H.J. Gaudreau - Betrayal in the Louvre Read Online Free Page A

goin.”
    A day later Oushel tried anyway.  John was right, no leave was granted.  The 32nd Infantry Division began to move to Europe in December.  In January they suffered their first casualties when a German U-boat sank a troop ship carrying elements of the transportation section.  By February the Division was scattered across the ports and bases of England and southern France.  It took three weeks for the Division to reform.  Several of the more junior officers complained the war would be over before they saw action. 
    The Germans launched a major offensive, with a hundred thousand men in March.  In April the Division went into action.  The majority of the officers didn’t live to see the summer.   

 
    Chapter 5
     
    I
     
    Most would believe the items that marked and inferred royalty would be kept in a throne room or a vault somewhere in the Palace.  They would be wrong.  The Regalia of the French crown were kept in the newest and largest of the chapels of the Château de Versailles.  Begun in 1689 and consecrated in 1710 the fifth chapel was an engineering and artistic masterpiece.  It was here where Louis had married Marie Antoinette.  It’s architecture, inlaid floors and bas-relief sculpture of Louis XIV Crossing the Rhine, made it a favorite of the Chateau’s residents. 
    Luckner left the protection of the palace and stepped into the night.  His adjutant quickly took up position on his left.  Luckner gave him his instructions as they walked.  The man-child answered “Oui, mon Général,” gave Luckner his knapsack and was off.  It was still chilly; summer hadn’t yet taken hold of the continent.  The General crossed the Cour de Marbre and descended the steps to the Royal Courtyard.  As he walked, he pulled his collar up.  His felt hat, not dried from this afternoon’s ride was becoming even heavier from the rain. 
    Crossing the yard he turned to his left, rounded the building and continued to the Chapel.  Its exterior was truly a remarkable, beautiful structure.  Sadly, some complained its roofline, thrusting high above the rest of the Palace, clashed with the architectural beauty of the building.  Had it occurred to Luckner to think of these things his classical training would have prohibited him from agreeing. 
    He ascended the steps, pushed open the doors and entered the narthex.  Here, he paused to gain his bearings.  Examining the walls in the flickering candlelight, he quickly found what he was looking for.  A pair of ancient and ornate swords were crossed over a large cross, the insignia of the L’Ordre des Chevaliers du Saint-Esprit.  He removed one, tested its heft and continued.  Entering the nave he crossed himself as he marched its length.  At the far end stood the altar, its golden carvings of angels standing out against the white marble behind.  Having reached the altar steps, not glancing at the masterwork of Coypel, he crossed himself once more and ascended the high altar.  Here, he opened the ambry and removed the Bishops crown and a small bottle of Holy Water.  These were quickly wrapped in a cloth and placed gently in the knapsack.
    He paused to regain his bearings as he retreated to the narthex.  Unlike most cathedrals of Europe, this one had a Tribune Royale, a sort of second story, from which the royal family could view the holy altar, be seen by those in attendance in the apse and still maintain the proper distance from their subjects.  The Tribune Royale also contained a small altar; it was there that he needed to be. 
    Finding the proper staircase, he ascended.  As he approached the top steps he was forced to look at the ceiling.  It was painted with Jean Jouvenet’s “The Descent of the Holy Ghost upon the Virgin and the Apostles”, truly a masterpiece and, another time he would have spent considerable time examining its many nuances.  Now, though he was forced to look at it, he didn’t see it.
    His intended destination was behind the