bcornwell.sharpstiger-第43部分

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　tiny　handbell　to　attract　the　goddess's　attention。　It　was　only　then　that　Sharpe　recognized　her。　'Mary！'　he　called；　and　she　turned　in　alarm　to　see　Sharpe　standing　in　the　deep　shadows　at　the　side　of　the　shrine。　The　look　of　terror　on　Mary's　face　checked　Sharpe。　The　tall　young　soldier　had　put　a　hand　on　the　hilt　of　his　sword。　'Mary；'　Sharpe　called　again；　'lass。'
　'Brother！'　Mary　called　aloud；　and　then；　almost　in　a　panic；　she　repeated　the　word。　'Brother！'
　Sharpe　grinned；　disguising　his　confusion。　Then　he　saw　there　were　tears　in　Mary's　eyes　and　he　frowned。　'Are　you　all　right；　lass？'Tm　very　well；'　she　said　deliberately；　and　then；　in　an　even　more　stilted　voice；　'Brother。'
　Sharpe　glanced　at　the　Indian　soldier　and　saw　that　the　man　had　a　fiercely　protective　look。　'Is　that　the　General？'　he　asked　Mary。
　'No。　It's　Kunwar　Singh；'　Mary　said；　and　she　turned　and　gestured　towards　the　soldier　and　Sharpe　saw　a　look　of　tenderness　on　her　face；　and　all　at　once　he　understood　what　was　happening。
　'Does　he　speak　English？'　Sharpe　asked；　and　then；　with　a　grin；　'sister？'
　Mary　threw　him　a　look　of　pure　relief。　'Some；'　she　said。　'How　are　you？　How's　your　back？'
　'Mending　all　right；　it　is。　That　Indian　doctor　does　magic；　he　does。　I　still　feel　it　now　and　then；　but　not　like　it　was。　No；　I'm　doing　all　right。　I　even　won　a　medal；　look！'　He　held　the　gold　towards　Mary。　'But　I　need　to　talk　to　you　privately；'　he　added　as　she　leaned　close　to　peer　at　the　medallion。　'It's　urgent；　love；'　he　hissed。
　Mary　fingered　the　gold；　then　looked　up　at　Sharpe。　Tm　sorry；　Richard；'　she　whispered。
　'There's　nothing　to　be　sorry　for；　lass；'　Sharpe　said；　and　he　spoke　truthfully；　for　ever　since　he　had　seen　Mary　in　her　sari　he　had　sensed　that　she　was　not　for　him。　She　looked　too　sophisticated；　too　elegant；　and　the　wives　of　mon　soldiers　were　usually　neither。　'You　and　him；　eh？'　he　asked；　glancing　at　the　lean　and　handsome　Kunwar　Singh。
　Mary　gave　a　tiny　nod。
　'Good　for　you！'　Sharpe　called　to　the　Indian　and　gave　him　a　smile。　'Good　girl；　my　sister！'
　'Half…sister；'　Mary　hissed。
　'Make　up　your　bloody　mind；　lass。'
　'And　I've　taken　an　Indian　name；'　she　said。　'Aruna。'
　'Sounds　good。　Aruna。'　Sharpe　smiled。　'I　like　it。'
　'It　was　my　mother's　name；'　Mary　explained；　then　fell　intoan　awkward　silence。　She　glanced　at　the　man　with　the　white　stripe　on　his　head；　then　tentatively　touched　Sharpe's　elbow　and　so　led　him　back　into　the　shaded　niche　where　he　had　been　waiting。　A　ledge　ran　round　the　niche　and　Mary　sat　on　it；　facing　Sharpe　with　her　hands　held　modestly　on　her　lap。　Kunwar　Singh　watched　them；　but　did　not　try　to　…e　close。
　For　a　second　neither　Sharpe　nor　Mary　had　anything　to　say。　'I've　been　watching　that　naked　fellow；'　Sharpe　said；　'and　he　ain't　moved　an　inch。'
　'It's　one　way　to　worship；'　Mary　said　sofdy。
　'Bloody　odd　though。　The　whole　thing's　odd。'　Sharpe　gestured　around　the　decorated　shrine。　'Looks　like　a　circus；　don't　it？　Can't　imagine　it　at　home。　Painted　clowns　in　church；　eh？　Can　you　imagine　that？'　Then　he　remembered　Mary　had　never　seen　England。　'It　ain't　the　same；'　he　said　weakly；　then　jerked　his　head　towards　the　ever　watchful　Kunwar　Singh。　'You　and　him；　eh？'　Sharpe　said　again。
　Mary　nodded。　Tm　sorry；　Richard。　Truly。'
　'It　happens；　lass；'　Sharpe　said。　'But　you　don't　want　him　to　know　about　you　and　me；　is　that　it？'
