JК
Sharpes Sword :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 207 из 213”
„Yes, sir.“
“Forrest will wait for you, don’t worry. Your Company’s safe.”
“Any news of a new Colonel?”
Hogan shook his head, belched, and patted his stomach. “Not yet. I think Lawford would like it again, but I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Forrest might get it. I don’t know, Richard.” He pushed a forefinger into Sharpe’s side. “You should be thinking about it.”
“Me! I’m a captain.” Sharpe grinned and bit into cold beef.
Hogan poured more wine. “Think about it! A majority next. Then Lieutenant Colonel. It could happen, Richard. It’s going to be a long bloody war. We just heard the Americans are in now, they may be in Quebec for all we know.“ He sipped his wine. ”Can you afford a Majority?“
“Me!” Sharpe laughed. “They’re two thousand six hundred pounds. Where do you think I can get that kind of money?”
Hogan smiled. “Don’t you usually get what you want, Richard?”
Sharpe shrugged. “I get the rainbows, sir. Never the pots of gold.”
Hogan twisted his glass in his hands. “There was one other thing, Richard, a smallish thing. I’ve been talking to Father Curtis and he did say something odd. He says that notebook was well hidden, truly well hidden, and he can’t imagine how Leroux could have found it.”
“Leroux was a clever man, sir.”
“Aye, maybe. But Curtis was sure it was too well hidden. Only Lord Spears, he says, knew where it was.” His shrewd eyes were on Sharpe.
“Really, sir?” Sharpe poured more wine.
“Does that strike you as odd?”
“Spears is dead, sir. He died well.”
Hogan nodded. “I hear his body was some way from all the others. Some way from the fighting, in fact. Odd?”
Sharpe shook his head. “He could have crawled away, sir.”
“Yes. With a hole in his head. I’m sure you’re right, Richard.” Hogan swirled the wine in his glass. His voice was still neutral. “The only reason I ask is that I do have a responsibility for finding whoever was the spy in our headquarters. I can make myself unpleasant, I suppose, turn over a lot of stones, but you do understand me, I’m sure.”
“I don’t think you need to be unpleasant, sir.”
“Good, good.” Hogan grinned at Sharpe, raised his glass. “Well done, Richard.”
“What for, sir?”
“Nothing, nothing.” Hogan toasted him all the same.
Hogan rode away that afternoon, going eastwards to the army that now marched towards Madrid.
„Yes, sir.“
“Forrest will wait for you, don’t worry. Your Company’s safe.”
“Any news of a new Colonel?”
Hogan shook his head, belched, and patted his stomach. “Not yet. I think Lawford would like it again, but I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Forrest might get it. I don’t know, Richard.” He pushed a forefinger into Sharpe’s side. “You should be thinking about it.”
“Me! I’m a captain.” Sharpe grinned and bit into cold beef.
Hogan poured more wine. “Think about it! A majority next. Then Lieutenant Colonel. It could happen, Richard. It’s going to be a long bloody war. We just heard the Americans are in now, they may be in Quebec for all we know.“ He sipped his wine. ”Can you afford a Majority?“
“Me!” Sharpe laughed. “They’re two thousand six hundred pounds. Where do you think I can get that kind of money?”
Hogan smiled. “Don’t you usually get what you want, Richard?”
Sharpe shrugged. “I get the rainbows, sir. Never the pots of gold.”
Hogan twisted his glass in his hands. “There was one other thing, Richard, a smallish thing. I’ve been talking to Father Curtis and he did say something odd. He says that notebook was well hidden, truly well hidden, and he can’t imagine how Leroux could have found it.”
“Leroux was a clever man, sir.”
“Aye, maybe. But Curtis was sure it was too well hidden. Only Lord Spears, he says, knew where it was.” His shrewd eyes were on Sharpe.
“Really, sir?” Sharpe poured more wine.
“Does that strike you as odd?”
“Spears is dead, sir. He died well.”
Hogan nodded. “I hear his body was some way from all the others. Some way from the fighting, in fact. Odd?”
Sharpe shook his head. “He could have crawled away, sir.”
“Yes. With a hole in his head. I’m sure you’re right, Richard.” Hogan swirled the wine in his glass. His voice was still neutral. “The only reason I ask is that I do have a responsibility for finding whoever was the spy in our headquarters. I can make myself unpleasant, I suppose, turn over a lot of stones, but you do understand me, I’m sure.”
“I don’t think you need to be unpleasant, sir.”
“Good, good.” Hogan grinned at Sharpe, raised his glass. “Well done, Richard.”
“What for, sir?”
“Nothing, nothing.” Hogan toasted him all the same.
Hogan rode away that afternoon, going eastwards to the army that now marched towards Madrid.