Текст книги "Fire and Sword"

Автор книги: Simon Scarrow

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Текущая страница: 24 (всего у книги 44 страниц)

Chapter 32

While the preliminary articles of the peace negotiations were drawn up by the staff officers of the Emperor and the Tsar, Napoleon entertained his guests with a series of military pageants and reviews. A makeshift parade ground had been prepared by the engineers outside Tilsit complete with a grandstand where Napoleon, Alexander and the wretched Frederick William could sit in comfort as formation after formation of infantry, cavalry and artillery performed drills for their audience.

Napoleon intended these displays to serve two purposes. First to awe the Russians with the quality and quantity of troops at his disposal, and second to buy time until the diplomats gathered at Tilsit to begin the process of agreeing the precise terms of the treaty and drafting the final document for ratification and signatures.

A room had been set aside at the imperial headquarters to serve as the negotiating chamber, and the moment Talleyrand arrived from Berlin the talks began in earnest. The foreign minister arrived at night and was immediately ushered into Napoleon’s private quarters, where he was met by the Emperor in a loose dressing gown.The air was humid and heavy, as if a storm was about to be unleashed over the Prussian countryside.

‘Sire.’ Talleyrand bowed his head. ‘May I congratulate you on your victory over the Russians. I imagine that the news has reached Paris by now and all France is celebrating.’

‘I’m sure of it,’ Napoleon replied curtly. ‘Sit down. I have sent for refreshments. I trust you had a comfortable journey.’

‘It might have been comfortable had these barbarous Prussians ever bothered to maintain proper roads. As it was my internal organs feel as if they have spent the last few days in a butter churn.’

Napoleon chuckled. ‘You were never one for the hard life, Talleyrand.’

‘Indeed, sire. Some are bred for the harsh conditions of waging war, and some are naturally inclined to the comforts of the salon. Sadly, I fall into the latter category and would be of little use to my country on the battlefield.’

‘True, you are weak and soft,’ Napoleon mused, and then decided it would be of benefit to humour his foreign minister. ‘But your skills at the negotiating table are every bit as valuable to me as the martial talents of my generals.’

‘Thank you, sire.’ Talleyrand nodded, and then leaned back in his chair and pulled out a silk cloth to dab his heavy jowls. ‘Once I have had some rest I will be ready to talk to our new friends.’

‘You can sleep later,’ Napoleon responded.‘Once we have conferred.’

‘Can we not wait until morning?’Talleyrand glanced down at his fob watch and saw that it was already past midnight.‘Dawn is no more than five hours away.’

‘We will talk now.’

There was a light tap at the door and a moment later it was opened and two servants entered carrying a platter of meat, cheese and bread, and a bottle of wine and two glasses. They set them down and retired in silence, closing the door behind them. Napoleon gestured to the food. ‘Eat, if you are hungry.’Then he poured them each a glass of wine and eased himself back in his chair. He held the glass in both hands and fixed his stare on the foreign minister. Talleyrand hurriedly picked at some of the food before he took a sip from his glass and cleared his throat.

‘Well then, sire, what advantage do you intend to wrest from this situation?’

Napoleon drank from his own glass before he replied. ‘The real threat to us is Russia. So, we must make Russia the partner of our labours. At the moment I have the Tsar eating out of my hand. He believes us to have everything in common, and I have indulged him in that thought. I have let him believe that it is my intention to divide Europe into two spheres of influence.While France is to be given power over the western half of the continent, Russia will have a free hand in the east. I have also said that I will not oppose any action the Tsar decides to take against the Turkish possessions in the Balkans.’

Talleyrand sighed. ‘Sire, I have only recently concluded an agreement with the Sultan to improve relations between France and Turkey.’

‘That does not matter now,’ Napoleon cut in dismissively.‘I only ever intended to befriend the Turks in order to open a second front against Russia. Now that Russia is about to become an ally, we can offer them Turkish lands to sweeten an agreement with the Tsar.’

Talleyrand drew a breath and continued patiently. ‘Diplomacy is a long game, sire. It takes time to build trust, to persuade others that we share common interests and ambitions. It is not an ad hoc process. It has taken years to win the Sultan round. If we abandon him now, I doubt we will be able to repair the damage to our relations for a generation at least. As for Russia, a month ago they were our mortal enemy. Now you would have them as our dearest friend. It is my experience that any friendship of value takes time to build. A friendship forged on the expediency of the moment is of little value, and can be broken just as swiftly as it was cobbled together. I urge caution, sire.We are not dealing simply with playing pieces that we can arrange on a board as the whim takes us.We are dealing with people, their instincts, their prejudices and their traditions. It is a sophisticated process, sire.’

