osc.am2.redprophet-第27部分
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f here alive and then just see what es next； right？
〃I wasn't stupid；〃 Harrison said。
No； you're the smartest governor Carthage ever had； I'm surprised you ain't King。 That's what Hooch would've said。 But he was keeping his mouth shut。
〃It was that Prophet。 That Red up north。 Building his Prophetstown right across the Wobbish from Vigor Church you can't tell me that's just a coincidence。 It's Armor…of…God； that's what it is； trying to take the state of Wobbish away from me。 Using a Red to do it； too。 I knew that a lot of Reds were going north； everybody knew that； but I still had me my whisky…Reds； them as hadn't died off。 And with fewer Reds around here especially the Shaw…Nee； when they left well； I thought I'd get more White settlers。 And you're wrong about my tax collectors。 They didn't run the White settlers off。 It was Ta…Kumsaw。〃
〃I thought it was the Prophet。〃
〃Don't get smart with me； Hooch； I don't have much patience these days。〃
Why didn't you warn me before you threw the glass？ No； no； don't say nothing to make him mad。 〃Sorry； Bill。〃
〃Ta…Kumsaw's been real smart。 He doesn't kill White folks。 He just shows up at their farms with fifty Shaw…Nee。 Doesn't shoot anybody； but when you got fifty painted…up warriors all around your house； these White folks didn't exactly figure it was smart to start shooting。 So the White farmers watched while the Shaw…Nee opened every gate； every stable； every coop。 Let them animals go on out。 Horses； pigs； milk cows； chickens。 Just like Noah bringing beasts into the ark； the Shaw…Nee walk into the woods and the animals trot on right behind。 Just like that。 Never see them again。〃
〃You can't tell me they never round up at least some of their stock。〃
〃All gone。 Never find even their tracks。 Never even a feather from a chicken。 That's what run the White farmers off； is knowing that any day； all their animals can disappear。〃
〃Shaw…Nee eating them or something？ Ain't no chicken smart enough to live long in the woods。 It's just Christmastime for foxes； that's all it is。〃
〃How should I know？ White folks e to me； they say； Get our animals back； or kill the Reds what took them。 But my soldiers； my scouts； nobody can find where Ta…Kumsaw's people are。 No villages at all！ I tried raiding a Caska…Skeeaw village up the Little My…Ammy； but all that did was convince more Reds to leave； didn't even slow down what Ta…Kumsaw was doing。〃
Hooch could imagine what that raid on the Caska…Skeeaw village was like。 Old men； women； children； their corpses shot up and half…burnt Hooch knew how Harrison dealt with Reds。
〃And then last month； here es the Prophet。 I knew he was ing even the whisky…Reds couldn't talk about nothing else。 Prophet's ing。 Got to go see the Prophet。 Well； I tried to find out where he was going to be； where he was going to give a speech； I even had some of my tame Reds try to find out for me； but no dice； Hooch。 Not a clue。 Nobody knew。 Just one day the word went through the whole town； Prophet's here。 Where？ Just e on； Prophet's here。 No one ever said where。 I swear these Reds can talk without talking； if you know what I mean。〃
〃Bill； tell me you had spies there； or I'll start to thinking you lost your touch。〃
〃Spies？ I went myself； how's that？ And do you know how？ Ta…Kumsaw sent me an invitation； if that don't beat all。 No soldiers； no guns； just me。〃
〃And you went？ He could've captured you and〃
〃He gave me his word。 Ta…Kumsaw may be a Red； but he keeps his word。〃
Hooch thought that was kind of funny。 Harrison； the man who prided himself on never keeping a promise to a Red man； but he still counted on Ta…Kumsaw keeping a promise to him。 Well； he got back alive； didn't he？ So Ta…Kumsaw was as good as his word。
〃I went there。 Must've been every Red in the whole My…Ammy country there。 Must've been ten thousand。 Squatting around in this old abandoned cornfield there's plenty of them in these parts； you can bet； thanks to Ta…Kumsaw。 If I'd had my two cannon there and a hundred soldiers； I could've ended the whole Red problem； then and there。〃
