JК
Sharpes Siege :: Корнуэлл Бернард
Страница: 91 из 223”
„If I were to let you go,“ Sharpe spoke so quietly that, even in this night’s uncanny silence, Killick and Docherty had to lean forward to hear his voice, ”would you give me your word, as American citizens, that neither of you, nor any man in your crew, here or absent, will take up arms against Britain for the rest of this war’s duration?“
Sharpe had expected instant acceptance, even gratitude, but the tall American was wary. “Suppose I’m attacked?”
“Then you run.” Sharpe waited for a reply that did not come, then, to his astonishment, found himself pleading with a man not to choose a hanging. “I can’t stop Bampfylde hanging you, Killick. I don’t have the power. I can’t escort you into captivity; we’re a hundred miles behind enemy lines! So the Navy has to take you away from here and the Navy will string you up, all of you. But give me your word and I’ll release you.“
Killick suddenly let out a great breath, the first sign of the tension he had felt. “You have my word.”
Sharpe looked at the Irishman. “And you?”
Docherty stared in puzzlement at Sharpe. “You’ll let all of us go? All the crew?”
“I said so.”
“And how do we know…?”
Harper spoke in sudden Gaelic. His words were brief, harshly spoken, and a mystery to every man in the room except to himself and Docherty. The American lieutenant listened to the huge Irishman, then looked back to Sharpe with a sudden, unnatural humility. “You have my word.”
Cornelius Killick held up a hand. “But if I’m attacked, Major, and can’t run, then by Christ I’ll fight!”
“But you won’t seek a fight?”
“I will not,” Killick said.
Sharpe, his head splitting with pain from the bullet-strike, leaned back. Harper brought the cauldron to the table and splashed soup into five bowls. Frederickson came and sat down, Harper sat beside him, and only Sharpe did not eat. He looked at Killick instead, and his voice was suddenly very weary. “Your boat’s wrecked?”
“Yes,” Killick told the lie glibly.
“Then I suggest you go to Paris. The American Minister there can arrange passage home.”
“Indeed,” Killick smiled. He spooned soup into his mouth. “So what now, Major?”
“You finish your soup, collect your men, and go. I’ll make sure there’s no trouble at the gate. You forfeit your weapons, of course, except for officers’ swords.”
Killick stared at Sharpe as though he could not believe what he was hearing. “We just go?”
“You just go,” Sharpe said. He pushed his chair back and walked to the door.
„If I were to let you go,“ Sharpe spoke so quietly that, even in this night’s uncanny silence, Killick and Docherty had to lean forward to hear his voice, ”would you give me your word, as American citizens, that neither of you, nor any man in your crew, here or absent, will take up arms against Britain for the rest of this war’s duration?“
Sharpe had expected instant acceptance, even gratitude, but the tall American was wary. “Suppose I’m attacked?”
“Then you run.” Sharpe waited for a reply that did not come, then, to his astonishment, found himself pleading with a man not to choose a hanging. “I can’t stop Bampfylde hanging you, Killick. I don’t have the power. I can’t escort you into captivity; we’re a hundred miles behind enemy lines! So the Navy has to take you away from here and the Navy will string you up, all of you. But give me your word and I’ll release you.“
Killick suddenly let out a great breath, the first sign of the tension he had felt. “You have my word.”
Sharpe looked at the Irishman. “And you?”
Docherty stared in puzzlement at Sharpe. “You’ll let all of us go? All the crew?”
“I said so.”
“And how do we know…?”
Harper spoke in sudden Gaelic. His words were brief, harshly spoken, and a mystery to every man in the room except to himself and Docherty. The American lieutenant listened to the huge Irishman, then looked back to Sharpe with a sudden, unnatural humility. “You have my word.”
Cornelius Killick held up a hand. “But if I’m attacked, Major, and can’t run, then by Christ I’ll fight!”
“But you won’t seek a fight?”
“I will not,” Killick said.
Sharpe, his head splitting with pain from the bullet-strike, leaned back. Harper brought the cauldron to the table and splashed soup into five bowls. Frederickson came and sat down, Harper sat beside him, and only Sharpe did not eat. He looked at Killick instead, and his voice was suddenly very weary. “Your boat’s wrecked?”
“Yes,” Killick told the lie glibly.
“Then I suggest you go to Paris. The American Minister there can arrange passage home.”
“Indeed,” Killick smiled. He spooned soup into his mouth. “So what now, Major?”
“You finish your soup, collect your men, and go. I’ll make sure there’s no trouble at the gate. You forfeit your weapons, of course, except for officers’ swords.”
Killick stared at Sharpe as though he could not believe what he was hearing. “We just go?”
“You just go,” Sharpe said. He pushed his chair back and walked to the door.