gc.shadowslinger-第31部分

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ked　like　man　and　wife　about　some　late　business。
　　He　did　not　speak　till　they　were　across　the　Port。　〃You're　probably　wondering　what's　going　on；　darling。〃
　　Sue　grunted。　She　was　pale　and　frightened。　He　retrieved　his　amulet。　While　he　was　at　it；　he　stripped　her　of　jewelry　and　valuables。
　　〃Sue；　I　loved　you。　I　really　did。　I　would　have　done　anything　for　you。　When　you　kill　a　love　like　that；　you　turn　it　into　a　big　hatred。〃　At　least　twenty　leva　worth　of　jewelry；　he　guessed。　How　many　men　had　she　destroyed？　〃Working　for　Gilbert　like　that。　Trying　to　steal　the　Lily。　Anything　else　I　could　have　forgiven。　Anything。〃
　　He　talked　all　the　way　up　the　hill。　It　distracted　her　till　the　black　castle　loomed　so　large　it　could　no　longer　be　overlooked。　Then　her　eyes　got　huge。　She　began　to　shake；　to　stink　as　she　lost　all　control。
　　〃Yes；　darling；〃　Shed　said；　voice　pleasantly　rational；　conversational。　〃Yes。　The　black　castle。　You　were　going　to　deliver　me　to　the　mercy　of　your　friends。　You　made　a　bet　and　lost。　Now　I　deliver　you　to　mine。〃　He　halted；　climbed　down；　went　to　the　gate。　It　opened　immediately。
　　The　tall　being　met　him；　wringing　spidery　hands。　〃Good；〃　it　said。　〃Very　good。　Your　partner　never　brought　healthy　game。〃
　　Shed's　guts　knotted。　He　wanted　to　change　his　mind。　He　only　wanted　to　hurt　and　humiliate　Sue。　。　。　。　But　it　was　too　late。　He　could　not　turn　back。　〃I'm　sorry；　Sue。　You　shouldn't　have　done　it。　You　and　Gilbert。　His　turn　will　e。　Marron　Shed　isn't　what　everybody　thinks。〃
　　A　whining　noise　came　from　behind　Sue's　gag。　Shed　turned　away。　He　had　to　get　out。　He　faced　the　tall　creature。
　　It　began　counting　coins　directly　into　his　hand。
　　As　always；　Shed　did　not　barter。　In　fact；　he　did　not　look　at　the　money；　just　kept　stuffing　his　pockets。　His　attention　was　on　the　darkness　behind　the　creature。
　　More　of　its　kind　were　back　there；　hissing；　jostling。　Shed　recognized　the　short　one　he'd　dealt　with　once。
　　The　tall　being　stopped　counting。　Absently；　Shed　put　the　coins　into　a　pocket；　returned　to　his　wagon。　The　things　in　shadow　swept　forward；　seized　Sue；　began　ripping　her　clothing。　One　yanked　the　gag　out　of　her　mouth。　Shed　started　packing　his　rig。
　　〃For　God's　sake；　Marron。　Don't　leave　me。〃
　　〃It's　done；　woman。　It's　done。〃　He　snapped　his　traces。
　　〃Back　up；　mules。〃
　　She　started　screaming　as　he　turned　toward　the　gate。　He　did　not　look。　He　did　not　want　to　know。　〃Keep　moving；　mules。〃
　　〃e　again　soon；　Marron　Shed；〃　the　tall　creature　called　after　him。
　　
　　　Chapter　Twenty…Seven：　JUNIPER：　BANISHED
　　
　　The　summons　from　Whisper　caught　me　unprepared。　It　was　too　early　for　the　daily　report。　I'd　barely　finished　breakfast。　I　knew　it　meant　trouble。　I　was　not　disappointed。
　　The　Taken　prowled　like　a　caged　animal；　radiating　tension　and　anger。　I　went　inside　by　the　numbers；　stood　at　a　perfect　attention；　giving　no　excuse　for　the　picking　of　nits…in　case　whatever　it　was　was　not　my　fault。
　　She　ignored　me　for　several　minutes；　working　off　energy。　Then　she　seated　herself；　stared　at　her　hands　thoughtfully。　Her　gaze　rose。　And　she　was　in　plete　control。　She　actually　smiled。　Had　she　been　as　beautiful　as　the　Lady；　that　smile　would　have　melted　granite。　But　she　was　what　she　was；　a　scarred　old　campaigner；　so　a　smile　only　ameliorated　the　grimness　of　her　face。
　　〃How　were　the　men　disposed　last　night？〃　she　asked。　Baffled；　I　responded；　　〃Excuse　me？　You　mean　their　temper？〃
　　〃Where　were　they　stationed？〃
　　〃Oh。〃　That　was　properly　Elmo's　province；　but　I　knew　better　than　to　say　so。　The　Taken　do　not　tolerate　excuses；　sound　though　they　may　be。　〃The　three　men　on　the　ship　south　with　Bullock；　looking　for　that　man　Asa。〃　I　worried　about　her　having　sent　them。　When　I　do　not　understand　the　motives　of　the　Taken；　I　get　paranoid。　〃Five　down　in　the　Buskin　pretending　to　be　foreign　sailors。　Three　more　down　there　watching　people　we've　found　especially　interesting。　I'd　have　to　double…check　with　Elmo　to　be　positive；　but　at　least　four　more　were　in　other　parts　of　the　city；　trying　to　pick　up　something　of　interest。　The　rest　of　us　were　here　in　the　castle；　off　duty。　Wait。　One　man　would　have　been　down　in　the　Duke's　secret　police　office；　and　two　would　have　been　at　the　Enclosure；　hanging　around　with　the　Custodians。　I　was　with　the　Inquisitors　most　of　the　night；　picking　their　brains。　We're　scattered　pretty　thin　right　now。　I'll　be　glad　when　the　Captain　gets　here。　We've　got　too　much　going　for　the　available　manpower。　The　occupation　planning　is　way　behind。〃
