gc.shadowslinger-第3部分

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on。
　　Raven　did　not　belong。　He　could　afford　better。　Shed　wished　he　dared　throw　the　man　out。　Raven　made　his　skin　crawl；　sitting　at　his　corner　table；　dead　eyes　hammering　iron　spikes　of　suspicion　into　anyone　who　entered　the　tavern；　cleaning　his　nails　endlessly　with　a　knife　honed　razor…sharp；　speaking　a　few　cold；　toneless　words　whenever　anyone　took　a　notion　to　drag　Darling　upstairs。　。　。　。　That　baffled　Shed。　Though　there　was　no　obvious　connection；　Raven　protected　the　girl　as　though　she　were　his　virgin　daughter。　What　the　hell　was　a　tavern　slut　for；　anyway？　Shed　shuddered；　pushed　it　out　of　mind。　He　needed　Raven。　Needed　every　paying　guest　he　could　get。　He　was　surviving　on　prayers。
　　He　delivered　the　wine。　Raven　dropped　three　coins　into　his　palm。　One　was　a　silver　leva。　〃Sir？〃
　　〃Get　some　decent　firewood　in　here；　Shed。　If　I　wanted　to　freeze；　I'd　stay　outside。〃
　　〃Yes；　sir！〃　Shed　went　to　the　door；　peeked　into　the　street。　Latham's　wood　yard　was　just　a　block　away。
　　The　drizzle　had　bee　an　icy　rain。　The　mucky　lane　was　crusting。　〃Going　to　snow　before　dark；〃　he　informed　no　one　in　particular。
　　〃In　or　out；〃　Raven　growled。　〃Don't　waste　what　warmth　there　is。〃
　　Shed　slid　outside。　He　hoped　he　could　reach　Latham's　before　the　cold　began　to　ache。
　　Shapes　loomed　out　of　the　icefall。　One　was　a　giant。　Both　hunched　forward；　rags　around　their　necks　to　prevent　ice　from　sliding　down　their　backs。
　　Shed　charged　back　into　the　Lily。　〃I'll　go　out　the　back　way。〃　He　signed；　〃Darling；　I'm　going　out。　You　haven't　seen　me　since　this　morning。〃
　　〃Krage？〃　the　girl　signed。
　　〃Krage；〃　Shed　admitted。　He　dashed　into　the　kitchen；　snagged　his　ragged　coat　off　its　hook；　wriggled　into　it。　He　fumbled　the　door　latch　twice　before　he　got　it　loose。　　An　evil　grin　with　three　teeth　absent　greeted　him　as　he　leaned　into　the　cold。　Foul　breath　assaulted　his　nostrils。　A　filthy　finger　gouged　his　chest。　〃Going　somewhere；　Shed？〃
　　〃Hi；　Red。　Just　going　to　see　Latham　about　firewood。〃
　　〃No；　you're　not。〃　The　finger　pushed。　Shed　fell　back　till　he　was　in　the　mon　room。
　　Sweating；　he　asked；　〃Cup　of　wine？〃
　　〃That's　neighborly　of　you；　Shed。　Make　it　three。〃
　　〃Three？〃　Shed's　voice　squeaked。
　　〃Don't　tell　me　you　didn't　know　Krage　is　on　his　way。〃
　　〃I　didn't；〃　Shed　lied。
　　Red's　snaggle…toothed　smirk　said　he　knew　Shed　was　lying。
　　
　　　Chapter　Six：　TALLY　MIX…UP
　　
　　You　try　your　damnedest；　but　something　always　goes　wrong。　That's　life。　If　you're　smart；　you　plan　for　it。
　　Somehow；　somebody　got　away　from　Madle's；　along　about　the　twenty…fifth　Rebel　who　stumbled　into　our　web；　when　it　really　looked　like　Neat　had　done　us　a　big　favor；　summoning　the　local　hierarchy　to　a　conference。　Looking　backward；　it　is　hard　to　fix　blame。　We　all　did　our　jobs。　But　there　are　limits　to　how　alert　you　stay　under　extended　stress。　The　man　who　disappeared　probably　spent　hours　plotting　his　break。　We　did　not　notice　his　absence　for　a　long　time。
　　Candy　figured　it　out。　He　threw　his　cards　in　at　the　tail　of　a　hand；　said；　〃We're　minus　a　body；　troops。　One　of　those　pig　farmers。　The　little　guy　who　looked　like　a　pig。〃
　　I　could　see　the　table　from　the　corner　of　my　eye。　I　grunted。　〃You're　right。　Damn。　Should　have　taken　a　head　count　after　each　trip　to　the　well。〃
　　The　table　was　behind　Pawnbroker。　He　did　not　turn　around。　He　waited　a　hand；　then　ambled　to　Madle's　counter　and　bought　a　crock　of　beer。　While　his　rambling　distracted　the　locals；　I　made　rapid　signs　with　my　fingers；　in　deaf…speech。　〃Better　be　ready　for　a　raid。　They　know　who　we　are。　I　shot　my　mouth　off。〃
　　The　Rebel　would　want　us　bad。　The　Black　pany　has　earned　a　widespread　reputation　as　a　successful　eradicator　of　the　Rebel　pestilence；　wherever　it　appears。　Though　we　are　not　as　vicious　as　reputed；　news　of　our　ing　strikes　terror　wherever　we　go。　The　Rebel　often　goes　to　ground；　abandoning　his　operations；　where　we　appear。
　　Yet　here　were　four　of　us；　separated　from　our　panions；　evidently　unaware　that　we　were　at　risk。　They　would　try。　The　question　at　hand　was　how　hard。
