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This place The Literary and Historical Society That held thehts, their memories, their symbols Gamache didn’t have to look at the statue above him to knoho it was This place held their leaders, their language, their culture and achieveotten or never known by the Francophone majority outside these walls but kept alive here

It was a remarkable place almost no Francophone even knew existed When he’d told É,was just two blocks fro doll Each held within the other until finally at the very core was this little ge?

Gamache watched Winniebooks, Indian carpets scattered on the hardwood floors, a long wooden table and beside that the sitting area Two leather wing chairs and the worn leather sofa where Gamache sat, his correspondence and books on the coffee table Arched s broke up the bookcases and flooded the rooht to catch But thepart of the library was the balcony that curved above it A wrought iron spiral staircase took patrons to the second story of bookshelves that rose to the plaster ceiling

The rooht With peace

Gamache couldn’t believe he’d never known it was here, had stu to clear his es But more than the flashes that ca wood and walls as bullets hit The shouts, then the screa, young voice in his head

"I believe you, sir"

Armand and Henri left the library and did their rounds of the shops, picking up a selection of raw milk cheeses, pâté and larocery store across the way, and a fresh, war ho on the fire to warm up the chilly home It had been built in 1752 and while the stone walls were three feet thick and would easily repel a cannonball, it was defenseless against the winter wind

As Armand cooked the home warmed up and by the time Émile arrived the place was toasty wararlic and lamb

"Salut," Émile called from the front door, then aa bottle of red wine and reaching for the corkscrew "Suette, cheeses and pâté into the living roo it on the table before the fire while Éht in their wine

"Santé"

The twothe fireplace and toasted When they each had so to eat they discussed their days, É with friends at the bar in the Château Frontenac and research he was doing for the Société Champlain Gamache described his quiet hours in the library

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Émile took a bite of wild boar pâté

Gamache shook his head "It’s in there somewhere Otherwise it doesn’t make sense We know the French troops were not lish"

It was the battle every Québec school child learned about, dreainary horses The dreadful battle that would decide the fate of the city, the territory, the country and the continent The Battle of Québec that in 1759 would effectively end the Seven Years’ War Ironic that after so lish over New France, the final battle should be so short But brutal

As Gained the scene A chilly September day, the forces under Général Montcalm a mix of elite French troops and the Québécois, uerrilla tactics than fore of Québec, a vicious and cruel starvation More than fifteen thousand cannonballs had bombarded the tiny community and nointer almost upon them, it had to end or they’d all die Men, women, children Nurses, nuns, carpenters, teachers All would perish

Général Montcallish force in one nificent battle Winner take all

Montcalm, a brave, experienced soldier, a frontline coainst him? An equally brilliant and brave soldier, General Wolfe