The Watch

The French army was immobilized in Oldendorff, a peaceful town dependent on Hameln and two to three times smaller than the latter. There wasn't even a wall to protect the meager local population. The Hessians had no choice but to let this overwhelming army settle on their land.

Like in Hameln, Adam noticed that the layout of the town and the appearance of the buildings strongly resembled the medieval image he had in mind. Everywhere he looked, it seemed like there was mud and filth. It was as if time had frozen in this place. He found it hard to imagine that at the same moment, in Versailles, nobles were probably indulging in parties and grand feasts, surrounded by gold, silver, and crystal, all to the sound of classical music.

They had only been there for two days, and already there was nothing left to pillage. All the pigs and poultry had been cooked to feed the king's armies. By the way, he still didn't know which king he was serving. He had considered asking his new friends but, to avoid a situation like when he asked Jules what year it was, he decided to keep quiet and wait for the information to reveal itself.

This strategy had served him well in his original time, and it worked nine times out of ten. Usually, it was to find out someone's name. He had never had a good memory, and names were his weak point. The longer he waited, the more awkward it became to ask someone to repeat their name. So, he would wait for someone else to say it.

A simple and effective strategy, used by boys and adults alike. Naturally, he hoped the same would happen here and now, though he wasn't in a hurry. It wasn't like he risked running into the king and having to talk to him.

In the meantime, between forays into the surrounding areas to bring back some food to the camp, Adam learned a few interesting things about the context of this war.

It had been going on for a year already, and there had been some major battles. It followed a war over a succession in Austria, a war in which all the officers of this army and Charles' father had participated. The latter had served for many years in the service of the King of France under the Duke of Broglie (pronounced "Breuille"), the father of the current duke who was, in fact, in this glorious army.

Austria was then allied with Great Britain, France's eternal enemy. France, on the other hand, was allied with Prussia. It should have been the same in this conflict, which began on European soil with Prussia's attack on Saxony, but because Great Britain sided with Prussia, the King of France had no choice but to join the Austrians.

This situation might have seemed comical to Adam if he hadn't found himself caught up in it.

The rest of the information he managed to gather were only rumors for now: the British, true to their sad reputation, supposedly triggered hostilities long before the war began by attacking French fishermen. Naturally, it wasn't to steal their fish, but to deprive His Majesty of experienced sailors he could have placed on his mighty warships. But that wasn't the worst of it! In America, they allegedly assassinated a French diplomat, a noble!

The news of a new war had surprised no one, especially since they lived in an era where periods of peace were used to rebuild strength for the next war.

Adam was beginning to vaguely understand that the leaders of this time were like gamblers addicted to betting, thinking that this time they would win and recover all their losses.

He had the impression, and it was quite reassuring, that the beginning of this war was in their favor since they had won some notable victories. Minorca, a strategic island in the Mediterranean Sea that could serve as a base for the British navy to attack French ships and ports, had fallen; and at Kolín, their Austrian allies had reportedly won a great victory, killing and wounding half of the Prussian troops. The enemy general, the brother of the King of Prussia, had been forced to flee with his tail between his legs like a frightened dog, which had forced the king to abandon Bohemia.

"Hey, guys... I mean, friends, do you think we'll be staying here much longer?"

Adam was making great efforts to fit into this strange era. This involved adjusting his language. Sometimes he felt like he was acting in a movie or a play where everything was exaggerated. What surprised him the most, even though he sometimes made mistakes, was that there were moments when he found himself speaking just like them.

"Who knows? They must have a lot to discuss."

"I hope we leave soon. There's nothing left to eat here."

Adam looked toward the camp where they were starting to prepare the pots for the meal.

"François?"

"Yes?" Adam instinctively responded.

"What time is it?"

"Huh?"

"What time is it?" Louis repeated, who had been cleaning his rifle for a few minutes.

"I don't know," Adam said nonchalantly, also cleaning his weapon.

"Well? Don't you have your watch?"

"My watch?"

Suddenly, two images overlapped. One was an old pocket watch with a worn gold dial, partially covered in moss and dirt. The other was the same watch, but shiny and perfectly maintained.

The watch!

"My watch!"

Adam froze as he realized what he had just said.

Was that me who... No, it was François! Was it him who spoke?!

"Is something wrong?" all his friends asked in unison, concern in their voices.

"The watch! Where is it?!"

Panic-stricken, Adam rummaged through his belongings, hoping to find it, but a part of him knew it wouldn't be there. He had searched countless times through his things and couldn't remember retrieving a watch when he left the military hospital.

"You lost your watch?" Jules asked gently, aware of what it meant to his friend.

