"She and Ireban are one and the same," announced Saint-Lucq, throwing a small bundle of documents on the table. "I found these in her home. Reading them, you'll discover that Cecile is the daughter of a great Spanish lord, that she and Castilla are lovers, and that they fled Spain together, Cecile disguising herself as a man to fool any spies. You'll also see therein that Cecile and Castilla not only feared the wrath of her father but also that of another mysterious enemy."
"The Black Claw," guessed Leprat.
"Must I remind you that Agnes is in the Black Claw's hands?" Ballardieu interjected in tight voice that barely concealed his contained anger. "Isn't that the most important thing?"
"Yes," said La Fargue. "However, it is perhaps only by getting to the bottom of this whole story that we will find a way to rescue Agnes ..."
"And I tell you that we need to do everything in our power to save her. Starting right now!"
"Agnes voluntarily placed herself in the lion's jaws," Leprat reasoned, "but she may not have known which lion was involved."
"She passed right in front of me," Saint-Lucq pointed out. "I heard the one-eyed man talking to her as they took her away, and by all appearances, they mistook her for Cecile. That won't last. Ballardieu is right: time is running short."
"Who can help us?" the old soldier asked. "The cardinal? Castilla?"
"I doubt that Castilla is in any state to talk," said Almades. "As for the cardinal ..."
Silence fell upon them, heavy with worry compounded by a sense of impotence.
"Malencontre," said Leprat after a long moment.
The others stared at him, while Almades explained briefly to Saint-Lucq who this Malencontre was. That done, Leprat continued: "Malencontre belongs to the Black Claw; otherwise we would not have surprised him beneath Castilla's windows. And he must know a great deal, or the cardinal would not have taken him from us."
"But if I follow the chronology of events correctly," said Saint-Lucq, "this man can't know where Agnes is being held today, because he was arrested yesterday—"
"He certainly knows enough to put us on the right track!"
"Yes!" exclaimed Ballardieu. "Yes! That's an excellent idea!"
He turned toward La Fargue and solicited his opinion with a glance.
"The idea is a good one, yes. . . . But-"
"But, we don't know were he can be found at present," Marciac filled in for his captain. "Moreover, we will not be able to reach him without permission from the cardinal. And, finally, he won't talk unless we can offer him something in return."
"Freedom," said Almades. "Malencontre knows he is lost. He will not talk in return for anything less than his liberty."
"We'll persuade Richelieu to offer Malencontre his freedom!" declared Ballardieu. "If he knows that Agnes's life hangs in the balance ..."
He wanted to believe it, but the others were less confident. What price did the cardinal currently place on the life of one of his Blades? He had never hesitated to sacrifice them on the altar of political necessity in the past.
"I can arrange a meeting with His Eminence quickly," proposed Saint-Lucq.
"Then let us try that," concluded La Fargue.
They all rose and Marciac took the captain to one side.
"With your permission, I would like to go in search of Cecile."
"Do you know where she went?"
The Gascon smiled.
"If Agnes were here, she would tell you that you do not know women very well, captain."
"That may be. Go ahead, follow your idea. But we will have need of you soon."
"I won't be long."
13
In 1607 Concino Concini, an Italian adventurer who, together with his wife, enjoyed such influence over Queen Marie de Medicis that she made him marquis d'Ancre and a marshal of France, built a vast mansion on rue de Tournon. Greedy and incompetent, he was hated by the population, who pillaged his mansion for the first time in 1616 and then again, after his death in 1617. Louis XIII resided there from time to time, and then gave it to one of his favourites, only to buy it back later. From then on, and up until 1748, the beautiful house in rue de Tournon became a residence for visiting ambassadors extraordinary.
The creation of permanent ambassadors was not yet a widespread practice. With rare exceptions, European kingdoms only employed ambassadors extraordinary to conduct particular negotiations or represent their monarchs on grand occasions—princely baptisms, betrothals, marriages, and other important ceremonies. These envoys—always great lords expected to maintain appearances at their own cost—would return to their country once their mission was completed. Diplomacy was yet to become a career.