rz.signoftheunicorn-第6部分

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　I　clawed　for　handholds　as　I　slid；　and　the　guy　took　a　couple　of　quick　steps　toward　me；　raising　his　blade　to　do　unto　me　as　I　had　his　buddy。
　I　caught　hold　of　his　ankle；　though；　and　it　did　the　trick　of　braking　me　very　nicely　…　and　damned　if　someone　shouldn't　choose　that　moment　to　try　to　get　hold　of　me　via　the　Trumps。
　〃I'm　busy！〃　I　shouted。　〃Call　back　later！〃　and　my　own　motion　was　arrested　as　the　guy　toppled；　clattered；　and　went　sliding　by。
　I　tried　to　reach　him　before　he　fell　to　rugdom；　but　I　was　not　quite　quick　enough。　I　had　wanted　to　save　him　for　questioning。　Still；　my　unegged　beer　was　more　than　satisfactory。　I　headed　back　top　and　center　to　observe　and　muse。
　The　survivors　were　still　following　me；　but　I　had　a　sufficient　lead。　I　did　not　at　the　moment　have　to　worry　about　another　boarding　party。　Good　enough。　I　was　headed　toward　the　mountains　once　again。　The　sun　I　had　conjured　was　beginning　to　bake　me。　I　was　soaked　with　sweat　and　blood。　My　wounds　were　giving　me　trouble。　I　was　thirsty。　Soon；　soon；　I　decided；　it　would　have　to　rain。　Take　care　of　that　before　anything　else。
　So　I　began　the　preliminaries　to　a　shift　in　that　direction：　clouds　massing；　building；　darkening。。。
　I　drifted　off　somewhere　along　the　line；　had　a　disjointed　dream　of　someone　trying　to　reach　me　again　but　not　making　it。　Sweet　darkness。
　I　awakened　to　the　rain；　sudden　and　hard…driving。　I　could　not　tell　whether　the　darkness　in　the　sky　was　from　storm；　evening；　or　both。　It　was　cooler；　though；　and　I　spread　my　cloak　and　just　lay　there　with　my　mouth　open。　Periodically　I　wrung　moisture　from　the　cloak。　My　thirst　was　eventually　slaked　and　I　began　feeling　clean　again。　The　rock　had　also　bee　so　slick…looking　that　I　was　afraid　to　move　about　on　it。　The　mountains　were　much　nearer；　their　peaks　limned　by　frequent　lightnings。　Things　were　too　dark　in　the　opposite　direction　for　me　to　tell　whether　my　pursuers　were　still　with　me。　It　would　have　been　pretty　rough　trekking　for　them　to　have　kept　up；　but　then　it　is　seldom　good　policy　to　rely　on　assumptions　when　traveling　through　strange　shadows。　I　was　a　bit　irritated　with　myself　for　going　to　sleep；　but　since　no　harm　had　e　of　it　I　drew　my　soggy　cloak　about　me　and　decided　to　forgive　myself。　I　felt　around　for　some　cigarettes　I　had　brought　along　and　found　that　about　half　of　them　had　survived。　After　the　eighth　try；　I　juggled　shadows　enough　to　get　a　light。　Then　I　just　sat　there；　smoking　and　being　rained　on。　It　was　a　good　feeling　and　I　didn't　move　to　change　anything　else；　not　for　hours。
　When　the　storm　finally　let　up　and　the　sky　came　clear；　it　was　a　night　full　of　strange　constellations。　Beautiful　though；　the　way　nights　can　be　on　the　desert。　Much　later；　I　detected　a　gentle　upward　sloping　and　my　rock　started　to　slow。　Something　began　happening　in　terms　of　whatever　physical　rules　controlled　the　situation。　I　mean；　the　slope　itself　did　not　seem　so　pronounced　that　it　would　affect　our　velocity　as　radically　as　it　had。　I　did　not　want　to　tamper　with　Shadow　in　a　direction　that　would　probably　take　me　out　of　my　way。　I　wanted　to　get　back　onto　more　familiar　turf　as　soon　as　possible　…　find　my　way　to　a　place　where　my　gut　anticipations　of　physical　events　had　more　of　a　chance　of　being　correct。
　So　I　let　the　rock　grind　to　a　halt；　climbed　down　when　it　did；　and　continued　on　up　the　slope；　hiking。　As　I　went；　I　played　the　Shadow　game　we　all　learned　as　children。　Pass　some　obstruction　…　a　scrawny　tree；　a　stand　of　stone　…　and　have　the　sky　be　different　from　one　side　to　the　other。　Gradually　I　restored　familiar　constellations。　I　knew　that　I　would　be　climbing　down　a　different　mountain　from　the　one　I　ascended。　My　wounds　still　throbbed　dully；　but　my　ankle　had　stopped　bothering　me　except　for　a　little　stiffness。　I　was　rested。　I　knew　that　I　could　go　for　a　long　while。　Everything　seemed　to　be　all　right　again。