"Oh, no..."

Adam buried his head in his hands, as devastated as the day he had killed someone for the first time (and the only time, as he hadn't fought anyone since).

The watch! It's the watch I found before I traveled back in time!

It was the only clue he had to potentially return to his time.

I must have... François must have lost it when he fell!

"I have to go back to Hameln!"

Seeing their friend rise so abruptly, Jules and the others jumped to their feet and surrounded Adam to prevent him from doing something reckless.

"Calm down, François! Calm down! You... You can't just leave like that; it would be desertion!"

The word triggered an alarm in the minds of all the soldiers because desertion was a crime tolerated in no army. It would open a dangerous door that could not be closed again. This was why, in many countries and many eras, this crime was punishable by death.

Adam's hands shook like leaves. However, he wasn't sure what was causing the trembling.

I have to go! Maybe I can find it where I fell, near that big rock! And then, maybe I can be sent back to my time!

"Listen, François, we can't just leave like this, but maybe with permission, it could be possible!"

Adam looked at Louis, tears in his eyes. Finally, he nodded gently.

Everyone breathed a small sigh of relief as they saw their friend calm down.

-----------------------------------------

Some time later, they were able to meet their officer, Monsieur de Chevert.

He was a slightly corpulent man with a round, kindly face, dressed very richly as befitted a man of his rank. In his early fifties, he had begun his military career as a simple soldier at the age of eleven. One by one, he had climbed the ranks to reach his current position.

Like Colonel de Bréhant, Lieutenant General de Chevert was highly regarded and respected by his men. If there was one man who could grant Adam/François permission to temporarily leave the army, it was him!

"Forgive us, Lieutenant General, but our friend needs special permission to temporarily leave the camp."

"Oh? And what is the reason?" asked the man, fixing his gaze on Adam, who felt intimidated by the officer's imposing presence.

"Sir, during the Battle of Hastenbeck, I was seriously injured and brought unconscious to the field hospital. But during my injury, I fell and lost a valuable object—a watch."

"A watch? You wish for special permission for a watch?"

Seeing the officer's face harden, Jules thought it best to intervene.

"Sir, it's not just any watch. It's an object to which our friend is deeply attached. It was passed down to him by his grandfather, who himself received it for his baptism from his father. It is very precious."

Adam looked at his friend in surprise, unaware of this story. A strange feeling began to grow within him.

Was there something like that? Ah, that vaguely rings a bell. Yes! It's true! He was very close to his grandfather! He was the one who told him all those incredible stories! François was very sad when he died.

"Even if it is a precious object for your friend, our army cannot afford to grant permissions so easily. Imagine if every soldier did the same as your friend? No, I'm sorry. Moreover, we are now far from Hameln. How long would it take him to get there, find it—assuming he does—and return?"

"Please, sir," Adam pleaded, bowing deeply. "I beg you!"

Adam had never felt so desperate. He didn't know what he would do if this man refused to grant him permission.

"I'm sorry, but you will have to be patient. Perhaps we will return to the area once we have caught up with and defeated the forces of the Duke of Cumberland. In the meantime, I order you to stay in the camp and continue your duties. We should be leaving Oldendorff soon, as soon as Marshal Duke de Richelieu and Marshal d'Estrées finish settling their matters."

With the discussion over, the group could only step back. He was one of the most important men in this army. If he refused this request, they would need at least the commander-in-chief's approval.

But the chances were slim, assuming they could even speak to him about such a trivial matter, which would be poorly viewed by the lieutenant general. It would be like saying, "I don't care about your opinion or authority."

"I'm sorry, François. We tried everything. As Monsieur de Chevert said, we'll have to be patient. With luck, you'll find it exactly where it fell."

"It... It's okay. Thank you, Jules. Thank you, friends."

Everyone could see how miserable their friend was. However, they were as powerless as he was. They returned to the outer part of the camp and sat down to eat. Their small bowls were filled with a porridge of grains with tiny bits of meat added in.

It wasn't very nourishing, but it was enough to give each man the energy to carry out his duties. They exchanged almost no words throughout the meal and soon returned to their tasks.

When night fell and the camp was gradually plunged into darkness, except for a few fires lit at regular intervals and the glow of lanterns held by the guards, Adam gave up on the idea of going to Hameln alone. He was far too afraid of being caught, not wanting to face a firing squad.

He contented himself with staying in the tent he shared with three other soldiers from his company and spent long hours regretting not searching the forest surrounding the site where the French and Hanoverian armies had clashed during his stay in Hameln.

Finally, after many attempts, he fell asleep and dreamed that he was killed in a massive battle, struck in the chest by a cannonball.