osc.am2.redprophet-第13部分

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been　in　the　field。〃
　　〃And　the　happiest　moments；　too；　for　France；　are　when　you　are　in　the　field。　e；　meet　General　de　Maurepas。　He　will　be　your　superior　officer　in　Detroit。〃
　　Frederic　heard　the　slight　pause　before　La　Fayette　said　the　word　superior。　Frederic　knew　when　he　was　being　ridiculed。　I　will　remember　every　slight；　Gilbert；　and　I　will　repay。
　　The　Irrakwa　were　very　efficient　at　transferring　cargo；　it　wasn't　an　hour　before　the　canal　barge　was　under　way。　Naturally；　La　Fayette　spent　the　first　afternoon　telling　Bonaparte　all　about　Stephenson's　steam　engine。　Bonaparte　made　a　show　of　being　interested；　asking　all　about　the　possibilities　of　troop　transport；　and　how　quickly　track　could　be　laid　behind　an　advancing　army；　and　how　easily　these　railed　roads　might　be　disrupted　by　enemy　action　　but　it　was　all　so　tedious　and　boring　that　Frederic　could　not　imagine　how　Bonaparte　kept　it　up。　Of　course　an　officer　had　to　pretend　to　be　interested　in　everything　a　Governor　said；　but　Bonaparte　was　taking　it　to　extremes。
　　Before　too　long　the　conversation　obviously　excluded　Frederic；　but　he　didn't　mind。　He　let　his　thoughts　wander；　remembering　that　actress；　What's…her…name；　who　did　such　an　exquisite　job　of　that　part；　whatever　it　was；　or　was　she　a　ballerina？　He　remembered　her　legs；　anyway；　such　graceful　legs；　but　she　refused　to　e　to　Canada　with　him；　even　though　he　assured　her　he　loved　her　and　promised　to　set　her　up　in　a　house　even　nicer　than　the　one　he　would　build　for　his　wife。　If　only　she　had　e。　Of　course；　she　might　have　died　of　fever；　the　way　his　wife　did。　So　perhaps　it　was　all　for　the　best。　Was　she　still　on　the　stage　in　Paris？　Bonaparte　would　not　know；　of　course；　but　one　of　his　junior　officers　might　have　seen　her。　He　would　have　to　inquire。
　　They　supped　at　Governor　Rainbow's　table；　of　course；　since　that　was　the　only　table　on　the　canal　boat。　The　governor　had　sent　her　regrets　that　she　could　not　visit　the　distinguished　French　travelers；　but　she　hoped　her　staff　would　make　them　fortable。　Frederic；　supposing　this　meant　an　Irrakwa　chef；　had　braced　himself　for　another　tedious　Red　meal　of　tough　deer　gristle　　one　could　hardly　call　such　fare　venison　　but　instead　the　chef　was；　of　all　things；　a　Frenchman！　A　Huguenot；　or　rather　the　grandson　of　Huguenots；　but　he　didn't　hold　grudges；　so　the　food　was　superb。　Who　would　have　imagined　good　French　food　in　a　place　like　this　　and　not　the　spicy　Acadian　style；　either。
　　Frederic　did　try　to　take　a　more　active　part　in　the　conversation　at　supper；　once　he　had　finished　off　every　scrap　of　food　on　the　table。　He　tried　his　best　to　explain　to　Bonaparte　the　almost　impossible　military　situation　in　the　southwest。　He　counted　off　the　problems　one　by　one　　the　undisciplined　Red　allies；　the　unending　flow　of　immigrants。　〃Worst　of　all　is　our　own　soldiers；　though。　They　are　a　determinedly　superstitious　lot；　as　the　lower　classes　always　are。　They　see　omens　in　everything。　Some　Dutch　or　German　settler　puts　a　hex　on　his　door　and　you　practically　have　to　beat　our　soldiers　to　get　them　to　go　in。〃
　　Bonaparte　sipped　his　coffee　（barbaric　fluid！　but　he　seemed　to　relish　it　exactly　as　the　Irrakwa　did）；　then　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　regarding　Frederic　with　his　steady；　piercing　eyes。　〃Do　you　mean　to　say　that　you　acpany　foot　soldiers　in　house…to…house　searches？〃
　　Bonaparte's　condescending　attitude　was　outrageous；　but　before　Frederic　could　utter　the　withering　retort　that　was　just　on　the　tip　of　his　tongue；　La　Fayette　laughed　aloud。　〃Napoleon；〃　he　said；　〃my　dear　friend；　that　is　the　nature　of　our　supposed　enemy　in　this　war。　When　the　largest　city　in　fifty　miles　consists　of　four　houses　and　a　smithy；　you　don't　conduct　house…to…house　searches。　Each　house　is　the　enemy　fortress。〃
　　Napoleon's　forehead　wrinkled。　〃They　don't　concentrate　their　forces　into　arniies？〃
　　〃They　have　never　fielded　an　army；　not　since　General　Wayne　put　down　Chief　Pontiac　years　ago；　and　that　was　an　English　army。　The　U。S。　has　a　few　forts；　but　they're　all　along　the　Hio。〃
　　〃Then　why　are　those　forts　still　standing？〃
