gc.thewhiterose-第8部分

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　he　ran　toward　her　。　。　。　　Floating　steps。　Effort　took　him　no　nearer。　Her　face　saddened。　She　faded　。　。　。　　〃Don't　go！〃　he　called。　〃Please！〃　But　she　disappeared；　and　took　with　her　his　sun。
　　　A　vast　starless　night　devoured　his　dream。　He　floated　in　a　clearing　within　a　forest　unseen。　Slowly；　slowly；　a　diffuse　silver　something　limned　the　trees。　A　big　star　with　a　long　silver　mane。　He　watched　it　grow　till　its　tail　spanned　the　sky。
　　　Twinge　of　uncertainty。　Shadow　of　fear。　〃It's　ing　right　at　me！〃　He　cringed；　threw　his　arm　across　his　face。　The　silver　ball　filled　the　sky。　It　had　a　face。　The　woman's　face　。　。　。
　　　〃Bo！　Stop　it！〃　Jasmine　punched　him　again。
　　　He　sat　up。　〃Uhn？　What？〃
　　　〃You　were　yelling。　That　nightmare　again？〃
　　　He　listened　to　his　heart　hammer；　sighed。　Could　it　take　much　more？　He　was　an　old　man。　〃The　same　one。〃　It　recurred　at　unpredictable　intervals。　〃It　was　stronger　this　time。〃
　　　〃Maybe　you　ought　to　see　a　dream　doctor。〃
　　　〃Out　here？〃　He　snorted　disgustedly。　〃I　don't　need　a　dream　doctor　anyway。〃
　　　〃No。　Probably　just　your　conscience。　Nagging　you　for　luring　Stancil　back　from　Oar。〃
　　　〃I　didn't　lure　。　。　。　　Go　to　sleep。〃　To　his　amazement；　she　rolled　over；　for　once　unwilling　to　pursue　their　squabble。
　　　He　stared　into　the　darkness。　It　had　been　so　much　clearer。　Almost　too　crisp　and　obvious。　Was　there　a　meaning　hidden　behind　the　dream's　warning　against　tampering？
　　　Slowly；　slowly；　the　mood　of　the　beginning　of　the　dream　returned。　That　sense　of　being　summoned；　of　being　but　one　intuitive　step　from　heart's　desire。　It　felt　good。　His　tension　drained　away。　He　fell　asleep　smiling。
　　　Besand　and　Bomanz　stood　watching　Guardsmen　clear　the　brush　from　Bomanz's　site。　Bomanz　suddenly　spat；　〃Don't　burn　it；　you　idiot！　Stop　him；　Besand。〃
　　　Besand　shook　his　head。　A　Guard　with　a　torch　backed　away　from　the　brush　pile。　〃Son；　you　don't　burn　poison　ivy。　The　smoke　spreads　the　poison。〃
　　　Bomanz　was　scratching。　And　wondering　why　his　panion　was　being　so　reasonable。　Besand　smirked。　〃Get　itchy　just　thinking　about　it；　don't　you？〃
　　　〃Yes。〃
　　　〃There's　your　other　itch。〃　He　pointed。
　　　Bomanz　saw　his　petitor　Men　Fu　observing　from　a　safe　distance。　He　growled；　〃I　never　hated　anybody；　but　he　tempts　me。　He　has　no　ethics；　no　scruples；　and　no　conscience。　He's　a　thief　and　a　liar。〃
　　　〃I　know　him；　Bo。　And　lucky　for　you　I　do。〃
　　　〃Let　me　ask　you　something；　Besand。　Monitor　Besand。　How　e　you　don't　aggravate　him　the　way　you　do　me？　What　do　you　mean；　lucky？〃
　　　〃He　accused　you　of　Resurrectionist　tendencies。　I　don't　shadow　him　because　his　many　virtues　include　cowardice。　He　doesn't　have　the　hair　to　recover　proscribed　artifacts。〃
　　　〃And　I　do？　That　little　wart　libeled　me？　With　capital　crimes？　If　I　weren't　an　old　man　。　。　。　〃
　　　〃He'll　get　his；　Bo。　And　you　do　have　the　guts。　I've　just　never　caught　you　with　the　inclination。〃
　　　Bomanz　rolled　his　eyes。　〃Here　we　go。　The　veiled　accusations　。　。　。　〃
　　　〃Not　so　veiled；　my　friend。　There's　a　moral　laxness　in　you；　an　unwillingness　to　accept　the　existence　of　evil；　that　stinks　like　an　old　corpse。　Give　it　its　head　and　I'll　catch　you；　Bo。　The　wicked　are　cunning；　but　they　always　betray　themselves。〃
　　　For　an　instant　Bomanz　thought　his　world　was　falling　apart。　Then　he　realized　Besand　was　fishing。　A　dedicated　fisherman；　the　Monitor。　Shaken；　he　countered；　〃I'm　sick　of　your　sadism。　If　you　really　suspected　anything；　you'd　be　on　me　like　a　snake　on　shit。　Legalities　never　meant　anything　to　you　Guards。　You're　probably　lying　about　Men　fu。　You'd　haul　your　own　mother　in　on　the　word　of　a　sorrier　villain　than　him。　You're　sick；　Besand。　You　know　that？　Diseased。　Right　here。〃　He　tapped　his　temple。　〃You　can't　relate　without　cruelty。〃
　　　〃You're　pushing　your　luck　again。　Bo。〃
　　　Bomanz　backed　down。　Fright　and　temper　had　been　talking。　In　his　own　odd　way　Besand　had　shown　him　special　tolerance。
　　　It　was　as　though　he　were　necessary　to　the　Monitor's　emotional　health。　Besand　needed　one　person；　outside　the　Guard；　whom　he　did　not　victimize。　Someone　whose　immunity　repaid　him　in　a　sort　of　validation　。　。　。　　I'm　symbolic　of　the　people　he　defends？　Bomanz　snorted。　That　was　rich。
