gc.shadowslinger-第28部分

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　　Then　Bullock's　sidekick　turned　up。　Shed　nearly　dropped　a　valuable　piece　of　crockery。　He　had　felt　safe　from　that。　The　only　people　who　knew　anything　were　far　away。　He　clamped　down　on　his　nerves　and　guilt；　went　to　the　man's　table。　〃How　may　we　serve　you；　Reverend　Sir？〃
　　〃Bring　me　a　meal　and　your　best　wine；　landlord。〃
　　Shed　lifted　an　eyebrow。　〃Sir？〃
　　〃I'll　pay。　Nobody　in　the　Buskin　can　afford　to　give　away　meals。〃
　　〃Ain't　it　the　truth；　sir。　Ain't　it　the　truth。〃
　　When　Shed　returned　with　the　wine；　the　Inquisitor　observed；　〃You　seem　to　be　doing　well；　landlord。〃
　　Shed　snorted。　〃We　live　on　the　edge；　Reverend　Sir。　On　the　ragged　edge。　One　bad　week　would　destroy　me。　I　spend　every　winter　borrowing　from　one　moneylender　to　pay　another。　This　summer　was　good；　though。　I　found　a　partner。　I　was　able　to　fix　a　few　things。　That　made　the　place　more　attractive。　Probably　my　last　dying　gasp　before　it　gets　away。〃　He　donned　his　sourest　face。
　　The　Inquisitor　nodded。　〃Leave　the　bottle。　Let　the　Brotherhood　contribute　to　your　prosperity。〃
　　〃I'll　ask　no　profit；　Reverend　Sir。〃
　　〃Why　be　foolish？　Charge　me　the　same　as　anyone　else。〃
　　Shed　mentally　upped　the　tab　twenty　percent　over　normal。　He　was　glad　to　be　rid　of　the　bottle。　Raven　had　left　him　stuck　with　several。
　　When　Shed　delivered　the　meal；　the　Inquisitor　suggested；〃Bring　a　mug　and　join　me。〃
　　Shed's　nerves　twisted　as　tight　as　a　bowstring。　Something　was　wrong。　They　had　caught　on。　〃As　you　wish；　Reverend　Sir。〃　He　dragged　over　and　collected　his　own　mug。　It　was　dusty。　He　had　not　done　much　drinking　lately；　afraid　his　tongue　would　wag。
　　〃Sit　down。　And　wipe　the　scowl　off　your　face。　You　haven't　done　anything。　Have　you？　I　don't　even　know　your
name。〃
　　〃Shed；　Reverend　Sir。　Marron　Shed。　The　Iron　Lily　has　been　in　my　family　for　three　generations。''
　　〃Admirable。　A　place　with　tradition。　Tradition　is　falling　by　the　wayside　nowadays。〃
　　〃As　you　say；　Reverend　Sir。〃
　　〃I　guess　our　reputation　has　preceded　me。　Won't　you　calm　down？〃
　　〃How　may　I　help　you；　Reverend　Sir？〃
　　〃I'm　looking　for　a　man　named　Asa。　I　hear　he　was　a　regular　here。〃
　　〃So　he　was；　sir；〃　Shed　admitted。　〃I　knew　him　well。　A　lazy　wastrel。　Hated　honest　work。　Never　a　copper　to　his　name；　either。　Yet　he　was　a　friend；　after　his　fashion；　and　generous　in　his　way。　I　let　him　sleep　on　the　mon　room　floor　during　the　winter；　because　in　the　days　of　my　hardship　he　never　failed　to　bring　wood　for　the　fire。〃
　　The　Inquisitor　nodded。　Shed　decided　to　tell　most　of　the　truth。　He　could　not　hurt　Asa。　Asa　was　beyond　the　reach　of　the　Custodians。
　　〃Do　you　know　where　he　acquired　the　wood？〃
