bows of the saddles, and there were two pairs of excellent boots with spurs, some by my standards, others by Porthos' standards. We quickly changed our shoes, jumped on our horses and rushed away.
“ Remember, Porthos, your dukedom depends on the speed of our movement!” - I exclaimed. “But if, unfortunately, we are late, you risk losing your barony, and I risk losing my bishopric!”
- Why on earth would we be late? - exclaimed Porthos. - This good horse will take me to Heaven or Hell! He and I are great friends!
- All the better! - I exclaimed and spurred my Rapid.

Having arrived in Belle-Ile, we went to the commandant, General La Vivi;re, in his office, leaving Porthos to wait for me in the reception room.
“Good evening, Count, I take command of the fortress,” I told him.
“Show me the documents giving you this right,” La Vivi;re replied.
“I am acting on the orders of M. Fouquet,” I said. “I am the Bishop of Vannes, a great friend of M. Fouquet, don’t you recognize me?”
“I recognized you, monsignor, but the fortress became the property of His Majesty, and Monsieur Fouquet no longer disposes of the fortress and the island,” the commandant objected.
-Have you seen the deed of gift? - I inquired.
La Vivi;re was embarrassed.
“I only know what everyone knows,” he answered. - Everyone says like that.
— Who knows what these same “everyone” say? - I objected. - Do you have more compelling arguments for disobeying me?
“I was sent here by the commandant of this fortress by order of the King and I obey only his orders,” answered the commandant.
- And where is this order? - I asked.
The commandant went to the locker, unlocked the door, which was locked with a key, and took out an order from there. I looked at him and internally rejoiced.
“Don’t you know that every order of the King must bear the state seal, which is kept by Chancellor Segye?” - I asked.
The commandant looked in surprise at the order that I returned to him.
- Really, how did they forget about the seal? - La Viviere asked himself in confusion. - Perhaps, after all, the order is valid without a seal? After all, it has the King’s signature on it!
— Do you think that His Majesty was joking when he issued a decree that every order of his must have a state seal? - I asked with a laugh. - Take a look at this.
With these words, I presented the commandant with an order to arrest the secret prisoner and place him in the Pignerol fortress.
- You see, my friend, this order is executed absolutely correctly, it has a state seal, which Mr. Chancellor Seguier personally put on the order! - I said. “He even signed the seal below to be sure.” And I also ask you to pay attention to one important detail. This order does not include a name. If you want, I can write your name here, Count La Vivi;re. Would you like such a development of events?
“ If you have an order for my arrest, I am ready to obey,” answered the discouraged commandant.
“I just wanted to demonstrate to you that I can arrest you and imprison you in the fortress, but this is not currently part of my plans,” I replied. “I hope I have convinced you to obey me?”
“We convinced you,” answered the commandant.
“Don’t be upset,” I added, noticing in the commandant’s room a portrait of Ignatius of Loyola, who was not in this office, which was well known to me, under the previous commandant. “I assure you, I have an even more reliable method of convincing you to completely submit to me, but I would not want to use it unless it is necessary.”
I pointed with my eyes at the portrait of Ignatius of Loyola, and then raised my hand to slightly straighten the hair on my temple, doing this so that the commandant could notice the ring on my hand.
The commandant's eyes sparkled for a moment, after which he bowed before me.
“You are a complete master here on Belle-Ile, monsignor,” he said more calmly, and I heard in his voice notes of complete and sincere submission, although without servility.
“I had no doubt about it,” I replied. - I declare the fortress in a state of siege, the troops must be ready to fire a salvo at any ship not assigned to the fortress if it tries to land. Quarantine is announced. No one is allowed off the island without my permission, and no one is allowed onto it.
The commandant bowed with dignity and left to carry out my command.
- Porthos! Come in! - I exclaimed. - Mister General La Vivi;re invites us to his office for a short break and dinner before we go to our rooms.
“Saved! - I thought and fell weakly into a chair. “Finally, I can rest for at least a few hours.” But you can't relax! If the King sends d’Artagnan to arrest me, the situation will be more than complicated!”

Chapter 269

I interrupted the story about d'Artagnan when he was sitting in the King's reception room and thinking. During this time, Colbert came to the King twice and left him with a preoccupied look. Finally, he went there for the third time and was still there. Almost an hour and a half has passed.
“Aramis and Porthos left on some urgent matter,” he reflected. - Why could Aramis leave Philip without his care? Only to take Louis to the Bastille. It’s clear, but he did it at night! Why wasn’t he with Philip in the morning? He probably decided to convince Philip that he had taken the King to some more remote place. But before that, he accompanied Philip to the Louvre. Of course, he needed an order to arrest the prisoner. He arrived at the Louvre to receive a seal for the order, and the seal is in the possession of Chancellor Seguier, who did not go to Vaux-le-Vicomte. This is just a show for Philippe, and nothing more, since he placed the King in the Bastille without any order, simply deceiving the Marquis de Bezmo that the prisoner was released by mistake. Okay, so Aramis did not yet fully trust Philip and decided, just in case, to mislead him about where Louis had been taken. Well, with the help of the order he could mislead Philip, but he did not need to go anywhere. If Louis was placed in the Bastille, then the order was apparently to place the prisoner under an assumed name in some other prison. I suppose somewhere nearby, since Aramis would not want to leave Philip for a long time. However, he probably didn’t even have a prisoner, and he hid the order, just as I would have done. So, he just had to sit out somewhere under the guise of going to where he supposedly placed the King. What did he do next? Of course, he visited Fouquet to find out news at court. And Fouquet has already visited the King. He left him an hour and a half ago and, most likely, returned to Vaux-le-Vicomte. Fouquet will cover the eighty-five mile journey to Vaux-le-Vicomte in a carriage in six hours. No, I'm wrong! After all, the King ordered him to examine the bedroom, and Fouquet himself, apparently, is impatient to find out everything. Well, then he will ride and hurry. When you carry out the King's order given in such a tone, there is no time for comfort on the way! The journey will take him no more than three hours. This means that in an hour and a half he will be in Vaux-le-Vicomte, and, most likely, he will meet Aramis there. Of course, he will attack him with reproaches, Aramis will understand that his business has not worked out and will hasten to hide. Where should he hide? At Athos's in Blois? This is not a solution, they will find him there, and Aramis will not drag Athos into his affairs. So he'll be heading straight to Belle-Ile! That's where I can find both Aramis and Porthos! Well, I shouldn't rush there if the King tells me to arrest them. I will go first to Vaux-le-Vicomte, then to Blois, and only after that, perhaps to Vannes. If Aramis hasn't been there, I can spend a day or two asking about him. This will give him extra time. After this I will slowly head towards Belle-Ile. If the King entrusts the arrest of Aramis and Porthos to someone else, then I, on the contrary, should rush straight to Belle-Ile to warn them. But will I be able to leave? Will the King give me leave under these circumstances? Of course he won't. It turns out that I must provoke the King to make disrespectful statements towards me, get offended and ask for resignation, which will allow me to immediately go to them. Not a very pleasant prospect, but what can you do? Or, perhaps, send someone else to him with a warning? Bazin, if he's not with them yet? Can I trust the lives of two friends to Bazin? He is a quick guy, if you remember him from previous years. But what is he like now?
D'Artagnan stopped twirling his right mustache and looked at the wall clock. He had been sitting in the King's reception room for two hours.
The sound of a bell was heard, Hubert, hearing this ringing, entered the King, after which he almost immediately came out and turned to d'Artagnan:
- Mister Captain, His Majesty asks you to come to him.
D'Artagnan quickly stood up, straightened his sword belt and decisively stepped into the King's office.
The king looked determined and stern. Colbert stood next to him with some papers in his hands.
“D’Artagnan, you must immediately go to the fortress island of Belle-Ile-en-Mer,” said the King. “If the conspirators are friends of Fouquet, then they are there.” One of them, as you know, is the Bishop of Vannes. Mr. Colbert, remind me who helped the Bishop of Vannes in supervising the construction of the Belle-Ile fortress?
“Baron du Valon de Pierrefonds de Brassier,” answered Colbert.
“Captain, you must arrest the Bishop of Vannes and the three indicated people, these du Valon, de Pierrefonds and de Brassier,” said the King. - Take all four of them tied up in a closed carriage to the Louvre, where I will interrogate them with your help. To arrest the rebels, take as many people as you need to capture these four alive.
“Your Majesty, Baron du Valon de Pierrefonds de Brassier is not three people, but one and the same person,” d’Artagnan said as softly as possible. “But in order to seize it by force, it will only take a man, enough to arrest three rebels.” This man is extremely strong.
- Do you know him? - the King asked sharply.
“I met him several times, I don’t remember exactly how many,” answered d’Artagnan.
“You will take with you as many troops as you need,” replied the King. “You have no right to fail if the fortress offers resistance.” Even if the entire population resists you, the fortress must be mine, not a single person disobedient to my will should remain in it.
— How much time do I have to get ready? - asked d'Artagnan.
“You must leave as quickly as possible, in half an hour at the latest, and move as quickly as possible,” answered the King. - Under no circumstances should you let the criminals pass! If they elude you, Mr. Captain, I will consider you an accomplice to the conspiracy and a state criminal. If you follow my orders properly, you will receive a marshal's baton.
“It takes considerable time to gather and deliver to a fortress an army sufficient for a siege, and for a naval campaign your order is required.” Besides, expenses...” said d’Artagnan, but the King interrupted him.
“The relevant papers have already been signed, and you will receive the money from Colbert immediately as soon as you leave my office.” - Louis answered. - You can spend ten minutes getting ready. If you arrest the rebels before arriving at Belle-Ile, I will make you not a field marshal, but a chief marshal of France. But if you let the rebels pass, I will personally tear up your patent as captain of the royal musketeers. And this will be a great mercy on my part and extreme gentleness, which I will show towards you solely in gratitude for the service rendered to me, you know what I’m talking about. I would put anyone else on trial for failure to comply with this order. Is everything clear to you?
"Why me?" - d'Artagnan wanted to ask, but restrained himself.
He had already managed to think through the situation and understood that it would be better for his friends if he was entrusted with their arrest, in which case they could be saved, that is, he would save them. In addition, in this case, he will be able to rush to their aid without demanding resignation and without quarreling with the King ahead of time. But he was worried by the thought that the King was entrusting the arrest of the rebels to him for a reason.
“Colbert found out that Aramis and Porthos are my friends! - D'Artagnan guessed. - He prepared a trap for me. If I fail this assignment, I will be declared an accomplice. It's bad! But it would have been much worse if someone else had been sent to arrest Aramis and Porthos, for example d'Epernon or Marshal de Grammont. Anyone!”
The king waved his hand, signaling that the reception was over.
Colbert followed d'Artagnan out of the King's office and handed him the King's order, in which all troops, land and sea, were to obey Monsieur d'Artagnan, captain of the royal musketeers, acting on the orders of the King of France and for the good of France.
“Congratulations, Mr. Captain,” said Colbert. - You are going for the baton of the Marshal of France! However, fulfilling the King's order will not be easy.
- Do you think so? - asked d'Artagnan.
“The Belle-Ile fortress is practically impregnable; it can only be attacked from the sea,” Colbert answered. “Besides, the fortress is controlled by your friends, whom you must arrest.” It is not so easy for people like you, Monsieur d'Artagnan, to transcend friendship. Are you ready to arrest your friends to succeed?
"This is true! - thought d'Artagnan. - This ferret got wind that Aramis and Porthos are my friends! So the reason why the case has been entrusted to me has been revealed!”
“ You seem to be asking me, Monsieur Colbert, am I ready to carry out the King’s orders?” - D'Artagnan asked calmly. “In other words, you are asking me whether I rightfully hold my position as captain of the royal musketeers?”
“I have not the slightest doubt that you will fulfill your duty, Mister Captain,” Colbert replied with a smile.
- Prepare the money for this order that you have in your hands. - D'Artagnan answered with a smile. “You heard that the King gave me only half an hour to get ready, of which five minutes have already passed.” I’ll ask you to bring me the money to the entrance to the musketeers’ barracks, I don’t have time to wait and count!
“The money has already been prepared,” Colbert answered calmly. - Take it.
With these words, he went up to the secretary's table and took from the bag left on his table two purses of gold, which he had prudently taken with him before his last visit to the King, which proved that Louis was acting according to the plan drawn up by Colbert.
- Thank you, Mr. Colbert! - answered the captain. “Another time I might be able to discuss with you such concepts as the duty of friendship and honor of an officer, but not today.” I hasten to carry out the King's orders.
With these words, d'Artagnan left, and Colbert returned to the King's office.
The King's order, among other things, ordered d'Artagnan, in case of resistance, to blow up the Belle-Ile-en-Mer fortress to the ground, and to decide which of the rebellious inhabitants of the fortress should be executed and which should be pardoned; in addition, he was specifically ordered not to let a single soul out of the fortress, and also to arrest the Bishop of Vannes and Baron du Valon de Pierrefonds de Brassier.
“Colbert is right,” thought d’Artagnan. “I’m not the kind of person who would jump at the opportunity to get a marshal’s baton at the cost of the lives of my friends.” But I’m not one of those who voluntarily puts my head in a noose. Well, I have to get there before others and assess the situation, after which we will see who will win this game of conscience with death! Damn Colbert! Now I won’t be able to wander around in search of friends, stopping first in Vaux-le-Vicomte, then in Blois! How was he able to so accurately calculate where Aramis and Porthos had gone? He probably has spies everywhere? No, he couldn’t know about Aramis’ crime! This means that this person has extraordinary analytical skills. So much the worse!
Returning to the room where the sergeant was waiting for him, d'Artagnan ordered:
- D'Arlencourt, I am leaving immediately for Belle-Ile, accompanied by twenty musketeers. Take a look at this order. You must gather an army sufficient to besiege the fortress and follow me. If you are not obeyed, contact Colbert and inform him of my order. He will give you the necessary credentials, but I have no time to do this. I'm leaving in five minutes.

Chapter 270

As I already wrote, Fouquet, in order to please the King, ordered changes to be made to the plans for strengthening the Belle-Ile fortress, according to which the fortifications of the walls facing the shores of France should be weakened, and the fortifications of the walls facing the sea should be strengthened. I took measures to ensure that work to strengthen the walls facing the sea and, accordingly, to England was carried out, while work to weaken the walls facing the shores of France did not even begin. This was very fortunate for us in our current situation, especially the fact that the movement of the guns was also not carried out. Belle-Ile could perfectly defend itself against attackers from any side, be it England or France. So I was not afraid for the defense of the fortress, because it was doubtful that the King would send all his naval forces to storm the island-fortress, which were, albeit more numerous, but certainly no more fast than Fouquet’s warships, well armed and equipped with the best rigging adapted for privateering expeditions against merchant ships of those countries that were not our strong maritime allies, that is, strictly speaking, against any foreign ships. In addition, the best gunners of France served on Fouquet's ships, desperate, fearless, devoted to the superintendent and able to quickly reload and aim the cannon, hitting the base of the mainmast of the enemy ship with any pitching, the worst from the second shot, and managing to plant the cannonball below the waterline of the enemy ship at the moment when this part of the ship's side only appeared above the waves for a short time. So I could not fear either an assault on the fortress from the sea or a naval battle. Belle-Ile could be considered impregnable, at least until the French fleet was equipped with ships as maneuverable and well-armed as Fouquet's ships, and with a crew not equal to or better than his ships. The ships were subordinate to the commandant of the fortress, and the commandant was subordinate to me. In fact, I became the rebellious master of an island-fortress in the very underbelly of France, and was ready for war with her in case this was the last remaining means of salvation.
Of course, I did not want this war and hoped for a peaceful outcome. I still had ways of escape, including escaping from France. Looking back, I believe that I should have chosen the best ship in Fouquet's fleet and immediately sailed to Spain or Portugal, or even Italy, Holland or wherever. Under my hand, under the rule of the Jesuit Order, there were even very vast and completely independent territories in the New World. But I left this option as a last resort. My fighting spirit awoke. I understood that it would not be so easy for the young Louis XIV to defeat me; I felt like the monarch of a small but strong island state.
“Well, it’s no big deal that we were forced to leave the mainland and move to Belle-Ile,” I thought. “We should expect the arrival of warships, after which we will have the opportunity to test the strength of Belle-Ile’s fortifications, the range of its cannons and the accuracy of its artillerymen.”
I remembered how King Charles of England, or rather, his first minister and concurrent favorite, the Duke of Buckingham, prohibited the sailing of any ships from all of England in order to prevent Milady from leaving England with two diamond pendants stolen from Buckingham. This ban, of course, did not stop either Milady or the four friends carrying out Queen Anne's orders. I was sad not because Louis XIV announced a hunt for me and Porthos, but because there were only two of us, not four. If all four of us were together, then we would not be afraid of the King’s wrath. The four of us opposed both Richelieu and Mazarin, and these people were both smarter and more experienced than young Louis!
I ordered the commandant to announce that a state of emergency had been declared throughout the fortress, that round-the-clock duty should be carried out with special care, since there was information that dangerous enemies would try to enter the island’s harbors in the guise of royal ships, which was even more than likely, and in all harbors of the island at the same time.
- Do not allow a single ship into the harbor, even under the flag of France! - I told the commandant. - This is a provocation, Spain has captured some of our ships and will try to seize the island with their help.
The commandant did not believe my words, but this was not required; it was enough that he still obeyed me and received the version that he had to voice for his subordinates.
The next day I noticed that the sea around the island was extremely deserted, not a single ship was visible, not even a run-down fishing schooner. Apparently, this was the result of collusion or even betrayal. One way or another, all the ships left the ports of Belle-Ile, even the fishing schooners. Apparently, the commandant told them something about me, or one of his subordinates. However, I understood that it no longer mattered who betrayed me, I had to adapt to new circumstances.
Porthos also noticed this.
- Listen, Aramis! - he said suddenly. — Don’t you think that the sea looks somehow unusual?
- Too calm? - I asked, pretending to be absent-minded and pretending that this circumstance had completely gone unnoticed by me.
- Not in this case! - Porthos objected. “I look at him and can’t figure out what exactly is unusual about him, but I’m ready to swear that there’s something wrong with him!”
— Are the seagulls loud enough? - I suggested.
- No, that’s not it! “Seagulls always scream when they see fishermen,” Porthos said doubtfully. - Wait a minute! Where are all the fishermen? I don't see a single boat!
“There are probably few fish in the sea today,” I answered in an indifferent tone, trying to pretend that I myself did not attach importance to the absence of ships and did not even notice it.
“I don’t see a connection between the number of fish in the sea and the number of boats with fishermen,” Porthos shrugged his shoulders in bewilderment.
- What do you order the fishermen to do in the sea where there are no fish? - I asked.
“That’s it,” said Porthos. - You seem to be right, fishermen catch fish, and if the fish ran out, they swam to where the fish were still left.
- Do you see, Porthos, how simple it is? — I asked, hoping to end the conversation on this topic.
- Where are all the other ships then? - Porthos asked five minutes later.
-What do you mean, Porthos? - I clarified.
- There are not only fishing ships. - Porthos said hesitantly.
- Why do you need all this? - I asked.
- You have to look at something when you walk by the sea! - Porthos was surprised. “Otherwise, what’s the point of such a walk?”
“Breathe the fresh sea air and admire the waves, the seagulls...” I answered absentmindedly, peering into the distance and wondering the reason for these changes.
“But that’s not what’s strange,” Porthos continued. “Those two sailing ships that I sent to the mainland for beef, pork and other food, they didn’t return either, but it’s time for at least one of them to come back!”
This was such a surprise to me that I had difficulty suppressing a cry of despair.
- Repeat, Porthos, what did you say? - I asked. —Have you sent both of our sailing ships to the mainland?
“You know, Aramis, I can’t eat fish and chicken all the time, I want something more substantial,” Porthos answered innocently. “Besides, you yourself just said that the fish is over!” Do you see how prudent I am? Soon real food will be brought here so that we can at least eat like humans, if we have to hang around on this damned island, where I’m just languishing with boredom!
-You should at least consult with me! They would have left at least one sailboat! What have you done, my God! - I exclaimed. - We have no choice left, we cannot sail to England or Spain.
- And thank God! - Porthos answered. - I hate sea travel!
- We are dead! - I said and laughed nervously. - Porthos wanted veal and pig! I will owe my death to your appetite!
— Are you dead? - Porthos was surprised. — Is there such a shortage of food here? Why such despondency, Aramis? At worst, fish and chicken will do, by God I’m not picky, if the circumstances are like this, just don’t worry about such trifles.
I could only smile sadly back at him, and then I thought that there was no point in upsetting him if it did not increase our chances of salvation.
“I have planned a short walk along the sea today, but now it will have to be postponed indefinitely, dear Porthos,” I answered Porthos. “Now we are trapped on this island.”
“This is just until our sailing ships return,” Porthos answered guiltily. “Not too long to wait, I suppose.”
“Dear Porthos,” I answered, “it seemed to me that you were bored on this island, and one of these days I planned to leave it completely.”
“Aren’t we expecting some important order from the King that you keep telling me about?” - Porthos was surprised.
- Order? — I asked in bewilderment, because I almost forgot what legend I had been feeding him all this time. - Oh yes! Order. Of course, we are waiting for the order. But he will arrive soon.
- Damn it, he won’t arrive by air! Since we are on the island, it means that the King’s order will be brought by ship,” Porthos reasoned. “And this means that we will be able to leave the island on the very ship on which the King’s order will be brought to us!”
“Your logic is impeccable,” I replied, not wanting to explain to him how wrong he was. “We can indeed sail back on the very ship that will bring us the King’s order.”
“With shackles on my legs and arms,” I mentally added, “straight to the Bastille, or somewhere even worse!” However, our fate also depends on how many members of the Order are on the island, and how devoted these people are to their spiritual general.”
“If you’re really impatient to get back, you can get a shuttle.” There are shuttles here,” said Porthos. “I can get us a shuttle, I noticed one here recently.” It’s suitable for a boat trip, and it can even take us to the coast of France.
- Shuttle? To France? No, bad idea,” I resolutely objected. - Just not there and not on such a means!
Porthos shrugged his shoulders and began to watch the seagulls, as I had advised him earlier.
I thought that I shouldn’t continue to deceive Porthos so basely. Really, when did I start deceiving him? At first I deceived him only in the means to achieve the goal, but the goal he was striving for was quite achievable! Porthos wanted to become a duke and even a peer. Only the King could make him a Duke. But Louis XIV would never do this! And what merits could motivate the King to such generosity? If Porthos had a charming daughter, and if... No! This path was not for Porthos! And he had no other ways to the duchy! Besides the one I chose. If Louis cannot make Porthos Duke, another King is needed! It's clear as day! So my goals coincided with Porthos' goals, although he had no idea about it. But as soon as I realized that I had been exposed and Louis had been returned to his place, I had no time for repentance and confession. It was necessary to save ourselves and save Porthos. If I had confessed to him at that moment what happened, he would have understood that we were simply running away, saving our lives. But Porthos never escaped, so telling him that we were coming to complete a service for the King, for which Porthos would receive the dignity of a duke, was the only way to save him. But it is extremely difficult to deceive a person who believes every word you say, especially if this is one of your best friends, one of your true friends!
- Porthos! - I said decisively. “I must tell you something about our affairs in Vaux-le-Vicomte.”
- After all, you already told me everything! - Porthos was surprised. - One impostor encroached on our good King. We captured him and hid him in the Bastille. It was a delicate matter, since the impostor vaguely resembles the King, although, you know, I didn’t see any resemblance! Our king is so noble, his posture, suit and everything, you know! And this pathetic little man, whom we tied up and took to the Bastille, is no match for our glorious Louis XIV. What should I add here? What is there to talk about here?
“There is something to talk about,” I objected. “But apparently you are not quite ready for this.”
“I understand, Aramis,” replied Porthos. “Do you think that the prisoner could have broken out of the Bastille and started a rebellion?” In this case, we need to rush to the aid of the King!
- Porthos, do you see the ship? - I interrupted Porthos. - It looks like a sail, doesn't it?
- Ship! - Porthos was delighted. - Yes, and not alone! I see four! Not there yet! Bah! There's a whole fleet here! And you attacked me because of some pair of sailboats!
- Yes, Porthos. These are Royal Navy ships! - I answered. - Warships!
“So we are not in danger of dying from hunger!” - Porthos was delighted. - It’s not just dried fish that is found on military ships!
- You're right, Porthos! We need not fear death from hunger. The king will not allow this,” I gloomily predicted.
- Today for dinner we will have pig with horseradish! - Porthos said dreamily.
- To hell with the pig, Porthos! - Aramis cried. - Porthos, sound the alarm! Gunners to battle! Your voice is louder than mine, shout, Porthos! And let's hurry to the fortress.
- Anxiety? But why worry? - Porthos was surprised.
“Because these are the ships of the rebel whom you and I placed in the Bastille,” I lied. - Your prediction came true, Porthos!
- How did you find out about this? - Porthos was surprised.
- Think for yourself! Do royal ships sail towards a fortress that belongs to the king with their battle flags raised and their battlements open? - I exclaimed, dragging Porthos onto the fortress walls.
By my order, the fortress, which had previously been put into combat condition, bristled with cannons in the direction of the ships of the Royal Navy. While the order to fire had not yet been given, I could count on the obedience of the troops, but I was greatly afraid that the officers and soldiers would refuse to fire at the ships sailing towards the fortress under the flags of His Majesty the King of France.
We barely had time to run into the fortress and occupy the commanding heights when the first ship approached within shooting distance.
“If I order to shoot, there might be a riot,” I thought. “If I show weakness and do not give this order, all the ships will simultaneously approach the island, and then the moment will be lost!” If only they would send a parliamentarian!”
Luckily for me, at that very moment a boat sailed from the flagship under a white flag.
- Don't shoot at the envoy! - I commanded.
When the boat reached the shore, it turned out that the role of envoy was being played by the captain of one of the sailing ships, whom Porthos had sent for food.
- What's going on, captain? - I asked.
“I was captured, brought here and given a package for you, monsignor.” - answered the parliamentarian.
As soon as I looked at the envelope, I recognized d'Artagnan's handwriting, so I immediately opened the envelope and read the following:

“The King's Order: Capture Belle-Ile. In case of resistance, consider the garrison hostile and attack, no negotiations, only complete surrender, in case of refusal to destroy the garrison. Arrest all soldiers of the garrison who showed disobedience. Arrest the Bishop of Vannes and Baron du Valon and transport them to the Bastille. In the event of their death, deliver the corpses to Paris. If they escape, pursue them by sea and prevent them from escaping to one of the neighboring states. It is prescribed for execution by the captain of the King's musketeers, Charles d'Artagnan.
If the aforementioned Bishop of Vannes and Baron du Valon surrender voluntarily and the fortress does not offer resistance, the garrison of the fortress is released from responsibility for obeying the rebels. If even one shot is fired at the King's fleet, the culprit is subject to execution on the spot. In the event of armed resistance to the fortress, the question of the fate of the defenders of Belle-Ile is left to be decided personally by Captain d'Artagnan.
In case of voluntary surrender, the rebels will have the opportunity to personally familiarize themselves with the order of His Majesty the King in person. I certify the authenticity of the text of the order of His Majesty the King.
Signed: Captain d'Artagnan."

I crumpled the paper in my hand.
“What did Monsieur d’Artagnan tell us to convey in words?” - I asked the parliamentarian.
“Captain d’Artagnan invites you to his ship for negotiations,” he replied.
- Here we are together again! - Porthos was delighted. - My dear d'Artagnan has arrived to us!
With these words, he jumped onto the parapet of the fortress and began waving both arms, shouting:
- D'Artagnan! We are here, d'Artagnan! It's Porthos and Aramis!
- Sit down and calm down! - I cried sharply. - Sit down and listen, I tell you!
- It's D'Artagnan! - Porthos continued to rejoice, hugging me by the shoulders with his heavy hand.
But I covered his mouth with my hand.
-Are you crazy? - I whispered to him. “If it were d’Artagnan, why would he send an envoy to us?” He could have come himself without fear of anything! Who can guarantee that this is not a trap?
The smile disappeared from Porthos's face.
- A trap? - Porthos whispered. - From whom?
“From the side of the one they don’t talk about,” I whispered in a tone and put a finger to my lips. - That man from the bed.
“That’s it,” said the naive Porthos. - What should we do?
“We invite Monsieur d’Artagnan to come to us for negotiations,” I told the envoy. - Is that right, Mister Baron?
- Certainly! - Porthos answered joyfully. - We are always glad to see d'Artagnan at our place, wherever we are!
- Go for an answer! - I said to the parliamentarian. - Let the envoy pass! Do not shoot!
The boat with the truce sailed towards the ship, and I put my hand on Porthos’ shoulder.
“We should urgently have a serious conversation, Porthos, and clarify some of the features of our situation,” I said.

Chapter 271

I could not refuse a meeting with d'Artagnan. Moreover, I could not sacrifice the lives of all the soldiers and officers for the sake of some delay in the death of Porthos and me. There remained an ephemeral chance of escaping by sea, if we had a fast ship, and if we could sail in advance, without waiting for the ships of the Royal Navy to appear. I made a mistake! I hoped for the inaccessibility of the fortress, believing that it would not be easy for the King’s troops to take it, but I did not take into account my own moral brakes, God’s voice inside me, which did not allow me to start a new civil war. Perhaps I am flattering myself, and it was not the voice of the Lord, but a doubt that the garrison would obey me. Why lie in your notes, which are not intended for anyone to read? Let it be so, I was afraid that they would not listen to me, that they would betray me and give me away. A person always easily finds noble motives to explain his actions, committed not for the most noble reasons, or even for shameful reasons. The power of the general of the Jesuit Order is not enough for the obedience of the garrison commander to the point of armed resistance to the King’s troops. Although the Order's charter suggests this, not all Jesuits are ready to go so far. Moreover, the garrison did not consist only of Jesuits! What was the use of resisting La Rochelle, which we ourselves once took by storm? After all, she disobeyed the King for almost the same reasons for which I was about to rebel against his son. No, armed resistance to the King is not my path! I didn’t weave my web of influence so subtly and for a long time in order to turn into a bitter ferret driven into a corner!
I had to save at least Porthos, if I myself was not destined to be saved. I had to explain first to d'Artagnan, and then somehow to the King, that I alone was to blame for everything, I had no accomplices, and Porthos was simply misled by me, he sincerely believed that he served the King!
“Listen, Porthos,” I said decisively. I am the scoundrel who deceived you!
— Are we preparing a prank? - Porthos smiled. - Let's joke about d'Artagnan.
“I deceived you, Porthos, I dragged you into a state crime,” I said, emphasizing every word in my voice.
- Did you deceive me? “I asked Porthos with a soft smile. - For what?
“At that moment I thought it would be better this way,” I answered, embarrassed.
“Did you do this for my good?” - continued Porthos.
“At that time it seemed to me so, Porthos, although in reality everything turned out to be completely different,” I said sincerely.
“Can you be responsible for the fact that your hopes were not fulfilled?” - Porthos asked naively. “After all, if you start holding a person accountable for the fact that his hopes did not come true, then we will all be to blame!”
“But as a result of my miscalculations, you can suffer greatly, Porthos!” - I continued with despair because Porthos did not want to understand all my guilt before him.
“If only you knew how many times I suffered from the fact that my hopes were not met!” What a surprise! - Porthos laughed.
“It’s my fault that you are now a state criminal!” - I exclaimed in despair.
I think it would have been easier for me if Porthos had gotten angry and started blaming me for his misfortune. But that did not happen. It was not for nothing that Porthos’ huge heart was huge, it was also infinitely kind, which, I confess, I never noticed, but I should have seen it every hour! And with his subsequent words, Porthos, who thought to calm me down, only made my heart clench even more, filled with despair and pain for my action towards such a noble man.
“And when d’Artagnan and I broke into Mazarin’s treasury, who were we then?” After all, we should also be called criminals! - Porthos smiled disarmingly. - And nothing happened! We are alive and well! We got out! Maybe this time everything will work out?
- Lord, give me patience! - I exclaimed. - Yes, you finally understand, Porthos, that I dragged you into a conspiracy! We kidnapped the real King and replaced him with his twin brother! This carries the death penalty!
- Nice, must be a trick! - Porthos laughed. - This is not for you to knock down a bull! And you are an entertainer, Aramis! If I had known that I was twisting the King's arms and legs with ropes, I would have been more gentle with him.
“And that’s all you want to tell me about this?” - I shouted in despair. - But we rebelled against the King! We may die a painful and shameful death on the Place de Greve! And you are amused by this situation and you only lament that you were not careful enough, dragging and tying up the King, whom you and I didn’t even wake up! Doesn't the prospect of being executed upset you?
“I believe you,” Porthos answered seriously. “If you have encroached on the Royal power, this means that we may indeed be executed.” This is a long way from receiving the ducal title. Very far away.
- Yes, a thousand times yes! - I exclaimed. - This means that we are criminals! Both of us will not be rewarded, but will be punished, and you will be punished - completely innocently, because I deceived you! Everything you did, you did as a result of my deception! I am an adventurer, a conspirator and a rebel!
“This means that you understand that our King is not as good as they say about him,” answered Porthos. - I believe you, Aramis. After all, you consulted with d'Artagnan, and he advised you on this matter?
- I didn’t consult with anyone! I decided this alone, me, and no one else! - I said tiredly. “And therefore the responsibility for this crime lies with me alone!”
“Well, now it’s just the two of us,” Porthos objected coolly. - So goodbye pig and horseradish? We won’t be fed properly either today or tomorrow, this damn fish again?
“Soon there may be no fish,” I said in a completely tired voice, because I did not understand this man at all. — How would you like a menu consisting of bread and water?
- At least some variety. First bread, then water! - Porthos answered calmly and winked. “Still, it would be better with a pig and a bottle of Burgundy!”
“We will most likely be executed,” I said doomedly.
- We will be executed, you say? - Porthos laughed again. - We had a lot of fun at the end!
- Oh, Porthos, my glorious Porthos, I won’t allow this! - I almost howled. “I promise, I will find a way to escape, believe me.”
“So that’s why you were so upset that I sent both sailing ships away?” - asked Porthos, wrinkling his brow.
- Alas, yes! - I admitted a fact that would have been obvious from the very beginning to any military man except Porthos.
“So we’re even, because not only did you deceive me, but I also let you down.” Forgive me, Aramis! - Porthos said sincerely and looked into my eyes with regret.
I wanted to howl and whine, throw myself on the ground and dig it with my hands, beat it with my feet and curse it for not opening up under me so that I could fall straight into Hell.
- It is unbearable! - I exclaimed. - You are a saint, Porthos! I expected you to be indignant and curse.
- What's the use of swearing when the job is done? - Porthos asked innocently. - After all, our swords are with us? Therefore, we will sell our lives dearly!
- Oh, Porthos, dear Porthos! - That’s all I could say.
“You must think, Aramis, that I am too upset that I will not be a duke and a peer?” - Porthos said with indifference. - It's nothing, don't think about it. I already forgot about this. I just wanted to have fun. I was too bored out of my mind in Pierrefonds, where everything was smooth, satisfying, rich, cozy and, God forbid, how monotonous. Many times I thought that my whole life could go like this - one day would be no different from the next. Honestly, I don’t care about titles, I don’t care about all the dukes and peers combined and each one individually! Somehow it occurred to me that I should come up with a goal for myself that would be simply unattainable. Achieving the impossible is what we did when we were together, all four of us. And we achieved this! What does it feel like to do something that is obviously impossible, to get something that cannot be obtained in any way? Isn't this the taste of life? Do you think, my dear Aramis, that I am such a fool that I do not understand that the King will never make me a duke, much less a peer? Even our dear Athos, who, as I have heard, is really a marquis, calls himself only a count, out of modesty. Do I look like a person who would seriously dream of rising above Athos? The ranks in the hierarchy of nobles are insignificant for me! I became a baron by accident, I would say that my joke went too far, and to my own surprise I received the baronial crown on the carriage when I least expected it. D'Artagnan, I remember, came to me and began to praise my life, my wealth and my strength. My late father used to tell me: “Isaac, if someone praises you, beware, it means that he needs something from you!” I immediately thought that my friend needed something from me, but he didn’t know how he could attract me to a new adventure. I immediately made up a story about how passionately I wanted to become a baron, and it seems that he believed me. What is there! Even I myself eventually believed in this fairy tale! Well, tell me, my dear Aramis, do you really think that in order for some neighbors to stop turning up their noses at me, I would be ready to go God knows where, do God knows what, and even spend my hard-earned money on it? , just to get such a trifle as a baronial coat of arms? To hell with all the coats of arms in the world! I was just bored, and the best entertainment for me would be a joint venture, all four of us! Of course, I suggested this idea to our friend, which he happily grabbed, thinking that he had caught me on my interest, and now he would be able to dispose of me! Yes, if he just came and said: “Porthos, damn it! I have something to do that I can't handle without you. It is devilishly dangerous, I don’t know when or how it will end, and nothing good will come from it except the danger of being killed or imprisoned! Well, do you agree to follow me?”, I would answer him: “Why such long speeches? When are we leaving? So, when you came to me and promised me the ducal title, that is, the very thing that I had not so long ago invented for myself as an unattainable goal, I simply pretended that this very dukedom was so necessary for me. Well, I won’t become a duke, so what? I never seriously hoped for this!
“My friend, if it were up to me, you would become a prince!” - I said sincerely.
- Empty, I prefer to remain Porthos! - Porthos answered. - I already have three names, one of which is baronial. The joke turned into reality. This doesn't happen twice in a lifetime. By saying that I will not become a duke, you did not tell me anything new.
- Dear Porthos! - That was all I could say.
“Yes, Aramis, I’m listening to you,” answered Porthos. - So, have we finally fallen out with Louis the Fourteenth? It's bad. He will no longer invite me to lunch, much less to dinner. I think that if I invite him to dinner at my place, he will also refuse. But in my castle, following the example of all ancient French castles, I built a special room called the “King’s Bedroom”, in case His Majesty passes by and wants to relax, taking advantage of my hospitality. In this room everything is the most exquisite and new, no one has ever spent the night in it, it is furnished according to the latest requirements of fashion and luxury. I think this bedroom is no longer needed. What do you think is better - to make it your own bedroom, or to have the doors blocked with stones? Or maybe convert it into a library? After all, I have twenty thousand volumes of a wide variety of books, and it seems that I have even begun to read two of them. But after reading a couple of pages, I gave up.
“I acted like a notorious egoist,” I answered. - Your life will become different. You will not be able to return to Pierrefonds. You probably won't even be able to return to France. I can't even promise you that you and I will be alive in a week. You don't have to forgive me.
“Come on,” Porthos interrupted me. - You acted solely in your own interests, that is, exactly the same as all other people on Earth. There is no way I can be angry with you for not being a saint. And enough of that. And as for the fact that we may not survive the next week, a soldier’s whole life passes with the understanding of this fact! We have already lived in this world! It’s impossible to count how many comrades we buried! And about those who died in a duel, we can say that they did not give their lives for a snuff of tobacco! You and I at least set our sights on great things. It is better to die, strained from the strain, than in a warm bed. But most people go to the next world from bed! Boring! You lie there, unable to get up, you understand that your life is coming to an end, they spoon-feed you rice water and a grated apple, and you chew it with a toothless mouth, you don’t feel the taste and walk around, not paying attention to the stench that comes from this is happening. Your relatives and servants avoid visiting you and are hastening the moment when you will free them from your presence! Better is a bullet that hits the heart on the battlefield, or, at worst, an executioner’s ax that cuts off the head from the body in a single moment. Never mind, Aramis. One way or another, what difference does it make if all roads ultimately lead to the same place?
With these words, Porthos shook my hand, which almost made me cry out.
- Sorry! - Porthos was embarrassed, noticing a grimace of pain on my face that I could not hide. “I again didn’t measure my strength.”
- It was I who did not measure up my strength! - I exclaimed in despair. - It is I who must ask for your forgiveness.
“You received it a long time ago,” Porthos waved it off.
I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I was not ashamed of them. The nobility of Porthos was boundless. But we always called Athos noble! I don’t think that Athos could have been more at the height of his nobility and brotherhood than Porthos was at that moment!
Porthos did nothing, he simply forgave me for the simple reason that he considered me his friend. I hugged Porthos tightly, thinking that I should still hide my tears from him, and what’s more, he would have started asking for forgiveness from me! This one would be too much!
“Listen, Porthos,” I said finally. “You are the unfortunate victim of the deception into which I have drawn you.” You are not the King's enemy. All the blame is mine, and I am the only one to blame in this matter, so I believe you are in no danger. With d'Artagnan's intercession, you will easily make peace with the King.
“Even I won’t believe this fairy tale,” Porthos calmly objected. “You and I are in an equal position and we will have the same fate.”
“We will both be arrested and executed!” — I tried to insist on my point. “The fortress is good, but it will not withstand a siege in which the entire royal fleet under the command of d’Artagnan is participating.” Moreover, I decided not to resist d'Artagnan.
- D'Artagnan! - Porthos exclaimed. - After all, it is he who commands the fleet! He will let us go.
“He received orders to arrest us,” I shook my head. “I believe both his career and life depend on how he carries out this order.”
“And for the sake of such a trifle, d’Artagnan will betray our friendship?” - Porthos was surprised. - Would you really do that in his place?
These simple-minded words from Porthos made me blush deeply.
“But he agreed to lead the chase after us!” - Aramis exclaimed.
- Of course, to give us the opportunity to hide! - Porthos objected without a shadow of doubt.
“It’s hard to predict what exactly he’s up to,” I shook my head in doubt. - D'Artagnan is D'Artagnan.

Chapter 272

- Very accurately said! - I heard d’Artagnan’s voice, after which I was surprised to see him himself. - I am me, don’t hesitate!
Indeed, with these words, our friend appeared in front of us, sailing in a boat, which we did not notice due to our heated discussions.
- You are waiting for me on the shore, friends! How nice! - he exclaimed, easily jumping out of the boat onto the pier.
Quickly, like a twenty-year-old, he ran up the stone stairs to the landing where we met him. Following him up the stairs, not so quickly, but almost keeping pace with him, an officer climbed up the stairs.
D'Artagnan stopped halfway. His companion did the same.
Seeing that d'Artagnan was accompanied by only one officer, I ordered everyone except Porthos to move away so that they would not hear our conversation. d'Artagnan nodded his head and turned to his companion:
“Sir, contrary to the order of the King, who places the entire fleet at my disposal, you did not obey my order. I am ready to recognize your primacy on your ship only within certain limits. This is not a Royal Navy ship, so I ask you to retire to the boat, as I will have confidential negotiations with the enemy.
“Sir,” answered the officer, “I strictly followed the order given to me before sailing.” I am ordered to follow you everywhere and not allow any negotiations with the enemy without being aware of the content of these negotiations. That's exactly what I do.
D'Artagnan trembled with anger.
“Sir,” he said quietly but clearly, “it seems to me that you have two dozen pockets, and in each of them there are a dozen orders that bind me hand and foot.” Meanwhile, I have received from the hands of the King the highest authority in all branches of the army, land and sea, of which I, it seems, notified you immediately after my arrival on your ship and gave you to read this order from the first letter to the last!
“Mr. Captain,” the officer replied, “the orders I received do not in any way contradict the orders you received.” You are entrusted with commanding us, and I am entrusted with constantly accompanying you, without going further than one toise.
“Sir,” continued d’Artagnan, “I no longer care about you or about the orders that Monsieur Colbert gave you!” I have been insulted! In my entire life I have only been truly angry six times, and on five previous occasions it ended in the death of the one who angered me, and only on one occasion did the person manage to escape and hide behind a secret door! I don't see any walls here, therefore there are no secret doors here. Therefore, nothing will stop me from stabbing you on my sword like a beetle!
“D'Artagnan himself is not free in his actions! - I noticed. “However, it seems that he seriously intends to take care of our salvation, so he feigns anger.” Knowing him, I see that he is calmer than ever.”
The officer turned pale, but answered very restrainedly:
“Captain, you can kill me, but my assistant has orders for this.” If you return to the flagship without me in this boat, then you will be immediately arrested for a duel in wartime, and the entire operation to capture the fortress will be led by my assistant.
and I watched this dramatic scene with bated breath.
D'Artagnan came close to the officer.
“Sir, besides making sure that you are no further than a stone’s throw away from me, do you have any additional instructions?”
“In all other respects, I must completely obey you, Mr. Captain,” was the answer.
- In that case, calm down! - exclaimed d'Artagnan.
The officer stood up straight.
“Porthos, cover this fellow’s ears with your palms, just be careful not to crush his head.” I need him alive and not crippled!
Porthos pressed his plump palms so tightly to the officer's ears that he began to fear that his head would split open like a dry nut under the hooves of a young stallion.
- Be careful, Porthos, don’t you see he’s barely alive? - D'Artagnan smiled - More tenderly. So, the officer did not move more than a stone away from me, all orders were carried out, all conditions were met.
D'Artagnan and I hugged, after which d'Artagnan also hugged Porthos.
“I didn’t expect that I would be so helpless!” - D'Artagnan said sadly. “Nominally leading the campaign, I am, in fact, just a puppet in Colbert’s hands!” But let's hasten to talk.
- What do these strictures mean? - asked Porthos.
“Porthos didn’t know anything, he was only the executor of my will,” I hastened to say.
D'Artagnan gave me a reproachful look, which made me feel uneasy.
- Damn it! - exclaimed d'Artagnan. - I had a plan that was bursting at all the seams! I wanted to take you both to my ship and take you wherever you please, and then return to the King, and whatever will happen there. But now I believe that in this case I will simply be joined to you, and all three of us will be dragged to the King in chains.
- This does not fit! - exclaimed Porthos.
At the same time, he absent-mindedly squeezed the officer’s head a little tighter, so that d’Artagnan had to shout “Careful, Porthos!”
“There is only one thing left,” said d’Artagnan , “I will launch an attack in this place.”
He pulled out from his cuff a map of the fortress that he had drawn during his previous trip. I could only marvel at how accurate this map was. The place to which d'Artagnan pointed was one of the most impregnable places, while from the outside it would seem that this was a very favorable place for an assault.
“This will allow you to hide in the chaos that has begun,” d’Artagnan continued. “At least prepare a shuttle for yourself, because if not me, then Colbert’s spies, I guarantee, will turn over every stone on the island to find you.”
- Hide? - exclaimed Porthos. - Retreat? Never. Isaac du Valon de Pierrefonds de Brassier never retreated!
- Porthos, are you going to fight against d'Artagnan? - I was surprised.
- In no case! - exclaimed Porthos.
“You will not retreat, but will carry out a long reconnaissance in order to occupy a more strategically advantageous position and prevent encirclement and subsequent capture,” explained d’Artagnan.
- That's another matter! - Porthos calmed down. “This is acceptable in combat.”
“However, there is another option,” said d’Artagnan. “That scoundrel Colbert has filled the ship with his spies, who have all sorts of orders limiting my actions. I will feign irritation, relinquish my authority, and while they find a replacement for me, you will have at least a day to escape.
- This could work! - I nodded.
“Now, Porthos, release the officer,” said d’Artagnan.
- Sir, at ease! - D'Artagnan ordered the officer. “And accept a thousand apologies from us for the inconvenience that the strong embrace of Baron du Valon caused you.” You reminded him of one of your favorite nephews, and he could not contain his outburst of love. After a couple of days, your ears will not hurt. They will even return to their natural color, but this will only be in two weeks, and before that they will resemble eggplant in color. Buy yourself a fuller wig, I'll pay the cost. You did not violate any orders, and I also did not violate any orders.
“And I, as a bishop, forgive you your sins, if there were any,” I picked up. - The road to Paradise is guaranteed for you.
“However, don’t rush into this,” d’Artagnan winked. “At least until you and I return to the ship!”
I know the rest from the story of d'Artagnan himself.
Having boarded the ship, he assembled a military council from the captains of the squadron entrusted to him.
“Gentlemen, I offered the rebels to surrender, but they refused,” he said. “I’m going to invite the two main officers of the rebel fortress to negotiate on the flagship.” We will demonstrate our strength to them, after which I hope to convince them to surrender. Do you agree with me, gentlemen?
At these words, the officer accompanying d'Artagnan to the shore took a sealed package from his pocket, on which was the number "1" and handed it to d'Artagnan.
D'Artagnan tore the package incredulously, took out and unfolded the paper and read:

“Monsieur d'Artagnan is prohibited from conducting any negotiations until Belle-Ile has surrendered and all prisoners captured in arms have been shot.
Signed: Louis."

This clearly contradicted the order that d'Artagnan himself received, according to which if the fortress did not fire a single shot, military action against the fortress should not be started!
D'Artagnan could hardly contain his indignation, but, having mastered himself, he answered with the most amiable smile.
“Who told you, sir, that negotiations would not be required for the fortress to surrender?” - he asked. “It seems that in order for the enemy to surrender, in any case, it is necessary to declare him the enemy, and also to demonstrate to him his pitiful position in comparison with the forces of the attackers.” Otherwise, no fortresses will surrender, and the order clearly states that the surrender of the fortress should be achieved! So, I do exactly what is required of me, so don't bother me with all your ridiculous paperwork!
“You’ve already been to the island,” the officer objected. “You had to say only one word to the enemy: “Surrender!” You had enough time to say it.
“I also had to explain to them the hopelessness of their situation in order to convince them to surrender,” objected d’Artagnan.
“The commander-in-chief does not negotiate personally, especially on enemy territory,” the officer answered in an impassive tone. - Firstly, it is extremely risky, and secondly, there is no risk in such an action only in case of collusion with the enemy. I have every reason to use the powers that have been given to me.
- Excellent, sir! - D'Artagnan exclaimed, barely containing his anger. “I see that all the powers that were given to me by His Majesty’s papers are annulled by the papers that are only shown to me now, and the existence of which I had no idea!” As far as I understand, when there are two orders that exclude each other, the order that is signed later has the highest power. Should we check the date and time of signing your papers with the date and time of signing my papers?
“There is a note on my paper that it will annul the authority given by His Majesty to Mr. Captain d’Artagnan if he behaves as stated in these papers,” the officer replied. -You can make sure.
With these words, the officer handed the paper to d'Artagnan.
“In case you decide to tear up this order, I have a second copy,” he warned.
Thinking for a moment, d'Artagnan feigned anger and exclaimed:
- Gentlemen! - addressing the assembled officers. “I see that I have lost the trust of His Majesty!” The order entrusting me with emergency powers is simply a meaningless piece of paper! People far below me in rank have numerous orders in their pockets canceling it! I wouldn’t be surprised if the last sailor on this ship also has some instructions regarding me! Well, I resign from command, and we are returning to the shores of France. You will be assigned a new commander-in-chief, who, I hope, will not be tied hand and foot by numerous packages with numbers and orders! In this case, it will probably accomplish something that I don't see any possibility of accomplishing myself. We are back, gentlemen!
At the same time, d'Artagnan was almost sure that the time he thus provided to his friends would be sufficient to escape in an unknown direction.
But the same officer produced an envelope marked "2", containing an order that read:

“If M. d'Artagnan expresses a desire to resign his powers, he will be removed from command and placed under arrest at the disposal of the King; the officer carrying this order is entrusted with taking command of the army and navy to carry out the task entrusted to Monsieur d'Artagnan, which officer will be considered from this moment on to be the head of the expedition, the commander of the troops sent against Belle-Isle, and will be completed by him mission to take the fortress and arrest or execute the rebels."

“If I put this order in my pocket,” thought d’Artagnan, “no one will know about its contents, but whatever happens!”
At the same moment he saw that all the officers around him were reading the same order, copies of which this officer had distributed to them.
“Sir,” bowed the same fatal officer who approached him, “you must immediately go ashore with these four officers.” A boat is waiting for you.
- Gentlemen! - he addressed everyone present. - You are familiar with the King's order. From this moment on, I am in command of the assault on the fortress.
“Well, Monsieur Colbert,” d’Artagnan said mentally, “you won this battle. Can you win the war against me?"
And he went down into the boat, accompanied by four officers.

