Pierre Ducos

Pierre Ducos is a fictional character in the Richard Sharpe series of novels, created by Bernard Cornwell. Ducos is a French secret agent and alongside Obadiah Hakeswill was Sharpe’s most bitter and persistent enemy.

Origins

Ducos' exact origins are unclear. It appears he was born in France sometime in the 1770s, of fairly humble background. How he became involved in the world of espionage is not revealed, through he is described as a zealous revolutionary and his rise occurred during the French Revolution of 1789 and the Terror that followed it.

Ducos was a protégé of Joseph Fouché, the notorious secret policeman of the revolutionary period. Following this he came into the service of the young General Napoleon Bonaparte, who was to be crowned Emperor of the French in 1803.

Peninsular War

Until he first met Sharpe his schemes were largely successful and he is well regarded by his Imperial Master who entrusted him with matters of great importance. Hence his posting to Spain, to help sort out what Napoleon described as the ‘Spanish Ulcer’. An example of his talent for is mentioned in "Sharpe’s Battle" when he had bribed the Spanish commander of Badajoz to hand the keys of the city over to the French.

Ducos regards Sharpe as his nemesis, largely because he has continually thwarted Ducos plans to change the course of the war in Spain - particularly in defeating a surprise French invasion of Portugal in the winter of 1812, and personally insulting Ducos by smashing his glasses.

Through they first met in 1812 during the events featured in "Sharpe’s Enemy", Ducos had been aware of Sharpe for a good while longer, as shown in "Sharpe’s Battle". It is also revealed he possesses a book listing a number of enemy officers, British, Portuguese and Spanish who he crosses out when they have been killed. He possesses a fervent hope that one day all the names in his book will be crossed out.

During the war, he has Sharpe at his mercy a number of times, but somehow the Englishman always managed to escape him. Most notably in "Sharpe’s Honour", when he held him prisoner in Burgos Castle and smashed Sharpe’s valuable telescope (a gift from the Wellington) in revenge for Sharpe’s destruction of his spectacles. Sharpe freed himself and massacred the guards, and Ducos himself only narrowly escaped from the Englishmen's vengeance.

Downfall

In 1814, with acute foresight Ducos anticipates the fall of Napoleon, and in the wake and decides to betray the cause he has served so zealously for years. He steals the Imperial jewels and treasury, in the process implicating Sharpe in the crime, and retires to the comfort of a villa in Naples. Unfortunately for Ducos, he is once again outdone by Sharpe who escapes from custody, tracks Ducos down and brings him back to Paris to be executed by a firing squad for murder and theft of the valuables belonging to the French state.

As with Obadiah Hakeswill Sharpe turned Ducos over to the proper authorities for justice, rather than simply killing his enemy himself.

Personality

Ducos’ personality could most closely be described as that of an evil genius. He revels in dreaming up complex schemes that involve secrets and blackmail, and changing the course of nations. Usually the intended aim is to both save France and destroy Sharpe in the process. The failure of each of these schemes merely seem to feed his appetite for more outlandish ideas.

He is despised and feared by his fellow Frenchmen, who nonetheless obey and respect him because of the enormous power he wields. While aware of this power, Ducos is not especially interested in glory, and seems to demonstrate a contempt of those who enjoy the more earthy enjoyments of life. A trait which is coupled with a rather detached air towards violence and those around him. Ducos is fond of the Spanish proverb ‘revenge is a dish best eaten cold’ and is prepared to be very patient and methodical in his various schemes against Sharpe.

Physically, Ducos is not an impressive man. In contrast to the tall, striking Richard Sharpe - Ducos is short and his face is pockmarked from smallpox scars. Weak and timid when physically confronted, he claims to detest ‘unnecessary violence’ (this may be true, as Ducos shows no overt signs of sadism and is probably simply just indifferent to the suffering of others).

In the Sharpe (TV series) Ducos is played by French actor Féodor Atkine.