De'
Mere turned in mid-stride. His eyes widened with fear and
the sweat ran cold on his skin. There had been a sound at
the door. They had come to fetch him to terror and death.
Now. Already. Before he was properly prepared...
The
noise came again - a sort of scratching. And then the
lock turned and the door swung slowly inwards.
De'
Mere took a step backwards, his hands half raised in a
posture of defence. He stared, the breath stopped in his
throat. There was no squad of blue coated guards. No
rabble of red capped revolutionaries. A single figure
stood in the doorway. A grubby, dishevelled figure whose
height and posture belied his appearance. De' Mere
screwed up his eyes, it was hard to see in the poor light
of the candle. He didn't know who his visitor was but he
knew instinctively that this nocturnal call had nothing
to do with Robespierres' Committee of Public Safety, nor
yet the thugs of the C.G.S.
"Who
are you?" he breathed at last.
The
figure glanced behind him into the passageway, then came
into the cell and pushed the door closed. "Who I am does
not matter. I have come to give you freedom" The French
was perfect, aristocratic, without any trace of
accent.
"Freedom?"
De' Mere was bewildered "But..."
"But
you do not deserve freedom" The other finished for him.
He folded back his hood and the candlelight threw soft
shadows across his face. It was a face neither old nor
young but the sort of face that would stay forever in
memory, creased and folded with a long scar that lifted
the lip towards the ear. A mass of dark hair flew wildly
around the head. The voice hissed softly "This I know.
But for the sake of the children you attempted to save,
you must remain silent. One way or another" The last, a
threat, was offered with quiet venom.
The
room was small, they were very close. De' Mere looked
into the eyes. They were bright and a vivid blue. They
held nothing for him but contempt "Death?" he asked "Is
that the freedom you bring me?"
"No!"
His visitor laughed and a quick smile transformed the
face "Not unless you choose it. Come with me and I will
lead you out from this place" The smile faded "But we
must be quick. The night passes apace"
"Very
well" De' Mere drew himself up. "But why?"
The
blue eyes regarded him a long moment as if a variety of
answers were being considered, "Because I can"
"Tell
me what I must do"
The
eyes gazed at him a moment longer as if considering
still, the alternative. Then, "Follow me. Stay Close. Do
precisely as I tell you and nothing else"
His
rescuer moved to the door, opened it a crack and then
wider, slipping out into the passage.