gc.shadowslinger-第46部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　They　had　been　on　the　march　so　long；　doing　nothing　else；　that　they　had　developed　a　big　store　of　violent　energy。　It　was　pouring　out　now。　They　worked　with　an　eagerness　which　infected　the　locals。　Those　seemed　pleased　to　participate　in　a　task　which　required　the　concerted　efforts　of　thousands。　Some　of　the　more　thoughtful　mentioned　that　Juniper　had　mounted　no　major　munal　effort　in　generations。　One　man　suggested　that　that　was　why　the　city　had　gone　to　seed。　He　believed　the　Black　pany　and　its　attack　on　the　black　castle　would　be　great　medicine　for　a　moribund　body　politic。
　　That；　however；　was　not　a　majority　opinion。　Candy's　prisoners；　especially；　resented　being　used　as　a　labor　force。　They　represented　a　strong　potential　for　trouble。
　　I　have　been　told　I　always　look　at　the　dark　underbelly　of　tomorrow。　Possibly。　You're　less　likely　to　be　disappointed　that　way。
　　The　excitement　I　expected　did　not　materialize　for　days。　The　castle　creatures　seemed　to　have　pulled　their　hole　in　after　them。　We　eased　the　pace　slightly；　ceased　working　as　if　everything　had　to　be　done　before　tomorrow。
　　The　Lieutenant　pleted　the　circumvallation；　including　the　back　slope；　looping　around　One…Eye's　excavation。　He　then　broke　the　front　wall　and　began　building　his　ramp。　He　did　not　use　many　mantlets；　for　he　designed　it　to　provide　its　own　shielding。　It　rose　steeply　at　our　end；　with　steps　constructed　of　stone　from　demolished　buildings。　The　work　crews　downtown　were　now　pulling　down　structures　ruined　in　the　fire　following　Feather's　crash。　There　were　more　materials　than　could　be　used　in　the　siege。　Candy's　outfit　was　salvaging　the　best　to　use　in　new　housing　planned　for　the　cleared　sites。
　　The　ramp　would　rise　till　it　overtopped　the　castle　by　twenty　feet；　then　it　would　descend　to　the　wall。　The　work　went　faster　than　I　expected。　So　did　One…Eye's　project。　He　found　a　bination　of　spells　which　turned　stone　soft　enough　to　be　worked　easily。　He　soon　reached　a　point　beneath　the　castle。
　　Then　he　ran　into　the　material　that　looked　like　obsidian。　And　could　go　no　farther。　So　he　started　spreading　out。
　　The　Captain　himself　came　over。　I　had　been　wondering　what　he　was　doing。　I　asked。
　　〃Finding　ways　to　keep　people　busy；〃　he　said。　He　shambled　around　erratically。　If　we　did　not　pay　attention；　we　found　ourselves　wandering　off　after　he　made　some　sudden　turn　and　went　to　inspect　something　apparently　trivial。　〃Damned　Whisper　is　turning　me　into　a　military　governor。〃
　　〃Uhm？〃
　　〃What；　Croaker？〃
　　〃I'm　the　Annalist；　remember？　Got　to　get　this　all　down　somewhere。〃
　　He　frowned；　eyeballed　a　barrel　of　water　set　aside　for　animals。　Water　was　a　problem。　A　lot　had　to　be　hauled　to　augment　the　little　we　caught　during　the　occasional　shower。　〃She　has　me　running　the　city。　Doing　what　the　Duke　and　city　fathers　should。〃　He　kicked　a　rock　and　said　nothing　more　till　it　stopped　rolling。　〃Guess　I'm　coping。　Isn't　anybody　in　town　who　isn't　working。　Aren't　getting　paid　anything　but　keep；　but　they're　working。　Even　got　people　lined　up　with　projects　they　want　done　as　long　as　we're　making　people　work。　The　Custodians　are　driving　me　crazy。　Can't　tell　them　all　their　clean…ups　may　be　pointless。〃
