1.2.2-Lifeisyetfair

1.2.2
So why will the “peasant” die before revealing his own name? Who would it hurt? What plan would it disrupt?

That’s all I got, this isn’t that interesting of a chapter for me.

A lot of people reacted strongly to the last chapter’s “the whole coast will be on fire,” but I think that’s metaphorical- the entire coast will be rising up/at war. It did call up by free association the idea of the murderous Infernal Columns of Republican troops that were sent later in the war. Right now we’re still in May and June. The war in the Vendee started in March. At this point, the Vendeens still have the initiative and are capturing towns.They will capture Angers on June 18.

But here, have a picture of Saint-Malo, the city the ship is aiming for:



Beautiful!

The first chapter takes place not in the Vendee but in the department of Mayenne:



Here’s the Vendee:



Saint Malo is in Ille-et-Vilaine:



So the planned site of the landing is in the department right next to the one where Radoub, Michelle, and the vivandiere are. Ille-et-Vilaine is in the historical province of Brittany, and Mayenne and Vendee border Brittany. And also, I was mistaken in calling Michelle a Vendeen; looking at these maps she’s clearly not from there at all!

And here’s Brittany (everything in blue is historical Brittany, the dark blue is modern Brittany):



I hope these maps help with the geography of the story, which is confusing for me at least. Not least that despite continual mentions of the Vendee, it takes place nowhere near it.

Commentary
Bobcatmoran Oh my gosh, THANK YOU for the geography lesson! Most helpful!

Pilferingapples THANK YOU A THOUSAND THANK YOUS this is so incredibly helpful!