Stone That the Builder Refused - Madison Smartt Bell [271]
Fontelle and Paulette rode on with the rest of them, but after the first excitement of their meeting, the pall seemed to deepen over them all. There was no talk. Tocquet wanted none, and his mood prevailed. Behind them a cloud bank had shut off the sun, dark rain clouds lowering on the heights of Limbé. Some part of the tension certainly came from the sullen charge of the air before rain. But instead of a downpour it was men who flowed around them with no warning—wild-looking men, though some wore shreds of uniform—they seemed to come from all directions, and pressed upon the riders from all sides. One of them snatched the bridle of Tocquet’s horse, but Tocquet knocked his arm away with the barrel of a long dragoon pistol that had suddenly appeared in his hand. He must have been waiting for his death all day, Nanon understood in a rush of recognition, scanning all points of the horizon to see from what quarter it would appear. Bazau and Gros-Jean had drawn their weapons too; Michau, the porter, had only a knife. They were four men against more than fifty.
“Romain! Romain!” Elise was shouting as she rode down toward Tocquet. She had the quirk of riding in trousers, astride like a man, and with something of a man’s authority; she guided her mare with her left hand, while with her right she tore a paper out of her blouse and flagged it high above her head.
“Mwen rélé Romain!” she said. “Where is Romain?”
“M’la,” pronounced a guttural voice. I am here.
The man who spoke was heavy-set, with a long torso and short legs, and heavily bearded. The matted hair of his head and beard was all teased into little russet points. He wore the rags of a colonel’s coat, and looked up at Elise with yellowish eyes.
“You are Romain?” she panted. “Read this.”
Romain took the paper from her hand, as if reluctantly, not shifting his eyes from her at first. Tocquet’s horse shied sideways, hooves skidding on the road as the hindquarters bunched. He pointed his pistol toward the sky as he reined the horse up. Romain now began to read, quite slowly, following the lines with a blunt fingertip.
The woman who bears this letter is Madame Tocquet of Habitation Thibodet at Ennery. Respect my order to let her pass, with her husbandXavier Tocquet and anyone else who may accompany her.
Signé
TOUSSAINT LOUVERTURE
Governor-General Saint Domingue
“Well.” Romain looked from Elise to Tocquet, then back at Elise, whose blond hair had slipped down from under her hat. “You may pass, then.” He handed her back the folded paper; Elise tucked it back in the throat of her blouse.
“Where are you going?” Romain said.
“Le Cap,” Tocquet said, but Elise interrupted.
“Tonight we stop at Habitation Arnaud,” she said.
“Yes,” said Romain. “It is safe there. For one night. But maybe you should not stay longer. Le Cap, yes, maybe Le Cap will be better for you.”
“Will you explain?” Tocquet said.
Romain looked to the right and left. “Christophe is in the mountains,” he said. “At Pont Français and Sainte Suzanne and Haut Limbé and Grand Boucan and Vallière.” He raised one hand and slowly let it fall. “Christophe is in the mountains now, but tomorrow he may be in the plain.”
“I see,” Tocquet said. “We’re grateful for your courtesy.”
“Yes,” said Romain, and turned toward his men. “Bay tout moun-yo pasé,” he said in a louder voice. Let all these people pass.
It was a full fifteen minutes before Tocquet said anything more at all, time enough for him to smoke all of one of his black cheroots and let the ash and last charred shreds of tobacco fall on the road behind. Then he turned in the saddle toward Elise.
“You impress me very much, Madame,” he said brightly. “And still one wonders how you came by such a safe-conduct.”
It seemed to Nanon that Elise colored considerably; there was even a flush on the back of her neck. “Suffice it to say that it is a good thing for us all that I do have it.”
Tocquet cocked one eyebrow at her, but at the same time he seemed to be swallowing a laugh. Certainly his humor was now lighter than before. “Yes, I think