Chapter 8 Chapter 3 Almalo

The old man raised his head slowly. The man who spoke to him was about thirty years old.His forehead was blackened by the sea breeze, and his eyes were magical, with the shrewd eyes of a sailor shining in the innocent pupils of the peasants.He gripped the oars with both hands and was gentle. ① Here we borrow the language from the Bible? The Gospel of John: "The Word is God." -- by the original editor He has a dagger, two guns and a rosary on his belt. "Who are you?" asked the old man. "I told you just now." "What do you want to do to me?" The man let go of his oars and folded his arms and replied:

"Kill you." "As you wish," said the old man. The man raised his voice: "Get ready." "what to prepare?" "Prepare to die." "why?" There was a moment of silence.The question seemed to startle the man, and he added: "I said I'm going to kill you." "But I ask you why?" A light flashed in the sailor's eyes: "Because you killed my brother." The old man said calmly: "I saved his life in the first place." "Yes. You saved him first, and then you killed him." "I didn't kill him."

"Who is that?" "His mistake." The sailor opened his mouth and looked at the old man, then frowned resentfully. "What's your name?" asked the old man. "Almaro, but you don't need to know my name, because I will kill you." Then the sun came up.A ray of sunlight was shining on the sailor's face, making this wild face very bright. The old man looked at it carefully. The earth was still rumbling, but intermittently, like a convulsion before death.A large cloud of gunpowder smoke fell on the horizon.The helmsman stopped rowing, and the boat drifted with the current.

The sailor holds the gun at his waist in his right hand and the rosary in his left. The old man stood up: "Do you believe in God?" "Our Father in heaven," replied the sailor. He also made the cross. "Is your mother still alive?" "exist" He made the sign of the cross again, and said: "Well, I'll give you a minute, sir." So he loaded the bullet. "Why do you call me master?" "You are the lord, you can see that." "Do you have a lord?" "Yes, a lord. How can you live without a lord?"

"where is he?" "I don't know. He left his hometown. He is the Marquis de Lantenac, the Viscount de Fontenay, Prince of Brittany. He is the master of the Seven Woods. I have not met him, but he still is my master." "Will you obey him if you see him?" "Of course. If you don't obey, you're a heretic. One must obey God, and then the king, who is like God, and the lord, who is like a king. But it doesn't matter. You killed my brother, I should kill you." The old man replied: "First of all, it makes sense for me to kill your brother."

The sailor gripped his pistol tightly and said: "hurry up." "Okay," said the old man, and then asked calmly: "Where is the priest?" The sailor looked at him: "priest?" "Yes, priest. I gave your brother a priest, and you must give me one." "I have not," said the sailor, and added, "where can I find a priest at sea?" The sound of the battle cannons twitched and twitched, getting farther and farther away. "They are dying there now, and they have a priest," said the old man. "Yes," said Sailor Qiannan, "they have Monsieur the Abbe."

The old man said again: "You have ruined my soul, and that is a serious matter." The sailor bowed his head thoughtfully. "You have ruined my soul," said the old man, "and you have ruined your own. Listen, I pity you. You can do what you want, and I, I just did what I had to do, first saving your brother's life and then taking his life.Now I'm doing what I have to do: save your soul.Think about it.This is your business.Did you hear the cannon?People over there are losing their lives, dying in despair.Husbands will never see their wives again, fathers will never see their children, brothers will never see their brothers again, like you.And whose fault is this?It's your brother's fault.

You believe in God, right?You know, then, that God is also suffering at this moment, through his pious son, the King of France - a son like the boy Jesus - in Temple Tower.Crucifixion of God in the Church of Brittany.God is suffering because churches are defiled, Gospels are torn up, houses of prayer are trampled underfoot, priests are murdered.What are we in this sinking dinghy?To save God.If your brother had done his duty, if he had done his duty as a faithful and prudent servant, the catastrophe of the cannon would not have occurred, and the Greatsword would not have lost control, veered off course, struck an enemy ship and sunk.Well, at this moment many of us will land in France, we will still be brave warriors and sailors, we will rejoice, gladly unfurl the white flag, swing our sabers to save the brave Vendée peasants, to save France, to save King, save the Lordless.That's what we wanted to do and could do, and now I'm the only one left to do it.But you object.This is a struggle of the blasphemer against religion, the warrior against the king, Satan against God, and you are on Satan's side.Your brother is the devil's first assistant, and you are the devil's second assistant.

