Jules makes history

Jules makes history

fiction
edward w pritchard

see Henri and Jules various blogs in April

Jules walked purposely up to his emperor and then became purposeless. He had been sent by the British to arrest and capture Napoleon near Grenoble, France and now that he was face to face with the General Jules succumbed again to Napoleon's charisma. Napoleon had escaped from captivity in Elba and was heading toward Paris to overthrow Louis xv11.

Napoleon was in an old coat very long and the jewels had been removed probably to raise money thought Jules. Jules knew his command was watching him carefully. He was of noble birth and the men many of whom had fought for Napoleon before still loved their emperor despite his recent defeats. This was something the British would never understand, if they did they wouldn't have sent a French detachment to arrest the Emperor.

Napoleon always talked directly and roughly but with affection to his regulars and he recognized Jules. He had intervened more than twenty years ago when this striking looking soldier had had trouble with a woman. Napoleon who had a photographic memory apologized for forgetting Jules name. He inquired about Jules friend the big soldier and Jules explained about Henri's death in Poland. After a little talk about war and mortality and the death of friends, Napoleon got down to business. The men of Jules command and the French civilians who were nearby watched closely for clues of how to act toward their fallen leader.

Jules solved the problem of etiquette of how to approach Napoleon. Since the death of Henri, he had to remind him of his dead friend, carried a small sword in his belt that he had bought and that he planned to give Henri's son when he had time after the wars to visit Henri's family. Taking out the sword and bowing he handed the sword to Napoleon to the cheers of his command and fell in behind his Emperor on the march to Paris and then on to Waterloo. The final 100 days of Napoleon were preceding as fate commanded.