Napoleon gave the deputy who had interrupted him a withering stare, then resumed. ‘Every man in this room, from the president of the chamber down to the most junior of my grenadiers there, speaks for France, and desires only that she might vanquish her enemies and improve the lot of her people. For that to happen there must be change. That was accepted yesterday by the Directors and the members of the senate.All that remains is for this chamber to complete the process by voting for the provisional government.’ He thrust a hand out and pointed at the audience accusingly. ‘If you fail to do that, and do it immediately, then you fail your people and you fail France herself !’

The deputy was on his feet again, and took several steps towards the platform as he shouted, ‘How dare you address the house in such a fashion!’

More cries of protest echoed round the chamber and several of the Jacobins stood and waved their fists in the air. Napoleon regarded them with a cold expression and folded his arms while he waited for them to fall silent again as Lucien hammered away. But the clamour just grew and now most of the deputies were on their feet and pressing forward towards the platform. The sergeant in charge of the grenadiers glanced round at Napoleon, waiting for instructions. For the first time Napoleon felt a prickle of anxiety at the base of his spine and he nodded to the sergeant and indicated the front of the platform. The sergeant barked an order to his men and they thrust their way through the crowd until they formed a cordon between Napoleon and the deputies. Lucien gave up his attempt to restore order and hurried over to his brother.

‘We have to get out of here. Now.’

‘I’m not afraid of these fools.’

Lucien grabbed his arm and hissed, ‘It’s you who are the fool! Because of you we risk losing everything! Now let’s go before they tear us to pieces.’

Napoleon glanced back at the deputies and saw that a number of them had drawn knives and were brandishing them overhead, their faces contorted with anger. Their cries of rage and protest filled the hall and assaulted him from every side. He turned to Lucien and nodded. ‘Let’s go.’

It took an effort to walk calmly to the edge of the platform and descend to the floor. The grenadiers used their muskets to push the crowd back and create a small cordon round the two brothers, and then they forced their way back towards the door. Napoleon stared straight ahead and did not look at the angry faces shouting at him from only a few feet away. He felt something strike his cheek and realised that someone had spat on him. Abruptly he stopped, but Lucien took his arm and forced him on, towards the door. ‘Keep going!’