What he started, it's up to you to finish.You help the seeker against the king, and the blasphemer against the church.You take away God's last hope, for when I, the king's representative, cease to exist, villages will continue to burn, families will continue to cry, priests will continue to bleed, Brittany will continue to suffer, and kings will continue to be prisoners, Jesus Christ will continue to suffer. And who will be responsible for all this?It's you.Well, this is your business.I misread you, I misread the wrong person.Yes, yes, you are right, I killed your brother.He was brave and I rewarded him, he made a big mistake and I punished him.

He didn't do his job, but I did.I will do it again.Santa Ana of Aure is looking at us, and I swear to her that under the same circumstances I would have shot my son as I shot your brother.Now, it's up to you, but I pity you.You lied to your captain.You, as a Christian, have no faith.You, being a Breton, have no sense of honor.People entrusted me to you because you were loyal, and you retaliated with treachery.You promised them to protect my life and what you gave them was my death.Do you know who you are burying at the moment?be yourself.You took my life from the king, you gave your own afterlife to the devil.Come on, do your crime.Very well, you lost your chance to go to heaven.Because of you, the devil will triumph, because of you, churches will fall, and because of you, heretics will continue to cast church bells into cannons and slaughter people with what should save people.At this very moment, the bell that once tolled for your baptism may be killing your mother.Go, go and help the devil.Don't stop.Yes, I executed your brother, but you understand, I am an instrument of God.Ah!You are the instrument of judgment of God!Will you judge the thunderbolt in the sky?Despicable man, you will be judged by the thunderbolt!Be careful what you do.Did you know I can get forgiveness?I don't know.Do it, do what you want to do.You can throw me into hell, and you can go to hell with me.You hold hell for both of us in your hands.It is you who should answer to God.Just the two of us face to face in hell.Get on with your business, end it, get it done.I am old and you are young, I am unarmed and you have weapons.Let's do it. "

