gc.shadowslinger-第24部分

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　　〃Not　till　I　know　a　little　more。　Darling；　get　your　stuff　together。　We　have　to　disappear。〃
　　For　the　first　time；　Shed　protested。　〃Hey！　What're　you　doing？　How　am　I　supposed　to　run　this　place　without　her？〃
　　〃Get　that　girl　Lisa　in　here。　Get　your　cousin。　I　don't　care。　We　have　to　disappear。〃
　　Shed　frowned。
　　Raven　said；　〃They　want　her　more　than　they　want　me。〃
　　〃She's　just　a　kid。〃
　　〃Shed。〃
　　〃Yes；　sir。　How　do　I　get　in　touch；　sir？〃
　　〃You　don't。　I'll　get　in　touch　with　you。　Darling；　go。　Those　are　Taken　up　there。〃
　　〃What're　Taken？〃　Shed　asked。
　　〃If　you　have　gods；　Shed；　pray　that　you　never　find　out。　Pray　hard。〃　And；　when　Darling　returned　with　her　meager　belongings；　Raven　said；　〃I　think　you　ought　to　reconsider　leaving　Juniper　with　me。　Things　are　going　to　start　happening　around　here；　and　you　won't　like　them。〃
　　〃I　have　to　take　care　of　my　mother。〃
　　〃Think　about　it　anyway；　Shed。　I　know　what　I'm　talking　about。　I　used　to　work　for　those　people。〃
　　
　　　Chapter　Twenty：　JUNIPER：　SHADOW　TALK
　　
　　Raven　vanished　on　us。　Even　Goblin　could　find　no　trace。　Feather　and　Whisper　worked　on　our　prisoners　till　each　was　drained；　and　got　nothing　on　our　old　friend。　I　concluded　that　Raven　had　used　an　assumed　name　when　dealing　with　them。
　　Why　hadn't　he　used　one　down　in　the　Buskin？　Folly？　Pride？　As　I　recall；　Raven　had　too　much　of　that。
　　Raven　was　not　his　real　name；　any　more　than　Croaker　is　mine。　But　that　was　the　name　we　knew　him　by　the　year　he　served　with　us。　None　of　us；　unless　maybe　the　Captain；　knew　his　real　one。　He　had　been　a　man　of　substance　once；　in　Opal。　That　I　knew。　He　and　the　Limper　became　bitter　enemies　when　the　Limper　used　his　wife　and　her　lovers　to　do　him　out　of　his　rights　and　titles。　That　I　knew。　But　not　who　he　was　before　he　became　a　soldier　of　the　Black　pany。
　　I　dreaded　telling　the　Captain　what　we　had　found。　He　was　fond　of　Raven。　Like　brothers；　the　two　of　them。　The　Captain；　I　think；　was　hurt　when　Raven　deserted。　He　would　be　hurt　more　deeply　when　he　learned　what　his　friend　had　done　in　Juniper。
　　Whisper　called　us　in　to　announce　the　results　of　the　interrogations。　She　said　roughly；　〃We　did　not　exactly　score　a　triumph；　gentlemen。　All　but　a　couple　of　those　men　were　dabblers。　We　knocked　the　fight　out　of　them　at　Charm。　But　we　did　learn　that　the　black　castle　has　been　buying　corpses。　Its　denizens　even　buy　live　bodies。　Two　of　our　captives　have　sold　to　them。　Raising　money　for　the　Rebel。〃
　　The　idea　of　trading　in　corpses　was　repellent；　but　not　especially　wicked。　I　wondered　what　use　the　black　castle　people　had　for　them。
　　Whisper　continued；　〃They　were　not　responsible　for　the　raid　on　the　Catabs。　In　fact；　they　are　of　no　interest　to　us。　We're　turning　them　over　to　the　Custodians　to　do　with　as　they　please。　You　gentlemen　will　now　go　out　into　the　city　and　resume　digging。〃
　　〃Excuse　me；　ma'am？〃　Elmo　said。
　　〃Somewhere　in　Juniper　there　is　someone　who　is　feeding　the　black　castle。　Find　him。　The　Lady　wants　him。〃
　　Raven；　I　thought。　Had　to　be　Raven。　Just　had　to　be。　We　had　to　find　that　son…of…a…bitch；　yes。　And　get　him　out　of　town　or　dead。
　　You　have　to　understand　what　the　pany　means。　For　us；　it　is　father；　mother；　family。　We　are　men　with　nothing　elset。　Raven　getting　caught　would　kill　the　family；　figuratively　and　literally。　The　Lady　would　disband　what　remained　of　the　outfit　after　she'd　mauled　us　for　not　turning　Raven　in　back　when。
　　I　told　Whisper：　〃It　might　help　if　we　knew　what　we're　dealing　with。　It's　hard　to　take　something　serious　when　nobody　tells　you　anything。　What's　the　point　of　the　exercise？　That　castle　is　damned　bizarre；　I　grant　you。　But　why　should　we　care？〃
　　Whisper　seemed　to　think　about　it。　For　several　seconds　her　eyes　were　blank。　She　had　taken　the　matter　to　higher　authority。　She　was　in　munion　with　the　Lady。　When　she　returned；　she　said；　〃The　black　castle　has　its　roots　in　the　Barrowland。〃
　　That　got　our　attention。　I　croaked；　〃What？〃
　　〃The　black　castle　is　the　Dominator's　escape　hole。　When　it　reaches　a　certain　size　and　certain　set　of　circumstances；　the　creatures　who　live　there；　who　are　his　creatures；　heart　and　soul；　will　conjur　him　out　of　the　Great　Barrow。　Here。〃
