Sharpe's Devil
Sharpe's Devil is the twenty-first and final historical novel in the Richard Sharpe series written by Bernard Cornwell and published in 1993. The story is set in 1820, with Sharpe and Harper en route to Chile to find their old friend Blas Vivar. Along the way they encounter the exiled Napoleon Bonaparte and the Scottish former Royal Navy officer Lord Cochrane.
 First edition | |
| Author | Bernard Cornwell |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Richard Sharpe |
| Genre | Historical novels |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
Publication date | 1990 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) and audio-CD |
| Pages | 284 |
| ISBN | 0-00-223718-0 |
| Preceded by | Sharpe's Ransom |
Plot summary
Doña Louisa Vivar, whom Sharpe befriended in Sharpe's Rifles, visits the Sharpe farm and asks the former rifleman to sail to Chile in search of her husband, Don Blas Vivar, who has disappeared while serving as Captain-General of the rebellious colony and may have fallen victim to his political rival and successor, Miguel Bautista. Sharpe and Harper sail to Chile with Spanish Colonel Ruiz and his regimental officers aboard the frigate Espiritu Santo, commanded by Captain Ardiles. The group decide to stop off en route at St. Helena to pay a visit to exiled French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon grants an audience and asks Sharpe and Harper to remain for a private conversation. Napoleon persuades Sharpe to taking a gift to an admirer in Chile for him.
British Consul George Blair welcomes Sharpe and Harper to the Chilean port of Valdivia and informs them that Blas Vivar's body was found and buried three months previously. Sharpe and Harper visit Bautista's adjunct, Captain Marquinez, to arrange passes and permits to travel to Puerto Crucero, exhume the body and return it to Spain. Back at their lodgings, they interrupt burglars who wound Harper and escape with their possessions, including Napoleon's gift.
Sharpe and Harper meet with Bautista, who announces that he has caught the thieves, whom he has branded on the spot, and returns all the stolen goods except for Napoleon's present. When Bautista asks if everything is there, Sharpe says nothing is missing. Marquinez provides the required passes and permits and rides out with Sharpe and Harper on the first stage of their journey. Overnighting at the "Celestial Fort", Sharpe suspects that their escort, commanded by Sergeant Dregara, has orders to kill them. He persuades the garrison commander, Captain Morillo, to let them leave very early the next morning; he provides a native scout called Ferdinand to guide them safely across the hills.
Sharpe and Harper arrive in Puerto Crucero and are welcomed by Major Suarez, but before they can exhume the body, Sergeant Dregara catches up and arrests them. After five days in prison, they are accused by Bautista of espionage. He reveals that a coded message was found hidden in Napoleon's gift. As punishment, the Captain-General has Ferdinand executed, confiscates the riflemen's money and weapons and has them deported back to Europe on board the Espiritu Santo.
Lord Cochrane, a former Royal Navy officer now in service to the Chilean rebels under Bernardo O'Higgins, ambushes the Espiritu Santo and, with the assistance of Sharpe and Harper, capture it, taking Captain Ardiles prisoner. Cochrane rendezvouses with his flagship the O'Higgins, patches up the rapidly sinking Espiritu Santo, loads Major Miller and his marines aboard the crippled ship, and sets sail for a suicidal attack upon the port of Puerto Crucero.
Cochrane and Miller lead the marines ashore, with Sharpe and Harper in tow, and with supporting fire from the O'Higgins capture the citadel. Blas Vivar's grave is opened to reveal nothing but a dead dog inside. A captured Spanish soldier informs them that Blas Vivar is being held prisoner in Valdivia, so Sharpe reluctantly agrees to join Cochrane's assault on the city.
Despite being massively outnumbered and outgunned, Cochrane sails to Valdivia, hoping his two disguised ships will be mistaken for transports bringing much-needed reinforcements. However, his ruse fails. Sharpe recommends landing on a nearby beach and leads an assault on the outlying forts. The demoralized Spanish put up token resistance before either fleeing or surrendering, resulting in little loss of life on the rebel side. Without waiting for reinforcements, Cochrane marches his small forces into the city itself, where Sharpe and Harper kill Dregara. Bautista then commits suicide.
Realising that Blas Vivar is not a prisoner in Valdivia, Sharpe confronts Cochrane, who admits that he took the Spaniard prisoner and marooned him and some others on an island. Cochrane is plotting to rescue Napoleon, so he can create another empire in the New World. The coded message was Napoleon's agreement to Cochrane's scheme. Cochrane duped Sharpe because he needed his help in liberating Valdivia.
Cochrane releases Blas Vivar, but holds him, Sharpe, and Harper incommunicado until the rescue ship sets sail. When they are released, the three men return to St. Helena, but are stunned to hear that Napoleon has died. Sharpe, immensely relieved that he is in no way responsible for starting another war, prepares to return home for good.
Characters
Fictional
- Richard Sharpe; former British rifleman who has been called out of retirement on his farm in France to travel to Chile in search of an old friend.
- Patrick Harper; Irish former Regimental Sergeant Major in Sharpe’s regiment, who now operates a tavern in Dublin (and also acts as a fence for stolen horses). Though he is still as strong as ever, he has also become immensely fat ("a prize boar") as a result of drinking his own wares.
- Captain Ardiles; reclusive and sardonic Spanish captain of the frigate Espiritu Santo that takes Sharpe and Harper to Chile.
- Miguel Bautista; cruel and corrupt politician who succeeds Don Vivar as Captain-General of Chile.
- George Blair; surly Liverpool merchant acting as British Consul in the port of Valdivia who welcomes Sharpe and Harper to Chile.
- Lucille Castineau; French noblewoman and farmer, Sharpe's common-law wife and mother of his two young children, Patrick and Dominique.
- Ferdinand; local scout who leads Sharpe and Harper safely across the mountains and is executed as punishment by Bautista.
- Sergeant Dregara; Spanish soldier who does Baustista’s dirty work.
- Captain Marquinez; young and flashy adjunct to Captain-General Bautista who facilitates Sharpe's mission.
- Major Miller; British marine commander working for Cochrane.
- Captain Morillo; Spanish commander of the Celestial Fort who warns Sharpe of an ambush and is demoted to private and sent to the mines as punishment by Bautista.
- Major Suarez; Spanish commander of the Chilean port Puerto Crucero who arrests and imprisons Sharpe and Harper after their arrival.
- Lieutenant Otero; first officer of the frigate Espiritu Santo who tells Sharpe of the Scottish pirate Lord Cochrane.
- Colonel Ruiz; bombastic commander of a Spanish relief regiment that travels to Chile with Sharpe.
- Don Blas Vivar; brave and honest aristocratic Spanish military commander who befriended Sharpe in Sharpe's Rifles and has since gone missing while serving as Captain-General of Chile.
- Doña Louisa Vivar; wife of Don Vivar who Sharpe had first known as Miss Parker in Sharpe’s Rifles and who sends him to Chile in search of her missing husband.
Historical
- Napoleon Bonaparte; French emperor exiled to St. Helena who dupes Sharpe into running an errand for him.
- Lord Cochrane; Scottish ex-naval officer who now serves the Chilean revolutionaries.