　　Shed　pretended　acute　embarrassment。　〃He　collected　it　in　the　Enclosure；　Reverend　Sir。　I　debated　with　myself　about　using　it。　It　wasn't　against　the　law。　But　it　seemed　reprehensible　anyway。〃　　The　Inquisitor　smiled　and　nodded。　〃No　failing　on　your　part；　Marron　Shed。　The　Brotherhood　doesn't　discourage　gleaning。　It　keeps　the　Enclosure　from　being　too　seedy。〃
　　〃Why　are　you　looking　for　Asa；　then？〃
　　〃I　understand　he　worked　for　a　man　named　Krage。〃
　　〃Sort　of。　For　a　while。　He　thought　he　was　king　of　the　Buskin　when　Krage　took　him　on。　Strutting　and　bragging。　But　it　didn't　last。〃
　　〃So　I　heard。　It's　the　timing　of　their　falling…out　that　intrigues　me。〃
　　〃Sir？〃
　　〃Krage　and　some　of　his　friends　disappeared。　So　did　Asa；　about　the　same　time。　And　all　of　them　vanished　soon　after　somebody　got　into　the　Catabs　and　looted　several　thousand　passage　urns。〃
　　Shed　tried　to　look　properly　horrified。　〃Krage　and　Asa　did　that？〃
　　〃Possibly。　This　Asa　started　spending　old　money　after　he　began　gleaning　in　the　Enclosure。　Our　investigations　suggest　he　was　petty　at　his　grandest。　We　think　he　pilfered　a　few　urns　each　time　he　gathered　wood。　Krage　may　have　found　out　and　decided　to　plunder　in　a　big　way。　Their　falling…out　may　have　been　over　that。　Assuming　Asa　had　any　conscience。〃
　　〃Possibly；　sir。　I　understood　it　to　be　a　squabble　over　a　guest　of　mine。　A　man　named　Raven。　Krage　wanted　to　kill　him。　He　hired　Asa　to　spy　on　him。　Asa　told　me　that　himself。　Krage　decided　he　wasn't　doing　his　job。　He　never　did　anything　right。　Anyway；　he　never　did　anything　very　well。　But　that　doesn't　invalidate　your　theory。　Asa　could　have　been　lying。　Probably　was。　He　lied　a　lot。〃
　　〃What　was　the　relationship　between　Asa　and　Raven？〃
　　〃There　wasn't　any。〃
　　〃Where　is　Raven　now？〃
　　〃He　left　Juniper　right　after　the　ice　broke　up　in　the　harbor。''
　　The　Inquisitor　seemed　both　startled　and　pleased。　〃What　became　of　Krage？〃
　　〃Nobody　knows；　Reverend　Sir。　It's　one　of　the　great　mysteries　of　the　Buskin。　One　day　he　was　there；　the　next　he　wasn't。　There　were　all　kinds　of　rumors。〃
　　〃Could　he　have　left　Juniper；　too？〃
　　〃Maybe。　Some　people　think　so。　Whatever；　he　didn't　tell　anybody。　The　people　who　worked　for　him　don't　know　anything；　either。〃
　　〃Or　so　they　say。　Could　he　have　looted　enough　from　the　Catabs　to　make　it　worthwhile　to　leave　Juniper？〃
　　Shed　puzzled　that　question。　It　sounded　treacherous。　〃I　don't。　。。。　I　don't　understand　what　you're　asking；　sir。〃
　　〃Uhm。　Shed；　thousands　of　the　dead　were　violated。　Most　were　put　away　at　a　time　when　the　wealthy　were　very　generous。　We　suspect　a　sum　of　gold　may　have　been　involved。〃
　　Shed　gaped。　He　hadn't　seen　any　gold。　The　man　was　lying。　Why？　Laying　traps？
　　〃It　was　a　major　plundering　operation。　We'd　very　much　like　to　ask　Asa　some　questions。〃
