gc.thewhiterose-第29部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　　〃They　were　found　after　the　battle。　They　came　to　me。　I　was　pleased。　You　are　honest；　as　historians　go。〃
　　　〃Thank　you。　I　try。〃
　　　〃e　to　Charm。　There　is　a　place　for　you　in　the　Tower。　You　can　see　the　grand　canvas　from　here。〃
　　　〃I　can't。〃
　　　〃I　cannot　shield　you　there。　If　you　stay；　you　must　face　what　befalls　your　Rebel　friends。　The　Limper　mands　that　campaign。　I　will　not　interfere。　He　is　not　what　he　was。　You　hurt　him。　And　he　had　to　be　hurt　more　to　be　saved。　He　has　not　forgiven　you　that；　Croaker。〃
　　　〃I　know。〃　How　many　times　had　she　used　my　name？　In　all　our　contacts　previously；　over　years；　she　had　used　it　but　once。
　　　〃Don't　let　him　take　you。〃
　　　A　slight；　twisted　bit　of　humor　rose　from　somewhere　inside　me。　〃You　are　a　failure。　Lady。〃
　　　She　was　taken　aback。
　　　〃Fool　that　I　am；　I　recorded　my　romances　in　the　Annals。　You　read　them。　You　know　I　never　characterized　you　as　black。　Not。　I　think；　as　I　would　characterize　your　husband。　I　suspect　an　unconsciously　sensed　truth　lies　beneath　the　silliness　of　those　romances。〃
　　　〃Indeed？〃
　　　〃I　don't　think　you　are　black。　I　think　you're　just　trying。　I　think　that；　for　all　the　wickedness　you've　done；　part　of　the　child　that　was　remains　untainted。　A　spark　remains；　and　you　can't　extinguish　it。〃
　　　Unchallenged；　I　became　more　daring。　〃I　think　you've　selected　me　as　a　symbolic　sop　to　that　spark。　I　am　a　reclamation　project　meant　to　satisfy　a　hidden　streak　of　decency；　the　way　my　friend　Raven　reclaimed　a　child　who　became　the　White　Rose。　You　read　the　Annals。　You　know　to　what　depths　Raven　sank　once　he　concentrated　all　decency　in　one　cup。　Better；　perhaps；　that　he　had　had　none　at　all。　Juniper　might　still　exist。　So　might　he。〃
　　　〃Juniper　was　a　boil　overdue　for　lancing。　I　am　not　e　to　be　mocked；　physician。　I　will　not　be　made　to　look　weak　even　before　an　audience　of　one。〃
　　　I　started　to　protest。
　　　〃For　I　know　that　this；　too；　will　end　up　in　your　Annals。〃
　　　She　knew　me。　But　then；　she　had　had　me　before　the　Eye。
　　　〃e　to　the　Tower；　Croaker。　I　demand　no　oath。〃
　　　〃Lady　。　。　。　〃
　　　〃Even　the　Taken　bind　themselves　with　deadly　oaths。　You　may　remain　free。　Just　do　what　you　do。　Heal；　and　record　the　truth。　What　you　would　do　anywhere。　You　have　value　not　to　be　wasted　out　there。〃
　　　Now　there　was　a　sentiment　with　which　I　could　agree　wholeheartedly。　I　would　take　it　back　and　rub　some　people's　noses　in　it。　〃Say　what？〃
　　　She　started　to　speak。　I　raised　a　warning　hand。　I　had　spoken　to　myself；　not　to　her。　Was　that　a　footfall？　Yes。　Something　big　ing。　Something　moving　slowly；　wearily。
　　　She　sensed　it；　too。　An　eye　blink　and　she　was　gone；　her　departure　sucking　something　from　my　mind；　so　that　once　more　I　was　not　certain　I　had　not　dreamed　everything；　for　all　that　every　word　remained　immutably　inscribed　on　the　stone　of　my　mind。
　　　I　shuffled　brush　onto　my　fire；　backed　into　a　crack　behind　the　dagger　that　was　the　only　weapon　I'd　had　sense　enough　to　bring。
　　　It　came　closer。　Then　paused。　Then　came　on。　My　heartbeat　increased。　Something　thrust　into　the　firelight。
　　　〃Toadkiller　Dog！　What　the　hell；　hey？　What're　you　doing？　e　on　in　out　of　the　cold；　boy。〃　The　words　tumbled　out；　bearing　fear　away。　〃Boy；　will　Tracker　be　glad　to　see　you。　What　happened　to　you？〃
　　　He　came　forward　cautiously；　looking　twice　as　mangy　as　ever。　He　dropped　onto　his　belly；　rested　his　chin　on　forepaws；　closed　one　eye。
　　　〃I　don't　have　any　food。　I'm　sort　of　lost　myself。　You're　damned　lucky；　know　that？　Making　it　this　far。　The　plain　is　a　bad　place　to　be　on　your　own。〃
　　　Right　then　that　old　mongrel　looked　like　he　agreed。　Body　language；　if　you　will。　He　had　survived；　but　it　had　not　been　easy。
　　　I　told　him；　〃Sun　es　up；　we'll　head　back。　Goblin　and　One…Eye　got　lost；　it's　their　own　tough　luck。〃
　　　After　Toadkiller　Dog's　arrival　I　rested　better。　I　guess　the　old　alliance　is　imprinted　on　people；　too。　I　was　confident　he　would　warn　me　if　trouble　beckoned。
　　　e　morning　we　found　the　creek　and　headed　for　the　Hole。　I　stopped；　as　I　often　do；　to　approach　Old　Father　Tree　for　a　little　one…sided　conversation　about　what　he　had　seen　during　his　long　sentinelship。　The　dog　would　not　e　anywhere　near。　Weird。　But　so　what？　Weird　is　the　order　of　the　day　on　the　Plain。
