rz.signoftheunicorn-第24部分

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　〃Don't　overlook　those　bits　of　virtue　you've　acquired；〃　she　said。　〃You're　not　to　blame　for　the　way　it　turned　out。〃
　〃Thanks。〃
　〃I　believe　that　Julian　might　have　had　the　right　idea；〃　she　said。　〃I　don't　feel　like　staying　awake　any　longer。〃
　I　rose　with　her；　walked　her　to　the　door。
　〃I'm　all　right；〃　she　said。　〃Really。〃
　〃Sure？〃
　She　nodded　sharply。
　〃See　you　in　the　morning　then。〃
　〃I　hope　so；〃　she　said。　〃Now　you　can　talk　about　me。〃
　She　winked　and　went　out。
　I　turned　back；　saw　that　Benedict　and　Llewella　were　approaching。
　〃Turning　in？〃　I　asked。
　Benedict　nodded。
　〃Might　as　well；〃　Llewella　said；　and　she　kissed　me　on　the　cheek。
　〃What　was　that　for？〃
　〃A　number　of　things；〃　she　said。　〃Good　night。〃
　〃Good　night。〃
　Random　was　crouched　on　the　hearth；　poking　at　the　fire。　Deirdre　turned　to　him　and　said；　〃Don't　throw　on　more　wood　just　for　us。　Flora　and　I　are　going　too。〃
　〃Okay。〃　He　set　the　poker　aside　and　rose。　〃Sleep　well；〃　he　called　after　them。
　Deirdre　gave　me　a　sleepy　smile　and　Flora　a　nervous　one。　I　added　my　good　nights　and　watched　them　leave。
　〃Learn　anything　new　and　useful？〃　Random　asked。
　I　shrugged。
　〃Did　you？〃
　〃Opinions；　conjectures。　No　new　facts；〃　he　said。　〃We　were　trying　to　decide　who　might　be　next　on　the　list。〃
　〃And。。。？〃
　〃Benedict　thinks　it's　a　toss…up。　You　or　him。　Providing　you　are　not　behind　it　all；　of　course。　He　also　thinks　your　buddy　Ganelon　ought　to　watch　his　step。〃
　〃Ganelon。。。　Yes；　that's　a　thought　…　and　it　should　have　been　mine。　I　think　he　is　right　about　the　toss…up；　too。　It　may　even　be　slightly　weighted　against　him；　since　they　know　I'm　alert　because　of　the　attempted　frameup。〃
　〃I　would　say　that　all　of　us　are　now　aware　that　Benedict　is　alert　himself。　He　managed　to　mention　his　opinion　to　everyone。　I　believe　that　he　would　wele　an　attempt。〃
　I　chuckled。
　〃That　balances　the　coin　again。　I　guess　it　is　a　toss…up。〃
　〃He　said　that；　too。　Naturally；　he　knew　I　would　tell　you。〃
　〃Naturally；　I　wish　he　would　start　talking　to　me　again。　Well。。。　not　much　I　can　do　about　it　now；〃　I　said。　〃The　hell　with　everything。　I'm　going　to　bed。〃
　He　nodded。
　〃Look　under　it　first。〃
　We　left　the　room；　headed　up　the　hall。
　〃Corwin；　I　wish　you'd　had　the　foresight　to　bring　some　coffee　back　with　you；　along　with　the　guns；〃　he　said。　〃I　could　use　a　cup。〃
　〃Doesn't　it　keep　you　awake？〃
　〃No。　I　like　a　couple　of　cups　in　the　evening。〃
　〃I　miss　it　mornings。　We'll　have　to　import　some　when　this　mess　is　all　settled。〃
　〃Small　fort；　but　a　good　idea。　What　got　into　Fi；　anyhow？〃
　〃She　thinks　Julian　is　our　man。〃
　〃She　may　be　right。〃
　〃What　about　Caine？〃
　〃Supposing　it　was　not　a　single　individual；〃　he　said　as　we　mounted　the　stair。　〃Say　it　was　two；　like　Julian　and　Caine。　They　finally　had　a　falling　out；　Caine　lost；　Julian　disposed　of　him　and　used　the　death；　to　weaken　your　position　as　well。　Former　friends　make　the　worst　enemies。〃
　〃It's　no　use；〃　I　said。　〃I　get　dizzy　when　I　start　sorting　the　possibilities。　We　are　either　going　to　have　to　wait　for　something　more　to　happen；　or　make　something　happen。　Probably　the　latter。　But　not　tonight　…〃
　〃Hey！　Wait　up！〃
　〃Sorry。〃　I　paused　at　the　landing。　〃Don't　know　what　got　into　me。　Finishing　spurt；　I　guess。〃
　〃Nervous　energy；〃　he　said；　ing　abreast　of　me　once　more。　We　continued　on　up；　and　I　made　an　effort　to　match　his　pace；　fighting　down　a　desire　to　hurry。
　〃Well；　sleep　well；〃　he　said　finally。
　〃Good　night。　Random。〃
　He　continued　on　up　the　stair　and　I　headed　off　along　the　corridor　toward　my　quarters。　I　was　feeling　jittery　by　then；　which　must　be　why　I　dropped　my　key。
　I　reached　and　plucked　it　out　of　the　air　before　it　had　fallen　very　far。　Simultaneously；　I　was　struck　by　the　impression　that　its　motion　was　somewhat　slower　than　it　should　have　been。　I　inserted　it　in　the　lock　and　turned　it。
　The　room　was　dark；　but　I　decided　against　lighting　a　candle　or　an　oil　lamp。　I　had　gotten　used　to　the　dark　a　long　time　ago。　I　locked　and　bolted　the　door。　My　eyes　were　already　half　adjusted　to　the　gloom；　from　the　dim　hallway。　I　turned。　There　was　some　starlight　leaking　in　about　the　drapes；　too。　I　crossed　the　room；　unfastening　my　collar。