Chapter 273

Having parted with d'Artagnan, Porthos and I went to the main fort.
“So Porthos,” I said, “d’Artagnan, at the cost of his career, and even, perhaps, at the cost of his freedom, gives us a day.”
- What will this give us? - asked Porthos. “And should we accept his sacrifice?”
“If we are saved, we will repay him this debt of friendship with interest, have no doubt,” I answered. - If we are not saved, then there is no demand from the dead. Moreover, if we die, then perhaps we will not accept his sacrifice, he will report to the King about our death and in this case he will not face any disgrace. Perhaps he will even be made marshal of France for this feat!
Porthos did not detect the bitterness in my words.
- How wonderfully everything is working out! - he exclaimed. - Whichever way you turn, the result is quite decent! Either we die for a friend, or we save ourselves to save a friend! Do you know, Aramis, I will not forget this adventure until my death!
“I have no doubt about that, Porthos!” - I answered with a bitter smile.
“Even if your memory, my dear Porthos, did not retain events for more than one week, then even in this case there would be a great chance that you would not forget about this adventure until your death,” I thought. - Damn irony of fate! My poor friend, whom I seemed to have brought into such a disastrous situation, is also rejoicing at the current circumstances!”
— Do you remember the dungeon of Lokmaria? - I asked Porthos. “I’m talking about the same dungeon where we ambushed foxes so many times.”
“Yeah,” Porthos grumbled. - Damn cave! Two nights without sleep and not a single fox skin in the end!
“So the Lord judged that these skins were more necessary for their owners, the foxes, and did not allow us to take possession of them,” I answered. -Forget about foxes. I'm talking about a cave.
- A cave is like a cave, what do you care about it? - asked Porthos. -Did you hide the treasure there?
- Something better for us in the current circumstances! - I answered. “There’s a pretty good longboat hidden at the exit of this dungeon.” True, it still needs to be rolled down to the sea, but there are rollers stored there, and there is a quite decent natural groove towards the sea. Together we can handle it and we can roll it to the shore.
- I alone can cope with rolling his longboat down to the sea along the skating rinks! - Porthos answered serenely. “We just need someone else to take the vacated rollers from behind and place them in front of the bow of the longboat!”
“That’s why, dear Porthos, we need the strength of both of us,” I explained.
“Well, for that matter, it turns out that there is work for you too,” Porthos agreed.
- Perfect! However, three more assistants will be waiting for us there. “That very night we will roll the longboat to the shore and go out to sea in it,” I answered. “It seems there will be a high tide tonight, so we won’t have to drag the longboat far along the shore.”
-Where are we going? - asked Porthos.
- Anywhere, just to get away from France. - I answered.
— Are we leaving France forever? - Porthos asked with some sadness.
“We will probably return to it, but for this we need to escape from Colbert’s hands tomorrow,” I answered. “We will return to France as winners, Porthos, have no doubt!” Now it’s better for us to disappear from the island so that our friend d’Artagnan does not have to sacrifice his career to save us. And then we will secretly return to France, if only to make sure that d'Artagnan is all right and that he does not need our protection.
“That suits me,” Porthos agreed. - After all, we are not retreating, but changing an unfavorable disposition to a more advantageous one?
- That's right, dear Porthos! - I agreed.
But then, quite unexpectedly, we heard the sound of cannon fire.
I opened the window and the blood must have drained from my face, because Porthos asked me why I suddenly became so pale.
- They're attacking! - I said. “Our friend d’Artagnan would never have attacked until the day he promised us had expired.”
- So he was removed from command? - asked Porthos.
“No other way,” I answered. “Apparently he has been arrested, and another person is in command of the attack!” They attack in a completely different place from where d'Artagnan intended to attack, and this proves that the attackers have a different commander. This place was chosen most successfully for the attack. This commander is very familiar with the layout of the fortress, and he is a good commander. We won't last long. Moreover, I decided not to give the order to return fire. I do not want innocent soldiers and officers of the garrison to suffer. It seems we shouldn't wait for night and tide. We're going to Lokmaria Cave now!
Porthos jumped to his feet, but suddenly cried out in pain.
- What's the matter with you, Porthos? - I asked in alarm.
“Nothing special,” answered the giant. “I just suddenly felt an unbearable pain in both muscles of my legs. This is the first time this has happened to me! Give me a minute, it will pass.
“You need products that help with excessive muscle fatigue,” I said.
- What kind of products are these? - asked Porthos.
“Fresh milk or meat, millet, beans, carrots, spinach, potatoes, or fruits: apricots, peaches, bananas, nuts,” I said.
“None of what we have here on the island,” Porthos answered with a grin. “No wonder my legs ache as if I had been squatting with a young bull on my shoulders for four days in a row!”
“Chew this herbal mixture,” I said, pouring a small pinch of medicinal herbal powder into his palm.
Porthos licked the medicine I offered from his palm and said that he felt much better.
He was obviously lying, the powder was supposed to take effect no earlier than five minutes, but not immediately. And yet Porthos jumped up as if nothing had happened and said that he was ready to follow me anywhere.
“Well, Porthos,” I said, “Now there is that same bustle in the fortress, as a result of which it is time for us to carry out a long reconnaissance in order to occupy a more strategically advantageous position and prevent encirclement and subsequent capture!” The longboat is waiting for us in the Lokmaria cave! Forward!
And I pointed my finger towards the coast opposite the one from which the French royal ships attacked us. I understood that the opposite coast was also probably patrolled by ships, but perhaps d'Artagnan managed to delay the sending of ships to that coast?
I opened the desk drawer, took out a heavy gold box, and poured two handfuls of diamonds from it into Porthos’s pockets, leaving myself only a couple of rings with large emeralds. After that, I threw the box away with contempt: the gold was too heavy to take with me !
- On the road, friend Porthos! Live! - I shouted, dragging Porthos along with me.
Prudently hiding from prying eyes, Porthos and I finally reached a deep cave, to the exit of which I had previously ordered to roll a good-quality longboat on rollers.
“Porthos, let me go first,” I said. “Three Breton servants are waiting for us in the cave, and you don’t know the conventional sign, without which you risk getting shot or hit by a sword.”
Having found all three at the appointed place, I ordered one of them to go get Porthos.
As soon as everyone gathered together, we headed towards the hidden longboat.
The longboat was supplied with provisions, water and weapons, in a word, it was ready for a long voyage.
“In order to lower the longboat to the sea, there are two ways,” said one of the servants. “We dragged him along the top, the descent there is smooth, nothing will interfere with us.”
- But they can see us, and then everything is lost! - I objected.
“The other way is along the bed of this cave,” said the same servant, however, at the end of the cave there lies a large stone that recently collapsed from above. He will prevent us from pulling the longboat out to sea unless we remove him.
- I saw this stone! - said Porthos. “I’ll remove it alone if necessary.”
- Monsignor! It will take at least ten people to move this stone! - the servant objected.
“You’re right,” I agreed, “let’s try to drag the longboat along the top.” But we'll have to wait until dark.
Suddenly dogs were heard barking.
“This is a pack,” Porthos noted, “the dogs are running along the fox’s trail.”
-Who hunts in such troubled times? - I was surprised.
- Probably the one who considers this time and this place the most suitable for hunting! - Porthos concluded thoughtfully.
“The King’s guards, who managed to land on the island, can afford to have fun with hunting,” I suggested.
- Guardsmen! - said one of the servants, who cautiously looked out of the cave.
At that moment, the fox, fleeing persecution, jumped into the cave, and after her the dogs ran into it, loudly barking.
- Oh damn! - I cried. - Our hideout has been discovered!
“That’s true,” agreed Porthos. “But if none of the dogs returns up from the cave, in this darkness the guards will hardly find the entrance to the cave.”
“That means we need to kill them all, and silently,” I agreed. “Get to the point!”
The Bretons rushed forward with knives in their hands, and in a few minutes the dogs were finished.
“Okay,” I concluded. “Now it’s the owners’ turn.”
- How many are there? - asked Porthos.
“There are sixteen of them,” answered one of the Bretons.
“I hope they are well armed,” Porthos smiled with a smile, “I hate long reconnaissance without reconnaissance in force!”
“We can handle this,” I said. “Their eyes are unaccustomed to the dark, while we have already gotten used to it here and see quite well.” Prepare everything - muskets and daggers.
The arriving guardsmen, despite the darkness, discovered the entrance to the cave. For some time they did not dare to enter the cave.
— Our dogs have disappeared, every single one! - one of them exclaimed. “It’s dark in the cave, and we don’t have flashlights.” Perhaps there is a sharp and deep cliff where all our dogs fell?
“Listen,” said one of the guards, probably the commander. - We're not hunting foxes. The dogs that we specially brought from the coast are following the trail of the rebels! Monsieur Colbert specifically ordered that several things of the Bishop of Vannes be taken so that the dogs would follow his trail! We decided that the dogs were distracted by the fox, but perhaps they took the right trail, and the fox simply decided that the dogs were chasing it?
-Where did the dogs go? - asked another guardsman.
“Perhaps the cave is long and has many bends, and we simply cannot hear their barking.” They continue to chase the fox. Are we really going to leave our dogs here and return home with nothing? — the first guardsman continued to convince others. “I admit that if dogs are distracted by a fox, then they are not the best bloodhounds, but we simply don’t have any other dogs!” In addition, it is very possible that they were on the trail of the rebels!
“Well, Lieutenant, you are in command here,” said the other. - We're going inside!
At these words, six guards, one after another, carefully entered the cave. The ten who remained outside listened intently to the sounds of their footsteps. We, with the help of our two allies, darkness and surprise, easily dealt with these six.
“Apparently, there really is some kind of pit there,” came the voice of a senior officer, whom others called a lieutenant. - This is how we will do it! We will tie ourselves with some kind of rope and go down with a chain, belaying each other.
Since there was no rope, the guardsmen decided to hold each other's hands, forming a human chain. As soon as the fourth guardsman in the chain disappeared into the darkness, there was a deafening roar and the smell of gunpowder.
- Damn it, it's an ambush! - shouted the senior officer. - We'll smoke them out of there! It seems these are the very people we are hunting!
“Hunting people is one of the most exciting types of hunting! - I thought. “But some of the hunters have already become game themselves!” Beware lest others share their fate!”
I managed to reload the pistols, although, perhaps, some of the gunpowder spilled onto the ground in the dark, but I decided that since I would be shooting almost point-blank, half the gunpowder would be enough.
Porthos and I, with the support of three Bretons, would, of course, easily deal with all sixteen guardsmen. Ten of them were already dead, but help suddenly came to the guards.
I decided to retreat, taking advantage of the confusion in the enemy camp. We have almost rolled the longboat down to the very exit of the cave to the sea. While Porthos was pushing the longboat, the three Bretons took turns placing rollers under it, and things went well. But ahead of us was a large stone, blocking the life-saving exit from the cave to the sea.

Chapter 274

We still managed to drag the longboat to this large stone, which stood like a gigantic guard in the very middle of the passage. There was no way to get around it or drag the longboat over it. It should have been moved away.
Porthos, like an ancient titan, rested his shoulders on the top of the stone and pushed it forward with force. All four of us joined in his efforts, but, admittedly, this only doubled the force with which Porthos was swinging the stone alone. After the third attempt, the stone was moved from its place; after the fifth push, it rolled down, opening the way for the longboat to the sea, and for all five of us, to freedom.
The Bretons and Porthos dragged the longboat through the last stage into the ocean, while I covered their retreat with muskets at the ready. Unexpectedly, a reinforcement detachment arrived to the guards advancing on us.
Having estimated the number of arrivals, I realized the pointlessness of further battle. The forces were too unequal. Getting involved in a battle was like death, but going into the sea, giving the enemy access to the cave, would be just as reckless.
- Porthos, we have only one way out! - I exclaimed.
- Nice! - Porthos answered. - That's exactly one more than none! Quite enough! What does it consist of?
“How far can you throw this keg of gunpowder?” - I asked, pointing to a weighty barrel that reached the floor of the muid.
“Perhaps about twelve to fifteen meters,” answered the giant.
“I’ll light the fuse, and when I shout “let’s go!”, throw it as far as possible,” I suggested.
- I'm ready! - Porthos answered. - Set it on fire!
- Don't forget to duck as soon as you throw it! - I cried to Porthos. - Attention, on the count of three! One, two, let's go!
Porthos threw the barrel as hard as he could and ducked behind a high stone. There was a deafening roar. The vaults of the cave above the place where the barrel fell collapsed. The passage along which the guards pursued us was firmly blocked, the pursuers could only return the same way they entered the cave, and we, it seemed, were saved.
Porthos, who had hurled this keg of gunpowder into the midst of the enemy and created incredible chaos in the cave, heard my call and followed us, resuming his reconnoissance on the ground under changed circumstances. Only six of his huge leaps separated him from the exit from the cave, when suddenly he felt that his knees were buckling again and his legs were refusing to obey him.
I couldn't understand what made Porthos stop. He shouted:
- Come on, Porthos, hurry up!
- I can't! - Porthos shouted back.
With his hands he tried to lift his legs and make them obey his master, but in vain. Finally, grabbing the walls of the cave with his hands, he stood up on his feet, which did not obey him at all.
I finally understood what happened.
- Wait, they’ll help you now! - he shouted.
Realizing that I alone could not raise Porthos, and that it was also impossible to leave the longboat unattended when it had already been launched, because it could be captured by enemies, I sent the Bretons to help Porthos.
The brave Bretons jumped out of the longboat and rushed to the aid of the giant, but at that time a huge stone, twice the size of the one that our Hercules had so recently crushed from its centuries-old place, slowly slid down from the edge of the cave.
- Be careful! - I shouted to Porthos and the Bretons, but it was too late.
A huge stone slid down and blocked the exit for Porthos, after which it collapsed inside the cave, apparently burying the glorious Baron du Valon forever. A column of dust rose, through which I could hardly see the mighty body of Porthos disappearing under a boulder falling on him, or perhaps a flow of earth, a lot of stones and rubble.
It was as if my heart had burst and torn in two. I almost lost consciousness. I rushed to the place of the rubble, but discovered that I could not do anything: the stone closed the cave like a huge door, and, most likely, also crushed our glorious Porthos to death!
I felt complete emptiness and the absence of any desires. But the Bretons picked me up and laid me at the bottom of the longboat.
- Monsignor! You should save yourself! - shouted one of them, named Jerome.
- For what? — I objected in a completely indifferent voice.
- In the name of Jesus! - Jerome answered and made a secret sign.
After that, the Bretons leaned on the longboat and pushed it into the water, then, turning its nose away from the shore, they pushed it onto the rapids with all their might, and they themselves, clinging to the edges, deftly, like cats, climbed on board and found themselves inside the longboat. A strong side current caught the longboat and, since in this place it came from the shore, generated by a river rapidly flowing into the sea, the longboat began to move away from the island quite quickly. The Bretons, to top it all off, leaned on their oars. We were rapidly moving away from the shore.
“Now these guards will crawl out of the cave and start shooting at the longboat,” I thought. “If the bullets, having pierced the sides, do not finish me off, then they will make holes in the bottom of the longboat, and it will go to the bottom, dragging me along with it,”
Thinking this way, I didn’t feel sorry for myself at all.
“I’ll probably die soon,” I thought. - Funny! Why doesn’t this upset me at all?”
And then my heart sank again from acute pain.
“Porthos! Porthos! — I thought in despair. - Porthos, I ruined you! Woe is me! Let the waves swallow me up, or a stray bullet hit me in the heart!”
I decided that I should stand up to my full height, exposing myself to the bullets of the guards, who should have already been on the shore. I raised my head over the side and was surprised to see that the longboat had already sailed quite far from the shore, where the guards who were pursuing us had just now appeared. The Bretons rowed without ceasing.
“Perhaps it would be better to look for a place where we could hide from them? - I thought. -Oh, I'm unhappy! I didn’t save our dear Porthos! I got him into a hopeless case and couldn't save him. After all, it turns out that I simply betrayed our friendship! How will I appear to Athos and d'Artagnan now? How will I look at myself now? After all, it seems that I have become disgusted with myself!”
At that moment, the longboat swayed on a particularly high wave, I hit my head on the side, my vision went dark, and I lost consciousness. As if through some kind of veil, I heard distant shots from the shore. Later I learned that three bullets hit the side of the longboat well above the waterline, but did not even make a through hole in it, since the longboat was already far away. It was impossible to hesitate, while the two Bretons continued to row as hard as they could, Jerome hurried to unfurl the sail, after which the longboat rushed into the ocean, and the musket bullets of the guards could no longer reach him.
For more than an hour the longboat carried us away from the island. Jerome exposed my face to the splashes of salt water and thereby brought me to my senses. But still, indifferent to my fate, I lay in despair at the bottom of the longboat, not paying attention to the splashes of salt water, intensified by fast sailing, flooding both my face and clothes.
Suddenly Jerome said:
- Monsignor, there is a sail on the horizon!
- Chase? - I asked indifferently.
“Perhaps they haven’t noticed us yet,” Jerome answered and ordered the sail to be removed so as not to attract attention.
However, apparently, it was too late: the ship was rapidly approaching.
I took out a telescope from one of the bags that had been previously placed in the longboat and looked in the direction of the ship.
“They see us and are coming straight towards us, we can’t escape,” I told the Bretons.
- What will we do, monsignor? - asked Jerome.
“Nothing,” I answered. - Will wait. The Lord decides our fate not only at the present moment, but, as you know very well, at every moment of our life. Let's rely on him.
At that moment there was nothing left in me from the musketeer Aramis, I was completely the bishop of Vannes, and even, to an even greater extent, just the Abbe d'Herblay, who sees serving God as the only reasonable goal in this life. Under other circumstances, I would probably have prayed to the Lord for our salvation, and even more likely, I would have simply firmly believed in my destiny, in my star, leading me to God knows where. But in my current state, I could not think about anything except the terrible fate of Porthos, his death under a huge granite stone. Therefore, I watched our approach to the ship with the detached feeling of an outside observer, as if I were someone else, not Aramis, and the fate of Aramis did not concern me at all.
Soon the ship approached within the distance of a cannon shot, and we heard a roar, after which a cannonball fell into the water very close to the longboat.
“This is a warning shot,” I told Jerome. “They will drown us if we try to leave.” Dry your oars.
This command in nautical language means that the oars should be removed from the water and stop rowing. Jerome looked at me in surprise. I immediately realized that I had said something stupid, because we were no longer rowing, but sailing.
“I wanted to say: “Reef the sail,” I corrected myself.
This nautical command means that the sail must be tied with special ropes called "tips" in order for it to stop sailing.
The ship came almost close to the longboat.
- Hey, on the longboat! Give up! - the ship's commander shouted into the bullhorn.
The Bretons looked at me and I nodded my head.
“Shout to them, Jerome, that we surrender,” I said with great difficulty. “I seem to have completely lost my voice.”
Two dozen muskets were aimed at us.
- We surrender! - shouted Jerome.
A rope ladder was thrown from the side.
- Get on board one at a time! - the captain shouted. - At the first attempt to resist, we shoot!
And, turning to the Bretons, he added:
“We only need Monsieur d’Herblay and Baron du Valon.” We guarantee life for the rest.
“We accept your terms,” I shouted, not giving the Bretons time to think.
- How are you, monsignor? - asked Jerome.
“You can’t beat fate,” I answered indifferently. - Yes, now there’s no need for it. But they won’t be able to do anything to Baron du Valon, that’s the main thing!
- But, my general! - Jerome whispered in my ear. - Is it wise to take such risks?
“ Trust in the Lord, my son,” I said dispassionately, feeling that my voice was gradually returning to me. “Besides, we have no choice.”
"Great! - I thought. - Walking towards death is at least some kind of action! Still better than inaction, and twice as good as running away like a frightened hare! Escape without Porthos ceased to make any sense to me. I did not remain a general of the Order for long, but it seems to me that I am destined to become a martyr. Well, I’ll try to present the matter in such a way as to become a martyr for the faith of Christ. Whatever it is - entertainment in the last hours of life! I wonder what the name of the ship that will be my guide to Hell is? It would be fun if the ship's name was Virgil! In this case, I would be like Dante on his majestic journey!
My indifferent gaze slid along the side of the ship. Suddenly, after reading its title, I realized that the Lord had not abandoned me. So he forgave me! I quickly jumped up and quickly boarded the ship, ahead of the other Breton sailors.
Having climbed on board, I walked up to the captain with confident steps and made a mysterious gesture with my hand, at the sight of which the captain bowed respectfully, but from the outside it could seem like simple politeness, such a subtle understanding of gestures among us Jesuits is much more subtle than that of secular people. After that, I showed the captain a ring with the emblem of the Order. The captain bowed his head another inch, which meant that he understood me, expressed his deepest respect and was ready to obey me. I knew that this captain was a master, his position in the Order was higher than Jerome’s, therefore, his obedience to me was almost limitless.
I was immediately placed in the captain’s cabin, and the captain himself ordered everyone to leave, after which he came up to me and asked:
-Where does the monsignor order you to head?
I just tiredly waved my hand away from the island, to the west, after which I leaned back on the pillows and closed my eyes.
“The commander of my Bretons, Jerome, he is also an initiate, but not a master, unlike you, captain,” I said.
After that, I would like to forget myself in a dream, my strength really left me, but my thoughts were racing and did not give me peace.
"Glorious Porthos! - I thought bitterly. “A few steps were not enough for you to be completely saved!” Ah, Fate, how treacherous you are! Instead of saving both of us, you saved me alone and doomed me to eternal torment! Perhaps it would be better if this stone were a grave for both of us! But I will bear my lot to the end."
My heart was still squeezing with grief, and tears already refused to give relief to my grief, my eyes were dry, for they had run out of salty moisture.

Chapter 275

The boat brought d'Artagnan and four officers ashore.
- Your sword, Mr. Captain! - said the eldest of them, Lieutenant of the Guards Lefebvre, whom d'Artagnan knew very well.
— Would you like to see the finish of the handle? - asked d'Artagnan. “Perhaps later, Lieutenant Lefevre, I will provide you with such an opportunity, but now I need it myself.”
“The arrested person should surrender his weapon,” Lefebvre replied.
- The true truth! - D'Artagnan agreed. - Who is arrested here? I do not see him!
“You yourself, Mister Captain,” answered the lieutenant in the same dispassionate voice.
“What, Lieutenant Lefevre, have you decided to rebel against the King?” - d'Artagnan was surprised, raising his left eyebrow and looking at all four guards with a surprised look. “You take the liberty of unreasonably broadly interpreting a completely obvious order of the King, that is, adding to it your own fantasies, which is disobedience to His Majesty, that is, rebellion.
The lieutenant was embarrassed.
“Our dear Geudoli was so kind as to distribute copies of the King’s order to all of you,” continued d’Artagnan. - Read carefully, and don’t invent things that aren’t there!
“It directly says here: “Remove and deliver under arrest ,” Lefebvre read out in surprise and somewhat hesitantly.
“Read from the very beginning,” objected d’Artagnan. “It says here the conditions under which this should be done: “If M. d’Artagnan expresses a desire to resign his powers, he should be removed from command and placed under arrest at the disposal of the King.” Did you hear me announce my resignation?
“You yourself said: “I am relinquishing command,” didn’t you? - Lefevre was surprised.
“I’ll now briefly explain to you how the term “command” differs from the term “powers,” answered d’Artagnan. - “Command” is an action that I have the authority to carry out. And “authorities” are my rights that give me the ability to exercise command. Do not understand? Then a simpler example. You certainly know what a musket shot is. So, a musket is a means for firing a shot, and a shot is the result of using this means. If I don’t have a musket, I cannot fire from it, but this does not mean that I don’t want to shoot and voluntarily refuse. If I have a musket, then I am free to shoot or not shoot as I wish. The soldier can be blamed for not firing when he should have, and he had every opportunity to do so. But a soldier cannot be blamed for not firing if he did not have a musket at the time. The soldier who threw his musket to the ground is a deserter. But a soldier whose superiors confiscated a musket is not a deserter because of this fact. If the commander’s sword broke, and a deputy galloping nearby gave him his, this deputy did not lay down his arms without a fight, he did not surrender, he was not a deserter, he simply handed over the weapon out of necessity and under the pressure of circumstances. Because it is not proper for the commander-in-chief to be unarmed. And the deputy only has to find another weapon, perhaps get it from his adjutant or orderly. Do you understand this?
“Not quite,” answered Lieutenant Lefevre, not confidently.
- Well, come on, take out from your coat an envelope with number three or four, where it says that if Captain d'Artagnan opposes lawlessness being done to him, then this lawlessness should still be done to him! - continued d'Artagnan in a mocking tone. — Do you have such a document? It can’t be that Monsieur Colbert didn’t bother to prepare such an abomination? Well, if not, then listen to what I tell you! I complained about the difficulties in fulfilling my functions as your commander for the reason that my actions were interfered with and limited. This is not a statement that I am giving up my authority! I was disembarked from the Ship and sent ashore, and another person, younger than me in rank and position, took command of the operation! Well, I endured that too. But my papers and my rights, delegated to me by them, that is, by the King of France himself, remained with me, just like your papers and your rights with you. I am ready to proceed to the King in order to find out which of us is right, but if you try to arrest me, then I will kill all four, after which I will report to His Majesty about the lawlessness that you tried to perpetrate on me, and probably no charges will not be brought against me. If it turns out that I was wrong, I am ready to bear responsibility to the fullest extent of the law. And you will be buried with honors, as people who died by mistake, due to a disagreement between us in the interpretation of the wording. Are you satisfied with this state of affairs?
“All this is somehow strange and not entirely convincing,” Lefebvre said doubtfully.
“Listen, Lieutenant,” said d’Artagnan with a kind smile. - After all, you know me, and you know that I’m not crazy. Would I be disobedient if I knew the King would punish me for it? Does it really matter whether all five of us go to the King as good friends, comrades in military affairs, or whether you will accompany me like guards, and I will ride in the middle between you, without a sword, and what’s more, without a baldric? and without a hat? Would I risk my freedom and invite punishment for disobedience for such a small thing? Of course I wouldn't! The fact is that I know my rights, and I’m simply warning you not to exceed your authority. After all, I would have stabbed all four of you long ago, since you are not opponents for me, and you yourself know this very well! My one sword is much faster than your four! But I won't do that. I suggest you just walk with me to that tavern, where we will drink a glass of wine at my expense, after which we will discuss the situation calmly. I am ready to go to the King and give him an account for my actions, but that’s all you need from me, isn’t it? We, five Frenchmen, won’t have a causeless duel right here, in full view of good citizens? Believe me, I don’t at all wish for your death, and if you also manage to inflict a couple of scratches on me before your death, it won’t upset me too much, but it won’t make me happy either. A bad peace is better than a good quarrel!
Lieutenant Lefevre decided that there would be nothing wrong if all five of them went into the tavern to drink a glass of good wine.
This Pork Leg tavern stood not far from the barracks, so soldiers and officers who were off duty often enjoyed themselves there. It was the same this time - there were more than two dozen guardsmen and musketeers in the tavern.
- Master, wine, the best, but live it up! And to everyone present here too, I’m giving you a treat today! - said d'Artagnan and threw six pistoles onto the table.
The wine was immediately brought, those present stared in surprise at the captain, who suddenly decided to treat them.
“Will you allow me to raise a toast to the health of our King?” - D'Artagnan asked Lieutenant Lefebvre.
- I have nothing against it! Lefebvre agreed.
- Just a moment, gentlemen! - exclaimed d'Artagnan. “I am the captain of the royal musketeers d’Artagnan, and some of you are familiar with me, since I also notice familiar faces here!” I treat everyone and invite you all to drink to the health of our glorious King Louis XIV , and also wish him long life and a glorious reign! Our King is truly great! Do you know that he issued a decree that only those orders of his are valid that bear his own signature, as well as the state seal affixed by Chancellor Seguier? Papers like this!
With these words, d'Artagnan took a document from his pocket, unfolded it and began to read aloud.

"The King's Order.
The captain of the royal musketeers, Charles d'Artagnan, is ordered to arrest the rebels, presumably hiding on the island of Belle-Ile, and deliver them under escort to Paris. If the rebels leave the island of Belle-Ile, arrest them where they are caught, right up to the state border of any neighboring states, including neutral waters. For these purposes, Captain d'Artagnan is entrusted with the authority to command any land and sea forces to achieve the task assigned to him. All soldiers, officers, nobles and ordinary citizens of France must provide Captain d'Artagnan with any assistance he needs and obey him in the performance of this task.
Signed: Louis.
Sealed with the state seal of France and the signature of Chancellor S;guier.”

“ You can verify the authenticity of this document,” said d’Artagnan and handed the document to the guardsman closest to him. - Look and pass it on to someone else, and be careful not to tear it or spill wine on it!
The guard made sure that the document bore the original signature of the King, the signature of the Chancellor and the seal.
“Don’t doubt it, the paper is genuine,” said the captain. - So, for the health of His Majesty King Louis XIV , viva!
Those present shouted “Vivat!” three times. and emptied their cups.
“Now return the document to me, and from this moment you are all in my service,” said d’Artagnan. - And here is my first order for you. Arrest this Lieutenant Lefebvre, take away from him a paper that does not have a signature or seal, a paper with which he wanted to incite his three subordinates to revolt against His Majesty. Give it to me.
- But let me! - exclaimed Lefebvre.
- Your sword, lieutenant! - D'Artagnan said demandingly. - And please, no nonsense. With your left hand, grab the sheath, by the very middle, and carefully remove it along with the sling. We don't need unnecessary bloodshed.
Lefebvre jumped to his feet, but immediately felt that the blade of a sword from one of the guards present was pressed to his throat.
- Calm down, Lieutenant Lefevre, no need to fuss, and everyone will remain alive and well! - D'Artagnan said with a grin.
Lefebvre realized that the copy of the order he had, not provided with any signatures or seals, would not help him in any way. He took off the sword and scabbard and placed it on the table and gave the paper he had to d'Artagnan.
“Take away, gentlemen, this sword, as well as the swords from these three of his companions,” said d’Artagnan. “I assign all four of them three days in a punishment cell.” These are not the rebels I am hunting by order of the King, but it is very possible that they are their accomplices. They prevented me from doing my duty. Take them to the barracks, let them sit and think about how to disobey the King's orders. Bring me a good horse, hardy and fast, and always fresh, not tired, he has a long ride ahead of him! Hurry up! This is what my orders will be limited to today. Innkeeper, another portion of wine for everyone present! Don't be sorry, pour more!
With these words, he threw ten more pistols onto the inn counter and left the inn.
Ten minutes later he was already rushing towards Paris.

Chapter 276

D'Artagnan raced into the Louvre like a whirlwind on his horse, but he was still an experienced enough rider not to overwhelm the poor animal, choosing his pace wisely and giving the horse the necessary rest from time to time.
He had nowhere to rush, hardly anyone was chasing him, so he, according to the saying, “ hurried slowly,” that is, he did not waste time, but he did not intend to overdo it in this hurry.
Finally, he reached Paris, arrived at the Louvre and immediately appeared in traveling clothes before the King.
- Your Majesty, you sent for me, and I am at your feet! - said d'Artagnan and bowed to the King's hand. “I’m delighted that you needed me, but I regret that I didn’t have time to complete the mission entrusted to me.”
“Sir,” asked the King, “for what purpose, in your opinion, did I send you to Belle-Ile, giving you the highest powers?”
“Your Majesty, I know nothing about this, since my powers have in fact been limited on all sides,” answered d’Artagnan in such a submissive tone that not a drop of pride or resentment sounded in them. “An infinite number of junior officers, who, even without these high powers, should have been subordinate to me in accordance with my rank, were endowed with higher powers, sufficient to prevent me from doing anything to fulfill the mission entrusted to me by Your Majesty.” . I believe that this camarilla of small officers with major powers was better informed than I about the purposes of my trip and about the ways to achieve the task. I could not fulfill the duties of the head of the expedition, since I was not one. I was neither useful nor decorative on this expedition. But since Mr. Jodoli informed me that I must immediately appear before Your Majesty, leaving further leadership of the operation to him, I, the captain of your musketeers, was forced to hasten to carry out this order of the lieutenant of the guards.
“Captain, if you acted in accordance with the task assigned to you, your actions would not be interfered with by any powers granted to these officers,” the King objected. “I had reason not to trust you, and that’s the only reason I surrounded you with people who should have warned you against doing wrong, that’s all.”
“And these people informed me that they would perform the task assigned to me better than me,” answered d’Artagnan. “Well, in that case, the rebels have been captured and in less than a day they will appear before Your Majesty to learn about their future fate.”
-What did you mean, captain? - asked the King. — Do you have information that the rebels have been arrested?
- Of course, Your Majesty! - exclaimed d'Artagnan. “Because I accurately calculated that I had only one day left to arrest the rebels, and I would have successfully completed this mission, since we had already almost agreed on their surrender, and since Lieutenant Jodoli judged that I was probably acting too slowly, because Therefore, I draw the only possible conclusion that Lieutenant Zhodoli himself will arrest the rebels in less time, that is, at least in half a day, in the twelve hours closest to the time of my removal from the case. So, since the twelve-hour period has already passed, I am simply convinced that the rebels have been captured and are being taken, bound and unarmed, under reliable escort to Paris, to the Louvre, or perhaps to the Bastille. If I had assumed anything else, I would have allowed myself to doubt the correctness of the decision made by Lieutenant Zhedoly. But I in no way intend to question his determination, competence and strategic and tactical talent. After all, Mr. Colbert himself trusts him much more than me! So, the rebels will soon be brought in, tied up and defeated.
“You allow yourself to joke, Mister Captain,” the King answered coldly. “Perhaps you are aiming for the position of royal jester?” This position after Mr. Chicot, my grandfather’s jester, seems to be vacant!
“The position of jester does not particularly appeal to me, Your Majesty,” objected d’Artagnan. - But who knows? If Mr. Colbert gives the jesters envelopes with orders to take away their powers as marshals and generals, then perhaps it is better to be a jester than a marshal?
“We will judge the reasonableness of Mr. Colbert’s actions based on the results of the expedition,” the King answered coldly. “You were ordered to arrest two rebels and take the fortress of Belle-Ile under my hand.” Have you completed your tasks, Monsieur d'Artagnan?
“I have already had the honor to report that as soon as I began to carry out these tasks, I was deprived of my authority,” answered d’Artagnan.
“If you were deprived of your powers, then Colbert’s people had reason to doubt your determination in carrying out your mission,” the King objected. - What was your fault that forced them to resort to this measure?
“It’s better to ask Lieutenant Zhedoly himself about this, Your Majesty,” answered the captain. “I tried to do them in the order in which they were given. If I had not been disturbed, I would have completed them exactly.
- Indeed? - the King was surprised.
“It is very difficult to prove now that I have been prevented, but it is even more difficult to refute it, Your Majesty,” d’Artagnan answered humbly.
“Your actions did not contribute in the least to achieving these goals,” the King objected, although less self-confidently.
“To take the fortress given to you, Your Majesty, under your hand, the most effective measures were negotiations.” “I tried to explain to the main officers of this fortress that it belongs to you, Your Majesty, as a result of which they simply had to hand it over to me,” the captain answered with a bow.
— Were the negotiations successful? - asked the King.
“So successful that not a single shot was fired from the side of the fortress, Your Majesty,” answered d’Artagnan. “At least as long as I stayed at a distance from which I could hear cannon shots.”
“It’s also hard to believe,” said the King. - But, indeed, as you accurately noted, this is difficult to prove, but even more difficult to refute. But how did you manage to convince the rebels to surrender?
“ I convinced the rebels that our forces are many times greater than theirs, and that the soldiers and officers of the fortress will not fight against the troops of the King of France,” answered d’Artagnan. - Any of these arguments is extremely convincing, and combined together they are indestructible, Your Majesty. I expected the surrender of the fortress without a fight in 24 hours, and I am convinced that this would have been the case if Mr. Jodoli and his numbered envelopes had not interfered with me, from which, like a magician, he extracted papers depriving me of authority and any possibility of somehow... then act.
— What was the reason for Zhodoli’s intervention? - asked the King.
“ I informed the mutineers of my demands, gave them time to think, and intended to invite these officers to the ship in order to hear their answer. - continued d'Artagnan with enthusiasm. - I wasn't allowed to do this. I didn't go into the reasons. I obey the King's orders, oral or written.
“What you’re saying sounds good, Mister Captain, but these people would never give up!” - objected the King.
“This is the opinion of Monsieur Colbert,” d’Artagnan clarified. “If he understands the strategy and tactics of combat better than me, and also knows these people better than me, in this case it would be better for him to conduct the campaign.” However, I dare say that I could probably find arguments to convince these people to accept my terms. Therefore, I cannot say that my first steps were meaningless, Your Majesty. If they were successful, all the tasks you set would have already been solved.
- What if you're wrong, captain? - asked the King. “What if they refused to surrender?”
“I draw Your Majesty’s attention to the fact that I intended to invite two senior officers to the flagship to answer.” - said d'Artagnan. “If the rebels had refused to surrender, I would have arrested them there, on the flagship, after which the fortress would have been left without commanders and would have submitted to the legal demands of Your Majesty.” After that, I would take the Belle-Ile fortress under your hand, and deliver to you the rebels you named, that is, I would carry out all your orders without shedding a single drop of blood. The blood of your subjects, Your Majesty.
“Are you saying that you would bring your two friends to me?” — the King said with disbelief.
The king emphasized the word "friends", so that d'Artagnan shuddered.
“So that’s what it’s all about! - he thought. - Colbert found out that Aramis and Porthos are my friends, and guessed that I could try to help them out! From this stems his distrust of me, and he infected the King with this distrust! Well, they are not so much mistaken about me, but I would do everything so carefully that I could not be suspected of anything. That is why I was not allowed to act! But then why the hell was I entrusted with this case in the first place? To prove my guilt? This whole mission was just a trap for me, and nothing more? They did not even hope to arrest my friends with my hands, they wanted to get evidence of my complicity in this matter! Even Colbert, who doesn't know about the plot, is trying his best to bring me down. He still hasn’t forgiven me that the position of captain of the royal musketeers went to me, and not to his relative! What a low, vindictive soul!”
“Doesn’t the fact that you entrusted me with this mission prove that you believed that I would carry it out?” - asked d'Artagnan. “That’s the only way I see it.” I cannot prove to you that I would do exactly what I say, but Monsieur Colbert cannot prove that I would not do that! Should one suspect of treason a man who, in thirty-five years of impeccable service, has never given reason to doubt his fidelity!
“I have nothing to reproach you with, captain,” answered the King. - But these are things of the past. And only the future will tell what will happen in the future. If you continue to call your friends the conspirators who encroached on my freedom, on my power and even, quite possibly, could encroach on my life, if you still consider these scoundrels your friends, you deserve the same punishment as They.
“Your Majesty overlooks the fact that I acted contrary to their plans and single-handedly thwarted them,” d’Artagnan countered calmly.
“I don’t lose sight of that,” the King objected. “It is for this reason that you were given the chance to prove your loyalty or prove yourself as a traitor. What did you choose?
“Regardless of what I chose, Monsieur Colbert’s spies hurried, since they did not have time to obtain either evidence of my loyalty or evidence of my treason,” answered the captain. “And yet, if indeed M. Colbert and the spies he sent serve Your Majesty much better than I do, then Your Majesty and I will be able to be convinced of this very soon.” In the next twelve hours they will report that they have taken the fortress of Belle-Ile under the hand of Your Majesty, that the rebels have been captured. However, even in this case it is worth considering the cost of such a victory. If, as a result of the battles, the fortress is destroyed to the ground, your fortress, Your Majesty, if this fortress of yours is turned into ruins, and if the next day the British come to the idea of capturing Belle-Ile, they will do it without firing a single shot. In this case, Mr. Colbert’s people destroyed the pearl among the border fortresses, the best of the sea outposts, the most important fortress from the point of view of the security of the state, which belonged to you, Your Majesty. Of course, in this case they deserved a reward. I am guilty of trying to preserve this fortress, so necessary for France, in its original form. And at the same time, all I wanted was a day to think, after which the rebels would surrender without a fight. It's hard to believe, but it's impossible to refute.
The king turned pale.
“If the fortress had to be destroyed, then it will be rebuilt, for me something else was more important,” said the King in an icy voice.
“For Your Majesty it was much more important to capture two rebels, the Bishop of Vannes and Baron du Valon, I remember that. “I told you how I was going to carry out this order, but I was not allowed to do it,” the captain said almost dispassionately. “Mr. Colbert’s people had a better plan, and no one stopped them from implementing it. Well, as I said, within the next twelve hours in this case they will be brought to Paris, tied up or killed.
The king dug his nails into the arms of his chair so hard that his fingertips turned white.
“That’s right, they will be delivered alive or dead,” he said.
“They won’t be delivered alive,” d’Artagnan answered firmly. “These people could, under certain circumstances, lay down their arms in front of me and surrender to me.” But there is no longer a single person in the world who could take these people prisoner.
“I almost said that they could surrender to the Comte de La F;re! - D'Artagnan thought with horror. - Thank God, I came to my senses in time. It would be unforgivable stupidity to involve him in this matter too!”
“That means they will be brought to me dead,” said the King stubbornly. “And that would suit me perfectly, because if they were brought in alive, it would only be to hang them.”
“Mr. Bishop of Vannes, even a dead man will be able to elude anyone.” — the captain of the musketeers answered confidently. “As for Baron du Valon, even completely unarmed, he will kill three dozen guardsmen before they get the better of him.” And with a sword in his hand or any solid and sufficiently heavy weapon, or at least in extreme cases with shafts, he will kill forty people without blinking an eye.
“If necessary, I will send several hundred, several thousand people there, but these people will be captured or killed,” the King exclaimed, and his voice did not have the confidence that sounded in the captain’s voice.
“You told me, Your Majesty, that if I bring you these rebels, I will receive a marshal’s baton,” d’Artagnan grinned . “I suppose the baton of the Marshal of France has already been prepared for M. Colbert?” I'm afraid this rod will have to gather dust for many decades before it is given to this person. At least not for such a victory.
- Enough, captain! - exclaimed the King, feeling that he could not object to d'Artagnan. - You tire me!
“This problem is easy to fix, Your Majesty,” the captain replied. - Or give me a vacation, in which case not only will I take a break from service, but you will also take a break from me. Or let me resign, then our mutual vacation will last much longer.
“Go,” said the King.
— On vacation or retirement? - asked d'Artagnan.
“Wait,” Louis waved his hand. - You will be informed of my decision.
D'Artagnan bowed deeply and left the King's office.
“If His Majesty needs me, Hubert, I’m here,” he said to the King’s secretary.
He then left the royal chambers in an unknown direction.
- Where is it at home? - Hubert asked belatedly. - In the barracks or in the apartment?
But he received no answer, since d'Artagnan had already left.

Chapter 277

The ship carried me to the shores of Spain, I looked at the waves and grieved that I did not save Porthos, and that, most likely, I would never get to see my remaining friends, d'Artagnan and Athos. But I was wrong. I met them, and therefore I know what was happening to them at that very time. Let me therefore return to the story of d'Artagnan. This part of my story is especially dear to my heart. Thank you, Lord, for what happened then, and what I am going to write about now, here and now!
D'Artagnan reasoned that, regardless of whether he received resignation or leave, he was out of service for some time, but left to his own devices. This is exactly what he needed to immediately rush to the aid of me and Porthos, so without hesitation he hurried to return to Belle-Ile.
The blockade of the island had already been lifted, so he easily crossed to it on the boat he had hired and decided to simply wander around the crowded places, listening to the conversations of passers-by.
He soon learned of an extraordinary event, which was that two noblemen, accompanied by several Bretons, hid in the cave of Lokmaria. They were discovered by a detachment of guards, after which they put up fierce resistance, destroying ten of the sixteen guards. When help came to the guards, numbering several dozen soldiers, the fugitives made their way through the cave to the seashore. A detachment of guardsmen tried to catch up with the fugitives, following them along the passage of the cave, but the fugitives caused an explosion in which many guardsmen died, as well as, apparently, the fugitives themselves.
D'Artagnan realized that such an event could not have happened without us, me and Porthos. He immediately went to the indicated cave and conducted his own investigation. Of course, I learned about the results of his investigation much later, but I am writing about it here for the sake of the integrity of the story.
The corpses of the guardsmen had already been taken out and buried, but everything else remained unchanged. There was no one to restore order there, and there was no need to do so.
“This is where they entered the cave,” d’Artagnan said to himself. - Understand! They apparently hid the longboat here. A very convenient place. They dragged him, apparently, along the top, and were also going to lower him to the sea, but something prevented them from doing this. Apparently these sixteen guardsmen appeared, ten of whom did not leave this cave.”
Looking carefully at all the traces of the incident, d'Artagnan vividly imagined the picture of our battle almost as clearly as if he had been a witness or participant in this battle. Having walked through the cave to the place where Porthos brought it down with a keg of gunpowder, he realized that there was no further progress. Then he returned the way he had come, walked over the cave on horseback and went down to the sea where the cave opened onto the shore.
Here he saw traces of monstrous destruction. Near the very shore lay a huge boulder that had rolled down from the cave exit. Some unknown force turned him inside out.
D'Artagnan climbed to the very exit of the cave, which was blocked with an even larger stone. He didn't even try to move it; it was beyond human power.
“The exit from the cave is closed! - d'Artagnan continued to reason. “So my friends are either buried alive inside this damned cave, or they luckily managed to run out of it before this huge stone sealed it forever.”
The second outcome seemed unlikely to him. Moreover, even if, as he thought, we both managed to jump out of the cave, and even boarded the longboat and managed to set sail, this could not guarantee our freedom. Royal ships filled with Colbert's spies patrolled these waters even now. During these extraordinary events there was no hope of escaping them. Since, as he found out, we had not yet been caught, he decided that, most likely, we remained buried in this cave. In addition, the inhabitants of the fortress city told him something similar.
D'Artagnan walked closer to the stone, which he already almost with complete confidence considered to be our common gravestone with Porthos.
In a rage, he began to kick the stone with his feet, push and pull with his hands. It seemed that he wanted to vent all his despair on this stone. Indeed, this stone, which rolled down the steep bank so untimely, prevented, in his opinion, both of us, if not from being saved, then at least from continuing the fight for our lives.
- Damn you, damned stupid cold cobblestone, murderer of my friends! - exclaimed d'Artagnan. “I’ll blow you up, but I’ll get to the remains of dear Porthos and Aramis!” I will bury them with honor. Beware, you hated stone! I will destroy you, just give me time!
The sound of the ocean drowned out his cry, but d'Artagnan, who in his youth could not restrain his anger, and over the years gradually began to get used to suppressing his feelings more and more and not showing them in public, decided to give vent to all that anger, all the hatred for injustice of this world, which has accumulated in him over the past thirty-five years.
Suddenly his voice became hoarse, his throat felt sore, he realized that he had practically lost his voice. He covered his face with his hands and fell silent. Suddenly he heard some sound. It was a rhythmic knocking that came from the cobblestone to which the captain addressed his curses.
Not believing his ears, d'Artagnan ran to the stone and pressed his ear to it. This is true! Someone was knocking on the stone from the inside with another stone.
- Porthos! Aramis! It is you? You are alive? - D'Artagnan shouted in a hoarse voice, not paying attention to the tears that flowed from his eyes, leaving dark trails of wet dirt on his dusty cheeks.
Not remembering himself, he grabbed his dagger from his boot, began to dig the ground with it, furiously raking it with his hands and throwing away stones, sand, earth and roots.
- I'm going crazy! - he suddenly thought. - I'm delirious. I dreamed something incredible.
Looking around, he picked up a heavy cobblestone from the ground, walked up with it to the cursed stone that closed the cave, and began knocking on it: two blows, a pause, three blows, a pause, two blows again. Then he put his ear to the stone again.
In response, he heard a knock in the same exact order: two knocks, a pause, three knocks, a poise, and two knocks again.
- This is Porthos! - D'Artagnan shouted in a frenzy, despite his broken voice. - Damn it, Porthos and Aramis! This is our signature knock for all occasions, the symbol of the four brave musketeers! They are alive! A thousand devils, at least one of them is alive!
And d'Artagnan began to tear up the ground to the left of the stone even more furiously than before.
By nightfall his efforts were rewarded; he was able to stick his hand into the cave.
- Porthos! Aramis! - he croaked into the hole.
“D’Artagnan,” came from the cave.
The captain's hand was grabbed by such a familiar, and such a strange hand. It was undoubtedly the hand of Porthos, a huge hand with long fingers, but, my God, what a thin hand it was! All skin and bones!
“You’re alive, Porthos...” d’Artagnan said exhaustedly.
“I would have died a long time ago if it weren’t for a breath of air from a small crack, if not for a few sips of water from this spring!” - answered a weak voice, but it was the voice of Porthos. “But, you know, d’Artagnan, I couldn’t eat locusts.” Apparently I'm not a saint. I would rather starve than eat spiders.
- Porthos! Akrids are not spiders, but grasshoppers,” d’Artagnan laughed through his tears. At that moment he was happy.
Oh, if I had known at that moment that Porthos had been saved, how happily my heart would have beaten then, how the wrinkles of my face would have smoothed out, how my soul would have sung! But at that time I knew nothing about this happy salvation of Porthos. But even now I thank the Lord for this mercy! I am not the murderer of Porthos! How gratifying to think about this!

Chapter 278

I must say that extremely important events for France were taking place in Spain at that time. The fact is that not so long ago, after the defeat of Spain in the Battle of Dunkirk against the united Anglo-French forces, the affairs of Philip VI, the brother of our Queen Mother Anne of Austria, seriously deteriorated. This is what forced him to go to peace and sign a peace with France that was unfavorable for Spain. Flanders was torn away from Spain and divided between us and England. Under the terms of the Iberian Peace, Spain lost Roussillon, half of Cerdan and Artois. The agreement also stipulated the marriage of Infanta Maria Theresa and Louis XIV with a dowry of half a million escudos. The agreement stipulated that if the dowry was not paid in full, the King of France would not renounce his rights to the Spanish throne. Indeed, our King Louis XIV was the grandson of King Philip III of Spain, as well as the son-in-law of the current Spanish King Philip IV. The rights of the married couple Louis and Maria Theresa to the Spanish throne were very solid, since Philip IV had no other heirs left who could lay claim to this throne with equal or greater grounds. The only obstacle was that King Louis and Queen Maria Theresa signed a waiver of these rights in the marriage contract, but still only on condition of payment of half a million gold escudos, which were never paid. And this gave the right to recognize this refusal as void. Consequently, Spain could become another Bourbon fiefdom, and our King could easily become the King of Spain. However, at that very time, the Queen of Spain was in labor and the entire Spanish nobility, including, of course, the royal family, eagerly and hopefully awaited the birth of the Dauphin, the heir. This birth of the much-anticipated heir to the Spanish crown could have averted the danger of a severe dynastic crisis that could have erupted in the event of the death of Philip IV. In the hope of the birth of the Dauphin, Spain delayed paying the dowry, since in this case the claims to the throne of Spain by Louis of France and his wife could be ignored. Of course, this irritated the King of France. Relations between France and Spain became tense. I had no fear that Spain would hand me over to Louis XIV as a state criminal. On the contrary, in my opinion, they should have been greeted with love and affection. At the same time, I, a very influential person in European politics due to the fact that I was actually a general of the Jesuit Order, could be useful for diplomatic activities both in the event of Spain's desire to go into open conflict with France, and in the event of the desire of both sides to achieve reconciliation and improvement relationships. Whatever one may say, Philip IV needed me , and I needed him. I was not jealous of him for the Duchess de Chevreuse, since I had not loved the duchess for a long time. And, besides, Chevrette had so many lovers that it would be simply madness to be jealous of everyone. Lately she has been in close contact with the Duke de Longueville, which freed me from the Duke’s company and allowed me to meet more often with the Duchess de Longueville. True, between us there was still the Duke de La Rochefoucauld, who also from time to time laid claim to the duchess’s attention, but I must say that the duchess preferred me, of course. However, I digress, because I am now writing not about the Duchess de Longueville, but about affairs in Spain. However, all this is very connected, because the duchess also looked closely at Spain, started all sorts of intrigues, and made plans. In this sense, she is not far removed from the Duchess de Chevreuse. Oh, and why have I always been drawn to beautiful noble intriguers with a status no lower than a duchess? Probably for the reason that with my closest acquaintance - nowhere closer - with Marie de Chevreuse, my career began not so much along the military line, but along the line of intrigue, conspiracy, bribery and espionage. Well, we must admit that this path is much more effective, but also more dangerous. Falling from this staircase, which leads to the very top, can be very painful, and many, very many have felt it themselves.
I decided to call myself the Duke of Alameda. I had everything necessary for this - purchased lands, letters of nobility, and so on, right down to the castle, coat of arms, carriage and servants with liveries. There is still some advantage to being a general of the Jesuit Order! Of course, because now under my command there were many people and even entire cities in the New World! Although in France itself not every Jesuit would obey me unconditionally, or did I simply not yet have time to believe in the power of my power? I asked myself: “Why didn’t I declare myself governor of Belle-Ile and declare war on Louis XIV ?” The answer for me is simple. I could easily fight with the King of France, but I would not fight against d'Artagnan, and it was to him that the King would entrust the assault on Belle-Isle! But if I had known that, as a result of my timidity, I would lose Porthos, perhaps I would have decided to take military action.
Now there is no need to talk about this topic, because Porthos, as it turned out later, remained alive, which means I did the right thing.
I will immediately add that a few months after my arrival in Spain, the Dauphin was born and, of course, this is not the slightest merit of mine. Spain, for these reasons, refused to pay the dowry promised to Maria Theresa and Louis. This led to a deterioration in relations and a resumption of hostilities, as a result of which Spain lost its dominant position in Europe and gradually became the object of French territorial claims. As a politician, I at first defended the interests of Spain, but circumstances soon arose, which I will describe later, as a result of which I became more interested in defending the interests of France than in ensuring the rights of Spain. As a result, Spain lost a number of possessions in Central Europe. Philip IV should have listened more carefully to my advice, and even more carefully to my requests, conditions and demands. Spain was saved from the annexation of Catalonia by France only by an alliance with its recent enemies - England and the Netherlands. The country's economy and state apparatus fell into complete decline. But all this happened much later, now I was simply looking for a calm haven where I could rest from the storms that had befallen me and bring balance to my soul, exhausted by reproaches of conscience, and also draw up a plan for future actions.

