gc.shadowslinger-第44部分

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　　Wagons　began　ing　up　from　the　city；　carrying　timber　and　rubble。　Down　there　other　work　crews　were　demolishing　buildings　for　materials。　Though　they　were　structures　unfit　for　occupation　and　long　overdue　for　replacement；　they　housed　people　who　were　not　going　to　love　us　for　destroying　their　homes。
　　One…Eye　and　a　sergeant　named　Shaky　took　a　large　labor　draft　around　the　castle；　down　to　the　roughest　slope；　and　began　a　mine　designed　to　drop　part　of　the　castle　wall　down　the　steep　slope。　They　did　nothing　to　conceal　their　purpose。　Wasn't　much　point　trying。　The　things　we　faced　had　the　power　to　knife　through　any　subterfuge。
　　Actually　managing　to　breech　the　wall　would　be　a　tough　job。　It　might　take　weeks；　even　with　One…Eye　helping。　The　miners　would　have　to　cut　through　many　yards　of　solid　rock。
　　The　project　was　one　of　several　feints　the　Lieutenant　would　employ；　though　the　way　he　plans　a　siege；　one　day's　feint　can　bee　another's　main　thrust。　Drawing　on　a　manpower　pool　like　Juniper；　he　could　exercise　every　option。
　　I　felt　a　certain　pride；　watching　the　siege　take　shape。　I　have　been　with　the　pany　a　long　time。　Never　had　we　undertaken　so　ambitious　a　project。　Never　had　we　been　given　the　wherewithal。　I　wandered　around　till　I　found　the　Lieutenant。　〃What's　the　plan　here；　anyway？〃　Nobody　ever　tells　me　anything。
　　〃Just　nail　them　down　so　they　can't　get　out。　Then　the　Taken　will　jump　all　over　them。〃
　　I　grunted。　Basic　and　simple。　I　expected　it　would　get　more　plicated。　The　creatures　inside　would　fight。　I
suspect　the　　Dominator　was　　lying　restless；　　shaping　　a　counterstroke。　Must　be　hell　to　be　buried　alive；　able　to　do　nothing　but　wish　and　hope　at　minions　far　beyond　direct　control。　Such　impotence　would　destroy　me　in　a　matter　of　hours。　I　told　the　Lieutenant　about　Shed's　escape。　He　did　not　get　excited。　Shed　meant　little　to　him。　He　did　not　know　about　Raven　and　Darling。　To　him；　Raven　was　a　deserter　and　Darling　his　camp　follower。　Nothing　special。　I　wanted　him　to　know　about　Shed　so　he　would　mention　it　to　the　Captain。　The　Captain　might　want　to　take　action　more　vigorous　than　my　remendation　to　Elmo。
　　I　stayed　with　the　Lieutenant　a　while；　he　watching　the　work　crews；　I　watching　a　wagon　train　e　uphill。　This　one　should　be　bringing　supper。　
　　〃Getting　damned　tired　of　cold　meals；〃　I　muttered。
　　〃Tell　you　what　you　ought　to　do；　Croaker。　You　ought　to　get　married　and　settle　down。〃
　　〃Sure；〃　I　replied；　more　sarcastically　than　I　felt。　〃Right　after　you。〃
　　〃No；　really。　This　might　be　the　place　to　do　it。　Set　yourself　up　in　practice；　catering　to　the　rich。　That　Duke's　family；　say。　Then；　when　your　girlfriend　gets　here；　you　pop　the　question　and　you're　all　set。〃
　　Daggers　of　ice　drove　into　my　soul；　twisting。　I　croaked；　〃Girlfriend？〃
　　He　grinned。　〃Sure。　Nobody　told　you？　She's　ing　out　for　the　big　show。　Going　to　run　it　personally。　Be　your　big　chance。〃
　　My　big　chance。　But　for　what？
　　He　was　talking　about　the　Lady；　of　course。　It　had　been　years；　but　still　they　rode　me　about　some　romantic　stories　I　wrote　before　I　actually　met　the　Lady。　They　always　ride　anybody　about　anything　they　know　will　get　their　goat。　All　part　of　the　game。　All　part　of　the　brotherhood。
　　I　bet　the　son…of…a…bitch　had　been　boiling　with　the　news　since　first　he　heard　it；　waiting　to　spring　in　on　me。
　　The　Lady。　ing　to　Juniper。
　　I　considered　deserting　for　real。　While　there　was　a　ship　or　two　left　to　get　away。
　　
　　　Chapter　Thirty…Six：　JUNIPER：　FIREWORKS
　　
　　The　castle　lulled　us。　Let　us　think　we　could　slam　the　door　without　a　squawk。　For　two　days　the　labor　crews　ripped　at　the　north　ridge；　gouging　out　a　good　deep　trench；　getting　up　much　of　the　needed　stockade；　hammering　out　a　nice　beginning　of　a　mine。　Then　they　let　us　in　on　their　displeasure。
　　It　was　a　little　bit　chaotic　and　a　whole　lot　hairy；　and　in　retrospect；　it　seems　it　may　not　have　started　as　what　it
became。
