the
cage.
The
sea
monster
floated a
few
strokes
from the
platform
, its hair
spreadi
ng
around
its
shoulde
rs. Its
eyes
reflected
the
torchlig
ht,
uncanny
as a
cat’s. It
humme
d softly,
eerily.
“Yv
es, it’s
here, it’s
safe, it’s
all
right.”
“Sta
y there
—
There’s
broken
glass.
Are you
barefoot
?”
“Ar
e you?”
Sha
rds of
glass
flung
sharp
sounds
as Yves
swept
them
into a
pile.
“M
y feet
are like
leather
— we
never
wore
shoes on
the
galleon.
”
He
joined
her in
the cage,
holding
the torch
out over
the
water. A
spark
fell and
sizzled.
The sea
monster
spat at
it,
whistled
angrily,
and
dove.
“It
slithere
d
around
out
here. It
climbed
the
stairs! I
didn’t
think it
could
make
progress
on land.
It
knocked
a flask
over, it
fled
back to
the
fountain
... I must
have left
the gate
ajar.”
“Yo
u tested
it,”
Marie-Jo
sèphe
said.
“You
latched
it and
rattled
it.”
He
shrugge
d. “I
couldn’t
have.
Tomorr
ow I’ll
get a
chain.”
Yve
s sat
abruptly
. He
slumpe
d
forward,
his head
down,
hair
hanging
in
rumple
d black
curls.
Marie-Jo
sèphe
snatche
d the
torch
before it
fell.
Concern
ed, she
sat
beside
her
brother
and put
her arm
around
his
shoulde
r.
He
patted
her
hand.
“I’m
only
tired,”
he said.
“Yo
u work
so
hard,”
Marie-Jo
sèphe
said.
“Let me
help
you.”
“Th
at
wouldn’
t be
proper.”
“I
was a
good
assistant
when
we were
children
— I’m
no less
able
now.”
She
feared
he
would
refuse,
and that
would
be the
end of
it. I no
longer
know
my
brother,
she
thought,
distress
ed. I no
longer
know
what
he’ll
say,
what
he’ll do,
before
he
knows it
himself.
He
raised
his
head,
frowned
,
hesitate
d.
“What
about
your
duties
to
Madem
oiselle?”
Mar
ie-Josèp
he
giggled.
“Someti
mes I
hold her
handker
chief, if
Mlle
d’Arma
gnac
doesn’t
snatch it
first.
She’d
hardly
notice I
was
gone. I
need
only tell
her you
need me
— so
your
work
might
please
the
King...”
His
brow
cleared.
“I’d be
grateful
for your
help.
You
haven’t
become
squeami
sh, have
you?”
“Sq
ueamish
!” She
laughed
.
“Wi
ll you
docume
nt the
dissecti
on?”
“I’d
like
nothing
better.”
“Th
e
dissecti
on will
occupy
my
time.
Will
you take
the
charge
of the
live sea
monster
? Feed it
—”
“Ye
s. And
I’ll tame
it, too.”
“Yo
u’ll
need all
your
ingenuit
y to
persuad
e it to
eat.” His
beautifu
l smile
erased
the
exhausti
on from
his face.
“I’m
certain
you’ll
succeed.
You
were
better
with the
live
things
than I
ever
was.”
Deli
ghted to
be part
of his
life, part
of his
work,
once
again,
Marie-Jo
sèphe
kissed
his
cheek.
Ya
wning,
he
pushed
himself
to his
feet.
“There’s
time
still for
a bit of
sleep.”
His
smile
turned
wry.
“Not
even the
Jesuits
reconcil
ed me to
waking
early.”
“I’ll
take that
duty,
too,”
Marie-Jo
sèphe
said.
“I’ll
wake
you in
time to
attend
the
King.”
“Th
at
would
be a
consider
able
kindnes
s,” Yves
said.
He
ushered
Marie-Jo
sèphe
out of
the cage,
closed
the gate,
and
latched
it and
rattled it
just as
he had
done
earlier
in the
evening.
The sea
monster’
s lament
followe
d them.
“Oh
!”
Marie-Jo
sèphe
jumped
back
from
somethi
ng cold
and
slimy
beneath
her
foot.
“W
hat is it
— did
you step
on
glass?”
She
picked
up a
dead
fish.
“Yo
ur sea
monster
doesn’t
like its
fish.”
4
Marie-Josèphe walked through the silent dawn gardens of Versailles. At first light, the gardeners had vanished but the courtiers still slept and the visitors had not yet arrived.