① There is a pilgrimage site for Santa Ana near Aure. When the old man spoke these words, he stood on the boat, and his voice overshadowed the noise of the sea.In the tossing of the waves, he was now in the shadows and now in the light.The sailor was pale, and great drops of sweat fell from his brow, and he trembled like a leaf, and from time to time he kissed his rosary.When the old man finished speaking, he dropped the gun and knelt down. "Forgive me, sir! Forgive me," he cried, "you speak like a merciful God. I was wrong, and my brother was wrong. I will do my best to atone for his crime. Command me. You command Yes. I will obey." "I forgive you," said the old man. The food in the boat was not useless. The two fugitives had to sail a lengthy thirty-six hours to reach the coast.They passed the night at sea, and the night was beautiful, but the moonlight was too bright for the fugitives. They first sailed away from France and sailed to the sea in the direction of Jersey. They heard the last blasts of guns from the destroyed Greatsword, like the last roar of a lion killed by a hunter in the woods, and then the sea fell silent. The Greatsword sank like the Revenge, but the Greatsword was not honored.People who oppose their own country are not heroes. Almalo was an extraordinary sailor.He performed miracles with dexterity and wit.Navigating reefs, waves, and enemies at will is a masterpiece.The wind died down and the sea became mild again. Almalo avoided the rock pillars in Manguier Reef and skirted the cattle bank, where he took shelter for several hours.The low tide revealed a small circular area of ​​water to the north, giving them rest.Then the boat headed south again, and managed to slip between Granville and the Chauzan Islands without being noticed by the guards there.The ship sailed into the Gulf of Saint-Michel, which was a bold undertaking, since Cancale, the anchorage of the enemy ship, was not far away. At dusk the next day, about an hour before sunset, the boat passed Mont Saint-Michel and landed on the beach, which is always deserted because it is dangerous and prone to sinking. Fortunately, the tide is high at the moment. Almag rowed the skiff as far forward as he could, tried the sand, felt the ground was firm, grounded the boat, and jumped onto the shore himself. Then the old man stepped over the edge and looked around. "Sir," said Almaro, "this is the mouth of the Couvannon, with Beauval on the right, Huignes on the left, and the belfry directly in front of Alderfon." The old man bent over the boat, took a piece of cake, put it in his pocket, and said to Almalo: "You take everything else." Almaj put the remaining meat and pancakes into a bag, carried the bag on his shoulder, and asked: "Sir, should I lead the way or follow behind?" "Neither leading nor following." Almalo looked at the old man in surprise. The old man said again: "Almalo, we're breaking up. Two people won't help, or a thousand people, or one person" He stopped, and drew from his pocket a green silk bow, somewhat like a frieze, with a gold lily embroidered in the center. The old man went on to ask: "Are you literate?" "illiterate." "Very well. People who can read are troublesome. Do you have a good memory?" "it is good" "Very well. Listen to me, Almag. You go to the right and I go to the left. You go in the direction of Fougères and I in the direction of Bazouges. You carry pockets, more like a farmer that way.Hide weapons, chop a stick from a fence, climb over tall rye crops, slip behind fences, jump fences, run across fields, avoid pedestrians, roads and bridges.Don't go into Pontorson.Oh, you have to cross the Kuwannon River.How did you get there? " "Swim over." "Very well, there's another ford. Do you know where it is?" "Between Anse and Old Vierre." "Very well. You are indeed a local." "But it's getting dark. Where is master going to spend the night?" "I have my own way. And you, where are you going to spend the night?" "Some are old hollow trees. I was a farmer before I was a sailor." "Throw away your sailor cap, it'll give you away. You can get a hood." "Oh! You can find rain hats anywhere. Any fisherman would sell me a rain hat." "Well, now listen to me. Are you familiar with the woods?" "It's all familiar." "The whole area?" "From Noir-Montier to Laval." "Are you familiar with the name too?" "I know the woods, I know the names, I know everything." "You never forget anything?" "Will not." "That's good. Now listen carefully, how many miles can you walk in a day?" "Ten, if necessary, fifteen, eighteen, twenty leagues." ① France Guri, about four kilometers. "It will be necessary. You must not forget a word I have told you. Go to the Santopan Woods." "Near Lambard?" "Yes. There is a big chestnut tree on the edge of the ravine between Saint-Riere and Predeliac. When you get there, stop, and you won't see anyone." "Actually, there are people there, I know." "You just call. Can you call?" Almalo puffed up his cheeks, turned his body toward the sea, and purred like an owl. The sound seemed to come from the depths of the night, it was realistic and eerie. "Okay," said the old man, "you can do it." He handed the green silk bow to Almalo: "This bow represents my command. You take it. No one can know my name at present. This bow is enough. The lilies on it were embroidered by the queen in Templer prison." Almaro knelt down on one knee, took the lily-flowered knot