Fox of France

Amon told Joseph that his "Spartacus" was going to be staged in Paris recently.

"Why, is your battle song ready?" Joseph asked.

"No." Amon shook his head, "There is still no satisfactory song. However, everyone feels that now is the best time to stage this script. It would be a pity to miss this period. So , I will use Edgar's for the time being."

Edgar was a young "composer" in Armand's circle. Like later generations, poor young people in Paris in this era call themselves "composers" not necessarily less than later generations call themselves "original musicians". Edgar is such an "original musician". A few of his songs were circulated in the little bars of the Saint-Antoine district, but writing a battle song for "Spartacus" was still somewhat beyond the young man's ability.

"Is this period the best period?" Joseph said, "From the perspective of causing a sensation, it is indeed so. But at this time, staging this work may bring you danger. Maybe..."

Having said that, Joseph stretched out his finger, pointed to it and said, "Maybe, they will throw you into the Bastille because of this."

"What are you afraid of? Then I will really be included in history." Amon replied indifferently, "At worst, I will go in and squat for a few years. It is really worth it to exchange such a price for the opportunity to be included in history." Already!"

Since Amon has such an attitude, and Joseph also knows that even if Amon is really thrown into the Bastille, he will not stay there for long. As soon as the French Revolution began, the Bastille was captured. The prisoners who were detained in the Bastille were naturally released. Even, if Amon wants to enter politics in the future, having been in the Bastille is also a rare qualification.

"Since you said that, then I won't persuade you." Joseph patted Amon's shoulder and said, "Anyway, be careful yourself. Well, when will you rehearse? I'll go and have a look?"

"The day after tomorrow, at the Peterson Theater. It starts at eight o'clock in the morning." Amon replied.

The Petersen Theater is between the Saint-Antoine district and the town hall, not far from the Bastille. The St. Antoine district is where the poor live, and the theaters close to it are naturally incomparable with the theaters in the rich districts to the west. But Amon's play is more suitable for performing in such a place.

"Well, then I will be there." Joseph replied.

Two days later, Joseph took Lucien to watch the rehearsal of "Spartacus". The rehearsal went well, including Edgar's battle song, but Amon kept frowning and looking distraught.

"What's the matter, Amon?" Joseph said, "Didn't it go well? The performance of the actors is also very good."

"That's right, hell!" Amon said, "If it weren't for the idea you came up with before, I would be very satisfied now. But as long as Edgar's song is there, I always feel... I feel... It's like going to a big meal, only to find that all the food has no salt. It's just... blame you, Joseph, hell, if it weren't for you, I would be as happy as those guys at this time... No, I'd be happier than them. Damn! Damn!"

Amon stomped his feet, said several damn things in one breath, and then said to Joseph with a bitter face; "Joseph, help me..."

"What can I do?" Joseph asked with his eyes widened.

In all fairness, Edgar's song is not bad, the melody is high-spirited and beautiful, but, just like Amon complained before: "It's too light, what I need is a roaring Urban Cannon, he only gave me a trumpet."

Amang froze for a moment, then smiled wryly: "Yes, if there is a way, in this long time, there should be a way."

Then he turned his head and said jokingly to Lucien on the side: "Lucien, you are also learning music. It would be great if you could write a good song."

But I didn't expect Lucien to actually respond: "Okay, after seeing today's rehearsal, I'm going to try it too."

This answer was a bit beyond Amon's expectations. He froze for a moment, then smiled and said, "Then you have to hurry up, you know, this drama will be staged in half a month."

What Amon didn't expect was that four days later, Joseph suddenly took Lucien to find him.

"Amon, look at this." Joseph directly handed a piece of paper to Amon.

Amon took the paper, lowered his head, and read it. Then he began humming the melody on the paper with his nose, and finally he raised his head suddenly and grabbed Joseph's sleeve: "Joseph, this, this is excellent! Where did this come from?"

"The tune was written by Lucien." Joseph said, and at the same time glanced at Lucien, "I wrote the lyrics. Amon, what do you think?"

"How? This is great! It's as good as in my dream. No, it should be said that even in my dream, I have never heard such a song, otherwise, I must remember it." Amon was so happy that he couldn't bear to dance directly.

"Amon, do you think this song can be used?" Joseph asked.

"Of course, of course I can. There is nothing better than this." Amang replied happily.

"But Amon, if you want to use this song, I have a request." Joseph said.

"Say it, my friend. If you let me run naked in the street now, or give you my chaste ass, I will promise you!" Amon replied with a haha ​​smile.

