JК
Sharpes Havoc :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 92 из 242”
Sharpe went out onto the driveway where Vicente was standing by the low wall that overlooked the valley. The Portuguese lieutenant was gazing at the half-dark sky which was punctured by the first stars. He offered Sharpe a rough cigar and then his own to light it from. „I talked to Luis,” Vicente said.
„And?” Sharpe rarely indulged and almost choked on the harsh smoke.
„Christopher has been back north of the Douro for five days. He’s been in Porto talking to the French.”
„But he did go south?”
Vicente nodded. „They went to Coimbra, met General Cradock, then came back. Captain Argenton returned to Porto with him.”
„So what the hell is going on?”
Vicente blew smoke at the moon. „Maybe they do make peace. Luis does not know what they talked about.”
So maybe it was peace. There had been just such a treaty after the battles at Rolica and Vimeiro and the defeated French had been taken home on British ships. So was a new treaty being made? Sharpe was at least reassured that Christopher had seen Cradock, and now Sharpe had definitive orders that took away much of the uncertainty.
The Colonel left shortly after dawn. At sunrise there had been a stuttering crackle of musketry somewhere to the north and Christopher had joined Sharpe on the driveway and stared into the valley’s mist. Sharpe could see nothing with his telescope, but Christopher was impressed by the glass. „Who is AW?” he asked Sharpe, reading the inscription.
„Just someone I knew, sir.”
„Not Arthur Wellesley?” Christopher sounded amused.
„Just someone I knew,” Sharpe repeated stubbornly.
„Fellow must have liked you,” Christopher said, „because it’s a damned generous gift. Mind if I take it to the rooftop? I might see more from there and my own telescope’s an evil little thing.”
Sharpe did not like relinquishing the glass, but Christopher gave him no chance to refuse, and just walked away. He evidently saw nothing to worry him for he ordered the gig harnessed and told Luis to collect the remaining cavalry horses that Sharpe had captured at Barca d’Avintas. „You can’t be bothered with horses, Sharpe,” he said, „so I’ll take them off your hands. Tell me, what do your fellows do during the day?”
„There isn’t much to do,” Sharpe said. „We’re training Vicente’s men.”
„Need it, do they?”
„They could be quicker with their muskets, sir.”
Christopher had brought a cup of coffee out of the house and now blew on it to cool the liquid.
Sharpe went out onto the driveway where Vicente was standing by the low wall that overlooked the valley. The Portuguese lieutenant was gazing at the half-dark sky which was punctured by the first stars. He offered Sharpe a rough cigar and then his own to light it from. „I talked to Luis,” Vicente said.
„And?” Sharpe rarely indulged and almost choked on the harsh smoke.
„Christopher has been back north of the Douro for five days. He’s been in Porto talking to the French.”
„But he did go south?”
Vicente nodded. „They went to Coimbra, met General Cradock, then came back. Captain Argenton returned to Porto with him.”
„So what the hell is going on?”
Vicente blew smoke at the moon. „Maybe they do make peace. Luis does not know what they talked about.”
So maybe it was peace. There had been just such a treaty after the battles at Rolica and Vimeiro and the defeated French had been taken home on British ships. So was a new treaty being made? Sharpe was at least reassured that Christopher had seen Cradock, and now Sharpe had definitive orders that took away much of the uncertainty.
The Colonel left shortly after dawn. At sunrise there had been a stuttering crackle of musketry somewhere to the north and Christopher had joined Sharpe on the driveway and stared into the valley’s mist. Sharpe could see nothing with his telescope, but Christopher was impressed by the glass. „Who is AW?” he asked Sharpe, reading the inscription.
„Just someone I knew, sir.”
„Not Arthur Wellesley?” Christopher sounded amused.
„Just someone I knew,” Sharpe repeated stubbornly.
„Fellow must have liked you,” Christopher said, „because it’s a damned generous gift. Mind if I take it to the rooftop? I might see more from there and my own telescope’s an evil little thing.”
Sharpe did not like relinquishing the glass, but Christopher gave him no chance to refuse, and just walked away. He evidently saw nothing to worry him for he ordered the gig harnessed and told Luis to collect the remaining cavalry horses that Sharpe had captured at Barca d’Avintas. „You can’t be bothered with horses, Sharpe,” he said, „so I’ll take them off your hands. Tell me, what do your fellows do during the day?”
„There isn’t much to do,” Sharpe said. „We’re training Vicente’s men.”
„Need it, do they?”
„They could be quicker with their muskets, sir.”
Christopher had brought a cup of coffee out of the house and now blew on it to cool the liquid.