Read Online The Orphan's Tale by Anne Shaughnessy - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Anne Shaughnessy
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all beat their brains over why you turned, but I am thinking he was the reason. He became your papa, and he was a good 'un. He taught you the way to go. I remember now, how you were, learning the locks and such from me. Like you were learning how to use a weapon, not like an apprentice crook. When your papa died your heart was broke. I remember now, you standing all alone and looking out over the sea..."
He took out one of the cigars, accepted a match from Malet, lit the cigar, and sat back in a cloud of blue smoke. "Well," he said, "You turned, and here you are. So why're you here?"
" I am springing you," said Malet.
" What?" demanded Lanusse.
" You heard me," said Malet. "But there's a quid pro quo."
" What's the breakteeth words you're throwing at me?" Lanusse demanded. "Squid?"
Malet sat back and regarded the man thoughtfully. "It would be a terrible thing, Lanusse," he said, "if you were to awaken one day and find you'd grown to be as stupid as you're always pretending to be."
Lanusse looked hurt. "D'I deserve that?" he asked.
" You did," said Malet. "But to answer your question, it means it'll cost you."
" Oh," said Lanusse. "What's the price?"
" I want you to tell me everything you know about a man I am going after."
" Whatever you say, Dauphin!" Lanusse said, beaming.
" His name is Constant Dracquet," said Malet.
Lanusse's eyes widened. "You're going to tangle with him?" he demanded. When Malet nodded, he said, "Whew! I don't envy anyone nearby when you come to blows!"
Malet smiled grimly and said nothing.
"By God!" said Lanusse after a minute's wide-eyed thought, "Dracquet's finally coming head-to-head with the one who can fettle him, and at a time when he's puffed bigger'n a pouter pigeon with ideas and dreams! Shit!" He drew on his cigar, blew out a cloud of smoke, and sat back. "He's had it coming," he said. "And I will be on the side of the angels at last! Get out your notebook and start writing, Dauphin! I got a lot to tell you! Mind you, it's all what some fancy lawyer called hearsay at a trial I was at, but you're welcome to it!"
** ** **
Lanusse spoke at some length while Malet wrote in his notebook. When he was finished, Malet set his gold pencil back in the notebook, bestowed both in his breast pocket, and looked Lanusse over with a calm, measuring eye.
" And there's one other thing," he said.
" Anything, Dauphin," said Lanusse.
" That you clear out of Paris," said Malet grimly. "And, you go straight."
Go straight. Lanusse shrugged philosophically. He had been wanting to do just that for years, but things had always prevented him. Maybe now he would be able to, if he didn't let himself get lazy. "Well, Dauphin," he said. "I will try. But I still don't understand why you're doing this. for me."
Malet lifted his eyebrows, and Lanusse saw just for a moment, remote and dim, those same eyes, wet with tears, set in a younger face. It had been on the battlements of Toulon prison, overlooking the sea.
Never mind, lad, Lanusse had said then, his arm flung awkwardly around the shoulders of a fourteen-year-old boy who had been gazing out at the ocean. Never mind. He's beyond hurt now, and God's welcoming him home. You can remember the things he taught you, they're still with you. And you haven't lost him, he will always be there, inside you, when you need him.
The boy had turned against his shoulder and wept with the racking pain of utter heartbreak. For a moment it had been like comforting a nearly grown tiger cub before the boy had reared back and pushed away.
But Lanusse remembered, and so, he saw, did the man that the heartbroken boy had grown into.
"Just so you try, Lanusse. I will put in the words to make your path smooth. I don't-" he paused, his brows drawn together. He took a long breath and spoke again. "I don't want you to die in prison. I want you to die comfortably in your bed of old age, and I am giving you a chance to do just that."
" Thank you, lad," Lanusse said quietly.
He took out one of the cigars, accepted a match from Malet, lit the cigar, and sat back in a cloud of blue smoke. "Well," he said, "You turned, and here you are. So why're you here?"
" I am springing you," said Malet.
" What?" demanded Lanusse.
" You heard me," said Malet. "But there's a quid pro quo."
" What's the breakteeth words you're throwing at me?" Lanusse demanded. "Squid?"
Malet sat back and regarded the man thoughtfully. "It would be a terrible thing, Lanusse," he said, "if you were to awaken one day and find you'd grown to be as stupid as you're always pretending to be."
Lanusse looked hurt. "D'I deserve that?" he asked.
" You did," said Malet. "But to answer your question, it means it'll cost you."
" Oh," said Lanusse. "What's the price?"
" I want you to tell me everything you know about a man I am going after."
" Whatever you say, Dauphin!" Lanusse said, beaming.
" His name is Constant Dracquet," said Malet.
Lanusse's eyes widened. "You're going to tangle with him?" he demanded. When Malet nodded, he said, "Whew! I don't envy anyone nearby when you come to blows!"
Malet smiled grimly and said nothing.
"By God!" said Lanusse after a minute's wide-eyed thought, "Dracquet's finally coming head-to-head with the one who can fettle him, and at a time when he's puffed bigger'n a pouter pigeon with ideas and dreams! Shit!" He drew on his cigar, blew out a cloud of smoke, and sat back. "He's had it coming," he said. "And I will be on the side of the angels at last! Get out your notebook and start writing, Dauphin! I got a lot to tell you! Mind you, it's all what some fancy lawyer called hearsay at a trial I was at, but you're welcome to it!"
** ** **
Lanusse spoke at some length while Malet wrote in his notebook. When he was finished, Malet set his gold pencil back in the notebook, bestowed both in his breast pocket, and looked Lanusse over with a calm, measuring eye.
" And there's one other thing," he said.
" Anything, Dauphin," said Lanusse.
" That you clear out of Paris," said Malet grimly. "And, you go straight."
Go straight. Lanusse shrugged philosophically. He had been wanting to do just that for years, but things had always prevented him. Maybe now he would be able to, if he didn't let himself get lazy. "Well, Dauphin," he said. "I will try. But I still don't understand why you're doing this. for me."
Malet lifted his eyebrows, and Lanusse saw just for a moment, remote and dim, those same eyes, wet with tears, set in a younger face. It had been on the battlements of Toulon prison, overlooking the sea.
Never mind, lad, Lanusse had said then, his arm flung awkwardly around the shoulders of a fourteen-year-old boy who had been gazing out at the ocean. Never mind. He's beyond hurt now, and God's welcoming him home. You can remember the things he taught you, they're still with you. And you haven't lost him, he will always be there, inside you, when you need him.
The boy had turned against his shoulder and wept with the racking pain of utter heartbreak. For a moment it had been like comforting a nearly grown tiger cub before the boy had reared back and pushed away.
But Lanusse remembered, and so, he saw, did the man that the heartbroken boy had grown into.
"Just so you try, Lanusse. I will put in the words to make your path smooth. I don't-" he paused, his brows drawn together. He took a long breath and spoke again. "I don't want you to die in prison. I want you to die comfortably in your bed of old age, and I am giving you a chance to do just that."
" Thank you, lad," Lanusse said quietly.
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