CHAPTER XVIII“It is vain talk,” La Cerda said. “You are like the Grand Master himself in that. You will shut your eyes and think you avoid a fact which you do not see. There is but one course, if we are to recover our loss, as any soldier would say.”
“You mean,” D’Egueras replied, “that that is a name which I do not bear?”
“Not at all,” La Cerda parried, seeing that he had gone too far. “You are a soldier of great repute, as is known to all. Therefore I say you must see the truth unless your eyes are shut by your own resolve.”
“Had you had your will, you had blown up the whole fort before now.”
“So I would. I have been plain about that. But I would have stayed my hand had I thought the Turks would try such folly as you would now do on our side. If you want to die a vain death, there is
