"Excellent," Renaudot said. "May I interview you for my newspaper? I am the publisher of the weekly Gazette du France . The latest issue is at the printers, but I am already looking for stories for next week's issue and it would be a pleasure to interview you and your wife." Renaudot looked over at Colette and smiled. "It would be especially delightful to interview Crucibellus. Was Joe Buckley's story true? Your pen name came to you in a dream?"

Colette blushed. "Yes. I had asked Mr. Buckley not to publish that part of the story, but he did anyway."

"And you felt you were touched by G.o.d, did you not?" Renaudot's voice was soft and low.

Colette nodded. "And He has touched you before, hasn't He?" Renaudot asked.

Everyone around the table was silent, listening.

Colette nodded again, jerkily, and a single tear began to drip very slowly down her cheek. Renaudot reached across and gently wiped the tear away.

"I only ask, Colette, because I too have felt the hand of G.o.d on my soul, and He changed my life as much as I believe He changed yours. Perhaps someday you can tell me your story." Renaudot grinned, breaking the spell of the moment. "Not for publication of course. I am not Joe Buckley."

The conversation continued for another hour before the marquise laughed and said it was time to let her guests rest.

"What happened to Theo?" Colette asked as the marquise escorted them to their room.

"You mean why did he say he had been touched by G.o.d?"

Colette nodded.

"You noticed that Theo is not the handsomest of men?"

"Yes," Josh said, "But his eyes . . ."

"Women are not attracted to men's eyes, Josh, especially at first. And Theo's father was a handsome man. So Theo always felt alone and ostracized, especially as a young boy. It was when he was ten that he came across an old man lying in the street, clutching a loaf of bread. People began to gather around the old man, screaming and beating him, accusing him of theft. Theo could see that that the old man was starving, that he had stolen the bread to survive, not to sell. But the crowd had no empathy. No mercy.

For one brief second G.o.d connected their souls. He showed Theo what he must do if he was to relieve the suffering of the poor." The marquise smiled sadly. "From that day forward, Theo dedicated his life to helping the poor. Both my uncle and Father Joseph support him in this endeavor, as do I. In addition to publishing theGazette du France , he is the commissioner-general to the poor. He is trying to organize an information center where the poor can find out about jobs. He is also attempting to recruit doctors to provide free clinics for those who are sick."

The marquise smiled at them. "He is a very good man. And he loves to hear about new and interesting things. He seems to absorb new information like a sponge, nothing is forgotten. If you could talk to him in the next few days, I would be very appreciative."

"We will, Lady Marie. I promise," Colette said.

The marquise left and they entered their room and prepared for bed.

"They are not what I expected," Josh said, cuddling with Colette in the bed.

"What do you mean?"

Josh nuzzled her neck. "I don't know, I thought the niece of Richelieu would be more, more . . ."

"Evil? Machiavellian?" Josh nodded.

"People are complex creatures, Josh. Everyone has good and bad qualities. From what Marie de Gournay has written me, Lady Marie has many more good than bad qualities. I like her."

"So do I. Since we are her guests, let's try to be as diplomatic as we can in the weeks ahead."

They fell asleep in each other's arms.

A week after their arrival they were able to watch the latest play by Pierre Corneille,La Veuve . When Colette expressed her enthusiasm for the play, the marquise encouraged them to use her box at the Hotel de Bourgogne where Corneille's tragedy,c.l.i.tandre , was still playing.

"I've already seen it twice, but it is excellent. It closes in three days, however, so you should plan on seeing it soon. Perhaps the evening after tomorrow? I have finally scheduled a night off for you." She chuckled. "You have been wonderful guests, hardly any complaints at all."

"It has been great, Lady Marie," Josh said, "no complaints here. Except for breakfast, of course."

Josh and Colette had been trying for days to convince Stornato to experiment with waffles but without success.

Lady Marie laughed. "I am sure Stornato will succ.u.mb eventually."

Their presence, of course, was discovered by others shortly after their arrival.

"So, Cazet," Cardinal Richelieu said, "the Modis have arrived early?"

Cazet de Vautorte, one of his most trusted intendants along with Etienne Servien, nodded. "Yes. They arrived with Dirck Graswinckel, who is an agent for Louis De Geer. Graswinckel is staying at other lodging, however, with a second agent of De Geer's, Jan de Vries, an ex-artillery officer in the Dutch Army. Your niece has the Modis fully occupied. It is what Graswinckel and De Vries are doing that is disturbing and which prompted me to report."