‘I thank you for the lesson,’ Napoleon replied tersely. ‘But like all teachers, you are prone to see complications where a more direct approach works just as well, if not better. It is my judgement that Russia will serve as a powerful and useful ally.Therefore it is my command, and your duty, to see that Russia is befriended.’

Talleyrand stared at the Emperor for a moment, as if considering further protest. Then he took a sip of wine and laced his fingers together. ‘Very well, sire. What else do you intend to ask of our new friends?’

Napoleon set his glass down on the table and folded his arms. ‘First, in exchange for giving the Russians a free hand against the Turks we will be permitted to occupy some of the islands and coasts around the Adriatic. That will help consolidate our hold on Italy. Second, Russia is to join our embargo on trade with Britain, and put pressure on the other Baltic nations to follow suit.Third, the kingdoms of Portugal and Spain are trading openly with Britain.That must cease forthwith, and if it doesn’t it is my intention to remove their royal dynasties and replace them with monarchs selected from amongst my brothers. In these matters we will clearly need the consent of the Tsar.’

‘Clearly,’ Talleyrand agreed and pursed his lips doubtfully. ‘In your estimation, do you think Alexander can be persuaded to support such sweeping demands?’

‘Yes. I am sure of it. And with your silver tongue, my friend, our demands will be irresistible.’

‘Let us hope so.’ Talleyrand helped himself to another slice of cold sausage. ‘And what of Prussia? What terms do we offer King Frederick William?’

Napoleon laughed coldly. ‘For our dear cousin, the King of Prussia, I have little but contempt. Only when all seemed to go against me before Austerlitz was that coward prepared to throw in his lot with our enemies. The present war was caused by his folly and his ambition to humble France.’ Napoleon paused. ‘There can only be one fate for Frederick William and his nation: abject humiliation. We will strip Prussia of her present borders and offer to share the spoils with Russia. We will demand reparations, the scale of which will cripple her for years to come, during which time French troops will be garrisoned on Prussian soil. Furthermore, Prussia will be obliged to uphold the trade embargo against Britain, and declare war on Britain if I deem it necessary. Finally, I will require Frederick William to recognise the existing and any future kingdoms that I confer upon members of my family and other monarchs nominated by me.’

Napoleon smiled with satisfaction as he concluded his list of demands.Talleyrand was quiet for a moment before he responded. ‘Are you quite serious, sire? You propose nothing less than the dismantling of Prussia as it now stands.’

‘That’s right. Let it serve as a warning to any nation who even considers dealing dishonestly with France, and her Emperor.’

‘Is it wise to go that far, sire?’

‘Wise?’ Napoleon frowned.

Talleyrand shifted uneasily. ‘It appears to me that you are pinning your hopes on winning the Tsar over as a permanent ally, sire.’

‘Yes. So?’

‘Is that prudent? I think not. To my mind Russia poses the greatest of dangers to European nations. Her influence spreads from the Baltic in the north to Turkey and India to the south. Given time, I dare say the Tsar would consider swallowing up Poland, the Baltic states, and possibly Scandinavia. Unless those nations that lie in her path have the wherewithal to defend themselves, what is to prevent the Tsar from expanding his borders right up to the lands we claim for ourselves? Rather than allying ourselves with Russia we would be better off building an alliance with Austria, and providing Prussia with generous enough terms to swing their loyalty over to us, sire. Magnanimous terms for Frederick William could change Prussian opinion. Besides that, we would need to make sure that the Prussians retained sufficient military potential to discourage any further Russian expansion into Europe.’

‘I will not permit Prussia to retain any such potential while that scheming witch Queen Louise is able to influence her husband and the Prussian court against me. I have not defeated an enemy only to present them with the chance to do me further harm at a future date. No. Prussia will be made to suffer so that she learns the cost of defying me. As for the Tsar, you will do what is necessary to secure the best terms for France while offering Alexander anything that might cement the peace between our nations. Within reason, of course.’

‘Of course.’ Talleyrand nodded. ‘Though I would still ask your majesty to consider what I have said. Russia is not our natural ally, and it would serve France better to end the war with Britain than take Russia as an ally against her.’

‘Thank you, Talleyrand. I have noted your opinion. You have your instructions, and I require you to carry them out. Is that clear?’

