rz.signoftheunicorn-第20部分

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　Turning　toward　Benedict；　who　was　sitting　gazing　into　the　fire；　I　said；　〃Back　in　Avalon；　Benedict；　you　told　me　that　Brand　was　one　of　the　ones　who　searched　for　me　after　my　disappearance。〃
　〃That　is　correct；〃　Benedict　answered。
　〃All　of　us　went　looking；〃　Julian　said。
　〃Not　at　first；〃　I　replied。　〃Initially；　it　was　Brand；　Gerard；　and　yourself；　Benedict。　Isn't　that　what　you　told　me？〃
　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　〃The　others　did　have　a　go　at　it　later；　though。　I　told　you　that；　too。〃
　I　nodded。
　〃Did　Brand　report　anything　unusual　at　that　time？〃　I　asked。
　〃Unusual？　In　what　way？〃　said　Benedict。
　〃I　don't　know。　I　am　looking　for　some　connection　between　what　happened　to　him　and　what　happened　to　me。〃
　〃Then　you　are　looking　in　the　wrong　place；〃　Benedict　said。　〃He　returned　and　reported　no　success。　And　he　was　around　for　ages　after　that；　unmolested。〃
　〃I　gathered　that　much；〃　I　said。　〃I　understand　from　what　Random　has　told　me；　though；　that　his　final　disappearance　occurred　approximately　a　month　before　my　own　recovery　and　return。　That　almost　strikes　me　as　peculiar。　If　he　did　not　report　anything　special　after　his　return　from　the　search；　did　he　do　so　prior　to　his　disappearance？　Or　in　the　interim？　Anyone？　Anything？　Say　it　if　you've　got　it！〃
　There　followed　some　mutual　glancing　about。　The　looks　seemed　more　curious　than　suspicious　or　nervous；　though。
　Finally；　then；　〃Well；〃　Llewella　said；　〃I　do　not　know。　Do　not　know　whether　it　is　significant；　I　mean。〃
　All　eyes　came　to　rest　upon　her。　She　began　to　knot　and　unknot　the　ends　of　her　belt　cord；　slowly；　as　she　spoke。
　〃It　was　in　the　interim；　and　it　may　have　no　bearing；〃　she　went　on。　〃It　is　just　something　that　struck　me　as　peculiar。　Brand　came　to　Rebma　long　ago　…　〃
　〃How　long　ago？〃　I　asked。
　She　furrowed　her　brow。
　〃Fifty；　sixty；　seventy　years。。。　I　am　not　certain。〃
　I　tried　to　summon　up　the　rough　conversion　factor　I　had　worked　out　during　my　long　incarceration。　A　day　in　Amber；　it　seemed；　constituted　a　bit　over　two　and　a　half　days　on　the　shadow　Earth　where　I　had　spent　my　exile。　I　wanted　to　relate　events　in　Amber　to　my　own　time…scale　whenever　possible；　just　in　case　any　peculiar　correspondences　turned　up。　So　Brand　had　gone　to　Rebma　sometime　in　what　was；　to　me；　the　nineteenth　century。
　〃Whatever　the　date；〃　she　said；　〃he　came　and　visited　me。　Stayed　for　several　weeks。〃　She　glanced　at　Random　then。　〃He　was　asking　about　Martin。〃
　Random　narrowed　his　eyes　and　cocked　his　head。　〃Did　he　say　why？〃　he　asked　her。
　〃Not　exactly；〃　she　said。　〃He　implied　that　he　had　met　Martin　somewhere　in　his　travels；　and　he　gave　the　impression　that　he　would　like　to　get　in　touch　with　him　again。　I　did　not　realize　until　some　time　after　his　departure　that　finding　out　everything　he　could　concerning　Martin　was　probably　the　entire　reason　for　his　visit。　You　know　how　subtle　Brand　can　be；　finding　out　things　without　seeming　to　be　after　them。　It　was　only　after　I　had　spoken　with　a　number　of　others　whom　he　had　visited　that　I　began　to　see　what　had　occurred。　I　never　did　find　out　why；　though。〃
　〃That　is　…　most　peculiar；〃　Random　observed。　〃For　it　brings　to　mind　something　to　which　I　had　never　attached　any　significance。　He　once　questioned　me　at　great　length　concerning　my　son　…　and　it　may　well　have　been　at　about　the　same　time。　He　never　indicated　that　he　had　met　him；　however　…　or　that　he　had　any　desire　to　do　so。　It　started　out　as　a　bit　of　banter　on　the　subject　of　bastards。　When　I　took　offense　he　apologized　and　asked　a　number　of　more　proper　questions　about　the　boy；　which　I　assumed　he　then　put　for　the　sake　of　politeness　…　to　leave　me　with　a　softer　remembrance。　As　you　say；　though；　he　had　a　way　of　drawing　admissions　from　people。　Why　is　it　you　never　told　me　of　this　before？〃
　She　smiled　prettily。
　〃Why　should　I　have？〃　she　said。
　Random　nodded　slowly；　his　face　expressionless。
　〃Well；　what　did　you　tell　him？〃　he　said。　〃What　did　he　learn？　What　do　you　know　about　Martin　that　I　don't？〃
　She　shook　her　head；　her　smile　fading。
