gc.shadowslinger-第17部分

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　　〃Yeah？　I'd　better　check　this　out。〃
　　Bullock　was　in　Duretile　at　the　time；　coordinating　his　work　with　that　of　the　Duke's　inpetent　secret　police。
　　Those　guys　were　a　joke。　They　were　practically　celebrities；　and　not　a　one　had　the　guts　to　go　down　into　the　Buskin；　where　really　interesting　things　happened。　　There　is　a　Buskin　in　every　city；　though　the　name　varies。　It　is　a　slum　so　bad　the　police　dare　go　in　only　in　force。　Law　there　is　haphazard　at　best；　mostly　enforced　by　self…proclaimed　magistrates　supported　by　toughs　they　recruit　themselves。　It　is　a　very　subjective　justice　they　mete；　likely　to　be　swift；　savage；　unforgiving；　and　directed　by　graft。
　　I　caught　up　with　Bullock；　told　him；　〃Till　this　latest　business　is　cleaned　up；　I　stick　like　your　leg。〃　He　scowled。　His　heavy　cheeks　reddened。　〃Orders；〃　I　lied；　faking　an　apologetic　tone。
　　〃Yeah？　All　right。　e　on。〃
　　〃Where　you　headed？〃
　　〃The　Buskin。　Thing　like　this　had　to　e　out　of　the　Buskin。　I'm　going　to　track　it　down。〃　He　had　guts；　for　all　his　other　failings。　Nothing　intimidated　him。
　　I　wanted　to　see　the　Buskin。　He　might　be　the　best　guide　available。　I'd　heard　he　went　there　often；　without　interference。　His　reputation　was　that　nasty。　A　good　shadow　to　walk　in。
　　〃Now？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Now。〃　He　led　me　out　into　the　cold　and　down　the　hill。　He　did　not　ride。　One　of　his　little　affectations。　He　never　rode。　He　set　a　brisk　pace；　as　a　man　will　who　is　accustomed　to　getting　things　done　afoot。
　　〃What're　we　going　to　look　for？〃　I　asked。
　　〃Old　coins。　The　chamber　they　defiled　goes　back　several　centuries。　If　somebody　spent　a　lot　of　old　money　in　the　last　couple　days；　we　might　get　a　line　on　our　men。〃
　　I　frowned。　〃I　don't　know　spending　patterns　here。　Places　I've　been；　though；　people　can　hang　on　to　a　family　horde　for　ages；　then　have　one　black　sheep　up　and　spend　it　all。　A　few　old　coins　might　not　mean　anything。〃
　　〃We're　looking　for　a　flood；　not　a　few。　For　a　man　who　spent　a　fistful。　There　were　three　or　four　men　involved。　Odds　are　good　one　of　them　is　a　fool。〃　Bullock　had　a　good　grasp　of　the　stupid　side　of　human　nature。　Maybe　because　he　was　close　to　it　himself。
　　〃We'll　be　real　nice　doing　the　tracing；〃　he　told　me；　as　though　he　expected　me　to　hammer　people　in　outrage。　His　values　were　the　only　ones　he　could　imagine。　〃The　man　we　want　will　run　when　he　hears　me　asking　questions。〃
　　〃We　chase　him？〃
　　〃Just　enough　so　he　keeps　moving。　Maybe　he'll　lead　us　somewhere。　I　know　several　bosses　down　there　who　could've　engineered　this。　If　one　of　them　did；　I　want　his　balls　on　a　platter。〃
　　He　spoke　in　a　fever；　like　a　crusader。　Did　he　have　some　special　grievance　against　the　crime　lords　of　the　slum？　I
asked。
　　〃Yeah。　I　came　out　of　the　Buskin。　A　tough　kid　who　got　lucky　and　got　on　with　the　Custodians。　My　dad　wasn't　lucky。　Tried　to　buck　a　protection　gang。　He　paid；　and　they　didn't　protect　him　from　another　gang　in　the　same　racket。　He　said　he　wasn't　going　to　put　out　good　money　for　something　he　wasn't　getting。　They　cut　his　throat。　I　was　one　of　the　Custodians　who　picked　him　up。　They　stood　around　laughing　and　cracking　jokes。　The　ones　responsible。〃
　　〃Ever　settle　them　up？〃　I　asked；　certain　of　the　answer。　〃Yeah。　Brought　them　into　the　Catabs；　too。〃　He　glanced　at　the　black　castle；　half　obscured　by　mists　drifting　across　the　far　slope。　〃If　I'd　heard　the　rumors　about　that　place；　maybe　I'd　have。　。　。　。　No；　I　wouldn't。〃
　　I　didn't　think　so　myself。　Bullock　was　a　fanatic　of　sorts。　He'd　never　break　the　rules　of　the　profession　that　had　brought　him　out　of　the　Buskin；　unless　he　could　advance　its　cause　by　so　doing。
　　〃Think　we'll　start　right　at　the　waterfront；〃　he　told　me。　〃Work　our　way　up　the　hill。　Tavern　to　tavern；　whorehouse　to　whorehouse。　Maybe　hint　that　there's　a　reward　floating　around。〃　He　ground　one　fist　into　another；　a　man　restraining　anger。　
　　There　was　a　lot　of　that　bottled　up　inside　him。　Someday　he　would　blow　up　good。　We'd　gotten　an　early　start。　I　saw　more　taverns；　cathouses；　and　reeking　dives　than　I'd　passed　through　in　a　dozen　years。　And　in　every　one　Bullock's　advent　engendered　a　sudden；　frightened　hush　and　a　promise　of　dutiful　cooperation。
