JК
Sharpes Havoc :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 66 из 242„A Frog whose… „he began to repeat, but just then Kate came from the house to stand beside him.
He put an arm about her shoulder and, with an irritable look at Sharpe, raised his voice to call to Lieutenant Olivier. „Monsieur! Venez id, s’il vous plait.”
„He’s a prisoner,” Sharpe said.
„He’s an officer?” Christopher asked as Olivier threaded his way through Sharpe’s sullen men.
„He’s a lieutenant,” Sharpe said, „of the 18th Dragoons.”
Christopher gave Sharpe a rather startled look. „It is customary,” he said coldly, „to allow officers to give their parole. Where is the lieutenant’s sword?”
„I wasn’t keeping him prisoner,” Sharpe said, „Lieutenant Vicente was. The Lieutenant’s a lawyer, you see, and he seems to have the strange idea that the man should stand trial, but I was just planning on hanging him.”
Kate gave a small cry of horror. „Perhaps you should go inside, my dear,” Christopher suggested, but she did not move and he did not insist. „Why were you going to hang him?” he asked Sharpe instead.
„Because he’s a rapist,” Sharpe said flatly and the word prompted Kate to give another small cry, and this time Christopher bodily pushed her into the tiled hallway.
„You will mind your language,” Christopher said icily, „when my wife is present.”
„There was a lady present when this bastard raped her,” Sharpe said. „We caught him with his breeches round his ankles and his equipment hanging out. What was I supposed to do with him? Give him a brandy and offer him a game of whist?”
„He is an officer and a gentleman,” Christopher said, more concerned that Olivier was from the 18th Dragoons which meant he served with Captain Argenton. „Where is his sword?”
Lieutenant Vicente was introduced. He carried Olivier’s sword and Christopher insisted it be returned to the Frenchman. Vicente tried to explain that Olivier was accused of a crime and must be tried for it, but Colonel Christopher, speaking his impeccable Portuguese, dismissed the idea. „The conventions of war, Lieutenant,” he said, „do not allow for the trial of military officers as though they were civilians. You should know that if, as Sharpe claims, you are a lawyer. To allow the civil trial of prisoners of war would open up the possibilities of reciprocity. Try this man and execute him and the French will do the same to every Portuguese officer they take captive. You understand that, surely?”
Vicente saw the force of the argument, but would not give in. „He is a rapist,” he insisted.
He put an arm about her shoulder and, with an irritable look at Sharpe, raised his voice to call to Lieutenant Olivier. „Monsieur! Venez id, s’il vous plait.”
„He’s a prisoner,” Sharpe said.
„He’s an officer?” Christopher asked as Olivier threaded his way through Sharpe’s sullen men.
„He’s a lieutenant,” Sharpe said, „of the 18th Dragoons.”
Christopher gave Sharpe a rather startled look. „It is customary,” he said coldly, „to allow officers to give their parole. Where is the lieutenant’s sword?”
„I wasn’t keeping him prisoner,” Sharpe said, „Lieutenant Vicente was. The Lieutenant’s a lawyer, you see, and he seems to have the strange idea that the man should stand trial, but I was just planning on hanging him.”
Kate gave a small cry of horror. „Perhaps you should go inside, my dear,” Christopher suggested, but she did not move and he did not insist. „Why were you going to hang him?” he asked Sharpe instead.
„Because he’s a rapist,” Sharpe said flatly and the word prompted Kate to give another small cry, and this time Christopher bodily pushed her into the tiled hallway.
„You will mind your language,” Christopher said icily, „when my wife is present.”
„There was a lady present when this bastard raped her,” Sharpe said. „We caught him with his breeches round his ankles and his equipment hanging out. What was I supposed to do with him? Give him a brandy and offer him a game of whist?”
„He is an officer and a gentleman,” Christopher said, more concerned that Olivier was from the 18th Dragoons which meant he served with Captain Argenton. „Where is his sword?”
Lieutenant Vicente was introduced. He carried Olivier’s sword and Christopher insisted it be returned to the Frenchman. Vicente tried to explain that Olivier was accused of a crime and must be tried for it, but Colonel Christopher, speaking his impeccable Portuguese, dismissed the idea. „The conventions of war, Lieutenant,” he said, „do not allow for the trial of military officers as though they were civilians. You should know that if, as Sharpe claims, you are a lawyer. To allow the civil trial of prisoners of war would open up the possibilities of reciprocity. Try this man and execute him and the French will do the same to every Portuguese officer they take captive. You understand that, surely?”
Vicente saw the force of the argument, but would not give in. „He is a rapist,” he insisted.