　She　nodded　and　again　looked　fearful。　'Please？'　she　begged　him。　Sharpe　paused；　not　to　keep　Mary　on　tenterhooks；　but　because　the　naked　man　had　at　last　moved。　He　had　slowly　clasped　his　hands　together；　but　that　seemed　the　extent　of　his　exertions　for　he　went　quite　still　again。　'Richard？'　Mary　pleaded。　'You　won't　tell　him；　will　you？'
　He　looked　back　to　her。　'I　want　you　to　do　something　for　me；'　he　said。
　She　looked　wary；　but　nodded。　'Of　course。　If　I　can。'
　'There's　a　fellow　in　this　city　called　Ravi　Shekhar。　Got　the　name？　He's　a　merchant；　God　knows　what　he　sells；　but　he's　here　right　enough　and　you've　got　to　find　him。　Do　they　ever　let　you　out　of　the　house？'
　'Yes。'
　'Then　you　get　out；　lass；　and　find　this　Ravi　Shekhar　andtell　him　to　get　a　message　to　the　British。　And　the　message　is　this。　They　mustn't　attack　the　west　wall。　That's　it；　just　that。　The　daft　buggers　are　setting　themselves　to　attack　it　right　now；　so　it's　urgent。　Will　you　do　that？'
　Mary　licked　her　lips；　then　nodded。　'And　you　won't　tell　Kunwar　about　us？'
　'I　wouldn't　have　told　him　anyway；'　Sharpe　said。　'Of　course　I　wouldn't。　I　wish　you　joy　of　the　fellow；　sister；　eh？'　He　smiled。　'Sister　Aruna。　It's　nice　to　have　some　family　and　you're　all　I've　got。　And　I　hate　to　ask　you　to　find　this　Shekhar　fellow；　but　the　Lieutenant　and　me；　we　just　can't　manage　to　escape　so　someone　else　has　to　send　the　message　out。　Looks　like　you。'　Sharpe　grinned。　'But　it　looks　like　you've　changed　sides　now　and　I　don't　blame　you。　So　you　don't　mind　doing　this　for　me？'
　'I'll　do　it　for　you。　I　promise。'
　'You're　a　good　lass。'　He　stood。　'Do　brothers　kiss　sisters　in　India？'
　Mary　half　smiled。　T　think　they　do；　yes。'
　Sharpe　gave　her　a　very　respectable　kiss　on　the　cheek；　smelling　her　perfume。　'You　look　grand；　Mary；'　he　said。　'Too　grand　for　me；　eh？'
　'You're　a　good　man；　Richard。'
　'That　won't　get　me　very　far　in　this　world；　will　it？'　He　backed　away　from　Mary　then　grinned　at　Kunwar　Singh　who　offered　him　a　stiff；　slight　bow。　'You're　a　lucky　man！'　Sharpe　said；　and　then；　with　a　backwards　glance　at　the　tall　elegant　woman　who　now　called　herself　Aruna；　he　walked　away　from　Mary　Bickerstaff。　Easy　e；　easy　go；　he　thought；　but　there　was　also　a　pang　of　jealousy　for　the　tall　good…looking　Indian。　But　what　the　hell？　Mary　was　doing　her　best　to　survive　and　Sharpe　could　never　blame　someone　for　doing　that。　He　was　doing　the　same　himself。
　He　had　turned　back　towards　the　barracks　where　Gudin's　battalion　was　quartered。　He　was　thinking　about　Mary　andabout　how　graceful；　even　unapproachable；　she　had　looked；　and　he　was　hardly　looking　where　he　was　going　when　a　cheerful　shout　warned　him　of　an　approaching　bullock　cart　that　was　loaded　with　great　barrels。　Sharpe　stepped　hastily　aside　as　the　bullocks；　their　horns　painted　yellow　and　blue　and　tipped　with　small　silver　bells；　lumbered　past。　He　saw　that　the　brightly　painted　cart　was　heading　down　a　narrow　alley　which　led　towards　the　gatehouse　in　the　western　wall　and　the　sentries　at　the　gate；　seeing　the　cart　approach；　heaved　back　the　huge　double　doors。
