ggk.asongforarbonne-第97部分

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　　Blaise　found　that　he　could　smile。　〃I　would　expect　you　to。〃
　　Bertran　laughed　quietly。　Rosala；　a　second　later；　returned　the　smile　tremulously；　but　then　she　lowered　her　face　into　her　hands。
　　〃How　can　we　speak　thus？〃　she　cried。　〃They　burned　women　tonight。　Because　of　me。　They　never　even　knew　who　I　was　and　they　were　taken　from　their　beds　and　raped　by　Ademar's　corans　and…say　nothing；　I　know　they　were！…and　then　they　were　burned　alive。　With　all　that　the　two　of　you　know；　will　you　tell　me　how　I　am　to　live　with　that？　I　can　hear　them　screaming　now。〃
　　Blaise　opened　his　mouth　and　closed　it。　He　looked　past　her　at　Bertran；　whose　eyes　were　shadowed　and　dark　with　the　fire　behind　him。　The　duke　said　nothing　either。　With　all　that　the　two　of　you　know。　He　knew　nothing；　in　the　face　of　this。　There　were　no　words　he　could　think　of　to　say。
　　So　he　spoke　her　name。　What　was　it　about　the　speaking　of　a　name？　Slowly　he　brought　up　his　arms　again　and　gently　took　her　head　between　his　hands　and；　leaning　forward；　he　kissed　her　on　the　brow。　He　wished　there　were　more　he　could　do；　but　there　didn't　seem　to　be。　Women　had　been　burned　tonight；　on　a　pyre　of　his　father's　long　dreaming。　Men　had　been　slain　and　mutilated。　He；　too；　could　hear　the　screaming。
　　〃In　the　morning　。。。　〃　he　said　roughly。　〃We　will　all　be　stronger　in　the　morning。〃　Lame　words；　an　empty　truth。　It　was　this　night　that　needed　dealing　with。　He　looked　over　at　the　duke　again　for　a　moment　and　then　rose　and　left　the　room。　Bertran　would　be　better　at　this；　he　thought；　than　he　himself　would　be。　There　was　less　history　here　for　the　duke；　he　knew　women　so　much　better。　There　was　an　ache　inside　Blaise；　though；　walking　from　her　chamber。
　　Oh；　Ranald；　he　thought；　said　it　aloud；　actually；　softly　in　the　empty　corridor。　She　might　even　have　made　a　man　of　you；　this　one；　if　she　had　been　allowed。　His　brother　had　been　at　Aubry　tonight。　Blaise　was　nearly　certain　that　Ranald　wouldn't　have　wanted　to　be；　but　that　didn't　matter；　did　it？　He　had　been　there。
　　Heavy　with　burdens；　of　past　and　future　both；　Blaise　suddenly　stopped　and　stood　very　still。　A　child　had　cried　out　in　a　room　behind　him。　He　listened　but　there　was　no　other　sound。　A　cry　in　a　dream　that　must　have　been。　Cadar's。
　　Did　new…born　infants　dream？　Blaise　didn't　know。　He　only　knew　that　he　could　not　turn　back；　could　not　now；　if　ever；　ask　Rosala　the　question　in　his　heart。　It　doesn't　matter；　he　told　himself。　It　makes　no　difference　at　all　to　anything。
　　A　lie；　of　course；　but　the　sort　of　lie　that　lets　one　carry　on。
　　
　　By　the　time　she　reached　the　top　of　the　stairway　and　saw　the　guards　outside　the　door；　Lisseut　was　already　regretting　she　had　e。　She　had　no　business　here；　no　claim　to　this　man's　attention；　especially　so　late　at　night　after　he　had　been　seriously　wounded　in　bat。　She　didn't　even　know　exactly　what　she　wanted　to　do；　or　say；　if　he　should　happen　to　be　still　awake；　and　should　happen　to　receive　her。　Someday；　she　thought　despairingly；　she　really　was　going　to　have　to　absorb　her　mother's　so…often…repeated　lesson　and　accept　that　one　did　not　always　have　to　follow　the　path　lit　by　impulse　and　first　reactions。
　　More　than　anything　else；　she　knew；　it　had　been　the　news　from　Aubry　that　had　drawn　her　here。　It　hadn't　taken　long　for　the　tidings　to　sweep　downstairs　through　Barbentain　and　race　along　the　great　hall；　where　those　joglars　and　troubadours　honoured　with　places　in　the　morning's　pavilion　were　offering　their　performances　after　dinner。
　　The　music　had　stopped；　of　course。　One　did　not　sing　liensennes　of　courtly；　unrequited　love　or　ribaldries　of　enthusiastically　answered　passion　in　the　forests　of　Arbonne　when　news　came　of　a　village　destroyed　and　women　burned　alive　by　the　king　of　Gorhaut。　Love　had　no　place　in　the　scheme　of　things　in　the　wake　of　such　horror。
