Ch. 10 - The Duel

[Chris OConnor]

Ch. 10 - The Duel

[stahrwe]

Chapter 10 Summary
The Duel


Syme and the other detectives decide that they will catch up with The Marquis at Calais and they decide that they will be able to prevent him from reaching Paris if he misses the 7:45am train from Calais to Paris on the morning of the planned assassination. Syme decides that the most promising plan is to insult the Marquis and challenge him to a duel. If timed right, the duel could be used to force the Marquis to miss the train.

The group does encounter St. Eustache, Syme quarrels with him and at one point demands to be allowed to pull on the Marquis' nose. The Marquis announces that he has been insulted and demands satisfaction. The arrangements are made for the duel with swords to take place the next morning at 7:00am.

The participants assemble the next morning within site of the train station but at a considerable distance and the duel begins. The Marquis is an expert swordsman and during the opening of the duel he takes the advantage. Syme recovers and begins to dominate even penetrating the Marquis' body, or so Syme thought but when he withdrew the blade there was no blood and the Marquis was unaffected.

The duel continues for a protracted time as the train arrives the Marquis' swordplay becomes frantic and erratic allowing Syme additional deep penetrations with his blade into the Marquis none of which have any effect on him. Finally Syme manages a deep penetration into the Marquis' throat which also is ineffectual. At this point the Marquis calls for a stop to the duel and reveals that he is in an elaborate disguise consisting of fully padded body suit. He removes the suit and reveals that he is Inspector Ratcliffe of Scotland Yard on his way to Paris to stop the plot.

During the revelation passengers have been deboarding the train and are heading in their direction. Using a telescope the detectives seen that the mob is wearing masks and conclude that they have been the victim of an elaborate plan by Sunday to busy Scotland Yard with chasing each other while he completed his plans. Now, they are all being hunted by Sunday's mob and must flee.

[Pheidippides]

The whole "Marquis insulted my mother" bit was hilarious.

I said nothing at all," said the Marquis, "except something about the band. I only said that I liked Wanger played well." "It was an allusion to my family," said Syme firmly."My aunt played Wagner badly. It was a painful subject. We are always being insulted about it.

Did the Marquis "stuff himself" or was he a character of some supernatural ability? Never understood that towards the end.

[stahrwe]

Did the Marquis "stuff himself" or was he a character of some supernatural ability? Never understood that towards the end.

The 'Marquis' was an ordinary man who was wearing an elaborate costume/disguise ala Mrs, Doubtfire.
It was some kind of padded body suit

doubtfire.jpg (4.86 KiB) Viewed 3524 times

which included a neck prosthetic and what special effects people call appliances on his face.

[Pheidippides]

Bravo sir, bravo!

Robin Williams dressed as a woman. I don't know if I'll see a kind grandmother the same ever again.