Ramage's Challenge by Dudley Pope

Author:Dudley Pope [Pope, Dudley]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Historical Naval Fiction
ISBN: 9781590130124
Google: 3oixqq7PxX4C
Amazon: 159013012X
Goodreads: 1077358
Publisher: McBooks Press
Published: 1985-01-01T11:00:00+00:00

snapping: "Report at once to your commandant that the special party has arrived."

The soldier stood there obviously befuddled with sleep and a numbing headache from last night's wine. "He won't like that. He's never called before roll call at noon."

"Noon!"Gilbert exclaimed and pointed dramatically down at the harbour. "By noon we shall have sailed again!"

"I'll tell the corporal," the soldier muttered. "Let him have the responsibility."

As the man lurched away Gilbert muttered toRamage:"Soldiers are the same, whatever uniform they wear-"

"Snarl at the corporal,"Ramageadvised, "otherwise we'll be standing here all day!"

When he arrived the corporal could have been the other man's older brother, except that he squinted at the column as though he had a bright light shining in his eyes.

"You!" snapped Gilbert. "Fetch the commandant at once. I have orders from the general. Are we to be left standing here all day with the dogs pissing all over us and the children throwing stones?"

"At once, Major, at once," the corporal stammered and disappeared, leaving only the wide-eyed children, who had not understood a word. A breeze started blowing through the gateway andRamagecursed: it brought them the smell of the village-rotting cabbage, stinking fish, donkey dung, the sewage of centuries ripened and refreshed by hot sun and warm showers.

"I'll have the first tilt at the commandant when he arrives,"Ramagesaid. "Anger and outrage sounds better in Italian than French. He probably won't understand a word but he'llguess the meaning. Then you can take over for thecoup degrâce!"

Gilbert chuckled: his original dislike of wearing this version of the uniform of Bonaparte's Army of Italy was disappearing rapidly at the prospect of abusing the commandant of Castello.

A good five minutes passed before the commandant appeared, still buttoning up his coat, the corporal carrying his sword and hat. He was a plump little man, swarthy, with perfect teeth beneath sagging black moustaches which had not been combed after a night's sleep.

"Good morning Major," the commandant said, obviously having taken the corporal's word for Gilbert's assumed rank. "No one told me you were coming. . ."

Ramagestepped forward and released a torrent of abusive Italian, but the man stood helpless, his hands held down, palms outwards as though submitting. With feigned ill-graceRamagegestured to Gilbert, who snapped out crisply: "You've had no orders? No orders-I can't believe it! What about your hostages?"

Ramagecould hardly breathe as he waited for the reply.

"ButMajor , they are well enough. I feed them properly and let them exercise. Why, I've even given them playing cards, and they gamble and drink wine like-well, like my soldiers."

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