I waited impatiently at my lodgings for Lady Hastings to appear.
'She told me she was going to be here at one,' I thought angrily, 'And it's already 1:30.' I
heard a knocking at the door, and opened it up in relief.
 " El-Citizens!" I exclaimed, trying to hide my horror. Standing at my door was a sight I hoped I'd never have to see, the Republic soldiers, saying the words I hoped I'd never hear.
 " Citizen Caria?" he asked. I nodded, speechless with fear. " You are hereby under arrest, by the orders of the Republic, charged with treason against the Republic and the people." I stood, my mind numb, as the soldiers surrounded me, and led me off to the prison.
=====================================================================
  I looked around my cell dismally. 'Who betrayed me?' I wondered, 'Who knew where I was, and what I was doing?' I slumped down in a corner, too tired to think anymore. I heard the door open, but I didn't move, hoping that whoever was there would just leave me alone to die.
  " You've got five minutes, citizen," one of the soldiers said. I opened my eyes as the door closed.
  " Jean!" I exclaimed, jumping up, and holding the boy close. " But how did you get in?" He smiled.
  " I just asked for a visit," he replied. The smile fell of his face, and he pulled out a piece of paper. " Here are the plans for your escape, Kate," he whispered fiercely in my ear, " Read them well, memorize them, and destroy them. I must go now," he said as the guard opened the door, " but follow the instructions to the letter."
Smiling a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, he left. When the guard closed the door, I hurried to the window, and squinted to make out the hurried scrawl in the poor lighting.

    'When the guard comes in to take your meal, knock him unconcious, 
take the keys, and leave. Tell the other guard that the prisoner is ill, 
and to take a look at him, and then lock them in. Leave as quickly as 
you can without looking suspicious, and leave Paris.' 


I destroyed the note, repeating the steps over and over again in my head. I decided to wait a day or two, so that when I escaped, they wouldn't suspect Jean was an accomplice of mine.
    Finally, I decided it was time. It had been three days, three, terrible, long, grinding days. I heard the door open, and quickly reviewed my plan of attack.
   " That will be enough, Citizen," I heard a voice say, and nearly fainted. It was none other than my uncle, Paul Chauvelin.
======================================================================
  Uncle held me close as I cried quietly.
  " Shhh, cherie, shhhh," he whispered soothingly in my ear.
  " I don't know what happened!" I said, still crying, " Somebody betrayed me, but I don't know who!!!" He held me closer.
  " Don't worry, my dear," he said, " I've come to get you out of here. Now listen to me, Katherine, and listen well. I'm going to take you out of here, for questioning. You will then climb out the window, and go to one of your hideouts. Get a disguise, and leave Paris."
I nodded, and we walked out the door. I tried my best to hide my joy and relief.
  " I'm taking the girl for questioning, citizen," Uncle said, and the soldier nodded fearfully. We walked down the hall to his office. He closed the door with an ill-surpressed sigh.
  " Now go, Katherine!!" he said urgently. I gave him one last embrace, and quickly climbed out the window. Miraculously, I wasn't seen, and I ran straight to Lady Hastings' lodgings, to let her know I was free.
======================================================================
  I knocked softly on the door, and waited impatiently for her answer. She opened the door with a little cry.
  " Katie!" she exclaimed, pulling me into the room, and closing the door quickly behind her, " What are you doing here?"
  " Someone knows about me," I said, " And betrayed me to the Republic. I just escaped from the prison. "
  " But why come here?"
  " I thought you'd want to know where I was, and I was wondering if I should stay here, or return to England."
From behind Lady Hastings I saw one of the newcomers, Jennifer Clore, step forward.
  " Save your lies, traitor," she said viciously, " We know you were followed."
I stood there, stunned.
  " Traitor?" I repeated, staring at Lady Hastings for explanation. In her eyes I saw fear, and hurt.
  " I'm no, traitor, m'lady!" I exclaimed, desperate to preserve the friendship she and I had had. " I swear it!!"
  " Your word means nothing, Katherine," Jennifer spat, " The word of a traitor is a lie. And don't try to save your reputation, it's already gone."
  " But why me?" I asked.
  " You've got close family in the revolution, and Sir Percy annoys the h*ll out of you. Why would you join the Guild if you don't like Sir Percy, unless you wanted to be in close contact with damaging information?"
I couldn't bear to be there one moment longer. I ran out the door, stumbling blindly through the streets, tears streaming shamelessly down my face. I somehow managed to get to my little hut, and to close the door behind me. Luckily, Jean was there, and immediately attended to me.
  " Katherine," he exclaimed, " what happened?" He led me to a chair, and got me a hunk of bread and water as I precedeed to tell my story. He leaned back, thoughtful.
  " It must be Jennifer," he said finally.
  " Why do you think that?" I asked.
  " She's new. None of the others think that you're a traitor because your uncle is the famed Paul Chauvelin. And I've seen her around people. When she wants something, she can be really convincing. Lastly, she's poor, and the price for the Pimpernel and his men would make her rich. Who else could it be?"
I nodded.
  " But how do we prove that to Lady Hastings?" I asked. " When she finds out you work for me, she'll think I'm just trying to set Jennifer up!"
Jean smiled devilishly.
  " I have a friend in the Guild," he said, " whom you don't know very well. He and I will spy on her, and he'll bring the information to Lady Hastings. Since she knows you two don't know each other well, she'll believe it."
I smiled weakly.
  " Thanks, Jean," I said. He smiled again.
  " Get some sleep. You've got a trying period ahead of you."
======================================================================
  Jean was right, it was trying. Very trying. For the next fortnight or so I just sat in my hut, waiting and waiting for the word. I finally did recieve word, but it wasn't from him.
  It was from Jean's friend, whose name I didn't know, but whose face I recognized from the Guild.
  " What happened?" I asked frantically, " Where's Jean?!?" He took a deep breath, and gently pushed me into a chair, as he himself sat down.
  " Jennifer is the traitor, for the reasons Jean stated," he said, " She found out that Jean was watching her, and turned him in. I've already informed Lady Hastings of her treason, and she's going to do as much as she can to help get him out."
I took a deep breath.
  " Get me a soldier's outfit," I ordered, standing up. " We're going to save Jean."
======================================================================
   I took a deep, nervous breath. I already knew what I was going to do. I had dressed myself up to look like a soldier, and had brought paints and stuff so that Jean, when he got out, still looked like me. I had also brought some wine, to get the soldiers drunk with.
'Please God,' I thought frantically, 'If ever you've granted me luck, grant it to me now!!'
Taking another breath to calm myself, I stepped into the prison, and made my way to his cell. There were about five guards there, playing cards, and laughing uproariously. One of them caught sight of me.   
 " Eh, who's that?" he said with a heavy accent, " And what you got, dere?"
   " Got some wine, I do," I answered, immitating his accent. " All work and no play ain't good for anybody."
The men laughed, and we split the wine. I managed to pretend I was drinking, while it was just sucked up into a spounge in my mouth.
'Can't get drunk on the job,' I thought cynically. I heard footsteps behind me, and turned around. It was the guard, the one who brought Jean his supper.
  
