- Sharpe: What happens when you burn oyster shells?
- Capt. William Frederickson: You get ash I suppose.
- Capt. Neil Palmer: I was born in a fishing village sir. The fishermen used to burn oyster shells all the time.
- Sharpe: Why?
- Capt. Neil Palmer: To whitewash their houses sir. When you burn oyster shells, you get lime. Get that in the eyes you go blind.
- Colonel Horace Bampfylde: ...and so, having made every provision for the comfort of the wounded, I made my way back through the British lines as quickly as possible.
- Lord Wellington: And how did Colonel Maquerre conduct himself?
- Colonel Horace Bampfylde: I cannot speak too highly of the Count's conduct, Sir. Despite my pleading with him to return with me, he insisted on staying behind to raise rebellion.
- Lord Wellington: And Major Sharpe?
- Colonel Horace Bampfylde: I'm afraid Major Sharpe was away at the time, plundering a French convoy. However, I have been reliably informed by the Mayor of Arcon that he was ambushed and overpowered. I can only assume that he's either been killed or surrendered to the French.
- Lord Wellington: [looks outside his tent] Well, I suppose we could ask him.
- Colonel Horace Bampfylde: How do you mean, sir?
- [Bampfylde looks outside the tent and is horrified to see Sharpe and a limping Palmer leading the Chosen Men and the remains of the garrison into the camp. Palmer limps into Wellington's tent on a crutch, followed by Sharpe]
- Major Richard Sharpe: My Lord.
- Capt. Neil Palmer: Sir, under the provisions of the Army Act, I wish to charge Colonel Bampfylde with cowardice in the face of the enemy, abandoning his position, abandoning the wounded, conspiring with the Compte De Maquerre - a spy in the service of Bonaparte - to desert his position and throw the blame on Major Sharpe. I further wish to report, sir, that Major Sharpe tended the wounded, successfully repulsed an attack by General Calvet's brigade and brought us all safely back home here, sir.
- Lord Wellington: Is that all, Captain Palmer?
- Capt. Neil Palmer: Almost all, sir.
- [With difficulty, Palmer turns to his right, brings up his good leg and kicks Colonel Bampfylde in the groin]
- Colonel Horace Bampfylde: [strained] Field Marshall Wellington... Captain Palmer assaulted me. He struck a superior officer!
- Lord Wellington: You're no longer a superior officer, Bamfylde. Get out!
- Sharpe: You make your bed, Marquerre, and then you lie in it.Without complaining.Trouble with you is you wanted it every way.You wanted to be a spy for years, then you want to come back home, want everybody to gather round and say what a big hero you've been.The world's not like that, Marquerre.You made your bed with Bonaparte. Well, maybe he'll give you a medal.Maybe not.Me-next time you're in my sights and outside a flag of parlay, I'll shoot you.
- Rifleman Reilly: [during night watch] What would you like most in the world, Robinson?
- Rifleman Robinson: A woman. And you?
- Rifleman Reilly: A drink!
- Rifleman Robinson: I'll give you a drink for a woman!
- Rifleman Reilly: I'll give you a woman for a drink!
- Sharpe: [when Reilly is feigning fatigue] What's the matter with him?
- Rifleman Robinson: [lying for his friend] Fatigue, sir?
- Sharpe: Hm. Looks more like fever to me.
- Rifleman Robinson: How can you tell the difference?
- Sharpe: It's simple, Robinson. Just take a big long needle, and stick it in his eyeball. If it's fever, he won't feel a thing!
- Rifleman Reilly: [jumps up at once, but tries to keep up the act of sudden 'recovery'] Where am I?
- Sharpe: You're in a war, Reilly! On one side is you, and on the other side is me! - So you and Robinson are on guard duty tonight. And tomorrow night. And the night after. And when you finish, Reilly, you'll know the difference between fever and fatigue! - Now get in line!
- [the riflemen fall in and continue marching]
- Rifleman Reilly: [Turns to Robinson when Sharpe is out of earshot] Do you think, would Sharpe have stuck a needle in my eye?
- Rifleman Robinson: A *needle*? He ain't got a needle. He'd use a blood *bayonet*!
- [as his men are retreating from the fort; in French]
- General Calvet: Poor Gaston. Was it bad?
- Gaston: [nursing a scalp wound] Yes, General.
- General Calvet: As bad as Moscow?
- [Gaston nods]
- General Calvet: Then it was truly bad.'
- [He puts an arm around Gaston and helps him away]
- [in French]
- General Calvet: He's good, this Sharpe?
- Major Pierre Ducos: [dismissively] He's just lucky.
- General Calvet: When Napoleon picks a general, he doesn't ask, "is he good?" He asks, "is he lucky?"
- [in French]
- Compte de Maquerre: General, my mother is dying. Can I get her out of the castle before the battle?
- General Calvet: You think the Englishman will let her go?
- Compte de Maquerre: He will let her go.
- Major Pierre Ducos: He's a romantic.
- General Calvet: Very well. Tomorrow, you and Ducos go under a flag of parlay.
- Major Pierre Ducos: He will kill me.
- General Calvet: Under a white flag?
- [Ducos shrugs]
- General Calvet: He's not as romantic as all that.
- Major General Ross: [after Sharpe just saved his life by shooting two French troopers and threatening the third with his rifle] Good shooting, Sharpe! How the devil did you reload in time to take on that
- [last]
- Major General Ross: fellow?
- Sharpe: I was bluffing, sir!
- [indicating his rifle]
- Sharpe: It was empty.
- Major General Ross: I'm deeply touched you came after me, dear boy!
- Sharpe: I had no choice, sir. I'm getting married tomorrow, and you're giving away the bride!