Chapter 279

For several hours, tirelessly, d'Artagnan dug out a passage in order to get to Porthos. While he was digging, Porthos told him about the events that had taken place, which, in general, almost coincided with the idea of them that the captain had formed from the traces of the battle and explosion that remained at the site. He, of course, was glad that I apparently managed to sail away on the longboat, although Porthos was not sure of this, but only assumed and hoped for such an outcome. After all, he could not know this for sure, since he was buried under a huge block of stone.
“Damn it! Colbert's spies on fast warships probably captured him, d'Artagnan thought with annoyance. - The king will hang him! We must rush to his rescue!”
“Aramis has probably disappeared,” said the Gascon to cheer up Porthos. “You, Porthos, should leave France.” Now no one is looking for you, but it’s better for you to sail not from here, but from another port. Go to Calais, from there by sea to Canterbury, then to my estate, which General Monck gave me. It's called Monkville. You will find it easily, I will give you instructions, as well as documents on the basis of which you will reign there.
- What about Pierrefonds? - asked Porthos.
-Have you made a will? - inquired d'Artagnan.
- Yes, sure! - Porthos answered. “I left the bulk of everything I have to Raoul de Bragelonne.” But, of course, there is a clause in the will that you, Aramis and Athos can take for yourself whatever you see fit, and I left all my suits and some other small items, about a couple of thousand livres worth, to Muston.
- Well, therefore, your wealth will not be lost! - answered d'Artagnan. —Your entire fortune will go to your friends, who over time will be able to return to you everything that can be returned, or turn it into money and return it to you again. But if you are captured, then I cannot guarantee for your life, and your fortune will also go to the treasury. Therefore, the best place for you is England. Treat my Montville estate as if it were your own. You will be fine there.
“But it’s boring and lonely,” answered Porthos.
“I hope it’s not as boring and lonely as in this damned Lokmaria cave!” - answered d'Artagnan.
- Yes, that’s for sure! - Porthos answered and burst out laughing.
“And now, Porthos, you need to refresh yourself,” said the captain.
Fortunately, d'Artagnan had a flask of wine and some crackers with him, which he took in case his investigations were delayed and he had to spend the night in or near the Lokmaria cave. This could not have come at a better time.
- Eat little and slowly, Porthos! - he said, handing the crackers to Porthos through the resulting hole. - Take your time, otherwise too much food will kill you!
“Where do you see the excess food here, d’Artagnan?” - exclaimed Porthos. - These four crackers are enough for me in one bite! And besides, dying from excess food is probably such a sweet death! The last hours, or days, or months, I, by God, I don’t know how much time I spent here, this is exactly what I dreamed of - to die from gluttony!
“In a couple of hours, you and I will treat ourselves to the inn that I have taken note of,” d’Artagnan encouraged Porthos. “I promise you a suckling pig with horseradish and a couple of bottles of wine.”
- Piglet with horseradish! - Porthos exclaimed with emotion. - How long have I dreamed about him! Domestic pig? Do they keep pigs here on the island?
“The wild pig, which just recently ran through the forest, is so striped, with a wet pink snout,” d’Artagnan clarified. “I looked after it and told the innkeeper to have it ready for the evening, for my return.” Now he is yours.
“Your words are like honey to my ears!” - exclaimed Porthos.
He began to dig the ground twice as furiously as before, although he had done it quite quickly before.
“Well, now things will go! - thought d'Artagnan. “If the innkeeper hasn’t prepared the pig, I’ll let the soul out of it!” And it’s not my fault that my words that I ordered it for myself for the evening are an absolute lie. I had to somehow support my comrade in difficult times! Okay, if there’s no pig, a smoked ham will do, or, at worst, a couple of partridges!”
Fortunately, Porthos, while he was in cramped circumstances caused by the fall of the stone, also did not sit idly by. All this time, he pulled one of the boots off his foot and dug as best he could. Unfortunately, there were no spurs on the boots, and the ground consisted of solid stones, so Porthos in his labors could have freed himself on his own, since his strength was already running out. However, he still dug three-quarters of the way, and if he had not become weak from hunger and despair, he probably would have already been saved.
When, finally, the passage was sufficient, Porthos, thin and exhausted, was finally able to get out through it into freedom. His torn clothes hung on him in baggy rags, there was thick stubble on his cheeks, in a word, Porthos was unrecognizable.
- Porthos! You have changed amazingly, and this is to our benefit. Perhaps, with some caution, you can be transported back to France. If you had also become a little shorter in stature, I would have taken you anywhere without fear, even under Colbert’s nose. Although your height is still alarming. It attracts attention. But now I am calm for you, you will easily slip into Calais if you follow some diet and do not return to your normal size extremely quickly. Anyway, don't shave your beard! However, I will take you as far as is reasonable and possible in our current situation. So, soon you will be the owner of an estate in England.
“I always wanted to live somewhere in the south,” Porthos said simply.
“Well, since your new place of residence will be further north than your previous one, you can continue to dream of living in the south,” answered d’Artagnan.
- But I want to take Muston with me! - exclaimed Porthos.
- It wouldn't be wise. And Colbert’s cheeks can guess,” d’Artagnan objected. “But I’ll try to think of something.”
No matter how incredible it may seem, the innkeeper found a suckling pig, although not wild, but domestic, but Porthos did not care at all. With his powerful teeth, he even ground the cartilage, leaving only a pile of gnawed bones on the plate.
“Such gluttony after a long fast would have killed anyone else,” said d’Artagnan. “But for you, Porthos, this portion is just a light snack, and I think it won’t hurt you.”
- And think correctly, my friend! - Porthos responded. “I noticed that my stomach can digest everything that my teeth have ground, but I don’t complain about my teeth!” In the old days I would have eaten two such piglets at a time, but if you say that after a long hunger you should not overeat, I believe you, d'Artagnan! This little pig and two bottles of Burgundy have somewhat quelled my hunger, and I can wait quite calmly for dinner.
“He believes there will still be dinner! - thought d'Artagnan ironically. “It’s already well past ten o’clock, the most sensible thing now would be to sleep for at least four hours, but he’s thinking about dinner!” I’ll find out Porthos’ appetites!”
“My dear friend, we will leave the island early in the morning, around four o’clock, or at the latest at five,” said d’Artagnan. — It is at this time that fishermen go to sea. You and I, under the guise of fishermen, will sail towards the open sea, then, barely out of sight, we will sail along the coast of France south to Saint-Lazaire. From there we will head together first to Nantes, then to Angers, then to Le Mans and to Rouen. From there I will go to Paris, and you will go to Calais.
- I really don’t want to leave! - Porthos said sadly.
“I share your regrets, but there is no other way,” said d’Artagnan.
“We could stop by Blois and visit Athos,” Porthos sighed sadly.
“Neither Blois, nor Pierrefonds, nor Tours, forget about it,” objected d’Artagnan. “We should avoid places where you are known, and especially meeting people you know are your friends.” Mr. Colbert, as it turns out, has a very extensive network of spies, and he knows your name, as well as the names of all your friends, and even acquaintances. Only Calais and the shortest route. Besides, I don’t have much time; in two days I have to be in Paris and appear before the King. Now it's time to sleep, Porthos, in the morning I will wake you up very early!
The friends spent the night in the same tavern, choosing a common room on the first floor for the night, so that in case of a sudden attack at the door, they could leave the room through the window. D'Artagnan paid the innkeeper in advance and ordered him to wake him up at half past three. However, this was unnecessary, since he had learned to wake up exactly at the time he had set for himself in the morning.

Chapter 280

Let me return to the story of how I got on a ship whose captain was the Master of the Jesuit Order.
Two hours of sleep was enough for me to fully restore my strength. After that, I called the captain, who did not go to bed at all.
- Your name is Geraldine d'Argenson , isn't it? - I asked.
“Exactly so, monsignor,” replied Captain d’Argenson . — The fourth stage of initiation.
“From now on, Captain d’Argenson, your level rises to the third level,” I said and extended my hand with the ring of the General of the Order to the captain for a kiss. “You have rendered a significant service to the Order.” Now you must identify all of Colbert’s special envoys on this ship, tell me their names and, one by one, deliver them to this office for a conversation. Don't worry, nothing bad will happen to them.
“According to your word, monsignor, I will throw anyone overboard, including my first mate,” the captain replied.
“Well, that’s only as a last resort,” I answered with a smile. “We are very peaceful people until they make us angry.”
The captain bowed his head, combining a gesture of agreement with a gesture of submission.
“You will receive further instructions directly from me, or from the person who will tell you the next password,” I said and whispered in the captain’s ear “Hercules nobilis sub lapide.” Remember?
“I’ll remember, monsignor, I know Latin,” answered the captain.
I came up with this password in memory of dear Porthos.
“This password will mean that the messenger came from me, and he should be obeyed as I am,” I clarified. - How long will it take you to identify Colbert's spies?
“I will name two of them to the monsignor right now,” answered d’Argenson. - This is Lieutenant du Chante and Lieutenant d'Aunay .
“Describe them briefly,” I asked.
The captain told what he himself knew about these people.
“Great, invite du Chantet to me,” I ordered. - Wait outside the door until I call you.
Three minutes later a young lieutenant entered the room.
“Monsieur du Chantet,” I said coldly. - You have some orders from Mr. Colbert, I know about it.
“These orders were given to me by Monsieur Colbert, but they come from the King of France, which gives me special powers on this ship,” answered the lieutenant.
“Come on,” I said dryly and extended my hand with a gesture that completely excluded disobedience.
“I am ordered to produce these documents in special cases,” replied du Chantet. “This is not such a special occasion, as far as I can tell.”
“ You cannot judge anything decisively,” I said softly, but at the same time extremely coldly. - Captain d'Argenson, come in! - I added clearly and somewhat louder.
-What would the monsignor want? - asked the captain who immediately entered the cabin.
— Repeat, please, where is this ship heading? - I asked.
“Wherever the monsignor wants,” answered the captain.
“This officer claims that he has orders from the King that can force you to cancel my orders, is that true?” - I continued.
“No orders will force me to disobey you, monsignor,” the captain answered with a bow.
“Last question, captain,” I said. “If I tell you to throw Lieutenant du Chante and Lieutenant d’Aunay overboard, what will you do?”
— Will you order them to be tied up first, or just thrown out? - inquired d'Argenson.
“I haven’t decided yet,” I answered. - Thank you, go ahead.
After the captain left the cabin, I continued the conversation.
“You must realize, du Chantet, that in the world and in France itself there is a stronger force than your pathetic King,” I said in an edifying tone. “This power will reach you anywhere and at any time.” As for this insignificant Colbert, I don’t even want to talk about him. I can do anything to you, Monsieur du Chante. Do you believe me?
“I believe you, monsignor,” replied du Chante. “But I’m an officer and I’m used to the thought of dying while doing my duty.”
- Is that so? - I exclaimed approvingly. -Are you Catholic?
“Of course,” replied du Chantet.
— How do you feel about the Jesuit Order? - I asked him quietly and clearly.
“My attitude towards religion concerns only me and the Lord, you will not intimidate me,” du Chantet answered boldly.
Then I made a certain secret sign, after which du Chante’s face changed.
“I see you understand some things quite well,” I nodded. “Then why do you think the captain listens to my orders and disobeys the King’s orders?”
—Are you a second-level member of the Order? - Du Chantet said fearfully.
“Take it higher,” I answered dryly.
— First level? - the lieutenant stammered.
- Do you see this? - I asked and showed my ring.
- Dear God! - exclaimed du Chantet. - General!
With these words du Chantet fell to his knees and kissed the stone on my ring.
- My life, my deeds, my family belong to you, take charge, monsignor! - exclaimed du Chantet.
“Stand up,” Aramis said softly. “You will tell me the names of all Colbert’s spies on this ship.”
“ De Trabucon, d’Aunay and I ,” replied du Chantet.
“Do you know Colbert’s spies on other ships or in the ground forces?” - I inquired.
“No, monsignor,” answered the lieutenant.
“Okay,” I said. - Give me your papers.
The lieutenant took an envelope from his pocket and handed it to me. I immediately opened the envelope and took out a document that read:

“The bearer of this, Lieutenant du Chante, has the authority to arrest or put to death the state criminals of Van, Bishop d'Herblay and Baron du Valon de Pierrefonds de Brassier. All civil servants and all military ranks are to assist Lieutenant du Chant in carrying out this order. For failure to provide assistance or for obstructing the implementation of this order, these persons will be held accountable to the fullest extent of wartime, up to and including execution for nobles and officers or execution by hanging for soldiers and people of ordinary rank.
 
Louis."

Chapter 281

I immediately noticed that there was no state seal on the order. The king issued an edict that all his orders must be certified by the state seal, but, apparently, Colbert was in too much of a hurry and decided that it would do anyway. Well, therefore, other similar papers also did not have a seal. This made things easier!
“Okay,” I said, putting the order back into the envelope. “I’ll have this paper for now; I’ll decide what to do with it.” You will receive further instructions tomorrow morning. Go.
After du Chante had left, I informed the captain that he need not worry any more about this fellow, since he was ours, and ordered Lieutenant d'Aunay to be invited to my cabin.

-Are you Catholic? - I asked Lieutenant D'Aunay after he entered the cabin and sat down on the chair offered to him.
“No more than is required for a quiet life in a Catholic state, and no less than what the church and the monarchy require of me,” answered the lieutenant. “But all my relatives are Catholics, and I regularly attend church.” There is nothing to reproach me with, but if you ask me to become a priest, this path is not for me.
—What do you know about the Jesuit Order? - I asked.
“I know that such an Order exists, but what do I care about it?” — the lieutenant answered and shrugged.
“So you serve the King not for religious reasons, but for career reasons,” I said.
“It’s my business who I serve and for what reasons,” D’Aunay answered displeasedly. - If this is an interrogation, then first explain to me by what right you are inflicting it on me, after that I will think about whether to answer you or not.
I made a secret sign, to which the lieutenant did not pay any attention.
“Did you know that I can tell the captain to throw you overboard, and he will carry out this order without blinking an eye?” - I asked.
- So, you are an admiral? - the lieutenant asked calmly. - Only if I am not guilty of anything, why on earth would they throw me overboard?
“And since you have documents, based on the contents of which, you intend to start a mutiny on the ship,” I answered. - And rebels on ships were always thrown overboard or hanged on the yardarm. Choose what you like best.
“I do not have any such documents and do not intend to start a riot,” Lieutenant d’Aunay objected, without losing his cool.
“This document was handed to you by someone who said that he was Colbert’s agent.” He gave you an envelope containing supposedly an order signed by the King. In fact, this order is false. It was composed by this man himself, a rebel, a state criminal. He forged the King's signature and convinced you that this order gave you the right to command even the captain of this ship, didn't he?
“You’re mistaken, sir, whatever your name is,” the lieutenant objected coolly.
“If you please, I will reproduce for you the text of this order from memory,” I smiled. “This order says the following: “The bearer of this, Lieutenant d'Aunay, has the authority to arrest or put to death the state criminals of Van, Bishop d'Herblay and Baron du Valon de Pierrefonds de Brassier. All civil servants and all military ranks are to assist Lieutenant D'Aunay in carrying out this order. For failure to provide assistance or for obstructing the implementation of this order, these persons will be held accountable to the fullest extent of wartime, up to and including execution for nobles and officers or execution by hanging for soldiers and people of ordinary rank. Signed: Louis."
Lieutenant d'Aunay turned pale, but tried not to show it.
- Will you challenge it? - I asked.
“If I had such an order,” he replied, “and if circumstances arose in which I would have to carry out such an order, then I would not be a rebel, but would be an executor of the royal will.”
“Provided that the order was genuine,” I smiled. - The original orders of the King always bear the seal of Chancellor Segye. She is not on this order. Therefore, he is a fake! But since we know that it is a fake, you become an accomplice in a crime against the will of the King, a state criminal, a rebel who must be hanged, or thrown into the sea, where there is no chance of salvation for you, especially if you have a cannonball tied to your feet in a bag, and his hands will be tied. Agree, swimming in this position is very difficult.
“You won’t do this,” said the lieutenant, turning even more pale.
- Captain! - I exclaimed.
As soon as the captain entered the cabin, I asked:
“Captain d’Argenson, we talked with Lieutenant d’Aunay, and I am sending him on a diplomatic mission to the bottom of the sea,” I told the captain. “To travel quickly to his final goal, he will need a cannonball, which should be placed in a bag and tied to his feet, after which you will lower my messenger into the sea.” He won’t need the sword on the road; he’ll leave it here.
“It will be done, monsignor,” answered the captain. - Lieutenant, your sword!
- By what right?! - exclaimed D'Aunay with a squeal.
“I can cancel my order if you undertake to carry out some of my other orders that are not related to diving into the depths of the sea,” I smiled, “but first you will give me the letter, the existence of which you just denied.”
- Here it is, damn you! - exclaimed the lieutenant. “This is violence, but I recognize your right as strong and submit to your authority.”
“Thank you, captain,” I answered and nodded to him that he could go. - And you, lieutenant, will stay for a couple more minutes.
“If you don’t pierce me with your sword,” D’Aunay answered cautiously.
- No, what are you talking about! - I smiled. - This is of no use, you are a very understanding officer.
- What do you want from me? - asked the lieutenant.
— Your full name, d'Aunay? - I demanded. - Speak!
“Lieutenant of the Royal Guard Jean-Pierre d'Aunay,” answered the lieutenant.
“Take paper and pen, sit down and write the following,” I said, and then began to dictate.
“I, Lieutenant of the Royal Guard Jean-Pierre d'Aunay, having met the Bishop of Van, Mr. d'Herblay, voluntarily handed over to him a forged order with a forged signature of the King of France, Louis XIV, handed to me on behalf of Mr. de Colbert. I acted this way because I realized the incompetence of this order, since I consider it to be forged, because it does not have the seal of Chancellor Seguier. I undertake in the future not to obey orders received from the alleged envoys of M. de Colbert, no matter who signed them, and not to carry out orders that do not bear the signature of His Majesty King Louis XIV and the state seal.
Signed: Jean-Pierre d'Aunay"
“Put today’s date and your signature,” I said. “If the order is forged, such a paper will prove that you are not an accomplice of the rebels and will protect you from the wrath of the King.” In this case, you will realize that I saved your life, and you will continue to serve me faithfully.
- What if the order that was given to me by Colbert, and which you took from me, is not forged? - asked d'Aunay, handing me a document written under his dictation with his signature.
“Just a minute, I’ll read it to make sure everything is written correctly,” I replied, reading the document.
Having made sure that everything was written exactly, I folded the document into the same envelope where the King’s order lay, hid the envelope in my bosom and asked again with ostentatious absent-mindedness:
- I think you asked something?
“I asked what would happen if the order that was given to me by Colbert, and which you took from me, was not forged?” - D'Aunay repeated again.
“In this case, you are a state criminal and are subject to execution by hanging, as stated in the document itself,” I answered calmly. - What’s the matter, exactly? Why does this bother you so much?
- You deceived me! - D'Aunay exclaimed with hatred. - You ruined me! You forced me to write a denunciation against myself!
“Wait a minute,” I objected. — Firstly, you can ask any lawyer or lawyer about the mandatory state seal on the King’s orders. You'll see that I'm right. Secondly, I convinced you not to go down as my ambassador, but if you change your mind, I am ready to return to the first proposal, and the captain, as you can see, will help me with this. You agreed to carry out some of my instructions and I needed a little guarantee of your diligence, since I do not intend to accompany you in carrying out my instructions. You will always remember that if you decide to deceive me, your confession will be delivered to Monsieur Colbert along with the order that he handed to you through his envoy. But this is only if the stamp on the order is missing due to Mr. Colbert’s oversight, which I doubt. In the extremely unlikely event that the order was actually signed by the King, he himself had previously declared that such orders were invalid. So the risk for you is minimal, in the worst case, just a small reprimand and not receiving the next promotion upon reaching the appropriate length of service. A trifle. Just a minor nuisance. If you do not deceive me and follow my instructions exactly, then this letter will remain with me as a small souvenir in memory of our acquaintance. However, my instructions will be few, they will not be burdensome for you, and after you complete them, you will be able to receive both documents at your complete disposal. Are you satisfied with this turn of events, or will we return to discussing your mission at the bottom of the sea?
- What will I have to do? - Lieutenant D'Aunay asked gloomily.
“I’ll give you until the morning to consider all the pros and cons of the new situation in which you find yourself, and in the morning you will receive instructions on what you need to do,” I replied. “And I don’t advise anyone to attempt to kill me.” These documents will not be kept by me, I assure you. There are many people on the ship who are personally devoted to me, you will soon see this. So, if anything happens to me, these papers will be immediately delivered to Colbert, and they will cause you trouble, even if only the slightest, because the lack of a seal completely exonerates you! You just had the opportunity to make sure that on this ship I have allies and assistants , including the captain. The ship is in my hands, I am the highest authority here. The source of my power is not clear to you, and it is not required. Just remember this: it is stronger than the power of the King, and if it were possible to move to other planets, then there too we would establish our dominion, for which the Earth is too small. Now go.

Chapter 282

After this I had a conversation with Second Lieutenant de Trabuson.

“Monsieur de Trabuson, I would like to ask you a few questions,” I said, carefully examining the newly arrived guardsman.
“It looks like you’re some kind of big shot here, as I see it,” the junior lieutenant answered rudely. - Talk to me as if I am obliged to answer you.
“So it is,” I agreed. - To shorten our conversation, I will now outline his plan for you in general terms.
- Really curious! - de Trabuson agreed.
“First, I will ask about your views on some theological issues,” I said, casually making a secret sign, and, noticing that this did not make any impression on my interlocutor, I continued. “On this basis, we are unlikely to find an interesting topic for conversation.”
“I suppose so,” agreed the junior lieutenant.
“After this, I will ask you to give me the envelope that was handed to you on behalf of M. Colbert, and you will refuse to do this,” I continued.
“I don’t know about any envelope,” de Trabuson answered warily.
“You know about him, you’re lying to me, but I don’t care,” I waved him off. - Next, I will threaten you that I will throw you overboard, but you will not believe my words, and you will do the right thing.
“You do not have sufficient power for this and you do not have the courage to decide on such a crime,” de Trabuson said uncertainly.
“I have enough power and I have enough determination to do this, but I will not do it for the sole reason that it is unreasonable,” I answered. “You are not my friend, but you are not my enemy either, you are not dangerous to me, because I know your intentions and your capabilities, and I am dangerous to you, because you do not know my capabilities, and believe me, they are great, and you do not know my intentions.” , and in relation to you they depend greatly on your obedience.
“But I am not going to show obedience to you,” de Trabuson objected.
“It is precisely this question that we will now dwell on in most detail,” I answered almost affectionately. “So, you declare that you will not obey my orders.” I am convinced that your intention is as solid as flint, there is no way to influence you. What then can I do with you? Simply killing is completely useless. It is better to make you an edifying example for those who will be more flexible. Knowing how I will deal with you, I believe they will make their decision to cooperate with me much easier. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. So, you will be a curious example of how I deal with intractable people. This is an example I intend to use in my future work when recruiting supporters for my mission. So your disobedience and your refusal to cooperate with me is even quite desirable for me. I have already convinced Colbert's two other spies to submit to me, your submission will be unnecessary. I don't need you.
- And what will you do with me? - de Trabuson asked incredulously and with some apprehension.
- Oh, don't worry about that! - I exclaimed. “I’m not going to kill you, and I don’t even want to separate you from your family.”
- With my family? What are you speaking about? - exclaimed the junior lieutenant.
- Well, you probably have a wife, maybe even an adult daughter or two.
“I have a son,” replied de Trabuson.
“It doesn’t matter,” I replied. - You will all go to Turkey.
- To Turkey? For what? — the junior lieutenant was surprised.
“Personally, I will assign you as a eunuch to the harem of one of my acquaintances, the Pasha,” I answered. - I will assign your son or sons, if there are several of them, to similar positions in other harems. Don't worry, I have the means to find out exactly how many children you have and what gender. If you deceived me and you have them, I will add your wife and daughters to the Pasha’s harem.
- By what right? - exclaimed de Trabuson, jumping up from his chair.
- By the right of the strong! Sit down, Trabuson, sit down! - I said harshly. - Do you know what the right of the strong is? This is a right that has been used for a long, too long time in France by some individuals who do not think about the fate of the country as a whole, nor about the fate of the individual citizens of whom this country consists! Cardinal Richelieu executed anyone who threatened not only his power, but at least his reputation! Cardinal Mazarin robbed anyone whose money, in his opinion, should belong to him, the cardinal, and not to the one who possessed it. The Chevalier de Luigne, Marshal d'Ancres, Duchess de Chevreuse and many other favorites and favorites turned the Kings and Queens at their whim, and they used the whole people only to satisfy their greed, envy, vindictiveness, lust, voluptuousness, and other irrepressible passions . They did all this by the right of the strong. The current King, by right of the strong, takes away from the young youth the only thing he had - his pure youthful love, trampling his feelings, his honor, his life into the mud. It is no longer enough for him, like all his lustful ancestors, to take wives from husbands who have grown cold to the charms of their beloved ones, and to reward them for the ambiguous role of cuckoldry with castles, court titles and military awards; it is not enough for him to be able to imitate those same ancestors who, having amassed illegitimate children with unmarried girls, they arranged for them to marry noble fools who, for royal favors, were happy to become honorary cuckolds and go to their family estates, staying there and not showing their noses from there, while the royals had fun with their wives and produced bastards . Such amusements no longer seem interesting to our dear King. He prefers to take away from an honest, pure, noble young man, who is dearer to me than my own son, his only love, simply in order to have fun with her for a while, maybe have a few children from her, and then remove her from sight out of sight at some point. Some monastery to pray to the Lord for your sins and his. All this is given by the right of the strong. So, Monsieur de Trabuson, I declare to you that I am stronger than your insignificant King Louis XIV, I could throw him off the throne, like throwing a chess king off the board, I could, if I wanted, destroy him, but I was strong enough and in order to allow the work to be almost done, or finally done, to allow the destruction of all my works, to allow power to return to this insignificant person only because someone whom I respect enough to agree that his point of view on this issue may be entitled to consideration. I, who could move the King as a pawn, decided to leave him in place only because it was enough for me to be convinced that I could do it, after which I allowed myself to prove that I could not be tempted by the pursuit of illusory wealth or power, and that I am ready to listen to the will of the Lord, I am ready to follow the path that the Lord shows me, and if he gave me a sign that my path is wrong, I will not insist on my mistakes, but will agree with his will, with his choice, and I will go into the shadows, letting events take their course and develop as he decides.
“You are talking about something too terrible, but inaccessible to my understanding,” said de Trabuson, pale as a sheet.
“I said to myself: “If your plans did not come true, rejoice, it means the Lord’s plans have come true.” And I retired from business. Instead of fighting, I retreated, I said more to myself than to my interlocutor. “I could start a new war, a civil war, difficult and long, a war of the rebel island-fortress of Belle-Ile against the King of France. Many months would pass before Fate made a choice as to who would have the victory. And in any case, England and Spain would not remain aloof from this matter! I would be able to involve these neighbors in this war, just as Buckingham helped the Larochelles with troops, weapons and personal courage, Henry the Second of England and Philip the Fourth of Spain would help me! This is power! The king could not resist. The island of Belle-Ile would become a new state, and I would be King of it. But even without this, I have subjects, and territories, and guns, and money, and gunpowder, and ideas that my subjects are ready to defend at my first word. But I threw it all away! I did not want to start a civil war against my King, no matter how wrong he seemed to me. I resigned myself, I ran for my life, I was ready to die from a stray bullet from someone like you. I humbled myself, but the Lord gave me strength and gave me a means to save myself and my business.
“You don’t look like a humble person,” objected the stunned de Trabuson. “You give the impression of a lion who is preparing to leap, and whose leap will be fatal to his intended victim.”
- Yes, damn it! - I exclaimed, grabbing from the table a porcelain figurine depicting the Magi bringing gifts to the baby Jesus. “I yielded to the will of the Lord, but the Lord took away from me my friend, whom I loved more than I ever suspected. And I will not forgive this to either the Lord or the King!
With these words, I violently threw the figurine onto the floor with such force that the smallest fragments scattered in all directions.
“The king who deprived me of a friend will never be forgiven by me,” I said. “I would forgive him for my death!” If he had grabbed me and ordered me to be executed, I would have blessed him while dying. But I will not forgive him for the death of my dear friend, brother, my beloved Porthos. He will pay me for this. And if you, Monsieur de Trabuson, stand in my way, I will destroy you. Not physically. I will destroy you mentally. I will turn you into dust, into dust. You will not be a man, you will be a eunuch. You will serve figs, peaches and grapes to the pasha, who will enjoy the delights of your wife before your eyes. How do you like this prospect?
“You won’t do this,” de Trabuson whispered, breaking out in a cold sweat.
- For what reason? - I inquired coldly.
“I agree to serve you, just don’t do it,” said the junior lieutenant. - My God! I believe you are capable of this! Your eyes, your gaze prove this. Tell me that you will not harm my family!
“Complete obedience on your part, Monsieur de Trabuson, to me and only me, that is what will protect you from a similar fate even if someone else wanted to do the same to you,” I said, looking straight into the eyes of my victim . - Or…
- I understand! I agree! - de Trabuson quickly replied.
“Give me your paper, the order that was handed to you on behalf of Colbert, and which is supposedly signed by the King,” I said.
“I don’t have one,” replied Trabuson.
“Don’t lie, I know you have it,” I objected.
“A gust of wind accidentally tore it out of my hands and carried it into the sea,” Trabuson muttered. “If you don’t believe me, you can search me or order your people to do it.”
“I don’t believe you, Trabuson, but I won’t search you,” I replied. — A small lie gives rise to great suspicion. Remember this. By agreeing to work for me, you immediately sowed doubts in me about your loyalty. That's not how things are done. Go.
Trabuson hesitated for half a second - enough for me to understand that he was right, and that he could not decide what was better for him - to admit that he had deceived me before, or to stand firm on his own. Obviously, he was afraid that I would somehow find out about this and, I believe, firmly decided to hide the order as far as possible, or perhaps even get rid of it at the first opportunity, for example, throw it into the sea that very night.
It no longer mattered to me where the letter was, I realized that although I seemed to have intimidated Trabuson to a sufficient degree, I should not rely on him in important matters. He betrayed his duty out of cowardice, therefore, he will also easily or even more easily betray me for the same reasons. But Trabuson was only one of three Colbert spies I exposed, and I could completely trust the other two. It would be better, indeed, for me to use him as a representative example of how I deal with those who do not submit to my authority. I knew with my mind that it would be better, but my heart did not allow me to kill a man who, as it seemed to me, was still innocent of anything before me. Even realizing that in the future he might become the cause of many of my troubles, I could not deal with him, because in his past he was pure before me. Yes, he was Colbert's spy, and yes, they all together led to the death of Porthos, but Colbert and Louis are responsible for this, and they are just performers. I had no intention of carrying out the punishments with which I threatened poor fellow Trabuson; it was simply a game of nerves, a confrontation of will, a bluff. I could have done it, I was strong enough, but I didn't plan for it. Alas.

Chapter 283

The next morning, shortly before the ship arrived at its destination, I summoned the captain and three of Colbert’s converted spies.
“Captain, after you drop me off at the port of San Sebastian, you can return to the task assigned to you earlier,” I said. - Explain your prolonged absence by the fact that three of your officers presented you with orders from the King, forcing you to chase state criminals, that is, me. Here are two of these three orders. De Trabuson dropped his document into the sea. Messrs. du Chantet and d'Aunay, you can pick up your documents, you will need them for your report to Mr. Colbert. Captain, as you can see, there is no state seal on the documents. This can explain some doubts about the advisability of carrying out orders, since our King announced to the whole country that no written orders of his without certification of his signature by the state seal are valid.
De Trabuson made a sour face.
“There are two dozen sailors and officers on the ship who will tell a different version of events,” he said.
“Don’t worry, they will all confirm your version, the captain will take care of it,” I said. “Besides, you three are Monsieur Colbert’s confidants, aren’t you?” If the three of you tell the same version of events, why on earth would Mr. Colbert doubt the veracity of your story?
De Trabuson was embarrassed.
- Is that all I have to do? - he asked.
“ A little later, I will give each of you additional instructions that concern only him personally,” I answered.
-Can we go? - asked de Trabuson, and the other three present looked at him in surprise.
“If you’re in a hurry, I won’t keep you,” I answered.
De Trabuson grabbed the hat from the table that he had previously placed there and left without saying a word.
Du Chantet and d'Aunay, as well as Captain d'Argenson, remained with me.
“Gentlemen, you have all recognized my right to command you for reasons that are compelling to you,” I said. “On this basis, I have no doubt about our successful cooperation in the future.” In cooperation that will be useful to both me and you. But I'm not sure about de Trabuson.
“Why not throw this same de Trabuson overboard?” - asked Captain d'Argenson.
“The disappearance of Colbert’s man will cause more suspicion than the discrepancy between his words and the words of other agents,” I said. “Besides, I, as a bishop, am resolutely against any violence, except in cases where it is absolutely necessary for the good of the cause.” So, are my instructions clear?
“Yes, monseigneur,” replied du Chantet.
“We understand,” answered d’Aunay and the captain.
“My three Breton men will return to their homes, where they will be more useful,” I added. “I ask you, captain, to land you somewhere on the coast of France, but not on Belle-Isle.” They are probably still being sought there. They will return there in a couple of months, when things have calmed down.
The captain bowed his head in agreement.
— After we tell Colbert your version, what will be our task? asked du Chantet.
“And will Colbert believe us if de Trabuson presents his version?” - D'Aunay doubted.
“Even if de Trabuson does not listen to me and tells Colbert everything as it is, and this is what will apparently happen, then his testimony will differ from the testimony of Colbert’s two other men and from the testimony of the captain, as well as the testimony of the sailors,” I answered. . “I hope you, captain, can explain to the sailors what they should tell about these events if they are questioned.” However, who will question them? Where are the sailors and where is Paris? Two of Colbert's three returning agents will tell the same story, of course, Colbert will believe them, and not the third, who will present a different version. By this act, de Trabuson will only undermine his credibility. In addition, to make you believe more, say that the same sailors told you that it became known that Baron du Valon was buried on the island of Belle-Ile under a huge stone, where the Lokmaria cave opens onto the ocean shore. You couldn’t know this from anyone except the fishermen, because you weren’t there. But you know this, and this is the pure truth. This will indirectly prove that you met fishermen at sea, and will cause distrust in the words of de Trabuson, who does not know this and will not be able to explain how you know this . As for further interactions, do what you must according to your positions and positions. If you are needed, my man will come up to you and refer to an order from the passenger of the longboat from Belle-Isle. The mention of the longboat from Belle-Isle will unmistakably prove to you that this man is from me. He will also show you a drawing of my ring. This will mean that he has brought you a task that needs to be completed. That's all, captain. I will add only one thing to this, which should become the very quintessence of your voluntary consent to submit to me. Whoever gave you the order to cause any harm to me, or to the captain of the royal musketeers d'Artagnan, or the Comte de La F;re, or his son, the Vicomte de Bragelonne, or the Duchess de Longueville, you must under no circumstances carry out such order. These people are protected by the power that I represent; to do any harm to any of them is to do harm to me and the power that I represent. This should not be done under any circumstances, ever, remember this. If any of these people ask you for help, you must help them. At this time, this is the main thing you must learn.
Do not fear anyone in this world except me, since from now on my power over you is stronger than the royal one, and awareness of your actions will be ensured by those people whom you are not aware of. But you should not fear my power, as long as you do not go against me. So congratulations, gentlemen, from now on you are protected. Of course, I cannot protect you from a stray bullet, or from a treacherous blow with a sword, or from a flower pot falling from a window. These circumstances are in God's hands. But everything that concerns human judgment on this earth, believe that I will intervene when trouble begins to threaten my people, and will force Fate to reconcile and do as I wish.
You will keep in touch with me through carrier pigeons, which you will find at one of the following addresses. These cards contain the addresses and names of those with whom you will deal. Read and remember, because I will burn these cards as soon as our conversation is over.
I placed three cards with names and addresses in front of my new agents and turned over the hourglass. As soon as the last grain of sand fell to the bottom of the lower flask, I removed the cards from the table.
“I gave you five minutes to memorize the addresses,” I said. - Do you remember everything?
“Let me take another look,” asked du Chante.
“Okay, but from now on, develop your memory,” I answered and turned the watch over again.
When the clock again ticked five minutes, I took the cards and burned them over a lighted candle, and threw the ashes out the window leading into the sea.
- Time is over. Instructions have been given. Go, I said.
After the departure of all three, the captain soon re-entered the cabin, which he placed at my disposal, since I asked him to return some time after the end of the conversation.
“I ask you, captain, invite only du Chante to me, but only so that the others don’t know about it ,” I said. - And you, too, will stay after this.
I said to du Chantet who came in:
- Du Chante, you are a brother in faith and a member of our union. I trust you infinitely. Keep an eye on the others. Especially for de Trabuson.
“I understand that, Your Eminence,” replied du Chante.
“May God bless you for a good deed,” I answered affectionately and crossed the bowed du Chante.
When du Chantet left, the captain and I were left alone.
“Captain d’Argenson, thank you for your service,” I said softly. “I will leave you at the port of San Sebastian, and when I need you, I will find a way to contact you.” You have fulfilled your duty, in confirmation of your new powers of the third stage of initiations, remember the following sign and remember the following password.
After that, I showed the captain a certain mysterious sign with my fingers and whispered certain words in his ear. The captain bowed, after which I laid my hand on the captain’s head and said:
“I bless you, my son, go with God,” after which I crossed his forehead in the air.

Chapter 284

When d'Artagnan returned to Paris after the unexpected discovery and rescue of Porthos, he intended to appear before the King as if nothing had happened. But long excavations of damp sand, stones and rubble in the wind, when he tried to get to dear Porthos as quickly as possible, played a cruel joke on him. At first he was sweating from the effort, which forced him to take off his frock coat, then, when he stopped digging, he was so excited by meeting his friend that he did not notice the draft wind blowing across his hot body in a shirt wet with sweat. While he rode, accompanying Porthos to Rouen, he did not pay attention to his health. But upon arriving home, he suddenly realized how tired he was, and, worse than anything else, simply sick. Yes, that same iron, unbending, three-wire d'Artagnan suddenly became ill. He abandoned the idea of coming to the King as soon as possible to receive new orders because he simply did not have the strength to go anywhere. If he had been told at that moment that in order to receive the marshal's baton he just had to go to the window and wave his hand through it, then even in this case he would not have been able to get out of bed. The disease struck him down as soon as he reached home, although it attacked him much earlier. The man's iron will was enough to stay in the saddle until he reached the safe haven of his own apartment in Paris, not far from the Louvre, where he could be found in case he was urgently needed.
Two hours passed, but it seemed to him that not even a minute had passed from the moment he fell asleep when someone insistently began knocking on the door of his apartment.
-Come in, whoever you are, the door is not locked! - he said and did not recognize his voice, after which a wild cough attack attacked him.
“It’s me, Monsieur Captain,” said Lieutenant d’Arlencourt. - His Majesty wanted to see you.
“My dear d’Arlencourt, I myself would like to appear before His Majesty, but I am in such a broken state that I am ashamed to appear before his august gaze,” the captain answered with a sigh and coughed again.
— What should I convey to His Majesty? asked d'Arlencourt.
“Tell me everything as it is,” answered d’Artagnan. - Tell him that you found me in such a state that does not allow you to see me as a faithful captain of the musketeers. It would be unreasonable to count on my service now. I should stay at home not so much out of humanity towards me, but out of humanity towards everyone I meet along the way, and of course in relation to His Majesty himself.
- In what diplomatic expressions would you advise describing your condition to the King? - asked the lieutenant.
- What the hell is diplomacy?! - answered d'Artagnan. “If I were a duke or a prince, you would have to use diplomatic expressions when describing my condition.” If I vomited, you would have to report: “The Duke was forced to refuse the dinner offered to him.” If I were lying around drunk, you would have to say: “His Lordship is tired of cognac.” If I were suffering from incontinence, you would have to come up with a flowery phrase about how I have to remain seated for as long as possible. But I am a simple captain, although I am a count. You can simply say about me: sick. But if there is an order that I must carry out, I will carry it out even if I die after that. But first, I’ll do it. So pass it on. But on condition that I do not have to appear before His Majesty in this form, which will not benefit either me or him.
D'Arlencourt bowed and left, because he realized that every word was given to d'Artagnan with great difficulty, and this long ornate phrase could only be uttered in such a state by such a Gascon from head to toe as d'Artagnan was, who even without having strength to talk, I had to say something forceful.

- Well, where is my captain of the musketeers? - Louis impatiently asked d'Arlencourt who came to him.
“Mr. Captain is ill, Your Majesty, but he said that if you have an order for him, he will carry it out even at the cost of his life,” answered d’Arlencourt, shortening the captain’s florid speech, leaving only its very essence in the bottom line.
“ The matter that I wanted to entrust to him is the most important and very urgent, and, besides, I can only entrust it to him,” said the King. “But I need Monsieur d’Artagnan completely healthy, vigorous and full of strength.” No matter how much I hurry with this matter, I will wait for his full recovery. Tell Captain d'Artagnan that I wish him a speedy recovery, and I expect him at my place only when he is completely healthy. If it takes a week, two, three, I'll wait. Until he recovers completely, please tell him so.
D'Arlencourt bowed and left, after which he conveyed to d'Artagnan the King's words word by word. The lieutenant had an exceptional memory, and he did not consider it possible to shorten the King’s words.
“That’s interesting,” thought d’Artagnan. “I hope it is not his plan to instruct me to arrest Athos.” As for the order to arrest Porthos and Aramis, I successfully failed this order! And with what amazing success! After all, the blame for the failure of the operation lies entirely with Mr. Colbert! Now, I think, His Majesty has already been informed that Aramis has disappeared and Porthos has died. How wonderful it is that the King considers Porthos dead. If he thought that Aramis also died, I could have been sick with a light heart. Well, Aramis is a cunning fox, Colbert’s bloodhounds will never catch him!”
In any case, this is how d’Artagnan conveyed his thoughts to me later, talking about this, and I, of course, believe him. I'm not offended that he compared me to Lisa. La Fontaine's frequent reading of his fables aloud taught me the idea that every person can be compared to some kind of animal, and the comparison with a fox does not offend me at all. Especially if it is the Fox from La Fontaine's fables!

Chapter 285

The King decided to visit the Queen Mother.
“Mother, good afternoon,” he said. — I hope your health is better?
“My health will never be better than it was, my son, get used to it,” answered the Queen. “Every new day adds years to me and takes away my health.” This is God's law for everyone in this world, and it makes no exception for Kings and Queens. Thank you for taking an interest in my health.
“Your health always interests and worries me to the highest degree,” Louis lied. - Just like your life. But I know so little about you! Tell me about your youth.
“Youth is always better than old age, even if it involved undeserved humiliation, unbecoming poverty, insulting and groundless threats and mortal danger for the most insignificant reasons,” answered the Queen. “Everything bad is forgotten over time, the good, unfortunately, too, but the feeling that once there was youth, and strength, and health, and desires, there were true friends, and brave, talented people, ready to serve not for money or other rewards, but simply because of his conviction that the loyalty of any nobleman to his Queen is a requirement of duty and honor.
“Tell me about these people, mother,” asked the King.
“Ten years ago, Cardinal Giulio Mazarin made the same request to me,” the Queen recalled. “He was looking for loyal nobles for himself, and wanted to learn from me the names of those people on whom he could rely. But every time has its own heroes! Why stir up things that are twenty years old or older? And now she’s already thirty years old. But, oddly enough, among my former defenders there were those who were useful to the cardinal.
“This is Captain d’Artagnan, I know, mother,” said Louis.
“So you are asking me questions to which you yourself know the answer,” the Queen concluded.
“I know the name, I know the man, I know him as the captain of the royal musketeers, but this knowledge is not enough for me,” answered the King. “I have good reason to try to find out everything I can about this man.”
- You spent so much time with him! - answered the Queen. - He was with you both on hunts and on ceremonial trips, he or his people protect you constantly. And they guard well! If my father-in-law Henry IV had his own d'Artagnan, he would not have died from Ravaillac's dagger, I assure you!
“I know that d’Artagnan is a faithful servant and a devoted officer,” Louis agreed. - But by the will of fate, he penetrated into a secret that no one should know!
At the word “secret” the Queen shuddered.
“What secret are you talking about, my son?” - asked Anna of Austria, trying to remain calm.
“Don’t worry, mother, he penetrated her not for the sake of evil, but for the sake of good for me and, I hope, for France, and also, I really hope, for your good,” replied Louis. “I should thank him for that!”
“Well, thank me,” said the Queen, at the same time afraid to hear what secret was being discussed, and afraid not to find out.
“I would like to ask you, mother, what would be the best way to thank a person you have known so well and for so long?” - asked Louis.
“Your gratitude alone, expressed verbally, is a sufficient reward for any subject,” answered the Queen. “But, of course, it doesn’t become a King to be overly stingy.” Generosity within reasonable limits adorns any monarch. And the best reward at all times was and is money. Of course, you can thank him in another way, by donating some land plot, a house, or a court position, or another officer rank. But such gifts may be inconvenient for the giver. After all, positions and ranks should be distributed not as a reward, but depending on which person is better suited for a given position and which one deserves the next rank. This is too much for gratitude, but quite suitable for a reward.
- What do you advise me, mother? - asked Louis.
“To advise what the reward should be, you would need to know what this person’s service to you is,” the Queen continued her game, at the same time being afraid and wanting to find out the essence of the conversation.
“You can say that he gave me life,” answered the King. “Or, at least, he gave me back my freedom.”
“I don’t understand something, my son,” said the Queen. “If the midwives didn’t deceive me, then I, your mother, gave you life.” As for the return of freedom, did someone ever take it away from you?
“That’s right, mother,” Louis replied. “My freedom was taken away from me, and I had no reason to hope that it would be returned to me.” I had serious reasons to fear for my life. And all this is due to one little secret that you hid from me, mother.
This time, at the word “secret”, the Queen was seriously frightened. She realized that Louis did not visit her out of filial piety. All this was a prelude to a conversation about some secret that her son had managed to learn, and which, as she read on his face, he was about to throw in her face, like a dirty napkin, which as a result of its use had become unnecessary and disgusting. The Queen did not know what to think, and did not imagine that such a challenge could be answered.
“Any mother sometimes hides something from her son, if only because she is a woman and he is a man,” she said after some hesitation. “But I can’t understand what you’re talking about.”
“Then I won’t beat around the bush, mother,” answered the King. “I’ll just ask, how many sons do you have?”
“Quite a strange question,” answered the Queen and sharply straightened her back. - The question is strange and daring for any citizen of France, a country where I am still Queen and will be so until I die. A country in which every person knows how many sons I have! And this question is daring for everyone who asks it, not excluding you, Your Majesty, because although you are the King, you are still my son! Or do you suspect that I have more children, born from other men, and hidden by me?
“I don’t suspect anything of the kind, mother, but my question was not asked out of a desire to offend you, because even if you don’t answer me, I already know the answer to it,” said Louis.
“Of course you know the answer to that,” said the Queen in a trembling voice. — As I already said, everyone knows the answer to this question. I have two sons, you and your brother Philip. What else do you need?
“You forgot, mother, about another brother of mine,” Louis said in an even but harsh voice. “More precisely, Philip should be considered another, and the one I’m talking about cannot possibly be called another brother, for his position by birth is much higher than that of Philip.” I'm talking about my twin brother, who was born half an hour or so after I was born.
- Shut up! - the Queen screamed and raised her right hand, as if protecting herself from her son’s face. -Be silent, this secret should never have been known to anyone except those who were initiated into it by the will of circumstances! This is a terrible secret for me, and for you, and for all of France.
“Yes, madam, this is a terrible secret,” Louis agreed. - And because I was not initiated into it, it became even more terrible for me personally! And I had no idea that anyone who penetrates it could plan a daring crime! Kidnap me, place this man on my throne, who resembles me like two peas in a pod, and leave me in prison for the rest of my days, or, worse, simply kill me! In my naivety, I believed that my nobles, every single one, were devoted to me, and therefore it was impossible to simply kidnap or kill me without causing a civil war. And therefore, no conspirators will want to kidnap me, since this will not give them anything! In the event of my death, my younger brother, Philip of Orleans, will have to take the throne! This makes all attempts at conspiracies against me pointless! But, as it turned out, everything is far from so simple! The conspirators can simply remove me, destroy me, and place on the throne the prisoner they rescued from the Bastille!
“Everything you say is terrible, but even more terrible, my son, is that you blame me for this, your mother, who is the same victim of Cardinal Richelieu’s tyranny as your unfortunate brother.” And to the least extent you are a victim of this, because Richelieu did everything so that you, and only you, would be King, trampling all the rights of your brother, who had them no less than you, because issues of seniority among twins have always been and are a complex theosophical, philosophical and legal problem, and in history it has never been necessary to solve these questions in relation to the Dauphin, the heir to the throne, especially to a throne so great as the throne of France!
“That doesn’t sound convincing, madam,” replied the King.
- What exactly do you find unconvincing about what I said? - asked the Queen, who went on the offensive. — Do you believe that the birth of twins depends on the will of the mother? Do you think that I myself arranged it so that I had two sons instead of one? The Lord decides!
“I would like to understand why you, the mother of two princes, agreed to have one of them go to prison, and also why you hid this fact from me?” - Louis continued.
“Okay, let's take it in order,” answered the Queen. — With your permission, I’ll start with the second question. Why did I hide from you that you have a brother? Why did you need to know this? Can you know how many sleepless nights I spent because I could not influence the fate of your brother? What can you know about the feelings of a mother whose child was taken from her? I was promised that he would be provided with a decent life, corresponding to his rank or, perhaps, only a little not advisable to him. I didn’t know that he would be deprived of his freedom! He was simply given to a nurse so that he could grow up away from Paris, so that he could live a free and happy life, but not think about succession to the throne. The Cardinal decided this because he decided that two heirs to the throne with equal rights was too dangerous for France as it was at that time. And Lord knows, he was right! If I had two Dauphins, the Fronde would use one of you against me, or would demand that you both be removed from the right of succession to the throne. In any case, a civil war would have broken out, the population would have split into two parts, and as a result the throne would have passed randomly to one of you, but it could have happened that as a result of the struggle, both of you would have been defeated, and someone would have taken advantage of your overthrow. some noble rogue from among the Dukes of Lorraine, or the Rohans, or the Bourbons, the bastards of your august grandfather. Why didn't I tell you? I saved you from the heavy burden of responsibility for this decision! At first you were too young to understand this political decision. And then you were already independent enough to ignore this situation. You were crowned, my son, you became King, and from that moment on, your brother's rights to the throne while you lived became insignificant.
- That's it, as long as I'm alive! - exclaimed Louis. - To make his rights more thorough, they could kill me! But I didn’t suspect anything about this danger!
“No one should have known this secret, and then no danger would have threatened you,” answered the Queen. “That’s why your brother was put in the Bastille.” This was done to eliminate any possibility that anyone would see it and notice the unusual resemblance between you. You see that everything was done solely for your benefit!
“You answered my second question, but did not answer the first,” said Louis, calming down slightly. - I accept your answer about the reasons why you did not find the time or opportunity, or simply did not want to reveal this secret to me. This is humanly understandable. But I can’t understand why you, the Queen of France, the mother of the King’s two sons, submitted to the demands of some Cardinal Richelieu, just the first minister? Why didn't you demand that the cardinal stay out of this matter? Why didn't they protect my brother? After all, perhaps some other way could have been found? I think with horror that this other brother sent to the Bastille could have been me, and then the other one would have been on the throne! How could you give in?
- How could I give in? - the Queen said quietly, and her voice sounded dull, as if from the depths of a well; there was a long-standing fatigue and almost absence of any feelings in it, as if the Queen’s soul had burned to the bottom from some terrible fire. - How could I give in? I could not do anything, I could not resist the will of the cardinal, because the cardinal held me in his hands, in his pincers, like a spider holds a moth it has caught, binding its wings, its legs and antennae with a strong and sticky web. The helpless victim only trembles in this terrible agony, anticipating his death, and being unable to resist this brute animal force. Richelieu had such power over me that King Louis XIII himself did not have . What can I say, after all, he had the same power over the King, but only for completely different reasons.
“I don’t understand this,” Louis objected dispassionately.
“Well, listen, if you want to know this secret too,” answered the Queen. “I don’t have much time left to live in this world.” I hoped that this secret would die with me. Believe me, it would be better for everyone. Think carefully, do you want to know another terrible secret? If your decision is to know everything, I will tell you something that no one knows except me and the Lord.
- Yes, I want to know everything! - said the King, turning pale, for he was in a hurry to demand an explanation before prudence told him to abandon his insistence.
“Listen, my son,” said the Queen.