‘Yes, your majesty.’ Talleyrand bowed his head.

‘Then you may go.’

The foreign minister eased himself up and walked stiffly to the door, where he bowed again before leaving the room. Napoleon stared at the door for a moment, his lips compressing into a thin line. He felt a cold rage in his heart at Talleyrand’s questioning of his judgement. The foreign minister seemed to think that diplomacy must be conducted at the speed of a glacier. The truth was that people had short memories. Yesterday’s villain was interchangeable with today’s hero. Napoleon sniffed with derision. He knew that the very same mob in Paris that had cried out for the blood of the Tsar would be cheering him the moment peace was announced. Talleyrand was wrong. Diplomacy was like war. It was largely a question of arranging the pieces correctly, with a certain amount of bluff and luck. Rising from his chair, Napoleon yawned. As he made his way back to his sleeping quarters he decided that he must write to Fouché and order him to have his agents watch Talleyrand closely. It would be an easy step from disagreeing with the Emperor to plotting against him.

July had arrived and the days were long and hot. Even though the tall windows of the chamber were left open, the atmosphere inside was uncomfortable and heavy. There were no concessions to the summer temperature, however, and all those in attendance wore their finest uniforms and coats. Sweat pricked out on every man’s brow and the hours dragged on as the terms of the treaty were put forward and debated. Some sessions were attended by representatives of all three nations, but most concerned only the Russians and the French, and the hapless Prussians were excluded.

As Talleyrand set out the harsh terms demanded by his Emperor as the price of peace with Prussia, Frederick William’s envoys were shocked by the scale of the humiliation being heaped upon their nation. Their protests were met with cold disdain by the French diplomats, and on the sixth day of July the Prussians decided to try a more personal appeal for mercy.

Napoleon was seated at his desk, reading through the latest correspondence to reach imperial headquarters, when a clerk entered and proffered a sealed letter.

‘What’s this?’ Napoleon looked up irritably. ‘Why has it not been opened?’

Then he saw the royal seal of Prussia neatly applied to the folded paper. He took it and waved the clerk away. It had been addressed to ‘his imperial majesty, Napoleon, for his personal attention’, in a neat, fine hand. He broke the seal and opened the letter.

Your imperial majesty, it is a tragedy that our two nations should have been locked in so bitter a struggle for so many months. Now that peace is at hand Prussia looks forward to a new era of friendship with France. In token of this, I wonder if I might meet with you in person to convince you of the lasting benefits of an equitable peace between our nations. I look forward to your response.

Your faithful friend, Louise, Queen of Prussia.

‘Well, well,’ Napoleon smiled. ‘So it has come to this.’

He stood and strode across the room to the open door and clicked his fingers at his chief clerk. ‘Méneval, send for the Master of the Imperial Household.’

‘Yes, sire.’

‘Tell him we are entertaining tonight. The best dinner service and the finest wines and food will be required.’

There was no polite preamble to the dinner. Queen Louise was shown into a private dining room at imperial headquarters. A small table occupied the centre of the carpeted room, covered with a lace cloth and set with fine china, glasses and cutlery from the imperial household.The room was lit by a single chandelier hanging above the table, which bathed the room in a soft orange glow. The Queen was shown to her seat by a footman and then left alone to await the Emperor, who, she was told, was completing his orders for yet another military review to be held the following morning. He would not be long, she was assured.

And so she sat, quite still and expressionless, as the clock ticked on the mantelpiece. The windows of the dining room were open and the faintest of breezes wafted in, just enough to cause the candles to flicker fractionally from time to time. At length Louise rose from her seat and went to the window. Below lay a small courtyard and the scent of herbs drifted up to her. Beyond the wall of the courtyard lay open fields, now covered with tents and the crude bivouacs erected by the French soldiers. Their campfires spread across the landscape like a vast constellation of twinkling red stars.

‘An impressive sight, is it not?’

She gasped with surprise and whirled round, hand clutched to her throat. Napoleon had entered and trodden quietly across to the table, where he now stood behind her chair, hands resting on the seat back. He stared back at her, frankly appraising her looks. The Queen of Prussia was a slender woman with black hair and strong, almost masculine features. For all that there was a cold, ethereal beauty about her, Napoleon conceded. He smiled. ‘I am sorry. I did not mean to startle you.’

‘Really?’ She arched an eyebrow. ‘I rather think that was precisely what you meant to do.’

‘Oh? And why would I do that?’

