JК
Sharpes Gold :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 147 из 179Except that El Catolico did want one thing more. Sharpe thought of the dark hair on the pillow, the slim body on the stiff, white linen sheets. The Spaniard wanted the girl, and his revenge, and if it could not be tonight, then El Catolico would stay on till it was accomplished.
Sharpe was suddenly aware that Cox had spoken his name. 'Sir?
The Brigadier had pulled another sheet of paper forward. 'At ten o'clock tomorrow morning, Captain, your Company will join my defences on the south wall. The pen splattered ink on the paper.
'Pardon, sir?
Cox looked up from the paper, irritated. 'You heard me, Sharpe! You join the garrison. Captain Lossow leaves. I don't need cavalry, but you stay. No infantry can hope to escape now. Understand?
God in heaven! 'Yes, sir.
The cathedral clock began chiming. Kearsey put a hand on Sharpe's elbow. 'I'm sorry, Sharpe.
Sharpe nodded, listening to the bell. He was oblivious of Kearsey's concern, of El Catolico's triumph, of Cox's preoccupation. Ten o'clock, and all not well. The decision had been forced on him, but it was still his decision. The last echo of the last note died flatly away, and Sharpe wondered if any bell would ever ring, ever again, in the grey-starred, ill-starred fortress town.
CHAPTER 21
'We're stuck. That's the problem. We're stuck.
'Pardon, sir? Sergeant Harper was waiting for Sharpe outside Cox's headquarters.
'Nothing. Sharpe stood there, conscious of Patrick Harper's worried look. The Sergeant probably thought that his wound was going bad, poisoning the blood and sending insane vapours into his head. 'Are you alone?
'No, sir. Private Roach, Daniel Hagman, and three Germans.
Sharpe saw the others waiting in the shadows. The small, squat German Sergeant was there and Harper jerked a thumb at him.
'That's Helmet, sir.
'You mean Helmut?
'That's what I said, sir. He's a one-man army. Are you all right, sir?
'Yes.
Sharpe still stood on the steps, his escort waiting below, and fingered a piece of his sword's silver-wire hilt-wrapping that had worked itself loose. He made a mental note to have it soldered flat when they were back with the Battalion, and then marvelled that the mind could dwell on such a triviality at a moment like this.
Harper coughed. 'Are you ready, sir?
'What? Yes. He still did not move. He stared at the cathedral.
Patrick Harper tried again. 'Home, sir?
'No. Over there. He pointed at the cathedral.
'Yes, sir. Anything you say, sir.
Sharpe was suddenly aware that Cox had spoken his name. 'Sir?
The Brigadier had pulled another sheet of paper forward. 'At ten o'clock tomorrow morning, Captain, your Company will join my defences on the south wall. The pen splattered ink on the paper.
'Pardon, sir?
Cox looked up from the paper, irritated. 'You heard me, Sharpe! You join the garrison. Captain Lossow leaves. I don't need cavalry, but you stay. No infantry can hope to escape now. Understand?
God in heaven! 'Yes, sir.
The cathedral clock began chiming. Kearsey put a hand on Sharpe's elbow. 'I'm sorry, Sharpe.
Sharpe nodded, listening to the bell. He was oblivious of Kearsey's concern, of El Catolico's triumph, of Cox's preoccupation. Ten o'clock, and all not well. The decision had been forced on him, but it was still his decision. The last echo of the last note died flatly away, and Sharpe wondered if any bell would ever ring, ever again, in the grey-starred, ill-starred fortress town.
CHAPTER 21
'We're stuck. That's the problem. We're stuck.
'Pardon, sir? Sergeant Harper was waiting for Sharpe outside Cox's headquarters.
'Nothing. Sharpe stood there, conscious of Patrick Harper's worried look. The Sergeant probably thought that his wound was going bad, poisoning the blood and sending insane vapours into his head. 'Are you alone?
'No, sir. Private Roach, Daniel Hagman, and three Germans.
Sharpe saw the others waiting in the shadows. The small, squat German Sergeant was there and Harper jerked a thumb at him.
'That's Helmet, sir.
'You mean Helmut?
'That's what I said, sir. He's a one-man army. Are you all right, sir?
'Yes.
Sharpe still stood on the steps, his escort waiting below, and fingered a piece of his sword's silver-wire hilt-wrapping that had worked itself loose. He made a mental note to have it soldered flat when they were back with the Battalion, and then marvelled that the mind could dwell on such a triviality at a moment like this.
Harper coughed. 'Are you ready, sir?
'What? Yes. He still did not move. He stared at the cathedral.
Patrick Harper tried again. 'Home, sir?
'No. Over there. He pointed at the cathedral.
'Yes, sir. Anything you say, sir.