Chapter 286

“You were named Louis Dieudonne, Louis the God-given, your birth was equated to a miracle, to a gift from God, and I believe that this name could not be more suitable for you and the situation that developed at the time of your birth,” said the Queen. - You were born, this is happiness for all of France, we should proceed only from this. Do you agree, my son?
“Continue, mother,” replied the flattered Louis.
“Based on this fact, it will be easier for us to discuss some interesting turns of history that seemed to lead to the fact that your birth might not have happened,” said the Queen. - Only a confluence of very many different circumstances led to it, or, if you agree that your birth is blessed by the Lord, you should not strictly judge the circumstances that led to this, and you should not attach great importance to those circumstances that could interfere, right?
“Any mother can say the same thing to her son, but it’s not very tactful,” Louis objected, becoming somewhat sadder.
“This is important for understanding what I will be forced to tell you further,” the Queen continued. - Your august grandfather, Henry IV , could not have expected to become King of France if extraordinary circumstances had not cleared the throne, as if ordered specifically for him. Four sons of Catherine de' Medici died without leaving any legitimate sons, the Valois dynasty ceased to exist, the last Valois on the throne was the first wife of Henry IV , the daughter of Catherine de' Medici and Henry II , the last Valois on the French throne.
“I am aware of these dynastic vicissitudes,” Louis answered impatiently.
“And you know, of course, that his very wife, the first wife of King Henry IV , Queen Margot, who in a sense contributed to the fact that the throne of France went to him, was rejected by him due to the childlessness of this marriage, ” the Queen continued. “But Queen Margot was not always childless; however, King Henry IV did not even want to make an attempt to leave behind offspring with her help. He preferred another, namely, Maria de Medici, the daughter of a wealthy grandee, who provided the poor King with a fairly significant dowry for his daughter, which made it possible to improve the financial affairs of the kingdom. It was a deal, a trade deal, nothing more.
“You insult my grandmother,” Louis objected.
“She insulted herself by not giving birth to her eldest son from King Henry IV ,” the Queen objected sharply and looked at Louis with a sharp look. “I hope you understand that I have sufficient grounds to say this, and that such accusations are not thrown around without reason?”
-What are you saying? - Louis whispered, breaking out in sweat.
“I say that Louis XIII , my husband and your father, was not the son of Henry IV ,” answered the Queen. “And this fact was known not only to his mother, Marie de Medici, but also to her lover Marshal d'Ancre, who, by the way, was also not the father of the Dauphin Louis. And this fact was also known to the Bishop of Luzon, another admirer of my mother-in-law, not at all secret, but her open lover. It was she who made him a cardinal and first minister, I’m talking about Armand Richelieu.
-Are you sane, mother? - Louis said in horror. “Such accusations are too significant to be uttered, too dangerous to know, too dangerous to remember!” Even if the situation is as you say, it should be forgotten, consigned to oblivion!
“That’s right, my son,” agreed Anna of Austria. - Now you also admit that there are secrets that are better not to know, that should be forgotten, and never remembered. You decided to talk to me about one of these secrets, and for this reason, in order to put an end to this matter once and for all, I will reveal a few more secrets to you, and then everything will fall into place. The first secret was that Louis XIII is not the son of Henry III. The second secret is that Henry IV knew about this and intended to divorce his second wife, Marie de' Medici, in order to marry his favorite Gabrielle d'Estr;e and legitimize her illegitimate children, the eldest of whom was named Caesar of Bourbon. Do you understand that it was his intention that caused his death, and that the fanatic Ravaillac is only an obedient tool in the hands of those who did not want this? Ravaillac's hand was guided by Marie de' Medici and Marshal d'Ancres. But Marshal d'Ancre paid for it, Louis XIII avenged his father with the help of Charles d'Albert and Captain Vitry. Everyone believes that the young King took revenge for the death of his father on his mother's lover. But he was not avenging the death of his father, but the death of a man who was never his father. And if Henry IV had not been killed by the fanatic Ravaillac, it is very likely that Henry would have renounced Louis and recognized his bastards, the children of Gabriel d'Estr;e, as his legitimate children. That is, for sure it would be so!
- And then I, his legitimate son, would not be King? - asked Louis.
“ You simply would not have been born, because in this case he would not have been the King either, and I would not have been married to him, because I am the daughter of the King of Spain!”
“You are trying to convince me that I should thank Fate for my crimes!” - exclaimed Louis. - All this, even if it were true, these are things of bygone days, and I am the son of the crowned King Louis XIII , therefore, I am the rightful King of France!
“No one is going to challenge your legal right to the French throne, least of all me, your mother!” - answered the Queen. “I’m telling you this only to lead you to the secret that will explain to you why I could not resist Richelieu.”
- Speak up, mother! - exclaimed Louis.
“I told you that Louis XIII was not the son of Henry IV , but I never told you that you are not the grandson of Henry IV ,” said the Queen. - Know that the Lord, in whose hands we all are, sees everything, knows everything, and accomplishes his will through our actions, even when we ourselves do not know what we are doing! You are the true grandson of Henry IV , only royal blood flows in your veins, you are the King of France not only according to the written law, but also according to the unwritten law, which only God knows, I know, Richelieu knew, and now you know. Not a single soul knows more about this.
“But you said that I am the grandson of Henry IV ,” Louis clarified. - Therefore, my father is not Louis XIII ? Who is he then, and how can he not know about it? But dead?
- Your real father is Caesar Bourbon, the eldest son of King Henry IV , and he never knew this and did not even guess! - answered the Queen. “He believed that he was on a date with another woman, the date took place in complete darkness, and this single date was enough for not only you, my son, to be born, but also my other son, whom, believe me, I love as a mother.” no less than you, for whom I mourn and shed tears every night before I fall asleep, but at the same time you and only you, my son, received the right to be the King of France, so decided the great and at the same time insidious, terrible man, Cardinal Richelieu! He destroyed me and saved me at the same time! If you hadn’t been born, a monastery would have been waiting for me, that’s the best case scenario. I was childless for too long, and that meeting with the King, whom you considered your father, was not crowned with the desired result, Louis XIII loved his favorites too much and often, and paid too little attention to me, his legal wife and Queen. It was impossible to give birth to a son from him under these conditions. I tried my best. And when Richelieu realized that my last chance was lost, he made sure that your father and the father of your twin brother became the man who was most worthy of this honor, and even, God knows, was more worthy of it than Louis XIII himself . The great Richelieu did it in such a way that even he himself could not prove what he knew, and all this he could not know for sure, but only guess which of the two dates led to your birth, and whether there was a second date at all , my only encounter with Caesar Bourbon. The carriage arrived at the appointed place at the appointed time, and then departed back. Whether I was in the carriage or neglected this opportunity, Richelieu chose not to know. He respected and loved me so much, now after his death I know this for sure, that I did not want to know the truth, which could bring me down in his eyes and in the eyes of the King. He only delicately explained to me that the King was determined to remove me to a monastery if the Dauphin did not appear in the very near future, and that I had only two means to hasten the birth of the heir - this was one meeting with my husband, which he arranged, and one meeting with Caesar Vend;me, which he also arranged. After all, Louis XIII did not deign me with his attention for years! How could I be responsible for not bearing him an heir?
There was silence. Louis was shocked by the news he heard.
“Now you know all my secrets, my son,” said the Queen. “I told them to you, and it made me feel better.” Perhaps the Lord wanted this. I feel that soon, very soon he will call me to himself. I will leave with a calm soul and a pure heart, because I have nothing to regret and nothing to repent of. Everything I did then, I would do again if I had the chance to return to those years. I do not regret anything!

Chapter 287

“Mother, I’m sorry that I forced you to tell me this sad story,” said Louis, after which he tenderly hugged her, perhaps for the first time in twelve years, since the last time he was much more a boy than a boy. Prince.
“The whole conversation began with your questions about d’Artagnan,” the Queen reminded. - So what happened to this d'Artagnan? Or do you just want my opinion about him?
“You, mother, didn’t ask how I found out about my brother,” the King reminded.
- Is it really from him? - the Queen was surprised. - Where could he find out about this story?
“No, that’s not it,” replied Louis. “Other people found out about it.” They kidnapped me and put this man in my place, in my bed.
Louis avoided calling him brother or by name.
- Horrible! - exclaimed the Queen. - But this is a state crime! Attempt on the King! Riot, revolution! I hope, my son, that you have punished the culprits?
“Aren’t you interested in who freed me?” - Louis was surprised.
- Oh, yes, I understand! - answered the Queen. - D'Artagnan freed you! This is the service he did for you! You are right, my son, what happened to you is reminiscent of a second birth! You owe him a lot. After all, no one recognized the substitution, not even me! Although I saw that there was something wrong with you, who I thought he was, but when he said he was sick, I attributed everything to illness. Perhaps sometime later we would notice a substitution, then what could we assume, what to think, how to explain it? It would never have occurred to me that someone would decide to make such a substitution! And even if I understood everything, I wouldn’t know where to look for you or how to save you! It's a miracle that d' Artagnan rescued you! But how did you manage to return to your place and remove your shadow?
“D’Artagnan also arranged this with the help of the Duchess de Chevreuse,” replied Louis.
- Chevreuse! - the Queen exclaimed and her face was distorted with anger. - So that’s who revealed the secret to the conspirators! I remember that it seems that one of the four musketeers you asked me about seemed to be in close connection with it! So, the four friends have already broken up? Some carry out a revolution, while others or another, one of them, returns everything to its place? I never would have thought that these four would be at odds with each other! It seemed to me that each of them was ready to die for their other friends!
- Mother, this is exactly the question I came to you with! - exclaimed Louis. “Don’t you think it’s possible that all this was some kind of hellish plan?” That all four of them formed their own conspiracy, the first part of which was my kidnapping, and the second part was my salvation?
“In any case, I advise you to catch the most cunning of them, Aramis, or the Chevalier d’Herblay,” answered the Queen. “I remember that not so long ago, through Fouquet’s efforts, he became the Bishop of Vannes!” He is Fouquet's friend, remember that! If Fouquet's friend planned a coup d';tat and even tried to implement it, then Fouquet also participated in this matter! I have no doubt about it! But Chevrette doesn't seem to like Fouquet, she takes Colbert's side!
“The Duchess really helped me return to my previous state,” Louis stood up for her. “But you are probably right in suspecting Fouquet.” After all, the kidnapping was carried out on that single night when I spent the night at the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte!
- Arrest Fouquet! - the Queen said decisively.
“I’ve already decided to do it myself,” Louis replied.
- Why didn’t they do it? - asked Anna of Austria.
“It’s not easy to do,” Louis replied. “Everyone around me seems to be my friends, but in fact many, very many take his side.” And if I decide to arrest him, there won’t be another Fronde! After all, Councilor Brussels is simply a nonentity in comparison with Fouquet! If such a wave has arisen because of his arrest, what will happen as a result of Fouquet's arrest?
“He should be arrested unexpectedly, and immediately removed, locked up so that no one can free him!” - said the Queen. “Until then, show him your favor in every possible way.”
“That’s what I’m doing, mother, but arresting Fouquet is a responsible matter!” - said the King. “I can only entrust it to one person!”
“Of course, d’Artagnan can handle this,” agreed the Queen. - So why didn’t you entrust this case to him?
“ He is sick,” replied Louis. - Lieutenant d'Arlencourt reported this, I believe him, he is an honest man, he would not deceive his King.
“Well, then we just have to wait for d’Artagnan to recover,” answered the Queen. “I hope his illness is not fatal?”
“I don’t think so,” Louis answered doubtfully. “Although the lieutenant didn’t tell me anything about it.”
“Send the best doctor to d’Artagnan,” said the Queen. - Send Jean-Baptiste Denis to him. At the same time, find out whether he is really sick or just pretending.
Louis smiled and kissed the Queen's hand.
- Mother, we understand each other so well! - he said.
He liked that the Queen could not even imagine Philip replacing him on the throne. He was pleased with her indignation towards the conspirators. He left his mother almost happy.

Chapter 288

The king, telling the Queen Mother that he took d'Arlencourt at his word, was disingenuous. In fact, he found it encouraging that the captain of the musketeers did not appear at his request, so he sent Comenges to visit d'Artagnan and persuade him to appear before his King, explaining to him that there could be no valid reason for not obeying the order of the head of state . D'Artagnan showed up and, unlike most people in his condition, tried to look as healthy as possible, whereas almost anyone I know would have done everything possible to look even sicker in this situation. But the captain was really sick. The king saw his condition and was ashamed of his persistence.
“Monsieur d’Artagnan,” said Louis. “I have complete confidence in your loyalty and have chosen you to carry out a specific task.” If you were in a better state, I would have told you all the details today. For now, return home and take care of your health, which is very dear to me. The matter that occupies me can be postponed for two or three days, when you are already on your feet again.
Louis didn’t want to admit this even to his own mother, so he presented the matter as if he immediately believed d’Arlencourt’s words. He enthusiastically accepted the offer to send the best doctor, Jean-Baptiste Denis, to the captain. Firstly, it seemed like a show of concern, which in some way could make up for the awkwardness that had arisen. Secondly, the captain’s appearance could be deceiving, and Louis XIV was distrustful of everyone, so the testimony of the best doctor would allow him to establish the truth.
Jean-Baptiste Denis found d'Artagnan in a very painful state, he feared that the illness might be more serious than it seemed at first glance. Fortunately, Denis no longer had too much confidence in such a method of treatment as bloodletting, and by that time he had not yet gained much of a taste for transfusing animal blood to people, so he was in his best shape as a doctor and specialist in his field. He gave d' Artagnan a set of truly useful or at least almost harmless herbs and powders, primarily based on garlic, chamomile, sage, lavender, rosemary, lemon, and rosehip. He also prescribed him to drink more fluids, eat honey, prunes, raisins, nuts, drink a glass of warmed red wine with honey at night and wrap himself in two warm woolen blankets in order to sweat properly and sleep longer. After thinking a little, Denis decided that all the medications prescribed to him were rather pleasant, the weeks were disgusting, and this unacceptably brought medicine into disrepute in the captain’s eyes. Denis was deeply convinced that real medicine should taste disgusting and, if possible, smell, taking it should be unpleasant for the patient, or better yet, nauseating and intolerable, only then the medicine would work. Otherwise, the patient will not feel that he is being treated, and the treatment will not be as effective. Therefore, Denis prescribed adding willow bark, wormwood, rowan and dandelion to everything. After thinking a little, he crossed out honey, raisins, nuts and prunes. After this, Denis realized that he had done everything in his power for d'Artagnan.
D'Artagnan put all the medicines from Denis on the table, paid ten pistoles for everything and sent the doctor away.
“Damn it, all these tops he brought in aren’t worth nine sous!” - he said. “But I can’t let His Majesty’s personal physician go without proper payment!” It would be simply indecent to give less than ten pistoles! It's damn expensive to get sick in Paris! I'll never get sick again! What did he cross out? Honey, raisins, nuts and prunes? Blockhead! No, he didn’t cross out, he emphasized, and the donkey understands that these ingredients are the most important! He couldn't cross that out! It’s just that his hand was shaking or his vision was failing, so he drew a line not under the text, but directly across the text. But you can't fool me! These are the ingredients I will leave, and the rest - out!
Here d'Artagnan turned to the orderly.
“My friend, throw away all the medicines and herbs from Mr. Denis, except honey, nuts, prunes and raisins,” he said.
“Mr. Captain, there is no honey, no nuts, no prunes, no raisins, only herbs and powders,” answered the orderly.
“For ten pistoles I could have brought at least something useful!” - muttered d'Artagnan. “So, everything he brought is out.” Even horses won’t eat this hay. Go to Planchet’s shop and take everything I listed, just two pounds each. Don't you dare pay! I have unlimited credit from Planchet, I’m his partner! So take a lot of it, four pounds of each ingredient. Treatment should be treated with great responsibility. How many glasses of honey at night did he recommend? One or two? Damn, I don't remember! Well, I'll do like Solomon, I'll take something between one and two. Two and a half. For good measure, three. If he recommended wine to me, it would be nice to take a couple of bottles with me instead of all this useless grass! For the cost of these ten pistoles he could do it!
Fortunately, the captain had a small supply of wine, which should have been enough for mulled wine for the coming night, and for the future he ordered the orderly to replenish this supply in the same Planchet’s shop.
So, d'Artagnan drank three glasses of wine with honey at night, so he followed the instructions to sleep like a log and sweat with special care.

Contrary to the doctor’s orders and diagnosis, d’Artagnan nevertheless began to recover and a week later he was completely healthy. Probably the main reason was that he made significant adjustments to the recipe and dosage.
During d'Artagnan's illness, Louis XIV was very friendly with Fouquet, called him a friend, made it clear that he respected and appreciated him, and even hinted at his upcoming rise.
Fouquet's friends, however, noticed that in his absence, when his name was mentioned, the King became irritated, making it clear that he did not like talking about this man. This was a very dangerous symptom.
So well-wishers warned Fouquet personally or through his closest friends, whom he would trust more, to beware and take measures for salvation. The Superintendent received a warning from Madame du Plessis-Bellier and from Madame Yuxel, another well-informed lady, and also from Gourville. But he didn't attach any importance to this. In order not to be bothered by these warnings, he agreed in conversations with them that disgrace is quite possible, but he, however, does not see a way out for himself, so he will not do anything, since he has no means to prevent trouble, no plan, he relies on the will of the Lord and King.
These were, of course, excuses. If Fouquet really realized that he was preparing not only for removal from office, but also for arrest with a subsequent investigation into his actions as superintendent of finance, he could have prepared: to put things in order in the documents, that is, to destroy at least those of them that were at least -can compromise him, even if only indirectly. It would be better for him to lose even part of the securities than to allow the possibility of an investigation into their origin, giving investigators a lead to unravel his actions and connections. Moreover, he could have hidden them so that no one except him could find them, but he kept everything at his fingertips, in his work offices, of which he had several, as well as in houses and palaces, of which he also had noticeably more than what one family man needs.
On September 4th, d'Artagnan recovered enough to be able to appear in person at the King's office. Louis told the secretary not to let anyone in and closed the doors tightly.
“Captain d’Artagnan, I am very pleased with your service,” Louis said to start the conversation. “You were absolutely right in your actions when trying to arrest the rebels, I admit that it was in vain to limit your powers, on the advice of M. Colbert, since he doubted your loyalty in a matter where, as it turned out, the situation in you was complicated by many years of friendship with people, whom you were to arrest. Finding Colbert's doubts not groundless, I still in my heart opposed these methods, however, as you understand, along with the need to punish the criminals, there was an even more urgent need to do this as quickly as possible, and therefore more decisively, in order to prevent the spread of the secret that should never have gone beyond the limits set for her by Cardinal Richelieu and his successors. Well, I think the conflict, if there was one, is over, and I ask you not to hold a grudge against Monsieur Colbert, who helps me govern the greatest state in Europe and in financial matters performs his functions as excellently as you perform your duty in the military field. So, I hope peace has been restored between you and Colbert forever?
“I have never been at enmity with any of Your Majesty’s servants,” d’Artagnan answered evasively. “I assure you, if there was ever a cat of discord between us, then I simply did not see it, and what Mr. Colbert saw in me, let him remain on his conscience.” If he changed his attitude towards me, then the question is really settled.
“That’s wonderful if you are not deceiving me,” said the King. “I need both of you, and at the present time it is you, Monsieur d’Artagnan, that I need more than anyone else.” You must carry out my order as precisely as possible, carry it out in such a way that nothing untoward happens as a result of the execution of this order. You are responsible not only for the strict execution of this order, but also for the consequences that may arise if it is not executed accurately enough.
“What kind of order is this? - thought d'Artagnan. “I hope I won’t be ordered to go to Hell to ask Mazarin about where he buried some other secret treasure?”
“You must arrest Fouquet,” said Louis.
“Perhaps this order is no better! - thought d'Artagnan. “I will become the enemy of three quarters of the French nobility!” Besides, all the poets and pamphleteers will turn against me, and La Fontaine will write another fable in which he will depict me in the form of a crocodile, a boa constrictor, or something worse!”
However, d'Artagnan's face did not change at all. By his appearance, one could say that the King asked him to close the window, wait a minute while he straightened his hair in the mirror, or asked his opinion about which dogs were better to go wild with.
- At what time should this be done? - asked d'Artagnan as if they were talking about bringing the King a portion of veal.
Even d'Artagnan himself thought of this comparison.
“Do you order me to hit or serve in a natural state? - thought d'Artagnan, mentally grinning. “Do you prefer it well done, medium, or rare, with blood?”
“Tomorrow morning you will arrest him, Monsieur d’Artagnan, but today you must in no way betray your intention,” said the King.
“ Your Majesty, may I ask for a written order in case Monsieur Fouquet does not take my word for it and decides to disobey?” - asked d'Artagnan. - After all, a simple captain arrests a minister.
“You will receive a written order, d’Artagnan,” replied Louis. - But for the future, please remember. A simple captain serves in the guard. And you are the captain of the royal musketeers, who obeys me and only me, personally, and no one else. If I command you to arrest a duke and a peer, a prince, or anyone else, be it a general or a marshal or a constable, you will do it, because my order in my state is the highest authority over all.
“Do we have a constable again? - D'Artagnan was surprised. “Everyone he listed is small fry compared to the great Fouquet.” I can arrest princes, dukes and peers in packs of three in a row, generals or marshals - well, it would be interesting to gain such experience, but I wouldn’t want to turn into a jailer, into the horror story of the kingdom! But we need to be well prepared for Fouquet’s arrest!”
“If Your Majesty says that your spoken word is enough, I am ready to arrest Fouquet or anyone else right now and here,” said d’Artagnan with an expression of extreme determination on his face.
“This is exactly the answer I needed from you, d’Artagnan, but you will receive a written order this evening,” said Louis. “Today, wherever and with whomever Fouquet goes, he should not be hindered. Tomorrow he must not reach anywhere where he has not decided to go. You will arrest him when you consider the moment favorable. Preferably as soon as he leaves his home, but if you decide for any reason that you should wait, you will arrest him when you consider it best in terms of minimum consequences. If he does not leave the house, then you will enter his house and arrest him there. Fouquet will have breakfast at home, but he will have lunch in custody.
“I understand everything, Your Majesty,” answered d’Artagnan. - Everything will be fulfilled.
- D'Artagnan! - Louis said at the moment when the captain had already begun to open the doors to leave.
The Gascon turned and took two polite steps towards the King to listen to further instructions.
The king also approached the captain.
“You will take as many officers and soldiers for this task as necessary,” he said. - If necessary - the entire company of musketeers and the entire guard. Everyone! You have no right to miss Fouquet.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” answered d’Artagnan.
“And remember,” added Louis. “This time there will be no guardsmen with any orders to revoke your powers.” They won't appear, I give you my word. If for some reason someone wants to stop you from fulfilling your duty, kill him.
“Tomorrow by lunchtime Fouquet will be arrested, Your Majesty,” answered d’Artagnan.
The king nodded and looked around the room with a seemingly tired and indifferent look, as if not paying attention to where he was. It was as if he had returned here after a long absence. All his excitement was gone. He realized that his order would be carried out, and he could put this matter out of his mind for a while.
“I know,” he said in the tone of a tired fifty-year-old man. - I know, captain. You will follow the order. Go ahead.

Chapter 289

The court was located in Nantes, where on August 29 Louis XIV and the entire court arrived, accompanied by the Life Guards and musketeers. D'Artagnan, upon recovery, arrived there. Fouquet had every opportunity to refuse the trip, or to hide along the road, and a more perceptive person, of course, should have noticed the danger and taken appropriate measures to save himself. But Fouquet felt himself on the rise, and this delight at the high administrative position he had achieved, fueled by hopes of climbing even higher, made him completely blind.
The Royal Council met in Nantes, which this time was present in full, including ministers and secretaries of state Letellier, Colbert, Brienne, Lyonne, and, of course, Fouquet himself. The Superintendent expected new favors from the King, because quite recently he had twice provided him with very noticeable sums of money in the tens of millions! Contrary to the advice of his friends, he did not refuse the trip, and seeing the favorable attitude that Louis showed him, he was in high spirits and expected the best development of the situation for himself. He naively believed that all the warnings about the threats looming over him were a figment of the imagination of envious people who wishful thinking.
The sale of the position of Attorney General left him completely exposed to the Crown Court, which, if he had not made this fatal mistake, could not have prosecuted him. Despite the fact that Fouquet, like d'Artagnan, was completely overwhelmed with fever, he not only arrived in Nantes, but also did not miss a single important event with the participation of the King, and appeared at the meeting of the Royal Council to greet His Majesty.
— How is your health, Mr. Fouquet? - Louis asked with an air of extremely deep concern and sympathy. “Wouldn’t it be better for you to rest and lie down?” Your health is very important to me and to France! Take care of yourself!
- Thank you, Your Majesty! - answered the flattered Fouquet. “It seems that I’m a little uneasy, but your participation in my health alone works on me better than all the medicines!” I will definitely get better soon!
“I really hope so, Mr. Fouquet, but still I would recommend that you take more care of yourself,” said Louis. - I will send you Jean-Baptiste Denis.
“ Your Majesty, not a single Jean-Baptiste will improve my well-being the way you did with your smile of approval!” - Fouquet objected.
The king pretended that he did not understand Fouquet's hint about Colbert, whose name was also Jean-Baptiste. However, remembering Moliere, he decided to joke.
-What do you have against the name Jean-Baptiste? - he asked. — It seems your friend Poquelin, or as he calls himself Moliere, also bears this name?
“Perhaps Mister Moli;re’s jokes will be a better medicine for me than Mister Denis’s poultices and powders,” Fouquet decided to laugh it off. - In any case, I prefer him over all the other Jean-Baptistes.
“Well, have it your way,” Louis replied and affectionately stroked Fouquet’s hand. - Treat yourself with whatever means you prefer, but just get better quickly.
Fouquet took this persistent concern for his health on the part of Louis as proof of his value to the King. Louis simply did not want to delay Fouquet’s arrest, but understood that it was extremely undesirable to arrest a sick person, because such a circumstance would cause an extremely unwanted wave of sympathy for Fouquet from investigators and judges, and he planned a detailed and impartial trial of the superintendent’s cases with a public trial and a verdict in end of the matter.
I am deeply convinced that d'Artagnan did not say a word to anyone about the order received the next day. But the order was prepared by Colbert, signed by the King, and sealed by Chancellor Seguier. This latter, apparently, nevertheless told about this, at least, to his wife. This is an act that all husbands in public service should be wary of: since you cannot do without your wife, then at least do not tell her anything other than what you would like to tell all of France! Apparently, there were already many people involved in this matter from among the King’s close associates, although Fouquet himself did not pay attention to the atmosphere of mystery that reigned at court, or did not attach any significance to this circumstance, attributing it, perhaps, to the account of what he expected to happen. increase. Surrounded by Louis XIV, everyone was whispering, hastily and secretly reading some notes and immediately hiding and destroying them as soon as such an opportunity presented itself. It seemed that at court they stopped talking and only began to correspond. Is it possible for people who are less than three steps apart from each other to send written messages to each other? Unthinkable!
Musketeers and guards walked here and there on the sidelines of the palace, and the doors of the royal office were closed to everyone, Secretary Rose did not allow anyone to see the King except a few rare chosen ones, but their number still included Fouquet, which made him think that all the camarilla happening around him in no way concerns his person.
Fouquet's serenity is very easily explained. He felt like the actual master of the country, the King was young and inexperienced, the Queen Mother had retired, Mazarin was no longer in the world. Fouquet believed, and not without reason, that it would not be easy for the King to get along without him, whereas Fouquet could easily get along without the King if he continued to act as he had acted until now. The arrest of a man like Fouquet was actually a coup d'etat, but only informal, since formally Louis XIV was already the King of France and head of state. He had to take a step from the formal position of master of the kingdom to the position of its actual master, and in this matter he relied entirely on d'Artagnan. His choice, undoubtedly, was the only correct one. There were men more powerful than him, or more dexterous, but they were not as loyal to their King as the captain of the musketeers. There were, perhaps, people who were more devoted, that is, devoted to the point of fanaticism, but they did not have sufficient determination, courage, prudence, caution and even wisdom, and at the same time the required authority, knowledge of their soldiers, and the ability to place them in the most responsible places. A combination of all qualities, d'Artagnan was a unique person, one of a kind. Even in these difficult circumstances, Louis feared that some little things would not be sufficiently taken into account and that as a result something would not go according to plan. The outcome of the task that the King entrusted to d'Artagnan seemed not a foregone conclusion even to Louis himself. But d'Artagnan did not allow the thought of disobeying the order. He would not have fulfilled it, except perhaps in the event of his own sudden death, however, I am not even sure of this. This was no longer the young and ardent Gascon who could have been deceived by the insidious and charming milady, it was not the musketeer who was already quite mature, but not yet prudent and ready for any treachery, whom Mordaunt was able to deceive; this man could not have been deceived by anyone in this world. Even I, although I rate my chances the most highly, since no one knew him as well as I did. I'm not bragging, I'm just reporting the truth. After all, Athos treated him in a fatherly way, Porthos in a friendly way, and only I saw in him a partner, and sometimes a rival in the most exciting and gambling game called “life”, such a rival who is desired to win in all cases, except those when his victory means your defeat, but even in this case one with whom you will not cheat, and for the reason that the cheating will sooner or later be revealed, and also for the reason that you respect and love your opponent too much to resort to to such vile methods. I competed with him to see who could better grab from Fortune what was due to him. But d'Artagnan did not compete with me, he simply went his own way and from time to time waved his hand at me in a friendly manner. The choice of the King was successful, and this choice predetermined the outcome of the struggle.
And how could Louis choose anyone else after what the captain of his musketeers did for him?
Possessing the fortified fortress of Belle-Ile-en-Mer with its garrison, having virtually an entire fleet at its disposal, Fouquet, who bore the title of Viceroy of America, established the closest relations in all ruling circles, which prevailed in all these circles, and besides held the position of prosecutor general, and not just superintendent of finance, he gradually lost almost everything - the fortress, the fleet, the prosecutor's position. But these losses were not yet fatal, as it seemed to him, since he was preparing to become first minister. This thought, as well as his firm belief in his need for the King, weakened his caution.
In the evening, d'Artagnan received from Letellier a sealed package in which the signed order for the arrest of Fouquet and a thousand livres for expenses were kept in complete secrecy.
Arriving at his place, he immediately opened the package and read the order. It said the following:

"In the name of the King,
His Majesty, having decided for compelling reasons to protect himself from Monsieur Superintendent of Finance Fouquet, has decreed and commands the sub-lieutenant of the mounted company of musketeers, Monsieur d'Artagnan, to arrest the aforesaid Monsieur Fouquet and to convey him under good and reliable guard to the place indicated in the memorandum which His Majesty delivered him as instructions. You should ensure along the way that the aforementioned Mr. Fouquet has no communication with anyone, either oral or written.
Given in Nantes on the 4th of September this year 1661 (Signed) Louis.”

Attached to the order was a memorandum indicating what actions should be taken and in what order. First of all, d'Artagnan and his musketeers had to arrest Fouquet upon leaving the palace. Accompanied by five or six men, he was to conduct him to the apartment of the king's chamberlain, around which his detachment was to post guard.
The document then stated:

“Monsieur d'Artagnan should take precautions not to lose sight of Fouquet from the moment of his arrest, and not to allow him to put his hands in his pockets, lest he should be in a position to throw away any paper, and immediately upon his arrival at the said hall he should tell him , that the King demands that all the papers he has with him be brought to him, and that he be careful to see that he does not hide any of them.”

A separate document provided that if d’Artagnan was deprived of “the opportunity to act as a result of an attack of fever,” he could use the services of two gentlemen of the Life Guards officers Declaveau and Maupertuis assigned to help him.
Another decree directed d'Artagnan to send one brigadier and two musketeers to Ancenis to carry out orders that would be transmitted to them there the next day. The order they received ordered them to stop all couriers not sent on behalf of the King. This was done so that Paris would learn about Fouquet's arrest as late as possible. The package also contained other sealed dispatches signed by Mr. Letellier, ordering the commandants of the fortresses and castles in which the motorcade with the arrested person was supposed to stop , “to provide M. d’Artagnan with all the assistance he requires.” A letter to Monsieur de Camarsac, commandant of the castle in Angers, ordered the withdrawal of the small garrison located there from the castle. Another letter from the King contained instructions to the mayors and echevens of this city to accept d'Artagnan and his detachment, to provide him with housing and provisions, and it was ordered to house the detachment free of charge, and it was allowed to charge a fee for provisions. For these purposes, as I have already indicated, d'Artagnan was given a thousand livres. At Angers, where the captain of the musketeers was to await further instructions, d'Artagnan had the right to take any steps necessary to provide his captive with a safe place of residence. He was instructed to provide Fouquet with furniture for this occasion and service appropriate to his status with all amenities, but at the same time he was ordered to search him down to his linen.

Chapter 290

In the evening, the King still graciously communicated with Fouquet and managed to demand and receive more money from him for the needs of the fleet.
- Mister Fouquet, our fleet needs to be strengthened, especially the military one! - said Louis. “We also have to strengthen the command of the fleet. Some admirals are no good, if serious naval battles are coming, experienced admirals and captains are needed. You, Mr. Fouquet, have extensive experience in this area, as I was told, and it will be useful to us.
Fouquet was pleased, because he decided that he would also be entrusted with the functions of the Minister of the Navy.
“You are absolutely right, Your Majesty, the fleet should be dealt with as quickly as possible and very carefully,” said Fouquet. - The two million livres you are asking for are, of course, only a small part of the required investment. I will immediately sign a warrant for two and a half million, and in a month, no, in three weeks, I will provide you with another two and a half million.
- Wonderful! - exclaimed the King, feigning delight. - We will return to this issue tomorrow at the end of the day, come to me at seven o’clock in the evening. And come to the Royal Council tomorrow at seven in the morning. I appointed the council for seven o'clock, as I would then like to go hunting with my musketeers. I hope to bring down a seasoned boar.
“Well, this explains the somewhat lively movement among the musketeers! - thought Fouquet. “They are just preparing for the hunt, so they check their weapons, clean their ammunition, they want to show off their hunting skills and make a good impression on the King and the ladies accompanying him, so they polish their swords and pistols while their servants clean their ammunition and military uniforms!” The King needs my money and my advice to modify his naval forces. I am the King’s best friend and support, and the alarmists around me are only in vain shaking the air with their warnings about future misfortunes that they simply imagine! »
“I hope, Your Majesty, that your hunt will be successful,” said Fouquet. “I wish you success with all my heart and hope that your shot will be accurate.” I am confident that you will bring down the boar with the first shot!
“Thank you for your wish, Mr. Fouquet,” the King replied and smiled. “I hope so too.” A wounded boar can cause a lot of trouble.
“In that case, be careful, Your Majesty,” said Fouquet with fatherly concern.
“You forget that I will not go hunting alone, but with my musketeers,” replied Louis. “Their captain will not allow anything unexpected to happen, I completely trust this man and his people.” So tomorrow at seven in the morning, don’t be late, Mr. Fouquet. Without you, the Royal Council will not be able to begin its work, and we cannot postpone the start of the meeting, we have never done this.
“I’ve never been late before, and I won’t be late this time,” Fouquet replied.
“I remind you only because the start time will be much earlier than usual, at seven o’clock in the morning,” the King reminded. — See you tomorrow, Mister Fouquet.
“See you tomorrow, Your Majesty,” Fouquet replied and left.

Meanwhile, d'Artagnan, having returned to his room, carefully studied the documents from the envelope he received from Letellier. He memorized all the instructions almost word for word, so as not to have to consult them as he carried them out. He then sent five detachments of four men each, so that one of them would quietly watch the house of Rouget, where Fouquet was staying, and check if there was any suspicious movement there. The remaining units should, without giving away their presence, remain nearby in case assistance is needed.
“Note how many people arrive at the house, and also pursue those who leave,” d’Artagnan ordered. “No one in the house should suspect anything.” Just watch until midnight. But if someone leaves the house after midnight, detain everyone, but not in full view of the residents of the house, but only after they are out of sight, for example, around the corner. Even if it is a hundred-year-old hunched over old woman, or a five-year-old child, detain everyone and bring them to me. Even if a dog runs out of the house, stop and search. If a dove flies out, shoot it and bring it to me. Lieutenant d'Arlencourt, you will command these troops. Do you understand everything?
- Yes, everything is clear, Mister Captain! - answered d'Arlencourt .

The musketeers, who were on vacation, were recalled from it. They were informed that the royal hunt would take place the next day. This rumor spread throughout Nantes with the speed of lightning, and if Fouquet had any doubts, they evaporated without a trace.
Brienne visited Fouquet at Rouget's house and found everything there to be calm. Fouquet's fever returned, so he sat by the fireplace, wrapped in a warm dressing gown.
- What's the news at the palace, Brienne? - asked Fouquet.
“At court everything is as usual, but in the musketeer barracks it’s busy, the vacationers have been returned and are preparing for a campaign, or something else,” Brienne answered.
“I know, the royal hunt is scheduled for tomorrow, immediately after the meeting of the Royal Council,” Fouquet replied. “The king invited me to it, but I’m still sick, as you can see.”
- So you won’t go to the Royal Council tomorrow? - asked Brienne?
- Impossible! - Fouquet objected. “His Majesty personally reminded me of him twice and asked me not to be late.” He said that the meeting would not start without me. How can I let him down?
“But your illness will excuse you,” said Brienne. - I see that you have become worse! You looked much better yesterday!
“The disease occurs in waves, but it is already receding,” Fouquet answered. - You'll see, tomorrow I'll be completely fine! A six-hour sleep will restore my strength and health.
“You’d better get into the carriage and have them take you to Belle-Ile,” advised Brienne. - I don’t like what’s happening.
“My friend,” Fouquet answered confidentially. - I'll tell you a secret. Tomorrow will bring me a new triumph. Colbert lost, I will at least get the Navy Ministry, and most likely I will become Prime Minister!
- Is it possible to? — Brienne doubted.
“This position has been vacant since the death of Mazarin, and who can handle it better than me?” asked Fouquet. — The conclusion suggests itself. I foresaw this six months ago, and this evening in a conversation with His Majesty I received confirmation of this guess.
- So, are you still going to the Council? asked Brienne.
“I’ll go if I don’t get worse,” Fouquet replied.
Half an hour later, Rose reported to the King that Brienne had brought him news of Fouquet’s health.
“Let him come in,” said Louis.
“Your Majesty, I conveyed your wishes for health to Mister Fouquet,” Brienne reported.
- And how did you find him? - asked the King.
“He has gotten much worse in the last half hour,” Brienne answered. — Monsieur Fouquet had a new attack of fever.
“Go to Monsieur Fouquet again, right now, and find out if he is feeling better,” said Louis XIV. “Take Monsieur Denis with you, and let him take with him some medicine for fever.” I want Mister Fouquet to fulfill his promise and come to the Council on time tomorrow.
Brienne completed the task. At about eleven o'clock he went to Rouget's house to see Fouquet, and this time he found the superintendent in much better condition. Fouquet dined in the company of several friends, while La Fontaine recited to him his new fable about the Wolf and the Crane. Fouquet laughed merrily when he heard the end of the fable.
- So after this, help those who are stronger than you! - he exclaimed. — Wolfish gratitude awaits the unwary! Bravo, Lafontaine!
And all those present rewarded the fabulist with applause.
- Brienne, you are very helpful! - exclaimed Fouquet. — Join us for our late dinner!
“I brought Doctor Dany to you,” Brienne said. “His Majesty sent us to you.” He told the doctor to take care of your health, and asked me to remind you about tomorrow’s Council.
“I am extremely pleased by His Majesty’s concern, but this is unnecessary,” Fouquet replied. “As you can see, I don’t need doctors, and I haven’t forgotten about tomorrow’s Council.” I will definitely be there and won’t be a single minute late.
Brienne and Dany said goodbye and left Fouquet's house.
“Beware, it’s a trap,” his quartermaster Gourville told Fouquet. -Flee from Nantes as soon as possible. Have your empty litter sent to the palace tomorrow with the curtains drawn, and leave the city in the simplest carriage, without attracting anyone's attention. I suggest you exchange clothes with me or with someone present here.
Fouquet just shrugged.
“For the third day now I have been hearing some ridiculous predictions of the most incredible misfortunes that await me,” he said. “Your imagination is too wild, my dear Gourville.” The king would never dare to arrest a man like me. I always believed in my star and always succeeded. Today I received too many proofs of the King’s favor towards me. Moreover, today he received from me two and a half million livres, and three weeks later I promised him exactly the same amount. This money is intended for the most important matters, I won’t say which ones yet, but, believe me, for the most urgent needs. And no one will manage them in the interests of the King better than me. In fact, this money will be returned to me, and I will use it at my own discretion. Is it conceivable under these circumstances to plot anything against me? Who cuts the goose that lays the golden eggs? Our friend, Mr. Lafontaine, remind our Gourville of this fable!
“A miser, in pursuit of profit, sometimes loses everything when he rushes his fate,” Lafontaine recited. “One owner had a hen, she laid him golden eggs, exactly one egg a day. The owner decided that there was a treasure hidden inside the bird, it was full of gold. He thought that there was only one testicle a day - a waste of both time and money, because he had to feed the chicken. “I’ll take it all at once,” he decided. And he killed the chicken. What did the foolish owner find in the offal? Never mind! Everything that anyone can find in every chicken: just giblets.
- So unnecessary greed and haste deprived the hurryer of the income that he would have reliably, but gradually! - Moliere picked up.
Those present again gave La Fontaine a standing ovation, joined by Moliere and Fouquet.
At the end of dinner, Fouquet said goodbye to his friends and went to bed.

Chapter 291

At half past six in the morning, d'Artagnan placed his men in battle formation around Fouquet's house. By 6 o'clock in the morning, everything was ready for the arrest of the superintendent of finance: a significant detachment of musketeers in full armor was located both at the front and at the emergency exit from the palace. Since the superintendent was still expected to come out of the front door, there was a larger detachment there. Two squadrons of twenty men each were waiting from the front yard and the central gate.
Suddenly d'Artagnan heard someone calling out to him. He recognized Colbert's voice and looked back.
“Monsieur d’Artagnan, receive an urgent dispatch from His Majesty,” said Colbert.
"Damn it! - thought the Gascon. “The king clearly said that there will be no surprises with letters revoking my powers, as there were at Bel-Isle!” If Colbert brought me a paper canceling Fouquet’s arrest, I’ll simply put him on my sword and I’ll be right! After all, the King clearly said: “If suddenly, for some reason, someone wants to prevent you from fulfilling your duty, kill him.” Damn it, I'm beginning to like the King's commission if I have the pleasure of stabbing Colbert to death before arresting Fouquet! I wish he had a sword and knew how to use it well. However, the ability to wield a sword is mandatory for every nobleman, so from this side everything turns out quite tolerably. Yes, and he seems to have a sword, although for Colbert it is just part of a court costume!
D'Artagnan signaled to his men to stand back at a respectful distance so that they would not hear what was being said and would not interfere if he had to fence with Colbert.
“Did you come with a letter revoking my authority?” - asked d'Artagnan, shining like a golden louis d'or. “Could you show me a paper canceling the King’s order and appointing you or one of your people as my boss?” I'm eager to see her! I bet it doesn't have the royal seal on it!
“If the matter had been as you have stated it, you could have stabbed me in full accordance with His Majesty’s orders,” Colbert replied. - Don't worry, Monsieur d'Artagnan. I have no intention of stopping you from carrying out the King's orders. I just brought you a dispatch according to which the arrest of the state criminal and scoundrel Nicolas Fouquet is postponed until the end of the meeting of the Royal Council. His Majesty considered that the arrest of Fouquet directly at the house where he lives could cause too great a mental wound to his family and friends. Therefore, you are ordered to arrest him upon leaving the building where the Council will be held.
“I’ll still stab him if there’s no stamp on the paper!” - thought d'Artagnan. “God knows, I’m not cruel, but I consider sending this upstart to heaven to be a godly thing!” Even Athos would not object to such a development of affairs!
“Show me your paper,” said d’Artagnan dryly. - Give it to me, don’t be afraid, I won’t tear it. In my entire life I have never destroyed a single document signed by His Majesty.
“You can make sure that on the paper there is not only the King’s handwritten signature, but also the state seal, and even a postscript made by His Majesty after the document was stamped,” said Colbert and handed the document to d’Artagnan.

The document handed over by Colbert was written in his own hand, except for the King’s signature itself, and read:

“Mr. Captain of the Royal Musketeers Charles d'Artagnan is instructed to begin executing the order he received after the end of the meeting of the Royal Council, and not earlier. Mr. Fouquet must be able to proceed unhindered to the meeting of the Council. The arrest will be made only after the order has been confirmed by Mr. Letellier.

King Louis"

There was a state seal on the document, and below it, in Louis’s hand, there was a note: “Mr. d’Artagnan! Please don't kill Colbert, I need him. When going to the Council meeting, Fouquet should not receive evidence of the impending action. If Fouquet's carriage turns off the road leading to the Council and you have reason to believe that Fouquet is trying to escape, arrest him immediately. Louis."

D'Artagnan put the document in his pocket and ordered the musketeers to retreat to a respectful distance and hide around the corners of neighboring buildings and not come into view of Fouquet.

“Tell His Majesty that everything will be done, including with regard to the registration,” the captain said to Colbert. - I won't kill you.

“ I serve the King and do not accept money from others for the service I perform by order of His Majesty,” answered the captain. “But if you want to treat my musketeers, I have nothing against it.” Give the money to Lieutenant D'Arlencourt. But not now, but only when the matter is completed. Now they will only get in the way. If you have no more business with me, I ask you to leave as quickly as possible. The superintendent's carriage could leave the gate at any moment.
Colbert nodded and disappeared around the corner of the building.

An hour earlier, Colbert had visited the King and expressed his concerns to him.
“Your Majesty, if Fouquet is arrested near his home, his household will hasten to destroy the papers in his office,” Colbert said excitedly. “This will significantly complicate the investigation into Fouquet’s abuses.”
“But the arrest order has already been given,” answered the King. “I told d’Artagnan that anyone who tries to stop him is a traitor.”
“Give me an order that the arrest is postponed until after the end of the Council meeting,” Colbert said.
- And who will deliver this order to Captain d'Artagnan? - asked Louis.
“I’ll deliver it to him myself, I personally!” Colbert replied enthusiastically.
“If I wanted to get rid of you, I would fulfill your request,” the King objected. “But I need you, Colbert.” As soon as you present such a paper to d'Artagnan, he will kill you and he will be absolutely right.
“I will try to convince d’Artagnan not to kill me,” Colbert replied. “Will he really not believe an order with your handwritten signature?”
“We will have to put a stamp on this document, but even in this case I am not convinced that d’Artagnan will believe you,” said Louis. “Your tricks with numbered envelopes, taking away his powers, which I myself delegated to him, greatly angered him.” I'm afraid to suspect that d'Artagnan will not only kill you, but on top of everything else, he will do it with great pleasure. Instead of a marshal's baton, you gave him such a pig! Anyone in his place would be furious.
“I will try to make amends and make friends with Captain d’Artagnan,” replied Colbert.
“Whatever, but don’t try to bribe him,” replied the King. - Give me your paper, which I believe you have already composed, ink and pen. And invite Segye with a stamp. But keep in mind, Colbert, if d'Artagnan does not believe the paper and puts you on his sword, I will not punish him, because in this case he will carry out my own orders.

Chapter 292

At exactly seven o'clock in the morning the King opened a meeting of the Council, which was attended by Fouquet, as well as Lyonne, Letellier, Colbert, Brienne, Bouchra.
The Superintendent went to the palace for the Council meeting in a litter. As soon as his stretcher headed out of his house and disappeared from the sight of his household, half of d'Artagnan's musketeers positioned themselves in groups in front of the doors, controlling all entrances and exits.
The other half secretly followed Fouquet.
The meeting in the palace took place as usual, the most routine matters were discussed. Fouquet kept expecting that the King would announce his appointment as Minister of the Navy or even Prime Minister, but this did not happen.
“Apparently something is not ready yet,” thought Fouquet. — Perhaps we should prepare some papers, patents, orders. Well, I'll wait."
When the meeting ended, Colbert and Lyonne were the first to leave the room. Michel Letellier approached Bouchra, who was in charge of petitions at the State Council and was the King's former commissioner in the Breton states. He quickly thrust a piece of paper folded into four into his hand.
“Read it quickly and do it,” he whispered.
Bushra quietly unfolded a piece of paper on which the following words were written: “The King commands you to immediately seal the house of Mr. Superintendent Fouquet. Not a single paper should disappear from his house, answer with your head.”
Bouchra hurriedly left the building and headed towards Fouquet's house.
Louis suddenly doubted that d'Artagnan had correctly understood his order postponing the arrest of Fouquet. Therefore, he kept Fouquet with him and very kindly began to talk with him on a variety of abstract topics. While talking with the superintendent, Louis, as if by chance, moved towards the window. Then he remembered that there was a map of France on the table, an excellent excuse to go up to the table and look out the window along the way.
— What is your opinion about the strength of our borders from the north? - he asked. - Let's look at the map.
He headed towards the table and, passing near the window, saw d'Artagnan in the courtyard with a sword at his side. This completely calmed him down.
— Don’t you think that these borders should be strengthened soon? - asked the King, who was no longer at all interested in Fouquet’s answer.
“I find, Your Majesty, that those borders that we wish to leave unchanged should be strengthened, and where we plan to attack, the troops should be strengthened, their supply of provisions, fodder and, of course, weapons, gunpowder and bullets should be strengthened, as well as cannons and cannonballs.
— Are we planning to attack Holland? - Louis asked in surprise.
“It’s enough to look at the map to understand the inevitability of this,” Fouquet replied.
“Interesting,” said Louis. - When do you think our campaign in Holland will begin?
“ In about ten or eleven years,” Fouquet answered.
“Well, then we will have time to discuss this issue a little later, Mr. Fouquet, thank you,” answered the King, glad that he could end the conversation in the most natural way. - I won't keep you any longer.
The Superintendent took his leave and left the Council chamber in the best mood, realizing that the young King was consulting with him on a wide variety of issues, even those whose decision was not yet to be made soon.
Fouquet walked up the large central staircase, where a crowd of admirers and petitioners awaited him. He promised some of them something, refused some, invited some to come to him with this question later, but most of the petitioners remained unattended. Fouquet was still ill and hurried home to lie down and rest. He calmly left the palace and headed to his carriage.
D'Artagnan was to arrest Fouquet as soon as he left the gates of the Palace, but first he had to obtain confirmation of the order from Letellier. D'Artagnan was therefore torn between following Fouquet and heading to Letellier for confirmation.
Letellier, apparently, had forgotten the importance and urgency of conveying instructions to the captain, so he slowly descended the stairs, talking about something with Monsieur de Lafeyade. D'Artagnan tried in vain to attract his attention from afar. Letellier was completely absorbed in idle conversation.
Most likely, Lafeyade, Fouquet's secret supporter, guessed something and therefore he deliberately detained Letellier in an attempt to allow Fouquet to leave. D'Artagnan was surprised and thought that perhaps the King had changed his mind about arresting the superintendent. No matter how awkward it was to interrupt the minister’s conversation, he thought that he, D’Artagnan, and no one else would have to answer for failure to comply with the order. So he ran up to Letellier, who had just freed himself from his intrusive interlocutor, and asked him if anything had changed.
- Nothing changed! - Letellier answered, as if waking up from a dream and looking around. - Why are you delaying? - he asked.
“Am I delaying? - D'Artagnan thought in anger. - Damn him, was it really difficult to even nod your head?! Now this fool will tell the King that I wasn’t quick enough!”
D'Artagnan, in horror, hastily ran into the palace square and saw there the King's secretary and his friend Rose.
-Where is Fouquet? - he asked quietly, without betraying his excitement.
“He left the Council chamber five minutes ago,” Rose answered. — His stretcher is being carried towards his house.
“If I could tell my musketeers the purpose of our maneuvers, I would make them watch Fouquet’s stretcher and not let them out of sight! - thought d'Artagnan in exasperation. Was it really worth maintaining such secrecy that none of the musketeers knew about the purpose of our patrol, while, I suspect, all the members of the Council and some others are well aware of everything!”
At this time, Fouquet's stretcher had already passed the castle walls, they were carried past the second squadron of musketeers, where no one thought to detain them, after which they continued their journey and quietly disappeared into the streets of the city.
D'Artagnan, along with fifteen musketeers, jumped into the saddle and rushed to search through the streets of Nantes. He overtook the stretchers in the cathedral square and ordered them to be surrounded.
“Sir, I need to talk to you,” he said to Fouquet.
- Another petitioner! - Fouquet grumbled dissatisfiedly. “And, of course, everyone has urgent matters to attend to!” Can't your business wait until I return to my place?
“No, sir, what I have to tell you is urgent,” objected d’Artagnan.
- That’s it, that’s how it is! - the superintendent exclaims, puzzled.
Even the sight of the captain of the musketeers with fifteen horsemen did not alert him, as he continued to dream about his future career.
He stepped out of the stretcher and greeted d'Artagnan with a wave of his hat.
- Well, what else do you have? - he asked. — Any urgent amounts for urgent trips? Give me your order, I'll sign it, and you'll get your money.
“Monsignor, I have been ordered to detain you,” said the captain.
“However, Monsieur d’Artagnan, is it true that you need me?” - Fouquet was surprised.
- Absolutely, sir.
- Just detain? - Fouquet was surprised. - Should I wait for someone here on the street, or are we going back to the King? He seems to have something urgent to tell me? What does the word "detain" mean?
“Here is His Majesty’s written order,” answered d’Artagnan. - If Your Grace wishes a more precise term, please, I have been ordered to arrest you and escort you to your further location.
- Where exactly? - Fouquet asked, still not believing what was happening.
“I promise that you will soon learn about it,” answered d’Artagnan.
Fouquet grabbed the paper from the captain's hands and re-read it several times. The first two times, the meaning of what was written did not reach him, because his eyes scanned the lines of the document, and his thoughts rushed around in his head, like a squirrel in a wheel, the same squirrel that is depicted on his coat of arms.
Finally, the meaning of the document he was studying reached Fouquet, and his face changed.
- Can't be! - he said quietly. “I didn’t expect anything like this.” And in any case, not now and not here. After all, I talked with him ten minutes ago, talked about future plans. I believed that the King was more kind to me than to anyone else in all France. After all, he needs me! What's going on, my God! Well. There's nothing you can do about it. Mister Captain, I am at your disposal. If possible, I ask that everything be done without unnecessary noise. Have pity on my family members. After all, they are not guilty of anything. And now they have to live with it. My God, my God!