〃Too bad you didn't；〃 said Hooch。
〃Ta…Kumsaw wanted me to sit right up front； but I wouldn't。 I hung back and I listened。 The Prophet got up； stood on an old stump in the field； and he talked and talked and talked。〃
〃You understand any of it？ I mean； you don't talk Shaw…Nee。〃
〃He was talking English； Hooch。 Too many different tribes there； the only language they all knew was English。 Oh； sometimes he talked in that Red gibberish； but there was plenty of English。 Talking about the destiny of the Red man。 Stay pure from White contamination。 Live all together and fill up a part of the land so the White man will have his place and the Red man will have his。 Build a city a crystal city； he said； it sounded real pretty except these Reds can't even build a proper shed； I hate to think how they'd do at building a city out of glass！ But most of all； he said； Don't drink likker。 Not a drop。 Give it up； stay away from it。 Likker is the chain of the White man； the chain and the whip； the chain and the whip and the knife。 First he'll catch you； then he'll whip you； then he'll kill you； likker will； and when the White man's killed you with his whisky； he'll e in and steal your land； destroy it； make it unfit； dead； useless。〃
〃Sounds like he made a real impression on you； Bill；〃 said Hooch。 〃Sounds like you memorized the speech he gave。〃
〃Memorized？ He talked for three straight hours。 Talked about visions of the past； visions of the future。 Talked about oh； Hooch； it was crazy stuff； but those Reds were drinking it up like； like〃
〃Whisky。〃
〃Like whisky except it was instead of whisky。 They all went with him。 Pretty near all of them； anyway。 Only ones left are a few whisky…Reds that're bound to die soon。 And of course my tame Reds； but that's different。 And some wild Reds across the Hio。〃
〃Went with him where？〃
〃Prophetstown！ That's what kills me； Hooch。 They all go up to Prophetstown； or thereabouts； right across the river from Vigor Church。 And that's exactly where all the Whites are going！ Well； not all to Vigor Church； but up into the lands where Armor…of…Hell Weaver has his maps。 They're in cahoots； Hooch； I promise you that。 Ta…Kumsaw； Armor…of…God Weaver； and the Prophet。
〃Sounds like。〃
〃The worst thing is I had that Prophet here in my own office must be a thousand times； I could have killed that boy and saved myself more trouble but you never know； do you？〃
〃You know this Prophet？〃
〃You mean you don't know who it is？〃
〃I don't know that many Reds by name； Bill。〃
〃How about if I tell you that he's only got one eye？〃
〃You ain't saying it's Lolla…Wossiky！〃
〃Reckon so。〃
〃That one…eyed drunk？〃
〃God's own truth； Hooch。 Calls himself Tenskwa…Tawa now。 It means 'the open door' or something。 I'd like to shut that door。 I should've killed him when I had the chance。 But I figured when he ran off he ran off； you know； stole a keg and took off into the woods〃
〃I was here that night； I helped chase him。〃
〃Well when he didn't e back； I figured he probably drank himself to death off that keg。 But there he is telling Reds how he used to have to drink all the time； but God sent him visions and he's never had another drink。〃
〃Send me visions； I'd give up drinking； too。〃
Harrison took another swallow of whisky。 From the jug； this time； since the tumbler was on the floor in the corner of the room。 〃You see my problem； Hooch。〃
〃I see you got lots of problems； Bill； and I don't know how any of them has a thing to do with me； except you weren't joking when you had the quartermaster tell me you only wanted four barrels。〃
〃Oh； it's got more to do with you than that； count on it； Hooch。 More than that。 Because I ain't beat。 The Prophet's took away all my whisky…Reds； and Ta…Kumsaw's got my White citizens scared； but I ain't quitting。〃
〃No； you're no quitter；〃 said Hooch。 You're a slimy sneaky snake of a man； but you're no quitter。 Didn't say that； of course； cause Harrison was bound to take it wrong but to Hooch； it was all praise。 His kind of man。
〃It's Ta…K
