bcornwell.sharpstiger-第22部分

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　Baird　grimaced。　'Very　unpleasant　executions；　Lieutenant；'　he　said　grimly。　'You　still　want　to　go？'
　Lawford　remained　pale；　but　nodded。　'I　think　it's　worth　a　try；　sir。'
　Wellesley　snorted　at　the　Lieutenant's　foolishness；　but　Baird　ignored　the　Colonel。　'At　night　the　guards　are　withdrawn；'　he　went　on；　'but　there's　still　a　sentry。'
　'Just　one？'　Sharpe　asked。
　Just　one；　Private；'　Baird　confirmed。
　'I　can　take　care　of　one　sentry；　sir；'　Sharpe　boasted。
　'Not　this　one；'　Baird　said　grimly；　'because　when　I　was　there　he　was　eight　feet　long　if　he　was　an　inch。　He　was　a　tiger；　Sharpe。　A　man…eater；　and　the　eight　foot　don't　count　his　tail。　He　used　to　be　put　in　the　corridor　every　night；　so　pray　you　don't　ever　end　up　in　the　Tippoo's　cells。　Pray　that　Ravi　Shekhar　will　know　how　to　get　McCandless　out。''Or　at　the　very　least；'　Harris　intervened；　'pray　that　Shekhar　can　discover　what　McCandless　knows　and　that　you　can　get　that　news　out　to　us。'
　'So　that's　what　we　want　of　you！'　Baird　said　to　Sharpe　with　a　brusque　cheerfulness。　'Are　you　willing　to　go；　man？'
　Sharpe　reckoned　it　was　all　idiocy；　and　he　did　not　much　like　the　sound　of　the　tiger；　but　he　knew　better　than　to　show　any　reluctance。　'I　reckon　three　is　better　than　two　thousand；　sir；'　he　said。
　'Three？'　Baird　asked；　puzzled。
　'Three　stripes　are　better　than　two　thousand　lashes；　sir。　If　we　find　out　what　you　want　to　know　or　else　fetch　this　Colonel　McCandless　out　of　jail；　sir；　can　I　be　a　sergeant？'　He　asked　the　question　of　Wellesley。
　Wellesley　looked　enraged　at　Sharpe's　presumption；　and　for　a　second　it　was　plain　that　he　proposed　to　turn　him　down；　but　General　Harris　cleared　his　throat　and　mildly　remarked　that　it　sounded　a　reasonable　suggestion　to　him。
　Wellesley　thought　about　opposing　the　General；　then　decided　that　it　was　most　unlikely　that　Sharpe　would　even　survive　this　nonsense　and　so；　albeit　reluctantly；　he　nodded。　'A　sergeant's　stripes；　Sharpe；　if　you　succeed。'
　'Thank　you；　sir；'　Sharpe　said。
　Baird　dismissed　him。　'Go　with　Lieutenant　Lawford　now；　Sharpe；　he'll　tell　you　what　to　do。　And　one　other　thing。　。　。'　The　Scotsman's　voice　became　urgent。　'For　God's　sake；　man；　don't　tell　another　soul　what　you're　doing。'
　'Wouldn't　dream　of　it；　sir；'　Sharpe　said；　flinching　as　he　stood　up。
　'Go　then；'　Baird　said。　He　waited　till　the　two　men　were　gone；　then　sighed。　'A　bright　young　fellow；　that　Sharpe。'　He　spoke　to　Harris。
　'A　rogue；'　Wellesley　interjected。　'I　could　provide　you　with　a　hundred　others　just　as　disreputable。　Scum；　all　of　them；　and　the　only　thing　that　keeps　them　from　riot　is　discipline。'Harris　rapped　the　table　to　stop　the　squabbling　of　his　two　seconds…in…mand。　'But　will　the　rogue　succeed？'　he　asked。
　'Not　a　chance；'　Wellesley　said　confidently。
　'A　woefully　small　chance；'　Baird　admitted　dourly；　then　added　more　vigorously；　'but　even　a　small　chance　is　worth　it　if　we　can　get　McCandless　back。'
　'At　the　risk　of　losing　two　good　men？'　Harris　asked。
　'One　man　who　might　bee　a　decent　officer；'　Wellesley　corrected　the　General；　'and　one　man　whose　loss　the　world　won't　mourn　for　a　second。'
　'But　McCandless　might　hold　the　key　to　the　city；　General；'　Baird　reminded　Harris。