Chapter 293

Speaking about the members of his family, Fouquet clearly emphasized these words, looking into the eyes of Codur, whom he noticed among the petitioners accompanying his stretcher. Realizing that the one in whom they had just seen a potential giver of favors was being arrested, the petitioners began to run away in all directions, fearing that they might also be arrested, and that they would simply be remembered and considered accomplices of some crime in which, Fouquet is certainly guilty, since everyone knows that in no country in the world does the head of state give orders for the arrest of innocent people.
Codur, however, accustomed to taking risks for the sake of those in power even without any benefit for himself since the days of his devoted service to Anne of Austria, and therefore little fearing for himself, answered Fouquet with a look that he understood everything, and that he would warn about the arrest of Fouquet’s relatives , as well as his valet, butler, intendant and other main servants.
Codur immediately went to his most faithful valet, Fouquet Laforet, and warned him about the arrest of his owner. Laforet immediately left Nantes, hastily reached the nearest horse stand, which Fouquet kept for all urgent matters two leagues from the city, chose the best horse and rushed to Paris. There he told the fatal news to the superintendent’s faithful friend Madame Duplessis-Belli;re, who immediately gathered in her house a small military council of supporters of her lover, who were at that time in Paris, led by Abbe Fouquet.
“We should go to Saint-Mand; and set fire to the house,” advised Abbot Fouquet. “This is the only way to save my brother.”
“Are you crazy, Basil!” - Madame Duplessis-Belli;re objected. “This is tantamount to admitting that Nicolas Fouquet has something to hide from the King!” And this, in turn, is like signing his death warrant. The king has nothing to reproach Fouquet for, and he will be forced to let our friend go.
“Every person has something to hide, madam,” objected Abbe Fouquet. “Even I have something that I wouldn’t agree to show to anyone in the world.” And what can we say about the superintendent of finance! He had to carry out various risky operations, and documents about this can always be interpreted in one direction or another. A sleazy prosecutor will attach such meaning to any piece of paper that he will make anyone involved in it seem almost a state criminal. And believe me, madam, Nikola has important papers that in no way should fall into the hands of enemies.
- And because of a few pieces of paper you are ready to burn down such a wonderful house?! - Madame Duplessis-Belli;re objected.
She remembered the magnificent furnishings of Fouquet’s house, the happy moments spent in it, and her admiration for many works of art - paintings, figurines, rare dishes made of Chinese porcelain, gold dinnerware and everything else. Under no circumstances could she allow such a crime - the destruction of all these masterpieces.
- Understand, madam, house and wealth are a matter of gain, we will all help Nikola compensate for his losses with new income! - Abbot Fouquet did not let up. “But if even just one document is found, one single piece of paper is found that can be interpreted against Nikol, it will be interpreted in such a way that it threatens him with the most severe troubles.” I am afraid to imagine and do not want to discuss the worst case scenario, but we must fear the worst and anticipate the biggest troubles, do everything possible, everything in our power to avoid them or at least mitigate them as much as possible.
The dispute dragged on, the committee to save Fouquet turned into a committee of demagoguery, as always happens when an important issue is decided by more than two people.
Those few hours by which Laforet was ahead of the official couriers were wasted in the most mediocre way. For this reason, the civil judge d'Aubray managed to seal all Fouquet's papers in his original form in his house in Saint-Mand without any hindrance, and Chancellor Seguier did the same in the superintendent.
“Fouquet wanted to get the seals,” Seguier said afterwards with sarcasm, hinting at Fouquet’s desire to become first minister or chancellor. - Well, he has nothing to complain about! So he got them!”
D'Artagnan sent the guards officer Declaveau to inform the King that the order for Fouquet's arrest had been carried out.
Louis XIV left his office and went to the guardhouse, where at that time there were many nobles, including Turenne, Conze, Lyonne, Villeroy.
“Gentlemen,” the King said loudly, “I ordered the arrest of the superintendent.” This man abused the trust of Cardinal Mazarin, and subsequently deceived and robbed me. The investigative commission will deal with all his crimes. Perhaps some of you will be surprised that even today I had a gracious conversation with him. Know that four months ago I decided to arrest him because I had sufficient evidence of his guilt. But since he acted through bribery, created coalitions and committees loyal to himself, it was not easy to announce the arrest of a person of this level; the Fronde could repeat itself. We don't want civil war. But I will not tolerate in my kingdom such crimes as Fouquet committed. And I will not allow new conspiracies like those in which Fouquet participated, for which, I am convinced, we will still find irrefutable evidence. Some details of some conspiracies are so monstrous that I cannot tell you them, since they involve state secrets. From now on the time has come when I will take care of my own affairs. I don’t need people who, under the guise of helping me, do their vile things behind my back. I won't have a superintendent of finance, I won't have a prime minister . I will delve into all government affairs myself.
Many of Fouquet's former supporters hastened to reveal themselves as his fierce opponents and irreconcilable enemies, although not all of them. Some people owed the Fouquet family significant sums, and, admitting that receipts for these amounts were stored, perhaps, in a safe place, he was in no hurry to openly declare his condemnation of Fouquet. There were also those who were selflessly loyal to Fouquet, but these were mainly members of his family or close friends, including Madame Duplessis-Belli;re, who, perhaps, was Fouquet’s wife to a much greater extent than Madame Fouquet.
Many courtiers were depressed by the energy of the young sovereign, fearing for their fate, because few were completely sinless, and were there any? But outwardly, many people rushed to decisively condemn Fouquet.
On the sidelines, the Duke de Guevre was indignant with obvious envy of d'Artagnan:
- Why did His Majesty entrust such an important mission to some musketeer captain? - he was indignant. - Why do I need such humiliation? After all, this matter corresponds only to my rank! Surely I could not arrest Fouquet no worse than d'Artagnan? Yes, if you want to know, I could arrest my own father, and even more so my best friend.
I can’t say that these statements added more friends to him. Quite the contrary. After all, de Guevre was considered a friend of Fouquet.
Once the arrest took place, the King's officials seized all of Fouquet's papers and arrested some of his men, including Paul Pelisson. To completely eliminate the risk of civil war, troops were sent from Nantes to capture Belle-Ile.
Since Fouquet's relatives, paralyzed by indecision, did nothing, the arriving officials sealed and described all the superintendent's papers in Saint-Mand;, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Fontainebleau and the Paris residence. Other agents seized the papers of Pelisson, Brienne and Gourville. All these measures were taken with the sanction of Chancellor Segur after the royal courier arrived at Fontainebleau two days after Fouquet's arrest.
The stunned Madame Fouquet was ordered to leave and settle in Limoges. Gourville, using his many connections, helped her organize the move and later obtained permission from the King to lend her some money for living. The Fouquet brothers were also injured. Fran;ois Fouquet, Archbishop of Narbonne, was ordered to move to Alen;on; Louis Fouquet, Bishop of Agde, to return to his provincial diocese. The youngest, Gilles Fouquet, lost his court position as senior equerry. Basil Fouquet was exiled to Guienne.
The Queen Mother stood up for Fouquet's mother, with whom she had known for a long time and maintained friendly relations. Thanks to her intercession, old Marie de Maupeu was able to stay in Paris and take care of Fouquet's two young children. Madame du Plessis-Belaire was exiled to Montbrison, and her papers were also confiscated. Her son-in-law, the Marquis de Cruy, who had recently been promoted to general of the sailing fleet, was demoted. Gourville, having “loaned” half a million livres to the treasury at Colbert’s “suggestion ,” slipped away and subsequently lived quietly near Angoul;me with the Duke de La Rochefoucauld. The rest of Fouquet's men also scattered, fearing arrest.
The Duchess de Chevreuse congratulated Colbert on his victory.

Chapter 294

Philip sat at the barred window and looked at the sky. He did not deny himself the pleasure of talking to himself out loud. Why hide absolutely all your thoughts? If you remain silent all the time, you can forget how to speak, forget how to control your voice. And Captain d'Artagnan's words sank deep into his heart, because they gave him hope, even if the captain himself did not mean anything like that. So Philip decided to speak out loud, train his voice, and sometimes even imagine that he was talking to his courtiers. Indeed, who knows, maybe Fate will still provide him with the opportunity to return, at least for another day, to the position he occupied all day! But he managed this day so mediocrely! However, he spoke out loud only the most ordinary phrases, leaving his innermost thoughts only for himself, because it is quite possible that someone overhears his speeches and reports everything he heard to his cruel brother! Then let them hear how he yearns, what despair he indulges in, and he will utter all his hopes and aspirations only mentally!
“The Lord gave freedom to even the most insignificant bird!” - said Philip, looking at the flight of the birds. “Only this right has been taken away from me.” Even the most insignificant insects can crawl wherever they want, but I have to spend my whole life within four walls. Then talk about justice! Has anyone ever been more unhappy than me? If we measure injustice by the ratio between what I am entitled to and what I actually receive, there is hardly anyone in the whole world who has been treated as cruelly by Fate as I have been. All that remains is to sit, look out the window and call for death. If the Lord had not forbidden suicide, perhaps this would have been the best way out for me...
Philip glanced furtively at the doors.
“I wonder if they listen to me? - he thought. - No, I won’t give them such joy! Louis probably would not have been too upset by the news that I died, no matter what or how, whether from illness, accident, or suicide! It just makes it easier for him! It seems that I am not guilty of anything, and there will be no more problems with me! I will still hope for a change in fate. After all, hope for a better life is all that remains for me! I will study Spanish, I will read books on the history of France and Europe. I was allowed to do this. I have several such books. I have plenty of time. So I will prepare myself in case fate gives me such an opportunity again. In fact, if I had been more decisive and careful, I could simply have prevented Louis from returning! The whole country was in my hands for the whole day! I could protect myself from such accidents, I could take care to hide Louis more securely, where he could never return! Why didn't d'Herblay leave him in the Bastille? After all, no one could get him out of there! In any case, in less than a day. Eh, it would be necessary to place him here, in this very cell, from which I cannot leave, and, therefore, from which he could not leave either!”
Philip did not know that this is exactly what I did - I placed Louis not just in the Bastille, but in the very cell where Philip had been sitting before, and where he was now sitting. In this case, the King's appearance would not help him at all! Only a man like d'Artagnan could find a way to free Louis, return him to his place, and put Philip back where I extracted him from with such difficulty and using such expense, such power, such methods that d'Artagnan never possessed! D'Artagnan defeated all my methods and capabilities with extraordinary determination, cunning and perseverance. But Philip did not know this, so he believed that he and I made a mistake in not leaving Louis in the Bastille.
“If I only knew that this day was my first and last day of freedom, would I have lived it like that? - thought Philip. “If I didn’t do anything to strengthen my position and exclude Louis’ opportunities, if I didn’t get down to business, then I should have at least taken care of the pleasures, those that I had never seen before and now will never see in the future!” I had to find this girl! I think I found out that she is the sister of the Comte de Guiche and the daughter of the Marshal de Gramont. After all, if I had ordered to find her, she would have been found! I could meet her, talk privately, open up to her! It seems to me that she sympathized with my misadventures; even if she didn’t love me, she certainly wouldn’t push me away! I would give ten years of my life for one day with her, just for a heart-to-heart conversation. What is there! I would give the rest of my life for one hour with her. I had the opportunity to spend this whole day with her, but instead I was doing all sorts of nonsense, essentially nothing. I was only concerned that no one would recognize me as an impostor. But, as it turned out, either I am so similar to him that nothing threatened me, or even if someone suspected something was wrong, the truth would never have occurred to him. And even if she had come, would he have dared to voice his doubts? And who would believe him? Only the bishop of Van and my mother knew my secret. I haven't even met her! Shameful cowardice! I was afraid that she would realize that I was Philippe and not Louis! But now I’m tormented by the thought of what she would do in this case? Would she dare to tell me to my face that my place was in the Bastille? Or, perhaps, would she accept this change as Divine will? Now I won’t even know it, I’ll never know if she loves me, if she regrets me, if she even remembers my existence, or if she tried to forget about me, like we forget our worst dreams just a few minutes after we wake up, or we even forget before we really wake up. If I had known that she shed at least one tear for me, my despair would not have been so strong. And if I knew that Catherine Charlotte de Gramont remembers me, or - what a wonderful thought! – maybe she loves me!? I didn't really find out anything that I could easily find out. I became shy. This was my biggest mistake. Can a man who is told from birth that he is the heir to the throne, a man who has only waited until he comes of age to begin reigning, experience timidity? In front of whom? To your subjects? Everyone else should feel shy in front of him, but he - in front of no one! Even the Pope should have spoken to the King, if not as an equal, then with great respect. There were times when the King of France dictated terms to the Pope! I already learned about this from books. So before whom, besides the Lord, can the King of France be shy? Not in front of anyone! This is the secret of kingship that I have not mastered! I was preparing for this, the Bishop of Vannes was preparing me, but he forgot to tell me this secret. If the King did something strange, then no one dares to condemn him, no one dares to laugh, and no one dares even notice it! If the King spills broth on himself at the table, anyone is to blame, but not the King. If the King dresses something unusual, the next day it will become fashion and everyone will dress to look like him. If the King shaved his mustache, the next day all the nobles would appear at court without a mustache. If the King decides to grow a thick beard, it will immediately become fashionable. Why didn’t the Bishop of Vannes explain this to me, didn’t he say that the King is the lawgiver of everything, and he should not show timidity? Probably because he wouldn’t want me to gain independence too soon. Well, that's understandable. But then Monsieur d'Herblay had to stay next to me, tell me the right actions and not allow under any circumstances the release of Louis and my arrest. But he told me that d'Artagnan was his friend! Well, this friend ruined his whole idea, and along the way, my life. However, the Bishop of Vannes warned me that I should be most wary of d'Artagnan. After all, I seem to have sent him somewhere! Why didn’t he leave for Belle-Ile, but instead, in some unknown way, freed Louis and returned him to his place in the palace? I need to think this over carefully, because now no one will tell me the truth!”
At this time I was pursuing my career at the Spanish court. I became the Duke of Alameda, the future envoy of the Spanish court to the French court.

Chapter 295

The memorandum ordered d'Artagnan to escort Fouquet to the castle of Angers. But the captain decided that strict compliance with the instructions of this memorandum was less important than the King’s order that everything be done as delicately as possible, without attracting unnecessary attention and without causing a riot. The captain of the musketeers remembered very well what the sloppy arrest of the Brussels adviser led to, when the worthless boy Fricke raised a cry throughout the street that Mazarin had ordered the arrest of the defender of the people. Everything in this cry was pure truth, except that it was not Mazarin, but the Queen, who was not to be arrested, but to be detained, and Brussels in no way deserved such an epithet as “Defender of the People”; in all other respects, Fricke did not sin at all against truth.
Fouquet was a much more significant figure than some councilor in Brussels. And more influential. He had many supporters who could strongly oppose the arrest. They could attack the convoy in an attempt to escape Fouquet. D'Artagnan did not doubt for a second that he and his musketeers would successfully fight off any spontaneously emerging group of attackers, but the order not to attract attention had to be followed strictly. Therefore, the captain decided to take the arrested man to the nearest house, which belonged to the Grand Archdeacon Fourche, a syndic of the states and the uncle of Fouquet’s first wife.
“Are you arresting me right here on the street, like a thief caught red-handed?” - Fouquet was indignant.
“I simply urgently invite you to visit your relative, His Holiness Monsieur Fourche,” replied d’Artagnan. - Do you have anything against stopping by to see him?
“Fouquet never visited without an invitation, even to his relatives,” the superintendent retorted arrogantly.
“I invite you to come there on behalf of His Majesty,” d’Artagnan answered in the tone of the superintendent, accompanying his words with an elegant tilt of his head to the side. - Let's pass.
- So are you inviting me to the King or to Fourche? asked Fouquet. “If His Majesty wishes to see me, I will go to him with or without you with great pleasure!”
“His Majesty is everywhere at home in France, so by inviting you to Fourche, I am simultaneously inviting you to the King and on behalf of the King,” replied the captain.
- So you're not arresting me? asked Fouquet.
“Not at the moment,” answered d’Artagnan with a smile.
“But can I go on my way to my home?” asked Fouquet.
“Not at the moment,” d’Artagnan answered again with the same smile.
“But you still aren’t arresting me?” - asked Fouquet.
“I already gave you the answer to this question,” the captain reminded.
Fouquet sighed and walked to the house of his former distant relative.
Archdeacon Fourche was surprised by the invasion of Fouquet and d'Artagnan, whose arrival was reported to him by his servants.
“Monsieur Fourche, I ask you for hospitality on behalf of His Majesty for just two simple matters,” said the captain after the appropriate greetings. “I hope you will not refuse to render His Majesty a couple of simple services?”
“ If you have come on behalf of His Majesty, I am glad to serve you and His Majesty,” replied Fourche. - How can I help you?
“First, let us go into the house and tell the servants to close the doors behind us,” said the captain and motioned to three of his musketeers to follow him.
“Come in, gentlemen,” said Fourche.
- Now what? - Fouquet asked arrogantly as he, accompanied by d'Artagnan and the three musketeers, followed Fourche into the Archdeacon's reception hall.
“And now, Monsieur Fouquet, in accordance with the order with which you have already become familiar, I arrest you,” said d’Artagnan. “And the first thing I’m forced to do is conduct a personal search.”
- Do you dare to search me? - exclaimed Fouquet.
- Do you dare to resist the order of the King of France? - asked the captain.
D'Artagnan personally searched Fouquet's clothes, he put all the papers and things found on him in a bag and sealed them.
He instructed one of the musketeers, who also served as quartermaster, Saint-Mars, to deliver this package personally to the King, along with a message he immediately wrote that Fouquet had been arrested safely, without attracting unnecessary attention, and would soon depart under escort for Angers.
“Saint-Mars, order that same carriage be driven to the back door of M. Fourche’s house,” said the captain.
“It’s there,” Fourche said and waved his hand towards the back door. - Yes, there, to the left and straight.
“On behalf of the King, Mister Archdeacon, I thank you for the first of two services,” said the captain. — Thank you for providing your house to complete the arrest procedure of Mr. Superintendent. Agree, it would be awkward to search him on the street. Ask him to take off his coat, trousers, and shoes. I think that Mr. Fouquet will agree that it is much more convenient to do all this at home.
“Yes, thank you, Monsieur Fourche,” said Fouquet.
“Monsieur Superintendent, you seem too pale,” said d’Artagnan. “I really hope that the reason for this is not the confiscation of some papers from you.” After all, you cannot have, I suppose, such papers that His Majesty should not read? And would you take with you such papers that could harm you when going to the Royal Council? If these papers are intended for the information of the Council, they are already known to His Majesty, and if they are not intended for this, why take them with you?
Fouquet took a deep breath, from which the captain, with some regret and sympathy, realized that he had hit the mark.
“What a naive man! - thought the captain. - Carrying papers with you that you would like to hide from the King to a meeting with the King! Just crazy!
Fouquet thought approximately the same thing about himself.
“ My pallor is explained by the fact that I am a little hungry,” Fouquet answered.
- Indeed! - exclaimed d'Artagnan. “We have a long journey ahead in the carriage.” Your Holiness! Do you have anything for Mr. Fouquet's late breakfast or early lunch? This will be the second request on behalf of the King.
“Of course, gentlemen, I will order dinner to be served,” Fourche said absentmindedly.
“Dinner is too long and too difficult,” answered d’Artagnan. “And besides, I would refrain from using knives and forks at the table.”
“I prefer to make do with a cup of broth,” said Fouquet.
- And you, Mr. Captain? Gentlemen? - Archdeacon asked d'Artagnan and the musketeers.
“Oh, no need to worry, Your Holiness,” the captain replied. “My people and I are not hungry.” We managed to refresh ourselves while we waited for the end of the Council. In addition, my carriage contains some provisions for the journey.
A few minutes later, the servants brought Fouquet rich and hot chicken broth and three Austrian buns made of puff pastry rolled into a crescent-shaped bagel.
“Thank you,” said Fouquet and began to eat the broth and buns.
- What funny buns! - exclaimed d'Artagnan. - They look very appetizing!
“My majordomo quite by accident learned the recipe for these buns in Austria,” said the Archdeacon. - Would you like to try?
“Perhaps,” said the captain.
Buns were immediately brought for d'Artagnan and his musketeers.
- Very tasty! - said the captain. - So tender and crispy! And the shape is very original, in the shape of a crescent. It’s probably very convenient to dip them in coffee or wine. Thank you and your respected majordomo. It’s not a shame to treat the King himself to such buns!
- You think? - asked Fourche, completely forgetting about the unfortunate fate of Fouquet, his former relative.
“Yes, I think His Majesty will like it,” said the captain. - Just don’t say that the recipe was brought from Austria, it will be a bad recommendation to them. Just say it's your invention. Give them some name. Well, let's say a crescent moon. How do you like this name – croissant?
- Croissant! Yes, it probably does! - exclaimed Fourche.
“Just tell them to bend the edges of the horns more tightly so that it looks more like a crescent!” - advised the captain. — Thank you for your hospitality and good luck to you, Mr. Archdeacon. It seems that Mr. Superintendent has had his fill?
“Yes, thank you, Monsieur Fourche,” Fouquet replied. “If I have to go, I’m ready, Monsieur d’Artagnan.”
To all that has been said, I will only add that the King really liked the croissants. I think the reason was that he was in a good mood at the news that Fouquet had been arrested.
Fouquet was placed in a carriage with iron bars, which were located not outside, but inside the carriage on all the windows, so that from the outside the carriage looked quite normal, since most noble persons traveling in carriages, as a rule, rode with the curtains drawn. To the left of Fouquet sat de Maupertuis , to the right - de Clavo , and opposite - d'Artagnan and the governor of Brian;on, Mr. de Bertrand. Other musketeers rode on horseback, accompanying the carriage to Angers.
In Mauvais, the carriage was joined by a hundred musketeers, who served as an escort. The light carriage was harnessed to two pairs of excellent horses, so that together they rode at a fast pace for another six leagues.

Chapter 296

Arriving at Udon, d'Artagnan accommodated Fouquet as comfortably as possible without leaving him unattended for a minute.
“Mr. Fouquet, I will ask you to write one letter and I will give you a pen and paper for this, but only for this,” he said. “Contact the commandant of Belle-Ile, Monsieur Laail de Noailles, and order him to surrender the fortress to His Majesty’s troops without any resistance.”
- But, as I know, the King’s troops have already visited the island and did not encounter any resistance from the local garrison? - Fouquet feigned surprise.
“You know very well, Monsieur Superintendent, that Commandant Laai de Noailles was ready to give orders that went beyond the scope of his authority,” objected d’Artagnan. “The commandant, without any justification, completely submitted to the Bishop of Vannes and was ready to provide armed resistance. I do not understand how His Holiness managed to convince the commandant to do this, but I believe that he had arguments against which the commandant was powerless. Perhaps they are connected with the commandant’s personal devotion to you, Monsieur Fouquet, and his awareness that the Bishop of Vannes is your friend, or even a purely confidant. The officers testified that the commandant was determined to give the order not to obey, not to surrender the island and, if necessary, to stand to the last soldier. And only after the Bishop of Vannes, I believe, out of mercy for the soldiers and officers of the garrison, withdrew his order of disobedience, was it possible to avoid an armed clash. I know that His Holiness asked the Commandant to limit himself to detaining the royal troops, allowing them to disembark from the ships, but to detain them by all possible peaceful means, such as delays and the appearance of misunderstanding or misunderstanding, and at least only for a time sufficient for himself and the Baron du Valon could have disappeared in this confusion. It seems that this was not entirely successful; Baron du Valon died in the rubble of the Lokmaria cave.
Fouquet sighed.
“But this is not the fault of the commandant, who completely obeyed the bishop of Vannes and showed rather only the appearance of loyalty towards the royal troops,” continued d’Artagnan. “After His Majesty’s troops were satisfied that there were no rebels on the island of Belle-Ile, they withdrew, and at present the island is governed by people who remain loyal to you, Monsieur Fouquet.” Correct me if I am wrong.
“D’Herblay called you his friend, Monsieur d’Artagnan,” said Fouquet. - Was he wrong? It seems that you and he are on opposite sides of the barricades?
“I am in the service of His Majesty, Monsieur Fouquet, and you also assured yesterday that you also serve the King,” d’Artagnan answered dryly. “If you and I are currently on opposite sides of anything, then it’s not my fault.” I did not erect barricades on the territory of France, subject to the King. If you erected them, you will have to answer for it, but not before me, but before justice. As for my affairs with Monsieur d'Herblay, I do not consider it possible to discuss this matter with anyone except those who have the right to ask me about it, and with you, Monsieur arrested, I can only conduct those conversations that are associated with my duties in my service to the King. Within the framework of these duties, I want to ease your lot as much as possible, and to an even greater extent, to a thousandfold greater extent, I want to ease the lot of those who, under the circumstances that have arisen, may find themselves drawn into a matter that will cost them their lives. I am also not indifferent to the fate of those loyal servants of the King who will fight with them in this case, and many of them will also probably pay for this with their lives. Julius Caesar said that there is nothing worse than a civil war, but he himself started them. Are you really going to be just as hypocritical? I fervently hope that you do not want unnecessary bloodshed, senseless, cruel and prolonged. Think about the fact that soldiers on both sides perhaps have families - children, wives. If you were now with them at Belle-Isle, armed resistance might have a chance of influencing your destiny in the direction you desire, but since you are under arrest and under my most reliable guard, this bloodshed has no meaning to you, how it would not have made sense both for the Bishop of Vannes and for the sadly deceased Baron du Valon.
“You’re talking too calmly about the death of the baron for the second time,” Fouquet said with some anger. “You would probably speak with the same indifference about the death of the Bishop of Vannes.”
“I have my reasons, and you are right; if the circumstances in relation to Monsieur d’Herblay had been exactly the same, I would have spoken about it with all the necessary restraint,” replied the captain.
“Damn it, it seems this Fouquet worries about Porthos and Aramis more than about his own fate! - thought d'Artagnan. “I wish I could shake his hand and even hug him now, but that would only hurt him and me.” I can’t tell him that Porthos is alive and Aramis is out of the King’s reach!”
— Will you dictate, or allow me to compose the text of the letter myself? asked Fouquet.
“He wants to communicate something else with the help of conventional phrases,” d’Artagnan guessed. “He will probably ask that his papers be destroyed.” To hell with him, let him write. It’s not my problem if some papers are destroyed by the commandant of Belle-Isle. I personally was not given any instructions on this topic. It’s not my place to help Colbert pursue this man.”
“You can write what I suggested to you in your own words, but before sending your message, I will read it and warn you about it,” answered the captain.
Fouquet took a piece of paper and wrote the following.

“To the Commandant of Belle-Ile, M. de Laaille de Noyer, from the Governor of Belle-Ile, Nicolas Fouquet.

You must surrender the fortress of Belle-Ile to the troops of His Majesty King Louis XIV of France in accordance with his right of ownership and management of this Belle-Ile by virtue of a deed of gift voluntarily drawn up by me. No instructions from my officers or proxies, whoever they may be, should cause you to resist the rightful owner of Belle-Ile, King Louis XIV of France . You are obliged to obey in this regard the order of any official representing His Majesty's person, as evidenced by a written order from His Majesty bearing the state seal.

Nicola Fouquet,
Former governor of Belle-Ile, former superintendent of royal finances.
Written on the sixth day of September in Udon.”

D'Artagnan scanned the paper drawn up by the superintendent and returned it to Fouquet.
“Monsignor, you are rushing things, or perhaps even anticipating events that will not even occur,” he said. - As far as I know, you have not yet been charged, your trial has not taken place, you have not been dismissed, your position as governor of Belle-Isle is still with you.
- You are laughing at me? - Fouquet asked with a sad smile.
- I don’t even think about it! - objected the captain. - But think for yourself! If you call yourself the former governor of the island, then on what basis do you give orders to the commandant? In addition, at the beginning of the letter you indicated yourself as the current governor, and at the end - as a former governor. It turns out that you were deprived of this position while you were writing this letter? Who could do this? There is no one here except me, and I do not have the authority to make such job changes. Please rewrite it, signing with those titles and titles that remain with you, at least until now.
"Damn it! - thought d'Artagnan. “If I am ready to close my eyes to some stylistic features, then such an obvious message about my arrest, sent to Belle-Ile, and even with the help of my courier, not only Colbert, but also the King himself will not forgive me!”
“You are too picky about the style of my writing, Mr. Captain,” Fouquet replied with a tired smile. “You might think that it was you, not me, who studied law.”
“It’s quite difficult to pull it off,” Fouquet thought regretfully. “We’ll have to act more subtly.”
“I learned some of the basics of jurisprudence in attacks and in trenches,” answered d’Artagnan. - Let me, using this letter as a draft, correct something in the text, and you will rewrite it completely.
“Do as you see fit,” Fouquet replied in an indifferent tone.

D'Artagnan made his own edits, as a result of which the text began to look like this:

“To the Commandant of Belle-Ile, M. de Laaille de Noyer, from the Governor of Belle-Ile, Nicolas Fouquet.

XIV of France the fortress island of Belle-Ile-en-Mer. For this reason you must place Belle-Ile-en-Mer entirely under the hand of His Majesty. The garrison subordinate to you should greet His Majesty's troops by raising the national flag of France and a personal standard with the coat of arms of the Bourbon dynasty over the fortress. I forbid saluting; not a single shot, even with blank charges, should be fired from the island fortress. Those who disobey will be roughly punished. The island and fortress of Belle-Ile-en-Mer passes into the hand of His Majesty and is to be handed over to any person officially representing His Majesty King Louis XIV of France or to him personally, arriving with or without an escort. No instructions from my officers or confidants, whoever they may be, should induce you to resist the rightful master of Belle-Isle. You are obliged to obey in this regard the order of any official representing His Majesty, as evidenced by a written order from His Majesty or any other legitimate document in the name of the King of France.

Nicolas Fouquet, Governor of the fortified island of Belle-Ile-en-Mer,
Superintendent of the Royal Finances."

D' Artagnan also intended to cross out the phrase: “Written on the sixth day of September in Udon ,” but after thinking for a couple of seconds, he decided to leave it. At the same time, cunning folds appeared in the corners of his eyes from a smile, which he, however, did not allow to reach his lips, which maintained their usual straight position.
With a sigh, Fouquet rewrote the captain's text verbatim, along with the phrase about when and where this letter was written.
D'Artagnan thanked Fouquet with a bow of his head and, making a gesture to Saint-Mars, meaning that he left Fouquet under his supervision, left the room.
Once in another room, the captain folded back the end of the letter indicating the date and place where the letter was written, then, taking a sharp dagger from his boot, he cut off this part of the letter, which he then put in his pocket.
“He believes that, having learned about Fouquet’s whereabouts, the commandant will guess that the superintendent has been arrested,” D’Artagnan mentally said to himself. “But I’m not as stupid as I seem in profile!” We will not leave this subtle hint in the letter to Monsieur Laail de Noailles!”
D'Artagnan then took a piece of blank paper and wrote the following:

“Your Majesty! I am sending you a document in respect of which I hope that it will avoid accidental misunderstandings between Your Majesty's troops and the garrison on the island of Belle-Ile-en-Mer. The paper will be more useful if no one on the island knows about the situation in which Mr. Fouquet currently finds himself.
Captain of your musketeers d'Artagnan."

- Lieutenant Maupertuis! - said the captain. “You must deliver this package to the King as quickly as possible.”
D'Artagnan feared that the King would send troops to Belle-Ile without receiving such a document, which would lead to a military conflict. Fortunately, the King temporarily lost sight of the need to resolve the issue with Belle-Isle, and Colbert did not have time to remind him of this, so d'Artagnan's letter came at just the right time. Louis pretended that he did not send troops to the island not out of forgetfulness, but precisely because he was waiting for such a paper. One way or another, fifteen days later, as a result of d'Artagnan's initiative, one of the officers of the guard, the Comte de Tande, received the keys to the fortress of Belle-Ile-en-Mer and, with his one hundred and fifty guardsmen, disarmed the garrison. In this way, the danger of rebellion will be eliminated, which saved dozens of lives.

Chapter 297

D'Artagnan's carriage with bars on the windows, accompanied by an escort of musketeers, brought Fouquet to Angers, where the captain was supposed to place the arrested in the castle of the famous former King of Naples and Sicily, Rene I the Good, born Duke of Anjou, who built this castle.
The residents of Angers had already heard rumors about Fouquet's arrest, and they unmistakably recognized the man arrested in the carriage with the convoy as the former superintendent of finance. But d'Artagnan had no fear that the Angers onlookers would try to recapture Fouquet. On the contrary, they seemed to be happy about the arrest of the all-powerful minister.
This happens quite often. The mob, not even dreaming of the wealth that it sees in those in power, is ready to grovel before them in order to grab from their bounty at least a little of their wealth, even the tiniest and insignificant one. But as soon as the giant is defeated, the mob rejoices that he now occupies a place below them. Their envy, which has been accumulating for decades, finally receives satisfaction in revenge, even if it is not carried out by them, and even if they themselves do not gain anything from it. Seeing a defeated nobleman was always a joy for the mob. But this time, relatively wealthy townspeople behaved in the same way, and even, no matter how much it pains me to write about it, many nobles.
- Got a bloodsucker! That's where you belong, publican, tax farmer, strangler! - At first they spoke in a whisper, then in an undertone and, finally, at the top of their voices. “These and similar phrases reflect the centuries-old hatred of the people towards those who collect taxes from them in favor of the state treasury.
- Look how rich he got with our hard-earned money! - said others. - Look, your fingers are covered in rings, your caftan is covered in diamonds! Gold buckles, diamond buttons!
D'Artagnan only shrugged his shoulders, since the townspeople did not have the opportunity to see Fouquet, but they gave free rein to their imagination, describing what they did not see, but about which they had their own indisputable opinion.
- Don't be afraid that he will run away! - they shouted to d'Artagnan. - Just let him try to escape! We will immediately strangle him with our own hands.
“What makes these idiots think that I’m afraid? - thought d'Artagnan with contempt. “Perhaps what I need to fear is not that Fouquet will run away, but that this herd will attack him and cause him some damage.”
“Saint-Mars, don’t let them get closer than ten steps to the carriage,” he ordered.
Arriving at the castle of King Ren;, which the governor of Angers had just ordered to be cleared of all residents, including servants, d'Artagnan placed Fouquet in the best rooms and placed guards so that the arrested person would not have the opportunity to communicate with anyone or pass notes. His personal servant Lavallee and personal physician Pekke, who arrived with Fouquet, were given the choice of either not meeting with Fouquet or sharing imprisonment with him until further order from His Majesty. Both of them preferred non-freedom and did not want to leave their master.
D'Artagnan had to work hard to turn the dilapidated castle, which had already lost the properties of a residential building, into a place in which it was possible to simultaneously accommodate a prisoner with proper comfort, and arrange the entire necessary convoy, also providing the musketeers with at least minimal amenities. The louis d'or received by the captain greatly helped solve this problem, since the King's order allowed him to quote for free, but he had to pay for provisions. True, there was a small garrison in the castle, but, fearing treason, d'Artagnan chose to completely evict the soldiers and officers of the garrison, instructing them to guard the castle from the outside, and he allowed only his musketeers to settle inside the castle.
It must be said that this measure prevented the conspiracy that was being prepared by the Fouquet brothers, who managed to bribe the small garrison of Angers through their lively messenger, who was the Count of Rochefort, who had aged considerably, but had not lost his taste for political conspiracies and intrigues.
It must be said that d'Artagnan was an excellent military man, but not a very good economist, and absolutely did not have the makings of a quartermaster, each of whom knows how to enrich himself from any supplies and purchases in the interests of the army. He never bargained, he only entered expenses into sheets that resembled an expense book, where he carefully wrote down the amounts spent, as well as to whom and for what they were paid. The captain of the royal musketeers quickly spent the sums given to him, since he never bargained, and did not consider himself entitled to deny Fouquet those amenities that the arrested man considered necessary and demanded one after another. He saved where he could, and instead of buying cutlery for the superintendent, he limited himself to renting the necessary property. The castle didn't even have a bed, which we also had to rent. D'Artagnan even had to resort to the capabilities of his own wallet, the capabilities of which were extremely limited. So our friend, who hated making requests to anyone, was forced to write a letter to Colbert, to which he attached a list of expenses made and asked for more funds to carry out the mission entrusted to him. In addition, the captain asked to send craftsmen to make the necessary repairs to the castle, as well as funds to pay for these repairs and purchase the necessary materials, since in some places stones were falling out of the walls, most of the windows were broken, and the roof was leaking in some places. The only good thing is that the first ten days of September in Angers were not rainy, but spending the winter in such a castle without repairs would have been completely unthinkable. The garrison that had previously stayed in the castle occupied only those rooms in which the glass was still intact and water was not pouring from the ceiling, but there were fewer and fewer such rooms every year. D'Artagnan also asked to send thirty more musketeers to strengthen the security, realizing that the economical Colbert would send only twenty-five.
D'Artagnan understood perfectly well that one should not place much trust in the mood of the crowd. It could well be that the loudest shouters were supporters of Fouquet, who pretended to be his enemies only in order to be able to find out how he was guarded and choose an opportune moment to attack the guards and free Fouquet.
D'Artagnan asked for an additional three dozen musketeers not in order to increase the number of guards, but so that the musketeers could change more often in order to get at least the slightest rest. This was absolutely necessary, taking into account the lack of the slightest convenience in their accommodation.
“I assure you, Monsieur Colbert, that my comrades are terribly tired,” he wrote. “I ask for reinforcements not at all because I do not have enough musketeers to guard the fortress and safely contain the arrested, but for the reason that there are not enough of them to keep a rotating watch, especially considering all the inconveniences that they are forced to experience.
Fouquet made every effort to appear unfair and cruelly oppressed in order to arouse the sympathy of the musketeers. He was counting on their rebellion. But he knew the King’s musketeers too poorly and did not know d’Artagnan at all. In his company there was not a single soldier or officer who could be persuaded to fail to fulfill his duty; all of them were devoted to d'Artagnan, perhaps even more than to the King. D'Artagnan himself always showed constant and active concern for his people. His efforts to ensure the greatest comfort for the prisoner and his people were visible to everyone, so Fouquet's complaints did not find sympathy. On the contrary, the musketeers despised the sissy Fouquet, who complained that his bed was not as snow-white as he was used to, and the food was not refined enough, while the musketeers themselves were happy if they managed to sleep four to five hours, considered a couple of armfuls of straw covered with a cloak, the most an exquisite bed, and were satisfied with any, even the coarsest food.
Fouquet tried as best he could to shame d'Artagnan, expressed completely unfounded contempt for him and his musketeers, behaved arrogantly and defiantly, because he still believed that the King would soon free him. He hoped, at a personal meeting with His Majesty, to be cleared of all accusations; he believed that he would not only regain his position, but also hoped for new benefits and positions handed to him by the King in atonement for the adversities that, as Fouquet believed, had befallen him head is completely unfair. But at times he was attacked by apathy, and then he showed humility and complete contempt for physical comforts. He seemed to understand that he should not quarrel with his chief jailer, who was d'Artagnan, so he complained about the hardships of his detention most often publicly, in front of the musketeers present, and when left alone with the captain, he preferred to remain calm and demonstrate restraint and self-control and self-confidence, as well as even some respect for d'Artagnan, a man to whom he was forced to obey in almost everything.
The captain's order to install grates on the chimney of the fireplace in Fouquet's room drove him crazy.
“Monsieur d'Artagnan,” he exclaimed. — You apparently think that a chimney is the best path for you to the rank of Marshal of France!?
“Mr. Fouquet, I hardly need your advice regarding my career,” replied the captain.
- Is it because you consider me completely defeated? - asked Fouquet and fixed his gaze on d'Artagnan's eyes.
“ That’s not why,” the captain answered with a calm smile, in which there was not a shadow of superiority. — You made your career along the judicial, financial, and, as far as I know, along the matrimonial line. All these three areas are the most unacceptable for me; I have absolutely no luck either in matters of finance, or in judicial matters, or in marriage. The way my ex-wife robbed me during the divorce proves this thesis once and for all. My element is soldiering, my family is my comrades in arms. I don’t surround myself with cooks, writers, tailors and artists, I prefer the company of friends, and when friends are not around, I take their place with a sword, a horse and a pair of good pistols.
“Are you saying that we have nothing in common and have absolutely nothing to talk about?” - Fouquet asked arrogantly.
- Well, why not! - D'Artagnan objected. - I find you the greatest horse expert! I did not expect to see such horses in France in such numbers that adorn your stables. These are absolutely magnificent horses! They are almost as good as the four horses that I once had the pleasure of owning, although not for long.
“Envy speaks in you,” Fouquet perked up. “You could never even have had the kind of horses that I have, and there is no need to say that you once had horses better than mine.” I still won't believe you.
“Perhaps, monsignor, you would believe it if you asked where I got these four horses from,” said d’Artagnan, twirling his mustache, while a mischievous sparkle lit up in his eyes.
“It would be interesting to know where you got these four horses,” said Fouquet, hoping to ridicule the braggart by telling him the price and place of purchase of some of his horses.
“It was a gift,” answered the captain.
- Fi! Present! - Fouquet replied contemptuously and curled his lower lip. “Nobody would ever give you horses that were better than mine!”
“You would be absolutely right, monsignor, but in this case the donor was George Villiers, first Duke of Buckingham,” said d’Artagnan in as calm a tone as possible.
Fouquet bit his tongue and jumped up in his chair.
- Duke of Buckingham?! - he exclaimed. — Gave you four horses?
“Together with saddles that fully suited the duke’s taste,” answered the captain. “And in each saddle bag there was a most magnificent pistol, eight in total.
- What did you do to deserve such gratitude? asked Fouquet.
“It’s not my secret, monseigneur,” answered d’Artagnan. “I can only say that some noble Englishmen know how to appreciate the service rendered to them by noble people.” In particular, General Monck gave me only a small estate of five thousand acres of land on the banks of a most picturesque, clear mountain river with a beautiful house, which I find magnificent, but which, of course, cannot be compared with any of your houses, Mr. Fouquet.
— Did General Monk give you an estate? - asked Fouquet with even greater surprise.
“It’s nothing, they call it a villa,” answered d’Artagnan. “But I think we wanted to talk about horses?”
“I’m not too much of an expert on this matter,” Fouquet replied. - Monsieur d'Herblay chose every single one of the horses I purchased.
“In that case, I would prefer to talk about them with him rather than with you,” answered d’Artagnan with a sad smile. “I’m afraid a conversation with you on this topic will not give me the same pleasure that I would get from a conversation with him.”

Chapter 298

A few days later, the King also decided to arrest Fouquet’s secretary, Paul Pelisson, a writer, academician of the French Academy of Sciences, who occupied chair number thirty-four in it. It must be said that Pelisson’s pen was sharp, his tongue peppery, his words precise and vivid. His pamphlets struck not in the eyebrow, but in the eye. But out of caution, he published most of his creations under fictitious names or did not publish them at all. This saved him. After serving under arrest for about four years, he waited for an acquittal, after which he was released and completely lost the sharpness of his pen. He began to write historical panegyrics, the main one of which was dedicated to Queen Anne of Austria, where he sang her in every possible way. Of course, this allowed him to finally reconcile with His Majesty Louis XIV , and after he also renounced the Protestant faith, his life flowed smoothly and serenely. But at that time he remained under great suspicion, so the King personally ordered not only to arrest him, but also to carefully escort him in order to prevent his escape or release with the help of rebels who might decide to forcibly release him.
So the King ordered d'Artagnan to send a detachment of musketeers to Nantes to arrest and escort Pelisson to Angers. In his letter, His Majesty added that he was completely satisfied with the actions of d'Artagnan in arresting and guarding Fouquet and intended to relieve him of further fulfillment of this task in the near future. According to this letter, d'Artagnan's mission will have to end with the fulfillment of the last order in this matter, which consists of transporting Fouquet and Pelisson to Amboise, where Fouquet is to be transferred to the protection of the standard bearer of the Life Guards, M. de Taluyeu, and Pelisson is then to be taken to Paris and placed him to the Bastille.
In pursuance of the King's order, d'Artagnan sent his quartermaster, Monsieur de Saint-Mar, led by a detachment of twenty musketeers to escort Pelisson to Angers. It seems that de Saint-Mars got a taste for the work of the head of the jailers, and proved himself excellent in this position, since it was he who was eventually given the position of commandant of the Pignerol fortress, where the most important and dangerous people for France were kept. But I won’t get ahead of myself; in the period I’m describing, Saint-Mars was just d’Artagnan’s envoy, his quartermaster and assistant.
Only on December 1, d'Artagnan was able to leave Angers with his prisoners and his entire detachment. To prevent Fouquet from communicating with Pelisson during the move, d'Artagnan ordered the superintendent to be placed in a carriage with barred windows, and invited his secretary to ride on horseback. The cortege galloped at high speed so as not to attract the attention of the inhabitants of the area through which they were moving, but the population of neighboring villages came running to see the unprecedented detachment accompanying the mysterious carriage.
D'Artagnan and his officers demanded that the onlookers step aside and make way. Sometimes it was necessary to accompany demanding cries with threatening gestures, and even once d'Artagnan barely managed to push an onlooker aside so that he would not fall under the wheels of the carriage. I am not inclined to attribute this act to the captain’s humanism, and rather explain it by his concern for the absence of delays and obstacles for the carriage with the prisoner, although, by the way, who knows?
Fouquet's arrest was no longer a secret to anyone, so onlookers understood who was being transported in the carriage. Many former “friends”, clients or simply sympathizers of Fouquet now turned into his fierce enemies, or pretended to be so with all their might. The most vile insults came from their lips towards the former master of France.
By evening, the escort arrived in the suburbs of Saumur from the direction of the bridge over the Loire. The next day, December 2, they spent the night in La Chapelle Blanche.
The next day in Tours, the situation worsened so much that about a hundred townspeople tried to surround the carriage, while everyone shouted something at Fouquet.
“How these idiots love to pretend to be the watchdogs of justice!” - muttered d'Artagnan, who, for a change, decided to ride on horseback, turning to his companion de Maupertuis. “Fouquet’s case has not yet begun to be examined, and they are already eager to become his executioners!”
“It seems that you won’t be able to disperse them with a simple shout,” replied de Maupertuis.
“We must be afraid that they will break the carriage,” said d’Artagnan. “Whether they free Fouquet, or deal with him, or simply injure him, any outcome is unacceptable.” I have already had occasion to be convinced that the conspirators intending to free the arrested man were posing as an enraged crowd about to deal with him. True, there were half as many of them as here.
- Who stopped them? - asked de Mupertuis.
“Just two brave people: one experienced musketeer and the young son of his friend,” answered d’Artagnan. “I’ll now show you how it ’s done.” And you repeat my actions together with de Clavo, but on the other side of the carriage.
De Mupertuis nodded and rode directed his horse to the other side of the carriage, without taking his eyes off his captain.
- Way to go! - exclaimed d'Artagnan. - Way to go, I told who! Come on, get away! To the side! Get out of the way, quick!
He reared his horse and caused it to ram sideways into several onlookers who had gotten too close to the carriage.
De Mupertuis was only amazed at how fearlessly his captain rode straight into a crowd of a good hundred townspeople, without even taking out his sword. D'Artagnan's main weapons at this moment were a loud voice, a brutal face and a small whip. The captain did not want to draw his sword against the defenseless townspeople, whose fault was only excessive zeal in supporting their young King against the recently all-powerful Fouquet. The crowd wavered and began to retreat.
- Way to go! Get away from the carriage! - shouted de Mupertuis, running into the townspeople who surrounded the carriage on the right side.
The townspeople retreated, and the carriage moved on without problems.
The cortege spent the night at the Gramont castle, since the papers d'Artagnan had allowed him to demand shelter wherever he wished to stay. At first, d'Artagnan even thought about staying at the castle of the Duchess de Chevreuse, but decided that this should not be done.
“Where the Duchess de Chevreuse is, there are surprises everywhere,” thought d’Artagnan. “And I don’t need any surprises.” The Duchess seems to support Colbert, but this lady is so unpredictable that it is better not to take risks. Moreover, she herself is now in Paris, as far as I know. However, if she secretly arrived in Tours, I wouldn’t be at all surprised!”
D'Artagnan had complete confidence in Gramons. The Comte de Guiche, it seems, had already shown his intention to serve His Majesty faithfully and truly, and his father, Marshal de Gramont, unlike many grandees of the old breed, proved his unwavering loyalty to the King and Queen even during the time of the Fronde, so these people were very reliable.
However, d'Artagnan ordered the musketeers to redouble their vigilance as the townspeople surrounded the castle and shouted curses at Fouquet, which could equally have been a manifestation of true feelings, or a disguise of an intention to free him.
D'Artagnan made sure that his people, like the arrested Fouquet and Pelisson, were well fed, and ordered the musketeers to rest one by one, warning them that the escort would leave Tours at night.
“Whatever these townspeople are up to, I don’t like it,” he told his officers de Mupertuis and de Claveau. - Let's leave them alone. We'll leave before they can do anything.
D' Artagnan explained to Fouquet and Pelisson the reason for their night departure, and both prisoners considered these reasons convincing, so they took their places without objection, Fouquet in the carriage, Pelisson on horseback, Fouquet's footman next to the coachman, and the superintendent's personal physician also on horseback, like his secretary.
The cortege rushed at a frantic pace through the sleeping Tours and headed towards Amboise, which the carriage and riders reached with the first rays of dawn.
In Amboise, d'Artagnan, according to the instructions, handed Fouquet into the hands of Monsieur de Talueux.
Michel Letellier at that time wrote to Monsieur de Taluy, the new jailer of the superintendent, to continue to act exactly as his predecessor had acted: “The precision of the actions of Monsieur d'Artagnan, shown during the guard, was so great that Monsieur Fouquet had no opportunity find out what is being prepared here regarding him. His Majesty hopes that your actions will be equally impeccable . "
Fouquet, who was incredibly glad to part with d'Artagnan, soon greatly regretted his departure. Unlike the captain of the musketeers, who saved Fouquet in Tours from the attack of a vengeful crowd, de Taluyeu did not have the same zeal in protecting the peace of his prisoner, and also did not possess a little of the delicacy of d'Artagnan. He placed the still seriously ill Fouquet in a dungeon with tightly locked windows, finding that it was not fitting to stand on ceremony with the enemy of His Majesty.
D'Artagnan went to Paris, where on December 12 he entrusted his last prisoner Pelisson to the care of his old friend the Marquis de Bemo, commandant of the Bastille. He was happy to relinquish his duties as makeshift jailer. To arrest the all-powerful minister was a deed worthy of d'Artagnan. A business that was risky, dangerous, and required courage, intelligence and resourcefulness. Transporting a prisoner from city to city was boring and humiliating. And although these duties elevated him above all the officers of the guard, the high position previously occupied by the Minister-Superintendent, and one of the most important services to His Majesty, distinguished d'Artagnan from among other officers and made him an extraordinary person, giving him significance in the eyes of many courtiers, the captain himself saw in this mission only what it really was - a mission to rid one person of another person by taking him into custody. The jailer remains a jailer even if he escorts the Lord himself, which, as the Gospel claims, has already happened on our sinful Earth.

