บท 109: Chapter 109: Toulon 7
Unlike their journey to this place, things took a troublesome turn for Lucien and his companions on their way back. Typically, the Mediterranean was as calm as a serene pond, where practically anything that could float could be used for navigation.
As far back as ancient Egypt, people could navigate the Mediterranean's nearshore waters using boats made of woven reeds. Later on, Greek galleys could roam freely throughout the Mediterranean. However, the Mediterranean was still a sea, not entirely devoid of winds and storms. There were historical records and legends of sea storms in the Mediterranean.
One of the oldest tales was the "Odyssey." When the Greeks successfully plundered Troy and returned with riches and slaves to Greece, they encountered a rare storm that nearly spelled the doom of their entire fleet. In the Bible, Apostle Paul also faced a storm in the Mediterranean while on his way to Rome. Lord Byron's Don Juan, too, was driven by a Mediterranean storm to meet Haidee. So, even in the Mediterranean, if luck wasn't on your side, you might find yourself facing the wrath of Poseidon.
When the two boats left Corsica, everything seemed normal. The sky was filled with countless stars, showing no sign of impending weather changes. However, at sunrise, everything changed.
The morning sun was unusually red, painting half the sky and half the sea crimson. While Lucien and Pauline were delighted by this beautiful sunrise, Lavalaineli expressed concern, "Maybe, just maybe, we should turn back. Seeing such a sunrise at sea is a sign of changing weather."
Lucien considered and asked, "What do you think are the chances of bad weather?"
"About fifty-fifty," Lavalaineli replied uncertainly.
"We shouldn't take unnecessary risks. Let's get closer to them and have Chrysler's boat follow us back to Corsica for shelter," Lucien decided.
Lavalaineli maneuvered the fishing boat closer to Chrysler's boat and shouted loudly, conveying his judgment to Chrysler.
Chrysler then told Letizia on his boat, "Madam, the weather might change, so we should temporarily return to seek refuge from potential storms."
Naturally, Letizia had no objections. So, both boats turned around and headed back to Corsica.
By noon, they spotted the coastline of Corsica again, but at that moment, a strong wind blew in from the east, catching both boats. They lost control, and the ships were carried westward by the wind.
The weather changed abruptly, and in the blink of an eye, the sky filled with sudden clouds. Heavy rain poured down.
Lucien, Pauline, and Alice were on one boat, while Letizia, Jerome, and Carolina were on the other. Both boats lost control quickly and disappeared from each other's view.
In the context of the open sea, the storm would be considered just a gust of wind. However, for a small fishing boat near the coast, it was undoubtedly a storm. This storm raged throughout the night and finally subsided at dawn the next day.
As the sun rose the next day, Lucien counted the passengers on his boat, and they were all accounted for. However, the boat's canvas and some other equipment had been blown into the sea. More critically, they had lost contact with the other boat, and they had no idea of their current location.
"Lucien, what do we do? Our mothers are gone; they might…" Alice burst into tears.
"Mom will be fine, just like us. They will be fine," Pauline reassured her.
"Can we determine our current location?" Lucien asked Lavalaineli.
"No, I don't know where we are now," Lavalaineli replied.
Lucien considered their geographical knowledge and said, "Can the boat still be controlled? If so, let's head north."
The Mediterranean wasn't that vast, so whether they sailed south or north, they should reach land soon.
"Mast and sails are intact," Lavalaineli checked the boat's equipment and replied, "We can head north, and we should reach France."
With their exact location unknown, the small boat turned north.
The boat sailed on the sea for three days. During the late hours of the third day, Pauline, who had fallen into a drowsy sleep, heard Lucien's excited voice, "Land! There's land over there!"
...
In the early morning, a thick fog enveloped the sea. It started at sea and gradually covered the land.
"General, the fog has set in. Should we still attack?" asked Orozco.
"Of course, fog is an advantage. It allows us to get closer," Napoleon replied.
The fog made the British and Spanish soldiers equally nervous. They were afraid that the French might take advantage of the fog to approach. So, the fog simplified Davout's task. He ordered the drums to be beaten, and random shots were fired, leading the British and Spanish to fire blindly into the fog. The front line became chaotic.
Under the cover of fog, while the attention of the British and Spanish was drawn to the front line, Napoleon and Orozco led over three thousand men quietly approaching the fortress of Marguerite. Thanks to the fog, they reached a point just a hundred meters away from the fortress, and the Spanish defenders hadn't noticed them.
As the sun gradually rose, the fog started to dissipate, revealing Marguerite Fortress.
"Charge!" Napoleon ordered. Orozco led his men in a furious rush towards the fortress.
...
At dawn, Lucien's boat reached the shore. By this time, a fog had begun to form around them. They saw distant lights through the mist, so they headed in that direction to find someone who could tell them where they were. After walking for a while, the fog thickened, and their visibility dropped to around ten meters. Lucien knew they couldn't proceed further; they might get lost or separated from each other. He decided they should wait for the sun to rise and disperse the fog. They rested by a large stone, taking a break while waiting for the fog to clear.
The days of drifting at sea had left everyone feeling tense. Finally reaching the shore, they were now exhausted. Pauline leaned against the stone, resting her head on Alice's shoulder. Within moments, she fell asleep, and the others soon followed suit. Lucien drifted into a series of dreams, from one scenario to another.
He dreamt of Napoleon bringing news that their mothers' ship had sunk, and everyone had perished. Then, he dreamt that they had all safely arrived in Paris, joining Joseph as they dined at the Carnot family's home. Just as a plate of foie gras on bread was being brought to them, a loud noise jolted him awake.
"What's going on?" Lucien asked, opening his eyes. He saw the fog had dissipated somewhat, and the others had also woken up. But the thundering sounds continued from a distance. Lucien, having witnessed cannon fire with his brothers, quickly realized—it was the sound of artillery!
"This is all wrong. It's the sound of cannons, and it's very close. We've walked into a battlefield!" Lavalaineli whispered urgently.
"What do we do?" a just-awoken Pauline asked.
"The cannon fire is coming from that direction," Lucien said. "Let's head this way and get as far away from the battlefield as possible."
Pauline looked toward the direction of the cannon fire, her eyes filled with excitement. She started to take a step that way, but Lucien grabbed her wrist and said, "Pauline, come with me this way."
Lucien led Pauline away in the opposite direction. Pauline occasionally turned back to look at the battlefield, but the fog had not entirely dissipated, making it challenging to see. However, the constant rumbling of artillery fire came from that direction.
At that moment, more footsteps became audible around them. Lucien stopped and looked around through the thinning fog, seeing soldiers in blue uniforms holding rifles with fixed bayonets, marching forward in a hurry. Due to the morning mist, he couldn't discern their numbers, but there were certainly many. They seemed to be charging into a battle.
"Something's amiss! These are soldiers heading into battle," Lucien exclaimed.
As the defenders on Marguerite Fortress noticed the approaching French, they began firing haphazardly in their direction. A cannonball landed near Pauline, startling both her and Lucien. She struggled free from his grasp, screamed, and ran in the opposite direction.
By now, the bugle sounded for a charge, and the soldiers began to rush forward. Lucien attempted to go after Pauline, but a charging soldier bumped into him, causing him to sit abruptly on the ground. By the time he got up, he couldn't find Pauline.
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