　　But　if　that　were　the　case；　what；　in　truth；　was　she　doing　here；　hesitantly　approaching　a　doorway　on　this　upper　level　of　Barbentain？　Alain　had　agreed　to　wait　a　little　while　for　her　downstairs。　She　didn't　much　want　to　walk　back　to　the　inn　alone。　An　old　man　had　been　murdered　in　an　alley　a　few　nights　ago。　There　were　too　many　unknown　people　from　too　many　countries　wandering　in　the　darkness　of　Lussan　during　the　fair。　She　hadn't　had　the　courage　to　ask　Aurelian　to　wait…he　knew　too　much；　after　this　morning。　It　was　the　first　time　Lisseut　could　remember　that　she'd　wanted　to　hold　something　back　from　him。　Alain　was　easier；　they　had　their　understandings　after　two　seasons　together　now。　He　wouldn't　even　speculate。
　　The　horror　of　the　tidings　from　Aubry　had　drawn　her　back；　in　a　single　dark　leap　of　memory；　to　that　garden　in　Tavernel　last　summer；　when　she　had　listened　from　a　place　of　hiding　on　the　wall　and　learned　who　the　bearded　northern　coran　was；　and　heard　him　speak　with　Rudel　Correze　of　war　ing　with　Gorhaut。　Now　everyone　knew　who　he　was；　since　this　morning；　and　war　was　no　longer　ing；　it　was　upon　them。　And　the　coran　she　had　impulsively　followed　that　Midsummer　night　had　claimed　Gorhaut's　crown　today。
　　On　that　thought　she　almost　did　turn　back；　but　she　had　reached　a　place　where　the　wall　torches　lit　the　corridor；　and　she　realized　that　the　guards　outside　his　door　were　watching　her。　One　of　them　she　knew；　a　coran　from　Vezét；　from　a　farm　not　far　from　her　father's。　She　wasn't　sure　whether　she　was　happy　about　that　or　not。
　　Having　been　seen；　though；　and　almost　certainly　recognized；　she　was　not　about　to　turn　and　skulk　away。　Grateful　that　she　looked　presentable；　at　least；　in　her　newest　tunic　bought　for　the　fair　and　the　vest　Ariane　had　given　her；　and　aware　that　if　the　guards　knew　her　they　would　almost　certainly　also　know　she'd　been　among　the　selected　performers　tonight；　Lisseut　walked　forward　with　her　head　high。
　　〃Hello；　Fabrise；〃　she　said　to　the　man　she　knew。　〃I　didn't　realize　you　were　in　Barbentain。　Is　your　father　well？〃
　　He　grimaced　briefly　in　response。　〃He　is；　I　thank　you。　Will　you　tell　us　what　you　are　doing　here？〃　Formal；　extremely　formal。　No　warmth　at　all。　They　had　clearly　been　instructed　that　guard　duty　tonight　outside　this　door　was　not　ceremonial。　After　Blaise's　declaration　this　morning　it　stood　to　reason；　and　after　the　attack　on　Aubry　tonight　every　coran　in　Arbonne　would　be　on　edge。　Again；　Lisseut　wondered　why　she　had　never　listened　to　her　mother　more　attentively。
　　She　said　hardily；　〃I　thought　if　Blaise　de　Garsenc　was　awake　he　might　be　willing　to　speak　with　me。〃　There　was　no　reply　at　all　to　that。　〃We　are　friends；〃　she　added…it　was　almost　true；　in　a　manner　of　speaking…〃and　I　wanted　to　see　how　he　was。　Is　he　sleeping？〃
　　For　a　long　moment　four　grim　corans　regarded　her　in　silence。　Finally　one　of　them；　evidently　concluding　that　whatever　she　was；　it　was　something　other　than　an　immediate　danger；　made　a　wry　face。　〃What　is　it；〃　he　said；　addressing　Fabrise；　〃about　your　women　from　Vezét；　will　you　tell　me？〃
　　Fabrise　frowned。　Lisseut　felt　herself　flushing。　This　was　pretty　much　what　she'd　feared　would　happen。　Oh；　mother；　she　thought。　It　had　actually　occurred　to　her　several　times　during　the　day　that　it　might　be　a　good　time　for　a　visit　home。　She　could　sleep　in　her　old　bed；　see　people　she'd　grown　up　with；　talk　with　her　mother　while　they　did　the　endless　needlework　in　the　doorway；　or　with　her　father；　walking　among　the　olive　groves。　It　might　be　a　good　thing　to　do；　she'd　thought。　It　had　been　a　long　time　since　she'd　been　back；　and　home　sometimes　was　a　place　where　the　heart　could　be　eased。
　　〃I　know　this　woman。　She　is　not　like　that；〃　said　Fabrise　of　Vezét；　her　pulse　quickened　at　his　loyalty。
　　〃Nor　is　this　a　night；〃　she　said；　emboldened；　unwilling　as　ever　to　have　someone　else　fight　a　battle　for　her；　even　a　small　one；　〃when　a　man　of　Arbonne　should　speak　any　ill　of　the　women　of　his　country。　I　will　accept　an　apology；　coran；　if　you　offer　one。〃
　　There　was　a　great　deal　to　be　said　for　the　training　that　regular　appearances　in　public　gave　one。　She　was　easily　able　to　outface　the　coran　who　had　made　that　jest。　He　lowered　his　head　and　mumbled　words　that　did　sound　contrite。　He　looked　young；　Lisseut　thought。　He　had　probably　meant　no　real　offense；　though　he　did　have　a　great　deal　to　learn。
　　On　the　other　hand；　what　innocuous　reason　could　she　offer　for　being　here？　Truth　was；　the　young　coran　was　right；　if　not　abo