Once Murat had obeyed, Napoleon gestured to a simply constructed bench on one side of the table, and then seated himself on the room’s single chair at the head of the table.

‘You’ve come to make your report, I understand.’

‘Yes, sire.’

‘So, do tell me what you have achieved.’

Murat looked surprised and then puffed out his cheeks. ‘We have taken the enemy capital. So far my men have discovered over five hundred guns and perhaps as many as a hundred thousand muskets in the Austrian arsenals, besides huge stockpiles of supplies and equipment. Sire, we could replenish the entire Grand Army for some months from what we have seized. Enough to carry us through the rest of the campaign.’>

‘No doubt,’ Napoleon responded. ‘But if you had followed your orders there would be no reason why the campaign need continue for a matter of months.’

‘Sire?’

Napoleon slapped his hand down on the table. ‘You let the Russians get away! Now they will be licking their wounds, waiting for the Austrian forces to join them from Italy. All the good work of this campaign may be undone by your foolhardy drive towards Vienna. The entire point of my strategy was to divide our enemies. Now you have given them the chance to concentrate their strength and we must fight a much harder battle than I had hoped.Thanks to you.’

‘Sire, I - I had no thought of compromising you when I gave the order.’

‘You had no thought at all, as far as I can see.’

Napoleon glared at his subordinate. Murat wilted and looked down, crestfallen. ‘I had hoped to please you, sire.’

‘You had hoped to win the glory for yourself, you mean,’ Napoleon snapped.Then he drew a deep breath, and closed his eyes to control his rising temper. Murat had made a mistake. One that would cost Napoleon the lives of many of his soldiers and might indeed prolong the campaign by a matter of months, unless the situation was speedily resolved. Very well, then. Let Murat make amends by reverting to his original orders. His eyes flicked open.

‘I want you to return to your command at once.’

‘Sire, my staff and I have only just arrived at headquarters. We’ve been in the saddle for the best part of two days.’

‘At once.’ Napoleon ignored his protest. ‘You are to pursue the Russians immediately. When you make contact, stay on them. Give Kutusov no chance to stop and rest. Drive them back, away to the east and north, as far from any Austrian forces as you can.Then pray that you have acted in time. Do you understand?’

‘Yes, sire.’

‘Then go.’ Napoleon leaned his head forward on to his knuckles. ‘Now.’