　　She　sighed；　rose；　resumed　pacing。　〃My　fault　as　much　as　anyone's；　I　suppose。〃　She　looked　out　a　window　for　a　long　time。　Then　she　beckoned。　I　joined　her。
　　She　indicated　the　black　castle。　〃Just　whiskers　short。　They're　trying　to　open　the　way　for　the　Dominator　already。　It's　not　yet　time；　but　they're　getting　hurried。　Maybe　they've　sensed　our　interest。〃
　　This　Juniper　business　was　like　some　giant；　tentacled　sea　beast　from　a　sailor's　lie。　No　matter　where　we　turned　or　what　we　did；　we　got　deeper　into　trouble。　By　working　at　cross…purposes　with　the　Taken；　trying　to　cover　an　increasingly　more　obvious　trail；　we　were　plicating　their　efforts　to　deal　with　the　peril　of　the　black　castle。　If　we　did　cover　well；　we　just　might　make　it　possible　for　the　Dominator　to　emerge　into　an　unprepared　world。
　　I　did　not　want　that　horror　upon　my　conscience。
　　Though　I　fear　I　tend　not　to　record　it　that　way；　we　were　embroiled　in　substantial　moral　quandaries。　We　are　not　accustomed　to　such　problems。　The　lot　of　the　mercenary　does　not　require　much　moralizing　or　making　of　moral　decisions。　Essentially；　the　mercenary　sets　morality　aside；　or　at　best　reorders　the　customary　structures　to　fit　the　needs　of　his　way　of　life。　The　great　issues　bee　how　well　he　does　his　job；　how　faithfully　he　carries　out　his　mission；　how　well　he　adheres　to　a　standard　demanding　unswerving　loyalties　to　his　rades。　He　dehumanizes　the　world　outside　the　bounds　of　his　outfit。　Then　anything　he　does；　or　witnesses；　bees　of　minor　significance　as　long　as　its　brunt　is　borne　outside　the　pany。
　　We　had　drifted　into　a　trap　where　we　might　have　to　face　the　biggest　choice　in　the　pany's　history。　We　might　have　to　betray　four　centuries　of　pany　mythos　on　behalf　of　the　greater　whole。
　　I　knew　I　could　not　permit　the　Dominator　to　restore　himself；　if　that　turned　out　to　be　the　only　way　we　could　keep　the　Lady　from　finding　out　about　Darling　and　Raven。
　　Yet。　。　。　。　The　Lady　was　not　much　better。　We　served　her；　and；　till　lately；　well　and　faithfully；　obliterating　the　Rebel　wherever　we　found　him；　but　I　don't　think　many　of　us　were　indifferent　to　what　she　was。　She　was　less　evil　than　the　Dominator　only　because　she　was　less　determined　about　it；　more　patient　in　her　drive　for　total　and　absolute　control。
　　That　presented　me　with　another　quandary。　Was　I　capable　of　sacrificing　Darling　to　prevent　the　Dominator's　return？　If　that　became　the　price？
　　〃You　seem　very　thoughtful；〃　Whisper　said。
　　〃Uhm。　There're　too　many　angles　to　this　business。　The　Custodians。　The　Duke。　Us。　Bullock；　who　has　axes　of　his　own　to　grind。〃　I　had　told　her　about　Bullock's　Buskin　origins；　feeding　her　seemingly　irrelevant　information　to　plicate　and　distract　her　thinking。
　　She　pointed　again。　〃Didn't　I　suggest　a　close　watch　be　kept　on　that　place？〃
　　〃Yes；　ma'am。　We　did　for　a　while；　too。　But　nothing　ever　happened；　and　then　we　were　told　to　do　some　other　things。　。。。〃　I　broke　off；　quaking　with　a　sudden　nasty　suspicion。
　　She　read　my　face。　〃Yes。　Last　night。　And　this　delivery　was　still　alive。〃
　　〃Oh　boy；〃　I　murmured。　〃Who　did　it？　You　know？〃
　　〃We　just　sensed　the　consequent　changes。　They　tried　to　open　the　way。　They　weren't　strong　enough　yet；　but　they　came　very　close。〃
　　She　began　to　prowl。　Mentally；　I　ticked　off　the　roster　for　the　Buskin　last　night。　I　was　going　to　ask　some　very　pointed　questions。
　　〃I　consulted　the　Lady　directly。　She's　very　worried。　Her　orders　are　to　let　ancillary　business　slide。　We're　to　prevent　any　more　bodies　reaching　the　castle。　Yes；　the　rest　of　your　pany　will　be　here　soon。　From　six　to　ten　days。　And　there　is　much　to　be　done　to　prepare　for　their　arrival。　But；　as　you　observed；　there　is　too　much　to　do　and　too　few　to　do　it。　Let　your　Captain　cope　when　he　arrives。　The　black　castle　must　be　isolated。〃