‘You employ the same strategy off the battlefield as you do on it.You move quickly, achieve surprise and disconcert your enemy.’

‘But you are not my enemy. I do not make war on women, your majesty.’ Napoleon laughed. ‘But I admit that you have a good grasp of my method of waging war.’

‘It has been a hard lesson,’ she replied coldly.‘One which has cost the lives of many of our subjects.’

‘Well, the war is over, and our meal is about to begin. Please?’ Napoleon nodded to the chair she had been sitting on. After a slight pause, the Prussian Queen glided back across the room and sat down, allowing Napoleon to edge her chair a little closer to the table.Then he took his place opposite, flicked his napkin loose and laid it across his thighs. ‘I took the liberty of sending my chef to your quarters to discover what food appeals to your palate. How is your accommodation, by the way?’

‘It is as good as most we have had to endure for several months.’

Napoleon shrugged. ‘If your husband had come to terms after Jena you would still have the comforts of your palace in Berlin. But then, I imagine that you would not let your husband come to terms. My ambassador to Berlin told me how much Frederick William depends upon your advice. Other men have even said that you are the true ruler of Prussia.’

‘Other men are fools,’ she replied flatly. ‘My husband is a good man and a sound ruler. But he is inclined to caution in dealing with a crisis. I merely acted as a spur to that course of action he knew he must take.’

‘You are too modest, madam.’ Napoleon stared at her. ‘I sense that you are a far more formidable woman than you choose to appear.’

‘Perhaps.’ She smiled, showing a fine set of strong white teeth. ‘For my part I sense that you are a far more sensitive man than your reputation as an all-conquering general would imply. Sensual even.’

‘Sensual?’ Napoleon tipped his head slightly to one side. ‘It’s not a word I have often heard used to describe me.’

‘You surround yourself with soldiers, so that is hardly surprising.’

They were interrupted by the arrival of the first course, a thin soup of duck and herbs, and sat in silence while the steward carefully poured a ladleful into each of their bowls and then retired. Napoleon watched as his guest delicately filled her spoon and raised it to her lips, sipping the hot liquid with caution. ‘Do you like it?’

Louise looked at him. ‘A touch too much garlic, perhaps, but palatable.’

‘I am so pleased.’ Napoleon took a mouthful, and winced at the scalding sensation in his mouth. He glanced up to see her smiling at him, and mumbled an apology. ‘I am sorry, it was hot. Painful.’ He took a sip of wine to cool his tongue.

‘Yes.The trick is not to let anyone know that it hurts.’

Napoleon lowered his spoon for a while, to let the soup cool. ‘Tell me, your majesty.Why are you here? Why did you request to see me in this intimate manner? Did your husband send you to try to charm me?’

‘He does not approve of the meeting,’ she replied. ‘I insisted. I hope to discuss the question of the terms you demand for peace with Prussia.’

‘The terms are already being discussed, by our diplomats.’

‘Diplomats . . .’ She uttered the word with contempt. ‘They talk and talk and resolve little in the longest possible time.’

‘You have Talleyrand precisely.’ Napoleon laughed.

Louise’s expression remained serious. ‘I wished to negotiate more directly with you.’

‘Negotiate? What is there to negotiate? You already know my terms. I will not change them. Not even for you, your majesty.’

‘But you must realise that your demands go too far. You seek to reduce Prussia to the status of a minor power. You would shame us before the rest of the world.’

‘No more than you have shamed yourselves already.’

She was silent for a moment, and then continued in a calm tone, ‘I accept that my husband vacillated before Austerlitz. If I had been king then Prussia would have fought alongside your enemies from the outset.’

‘And very likely you would have defeated me. I must make certain that Prussia is incapable of challenging France for many years to come. That is why I do not wish to have your husband removed from the throne. His presence there is as good a guarantee of peace as I could wish for. If he was weak before you decided to wage war against France, then he will be even more afraid now. I doubt that you, even with your undeniable charms and force of personality, will be able to persuade him to make war again.’

‘I see.’ Louise nodded, and sipped again from her spoon. ‘You must know that the terms you have demanded of Prussia are sure to win you nothing but the hatred of our people.’

‘What do I care?’ Napoleon shrugged. ‘ Vae victis.’

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Louise looked up again. ‘Has it occurred to you that you might well need the friendship of Prussia one day?’

‘Yes. There may be a time when I need all the friends I can get. But as long as you sit by the side of your husband and drip your poison into his ear, then I suspect that I need not look to Prussia for any hope of salvation. So what have I to lose by making the terms as harsh as possible?’

