JК
Sharpes Escape :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 89 из 283"Os ingleses por mar" he shouted atPires, then calmed down. The English were not the problem. Pires was. "You say the Captain-Major took your papers?"
"Indeed."
"But he does not know where the food is stored?"
"The papers only say how much food is in the town," Pires said, "and who owns it."
"So he has my name," Ferragus asked, "and a list of my stores?"
"Not a complete list, senhor. " Pires glanced at the massive stacks of food and marvelled that Ferragus had accumulated so much. "He merely knows you have some supplies stored and he says I must guarantee their destruction."
"So guarantee it," Ferragus said airily.
"He will send men to make sure of it, senhor" Pires said. "I am to bring them here."
"So you don't know where the stores are," Ferragus said.
"I am to make a search this afternoon, senhor, every warehouse in the city!" Pires shrugged. "I came to warn you," he said in helpless appeal.
"I pay you, Pires," Ferragus said, "to keep my food from being taken at a thief's price to feed the army. Now you will lead men here to destroy it?"
"You can move it, perhaps?" Pires suggested.
"Move it!" Ferragus shouted. "How, in God's name, do I move it? It would take a hundred men and twenty wagons."
Pires just shrugged.
Ferragus stared down at the feitor. "You came to warn me," he said in a low voice, "because you will bring the soldiers here, yes? And you do not want me to blame you, is that it?"
"They insist, senhor, they insist!" Pires was pleading now. "And if our own troops don't come, the British will."
" Os ingleses por mar ," Ferragus snarled, and he used his left hand to punch Pires in the face. The blow was swift and extraordinarily powerful, a straight jab that broke the feitor's nose and sent him staggering back with blood pouring from his nostrils. Ferragus followed fast, using his wounded right hand to thump Pires in the belly. The blow hurt Ferragus, but he ignored the pain because that was what a man must do. Pain must be endured. If a man could not take pain then he should not fight, and Ferragus backed Pires against the warehouse wall and systematically punched him, left and right, each blow traveling a short distance, but landing with hammer force. The fists drove into the feitor's body, cracking his ribs and breaking his cheekbones, and blood spattered on Ferragus's hands and sleeves, but he was oblivious of the blood just as he was oblivious of the pain in his hand and groin.
"Indeed."
"But he does not know where the food is stored?"
"The papers only say how much food is in the town," Pires said, "and who owns it."
"So he has my name," Ferragus asked, "and a list of my stores?"
"Not a complete list, senhor. " Pires glanced at the massive stacks of food and marvelled that Ferragus had accumulated so much. "He merely knows you have some supplies stored and he says I must guarantee their destruction."
"So guarantee it," Ferragus said airily.
"He will send men to make sure of it, senhor" Pires said. "I am to bring them here."
"So you don't know where the stores are," Ferragus said.
"I am to make a search this afternoon, senhor, every warehouse in the city!" Pires shrugged. "I came to warn you," he said in helpless appeal.
"I pay you, Pires," Ferragus said, "to keep my food from being taken at a thief's price to feed the army. Now you will lead men here to destroy it?"
"You can move it, perhaps?" Pires suggested.
"Move it!" Ferragus shouted. "How, in God's name, do I move it? It would take a hundred men and twenty wagons."
Pires just shrugged.
Ferragus stared down at the feitor. "You came to warn me," he said in a low voice, "because you will bring the soldiers here, yes? And you do not want me to blame you, is that it?"
"They insist, senhor, they insist!" Pires was pleading now. "And if our own troops don't come, the British will."
" Os ingleses por mar ," Ferragus snarled, and he used his left hand to punch Pires in the face. The blow was swift and extraordinarily powerful, a straight jab that broke the feitor's nose and sent him staggering back with blood pouring from his nostrils. Ferragus followed fast, using his wounded right hand to thump Pires in the belly. The blow hurt Ferragus, but he ignored the pain because that was what a man must do. Pain must be endured. If a man could not take pain then he should not fight, and Ferragus backed Pires against the warehouse wall and systematically punched him, left and right, each blow traveling a short distance, but landing with hammer force. The fists drove into the feitor's body, cracking his ribs and breaking his cheekbones, and blood spattered on Ferragus's hands and sleeves, but he was oblivious of the blood just as he was oblivious of the pain in his hand and groin.