JК
Sharpes Eagle :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 102 из 203Your signature?”
“For what?”
The Lieutenant pretended to be surprised. He looked at the piece of paper he had been holding out to Sharpe. “3rd Battalion of Detachments? Right?” Sharpe nodded. “Your rations, sir.” He held the list out again. “Will you sign, sir?”
“Wait.” Sharpe looked down the list. “Seven hundred and fifty pounds of beef? That’s generous, isn’t it?”
The Lieutenant put on his professional smile. “I’m afraid that’s not just for today, sir. That’s the next three days’ ration altogether.”
“What! Three days? That’s half bloody rations!”
The Lieutenant spread his hands. “I know, sir, I know, but it really is the best we can do. Will you sign?”
Sharpe took his hat and weapons from the table. “Where are they?”
The Lieutenant sighed. “I’m sure you don’t want to… „
“Where are they?” Sharpe’s voice boomed in the small room. The Lieutenant smiled, opened the door, and beckoned Sharpe into the courtyard, where the Lieutenant’s working party was standing by a string of pack mules. The Lieutenant pulled the cover off a keg of freshly killed beef. “Sir?”
Sharpe picked up the top piece and dangled it in front of the plump Commissary officer. “Put laces in it and you could march on it.” The Lieutenant smiled; he had heard it all before. Sharpe took another piece of gristle from the keg. “It’s uneatable! How many kegs?”
The Lieutenant waved at the mules. “All this, sir.”
Sharpe looked out of the courtyard into the bright street. Another mule stood patiently in the late afternoon sunlight. “What’s that?”
“A mule, sir.” The Lieutenant smiled brightly. He saw Sharpe’s face. “Sorry, sir. My little joke.” He became serious. “That’s the supplies for the castle, sir. Sir Arthur’s. You understand.”
“I do?” Sharpe walked under the arch towards the mule, the Lieutenant alongside, and waved the muleteer away. “I happened to see the supplies delivered to the castle this morning, Lieutenant, and nothing was missing.”
The Lieutenant smiled helplessly. Sharpe was lying, they both knew that, but then so was the Lieutenant, and they both knew that, too. Sharpe pulled the cover off the nearest keg. “Now that, Lieutenant, is beef. I’ll have both these kegs instead of two of the others.”
“But, sir! This is for… „
“Your dinner, Lieutenant? And you and your fellow officers will sell the rest. Right? I’ll take it.”
The Lieutenant recovered the keg.
“For what?”
The Lieutenant pretended to be surprised. He looked at the piece of paper he had been holding out to Sharpe. “3rd Battalion of Detachments? Right?” Sharpe nodded. “Your rations, sir.” He held the list out again. “Will you sign, sir?”
“Wait.” Sharpe looked down the list. “Seven hundred and fifty pounds of beef? That’s generous, isn’t it?”
The Lieutenant put on his professional smile. “I’m afraid that’s not just for today, sir. That’s the next three days’ ration altogether.”
“What! Three days? That’s half bloody rations!”
The Lieutenant spread his hands. “I know, sir, I know, but it really is the best we can do. Will you sign?”
Sharpe took his hat and weapons from the table. “Where are they?”
The Lieutenant sighed. “I’m sure you don’t want to… „
“Where are they?” Sharpe’s voice boomed in the small room. The Lieutenant smiled, opened the door, and beckoned Sharpe into the courtyard, where the Lieutenant’s working party was standing by a string of pack mules. The Lieutenant pulled the cover off a keg of freshly killed beef. “Sir?”
Sharpe picked up the top piece and dangled it in front of the plump Commissary officer. “Put laces in it and you could march on it.” The Lieutenant smiled; he had heard it all before. Sharpe took another piece of gristle from the keg. “It’s uneatable! How many kegs?”
The Lieutenant waved at the mules. “All this, sir.”
Sharpe looked out of the courtyard into the bright street. Another mule stood patiently in the late afternoon sunlight. “What’s that?”
“A mule, sir.” The Lieutenant smiled brightly. He saw Sharpe’s face. “Sorry, sir. My little joke.” He became serious. “That’s the supplies for the castle, sir. Sir Arthur’s. You understand.”
“I do?” Sharpe walked under the arch towards the mule, the Lieutenant alongside, and waved the muleteer away. “I happened to see the supplies delivered to the castle this morning, Lieutenant, and nothing was missing.”
The Lieutenant smiled helplessly. Sharpe was lying, they both knew that, but then so was the Lieutenant, and they both knew that, too. Sharpe pulled the cover off the nearest keg. “Now that, Lieutenant, is beef. I’ll have both these kegs instead of two of the others.”
“But, sir! This is for… „
“Your dinner, Lieutenant? And you and your fellow officers will sell the rest. Right? I’ll take it.”
The Lieutenant recovered the keg.