　　　I　found　One…Eye　and　Goblin　snoring；　sleeping　in。　They　had　returned　to　the　Hole　only　minutes　after　my　departure　in　search　of　them。　Bastards。　I　would　redress　the　balance　when　the　chance　came。
　　　I　drove　them　crazy　by　not　mentioning　my　night　out。
　　　〃Did　it　work？〃　I　demanded。　Down　the　tunnel　Tracker　was　having　a　noisy　reunion　with　his　mutt。
　　　〃Sort　of；〃　Goblin　said。　He　was　not　enthusiastic。
　　　〃Sort　of？　What's　sort　of！　Does　it　work　or　doesn't　it？〃
　　　〃Well；　what　we　got　is　a　problem。　Mainly；　we　can　keep　the　Taken　from　locating　you。　From　getting　a　fix　on　you；　so　to　speak。〃
　　　Obfuscation　is　a　sure　sign　of　trouble　with　this　guy。　〃But？　But　me　the　but；　Goblin。〃
　　　〃If　you　go　outside　the　null；　there's　no　hiding　the　fact　that　you　are　out。〃
　　　〃Great。　Real　great。　What　good　are　you　guys；　anyway？〃
　　　〃It's　not　that　bad；〃　One…Eye　said。　〃You　wouldn't　attract　any　attention　unless　they　find　out　you're　out　from　some　other　source。　I　mean；　they　wouldn't　be　watching　for　you；　would　they？　No　reason　to。　So　it's　just　as　good　as　if　we　got　it　to　do　everything　we　wanted。〃
　　　〃Crap！　You　better　start　praying　that　next　letter　es　through。　Because　if　I　go　out　and　get　my　ass　killed；　guess　who's　going　to　haunt　whom　forever？〃
　　　〃Darling　wouldn't　send　you　out。〃
　　　〃Bet？　She'll　go　through　three　or　four　days　of　soul…searching。　But　she'll　send　me。　Because　that　last　letter　will　give　us　the　key。〃
　　　Sudden　fear。　Had　the　Lady　probed　my　mind？
　　　〃What's　the　matter；　Croaker？〃
　　　I　was　saved　a　lie　by　Tracker's　advent。　He　bounced　in　and　pumped　my　hand　like　a　mad　fool。　〃Thank　you；　Croaker。　Thanks　for　bringing　him　home。〃　Out　he　went。
　　　〃What　the　hell　was　that？〃　Goblin　asked。
　　　〃I　brought　his　dog　home。〃
　　　〃Weird。〃
　　　One…Eye　chortled。　〃The　pot　calling　the　kettle　black。〃
　　　〃Yeah？　Lizard　snot。　Want　me　to　tell　you　about　weird？〃
　　　〃Stow　it；〃　I　said。　〃If　I　get　sent　out　of　here　I　want　this　stuff　in　perfect　order。　I　just　wish　we　had　people　who　could　read　this　junk。〃
　　　〃Maybe　I　can　help。〃　Tracker　was　back。　The　big　dumb　lout。　A　devil　with　a　sword；　but　probably　unable　to　write　his　own　name。
　　　〃How？〃
　　　〃I　could　read　some　of　that　stuff。　I　know　some　old　languages。　My　father　taught　me。〃　He　grinned　as　if　at　a　huge　joke。　He　selected　a　piece　written　in　TelleKurre。　He　read　it　aloud。　The　ancient　language　rolled　off　his　tongue　naturally；　as　I　had　heard　it　spoken　among　the　old　Taken。　Then　he　translated。　It　was　a　memo　to　a　castle　kitchen　about　a　meal　to　be　prepared　for　visiting　notables。　I　went　over　it　painstakingly。　His　translation　was　faultless。　Better　than　I　could　do。　A　third　of　the　words　evaded　me。
　　　〃Well。　Wele　to　the　team。　I'll　tell　Darling。〃　I　slipped　out；　exchanging　a　puzzled　glance　with　One…Eye　behind　Tracker's　back。
　　　Stranger　and　stranger。　What　was　this　man？　Besides　weird。　At　first　encounter　he　reminded　me　of　Raven；　and　fit　the　role。　When　I　came　to　think　of　him　as　big；　slow；　and　clumsy；　he　fit　that　role。　Was　he　a　reflection　of　the　image　in　his　beholder？
　　　A　good　fighter；　though；　bless　him。　Worth　ten　of　anyone　else　we　have。
　　　
　　　Chapter　Twenty…Three：THE　PLAIN　OF　FEAR
　　　
　　　It　was　the　time　of　the　Monthly　Meeting。　The　big　confab　during　which　nothing　gets　done。　During　which　all　heads　yammer　of　pet　projects　on　which　action　cannot　be　taken。　After　six　or　eight　hours　of　which　Darling　closes　debate　by　telling　us　what　to　do。
　　　The　usual　charts　were　up。　One　showed　where　our　agents　believed　the　Taken　to　be。　Another　showed　incursions　reported　by　the　menhirs。　Both　showed　a　lot　of　white；　areas　of　Plain　unknown　to　us。　A　third　chart　showed　the　month's　change　storms；　a　pet　project　of　the　Lieutenant's。　He　was　looking　for　something。　As　always；　most　were　along　the　periphery。　But　there　was　an　unusually　large　number；　and　higher　than　normal　percentage；　in　this　chart's　interior。　Seasonal？　A　genuine　shift？　Who　knew？　We　had　not　been　watching　long　enough。　The　menhirs　will　not　bother　explaining　such　trivia。
　　　Darling　took　charge　immediately。　She　signed；　〃The　operation　in　Rust　had　the　effect　I　hoped。　Our　agents　have　reported　anti…imperial　outbreaks　almost　every