gc.shadowslinger-第29部分

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　　〃What　did　you　learn？〃　Goblin　asked。
　　〃I　think　he　was　lying；〃　Pawnbroker　insisted。　〃Maybe　by　not　telling　everything　he　knew；　but　he　was　lying。　He　was　into　it　somehow。〃
　　〃You　keep　hanging　around　the　Lily；　then。　Keep　an　eye　on　him。〃
　　〃What　did　you　learn？〃　Goblin　demanded。
　　Elmo　came　in。　〃How'd　it　go？〃
　　〃Great；〃　I　said。　〃I　found　out　what　happened　to　Raven。〃
　　〃What？〃　he　and　Goblin　both　demanded。
　　〃He　left　town。　By　ship。　The　first　day　the　harbor　was　open。〃
　　〃Darling；　too？〃　Goblin　asked。　〃You　see　her　around？　What　do　you　think？〃　Pawnbroker　mused；　〃Bet　that　Asa　went　with　him。　Old　Shed　said　they　both　left　the　first　day。〃
　　〃Could　be。〃　I　was　proud　of　myself；　catching　him　with　that。　Looks　to　me；　now；　like　this　Shed　is　our　only　outside　loose　end。　He's　the　only　one　who　knows　what　happened　to　them。　　No　Shed；　nobody　to　maybe　tell　Bullock　or　the　Taken　anything。〃
　　Elmo　frowned。　The　suggestion　was　more　in　keeping　with　his　style　than　mine。　He　thought　I'd　put　it　forward　seriously。　〃I　don't　know。　Sounds　too　simple。　Anyway；　we're　starting　to　get　noticed　down　there；　aren't　we？〃
　　Goblin　nodded。　〃We're　supposed　to　be　sailors　who　missed　our　ship；　but　people　are　paring　notes；　trying　to　figure　us　out。　If　Shed　got　killed；　there　might　be　enough　fuss　to　get　Bullock　wondering。　If　he　gets　wondering；　sooner　or　later　the　news　would　get　back　to　the　Taken。　I　figure　we　ought　to　save　heroic　measures　for　heroic　circumstances。〃
　　Pawnbroker　agreed。　〃That　Shed's　got　something　to　hide。　I　know　that　in　my　guts。　Croaker　told　him　about　the　raid　on　the　Catabs。　He　hardly　blinked。　Anybody　else　would　have　whooped　off　and　spread　the　news　like　the　plague。〃
　　〃Kingpin　still　watching　him？〃　I　asked。　〃Him　and　Sharkey　and　Tickle　are　taking　turns。　He　ain't　going　to　be　able　to　pool　without　we　know　about　it。〃
　　〃Good。　Keep　it　that　way。　But　don't　mess　with　him。　We　just　want　to　keep　him　away　from　Bullock　and　the　Taken。〃　I　faded　away　into　my　thoughts。　〃What？〃　Elmo　finally　asked。
　　〃I　had　an　idea　while　I　was　talking　to　Shed。　Bullock　is　our　main　risk；　right？　And　we　know　he'll　stick　like　a　bulldog　once　he　gets　on　a　trail。　And　he's　on　the　trail　of　this　Asa　character。　So　why　don't　we　con　him　into　going　south　after　this　Asa？〃
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　Elmo　muttered。　〃He　might　find　him。〃
　　〃What's　he　want　him　for？　Questioning　about　a　raid　on　the　Catabs。　What　kind　of　cooperation　is　he　going　to　get　someplace　else？　Not　much。　Way　I　hear　it；　the　cities　down　the　coast　think　Juniper　is　a　bad　joke。　Anyway；　we　just　want　to　buy　a　little　time。　And　if　he　does　catch　up　with　Asa；　I　figure　he　catches　up　with　Raven；　too。　Ain't　nobody　going　to　bring　Raven　back。　Not　if　he　thinks　the　Taken　are　after　Darling。　They　tangle；　I'll　put　my　money　on　Raven。　Cut　out　the　only　source　of　info。　Temporarily　or　permanently。　See　what　I　mean？　And　if　he　does　kill　Raven；then　Raven　can't　talk。〃
　　〃How　you　going　to　talk　Bullock　into　it？〃　Elmo　asked。　〃It's　dumb；　Croaker。　He's　not　going　to　go　haring　off　after　some　minor　suspect。〃
　　〃Yes；　he　will。　You　remember；　when　we　came　here；　he　had　to　translate？　How　do　you　figure　he　learned　the　lan…guage　of　the　Jewel　Cities？　I　asked　him。　He　spent　three　years　there　looking　for　a　guy　who　wasn't　any　more　important　than　Asa。''
　　Goblin　said；　〃This　mess　gets　crazier　every　day。　We　got　so　many　cons　and　lies　going　I　can't　keep　track　of　them　anymore。　I　don't　think　we　better　do　anything　except　cover　our　asses　till　the　Captain　gets　here。〃
　　I　often　had　a　feeling　we　were　making　things　worse。　But　I　could　see　no　exit；　other　than　to　keep　coping　and　hoping。
　　〃Best　way　out；〃　Elmo　observed　laconically；　〃would　be　to　kill　everybody　who　knows　anything；　then　all　of　us　fall　on　our　swords。〃
　　〃Sounds　a　little　extreme；〃　Goblin　opined。　〃But　if　you　want　to　go　first；　I'm　right　behind　you。〃
　　〃I've　got　to　report　in　to　Whisper；〃　I　said。　〃Anybody　got　any　brilliant　ideas　what　I　should　tell　her？〃
　　Nobody　did。　I　went；　dreading　the　encounter。　I　was　sure　guilt　smouldered　in　my　eyes　whenever　I　faced　her。　I　resented　Elmo　because　he　did　not　have　to　endure　her　daily　fits　of　ire。
