Sharpe's Peril Page #4

learning,

I can't reason their interest

in books and parchment bonds.

Happen they've a taste for lists.

The army is fond of lists.

If you come upon any mention of Miss

Bonnet's fiance,

you'll let me know of it.

He's not among the dead? The only

white man accounted for is Simmerson.

It's possible this Major Joubert

is out on patrol.

I'll be glad to give her some hope.

My wife is offering such comfort and

assurance as she can.

Aye. You've a good 'un there, Major.

If you'll allow.

Indeed, Colonel.

I hold myself the luckiest of men.

Yet also, I fear, a selfish one.

There's a score of years and more

between us, sir.

I wonder sometimes if she would have

been happier with a younger man.

The choice was hers to make, Major.

To my mind, she chose wisely.

Aye, sir, aye.

As you say,

fortune favours me beyond my

deserving.

You'll catch 50 lashes if Colour

Wormwood finds you.

Now then.

Now then...

What have you?

As fine a pair

this soul ever laid eyes on.

Don't tell me there's some bevvy hid

there still.

God bless officers. Soldiers share!

Always!

But not here, eh?

Let's find ourselves a bit of peace

and quiet so we can enjoy it proper.

Should you be here, ma'am?

I can send someone to relieve you.

My time is better occupied.

How fares the general?

His thoughts come and go.

And the boy?

Sleeping.

If you embrace Christ with all your

heart,

even at this late hour,

all your sins will be washed as

white as snow. Come, sir.

I thought we'd cleared this place of

vultures.

You must leave the sick to their

rest, Mr Watkin.

As Madame tends to the physical,

Colonel,

so I look to tend the immortal soul.

As maybe, sir.

Yet you must come away.

Now, sir.

The man is dying.

Will you not let him go in peace?

I am on God's work, Colonel.

God's work!

You're a bloody hypocrite.

For shame, sir. For shame.

At least Simmerson

has cause for his madness.

You? You're the worst kind of

lunatic.

About your business, sir, and try

me no further.

Go, sir, sing,

cry hallelujah and give amen to the

top of your lungs, but not here.

WOMAN SINGING:

Hey, hey, hey.

Ah!

Hello, missy.

How might a kiss be?

Hold her, Ned,

that I may have a kiss off her.

Leave her be.

All right?

A pretty pickle and no mistake.

600 miles between here and home.

I don't think we can rely

on Dragomirov's troopers to deliver

us again.

We've done what we said.

We brought them safely here.

We have.

Ain't our business to do owt else.

I won't argue with that.

Right.

Right.

We should just...

just leave them, then, eh?

We should.

But you won't.

Major.

Major, there's been some trouble,

sir.

Please, sir, come with me.

Just when it seemed

to be going so well.

Keep to all as I foretold, girl,

or the worst of it will come to you.

Savvy?

What the hell is going on here,

Colour?

My men come along your sapper there,

sir,

looking to take his pleasure of the

maid, he was, sir, by force.

Naturally, being concerned of her

honour,

they come to her defence.

You can ask the girl, sir.

Sir, I did not.

Their word against his, sir.

That's the very nub of it.

I can't believe a fine officer such

as yourself

would want to take sides with one of

them. Against your own.

Not only are you a liar, Wormwood,

but a bloody fool also.

Liar, sir?

That's a very serious charge, sir.

Very serious.

Not at all the sort of accusation

an officer would make against an

enlisted man

without such proofs as would be

necessary to back it up.

Proofs? Cases where the honour of an

enlisted man have been impugned,

sir, KRs are very clear about such

proofs, sir.

A barrack room lawyer, too, eh?

King's Regulations is like

the good book itself to such as I.

Then you'll know what the punishment

is

for running an indisciplined section.

Indisciplined?

These men are unfit for duty

through drink.

They are on drunk, sir, I grant,

but on duty, sir? No, sir.

There we differs.

Do we, Colour?

We does, sir.

I was raised up from the ranks,

Wormwood.

You know what that means?

It means you've done a feat, sir.

Usually.

It also means I know every dirty

soldier's trick in the book.

Is that so, sir?

It is so.

And I'll tell you something more.

Rape is a hanging offence.

Even attempted.

Rape's a hanging, drunk's a flogging.

And you in charge of all.

Sir.

I could break you for this.

Push you down to private.

I've seen some piss-poor sections in

my time, by God I have,

But yours is a bloody disgrace.

Work-shy, gutless,

but that is gonna change.

From now on, they are on picket.

Permanent.

And every spare second,

you're gonna be on drill.

Pat.

Sir.

I want them sober and on the

firestep within the hour.

Right, you sons of whores,

you heard the officer.

Double, double, double!

Aye, I know Robert.

Believe me.

If things were else, I'd hang 'em and

have done with it.

But we've 600 mile of hostile country

before us.

And I need every man I've got.

He will not be long now.

I'll stay by him.

There is no word of Philippe?

No, ma'am, not yet.

But that he was not found amongst the

rest...

..it's possible Major Joubert

survived.

Joubert...

Joubert!

The devil. The filthy devil.

Lie still, sir.

You are not yourself.

Joubert!

The harvest. We must save the

harvest.

Stop him!

Stop him...

He's not in his right mind, ma'am.

I promise.

He'll be calling for my head.

BEAUCLERE:
Sir.

I think he's gone, sir.

Aye.

Aye, he's that.

Sharpe means to lead us on to

Calcutta.

Says who?

Colour had it off his own lips.

Then we're dead men.

Someone should do something.

What though, boys?

There's the rub.

And who to do it?

Any volunteers?

A soldier's solution, then.

We shall be like unto the Roman,

when the parted his raiment into

four,

yet would not rend his vesture,

but rather cast lots for it.

He that plucks the shortest measure

from Deever's shut fist...

shall stand assassin.

That's murder, Colour.

It's him or us, boys.

Him or us.

Pat.

Jesus.

Keep 'em back, Pat.

Tell 'em to keep back.

FLIES BUZZING:

How many?

Too many. 60, 70.

Whole families, Richard.

Young and old.

Men, women, children,

for the love of God.

This Chitu is as wicked a dog

as I've ever known.

Aye.

But it's a strange kind of rebel

that slaughters his own.

Do you not think?

These people were farmers, Pat.

No threat to any.

Where's the profit in it?

You've set your finger on the nub of

the matter, Colonel.

There's more to this than simple

rebellion.

I'm told you had some time this

afternoon

in conversation with Major

Tredinnick, General.

Whom?

We spoke of the attack upon

Kalimgong, General.

You remember?

Of course I remember.

Damned hard to forget.

Perhaps you'll be so good as to tell

these gentlemen what befell.

Company half squadron arrived

to collect the early harvest.

And this would have been the 70

chests

mentioned in the Company writer's

report?

General?

It would, sir.

I gave the task

to my second-in-command.

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