　He　was　waiting　in　my　bed　chamber；　to　the　left　of　the　entrance。　He　was　perfectly　positioned　and　he　did　nothing　to　give　himself　away。　I　walked　right　into　it。　He　had　the　ideal　station；　he　held　the　dagger　ready；　he　had　the　element　of　total　surprise　going　for　him。　By　rights　I　should　have　died　…　not　in　my　bed；　but　just　there　at　its　foot。
　I　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　movement；　realized　the　presence　and　its　significance　as　I　stepped　over　the　threshold。
　I　knew　that　it　was　too　late　to　avoid　the　thrust　even　as　I　raised　my　arm　to　try　to　block　it。　But　one　peculiarity　struck　me　before　the　blade　itself　did：　my　assailant　seemed　to　be　moving　too　slowly。　Quick；　with　all　the　tension　of　his　wait　behind　it；　that　is　how　it　should　have　been。　I　should　never　have　known　it　was　occurring　until　after　the　act；　if　then。　I　should　not　have　had　time　to　turn　partway　and　swing　my　arm　as　far　as　I　did。　A　ruddy　haze　filled　my　vision　and　I　felt　my　forearm　strike　the　side　of　the　outflung　arm　at　about　the　same　moment　as　the　steel　touched　my　belly　and　bit。　Within　the　redness　there　seemed　a　faint　tracing　of　that　cosmic　version　of　the　Pattern　I　had　followed　earlier　in　the　day。　As　I　doubled　and　fell；　unable　to　think　but　still　for　a　moment　conscious；　it　came　clearer；　came　nearer；　the　design。　I　wanted　to　flee；　but　horse　my　body　stumbled。　I　was　thrown。
　
　
　Chapter　8
　
　Out　of　every　life　a　little　blood　must　spill。　Unfortunately；　it　was　my　turn　again；　and　it　felt　like　more　than　a　little。　I　was　lying；　doubled　up；　on　my　right　side；　both　arms　clutching　at　my　middle。　I　was　wet；　and　every　now　and　then　something　trickled　along　the　creases　of　my　belly。　Front；　lower　left；　just　above　the　beltline；　I　felt　like　a　casually　opened　envelope。　These　were　my　first　sensations　as　consciousness　came　around　again。　And　my　first　thought　was；　〃What　is　he　waiting　for？〃　Obviously；　the　coup　de　grace　had　been　withheld。　Why？
　I　opened　my　eyes。　They　had　taken　advantage　of　whatever　time　had　elapsed　to　adjust　themselves　to　the　darkness。　I　turned　my　head。　I　did　not　see　anyone　else　in　the　room　with　me。　But　something　peculiar　had　occurred　and　I　could　not　quite　place　it。　I　closed　my　eyes　and　let　my　head　fall　back　to　the　mattress　once　more。　Something　was　wrong；　yet　at　the　same　time　right。。。
　The　mattress。。。　Yes；　I　was　lying　on　my　bed。　I　doubted　my　ability　to　have　gotten　there　unassisted。　But　it　would　be　absurd　to　knife　me　and　them　help　me　to　bed。
　My　bed。。。　It　was　my　bed；　yet　it　was　not。
　I　squeezed　my　eyes　tight。　I　gritted　my　teeth。　I　did　not　understand。　I　knew　that　my　thinking　could　not　be　normal　there　on　the　fringes　of　shock；　my　blood　pooling　in　my　guts　and　then　leaking　out。　I　tried　to　force　myself　to　think　clearly。　It　was　not　easy。
　My　bed。　Before　you　are　fully　aware　of　anything　else；　you　are　aware　whether　you　are　awakening　in　your　own　bed。　And　I　was；　but　…　
　I　fought　down　an　enormous　impulse　to　sneeze；　because　I　felt　it　would　tear　me　apart。　I　pressed　my　nostrils　and　breathed　in　short　gasps　through　my　mouth。　The　taste；　smell　and　feel　of　dust　was　all　about　me。
　The　nasal　assault　subsided　and　I　opened　my　eyes。　I　knew　then　where　I　was。　I　did　not　understand　the　why　and　how　of　it；　but　I　had　e　once　more　to　a　place　I　had　never　expected　to　see　again。　I　lowered　my　right　hand；　used　it　to　raise　myself。
　It　was　my　bedroom　in　my　house。　The　old　one。　The　place　which　had　been　mine　back　when　I　was　Carl　Corey。　I　had　been　returned　to　Shadow；　to　that　world　heavy　with　dust。　The　bed　had　not　been　made　up　since　the　last　time　I　had　slept　in　it；　over　half　a　decade　before。　I　knew　the　state　of　the　house　fully；　having　looked　in　on　it　only　a　few　weeks　earlier。
　I　pushed　myself　further；　managed　to　slide　my　feet　out　over　the　edge　of　the　bed　and　down。　Then　I　doubled　up　again　and　sat　there。　It　was　bad。
　While　I　felt　temporarily　safe　from　further　assault；　I　knew　that　I　required　more　than　safety　just　then。　I　had　to　have　help；　and　I　was　in　no　position　to　help　myself。　I　was　not　even　certain　how　much　longer　I　might　remain　conscious。　So　I　had　to　get　down　and　get　out。　The　phone　would　be　dead；　the　nearest　house　was　not　too　cl