ggk.asongforarbonne-第47部分

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　honours　at　tournaments…Signe　be　Barbentain；　countess　of　Arbonne。
　　She　was　looking　at　the　duke。　〃If　you　have　been　listening　at　all　carefully；　Bertran；　then　this　should　be　one　of　those　questions　you　already　know　the　answer　to。　If　so；　you　should　not　shame　a　coran　who　tells　you　he　has　given　an　undertaking　not　to　speak。　We　do　not　behave　that　way　here；　whatever　may　happen　elsewhere　in　this　decaying　world。〃
　　She　was　clad　in　blue　and　a　pale　cream　colour　with　pearl　buttons；　close　set；　running　up　the　front　of　her　gown。　Her　hair　was　held　back　with　a　golden　diadem。　She　wore　no　other　ornaments　save　for　two　rings　on　her　fingers。　She　had　been　celebrated；　Blaise　knew；　as　the　most　beautiful　woman　in　the　world　in　her　time。　He　could　see　it；　even　now。　Her　eyes　were　astonishing；　so　dark　they　were　almost　black。
　　He　bowed；　a　straight　leg　forward；　one　hand　brushing　the　carpet。　His　coran's　training　would　have　had　him　do　so；　even　if　his　instincts　had　not。
　　She　said；　〃Mine　cannot　be　the　only　source　of　information　that　reported　last　year　that　the　younger　son　of　Galbert　de　Garsenc　spent　a　season　in　Mignano　and　Faenna　at　the　palaces　of　the　Delonghi。　Nor　can　I　be　the　only　one　to　have　heard　certain　rumours…which　we　need　not　now　pursue…concerning　the　unfortunate　death　of　Engarro　di　Faenna。　But　the　name　to　be　linked　with　all　of　this…a　name　that　indeed　would　give　rise　to　plexities　in　affairs　of　state；　as　well　as　eliciting　a　personal　response　from　our　friend　here…is　surely　that　of　Rudel　Correze。　Who　is；　I　am　reliably　informed；　much　sought…out　as　an　assassin；　in　good　part　for　his　skill　with　a　bow。　You　need　not；〃　she　added　calmly；　looking　directly　at　Blaise　for　the　first　time；　〃reproach　yourself　for　an　undertaking　breached。　You　did　not　tell　me　this。〃
　　Blaise　cleared　his　throat。　It　sounded　harsh　in　the　silence。　〃Evidently　I　did；〃　he　said。
　　She　smiled。　〃You　didn't　even　know　I　was　here。〃
　　Blaise　found　himself；　unexpectedly；　smiling　back。　〃Then　I　should　reproach　myself　for　that。　It　was　unprofessional；　and　careless。〃　He　drew　a　breath。　〃My　lady；　I　advised　Rudel　Correze　to　take　ship　tonight　because　I　was　going　to　inform　the　city　authorities　of　his　identity　in　the　morning。〃
　　〃City　authorities？　You　meant　me；　I　dare　assume。〃　Bertran　had　walked　around　the　divan　now　to　stand　by　Ariane。　Beatritz；　the　High　Priestess；　had　not　moved　or　spoken　for　some　time。
　　Blaise　shook　his　head。　〃He　thinks　he　killed　you。　I　did　not　disabuse　him　of　the　notion。〃
　　After　a　moment　Bertran　threw　back　his　head　and　laughed　aloud。　〃So　he　will　sail　away　to　claim　whatever　fee　it　was；　from　whoever　paid　him。　Oh；　splendid；　Blaise！　The　embarrassment　will　be　with　him　a　long　time。〃
　　〃I　thought　so　too。　And　for　using　syvaren　it　is　the　least　he　should　suffer。　But　I　think　you　will　agree　it　would　have　been　impolitic　to　seize　the　favoured　son　of　the　Correze　family。　At　this　juncture　of　affairs。〃
　　Ariane　de　Carenzu　was　nodding。　〃Extremely　impolitic。　It　could　have　been　very　awkward　to　have　him　in　custody　here。〃
　　〃I　concluded　as　much；〃　Blaise　said　mildly。　But　he　was　delaying　now；　evading；　there　was　an　issue　still　buried　here；　waiting　like　a　trap。
　　And　so；　naturally；　it　was　the　High　Priestess　who　finally　spoke；　almost　on　cue　with　his　own　thought；　〃Is　there　more　we　should　know？〃　As　she　spoke；　the　white　owl　lifted　suddenly；　wings　briefly　spread；　and　alighted　gently　on　the　shoulder　of　the　countess。　Who　was　Beatritz's　mother；　Blaise　suddenly　remembered。　Signe　de　Barbentain　reached　up　and　gently　stroked　the　bird。
　　They　would　learn；　he　knew。　They　were　going　to　find　out　soon　enough；　when　the　whole　world　did。　He　didn't　want　it　to　happen　that　way。　He　turned　from　the　countess　back　to　Bertran　de　Talair；　who　was；　after　all；　the　man　who　was　to　have　been　killed；　and　the　man　he　was　working　for。
　　〃There　are　two　more　things　that　matter。　One　is　the　fee。〃　He　drew　a　breath。　〃Rudel　Correze　was　to　be　paid　two　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　in　gold　for　killing　you。〃