"And that is?" Richelieu stroked the cat in his lap. It purred and rolled over on its back. He smiled and began rubbing its belly gently.

"Apparently," Cazet said, "they wish to negotiate for mining contracts in North America. In Maryland."

For a second Richelieu stopped rubbing the cat's belly. It batted at his fingers and he resumed his stroking. "So, apparently Louis De Geer has discovered part of our plans. Do we know how?"

Cazet shook his head. "Not positively, but I suspect Jean Houefft revealed something. He and De Geer have extensive business dealings since we often purchase war material in Amsterdam. And De Geer has agents or connections all over Europe. It is difficult to hide anything involving armaments or troops from him."

"True," Richelieu said. "Do you want me to take care of them?"

Richelieu waved his hand. "We were bound to be discovered, Cazet. At this late date I hardly think it matters. And I certainly don't want De Geer's focus to shift to other issues in the weeks ahead. So it would be best, I think, if negotiations were delayed, don't you?"

Cazet smiled. "As Your Eminence wishes."

It was upon their return from watchingc.l.i.tandre at the Hotel Bourgogne that Josh and Colette found a depressed Dirck Graswinckel waiting for them.

Dirck waited until the doors had shut on their room before venting his frustration over the negotiations.

"Which aren't even really negotiations," Dirck complained. "Jean Hoeufft is being singularly uncooperative. No minister will talk to us. Those who do talk to us tell us to go to some office where another minister is busy or has already left. n.o.blemen that I knew when I was here with Hugo Grotius simply shrug and say they can do nothing without permission from Richelieu."

"Have you tried getting an audience with Richelieu?" Josh asked.

Dirck nodded. "Of course, but it is impossible to cut through all the layers. I did get to speak to one of his intendants, a Cazet Vautorte, but he told me that Richelieu was ill and could not be disturbed.

Whether that was true or not, I don't know, but it seems we are being thwarted at every turn. Do you think perhaps . . ."

"What, Dirck?" said Colette.

"Perhaps you could speak to the marquise? Appeal to her? Get her to arrange a meeting with Richelieu?

She is his favorite niece."

Colette shook her head. "I think that would be inappropriate, Dirck. We were invited to give lectures, not to negotiate business deals."

Dirck sighed. "I know that, Colette. But we may be here for months at this rate."

"He has a point, Colette," argued Josh, "The sooner we get the chromite, the sooner we can get some chemically resistant steel. Remember what I told you Greg Ferrara said. Without some kind of stainless steel no sulfa drugs for infections, no DDT, no chloramphenicol to cure diseases like typhoid and typhus.

Or at least not enough to do most of Europe any good."

"We must not presume on our friendship with the marquise, Josh," replied Colette. "Perhaps if things have not changed in two weeks, then we can discuss it again." She turned to Dirck and smiled. "I'm sorry, Dirck. But you'll just have to keep trying on your own for now."

Dirck sighed and shrugged. "All right, but don't be surprised to see me back here in two weeks begging you to reconsider."

There the matter would have rested but for the sneaky curiosity of two little mice who went by the names of Regina and Catherine. In the ten days since her arrival, Regina and Catherine had become the best of friends. They had explored every room, hallway, and closet of the Pet.i.t Luxembourg. They had eavesdropped on dozens of adult conversations, giggling behind their hands as they did so. Catherine's grandmother took them on tours of Paris by carriage and Regina saw the sights that Josh had told her so much about: The Louvre, Notre Dame, and the Palais Royale. She was disappointed there was no Eiffel Tower, however.

The night that Josh and Colette went off to seec.l.i.tandre she had invited Catherine to her room for a slumber party. "The bed is big enough for both of us," Regina told her friend. "And your granmama is staying the night at the Pet.i.t Luxembourg as well."

When they had heard the adults returning they scampered under the covers just before Colette peeked her head in the room to check on them. Giggling quietly, they snuck up to the partly open door and listened as Dirck Graswinckel complained about the negotiations.

"Who is that?" whispered Catherine. "He's handsome."

Regina snickered behind her hand. "Dirck Graswinckel. He works for Colette's uncle."

When Catherine heard the part of the conversation about stainless steel and drugs she turned to Regina, her eyes wide. "Can they really do that?" she whispered. Like her mother and grandmother before her she was interested in being a midwife.

"What?" Regina said.

"Stop infections and cure diseases with chloro whatsits."

Regina giggled again. "Chloramphenicol. Yes, the Americans are wonderful chemists."

The two girls tiptoed back into bed when Dirck Graswinckel left. Regina was soon asleep but Catherine lay awake, thinking about infections and disease.

