JК
Sharpes Devil :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 90 из 209The British might possess the greatest navy and the strongest economy in the world, yet they were terrified of the small fat man cooped up in Saint Helena's Longwood,and maybe they were terrified enough to allow Bautista to tie two British subjects to wooden stakes and blow their souls into eternity at the mouths of loaded cannons. Sharpe, suddenly feeling very abandoned, also felt frightened.
Bautista sensed the fear and smiled. He had won now. He turned again to Blair. "Either Mister Sharpe was carrying a message from Napoleon, which makes him an enemy of his own country, or else this is a message from the British merchants who are my country's enemies, but either way, Mister Sharpe's possession of the message calls for punishment. Might I assume, Blair, that your government would not approve if I were to execute Mister Sharpe?"
Blair beamed as though Bautista had made a fine jest. "My government would be displeased, Your Excellency."
"But you do accept that Mister Sharpe deserves punishment?"
"Alas, Your Excellency, it appears so." Blair nodded obsequiously at the Captain-General, then snatched a sideways glance at Sharpe who wondered just how much of Dona Louisa's money the Consul was taking as a bribe.
Bautista strolled back to the table where he picked up Sharpe's heavy sword. "This was carried at Waterloo?" Sharpe said nothing, but Bautista did not need an answer. "I shall keep it as a trophy! Perhaps I shall have a plaque made for it. Taken from an English soldier who at last met his match'!"
"Fight for it now, you bastard," Sharpe called.
"I don't fight against lice, I just smoke them out." Bautista dropped the sword onto the table, then adopted a portentous tone of voice. "I declare your possessions are forfeited to the Spanish crown, and that the two of you are unwelcome in Chile. You are therefore expelled from these territories, and will embark on the next ship to leave this harbor." Bautista had already prepared the expulsion papers which now, with a theatrical flourish, he offered to Captain Ardiles of the Espiritu Santo. "That would be your frigate, Captain. You have no objections to carrying the prisoners home?"
"None," Ardiles, ready for the request, said flatly.
"Put them to work. No comforts! Sign them on to your crew and make them sweat."
"Indeed, Your Excellency." Ardiles took the papers and pushed them into the tail pocket of his uniform.
Bautista came close to Sharpe. "I would have preferred to put you to work in the mines, Englishman, so think yourself lucky."
"Frightened of the Royal Navy?" Sharpe taunted him.
"Be careful, Englishman," Bautista said softly.
"You're a thief," Sharpe said just as quietly.
Bautista sensed the fear and smiled. He had won now. He turned again to Blair. "Either Mister Sharpe was carrying a message from Napoleon, which makes him an enemy of his own country, or else this is a message from the British merchants who are my country's enemies, but either way, Mister Sharpe's possession of the message calls for punishment. Might I assume, Blair, that your government would not approve if I were to execute Mister Sharpe?"
Blair beamed as though Bautista had made a fine jest. "My government would be displeased, Your Excellency."
"But you do accept that Mister Sharpe deserves punishment?"
"Alas, Your Excellency, it appears so." Blair nodded obsequiously at the Captain-General, then snatched a sideways glance at Sharpe who wondered just how much of Dona Louisa's money the Consul was taking as a bribe.
Bautista strolled back to the table where he picked up Sharpe's heavy sword. "This was carried at Waterloo?" Sharpe said nothing, but Bautista did not need an answer. "I shall keep it as a trophy! Perhaps I shall have a plaque made for it. Taken from an English soldier who at last met his match'!"
"Fight for it now, you bastard," Sharpe called.
"I don't fight against lice, I just smoke them out." Bautista dropped the sword onto the table, then adopted a portentous tone of voice. "I declare your possessions are forfeited to the Spanish crown, and that the two of you are unwelcome in Chile. You are therefore expelled from these territories, and will embark on the next ship to leave this harbor." Bautista had already prepared the expulsion papers which now, with a theatrical flourish, he offered to Captain Ardiles of the Espiritu Santo. "That would be your frigate, Captain. You have no objections to carrying the prisoners home?"
"None," Ardiles, ready for the request, said flatly.
"Put them to work. No comforts! Sign them on to your crew and make them sweat."
"Indeed, Your Excellency." Ardiles took the papers and pushed them into the tail pocket of his uniform.
Bautista came close to Sharpe. "I would have preferred to put you to work in the mines, Englishman, so think yourself lucky."
"Frightened of the Royal Navy?" Sharpe taunted him.
"Be careful, Englishman," Bautista said softly.
"You're a thief," Sharpe said just as quietly.