Sharpe's Gold Read Online Free PDF Page B

smiled at Sharpe.
    'As graceful an apology as I expected from you. How are you?'
    They shook hands, pleasure on both their faces. The war, it turned out, was treating Hogan

    well. An engineer, he had been transferred to Wellington's staff, and promoted. He spoke

    Portuguese and Spanish, and added to those skills was a common sense that was rare. Sharpe

    raised his eyebrows at Hogan's elegant, new uniform.
    'So what do you do here?'
    'A bit of this and the other.' Hogan beamed at him, paused, then sneezed violently.

    'Christ and St Patrick! Bloody Irish Blackguard!'
    Sharpe looked puzzled and Hogan held out his snuff-box. 'Can't get Scotch Rappee here,

    only Irish Blackguard. It's like sniffing grapeshot straight up the nostrils.'
    'Give it up.'
    Hogan laughed. 'I've tried; I can't.' His eyes watered as another sneeze gathered force.

    'God in heaven!'
    'So what do you do?'
    Hogan wiped a tear from his cheek. 'Not so very much, Richard. I sort of find things out,

    about the enemy, you understand. And draw maps. Things like that. We call it

    “intelligence”, but it's a fancy word for knowing a bit about the other fellow. And 1

    have some duties in Lisbon.' He waved a deprecating hand. 'I get by.'
    Lisbon, where Josefina was. The thought struck Hogan as it came to Sharpe, and the small

    Irishman smiled and answered the unspoken question. 'Aye, she's well.'
    Josefina, whom Sharpe had loved so briefly, for whom he had killed, and who had left him

    for a cavalry officer. He still thought of her, remembered the few nights, but this was

    no time or place for that kind of memory. He pushed the thought of her away, the jealousy he

    had for Captain Claud Hardy, and changed the subject.
    'So what is this thing that I must bring back for the General?'
    Hogan leaned back. 'Nemos belli, pecuniam infinitam.'
    'You know I don't speak Spanish.'
    Hogan gave a gentle smile. 'Latin, Richard, Latin. Your education was sadly overlooked.

    Cicero said it: “The sinews of war are unlimited money.”'
    'Money?'
    'Gold, to be precise. Bucketfuls of gold. A King's bloody ransom, my dear Richard, and

    we want it. No, more than we want it, we need it. Without it ' He did not finish the

    sentence, but just shrugged instead.
    'You're joking, surely!'
    Hogan carefully lit another candle – the light beyond the windows was fading fast –

    and spoke quietly. 'I wish I was. We've run out of money. You wouldn't believe it, but

    there it is. Eighty-five million pounds is the war budget this year - can you imagine it? –

    and we've run out.'
    'Run out?'
    Hogan gave another shrug. 'A new government in London, bloody English, demanding

    accounts. We're paying all Portugal's expenses, arming half the Spanish nation, and

    now we need it.' He stressed the 'we'. 'It's what, I think, you would call a local

    embarrassment. We need some money fast, in a matter of days. We could force it out of

    London in a couple of months, but that will be too long. We need it now.'
    'And if not?'
    'If not, Richard, the French will be in Lisbon and not all the money in the world will

    make any difference.' He smiled. 'So you go and get the money.'
    'I go and get the money.' Sharpe grinned at the Irishman. 'How? Steal it?'
    'Shall we say “borrow”?' Hogan's voice was serious. Sharpe said nothing and the

    Irishman sighed, leaned back. 'There is a problem, Richard, which is that the gold belongs

    to the Spanish government, in a manner of speaking.'
    'What manner?'
    Hogan shrugged. 'Who knows where the government is? Is it in Madrid, with the French? Or

    in Cadiz?'
    'And where's the gold? Paris?'
    Hogan gave a tired smile. 'Not quite that far. Two days' march.' His voice became formal,

    reciting instructions. 'You leave tonight, march to Almeida. The crossing of the Coa is

    guarded by the Sixtieth; they're expecting you. In Almeida you meet Major Kearsey. From

    then on you are under his orders. We expect you to take no longer than one week, and