JК
Sharpes Gold :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 8 из 179If there were any one member of the Company whomSharpe would gladly have hanged, it would be Batten, but he was damned if any provost was going to do it for him.
Sharpe looked up at Ayres. 'What was he looting, Lieutenant?
'This.
Ayres held up a scrawny chicken as if it were the Crown of England. Its neck had been well wrung, but the legs still jerked and scrabbled at the air. Sharpe felt the anger come inside him, not at the provosts but at Batten.
'I'll deal with him, Lieutenant.
Batten cringed away from his Captain.
Ayres shook his head. 'You misunderstand, sir. He was talking with silky condescension. 'Looters are hung, sir. On the spot, sir. As an example to others.
There was a muttering from the Company, broken by Harper's bellowed order for silence. Batten's eyes flicked left and right as if looking for an escape from this latest example of the world's injustice. Sharpe snapped at him. 'Batten!
'Sir?
'Where did you find the chicken?"
'It was in the field, sir. Honest. He winced as his hair was pulled. 'It was a wild chicken, sir.
There was a rustle of laughter from the ranks that Harper let go. Ayres snorted. 'A wild chicken. Dangerous beasts, eh, sir? He's lying. I found him in the cottage.
Sharpe believed him, but he was not going to give up. 'Who lives in the cottage, Lieutenant?
Ayres raised an eyebrow. 'Really, sir, I have not exchanged cards with every slum in Portugal. He turned to his men. 'String him up.
'Lieutenant Ayres. The tone of Sharpe's voice stopped any movement in the street. 'How do you know the cottage is inhabited?
'Look for yourself.
'Sir.
Ayres swallowed. 'Sir.
Sharpe raised his voice. 'Are there people there, Lieutenant?
'No, sir. But it's lived in.
'How do you know? The village is deserted. You can't steal a chicken from nobody.
Ayres thought about his reply. The village was deserted, the inhabitants gone away from the French attack, but absence was not a relinquishing of ownership. He shook his head. 'The chicken is Portuguese property, sir. He turned again. 'Hang him!
'Halt! Sharpe bellowed and again movement stopped. 'You're not going to hang him, so just go your way.
Ayres swivelled back to Sharpe. 'He was caught red-handed and the bastard will hang. Your men are probably a pack of bloody thieves and they need an example and, by God, they will get one! He raised himself in his stirrups and shouted at the Company. 'You will see him hang! And if you steal, then you will hang too!
A click interrupted him.
Sharpe looked up at Ayres. 'What was he looting, Lieutenant?
'This.
Ayres held up a scrawny chicken as if it were the Crown of England. Its neck had been well wrung, but the legs still jerked and scrabbled at the air. Sharpe felt the anger come inside him, not at the provosts but at Batten.
'I'll deal with him, Lieutenant.
Batten cringed away from his Captain.
Ayres shook his head. 'You misunderstand, sir. He was talking with silky condescension. 'Looters are hung, sir. On the spot, sir. As an example to others.
There was a muttering from the Company, broken by Harper's bellowed order for silence. Batten's eyes flicked left and right as if looking for an escape from this latest example of the world's injustice. Sharpe snapped at him. 'Batten!
'Sir?
'Where did you find the chicken?"
'It was in the field, sir. Honest. He winced as his hair was pulled. 'It was a wild chicken, sir.
There was a rustle of laughter from the ranks that Harper let go. Ayres snorted. 'A wild chicken. Dangerous beasts, eh, sir? He's lying. I found him in the cottage.
Sharpe believed him, but he was not going to give up. 'Who lives in the cottage, Lieutenant?
Ayres raised an eyebrow. 'Really, sir, I have not exchanged cards with every slum in Portugal. He turned to his men. 'String him up.
'Lieutenant Ayres. The tone of Sharpe's voice stopped any movement in the street. 'How do you know the cottage is inhabited?
'Look for yourself.
'Sir.
Ayres swallowed. 'Sir.
Sharpe raised his voice. 'Are there people there, Lieutenant?
'No, sir. But it's lived in.
'How do you know? The village is deserted. You can't steal a chicken from nobody.
Ayres thought about his reply. The village was deserted, the inhabitants gone away from the French attack, but absence was not a relinquishing of ownership. He shook his head. 'The chicken is Portuguese property, sir. He turned again. 'Hang him!
'Halt! Sharpe bellowed and again movement stopped. 'You're not going to hang him, so just go your way.
Ayres swivelled back to Sharpe. 'He was caught red-handed and the bastard will hang. Your men are probably a pack of bloody thieves and they need an example and, by God, they will get one! He raised himself in his stirrups and shouted at the Company. 'You will see him hang! And if you steal, then you will hang too!
A click interrupted him.