JК
Sharpes Gold :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 177 из 179She touched his face with a finger, looked hisuniform up and down, and made a face of disapproval.
'You can't stay.
'Why not.
She gestured outside. 'He was first."
He looked at her, remembering her differently, and he would have left if Patrick Harper had not already claimed the dark-haired maid at the American Hotel. Instead, he walked on to the terrace where a languid cavalry Lieutenant sat with a glass of wine.
The Lieutenant looked up. 'Sir.
'How much did you pay?
'Richard! She was behind him, pulling at him. Sharpe laughed.
'Lieutenant?
'Damn you, sir! The Lieutenant stood up, the wine quivering in the glass.
'How much did you pay?
'Damn your eyes, sir! I'll call you out!
Josefina was laughing now, enjoying herself. Sharpe smiled. 'You can. The name's Sharpe. In the meantime, get out!
'Sharpe? The Lieutenant's expression had fallen.
'Out.
'But, sir…
Sharpe drew the sword, the great steel sword. 'Out!
'Madame! The Lieutenant bowed to Josefina, put down his wine, glanced once at Sharpe, and was gone. She hit him, lightly.
'You shouldn't have done that.
'Why not? He pushed the sword back into the scabbard.
She pouted. 'He was rich and generous.
He laughed, opened his new ammunition pouch, the black leather still stiff, and threw the thick gold coins on to the patterned tiles.
'Richard! What is it?
'Gold, you fool. The convoy could take another month for all he cared. He tossed more coins, thick as butter. 'Josefina's gold, your gold, our gold, my gold. He laughed again, pulled her towards him. 'Sharpe's gold.
HISTORICAL NOTE
Almeida's garrison surrendered after the explosion of August 27th, 1810. The event was much as described in Sharpe's Gold. The magazine in the cathedral blew up and destroyed, beside the cathedral itself, the castle, five hundred houses, and part of the fortifications. It was estimated that more than five hundred of the garrison died. Brigadier Cox wanted to continue the defence but bowed to the inevitable and surrendered the next day.
It must have been one of the biggest explosions of the pre-nuclear world. (Certainly not the biggest. A year before, in 1809, Sir John Moore deliberately exploded four thousand barrels of powder to keep them from falling into French hands at Corunna.) A year later the French added to the destruction.
'You can't stay.
'Why not.
She gestured outside. 'He was first."
He looked at her, remembering her differently, and he would have left if Patrick Harper had not already claimed the dark-haired maid at the American Hotel. Instead, he walked on to the terrace where a languid cavalry Lieutenant sat with a glass of wine.
The Lieutenant looked up. 'Sir.
'How much did you pay?
'Richard! She was behind him, pulling at him. Sharpe laughed.
'Lieutenant?
'Damn you, sir! The Lieutenant stood up, the wine quivering in the glass.
'How much did you pay?
'Damn your eyes, sir! I'll call you out!
Josefina was laughing now, enjoying herself. Sharpe smiled. 'You can. The name's Sharpe. In the meantime, get out!
'Sharpe? The Lieutenant's expression had fallen.
'Out.
'But, sir…
Sharpe drew the sword, the great steel sword. 'Out!
'Madame! The Lieutenant bowed to Josefina, put down his wine, glanced once at Sharpe, and was gone. She hit him, lightly.
'You shouldn't have done that.
'Why not? He pushed the sword back into the scabbard.
She pouted. 'He was rich and generous.
He laughed, opened his new ammunition pouch, the black leather still stiff, and threw the thick gold coins on to the patterned tiles.
'Richard! What is it?
'Gold, you fool. The convoy could take another month for all he cared. He tossed more coins, thick as butter. 'Josefina's gold, your gold, our gold, my gold. He laughed again, pulled her towards him. 'Sharpe's gold.
HISTORICAL NOTE
Almeida's garrison surrendered after the explosion of August 27th, 1810. The event was much as described in Sharpe's Gold. The magazine in the cathedral blew up and destroyed, beside the cathedral itself, the castle, five hundred houses, and part of the fortifications. It was estimated that more than five hundred of the garrison died. Brigadier Cox wanted to continue the defence but bowed to the inevitable and surrendered the next day.
It must have been one of the biggest explosions of the pre-nuclear world. (Certainly not the biggest. A year before, in 1809, Sir John Moore deliberately exploded four thousand barrels of powder to keep them from falling into French hands at Corunna.) A year later the French added to the destruction.