Tossed into Chaos

The decibel level of the crowd beyond the two windows of the chamber overlooking the forecourt and beyond the gates of the chateau rose. At the same time, Luc heard the hoofbeats of a horse. He drew up to one of the windows in time to see Alphonse charging down the drive toward the gates. The gatekeepers, who were valiantly pushing at the shuddering iron gates from inside the compound, tried to wave him off, but the comte raised his sword, and, in resignation, the gatekeeper turned the lock in the gates and started to open them.

That was all the crowd needed. They surged forward, rocking and throwing the gates open and tearing them off their hinges. With a cry Alphonse rode directly into the crowd. He didn’t make it outside the gate. As Luc watched in wonder of just how stupid and out of touch the aristocrat was, the crowd, flowing forward toward the chateau, engulfed his horse, and the comte was being pulled off the steed and sank below the heads and shoulders of the angry peasants.

“What was that? What was that cry?” Jacques asked as he came up on his knees on the bed.

Luc turned and looked at him, his staff going hard at the beauty of the young, pampered man.