LES DÉSCENDANTS

~Chapter 21: Son Discours (His Speech)

"Oh, R...praise Lamarque you're up! You must be very quiet, I...don't have much time."

The cynic blinked up at me, quiet. "He's gone and done it, then," he said in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

"Rather, he is going to any moment, " I answered, regarding the speech Enjolras was to give. "And when he does, I'm afraid I'm going to disappear..." My eyes went from his hunched over frame to a green journal lying next to him. "You're documenting this, then? The barricades?"

"Guess you could say that. N'doin' a very good job, though, am I? As usual..."

I gently took it and prepared to quickly peruse, looking at him for permission.

"Don'!" he slurred tiredly, snatching it drunkenly, just as something small and shiny escaped the journal and went flying into the air. 

"R, careful, there's something-!!" I dove out of my seat, catching his belonging. The second it touched my fingers, my whole hand felt like it was on fire as I stared down at a golden letter A. It was clear that this was the same material as my artifact, and my entire body froze.

I gazed slowly up at the cynic "Grantaire..."

"You shoullln' have done that!" he said, frantically stumbling to his feet. "Secret mission fr'th'General!"

I slowly ran one finger over this new artifact, this A. "General Lamarque gave this to you? Before he died?"

"Had my orders. Couldn' rest until it was done, and...I failed, I..."

I shook my head, mind reeling. Hadn't the General told me himself there were artifacts, plural, that he had discovered? But why hadn't he instructed me to complete whatever task...unless he gave it to R to keep him safe from dying?

Wrenching my eyes away from this new artifact, I nodded, placing it gently in R's outstretched palm. "Ok. Ok, R, I would trust the General with my life. And I know I scared you before with talk before of death and dying, but..."

"An' you promised he'd live, he didn' have cholera," spat R. "An' look at what happened. Death. Destruction. I let you put talk of a better world into my head...jus' like he did, and NOW, I -"

As R's voice continued to grow in volume, a hazy barrage of images entered my brain - a hospital room, Lamarque speaking with Grantaire, Grantaire looking dazed and leaving in a daze...so this was it. This task was a dying wish.

There are things that were done that may never be reversed.

What have you done, General? We are running out of time...

"Grantaire," I butted in. "You're not the only one who is confused by his death. And I'm not going to ask for your support, nor your respect. I am also not going to pry about this task." I took a shaky breath. "But I, too, am on the brink of disappearance, with only my past self out there to save the future. And I did wake you for a reason, so before you continue, I just ask for one last word."

He looked at me, eyes full of pain, confusion, and anger, but he let me finish.

"I need you to find me...the old me...downstairs once I disappear here. I know it sounds mysterious right now...but once you do, I might not...end up in the best condition. I need you to take the piece of metal from my pocket and place it in Enjolras's left hand. I know Enjolras was going to...but he's gone, he disappeared, I..." I stopped, taking a deep breath. "This piece of metal in my hand will look like your A. You need to place it in Enjolras's left hand. Is that understood?"

"It is done," said R, hoarsely, stumbling to the window. "Those soldiers...they attacked when you said they wouldn't. Everything...seems to be happening wrong. What if this, too, is wrong? What if this task...what if it kills me?"