tremblingly, put his lips together, but stopped suddenly, as if frightened. "Can I kiss?" he asked. "Yes, didn't you kiss the cross too?" Almaro kisses the lily. "Stand up," said the old man. Almaro stood up and hid the bow in front of his chest. The old man continued: "Listen well. The order is: Rise up and fight without mercy. You go to the edge of the Santopan wood and call. You call three times. On the third time, someone will come out of the ground." "From the hole under the tree, I know." "This man is Planchino, who is called the King's Heart. You show him the rosette, and he will understand. Then you find a path that no one takes to the Astiere woods. You see a man with two knees Tell him I love him, tell him I love him, and tell him to set his parish in motion. Then you go to the Cowanbon wood, which is a stone's throw from Ploerme. Farry. You hoot like an owl, and someone will come out of the hole. He is M. Theo, the magistrate of Ploerme, who was a member of the so-called Constituent Assembly and represented the right side. Your name He armed the castle of Cowanbon. The owner of the castle was the Marquis de Guiet in exile. Ravines, groves, and rough terrain are good places to fight. Monsieur Theo is a man of integrity and intelligence. Then You go to Sainte-Ouintois and find Jean Juin, he is the real chief in my eyes. Then you go to Ville Angloz and find Guitel, they call him Saint-Martin, and you tell him to be careful A man named Courmesnil, son-in-law of old Goupier de Préfel, leader of the Jacobin party in Argentan. Keep that in your mind. I have nothing Write, you can't write. Larou Ali wrote a list and ruined everything. Then you go to Rougefe Woods, where there is Miele, who can jump over ravines with a long pole." "This long rod is called a Felt." "Can you use it?" "You're not a Breton if you don't know how to use it, you're not a peasant. The pole is our friend, it makes our arms and legs longer." "That means shrinking the enemy and shortening the distance. Good stuff." "Once I used it against three men from the Salt Tax Bureau, and they still had sabers." "When did this happen?" "Ten years ago." "During the king's reign?" "of course." "So you started fighting then?" "yes." "Who are you fighting with?" "I don't know, really. I was smuggling salt." "very good." "It was called anti-salt tax back then. Is salt tax the same thing as a king?" "Yes and no. But you don't have to find out." "My lord, forgive me for asking my lord a question." "Let's go on. Are you familiar with Turg?" "Of course, I'm from there." "how?" "Yes, because I am a Parignier." "Yes, Turg is very close to Parinier." "Turg, I know all too well. That huge round castle is the property of my lord. There is a big iron gate between the old building and the new one, which cannot be opened by a cannon. In the new building there is a book about St. Curious people used to read Bartolome's big book. There are also frogs in the grass, I used to play with them when I was young. There is also the tunnel, I know it, and now I may be the only one who knows it." ①A martyred saint. "What authentic? What do you want to say?" "Once upon a time, when Turg was besieged, the people in the castle could escape through the tunnels into the forest" "Yes, indeed there are such tunnels. Jupellier Castle, Hunodet Castle, and Peon Tower have them, but Turg does not." "Yes, sir. I don't know the tunnels that the master said. I only know the tunnels of Turg, because I am from there, and only I know it. People never talk about it, and they are not allowed to talk about it, because it is in De Lo. It worked during Lord Ang's war. My father knew the secret tunnel and took me to see it. I know the secret, and I can go in and out. I can go from the forest to the tower, and from the tower to the forest , without anyone noticing. When the enemy comes, the tower is empty. This is Turg. Oh, I know it too well." The old man was silent for a while and said: "Obviously you are mistaken. If there is such a secret tunnel, I will know it." "Sir, there must be. There is a rock that turns." "Really? You peasants, you believe in turning stones, singing stones, and stones that go to drink near the brook at night. It's all a myth." "But I let the five heads turn..." "As if one heard the stones sing. Man, Turg is a safe, strong castle, easy to defend, and the idea of ​​escape by tunnel is naive." "But, sir..." The old man shrugged: "Don't waste time, let's talk about business." His decisive tone made it impossible for Almaro to persist. The old man continued: "Go on. Listen to me. From Rougefe, you go to the Montchevrier woods, where there is Benedictine, the chief of Douz. He is also very good. When he ordered his subordinates to shoot people, he read You can't be warm when you go to war with the people before dinner. When you come out of Montchevrier, you go..." He stopped. ② Benedictine literally means pre-meal sutra. "I forgot the money," he said. He took a wallet and a wallet from his pocket and put them in Almalo's hands. "There are thirty thousand francs in this wallet, about three livres and ten sous. The certificates are counterfeit, of course, but they are not worth much more. Note that there are sixty louis d'or in the purse. I I'll give you everything. I don't need anything here. Besides, it's better if people can't find money on me. I'll go on. You go from Montchevrier to Anteran and meet