7 CHÂTEAU DE CHAVANIAC AUVERGNE FRANCE 1759 1 CHAPTER I BRING NEWS YOUR MOST HONORABLE MARCHIONESS YOUR HUSBAND IS DEAD FALLEN IN BATTLE NOT GOOD I MUST SPEAK TO THE MARCHIONESS WHAT SORT NO WHERE IS PAPA MY MICHEL MAMA COME AWAY DEAR HE IS GONE WHERE WHERE ALL SOLDIERS GO YOUR MOST HONORABLE MARQUIS PAPA NO DEAR YOU ARE THE MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE NOW HE SHOULD HAVE DUCKED
YEARS LATER 8 ARE YOU CRYING PROVOST KILL THE BRITISH GILBERT MY DEAR COULD YOU PLEASE KILL THE BRITISH IN YOUR BEDROOM NO OF COURSE NOT I'M STILL MOVED BY THE BRITISH VICTORY AT THE BATTLE OF MINDEN BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THIS POOR LITTLE BOY NEVER MIND I DON'T CARE I CANNOT WHY NOT THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN HOW NOBLE OF YOU NOW GO TO BED THEY ARE ALL DEAD NOW GRANDMOTHER I WILL GO TO BED BUT ONLY IF YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE PAINTINGS AGAIN NO I KISSED ALL OF THE WOMEN I KILLED THEM ALL IN SINGLE COMBAT AND I ONLY SPANKED THE CHILDREN VERY WELL THERE IS YOUR FATHER KILLED IN BATTLE IN PRUSSIA OH YES VERY BRAVE DEAD BEFORE THE AGE OF TWENTY FIVE WAS HE BRAVE HE SHOULD HAVE DUCKED
9 THERE IS YOUR GREAT GRANDFATHER THE COMTE DE LA RIVIÈRE COMMANDER OF THE KING'S BLACK MUSKETEERS THERE IS GILBERT III STEWARD OF THE BOURBONNAIS GOVERNOR OF DAUPHINE AND MARSHAL OF FRANCE IS HE STILL ALIVE YES HE IS HE FOUGHT ALONGSIDE JOAN OF ARC THEY DEFEATED THE BRITISH AND SAVED KING CHARLES VII'S THRONE CORRECT AND THIS ONE THERE IS GILBERT DE LAFAYETTE II WHAT DID HE DO PONS MOTIER DE LAFAYETTE HE FOLLOWED LOUIS IX IN THE SEVENTH CRUSADE TO THE HOLY LAND HE FOUGHT BLACK PRINCE EDWARD IN THE HUNDRED YEARS WAR WHEN DID HE DO THAT WHAT WILL I DO THE YEAR OF OUR LORD 1250 GRANDMOTHER HOPEFULLY YOU WILL GO TO BED YES DEAR
10 WHAT AN ILLUSTRIOUS FAMILY HISTORY SHE EXECUTED THE ORANGE CHANCELLOR ON THE FEAST DAY OF SAINT SANDWICH THE XIV WITH THE HOLY NOOSE OF FANTISSIMO TRULY HERE'S A PORTRAIT OF MY GREAT GREAT GRANDMOTHER GOBROBALTHIA HIGH LADY EXECUTIONER AND TORTURER SUPREME SOUNDS DUBIOUS IN ANY CASE OUR GILBERT DE LAFAYETTE CAME FROM A LONG LINE OF WARRIORS I PLAN TO KILL THE BEAST OF GEVAUDAN CHÂTEAU DE CHAVANIAC AUVERGNE FRANCE 1767 WHERE ARE YOU GOING MOST HONORABLE MARQUIS MADAME THE YOUNG MARQUIS HE'S GONE AFTER THE BEAST YOUR HONOR OF COURSE HE DID THE FOOLHARDY CHILD GILBERT LAFAYETTE WHAT'S THIS BEAST THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME KIND OF MONSTER BEAST STORY NOW YES A KILLER BEAST BUT THIS WAS JUST A GILBERT BEAST STORY NOW IT'S BARELY RELEVANT TO THIS TALE
