Jules an Introduction

Jules an Introduction

fiction
edward w pritchard

see Jules Loses his Officer's Candidacy
See Henri an Introduction

Jules' Italian was improving rapidly and he was up for promotion because of it. He often saw life as a running joke and his Italian improving because he liked the dark beauty of the Italian Women and he liked their approachability which motivated him to learn Italian was ironic to him. Ironic because for three years he had been unable to move up through the ranks despite potential to do so because of his womanizing. He was a gentleman with the ladies but there were always complications, husbands, boyfriends and Father's looking for him and his officer's while they admired him were usually put off with him in the end.

Henri was Jules good friend and he was showing Jules a poorly made toy sword that he had bought for his son. Jules listened patiently as Henri went on about the case he would build back at his farm for the boy to keep his first sword in. Henri wanted the young boy to be a gentleman and this was one of the first steps on that path according to Henri. Jules who was supposed to be a gentleman smiled but didn't say anything to his friend. Henri was a good Father and Jules admired that.

Two years ago in 1794 Jules had met Henri. Jules was helping to recruit soldiers for Napoleon's troops down in basque country and was in a bar. Jules had just captured the attention of a very beautiful basque woman. Her boyfriend had pulled a wicked curved knife and was waving it at Jules who was in the French uniform. Henri who had just signed onto the French army was quietly sitting nearby drinking beer and smoking a farmers pipe. As the Basque waved the knife, Henri who was also a basque, but not small and trim as normal but ox built smashed and destroyed a heavy oak table with his fist and calmly said to the bar room which was filled with friends and allies of the boyfriend " why do you want to hurt my comrade in arms". The basque decided to focus his anger on the girl rather than the French soldier when his friends and allies disappeared and left him to face the large soldier alone. From then on Henri and Jules were friends and fought together and looked out for each other until Henri's death marching to Russia.