bl.necroscope2-第57部分

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eturned。〃　Along　the　way　I　had　walked　in　mire；　deliberately。　The　last　time　I　was　here；　the　Vlad　had　manded　that　I　e　in　my　finery；　unweaponed；　all　bathed　and　shining。　Now　I　was　weighed　down　with　arms；　I　wasunshaven；　dirty；　and　my　forelocks　all　awry。　I　stank　worse　than　a　peasant；　and　was　glad　of　it。
　You'd　go　in　there　like　that？〃　The　Guardsmaster　was　astonished。　He　wrinkled　his　nose。　〃Man；　wash　yourself；　put　on　fresh　robes；　cast　off　your　weapons！〃
　I　glowered　at　him。　〃Your　name？〃
　〃What？〃　He　stepped　a　pace　to　the　rear。
　〃For　the　Prince。　He'll　have　the　balls　of　any　man　who　impedes　me　this　night。　And　if　you've　none　of　those；　he'll　have　your　head　instead！　Don't　you　remember　me？　Last　time　I　came　it　was　to　a　church；　and　I　brought　a　sack　of　thumbs。〃　I　showed　him　my　leather　sack。
　He　went　pale。　〃I　remember　now。　I。。。　I'll　announce　you。　Wait　here。〃
　I　grabbed　his　arm；　dragged　him　close。　I　showed　him　my　teeth　in　a　wolf's　grin　and　hissed　through　them；　〃No；　you　wait　here！〃
　A　dozen　of　my　men　stepped　out　of　the　trees；　held　cautionary　fingers　to　their　lips；　and　bundled　the　Guards…master　and　his　men　away。
　I　went　on；　entering　the　palace　and　the　great　hall　unimpeded。　Oh；　true；　a　pair　of　royal　bully…boy　bodyguards　closed　on　me　at　the　door；　but　I　thrust　them　aside　so　hard　they　almost　fell；　and　by　the　time　they　were　organised　I　was　among　the　revellers。　I　strode　to　the　centre　of　the　floor。　I　stood　stock　still；　then　slowly　turned　and　gazed　all　about　from　under　lowered　brows。　The　noise　subsided。　There　came　an　uneasy　silence。　Somewhere　a　lady　laughed；　a　titter　which　was　quickly　stilled。
　Then　the　crowd　fell　away　from　me。　Several　ladies　looked　fit　to　faint。　I　smelled　of　ordure；　which　to　my　nostrils　was　fresh　and　clean　pared　to　the　scents　of　this　court。
　The　crowd　parted；　and　there　sat　the　Prince　at　a　table　laden　with　food　and　drink。　His　face　wore　a　frozen　smile；　which　fell　from　it　like　a　leaden　mask　when　he　saw　me。　And　at　last　he　recognised　me。　He　straightened　to　his　feet。　〃You！〃
　
　〃None　other；　my　Prince。〃　I　bowed；　then　stood　straight。
　He　couldn't　speak。　Slowly　his　face　went　purple。　Finally　he　said；　〃Is　this　your　idea　of　a　joke？　Get　out…out！〃　He　pointed　a　trembling　finger　at　the　door。　Men　were　closing　on　me；　hands　on　their　sword　hilts。　I　rushed　the　Vlad's　table；　sprang　up　onto　it；　drew　my　sword　and　held　it　on　his　breast。
　〃Tell　them　to　e　no　closer！〃　I　snarled。
　He　held　up　his　hands　and　his　bodyguard　fell　back。　I　kicked　aside　platters　and　goblets　and　made　a　space　before　him；　throwing　down　my　sack。　〃Are　your　Greek　Christian　priests　here？〃
　He　nodded；　beckoned。　In　their　priestly　robes；　they　came；　hands　fluttering；　jabbering　in　their　foreign　tongue。　Four　of　them。
　At　last　it　got　through　to　the　prince　that　he　was　in　danger　of　his　life。　He　glanced　at　my　sword's　point　lying　lightly　on　his　breast；　looked　at　me；　gritted　his　teeth　and　sat　down。　My　sword　followed　him。　Pale　now；　he　controlled　himself；　gulped；　and　said；　〃Thibor；　what　is　all　of　this？　Would　you　stand　accused　of　treason？　Now　put　up　your　sword　and　we'll　talk。〃
　〃My　sword　stays　where　it　is；　and　we've　time　only　for　what　I　have　to　say！〃　I　told　him。
　〃But　…；　〃Now　listen；　Prince　of　Kiev。　You　sent　me　on　a　hopeless　quest　and　you　know　it。　What？　Me　and　my　seven　against　Faethor　Ferenczy　and　his　Szgany？　What　a　joke！　But　while　I　was　away　you　could　steal　my　good　men；　and　if　I　were　so　lucky　as　to　succeed。。。　that　would　be　even　better。　If　I　tailed…and　you　believed　I　would…it　would　be　no　great　loss。〃　I　glared　at　him。　〃It　was　treachery！〃
　〃But　…；　he　said　again；　his　lips　trembling。
　〃But　here　I　am；　alive　and　well；　and　if　I　leaned　a　little　on　my　sword　and　killed　you　it　would　be　my　right。　Not　according　to　your　laws　but　according　to　mine。　Ah；　don't　panic；　I　won't　kill　you。　Let　it　suffice　that　all　gathered　here　know　your　treachery。　As　for　my　〃mission〃：　do　you　remember　what　you　manded　me　to　do？　You　said；　〃Fetch　me　the　Ferenczy's　head；　his　heart；　and　his　standard。〃　Well；　at　this　very　moment　his　standard　flies　atop　the　palace　wall。　His　and　mine；　for　I've　taken　it　for　my　own。　As　for　his　head　and　heart：　I've　done　better。　I've　brought　you　the　very　essence　of　the　Ferenczy！〃
