Free Sharpe's Triumph by Bernard Cornwell Page A

missing.”
    “And was it?”
    “No, sir,” Morris said.
    “Miscounted, sir,” Hakeswill said, 'on account of it being dark, sir."
    Hakeswill had indeed summoned Morris to the armoury after dark, and there he had hit

    the Captain with a baulk of timber and, for good measure, had added the contents of a

    chamber pot that Major Stokes had left outside his office. The sentries had been

    sheltering from the rain in the guardhouse and none had questioned the sight of Hakeswill

    dragging the recumbent Morris back to his quarters, for the sight of drunken officers

    being taken home by sergeants or privates was too common to be remarkable. The

    important thing was that Morris had not seen who assaulted him and was quite prepared to

    believe Hakes-will's version, for Morris relied utterly on Hakeswill in

    everything.
    “I blames myself, sir,” Hakeswill went on, 'on account of not chasing Sharpie, but I

    thought my duty was to look after my Captain, sir, on account of him being drenched by a

    slop pot."
    “Enough, Sergeant!” Gore said.
    “It ain't a Christian act, sir,” Hakeswill muttered resentfully.
    “Not with a jakes pot, sir. Says so in the scriptures.”
    Gore rubbed his face. The rain had taken the edge off the damp heat, but not by much, and

    he found the atmosphere horribly oppressive.
    Maybe the itch was just a reaction to the heat. He rubbed his hand across his belly, but

    it did not help.
    “Why would Sergeant Sharpe assault you without warning, Captain?” he asked.
    Morris shrugged.
    “He's a disagreeable sort, sir,” he offered weakly.
    “He never liked the Captain, sir, Sharpie didn't,” Hakeswill said, 'and it's my belief,

    sir, that he thought the Captain had come to summon him back to the battalion, where he

    ought to be soldiering instead of living off the fat of the land, but he don't want to come

    back, sir, on account of being comfortable, sir, like he's got no right to be.
    He never did know his place, sir, not Sharpe, sir. Got above himself, sir, he has, and

    he's got cash in his breeches. On the fiddle, I dare say."
    Gore ignored the last accusation.
    “How badly are you hurt?” he asked Morris.
    “Only cuts and bruises, sir.” Morris straightened in the chair.
    “But it's still a court-martial offence, sir.”
    “A capital offence, sir,” Hakeswill said.
    “Up against the wall, sir, and God have mercy on his black soul, which I very much doubts

    God will, God having better things to worry about than a sorry piece of scum like

    Sharpie.”
    Gore sighed. He suspected there was a great deal more to the story than he was hearing,

    but whatever the real facts Captain Morris was still right. All that mattered was that

    Sergeant Sharpe was alleged to have struck an officer, and no excuse in the world could

    explain away such an offence. Which meant Sergeant Sharpe would have to be tried and very

    probably shot, and Gore would regret that for he had heard some very good things of the young

    Sergeant Sharpe.
    “I had great hopes of Sergeant Sharpe,” the Colonel said sadly.
    “Got above himself, sir,” Hakeswill snapped.
    “Just 'cos he blew the mine at Seringapatam, sir, he thinks he's got wings and can fly.

    Needs to have his feathers clipped, sir, says so in the scriptures.”
    Gore looked scornfully at the twitching Sergeant.
    “And what did you do at the assault of the city, Sergeant?” he asked.
    “My duty, sir, my duty,” Hakeswill answered.
    “What is all I ever expects any other man to do, sir.”
    Gore shook his head regretfully. There really was no way out of this dilemma. If

    Sharpe had struck an officer, then Sharpe must be punished.
    “I suppose he'll have to be fetched back here,” Gore admitted.
    “Of course,” Morris agreed.
    Gore frowned in irritation. This was all such a damned nuisance!
    Gore had desperately hoped that the 33rd would be attached to Wellesley's army which

    was about to plunge into Mahratta territory, but instead the