　　We　did　have　cards　up　our　sleeves。　We　never　play　fair　if　we　can　avoid　it。　The　pany　philosophy　is　to　maximize　effectiveness　while　minimizing　risk。
　　The　tall；　dark　man　rose；　left　his　shadow；　stalked　toward　the　stair　to　the　sleeping　rooms。　Candy　snapped；　〃Watch　him；　Otto。〃　Otto　hurried　after　him；　looking　feeble　in　the　man's　wake。　The　locals　watched；　wondering。
　　Pawnbroker　used　signs　to　ask；　〃What　now？〃
　　〃We　wait；〃　Candy　said　aloud；　and　with　signs　added；　〃Do　what　we　were　sent　to　do。〃
　　〃Not　much　fun；　being　live　bait；〃　Pawnbroker　signed　back。　He　studied　the　stair　nervously。　〃Set　Otto　up　with　a　hand；〃　he　suggested。
　　I　looked　at　Candy。　He　nodded。　〃Why　not？　Give　him　about　seventeen。〃　Otto　would　go　down　first　time　around　every　time　if　he　had　less　than　twenty。　It　was　a　good　percentage　bet。
　　I　quick　figured　the　cards　in　my　head；　and　grinned。　I　could　give　him　seventeen　and　have　enough　low　cards　left　to　give　each　of　us　a　hand　that　would　burn　him。　〃Give　me　those　cards。〃
　　I　hurried　through　the　deck；　building　hands。　〃There。〃　Nobody　had　higher　than　a　five。　But　Otto's　hand　had　higher　cards　than　the　others。
　　Candy　grinned。　〃Yeah。〃
　　Otto　did　not　e　back。　Pawnbroker　said；　〃I'm　going　up　to　check。〃
　　〃All　right；〃　Candy　replied。　He　went　and　got　himself　a　beer。　I　eyed　the　locals。　They　were　getting　ideas。　I　stared　at　one　and　shook　my　head。
　　Pawnbroker　and　Otto　returned　a　minute　later；　preceded　by　the　dark　man；　who　returned　to　his　shadow。　Pawnbroker　and　Otto　looked　relieved。　They　settled　down　to　play。
　　Otto　asked；　〃Who　dealt？〃
　　〃Candy　did；〃　I　said。　〃Your　go。〃
　　He　went　down。　〃Seventeen。〃
　　〃Heh…heh…heh；〃　I　replied。　〃Burned　you。　Fifteen。〃
　　And　Pawnbroker　said；　〃Got　you　both。　Fourteen。〃
　　And　Candy；　〃Fourteen。　You're　hurting；　Otto。〃
　　He　just　sat　there；　numbed；　for　several　seconds。　Then　he　caught　on。　〃You　bastards！　You　stacked　it！　You　don't　think　I'm　going　to　pay　off。　。。。〃
　　〃Settle　down。　Joke；　son；〃　Candy　said。　
　　〃Joke。　It　was　your　deal　anyhow。〃　
　　The　cards　went　around　and　the　darkness　came。　No　more　insurgents　appeared。　The　locals　grew　ever　more　restless。　Some　worried　about　their　families；　about　being　late。　As　everywhere　else；　most　Tallylanders　are　concerned　only　with　their　own　lives。　They　don't　care　whether　the　White　Rose　or　the　Lady　is　ascendant。
　　The　minority　of　Rebel　sympathizers　worried　about　when　the　blow　might　fall。　They　were　afraid　of　getting　caught　in　the　crossfire。
　　We　pretended　ignorance　of　the　situation。
　　Candy　signed；　〃Which　ones　are　dangerous？〃
　　We　conferred；　selected　three　men　who　might　bee　trouble。　Candy　had　Otto　bind　them　to　their　chairs。　It　dawned　on　the　locals　that　we　knew　what　to　expect；　that　we　were　prepared。　Not　looking　forward；　but　prepared。　The　raiders　waited　till　midnight。　They　were　more　cautious　than　the　Rebel　we　encountered　ordinarily。　Maybe　our　reputation　was　too　strong。　。　。　。
　　They　burst　in　in　a　rush。　We　discharged　our　spring　tubes　and　began　swinging　swords；　retreating　to　a　corner　away　from　the　fireplace。　The　tall　man　watched　indifferently。
　　There　were　a　lot　of　Rebels。　Far　more　than　we　had　expected。　They　kept　storming　inside；　crowding　up；　getting　into　one　another's　ways；　climbing　over　the　corpses　of　their　rades。　〃Some　trap；〃　I　gasped。　〃Must　be　a　hundred　of　them。〃
　　〃Yeah；〃　Candy　said。　〃It　don't　look　good。〃　He　kicked　at　a　man's　groin；　cut　him　when　he　covered　up。
　　The　place　was　wall…to…wall　insurgents；　and　from　the　noise　there　were　a　hell　of　a　lot　more　outside。　Somebody　didn't　want　us　getting　away。
　　Well；　that　was　the　plan。
　　My　nostrils　flared。　There　was　an　odor　in　the　air；　just　the　faintest　off…key　touch；　subtle　under　the　stink　of　fear　and　sweat。　〃Cover　up！〃　I　yelled；　and　whipped　a　wad　of　damp　wool　from　my　belt　pouch。　It　stunk　worse　than　a　squashed　skunk。　My　panions　followed　suit。
　　Somewhere　a　man　screamed。　Then　another。　Voices　rose　in　a　hellish　chorus。　Our　enemies　surged　around；　baffled；　panicky。　Faces　twisted　in　agony。　Men　fell　down　in　writhing　heaps；　clawing　their　noses　and　throats。　I　was　careful　to　keep　my　face　in　the　wool。
　　The　tall；　thin　man　came　out　of　his　shadows。　Calmly；　he　began　despatching　guerrillas　with　a　fourteen…inch；　silv