CHAPTER TWO

“Chief Inspector, you must not! It is not safe, sir!” Henri hesitated, and then resignedly, silently stepped aside.

Montreal half-bowed. “May I accompany you sir?”

Javert nodded, as his aide offered him his hat and the black truncheon that rested on his desk.

“Well, Monsieur Montreal,” he said, “come with me and let’s see what can be done.”

Javert heard the crowd before he saw them. Leaving the building, he studied the crowd that had gathered beyond the gate as it caught sight of him. Insults were hurled at the Officers, many of the personally directed toward the Chief Inspector himself. The site of uniformed and armed officers flanking the circle of demonstrators was reassuring to him and an increasingly nervous Detective Montreal.

Approaching the gate, Javert raised his voice to be heard over the noise of the crowd. “I am Chief Inspector Javert,” he called out. “I understand that Monsieur Fontenot wishes to speak to me. Let him come forward.”

In response, the crowd which numbered around 40 or so, parted, and the FREECOMS leader stepped forth. “I am Fontenot,” he announced in a deep, bass rumble.

Javert bowed his head. “Greetings, Monsieur Fontenot,” Javert said.

“I accept no good wishes from our enemy,” Fontenot said coldly.

“I assure you that I wish only good relations between our factions.” Javert said. “I invite you to enter my office, so we may talk about matters that involve both our interests.”

The man drew himself up, clearly antagonistic. “I have nothing to say to you, Chief Inspector, that cannot be said within hearing of those who follow me. And I refuse to speak with a being so cowardly that he hides behind his officers.”

“I am not hiding, nor do I have anything to hide,” Javert corrected him, his tone civil but firm.

Javert heard shouts from the crowd, but Fontenot appeared to be able to control his followers. “Very well, then, I will come to you, so we may speak together like civilized people.” Before either of his aides could stop him, Javert stepped forward. Head high, his officers scrambling to catch up with him, he strode forward, straight for Fontenot.

The moment he walked into their midst, Javert was stunned by the feeling of hatred that emanated from the crowd. His officers drew in tighter around him, their senses alert to any overt action that might harm him.

The leader was clearly taken aback as the Chief Inspector approached him, but recovered his aplomb quickly. Raising his arms to the crowd, he motioned for quiet…but instead the shouting intensified.

“Down with greedy government!”

“Up with the people!”

Fontenot gestured again, more emphatically. “Let me speak with this man, my friends and comrades,” he shouted. “If I can make him see that there is no other way to peace than ours, then he will take this information to the others! We do not want trouble, we want peace…they can keep what is theirs but we shall claim what is ours!”

The protesters closest to their leader obeyed, but others, farther back in the crowd, continued to hurl abuses.

“Stay out of our business!”

“Give us what is ours!”

The crowd surged wildly, and then someone threw a clod of dirt, other refuse followed. The smell of rotten fruit and vegetables filled the air.

“Stop!” Fontenot yelled. And the missiles halted but the crowd was clearly getting out of control. “Quiet down!” the leader commanded. The noise abated slightly.

“We have no designs on what is yours,” Javert said, raising his voice to be heard above the din. “Your government leaders have been doing what is best for all the people! We__”

“Liar!”

The angry shriek cut through Javert like a knife. The crowd swelled, rushed forward like a strong sea tide.

to be continued....

© 2005 Rose Carr

Contact the author:  Rosematuse@aol.com

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