Sharpe's Challenge Page #5

But not as guests, nor in friendship.

-You came to plunder, nothing more.

-I came to be with my father.

We are not savages, madam,

whatever you might think of us.

All we want is to be left to run our own affairs.

I would be grateful if you would leave me.

Promise me one thing, madam.

I have stood surety for your present surroundings.

Were you to attempt escape, I should suffer for it.

His Highness would not approve of you

being abroad at such an hour, Princess.

What my brother might or might not approve of

is hardly any business of yours, General.

Indeed not, madam.

However, the well-being

of his prisoner certainly is.

What did you want with her?

You are aware, madam, that as

Commander-in-Chief of His Highness' forces,

I am duty-bound to report this behaviour.

Nevertheless, I am willing to be persuaded

that your conduct was other than it first appeared.

Persuaded? And what about Madhuvanthi?

Or do you tire of a courtesan's tricks at last?

You should return to the palace, madam.

The streets of the fortress can be dangerous

after dark, even to one as highborn as yourself.

Should a common soldier mistake you

for something else...

who knows what accident might befall?

Don't look, I think we're being followed.

(MAN YELLING)

It's about time!

Get out, man. You've done your job, get out.

(MAN SPEAKING IN HINDI)

Friends, mate. Friends. You understand?

We don't wanna fight you.

-We wanna come and join you.

-GUDIN:
Join us?

-You're deserters?

-No, sir, we're volunteers.

-That's why them buggers are chasing us.

-Sergeant Sharpe, sir.

-Corporal Harper.

-Colonel Gudin.

Surrender your weapons

and we'll escort you to Ferraghur.

If it proves you are what you say,

we may find a place for you.

If not, you will die.

I'm afraid General Dodd will insist upon it.

So, you wish to enlist in the army

of His Highness Khande Rao?

Aye, sir, that's why we're here.

And tell me, Sergeant Sharpe,

just why should I believe you?

I'm never sure deserters are to be trusted.

We were to be flogged, sir,

and lose us rank and all.

-Why?

-Accused of thieving, sir.

We didn't do it

but it was our word against an officer.

We had nowhere else to run, sir.

It were either offer ourselves here

or take our chances in the wild.

Why should I accept you

into His Highness' service?

You give me a rifle at me shoulder

and sword at my hand and I'll show you why.

This Rajah is no more your king than he is mine.

But we'll kill for him, Colonel, same as you.

Though I'll be damned

if we'll beg for the privilege.

You are for the moment attached to my cushoon

You shall be issued with the proper uniform

and Sergeant Chef Bonnet

will explain to you your duties.

-Aye, sir.

-Thank you, sir.

Les f***-offs, n'est-ce pas?

-What's that?

-English deserters, no?

-I'm Irish, sir.

-That way.

Cinq minutes.

(IMITATING GUDIN) Best not to keep

the Sergeant Chef waiting.

What is it?

Nowt.

And you with a face on you like a dragoon's arse

from the minute we got lifted?

Hmm?

Listen, I'd follow you through the gates of hell

if you gave me the word.

So I think I deserve more than a ''nowt''

for my trouble.

Dodd.

''General Dodd will insist,''

Gudin said.

Who is he?

The Company renegade

you've been trying to find for one.

-And for two?

-A murdering bastard.

Do you know him?

Does he know you?

He had a lot on his mind that day at Chasalgaon.

Chasalgaon?

Shite.

Well, I'll take that as a ''Let's hope not'' then.

-How fares General Burroughs, sir?

-Fever seems to have him.

Perhaps we should delay our approach

upon Ferraghur.

Delay, sir? No, we cannot.

The rains maybe upon us in days, hours perhaps.

We must press on.

-Your Highness.

-General Dodd.

So, what news of the wolves at our door?

Intelligence from our scout says

that the British broke camp early this morning.

Perhaps they have thought better

of the enterprise and are falling back to Agra.

-Falling back, Colonel Gudin?

-The door of opportunity is closing, madame.

If the rains come, they will have to abandon

the campaign until the autumn.

You sound almost eager

to avoid the confrontation.

GUDIN:
I have never walked away from a battle,

madame. Neither have I run toward one.

Like any soldier,

I hope for peace and prepare for war.

If it's peace that you want, you better hope

that General Burroughs values his kin above duty.

My father knows his duty. Depend on it.

As he knows how to deal with renegades.

Be silent, and speak only when you are spoken to.

We have consulted with our Brahmins.

-They say the rains are coming very soon.

-Not too soon, Your Highness?

Or how else will we swill the Plain clean

of English blood?

(DRUMS BEATING)

HARPER:
Boy! Boy!

-More arrack here.

-No, no, no more, please.

Yes, yes.

I thought you crapauds could drink.

And it's Patrick, by the way.

Are you all Frenchmen

in Colonel Gudin's cushoon, Sergeant Chef?

There used to be many more of us.

We came seeking a place and fortune,

but men die here like flies.

The fever, the heat.

It has been a long march from Waterloo.

Aye. It has that.

-You were there?

-Yeah.

How any of us lived through it...

Mon dieu.

Yet, here we are. Such is God's humour.

For all that, it's not so bad.

Good food, fair pay, when it comes.

And beaucoup de bbs...

Come on, Jacques, come on. Who was that

white lass that we see with the Rajah? Eh?

-That one's far beyond your purse, my friend.

-Oh?

The daughter of a British general.

-Dodd made a gift of her to the Rajah.

-A gift?

Much as another man might hang

a beautiful picture upon the wall,

His Highness likes to have her about him

while he makes his plans for war.

So amongst my other duties,

I am appointed her chaperone.

And escort her from the guest quarters

to wherever His Highness pleases.

Such is my misfortune.

Sounds like a funny misfortune to me.

She is very beautiful, yes.

Mon dieu, quelle ptasse! Un shrew sans pareille.

More arrack, Jacques. More arrack.

(LAUGHING)

-Whoa!

-Oh!

We shall all have sore heads tomorrow.

Well, you will, anyhow, Jacques.

(KEYS RATTLING)

I'll put him to bed.

Come on.

(GASPING)

-If you please.

-Colonel Sharpe?

Sergeant Sharpe. At least for now. If you would.

-Forgive me...

-That's all right.

That's all right. Don't fret your self, you did right.

Sergeant Sharpe, might I assume this subterfuge,

indeed your very presence at Ferraghur,

is at my father's request?

-It is, ma'am.

-Then you've seen him. How is he?

I regret to say General Burroughs is

taken with the ague, ma'am.

He's taken pretty bad.

-And like to die?

-He looks a strong man, ma'am.

And he's in the best of care.

I don't doubt he'll mend given time.

Who, then, controls his army?

The army is at present

under the control of Sir Henry Simmerson.

Then it is indeed worse than I'd feared.

Papa holds Sir Henry to be of little account.

Then your father's a good judge, ma'am.

I know Sir Henry of old, which is why we must

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