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Authors: J. Gregory Keyes
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be so good as to answer my question.”
“For her own good, we thought to place her in a quiet place, away from all of this commotion, where she might receive the moral instruction she direly needs.”
“A convent,” Adrienne clarified.
“Yes, milady.”
EMPIRE OF UNREASON
She steepled her fingers beneath her chin. “What do you want of me? What will become of the Academy of Sciences?”
“Why, nothing, milady. That is what I came to reassure you of. Nothing shall change for you or for the academy, not as long as you wish it to remain as it is.”
“In other words, you wish my support of this coup.”
“That would be best, of course,” Golitsyn replied. “You are highly regarded by everyone.”
“But not so highly regarded as to be consulted before shots were fired.”
“If more people had known about this, lady, more shots would have been fired, I assure you. And if we failed, I did not want to see you implicated.”
“I never knew how thoughtful you were, Prince. This is truly a revelation.” She picked up a fan and toyed with it for a moment. “I have no love for Menshikov,” she admitted, “and Anna is a suitable choice for empress. But Elizavet will remain in Saint Petersburg, under my eye. I am her tutor, and I know what the tsar wants for her.”
“Mademoiselle—”
“I can cause you much trouble, sir, and am prepared to. Or I can cause you none at all.”
He colored, smoothed his mustache once again, and nodded briefly. “You will come to the coronation?”
“In my best gown.”
“Very well, then, milady. May I wish you good day?”
“If it were day.”
She watched him go. A few moments later, Crecy and Hercule joined her.
EMPIRE OF UNREASON
“I want Elizavet’s things moved here,” Adrienne said. “I do not trust them.”
“And about the rest? About the academy?” Crecy asked.
“Why shouldn’t that be true?”
Hercule cleared his throat. He could not seem to meet her eyes. “Things are not as simple as the prince made them out to be, of course. The tsar’s reforms have never been popular, most especially with the old aristocracy like the Golitsyns. They are part and parcel with the Old Believers. If the tsar does not return, they will begin dismantling the tsar’s progress, you may be certain.
Already the Strelitzi are back, many wearing beards, which the tsar outlawed.
The academy may follow.”
“You forget,” Adrienne said, “the Academy of Sciences has become a holy pursuit. We have quite convinced the church that our science is that of the angels and the saints. How can they go against that?”
Hercule stared at his hands. “Do not underestimate the Old Believers, or think that you understand them. Most especially do not underestimate their hatred of the tsar. So many of their heads have rolled in the snow—even saints and angels are not proof against hatred. And if they ever discover how you and the tsar have deceived them—”
“Perhaps they already have,” Crecy interrupted.
“What can you mean?”
“I say, what if they have? If they know that for ten years you have had your djinni masquerading as saints, appearing in chapels, working miracles—there are many in the academy who might let such a thing slip.”
“Then why have they taken no action—Ah!”
“Yes. Can it be a coincidence that you were attacked on the very day of the coup? Someone feared you would support Menshikov. They fear you still, for the tales of what you can do are exaggerated even beyond what you are capable EMPIRE OF UNREASON
of, which is much. They certainly would not come for you here, in your own house with all of its protections and soldiers.”
“You think they seek to lull me.”
“I say we must consider it, that is all.”
Adrienne nodded. “One thing puzzles me, however. If the attack on me yesterday was part of the coup, why did the malakus carry an image of my son, far away, in China?”
“What is this?” Hercule erupted.
“I will
“For her own good, we thought to place her in a quiet place, away from all of this commotion, where she might receive the moral instruction she direly needs.”
“A convent,” Adrienne clarified.
“Yes, milady.”
EMPIRE OF UNREASON
She steepled her fingers beneath her chin. “What do you want of me? What will become of the Academy of Sciences?”
“Why, nothing, milady. That is what I came to reassure you of. Nothing shall change for you or for the academy, not as long as you wish it to remain as it is.”
“In other words, you wish my support of this coup.”
“That would be best, of course,” Golitsyn replied. “You are highly regarded by everyone.”
“But not so highly regarded as to be consulted before shots were fired.”
“If more people had known about this, lady, more shots would have been fired, I assure you. And if we failed, I did not want to see you implicated.”
“I never knew how thoughtful you were, Prince. This is truly a revelation.” She picked up a fan and toyed with it for a moment. “I have no love for Menshikov,” she admitted, “and Anna is a suitable choice for empress. But Elizavet will remain in Saint Petersburg, under my eye. I am her tutor, and I know what the tsar wants for her.”
“Mademoiselle—”
“I can cause you much trouble, sir, and am prepared to. Or I can cause you none at all.”
He colored, smoothed his mustache once again, and nodded briefly. “You will come to the coronation?”
“In my best gown.”
“Very well, then, milady. May I wish you good day?”
“If it were day.”
She watched him go. A few moments later, Crecy and Hercule joined her.
EMPIRE OF UNREASON
“I want Elizavet’s things moved here,” Adrienne said. “I do not trust them.”
“And about the rest? About the academy?” Crecy asked.
“Why shouldn’t that be true?”
Hercule cleared his throat. He could not seem to meet her eyes. “Things are not as simple as the prince made them out to be, of course. The tsar’s reforms have never been popular, most especially with the old aristocracy like the Golitsyns. They are part and parcel with the Old Believers. If the tsar does not return, they will begin dismantling the tsar’s progress, you may be certain.
Already the Strelitzi are back, many wearing beards, which the tsar outlawed.
The academy may follow.”
“You forget,” Adrienne said, “the Academy of Sciences has become a holy pursuit. We have quite convinced the church that our science is that of the angels and the saints. How can they go against that?”
Hercule stared at his hands. “Do not underestimate the Old Believers, or think that you understand them. Most especially do not underestimate their hatred of the tsar. So many of their heads have rolled in the snow—even saints and angels are not proof against hatred. And if they ever discover how you and the tsar have deceived them—”
“Perhaps they already have,” Crecy interrupted.
“What can you mean?”
“I say, what if they have? If they know that for ten years you have had your djinni masquerading as saints, appearing in chapels, working miracles—there are many in the academy who might let such a thing slip.”
“Then why have they taken no action—Ah!”
“Yes. Can it be a coincidence that you were attacked on the very day of the coup? Someone feared you would support Menshikov. They fear you still, for the tales of what you can do are exaggerated even beyond what you are capable EMPIRE OF UNREASON
of, which is much. They certainly would not come for you here, in your own house with all of its protections and soldiers.”
“You think they seek to lull me.”
“I say we must consider it, that is all.”
Adrienne nodded. “One thing puzzles me, however. If the attack on me yesterday was part of the coup, why did the malakus carry an image of my son, far away, in China?”
“What is this?” Hercule erupted.
“I will
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