1632: Essen Steel (11 page)

But the most immediate concern was what to do about the Dragon and the expedition to Maryland.

De Geer smiled. The French and Dutch were allies, were they not? It should be a simple matter to negotiate for the land grants needed to mine the chromite in the Baltimore area. Perhaps Colette and Josh could leave early for their trip to Paris.

Then De Geer remembered who they would be staying with. Richelieu's niece, the marquise de Combalet. Perfect!

But they would need legal advice. He sent for Dirck Graswinckel.

Graswinckel was enthusiastic. He had enjoyed his stay in Paris with Hugo Grotius and had numerous contacts there.

"You will be arriving early, so I will arrange some funds with a bill of exchange sent to Jean Hoeufft. Be careful. We don't want the French to know we are looking for chromite. Just ask for a general mining concession in the area. Better yet, ask for several mining concessions and let them negotiate you down to the ones we want. Explain everything to Josh and Colette. If they impress the marquise de Combalet it would ease the way for a meeting with Richelieu if that is needed."

After Graswinckel left De Geer sat back in his chair. Every business instinct he had told him there was something deeper going on. But what?

* * *

The first ten days of their stay in Paris were a whirlwind of activity for Colette and Joshua Modi. They arrived at the Petit Luxembourg on a sunny afternoon. The ride through Paris had been disconcerting for Josh, with constant déj à vu flashes as he caught glimpses of street patterns or buildings.

The marquise de Combalet waited for them in the foyer of the Petit Luxembourg having been warned of their arrival by the courier they had sent ahead on reaching the gates of Paris. She wore an elegant green dress and had a string of pearls around her neck although she wore very little make-up. She had black hair and black eyebrows and a small receding chin. She was not very pretty, but to Josh she seemed to exude a presence of serenity and confidence.

She knows who she is
, thought Josh,
and she's happy with herself.

To her right were two old women, one dressed in serviceable brown and white clothing and the other in black. Both women had canes and were watching him and Colette with intelligent intensity. They were so much alike that they looked like bookends.

After the initial introductions, the marquise, who insisted they simply call her Lady Marie, turned to the two old women. "Colette, I believe you know Marie de Gournay?" She motioned to the woman in black.

Colette smiled and moved to hug the older woman. "I am so happy to meet you at last, Marie! But you weren't supposed to tell on me!"

Marie de Gournay laughed. "I was too proud of you, my dear. And I couldn't stand the men at the salon going on and on how Crucibellus was obviously a man and how no woman could possibly write in such a concise and intelligent manner. Ha! Weren't they surprised!"

Marie turned to the woman next to her. "This is my friend, Louise Bourgeois. She insisted on meeting you and Josh. She was the royal midwife for many years and teaches at the school for midwives at the Hotel Dieu across from Notre Dame Cathedral."

Louise smiled. She too seemed to exude the same serenity and confidence exhibited by Lady Marie. "I hope you can tell me something about the medical practices in Grantville. We have heard many rumors here in Paris but very few facts."

Colette shrugged. "I do not know much, but my husband was born in what we call the 'up-time universe' where Grantville came from. He may be able to help you."

Inside Josh cringed.
Oh boy
, he thought,
I wish I had paid more attention in biology now.
"I don't know if I can be of much help, Madame Bourgeois, but I will do what I can. My major at Ohio State University was business history."

Marie de Gournay suddenly poked him with her cane. "And how has this husband of yours been treating you? With the respect due your intelligence and education, I hope!"

Colette laughed. "Oh, yes. He has been an excellent husband!" She patted him on the arm affectionately. "But he does spend too much time with his business."

The two old women scowled at him.

Great
, Josh thought,
now they look like two little pit bulls.

"Life is too short, young man!" said Louise Bourgeois. "Your wife is more important than any business!"

Next to him Colette grinned.

"And who is this young lady?" the marquise asked, indicating Regina.

"This is my
kammerjungfer
, Regina Kniphoff," Colette said. "The nearest translation in French would be that of a young lady-in-waiting. She is also my business assistant."

The marquise smiled as Regina curtsied.