there. Monsieur de Frauté, from Entran to beseech Pellier, to Monsieur de Rochecourt, from Jupellier, Ergenovarieux, to the Abbe Baudouin. You remember. ?" "Like the Our Father." "You go to Saint-Bris-en-Cogles to Monsieur Dubois-gui, to Moranes to Monsieur de Turpin, that town is fortified, and then to the Château de Gontier to see de Talmont. Prince." "Will a prince speak to me?" "Aren't I talking to you?" Almalo took off his hat. "You'll be greeted warmly by all who see this lily of the queen. Don't forget where you go there are Montagne and fools. You have to disguise yourself, it's easy. Clothes, a three-cornered hat and a tri-coloured cockade, and you're free to go. No regiments, no uniforms, no regimental numbers, whatever nonsense anyone likes. You go to Merwell. See Golier, known as Grand Pierre. Then you go to Camp Parnay, where the faces of the people are blackened, and they put small stones into the barrels and double the powder, so the guns are very loud. Well, they did a good job, you especially tell them, kill, kill, kill. Then you go to the Black Bull camp, which is on the hill, in the middle of the Charni woods, and then you go to the Avanet camp, the green camp, the ant Camp. Then you go to the High Hull, also called the High Meadow, where there lives a widow whose daughter married Treton, nicknamed the Englishman. The High Hull is in the parish of Quelan. You go to Epinelle Chevreuilly, Sierra Guinham, Palan, to those who are in the forest. You'll find friends, you send them to the Mayne.upstream and downstream.You'll see Jean Treton in the Parish of Véguis, the Unrepentant in Bannion, Chambeau in Bonchamp, Brother Corbin in Mezzoncere, the Dauntless in Saint-Jean-Sur-Evre Or, he was also called Burduwazo.When you have done these things, and you will rise up and rebel and spread the merciless slogan, you will join the army, the army of God and the king, which is there.You will see the living chiefs: Monsieur de Herbert, Monsieur de Lescure, Monsieur de La Roche-Jacqueline, show them the rosette representing command, and they will understand.You are only a sailor, but Catellino is only a driver.You tell them my words: now there must be two wars going on at the same time, the big one and the little one.Great battles build momentum, while small battles yield real results.The war in the Vendée was regular, the rebellion of the Leanne party was irregular, but in the civil war, irregular is the best.War is only as good as it is destructive. " He paused and said: "Almalo, I'm telling you these words. You don't understand some words, but you understand things. I have seen you how to sail a boat, and I have trust in you. You don't know geometry, but you show it at sea. Amazing dexterity. Anyone who knows how to sail will command an uprising. Since you are comfortable with the sea, I am sure you will successfully complete the task I give. I will say a little more. You can say this to the chiefs, roughly speaking in your own way That's fine. I prefer forest warfare to plain warfare. I don't want to line up a hundred thousand peasants at the guns of the blue army and Mr. Karno. Within a month, I will have half a million killers Ambush in the woods. IRA is our poacher. Poaching is warfare. I'm a jungle strategist. Well, you don't know the word, it's okay, you know this: No mercy! Ambush! I will A little more Juan rebellion, a little less Vendée war. And you tell them the British are on our side. We attack the republic from the inside out. Europe will come to our aid. Let the republic die. The kings rule it We have a parish war against it. You say that to them, understand?" "Understood. They should be burned and killed." "right" "No mercy." "Yes, whoever he is." "I go everywhere." "But be careful, you can die anytime in these places." "Death has nothing to do with me. My first steps may be my last shoes." "you are very brave." "What if someone asks the master's name?" "You can't say it yet. Just say you don't know, and that's the truth." "Where shall I see the master again?" "Where I will be." "Then how do I know?" "All will know. Within a week people will be talking about me, and I will set an example and avenge the king and the Catholics. You will see that it is I they are talking about." "Understood." "Don't forget my words." "do not worry." "Now you go. May God guide you. Go." "I'll do whatever you say. I'll go, I'll talk, I'll obey, I'll command." "very good." "If I succeed..." "I make you a Knight of the Order of Saint Louis." "Same as my brother. If I am unsuccessful, you will order me to be shot." "Same as your brother." "It's a deal, sir." The old man lowered his head, as if lost in serious thought.When he looked up, he was alone.Almalo was a shrinking black spot on the horizon. The sun has just set. Both the white gull and the black gull are back, the sea is not their home. Anxiety before night filled the air.Tree frogs croaked, croaking and flying from the pond.Larks, crows, and beetles all made their twilight calls, and the birds on the bank echoed each other, but there was no human voice.It was a deep silence.There are no boats in the bay, no people in the fields.It is a desolate place as far as the eye can see.Tall thistles trembled in the sand. The white sky at dusk casts a great gray light on the beach.In the distance, the ponds on the dark plains looked like sheets of tin flat against the ground.The wind blows from the sea.