"That thought has crossed my mind this morning," Louis said before he fired again. Again the smoke cleared to show the chicken unharmed and unruffled. Louis looked at the bird, looked at the end of the gun, then back at the bird. "That damn chicken is too dumb to know it is dead."

"This might be more difficult than I thought," Ramsay said. "Let's try it again."

"Even if I prevail tomorrow I wonder if I haven't burned all the bridges that might lead me to Versailles. I was a bit much last night."

"You certainly were. But you said things many people have wanted to say for a long while. If you do win tomorrow I'd bet that you'll be forgiven and accepted back. You should kill him and make it clean."

"Do I have to do that? I've never killed anyone before."

Ramsay looked up at him. "Never? In all these trips?"

"No never," Louis said, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know if I like the idea of starting now."

"Well it's a little late to be getting cold feet don't you think?" she said, handing over the pistol again.

"No that's not what I mean. Can't I just wound him so that he couldn't work?"

"For god's sake man, you can't even rattle a motionless chicken at 15 paces and you're talking about wounding a man on purpose. That takes skill."

"Oh yeah, watch this," he said, aiming and firing. The smoke cleared and again the chicken stood there mocking him. "Damn!"

"Do it again," Ramsay said with a sigh.

They were still practicing when Serge returned from Joubert's. Louis' marksmanship had not improved.

"What happened?" Louis shouted to Serge, who was running up to them.

"It's set, tomorrow morning an hour after sunrise in the royal cherry orchard."

"That's perfect!" Ramsay exclaimed.

"Why is that?" Louis asked.

"Because I have a plan that might just save your hide," she said recocking the pistol. "But first I want something to eat." She aimed the gun barrel at the white bird.

"I think the sights are off. That's why I'm having such a hard time," Louis said.

"Hmm. If you shoot a pheasant or a chicken in the head, it leaves both breasts undisturbed," she said as she squeezed the trigger. "Got 'em!" she cried before the smoke cleared.

"Tell me about this idea of yours," said Louis, looking through the smoke. The headless chicken flapped wildly as it tried over and over to get to its feet.

"Bring him in," Ramsay said walking to the house. "We'll talk over lunch."

"Here's what I've been thinking. You don't want to kill him because of your conscience," she said sarcastically. "But if you wound him, say in the arm or the shoulder, he would be unable to work and would have to forfeit the concession at Versailles right?"

Louis nodded as he chewed.

"How much is this project worth?"