Queen Louise lowered her spoon, got up from her chair and walked slowly round the table until she was at his side. Napoleon instinctively lowered his spoon, as he felt his body tense at her closeness. She kneeled beside his chair and took his hand. She spoke softly. ‘Your imperial majesty. If I need to I will beg you not to destroy Prussia. On my hands and knees if you say so.’

She grazed her lips over the back of his hand and Napoleon felt a bolt of fire streak up his arm. For an instant he closed his eyes, relishing the feeling, and the Prussian Queen continued to play her lips over the back of his hand before she turned it over slowly and kissed his palm with infinite tenderness.

‘There is nothing I would not do for my country,’ she whispered. ‘Just ask me, your majesty, and I will do anything for you.’

‘Anything?’

‘Yes. Anything.’ She moved her head so that her lips closed softly round the end of his middle finger and he felt her teeth press gently into his skin. He felt his sex stirring and shifted in his chair as he indulged the sensation.Then cold reason reasserted itself and he firmly pulled his hand away from her and opened his eyes. She was looking up at him with fierce intensity blazing in her brown eyes. Napoleon chuckled.

‘Good God, but you are beautiful. Now I understand why Frederick William is your slave. However, I will not sacrifice the needs of France for the sake of a good fuck, your majesty.’

She stood up and backed away, her eyes narrowing.‘You bastard,’ she muttered. ‘You cold, cruel, contemptible bastard.’

Napoleon smiled faintly and raised an eyebrow. ‘As you say.’

‘Truly, you are a tyrant. I pray that I live to see the day when you are brought down and destroyed.’

‘Of course you do.You are my enemy. I am your conqueror. It is only natural for you to hate me. Just as long as you and your people fear me, I shall be content. Now then, may we continue our meal?’

The Queen glanced at her soup and her lip curled. ‘I would rather eat the scraps refused by swine.’

‘Then I suggest you return to your husband and share his repast, before you share his bed. I have no need for you. No desire. Now you may leave me.’

She glared at him, and then with a swirl of her skirts she turned and strode for the door. Wrenching it open, she rushed through and slammed it behind her. Napoleon stared after her for a moment, then picked up his spoon and finished his soup.

The following day, Napoleon and Alexander signed the peace treaty in the negotiation chamber before an audience of dignitaries. Then Talleyrand read out the public version of the treaty, which expressed the great pleasure of both leaders that their countries were no longer at war. Both the Emperor and the Tsar looked forward to sharing the bounties of peace and prosperity. Napoleon seemed to listen indulgently and nodded his head at the applause that filled the chamber, but his mind was dwelling on the details of the secret articles that had been agreed and signed. Now, at last, he could turn all his attention towards crushing Britain. With Russia as his ally and all Europe under his sway, he could deny Britain access to her markets, and slowly but surely she would be starved into defeat.

Two more days passed before Napoleon deigned to sign the peace agreement with Prussia, shortly before he departed for France.This time the Prussian witnesses to the signature stood in mute despair as their King picked up his pen, dipped it in the ink pot and then held it poised above the treaty as he chewed his lip. Talleyrand leaned forward and indicated the blank space at the foot of the document.

‘If your majesty would be kind enough to sign there?’

Frederick William nodded, then lowered the pen to the paper and wrote his name slowly, as if each letter was agony to write. At the end he lowered the pen and sat back abruptly, staring straight ahead, refusing to look at the French Emperor sitting at his side. Talleyrand slid the treaty across the table towards Napoleon. Behind a mask of regal calm Napoleon felt consumed by the pleasure of his triumph. He took up his pen, dipped it in the ink and signed the treaty, ending with a flamboyant flourish.The French officers and diplomats at once burst into applause, with Ney stamping his foot as he roared out ‘Bravo! Bravo!’ at the top of his voice.

There was a dull scrape as the Prussian King slid his chair back and abruptly rose from his seat and strode towards the door. As soon as he had left the room, his staff and courtiers filed out behind him, their ears deafened by the thunderous celebration of the French.

Talleyrand leaned close to his ear and said, ‘Congratulations, sire.’

‘Thank you.’

‘I pray that you have won us a lasting peace.’

Napoleon turned to look up at his foreign minister. ‘What is there to pray for? Prussia is humiliated, and I have the Tsar wrapped round my little finger. Trust me, my dear Talleyrand. Russia has been tamed, completely.’