Pauline raised both her hands, and the crowd quieted. “We have written some requests for the merchants among us. Tomorrow we will post them in all the stores.” She pulled out a paper, unfolded it, and began reading. “Number one, a pound of bread can cost no more than sixteen sous.” The crowd stood in shouting support. “Number two, the constitution must be written and our rights as women protected.” More shouts and dancing amongst themselves expressed their great delight. Pauline’s voice rose to be heard. “Number three, no one will hoard or otherwise store food. All will be purchased and the excess shared by all.” She held her hands up to forestall further crowd response. “And this, my sisters in arms, this I saved for last. Robespierre has heard us. He has listened to our arguments, and a law was made demanding that every citizen must wear the tricolor cockade.” The women jumped in their places, gesturing wildly about.

Claire leaned closer to Scarlet. “A good victory, that.”

Scarlet nodded. “I can tell. It’s all so exciting! I must sew a cockade into my clothing at once.”

The soldiers wore an armband with the red, white, and blue cockade, and she remembered her own men fooling LaFevre only weeks ago.

Then all at once, the crowd stood and the women pushed themselves forward toward the alley leading back to the main street where most of the shops were located. “Tell them now, Pauline! Let them put on their cockades while we watch.”

Scarlet and Claire jumped to their feet. Pauline hurried past them, shouting, “To the baker first. Our food will not be polluted with filthy traitors.”

“Prove your loyalty! Show it on your arm,” a woman screeched near Scarlet’s ear.

Pushed along with the frenzied crowd, packed in amongst arms and ratty hair and filthy bodies as they entered the alleyway, Scarlet schooled her features and even shouted out with the rest of them, “Prove your loyalty.”

Claire turned to her and winked, people jostling by them. “Isn’t it wonderful?”

As they approached the shops, a group of owners, already gathered, pressed closer together. As loud as the Republic of Women were, Scarlet guessed that all the nearby streets had become aware that something was afoot. The merchants’ faces, unwelcoming, held up hands, asking the crowd to stop. The man in front said, “There is nothing for you here. Go back to your homes.”

The women laughed, and one called out to him, “Not until you prove your loyalty.”

Another shouted, “Give him an armband, Pauline.”