Chapter 5 - Charlemagne’s Coin

Summary

Near the end of December, Bidault's messenger service was hired to deliver about one hundred copies of an announcement. We certify that what follows is an accurate transcription of its contents:

Monsieur -------,

Messieurs Rodolphe and Marcel request that you honor them with your company next Saturday evening, which is Christmas Eve. There will be laughter!

PS We only live once!

Throughout the festivities, air ventilation will be in operation.

NB: Any person attempting to read or recite poetry will immediately be removed from the premises and handed over to the police. In addition, we request that guests refrain from taking the candle stubs.

Two days later, copies of this letter were in circulation among the lower echelons of the literary and artistic community. This led to intense speculation.

Even among those who were invited, some could be found who doubted whether the two friends could really achieve the splendors they’d announced.

“I’m very suspicious,” one of the skeptics said. “I’ve been to Rodolphe's Wednesday evening events a few times before, on Rue de La Tour-d’Auvergne, and you couldn't really sit down and relax—except morally. We drank water that was barely filtered and we drank it out of some peculiar pottery.”

“This time they’re more serious,” said another. “Marcel showed me the schedule for the party and it could be amazing.”

“Will any women be there?”

“Oh yes, Phémie Teinturière asked to be Queen of the Ball and Schaunard's going to bring some society women.”

Here, in short, is how this event originated and came to provoke so much astonishment in the bohemian world living beyond the bridges of Paris. For the past year or so, Marcel and Rodolphe had been announcing a grand gala that was always about to take place next Saturday. But their impoverished situation resulted in a continuing postponement week after week for fifty-two weeks. It got to the point that they couldn't take a step outside without coming up against the ironic remarks of their friends, some of whom were so indiscreet as to complain quite vociferously.