"Stop talking nonsense, you're spoiling the kids!" Joseph said.

"Well, my friend, tell me what you want."

"Before I get my consent, don't tell anyone else that I am the author of this song and Lucien is the composer." Joseph said.

Amon can understand Joseph's request. He didn't care about being taken to the Bastille, but that didn't mean Joseph didn't care either. He was arrested and sent to the Bastille. It was only his own business, but Joseph still had two underage brothers. If he went to the Bastille, what would happen to his younger brothers? Besides, he also knew, at least he thought so, that Joseph's life goal was mainly in science, and he didn't want other things to interfere with his research too much. As for Lucien, he was very talented, but after all, he was still a child under the age of fifteen at this time, so the possibility of going to the Bastille naturally couldn't involve him.

"No problem. I assure you with my personality, if I don't get your consent, I won't say anything even in the final judgment." Amon said very seriously.

"My friend, there is no need to be so serious." Joseph smiled, "I just want to avoid unnecessary trouble."

"I know." Amon said, "I'm not afraid of going to the Bastille, but I don't want to see any of my friends there."

Amon didn't immediately take this song to the troupe for rehearsal, because if he did, even if he didn't say who the author was, people might have a new song right away based on the fact that he had just met Joseph and Lucien. So guess the possible author of this song. To say that Amon is actually a careful person.

It was not until two days later that Amon took out the song and asked the troupe to try it out. The effect this time was said to be very good, but Amon was still not satisfied. It is said that he feels that some of the lines now do not seem to be called this song, and many places still need to be revised. The actors also put forward a lot of opinions on the stage and performance. So Amon got busy again.

Another week later, Armand came again to invite Joseph and Lucien to visit the rehearsal of his play. But this time, Joseph had something to go on a business trip, so only Lucien and Amon went to watch the rehearsal together. A few days later, when Joseph returned to Paris, Amon's rehearsal was basically completed. At least, according to Lucien, this play "is no worse than those of Molière."

But Amon still seemed dissatisfied. Now he stayed in the theater all day long, hesitating over and over again for some insignificant things, and his cheekbones were raised a lot. Joseph knew that this guy had got into a dead end, and there was something wrong with his mentality. If he is allowed to continue like this, if he does not do well, he becomes seriously ill after a successful performance, or even "is called by the Lord", ah, no, considering the implicit satire on Christianity in his works, he How can one be “called by the Lord”? It must be "encountering the scourge of heaven" and being dragged to hell by the devil.

However, Joseph didn't want to see Amon collapsed on the stage of the curtain call after the successful premiere—although this seemed very aesthetic, it was not the time for Amon to collapse.

Joseph knew that the so-called "problems" that plagued Amon today were not really big problems, and no matter what decision he made, it would not make much difference. It's just that he got himself into a dead end, so that he couldn't make a choice.

"Amon, have you ever heard of such a story? There was a man who put two identical piles of hay on the left and right sides of a donkey at the same distance. Then guess what happened to the donkey?" Joseph asked Looking at Amon's shoulder and said.

"I know, the donkey ended up standing in the middle and starved to death. Joseph, you're a bad fellow for comparing me to that ass! But are you sure the hay is the same on both sides?"

"Donkey! If it wasn't exactly the same, would you hesitate for so long?"

"Of course not exactly the same, there are some differences between them. It's just that I don't know which one is better."

"That's it, that's simple." Joseph said as he took out a silver coin with an irregular shape (the ancient Roman silver coin was struck silver, and generally speaking, its shape was not perfectly round), and said, "Use this Judge. You see. On this side is Bacchus, and on this side is a bunch of grapes. You know, my friend, that tragic art comes from the sacrifice of this god. Let him help us to judge. Go ahead. You toss the silver coin up. If the head is facing up, the god Bacchus also approves of this approach. If the grapes are facing up, then He is denying this approach. What do you think?"

Bacchus is the Roman name of Dionysus, the god of wine in Greek mythology. His priesthood does not include art, but considering that the art of tragedy in ancient Greece originated from the sacrificial activities to him. It is still very appropriate for Joseph to ask him to make a judgment.

"A Roman dinar?" Amon took the silver coin in Joseph's hand and looked at it carefully, "It should be something from the Republic period, maybe Crassus (one of the former three giants of ancient Rome, who was also the one who finally suppressed the coin) The Roman consul who fought the Spartacus uprising.), I have held this silver coin. It’s a pity that the condition is not very good. If it weren’t for the grapes on the back, I could hardly recognize Bacchus on the front. Avatar. Still, it's a good thing. Well, let's do as you say."