JК
Sharpes Battle :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 119 из 244Kiely seemed to be doing most of the talking, gesticulating wildly, but also pointing towards Sharpe every few seconds. "You don't think they'll hang me, do you, Sharpe?" Runciman asked. He seemed very close to tears.
"They won't hang you, General," Sharpe said.
"But it'll mean disgrace all the same," Runciman said, sounding broken-hearted.
"So fight back," Sharpe said.
"How?"
"Tell them you ordered me to warn Oliveira. Which I did."
Runciman frowned. "But I didn't order you to do that, Sharpe."
"So? They won't know that, sir."
"I can't tell a lie!" Runciman said, shocked at the thought.
"It's your honour that's at stake, sir, and there'll be enough bastards telling lies about you."
"I won't tell lies," Runciman insisted.
"Then bend the truth, for God's sake, sir. Tell them how you had to play tricks to get some decent muskets, and if it hadn't been for those muskets then no one would have lived last night! Play the hero, sir, make the bastards wriggle!"
Runciman shook his head slowly. "I'm not a hero, Sharpe. I'd like to think there's a valued contribution I can make to the army, as my dear father made to the church, but I'm not sure I've found my real calling yet. But I can't pretend to be what I'm not." He took off his cocked hat to wipe his brow. "I just came to say goodbye."
"Good luck, sir."
Runciman smiled ruefully. "I never had that, Sharpe, never. Except in my parents. I was lucky in my dear parents and in being blessed with a healthy appetite. But otherwise…?" He shrugged as though the question was unanswerable, put his hat on again and then, with a forlorn wave, turned and rode to join Hogan. Two ox-drawn wagons had come to the fort with spades and picks and as soon as the tools were unloaded Father Sarsfield commandeered the two vehicles so that the wounded could be carried to doctors and hospitals.
Hogan waved goodbye to Sharpe and led the wagons out of the fort. The surviving caзadores followed, marching beneath their flags. Lord Kiely said nothing to his men, but just rode southwards. Juanita, who had not shown her face outside the gatehouse all morning, rode beside him with her dogs running behind. General Valverde touched his hat to greet Juanita, then pulled his reins sharply around and spurred his horse across the fire-blackened grass of the fort's yard until he came to where Sharpe was digging. "Captain Sharpe?" he said.
"General?" Sharpe had to shade his eyes to look up at the tall, thin, yellow-uniformed man in his high saddle.
"They won't hang you, General," Sharpe said.
"But it'll mean disgrace all the same," Runciman said, sounding broken-hearted.
"So fight back," Sharpe said.
"How?"
"Tell them you ordered me to warn Oliveira. Which I did."
Runciman frowned. "But I didn't order you to do that, Sharpe."
"So? They won't know that, sir."
"I can't tell a lie!" Runciman said, shocked at the thought.
"It's your honour that's at stake, sir, and there'll be enough bastards telling lies about you."
"I won't tell lies," Runciman insisted.
"Then bend the truth, for God's sake, sir. Tell them how you had to play tricks to get some decent muskets, and if it hadn't been for those muskets then no one would have lived last night! Play the hero, sir, make the bastards wriggle!"
Runciman shook his head slowly. "I'm not a hero, Sharpe. I'd like to think there's a valued contribution I can make to the army, as my dear father made to the church, but I'm not sure I've found my real calling yet. But I can't pretend to be what I'm not." He took off his cocked hat to wipe his brow. "I just came to say goodbye."
"Good luck, sir."
Runciman smiled ruefully. "I never had that, Sharpe, never. Except in my parents. I was lucky in my dear parents and in being blessed with a healthy appetite. But otherwise…?" He shrugged as though the question was unanswerable, put his hat on again and then, with a forlorn wave, turned and rode to join Hogan. Two ox-drawn wagons had come to the fort with spades and picks and as soon as the tools were unloaded Father Sarsfield commandeered the two vehicles so that the wounded could be carried to doctors and hospitals.
Hogan waved goodbye to Sharpe and led the wagons out of the fort. The surviving caзadores followed, marching beneath their flags. Lord Kiely said nothing to his men, but just rode southwards. Juanita, who had not shown her face outside the gatehouse all morning, rode beside him with her dogs running behind. General Valverde touched his hat to greet Juanita, then pulled his reins sharply around and spurred his horse across the fire-blackened grass of the fort's yard until he came to where Sharpe was digging. "Captain Sharpe?" he said.
"General?" Sharpe had to shade his eyes to look up at the tall, thin, yellow-uniformed man in his high saddle.