Chapter 299

Having resigned his functions as a jailer, d'Artagnan congratulated himself on this wonderful event and wished himself never to return to such activities.
In the few days that Fouquet was under the tutelage of Mr. Taluyo, he had already regretted the change in his already not very joyful life, since the regime established by Taluyo was unbearable for him.
Lying on the couch, he looked at the unsightly ceiling, not because there was anything interesting on it, but simply because everywhere he looked, everything was too unsightly. He was thinking about the vicissitudes of life when the key turned with a clang in the cell lock, the doors opened, and a guard entered the room with a tray containing lunch.
“I refuse food,” said Fouquet, without looking at the guardsman.
D'Artagnan fed him much better, and this was the first reason to refuse food, but, on reflection, Fouquet decided that it would not be a bad idea to go on a hunger strike. All he hoped to achieve was a conversation with superiors higher than Taluyo, and then he expected to achieve a meeting with the King, or at least permission to write him a letter.
“His Majesty was simply misled,” he convinced himself. “Our last meeting convinces me that the King loves and appreciates me.” Perhaps he doesn’t even know that I’m under arrest, and ordered his soldiers to look for me, and the arrest is the machinations of Colbert, who took advantage of the power given to him? But no, even if I’m wrong, it was hardly possible to do such a thing without the knowledge of His Majesty! Captain d'Artagnan obeys only the King personally. But I, too, saw the order with the King’s signature on it! Hardly anyone would dare to fake it. Don't cut his head off for this! Therefore, the King was simply deceived, misled about my invented wines and my non-existent intentions and ambitions! All I have to do is talk to the King, and everything will work out! But how can I get a meeting with him? Of course, the King will not allow me to die in prison without trial and long before trial. If I refuse food, I will succeed, I will achieve a meeting with the King and leave the prison in triumph!”
This is how Fouquet deceived himself, somewhere in the depths of his soul realizing that things were not at all as he imagined, and that he was far from innocent before the King, and that his plans were not at all innocent, and that the King had even more reasons for his arrest than will likely be stated in the indictment. And yet, the soul of every person is structured in such a way that his own faults are seen as insignificant to him, while the faults of others in relation to himself are considered in a terribly exaggerated form.
“I beg you, monsignor, to save your strength and dine,” said the guardsman in such a heartfelt tone that Fouquet involuntarily looked into his face.
The guardsman's face, it seemed to him, had a sly look; with all his expression the guardsman was pointing at something lying on the tray.
Fouquet stood up on the couch and accepted the tray.
There was a letter on it! The guard stood in such a way that if anyone were watching him from the door, he would not have seen either the tray, or the letter, or Fouquet.
Instantly assessing the situation, Fouquet grabbed the letter and hid it in the inner pocket of his coat.
Thanking the guardsman with a glance, Fouquet tried to remember his face forever.
“Under M. d’Artagnan, I was fed much better,” he said, pointing at the door, hinting that he in no way wanted to offend the guardsman.
“I cannot judge this, I do not serve M. d’Artagnan,” the guard answered dryly, while slowly closing both eyes for a moment, as if making it clear that he had figured out Fouquet’s trick. “I only deliver to you what I was ordered, and completely different people manage it.”
Fouquet understood the double meaning of the last phrase. So, the guardsman was only a messenger; someone more influential was sending him news from outside.
“I’ll try to get used to these changes,” he said in an indifferent tone. - I simply have no choice.
“I’ll come by for the tray later,” said the guardsman.
At that moment his palm opened, and Fouquet saw in it a piece of graphite rod, one-fifth of an inch in diameter, set in a lead tube. The guard placed the rod on the tray and handed the tray to Fouquet.
Fouquet thanked the guardsman again with a glance, after which he left.
Having started the meal, which, although it was served much worse than before, was still not as bad in taste as it seemed unsightly to look at, Fouquet felt almost no taste, no hunger, no satiety. His thoughts were only about the letter.
Finally, he realized that he would not dare to read the letter until he was convinced that he was not being spied on. The keyhole confused him.
Then he took out a handkerchief and deliberately coughed into it several times. Then, pretending that the handkerchief needed drying, he turned his head in search of where he could hang it, then decisively walked up to the door and hung the handkerchief on the doorknob so that the keyhole was closed.
“Let them think what they want, in any case, I got some time to read the letter! - he decided. “After all, if they open the door immediately, they will thereby admit that they are spying on me!”
But Fouquet worried in vain. No one was spying on him, since Mr. Taluyo was absolutely indifferent to what the arrested man was doing, since he had not received any special orders in this regard, and he was not accustomed to think with his own head.
So Fouquet unfolded the letter and read the following.

“Monsignor! Do not despair! They remember you, you will be saved. I have at least two reliable ways to save you. But any of them takes time. If your plan succeeds, you will not only regain your freedom, but also regain your position, and even rise above your former self. Incredible as it may seem, I have a remedy left, after using which all your friends will be exalted, and your enemies will be humiliated and eliminated, or will fall into insignificance. Another means is a banal escape with further residence in one of the neighboring states in wealth and luxury befitting your rank and dignity, which for me seems a less simple and less desirable option, but to you it will probably seem more realistic, so that’s why I I'm talking about this second option. In any case, I will take care of your freedom and safety. To begin with: do not be afraid of anything and do not admit any accusations. Even if there is a trial, the judges will be on your side. All we need is just time to bring to life my first plan, which seems to me the most realistic, but which I cannot share with you. I beg you not to go on a hunger strike, take care of your health and strength, and not lose heart. This is all that is required of you at this time, I will take care of the rest. I don’t subscribe, because you already understand who wrote you this letter, and if you don’t guess, then this is the author of many satirical couplets, who wished to remain anonymous. If you agree, write the letter S on the back of the letter . If you have any objections, draw N. Return the letter to the person who delivered it to you."

“This is d'Herblay! - Fouquet immediately understood. - This letter means that he is free and active! That means I’m saved!”

Fouquet immediately drew the letter S on the back of the letter, after which he folded the letter and hid it behind the cuff of his sleeve. Then he thought it would be worthwhile to remove the handkerchief, which did not need drying at all, from the doorknob.
“Maybe I’ll have to use this method again, so I won’t irritate my jailers just yet,” he thought. - But among them there are also my friends! At least one of them! I wish I knew his name and why he's helping me. However, it’s probably better for me not to know his name while I’m here in prison. And he helps me simply because he is one of d’Herblay’s mysterious friends, of whom, as I see, he has a lot.”

My envoy was Lieutenant du Chante, whom I had recruited on the ship of Captain Geraldine d'Argenson during the flight from Belle-Isle. I instructed him to prepare and implement Fouquet’s escape from the castle of Amboise with the help of Lieutenant d’Aunay, who had also been recruited by me. I knew the structure of this castle very well, since I had detailed diagrams obtained through the Jesuit Order. I also knew something that the current owners of the castle and their servants, including the butler Ren; de La Truchot, did not know. They had no idea about the secret passage made in case of a siege. This passage led from one of the rooms of the castle, which could be used to keep Fouquet under arrest, and went out to the banks of the Loire. The Aboise Castle, as everyone knows, has been abandoned since the beginning of the century; during the Fronde, it was turned into a prison for conspirators. It belonged to Gaston d'Orl;ans, and after his death it returned to the ownership of the King of France. Louis XIV decided to continue using it as an impregnable prison, placing first Fouquet and then Lauzen in it. The castle, as everyone knows, has two floors and a large attic, which is actually the third floor and can be used that way. There are round towers on the sides of the castle. A secret passage led from a room located in the basement. It was necessary to ensure that Fouquet was transferred to this particular room. I did not want to launch an attack on the castle, since recently I had been trying to avoid unnecessary bloodshed as much as possible. The reason for this must have been my remorse for blaming myself for the death of Porthos. In addition, I believed that M. Fouquet was still being guarded by d'Artagnan, and I could not allow his death, especially through my fault. So, I only planned a peaceful escape. Fouquet should have simply disappeared from the castle, as if he had disappeared into thin air. This had to be done quickly, because I had no idea how to approach the revival and implementation of my previous plan of replacing Louis with Philip. This daring enterprise was now greatly complicated by the fact that Louis was already privy to the secret and could take the most effective measures to prevent this plan. Moreover, I did not know where Philip was placed, although I assumed, not without reason, that he had been returned to his former place in the Bastille. And finally, I could not be sure that Philip would still be loyal to me after I fled, leaving him without support and leaving him to extricate himself from the situation, which, unfortunately, he did not cope with. It was in the hope that he would somehow get out of it that I risked leaving him, hoping, as a last resort, to save at least Porthos and hoping to save myself. You understand, my readers, whom I hope I will not have, that my situation was very difficult, I planned to repeat a task that I almost managed to accomplish personally, but I could not carry it out from afar, being in Spain, After all, that would mean entrusting my secret to someone else, and I didn’t even trust it to Athos and Porthos! I had to do everything personally; for this it was necessary to return to France, and this was still too dangerous.
Consequently, my revenge was postponed, but the rescue of Fouquet should not have been postponed, since in the event of the most unfavorable outcome I risked losing him completely.
Now, as I write these lines, I ask myself the question: “Why did I attempt to save Fouquet?” Indeed, I already understood that Fouquet was not as decisive a person as I would need in the post of First Minister of France. Moreover, I had every reason to assume that his friendship with me was based on mutual benefit, as, indeed, mine with him. And, therefore, although he could be my comrade-in-arms, he was not suitable for the position of a person subject to my decisions. As a further participant in my affairs to realize my plans, he would be more of a hindrance than an accomplice and assistant. But I seemed to feel that his arrest was partly my fault, since the King was furious at my daring actions. In my mind, I perfectly understood that Fouquet was not arrested for this at all, and that his arrest was a foregone conclusion long before my daring act, but in my heart I felt that, at least, I was to blame for the more severe treatment of the King towards him. than it could have been if I had not attempted a coup. Since I was connected with Fouquet, the King certainly suspected Fouquet of complicity. Well, there was nothing I could do about it, I could only try to save Fouquet, that’s all. After losing Porthos, I became overly sentimental. Apparently, I shouldn’t have gotten involved in this matter at all, leaving Fouquet’s fate to do what was predetermined. But by nature I am such that I must act, and what does not suit me to the greatest extent at the moment always comes first in my plans, and in my efforts receives the highest priority.
I instructed du Chantet to arrange for Fouquet to be transferred to the right room in the basement. But keeping the former minister in the basement outwardly looked like unnecessary cruelty, and that’s how everyone perceived it. His jailers, de Taluyeu and de Marsac, would not have decided of their own free will to move him like that. All that remained was to come up with and implement events that would force them to move him there at least temporarily. One of the options was to convince Taluyo that the upper floors were too dangerous, because the castle was indeed quite dilapidated. Then transferring Fouquet to the basement would be in line with his own interests. I couldn’t invite a construction expert who would convince Taluyo of this. I also considered the option that someone would undertake a chaotic shooting at all the windows of the castle. This would demonstrate the danger. But I rejected this idea, since it would indeed be dangerous, if only because there could be casualties, even Fouquet himself could suffer, and besides, this plan would be dangerous for those who would implement it.
The idea occurred to me that the basement could be used as a punishment cell, a place to hold a prisoner as punishment, but only the King himself could order the tightening of the conditions of the disgraced minister, and he would never agree to such a thing. It seemed that nothing could further my plans.
I came up with what seems to be a good idea, which is to have a doctor’s room in this basement, in which the superintendent’s personal physician, Mr. Pecke, would live. Next, Fouquet would have to complain about his health, after which Pekke would have demanded that Mr. Fouquet be placed closer to his office for the purpose of healing. I also rejected this plan. The personal doctor himself was obliged to stay near the bed of his sick master; he had nothing that could not be transferred from his room to Fouquet’s room. But the train of thought in this direction suggested one option to me. Fouquet should have complained of pain in his eyes, and the doctor Pekka in this case should have established that sunlight is harmful to the minister’s eyes, so transferring him to the basement would be justified by the need to provide him with complete darkness for a while.
I tried this plan, but it failed. Du Chante conveyed instructions to Fouquet, who began to complain of pain in his eyes. Pekke, who also received appropriate instructions, attributed this to too much sunlight. But the cunning Taluyo said that he had excellent shutters for the windows, as well as curtains made of very thick and opaque fabric. The windows were curtained and Fouquet, by my grace, had to spend two whole days in complete darkness, after which he declared that he was completely cured, that the slightest pain in his eyes had passed, and the doctor canceled his order.
“If you feel pain in your eyes again, monsignor, please contact me!” — Taluyo said cheerfully. - Shutters and thick curtains are always at your service as soon as you get tired of the sight of sunlight.
“You are very kind, Monsieur de Taluyeu,” Fouquet replied. “Thank you, I will certainly take advantage of your kindness as soon as I need darkness again.”
I decided to give it a second try. As a new reason, I decided to choose noise in the park, about which Fouquet would have to complain, after which he would have to ask to be transferred to the basement, where it would be quiet and cool.
Du Chante drove up fifty Hungarian gypsies who stopped in the park and set up their camp there with tents, horses, fires and small children. I don’t know how he managed it, but the noise from them was unbearable and Taluyo for a long time could not do anything with them, because their fearless men, armed and desperate, insisted on their right to be there, showing some papers and shaking huge knives in front of the very noses of the negotiators sent to them. Taluyo himself preferred to travel in a carriage without any special signs, fearing that the warlike tribe was burning with a thirst for revenge against him personally.
D'Aunay had obtained somewhere a whole arsenal of fireworks, which were lit in the middle of the night by these same gypsies, who screamed with delight when the fireworks were lit, especially their women and extremely vocal children. At the end they staged some wild dances with loud songs, and to top it all off - horse competitions.
Fouquet immediately complained of a headache and the unbearable noise that was causing it. He asked to be transferred to the basement.
Taluyo was inclined to agree, since the troubles with Fouquet already seemed to him the least and the simplest matter among the avalanche of affairs that unexpectedly fell upon him in connection with the arrival of the gypsies.
But de Marsac categorically opposed this decision.
“Monsieur de Taluyeu, it seems to me extremely suspicious that Fouquet is already insisting for the second time that he be transferred to the basement,” he said. “A person of sound mind and good memory would never want to stay in the basement for a long time!”
“This only proves that Fouquet has become slightly mentally damaged, which is not surprising, after such a shock that he experienced, starting from the position of the de facto master of the country, and ending with the position of its most destitute citizen!” - answered Taluyo.
“Or it proves that he has very good reasons for wanting to move to the basement,” de Marsac objected. “I would like to personally examine the cell in the basement in which Doctor Pekke was placed, as well as the cells adjacent to it.
- Well, do as you please, but I have enough to do to get rid of these annoying gypsies! - answered Taluyo. - And where did they come from on my head?
Fouquet was left in his former cell, but de Marsac, fortunately, did not discover the carefully hidden secret door to the underground passage. And although this door remained hidden, so that only me and two of my people know about it, nevertheless, this plan also did not work.

Chapter 300

The attempts of du Chantet and d'Aunay to cause confusion in the matter of keeping Fouquet in the castle, as well as their attempts to get Fouquet moved to the basement, led to an unexpected result, which was also extremely undesirable for my plans. The troubles that befell de Marsac and de Taluyeu, preventing them from fulfilling their mission, led to the fact that they began to accuse each other of insufficient zeal. At first they tried to hide the hostility they felt for each other from strangers and from each other, but gradually the signs of this mutual hostility broke out, and after they realized that this feeling was mutual, both of them stopped hiding it and allowed it to grow to incredible proportions . Each of them sympathized even more with their common prisoner than with each other. This would have been quite useful for me, but it ended with each of them writing a lengthy complaint to the King about their partner in a common cause. The manager of the castle, Monsieur de Marsac, stated in his letter that Monsieur de Taluyeu, the standard bearer of the Life Guards, does not know how to do anything except carry the banner. De Marsac proposed to return it to this state to His Majesty without any equivocation. For his part, the former standard-bearer, who was promoted to lieutenant in connection with the new assignment, wrote that the commandant of the castle was only good for keeping an eye on the flower garden in the park and ordering the clearing of park paths and the surface of ponds from fallen leaves. Each of them informed His Majesty that his opponent was not even capable of expelling the gypsies who had set up a camp in the park without the slightest right to do so.
At first, the King ordered Colbert to sort out these disputes, but he soon became convinced that it was useless to look for right and wrong in a matter where there was no right in principle.
- Mister Colbert! - said Louis. “The matter of keeping Fouquet securely in custody is too important to be entrusted to two nobles who are unable to agree with each other.” I am inclined to agree with every accusation that these two fellows make against each other, and on this basis to punish both. But first I need a replacement for them. Who could you recommend for the position of commandant of the castle, who could provide reliable security for Fouquet and at the same time would not raise any complaints regarding the fairness of the measures taken against him?
“I can offer my nephew,” Colbert replied immediately.
“And this one goes there too! — the King thought with displeasure. “The same Colbert who accused Fouquet of placing his relatives and friends in responsible positions, himself suffers from the same illness!”
At the same time, Louis smiled kindly at Colbert, without betraying his displeasure.
“We will find your nephew a more worthy position,” he lied without blinking an eye. — Do you have any other candidates?
“I’ll think about it and give an answer by evening,” Colbert replied.
“Don’t worry, I’ve already thought about it,” answered the King. “The task of reliable protection for Fouquet will be handled by the one who brilliantly coped with the order to arrest him. I will entrust this mission to d'Artagnan, and this will allow me to forget about this matter until I feel like remembering it. Monsieur d'Artagnan always carries out all my instructions brilliantly, and his letters never contained a single complaint about anyone with whom he worked. He writes to me only when necessary, three-quarters of his letters contain reports of perfectly completed tasks, and the remaining quarter are requests only for the most necessary and urgent things. That is why I always personally open his letters without any delay, and have never been disappointed by reading his messages. And throw the letters from these de Taluyo and de Marsac into the fireplace. This time I will leave them without an answer, but if any of them again decides to complain about the other, I will send both of them to the northern provinces. Prepare an order appointing d'Artagnan responsible for maintaining Fouquet. I'm transferring him to the Ch;teau de Vincennes. Also prepare a document on the appropriate powers for Mr. d'Artagnan to dispose of the Castle of Vincennes without restrictions. Do this immediately. In an hour, d'Artagnan must leave for Amboise.
“Your Majesty is quite rightly very pleased with the service of Monsieur d'Artagnan,” said Colbert, trying to feign delight, but the King detected shades of envy in this statement.
“You’re right, Colbert,” Louis answered dryly, pretending not to notice the annoyance. “If I need to conquer the world, I will appoint d’Artagnan as commander-in-chief and I am sure that I will not be disappointed.” If I declare war on one of the neighboring states, England, Spain or Holland, I will make d'Artagnan marshal of France. But for now I need d'Artagnan with the rank of officer for particularly secret and important assignments. Too high a position would make him too visible and therefore unsuitable for this mission. However, make sure that D'Artagnan does not need money during this mission.
Colbert bowed in submission.
It would have been better for Louis to name the specific amount of maintenance he allocated, since Colbert introduced his own interpretation into the definition of “Not needing money,” namely, he made a detailed calculation based on the lowest prices for all needs, unimaginably unrealistic prices, which he probably took from the price tags of the poorest province in the most productive year in the last ten years. Thus, the funds allocated by Colbert hardly justified four-fifths of the expenses that d' Artagnan actually had to incur.
I don't know how d'Artagnan took his new responsibilities. It seemed to Colbert that he expressed neither surprise, nor joy, nor grief, but perceived it as something quite ordinary and unimportant.
On the fourth of January at four o'clock in the morning, d'Artagnan, accompanied by fifty musketeers, announced that Messrs. de Marsac and de Taluyeu no longer had to worry about the protection of the prisoner entrusted to them.
Fouquet was placed in the Ch;teau de Vincennes in the same way as Philip was placed in the Bastille - kept in accordance with the rank of the duke, treated with respect, and there were absolutely no possibilities of escape. Fouquet was placed on the second floor of the castle, two sentries were constantly in the prisoner's room, and in the next room, which could not be avoided in case of escape, there was a small detachment of ten musketeers on duty. All musketeers were forbidden to communicate with the prisoner, answer his questions, or even make any signs. Fouquet's only means of communication with the outside world was d'Artagnan himself. When Fouquet wanted to sell two precious stones to receive money for his needs, d'Artagnan personally accepted these stones from him, and he gave him the entire amount from the sale, without deducting a single sou for the commission. With this personal money, Fouquet was allowed to order food or other things as needed, if they were not included in the list of prohibited items.
Since d'Artagnan had completely replaced Fouquet's entire guard, my men, d'Aunay and du Chantet were out of work.
Two months later, on the fourth of March, Commissioners Pons and Renard, as well as the court secretary Joseph Foucault, visited Fouquet. They questioned Fouquet for a long time about what the protocol was drawn up. After their departure, Fouquet asked to call d'Artagnan.
- Monsieur d'Artagnan! - he said. “I have just been subjected to a humiliating interrogation procedure!” The commissioners and the court secretary arrived and took away all the papers confiscated from me, of which there were at least six thousand, including letters, reports, calculations, memorable notes, projects, plans. I can conclude that not a single piece of paper confirming my complete innocence was reviewed. It is even possible that they are all destroyed. But at the same time, every last scrap of paper from which something can be extracted to accuse me of even the most trivial matter is carefully selected, filed and numbered as the most precious documents. I consider this approach to be biased, biased, and I protest.
“Mr. Fouquet, I ask you to discuss with me only those matters that are related to your maintenance, food, and movements,” answered d’Artagnan. - I do not conduct legal cases and do not have the authority to transfer your claims to the investigative commission. The next time they question you, make this statement in writing or orally to your former colleagues. To my greatest regret, all my help to you in this matter is limited to this advice. I ask you not to start any more conversations with me on these topics. I am a soldier in the service of the King, and not a judicial officer.
I believe that the judicial investigation carried out at the behest of the King was extremely unfair, since the goal of the judges and commissioners was to accuse Fouquet. But I made an effort to ensure that all mitigating circumstances were considered in favor of the superintendent. I spent money on bribery, ensuring the replacement of judges and commissioners, but Colbert prevented this and put his people back in key positions in this investigation and in the upcoming trial. Both of us acted with varying degrees of success, and this can be seen in the fluctuations in the assessment of the case and in the draft indictments, which are recorded in various documents. Chancellor Seguier acted on the direct orders of the King and Colbert, he instructed the secretaries appointed by him, who simply ignored everything that could serve as an excuse for Fouquet. They did not even include in the interrogation protocols those explanations that justified Fouquet’s actions; he said all this in vain, since it did not leave any traces in the investigative documents. But any phrase, even a reservation, that could be interpreted against him, was carefully recorded in these protocols.
I cannot recognize as unfair the accusations that Fouquet actually did not distinguish between the state treasury and his own, cleverly recorded assets that were insignificant in fact as if their value corresponded to the denomination indicated in them, just as he drew up protocols on the depreciation of securities that were not depreciated at all , and about the upward revaluation of those securities that could hardly be valued even at face value. What can be said here other than that all financiers did this, including Mazarin? Without these deft juggling of documents, there is no financial business! This is the art of a financier - to give value to what has no value, and to hide the value of what is priceless. Otherwise, where could financiers draw their income, which at all times, with the proper approach, can turn out to be practically inexhaustible? If we condemn Fouquet, then we should once and for all declare all financiers of all times and peoples criminals! However, maybe this would be right, it’s not for me to judge, I’m not a financier, but a servant of God.

Chapter 301

I will spare my memoirs from a detailed description of the investigation process in the Fouquet case. This information is easily found in the royal archives. Any unbiased person will be convinced that the case was concocted, although it had some basis. I insist that if you approach the investigation of the cases of any financier with the same rigor with which the Fouquet cases were examined, then you can sentence any, I emphasize, any financier of our time, and at the same time, not without reason, I believe that the situation will be the same in the future will be the same. That is why I tried to save Fouquet, but as soon as I learned that d' Artagnan was again guarding him, I ordered a halt to any preparations to recapture Fouquet by force. The reasons, I think, are clear. Likewise, I would never attempt to bribe the captain or any of his musketeers. Abb; Fouquet made a mistake when he tried to do this. His men tried to bribe one of the musketeers and almost paid for it, as the musketeer immediately tried to detain the scoundrel who dared to offer him money for treason against the King. This man managed to hide and save himself only because the musketeer could not leave his post in pursuit of him, and he considered it beneath his dignity to shoot a pistol at an unarmed fleeing Frenchman for such an insignificant reason. D'Artagnan, having learned about the incident, fully approved of the actions of his musketeer, but invited him to write a report describing the characteristics of the scoundrel who dared to offer a bribe to the musketeer. I believe that the envoy of Abbot Fouquet got off cheaply, with just fear. True, he was then forced to hide for about two weeks, grew a beard, changed his gait and, out of caution, avoided the central streets of the city.
In June, Fouquet was transferred to the Bastille because the trial chamber had moved to the Arsenal, so it was much more convenient to bring Fouquet there for interrogation from the Bastille. Bezmo, who had previously been seen on friendly terms with Fouquet, now swore that he would perform the functions of jailer in the best possible way, but the King decided not to risk it and retained responsibility for the maintenance and protection of Fouquet with d'Artagnan.
In conclusion, Fouquet became deliberately pious, which became known to his elderly mother, who thanked the Lord for this. All her life she feared that the price for living on a grand scale for her dear son would certainly be fiery hell, but now she was completely calm and convinced that her son would be reconciled with God during his lifetime, thereby earning eternal heavenly bliss. She had no doubt about herself that she was destined for eternal bliss, so she expected to soon go there and wait there to meet her child for centuries. Religion tells me to agree with her hopes, but something in me creates doubts about the truth of these pictures. After all, no one has yet returned from there to confirm or refute these ideas about the afterlife. Although, in case anyone reads this diary, I will emphasize that I am a true and convinced Catholic and here’s why: if all this is just a myth, then the lack of faith will not worsen our lot in any way, but if the church is right, then it would be too much It’s really stupid to shy away from such small, almost formal sacrifices that we allow ourselves to please the Lord, taking into account how much they can influence the eternal life after death next to the Lord.
During the time that d'Artagnan guarded Fouquet, they developed a feeling of mutual sympathy. The captain was increasingly concerned about ensuring that his prisoner received the best food, personally managing the kitchen and meticulously studying the menu. But that soon ended. Fouquet began to be visited not only by investigators, but also by sympathetic reporters on the case. D'Artagnan was instructed to prevent secret collusion, and for this he needed to hear every word uttered by either party to these meetings, pay attention to every gesture, and not allow any notes or objects to be passed on. Of course, he made such meetings a condition of his constant presence in the room.
Fouquet, who seemed to have already come to terms with his fate, was encouraged by the appearance of people sympathizing with him, so he was deeply indignant that he could not talk to them in private. He began to see him as an obvious enemy.
- Monsieur d'Artagnan! - Fouquet cried, outraged by the terms of the meeting put forward by the captain. “Don’t you think you’re sticking your Gascon nose into things that aren’t your own?” Your task is to be my jailer, and you, it seems, have also taken on the functions of my tormentor, and recently, also my enemy? It would be much more honest for you to say directly that my enemies want to prevent me from defending myself.
“You are well aware, Monsieur Fouquet, of who entrusted me with the work that I am doing,” d’Artagnan answered calmly. “And this person is not you, monsignor.” Therefore, it is not for you to tell me what is and is not my responsibility. I will satisfy your curiosity by informing you that I do not undertake of my own free will a single action that I have not been entrusted with. Everything that I do, I do solely at the will of the one who ordered me to manage everything related to the mission I perform. If I had not been instructed to prevent private conversations, I would not have prevented such conversations. In the same way, be sure of this, as soon as and if I am ordered to release you on all four sides, I will do this in the very next second and without the slightest regret. But if I am ordered to take you to the North Pole, to the top of Mont Blanc, or anywhere else, I will take you there, without being at all interested in your desire to follow me to the place that will be determined for you. It is not you and not I who determine the place of your stay, as well as all those measures that you consider, perhaps, unnecessary, but I accept them as they were brought to me. All complaints about how you are kept, what you are not allowed to do, and all wishes regarding the benefits and indulgences that you would like to receive, pass on to your interlocutors, who, perhaps, will achieve concessions for you. I am ready to listen to complaints from you if I do not perform my duties properly. This claim will not be considered by me, since you are not dissatisfied with how I carry out my duties, but with what they consist of. I can't help you. I can only assure you that I will listen to your conversations not in order to convey them to anyone, but in order to prevent conversations on topics that you are prohibited from talking about. I will try to immediately forget everything else that I hear, as there is no need to store all these speeches in my memory.
Fouquet was silent. D'Artagnan's calm and confident tone made him admit the correctness of this objection and be ashamed of his own incontinence. But Fouquet was not used to giving up and did not want to admit that he was wrong.
“ I will make a complaint to the King,” he said.
“It’s as you please,” answered the captain. - But I would recommend drawing up a petition or petition. This will have a better chance of favorable consideration. If you are concerned that the secrets of your negotiations will be divulged to your detriment, I can assure you that I undertake to keep everything related to your business secret, but if you talk about anything else, I will be obliged to inform Him about it. Majesty.
- Do you definitely promise this? asked Fouquet.
D'Artagnan pierced Fouquet with his gaze, as if with two sharp needles.
“I said what I said, and d’Artagnan’s word is firm even when given to an enemy,” he replied. “It does not require oaths or piety to enhance its veracity.
“Forgive me, I didn’t mean to doubt your promise, I asked this, I don’t know why,” he said.
“Your apology is accepted, monseigneur,” replied d’Artagnan.
Not daring to doubt that d'Artagnan could break his word, Fouquet from then on began to place complete trust in d'Artagnan and spoke freely in his presence. Mutual respect, almost friendship, was revived between the guard and the prisoner. Even the lawyers, dissatisfied with the royal decision, were forced to admit that M. d'Artagnan carried it out with all possible decency.

Chapter 302

After the retreat, where d'Artagnan personally accompanied Fouquet with a convoy of five hundred musketeers to the Chateau Moret, the King intended to return to Paris, where Fouquet should also be returned.
On the fourteenth of August, d'Artagnan turned to Fouquet.
“Monsignor, today we will go back to Paris,” he said.
“As the King wishes,” Fouquet answered with apparent calm.
“We will pass through Charenton, but I have orders not to stop there,” continued d’Artagnan.
“Well, therefore, I won’t be able to see my wife and children, whom I haven’t seen for so long,” Fouquet answered sadly and sighed.
“You understand that the King’s order cannot be violated in any way,” continued d’Artagnan.
“Of course, Monsieur Captain,” Fouquet replied with a barely noticeable nod.
“But I did not receive an order that the carriage in which you will travel could not slow down,” continued the captain.
“Thank you, this will allow me to take a better look at my native places,” Fouquet replied.
“ I received no orders not to allow your family near the carriage,” continued d’Artagnan. “If they approach the carriage and even climb onto the steps, such an action does not in any way violate the instructions that I have received.”
“So I’ll have a few seconds to see them!” - Fouquet was delighted.
“My horses can go very slowly, Monsieur Fouquet,” said d’Artagnan. “They can move so slowly that a four-year-old child can outrun them.” So your date with your family may last more than a few seconds. In any case, if your family wants to see you a little longer, you can count on ten minutes, or even fifteen. And if one of them suddenly wants to hug or kiss you while the carriage continues to move, I will not interfere. But you must promise me that you will not discuss with them what you know is forbidden to discuss, because I will hear everything. You can inquire about their health, tell them you love them, hug and even kiss them, but without leaving the carriage. I can inform them about this possibility through one of my old friends, a former servant. They will be told that if they decide to climb onto the carriage step one by one to hug you, I will not consider this a violation of the escort rules.
- Thank you, Monsieur d'Artagnan! - Fouquet exclaimed, and tears appeared in his eyes.
“Do you know, M. Fouquet, during your arrest, your wife became very close to Madame Duplessis-Belli;re,” said d’Artagnan. “The common grief brought them closer together. They both care about you. Perhaps you would like to see Madame Duplessis-Belli;re too? I think that your wife will be sympathetic to your desire to see her as well. She will not be angry, she will treat this with understanding, as far as I can believe Madame Savinier, our mutual good friend.
“No, no, that’s superfluous,” Fouquet answered dryly.
“Okay, as you say,” answered d’Artagnan.
“This is how life sometimes turns,” thought d’Artagnan. “We sometimes want to have someone else behind us, besides our wife and children, with whom we could share our joy and even our wealth. But we want to share our grief only with our family. However, are only men like this? Probably this same trait is also inherent in women.”
I'll tell you about one more episode.
Upon returning to Paris, the Chamber of Justice was located in the house of Chancellor S;guier. Fouquet's last interrogations took place in the Petit Arsenal, a stone's throw from the Bastille, to which he had to return.
On November 20, the convoy left for the Small Arsenal too early.
“Will you allow me to walk the remaining thirty or forty toises on foot, perhaps for the last time to walk along the pavements of Paris?” - Fouquet asked d'Artagnan. - I won’t run away, don’t be afraid.
“ Of course you won’t escape, monseigneur,” replied d’Artagnan, looking around at the impressive convoy and slapping his hand on his sword. “I suppose there’s nothing wrong with such a walk.”
“Thank you, captain,” said Fouquet and, with the permission of his escort, got out of the carriage, after which he headed to the Small Arsenal, where the next meeting was to take place.
Nearby, work was underway to build a basin for the future fountain.
— It seems like a fountain is being built here? - asked Fouquet with animation. “Well, he will greatly decorate this small park.”
Walking past the fountain under construction, Fouquet took a close look at the pipes through which water would flow.
- The tubes located in the center should be two inches higher than the side tubes, and the side tubes should be two inches above the surface of the water! - he said, addressing the workers.
- Sir, seems to have a good understanding of fountains? - asked the master who supervised the work.
“I understand something about this,” Fouquet answered with a smile. — Before covering the pipes with stones, I recommend covering them with resin twice. After this, you can safely cover them with stones. I recommend adding two dozen eggs per bucket of mortar to the solution that holds the stones together. Then the fountain will last long enough.
“We seem to be too distracted, monsignor,” d’Artagnan intervened. — Your time for a walk is quickly running out.
“Sorry, I forgot,” Fouquet replied and quickened his pace. “Isn’t it strange to you that I intervened?” The thing is, I used to be pretty good at this kind of stuff.
“I know, monsignor, I saw the fountains at Vaux-le-Vicomte,” replied d’Artagnan, after which they both proceeded to the Petit Arsenal, surrounded by a convoy of musketeers.
As soon as Fouquet and his jailer disappeared into the door of the Small Arsenal, one of the masons threw down his tools, took off his mason's apron and left the construction site. No one called out to him or detained him, since this was the agreement with the foreman who supervised the work.
Going around the corner, this man wrote down on a piece of paper everything he had heard from Fouquet, word by word, after which he folded the note and walked along one of the streets, where he threw it into the beggar’s hat. The beggar took the note and hid it in his sleeve.
A few hours later I read this note written to me by Lieutenant du Chantet. This is what Fouquet's remarks regarding the construction of the fountain meant:

“In the Bastille I am guarded twice as tightly as I was guarded at the Chateau de Moret, and at the Chateau de Moret I was guarded twice as strictly as at Angers. Every time I am taken somewhere, there are fifty musketeers on guard, not counting the captain. The process took a long time, but it is coming to an end. I assume that I will be sentenced to expulsion from France.”
 I had fun, rejoicing that I managed to deceive d'Artagnan, because Fouquet conveyed his secret message practically in front of the captain. But I rejoiced early.
In the evening, a tramp gave me a message through Bazin, which did not have a return address.
I was already thinking about throwing away the envelope without reading it, but this was just my coquetry with myself. One of my cardinal sins is curiosity, so I simply could not help but open the letter. In the envelope I found the following paper.

“Dear Aramis! Give up any attempts to free Fouquet! Your methods are well known to me, you will not deceive me. And even Porthos could have guessed the code words with which you agreed to report the news! In fact, I doubled the security in Morata compared to the security in Amboise, and in the Bastille it is even twice as strong as in Morata. This information will not help you in any way. And despite the fact that lawyers and bribed judges promise Fouquet that he will be sentenced to expulsion from France, you forget that the King will not agree to this. He will not release Fouquet, who knows too many secrets, and who will be even more dangerous abroad than if he lived peacefully in Vaux-le-Vicomte. Leave the idea of freeing Fouquet, nothing will come of it. Your Sh.A.”

Of course, "Sh.A." meant Charles d'Artagnan. This is how he abbreviated his name, because even in official documents he sometimes signed himself extremely simply: “ Artagnan .”

Chapter 303

I abandoned all my attempts to free Fouquet when I learned that he was again being guarded by d'Artagnan; I think I already wrote about this. But my people informed me about everything that was happening in Paris and France at that time.
Fouquet lost hope and finally resigned himself to his fate. The reason is that although in response to each accusation he gave counter-arguments and gave answers, explanations and his own interpretation, in general there were a lot of these accusations, the matter grew, and even those who initially sympathized with Fouquet understood that there is no smoke without fire , and that he is not such a wonderful person if so many accusations are brought against him. The judges I bribed, of course, tried to interpret most of the doubts specifically in Fouquet’s favor, but what is bribery when, on the other hand, the judges are influenced by the fear of being punished themselves for not examining the case in the way the King wants?
The reason I pay so much attention to this episode is that I am generally surprised that Fouquet was tried. Until recently, the rule of the strong was in force in the country. It belonged not only to the King, but also to peers, dukes, marquises, counts and barons on their lands. If a powerful grandee committed lawlessness on his territory, no one had the right to judge him, and no one tried to do so. Even our noble Athos, speaking of his marriage to Milady, explained that, of course, he could take possession of her by force, she would belong to him, and not a single soul in the county would condemn him. And so it really was. None of us considered both of his actions towards Milady to be anything strange. It occurred to him as a whim to marry her, apparently because he suddenly decided to become a romantic, and not at all because he did not allow a different solution to the matter. He decided to marry a girl far from his circle, rather out of mischief, out of a spirit of contradiction to his father, but he convinced himself that he loved her. His decision was also influenced by his assumption that some kind of secret was connected with her, and in fact she had noble blood of kinship with the royal house, as I already wrote. Having made sure that she was not even a noblewoman, and that she had been branded, he considered himself cruelly deceived, and did not for a moment doubt his right to punish her with his own hands without trial. Such was France in the first quarter of our seventeenth century! The lords were absolute masters of their lands, even over those who were not their subjects!
Cardinal Richelieu began to radically change everything, and he succeeded very well. The king ceased to be a nominal ruler, he became a real monarch. Or it was Richelieu. But not for long. The death of Richelieu, and then Louis XIII , as we all remember very well, led to the fact that the grandees decided to take away the inherited power from Queen Anne and divide it among themselves. If among them there was one who took it all for himself, he would become King. And if this impudent one had also married Anna of Austria, there would have been a new dynasty. And there would be nothing surprising in this, nothing out of the ordinary. Probably, in this case, young Louis and his brother Philip would not have lived to see the death of this usurper; some accidents would have happened to them at a young age, so that he would have left the throne to his heirs if he had managed to acquire them. Anna was saved by Mazarin. He became her support, protection, he was her confessor, first minister, and husband, and to her young heirs he became, if not a father, then an excellent stepfather, at the same time an educator, friend and subject.
The Fronde, who rebelled against Mazarin's taxes, arose only out of envy of him, since each of the grandees finally realized that he, too, could have taken this place if he had been more agile. But none of them could, in fact, become for France what Mazarin became. These people thought only about their own benefit and were not ready to sacrifice absolutely nothing for France. At that time I still didn’t understand it well, so I joined them, but not for long. Each of the frondeur grandees would be ready to agree with the loss of half of the Kingdom’s territory in order to enrich their own province by at least a fifth. “Let the treasury spend millions if at least a twentieth of these millions goes to us!” - Almost every grandee thought so then, and not only the grandee, but probably nine out of ten nobles. There were very few people as devoted to the Queen and the young King as Marshal de Gramont. Almost everyone else, including the Viscount de Turenne, could freely switch from one side to the other, and then back. Most were the same as the Parisian coadjutor Pierre de Gondi - corrupt, greedy, greedy, narcissistic, ambitious and treacherous. Against this background, Mazarin is almost saintly in his reverent attitude towards the Queen. Yes, he was greedy, but most of the money he embezzled benefited the Queen and her family. Is it worth worrying that he may have embezzled a quarter of the state's revenues, if before his reign the state had only expenses and debts? Yes, he forced the treasury to spend funds that had not yet been received, and the upcoming revenues for five years in advance were spent, that is, money was spent that had not yet existed! To achieve this, resellers provided their funds towards future taxes. Of course, they had to have an interest in this, so for every million livres provided to the treasury, they expected to subsequently appropriate two million. How else? Otherwise, no one would agree to spend their wealth in the illusory hope of just returning what they spent without the slightest profit! The greater the risk, the higher the interest on such loans.
Fouquet was a shadow, a copy, a counterfeit of Mazarin, a reduced parody of him. When the all-powerful First Minister was gone, Fouquet took his place and hoped to fill all his posts with the same effect. But Mazarin adored the Queen, and the Queen held in her hands only those remnants of power that Mazarin and her son, the young King, left her, because even during Mazarin’s life, Louis managed to declare himself of age and be crowned. Previously, the Queen was a symbol of royal power, Mazarin was its embodiment, Louis was its future, its guarantee for the future.
Now everything has changed. Only if the Queen was still young, and Louis still a minor, and if Fouquet charmed the Queen in the same way as Mazarin, if he could be for her what Mazarin was... Too many “ifs”. Fouquet only imagined that he would have had a chance of further rise. But even the slightest chance was more in his imagination than in reality. My enterprise had chances, but I missed them, alas! And Fouquet's main problem was that he was not Mazarin. This was a completely different person, and he had already reached his limit, further peaks of power were not for him, since he was not the one who could master them, and yet it was necessary not only to be able to climb to this peak, but also to stay on it, that it was much more difficult, Mazarin personally had a chance to verify this.
Since Mazarin was devoted to the Queen both in soul and body, he devoted himself to the Queen and therefore put all his efforts into her main goal - to pass the throne to her eldest son. And Fouquet was just the darling of Fate, a lucky man and a successful scoundrel, skillfully acquiring friends and even more skillfully using them, a flighty libertine, a seducer, putting into his bed every more or less attractive female creature that he could reach and that he could seduce with your wealth. He used women to increase wealth, to enter influential circles, to obtain information, to increase his own prestige and for pleasure. I am sure that if the maiden de La Valli;re had not had the opportunity to see the King, she could have ended up in Fouquet’s bed, and if this had not happened, it would only be because Fouquet himself would not have condescended to her!
Such a person cannot become a friend and mentor to the royal family. He could not have everything that Mazarin had, but he really wanted to. And it turned out to be inappropriate. His exorbitant ambitions began to irritate the King. He became that old and overgrown tree that prevents the young tree from growing, whose destiny was to become taller and more powerful, Fouquet began to interfere with the King, he dared to overshadow him. This cannot be forgiven! It had to be knocked down, cut down, destroyed in order to make room under the Sun for a new growing and gaining strength of the future colossus, Louis XIV , who soon after that declared himself the Sun.
But I am convinced that the trial was a mistake. The king should have simply overthrown Fouquet, quickly, effectively and completely, as Louis XIII had overthrown Marshal d'Ancre - with the wrong hands. This is the best way precisely because it would happen quickly and completely. Even if there were those who were outraged by this, they would quickly cool down, and in any case, no one would discuss this matter for three years. Any news becomes outdated, any injustice is forgotten. The king decided to play court, thereby recognizing his submission to the court's decision. For the monarch this is a risky act, for the monarchy as a whole it is fatal.
Turn to the history of previous centuries, not counting our modern and unexpected century, the seventeenth century after the birth of Christ. In all these times there was no one executed by order of any monarch whose execution would have cost that monarch dearly. If the King ordered the elimination of someone, then so be it, period. It was in our enlightened seventeenth century that monarchs decided to play court games. Charles of England was the first to set an example. And it ended with the fact that the judicial chambers, realizing that they were allowed to try even the highest-ranking officials of the kingdom, decided that it was time to take a closer look at the King himself, tried him and sentenced him to death by beheading. This is what the monarch's games with the judiciary lead to. The monarch must decide the most important issues personally. Cardinal Richelieu would have thrown Fouquet into the Bastille in just half an hour, and no one would have said a word. He would have executed him on the Place de Greve, and the people would have applauded this execution.
Louis XIV needed to try his enemy in a court that he himself did not personally direct. Well, sooner or later some other court will decide to judge the King of France himself, and God grant that it is not the grandson or great-grandson of Louis XIV , although in subsequent generations I can no longer be so sure. Someday, a hundred years from now, in the year 1790 or a little later, this will happen, and only because Louis XIV allowed trials to be held over a man whom he personally sentenced in his soul long before his arrest.
So, the common people already sympathized with the accusers, the judges at heart sympathized with the accused, but each of them was exhausted by the lengthy trial. Three years of examining the crimes of one person, real and fictitious, in order to determine his future fate is too much even for the most developed European state, which we considered France to be, without having the slightest reason for this!
Fouquet had heard enough of the accusations, and, it seems, he himself agreed in his soul that he deserved a hefty punishment. True, he still hoped that everything would end only with the deprivation of all his posts and a fine, which he no longer had the money to pay. But he could hope to collect money from his friends. Naive man! Most of his friends were such not at all in order to spend their money on him, but quite the opposite - solely in the hope that he would spend his money on them or allow them to use it without restrictions. The impoverished Fouquet was of no use to anyone. His fate is that of an empty wallet, cut off at the market by a clever thief: after its devastation, he is thrown into a puddle and trampled under the hooves, feet and wheels of everything that has passed or driven over him. Just as a purse cut off from an onlooker can expose a thief, so Fouquet, who remained free, could expose the sources of wealth of those many whom he helped enrich. Now that he has ceased to be a source of enrichment, he has become an unnecessary witness to the illegality of many transactions, a living reproach and a potential danger. No one would want his case to be sorted out after the Fouquet case. Therefore, many, and, above all, Fouquet’s fellow professionals, financiers and judges, would like Fouquet to simply disappear without a trace.
If Fouquet had not been guarded by d'Artagnan and his fifty musketeers, I'm afraid they would have gotten to him. He would not have lived to see the court verdict. But history does not accept the subjunctive mood, Fouquet was arrested by d'Artagnan, he was also repeatedly saved from execution, and he did not allow him to escape. Our captain was both a guardian angel and an evil fate for Fouquet, a jailer and a friend, an interlocutor and a silent man, a messenger from the outside, and a man who cut off communication with those with whom communication was not allowed, combining the incompatible and connecting the incompatible.

Chapter 304

When all the interrogations were finally completed in early December, the verdict was announced the next day. Fouquet awaited this event with extreme calm.
“I am pleasantly surprised by your calmness and your steadfastness, monsignor,” said d’Artagnan. - To be honest, I expected to see you in excitement or despondency.
“Despondency is a sin forbidden to us by the Lord and Scripture,” answered Fouquet. - Why worry about such trifles as a verdict? Is it really that important what exactly I will be given as punishment? I spent three years in custody before I was even told what my guilt actually was.
“Aren’t you afraid that you might be sentenced to death?” - asked the captain.
“We are all sentenced to death the very moment we are born,” answered Fouquet. “And none of us is given the opportunity to know the day and hour of our departure.” All this is decided by chance or the will of the Lord. Both are impossible to predict and unthinkable. We are not allowed to influence this. Each of us brought into the world a winning ticket by the very fact that we were born. And each of us lost this game by dying. You can't fool fate. No one managed to escape alive.
“You are forgetting about Elijah the prophet, monsignor.” But look, you have become a fatalist, as I see it?! - exclaimed d'Artagnan. - You would make a glorious musketeer! I believed that only soldiers were so dismissive of mortal danger!
- I wonder why? asked Fouquet.
“Because it’s simply impossible otherwise,” answered d’Artagnan. - If you are every day among those who risk their lives every second, then after a while you begin to think that it is simply unfair that you are still alive when many of your comrades have already been buried in the ground. The desire for justice overcomes the fear of death. The spirit of camaraderie destroys selfishness.
“The fate of a financier who handles many millions of livres in this sense is similar to the fate of a soldier, only the price for a mistake is not life, but ruin, but for many it is the same thing,” Fouquet answered. - You've probably heard about cases where a bankrupt financier committed suicide?
“I heard something about that,” agreed d’Artagnan. “Moreover, the poor guy’s remaining money would sometimes be enough for ten lives, the same as the majority of ordinary French people live.”
“A person sometimes experiences despair not because he has lost everything, but simply because he has lost a tenth, twentieth or hundredth of what he had,” Fouquet answered. “He blames himself for acting stupidly, for not foreseeing the consequences.
- Has this ever happened to you? - asked d'Artagnan. — Did you blame yourself for your mistakes?
“Only in early youth,” answered Fouquet. “One intelligent priest told me that a person should not worry about the fact that he did not act in the best way. Blaming yourself for this is tantamount to blaming yourself for not being a prophet. But not everyone can become a prophet! There have been only a few of them in the entire history of mankind, and, moreover, none of them were happy, because if they believe a bad prophecy, then they take measures to prevent it from coming true, and it does not come true. If they believe a good prophecy, they do nothing to make it come true, and it may not come true either. Therefore, if a prophet is believed, then he ceases to be a prophet. A prophet can only be someone who is not believed, like Cassandra.
- It's decided! I won't be a prophet! - D'Artagnan exclaimed with a smile.
- And don’t be! - Fouquet picked up. “And don’t regret that the fate of Elijah does not await you.” Each of us understands to himself that he is not a prophet, but everyone tries to predict the future, do the best in uncertain circumstances, and then congratulates himself if he did well, or nags himself for not doing the best. But this is all stupid. We must live, act, and not be afraid of anything. And forgive yourself for your mistakes. As, indeed, to your loved ones.
- The excellent musketeer in you has definitely disappeared, monsignor! - Fouquet admired again.
“I’ll tell you a fable that La Fontaine told me,” said Fouquet.
“He probably read it from Aesop,” answered d’Artagnan.
“It’s possible,” agreed Fouquet. - From Aesop or someone else. So one rich ancient Greek asked the soothsayer what awaited him. And the soothsayer replied: “Death is already following you into the house where you will spend the night!” And then this rich man got scared, and immediately left his home in Delphi and rushed headlong to Athens. And then on the market square he met Death. “Well, it’s necessary! - Death exclaimed. “I was ordered to kill you tonight, but for some reason I was ordered to go to Athens for you!” And I was surprised: why go to Athens if you live in Delphi?”
- This is a good example that you should not try to deceive your Fate! - said d'Artagnan.
—Have you ever tried to deceive your fate? asked Fouquet.
- Why deceive her? - answered d'Artagnan. - Fate is not a wife. You can negotiate with her! And if that doesn’t work, then you can force her to submit!
- Is that so? asked Fouquet. - Not your wife, then? Can't you come to an agreement with your wife?
- I have no! But unlike Fate, a wife can file for divorce,” d’Artagnan answered. “During the time that I have been taking care of you, protecting either you from the crowd, or the crowd from you, I have become a bachelor. My wife divorced me, and also robbed me completely, leaving me with nothing, but on the other hand, I acquired freedom and intend to use it as soon as my duties as a jailer end. I can't wait for this to happen!
“In that case, my execution will be a good thing for you, and if I am sentenced to life imprisonment, then, I’m afraid, you will never receive the long-awaited freedom, because you will be my jailer until my or your death!” - said Fouquet.
- Do you know what comforts me in your words? - asked d'Artagnan.
- What? asked Fouquet.
- The fact that you yourself just admitted that you are not a prophet! - answered d'Artagnan, after which they both laughed in the most relaxed way, forgetting all these secular addresses like "Monsignor" or "Monsieur Captain."
 “I think I know that priest who gave you advice not to reproach yourself for the mistakes you made,” said d’Artagnan. - He was once a musketeer. And even now there is something Musketeer left in him!
“Now he is already the Bishop of Vannes,” Fouquet clarified.
“Not anymore,” d’Artagnan clarified in turn.

