Jacob's ladder
Chapter 2: The departure

After those few words, Charlesrefused to speak and fell into worried meditations. As a last resort, the boydecided to play his only trump:

“He has come to get the amulet.”

Charles gave him all his attention immediately.

“What do you know about the amulet?”

“I heard you speaking to Don JoséGutiérrez in the chapel.”

Luis told briefly the circumstances inwhich he had listened to their conversation. Charles heard him to the end witha somber face, hesitated for an instant and said:

“Go to bed. We’ll speak again tomorrow.”

“I want to speak today!”

“It’s late.”

“I’m not a child!”

Charles observed him in silence.

“No, you aren’t, but I need to think.I’ve tried not to drag you into this, but José was right, you are involved,whether I like it or not.”

“I’m not afraid of danger.”

“You know nothing about it.”

“Yes, I do. You’ve got an amuletwhich belonged to Bonaparte. He knows, and has sent the French soldier torecover it. You are in danger. Shouldn’t I know whatever else there is?”

“Not now. I’ve told you, I need tothink. Things are happening too fast. I thought we were safe.” Then he added ina softer voice: “I’m sorry. I only want to protect you. One day, I’ll tell youeverything. Leave me alone, please.”

Surrendering to fate, Luis went tobed, although he did not expect to sleep, he was very nervous. However, he wasyoung and tired, and slept the whole night.

From March 3rd to 7th,Charles refused to speak. He only told Luis the name of the French dragonofficer: major Gérard, an old acquaintance, who had been Napoleon’s aide-de-camp.Luis had to hide most of the time, for the Frenchman came to see Charles twiceevery day and his tutor did not want the boy to be seen. Luis was very worried,but Charles was keeping his head and secretly preparing their departure.

Fortunately the weather was mostly fine,for Luis had to pass a long time walking around. When it was raining orbitingly cold, he sought refuge in the university, where he felt utterly athome. Many of the professors, his tutor’s pals, had known him since his childhood.He had always linked his future with the university, where some day he expectedto study arts or letters. Now that future had become uncertain and dark. In aweek at most, they must leave Salamanca. Charles obviously thought he was adanger for the boy, probably because of the secret. Whenever he left theuniversity, he looked at its famous façade, fearing it would be the last time thathe would see it. He said good day to the professors fearing it could be thelast time that they would meet.

Something happened on Wednesday March8th. Charles received a new visitor who, like Gérard, had just comefrom France. This time, however, Luis need not hide, for Pierre had his tutor’sconfidence and his arrival was very well received. Luis sat unobtrusively at acorner to let them speak at ease, but he kept his ears open, in case they saidsomething of interest. They spoke French, which Luis understood perfectly. Beinghis tutor’s mother tongue, he had learned it as a child.

“How long is it since we met?” askedCharles.

“You can’t have forgotten!” exclaimedPierre. “It’s less than three years.”

“Yes, during the Russian campaign.”

“Don’t you remember what we did inthe battle of Borodino?”

“Of course!”

“That’s where we got the…”

“Shut up!” Charles made a slightmovement and pointed at Luis with his eyes.

“That’s why I’ve come” added Pierre,suddenly grave.

“What do you know?”

“That you are in danger.”

“Gérard is here.”

“Yes, he’s been sent to get it.”

“But he won’t get it.”

“That’s right.”

“With your help, it will be easier.In a few days, we are leaving Salamanca.”

“Gérard will follow.”

“We must send him on a wild chase.This will be your responsibility.”

“I’ll do what I can.”

“You’ll assume my identity, as theother time… do you remember?”

“How could I forget?”

“You saved my life.”

“I was paying my debt, you had savedmine before.”

“Yes, on May 3rd, 1808, inMadrid.”

“It was a difficult day.”

Charles shook his head.

“I don’t even remember why I had gonethere. Luis was nine. I had left him in Salamanca. I didn’t take any specialmeasures, as in 1812, so my trip was going to be very short, but things got complicatedand I had to stay in Madrid for almost two months. Anyway, our meeting there wasprovidential. Otherwise…”

“Otherwise I would be dead andBonaparte would be the master of Europe.”

“Perhaps. We’ll speak again later. Imust meet Gérard at the inn. I’m trying to gain time, to give him some hope thathe’ll get it in the end, but his patience is getting short and I’m not yet readyto depart. I must concoct something to make him wait a few more days. See you.”

After Charles left, Luis arose,walked three times around the room and stopped before Pierre, who stared athim, waiting. Luis walked a little before stopping again. This time he almostopened his lips, but changed his mind. When he tried for the third time, Pierrespoke first:

“You want to ask me something.”

“Yes.”

“What do you want to know?”

“The secret.”

“Which secret?”

“Charles has a secret which concerns me.I want to know. I have a right to know.”

“How do you know that he has toldme?”

“I don’t know, but I think he has.”

“Have you asked Charles?”

“Yes.”

“But he wouldn’t speak?”

“No.”

“Then, do you expect me to tell you, evenif I knew?”

“No, that’s why I hesitated.”

“Can I help you in any other way?”

“Tell me about the amulet.”

“Which amulet?”