　It　was　a　long　hike；　up　the　gradually　steepening　way。　But　I　hit　a　trail　eventually；　and　that　made　things　easier。　I　trudged　steadily　upward　under　the　now　familiar　skies；　determined　to　keep　moving　and　make　it　across　by　morning。　As　I　went；　my　garments　altered　to　fit　the　shadow　…　denim　trousers　and　jacket　now；　my　wet　cloak　a　dry　scrape。　I　heard　an　owl　nearby；　and　from　a　great　distance　below　and　behind　came　what　might　have　been　the　yipyip…howl　of　a　coyote。　These　signs　of　a　more　familiar　place　made　me　feel　somewhat　secure；　exorcised　any　vestiges　of　desperation　that　remained　with　my　flight。
　An　hour　or　so　later；　I　yielded　to　the　temptation　to　play　with　Shadow　just　a　bit。　It　was　not　all　that　improbable　for　a　stray　horse　to　be　wandering　in　these　hills；　and　of　course　I　found　him。　After　ten　or　so　minutes　of　being　friendly；　I　was　mounted　bareback　and　moving　toward　the　top　in　a　more　congenial　fashion。　The　wind　sowed　frost　in　our　path。　The　moon　came　and　sparked　it　to　life。
　To　be　brief；　I　rode　all　night；　passing　over　the　crest　and　mencing　my　downward　passage　well　before　dawn。　As　I　descended；　the　mountain　grew　even　more　vast　above　me；　which　of　course　was　the　best　time　for　this　to　occur。　Things　were　green　on　this　side　of　the　range；　and　divided　by　neat　highways；　punctuated　by　occasional　dwellings。　Everything　therefore　was　proceeding　in　accordance　with　my　desire。
　Early　morning。　I　was　into　the　foothills　and　my　denim　had　turned　to　khaki　and　a　bright　shirt。　I　had　a　light　sport　jacket　slung　before　me。　At　a　great　height；　a　jetliner　poked　holes　in　the　air；　moving　from　horizon　to　horizon。　There　were　birdsongs　about　me；　and　the　day　was　mild；　sunny。
　It　was　about　then　that　I　heard　my　name　spoken　and　felt　the　touch　of　the　Trump　once　more。　I　drew　up　short　and　responded。
　〃Yes？〃
　It　was　Julian。
　〃Random；　where　are　you？〃　he　asked。
　〃Pretty　far　from　Amber；〃　I　replied。　〃Why？〃
　〃Have　any　of　the　others　been　in　touch　with　you？〃
　〃Not　recently；〃　I　said。　〃But　someone　did　try　to　get　hold　of　me　yesterday。　I　was　busy　though；　and　couldn't　talk。〃
　〃That　was　me；〃　he　said。　〃We　have　a　situation　here　that　you　had　better　know　about。〃
　〃Where　are　you？〃　I　asked。
　〃In　Amber。　A　number　of　things　have　happened　recently。〃
　〃Like　what？〃
　〃Dad　has　been　gone　for　an　unusually　long　time。　No　one　knows　where。〃
　〃He's　done　that　before。〃
　〃But　not　without　leaving　instructions　and　making　delegations。　He　always　provided　them　in　the　past。〃
　〃True；〃　I　said。　〃But　how　long　is　'long'？〃
　〃Well　over　a　year。　You　weren't　aware　of　this　at　all？〃
　〃I　knew　that　he　was　gone。　Gerard　mentioned　it　some　time　back。〃
　〃Then　add　more　time　to　that。〃
　〃I　get　the　idea。　How　have　you　been　operating？〃
　〃That　is　the　problem。　We　have　simply　been　dealing　with　affairs　as　they　arise。　Gerard　and　Caine　had　been　running　the　navy　anyway；　on　Dad's　orders。　Without　him；　they　have　been　making　all　their　own　decisions。　I　took　charge　of　the　patrols　in　Arden　again。　There　is　no　central　authority　though；　to　arbitrate；　to　make　policy　decisions；　to　speak　for　all　of　Amber。〃
　〃So　we　need　a　regent。　We　can　cut　cards　for　it；　I　suppose。〃
　〃It　is　not　that　simple。　We　think　Dad　is　dead。〃
　〃Dead？　Why？　How？〃
　〃We　have　tried　to　raise　him　on　his　Trump。　We　have　been　trying　every　day　for　over　half　a　year　now。　Nothing。　What　do　you　think？〃
　I　nodded。
　〃He　may　be　dead；〃　I　said。　〃You'd　think　he　would　have　e　across　with　something。　Still；　the　possibility　of　his　being　in　some　trouble　…　say；　a　prisoner　somewhere　…　is　not　precluded。〃
　〃A　cell　can't　stop　the　Trumps。　Nothing　can。　He　would　call　for　help　the　minute　we　made　contact。〃
　〃I　can't　argue　with　that；〃　I　said。　But　I　thought　of　Brand　as　I　said　it。　〃Perhaps　he　is　deliberately　resisting　contact；　though。〃
　〃What　for？〃
　〃I　have　no　idea；　but　it　is　possible。　You　know　how　secretive　he　is　about　some　things。〃
　〃No；〃　Julian　said；　〃it　doesn't　hold　up。　He　would　have　given　some　operating　instructions；　somewhere　along　the　line。〃
　〃Well；　whatever　the　reasons；　whatever　the　situation；　what　do　you　propose　doing　now？〃
　〃Someone　has　to　occupy　the　throne；〃　he　said。
　I　had　seen　it　ing　throughout　the　entire　dialogue；　of　course　…　the　opportunity　it　had　long　seemed　would　never　e　to　pass。
　〃Who？〃　I　asked。
　〃Eric　seems　the　best　choice；〃　he　replied。　〃Actually；　he　has　been　acting　in　that　capacity　for　months　now。　It　simply　bees　a　matter　of　formalizing　it。〃
　〃Not　just　as　regent？〃
　〃Not　just　as　regent。〃