Sharpe's Fortress Part 40

"But you saved his life?"

Sharpe shrugged.

"I reckon so. Either that or stopped him getting captured."

"And killed a few men doing it, I hear?"

Sharpe looked at the tall Simons with some surprise, for he had not realized that his exploit had become common knowledge.

"Don't remember much about it."

"I suppose not. Still," Simons said, 'a feather in your cap?"

"I don't think Wellesley thinks that," Sharpe said.

"You're a King's officer now, Sharpe," Simons said enviously. As an East India Company officer he was trapped in the Company's c.u.mbersome system of promotion.

"If Wellesley thrives, he'll remember you."

Sharpe laughed.

"I doubt it, sir. He ain't the sort." He turned southwards again because Ahmed had called a warning in Arabic. The boy was pointing downhill and Sharpe stood to see over the crown of the slope. Far beneath him, where the road pa.s.sed through one of the lush valleys, a small party of hors.e.m.e.n was approaching and one of the riders was in a blue coat.

"Friends, Ahmed!" he called.

"Looks like the new engineer," Sharpe said to Simons.

"Pinckney will be delighted," Simons said sarcastically.

Pinckney came back to inspect the approaching party through a telescope, and spat when he saw the blue coat of the Royal Engineers.

"Another interfering b.a.s.t.a.r.d to teach me how to suck eggs," he said.

"So let's blow the charge before he gets here, otherwise he'll tell us we're doing it all wrong."

A crowd of grinning sepoys waited expectantly about the end of the fuse. Pinckney struck a light, put it to the quick match then watched the sparks smoke their way towards the distant charge. The smoke trail vanished in gra.s.s and it seemed to Sharpe that it must have extinguished itself, but then there was a violent coughing sound and the small ridge heaved upwards. Soil and stone flew outwards in a cloud of filthy smoke. The sepoys cheered. The explosion had seemed small to Sharpe, but when the smoke and dust cleared he could see that the ridge now had a deep notch through which the road could climb to the next high valley.

The pioneers went to shovel the loosened earth away and Sharpe sat again. Ahmed squatted beside him.

"What am I going to do with you?"

Sharpe asked.

"I go to England," Ahmed said carefully.

"You won't like it there. Cold as b.u.g.g.e.ry."

"Cold?"

"Freezing." Sharpe mimicked a s.h.i.+ver, but plainly it meant nothing to the Arab boy.

"I go to England," Ahmed insisted.

A half-hour later the new engineer appeared just beneath Sharpe.

He wore a wide-brimmed straw hat, rode a grey horse and was trailed by three servants who led pack mules laden with luggage amongst which Sharpe could see a tripod, a surveyor's level and a vast leather tube that he guessed held a telescope. The engineer took off his hat and fanned his face as he rounded the last bend. "Pon my soul," he said cheerfully, 'but thank G.o.d the horse does the climbing and not me."

Pinckney had come back to greet the engineer and held out his hand as the blue-coated Major slid from his saddle.

"Captain Pinckney, sir," he introduced himself.

"Pinckney, eh?" the white-haired engineer said cheerfully.

"I knew a Pinckney in Hertfords.h.i.+re. He made plough shares and d.a.m.n fine ones too."

"My uncle Joshua, sir."

"Then you must be Hugh's boy, yes? An honour!" He shook Pinckney's hand vigorously.

"Major John Stokes, at your service, though I don't suppose you need me, do you? You must have built more roads than I ever did." Major Stokes looked towards Sharpe who had stood and was now smiling.

"Good G.o.d in His blessed heaven," Stokes said, 'it can't be! But it is! My dear Sharpe! My dear Mister Sharpe. I heard all about your commission! Couldn't be more pleased, my dear Sharpe. An officer, eh?"

Sharpe smiled broadly.

"OnJ} an ensign, sir."

"Every ladder has a first rung, Sharpe," Stokes said in gentle reproof of Sharpe's modesty, then held out his hand.

"We shall be mess mates, as they say in the Navy. Well, I never! Mess mates, indeed! And with a Pinckney too! Hugh Pinckney forges mill gears, Sharpe. Never seen a man make better-toothed wheels in all my life." He clasped Sharpe's hand in both of his.

"They grubbed me out of Seringapatam, Sharpe.

Can you believe that? Told me all the other engineers had the pox, and summoned me here just in time to discover that poor Elliott's dead.

'34.

I suppose I shouldn't complain. It's awfully good for my promotion prospects." He let go of Sharpe's hand.

"Oh, and by the way, I travelled north with some of your old comrades! Captain Charles Morris and his company. Not the most charming creature, is he?"

"Not one of my favourites, sir," Sharpe admitted. Good G.o.d! b.l.o.o.d.y Morris was here? First Hakeswill, then Morris!

"He didn't want to come," Stokes said, 'but higher powers deemed that I had to be protected from the unG.o.dly, so they insisted on an infantry escort." He turned as a rattle of gunfire sounded higher up the escarpment.

"Bless my soul! Is that musketry?"

Ticquet line, sir," Pinckney explained.