Chapter 24

           THATPOLE,thepointofthekingdommostdistantfromhumankind,waslocatedintheMassifCentraloftheAuvergne,aboutfivedays’journeysouthofClermont,onthepeakofasix-thousand-foot-highvolcanonamedPlombduCantal.Themountainconsistedofagiantconeofblue-grayrockandwassurroundedbyanendless,barrenhighlandstuddedwithafewtreescharredbyfireandovergrownwithgraymossandgraybrush,outofwhichhereandtherebrownbouldersjutteduplikerottenteeth.Evenbylightofday,theregionwassodismalanddrearythatthepoorestshepherdinthispoverty-strickenprovincewouldnothavedrivenhisanimalshere.Andbynight,bythebleachinglightofthemoon,itwassuchagodforsakenwildernessthatitseemednotofthisworld.EvenLebrun,thebanditoftheAuvergne,thoughpursuedfromallsides,hadpreferredtofighthiswaythroughtotheCevennesandtherebecaptured,drawn,andquarteredratherthantohideoutonthePlombduCantal,wherecertainlynoonewouldhavesoughtorfoundhim,butwherelikewisehewouldcertainlyhavediedasolitary,livingdeaththathadseemedtohimworsestill.Formilesaroundthemountain,therelivednotonehumanbeing,norevenarespectablemammal-atbestafewbatsandacoupleofbeetlesandadders.Noonehadscaledthepeakfordecades.GrenouillereachedthemountainoneAugustnightintheyear1756.Asdawnbroke,hewasstandingonthepeak.Hedidnotyetknowthathisjourneywasatanend.

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