　　But　promises　were　all　we　got。　We　could　find　no　trace　of　any　old　money；　except　a　few　coins　that　had　been　around　too　long　to　be　the　booty　we　sought。　　Bullock　was　not　discouraged。　〃Something　will　turn　up；〃　he　said。　〃Times　are　tough。　Just　take　a　little　patience。〃　He　looked　thoughtful。　〃Might　just　put　some　of　your　boys　down　here。　They　aren't　known；　and　they　look　tough　enough　to　make　it。〃
　　〃They　are。〃　I　smiled；　mentally　assembling　a　team　including　Elmo；　Goblin；　Pawnbroker；　Kingpin；　and　a　few　others。　Be　great　if　Raven　were　still　with　the　pany　and　could　go　in　with　them。　They　would　be　running　the　Buskin　inside　six　months。　Which　gave　me　an　idea　to　take　up　with　Whisper。　If　we　wanted　to　know　what　was　happening；　we　should　take　charge　of　the　Buskin。　We　could　bring　in　One…Eye。　The　little　wizard　was　a　gangster　born。　Stand　out　some；　though。　I　hadn't　seen　another　black　face　since　we'd　crossed　the　Sea　of　Torments。
　　〃Had　an　idea？〃　Bullock　asked；　about　to　enter　a　place　called　the　Iron　Lily。　〃You　look　like　your　brain　is　smoking。〃
　　〃Maybe。　On　something　down　the　line。　If　it　gets　tougher　than　we　expect。〃
　　The　Iron　Lily　looked　like　every　other　place　we'd　been；　only　more　so。　The　guy　who　ran　it　cringed。　He　didn't　know　nothing；　hadn't　heard　nothing；　and　promised　to　scream　for　Bullock　if　anybody　so　much　as　spent　a　single　gersh　struck　before　the　accession　of　the　present　Duke。　Every　word　bullshit。　I　was　glad　to　get　out　of　there。　I　was　afraid　the　place　would　collapse　on　me　before　he　finished　kissing　Bullock's　ass。　〃Got　an　idea；〃　Bullock　said。　〃Moneylenders。〃
　　Took　me　a　second　to　catch　it　and　to　see　where　the　idea　had　e　from。　The　guy　in　the　tavern；　whining　about　his　debts。　〃Good　thinking。〃　A　man　in　the　snares　of　a　moneylender　would　do　anything　to　wriggle　away。　　
　　〃This　is　Krage's　territory。　He's　one　of　the　nastiest。　Let's　drop　in。〃　　No　fear　in　the　man。　His　confidence　in　the　power　of　his　office　was　so　strong　he　dared　walk　into　a　den　of　cutthroats　without　blinking　an　eye。　I　faked　it　good；　but　I　was　scared。　The　villain　had　his　own　army；　and　it　was　jumpy。　　
　　We　found　out　why　in　a　moment。　Our　man　had　e　up　on　the　short　end　of　somebody　in　the　last　couple　days。　He　was　down　on　his　back；　mummified　in　bandages。　Bullock　chuckled。　〃Customers　getting　frisky；　Krage？　Or　did　one　of　your　boys　try　to　promote　himself？〃　
　　Krage　eyed　us　from　a　face　of　stone。　〃I　help　you　with　something；　Inquisitor？〃
　　〃Probably　not。　You'd　lie　to　me　if　the　truth　would　save　your　soul；　you　bloodsucker。〃
　　〃Flattery　will　get　you　nowhere。　What　do　you　want；　you　parasite？〃
　　Tough　boy；　this　Krage。　Struck　from　the　same　mold　as　Bullock；　but　he　had　drifted　into　a　socially　less　honored　profession。　Not　much　to　choose　between　them；　I　thought。　Priest　and　moneylender。　And　that　was　what　Krage　was　saying。　〃Cute。　I'm　looking　for　a　guy。〃
　　〃No　shit。〃
　　〃He's　got　a　lot　of　old　money。　Cajian　period　coinage。〃
　　〃Am　I　supposed　to　know　him？〃　Bullock　shrugged。　〃Maybe　he　owes　somebody。〃
　　〃Money's　got　no　provenance　down　here；　Bullock。〃　
　　Bullock　told　me：　〃A　proverb　of　the　Buskin。〃　He　faced　Krage。　〃This　money　does。　This　money　better；　let's　say。　This　is　a　big　one；　Krage。　Not　a　little　let's…look…around…and…make…a…show。　Not　some　bump…and…run。　We're　going　the　route。　Anybody　covers　on　it；　they　go　down　with　this　boy。　You　remember　Bullock　said　it。〃
　　For　a　second　Bullock　made　an　impression。　The　message　got　through。　Then　Krage　blank…faced　us　again。　〃You're　sniffing　up　the　wrong　tree；　Inquisitor。〃
　　〃Just　telling　you　so　you'd　know。〃
　　〃What　did　this　guy　do？〃
　　〃Hit　somebody　who　don't　take　hitting。〃　Krage's　eyebrows　rose。　He　looked　puzzled。　He　could　think　of　no　one　who　fit　that　description。　〃Who？〃
　　〃Uhn…uh。　Just　don't　let　your　boys　take　any　old　money　　without　you　checking　the　source　and　getting　back　to　me。　Hear？〃
　　〃Said　your　piece；　Inquisitor？〃
　　〃Yeah。〃
　　〃Shouldn't　you　better　be　going；　then？〃
　　We　went。　I　didn't　know　the　rules　of　the　game；　so　didn't　know　how　the　locals　would　score　the　exchange。　I　rated　it　too　close　to　call。　Outside；　I　asked；　〃Would　he　have　told　us　if　he