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Sharpes Devil :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 114 из 209Fort Ingles, Fort San Carlos, Fort Amargos, Corral Castle, Fort Chorocomayo, Fort Niebla, the Manzanera Island batteries and the quay guns," Cochrane rattled off the list of fortifications withan irritating insouciance, as though such defenses were flimsy obstacles that were bound to fall before his reputation. "Say two thousand defenders in all? Maybe more."
"Then why, for God's sake?" Sharpe gestured at the exhausted men who stared dull-eyed at the threatening seas that roared up astern of the damaged frigate, hissed down her flanks, then rushed ahead in great gouts of wind-blown chaos.
"I have to attack Valdivia, Sharpe, because my lords and masters of the independent Chilean government, whom God preserve, have ordered me to attack Valdivia," Cochrane suddenly sounded glum, but offered Sharpe a rueful grin. "I know that doesn't make sense, at least not till you understand that the government owes me a pile of money that they desperately don't want to pay me."
"That still doesn't make sense," Sharpe said.
"Ah," Cochrane frowned. "Try it this way. The government promised me hard cash for every Spanish ship I captured, and I've taken sixteen so far, and the buggers don't want to honor the contract! They don't even want to pay my crews their ordinary wages, let alone the prize money. So instead of paying up they've ordered me to attack Valdivia. Now do you understand?"
"They want you to be killed?" Sharpe could only suppose that with Cochrane's death the debt due to him would be canceled.
"They probably wouldn't overmuch object to my death," Cochrane confessed, "except that it might encourage the damned Spaniards, so I suspect that the reasoning behind their order is slightly more subtle. They don't want to pay me, so they have issued me an impossible order. Now, if I refuse to obey the order they'll send me packing for disobedience, and refuse to give me my cash as a punishment for that disobedience, but if, on the other hand, I dutifully attack and fail, they'll accuse me of incompetence and punish me by confiscating the money they owe me. Either way they win and I am royally buggered. Unless, of course," Cochrane paused, and an impudent, wonderful grin crossed his face.
"Unless you win," Sharpe continued the thought.
"Oh, aye, that's the joy of it!" Cochrane slapped the rail of the quarterdeck. "My God, Sharpe, but that would be something! To win!" He paused, frowning. "Why was there no gold on this boat?"
"Because its presence was merely a rumor to lure you into making an attack."
"It damn well worked, too!" Cochrane barked with laughter.
"Then why, for God's sake?" Sharpe gestured at the exhausted men who stared dull-eyed at the threatening seas that roared up astern of the damaged frigate, hissed down her flanks, then rushed ahead in great gouts of wind-blown chaos.
"I have to attack Valdivia, Sharpe, because my lords and masters of the independent Chilean government, whom God preserve, have ordered me to attack Valdivia," Cochrane suddenly sounded glum, but offered Sharpe a rueful grin. "I know that doesn't make sense, at least not till you understand that the government owes me a pile of money that they desperately don't want to pay me."
"That still doesn't make sense," Sharpe said.
"Ah," Cochrane frowned. "Try it this way. The government promised me hard cash for every Spanish ship I captured, and I've taken sixteen so far, and the buggers don't want to honor the contract! They don't even want to pay my crews their ordinary wages, let alone the prize money. So instead of paying up they've ordered me to attack Valdivia. Now do you understand?"
"They want you to be killed?" Sharpe could only suppose that with Cochrane's death the debt due to him would be canceled.
"They probably wouldn't overmuch object to my death," Cochrane confessed, "except that it might encourage the damned Spaniards, so I suspect that the reasoning behind their order is slightly more subtle. They don't want to pay me, so they have issued me an impossible order. Now, if I refuse to obey the order they'll send me packing for disobedience, and refuse to give me my cash as a punishment for that disobedience, but if, on the other hand, I dutifully attack and fail, they'll accuse me of incompetence and punish me by confiscating the money they owe me. Either way they win and I am royally buggered. Unless, of course," Cochrane paused, and an impudent, wonderful grin crossed his face.
"Unless you win," Sharpe continued the thought.
"Oh, aye, that's the joy of it!" Cochrane slapped the rail of the quarterdeck. "My God, Sharpe, but that would be something! To win!" He paused, frowning. "Why was there no gold on this boat?"
"Because its presence was merely a rumor to lure you into making an attack."
"It damn well worked, too!" Cochrane barked with laughter.