Dark in the City of Light by Paul Robertson

Author:Paul Robertson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
ISBN: 9781441212139
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2010-05-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

WHAT WAS POSSIBLE,

WHAT IS CERTAIN

– 1 –

“Where is the emperor?”

It was possible that the month of August could hold no more disasters for France, because, it was nearly September.

“What is he doing?”

But it was not certain. August was not quite over.

All eyes were on the city of Reims, where the emperor was commanding his newly gathered army, soon to march forward and break the Prussian ring around Metz. Then, together, the two armies would end the disgrace of German armies on French soil.

“He is no longer in Reims.”

The army of national salvation had marched forward into the fog of war and disappeared.

“Where is he going?” Prince von Metternich asked, confounded by the map on his desk.

“There are several roads to Metz,” Baron Harsanyi said.

“Which one would the French emperor take? The latest reports are that the Germans have gone south, to Bar-le-Dux.”

“Then he will take the road north, toward Sedan.”

“And elude the Germans,” the ambassador said.

“Only if they want to be eluded.”

“Is there any news about Metz?” Therese asked at the dinner table that night as she did each night.

“The same news,” Ferdinand said. “There are 140,000 French in Metz, and 150,000 Prussians around them.”

“Is it possible the new army will rescue them?”

“Another 200,000 French trying to slip around another 150,000 Germans. Nothing is certain.”

“An extremely interesting situation,” Pock said, sitting in the baron’s front parlor. “Blind man’s bluff, and the blind men are the two largest armies in the world.”

“It’s all guessing,” the baron said. “It all depends who can best guess the other’s mind and trap him with the guess.”

– 2 –

“They’ve met,” Prince von Metternich said. “There’s a dispatch to the empress. A battle at Beaumont. Forward units of the two armies.”

“Here,” the baron said with his finger on the map. “Fifteen kilometers south of Sedan.”

“So the emperor did choose the northern road.”

“And the Prussians guessed that he did. The French are in a trap now, between the Belgian border and Prussian army. We’ll see if it is possible for them to get out.”

“If Auguste did escape Metz . . .” Therese said.

“He couldn’t,” the baron said. “And he wouldn’t leave his fellows.”

“But if he did . . . if he was out of Metz, trying to get back to Paris . . . what would he do?”

“A single man in the countryside? If he was lucky, he might get through. But if he were to get caught between the armies, then . . . then only God could save him.”

“I like to imagine him escaping and getting back home.”

“Then imagine him staying very far from Sedan.”

– 3 –

The month of August did finally end, along with all its woes, and September began with word of a new battle, at Sedan, with the emperor himself fighting for the life of France.

All day crowds wandered Paris like leaves in the wind, tossed and caught aimlessly, waiting. Ferdinand bowed to his daughter’s pleas to be released from the house, and took her out to see the city. But

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