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Baldwin approached Morton. “What are all these people doing here?” he asked.
“They are here to witness history,” Morton replied. “After the machine infernale is detonated, these men are going to flood the streets and rally the people to revolt!”
“To the revolution!” a man shouted at the table, lifting his tankard in the air.
“To the revolution!” everyone said in unison.
Baldwin glanced around the room. “Where is Marie?”
“She will be here shortly,” Morton replied, eyeing him with interest. “Are you nervous?”
With a shake of his head, Baldwin said, “There is nothing to be nervous about. I light the slow match and run as fast as I can out of Fieldstone Square.”
“You are a good man,” Morton remarked. “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”
The door opened, and Marie stepped into the room. She was dressed in a simple blue gown and her hair was pulled tight into a chignon.
“Baldwin!” she shouted. “Are you ready to start a revolution?”
“I am,” he replied as he approached her.
Marie nodded approvingly. “Let me show you the machine infernale, then.”
He followed her out of the pub and saw a wagon parked in front. In the back was a large wine cask that was held together by rope. A twine fuse was positioned in the back of the cask.
Marie stepped closer to the wagon and pointed at the fuse. “You light the slow match and you quickly leave Fieldstone Square without attracting too much attention.”
“That fuse isn’t very long,” Baldwin commented.
“It doesn’t need to be,” Marie remarked. “It is slow burning and will only present a small glowing tip after you light it.”
Baldwin lowered his voice and asked, “What do you estimate the blast radius to be?”
Marie met his gaze. “I would just run, and don’t stop running until you are as far away from the blast as you can be.”
“I understand.”
Placing a hand on the wine cask, Marie ordered, “Get the wagon as close as you can to the stage and let the machine infernale do the rest.”
Baldwin’s eyes scanned the bomb. “I will do my best.”
“If you don’t succeed, I will kill you,” Marie said in a stern voice.
His eyes snapped back to hers. “I understand my job.”
A smile came to Marie’s lips. “Good, but I am coming with you to ensure that we have no mishaps along the way.”
Fearing he’d misheard her, he asked, “Pardon?”
Marie lifted her brow. “Is that a problem?”
“No, you are more than welcome to come along.”
Walking around the wagon, Marie stepped up to the driver’s bench. “Shall we?” she asked. “I would hate to miss Lord Desmond’s rally.”
Baldwin’s eyes scanned around the buildings before he sat next to her on the bench. As he urged the team forward, he felt something jab him in the ribs.
He glanced over in surprise and saw Marie holding a pistol in her hand.