　　　That　business　about　being　retired。　Did　he　say　more　than　I　heard？　Is　he　calling　off　all　bets　because　he's　leaving？　Maybe　he　does　have　a　sense　for　scofflaws。　Maybe　he　wants　to　go　out　with　a　flash。
　　　What　about　the　new　man？　Another　monster；　unblinkered　by　the　gossamer　I've　spun　across　Besand's　eyes？　Maybe　someone　who　will　e　in　like　the　bull　into　the　corrida？　And　Tokar；　the　possible　Resurrectionist　。　。　。　　How　does　he　fit？
　　　〃What's　the　matter？〃　Besand　asked。　Concern　colored　his　words。
　　　〃Ulcer's　bothering　me。〃　Bomanz　massaged　his　temples；　hoping　the　headache　would　not　e　too。
　　　〃Plant　your　markers。　Men　Fu　might　jump　you　right　here。〃
　　　〃Yeah。〃　Bomanz　took　a　half　dozen　stakes　from　his　pack。　Each　trailed　a　strip　of　yellow　cloth。　He　planted　them。　Custom　dictated　that　the　ground　so　circumscribed　was　his　to　exploit。
　　　Men　Fu　could　make　night　raids；　or　whatever；　and　Bomanz　would　have　no　legal　recourse。　Claims　had　no　standing　in　law；　only　in　private　treaty。　The　antique　miners　exercised　their　own　sanctions。
　　　Men　Fu　was　under　every　sanction　but　violence。　Nothing　altered　his　thieving　ways。
　　　〃Wish　Stancil　was　here；〃　Bomanz　said。　〃He　could　watch　at　night。〃
　　　〃I'll　growl　at　him。　That's　always　good　for　a　few　days。　I　heard　Stance　was　ing　home。〃
　　　〃Yeah。　For　the　summer。　We're　excited。　We　haven't　seen　him　in　four　years。〃
　　　〃Friend　of　Tokar；　isn't　he？〃
　　　Bomanz　whirled。　〃Damn　you！　You　never　let　up；　do　you？〃　He　spoke　softly；　in　genuine　rage；　without　the　shouts　and　curses　and　dramatic　gestures　of　his　habitual　semi…rage。
　　　〃All　right；　Bo。　I'll　drop　it。〃
　　　〃You'd　better。　You'd　damned　well　better。　I　won't　have　you　crawling　all　over　him　all　summer。　Won't　have　it；　you　hear？〃
　　　〃I　said　I'd　drop　it。〃
　　　
　　　Chapter　Eight：THE　BARROWLAND
　　　
　　　Corbie　came　and　went　at　will　around　the　Guard　pound。　The　walls　inside　the　headquarters　building　boasted　several　dozen　old　paintings　of　the　Barrowland。　He　studied　those　often　while　he　cleaned；　shivering。　His　reaction　was　not　unique。　The　Dominator's　attempt　to　escape　through　Juniper　had　rocked　the　Lady's　empire。　Stories　of　his　cruelties　had　fed　upon　themselves　and　grown　fat　in　the　centuries　since　the　White　Rose　laid　him　down。
　　　The　Barrowland　remained　quiet。　Those　who　watched　saw　nothing　untoward。　Morale　rose。　The　old　evil　had　shot　its　bolt。
　　　But　it　waited。
　　　It　would　wait　throughout　eternity　if　need　be。　It　could　not　die。　Its　apparent　last　hope　was　no　hope。　The　Lady　was　immortal；　too。　She　would　allow　nothing　to　open　her　husband's　grave。
　　　The　paintings　recorded　progressive　decay。　The　latest　dated　from　shortly　after　the　Lady's　resurrection。　Even　then　the　Barrowland　had　been　much　more　whole。
　　　Sometimes　Corbie　went　to　the　edge　of　town；　stared　at　the　Great　Barrow；　shook　his　head。
　　　Once　there　had　been　amulets　which　permitted　Guards　safely　within　the　spells　making　the　Barrowland　lethal；　to　allow　for　upkeep。　But　those　had　disappeared。　The　Guard　could　but　watch　and　wait　now。
　　　Time　ambled。　Slow　and　grey　and　limping；　Corbie　became　a　town　fixture。　He　spoke　seldom；　but　occasionally　enlivened　the　lie　sessions　at　Blue　Willy　with　a　wooly　anecdote　from　the　Forsberg　campaigns。　The　fire　blazed　in　his　eyes　then。　No　one　doubted　he　had　been　there；　even　if　he　saw　those　days　a　little　walleyed。
　　　He　made　no　true　friends。　Rumor　said　he　did　share　the　occasional　private　chess　game　with　the　Monitor；　Colonel　Sweet；　for　whom　he　had　done　some　special　small　services。　And　of　course；　there　was　the　recruit　Case；　who　devoured　his　tales　and　acpanied　him　on　his　hobbling　walks。　Rumor　said　Corbie　could　read。　Case　hoped　to　learn。
　　　No　one　ever　visited　the　second　floor　of　Corbie's　home。　There；　in　the　heart　of　the　night；　he　slowly　unravelled　the　treacherous　mare's　nest　of　a　tale　that　time　and　dishonesty　had　distorted　out　of　any　parallel　with　truth。
　　　Only　parts　were　encrypted。　Most　was　hastily　scribbled　in　TelleKurre；　the　principal　language　of　the　Domination　era。　But　scattered　passages　were　in　UchiTelle；　a　TelleKurre　regional　vulgate。　Times　were；　when　battling　those　passages；　Corbie　smiled　grimly。　He　might　be　the　only　man　alive　able　to　puzzle　through　tho