 " 'ey, come on now, Javert," one of the guards said, " And join us in a little drink."
   " Wish I could," Javert answered, " But I've got to get de prisoner 'is meal."
   " I'll take the meal," I answered, trying to sound drunk, " Come, 'ave a little wine." He nodded, and handed me the tray and keys. I opened the door, and went inside.
   " Jean?" I whispered. I saw his head pop up from one of the corners.
   " Katherine!" he whispered, surprised, " What are you doing here?"
   " Coming to get you out," I answered, " Now, I'm going to turn around, and I want you to hand me your clothes. You're going to get out of here dressed as a soldier."
He complied, and I quickly removed my outer garmet of soldiers clothing. I had had the sense earlier on to put on an extra garment. As he got dressed, I quickly put on his clothes, and applied the make-up, so that I looked like him, then did the same to him.
   " But how will you escape?" he asked.
   " I don't know," I answered, " Go! Before they get suspicious."
Looking at me sadly, he left the room. I heard no shouts, and leaned back with relief.
'Relief?' my mind asked me incredulously, 'Relief? Kid, you're about to die! How can you be relieved?' I thought about it for a minute. 'Lady Hastings knows the truth,' I replied, 'And I saved my savior's life. If I have to die to do so, then so be it. At least I don't die dishonored.'
======================================================================
   In my opinion, the worst part of the execution process is the tumbroils. They are croweded, bumpy, and uncomfortable. They are full of screaming children, sobbing women, and hysterical men. Ye gods! I don't know how people live through it in time to die at the guillotine.   
 I sat, the calmest of all the people there, thinking about Jean, Lady Hastings, and my uncle. Especially my uncle.
'I joined the Guild to save him,' I thought, 'But he's still part of the Revolution. Have I done nothing?'
But in my heart, I knew that in some small way, uncle was differant than when I first joined, and that someday he would regain his senses, and abandon the Revolution.
======================================================================
   It was the jerking of the stopping cart, rather than the shouts, that broke me out of my reverie. I looked around with interest. I could see my uncle walking calmly down to the cart.
  " Citizens, take this man back to the prisons." he said, pointing at me, " I want to question him." The soldiers obeyed him without a murmur, and even the crowd was rather quiet.
'Uncle does that to people,' I thought, amused. I followed the soldiers out of the cart, and back to the prison. Uncle and I again walked down to his office.
  " Uncle, you shouldn't have," I said as he closed the door,
" They'll suspect you if people keep dissapearing from your office!"
He smiled, the warm smile from so many years ago. I had missed it.
  " No, they won't," he said, " This isn't my office. They think I'm a different citizen."
I suddenly understood.
   " You are evil, uncle," I said, chuckling. He smiled again.
   " Indeed I am, my dear, for you wouldn't be here right now if your friend here hadn't the guts to tell me your story."
I whirled around.
   " Jean!" I exclaimed, giving him a big hug. " But why?"
   " You didn't know how'd you get out," he replied, " so I took the liberty of telling your uncle the story, and he agreed to help." I turned back to my uncle.
   " Come with us, Uncle," I said pleadingly, " We both know that the Revolution is not what it used to be."
Uncle sighed, and looked away sadly.
   " I wish I could, cherie," he answered, " But I'm in too deep to back out now. But if you ever need me, I'll be right here."
He gave me one last final embrace, and then Jean and I climbed out the window, and made our way to Lady Hastings' hide out. Jennifer was gotten rid of, and we boarded Lady Hastings' boat, making our way home to England.
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