"I am very pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Marie," Regina said.

"Since I knew you would have a young girl with you, Colette, I asked Louise if she would be willing to have one of her granddaughters act as a guide and companion for Regina. Catherine?" A young girl Regina's age came shyly forward. "Regina? This is Catherine Luynes. Catherine, Regina Kniphoff, Colette's …
kammerjungfer
?" She looked at Colette, who nodded.

The two girls moved off to the side and began chatting with each other.

"I knew you would be tired from your trip," the marquise said, "so I scheduled no lectures until the day after tomorrow. But I must tell you that many people are very jealous of me." She motioned to a corridor and they all began walking down the hallway.

"Why is that?" Colette asked.

"We have had very few people from Grantville come to Paris. Oh, there was the diplomatic delegation recently, but they spent very little time here and did not participate in any salon meetings. All of Paris was rather disappointed."

"Really? Why?" Josh asked.

"The salons of Paris are where many women learn about new events in science, art, literature and mathematics Josh," said the marquise. "Grantville has been on everyone's lips for months but most of what we hear is outlandish rumor." She smiled. "I am afraid you will be as much in demand as Colette for giving lectures. I hope you don't mind."

Time to be diplomatic
, thought Josh. "I would be delighted to assist you in any way I can, Lady Marie."

This time when the marquise smiled it was as brilliant as the sun. "I hoped you would say that!" She chuckled. "The marquise de Rambouillet will simply die of envy!"

"Marquise de Rambouillet?" Colette asked.

Lady Marie seemed to wave her hand in dismissal. "The marquise de Rambouillet began the tradition of the salons of Paris in the early 1600's. Hers is still the most famous. She tends to focus more on art and literature, while I try to attract those of science and mathematics." She laughed. "But she will try to steal you away soon enough." She stopped in front of a doorway. "This will be your room. The windows look out towards the garden."

The room was huge, with a large bed, fireplace, and elegant furniture stylishly placed. A connecting door led into a smaller room that would be Regina's.

Colette smiled. "This is lovely, Lady Marie. We will be quite happy here."

Lady Marie smiled back. "Dinner will be at eight. My cook is Lorenzo Stornato from Florence and I asked him to prepare something special tonight. I think he is planning either goose or swan. I invited a few guests, so Marie and Louise will be there, and Vincent de Paul. Until then."

She swept out of the room, closing the doors behind her.

Colette flopped on the bed. "Paris!"

Josh laughed and flopped beside her. "I think this is going to be fun. I hope Dirck and Jan can take care of the Maryland business on their own. I'd hate to have to spoil all this by having to get involved in negotiating a business deal."

Then it hit him. Vincent de Paul. Saint Vincent de Paul? "Oh my God."

* * *

Despite Josh's apprehension at meeting a real saint (Josh had to keep reminding himself that Vincent de Paul had not been canonized yet), the dinner was quite enjoyable. Colette and Josh found Vincent de Paul's stories about his time as a slave after being captured by Turkish pirates in 1605 particularly fascinating.

"So you and your master both escaped?" Colette asked.

Vincent de Paul nodded. "Only after I converted him to Catholicism. He was a simple but good man."

It was at that moment that an unexpected guest walked into the room. The marquise hurried over and kissed the man on the cheek. "Theo, I thought you said you couldn't come!"

The man's voice rumbled deep in his chest. "I finished this week's issue of the
Gazette
early just so I could meet your new guests."

The marquise brought the man over and Colette and Josh stood to introduce themselves. As the man came closer Josh tried not to stare.
Now if that isn't the perfect description of butt-ugly,
he thought
, I don't know what is.

The man approaching them on the arm of the marquise was not just ugly. He was enormously ugly. He had huge, misshapen hands. His nose was short and squashed and his sunken eyes and narrow mouth made his face into that of a monster. His thin hair revealed and accentuated the ugliness of the face rather than softening it.

But then you looked into the eyes and you forgot the face, for the eyes burned with curiosity and intelligence.
Like lasers
, thought Josh,
they burn right through you. Laser eyes.