　　〃I　can　imagine。〃　Shed　bit　his　lip。　He　thought　hard。　〃Sir；　I　can't　tell　you　what　became　of　Krage。　But　I　think　Asa　took　ship　for　the　south。〃　He　went　into　a　long　song…and…dance　about　how　Asa　had　e　to　him　after　falling　out　with　Krage；　begging　to　be　hidden。　One　day　he　had　gone　out；　returned　later　badly　wounded；　had　hidden　upstairs　for　a　while；　then　had　vanished。　Shed　claimed　to　have　seen　him　from　a　distance　only；　on　the　docks；　the　day　the　first　ships　sailed　for　the　South。　〃I　never　got　close　enough　to　talk；　but　he　looked　like　he　was　going　somewhere。　He　had　a　couple　bundles　with　him。〃
　　〃Do　you　recall　what　ship？〃
　　〃Sir？〃
　　〃What　ship　did　he　take？〃
　　〃I　didn't　actually　see　him　board　a　ship；　sir。　I　just　assumed　he　did。　He　might　still　be　around。　Only　I　figure　he　would　have　gotten　in　touch　if　he　was。　He　always　came　to　me　when　he　was　in　trouble。　I　guess　he's　in　trouble　now；eh？〃
　　〃Maybe。　The　evidence　isn't　conclusive。　But　I'm　morally　convinced　he　was　in　on　the　looting。　You　didn't　see　Krage　on　the　dock；　did　you？〃
　　〃No；　sir。　It　was　crowded。　Everybody　always　goes　down　to　see　the　first　ships　off。　It's　like　a　holiday。〃　Was　the　Inquisitor　buying　it？　Damn。　He　had　to。　An　Inquisitor　wasn't　somebody　you　got　off　your　back　by　selling　him　into　the　black　castle。
　　The　Inquisitor　shook　his　head　wearily。　〃I　was　afraid　you'd　tell　me　a　story　like　that。　Damn　it。　You　leave　me　no　choice。〃
　　Shed's　heart　leapt　into　his　throat。　Crazy　ideas　swarmed　through　his　head。　Hit　the　Inquisitor；　grab　the　coin　box；　make　a　run　for　it。
　　〃I　hate　to　travel；　Shed。　But　it　looks　like　either　Bullock　or　I　will　have　to　go　after　those　people。　Guess　who'll　get　stuck？〃
　　Relief　swamped　Shed。　〃Go　after　them；　Reverend　Sir？　But　the　law　down　there　doesn't　recognize　the　Brotherhood's　right。　。　。　。〃
　　〃Won't　be　easy；　will　it？　The　barbarians　just　don't　understand　us。〃　He　poured　some　wine；　stared　into　it　for　a　long　while。　Finally；　he　said；　〃Thank　you；　Marron　Shed。　You've　been　very　helpful。〃
　　Shed　hoped　that　was　a　dismissal。　He　rose。　〃Anything　else；　Reverend　Sir？〃
　　〃Wish　me　luck。〃
　　〃Of　course；　sir。　A　prayer　for　your　mission　this　very　evening。〃
　　The　Inquisitor　nodded。　〃Thank　you。〃　He　resumed　staring　into　his　mug。
　　He　left　a　fine　tip。　But　Shed　was　uneasy　when　he　pocketed　it。　The　Inquisitors　had　a　reputation　for　doggedness。　Suppose　they　caught　up　with　Asa？
　　
　　　Chapter　Twenty…Four：　JUNIPER：　SHADOW　DANCING
　　
　　〃I　think　I　was　pretty　slick；〃　I　told　Goblin。
　　〃You　should　have　seen　that　Shed；〃　Pawnbroker　cackled。　〃A　chicken　sweating　like　a　pig　and　lying　like　a　dog。　A
one…man　barnyard。〃
　　〃Was　he　really　lying？〃　I　mused。　〃He　didn't　say　anything　that　conflicted　with　what　we　know。〃
　　〃What　did　you　learn？〃　Goblin　asked。
　　〃I　think　he　was　lying；〃　Pawnbroker　insisted。　〃Maybe　by　not