Chapter 318 Eighteen vultures become prey

We should dwell on the peculiar state of mind in the barricades.All the features associated with this astonishing street fight should not be omitted. However strange the tranquility of the interior we may have spoken of, the barricade was still an illusion to those within. There is an apocalypse in the civil war, all the smoke of the unknown world is mixed in this fierce fire, the revolution is like a sphinx, and whoever has experienced a barricade is a dream. The feeling of these places, which we have already pointed out in relation to Marius, and whose consequences we will see, is beyond human life without being human.Once outside the barricades, one does not know what has just been seen there.At that time, people became terrible, but they didn't know it.The surroundings are full of fighting thoughts expressed on human faces, and the mind is full of bright future.There were corpses lying and ghosts standing.It's been a long time, like eternity.Man lives in death.Some shadows walked by, what is this?Bloody hands were seen; there was a terrible deafening sound, but also an eerie silence; some shouted and some remained silent; one was in the smoke, perhaps in the night.One feels as if one has touched the sinister ooze of the unknowable abyss; one sees something red on one's fingernails, and cannot recall the rest.

Let's go back to Machang Street. Suddenly, amidst two salvos, they heard distant bells chiming the time. "It is noon," said Combeferre. Before the twelve rings were finished, Enjolras stood up straight and made a thunderous voice on the top of the barricade: "Move the paving stones into the building and line them up along the windowsills and attic windows. Half of the men are armed, half of them are carrying stones. Time is running out." A group of firefighters, armed with axes, appeared in battle formation at the end of the street. There is no doubt that this is the forefront of a column.What column?It must have been the assault column, the fire brigade had been ordered to destroy the barricade, and thus always had to move ahead of the climbing soldiers.

They were obviously going to make an attack similar to what Mr. Clement-Donner called "Big Shot" in 1822. Enjolras' orders were carried out with the speed and correctness which is especially required by barricades and ships, and only in these two places escape is impossible.In less than a minute, Enjolras ordered two-thirds of the paving stones piled up at the door of Corinth to be moved to the second floor and the attic. Before the second minute was over, these paving stones had been piled up neatly to block the windows on the second floor and half of the attic dormer window.Several holes, under the careful deployment of the main builder Feuilly, the small gun barrel has been opened.Defending the windows was easy because the shotgun had ceased to fire.The two guns aimed their solid shells at the middle of the wall, and charged as soon as they could make a breach in order to open a hole.

When the paving stones designated as the final defense were laid, Enjolras ordered the bottle of wine which he had left under Mabeuf's mortuary table to be carried up to the second floor. "Who drinks this wine?" asked Bossuet. "They." Enjolras replied. Then they blocked the windows below, and kept close at hand the iron bolts which fasten the door of the hotel at night. This is a fortress without compromise, the barricades are the ramparts and the hotels are the watchtowers. The remaining paving stones they used to plug the gaps in the barricades. The defenders of the barricades must save ammunition, and the besiegers are well aware of this, and with that exasperating ease with which they move, they are exposed to fire before the time is right, but this is superficial, not in fact. No, they seemed quite at ease.The preparations for the attack were often regularly slow, followed by thunder and lightning.

This delay enables Enjolras to go over it all again and make it more complete.He felt that since these people were going to die, their death should be a feat. He said to Marius: "We are the two leaders. I will go inside to give the last orders. You stay outside to observe." Marius then sat on the top of the barricade and watched. Enjolras nailed the door to the kitchen, which, we remember, was a field hospital. "You can't let shrapnel hit the wounded," he said. He gave his final instructions briefly in the cellar, in a very composed tone, and Feuilly listened and answered on behalf of everyone.

"Second floor, get your ax ready for the stairs. Do you have any?" "Yes." Feuil replied. "how many?" "Two axes and a tomahawk." "Okay. We're twenty-six warriors who didn't fall. How many guns?" "Thirty-four." "Eight more. These eight, also loaded, are at hand. Swords and pistols are at the waist. Twenty men are in the barricades, and six are lying in ambush in the attic and on the second floor, shooting the attackers through the cracks in the stones. Let no one be idle. In a moment, when the drums beat the attack, the twenty men below rush to the barricades. The first posts are the best."

When this was done, he turned to Javert and said: "I haven't forgotten you." He put the pistol on the table, and said: "The last person to leave the house knocks out the spy's brains." "Is it here?" a voice asked. "No, don't confuse this dead body with our men. The little barricade in Monddu Lane is easy to cross. It's only four feet high. The man is well tied up. Take him and kill him there." At this time there was a man who was more composed than Enjolras, and that was Javert. Jean Valjean appeared at this moment. He stood up among the rebels, and said to Enjolras:

"Are you the commander?" "yes." "You thanked me just now." "Representing the Republic. There are two rescuers on this barricade: Marius Pontmerche and you." "Do you think I can be rewarded?" "of course can." "Then I'll ask you once." "What reward?" "Let me execute this man." Javert looked up, and seeing Jean Valjean, he made an imperceptible movement and said: "It's just." As for Enjolras, reloading his carbine, he looked round: "Is there no disagreement?"

Then he turned to Jean Valjean: "Take the spy away." Jean Valjean, seated at the end of the table, had indeed possessed Javert.He picked up the pistol and gave a soft "click" to indicate that the bullet was loaded. Almost at the same time everyone heard the horn. "Attention!" cried Marius from above the barricade. Javert smiled silently with his characteristic smile, stared at the rebels and said to them: "Your health is not much better than mine." "Everyone come out!" Enjolras shouted. As the insurgents rushed out, let us put it this way, Javert shouted these words behind their backs:

"see you later!"