“I will, why?”

“Because, Major, you don’t need to come to Wapping to get boys. You can find lads anywhere, magistrates or no magistrates.” Hocking turned his shrewd eyes on Sharpe. “No, Major, you came to me on purpose.”

“I came to you for drummer boys,” Sharpe said, “and no awkward magistrates and no one caring that so many die.”

Hocking still stared at him. “Go on,” he said.

Sharpe hesitated, then seemed to make up his mind. “And girls,” he said.

“Ah.” Hocking half smiled. He understood weakness and greed, and Sharpe, at last, was making sense.

“We hear—” Sharpe began.

“Who’s we?”

“The Colonel and me.”

“And who told you?” Hocking asked fiercely.

“No one told me,” Sharpe said, “but someone told the Colonel. He sent me.”

Hocking leaned back and pulled at his bushy side whiskers as he considered the answer. He found it plausible and nodded. “Your Colonel likes ‘em young, eh?”

“We both do,” Sharpe said, “young and untouched.”

Hocking nodded again. “The boys will be four pounds apiece and the girls ten a time.”

Sharpe pretended to consider the price, then shrugged. “I want a taste tonight.”

“Girl or boy?” Hocking leered.

“Girl,” Sharpe said.

“You’ve got the money?”

Sharpe patted his sack which stood on the sawdust-strewn floor. “Guineas,” he said.

Another cheer sounded behind the back door and Hocking jerked his head in that direction. “I’ve got business in there, Major, and it’ll take me an hour or two to settle it. I’ll have the girl cleaned up while you wait. But I want five pounds now.”