‘I’d like that, sir,’ Sharpe said, then ran across a street junction. The fear of an imminent assault had served to empty the streets of their usual crowds, but the alleys were clogged with parked carts. Stray dogs barked as the two men hurried southwards, but there were few people to remark their
presence. ‘There, sir, there’s our bloody answer,’ Sharpe said. He had run from a street into a small square, and now jerked back into the shadows. Lawford peered about the corner to see that the small open space was filled with handcarts, and that the handcarts were piled with rockets. ‘Waiting to take them up to the wall, I dare say,’ Sharpe said. ‘Got so many up there already they have to store the rest down here. What we do, sir, is take one cart, go down that next street and have a private Guy Fawkes day.’
‘There are guards.’
‘Of course there are.’
‘I mean on the rocket carts, Sharpe.’
‘They’re nothing,’ Sharpe said scornfully. ‘If those fellows were any good they’d be up on the walls. Can’t be nothing but maimed men and grandfathers. Rubbish. All we have to do is shout at the buggers. Are you ready?’
Lawford looked into his companion’s face. ‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you, Sharpe?’
‘Aye, sir. Aren’t you?’
Tm scared as hell,’ Lawford admitted.
Sharpe smiled. ‘You won’t be when we’re through, sir. We’re going to be all right. You just behave as though you owned the bloody place. You officers are supposed to be good at that, aren’t you? So I’ll grab a cart and you shout at the rubbish. Tell them Gudin sent us. Come on, sir, time’s wasting. Just walk out there as though we owned the place.’
Sharpe brazenly walked into the sunlight, his musket slung on his shoulder, and Lawford followed him. ‘You won’t tell anyone that I confessed to being scared?’ the Lieutenant asked.
‘Of course not, sir. You think I’m not scared myself? Jesus, I almost fouled my breeches when that bloody tiger jumped at me. I’ve never seen a thing move so bloody fast. But I wasn’t going to show I was scared in front of bloody Hakeswill.
Hey, you! Are you in charge?’ Sharpe shouted imperiously at a man who squatted beside one of the carts. ‘Move your bloody self, I want the cart.’
The man sprang aside as Sharpe jerked up the handles. There must have been fifty rockets in the cart, more than enough for Sharpe’s purpose. Two other men shouted protests at Sharpe, but Lawford waved them down. ‘Colonel Gudin sent us. Understand?’ Lawford said. ‘Colonel Gudin. He sent us.’ The Lieutenant followed Sharpe down the street leading south from the square. ‘Those two men are coming after us,’ he said nervously.
‘Shout at the buggers, sir. You’re an officer!’
‘Back!’ Lawford shouted. ‘To your duties! Go on! Now! Do as I say, damn your eyes! Go!’ He paused, then gave a delighted chuckle. ‘Good God, Sharpe, it worked.’
‘Works with us, sir, should work with them,’ Sharpe said. He turned a corner and saw the towering sculptures of the big Hindu temple. He recognized where he was now and he knew the alley leading to the mine was only a few yards away. It would be filled with guards, but Sharpe now had a whole arsenal of his own.
‘We can’t do anything if there isn’t an attack,’ Lawford said.
‘I know that, sir.’
‘So what do we do if there isn’t an assault?’
‘Hide, sir.’
‘Where, for God’s sake?’
‘Lali will take us in, sir. You remember Lali, don’t you, sir?’
Lawford blushed at the memory of his introduction to Seringapatam’s brothels. ‘You really believe she’ll hide us?’
‘She thinks you’re sweet, sir.’ Sharpe grinned. T’ve seen her a couple of times since that first night, sir, and she always asks after you. I reckon you made a conquest there, sir.’
‘Good God, Sharpe, you won’t tell anyone?’
‘Me, sir?’ Sharpe pretended to be shocked. ‘Not a word, sir.’
Then, very suddenly, and far off, muffled by distance so that it was thin and wavering, a trumpet sounded.
And every gun in creation seemed to fire at once.