Dawn revealed a large breach in the city’s southern wall. The wed-ding-cake stack of white houses was pockmarked by dark new holes, and smoke shrouded Jaffa. The French aimed their guns like surgeons, and steadily the breach widened. I could see dozens of spent shot lying in the rubble at the base of the wall, raisins in rumpled dough. Then two companies of grenadiers, accompanied by assault engineers carrying explosives, began assembling in the ravine. More troops readied behind them.
Najac unchained me. “Bonaparte. Prove your usefulness or die.” Napoleon was in a cluster of officers, shortest in stature, biggest in personality, and the one who gestured most vigorously. The grenadiers were filing past into the ravine, saluting as they approached the breach in Jaffa’s wall. Ottoman cannonballs were crashing, thrashing the foliage like a prowling bear. The soldiers ignored the inaccurate fire and its rain of cut leaves.
“We’ll see whose head ends on a pole!” one sergeant called as they tramped past, bayonets fixed.
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Bonaparte smiled grimly.
The officers ignored us for a time, but as the advance troops began their assault, Napoleon abruptly swung his attention to me, as if to fill the anxious time waiting for success or failure. There was a rattle of musket fire as the grenadiers emerged from the grove and charged into the breach, but he didn’t even look. “So, Monsieur Gage, I understand that now you are performing miracles, wringing water from stones and smothering serpents?”
“I found an old conduit.”
“And the Holy Grail, I understand.”
I took a breath. “It is the same thing I was looking for in the pyra -
mids, General, and the same thing that Count Alessandro Silano and his corrupt Egyptian Rite of Freemasonry is pursuing to the possible harm of us all. Najac here is himself in league with scoundrels who . . .”
“Mr. Gage, I’ve endured your rambling over many months, and don’t recall benefiting whatsoever. If you remember I offered you partnership, a chance to remake the world through the ideals of our two revolutions, French and American. Instead you deserted by balloon, is this not correct?”
“But only because of Silano . . .”
“Do you have this Grail or not?”
“No.”
“Do you know where it is?”
“No, but we were looking when Najac here . . .”
“Do you know what it even is?”
“Not precisely, but . . .”
He turned to Najac. “He obviously knows nothing. Why did you pull him out?”
“But he said he did, in the pit!”
“Who wouldn’t say anything, with your damned snakes snapping at his head? Enough of this nonsense from you and him! I want an example made of this man: he is not only useless, he is boring! He will be paraded before the infantry and shot like the turncoat he is. I am tired of Masons, sorcerers, snakes, moldering gods, and every other t h e
r o s e t t a k e y
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kind of imbecilic legend I have heard since starting this expedition. I am a member of the Institute! France is the embodiment of science!
The only ‘Grail’ is firepower!”
And with that, a bullet plucked off the general’s hat and slammed into the chest of a colonel behind, killing the man.
The general jumped, staring in shock as the officer toppled over.
“Mon dieu!” Najac crossed himself, which I considered the height of hypocrisy, given that his piety had as much value as a Continental dollar. “It’s a sign! You should not speak as you did!” Napoleon momentarily went pale, but regained his composure. He frowned at the enemy swarming on the walls, looked at the sprawled colonel, and then picked up his hat. “It was Lambeau who took the bullet, not me.”
“But the power of the Grail!”
“This is the second time my stature has saved my life. If I had the height of our General Kleber, I would be dead twice over. There’s your miracle, Najac.”
My captor was transfixed by the hole in the general’s hat.
“Perhaps it’s a sign we can all still help each other,” I tried.
“And I want the American gagged as well as bound. Another word, and I will have to shoot him myself.”
And with that he stalked away, my plight unimproved. “All right, they have a foothold! Lannes, get a three- pounder into that breach!”
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I missed much of what happened next and am grateful for it. The Ottoman troops fought ferociously, so much