　　It　was　a　moonless　night；　but　labor　crews　were　working　by　firelight；　torchlight；　lanternlight。　The　Lieutenant　had　wooden　towers　going　up　each　hundred　feet　where　the　trench　and　palisade　were　plete；　and　nearby　them　small　ballistae　for　mounting　atop　them。　A　waste　of　time；　I　thought。　What　value　mundane　siege　equipment　against　minions　of　the　Dominator？　But　the　Lieutenant　was　our　siege　specialist。　He　was　determined　to　do　things　properly；　by　the　numbers；　even　if　the　ballistae　never　were　used。　They　had　to　be　available。
　　Sharp…eyed　pany　members　were　in　the　towers　near…ing　pletion；　trying　to　see　into　the　castle。　One　detected　movement　at　the　gate。　Instead　of　raising　a　fuss；　he　sent　a　message　down。　The　Lieutenant　went　up。　He　decided　that　someone　had　left　the　castle　and　slipped　around　to　One…Eye's　side。　He　had　drums　sounded；　trumpets　blown；　and　fire　arrows　shot　into　the　air。
　　The　alarm　wakened　me。　I　rushed　up　to　see　what　was　happening。　For　a　while　there　was　nothing　to　see。
　　On　the　far　slope　One…Eye　and　Shaky　stood　to　arms。　Their　workers　panicked。　Many　were　killed　or　crippled　trying　to　flee　across　the　brushy；　rocky；　steep　slope。　A　minority　had　sense　enough　to　stand　fast。
　　The　castle　folks　wanted　to　make　a　quick　strike　and　catch　some　of　One…Eye's　workers；　drag　them　inside；　and　plete　whatever　rites　were　necessary　to　bring　the　Dominator　through。　Once　they　were　discovered；　their　strategy　shifted。　The　men　in　the　towers　yelled　that　more　were　ing　out。　The　Lieutenant　ordered　harassing　fire。　He　had　a　couple　of　small　trebuchets　chuck　balls　of　burning　brush　into　the　area　near　the　gate。　And　he　sent　men　to　find　Goblin　and　Silent；　figuring　they　could　do　more　than　he　to　provide　needed　illumination。
　　Goblin　was　down　in　the　Buskin。　It　would　take　him　an　hour　to　respond。　I　had　no　idea　where　Silent　might　be。　I　had　not　seen　him；　though　he　had　been　in　Juniper　a　week。　The　Lieutenant　had　signal　fires　lighted　to　warn　watchers　on　Ouretile's　walls　that　we　had　a　situation。
　　The　Taken　above　finally　came　down　to　investigate。　It　proved　to　be　the　Limper。　His　first　act　was　to　take　a　handful　of　javelins；　do　something　to　them；　then　cast　them　to　earth　from　above。　They　became　pillars　of　chartreuse　light　between　trench　and　castle。
　　On　the　far　slope　One…Eye　provided　his　own　illumination　by　spinning　spiderwebs　of　violet　and　hanging　their　corners　on　the　breeze。　They　quickly　betrayed　the　approach　of　a　half…dozen　shapes　in　black。　Arrows　and　javelins　flew。
　　The　creatures　suffered　several　casualties　before　they　took　exception。　Light　blazed；　then　faded　into　a　shimmer　which　surrounded　each。　They　attacked。
　　Other　shapes　appeared　atop　the　castle　wall。　They　hurled　objects　down…slope。　The　size　of　a　man's　head；　they　bounded　toward　the　minehead。　One…Eye　did　something　to　alter　their　course。　Only　one　escaped　him。　It　left　a　trail　of　unconscious　soldiers　and　workers。　The　castle　creatures　had；　evidently；　planned　for　every　possibility　but　One…Eye。　They　were　able　to　give　the　Limper　hell；　but　did　nothing　about　One…Eye　at　all。
　　He　shielded　his　men　and　made　them　fight　toe…to…toe　when　the　castle　creatures　closed。　Most　of　his　men　were　killed；　but　they　wiped　out　their　attackers。
　　By　then　the　castle　creatures　were　mounting　a　sortie　against　the　trench　and　wall；　directly　toward　where　I　stood　watching。　I　recall　being　more　puzzled　than　fearful。
　　How　many　were　there？　Shed　had　given　the　impression　the　castle　was　practically　untenanted。　But　a　good　twenty…five　of　them；　attacking　with　wizardry　backing　them；　made　the　trench　and　wall　almost　pointless。
　　They　came　out　the　gate。　And　something　came　over　the　castle　wall；　vast　and　bladder…like。　It　hit　the　ground；　bounded　twice；　mashed　down　on　the　trench　and　palisade；　crushing　one　and　filling　the　other。　The　sortie　streaked　for　the　opening。　Those　creatures　could　move。
　　The　Limper　came　down　out　of　the　night；　shrieking　with　the　fury　of　his　descent；　glowing　ever　more　brightly　as　he　dropped。　The　glow　peeled　off　in　flakes　the　size　of　maple　seeds；　which　fluttered　in　his　wake；　spinning　and　twisting　earthward；　eating　into　whatever　they　contacted。　Four　or　five　attackers　went　down。
　　The　Lieutenant　launched　a　hasty　counterattack；　finished　several　of　the　injured；　then　had　to　retreat。　Several　of　the　creatures　dragged　fallen　soldiers　toward　the　castle。　The　others　came　on。
　　Without　a　heroic　bone　in　my