“Charles has an amulet which belongedto Bonaparte. He wants to get it back. That’s why Gérard is here.”

“Ah, you mean…! Sorry, I cannot speakabout that, either. I can only tell you this: the amulet, as you call it, hassomething in common with you.”

“What?”

“Which day is your birthday?”

“July 22nd, 1798.”

“That day Bonaparte found it.”

Luis sat slowly on a chair.

“But, at that time, Bonaparte was inEgypt!”

“Right.”

“I was born the day after the battleof the pyramids.”

“Exactly.”

“Then Bonaparte found the amulet inthe pyramids!”

“No, he found it in just one pyramid:in the largest.”

“How do you know?”

“I was there and saw him.”

“Is it a lucky amulet?”

“I don’t know what it is. Stopsounding me. I won’t tell you anything else.”

“I can tell you more, I’ve heard youspeaking. You think that I don’t understand, but I’m not a fool. You toldCharles about the amulet in Madrid, after he saved your life, and he decided tosteal it. You went together to the Russian campaign and got hold of it duringthe battle of Borodino.”

Pierre smiled and winked, but didn’tspeak, although he looked impressed by the deductions of the boy. He noticedand dared to go on.

“There is something else. WhileBonaparte owned the amulet, all he did was successful: the coup d’etat inBrumaire 18th, the consulate, the empire, the battles of Marengo,Ulm, Austerlitz, Jena, Auerstädt, Friedland… But when he lost the amulet,things started to go wrong: the Russian disaster, the battle of Leipzig, thedefeat of his armies in Spain and Italy, his banishment to Elba… It’s all very clear.He has left Elba and crossed to France, because he has discovered that Charleshas the amulet, and hopes to get it again. This is why Gérard is here. This iswhy you are here.”

“I’ve come because Charles needs me.”

“All I’ve said is the truth, isn’t it?”

But Pierre winked and didn’t open hismouth again. Shortly later, Charles came back. His face told them that he hadgained some more time against Gérard’s requests, but he didn’t provide anyexplanation, at least in the presence of the boy.

Five days went by, while Charlesprepared their departure and Gérard was ever more impatient. On May 13th,the Frenchman gave an ultimatum: either he would get the next day what he wantedor he would take his own measures. Charles took the threat seriously. In the elevendays since his arrival, several Frenchmen without uniform, but clearly military,had been arriving separately. Gérard had now about twenty men at his orders andwas ready to act, in spite of the Spanish authorities, whom Charles did notdare to involve anyway. However, he had waited too much: Charles had finishedwith the preparations for their flight.

“We’ll leave tomorrow beforesunrise,” he told Pierre and the boy, who in the last few days had not left thehouse. “Everything is ready.”

“Shall we three go?” asked Luis.

“No, just you and me,” repliedCharles. “Pierre stays in Salamanca.”

“Ah, yes! He has to assume youridentity.”

Charles stared at him with irony andmoved his head.

“You notice everything, don’t you? I wonderwhether you know much more than I think.”

“But much less than I should.”

“Some day you’ll know everything.”

“That’s what you always say. That daymay be too late.”

“I’ll run the risk. Let’s go to bed.Tomorrow we must rise early.”

It was dark when they awoke, broketheir fast, took the backpacks with the few things they were to carry and leftthe house. In a nearby street, a man with two horses was waiting. Pierrereceived the latest instructions, shook their hands and went again in thehouse. Charles and Luis mounted and rode toward the roman bridge.

Leaning on the parapet was a man theyhad never seen before. He was clad in black, with a jet pummeled sword. Hisface, pallid like white paper, was darkened by a thin moustache in his upperlip and framed by two bushy sideburns and long, lank, black hair. When hisblack eyes stared at them, Luis felt a shudder. He wouldn’t have liked to have metsuch a spectral man without the company of Charles.

While they rode across the bridge, theeyes of the man followed them. Once outside Salamanca, they took the way to Albade Tormes, for Charles wanted to make his pursuers believe that he intendedto go to Madrid. Beyond that village, they took a side road which took them tothe Southeast. They slept the first night in Castillejo de Salvatierra, nearthe sierra de Frades. On the 15th, they rode openly to the West,crossed the sierra and passed the night in Monflorido. They had seen no signsof being pursued.

The next day, Thursday March 16th,they kept traveling in the same direction. Charles told Luis that they were goingto Portugal, to make Gérard lose track of the amulet, but didn’t give him any otherdetails. After a weary ride, the longest since they had left Salamanca, they arrivedat an inn near Ciudad Rodrigo. The innkeeper, a fat, bald, good-natured man,told them that lodgings were available, ordered his servants to tend and feedtheir horses, and took them inside. Charles ordered supper and the good mansaid:

“It will soon be ready. I’ll tell thecook to put more meat in the pot. You are not the first travelers in my housetoday. A strange man arrived one hour ago. You’ll meet him in the dining-room.”

He pointed at a door. Very tired after their longstage, Luis hurried through, hoping to sit down and rest a little. The red lightof the setting sun was lighting the opposite wall, which was furnished with arow of chairs. In one of them sat the man in black with the pallid face whomthey had seen two days before, while leaving Salamanca.