JК
Sharpes Gold :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 51 из 179The shots still sounded downstairs, a sudden cry, the smell of flames catching wood,and he stepped to the bed and cut at the ropes with the unwieldy sword. She jerked her head sideways, towards the room's shadowed corner, and Sharpe saw the movement, flung himself down, heard the explosion and felt the wind of the pistol ball as a man reared up from beside the bed. A Colonel, no less, in Hussar uniform, whose pleasure had been interrupted before it could begin. There was fear on the man's face. Sharpe smiled, climbed on to the bed, watched as the Colonel tried to wriggle from the corner, and then, with cold determination, pinned him prisoner against the wall.
'Sergeant!
Harper came in, seven-barrelled gun in hand, and saw the girl. 'God save Ireland.
'Cut her free!
Sharpe heard Kearsey's voice on the landing. 'Steady now! He could hear Knowles downstairs, counting off the men, sending the wounded up first. The French Colonel was babbling at Sharpe, pointing at the girl, but the sword held him and Sharpe wished he had killed the man straightaway. This was no place to take prisoners and he was trapped, not knowing what was happening outside. The girl was free, rubbing her wrists, and Sharpe dropped the sword. 'Watch him, Sergeant!
He ran to the window, smashed panes with the sword, and saw the empty darkness outside. They could make it! The first Redcoats were at the head of the stairs, and then the French Colonel screamed, a terrible agony, and Sharpe whipped round to see that the slim, dark-haired girl had taken the Frenchman's own sabre and plunged it, point first, into his groin. She was smiling, and she was beautiful enough to catch the breath.
Harper was staring aghast. Sharpe ignored the Frenchman. 'Patrick!
'Sir?
'Get the men in here. Through the window! And next door!
The girl spat at the Colonel, who had collapsed in his own blood, swore at him, and then looked at Sharpe with a glance that seemed to convey pure disdain because he had not killed the Frenchman himself. Sharpe was reeling from her, thrown off balance by her hawk-like beauty, hardly hearing the commands from the landing, the banging muskets. He snapped his attention back, despising himself, but the girl was faster. She had the Colonel's sabre, her freedom, and she ran out the door, ignoring the fight, and turned right. Sharpe followed, caution gone, just the instinct left that some things, just one thing perhaps, could turn a man's life inside out.
CHAPTER 7
Knowles had done well.
'Sergeant!
Harper came in, seven-barrelled gun in hand, and saw the girl. 'God save Ireland.
'Cut her free!
Sharpe heard Kearsey's voice on the landing. 'Steady now! He could hear Knowles downstairs, counting off the men, sending the wounded up first. The French Colonel was babbling at Sharpe, pointing at the girl, but the sword held him and Sharpe wished he had killed the man straightaway. This was no place to take prisoners and he was trapped, not knowing what was happening outside. The girl was free, rubbing her wrists, and Sharpe dropped the sword. 'Watch him, Sergeant!
He ran to the window, smashed panes with the sword, and saw the empty darkness outside. They could make it! The first Redcoats were at the head of the stairs, and then the French Colonel screamed, a terrible agony, and Sharpe whipped round to see that the slim, dark-haired girl had taken the Frenchman's own sabre and plunged it, point first, into his groin. She was smiling, and she was beautiful enough to catch the breath.
Harper was staring aghast. Sharpe ignored the Frenchman. 'Patrick!
'Sir?
'Get the men in here. Through the window! And next door!
The girl spat at the Colonel, who had collapsed in his own blood, swore at him, and then looked at Sharpe with a glance that seemed to convey pure disdain because he had not killed the Frenchman himself. Sharpe was reeling from her, thrown off balance by her hawk-like beauty, hardly hearing the commands from the landing, the banging muskets. He snapped his attention back, despising himself, but the girl was faster. She had the Colonel's sabre, her freedom, and she ran out the door, ignoring the fight, and turned right. Sharpe followed, caution gone, just the instinct left that some things, just one thing perhaps, could turn a man's life inside out.
CHAPTER 7
Knowles had done well.