Harper quotes from Sharpe

[to Sharpe] Surely you won't go up those great walls without me?

What is that? Liquor? Liquor displeases the Lord. Give it here so I can destroy it.

Oh blimey, a bloody Methodist.

That's best brandy, sir.

What've you got there Harper?

Just a wee wild bird.

Won't it fly away?

No. It trusts me.

But you're gonna put it in a cage.

It knows it'll get a few crumbs in a cage.

I thought wild things like their freedom.

Freedom to starve is no freedom.

Is that why you joined the British Army?

You fight dirty, Harper.

So do you, sir.

Hope you slept well, miss.

Teresa

I slept safely, thank you. [leaves]

Now there's a woman worth fighting dirty for, sir.

You say you are an Irishman. Why should you be loyal to the British dogs, who want to take you to Lisbon to shoot you?

Jesus, you took the words right out of my mouth.

I can help you. Give me the box.

And if I do?

You will be rich.

And if I don't?

You will be dead.

Hmm... well, you're having the best of the argument so far.

I will give you 100 guineas- in gold- and safe passage to America.

America? That'd be nice. But you see, the King of England owes me last month's wages. There's no way I could rest easy in America knowin' that bastard owes me a schillin'.

You would die for a schilling?

That's what I signed on to do.

You will have to do it, then.

It's a grand day for it.

Gimme a pick-lock, Cooper.

Pick-lock, sir? Catch me with a pick-lock!

They did, Coop. But when you got out of Newgate prison, you got another set, and that's the one the officer wants.

Do I get it back, sir?

Trust me.

It's very hard to trust a man who wants to borrow your pick-lock, sir.

You'll make a grand killin' officer, sir.

Killin' officer?

Huh. You comin' up from the ranks, I thought you woulda known. There are two kinds of officers, sir: killin' officers and murderin' officers. Killin' officers are poor old buggers that get you killed by mistake. Murderin' officers are mad, bad, old buggers that get you killed on purpose - for a country, for a religion, maybe even for a flag. You see that Major Hogan, sir? That's what I call a murderin' officer.

We have to stop him.

You can't stop Captain Sharpe, sir. You can walk away from him or you can stand behind him, but don't ever try and get in his way.

Obadiah, and a blackguardly officer called Morris, once beat a native Indian half to death for sport, until I stopped them. They blamed me for it, and I was flogged. Watch him, Pat. He preys on the men. He'll snaffle kit, belts, frogs, haversacks, all entered or found lost by Obadiah, which leads to floggings unless he gets paid. Then wives. He beats men till their wives come to him, which I call rape. I've seen his like before. An evil man marching in a cloud of pipeclay. And because he kicks up salutes, obeys every officer, he's bombproof to all but us. We who come up from the ranks, we're smart to him.

We are that.

[gives Harper a bottle] Here. St. Patrick's Day.

God save Ireland. You're a grand man. [uncorks the bottle and takes a pull] ...for an Englishman.

[To Patrick Harper, the only man with his jacket on] You, there, Sergeant!

A Colonel. Oh, my God.

Stand up, there, fellow!

[To Sharpe, who attempted to rise.] No, sir, you stay down. [he pushes Sharpe's head down, so that his face isn't visible to Sir Augustus] Stay down. [to the colonel] Coming, Colonel! Coming, sir! Here I am, sir. How ya doin', sir?

Name? Rank?

Sergeant Patrick Harper, sir. 95th Rifles.

I heard you swearing, Sergeant harper. How dare you swear in front of an officer!

Yes, sir, I'm very very sorry, sir. Must a just slipped out, so it did.

[indicating Sharpe and remaining Riflemen] Who are these - scruffy savages?

They are Chosen Men, sir. Picked out for their special skills. That's why they wear the white cords of courage.

Well, not for much longer they won't. Nor will you have those stripes on your sleeve, Sergeant. As soon as I see Lord Wellington, I'm gonna have you all up on a charge for disorderly conduct.

[can't stand still any longer] Begging your pardon, sir, but these men were acting under my orders, sir.

Your orders, sir? And who are you, to give orders?

I'm an officer, sir.

You are an officer?

Yes, sir. Captain Sharpe, 95th Rifles, sir.

Sharpe...Sharpe. I believe I heard something about you in Lisbon, Sharpe. Are you the fellow Wellington raised from the ranks?

Yes, sir.

Well, I've always thought it was a bad idea, and now I've got proof of it. When I see Lord Wellington, I'm going to speak to him about your conduct, Sharpe.

Nairn

Is that you, Sir Augustus? Major Nairn, Lord Wellington's staff, sir. I take it you are Sir Augustus Farthingdale.

I am he, Nairn. I should like to complain about the conduct of one of your officers.

Nairn

Lord Wellington is waiting for you, sir. He's most anxious to allay your anxiety on the matter you alluded to in your letter.

I should like to bathe, and change first. Where's my tent, Nairn?

Nairn

Last but one on the right, sir, I've water on the boil for you.

Nairn

You see that Colonel, Sharpe? That Colonel came here to make you a Major, would you believe that?

No, sir.

Nairn

Right hand up to God, Sharpe.

That's your left hand, sir.

Nairn

[raises his other hand] I swear to God, Sharpe.

You mean I missed being made Major?

Nairn

Maybe not.

You saved my life.

You tried to end mine.

I've never met you.

Well, do you hear that, Pat? She's never met me.

You're bleeding, sir. Don't move.

What about my shameful suggestions?

What?

Oh, she's denying me now, Pat. After all we've been through.

I hear her, sir.

You think she'd remember the man who got down on his knees, drunk mind you, and crawled on her floor begging Her Ladyship to sleep with him. Bugger!

I'd remember it.

Aye! So would I. A man lost his honour because of the lady's lies. Stripped of his rank. Hung on a rope.

Who are you?

You know who I am. My name is Sharpe.

Bloody French on one side, a madman on the other... and we're stuck here with the woman who had me hung.

God does work in mysterious ways.

Sarge? Where are we off to, Sarge?

We're going to join up with a man called Sharpe, lads.

You mean we're all gonna die?

No, lad. Mister Sharpe may be dead in the eyes of French, but to you and me he's as lively as an eel.

[grabs Harper's arm] Just a minute.

How, Sarge?

You know the Army, boys. They couldn't hang a curtain, even if they tried. [they all laugh]

I had an uncle who thought the Faeries were after him.

What happened to him?

Well, sir, they got him.