Three days after the tricolor was raised above the Casbah, Algiers did not look like a conquered city.
It looked properly governed.
French sentries stood at the gates in pairs. Patrols moved through the main streets at steady intervals. The harbor remained under naval guns, but no ships fired now. Smoke from bombardment had long faded. What remained was tension.
Inside the former Palace of the Dey, Marshal Davout established his temporary headquarters. The throne chamber had been cleared of rugs and cushions. Long wooden tables replaced them. Maps of the city were laid flat and pinned at the corners. Local clerks stood on one side. French officers on the other.
"We will begin Phase one."
Colonel Valence nodded and began issuing written orders.
By mid-morning, detachments had sealed every major government building. The treasury. The tax office. The land registry. The religious court archives. Each entrance was marked with wax seals and guarded by two armed men.