　'True；'　Harris　said　heavily；　then　unrolled　a　map　that　had　lain　scrolled　on　the　edge　of　his　table。　The　map　showed　Seringapatam　and　whenever　he　gazed　at　it　he　wondered　how　he　was　to　set　about　besieging　the　city。　Lord　Cornwalis；　who　had　captured　the　city　seven　years　before；　had　assaulted　the　north　side　of　the　island　and　then　attacked　the　eastern　walls；　but　Harris　doubted　that　he　would　be　given　that　route　again。　The　Tippoo　would　have　been　forewarned　by　that　earlier　success；　which　meant　this　new　assault　must　e　from　either　the　south　or　the　west。　A　dozen　deserters　from　the　enemy's　forces　had　all　claimed　that　the　west　wall　was　in　bad　repair；　and　maybe　that　would　give　Harris　his　best　chance。　'South　or　west；'　he　said　aloud；　reiterating　the　problem　he　had　already　discussed　a　score　of　times　with　his　two　deputies。　'But　either　way；　gentlemen；　the　place　is　crammed　with　guns；　thick　with　rockets　and　filled　with　infantry。　And　we'll　have　only　the　one　chance　before　the　rains　e。　Just　one。　West　or　south；　eh？'　He　stared　at　the　map；　hoping　against　hope　that　McCandless　could　be　fetched　from　his　dungeon　to　offer　some　guidance；　but　dial；　he　admitted　to　himself；　was　a　most　unlikely　oute；　which　meant　the　decision　would　inevitably　be　all　his　to　make。　The　final　decision　could　wait　till　the　army　was　close　to　the　city　and　Harris　had　been　given　a　chance　to　view　the　Tippoo'sdefences；　but　once　the　army　was　ready　to　make　camp　the　choice　would　have　to　be　made　swiftly　and；　all　things　being　equal；　Harris　was　fairly　sure　which　route　he　would　choose。　For　weeks　now　his　instinct　had　been　telling　him　where　to　attack；　but　he　worried　that　the　Tippoo　might　have　foreseen　the　weakness　in　his　city's　defences。　But　there　was　no　point　in　wondering　whether　the　Tippoo　was　outfoxing　him；　that　way　lay　indecision；　and　so　Harris　tapped　his　quill　on　the　map。　'My　instincts　tell　me　to　attack　here；　gentlemen；　right　here。'　He　was　indicating　the　west　wall。　'Across　the　river　shallows　and　right　through　the　weakest　stretch　of　the　walls。　It　seems　the　obvious　place。'　He　tapped　the　map　again。　'Right　here；　right　here。'
　Right　where　the　Tippoo　had　set　his　trap。
　
　Allah；　in　His　infinite　mercy；　had　been　good　to　the　Tippoo　Sultan；　for　Allah；　in　His　immeasurable　wisdom；　had　revealed　the　existence　of　a　merchant　who　was　sending　information　to　the　British　army。　The　man　dealt　in　mon　metals；　in　copper；　tin　and　brass；　and　his　wagons　frequently　passed　through　one　of　the　city's　two　main　gates　loaded　with　their　heavy　cargoes。　God　alone　knows　how　many　such　cargoes　had　passed　out　of　Seringapatam　in　the　last　three　months；　but　at　least　the　gate　guards　had　searched　the　right　wagon；　the　one　that　carried　a　coded　letter　which；　under　interrogation；　the　wretched　merchant　had　admitted　contained　a　report　of　the　strange　work　that　was　being　done　in　the　old　closed　gateway　of　the　western　wall。　That　work　should　have　been　a　close　secret；　for　the　only　men　allowed　near　the　gateway　were　Gudin's　reliable　European　troops　and　a　small　band　of　the　Tippoo's　Muslim　warriors　whom　he　regarded　as　utterly　trustworthy。　The　merchant；　not　surprisingly；　was　a　Hindu；　but　when　his　wife　was　brought　into　the　interrogation　room　and　threatened　with　the　red…hot　pincers；　the　merchant　had　confessed　the　name　of　the　Muslim　soldier　who　had　allowed　himself　to　be　suborned　bythe　merchant's　gold。　And　so　much　gold！　A　strongroom　filled　with　the　metal；　far　more　than　the　Tippoo　suspected　could　be　earned　from　trading　in　tin；　brass　and　copper。　It　was　British　gold；　the　merchant　confessed；　given　him　so　he　could　raise　rebellion　inside　Seringapatam。