"Colette, Josh, this is my good friend Theophraste Renaudot. Theo, Colette and Josh Modi, from Grantville."

Renaudot shook their hands gently. "A pleasure to finally meet people from the mythical town of Grantville. You must tell me all about it."

Renaudot seated himself next to Josh and Colette. "Will you be with us long?"

Josh smiled. "The marquise has us booked for at least two weeks of lectures. We had planned to come in August but things went very well with our business and we were able to come to Paris earlier than we expected. We hope to be able to stay a month."

"Excellent," Renaudot said. "May I interview you for my newspaper? I am the publisher of the weekly
Gazette du France
. The latest issue is at the printers, but I am already looking for stories for next week's issue and it would be a pleasure to interview you and your wife." Renaudot looked over at Colette and smiled. "It would be especially delightful to interview Crucibellus. Was Joe Buckley's story true? Your pen name came to you in a dream?"

Colette blushed. "Yes. I had asked Mr. Buckley not to publish that part of the story, but he did anyway."

"And you felt you were touched by God, did you not?" Renaudot's voice was soft and low.

Colette nodded.

"And He has touched you before, hasn't He?" Renaudot asked.

Everyone around the table was silent, listening.

Colette nodded again, jerkily, and a single tear began to drip very slowly down her cheek. Renaudot reached across and gently wiped the tear away.

"I only ask, Colette, because I too have felt the hand of God on my soul, and He changed my life as much as I believe He changed yours. Perhaps someday you can tell me your story." Renaudot grinned, breaking the spell of the moment. "Not for publication of course. I am not Joe Buckley."

The conversation continued for another hour before the marquise laughed and said it was time to let her guests rest.

"What happened to Theo?" Colette asked as the marquise escorted them to their room.

"You mean why did he say he had been touched by God?"

Colette nodded.

"You noticed that Theo is not the handsomest of men?"

"Yes," Josh said, "But his eyes … "

"Women are not attracted to men's eyes, Josh, especially at first. And Theo's father was a handsome man. So Theo always felt alone and ostracized, especially as a young boy. It was when he was ten that he came across an old man lying in the street, clutching a loaf of bread. People began to gather around the old man, screaming and beating him, accusing him of theft. Theo could see that that the old man was starving, that he had stolen the bread to survive, not to sell. But the crowd had no empathy. No mercy. For one brief second God connected their souls. He showed Theo what he must do if he was to relieve the suffering of the poor." The marquise smiled sadly. "From that day forward, Theo dedicated his life to helping the poor. Both my uncle and Father Joseph support him in this endeavor, as do I. In addition to publishing the
Gazette du France
, he is the commissioner-general to the poor. He is trying to organize an information center where the poor can find out about jobs. He is also attempting to recruit doctors to provide free clinics for those who are sick."

The marquise smiled at them. "He is a very good man. And he loves to hear about new and interesting things. He seems to absorb new information like a sponge, nothing is forgotten. If you could talk to him in the next few days, I would be very appreciative."

"We will, Lady Marie. I promise," Colette said.

The marquise left and they entered their room and prepared for bed.

"They are not what I expected," Josh said, cuddling with Colette in the bed.

"What do you mean?"

Josh nuzzled her neck. "I don't know, I thought the niece of Richelieu would be more, more … "

"Evil? Machiavellian?"

Josh nodded.

"People are complex creatures, Josh. Everyone has good and bad qualities. From what Marie de Gournay has written me, Lady Marie has many more good than bad qualities. I like her."

"So do I. Since we are her guests, let's try to be as diplomatic as we can in the weeks ahead."

They fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

A week after their arrival they were able to watch the latest play by Pierre Corneille,
La Veuve
. When Colette expressed her enthusiasm for the play, the marquise encouraged them to use her box at the Hotel de Bourgogne where Corneille's tragedy,
Clitandre
, was still playing.

"I've already seen it twice, but it is excellent. It closes in three days, however, so you should plan on seeing it soon. Perhaps the evening after tomorrow? I have finally scheduled a night off for you." She chuckled. "You have been wonderful guests, hardly any complaints at all."