　　Several　men　snorted　in　disbelief。　It　did　seem　far…fetched；　for　all　the　weirdness　and　sorceries　we　have　seen。
　　Whisper　said；　〃He　foresaw　his　defeat　by　the　White　Rose；　though　not　his　betrayal　by　the　Lady。　Even　before　the　Domination　fell；　he　started　preparing　his　return。　He　sent　a　faithful　follower　here　with　the　seed　of　the　black　castle。　Something　went　wrong。　He　never　planned　to　spend　so　long　waiting。　Maybe　he　did　not　know　of　Juniper's　preoccupation　with　preserving　the　dead。　What　are　they　waiting　for？　A　ship　that　will　carry　them　to　paradise？〃
　　〃Roughly；〃　I　agreed。　〃I　studied　it；　but　the　whole　business　is　still　monkey　chatter　to　me。　Go　on。　The　Dominator　is　going　to　pop　out　on　us　here？〃
　　〃Not　if　we　can　stop　him。　But　we　may　have　gotten　here　too　late。　This　man。　If　we　don't　take　him　soon；　it　will　be　too　late。　The　portal　is　almost　ready　to　open。〃
　　I　looked　at　Elmo。　He　looked　at　me。　Oh　boy；　I　thought。　If　Raven　knew　what　he　was　doing。　。。。　I　still　couldn't　get　upset。　He　did　it　for　Darling。　He　couldn't　have　known　he　was　doing　the　Dominator's　work。　He　had　that　much　conscience。　He　would　have　found　another　way。　。　。　。　What　the　hell　was　he　going　to　do　with　so　much　money？
　　We　had　to　find　him。　That　was　all　there　was　to　it。　Whatever　we　did　from　now　on；　our　main　goal；　for　the　sake　of　the　pany；　had　to　be　to　warn　him　off。
　　I　glanced　at　Elmo。　He　agreed。　From　this　moment　forward　we　would　be　fighting　for　the　survival　of　the　outfit。　Somewhere；　somehow；　Raven　must　have　smelled　trouble。　Goblin　looked　under　every　rock　in　the　Buskin；　watched　every　alley；　practically　lived　in　the　Iron　Lily；　and　still　found　a　big　bunch　of　nothing。　Time　ground　past。　Warmer　weather　threatened。　And　we　became　ever　more　panicky。
　　
　　　Chapter　Twenty…One：　JUNIPER
　　
　　Raven　departed　soon　after　the　outer　channel　opened。　Shed　went　down　to　say　good…bye…and　only　then　discovered　the　nature　of　Raven's　shipping　investment。　He　had　had　a　ship　built　and　crewed。　A　whole　new　ship；　and　as　big　a　vessel　as　Shed　had　seen。　〃No　wonder　he　needed　a　fortune；〃　he　mused。　How　many　bodies　to　build　that？
　　He　returned　to　the　Lily　numbed。　He　poured　himself　some　wine；　sat　staring　into　nothing。　〃That　Raven　was　a　man　of　vision；〃　he　mumbled。　〃Glad　he's　gone；　though。　Asa；　too。　Maybe　things　can　get　back　to　normal。〃
　　Shed　bought　a　cottage　near　the　Enclosure。　He　installed　his　mother　with　a　staff　of　three。　It　was　a　relief　to　be　rid　of　her　evil；　blind　stare。
　　He　had　workmen　into　the　Lily　every　day。　They　interfered　with　business；　but　business　remained　good。　The　harbor　was　busy。　There　was　work　for　anyone　who　wanted　it。
　　Shed　could　not　handle　prosperity。　He　hared　after　every　impulse　he　had　known　during　his　impoverishment。　He　bought　fine　clothing　he　dared　not　wear。　He　went　places　frequented　only　by　the　wealthy。　And　he　bought　the　attentions　of　beautiful　women。
　　Women　cost　a　lot　when　you　pretended　to　be　somebody　off　the　high　slope。
　　One　day　Shed　went　to　his　secret　cash　box　and　found　it　empty。　All　that　money　gone？　Where？　The　improvements　on　the　Lily　weren't　finished。　He　owed　the　workmen。　He　owed　the　people　caring　for　his　mother。　Damn！　Was　he　back　where　he　started？
　　Hardly。　He　had　his　profits。
　　He　scampered　downstairs；　to　his　business　cash　box；　opened　it；　sighed　in　relief。　He'd　done　all　his　spending　out　of　the　box　upstairs。
　　But　something　was　wrong。　There　wasn't　anywhere　near　enough　in　the　box。　。　。　。　〃Hey；　Wally。〃
　　His　cousin　looked　at　him；　gulped；　raced　out　the　door。　Baffled；　Shed　hurried　outside；　saw　Wally　vanish　into　an　alley。　Then　the　truth　hit　him。　〃Damn　you！〃　he　yelled。　〃Damn　you；　you　damned　thief！〃　He　went　back　in　and　tried　to　figure　where　he　stood。
　　An　hour　later　he　told　the　workmen　to　knock　off。　He　left　his　new　girl　Lisa　in　charge；　started　the　rounds　of　his　suppliers。
　　Wally　had　screwed　him　good。　He　had　bought　on　credit　and　pocketed　monies　payable。　Shed　covered　his　debts　as　he　went；　growing　increasingly　alarmed　as　his　reserves　dwindled。　Down　to　little　more　than　copper；　he　returned　to　the　Lily　and　started　an　inventory。
　　At　lea