　　Bullock　was　almost　too　easy。　He　was　packing　almost　before　I　finished　handing　him　my　line　of　bull。　He　wanted　that　Asa　bad。
　　I　wondered　if　he　knew　something　we　did　not。　Or　if　he'd　just　worked　up　an　obsession　with　the　mystery　of　the　invaded　Catabs。
　　Whisper　was　more　of　a　problem。
　　She　told　me：　〃I　want　you　to　send　somebody　with　him。〃　I　had　had　to　tell　her　something；　so　had　told　her　most　of　the　truth。　I　figured　the　chances　of　anybody　tracking　Asa　and　Raven　were　nil。　But。　。　。　。　She　seemed　a　little　too　interested；　too。　Perhaps　she　knew　more　than　she　pretended。　She　was；　after　all；　one　of　the　Taken。
　　Elmo　picked　three　men；　put　Kingpin　in　charge；　and　told　him　to　stick　a　knife　in　Bullock　if　he　looked　like　needing　it。
　　The　Captain　and　pany　were；　I　was　told；　in　the　Wolander　Mountains　a　hundred　miles　from　Juniper。　They　faced　a　slow　passage　through　tough　passes；　but　I　began　to　anticipate　their　arrival。　Once　the　Old　Man　showed；　the　weight　would　be　off　Elmo　and　me。　〃Hurry；〃　I　muttered；　and　returned　to　tangling　our　skein　of　deceits。
　　
　　　Chapter　Twenty…Five：　JUNIPER：　LOVERS
　　
　　Matron　Shed　fell　in　love。　In　love　in　the　worst　possible　way…with　a　woman　far　younger；　who　had　tastes　far　beyond　his　means。　He　charged　into　the　affair　with　all　the　reserve　of　a　bull　in　rut；　disdaining　consequences；　squandering　his　cash　reserve　as　though　it　came　from　a　bottomless　box。　His　boxes　dried　up。　Two　weeks　after　he　met　Sue；　he　made　a　loan　with　Gilbert；　the　moneylender。　Another　loan　followed　that；　then　another。　Within　a　month　he　had　gone　into　debt　farther　than　he　had　been　during　the　winter。
　　And　he　did　not　care。　The　woman　made　him　happy；　and　that　was　that。　pounding　his　negative　attributes　was　a　tendency　toward　willful　stupidity　and　an　unconscious　confidence　that　money　could　be　no　problem　ever　again。
　　Wally's　wife　Sal　visited　the　Lily　one　morning；　grim　and　slightly　ashamed。　〃Marron；〃　she　said；　〃can　we　talk？〃
　　〃What's　the　matter？〃
　　〃You　were　going　to　help　with　rent　and　stuff。〃
　　〃Sure。　So　what's　the　problem？〃
　　〃Well；　I　don't　want　to　sound　ungrateful　or　like　I　have　any　right　to　expect　you　to　support　us；　but　our　landlord　is　threatening　to　throw　us　out　on　account　of　the　rent　hasn't　been　paid　for　two　weeks。　We　can't　get　work　on　account　of　nobody　is　putting　out　any　sewing　right　now。〃
　　〃The　rent　isn't　paid？　But　I　saw　him　just　the　other　day。　。　。　。〃　It　hadn't　been　just　the　other　day。　He　had　forgotten。　His　mother；　too。　Her　servants'　salaries　would　be　due　in　a　few　days。　Not　to　mention　Lisa's。　〃Oh　my；〃　he　said。　〃I'm　sorry。　I　forgot。　I'll　take　care　of　it。〃
　　〃Shed；　you've　been　good　to　us。　You　didn't　have　to　be。　I　don't　like　seeing　you　get　into　this　kind　of　mess。〃
　　〃What　kind　of　mess？〃
　　〃With　that　woman。　She's　trying　to　destroy　you。〃
　　He　was　too　puzzled　to　bee　angry。　〃Sue？　Why？　How？〃
　　〃Give　her　up。　It'll　hurt　less　if　you　break　it　off。　Everybody　knows　what　she's　doing。〃
　　〃What's　she　doing？〃　Shed's　voice　was　plaintive。
　　〃Never　mind。　I　said　more　than　I　should　already。　If　there's　ever　anything　we　can　do　for　you；　let　us　know。〃
　　〃I　will。　I　will；〃　he　promised。　He　went　upstairs；　to　his　hidden　cash　box；　and　found　it　barren。
　　There　was　not　a　gersh　in　the　place；　upstairs　or　down。　What　was　going　on？　〃Lisa。　Where's　all　the　money？〃
　　〃I　hid　it。〃
　　〃What？〃
　　〃I　hid　it。　The　way　you're　carrying　on；　you're　going　to　lose　this　place。　You　have　a　legitimate　expense；　tell　me。　I'll　cover　it。〃
　　Shed　goggled。　He　sputtered。　〃Who　the　hell　do　you　think　you　are；　girl？〃
　　〃The　girl　who's　going　to　keep　you　in　business　in　spite　of　yourself。　The　girl　who's　going　to　stop　you　from　being　a　plete　fool　with　Gilbert's　woman。〃
　　〃Gilbert's？〃
　　〃Yes。　What　did　you　think　was　going　on？〃
　　〃Get　out；〃　Shed　snapped。　〃You　don't　work　here　anymore。〃
　　Lisa　shrugged。　〃If　that's　what　you　want。〃
　　〃Where's　the　money？〃
　　〃Sorry。　e　see　me　when　you　get　your　mon　sense　back。〃
　　Shed　raged　around　the　mon　room。　His　customers　clapped；　egging　him　on。　He　threatened。　He　cajoled。　Nothing　worked。　Lisa　remained　adamant。　〃It's　my　family！〃　he　protested。
　　〃You　go　prove　that　woman