“It’s hard to leave, isn’t it?” he mused. “Even when there is so much joy, and the chance to finally be free to be who we truly are.”
“It is very hard,” she acknowledged. “You know what it reminds me of? When a balloon is ready to fly, it strains at the ropes tethering it to the ground, as if it wishes to be free. But when it’s airborne, it can only go where the wind blows it. And when the fuel runs out it may crash, get tangled in a tree, fall into the ocean—”
“Mon âme, look at me.”
When she did, she saw the conflict in his face mirrored the one in her heart. What Giselle said once came back to her: You saw me. Then she hadn’t understood what it meant to the flower seller. But now she did. In Lazare’s deep brown eyes, she saw herself as whole. It had taken her accepting her own magic for that to happen.
“We can go back, you know,” he confided. “Or we can stay. No matter where we are, I know you will write, and I will learn the clouds. We will still work for change. For anything is possible.”
She took his hand—strong, steady, alive—in hers. “As long as we are never parted.”
Ahead of them, the white cliffs rose up, taller than cathedrals. The water that had seemed so broad and wild diminished and was gone. As they neared land, a flock of gulls, flashing white and black in the sun, sheered once over the boat before they winged away.
Glossary of French Terms
À bientôt—See you soon
À la française—In the French style
Bien sûr—Of course
Bienvenue—Welcome
Bonne chance—Good luck
Brava/Bravo/Bravi—Good, well done! A word of praise, often for performers (Italian)
Citoyens—Citizens
Comme ça—Like that
Comprenez—Understand
Continuez—Continue
Dieu—God
Émigré—Emigrant
Enfin—Finally
Entrez—Enter
Fais de beaux rêves—Sleep well
Fantastique—Fantastic
Hélas—Alas
J’arrive—I’m coming
Je ne sais quoi—Something extra special (literally, “I don’t know what”)
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité ou la mort—Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood or Death (Revolutionary motto adopted 1793)
Ma chérie—My dear (feminine)
Marchande de mode—A stylist
Merci/Merci mille fois—Thank you/Thanks a million (literally, thank you a thousand times)
M’selle—Contracted version of Mademoiselle or miss
M’sieur—Contracted version of Monsieur or sir
Naturellement—Naturally
N’est-ce pas—Isn’t it
Ne t’inquiète pas—Don’t worry
Oh là là—Oh no! (what your friend would say if you slipped on a patch of ice)
Protegée—A person who receives special attention and instruction from someone more experienced
Régards/Régardez—Look (at that)
Rien—Nothing
Salut—Hi
S’il vous plaît/S’il te plaît—Please; literally, if it pleases you (formal/informal)
Taisez-vous—Be quiet
Tiens—Well/look/see here
Vive la France/la nation/le révolution—Long live France/the nation/the revolution
Historical Note
This is a desperate time, when desperate games are played for desperate stakes.
Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
Dickens famously began his novel about the French Revolution by saying, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” And it really was. Spanning five years (1789–1794), the French Revolution is a complex historical event, full of extraordinary people and actions that set France—and the world—on fire.
Because this is an alternate, magical history of the French Revolution, I’ve taken some liberties with the historical record. For example, I’ve put figures like the Marquis de Lafayette and the king and queen of France in situations they were never in. I’ve also used magic and magicians as a way to raise certain issues, such as emigration and state-sanctioned secret police, that hadn’t yet come to the fore in 1789.
A few anachronisms to note: Today, we’d call Lazare an amateur scientist. But he would have called himself a “natural philosopher,” since the word “scientist” wasn’t coined until the 1830s. For ease of understanding, I’ve used the word “science” instead of “natural philosophy” in this book. Similarly, in this series I’ve used the name “Place des Vosges” to refer to the beautiful park where many of the stories’ events take place, so that readers, especially those unfamiliar with the history of Paris, can follow Camille and Lazare’s wanderings on a contemporary map. Before 1799 it was called Place Royale.
In case you’re curious, here’s a bit more about the people, places, and events that figure in this book.
A brief time line of the events of 1789:
May Meeting of the Estates General at Versailles
June Tennis Court Oath
French and mercenary troops sent to Paris
July Riots in Paris
Fall of the Bastille
The Great Fear
Aug. The Great Fear continues
Nobles renounce their feudal rights in the National Assembly
Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
Oct. March on Versailles
Royal family brought to Paris and installed at the Tuileries