'"You can't stop 'em," I said. "There's twenty-two other men
besides me." I felt a little more 'ud set me screaming like a wired hare.
'"Undoubtedly American," Talleyrand goes on. "You would
gain something if you returned the ship - with a message of
fraternal good-will - published in the MONITEUR" (that's a French
paper like the Philadelphia AURORA).
'"A good idea!" Boney answers. "One could say much in a
message."
'"It might be useful," says Talleyrand. "Shall I have the
message prepared?" He wrote something in a little pocket ledger.
'"Yes - for me to embellish this evening. The MONITEUR will
publish it tonight."
'"Certainly. Sign, please," says Talleyrand, tearing the leaf out.
'"But that's the order to return the brig," says Boney. "Is that
necessary? Why should I lose a good ship? Haven't I lost enough
ships already?"
'Talleyrand didn't answer any of those questions. Then Boney
sidled up to the table and jabs his pen into the ink. Then he shies at
the paper again: "My signature alone is useless," he says. "You
must have the other two Consuls as well. Sieyes and Roger Ducos
must sign. We must preserve the Laws.
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