Sharpe's Challenge Page #9

Amen to that.

(WOMAN SINGING IN HINDI)

Lieutenant Montclair,

commence firing if you please.

Commence firing.

(EXPLOSIONS)

(SHOUTING)

English prisoners, your king and general

have betrayed you.

They sent you to plunder the riches of a land

that does not belong to you.

For that, you will have your reward.

Colonel Gudin, for mercy.

Cannot you do something to help these men?

I regret, madam,

their fate lies far beyond my hands.

Beyond your hands?

You and your soldiers captured them, did you not?

(PLEADING IN HINDI)

This is what you meant for them?

They are soldiers, like yourself.

If you were taken from battle for my father's army

you would be treated honourably.

Alas, madam, we have left that country far behind.

Your Majesty, spare these men, I beg you.

Are you to be turned from the victory

that is rightfully yours

by woman's tears, my Lord?

Will you show mercy to the merciless?

Your father would not have shrunk

from such a choice.

(MAN SCREAMING IN PAIN)

(SNAPPING)

(SPEAKING IN FRENCH)

(SPEAKING IN FRENCH)

They've sent in more guards to watch the mine.

How long do you think the outer wall will hold?

It's not meant to hold.

It's meant to come down.

God knows, there's nothing more appealing

to a besieging army than a great, bloody breach.

Except once our lads get through it,

the only place they can go is down that alleyway.

Aye, and Dodd will be waiting to blow the mine.

That alleyway is a bloody killing ground.

It's long enough and wide enough

to wipe out half our bloody army.

You're gonna have to do what I couldn't, Pat.

You have to get word back to Simmerson.

Tell him to beware the west.

Yeah, that's all well and good,

but the gates are closed.

Well, we'll have to bloody open them again,

won't we? Come on.

No! Wait!

I know who the traitors are in here, I know!

Oh, get these bastards off of me!

BICKERSTAFF:
Listen, do you wanna listen?

There's a traitor in your ranks, a British officer.

DODD:
Wait.

Wait.

What do you mean, ''a British officer''?

A colonel, he is.

The army said he went back to Agra,

but he didn't, did he?

'Cause he's here.

Because I saw him last night with my own eyes.

Dressed in a frock like them.

Who did you see? Give me his name.

I'll tell you, if you promise to save my life, sir.

Your word of honour as a gentleman.

His name!

That's better.

You look like a real bloody soldier again.

Well, at least we won't get shot by our own side.

-You ready?

-Yeah.

Right, let's do it.

GUDIN:
Did you think to be leaving us,

gentlemen?

You really must learn to decide

whose side you are on,

Colonel Sharpe.

S'il-vous-plat.

Heroism is so pointless.

DODD:
That's enough. Get him up.

Get him up!

I trusted you.

More bloody fool you, then.

DODD:
Take him to the dungeon.

-Aren't you gonna kill us?

-Of course I'm gonna bloody kill you.

Just not yet.

You thought you were better than me.

But you underestimated William Dodd,

didn't you?

Just like all those other

bloody British officers born to privilege.

Or born to the gutter, Dodd.

I'm like every other gutter bastard.

Another sh*t that belongs there.

Really?

Well, know this, your army

is gonna be utterly destroyed.

And I want you to see them annihilated.

I want you to see that, Sharpe.

Then I'm gonna kill you.

Take him away.

Highness.

You have been kind, and I'm grateful for that.

But I beg you speak me no further words

of kindness or comfort.

All is lost.

With Colonel Sharpe went the last of hope.

General Dodd has laid a trap

for your father's army.

A great mine is hidden by the western gate

which will kill many British soldiers.

That is so?

Madame, I have cause for tears,

but I can think of none for yours.

You ask me for why I weep?

I weep because when your army is defeated,

General Dodd and the witch Madhuvanthi

will murder my brother.

-Then we are both undone.

-Perhaps not.

If I went to your father,

and warned him against the mine?

You would do this?

I should sooner see my brother alive

under British rule

than dead at a renegade's hand.

Highness, for all your courage, you run the risk

that my father will neither receive you,

nor believe what you have to tell him.

Which is why I have come.

I thought, if I could offer him

some sacred words, or a memory,

as a token of the trust which exists between us,

then perhaps he would not so quickly

turn me away.

I cannot fault your reasoning, Highness.

Indeed you give me hope beyond hope.

Though one in my condition dare not dream of it.

I hopes you slept well, gentlemen.

You bastard! Bastard!

Steady, paddy, steady!

You'll do yourself harm.

And we wouldn't want that.

Enjoy your crowing while you can.

Until the court martial.

And a length of rope with your name on it waiting.

Aye.

We'll see you step the hempen jig, Shadrach.

Damn me, if everybody doesn't clap in time.

I don't think so.

Do you not?

You're a traitor, Bickerstaff.

-That's how the army deals with traitors.

-Trial be damned!

It was your neck or mine.

And here we are.

As to your precious army,

in a few hours

there ain't gonna be no bloody army,

and good riddance says I.

They've had the best of me.

The best of you?

There's no decency in you, Shadrach.

You're scum, and you'll die like scum.

I'll leave you to enjoy each other's company.

And God knows you might as well, for you'll

ne'er see another bibi this side of hell.

-Bickerstaff. Bickerstaff!

-Bastard!

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

Now then, missy.

Where might you be going?

# He looketh at the earth and it trembles

# He toucheth the hills and they smoke #

I shall sing praise unto the Lord, as long as I live.

All sing.

# I shall sing praise unto the Lord

as long as I live #

What possible reason could you have

for leaving Ferraghur on the eve of battle?

Mmm?

Answer me directly.

We shall see if a flogging cannot encourage

that pretty tongue of yours to sing.

You would not dare raise a hand

against a princess of the blood.

When my brother hears of this...

Alas.

I fear His Highness has seen his last sunset.

(MEN CHEERING)

My God, an inner wall.

BURROUGHS:
Recent-built by the look of it.

Can it be breached, Stokes?

Fresh clay, sir.

Neither my guns nor Joshua's trumpets

will put a tumble to it.

Then we must ignore it

and concentrate on the outer wall.

Capture the battlements

and we will command the fort.

Colonel McRae,

have the forlorn hope stand ready to advance

upon my order.

Aye, sir. I'll see it done.

Pray God our losses are none too grievous.

(DOOR OPENING)

(WHISPERING) Hey. Now, don't speak, just listen.

I don't have much time.

I'm here by permission

of Colonel Gudin with his blessing.

-You came to rescue your general's daughter?

-Yes, we did.

I thought as much.

What's this?

I give you this so you can cheat Dodd's torturers.

A cartridge apiece.

That's all I have.

-It'll do.

-Thank you.

I'm sorry I could do no more, my friends.

MAN:
Sahib.

Faut que j'y aille.

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