Chapter 121: Gregoire’s Diary
Back in Chambert, Rederico and Leonard reported to Pierre. I didn’t do anything. I must be one of those characters that no one knows why they exist, not even themselves. If our story was a book, some editor would have cut me out, but our story was real, so I was there. The future wouldn’t remember Gregoire, but I was there.
Líran once told me:
‘Maybe this story isn’t for you.’
That was no comfort. While I stood there listening to Rederico and the Accident reporting to my half-brother, it was no comfort knowing that this story wasn’t for me.
They told Pierre about Farhaime and Inlang, which had broken in two. Part of it went South, to Anuré, and they were the reason the Frontier hadn’t come to Chambert. The Frontier was in Lencon, waiting to intercept na army almost five times larger then they.
The other half went to the Halls of Snow and was now returning to the Mouth of War. Vivianne had regrouped the Deranian forces in Sananssau. We had met Marcus of Lune. He was a bit more perplexed than I expected.
‘When I left you,’ Marcus told Vivianne. I heard it. ‘When I left you, you lived in worlds of paper. Now you can summon red war trains.’
Because she had seen us, climbed a rock and beckoned us down. She had unearthed her brother, summoned a Mystery, gathered Lune, Fulion and Menior in Sananssau. She couldn’t crack open the Rock, though. Adelaide and Clément of Deran remained locked up in the mountain.
My brother and Neville asked all those details that I’ve already forgotten. I’m not useful even for registering history because wars don’t interest me. The War doesn’t interest me. Líran was right: this story isn’t mine, its War’s.
‘How many soldiers can you take in one flight?’ Pierre Rederico.
‘There are three coaches. If we tempty them completely and the soldiers squeeze a little, maybe three hundred, no more than that. It will be uncomfortable, but it’s a quick flight from here to Lencon and I can make it more than once.’
‘Let’s go to Lencon,’ said Pierre.
Because, if Leonard’s calculations were correct, the army that is going to Anuré will reach the Frontier before Vivianne’s forces meet the other half of the enemy army.
I saw Leonard dry the sweat from his face. If his calculations were wrong…
— Gregoire’s diary.