"You have the ten Moses gave and then I added the eleventh. Thou shalt not get drunk! Any disorderly conduct from drinking shall be punished with ten strokes of the lash. Are there any other questions?" He hurried along, hoping to forestall any complaints. "I will give everyone a chance to air grievances each Sunday morning before the midday meal. Just report to my cabin and let my clerk know what you need to speak about. I will take his report and then speak with you." By this time the bishop had joined him at the railing. "We will now have a short service by Bishop de Perpignan to request our Lord's protection on this long voyage."
A low rumble started from the crowd. Pastor Bigeault called for quiet. The angry rumbles subsided but were replaced by conversations. The bishop glared, but launched into the service he had planned. The rising wind drowned out much of his words. After ten minutes of unintelligible half-heard Latin, Elie turned to Francois and, in a low voice, suggested that he bring Champion up for some fresh air and exercise. "There might not be another chance for a while. The weather looks like we might have a storm coming." Francois was overjoyed at the prospect and raced below. The bishop was now into a sermon in French and caught the crowd's attention.
His comments on heretics and the Lord's judgment of them brought catcalls from the crowd. He ignored them and continued, "The Lord said that he will lift up the just in his hand. But the evil ones he will cast down into the bottomless pit," and then paused for effect. Pastor Bigeault cocked his head to one side at that. It wasn't quite how he remembered how the verse went, but maybe something had been lost in translation. The bishop continued, "He will cause . . ."
He had stopped and was staring at something at the rear of the crowd. Francois had just emerged from below with Champion, the big white dog he and Elie had rescued on the road to La Rochelle. The bishop did a passable imitation of a fish out of water. Then he regained his voice and cried out. "Someone stop that thief!" He pointed toward Francois. Everyone just stood there. Some had been dozing and thought it was part of the sermon. Others thought he had lost his place. The bishop then grabbed the nearby bosun and shoved him down the stairs toward Francois. "Arrest that boy. He stole my dog!" As the bosun slowly realized what the bishop meant, he started to head toward Francois. Elie quickly stepped through the crowd to block his path. The bishop hobbled down the stairs after the bosun, followed closely by Captain de Bussy. Elie shielded Francois and Champion from the bosun and stood his ground. The crowd closed in and things began to look ugly.
De Bussy pulled the few sailors in the crowd away. His worst fears were coming to life. He had seconds before a fight would start. He grabbed the bishop by his collar and hauled him back, yelling as he did, "Stand fast! No one here arrests anyone without my permission. And this pig-" He shook the bishop. "-has no right at all!"
Using the bishop as a battering ram, he forced his way through the crowd to where Elie and Francois stood with Champion. He released the bishop and demanded, "What is the story here?" He pointed to Elie to start.
"The boy found the dog trapped in some bushes outside La Rochelle. He'd been there for some time and was nearly dead. I crawled in and freed the dog. He's been with me since. We asked around when we arrived and no one knew anything about him. Ask Captain Reneuf, he was there when we arrived."
Reneuf was across the deck, but yelled out that what Elie said was correct. The captain turned to the bishop. "And your side?"
De Perpignan drew himself up and straightened his vestments. "That is my dog. There was an accident on the road to La Rochelle and the dog disappeared. The boy must have taken him. I was injured and couldn't track him down." He reached to grab Champion. With a low growl, the dog threatened to take off the hand. The bishop drew back to strike the dog with his cane.
Elie clamped a hand on the arm and said softly, "You strike that dog and I'll impale you with that cane."
The bishop turned to de Bussy. "Are you going to allow this heretic to abuse me like this? I have friends in high places!"
De Bussy took a deep breath to calm the fury he felt before he answered. "I've told you twice before that I am the supreme authority on this ship and warned you what would happen if you violated that again. The boy is no thief. If the dog's any judge, you have more to answer for. The boy keeps the dog. Your actions and reputation make me question why I should remain a Catholic." He turned to the bosun. "Escort His Eminence to his cabin and see that he remains there." He stepped up on a hatch cover to be seen and heard by the crowd. "I apologize for the disgraceful behavior of this churchman. You will not be bothered by him again. Disperse and prepare for the meal." He waved the cook over. "Mister Gilbert, everyone who wants gets an extra portion of meat with their meal." A cheer went up from those close enough to hear. The news spread quickly throughout the rest of the ship.
****
While the atmosphere on the ship improved, the weather rapidly worsened. De Bussy was kept busy for some time before he could go below and confront the bishop. He had the bishop brought to his cabin, along with the two priests. When de Perpignan started to protest his treatment, de Bussy seized him by the collar and slammed him into a chair. One of the priests made a move to intervene, but one look from de Bussy squelched the intention immediately. De Bussy planted himself in the bishop's face and laid into him. "I don't care who your patron is! Your thoughtless actions today nearly caused a mutiny. I warned you what would happen if you usurped my authority again!" The bishop shifted in the chair, but the captain shoved him back down. "You are confined to your cabin for the remainder of the voyage. The only times you can leave are to answer nature's call and one hour on deck for exercise each day. You will speak to no one during that hour. Your priests will bring you your meals and will be your only visitors. Now get out of my sight!"
Father Brussard helped the bishop from the chair and gave him support to hobble back to his cabin. Father Valmont stopped and spoke briefly to de Bussy before leaving. "Please don't judge your church by his example. All men are fallible."
De Bussy sighed, "I know, Father, but there are too many like him. Please see that he follows the rules. I don't enjoy doing this."
"I will. Just watch the other. He's cut from the same cloth."
Rather than going to his cabin, de Perpignan asked Father Brussard to escort him on deck for some fresh air. "I'm not sure if we'll have a chance to do this for a few days. Even a landsman like me can see a storm's brewing. Besides, it may be the last chance we have to talk without someone eavesdropping on us." As they walked they discussed what could be done about de Bussy's edict.
Father Brussard endured the bishop's complaints for sometime before finally interjecting, "Your Grace, I am in contact with Monsieur Mousnier. Perhaps he can plead your case to Admiral Duquesne and have the edict revoked." Brussard was less than forthcoming on his relationship with Mousnier. He had reached an understanding with Mousnier prior to sailing to expand his church responsibilities into secular areas once they made landfall. As Gaston's sole agent with the fleet, de Perpignan was isolated and virtually powerless. Brussard hoped to exploit that situation to his advantage. If he could get the bishop indebted to him, it would further strengthen his position.
After an hour pacing the aftercastle, de Perpignan asked Brussard to give him some time to meditate alone.
"Certainly, Your Grace. If you need me during the evening, just call, and I'll be there." As Brussard descended the ladder, a wave broke over the bow and sluiced down the deck. He had to grab hold of the railing to keep from being swept off his feet. He thought about warning the bishop about the slickness of the steps, but reconsidered. It would sound too much like a nagging wife, and the bishop was already vexed enough. He waited until the water receded and then made his way to his cabin.