　　It　was　a　matter　of　some　real　satisfaction　to　see　that　En　Bertran；　the　worldly；　infinitely　sophisticated　duke　of　Talair；　was　no　more　able　to　conceal　his　shock　at　the　size　of　the　figure　than　Blaise　had　been　in　the　Correze　garden　earlier　that　night。　Ariane　de　Carenzu　put　a　hand　to　her　mouth。　The　countess　was　behind　Blaise。　The　High　Priestess　did　not　move；　nor　did　her　face　show　any　expression　at　all。　He　hadn't　expected　it　to。
　　〃Who；　then？〃　Bertran　asked　finally；　his　voice　showing　strain　for　the　first　time。　〃That　is　the　second　thing？〃
　　Blaise　nodded。　The　old　anger　was　in　him　again；　the　difficult；　continuous　pain　that　seemed　to　be　endlessly　rising　from　this　source　as　if　from　an　underground　spring　that　never　dried。　He　was　blunt；　because　he　could　not　be　anything　else。
　　〃My　father；〃　he　said。　〃In　the　name　of　the　king　of　Gorhaut。〃
　　And　was　undone；　he　later　realized；　looking　back；　by　the　next　words　spoken　in　the　room。
　　〃But　that　must　be　terrible　for　you；〃　said　the　countess　of　Arbonne　with　passion。
　　They　all　turned　to　her。　She　was　looking　at　Blaise；　the　magnificent　dark　eyes　wide。　〃He　used　your　own　friend　for　this？　Amongst　all　the　possible　assassins？　How　he　must　hate　you！　What　could　you　ever　have　done　to　make　your　father　hate　you　so？〃
　　There　was；　it　seemed　to　Blaise；　a　lifetime's　worth　of　passion　in　those　eyes。　And　some　of　it　now　was　for　him；　remarkably。　It　was　less　than　two　years；　he　thought　suddenly；　as　a　stray　piece　of　the　story　came　back；　since　her　husband　had　died。　And　theirs　was　said　to　have　been　that　rarest　thing；　a　true　love　match。　He　turned；　on　impulse；　to　look　at　the　niece；　Ariane；　with　her　own　dark　eyes　and　a　suddenly　wistful　expression；　and　then　at　the　daughter；　the　priestess；　whose　eyes　were　gone　and　whose　face　showed　only　an　intense　concentration。　There　had　been　another　daughter；　he　vaguely　remembered。　She　was　dead。　There　was　a　bitter　tale　there；　too；　one　he　probably　should　know　but　did　not。　Affairs　in　Arbonne　had　not　occupied　him　greatly　in　his　growing　years　or　his　time　among　the　armies　and　the　tournaments。
　　He　turned　back　to　the　old　woman　whose　beauty　had　been　the　talk　of　the　world　in　her　bright　day；　and　he　saw　that　now；　at　the　late　twilight　of　her　time；　she　had　another　kind　of　splendour　to　her；　shaped　of　sorrows　and　hard…learned　things。　For　all　the　staggering　import　of　what　he　had　just　told　them；　it　was　of　his　own　most　private　pain　that　she　had　first　spoken。　Not　even　Rudel；　who　knew　him　so　well；　and　who　had　subtlety　and　cleverness　to　spare；　had　thought　through　to　what　Signe　de　Barbentain　had　immediately　understood。　It　was　quiet　in　the　room；　distantly　they　could　hear　the　late；　lingering　noises　of　Carnival。　Blaise　wondered　if　she　really　wanted　an　answer　to　the　question。　He　said；　roughly；　〃Some　men　do　not　like　being　denied。　In　anything。　I　suppose　a　son's　denial　will　cut　deeper　than　most。　I　was　to　enter　the　clergy　of　the　god；　follow　my　father　among　the　Elders　of　Corannos。　It　began　with　that。　There　have　been　other　things。　I　am　not　blameless。〃
　　〃Are　you　excusing　him？〃　She　asked　it　gravely。
　　Blaise　shook　his　head。　〃Not　that。〃　He　hesitated。　〃We　are　a　hard　family　with　each　other。　My　mother　should　not　have　died。〃
　　〃At　your　birth？〃
　　It　was　strange；　to　be　talking　to　the　countess　of　Arbonne　about　these　things；　and　yet；　in　another　way；　it　seemed　unexpectedly　apt。　He　nodded。
　　She　tilted　her　head　slightly　to　one　side；　a　distinctive　gesture。　〃Would　she　have　made　a　difference；　do　you　really　think？　In　Gorhaut？〃
　　〃I　like　to　believe　so；〃　Blaise　said。　〃It　isn't　the　kind　of　thing　we　can　know。〃
　　〃The　dead；〃　said　Bertran　de　Talair　quietly；　〃can　drive　you　hard。〃
　　Blaise　and　the　women　turned　to　him。　The　duke　looked　oddly　unfocused；　inward；　as　if　he'd　not　really　meant　to　say　that；　as　if　it　opened　him　more　than　he　wanted。　Blaise　had　another　memory　in　this　night　of　inexorable；　unbidden　remembrance…that　dark　stairway　in　Castle　Baude　very　late　at　night；　a　flask　of　seguignac　passing　back　and　forth；　the　weary　sadness　in　the　face　of　the　man　who'd　just　seduced　a　woman　he　hadn't　even　known　a　fortnight　before。
　　〃They　can　drive　you　away　from　the　living；　as　well；〃　said　Beatritz　the　priestess；　and　in　her　voice　Blaise　heard　an　asperity　that　told　him　this　was　not　a　new　matter　between　her　and　the　du