etre libre

Chapter one (parts IV, V and VI)

The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant.

- Maxmillian Robespierre

Part IV: Journey to the robbery

It had been a few hours since Avonie's trip to see Guillaume, and Sontie was once again wailing for food. Theo was on the table picking his fingernails clean of dirt, and singing La Marseillaise. Avonie pulled a small piece of stale bread out of her skirt pocket, breaking it up into three sections. She slammed it down on the table, and gave her siblings the usual lecture about behaving while she was away. She took a deep breath; it was now time for another robbery. Feeling for her locket as always, she left the little room, tumbling down the stairs.

"Rue Saint-Louis, Rue Saint-Louis" she murmured to herself, trying to visualise Paris in her brain. It was a complicated place, and there were many places she couldn't go, patrolled by police or grounds of criminals more dangerous than herself. She liked to use the catacombs as a way to get around, this was a common trick used by many pickpockets. They were crawling with them, no place for a common person, but if you knew what you were doing you would be fine. If you were as used to the walls and paths as Avonie was, it was even safer in the catacombs than the streets. The sewers were also used for a similar function. If a choice was to be made on which one you would use, it usually came down to whether you preferred slime or dead bodies. Using the key Guillaume had found her, Avonie slipped into the catacombs and began to wind through the paths. The journey was mostly uneventful, and it wasn't long before she slipped out close to Rue Saint-Louis.

It was a nasty shock to find, as she turned into the meeting spot Guillaume had arranged, that he was not alone. Two larger shadows loomed over the childs. Avonie began to feel uncertain about this particular job almost immediately. What on earth are they doing here? She thought, How does Guillaume know them and why did he not tell me about this?

"Voni" exclaied Guillaume, running up to Avonie, "We were beginning to think you weren't coming".

"We?" Avonie said nervously, "Guillaume what are they doing here?"

Guillaume didn't reply, but instead led her over to the two men waiting by the side of the road.

"Here she is!" he cheerily told them.

"She?", Asked the taller one, "You didn't tell me your partner was a girl!"

"Drop that tone of voice" Snapped Avonie, "Why are you so shocked anyway?"

"Because girls don't have the stomach or wit for this kind of job" scoffed the shorter one, "you'll probably go running to your dolls as soon as we begin"

"Damn you" Yelled Avonie.

"Come on can we please get on with this" groaned Guillaume.

"I have children to feed," agreed Avonie.

"So the girl's a whore as well" sneered the taller one.

"Shut yaself, you little scumbag" demanded Guillaume, "The children are her siblings"

"As long as she isn't a Lefevre, she can come" grumbles the shorter one.

"I am a Lufanse, and I am coming whether you like it or not," replied Avonie.

With some disgruntled murmuring, the mismatched group began to move down the street.

Part V: Ravinot, Cresenet and others

As already said by Guillaume, the name of the shorter one was Cresenet, but the name of the taller one was Ravinot. They were quite separate to most criminal families, and they liked to work either individually or together. They made quite a good partnership, Ravinot didn't like to get his hands dirty, and although Cresenet wasn't completely devoid of brains, he wasn't exactly smart. They didn't need each other though, far from it. They were quite independent. Really, Paris was crawling with characters such as Ravinot and Cresenet, but only a few of them are really relevant to this story.

Of course, the Lufanse's have already been mentioned. They were highly respected, or as highly respected as a criminal group can be, until someone ratted them out, and they were all apprehended and arrested. The most obvious culprit for this incident is, of course, the Lefevre's. It can practically be assumed as a fact the Lefevre's are responsible for the Lufanse's demise. They have lived in the room beside them for a very long time, and would have been able to hear the Lufanse's every plan. They also bear a massive grudge against them, but we won't get into that now. Everybody hates the Levefre's, all except for one stupid man, Truchepasse.

Truchepasse was Lefevre's sidekick, and would follow him blindly.

Guillaume likes to roam around on his own, a child without any parents who has had no choice but to resort to criminal activities to live. He had developed a close relationship with Avonie though, and often thought of her as an older sister.

Now I suppose, we get back to the story.

Part VI: In which the robbery happens

The band went around the corner until they pulled up in front of an elaborate house with a neatly trimmed house, marble columns and a rusted iron gate.
"Who brought the rope?" Growled Cresenet.

The entire group stayed silent.

"You lot are worse at this than I thought" moaned Ravinot.

Avonie's skin began to prickle with anger.

"Come, we mustn't begin to squabble again, we shall just have to scale the streetlamp" cut in Guillaume.

He then promptly began to hoist himself up the pole.

"No, Guillaume get down, we need you as a lookout" Urged Avonie.

"I don't see any-"

"Down!"

Guillaume submitted and slipped back down the post.

"There's a patch of soft vegetation you can jump into without making a noise" he offered.

Then Avonie began climbing the pole deftly and steadily, until she reached the top. From there she balanced on the ornate loops arranged around the actual lamp, then gathered her skirt and jumped. She pulled herself up against the gate, brushing leaves off her clothes, then grinned at the bandits.

"Coming or not?"

Not much time had passed before the three of them were standing in the garden of the manor.

"So we get in, slit the throat, grab the money and get out?" clarified Ravinot.

Cresenet and Avonie nodded.

The shutters to a window were left open, so it wasn't hard to enter the household, and before you knew it the three criminals were in the bourgeois's room.

"Take the money from the drawer" Ravinot snapped at Cresenet.

Avonie hushed them as the man let out a gargled snore. Her heart caught in her throat as he began mumbling and moving around a little.

Ravinot motioned for the group to surround the sleeping lord. Avonie pulled a knife out of her coat. The blade glinted menacingly in the moonlight. Ravinot handed her his cravat, and she slowly creeped forward, cramming it in his mouth so he could scream and slitting his throat in one quick swipe. Within seconds he was dead.

"Get the money and go" hissed Cresenet.

They pulled several pouches of golden napoleons out of the drawer and Ravinot began to cackle.

"Not half bad, ay?"

"What're we to do with the body" said Avonie, "did anybody think about that huh?"

Cresenet stared dumbly at her.

"No?" she answered her own question, "Well I'll take it".

Lugging the body and the prizes behind them, the three thieves made their way back into the street where Guillaume was waiting, kicking the lamp post for fun. From there they split the royalties and scurried away from the spot. Servants tended to shriek when they found their masters dead, so nobody wanted to be there at daybreak.