As wonderful as her grandmother was, she could not cure many infections. Oh, there were poultices and different medicinal plants that seemed to help, but often they did nothing. And as for typhus . . . Catherine shuddered. Her grandmother had told her stories of what plague and typhus epidemics could be like.

With sudden resolve, she got out of bed quietly so she would not wake Regina. She moved silently down the hallways of the Pet.i.t Luxembourg on her bare feet to her grandmother's room.

Louise Bourgeois was a light sleeper and smiled when her granddaughter slid into bed beside her. "What is it little one, a bad dream?"

Catherine snuggled up to her grandmother. She always enjoyed sleeping with her. It felt so warm and safe. Catherine told her grandmother about the conversation she had overheard.

Louise Bourgeois frowned. "Eavesdropping is a sin, young lady. Shame on you."

Catherine lowered her head to her grandmother's shoulder. "I am sorry granmama. Forgive me?"

Louise sighed. "Yes, my dear, I forgive you. But do not forget to confess your sin in church. Now sleep." Louise stroked Catherine's head and thought about what she had said. So Grantville could cure diseases with chemicals, but they needed material from some mine that the French owned. She would have to talk to the marquise.

The next evening Josh and Colette dined at the Pet.i.t Luxembourg with the marquise, Louise Bourgeois, Marie de Gournay and Theo Renaudot. The after-dinner conversation quickly turned to the morning conference at Renaudot's mansion in which the main subject for discussion had been the admission of women into universities.

"I must admit," Theo said, "that I took a great deal of pleasure in your response to the Comte de Avignon."

Colette laughed. "He just made me so angry! 'Women are too delicate.' 'Women are not the intellectual equals of men.' Ha!"

Josh smiled. "It was Marie I was worried about. I thought for sure she was going to march over and start beating him with her cane."

"That man has been an insufferable bigot for a decade," sniffed Marie. "I just pity his poor wife."

The marquise laughed. "I wish I could have been there. But I did have an interesting conversation with Louise this afternoon." She turned to Josh. "So tell me, what is chromite?"

Oh, oh,thought Josh.Now how did she find out about that?

"Who told you?" Colette asked. She seemed embarra.s.sed.

"Let us just say that the walls have mice," the marquise said, smiling. "Little girl mice with big ears."

Josh explained what chromite was and its importance for making stainless steel and the importance of stainless steel for manufacturing large quant.i.ties of drugs and other chemicals.

"Would your government allow you to sell such drugs to France?" Theo asked.

"If we could produce the drugs I've mentioned in large quant.i.ties, I'd bet Mike Stearns would be willing to give them away at cost," Josh said. "The only way to prevent epidemics is to vaccinate if you can, and control the disease at the source if you can't. If Paris had the plague or typhus, it would be in our own interest to send the drugs to combat them if we could. You can't put up a steel wall against disease, it just won't work."

The marquise looked thoughtful, then smiled. "So tell me, how does Louis De Geer feel about women as business a.s.sociates?"

"Uncle, it is so good to see you again!"

The marquise de Combalet approached Richelieu and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. Behind her Cazet de Vautorte seemed to shrug helplessly. Obviously he had been as surprised as Richelieu to see that she had brought additional guests for her visit. "You know Theo, of course, and Marie de Gournay and Louise Bourgeois, but may I introduce Colette and Josh Modi? They have been the talk of Paris all week. Josh and Colette, this is my uncle, Cardinal Richelieu."

Colette curtsied deeply and Josh bowed. "Your Eminence, it is a pleasure to meet you," they both said.

Inside Richelieu sighed. This would be an interesting meeting. "Cazet, would you have Desbournais bring some extra chairs for our guests?"

Richelieu's fingers were steepled as he pondered what he had heard. There were many advantages here for France. And in the end, what did it matter who helped to develop North America so long as control was maintained by France?

"So you, my niece, will a.s.sume the same palatine rights for Maryland as Lord Baltimore had? And you agree to finance its colonization?"

The marquise nodded. "In addition, I will contact Lord Baltimore. Why waste the ships which were being prepared if we don't have to? According to what we were told by Dirck Graswinckel, Lord Baltimore was prepared to spend almost five hundred thousand livres in support of the colony. So long as the colonists are willing to swear allegiance to France, why not make use of them? Any replacements we need can come from France. We should have time to make the arrangements; the expedition was not supposed to sail until November, anyway."

"And you will grant Louis De Geer the mining concessions he wants?"