Sharpe tried to make sense of all the information. “What did Napoleon want of Don Bias, for God’s sake?”
“Valdivia, of course. But not just Valdivia. Once it was secure we’d have marched north and taken over Chile, but the Emperor insisted that we provide him with a secure fortress before he’d join us, and this place is as fine a stronghold as any in the Americas. The Emperor thought Vivar was his man and would have just handed the fortress over!”
“To Napoleon?”
“Yes,” Cochrane said, as though that was the most normal thing in all the world. “And why not? You think I fought these last months to watch more Goddamned lawyers form a government? For Christ’s sake, Sharpe, the world needs Napoleon! It needs a man with his vision!” Cochrane was suddenly enthusiastic, full of the contagious vigor that made him such a formidable leader of men. “South America is rotten, Sharpe. You’ve seen that for yourself! It’s an old empire, full of decay. But there’s gold here, and silver, and iron, and copper, and fields as rich as any in Scotland’s lowlands, and orchards and vines, and cattle! There are riches here! If we can make a new country here, a United States of South America, we can make a power like the world has never seen! We just need a place to start! And a genius to make it work. I’m not that genius. I’m a good Admiral, but I don’t have the patience for government, but there is a man who does, and that man’s willing!” Cochrane strode back to the table and snatched up the coded letter. “And Bonaparte can make this whole continent into a magical country, a place of gold and liberty and opportunity! All that the Emperor demanded of us was that we provide him with a secure base, and the beginnings of an army.” Cochrane swept an arm around in a lavish gesture that encompassed all of Valdivia’s Citadel, its town and its far harbor. “And this is it. This is the kernel of Napoleon’s new empire, and it will be a greater and a better empire than any he has ever had before.”
“You’re mad!” Sharpe said without rancor.
“But it’s a glorious madness!” Cochrane laughed. “You want to be dull? You want to live under the rule of pen-pushers? You want the world to lose its fire? You want old, jealous men to be cutting off your spurs with a butcher’s axe at midnight just because you dare to live? Napoleon’s only fifty! He’s got twenty years to make this new world great. We’ll bring his Guardsmen from Louisiana and ship volunteers from France! We’ll bring together the best fighters of the European wars, from both sides, and we’ll give them a cause worth the sharpening of any man’s sword.” Cochrane stabbed a finger toward Sharpe. ‘Join us, Sharpe! My God, you’re the kind of man we need! We’re going to fight our way north. Chile first, then Peru, then up to the Portuguese territories, and right up to Mexico, and God knows why we need to stop there! You’ll be a General! No, a Marshal! Marshal Richard Sharpe, Duke of Valdivia, whatever you want! Name your reward, take whatever title you want, but join us! If you want your family here, tell me! I’ll send a ship for them. My God, Sharpe, it could be such joy! You and I, one on land, one on sea, making a new country, a new world!”
Sharpe let the madness flow around him. “What about O’Higgins?”
“Bernardo will have to make up his mind,” Cochrane was pacing the room restlessly. “If he doesn’t want to join us, then he’ll go down with his precious lawyers. But you, Sharpe? You’ll join us?”
“I’m going home,” Sharpe said.
“Home?”
“Normandy. To my woman and children. I’ve fought long enough, Cochrane. I don’t want more.”
Cochrane stared at Sharpe, as though testing the words he had just heard, then he abruptly nodded his acceptance of Sharpe’s decision. “I’m sending the O’Higgins for Bonaparte. If you won’t join me, then I’ll have to keep you from betraying me, at least till he gets here or until I can find you another ship to take you home. I’ll bring Vivar here, and you and he can sail back to Europe together. There’s nothing you or he can do to stop us now. It’s too late! We have our fortress, and we just have to fetch Bonaparte from his prison, then march to glory!”