According to Lannes, Napoleon's birthday had not gone smoothly.
On August 2, the Senate of the Directory passed a bill granting Napoleon lifelong consulship. They believed this would bring stability and peace to France.
Bonaparte made no statement on the matter.
Then, on his birthday, when he nodded to acknowledge the guests, only Joseph and Lucien responded. At the same time, a note was posted at the entrance to the Tuileries Palace:
The people's silence is a lesson for kings.
Although the note was quickly torn down, it appeared again at several crossroads the next day. A street speaker told the people, "Even if our nation is a fusion of Franks and Gauls, our veins still carry blood that accepts neither unrestrained liberty nor the oppression of tyranny!"
He ran off before the police arrived, and many of the onlooking citizens voluntarily blocked the police for him.
Women prayed for the people of Saint-Domingue at the entrances of churches everywhere, whether they were slaves or soldiers involved in the suppression.
As Georgiana stroked the Welsh Dragon's enormous head, she thought in some surprise that Napoleon Bonaparte had not immediately assumed the position of lifelong consul. This was truly big news.
Lannes was deeply worried, but Georgiana felt there was no need. Bonaparte would become emperor sooner or later; it was part of history. Besides, as long as there was other news, people would soon forget about Saint-Domingue.
The only thing troubling her now was how to erase the memories of the people of France and make the railway vanish from their minds.
For now, the wizards from France still regarded her as an outsider. They obeyed some of her orders, yet guarded against her in secret. The longer this dragged on, the more memories would need to be erased, and