Chapter 8

This time it wasn’t Courfeyrac that found him, or even Joly. It was the captain himself who found the blackhaired man - and the empty bottle.

“You’re really hiding down here?” And yet the captain sat down next to Grantaire.

Grantaire giggled. “What else do I do? We can’t all lie or be pretty like you, Apollo.” His head felt comfortably fuzzy. For the first time he had entered this ship, he didn’t think about his fate.

Enjolras sighed. “Slave ships,” he said. Somehow Enjolras’ voice had a sobering effect on Grantaire. He hated it. He wanted to be drunk and not be aware of his surroundings. Just a little peace, for a short time goddammit.

“We hunt down slave ships, to make sure that they never reach their destination.”

“And we were just a mistake you can justify for yourself? Because the end justifies the means?” Grantaire wasn’t sure he wanted an answer on that. He didn’t want to hear their lives didn’t really matter that much for the goldenhaired man next to him.

Enjolras stood up again. “You’re drunk, Grantaire. We will talk later.”

Would they really?



Grantaire slept through most of the day, and woke up with a headache, feeling horrible. The words of the captain hadn’t left his brain. He was quite sure the captain never answered his question about being a mistake.

Was the man that arrogant he couldn’t even admit a mistake?

Grantaire dragged himself back to the cabin. He was definitely not going to dinner or the laughing of the crew. They were so loud. It was much better to just hide under a blanket - so that was what he did.

And when the door of the cabin opened, he kept hidden underneath the blanket like nobody could see him. “Not here,” he mumbled. The answer was laughing.

“We’re not the captain,” he heard Joly answer. We, not I. He wasn’t alone. But to figure out who he had brought, Grantaire had to peek from under the blanket. It turned out to be Courfeyrac and Jehan who had joined the cook.

“We thought you might wanted the company,” Jehan said. They sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Don’t worry, Combeferre is on duty to distract the captain,” Courfeyrac added. “It’s just us now.”

Grantaire hid his head underneath the blankets again. “I don’t want anything.” It was muffled by the blanket. The others didn’t leave. Grantaire could hear them chatting with each other. They were definitely not going to leave.

Eventually Grantaire appeared again. “Is it true we were just a mistake?” Is it true the others could have lived if you had paid more attention?

The joy seemed to leave the room immediately. Jehan, Courfeyrac and Joly exchanged unreadable looks. “Oh Grantaire…” Joly started, like he wanted to buy some time.

“What?”

“Your ship wasn’t a mistake.”