　The　Tippoo　did　not　consider　himself　a　cruel　man；　but　nor；　indeed；　did　he　think　of　himself　as　a　gentle　one。　He　was　a　ruler；　and　cruelty　and　mercy　were　both　weapons　of　rulers。　Any　monarch　who　flinched　from　cruelty　would　not　rule　long；　just　as　any　ruler　who　forgot　mercy　would　soon　earn　hatred；　and　so　the　Tippoo　tried　to　balance　mercy　with　cruelty。　He　did　not　want　the　reputation　of　being　lenient　any　more　than　he　wanted　to　be　judged　a　tyrant；　and　so　he　tried　to　use　both　mercy　and　cruelty　judiciously。　The　Hindu　merchant；　his　confession　made；　had　pleaded　for　mercy；　but　the　Tippoo　knew　this　was　no　time　to　show　weakness。　This　was　the　time　to　let　a　shudder　of　horror　ripple　through　the　streets　and　alleys　of　Seringapatam。　It　was　a　time　to　let　his　enemies　know　that　the　price　for　treason　was　death；　and　so　both　the　merchant　and　the　Muslim　soldier　who　had　taken　the　merchant's　gold　were　now　standing　on　the　hot　sand　of　the　Inner　Palace's　courtyard　where　they　were　being　guarded　by　two　of　the　Tippoo's　favoured　jettis。
　The　jettis　were　Hindus；　and　their　strength；　which　was　remarkable；　was　devoted　to　their　religion。　That　amused　the　Tippoo。　Some　Hindus　sought　the　rewards　of　godliness　by　growing　their　hair　and　fingernails；　others　by　denying　themselves　food；　still　others　by　abjuring　all　earthly　pleasures；　but　the　jettis　did　it　by　developing　their　muscles；　and　the　results；　the　Tippoo　admitted；　were　extraordinary。　He　might　disagree　with　their　religion；　but　he　encouraged　them　all　the　same　and　like　his　father　he　had　hired　a　dozen　of　the　most　impressive　strongmen　to　amuse　and　serve　him。　Two　of　the　finest　now　stood　beneath　the　throne…room　balcony；　stripped　to　their　waists　and　with　their　vast　chests　oiled　so　that　their　musclesshone　dark　in　the　early…afternoon　sun。　The　six　tigers；　restless　because　they　had　been　denied　their　midday　meal　of　freshly　slaughtered　goat　meat；　glared　with　yellow　eyes　from　the　courtyard's　edges。
　The　Tippoo　came　from　his　prayers　to　the　balcony　where　he　threw　open　the　filigree　shutters　so　that　he　and　his　entourage　could　view　the　courtyard　clearly。　Colonel　Gudin　was　in　attendance；　as　was　Appah　Rao。　Both　men　had　been　summoned　from　the　city　ramparts　where　they　had　been　making　the　last　preparations　for　the　arrival　of　the　British。　Gun　carriages　were　being　repaired；　ammunition　being　laid　down　in　magazines　deep　enough　to　be　shielded　from　the　fall　of　enemy　howitzer　shells；　while　dozens　of　rockets　were　in　the　ready　magazines　on　the　ramparts'　firesteps。　The　Tippoo　liked　to　tour　his　defences　where　he　could　imagine　his　rockets　and　shells　searing　down　into　the　enemy　ranks；　but　now；　in　the　courtyard　of　his　Inner　Palace；　he　had　an　even　more　pleasurable　duty　to　perform。　He　would　kill　traitors。　'Both　men　betrayed　me；'　he　told　Colonel　Gudin　through　the　interpreter；　'and　one　is　also　a　spy。　What　would　you　do　in　France　with　such　men；　Colonel？'
　'Send　them　to　Madame　Guillotine；　Your　Majesty。'　The　Tippoo　chuckled　when　the　answer　was　translated。　He　was　curious　about　the　guillotine　and　at　one　time　he　had　thought　of　having　such　a　machine　built　in　the　city。　He　was　fascinated　by　all　things　French　and　indeed；　when　the　revolution　had　swept　France　and　destroyed　the　ancim　regime；　the　Tippoo　had　for　a　time　embraced　the　new　ideas　of　Liberty；　Equality　and　Fraternity。　He　had　erected　a　Tree　of　Liberty　in　Seringapatam；　ordered　his　guards　to　wear　the　red　hats　of　the　revolution；　and　had　even　ordered　revolutionary　declarations　to　be　posted　in　the　city's　main　streets；　but　the　fascination　had　not　endured。　The　Tippoo　had　begun　to　fear　that　his　people　might　bee　to