Sharpes Devil   ::   Корнуэлл Бернард

"Afraid to send theirown men to fight wars," Bautista sneered, "the British pay others to do their fighting. How else did they beat Napoleon?"

He let the question hang. The audience smiled. Sharpe waited.

Bautista came close to Sharpe. "Why are you in Chile, Mister Sharpe?"

"I told you, to collect General Vivar's body."

"Nonsense! Nonsense! Why would the Countess of Mouro-morto send a lackey to collect her husband's body? All she needed to do was ask the army headquarters in Madrid! They would have been happy to arrange an exhumation—"

"Dona Louisa did not know her husband was dead," Sharpe said, though it sounded horribly lame even as he said it.

"What kind of fool do you take me for?" Bautista stepped even closer to Sharpe, the riding crop twitching in his hand. His aides, not daring to move, stood frozen behind the table, while the audience watched wide-eyed. "I know why you came here," Bautista said softly.

"Tell me."

"To communicate with the rebels, of course. Who else was the money for? All the world knows that the English want to see Spain defeated here."

Sharpe sighed. "Why would I bring money to the rebels in a Royal ship?"

"Why indeed? So no one would suspect your intentions?" Bautista was enjoying tearing Sharpe's protests to shreds. "Who sent you, Sharpe? Your English merchant friends who think they can make more profit out of Chile if it's ruled by a rebel government?"

"The Countess of Mouromorto sent me," Sharpe insisted.

"She's English, is she not?" Bautista responded swiftly. "Do you find it noble to fight for trade, Sharpe? For cargoes of hide and for barrels of tallow? For the profits of men like Mister Blair?" He threw a scornful hand toward the Consul who, seemingly pleased at being noticed, bobbed his head in acknowledgment.

"I fought alongside Don Bias," Sharpe said, "and I fight for the same things he wanted."

"Oh, do tell me! Please!" Bautista urged in a caustic voice.

"He hated corruption," Sharpe said.

"Don't we all?" Bautista said with wonderfully feigned innocence.

"Don Bias believed men could live in freedom under fair government." It was an inadequate statement of Vivar's creed, but the best Sharpe could manage.

"You mean Vivar fought for liberty!" Bautista was delighted with Sharpe's answer. "Any fool can claim liberty as his cause. Look!" Bautista pointed at the hugely flagged American brigan-tine in the outer harbor. "The Captain of that ship is waiting for whalers to rendezvous with him so he can take home their sperm oil and whalebone.