Chapter 305

On December 13th, in the middle of the night, d'Artagnan entered Fouquet's cell, after knocking.
“Monsignor, since you are a fatalist, you must believe in omens?” - he asked. - Look at the sky!
Fouquet ran to the window and saw that the entire sky was illuminated by the tail of a huge comet.
“Do you think the comet is a good omen for me?” - Fouquet asked doubtfully.
- Well, of course! - exclaimed d'Artagnan, who sincerely wanted to cheer up Fouquet, realizing that his apparent indifference to his fate was only a mask, and deep inside Fouquet was terribly worried and worried.
- But listen, captain! - Fouquet objected. — The last time the comet appeared was shortly before the death of Cardinal Mazarin!
“But Mazarin himself declared that the comet had nothing to do with him,” d’Artagnan clarified. - When he was told that the comet foreshadowed his recovery, he objected: “There is too much honor to decorate the sky with a comet in connection with my modest person!”
“However, I am an even less significant person than Cardinal Mazarin,” Fouquet objected again. - If the cardinal, first minister and de facto head of state is an insignificant person, what can we say about me?
“The death of a man, completely ill, who prepared everything for how the state will be governed after his departure is not a very significant event, monsignor,” answered d’Artagnan. - A day earlier, or a day later, this should have happened, so the only unknown that could be in this event is the exact date. In this sense, this fact was not of great significance. Mazarin understood that a miracle was needed for his recovery, and the Lord does not work miracles even for such notable people as him. In your case, the situation is different, because the verdict that the judges make can have a very significant impact on the life of the kingdom.
- Why do you think that my fate can still have some impact on France? asked Fouquet. “I haven’t influenced anything for three years now.”
“For three years the royal tribunal has been dealing only with your case,” answered d’Artagnan. “And it doesn’t seem like there’s any intent to punish you in any way.” The tribunal is trying to figure it out, they want to create the appearance of objectivity.
“That’s it, a semblance of objectivity,” Fouquet replied.
- What do you want? - asked d'Artagnan. — The civilization of modern Europe does not lie in the fact that it has abandoned cannibalism, but in the fact that, unlike the aborigines of some Tierra del Fuego, it at least tries to justify cannibalism not with the banal statement that it seems tasty to it, but by the fact that it is eaten he himself is responsible for his own fate.
- Guilty for being caught! - added Fouquet.
“Guilty of being weaker than the nets that caught him,” d’Artagnan clarified. - But the comet, in my opinion, should give you hope, if I were not convinced of this, I would not wake you up in the middle of the night to contemplate it.
“He says that comets don’t appear in the sky very often,” Fouquet replied. — Some generations did not have the opportunity to see the comet at least once. This is not the first time we have seen a comet in the sky.
- That's what I'm talking about! - exclaimed d'Artagnan. “The Lord spoils us with this spectacle, therefore, the comet is a harbinger of good luck.”
- But why do you think that the comet portends good luck and not defeat? asked Fouquet.
- I can answer you in detail and reasonably! - exclaimed d'Artagnan. — First, let's turn to the ancients. When the consul Aemilius Paulus led an army along a narrow road in Lucania, he was in danger that the Saracens would fire at him from their mortars, firing long spears, and kill him. But he remembered that he had seen a comet and told his soldiers that it portended good luck. In this way they passed along the coast without the enemy daring to begin shelling.
- This is true? - Fouquet asked in surprise.
- Pure truth! - exclaimed d'Artagnan with the most sincere expression on his face. - But that's not all! Spartacus, seeing a comet in the sky, decided to attack Clodius’s army; for this he wove ropes from forest twigs, descended from Vesuvius and attacked the enemy troops from the side from which they did not expect an attack.
- How do you know this? - Fouquet was surprised again.
“The comet also predicted victory for the Athenian Iphicrates at Chersonesos!” - continued the inspired d'Artagnan.
- My God, how do you know all this? asked Fouquet.
“The book of Sextus Julius Frontin told me about this,” answered d’Artagnan without blinking an eye.
“You amazed me with your erudition and memory!” - exclaimed Fouquet. - And you convinced me! The comet, apparently, does indeed foretell victory!
- Of course, it can’t be otherwise! - D'Artagnan echoed enthusiastically.
“May Sextus Frontinus forgive me for attributing to him something that he never wrote! - thought d'Artagnan. — How useful it is to study the art of strategy! And I thought that all these Greek and Latin names would never be useful to me, but now they are! Any nonsense can be exposed as the truth if you refer to the evidence of the ancient Greeks!”
Oddly enough, the comet brought good luck to Fouquet: on December 20, thanks to the clever intervention of d'Ormesson, who used the theses I had compiled for his speech, the Chamber of Justice handed down a much less severe sentence on him than everyone expected. Fouquet was sentenced to exile from France. Fouquet's friends perked up with joy, organized torchlight processions in celebration and almost burned down Paris with the fire of their torches through negligence. La Fontaine gave birth to a pathetic verse in six stanzas, each of which had twelve lines, the first four of which were rhymed in pairs (A-A-B-B), the second four crosswise (A-B-A-B), and the last four - with frame (A-B-B-A). This showed La Fontaine’s extreme industriousness and his excessive triumph; La Fontaine had never written such poetry before or after this. Unfortunately, he read them only among a limited number of people, since they contained excessive boldness, which could backfire on the author. That is why the poems have not become widely known, although they are in my lists. I can only say one thing: I could have written better.
Fouquet's opponents became disheartened, but Colbert did not give up. He reported the verdict to the King in very flowery and refined terms at the moment when he was relaxing in the company of Louise de La Valli;re.
Louis was furious, but out of respect for La Valliere he spoke as moderately as he could.
“Everyone expects the King to commute the sentence of the convicted person,” he said. “Indeed, mercy is the destiny of the King.” But justice is also not an empty phrase. If they sentenced him to death, the extreme degree of mercy would be to replace the death penalty with life imprisonment. But this case is special! If Fouquet were sentenced to death, I would let him die. I would just not show the mercy that I could show, but I am not obliged to do so. But with their extremely lenient sentence they encroached on my rights of mercy. How can I commute the sentence, which is already extremely lenient, unfairly lenient! What did they receive a salary for all these three years? I see that this is not to understand Fouquet’s wine. Instead of an objective investigation and an objective trial, they, as I see it, tried to shield him! Instead of punishing the criminal, they seem to encourage embezzlement?!
De La Valliere said nothing, just looked tenderly at the King. Perhaps she also urged him to show mercy, but it is quite possible that she simply wanted to say: “My idol and my God! Everything you say is absolutely true!”
Personally, I am convinced that this is exactly what she would like to say.
However, Louis saw sympathy for Fouquet in de La Valli;re's eyes. He immediately remembered the letter the superintendent had written to her. Jealousy burned his heart again.
“Colbert, be with Michel Letellier in half an hour,” he said coldly. — Louise, what do you say regarding this court verdict?
“ Your Majesty, I have no opinion on this matter,” Louise replied, lowering her eyes. “My only duty is to love you and follow all your desires.”
“Hypocrite! — the King thought with annoyance. “It would be better to say directly that the Lord calls us to mercy!” Then I would have answered her!”
Indeed, Louis needed an outlet for his emotions. If Louise had objected, he would have vented his anger and perhaps calmed down a little. But the lack of resistance, which he had encountered in all his subjects over the past three years, accustomed him to the idea that he was always right in everything. Therefore, he saved all his indignation until meeting Colbert and Letellier.
“Letellier, in any case, the verdict of the Chamber cannot be carried out,” said the King coldly. “Why did we guard Fouquet so carefully?” So that he could freely go abroad and weave his intrigues from there? So that he takes all the secrets he knows to Spain, Portugal, Holland or England? So that our enemies will have a strong ally in him?
“Your Majesty, the House made a mistake,” Colbert said.
-What is this Chamber of yours? - the King asked in anger. - This is just a bunch of my subjects! Each of them is obliged to obey my will! If so, then all of them together are also obliged to obey my will! Why did they decide that, despite the fact that each of them is my subject, all together they cease to be such? Before announcing the verdict, they had to agree with me! They took away my opportunity to be merciful!
“This is exactly the speech Nero made more than a thousand and a half ago,” Letellier thought. “How curious it is that history sometimes repeats itself!”
- You worked poorly with the people who make up the Chamber, gentlemen! - exclaimed the King. -You didn't fulfill your duties!
“Your Majesty, we will fix everything,” Colbert said.
- Fouquet knows such secrets of the state that the enemies of France should not know! - continued the King. “Life imprisonment is the least I can agree to!” And this will cost the treasury incredible amounts! Well, if the House wishes to preserve this insignificant life, I am ready to agree to these expenses, I am ready to ratify the sentence of life imprisonment. But expulsion! This is too much! Maybe I should also reward him for embezzlement, for all his fraud with securities, with pledges, with the revaluation of mortgage securities? Maybe I should reinstate him in his position? Do you want that? What did they leave me? What other mercy can I show towards a state criminal who is destined for a happy and carefree life surrounded by my enemies outside France? France is not so weak that it cannot punish its enemies. And not that stupid! If there are idiots sitting in the House, they should be kicked out of the House and someone smarter should be appointed in their place!
“Your Majesty, the mistake can still be corrected, and this should be done,” said Letellier.
— Make them sit for three more years? - the King asked with irritation.
“ Your Majesty is the master of his kingdom,” said Letellier. “You are expected to commute your sentence only because your predecessors did exactly that in similar situations.” But this does not impose an obligation on you to do the same. You can not only reduce the sentence, but also leave it unchanged, but also tighten it.
- Make it tougher? — the King perked up. — Has this already happened in practice?
“I will allow myself to remind Your Majesty of the reasons why the King usually commutes the court’s sentence,” Colbert intervened. — When it comes to noble persons related to the august Royal Family, mercy is an understandable phenomenon. But Monsieur Fouquet is not related to Your Majesty.
“And this means that mercy would be inappropriate here!” - Louis picked up. - So, I am replacing exile with life imprisonment! Case is closed.
He grabbed the document with the Chamber’s verdict and wrote at the very top: “Replace with life imprisonment. Louis."
“Attach a seal here, Letellier, and make a copy of this document for the Chamber.” Show them the original and leave a copy as a reminder that no one is allowed to be more merciful than the King,” Louis said. “Their job is to protect the interests of the kingdom and pass fair sentences.” Just, Letellier!
There was no question of expelling a man who knew too much. Therefore, the King replaced the court-ordered exile with life imprisonment. Nothing like this has ever happened in France. But there was a precedent - this is what Emperor Nero did.

Chapter 306

“Listen, Maximilian,” I said. - Go to Paris urgently. The documents for your trip are already ready.
“I’m listening, monsignor,” answered Maximilian, my quick-witted assistant in the affairs of the Order.
“I will give you letters to influential persons in Paris who are members of the Order,” I continued. - Give them my order. I don't know how they will accomplish it, and I don't want to know. They just have to follow through. By decree of the King, the prisoner Fouquet, sentenced to life imprisonment, should be placed in Pignerol, and in no other fortress.
“I understand you, monsignor,” replied Maximilian.
He received the required documents, letters and money from me.
Busy with other things, I even forgot to ask how exactly he solved this problem, which specific member of the Order helped him complete this assignment. However, now this is no longer important. But in the end, an imperceptible influence was exerted on the King, as a result of which he made the decision I needed . Not without reason, it may seem completely unreasonable, strange and inconsistent, but motives can be found for it. I described all this and attached it to the documents handed to Maximilian.
I weakened the arguments against this decision in my comments, and tried to strengthen the arguments for this choice.
But here, in my memoirs, I have nothing to influence those reading these lines, so here I will state everything as it is.
Having sentenced Fouquet to life imprisonment in exchange for exile, the King ordered Fouquet to be placed in the fortress of Pignerol, a city that had recently become French. And it was a mistake, which is what I wanted. But, to my regret, this did not help me. To understand why I needed this decision, and why without my subtle influence the King himself would never have made this decision, you just need to remember the geographical location of this town.
The town of Pignerol, Pinerolo in Italian, is located in Piedmont, in the province of Turin, on the Chisone River, southwest of the city of Turin. There are many pine trees growing around the town, which is where its name comes from, because in Latin Pinus means pine, from which the Italian Pino and our Pin come . The town has barely ten thousand inhabitants. But the fortress was built with skill, so that after minor modifications it can be used as a prison for especially dangerous criminals, since escaping from there is very problematic.
Pignerol came into possession of the French crown only in 1631, and now, when I am writing these lines, since 1696, this city has again become Italian.
Even then I foresaw that Pignerol had not completely become French, and his loss would not be long in coming. Placing there a prisoner whose freedom was undesirable to the King was unwise, because even if we exclude the possibility that the city could return to Italy, its border position makes it possible for a raid, secret or open, from the territory of neighboring Italy with the aim of capturing the prisoner and his release , and moving to Italy. And then the King would no longer be able to influence the fate of the prisoner. This is exactly what I needed. The proximity to the Italian border made this prison in my eyes only a temporary residence for Fouquet. After thinking about it, I decided that it would be nice for Philip to be there, in Pignerol. I felt bad about that too. Both prisoners I was interested in were theoretically within reach from Italian territory, even if by military means, but such a possibility remained. In any case, it was much easier to extract Pinterol from the fortress than from the Bastille.
The king was captivated by the relative inaccessibility of the fortress, since it was built not simply to raise the prestige of some nobleman, but due to the urgent needs of protecting this territory from a neighbor who could become an enemy any day. And since the fortress, along with the entire city, passed from hand to hand, its defensive structures were directed, just in case, in both directions, so it would have been impossible to find a better casemate, if only not for its border location. After my people, who were part of the King’s entourage, managed, without pressure, to gently and imperceptibly convince Louis that Pignerol was the best place to hide Fouquet there forever, to convince him that it would be best for Philip to stay It was there that it was no longer so difficult.
The town is located on the slope of the Alps facing Italy. So if Fouquet could admire views from his window, then these were views of Italy. Fouquet's cell and Philippe's cell were located at opposite ends of the fortress; they could not have met or even accidentally exchanged glances. Louis did not think that as soon as Fouquet saw Philippe without a mask, and such an accident cannot be ruled out even with the strictest measures against it, both of them, Fouquet and Philippe, would become even more dangerous for him, especially if they succeeded free yourself. After all, Fouquet, who already knows many secrets of the kingdom, would have learned the most important and most terrible of them! And Philip could have found a new supporter in Fouquet. And although I do not think that Fouquet would have been capable of a daring escape with the simultaneous release of Philip, if in his place a person of a different type, for example, such as d'Artagnan, the situation would have been extremely dangerous. Fortunately for the King and to great regret for me, for Philip and for Fouquet, d'Artagnan was devoted to the King, so it was not Louis who should have feared him, but his enemies and enemies.
Not really wanting to continue his career as a jailer, d'Artagnan tried to resign from these functions and reported to the King that he recommended his former quartermaster de Saint-Mars to guard Fouquet. He described him best as a brave, loyal and intelligent officer. The king paid attention to d'Artagnan's recommendation, but still insisted that d'Artagnan personally, with his company of one hundred musketeers, deliver Fouquet to the Pignerol fortress, also personally select a cell for him, and, if necessary, organize work to strengthen the fortress for her role as a casemate and would make all other necessary orders, and only after that would he transfer the functions of jailer to Saint-Mars.
This royal decision was reasonable, and it again confused my plans. In addition to the undoubted fact, d'Artagnan was a very knowledgeable person in the field of strengthening fortresses, he was very attentive to the orders of the King. So, having arrived at the place, he made a number of important orders for the partial reconstruction of some elements of the fortress so that it would better suit its purpose. Basically, he ordered work to strengthen doors and bars, clear the ditch, repair and strengthen old walls where required. In addition, bars on the windows were strengthened, and an extension was erected to house guards who were not on duty, so that in the fortress itself there were only those who at that moment performed the functions of guarding the prisoner. The presence of anyone who was not on duty at that time was excluded. The meticulous d'Artagnan even tapped all the walls and examined all the doors, suspicious niches, cabinets and fireplaces. If there was a secret passage from the fortress, he would have found it. One day, d' Artagnan had to experience bitter disappointment due to the fact that his enemy, using a secret passage, eluded just revenge. The captain remembered this lesson for the rest of his life. He did not explore the basements of the castle in Amboise only because he did not expect to stay there for a long time with his prisoner, and, moreover, he did not have plans to transfer the prisoner to the basement.
Meanwhile, I went to Spain and even observed the castle from the border area. I gazed at the windows, which I already knew were Fouquet windows. One day I thought I saw a man in the window. I put a handkerchief on my sword and waved this makeshift flag to the man in the window. A little later a hand with a napkin appeared from the window. The person probably pretended to shake out any crumbs that might have gotten onto the napkin. Immediately another hand appeared at the window and snatched the napkin from the man’s hands, after which both hands disappeared.
I realized that d'Artagnan was still there, and that he was spending quite a lot of time with his prisoner. I hope that d'Artagnan did not recognize me, although he has the sight of an eagle.

Chapter 307

Maximilian told me how it all happened when the verdict was read out to Fouquet, and also about how he was taken to Pignerol. I think that this is interesting and instructive, therefore, breaking the chronology, I will still return to what I learned from Maximilian.
D'Artagnan had a long conversation with Letellier, who instructed him and tried to find out about Fouquet's mood. I know very well how d'Artagnan knows how to answer questions, demonstrating complete readiness to cooperate, but without giving away any unnecessary information. Even after an hour of such “revelations,” Letellier would not have been enriched with even the smallest facts that could be used against the prisoner. D'Artagnan, as a warrior, was ready to perform the role of a jailer on the orders of the King, but he never had anything to do with informers, even if the protected subject aroused in him only antipathies. But in the case of Fouquet, a certain form of, if not friendship, then tacit affection was established between the prisoner and the jailer, Fouquet had more than once the opportunity to make sure that d'Artagnan, to the best of his ability, softened all the strictures of his detention, and if anything from the protocol of his treatment could to seem like tyranny to Fouquet, then this is only a small fraction of what an unbiased or, even more so, hostilely predisposed commander of a security detachment would have done towards him.
Having found out nothing, but not having the slightest reason for indignation, Letellier, at the end of the conversation, told d'Artagnan that the King very highly appreciated the service of his captain of the musketeers and asked to inform him about it. D'Artagnan only bowed with the air of a man who appreciated the King's flattering opinion, but did not even allow himself to think that he could not do his job properly, so he showed that he took this praise for granted.
After this, d'Artagnan talked on neutral topics with d'Ormesson, but when asked what awaited Fouquet, he only answered: “Nothing good,” making it clear that he had nothing more to say.
“Every decent person sympathizes with Fouquet,” said d’Ormesson quietly.
“You are certainly a decent person, d’Ormesson,” answered d’Artagnan, after which he hugged him and, as if by chance, brought his face to his interlocutor’s ear.
“Be careful with such phrases,” after that he whispered only in his ear. “After all, you thus call the royal judges and even some higher ones dishonest.” Don't let the occasion misunderstand you.
D'Ormesson shuddered, realizing his mistake.
- You're right! - D'Artagnan said loudly. - Mercy is a property of every decent person, and, of course, all decent people, out of mercy, would like to soften the lot of the poor prisoner. But mercy must be subordinate to law and justice, as well as to the interests of the state. In this situation, it is extremely difficult to be both fair and merciful. But, fortunately, it is precisely such people who carry out their judgment, so the verdict, whatever it may be, will be both fair and merciful, on this I completely agree with you!
Having thus given a softer and more harmless meaning to d'Ormesson's words, d'Artagnan again repeated, louder, that d'Ormesson was a very good man.
On the same day at ten o'clock, the secretary of the court, Foucault, accompanied by numerous bailiffs, appeared at the gates of the Bastille.
“Monsieur Captain, I must inform the prisoner about the royal sentence,” he said to d’Artagnan.
“Come in, gentlemen,” the captain answered and led the delegation to the prisoner. “There are too many of you, you won’t fit in the prisoner’s cell.” Go to the prison church, Monsieur Fouquet will be brought there now.
The captain gave Fouquet the opportunity to put his clothes in order so that he could gather his courage. Despite all the appearance of indifference to his fate, Fouquet, of course, was worried before the announcement of the verdict.
But he entered the ancient prison church, accompanied by de Bezmeaux, de Saint-Mars, d'Artagnan and two musketeers, looking as if he had simply come to listen to another piece of news that did not concern him too much personally.
The secretary of the Foucault court stood at a small table specially installed for this purpose - a lectern, on which documents were laid out. table
In the dim candlelight the prisoner looked older than his years. He came forward with his hat in his right hand, which he pressed to his chest, as if wanting to protect himself from a shot or blow to the chest.
“ Sir,” said the secretary in a cold, ceremonial tone, “state your name.”
“You know it, sir,” Fouquet answered in Foucault’s tone.
“According to the protocol, you should say your name so that I know who I’m talking to,” the court clerk insisted.
“You already know him,” Fouquet objected. “For three years now, my honest name has been trumpeted on every corner.
“I’m not saying that I don’t know you or that I don’t know your name,” Foucault insisted. - This is not about that. We are all obliged to follow the order and orders of justice. You know this very well, because you were the prosecutor general.
“Exactly, and that’s why you were my subordinate,” Fouquet reminded. - Should we play pranks on strangers now, after so many years of close acquaintance?
“Please, sir, your name,” the secretary insisted.
“What d;j; vu! - thought d'Artagnan. - Exactly the same thing is happening that I already observed when the House of Commons passed sentence on Charles of England! He also said that he did not recognize their authority and therefore would not talk to them the way they expected and demanded of him! It ended very sadly!”
“I will not give my name here, just as I did not name it in the House,” the former superintendent of finance and former attorney general continued to be stubborn. “I refused to take the oath of office to the House because I do not consider this process to be legitimate, and I do not believe that the minor offenses committed by each financier deserve such close attention, such a long investigation and any kind of punishment. I declared my disagreement with the process, so I will stand my ground, just as I did not give my name before the start of the investigation and trial, and this did not prevent either of them, and now I will not tell you his name, you yourself have just admitted that they knew me very well. Read out your sentence and don’t delay it. I still don’t agree with him in advance, no matter what he is, but you have the power on your side to force me to obey. I have the right to protest against him.
“You are rushing me, but at the same time you are wasting our time, since all your objections will have to be recorded in the protocol,” objected the court secretary Foucault and ordered his secretaries to write down Fouquet’s words as accurately as possible. After that, he himself read what was written down, nodded, returned the protocol to the secretaries and, covering his head, began to read out the verdict.
D'Artagnan already knew that, according to the court verdict, Fouquet was sentenced to deportation from France. He shouldn't have known this, but he did. Therefore, he expected that after the King familiarized himself with the court's verdict, he would soften it, since it was for this that traditionally the most severe sentences required the approval of the King. And many Kings supported this tradition.
“What can the King replace with expulsion from France? - thought d'Artagnan. — Exile to some province of France? It is unlikely! In Vaux-le-Vicomte? To Belle-Ile-Saint-Mer? This would be a gift for our Fouquet! This is also doubtful! But the Kings of France are always so kind! Replacing quartering with hanging or hanging with beheading is such a mercy! This deserves the eternal gratitude of the friends, relatives and descendants of the condemned! However, maybe he doesn’t deserve it. Replacing execution with confiscation of property with execution without confiscation of property would certainly arouse the gratitude of the family of the executed person. But I don’t remember such a case, not a single one, because in the event of confiscation of property, it goes to the treasury! I won’t say exactly whether for this reason or for some other, but not a single monarch has ever canceled the confiscation of property. Perhaps there is something I don’t know.”
At this time, the doctor Fouquet Pekke and the valet Lavallee entered the church. Both of them at first were indignant at the whispers, and then began to be indignant out loud that Judge Foucault was unreasonably cruel. Finally, Lavallee stated that those who do not have a heart of iron will now have it broken. Their indignant cries began to drown out the monotonous voice of the judge. Toga General de Bezmo, commandant of the Bastille, was forced to personally escort them to the next room. For this reason, Pekke and Lavallee decided that they intended to kill their master, and they began to be even more indignant. Then d'Artagnan ordered to calm them down, informing them that we were just talking about expulsion. Even then he himself did not know that the King not only did not commute the sentence, but made it much more severe.
Meanwhile, the court secretary finally read out the verdict.
“According to the protocol, the sentence is read aloud to the condemned person personally,” Foucault recited. “But since Nicolas Fouquet, who is present here, refused to give his name, having been asked three times, we, who are present here, the secretary of the royal court, Foucault, as well as Messrs. d’Artagnan, de Bezmeaux and de Saint-Mars, confirm the identity of Nicolas Fouquet, who was present at the hearing, accused of case dated September 5, 1661 AD about theft and abuse. The accused, Nicola Fouquet, was found guilty of all charges and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
“Here you go! - thought d'Artagnan. — The court sentenced him to expulsion from France, but the King toughened the sentence! This has never happened in my lifetime!”
Outwardly, d'Artagnan remained completely impassive. He only looked into Fouquet's eyes, although not a single muscle moved on his face. Fouquet realized that the captain was expressing his sympathy and regret for him.
- Thank you! - Fouquet said to d'Artagnan, but immediately looked sharply at Foucault's secretary and continued. - Thank you, gentlemen, any fame is better than obscurity.
Thus, no one except d'Artagnan understood that Fouquet thanked him for his sympathy.
Within an hour, a carriage arrived in the courtyard of the Bastille. Fouquet, d'Artagnan and two officers got into it. The carriage immediately set off, surrounded by hundreds of musketeers, the path ran across a suspension bridge, through the Saint-Antoine suburb, filled with people shouting “Vivat!” either to Fouquet or to the King. Fouquet believed that the greeting was addressed to him and rejoiced like a child that he had retained his popularity, forgetting the price he had paid to hear these cries. D'Artagnan understood that the crowd was welcoming the King's musketeers, who rode in orderly columns, as if in a parade, some in front of the carriage, some behind, and two on horseback on both sides of the carriage.
The doctor Pekka and the valet Lavallee were not allowed to go to Pignerol with their master. Their feelings were mixed. They were sorry to part with Fouquet, but they finally found freedom, since being with a prisoner is also a kind of imprisonment. But the joy of gaining freedom had not yet touched d'Artagnan; he was still attached to his prisoner.
The journey took twenty days. There was only one episode on the road worthy of mention. In Grenoble, the city's second consul refused to open the gates to the vanguard of the musketeers, deciding that this might be a provocation.
He also probably thought that the escort had arrived, if not to carry out a coup, then, therefore, in order to arrest him. It is clear from everything that he feared arrest precisely because, apparently, he was dishonest, so he had a “snout in the cannon.”
Under the false pretext that the convoy did not have the necessary passes, he refused to open the gate.
- What the hell is another pass?! - exclaimed d'Artagnan. - I carry out the King's orders! It says in clear language that all citizens are obliged, at my request, to provide me with an apartment for free, and to sell food! Is an order with His Majesty’s handwritten signature and the seal of Chancellor Seguier not enough for you?
“But this is not a pass into the city,” the second consul protested fearfully.
- Why did you declare a curfew here? - exclaimed d'Artagnan. - And on what occasion is this? Without the permission of the King? Is there a war going on here, or have a dozen convict killers escaped from the city prison? Listen, my dear! If you open the gates for me immediately, I will only put you for twenty-four hours in a cold cell in the most unfurnished prison that can be found in your city. But if you resist, then with the strength of my fellows I will break down these gates, after which I will hang you on them!
“You know how to convince,” muttered the second consul and ordered the guards to unlock the gate.
“And you know how to compromise,” d’Artagnan answered with a smile. - Okay, we agreed, for your understanding, I allow you to choose a camera to your liking. But if you leave it earlier than twenty-four hours after you enter it, I will find out about it and on the way back I will deal with you as you deserve.
After this, d'Artagnan showed the stubborn man the order of the King, upon reviewing which the second consul made a mournful but submissive face.
“I’m already going to the cell,” he said and really put himself under arrest.
The First Consul still considered d'Artagnan's actions excessive, so he wrote a complaint to the King outlining all the circumstances of the case. In those days, officials did not lie so brazenly, complaining to their superiors about those with whom they were in conflict. They all learned to distort the truth when retelling events a little later, so that although the letter was excessively emotional, it did not sin in any way against the truth, after which it was returned to the addressee. In this letter, the author’s words “twenty-four hours” were underlined by the King’s hand and only one word “Not enough!” was written next to it.
D'Artagnan, having arrived at his destination, Pignerol, received another letter written in Letellier's hand. It contained the following text:

“Dear Count d'Artagnan!
When His Majesty was informed of what you had done in Grenoble, he fully approved of your actions under the circumstances. The information came in the form of a complaint from the First Consul of Grenoble. The king laughed very much and asked to read this letter out loud to him twice, after which he said that the consul had suffered a fair but sufficient punishment for his actions and now he would probably correct himself in the future and would not repeat such mistakes. He also reiterated that he was completely satisfied with your service. Mr. Colbert also joined in this assessment of your work.
Sincerely yours, Letellier."

“I really need Colbert’s approval!” - muttered d'Artagnan. “It would be better if he didn’t approve of how I feed my musketeers and their horses, and would order the contents to be doubled!” This miser objected that with his approval I could feed a hundred musketeers and a hundred horses, not counting myself and Fouquet, and two officers! Is he the King? Only the King can believe that his words and approval are more important than money!

On the sixteenth of January the motorcade arrived in Pignerol. The fortress with five towers was supposed to save d'Artagnan forever from the role of a jailer, for which he sincerely congratulated himself. Having carefully examined the walls, d'Artagnan dictated to Saint-Mars a list of works that needed to be done to put the fortress in order to further fulfill its intended functions. In five days, the main work was completed, which made it possible to move Fouquet from a temporary shelter to a permanent one, in which he was destined to live until the end of his days. All that remained was to complete the external work to strengthen the fortress, which did not interfere with Fouquet’s stay in his cell, but until their completion the fortress guards had to be vigilant.
According to the royal regulations drawn up by Letellier, which d'Artagnan handed over to Saint-Mars, the state prisoner Nicolas Fouquet had no right of any communication with the outside world, he was forbidden to send or receive letters, visits were prohibited, there was to be no paper or ink, he had no right to keep more than one book at a time; the book he requested had to be exchanged for the book he was returning. The guards were obliged to burn the returned book without opening, reading, or inspecting it, as well as old clothes that had become unusable, bed linen and all other items that were replaced with new ones as they wore out. In other words, nothing from Fouquet’s camera should have been sent outside the walls of the fortress, should not have been viewed by anyone, but should have been destroyed on the territory of the fortress, about which an act was immediately drawn up. This had to be carried out by three guards, each of whom had to ensure that the other two did not break the rules. In all doubtful matters, Monsieur de Saint-Mars was ordered to consult with Monsieur d'Artagnan and strictly follow the rules established by him and the instructions drawn up by him.
Next to the prisoner's cell, d'Artagnan ordered a room to be set up for Fouquet's servant.
“But Fouquet’s valet remained in Paris!” - Saint-Mars was surprised.
“Whoever serves Fouquet must never leave the fortress,” answered d’Artagnan. “You can’t sentence an innocent person to life imprisonment.” “But M. Fouquet will need a valet, according to his status.” Think about how you can solve this problem. You have a certain Eustache Doget in your fortress, sentenced to life imprisonment. He is not a nobleman, he could serve Fouquet if he agreed to it. Offer him some relaxation of the regime for such a service - better food, more walks inside the fortress courtyard, but without witnesses. He must agree to give up contact with other prisoners in exchange for these benefits. If he does not agree, perhaps there will be others.
“I think he will agree,” replied Saint-Mars. - I will try to offer him something that will interest him.
- That is great! - answered d'Artagnan. “We cannot leave Monsieur Fouquet without a servant.”
- But in other times, prisons held people even more distinguished than Nicolas Fouquet? - asked Saint-Mars. - How did they manage in this case?
— Is this a service question, or friendly curiosity? - D'Artagnan asked sternly.
“Sorry, captain, it was curiosity, I don’t need the answer to this question to fulfill my duties,” replied Saint-Mars.
“Well, if it’s out of friendship, then I’ll answer you, Saint-Mars,” answered d’Artagnan. —Such gentlemen as the Duke de Beaufort were dangerous to the kingdom by their behavior, and not by their knowledge of secrets. So the man serving the Duke could freely go free. In addition, since Beaufort is a person of royal blood, his servant can and should be a nobleman. Beaufort was served by people of appropriate rank. Even the commandant of the fortress was sometimes honored to dine with him, although this ultimately led to a disastrous result: Beaufort fled!
“Thank you for the clarification, Mister Captain,” Saint-Mars said warmly. - I'll take that into account. Neither I nor any of my men will ever dine with a prisoner. The only company for him will be Estache Doget.
“Perhaps someday, in five or ten years, who knows, the King will allow Fouquet a meeting with someone from his family,” said d’Artagnan. “I would have taken care of this if I had imagined such a possibility.” But now there is no need to think about it. Nor should Fouquet be encouraged by such prospects. I just wish him courage and perseverance. As you know, I am allowed to communicate with Fouquet without any restrictions.
“Yes, I know that, Mister Captain,” said Saint-Mars.
“This benefit does not apply to you, and I believe that it is good for you,” continued d’Artagnan. - Believe me, communicating with a person doomed to eternal imprisonment is not the best way to spend your time.
Three weeks later, when all the work was completed, the fortress had become so impregnable that d'Artagnan, with a pure heart, could take his hundred musketeers and return with them to Paris. In the future, the guard could be carried out by a much smaller detachment made up of the guards of the Pignerol garrison. D'Artagnan spoke with each of them personally and decisively refused the services of three of them, without explaining to Saint-Mars the reasons for his decision. I still don’t understand how he guessed that these three were my people!

As a sign of special affection for the King's envoy, the city authorities presented d'Artagnan with a large amount of provisions - fried and smoked chickens, partridges, snipe, rabbits and pheasants, purchased in Turin.
- Thank you, gentlemen! - answered the captain. “Our journey back to Paris will take twenty days, and my hundred musketeers will remember you with gratitude all these twenty days for supplying us with provisions for the journey.” I will convey to His Majesty that the inhabitants of the glorious city of Pignerol know their duty and serve France faithfully.
These were not empty words, since Pignerol was still inhabited by a large number of Italians, so the loyalty of the Pignerol people to the French crown was very important.
- Since you have taken care of provisions for us, let me pay for the wine at our farewell dinner today from the savings! - continued the captain.
It was a great move. If Colbert's spies were present among the city's residents, they could report to their patron that the captain was accepting bribes. In fact, d'Artagnan connected the incompatible - and did not offend the mayors by refusing to accept the gift, and paid in full, thereby averting suspicion of bribery.
Yes, our glorious Gascon friend remained incorruptible!
As soon as a company of hundreds of musketeers led by d'Artagnan finally left Pignerol, d'Artagnan took a deep breath of pleasure in the air of the suburbs, smelling of pine resin and melted snow.
-Can you smell it, d'Arlencourt? - he asked his lieutenant.
—Are you talking about the smell of a pine forest or the smell of melted snow, heralding spring, although it is only mid-January? asked d'Arlencourt.
“Both, but neither,” d’Artagnan objected cheerfully. - I'm talking about the smell of freedom! For three years I was a jailer, and therefore I was also a prisoner. After all, what difference does it make who guards whom if both have to be in prison? Now, finally, I am free, and with me are you, my friends and faithful musketeers! I prefer breakfast under enemy bullets to this kind of fate as a jailer!
After these words, d'Artagnan took off his magnificent gray hat with a white feather with his right hand and raised it at arm's length, waving it to the musketeers following him.
- My friends, gentlemen musketeers! We can finally get back to our real duties as royal guards! - he exclaimed. “We are returning to Paris, freed from our prisoner and from the duties of guarding him!” To Paris, friends, viva!
- Vivat! - answered the chorus of musketeers. - Vivat, Paris! Vivat, Captain d'Artagnan!
- Damn it, why are we walking at a walk when we can go to a light trot? - he exclaimed. “Our horses are completely stagnant, seeing off the clumsy carriage!” Follow me at a trot! Forward! Keep!
And he gave spurs to his horse. Of course, he did not intend to trot the entire way, but it would have been a sin not to take advantage of the flat road when the horses had long needed a little warm-up.
Since the provisions issued for the journey were prudently distributed into the saddlebags of the musketeers, nothing prevented the faster advancement of d'Artagnan's company, so they covered the remaining distance in ten days. The empty carriage, on behalf of the captain, was returned to Paris by three guardsmen, whom d'Artagnan selected from among those whom he entrusted to guard Fouquet. He ordered them to carry out this task, so that all three of my men were forced to leave Pignerol, at least for a while. They tied two of their horses to the saddle of a third, on which they rode alternately, while the other two rode in a carriage. This journey to Paris and back took them more than a month. Thus, d'Artagnan deprived me of the opportunity to organize Fouquet's escape for another month.

Chapter 308

Perhaps I was too carried away by the story of Fouquet and how d'Artagnan guarded him. My friendly relations with him completely exhausted themselves as I followed his fate. Fouquet was no longer the same. He was a completely broken man, wishing only to demonstrate his loyalty to the King and his agreement to gratefully accept any royal will regarding his future. After he learned that he was sentenced to life imprisonment, he realized that the King had always either hated him or feared him, or most likely both. He also realized that the trial was a farce. Was it worth three years to dissect this case piece by piece in order to pass a verdict, which the King threw away like a used dinner napkin, he lost all interest in it, making sure that he had hidden the unfortunate prisoner quite safely in a fortress tested for strength by d' Artagnan himself . I, of course, would not mind releasing Fouquet, but, rather, for the reasons that it would not be bad to at least bring this matter to an end and annoy the King and Colbert with this.
Louis asked d'Artagnan with great interest about how reliable the Pignerol fortress was, to which the captain gave His Majesty comprehensive information proving that, in his opinion, the fortress was reliable, and there was no doubt about the loyalty of de Saint-Mars.
“You are therefore convinced that Pignerol is more reliable than Bastille, and de Saint-Mars is more reliable than de Bezmeaux?” - asked the King.
“Your Majesty, both fortresses are good, and both commandants perform their duties with dignity,” answered d’Artagnan.
“I appreciate your desire to stand up for your former colleague and friend the Marquis de Bezmeaux, Monsieur d’Artagnan, but you seem to have forgotten about one of his offenses?” - the King clarified. “He allowed the release of a prisoner who should not have been released under any circumstances!”
“The man who came for him had an order for his release, so the general simply obeyed the order,” answered d’Artagnan.
“But I didn’t sign such an order,” Louis objected. “Those who released him used an extremely skillfully forged document, either forced General de Bezmo to ignore obvious signs of forgery, or, even worse, influenced him without any documents.
“I investigated the matter,” answered d’Artagnan. - It turns out that he is firmly convinced that he did not let anyone out of the Bastille. His prisoner was visited only twice by one noble person. The second time he appeared with his companion, who was wearing a mask. And although de Bezmo assures that he was much taller than his prisoner, so that he completely rules out that there was a substitution, I think that the poor marquis was tricked. This man probably had boots with extremely large heels on the soles, which the Marquis did not pay attention to.
- Bezmo did not have the right to allow anyone to see the prisoner, thereby he violated the order of the First Minister Richelieu, confirmed by the First Minister Mazarin! - exclaimed Louis. “I didn’t cancel this rule because I didn’t know anything about it.” Therefore, Bezmo is far from flawless!
“But in order to punish him, he will have to explain his guilt, which could have the most dire consequences, since it will attract unnecessary attention to the prisoner who should remain in the shadows,” said d’Artagnan.
“You are absolutely right, captain, but de Bezmo has proven that he is an unreliable commandant of the Bastille,” replied Louis.
“Well, prisoners sometimes manage to escape from prisons,” answered d’Artagnan. “The Duke de Beaufort was not the first noble person to escape from the King’s jailers.
“ I know the story,” the King answered dryly. “And yet I can no longer trust de Bezmo.” All the time that the prisoner, whom I will not name, is in the Bastille, I am restless. Can you, Monsieur d'Artagnan, guarantee for Monsieur de Saint-Mars that he will not make a mistake like the one made by de Bezmeaux?
“I can vouch for this even if he is not warned about the special measures for keeping the prisoner,” answered d’Artagnan. “And if I am allowed to carry out explanatory work with him, separately explaining to him the inadmissibility of any meetings between this prisoner and anyone else, I can vouch for him as for myself.”
“That’s enough for me,” answered the King. “You couldn’t give me the same guarantee for Monsieur de Bezmo?”
“I have not had the honor of serving closely with the Marquis for too long to give such guarantees for him, but it does not follow from this that I deny his loyalty to Your Majesty,” answered d’Artagnan.
“You are quite delicate, d’Artagnan, but, fortunately, your devotion to me and your honesty are higher than your friendly relations with your former colleagues,” the King concluded. “I testify that you did not cast a single word on de Bezmo’s devotion, but still finally convinced me of what I have been thinking about for a long time.” I believe that the prisoner known to you should be transported as quickly as possible to Pignerol under the care of de Saint-Mars, since this will be safer than his stay in the Bastille.
“If I were allowed to evaluate Your Majesty’s decisions, I would call this decision extremely wise,” answered d’Artagnan. “But my duty is not to reason, but to carry out Your Majesty’s orders.”
“Of course,” the King answered and nodded. “Tomorrow you will receive an order to transfer the said person to Pignerol, and tomorrow you will set off.” But we should not draw attention to this action, so you should not take a hundred musketeers. Limit yourself to twenty. You must promise me that under no circumstances will you release the prisoner.
“I would rather allow myself to be killed a thousand times than allow him to be freed!” - exclaimed d'Artagnan.
- I do not like it! - objected the King. - If the condition for his release is your death, this does not suit me, because there may be people who agree to such a price! You will not allow yourself to be killed, Monsieur d'Artagnan! If you allow this to happen, you will not only upset me extremely, but I will consider you a traitor. You are obliged to save your life, because if there is a danger of releasing this prisoner, you must not allow this even if you are killed. Even from the dead I will ask you for this failure! I will deprive your children of nobility and inheritance, I will curse you! Do you understand me, Monsieur d'Artagnan? You can only allow yourself to be killed if you kill this prisoner first. I am not kidding! If you cannot prevent his release, you must prevent him from being released alive. He has the right to live only if he is in your hands and completely in your power, or if you hand him over to Monsieur de Saint-Mars, for whom you have vouched for yourself. No one else should control his freedom and his destiny.
“I understand everything, Your Majesty, I will do everything exactly,” answered d’Artagnan. “If circumstances develop such that I cannot further escort this prisoner, my sword will resolve this issue, after which, with your permission, I will also kill myself, since I will not be able to live after I raise my hand against the royal person.”
“This option saddens me extremely, but I accept your choice,” answered the King. “If you cannot deliver the prisoner to Pignerol, then you will do what you must, after which you can dispose of yourself and your life as you see fit, but not before that.”
D'Artagnan bowed as a sign that he understood everything, and the King dismissed him with a gesture.
“What cruelty towards your own brother! - thought d'Artagnan. “Cowardice makes people extremely cruel!” Your own well-being on the scales of reason weighs more than a human life, than dozens of lives, and perhaps hundreds! When decisions are made without conscience, personal gain can outweigh perhaps even thousands of other people's lives! How sad this is!”
“There is one more question that I still haven’t cleared up! - thought the King. “D’Artagnan has just demonstrated his devotion to his former comrades in arms, a devotion that almost outweighed his duty of service!” This is not good! After all, the conspirators, as we found out, were once my captain’s best friends! Colbert warned me that he would not betray friendship even for the sake of loyalty to his King! This assumption has not been proven, but it has not been disproved either! Perhaps he did not contribute to the fact that one of his friends, the main conspirator, disappeared, but it cannot be ruled out that he still somehow helped him. D'Artagnan assures that if the orders prepared by Colbert had not prevented him from acting, he would have arrested both conspirators. This has not been refuted, but it has not been proven either! D'Artagnan served me faithfully against Fouquet, but Fouquet was never his friend! Did he serve me so faithfully against the former Bishop of Vannes and Baron du Valon? It's unknown! This should not be checked until he has brought Philippe to Pignerol under the guardianship of Saint-Mars! But when he returns and reports to me that this order has been completed, I will have to have a serious conversation with him about this former Bishop of Vannes, this d’Herblay! He must be faithful to me to the end, my captain of the musketeers, regardless of the camaraderie, brotherhood of colleagues, any kind of strong friendship, or he will have to suffer! Loyalty in its true and original form is measured by the sacrifice you are willing to make to your master. After all, the Lord tested Abraham’s devotion by forcing him to sacrifice his son Isaac! It seems that this Baron du Valon was named Isaac! Significant, nothing can be said! But he died by accident! Will d' Artagnan be able to find his friend d'Herblay for me and sacrifice him to confirm his devotion to me? I don't have an answer to this question. Life will show".

Chapter 309

The next morning d'Artagnan received the following order:

“An order to M. d'Artagnan to take the prisoner Marquis of Inconnue, known to him, after covering his face with an iron mask to the fortress of Pignerol. On pain of death, prohibit the prisoner from removing it except when he is completely alone and locked with two locks. Entrust the guard of the prisoner to the commandant of the Pignerol fortress, M. de Saint-Mars, under his personal responsibility, giving him the instructions enclosed here
Louis."

- Your Majesty, may I ask, where can I get an iron mask? - asked d'Artagnan.
“I’ve already taken care of that,” answered the King.
With these words, he pointed to the table where the hat box lay. The captain opened it and saw an iron mask. It was made in such a way that it covered the entire face, from the upper lip to the forehead, and in width from ear to ear. It was attached to the head with three rows of leather straps with buckles around the head, as well as one strap from top to bottom to the back of the head. Holes were made in it for the nostrils and eyes.
“The prisoner will be comfortable in it,” said Louis. “I tried it on myself out of curiosity.” She turned out great, didn't she? Its internal part was made according to my measurements, which Sheppelier personally took. I told him that I was going to order a plaster mask for a performance in which I would play the pagan god Mom. After three layers of silk fabric, with the help of wax, a cast was taken of me, from which a plaster blank was made. But then it was given to a blacksmith, who made an iron copy exactly according to its shape. The result is an excellent iron mask. Mom's face as I imagine him. The inside of the mask is lined with corduroy and velvet, so it will not cause any disturbance to the person wearing it. Besides, he won’t wear it all the time. It will be very useful during his movement from the Bastille to Pignerol, but from time to time he will have to communicate with people who will clean up his cell and bring him food. Communication should be limited to a minimum. No one should see him without a mask, no one except you, d'Artagnan. Even Saint-Mars! If I find out that my instructions are being violated, this mask will be put on him forever, the leather straps will be replaced with iron clasps, which will be riveted. He will wear it without taking it off, day and night, and those who saw him should be immediately imprisoned for life , regardless of their nobility and government position. Even if it is the Duke of Orleans. Commoners or people who hide their rank are killed at the slightest attempt to free him or talk to him, or when trying to correspond.
D'Artagnan was horrified, but did not show his emotions. He just bowed his head silently.
“His Majesty decided to make me an eternal jailer,” he thought with annoyance. - However, who else can we entrust a prisoner of this rank to? Moreover, I am the only one privy to this secret, with the exception of the Queen, Aramis and the Duchess de Chevreuse. There’s nothing to be done about it, the King has no choice.”
- How can we explain to Saint-Mars that his power extends so far, even to the most noble people? - asked d'Artagnan.
“Captain, don’t pretend that you are stupider than you really are,” the King replied with some irritation. “He simply should not allow a situation to arise where such high powers would be needed.” His high powers, first of all, extend to the prisoner and those who guard him. To lock him up, to isolate him, to remove him from society, that is his task.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” answered d’Artagnan.
“The prisoner’s maintenance will be sufficient, in accordance with the status of the Duke,” Louis added. - It is unreasonable to keep him as a Prince, in this case the secret will be impossible to keep, it will leak even through granite walls as thick as a toise. Since Fouquet is kept in Pignerol, if someone learns about the noble prisoner’s stay in the fortress, everyone will assume that it is about him.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” repeated d’Artagnan.
“You can get money for travel expenses, a thousand pistoles, from Colbert,” the King thought for a minute. - No, that won't do. I wouldn't like to involve him in this matter.
“I’ll tell him that I’m taking Pekke to a confrontation with Fouquet,” answered d’Artagnan.
“But he won’t ask you about the purpose of your trip,” the King doubted.
“I’ll tell him this in passing,” answered d’Artagnan.
“But in order for Colbert to believe, Pekke must disappear during your trip,” Louis continued to doubt.
“I’ll take it with me,” replied d’Artagnan.
“Pekke will be indignant, since there is no guilt on him, and then, perhaps, he will tell that he did not meet Fouquet,” the King continued to doubt.
“If he gets the opportunity to convey letters to Fouquet from his wife and from Madame du Plessis-Bellier, he will agree to go for the sake of his master,” answered the captain. “I will read these letters first, and we can, as an exception, allow Pekka to deliver these letters to him personally.”
- No, all this is too complicated and confusing, why on earth would I need to arrange a confrontation when the investigation is over? - Louis said in irritation. - Take the money without explaining anything. Or better yet, just say that you have been tasked with checking how securely the Fouquet fortress is maintained.
“If I’m not carrying a prisoner, then why do I need a convoy of even twenty musketeers?” - asked d'Artagnan.
- Damn Colbert sticks his nose into matters that do not concern him and creates difficulties for me! - the King exclaimed and slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair in irritation. - That's what. Tell Colbert that you are on a secret mission, if he dares to ask what it is, just repeat to him that it is secret. Go ahead.
D'Artagnan bowed and left.
“Well, I wasn’t able to please Fouquet with news from the people he loved, but at least I got an excellent opportunity to pull Colbert’s nose,” thought d’Artagnan. “With what pleasure I will tell him that this matter is a secret from himself!”
After this, d'Artagnan left the King in the most excellent mood.

Within an hour, d'Artagnan was in the Bastille, where, having presented the King's order, he entered Philip's cell.
It was a room of two rooms, furnished quite luxuriously, but it still remained a prison cell, since there were metal bars on the windows, the door was also iron and was locked with a bolt from the outside and two locks.
D'Artagnan was sure that no one was listening to him at the door, since he had forbidden this, and de Bezmo, although he was a general, was afraid of the captain of the royal musketeers, who easily communicates with the King every day.
“Monseigneur,” said d’Artagnan. - You are being transferred to another castle. “You will be no less comfortable there than here, and an additional pleasure for you will be the opportunity to ride in a carriage for several days.” I don't promise you a horse ride, but I do guarantee you fresh air. In addition, in the new location, your windows will offer a wonderful view of the sunny slopes covered with pine trees.
- Am I going to Pinerol? - asked Philip.
- Are there pine trees only in Pignerol? - asked d'Artagnan. “However, I didn’t tell you anything, think whatever you want, you won’t be allowed to talk anyway, and to my regret I have to ask you to put on this mask.”
After this, d'Artagnan showed Philip the mask prepared for him by order of the King.
“I see that His Majesty is showing truly brotherly concern for me,” Philip said bitterly. “Well, I obey.”
He resignedly put on the mask and allowed the captain to fasten the straps securing it.

