Armand Cabasson - Wolf Hunt

However, little by little, Margont’s determination wilted under the weight of the tons of written notes. He excused himself and left, accompanied by Lefine, abandoning Relmyer, perched on a ladder, a skiff adrift on an ocean of paper.

CHAPTER 14

TIME seemed to have frozen in an interlude before an inevitable acceleration would re-establish the normal course of things. The days slipped by, all spent in the same way: preparing for battle or relaxing. Nevertheless, a slight excitement gradually took hold of everyone. The whole of Europe was avidly watching this section of the Danube, this little blue ribbon that separated two armies drunk on their own invincibility.

Margont had been immobilised on the Isle of Lobau, fulfilling his military obligations. Today he was finally enjoying a day of liberty. At least he felt he was at liberty, a view that did not quite correspond to what the army felt. He was not supposed to move around without authorisation but he did it all the time. The French army had many soldiers who did not possess the proper disciplined spirit of the professional soldier. During an inspection, Margont had overheard a soldier addressing the Emperor informally. And, what’s more, it was to complain about not having

received the Legion d’honneur! Not only did Napoleon not bat an eyelid at this insolence, he effectively granted the decoration, having had the soldier’s exploits confirmed.

A host of volunteers had enrolled to defend their country against invasion, to protect their newly acquired liberty or because they had been seduced by the glamour of victorious servicemen (and these volunteers received a rude shock when they discovered the true face of war). The conscripts, who were more numerous, had not asked to be soldiers. Having plunged their hands into a bag in front of their mayor and the police, they had drawn the short straw, the one that sent them to the front unless they had the money to pay for a replacement. All these people detested the over-rigid regulations, which they flouted whenever they could. Margont, who had volunteered in order to defend his revolutionary ideals, was in that category too. He often consigned his company to the care of Saber before disappearing. This time Saber was absent, so he left his men in the charge of Piquebois, who was gradually recovering from his wound. For some unknown

reason, Saber was spending his time in a Viennese cafe, the Milano on Kohlmarkt, and only rarely came back, irritated and taciturn.

Margont and Lefine galloped off to Vienna. It was time to live again.

Vienna was crawling with soldiers looking for a good time. When Austrian women went shopping they returned home with their baskets full of eggs, vegetables and half a dozen declarations of eternal love; eternal, that is, until the end of the campaign. It was called going to market.

Margont and Lefine went to Luise’s house where they were impatiently awaited. She flung herself on them while Margont still had one foot in his stirrup. She was overwrought and struggled to get the words out.

Isn’t Lukas with you?’ she finally demanded, having barely responded to Margont’s greeting.

‘We haven’t seen him for three days. He’s wearing himself out with his absurd searches. I think we will have to try to pull him out of the record office.’

Luise agreed. One servant took the reins of the horses while another one came over to join them. The Mitterburgs had left instructions that Luise was never to go out on her own.

While they were walking, Luise kept her fists clenched.

‘Why aren’t you looking after Lukas any more? This business is destroying him! Of course it’s not easy to do anything about it; he’s so stubborn! But you could ... I don’t know ...’

‘Let’s start by finding him.’

‘I’m doing everything to find the information he wants. Only, it’s so complicated ... and, is it really what’s best for him? He’s already escaped from the man once. Trying to meet him again, he’s pushing his luck, playing with fire.’

Luise took Margont’s arm; he slowed down.

‘I lost my parents, then Franz. I don’t want anything to happen to Lukas. I couldn’t stand it.’

When they arrived at the Kriegsministerium the duty officer received them with the smile of a salesman welcoming his best clients.

They found the room in an even worse state of devastation than the last time. Relmyer just dropped the documents that were no use to him, drowning the disorder in his own chaos. Perched on his ladder, as though he had not come down from it since his last meeting with Margont, he let go of an enormous bundle that crashed onto a mound of papers with an explosive sound. Luise had to call him three times before he would consent to come and greet them. Although he had emptied an astonishing number of shelves he had undertaken only a tiny part of the Herculean task he had set himself. He looked dreadful. He regarded them with a deranged intensity through swollen, hollow eyes that were reddened as if rubbed by sandpaper. He had bad breath and appeared to be starving. His crumpled uniform stank of sweat, reflecting his inner turmoil.

‘Have you come to help me?’ he asked, with an exhausted smile.

Luise’s demeanour changed completely. The minute before she had had tears in her eyes. She lifted her chin and spoke in clipped tones.

‘We’re taking you for a walk in Vienna. Well also go to the gardens of the Chateau de Schonbrunn. They’re so pretty ... do you remember them? We used to go there ...’

‘Go for a walk?’ repeated Relmyer.

He did not appear to understand. Anything not related to his obsession made no sense to him.

‘Yes, go for a walk.’

‘To Schonbrunn?’

Luise raised her voice. ‘We’re going for a stroll around Vienna and in Schonbrunn! Do you think I’m going to let you kill yourself with these papers? I demand that you leave here!’

Her voice reverberated, bouncing off the walls of the Kriegsministerium as it did off Relmyer’s closed mind.

Without really agreeing the young hussar let himself be dragged off. Luise decided that first of all her brother must eat. Margont proposed that they go to Cafe Milano so that they could see Saber.

CHAPTER 15

THE Milano’s sign was an enormous copper coffee pot held by a little black boy. Margont took an instant dislike to the crowded noisy cafe and wondered how Saber could possibly spend entire days here. Lefine, who was having all the same thoughts, indicated the billiard table as a possible reason, but Margont was not totally convinced. Saber was installed in a corner of the room. As was his way, he had taken the place over. His table was buried under maps, books, gazettes, and letters. His very bearing, sitting with an air of complete confidence and concentration, gave the impression that he was at home, and that he had graciously agreed to have his office turned into a cafe. He was in discussion with two other lieutenants. None of the numerous customers who were having to stand dared to ask for one of the empty chairs, which were piled with a jumble of letters.

Margont joined them and introductions were made. One of the lieutenants, Valle, bestowed an exquisite smile on Luise, who

signalled her lack of interest by turning to order coffee and bread before ‘forgetting’ to listen to the slew of compliments that the officer was giving her. She liked to keep her distance. Saber, who was cold towards Relmyer, annoyed with him for having wounded Piquebois, brusquely made space on the empty chairs by throwing their contents onto the ground and reorganising his documents. Like Margont, Saber loved both coffee and the effect it had on him. He drank it with exaggerated, mannered gestures. A waiter brought a tray with myriad cups, an immense coffee pot, a pitcher of milk and another of cream. Vienna was a paradise for lovers of coffee. Saber turned his into honey with dollops of sugar. Luise filled Relmyer’s up with cream, not because that was the way he liked it, but to give him some nourishment. Margont liked his pure, strong and bitter. As for Lefine, he chose to ‘sweeten it’ with schnapps, having swiped a bottle off the counter. Luise only started her drink when Relmyer had already drunk two cups. Margont had to press the servant accompanying Luise to dare to accept a cup. The man was astonished to be treated as an equal, and this little incident was to sow the seeds of republican ideas in his deepest thoughts.