　〃Nothing　…　actually；〃　she　said。　〃To　my　knowledge；　no　one　in　Rebma　ever　heard　from　Martin　after　he　took　the　Pattern　and　vanished。　I　do　not　believe　that　Brand　departed　knowing　any　more　than　he　did　when　he　arrived。〃
　〃Strange。。。〃　I　said。　〃Did　he　approach　anyone　else　on　the　subject？〃
　〃I　don't　remember；〃　Julian　said。
　〃Nor　I；〃　said　Benedict。
　The　others　shook　their　heads。
　〃Then　let　us　note　it　and　leave　it　for　now；〃　I　said。　〃There　are　other　things　I　also　need　to　know。　Julian；　I　understand　that　you　and　Gerard　attempted　to　follow　the　black　road　a　while　back；　and　that　Gerard　was　injured　along　the　way。　I　believe　you　both　stayed　with　Benedict　for　a　time　after　that；　while　Gerard　recuperated。　I　would　like　to　know　about　that　expedition。〃
　〃It　seems　as　if　you　already　do；〃　Julian　replied。　〃You　have　just　stated　everything　that　occurred。〃
　〃Where　did　you　learn　of　this；　Corwin；〃　Benedict　inquired。
　〃Back　in　Avalon；〃　I　said。
　〃From　whom？〃
　〃Dara；〃　I　said。
　He　rose　to　his　feet；　came　over；　stood　before　me；　glared　down。
　〃You　still　persist　in　that　absurd　story　about　the　girl！〃
　I　sighed。
　〃We　have　been　round　and　round　on　this　too　many　times；〃　I　said。　〃By　now　I　have　told　you　everything　that　I　know　on　the　subject。　Either　you　accept　it　or　you　do　not。　She　is　the　one　who　told　me；　though。〃
　〃Apparently；　then；　there　were　some　things　you　did　not　tell　me。　You　never　mentioned　that　part　before。〃
　〃Is　it　true　or　isn't　it？　About　Julian　and　Gerard。〃
　〃It　is　true；〃　he　said。
　〃Then　forget　the　source　for　now　and　let　us　get　on　with　what　happened。〃
　〃Agreed；〃　Benedict　said。　〃I　may　speak　candidly；　now　that　the　reason　for　secrecy　is　no　longer　with　us。　Eric；　of　course。　He　was　unaware　of　my　whereabouts；　as　were　most　of　the　others。　Gerard　was　my　main　source　of　news　in　Amber。　Eric　grew　more　and　more　apprehensive　concerning　the　black　road　and　finally　decided　to　send　scouts　to　trace　it　through　Shadow　to　its　source。　Julian　and　Gerard　were　selected。　They　were　attacked　by　a　very　strong　party　of　its　creatures　at　a　point　near　Avalon。　Gerard　called　to　me；　via　my　Trump；　for　assistance　and　I　went　to　their　aid。　The　enemy　was　dispatched。　As　Gerard　had　sustained　a　broken　leg　in　the　fighting　and　Julian　was　a　bit　battered　himself；　I　took　them　both　home　with　me。　I　broke　my　silence　with　Eric　at　that　time；　to　tell　him　where　they　were　and　what　had　bee　of　them。　He　ordered　them　not　to　continue　their　journey；　but　to　return　to　Amber　after　they　had　recovered。　They　remained　with　me　until　they　did。　Then　they　went　back。〃
　〃That　is　all？〃
　〃That　is　all。〃
　But　it　wasn't。　Dara　had　also　told　me　something　else。　She　had　mentioned　another　visitor。　I　remembered　it　quite　distinctly。　That　day；　beside　the　stream；　a　tiny　rainbow　in　the　mist　above　the　waterfall；　the　mill　wheel　turning　round　and　round；　delivering　dreams　and　grinding　them；　that　day　we　had　fenced　and　talked　and　walked　in　Shadow；　had　passed　through　a　primordial　wood；　ing　to　a　Spot　beside　a　mighty　torrent　where　turned　a　wheel　fit　for　the　granary　of　the　gods；　that　day　we　had　picnicked；　flirted；　gossiped；　she　had　told　me　many　things；　some　of　them　doubtless　false。　But　she　had　not　lied　concerning　the　journey　of　Julian　and　Gerard；　and　I　believed　it　possible　that　she　had　also　spoken　truly　when　she　said　that　Brand　had　visited　Benedict　in　Avalon。　〃Frequently〃　was　the　word　she　had　used。
　Now；　Benedict　made　no　secret　of　the　fact　that　he　distrusted　me。　I　could　see　this　alone　as　sufficient　reason　for　his　withholding　information　on　anything　he　judged　too　sensitive　to　bee　my　business。　Hell；　buying　his　story；　I　would　not　have　trusted　me　either　if　our　situations　were　reversed。　Only　a　fool　would　have　called　him　on　it　at　that　moment；　though。　Because　of　the　other　possibilities。
　It　could　be　that　he　planned　to　tell　me　later；　in　private；　of　the　circumstances　surrounding　Brand's　visits。　They　could　well　have　involved　something　he　did　not　wish　to　discuss　before　the　group；　and　especially　before　Brand's　would…be　killer。
　Or　…　There　was；　of　course；　the　possibility　that　Benedict　himself　was　behind　it　all。　I　did　not　even　like　to　think　about　the　consequences。　Having　served　under　Napoleon；　Lee；　and　MacArthur；　I　appreciated　the　tactician　as　well　as　the　strategist。　Benedict　was　both；　and　he　was　the　best　I　had　ever　known。　The　rece