Burke and the Bedouin (ebook)

Argumento de Burke and the Bedouin (ebook)

Lieutenant James Burke threw the letter down and swore loudly and fluently in French. Then he swore, almost as fluently, in Spanish.

Private Brown waited until the outburst had run its course. Will you be wanting me to take a reply back to Horse Guards, sir?

Burke grimaced. They take me away from real soldiering and turn me into their agent, running one sordid errand after another and why? Because I speak French and Spanish. And where are they sending me now? Egypt!

William Brown picked up the letter, folded it neatly, and placed it carefully on the table.

Youll be wanting to brush up on your Arabic, then, sir.

Burke could be quick to anger, but any outbursts of temper were soon over. An hour later, Brown had been sent on his way to Colonel Taylor at Horse Guards. He carried Burkes reply, in a fine, bold copperplate, thanking Colonel Taylor for the confidence he reposed in Lieutenant Burke and looking forward to details of his mission.

For five years Burke had been Colonel Taylors man. It was not what he would have wished. He recognised that the colonel ran an increasingly sophisticated network of agents and that their work was vital in frustrating the French threat to the peace of Europe. But, however you dressed it up, what Colonel Taylors network did was spying. Spying, in Burkes opinion, was no business for a gentleman. He had not put on the Kings uniform to skulk about on Colonel Taylors dirty errands. The army, though, cared little for Lieutenant Burkes opinion and, being good at the work, he remained Taylors creature and, determined to make the best of whatever life presented, took such pleasure in it as he could.

It really was too bad, though, he thought. Everyone knew that the French General Bonaparte was preparing an invasion of Britain. A huge French army was being assembled. King Georges government was reinforcing the forts on the south coast. Colonel Taylors agents were combing the Channel ports for clues as to where and when the French fleet was to embark. And he was to be sent to Egypt. Nothing, he was sure, was going to happen in that god-forsaken country.

When, two days after that exchange of letters, Burke was in Colonel Taylors office to learn the details of his mission, it seemed that Taylor shared his opinion.

I have to tell you, Burke, that this could well be a wild goose chase. But some of the diplomatic chaps have been saying that the French could move through Egypt so that they can threaten our forces in India. God knows the French have made a damn nuisance of themselves when theyve had to move their troops by sea. If they could establish supply lines overland, things could become deuced unpleasant. So it seemed best to have someone out there to keep an eye on things.

Would these be any things in particular, sir?

Colonel Taylor at least had the grace to look embarrassed. It was, Burke thought, quite clearly a waste of everybodys time, agreed to simply to indulge the fantasies of some self-important young man in the War Office.

Just keep a general eye on things, Burke. If you see a bunch of Froggies surveying landing sites, let us know.

And how am I to communicate with you, sir? By the time any message reaches London, French troops will be well on their way.

Burke took an impish delight in the colonels discomfiture, but his face was a mask of polite deference.

Carrier pigeons! The colonels relief as he came up with this idea was obvious and now it was Burkes turn to look uncomfortable.

Carrier pigeons? Wont they be a little difficult to take round with us?

You wont need to. Leave them with the consul. Hell look after them. You just take them over there and leave them with him.

Burke was not amused by the idea of transporting baskets of pigeons across the Mediterranean, but he was wise enough not to express his doubts to Colonel Taylor. After a few more minutes he was politely dismissed and on his way back to his temporary home in the Tower of London.0