Welcome to this week’s edition of Tuesday Tales. This blog is devoted to sharing snippets of work in progress based on a particular prompt. Many of the books begun this way have gone on to become published novels.
This week the word prompt is MIRROR. Excerpts are limited to 400 words, so enjoy mine and drop by to visit the others as well. I continue with my historical romance,The Price of Courage, Book Two in my Canadiana Series. I pick up the conversation where it ended last week.
“My God, is that what you think is at the root of this?” Patoulet sneared, and sipped his brandy.
“Frankly, I don’t know, but either way, if word gets out among the trappers of these animals and cities of gold, more than one of them will risk his life in search of them. If this rumor makes it to France and to the ears of those whose greed is propelling them to betray the colony, then Lord help us. When a man’s eyes are blinded by his lust for gold, commonsense vanishes.”
The dismay on Patoulet’s face mirrored his own.
“But Coronado’s ravings were dismissed almost a century ago, as the blatherings of a lunatic when expedition after expedition failed to turn up the mythical cities of gold,” he said seemingly unable to take the threat as a real one. “No educated man would believe such nonsense. He did it to get the crown to fund his expeditions, plain and simple, and thus claim more land for Spain.”
“But don’t you see? That could well be what’s at the route of the dissatisfaction. Sovereignty over more land ultimately means more undisputed hunting and trapping space, and if there is gold or other fine metals to be taken from the earth, so be it.”
“Enough of these old wives’ tales and the ravings of a madman for now. This insurrection isn’t coming from some mythical place far beyond the Great Lakes; it’s coming from south and east of us, at the end of English and Dutch weapons and the arrows of their allies aimed at our settlers. I heard your mother talking. With a wife newly pregnant and two adjacent seigneuries, I would think you would concern yourself more with the here and now than fairy tales of cities of gold.”
“Believe me, monsieur. I know exactly what’s at stake here, and because I do, I’ll take nothing lightly.”
Guy clenched his jaw. Patoulet was the intendant’s representative, even if he didn’t have enough imagination to guess at what might be lurking under the snow and in dark corners, he did have the ear of the governor-general. It wouldn’t do to have them thinking he was a deluded fool himself. He didn’t for a minute believe this was about distant gold, but the lure, whether real or imaginary could change things. New France needed all its men here not off chasing after dreams.
That’s it for this week! Don’t forget to check out all the other posts on Tuesday Tales.
Living the Dream 
Wonderful snippet!
Love the history here. I’m learning much reading this story. The greed surrounding gold is well documented. Don’t think that’s dissipated much, even all these years later.
Thanks Jean.