　And　Sharpe　instinctively　knew　something　was　amiss。　He　stood　watching　and　suspected　he　was　on　the　edge　of　solving　the　city's　mystery。　The　guards　were　opening　the　gates；　yet　so　far　as　Sharpe　knew　there　were　no　gates　in　the　city's　western　wall　which　faced　the　South　Gauvery　river。　He　knew　of　the　Bangalore　Gate　to　the　east；　the　Mysore　Gate　to　the　south；　and　the　much　smaller　Water　Gate　to　the　north；　but　no　one　had　ever　spoken　of　a　fourth　gate；　yet　there　it　was。　Once；　plainly；　there　had　been　another　water　gate　here；　a　gate　that　opened　onto　the　South　Gauvery；　and　presumably　that　entrance　to　the　city　had　long　ago　been　sealed　up；　yet　now　Sharpe　was　watching　the　gates　being　opened　and　he　impulsively　turned　and　followed　the　cart　down　the　alley。　The　cart　had　already　vanished　into　the　deep　gloom　inside　the　gate's　tunnel　and　the　two　guards　were　dragging　the　big　double　doors　closed；　but　then　they　saw　the　bright　gold　medallion　on　Sharpe's　chest　and　maybe　that　rare　token　convinced　them　that　he　had　the　authority　to　enter。　'Looking　for　Colonel　Gudin！'　Sharpe　offered　in　brazen　explanation　when　one　of　the　two　men　nervously　moved　to　intercept　him。　'Got　a　message　for　the　Colonel；　see？'
　Then　he　was　through　the　gate　and　he　saw　that　it　was　not　a　passage　out　of　the　city　at　all；　but　was　rather　a　long　tunnel　that　led　only　to　a　blank　stone　wall。　It　had　once　been　a　gateway；　that　much　was　obvious；　but　at　some　time　the　old　outer　gatehad　been　walled　shut　to　leave　this　gloomy　tunnel　that　was　now　stacked　with　barrels。　They　had　to　be　powder　barrels；　for　Sharpe　could　see　pale　lengths　of　fuses　ing　from　their　stoppered　bungholes。　The　whole　northern　side　of　the　tunnel　was　crammed　with　the　powder　barrels。　Just　the　northern　side。
　An　officer　saw　him　and　shouted　angrily。　Sharpe　played　the　innocent。　'Colonel　Gudin？'　he　asked。　'Have　you　seen　Colonel　Gudin；　sahib？'
　The　Indian　officer　ran　towards　him　and；　as　he　came；　he　drew　a　pistol；　but　then；　in　the　tunnel's　dim　dusty　light；　he　saw　the　gold　medal　on　Sharpe's　chest　and　he　pushed　the　pistol　back　into　his　sash。　'Gudin？'　he　asked　Sharpe。
　Sharpe　smiled　eagerly。　'He's　my　officer；　sahib。　I've　got　a　message　for　him。'
　The　Indian　did　not　understand；　but　he　did　know　the　significance　of　the　medal　and　it　was　enough　to　make　him　respectful。　But　he　was　still　firm。　He　pointed　Sharpe　towards　the　door　and　gestured　that　he　was　to　leave。
　'Gudin？'　Sharpe　insisted。
　The　man　shook　his　head　and　Sharpe；　with　a　grin；　left　the　tunnel。
　He　had　forgotten　Mary　now　for　he　knew　he　was　on　the　verge　of　understanding　what　was　being　kept　so　secret。　He　went　back　down　the　alley　and　at　its　end　he　turned　and　looked　at　the　wall　above　and　he　wondered　why　there　were　no　gunners　standing　by　the　brass　guns；　and　why　no　sentries　stood　in　the　embrasures　and　why　no　flags　were　hung　on　the　battlements。　Everywhere　else　on　the　walls　there　were　flags　and　sentries　and　gunners；　but　not　here。　He　waited　until　the　tunnel　gates　had　been　closed；　then　he　hurried　up　the　nearby　ramp　that　led　to　the　wall's　firestep。　The　wall　here　was　made　of　red　mud　bricks　and　was　not　nearly　so　formidable　as　the　southern　wall　which　was　constructed　from　massive　granite　blocks。　Nor　was　this　wall　more　than　twenty　feet　thick；　whereas　the　tunnel　had　been　nearer　a　hundred　feet　long。　He　ran　up　to　the　parapetwhere　the　big　guns　waited　and；　when　he　reached　the　firestep；　he　understood　everything。or　there　was　not　one　wall　here；　but　two。　The　one　he　was　standing　on　was　the　inner　wall　and　it　was　new；　so　new　that　some　short　stretches　of　the　wall　were　still　festooned　with　scaffolding　and　ropes　where　the　Tippoo's　labourers　hastened　to　plete　the　work。　And　sixty　feet　away；　beyond　an　empty　inner　ditch；　was　the　city's　outer　wall　where　the　flags　were　hung　and　where　the　gunners　and　sentries　stood　guard。　That　old　outer　wall　was　a　couple　of　feet　higher　than　this　new　inner　wall；　but　opposite　Sharpe；　and　close　to　where　he　had　seen　the　powder…crammed　tunnel；　tho