　　La　Fayette　chuckled　again。　〃Haven't　you　read　reports　of　how　the　English　king　fared　in　his　war　against　the　Appalachee　rebels？〃
　　〃I　was　otherwise　engaged；〃　said　Bonaparte。
　　〃You　needn't　remind　us　you　were　fighting　in　Spain；〃　said　Frederic。　〃We　would　all　have　gladly　been　there；　too。〃
　　〃Would　you？〃　murmured　Bonaparte。
　　〃Let　me　summarize；〃　said　La　Fayette；　〃what　happened　to　Lord　Cornwallis's　army　when　he　led　it　from　Virginia　to　try　to　reach　the　Appalachee　capital　of　Franklin；　on　the　upper　Tennizy　River。〃
　　〃Let　me；〃　said　Frederic。　〃Your　summaries　are　usually　longer　than　the　original；　Gilbert。〃
　　La　Fayette　looked　annoyed　at　Frederic's　interruption；　but　after　all；　La　Fayette　was　the　one　who　had　insisted　they　address　each　other　as　brother　generals；　by　first　names。　If　La　Fayette　wanted　to　be　treated　like　a　marquis；　he　should　insist　on　protocol。　〃Go　ahead；〃　said　La　Fayette。
　　〃Cornwallis　went　out　in　search　of　the　Appalachee　army。　He　never　found　it。　Lots　of　empty　cabins；　which　he　burned　　but　they　can　build　new　ones　in　a　day。　And　every　day　a　half…dozen　of　his　soldiers　would　be　killed　or　wounded　by　musketry。〃
　　〃Rifle　fire；〃　corrected　La　Fayette。
　　〃Yes；　well；　these　Americans　prefer　the　rifled　barrel；〃　said　Frederic。
　　〃They　can't　volley　properly；　rifles　are　so　slow　to　load；〃　said　Bonaparte。
　　〃They　don't　volley　at　all；　unless　they　outnumber　you；〃　said　La　Fayette。
　　〃I'm　telling　it；〃　said　Frederic。　〃Cornwallis　got　to　Franklin　and　realized　that　half　his　army　was　dead；　injured；　or　protecting　his　supply　fines。　Benedict　Arnold　　the　Appalachee　general　　had　fortified　the　city。　Earthworks；　balustrades；　trenches　all　up　and　down　the　hillsides。　Lord　Cornwallis　tried　to　lay　a　siege；　but　the　Cherriky　moved　so　silently　that　the　Cavalier　pickets　never　heard　them　bringing　in　supplies　during　the　night。　Fiendish；　the　way　those　Appalachee　Whites　worked　so　closely　with　the　Reds　　made　them　citizens；　right　from　the　start；　if　you　can　imagine；　and　it　certainly　paid　off　for　them　this　time。　Appalachee　troops　also　raided　Cornwallis's　supply　lines　so　often　that　after　less　than　a　month　it　became　quite　clear　that　Cornwallis　was　the　besieged；　not　the　besieger。　He　ended　up　surrendering　his　entire　army；　and　the　English　King　had　to　grant　Appalachee　its　independence。〃
　　Bonaparte　nodded　gravely。
　　〃Here's　the　cleverest　thing；〃　said　La　Fayette。　〃After　he　surrendered；　Cornwallis　was　brought　into　Franklin　City　and　discovered　that　all　the　families　had　been　moved　out　long　before　he　arrived。　That's　the　thing　about　these　Americans　on　the　frontier。　They　can　pick　up　and　move　anywhere。　You　can't　pin　them　down。〃
　　〃But　you　can　kill　them；〃　said　Bonaparte。
　　〃You　have　to　catch　them；〃　said　La　Fayette。
　　〃They　have　fields　and　farms；〃　said　Bonaparte。
　　〃Well；　yes；　you　could　try　to　find　every　farm；〃　said　La　Fayette。　〃But　when　you　get　there；　if　anyone's　at　home　you'll　find　it's　a　simple　farm　family。　Not　a　soldier　among　them。　There's　no　army。　But　the　minute　you　leave；　someone　is　shooting　at　you　from　the　forest。　It　might　be　the　same　humble　farmer；　and　it　might　not。〃
　　〃An　interesting　problem；〃　said　Bonaparte。　〃You　never　know　your　enemy。　He　never　concentrates　his　forces。〃
　　〃Which　is　why　we　deal　with　the　Reds；〃　said　Frederic。　〃We　can't　very　well　go　about　murdering　innocent　farm　families　ourselves；　can　we？〃
　　〃So　you　pay　the　Reds　to　kill　them　for　you。〃
　　〃Yes。　It　works　rather　well；〃　said　Frederic；　〃and　we　have　no　plans　to　do　anything　different。〃
　　〃Well？　It　works　well？〃　said　Bonaparte　scornfully。　〃Ten　years　ago　there　weren't　five　hundred　American　households　west　of　the　Appalachee　Mountains。　Now　there's　ten　thousand　households　between　the　Appalachees　and　the　My…Ammy；　and　more　moving　farther　west　all　the　time。〃
　　La　Fayette　winked　at　Frederic。　Frederic　hated　him　when　he　did　that。　〃Napoleon　read　our　dispatches；〃　La　Fayette　said　cheerfully。　〃Memorized　our　estimates　of　American　settlements　in　the　Red　Reserve。〃
　　〃The　King　wants　this　American　intrusion　into　French　territory　stopped；　and　stopped　at　once；〃　said　Bonaparte。
　　〃Oh　he　does？〃　asked　La　Fayette。　〃What　an　odd　way　he　has　of　showing　it。〃
　　〃Odd？　He　sent　me；〃　said　Bonaparte。　〃That　means　he　expe