gc.shadowslinger-第32部分

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and　too　few　to　do　it。　Let　your　Captain　cope　when　he　arrives。　The　black　castle　must　be　isolated。〃
　　〃Why　not　fly　some　men　in？〃
　　〃The　Lady　has　forbidden　that。〃
　　I　tried　to　look　perplexed。　〃Buy　why？〃　I　had　a　sweating；　fearful　suspicion　that　I　knew。
　　Whisper　shrugged。　〃Because　she　doesn't　want　you　wasting　time　making　hellos　and　briefing　newers。　Go　see　what　can　be　done　about　isolating　the　castle。〃
　　〃Yes；　ma'am。〃
　　I　departed；　thinking　it　had　gone　both　better　and　worse　than　I　had　anticipated。　Better；　because　she　did　not　throw　one　of　her　screaming　rages。　Worse；　because　she　had　in　effect　announced　that　we　who　were　here　already　were　suspect；　that　we　might　have　succumbed　to　a　moral　infection　the　Lady　did　not　want　municated　to　our　brethren。
　　Scary。
　　〃Yeah；〃　Elmo　said　when　I　told　him。　He　did　not　need　it　explained。　〃Which　means　we　got　to　make　contact　with　the　Old　Man。〃
　　〃Messenger？〃
　　〃What　else？　Who　can　we　break　loose　and　cover？〃
　　〃One　of　the　men　from　the　Buskin。〃
　　Elmo　nodded。　〃I'll　handle　that。　You　go　ahead　and　figure　how　to　isolate　the　castle　with　the　manpower　we　have。〃
　　〃Why　don't　you　go　scout　the　castle？　I　want　to　find　out　what　those　guys　were　doing　last　night。〃
　　〃That's　neither　here　nor　there　now；　Croaker。　I'm　taking　over。　Not　saying　you　done　a　bad　job；　just　you　didn't　get　it　done。　Which　is　my　fault；　really。　I'm　the　soldier。〃
　　〃Being　a　soldier　won't　make　any　difference；　Elmo。　This　isn't　soldier's　work。　It's　spy　stuff。　And　spies　need　time　to　worm　into　the　fabric　of　a　society。　We　haven't　had　enough　of　that。〃
　　〃Time　is　up　now。　Isn't　that　what　you　said？〃
　　〃I　guess；〃　I　admitted。　〃All　right。　I'll　scout　the　castle。　But　you　find　out　what　went　on　down　there　last　night。　Especially　around　that　place　called　the　Iron　Lily。　It　keeps　turning　up；　just　like　that　guy　Asa。〃
　　All　the　while　we　talked；　Elmo　was　changing。　Now　he　looked　like　a　sailor　down　on　his　luck；　too　old　to　ship；　but　still　tough　enough　for　dirty　work。　He　would　fit　right　in　down　in　the　Buskin。　I　told　him　so。
　　〃Yeah。　Let's　get　moving。　And　don't　plan　on　getting　much　sleep　till　the　Captain　gets　here。〃
　　We　looked　at　one　another；　not　saying　what　lay　in　the　backs　of　our　minds。　If　the　Taken　did　not　want　us　in　touch　with　our　brethren；　what　might　they　do　when　the　pany　hove　in　sight；　ing　out　of　the　Wolanders？
　　Up　close；　the　black　castle　was　both　intriguing　and　unsettling。　I　took　a　horse　over；　circled　the　place　several　times；　even　flipped　a　cheerful　wave　at　the　one　movement　I　detected　atop　its　glassy　ramparts。
　　There　was　some　difficult　ground　behind　it…steep；　rocky；　overgrown　with　scraggly；　thorny　brush　which　had　a　sagey　odor。　Nobody　lugging　a　corpse　would　reach　the　fortress　from　that　direction。　The　ground　was　better　along　the　ridgeline　to　east　and　west；　but　even　there　an　approach　was　improbable。　Men　of　the　sort　who　sold　corpses　would　do　things　the　easy　way。　That　meant　using　the　road　which　ran　from　the　Port　River　waterfront；　through　the　scatter　of　merchant　class　houses　on　the　middle　slopes；　and　just　kept　on　to　the　castle　gate。　Someone　had　followed　that　course　often；　for　wheel　ruts　ran　from　the　end　of　the　road　to　the　castle。
　　My　problem　was；　there　was　no　place　a　squad　could　lie　in　wait　without　being　seen　from　the　castle　wall。　It　took　me　till　dusk　to　finalize　my　plan。
　　I　found　an　abandoned　house　a　ways　down　the　slope　and　a　little　upriver。　I　would　conceal　my　squad　there　and　post　sentries　down　the　road；　in　the　populated　area。　They　could　run　a　message　to　the　rest　of　us　if　they　saw　anything　suspicious。　We　could　hustle　up　and　across　the　slope　to　intercept　potential　body…sellers。　Wagons　would　be　slow　enough　to　allow　us　the　time　needed。
　　Old　Croaker　is　a　brilliant　strategist。　Yes；　sir。　I　had　my　troops　in　place　and　everything　set　by　midnight。　And　had　two　false　alarms　before　breakfast。　I　learned　the　embarrassing　way　that　there　was　legitimate　night　traffic　past　my　sentry　post。
　　I　sat　in　the　old　house　with　my　team；　alternately　playing　tonk　and　worrying；　and　on　rare　occasions　napping。　And　wondering　a　lot　about　what　was　happening　down　in　the　Buskin　and　across　the　valley　in　Duretile。