　Prince　Vladimir's　eyes　went　to　the　sack　before　him　and　his　mouth　twitched　at　one　corner。
　〃Open　it；〃　I　told　him。　〃Tip　it　out。　And　you　priests；　e　closer。　See　what　I've　brought　you。〃
　Among　the　thronging　courtiers　and　guests；　I　spied　grim…faced　men　edging　closer。　This　couldn't　last　much　longer。　Close　by；　a　high…arched　window　looked　out　on　a　balcony　and　the　gardens　beyond。　Vladimir's　hands　trembled　towards　the　sack。
　〃Open　it！〃　I　snapped；　prodding　him。　He　took　up　the　sack；　tugged　at　its　thong；　tipped　the　contents　onto　the　table。　All　stared；　aghast。
　〃The　very　essence　of　the　Ferenczy！〃　I　hissed。
　The　part　was　big　as　a　puppy；　but　it　had　the　colour　of　disease　and　the　shape　of　nightmare。　Which　is　no　shape　at　all　but　a　morbid　suggestion。　It　could　be　a　slug；　a　foetus；　some　strange　worm。　It　writhed　in　the　light；　put　out　fumbling　fingers　and　formed　an　eye。　A　mouth　came　next；　with　curving　dagger　teeth。　The　eye　was　soft　and　mucous　damp。　It　stared　about　while　the　mouth　chomped　vacuously。
　The　Vlad　sat　there　white　as　death；　his　face　twisting　grotesquely。　I　laughed　as　the　vampire　stuff　wriggled　closer　to　him；　and　he　gave　a　cry　and　toppled　himself　over　backwards　in　his　chair。　The　thing　had　intended　no　harm；　it　had　no　intent。　Larger　and　hungry　it　might　be　dangerous；　or　if　it　were　alone　with　a　sleeping　man　in　a　dark　room；　hut　not　here　in　the　light。　I　knew　this；　but　Vladimir　and　the　court　didn't。
　〃Vrykoulakas；　vrykoulakasP　the　Greek　priests　began　to　scream。　And　at　that；　though　few　could　have　known　what　the　word　meant；　the　great　hall　became　the　scene　of　furious　chaos。　Ladies　cried　out　and　fainted；　everyone　drew　back　from　the　huge　table；　guests　crushed　together　at　the　door。　To　give　the　Greeks　their　due；　they　were　the　only　ones　who　had　any　idea　what　to　do。　One　of　them　took　a　dagger　and　pinned　the　thing　to　the　table。　It　at　once　split　open；　slipped　free　of　the　blade　like　water。　The　priest　pinned　it　again；　cried；　〃Bring　fire；　burn　it！〃
　In　the　pandemonium　now　reigning；　I　jumped　down　from　the　table；　up　into　the　window　embrasure；　and　so　on　to　the　low　balcony。　As　I　vaulted　the　balcony　wall　into　the　garden；　a　pair　of　angry　faces　appeared　at　the　window　behind　me。　The　VIad's　bodyguard；　all　brave　and　bristling　now　that　the　danger　was　past。　Except　that　for　them　it　wasn't　yet　past。　I　glanced　back。　The　two　were　now　out　onto　the　balcony。
　They　shouted　and　waved　swords；　and　I　ducked　low。　Bolts　whistled　overhead　out　of　the　dark　garden；　one　pursuer　was　taken　in　the　throat；　the　other　in　the　forehead。
　The　noise　from　the　hall　was　an　uproar；　but　there　were　no　more　pursuers。　I　grinned；　made　away　。
　We　camped　that　night　in　the　woods　on　the　outskirts。　All　of　my　men　slept；　for　I　posted　no　guards。　No　one　came　near。
　In　the　morning　light　we　sauntered　our　horses　through　the　city；　then　turned　and　headed　west　for　Wallachia。　My　new　standard　still　fluttered　from　its　pole　over　the　palace　wall。　Apparently　no　one　had　dared　remove　it　while　we　were　near。　I　left　it　there　as　a　reminder：　the　dragon；　and　tiding　its　back　the　bat；　and　surmounting　them　both　the　livid　red　devil's　head　of　the　Ferenczy。　For　the　next　five　hundred　years　those　arms　would　be　mine。
　
　My　tale's　at　an　end；　said　Thibor。　Your　turn；　Harry　Keogh。　Harry　had　got　something　of　what　he　wanted；　but　not　everything。　〃You　left　Ehrig　and　the　women　to　burn；〃　he　voiced　his　disgust。　〃The　women…vampire　women…I　think　I　can　understand　that。　But　would　it　have　been　so　hard　to　give　them　a　decent　death？　I　mean；　did　they　have　to　burn。。。　like　that？　You　could　have　made　it　easier　for　them。　You　could　have　…〃
　Beheaded　them？　Thibor　seemed　unconcerned；　gave　a　mental　shrug。
　〃And　as　for　Ehrig：　he　had　been　your　friend！〃
　Had　been；　yes。　But　it　was　a　hard　world　a　thousand　years　ago；　Harry。　And　anyway；　you　are　mistaken…I　didn't　leave　them　to　burn。　They　were　deep　down　under　the　tower。　The　broken　furniture　I　piled　around　the　central　pillar　was　to　shatter　it；　bring　the　stone　steps　down　into　the　stairwell　and　block　it　forever。　Burn　them；　no…I　simply　buried　them！
　Harry　recoiled　from　Thibor's　morbid；　darkly　sinister　to