breathing and no heartbeat. We stripped her and everything. Got her in the wagon. We were taking her body from the carriage into the college to sell to Doctor Barclay.’
‘What happened?’
‘What happened, sir? She only came round, didn’t she? Satup and screamed the place down. Said I was trying to kill her. Of course they took me. Had me for attempted murder.’
‘You were tried?’
He nodded his head. ‘Yes, sir. Convicted for attempted murder and other counts too. People they said I’d killed. They pinned them on me, sir. I never killed anyone.’
‘Nevertheless you were convicted.’
‘Yes. Sentenced to death. The judge offered me the chance to join. Take my chance with the colours. So I did.’
Keane thought for a moment. ‘You stole a loaf of bread, you say?’
‘Yes, sir. From one of the men in my company.’
‘Just a loaf of bread. Nothing more. Is that true?’
Archer looked away. ‘Stole some money too, sir.’
‘Gambling?’
Archer nodded.
‘You’re a bloody fool, Archer. Carry on like that and you will end up on the end of a rope. Major Grant has given you another chance with us. He must have seen something in you.’
‘He’s family, sir. That’s why.’
Keane nodded. ‘Yes, that’ll be it.’
But Keane knew Grant, and he knew that the man would not have plucked the boy and placed him with them, whatever relation he might be, without some further motive. He guessed that it might be his medical skills. Or his expertise as a thief and a grave robber. It was evident from his gambling debts that it was not his skill at cards.
‘You seemed very adept with your instruments.’
Archer smiled. ‘They said I was the best student in my year, sir. That I would go far. Look at me.’
‘You’re young. You have another chance now. Don’t waste it. The dragoon, will he be sufficiently recovered now?’
‘He might be, sir. I couldn’t say for certain. Could go either way.’
‘I’ll take that chance. Come with me.’
Together they walked back to the house, where Gabriella had been sitting with the Frenchman. Like all her compatriots, she had no love for them. But she knew how vital it was for Keane to get information from the man and so she made sure he remained alive. Who knew what might happen later?
They found the man in the same place, but now his eyes were open. Sweat streaked his forehead, and on seeing Keane and the other man a look of panic spread across his face.
Keane spoke, in French. ‘It’s all right, there is no need to fear. All I want is some information.’
The man stared at him, still terror-stricken.
Keane continued. ‘I need to know how many of you there are. Are there more of you?’
The man opened his mouth, but seemed unable to speak. Archer motioned to Gabriella. ‘Get him some water. He’s parched.’
She poured a beaker of water and held it to his lips. The dragoon gulped and swallowed and as he did so the look of fear seemed to slip from his face.
Keane asked again, ‘How many are you? How many more?’
The dragoon said nothing. Merely looked hard at Keane, who asked again, ‘Tell me your strength. I need to know. I’ve saved your life. I need something in return.’
The dragoon continued to stare at him.
Keane tried another tack. He gestured towards Gabriella. ‘She is Portuguese. Do you know what your countrymen did to her family? Can you imagine? And to her? What do you suppose she would like to do to you?’ He paused as the dragoon looked atGabriella, who, not understanding a word, smiled back at him. Keane carried on. ‘Perhaps you’re right. You have nothing to tell me. Come on, Archer, we’ll leave this poor bugger to Gabriella. I don’t want to watch her at work. She’s better than one of your surgeons with a knife. Poor bastard.’
Keane led the way to the door and Archer followed.
Suddenly the dragoon called out, ‘Don’t go. Please. I’ll tell you what you need to know.’
Keane turned and retraced his steps.
‘What happened?’
‘What happened, sir? She only came round, didn’t she? Satup and screamed the place down. Said I was trying to kill her. Of course they took me. Had me for attempted murder.’
‘You were tried?’
He nodded his head. ‘Yes, sir. Convicted for attempted murder and other counts too. People they said I’d killed. They pinned them on me, sir. I never killed anyone.’
‘Nevertheless you were convicted.’
‘Yes. Sentenced to death. The judge offered me the chance to join. Take my chance with the colours. So I did.’
Keane thought for a moment. ‘You stole a loaf of bread, you say?’
‘Yes, sir. From one of the men in my company.’
‘Just a loaf of bread. Nothing more. Is that true?’
Archer looked away. ‘Stole some money too, sir.’
‘Gambling?’
Archer nodded.
‘You’re a bloody fool, Archer. Carry on like that and you will end up on the end of a rope. Major Grant has given you another chance with us. He must have seen something in you.’
‘He’s family, sir. That’s why.’
Keane nodded. ‘Yes, that’ll be it.’
But Keane knew Grant, and he knew that the man would not have plucked the boy and placed him with them, whatever relation he might be, without some further motive. He guessed that it might be his medical skills. Or his expertise as a thief and a grave robber. It was evident from his gambling debts that it was not his skill at cards.
‘You seemed very adept with your instruments.’
Archer smiled. ‘They said I was the best student in my year, sir. That I would go far. Look at me.’
‘You’re young. You have another chance now. Don’t waste it. The dragoon, will he be sufficiently recovered now?’
‘He might be, sir. I couldn’t say for certain. Could go either way.’
‘I’ll take that chance. Come with me.’
Together they walked back to the house, where Gabriella had been sitting with the Frenchman. Like all her compatriots, she had no love for them. But she knew how vital it was for Keane to get information from the man and so she made sure he remained alive. Who knew what might happen later?
They found the man in the same place, but now his eyes were open. Sweat streaked his forehead, and on seeing Keane and the other man a look of panic spread across his face.
Keane spoke, in French. ‘It’s all right, there is no need to fear. All I want is some information.’
The man stared at him, still terror-stricken.
Keane continued. ‘I need to know how many of you there are. Are there more of you?’
The man opened his mouth, but seemed unable to speak. Archer motioned to Gabriella. ‘Get him some water. He’s parched.’
She poured a beaker of water and held it to his lips. The dragoon gulped and swallowed and as he did so the look of fear seemed to slip from his face.
Keane asked again, ‘How many are you? How many more?’
The dragoon said nothing. Merely looked hard at Keane, who asked again, ‘Tell me your strength. I need to know. I’ve saved your life. I need something in return.’
The dragoon continued to stare at him.
Keane tried another tack. He gestured towards Gabriella. ‘She is Portuguese. Do you know what your countrymen did to her family? Can you imagine? And to her? What do you suppose she would like to do to you?’ He paused as the dragoon looked atGabriella, who, not understanding a word, smiled back at him. Keane carried on. ‘Perhaps you’re right. You have nothing to tell me. Come on, Archer, we’ll leave this poor bugger to Gabriella. I don’t want to watch her at work. She’s better than one of your surgeons with a knife. Poor bastard.’
Keane led the way to the door and Archer followed.
Suddenly the dragoon called out, ‘Don’t go. Please. I’ll tell you what you need to know.’
Keane turned and retraced his steps.
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