　　I　prayed　Elmo　could　keep　his　fingers　on　all　the　strings。
　　
　　　Chapter　Twenty…Eight：　JUNIPER：　LISA
　　
　　Shed　spent　an　entire　day　lying　in　his　room；　staring　at　the　ceiling；　hating　himself。　He　had　sunk　as　low　as　a　man　could。　There　was　no　deed　too　foul　for　him　anymore；　and　nothing　more　he　could　do　to　blacken　his　soul。　A　million…leva　passage　fee　could　not　buy　him　aboard　on　Passage　Day。　His　name　had　to　be　written　in　the　Black　Book　with　those　of　the　greatest　villains。
　　〃Mr。　Shed？〃　Lisa　said　from　the　doorway　next　morning；　as　he　was　contemplating　another　day　of　ceiling　study　and　self…pity。　〃Mr。　Shed？〃
　　〃Yeah？〃
　　〃Bo　and　Lana　are　here。〃
　　Bo　and　Lana；　with　a　daughter；　were　his　mother's　servants。　〃What　do　they　want？〃
　　〃Their　accounts　settled　for　the　month；　I　expect。〃
　　〃Oh。〃　He　got　up。
　　Lisa　stopped　him　at　the　head　of　the　stair。　〃I　was　right　about　Sue；　wasn't　I？〃
　　〃You　were。〃
　　〃I'm　sorry。　I　wouldn't　have　said　anything　if　we　could　have　afforded　it。〃
　　〃We？　What　do　you　mean；　we？　Oh；　hell。　Never　mind。　Forget　about　it。　I　don't　want　to　hear　about　it　anymore。〃
　　〃Whatever　you　say。　But　I'm　going　to　hold　you　to　your　promise。〃
　　〃What　promise？〃
　　〃To　let　me　manage　the　Lily。〃
　　〃Oh。　All　right。〃　At　that　moment　he　did　not　care。　He　collected　the　monthly　accounting　from　the　servants。　He　had　chosen　them　well。　They　were　not　cheating　him。　He　suggested　they　deserved　a　small　bonus。
　　He　returned　upstairs　for　the　money。　Lisa　watched　him　go；　perplexed。　He　realized　his　mistake　too　late。　Now　she　wondered　why　he　had　money　today　when　he'd　had　none　yesterday。　He　located　his　dirty　clothing；　emptied　his　pockets　onto　his　bed。　And　gasped。
　　〃Oh；　damn！　Damn；〃　he　muttered。　〃What　the　hell　am　I　going　to　do　with　three　gold　pieces？〃
　　There　was　silver；　too；　and　even　a　fistful　of　copper；　but。　。。。　It　was　a　gyp！　A　fortune　he　could　not　spend。　Juniper　law　made　it　illegal　for　moners　to　hold　minted　gold。　Even　ining　foreigners　had　to　exchange　theirs　for　silver…though　foreign　silver　was　as　wele　as　local。　Lucky；　too；　for　the　black　castle　mintage　was　a　decidedly　odd　coinage；　though　in　the　standard　weights。
　　How　could　he　get　rid　of　the　gold？　Sell　it　to　some　ship　captain　headed　south？　That　was　the　usual　procedure。　He　slipped　it　into　his　most　secret　hiding　place；　with　the　amulet　from　the　black　castle。　A　useless　fortune。　He　assessed　the　remainder。　
　　Twenty…eight　pieces　of　silver；　plus　several　leva　in　copper。　Enough　to　take　care　of　his　mother　and　Sal。　Way　short　of　enough　to　pry　Gilbert　off　his　back。　〃Still　be　in　the　damned　money　trap；〃　he　whined。
　　He　recalled　Sue's　jewelry；　smiled　nastily；　muttered；　〃I'll　do　it。〃　He　pocketed　everything；　returned　to　the　ground　floor；　paid　his　mother's　servants；　told　Lisa；　〃I'm　going　out　for　a　while。〃
　　First　he　made　sure　Wally's　family　was　cared　for；　then　ambled　down　toward　Gilbert's　place。　No　one　seemed　to　be　around。　Gilbert　was　not　like　Krage；　in　that　he　felt　he　needed　an　army　on　hand；　but　he　did　have　his　bone…breakers。　They　were　all　away。　But　someone　was　in　Gilbert's　office　because　lamplight　illuminated　the　curtains。　He　smiled　thoughtfully；　then　hustled　back　to　the　Lily。　He　went　to　a　table　back　in　the　shadows；　near　where　Raven　used　to　sit。　A　couple　of　foreign　sailors　were　seated　there。　Tough　merchandise　if　he'd　ever　seen　it。　They'd　been　around　for　some　time。They　said　they　and　their　friends；　who　came　and　went；　had　missed　their　ship。　They　were　waiting　for　another。　Shed　could　not　recall　having　heard　the　name　of　their　home　port。
　　〃You　men　like　to　pick　up　some　easy　money？〃　he　asked。
　　〃Who　doesn't？〃　one　responded。
　　And　the　other；　〃What　you　got　in　mind？〃
　　〃I　have　a　little　problem。　I've　got　to　do　some　business　with　a　man。　He's　liable　to　get　vicious。〃
　　〃Want　some　back…up；　eh？〃
　　Shed　nodded。
　　The　other　sailor　looked　at　him　narrowly。　〃Who　is　he？〃
　　〃Name's　Gilbert。　A　moneylender。　You　heard　of　him？〃
　　〃Yeah。〃
　　〃I　was　just　past　his　place。　Don't　look　like　there's　anybody　there　but　him。〃
　　The　men　exchanged　glances。　The　taller　said；　〃Tell　you　what。　Let　me