Бернард Корнуэлл: Sharpe's Havoc

Christopher gazed back westward. The sun had dried the roads after the night’s heavy rain and a smear of dust on the horizon showed where the French army’s baggage train was advancing toward the newly captured city of Oporto. The city itself, hidden now by hills, was marked by a great plume of dirty smoke spewing up from burning houses and from the busy batteries of cannons that, though muted by distance, sounded like an unceasing thunder. No French troops had bothered to pursue Christopher this far. A dozen laborers were deepening a ditch in the valley and ignored the fugitives on the nearby road as if to suggest that the war was the city’s business, not theirs. There were no British riflemen among the fugitives, Christopher noted, but he would have been surprised to see Sharpe and his men this far from the city. Doubtless by now they were dead or captured. What had Hogan been thinking of in asking Sharpe to accompany him? Was it because the shrewd Irishman suspected something? But how could Hogan know? Christopher worried at the problem for a few moments, then dismissed it. Hogan could know nothing; he was just trying to be helpful. „The French did well today,” Christopher remarked to his Portuguese servant, a young man with receding hair and a thin, earnest face.

„The devil will get them in the end, senhor,” the servant answered.

„Sometimes mere men have to do the devil’s business,” Christopher said. He drew a small telescope from his pocket and trained it on the far hills. „In the next few days,” he said, still gazing through the glass, „you will see some things that will surprise you.”

„If you say so, senhor,” the servant answered.

„But ‘there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.’”

„If you say so, senhor,” the servant repeated, wondering why the English officer called him Horatio when his name was Luis, but he thought it was probably better not to ask. Luis had been a barber in Lisbon where he had sometimes cut the hair of men from the British embassy and it had been those men who had recommended him as a reliable servant to Christopher who paid him good wages in real gold, English gold, and if the English were mad and got names wrong they still made the best coinage in the world, which meant that Colonel Christopher could call Luis whatever he wanted so long as he went on paying him thick guineas embossed with the figure of Saint George slaying the dragon.

Christopher was looking for any sign of a French pursuit, but his telescope was small, old and had a scratched lens and he could see very little better with it than without it. He was meaning to buy another, but he never had the opportunity. He collapsed the glass, put it in his saddle pouch and took out a fresh toothpick that he thrust between his teeth. „Onwards,” he said brusquely, and he led the servant through the wood, across the hill’s crest and down to a large farmhouse. It was plain that Christopher knew the route well for he did not hesitate on the way, nor was he apprehensive as he curbed his horse beside the farm gate. „Stables are in there,” he told Luis, pointing to an archway, „kitchen is beyond the blue door and the folks here are expecting us. We’ll spend the night here.”

„Not at Vila Real de Zedes, senhor?” Luis asked. „I heard you say we would look for Miss Savage?”

„Your English is getting too good if it lets you eavesdrop,” Christopher said sourly. „Tomorrow, Luis; we shall look for Miss Savage tomorrow.” Christopher slid out of the saddle and threw the reins to Luis. „Cool the horses, unsaddle them, find me something to eat and bring it to my room. One of the servants will let you know where I am.”

Luis walked the two horses to cool them down, then stabled, watered and fed them. Afterward he went to the kitchen where a cook and two maids showed no surprise at his arrival. Luis had become accustomed to being taken to some remote village or house where his master was known, but he had never been to this farmhouse before. He would have felt happier if Christopher had retreated across the river, but the farm was well hidden in the hills and it was possible the French would never come here. The servants told Luis that the house and lands belonged to a Lisbon merchant who had instructed them to do all they could to accommodate Colonel Christopher’s wishes. „He’s been here often then?” Luis asked.

The cook giggled. „He used to come with his woman.”

That explained why Luis had not been brought here before and he wondered who the woman was. „He wants food now,” Luis said. „What woman?”

„The pretty widow,” the cook said, then sighed. „But we have not seen her in a month. A pity. He should have married her.” She had a chickpea soup on the stove and she ladled some into a bowl, cut some cold mutton and put it on a tray with the soup, red wine and a small loaf of newly baked bread. „Tell the Colonel the meal will be ready for his guest this afternoon.”

His guest?” Luis asked, bemused.

„One guest for dinner, he told us. Now hurry! Don’t let that soup get cold. You go up the stairs and turn right.”

Luis carried the tray upstairs. It was a fine house, well built and handsome, with some ancient paintings on the walls. He found the door to his master’s bedroom ajar and Christopher must have heard the footsteps for he called out that Luis should come in without knocking. „Put the food by the window,” he ordered.

Christopher had changed his clothes and now, instead of wearing the black breeches, black boots and red tailcoat of an English officer, he was in sky-blue breeches that had black leather reinforcements wherever they might touch a saddle. The breeches were skin tight, made so by the laces that ran up both flanks from the ankles to the waist. The Colonel’s new jacket was of the same sky blue as the breeches, but decorated with lavish silver piping that climbed to curl around the stiff, high red collar. Over his left shoulder was a pelisse, a fake jacket trimmed with fur, while on a side table was a cavalry saber and a tall black hat that bore a short silver cockade held in place by an enamelled badge.

And the enamelled badge displayed the tricolor of France.

„I said you would be surprised,” Christopher remarked to Luis who was, indeed, gaping at his master.

Luis found his voice. „You are… “ he faltered.

„I am an English officer, Luis, as you very well know, but the uniform is that of a French hussar. Ah! Chickpea soup, I do so like chickpea soup. Peasant food, but good.” He crossed to the table and, grimacing because his breeches were so tightly laced, lowered himself into the chair. „We shall be sitting a guest to dinner this afternoon.”

„So I was told,” Luis said coldly.

„You will serve, Luis, and you will not be deterred by the fact that my guest is a French officer.”

„French?” Luis sounded disgusted.

„French,” Christopher confirmed, „and he will be coming here with an escort. Probably a large escort, and it would not do, would it, if that escort were to return to their army and say that their officer met with an Englishman? Which is why I wear this.” He gestured at the French uniform, then smiled at Luis. „War is like chess,” Christopher went on, „there are two sides and if the one wins then the other must lose.”

„France must not win,” Luis said harshly.

„There are black and white pieces,” Christopher continued, ignoring his servant’s protest, „and both obey rules. But who makes those rules, Luis? That is where the power lies. Not with the players, certainly not with the pieces, but with the man who makes the rules.”

„France must not win,” Luis said again. „I am a good Portuguese!”