Chapter 310

After this, d'Artagnan picked up the chest with the Prince's belongings and invited him to follow him. Having gone out into the street and making sure that de Bezmo could no longer hear him, but that the guards in the courtyard could not yet hear him, d'Artagnan turned to the prisoner.
- Your Highness, forgive me for not addressing you with the appropriate title in the presence of the commandant.
“I understand, Monsieur d’Artagnan,” Philippe answered calmly.
Having descended into the courtyard of the Bastille, the captain politely opened the door, inviting Philip to sit in the carriage. After the prince took a seat in it, he sat in it and ordered the coachman to leave the gates of the fortress.
The guards waiting for the carriage at the exit from the fortress gates did not see the masked man, and the guards who saw him in the fortress courtyard did not show their surprise in any way.
“We’re going to Pignerol,” said d’Artagnan to his twenty musketeers, who this time formed a rather modest escort, and then ordered the coachman to set off.
The carriage passengers rode in silence for several minutes, after which Philip shuddered deeply and leaned back in his chair.
“Some kind of terrible dream,” he said quietly. - To spend your whole life in prison, after which one morning you wake up in the King’s bed and be the King all day, after which suddenly you are again forcibly returned to the same cell of the same hated prison! Any other prison is already a change.
“Do you think you were King all day?” - inquired d'Artagnan.
“But you doubt it, d’Artagnan.” - asked Philip, taking on the image of the King.
“I have no doubt at all that you considered yourself the King, and that the people you met also took you for the King,” answered the captain. - The question is different. Were you the King of France on this day?
- Why not? - the Prince was surprised.
“You are a Prince by birth, but in order to be a King, it is not enough to be a Prince with the right to inherit the crown of France,” explained d’Artagnan. “The king rules the country, and not only receives relatives and nobles in his office, not only destroys pates, and not only extends his hand to kiss men and women.
- Didn't I rule? - asked Philip.
— What decrees did you issue, Your Highness, when you felt like Your Majesty? - asked the captain.
“I was going to cancel the order for Fouquet’s arrest and take other important actions,” the Prince answered embarrassedly.
“If people were judged by what they were going to do, everyone would be in Paradise,” d’Artagnan answered sadly. “I asked you about what you did as King of France?”
“I didn’t have time to do anything, because one day is so little,” Philip muttered uncertainly. - Over time, I would learn to rule the country as it should.
“ One day is enough to leave behind a trace, a memory, good or bad,” objected d’Artagnan. “Of course, it’s better to do nothing than to do something bad, but can the King afford the luxury of not ruling the country all day?” The state is not a horse that is so obedient that you can let go of the reins from time to time and let it go where it pleases. Even with a horse, this does not always happen without leaving a trace, and not with every horse. The state requires solutions to many problems every day. Your father and your grandfather entrusted a significant share of government affairs to their first ministers, whom they trusted completely. But your brother, Louis XIV , has no longer had a first minister since Cardinal Mazarin died. He announced to the Royal Council that he intended to rule the state himself. And he copes with this task. The daily work of running a country is not only a right and an advantage, it is also a colossal responsibility that requires a lot of mental work, a lot of memory, some experience and skill. In addition, you and the Bishop of Vannes conceived a dangerous enterprise, as a result of which you had to completely replace your brother, replace him so that no one would notice this substitution.
“It seems to me that no one noticed, didn’t it?” - asked Philip. “In any case, everyone addressed me as the King.”
- You forget that I noticed this and did something to restore the status quo ,” objected d’Artagnan. “Maybe someone else noticed, but was afraid to admit it to themselves, or did not believe their eyes or ears, since it is very difficult to imagine such a thing.” It is impossible to believe in your existence, in the fact that you were hidden for so many years, and that you remained so similar to your brother that the substitution was not visible at first glance. The absence of one tooth, or a slightly different hair color, a couple of differently located birthmarks, or only a slightly different posture, in a word, something almost imperceptible, was enough for the substitution to become obvious! Fate has played a cruel joke on you: you are ideally similar to your brother, despite the fact that your brother is the King of France, and he has already been crowned, so your rights to inherit this crown are actually and legally insignificant. In order for no one to notice the substitution, you should learn to speak like him, repeat gestures, even those that he makes unconsciously. Some of your gestures are similar to his even without preparation. This is probably explained by your natural sameness, but he acquired something in the process of upbringing and growing up that is not in you, and you acquired something that is not in him. Your brother speaks fluent Spanish, understands English and Italian quite well, he is trained to dance, fencing, shoot muskets and hunting rifles, drive game, court women, give compliments, he knows how to be kind and tough, knows how to agree or demand unconditional obedience, depending on the circumstances. He, after all, has an individual handwriting and signature, which he uses to sign a wide variety of government documents. This signature may change from case to case, but it still remains his signature, that is, it is not enough to copy one of the versions of his signature and copy it extremely accurately on each document. You just have to sign like him – the same and different at the same time. His handwriting should be yours, his tone of voice yours, his demeanor in all infinitely varied situations yours. Did you hope that all this would come by itself?
“I see now what a hopeless adventure it was,” said the ashamed Philip. - Tell me your opinion, how it could have ended if you had not intervened?
“I can’t say for sure, but most likely there would be people who would be observant and smart enough to, after a few days or a few weeks, be completely convinced that the one who occupies the throne of the King and pretends to be him is not Louis XIV . - Said d'Artagnan. “These people could have some kind of plan to extract personal benefit from this situation.” Someone might want to overthrow you, such as the official brother of the King, Philippe, called Monsieur, that is, the Duke of Orleans. If King Louis XIV were officially declared absent, and you were an impostor, his double, then I am not convinced that you would retain the crown and power. If you were overthrown and the real King was found, chaos would reign in the country, because there would be those who would advocate for your rights, sincerely considering it fair, or hoping to profit from such a change, but there would also be those who would not would stand for your brother, the rightful King of France. The state would split into two approximately equal parts, as the Duke of Richelieu feared so much. Perhaps someone would put forward the idea of placing Monsieur on the throne, since the King's son is still too young. There could be other contenders for the throne, given that Monsieur has no desire to rule the state at all; he was raised in such a way that he would not repeat the fate of his and your uncle Gaston d'Orl;ans, who constantly participated in some kind of conspiracies against his older brother and sovereign. So even if he himself did not claim the throne, there could be those who would forcefully nominate him and begin to seek his confirmation as King of France. In any case, I do not think that the circumstances could be favorable for France and for you personally. Only if Ar... If Monsieur d'Herblay would constantly and carefully take care of you, would sign state papers for you until you yourself mastered the King's handwriting, would tell you how to answer questions asked not only in Spanish, but and in French, if he became a permanent mentor for you, this idea could work.
- He promised me exactly this! - Philip exclaimed.
- Did you promise? - D'Artagnan asked skeptically. - How many hours did he spend next to you during those 24 hours while you were pretending to be the King?
“It seems no more than two hours,” Philip answered and blushed deeply.
“No more than half an hour,” said d’Artagnan. - If you count from the moment when you first appeared before someone other than him, and when you needed his help especially urgently, he did not spend even two minutes with you. By placing you on the throne, he pursued only his own interests, not yours, and as soon as his interests began to contradict yours, there was no trace of him. He didn’t even stop by to say goodbye to you and give you some final advice.
“That’s true,” Philip agreed and plunged into dark thoughts.
The travelers drove on for about half an hour in complete silence, each one indulging in his own thoughts.
“And yet I don’t regret anything!” - Philip suddenly said firmly.
“I’m sorry,” d’Artagnan responded.
- About the fact that they did not leave me on the throne, becoming my adviser instead of Monsieur d'Herblay? - Philip asked with animation.
- About the fact that you took the throne not when you were ready for it, but when it was needed by a person capable of extracting you from the Bastille and carrying out a daring plan to kidnap the real King and take his place with you. - answered d'Artagnan. “Your first step into freedom, your first act as King, was to become a plaything in the hands of circumstances and in the hands of a man who desperately and urgently needed to change those circumstances. Nobody took your rights and needs into account, so your actions could not lead to their satisfaction. You were not given the opportunity to prepare for this serious mission, so you were doomed to failure.
- How could I prepare for this mission? - asked Philip.
“I won’t tell you this, because you’re unlikely to get a second chance.” Although, if I were going to do such an audacity, I would at least read at least two books. Firstly, the history of France and its surrounding countries, at least for the last twenty to thirty years. Secondly, it would not be amiss to read a small book by Messire Nicolo Machiavelli. Thirdly, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to learn to at least understand Spanish, or at least read. For example, I found an interesting book in M. Fouquet’s library. Please note that there are chapters on the history of France, Italy, Spain, England and Holland, as well as the work of Machiavelli that I mentioned. But, for example, the publication of the same book in Spanish. I’m curious why Mr. Superintendent needed exactly the same book in Spanish? I was going to ask him about this, we had a short trip together in this carriage, but we were distracted by conversation, so I did not satisfy my curiosity,” with these words d’Artagnan casually threw both books onto the seat opposite him. on which they both sat.
Philip looked at both books with curiosity.
“Do you believe, Mister Captain, that reading books can turn a prisoner into a King?” - he asked.
“No, monsignor, but I believe that neglect of reading can make a prince a slave, an eternal prisoner and a person forever deprived of the desire and ability to think, make decisions, take responsibility for them and for their implementation,” answered d’Artagnan . “You have a very significant privilege in comparison with M. Fouquet.” He is forbidden to keep more than one book in his cell at a time, but there was no such order for you. You can keep at least a whole library. So you won't be bored. But you will not be able to transmit any messages to the outside world, so you cannot even ask for a specific book to be sent to you, since it may turn out to be an encrypted message. You will have to be content with the books that will be provided to you, or those that you have time to ask me for while we are going to Pignerol. It’s not forbidden for me to communicate with you. True, if the King suddenly decides to visit you in your imprisonment, you will be able to present your requests to him, but I would not count on this visit. Most likely, it will never happen.
“In that case, Monsieur d’Artagnan, I ask you for these two books!” - Philip exclaimed.
“Okay, but don’t try to return them to me or M. Fouquet,” replied d’Artagnan. - Any book that gets to you will not have to leave your room after that. Either you keep it or it will be burned immediately after you return it, you will be told to put it in an opaque envelope and burn it with the envelope without opening it. For this reason, I ask you not to order expensive works of art or antique books for yourself, which are of great historical value for future generations. But how do I know which books to send you?
“I rely entirely on your taste, Monsieur d’Artagnan,” answered Philip. “I beg you to stay for a day in Pignerol after you have taken me to my new prison and collect for me there such books as you think I should read in order to correspond to the mission that I failed.”
— Do you hope to return? - D'Artagnan asked in disbelief.
“I just want to be who I was born to be, no less than my brother is!” - Philip exclaimed hotly. “I may never need it, but I have the right to receive an education worthy of me.” If there are no teachers for me, I will educate myself!
- This is the kind of conversation I like, Your Highness! - answered d'Artagnan. “You will, of course, also want to get some books in simpler Spanish in order to learn the native language of your mother the Queen?”
- Definitely! - Philip exclaimed. - And if there is one, a dictionary that explains the pronunciation of Spanish words!
— Do you think such books exist? - the captain asked doubtfully. - Well, if there is at least one such book in Pignerol, it will be yours. If I don’t find one, I will do everything in my power to ensure that you receive such a book a little later.
“You are extremely kind, Monsieur d’Artagnan!” - Philip exclaimed.
After these words, he grabbed a book written in French and began to read it carefully.
-Your Highness! - said d'Artagnan. — I'm tired and intend to take a short nap. I advise you to do the same, but if you prefer to read while it’s still light enough, I don’t mind . And don't try to escape. I sleep very lightly, the doors are locked, the windows are barred, and on both sides of the carriage there are ten musketeers who are ordered to kill you if you try to escape and they cannot bring you back. I would not want such a sad end to our walk together, which began with such interesting and instructive conversations for both of us. Submit to your fate, think that this is only for a while, and then it will be easier for you to endure all the hardships, and perhaps someday Fate will submit to you.
After these words, the captain raised his collar, pulled his hat down on his forehead and fell asleep almost instantly.

Chapter 311

Arriving in Pignerol, d'Artagnan came to the fortress to the commandant and his former quartermaster Benin de Saint-Mars.
- My dear de Saint-Mars, my friend, remember, when I ordered the castle to be rebuilt so that it could comfortably accommodate another prisoner, you expressed great surprise at the need for this? - he asked.
- Yes, of course, I remember, Mister Captain! - confirmed Saint-Mars. “But it was not this that surprised me, but your order to place Fouquet in the worst apartment of the two, each of which consists of two rooms.” Are you really expecting a person more distinguished than Fouquet?
- Yes and no, dear Saint-Mars! - answered d'Artagnan. - I’m not expecting it, but I’ve already brought it. But I assure you that not a single noble person was arrested in the coming years, as you can easily verify. Nevertheless, the prisoner whom I brought to you should be kept like a Prince, or at least no worse than a Marquis. Here is the order, as well as detailed instructions, all signed by our glorious King and certified by the state seal. A matter of national importance, top secret and extremely delicate.
Saint-Mars was surprised to read the order for the detention of a prisoner in the Pignerol fortress, designated by the name of the Marquis of Inconnue.

“An order to M. d'Artagnan to take the prisoner Marquis of Inconnue, known to him, after covering his face with an iron mask to the fortress of Pignerol. On pain of death, prohibit the prisoner from removing it except when he is completely alone and locked with two locks. Entrust the guard of the prisoner to the commandant of the Pignerol fortress, M. de Saint-Mars, under his personal responsibility, giving him the instructions enclosed here
Louis."


After Saint-Mars read this document, d'Artagnan handed him a memorandum on the detention of the prisoner.

Memorandum regarding the detention of the Marquis Inconnue
 
Monsieur B;nin Duvernus de Saint-Mars, commandant of the fortress of Pignerol, while keeping the Marquis of Inconnue in custody, the following is ordered:
1. Eliminate any communication between the prisoner and anyone, verbal, gestures or correspondence, and completely prevent the prisoner from transmitting any information to anyone. Consider this requirement to be the most important.
2. In case of extreme need for communication, the prisoner should use only the following method: show one finger as a sign that he requires additional food or is not satisfied with the food provided to him, two fingers as a sign that he needs a change of clothes, bed linen or cleaning of the room, three fingers as a sign that he would like to receive new books, four fingers as a sign that he would ask to take away something unnecessary, five fingers as a sign that he needs something beyond what is listed.
3. If the prisoner raised five fingers, communication with him is allowed exclusively to the captain of the royal musketeers, Charles d'Artagnan, for which he must be summoned by letter or courier; before his arrival, no communication with the prisoner is allowed to anyone.
4. In all other matters, Monsieur de Saint-Mars is completely subordinate only to my additional orders or to Monsieur Charles d'Artagnan and no one else.
5. During any movements of the prisoner outside the cell, he is ordered to wear an iron mask without taking it off.
6. In cases of an inevitable meeting between a prisoner and staff to clean the room, change bed linen, receive food, books, etc., the prisoner must wear an iron mask and remain silent, and not make any attempts at contact, including through gestures or notes.
7. It is not allowed to accept any notes from the prisoner, and the prisoner is not given items for recording.
8. The individual transfer of Monsieur de Saint-Mars to the position of commandant of another fortress or the specified prisoner to another fortress is excluded; Monsieur de Saint-Mars is responsible for the maintenance of the prisoner until the cancellation of this memorandum or until the transfer of this responsibility to another commandant by my special order; Until then, the prisoner must follow Monsieur de Saint-Mars, and Monsieur de Saint-Mars must accompany the prisoner everywhere outside the fortress of Pignerol. These movements are carried out exclusively on my additional orders, and nothing else.
9. In everything connected with the prisoner, the strictest secrecy must be observed from everyone without exception. Only the minimum and most necessary information is permissible to report exclusively for the performance of functions related to the maintenance of the prisoner, such as the need for cooking, washing, cleaning and other material support for maintenance.
10. M. d'Artagnan will give additional instructions orally.

In case of non-compliance with these measures, the perpetrators will be roughly punished, the prisoner will be subject to stricter conditions of detention, leather belts will be replaced with metal ones, a mask will be placed on him for life without the possibility of removing it, of which he must be notified in order to stop attempts at disobedience.
Louis"

“I have already notified him and, as a sign of familiarization with this memorandum, he, as you can see, put a cross on it, lower left,” said d’Artagnan. “You understand, dear Saint-Mars, that this name only means that the prisoner has no name, or, more precisely, his name cannot be pronounced.” But you will write him down in the accounting book under his real name. You make an entry in the journal, and I will write the prisoner’s name there myself.
By the way, this journal is still kept in the fortress and there is nothing easier to make sure that the name of the prisoner is written in a different handwriting, the handwriting of my friend d'Artagnan.
“ Whether to write him down under the name of the Marquis of Inconnue, it’s the same as announcing to the whole world that the prisoner has no name,” thought d’Artagnan. “We need some kind of name that doesn’t raise any questions.” Damn me, for the service I rendered to His Majesty in connection with this prisoner, I should have been offered a marshal's baton! And now I also have to take responsibility for the question of under what name to record it! Inventing a name is something I haven’t done yet, unlike Athos, Porthos and Aramis, whatever name I received from my parents is what I wear! Should I call it Coconut, Apricot or Cypress? Or maybe name it with a hint of the position of marshal? Shall we say Marsialli? Well, in any case, I won’t forget this name.”
“The prisoner’s name is Marchialli,” said d’Artagnan. — Hercule Antonio Marsialli. I will enter it into the accounting book myself. So, you have already read the King's order and the memorandum. The memo states that I will verbally outline the details of your mission. The prisoner must always be wearing an iron mask, the same one that is now on him whenever anyone can see him. He can take it off when he is alone, but put it on before anyone comes to him. So your employees should give him advance notice of his visit. You will place him in the best rooms, so placing Fouquet in slightly worse rooms is entirely in accordance with His Majesty's orders. The prisoner is forbidden to enter into conversations or correspondence with anyone, I alone have the right to communicate with him, but I do not intend to stay with him here for a long time. So I'll just take a look at how he works, listen to possible complaints from him, which I hope there won't be, and requests, which I think there won't be too many. He's quite amenable, your prisoner. I will leave for him books that he is allowed to have, but it is strictly forbidden for anyone to read or even just examine them after they are in his hands. In order to exclude the use of books for any messages, everything that comes out of his hands and is no longer needed by him must be immediately destroyed. Books, like anything else that can be marked on, must be burned immediately. The laundry must be washed by an illiterate washerwoman who is completely unable not only to read, but even to distinguish one letter from another. Find one. And by the way, you are not a Jesuit, my friend?
“No, captain,” answered de Saint-Mars.
- Nice to hear! - answered d'Artagnan. “The Jesuits will probably approach you, looking for contacts with your new prisoner, as well as with the old one.” You must drive all Jesuits away from you, this is an indispensable condition, consider it an order from the King. I’ll tell you a secret that the main Jesuit is Monsieur d’Herblay, my good friend, whom you, of course, remember from his musketeer past. Lately he has been called the Bishop of Vannes, but you know him under the name Aramis. So, if Aramis comes to you, do not let him on the threshold and do not communicate with him at all. Because if you offend him by refusing any of his requests, he will kill you. If you are careless to fulfill even one of his requests, then I will kill you. No requests from Mr. Aramis. Even if he asks you for a glass of water or offers you a grape or a flower to smell. Absolutely nothing. No negotiations, no requests, no favors for old times sake, like a musketeer to a musketeer, do not approach him, do not talk to him even from the window of the fourth floor of your fortress. Let the guards with their visors down tell him to get out, addressing him from the fortress wall. If you allow Aramis or his men to enter the castle for even a second, you will have a bad time. But don't do any harm to him. If you decide to shoot him, I will hang you on the gates of your fortress. And if on his behalf or on his own behalf Monsieur Baron du Valon, whom you, of course, remember under the name of Porthos, appears to you, the most prudent thing would be not to let him into the castle. Strengthen all the doors in the castle and bars on the first floor in advance. The fortress gates are good, but this is not enough, the rest of the doors are flimsy. Porthos is tearing out iron rods three of my fingers thick from the stone wall as if they were willow branches. By the way, additional doors, also iron, should be hung on the rooms of your new prisoner. Let interior doors open inward and exterior doors outward. It will be better this way.
“Apparently, your instructions also apply to the Count de La F;re, formerly Athos?” - asked Saint-Mars.
“The Count will not disturb you,” answered d’Artagnan. “He has nothing to do here in Pignerol, he has finally settled in Blois and does not plan to leave there even if Blois goes under water or a comet crashes on his house.
“But if he does show up, I shouldn’t enter into any conversations with him either?” - asked Saint-Mars.
“It doesn’t depend on you; entering into conversations with the count requires a strong desire on his part, and he is extremely taciturn,” answered d’Artagnan. - If he wants to talk to you, you will not be able to avoid the conversation. As for his demands, Athos almost never demands anything from anyone, but if he demands something, then the Lord himself is on his side. Those who do not comply with his demands end badly, although not by his hand. I believe that retribution comes from the right hand of the Lord.
“It seems I lied,” thought d’Artagnan. “After all, I completely forgot that Athos not so long ago dared to express his demands even to the King, and it was not the King who ended badly from this!”
“But I must not obey anyone, including Athos,” replied Saint-Mars. “So if he does show up, I won’t talk to him either.”
“It makes sense, but Athos will not come to you, there is nothing to discuss,” d’Artagnan continued. “Most of all, beware of the Jesuits.” Learn to recognize them. Aramis has a great influence on them; he is their leader, at least in France, but perhaps not only in France. You are responsible to His Majesty for two of the most important criminals of the state, and neither of them should flee as Beaufort did. I must tell you that it was Aramis and Athos who organized Beaufort’s escape, so if there was a chance that they would unite in order to extract Fouquet from Pignerol or your new prisoner, or both at once, you would have a tough time. In this case, it would be better for you to inform me as soon as possible. But, I repeat, Athos will not interfere in this matter. And Aramis alone, without his help, will not break into the fortress, which is fortified according to my drawings; your prudence and efficiency will be enough to resist his machinations. But warn your people that they should not try to kill Aramis. This is in their interests too.
“I understand everything, and I will deal with these problems,” Saint-Mars replied. - It is necessary to combine a respectful attitude towards the prisoner, concern for his physical health and comfort with the peculiarity that not a single person, including me, sees his face or communicates with him, does not receive any information in the form of letters, notes, gestures, marks on linen or books and the like.
“You are an amazingly intelligent man, Mr. Saint-Mars, I never doubted you, and His Majesty quite rightly entrusted this important and secret mission to you,” the captain answered and smiled across the entire width of his Gascon face.
-Will you dine with me, Mr. Captain? - Saint-Mars will ask.
- Definitely! - answered d'Artagnan. - I’ll have dinner and breakfast. I will stay with you until I finish all my business. But first of all, let's place the prisoner in his new quarters and give rest to my twenty musketeers, who are tired from the journey.
- But these are my colleagues, I know them all by name! - exclaimed Saint-Mars. — I also invite all of them to the table!
- Magnificent, dear Saint-Mars! - answered d'Artagnan. “But let’s finish things first.”
After this, the prisoner, in complete silence, proceeded to the cell offered to him, where a sumptuous dinner and good furnishings awaited him, the doors closed behind him, two heavy bolts and two locks separated him from the rest of the world, free and henceforth inaccessible to him.

Chapter 312

D'Artagnan purchased many books on history and politics for Philip, ordered them to be delivered to the door of the cell, after which he personally carried all these stacks of books into his apartment.
“My Prince, even if you don’t like three-quarters of the books I bought, you will have enough to do for the near future,” he said. - as soon as they run out, I will make sure that you have new ones.
- Thank you, Captain d'Artagnan! - said Philip. “In one of the books that you gave me on the first day of my stay here, I found the latest information about the most noble families of France. I was interested in one family.
- Which one exactly? - asked d'Artagnan.
“The family of Marshal de Gramont,” Philippe answered quietly.
“Oh, that,” said d’Artagnan quietly, “Well, Marshal de Gramont’s devotion to His Majesty in all periods, including the most severe, is worthy of all praise.” His son, Comte de Guiche, is also a very worthy person, although, apparently, it is in vain that he is so keen on Madame, the wife of your younger brother Philippe of Orleans. As for the marshal's daughter, Catherine Charlotte, in 1660 she married Louis Velantinois, Prince of Monaco, so now she is the Princess of Monaco.
“She got married,” Philip repeated sadly.
“This sometimes happens to women,” said d’Artagnan and looked into the young man’s face with sympathy.
In d'Artagnan's presence, Philippe was not required to wear a mask.
“How similar he is to Louis externally, and how different internally! So romantic! It seems that he is capable of loving one woman all his life, in spite of everything, while Louis cannot limit himself to one even for six months!”
“By the way, it’s less than twenty-five leagues from here to Monaco,” said d’Artagnan, as if casually. — Four hours on horseback at a light trot. You, of course, will not be allowed to take such a walk, but perhaps this very thought will brighten up your stay here in Pignerol.
“But she’s married,” Philip whispered.
“Believe me, dear Prince, this is not the main obstacle to your pleasant conversation with her,” answered d’Artagnan. “If you were ever given back your freedom, your stay might cause some unpleasant moments for the Prince of Monaco, since I cannot guarantee that you would not have the chance to say to Catherine Charlotte what you, apparently, have already said more than once.” to her in her dreams or in her dreams.
Philip blushed deeply and was embarrassed.
“Don’t suppress your feelings, Your Highness,” advised d’Artagnan. “If the Lord is willing to grant you freedom, and you are willing to fight for your love, it may happen that you will receive that desired prize that now seems unattainable to you.” We are all in the hands of God, and the one who today thinks that he has no prospects, tomorrow may have much more than the one who now believes that he has everything he wants. Life is changeable, it is not for nothing that the Goddess of Fate, Fortuna, is called the most capricious and unpredictable lady. As they say, if you want to make God laugh, share with him your plans for tomorrow.
- So this means my life is not completely ruined yet? - asked Philip.
- Holy God! - exclaimed d'Artagnan. - This question is being asked to me by a twenty-year-old youth, the Crown Prince by birth, to me, who is three times his age, the son of a poor noble family? Remember, Your Highness, no matter how capricious Fortune may be, a strong man always remembers that she is a woman, and you can come to an agreement with a woman, or cope in another way. Women rule men of weak character not because they want to, but because Mother Nature herself forces them to test the strength of character of those men who have the misfortune of being nearby, only to find one of them with a character so strong that they they won’t be able to twirl them like a fan at a ball, so they have only one thing left - to obey them, which they do with joy!
“So you’re saying that Fortune can be made to obey you?” - Philip exclaimed.
“That’s exactly what I do from time to time, and believe me, Fortune is far from the most disobedient lady!” - answered d'Artagnan. “Ladies of flesh and blood can be much more difficult to control than the Goddess of Fate!” However, I must stop communicating with you, because although I am allowed to do so as an exception, it is only for a short time and for the sake of business. Anything you might be interested in asking me should have done on the way here. We had a pretty nice conversation anyway. Now I have to take my leave. If you have any other requests, please express them to me immediately, or leave them until my next visit to you, if that happens.
“Thank you, Monsieur d’Artagnan, I have no more questions or requests,” answered Philip. “You’ve already done too much for me, besides ruining my life to the ground.” Perhaps your actions were guided by the Savior himself, so I hold no grudge against you and forgive you my defeat.
“I saved France from Chaos, and you, Prince, from yourself,” answered d’Artagnan. “And I also saved another person from myself—the Bishop of Vannes.” Although he probably wouldn't agree with me. I wish you fortitude and patience, find solace in reading, pleasure in knowledge, draw vitality from hopes, and everything will be fine. Farewell, Your Highness.
Philip made an impulse to shake the captain's hand or even hug him, but the captain had already left the apartment and closed the doors behind him.
D'Artagnan's return route lay through Lyon. He did not expect to meet any of his acquaintances on the way.
However, driving along the central street of Lyon, he discovered an unusual crowd in the square.
At first he was going to drive around the crowd along side streets, but natural Gascon curiosity won out. He sent one musketeer to find out what was going on there. A few minutes later the musketeer returned and reported that the Lyons were having a holiday today, at which an unusual competition would take place, which was not at all accepted in France, but rather befits the Spaniards.
- What kind of competition is there, Jean? - asked d'Artagnan. - Is it really a bullfight?
“Not quite a competition, Mr. Captain, and not quite a bullfight,” answered the musketeer. “But the main characters of the show are a bull and one huge nobleman who promised to knock him down with his bare hands. And the bull, I must say, is a thoroughbred, huge!
A chill ran down D'Artagnan's spine.
“Porthos! - he thought. “What is he doing in Lyon if he should be in England?”
- Tell me, Jean, have you seen this giant up close? - asked the captain.
“No, Mister Captain,” answered Jean. “As soon as I learned about the reasons for the pandemonium, I hastened to inform you.
“I have to figure everything out, and you stay here and wait,” he ordered the rest of the musketeers. “You can drop by this tavern and have a bite to eat, since it’s already time for lunch.” Take me something for the road, we’ll eat on the way.
He gave the musketeers ten pistoles and headed into the thick of the crowd. The picture he saw caused him both laughter and horror.

Chapter 313

The crowd surrounded some semblance of a ring, in which, on one side, there was a huge bull, and on the other, an athletic nobleman, in whom d'Artagnan immediately recognized Porthos. His powerful torso, muscular arms and legs, tightly set head on a strong neck and his entire figure would never have been confused with anyone else by D'Artagnan. It was Porthos himself, Porthos, whom the King considered dead and for this reason alone did not order him to be found and sent to prison, or worse!
Everyone present believed that the daredevil had no chance against the bull, and only d'Artagnan thought differently, assessing the bull's chances as insignificant. The horror of the situation was that if d'Artagnan had decided to call out to Porthos so that he could hear him, this could significantly increase the bull's chances, which the captain of the musketeers absolutely did not want. However, Porthos' victory in such a glorious duel was certainly also undesirable. She would have made him a celebrity throughout Lyon, and then, lo and behold, his fame could have spread to Paris! It is unlikely that the King deigned to ignore the fact that one of the two conspirators who raised a hand against his sacred person, as it turned out, did not die at all, but openly walks around the cities of France, and even allows himself to participate in folk amusements, receiving prizes for them. strength and courage!
Despite the horror of the situation, the spectacle was extremely comical, since Porthos, a famous dandy, dressed himself up like a scarecrow. His shirt and jacket were clearly too small for him, so he had to rip them open here and there, while his trousers were too big, which suggested that they were not sewn for a person at all, but for some mythical creature, for it was impossible to imagine that there is someone even greater than Porthos. Due to the excessive width, Porthos tied his pants with a regular rope instead of a belt, which made him look like a scarecrow. At the same time, Porthos had obvious attributes of a nobleman - his boots, sword and hat with feathers. But the most amazing thing was that Porthos’s face and hands were black, as if smeared with soot or, rather, shoe polish, and his beard was black, so that he could have been mistaken for a blackamoor, if not for the neck and ears that remained white.
In a word, if Porthos decided to change his appearance, then he changed it in such a way that he attracted the attention of anyone who met him, and not just the most attentive idle onlookers!
“I’ll wait until Porthos puts the bull down, and I’ll try to slowly lead him away from this crowd,” thought d’Artagnan. “But how can we make the crowd forget about this incident?”
Meanwhile, the bull ran up to Porthos, intending to deal with him. Our glorious giant reached forward and grabbed the bull by the nostrils. Despite the fact that the bull was unable to stop immediately, his push into Porthos’ powerful hand almost did not upset the balance of the newly minted bullfighter. Porthos only slightly bent his arm, which allowed him to absorb this shock, as a result of which the bull, subject to strong pressure, accompanied by both pain and humiliation, stopped. Porthos instantly grabbed the bull by the horns with both hands and sharply turned the animal's head clockwise. The bull was forced to submit to such an irresistible force, after which it pressed first on the front left leg, then on the back, after which it simply fell to the side.
The crowd roared and rushed to celebrate the winner. Porthos, who was used to performing such exercises among his peasants, accustomed to such a spectacle, did not at all expect such a reaction from those around him. In confusion, he released the horns of the animal, which immediately jumped to its feet and rose on its hind legs to almost its full height. The crowd fled in horror, and the bull, seeing that his only opponent was the same black-faced giant, rushed at him again, but this time he bowed his head so that Porthos would no longer be able to grab him by the horns with both hands. Without thinking twice, Porthos backhanded the bull with his right hand into his left ear, causing the bull's head to swing to the ground, and his right horn stuck into the ground. The bull was so stunned that he stopped moving, although he remained alive and almost unharmed. Porthos lost all interest in the defeated enemy.
At that moment, d'Artagnan ran up to Porthos, grabbed him by the elbow and quite convincingly shouted almost in his ear: “Porthos, let's run immediately!”
- Why? - Porthos asked in surprise, turning around and recognizing d'Artagnan.
- A good fight awaits us! - exclaimed d'Artagnan, because he knew that it was unlikely that other arguments would force Porthos to leave the lists.
D'Artagnan's sword, which he did not remove from its sheath, and Porthos' titanic hands cleared a path for them in the crowd, after which d'Artagnan dragged Porthos into the carriage that was waiting for him at the corner of the square and slammed the door behind him.
Since the musketeers, whom d'Artagnan ordered to refresh themselves, still remained in the tavern, and only Jean remained at the carriage, d'Artagnan ordered him to drive as quickly as possible away from the square.
When the carriage had driven two blocks away, d'Artagnan stopped the carriage and ordered Jean to go to the tavern for the rest of the musketeers and bring them to him.
- Porthos, you're crazy! - he exclaimed, taking advantage of the absence of witnesses. “Until now, the king considered you dead, and it was very nice, but now he will most likely find out that you are alive, after which you will not escape the death penalty for insulting His Majesty and the attempt on his life!”
- How will he know that I’m alive when I’ve changed my appearance so significantly? - Porthos objected. - Besides, we are in Lyon, and he is in Paris!
“Do you think he doesn’t have detectives in every major city?” - exclaimed d'Artagnan.
“But in order for them to look for me, someone must instruct them to do this, and who will instruct them to do this if the King thinks that I am dead?” - Porthos was surprised.
“There is a certain amount of justice in your words, but, Porthos, you are such a noticeable person!” - D'Artagnan objected. - Any musketeer, any guardsman, and very many of all kinds of nobles of the most varied rank and dignity know you!
- That's nice to hear! - Porthos answered with a smile.
“It would be pleasant if it weren’t so dangerous,” objected d’Artagnan. - Now Jean also saw you and, of course, recognized you. Nineteen more musketeers will soon come here, each of whom knows you by sight.
- But I painted my face! - Porthos was surprised.
“Your facial features have remained unchanged, and, moreover, your figure cannot be confused with anyone else!” - D'Artagnan did not let up.
“Mouston is almost as wide as I am,” Porthos objected.
- Yes, but only he is an ordinary fat man, his height is the most ordinary, his bone is thin, and he owes his thickness to accumulated fat, while you are a giant, a whole head taller than the average person, you have a wide bone, your palm is as wide as two of mine , your arm is thicker than my thigh, I could easily fit both my legs into any of your boots!
“That’s true, but why should I now hide in the basement for the rest of my life?” - Porthos objected.
“That would be ideal, but I told you to go to England!” - continued d'Artagnan. “I explained to you in detail how to get to Monqueville!”
- Yes exactly! Montville! - Porthos was formed. “The thing is that I forgot the name of the place you sent me to, and I lost the piece of paper on which I wrote the name down.” You understand that going to someone who knows where would be completely unreasonable. So I returned to Pierrefonds.
—Have you returned to Pierrefonds? - exclaimed d'Artagnan. “It’s not getting any easier hour by hour!” After all, every dog there knows you! I’m surprised how the King didn’t get word that you were alive!
“I told Muston to introduce me to everyone as my brother Hercule de Porto, my closest relative and heir!” - Porthos answered. “This allowed me to enjoy all my wealth and return to my favorite lifestyle.
- And you think that your people believed in this fairy tale? - D'Artagnan laughed.
- But I seriously changed my appearance! - Porthos objected. “I grew a beard and dyed it black, I painted my face with paint that I bought from a traveling actor. They used her to play some kind of Moor in their performances.
- My God, Porthos, if an actor on stage forgets to paint his ears and neck, he at least covers them with a collar or a wig, but you look completely ridiculous! - D'Artagnan objected. - Why did you change your clothes?
“It’s a long story,” answered Porthos.
“Okay, tell me it a little later,” said d’Artagnan. - Now be quiet. I see my musketeers are returning. Sit here in the carriage, I will return to you soon, we will go together and discuss everything along the way, after which we will decide what to do.
-Where are we going? - Porthos asked.
“That’s the whole problem, that I’m going where you absolutely shouldn’t go!” - exclaimed d'Artagnan. - I'm going to Paris!


Chapter 314

- Why don't we go together? - asked Porthos.
- Dear Porthos, you are acting completely like a child! - answered d'Artagnan almost with a groan, which showed his fatigue from responsibility for the life and fate of a friend who does not want to value them. “How can you not understand that the King orders you to be executed as soon as he finds out that you are alive?” I hoped to hide you in England, and you are amusing yourself in the very center of Lyon so much that you gather around you almost a tenth of all the inhabitants of the city! How did you manage to survive all this time? But your prank today goes beyond all limits! But now the rumor about your feat will reach Paris, after which any Genevan will describe you in such a way that it will simply be impossible not to recognize you by this description. The king will know that you have escaped! And after that I won’t give even one sou for your life!
“I’m alive, and I intend to live, and not hide in cellars and attics!” - exclaimed Porthos. “Baron du Valon de Pierrefonds de Brassier never hid!”
- Because you, Baron du Valon de Pierrefonds de Brassier, are simply impossible to hide, especially with all your restlessness! - D'Artagnan exclaimed in his hearts. - Your body, like your name, would be enough for three people! Oh, if you were a person of ordinary height, with a quiet voice, able to get lost among people, to remain invisible not only in a crowd, but even among a small group of people, how wonderful it would be! How much easier it would be to hide you from the King's spies!
- Well, in this case I would not be Porthos, but Aramis! - Porthos answered and laughed so hard that the arriving musketeers probably flinched in surprise.
“You’re right, but this is not fun at all,” d’Artagnan objected with annoyance.
- Stop it! - Porthos said peacefully. “After all, no one except the King himself knows what happened between us.” You and Aramis don't count. No Colbert and no Seguier are looking for me.
“Not knowing the reasons for the King’s hostility and not receiving a search order are not at all the same thing, dear Porthos.” You and Aramis were wanted with a whole army, and it did not pass without a trace. Your descriptions as state criminals were issued to every officer.
“Three years have passed, everything has been forgotten,” Porthos countered serenely. “It’s like a hare that I had to hide and hide all this time.”
- I can guess how you were hiding! - D'Artagnan grinned. “It’s amazing that you haven’t been found yet!” But now they will definitely find it.
“ Well, okay, I admit that I wasn’t hiding at all,” Porthos agreed. “But this, like the fact that I have not yet been arrested, proves that no one is looking for me, everyone was convinced of my death and crossed me off the lists.”
- Nobles, especially people like you, dear Baron, are not crossed off the lists! - D'Artagnan objected. “Their pedigree stretches through years, decades, even centuries. If you have become a baron, be sure that some heirs are waiting for your death, and they will be very unhappy to find out that you are not actually dead, and continue to use your property, which they already considered their legal inheritance, therefore, their property !
“I have no heirs except myself,” Porthos waved him off.
“Even a beggar has heirs, even if he doesn’t know about it,” insisted d’Artagnan. - And everyone who has the slightest connection with you will want to get the estates that give the right to a baronial title. One of them will turn out to be your mother’s second cousin, the other will be the cousin of your great-nephew, the third baptized your second cousin, the fourth held a candle at your parents’ wedding, the fifth simply lived next door to you and consoled your aunt during her husband’s military campaigns. Now they will all begin to prove their relationship with you.
- But there is also Hercule de Porto, who inherited all my titles, don’t you understand? - Porthos said joyfully. - Isaac de Porteau du Valon died, but his brother Hercule de Porteau du Valon arrived and took over the rights of inheritance! Everything is legal with me!
- Did you have a brother? - D'Artagnan asked in disbelief.
- Surely! - exclaimed Porthos. - And this Hercule is myself! I am my own brother! That's why I changed my appearance: I grew a long beard and darkened my face!
- Are there really idiots who will believe this whole story? - D'Artagnan was surprised.
- All! - Porthos answered joyfully. - Everyone around me calls me Mister Hercule, and Mister de Pierrefonds!
- Yes, they are just playing along with you in your childishness! - D'Artagnan guessed. “If the master orders you to call yourself Hercule, no one will dare to object.” Moreover, I myself called you Hercule several times, not at all because I consider you your brother, but because of your bodily strength and strength!
- Does the name Hercule mean anything? - asked Porthos.
“Of course it means, and now you must complete twelve feats in order to fully live up to this name, since outwardly you match it perfectly!” - answered d'Artagnan. “In my eyes, your first feat would be to disappear from France, but I already see that this is very difficult to accomplish!”
- Why isn’t it easy? - Porthos was surprised. “It’s a stone’s throw from here to Geneva!”
- You are right, dear Porthos! - D'Artagnan answered decisively. - You will go to Geneva immediately! You will not stay a minute in Lyon, because here you were seen, and you were, of course, identified, so first of all they will look for you here.
- So, I'm ready! - Porthos replied, intending to leave d'Artagnan's carriage.
- Where are you going? - D'Artagnan hastily exclaimed. - Stop! Why are you going to go out into the street dressed like this? We will buy you a horse and take you to the western road, only there I will part with you.
“You can do it easier,” Porthos answered. “We’ll stop at the Sunny Lion Hotel, I’ll pick up my things and set off on my horse, accompanied by my Muston and my servant and squire Auguste.” It's not far from here, two streets away.
“So much the better,” replied d’Artagnan. - That's what we'll do. I would love to ask you about your life since we broke up, but there is no time for that. I will be forced to deviate from the course, but this does not bother me, my musketeers will not betray me. And yet I will have to come up with some excuse for the fact that we are now going not to the west, but to the east. Do you have any ideas?
“On the outskirts where we are going, there is one Madame de Lupe, her cook Charlotte prepares excellent pies with truffles and chicken, as well as magnificent buns with apples and cinnamon,” answered Porthos. — I sometimes visit her.
“Everyone knows that I’m not such a gourmet as to deviate from the route for the sake of pies,” objected d’Artagnan.
“The hostess is not bad-looking,” Porthos clarified and blushed deeply.
“Are you suggesting that you pretend to me that I know her and that I’m coming to see her?” - asked d'Artagnan. - Can this be arranged? Won't she give us away?
“I’ll make an agreement with her,” replied Porthos, after which he pretended to examine the upholstery of the seat and began to whistle some frivolous melody so clumsily that d’Artagnan, who did not have an excellent ear for music, although he was not familiar with what Porthos was playing, song, I perfectly understood only that Porthos was shamelessly out of tune.
The friends did exactly as agreed: first they stopped at the Lion Ensoleill; hotel, where they collected Porthos’s things and took his servants and horses, then the whole cortege went to the eastern outskirts of Lyon, and Porthos was hiding in the carriage all this time , then d'Artagnan feigned extreme interest in Madame de Lupe, whose cook named Charlotte prepared excellent pies with chicken and truffles, as well as buns with apples, after which the friends did not deny themselves the said dishes and treated them to d'Artagnan's musketeers at the expense Porthos, then Porthos with Mouston and Auguste went to Geneva, and d'Artagnan with his escort went to Paris.
- This Madame de Lupe is very good! - D'Artagnan whispered to Porthos as they parted. — I approve of your choice. Just don't go back to her until you hear from me that it's safe!
- Of course! - Porthos answered so hastily that d'Artagnan doubted his friend's sincerity.
“I suppose he will return here quite soon,” d’Artagnan thought with annoyance. “It seems to me that he is attracted not so much by Madame de Lupe herself, but by Charlotte and her culinary masterpieces!”

Chapter 315

Returning to Paris, d'Artagnan came to the King. Entering him, d'Artagnan silently bowed and reported on the execution of the order.
“Monsieur d'Artagnan, I am glad to see you,” said the King. “It’s wonderful that you delivered the prisoner to his destination.” I believe that the Pignerol fortress will be secure enough to contain a person who, as you well understand, should in no case be released.
D'Artagnan merely bowed silently in agreement.
“You carry out all my instructions impeccably,” the King continued. “I would like to see only people like you next to me.”
“I am only a servant of Your Majesty,” answered the captain and bowed.
“I remember this,” Louis continued softly. “But I also remember that once you did not carry out my order too diligently, although this was a matter of extreme importance.” Apparently your disobedience is due to the fact that this matter concerned your so-called friends?
“In Your Majesty’s service, all orders have equal force for me,” d’Artagnan lied.
“ Let’s assume so,” agreed the King. - Returning from a trip to the island of Belle-Ile, you explained to me the reasons for your failure quite convincingly, but was your explanation truthful?
“I would not dare to lie to Your Majesty,” answered d’Artagnan, deciding to lie as brazenly as possible. - Any enemy of Your Majesty automatically becomes my enemy, any friend of yours is my friend, such is my duty as a loyal subject.
- These are reasonable words! - The King praised his captain. “However, I believed that you are one of my best servants, and that nothing is impossible for you!” But, as it turned out, you were unable to carry out my order to just arrest two people!
“These two people took refuge on an inaccessible island,” answered d’Artagnan.
“The commandant of the island was obliged to obey my order, and in case of disobedience you had to use force,” the King objected.
“My powers were interrupted by people who had letters that gave them power over me,” the captain clarified. “On the basis of these letters, they almost arrested me and, in any case, deprived me of any power. It seems that I have already provided Your Majesty with a detailed explanation of this episode.
“That’s right, Monsieur d’Artagnan, your explanations were given orally and then in writing, as I demanded, but one small problem arose in connection with these explanations,” answered the King.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty,” the captain replied.
“Aren’t you interested in what kind of trouble I’m talking about?” - asked Louis.
“I am interested in everything that Your Majesty deigns to communicate,” said d’Artagnan with an air of naiveness and submission.
“You should have arrested and brought to the Bastille the Bishop of Vannes, this same d’Herblay, as well as his accomplice Baron du Valon,” continued the King. “You explained to me that the execution of my order was prevented by officers loyal to me, who were entrusted with protecting you from irreparable mistakes.” You also referred to the statement that Baron du Valon was killed and d'Herblay departed by sea to an unknown destination.
“That’s how it really was,” answered d’Artagnan.
- Where does this information come from? - Louis inquired.
“From local residents,” said the captain.
“In other words, from their accomplices,” the King concluded. —Have you seen the corpse of Baron du Valon?
“This turned out to be impossible, since it was covered with a huge stone,” said d’Artagnan.
“You should have lied to as many soldiers as necessary, told them to move the stone or dig, or otherwise remove the baron’s body so that I could be sure that he was dead.”
“It didn’t occur to me,” answered d’Artagnan.
- Very strange! - exclaimed the King. “Your mind is always so enterprising, you always know how to find a way out of the most seemingly hopeless situation, but suddenly you didn’t realize that if you failed to deliver the prisoner, you should at least deliver his corpse?”
“I thought about it, but I decided that the first thing I should do is report to Your Majesty about the fugitive, since the matter of extracting the corpse can be postponed, while the capture of the fugitive cannot be postponed,” d’Artagnan continued to justify himself. “As soon as I had the opportunity to revisit Belle-Ile, I went to the place of the baron’s death and undertook my own search.
- And you dug up the corpse? - inquired the King.
“Not quite,” clarified d’Artagnan. “I was only able to extract some personal belongings, or rather two of the baron’s boots.” I recognized his boots, a foot of this size is not often found, they were made to order. I also recognized the spurs on them, so they convinced me that it was Baron du Valon who was buried under the stone, so I stopped searching.
- Where are these boots? - asked the King.
“I left them where I found them, reasoning that it would be awkward for the deceased to appear before the Creator without boots.” I remember his stockings were not in the best condition; they were frayed at the heels and toes. In such a situation, being buried in only socks is a big nuisance. I put the boots back on the feet that I was able to dig out and covered everything with stones and earth. If Fate itself laid him to rest there, I decided that I shouldn’t resist it.
“So, you have no evidence of the death of the baron,” the King concluded.
“If you allow me, I’ll go to Belle-Ile and bring his boots!” - D'Artagnan said hastily.
“Okay, go and bring me Baron du Valon’s boots,” said Louis and waved his handkerchief as a sign that he was no longer detaining d’Artagnan.
“It seems like it’s gone! - thought d'Artagnan. “It turns out that lying to the King is not so difficult, no more difficult than lying to some chambermaid or maid!”
Having bowed to the King, d'Artagnan headed towards the exit, but as soon as he took hold of the door handle, Louis called out to him again.
- Enough, captain! - exclaimed the King. - How dare you so brazenly lead your King by the nose? You know very well that Baron du Valon did not die!
D'Artagnan felt a cold sweat break out through him.
- Didn't he die? - he asked again, forgetting about etiquette.
- He didn’t die, and you knew it! - Louis repeated. - He is alive, and you saw him!
“Your Majesty accuses the captain of his musketeers of lying, I have no choice but to follow the example of the ancient Roman warriors and throw myself on my sword,” answered d’Artagnan. “For lack of a sword, I will pierce myself with a sword.” Farewell, Your Majesty!
- Where are you going? - asked the King.
“For the sword, which I left in Your Majesty’s reception room with your secretary,” answered d’Artagnan. “As soon as he gives it back to me, I’ll stab myself with it.”
- Nonsense! - objected the King. “You won’t do this because I don’t want it.”
“But Your Majesty’s accusation casts a shadow on my honor,” answered d’Artagnan.
“My honor has suffered no less, but much more than yours, through the efforts of your two friends!” - exclaimed Louis. - I don’t throw myself on the sword!
“Your Majesty has the opportunity to punish the guilty, while I...” d’Artagnan tried to say.
“Then how did you contribute to the fact that the guilty escaped punishment!” - objected the King. “I am ready to admit that you could not catch the Bishop of Vannes, and that you may have believed in the death of Baron du Valon.”
- So it was, Your Majesty! - D'Artagnan exclaimed passionately.
“But as soon as you found out that the baron was alive, you should have arrested him immediately!” - The King finished his sentence.
“I learned about this this very second from you, Your Majesty!” - exclaimed d'Artagnan. “If Your Majesty claims that Baron du Valon is alive, then it is so, and I immediately set out on a campaign to find him and arrest him.”
- And you don’t need confirmation of my words? - the King was surprised. “You’re not asking how I know that the baron is alive?”
“I believe Your Majesty’s word without any confirmation!” - D'Artagnan blurted out. “If Your Majesty deigns to inform me that King Herod is alive, and that he should be found and arrested, I will go to carry out your order immediately!”
“Commendable, although stupid,” answered the King with a laugh.
“It’s better to be stupid but commendable than smart but reprehensible,” clarified d’Artagnan.
- Logical! - agreed the King. - So act commendably and wisely. Find and arrest Baron du Valon, and then we will discuss what you should do to arrest the Bishop of Vannes!
D'Artagnan bowed and stood in a pose of anticipation.
- What are you waiting for? - the King asked with irritation.
“Your Majesty’s order,” answered d’Artagnan.
“You are still in my service, and you are obliged to obey, among other things, my verbal orders,” said the King.
“It may take a lot of time to search; for my absence from the company of the royal musketeers, a justifying document will be needed,” d’Artagnan clarified.
- Do you need a document from me to justify you to me? - the King asked with a laugh. - Nonsense! I can send you anywhere for any period of time without any documents!
“Yes, Your Majesty,” answered d’Artagnan. — Including the Bastille or Place de Greve.
“It seems that this prospect upsets you less than the order to arrest your friend?” - asked the King, feeling jealous.
“If only I had such friends! - thought the King. “How much happier my life would be!”
“I am not afraid of death, since I am a soldier, Your Majesty,” answered d’Artagnan. “A few minutes earlier I intended to pierce myself with a sword, and I would have done it if you had not forbidden me.”
“I believe,” answered the King. — You have always been a man of your word and a man of honor. But I forbid you to do this! Listen, d'Artagnan, I have always had sympathy for you. You are silent, never talk in vain, but always do what you should. I love silent people. But the situation is emergency. As you know, Mr. Captain, a villainous attempt was made on my highest person. The conspirators were going to use the secret they learned about against me. Both of these people represent an extreme danger, they can cause harm to my royal person and damage the peace of the state. And they still haven’t been caught, even though so much time has passed! I can't rule the country feeling like I'm sitting on a powder keg with a torch in my hands!
- Quite rightly, Your Majesty! - answered d'Artagnan.
- I do not ask for your consent or approval of my words. Actually, I never ask for this,” the King said coldly. - Just listen and remember.
D'Artagnan bowed again to the King.
“There are at least two people whose knowledge of one state secret is very difficult for us to rule France, since this excessive knowledge will remain a constant threat to the state as long as these people remain at large.” - repeated the King. “Even people in whom we have the highest confidence do not know what people in whom we have no confidence know!” However, this does not apply to you, captain.
D'Artagnan bowed to the King, this time somewhat deeper.
“I entrust you with this important matter, captain, because I continue to believe in your loyalty to me,” said the King. - Your receipt of the baton of the Marshal of France will depend on the completion of this task. Now listen to me, captain, very carefully.
D'Artagnan became wary and this time limited himself to giving his face as serious an expression as possible with his mustache dashingly curled upward.
“You are entrusted with arresting my enemies, and if you again decide that one of them has died, you must obtain and bring to me irrefutable evidence of the death of these people.” This is, firstly, the Bishop of Vannes, Monsieur d'Herblay, also called Aramis. Secondly, Baron du Valon de Brassier de Pierrefonds, also called Porthos.
- I obey, Your Majesty! - answered d'Artagnan.
“Thirdly, this is the Count de La F;re, also called Athos,” the King continued meanwhile. “Fourthly, this is the Vicomte de Bragelonne, who dared to call himself the fianc; of Mademoiselle de la Baume le Blanc de La Valli;re, without receiving my permission.”
—Will you order the arrest of these persons? - asked d'Artagnan, pretending that he did not quite hear the King's order.
“You have already received orders from me to arrest two of these four,” Louis answered coldly. “Your execution of these orders does not satisfy me.”
“If Your Majesty is dissatisfied with my service, I ask for my resignation,” answered d’Artagnan. “Or lift your ban on the action with which I intended to defend my honor.”
“Resignation from public service, captain, does not provide the opportunity to disobey the King, and the honor of an officer of the King lies in serving the King!” - Louis exclaimed. - Whether as a captain of musketeers or as a private citizen, you remain a subject of the French crown, a subject of your King, and are obliged to carry out my orders. If you prefer to carry out this order as a private person, I will not object, but I think that the captain of the royal musketeers is better able to carry out this assignment.
“I don’t insist on resignation, Your Majesty,” said the captain, feeling the truth of the King’s last words.
“The right choice, captain,” answered the King. - I'll give you a month.
- Allow me to go and do it? - asked d'Artagnan, intending to think about how he could save his friends.
“Don’t rush,” Louis said coldly. “I haven’t yet said that the officers loyal to me will protect you from the mistakes that you almost made while carrying out my instructions related to the trip to Belle-Ile.” If you try to send a letter to any of your friends, the letter will be delivered to me. If you try to send a messenger, that messenger will be brought to me. If you try to help your friends escape, both your friends and yourself will be brought to me.
D'Artagnan bowed with just a movement of his head.
“If I receive evidence that you intended to evade the execution of my order, or if in a month from this very minute, I do not receive from you either these people arrested and taken to the Bastille, or irrefutable evidence of the death of those rebels whom you will not be able to arrest, or if I learn about an attempt on your part to free a prisoner of the Pignerol castle, I will sign this order.
With these words, the King handed the captain a paper, on which d'Artagnan read the following text with horror.

“Order of the King to Marshal Antoine III de Gramont

Immediately arrest, without entering into negotiations, or kill the following state criminals guilty of high treason:
Bishop of Vannes, Monsieur d'Herblay,
Baron du Valon de Brassier de Pierrefonds,
Count de La F;re,
Viscount de Bragelonne,
Captain of the Royal Musketeers, Mister d'Artagnan.
I deprive the named persons of the title of nobility, all ranks and their wealth, which must be transferred to the Royal Treasury.
To carry out this order, Marshal Antoine III de Gramont is authorized to attract any officers and soldiers, both land and sea, throughout France.
Any citizen of France who knows about the whereabouts of these criminals and has not reported this to Marshal Antoine III de Gramont personally or through his subordinate officers shall also be considered a state criminal and deal with him in accordance with this order.

Louis"

- You read? - asked the King.
“I read it, Your Majesty,” answered d’Artagnan, turning pale.
“Read it out loud again,” Louis said coldly. “I must be sure that you have received the contents of this document in full, without any exceptions.”

D'Artagnan read aloud the document offered to him in an even, calm voice, as if it were talking about some rebels unknown to him, about whom he had nothing to do.

“Take this draft for yourself,” said the King. “I advise you to re-read this order every night before going to bed and every morning the next day so that you do not have the false impression that anything is missing here.” You have enough time, but not so much that you waste it in vain. But you've already lost ten minutes.
D'Artagnan bowed and headed towards the exit.
- Just a minute, captain! - exclaimed the King. - Know also that if you put a bullet in your forehead, or accidentally fall on your sword, or, perhaps, you are killed in some ill-timed duel, then I will still sign this paper. If you fall ill with any serious illness, or accidentally receive any wound, in a word, if your state of health does not allow you to carry out my verbal order, then in this case I will sign this written order as soon as I find out about your illness. Now go.


(To be continued)