　　I　caught　an　odd　note　in　that。　It　underscored　a　feeling　I'd　had　already；　that　he　was　depressed　about　what　was　happening。　
　　〃Why's　that？〃
　　He　glanced　around。　No　natives　were　within　earshot。　〃Just　a　guess；　mind。　Nobody's　put　it　in　words。　But　I　think　the　Lady　plans　to　loot　the　Catabs。〃
　　〃People　aren't　going　to　like　that。〃
　　〃I　know。　You　know；　I　know；　even　Whisper　and　Limper　know。　But　we　don't　give　the　orders。　There's　talk　about　how　the　Lady　is　short　of　money。〃
　　In　all　the　years　we'd　been　in　her　service　we'd　never　missed　a　payday。　The　Lady　played　that　straight。　The　troops　got　paid；　be　they　mercenaries　or　regulars。　I　suspect　the　various　outfits　could　tolerate　a　few　delays。　It's　almost　a　tradition　for　manders　to　screw　their　troops　occasionally。
　　Most　of　us　didn't　much　care　about　money；　anyway。　We　tended　toward　inexpensive　and　limited　tastes。　I　suppose　attitudes　would　shift　if　we　had　to　do　without；　though。
　　〃Too　many　men　under　arms　on　too　many　frontiers；〃　the　Captain　mused。　〃Too　much　expansion　too　fast　for　too　long。　The　empire　can't　take　the　strain。　The　effort　in　the　Barrowland　ate　up　her　reserves。　And　it's　still　going。　If　she　whips　the　Dominator；　look　for　things　to　change。〃
　　〃Maybe　we　made　a　mistake；　eh？〃
　　〃Made　a　lot。　Which　one　are　you　talking　about？〃
　　〃ing　north；　over　the　Sea　of　Torments。〃
　　〃Yes。　I've　known　that　for　years。〃
　　〃And？〃
　　〃And　we　can't　get　out。　Not　yet。　Someday；　maybe；　when　our　orders　take　us　back　to　the　Jewel　Cities；　or　somewhere　where　we　could　leave　the　empire　and　still　find　ourselves　in　a　civilized　country。〃　There　was　an　almost　bottomless　yearning　in　his　voice。　〃The　longer　I　spend　in　the　north；　the　less　I　want　to　end　my　days　here；　Croaker。　Put　that　in　your　Annals。〃
　　　I　had　him　talking；　a　rare　occurrence。　I　merely　grunted；　hoping　he　would　continue　filling　the　silence。　He　did。　〃We're　running　with　the　darkness；　Croaker。　I　know　that　don't　make　no　never…mind；　really。　Logically。　We're　the　Black　pany。　We're　not　good　or　evil。　We're　just　soldiers　with　swords　for　sale。　But　I'm　tired　of　having　our　work　turned　to　wicked　ends。　If　this　looting　thing　happens；　I　may　step　aside。　Raven　had　the　right　idea　back　at　Charm。　He　got　the　hell　out。〃
　　I　then　set　forth　a　notion　that　had　been　in　the　back　of　my　mind　for　years。　One　I'd　never　taken　seriously；　knowing　it　quixotic。　〃That　doesn't　contribute　anything；　Captain。　We　also　have　the　option　of　going　the　other　way。〃　　〃Eh？〃　He　came　back　from　whatever　faraway　place　ruled　him　and　really　looked　at　me。　〃Don't　be　silly；　Croaker。　That's　a　fool's　game。　The　Lady　squashes　anybody　who　tries。〃　He　ground　a　heel　into　the　earth。　〃Like　a　bug。〃
　　〃Yeah。〃　It　was　a　silly　idea；　on　several　levels；　not　the　least　of　which　was　that　the　other　side　could　not　afford　us。　I　could　not　picture　us　in　the　Rebel　role　anyway。　The　majority　of　Rebels　were　idiots；　fools　or　ambitious　types　hoping　to　grab　a　chunk　of　what　the　Lady　had。　Darling　was　the　outstanding　exception；　and　she　was　more　symbol　than　substance；　and　a　secret　symbol　at　that。
　　〃Eight　years　since　the　et　was　in　the　sky；〃　the　Captain　said。　〃You　know　the　legends。　She　won't　fall　till　the　Great　et　is　up　there。　You　want　to　try　surviving　twenty…nine　years　on　the　run　from　the　Taken？　No；　Croaker。　Even　if　our　hearts　were　with　the　White　Rose；　we　couldn't　make　that　choice。　That's　suicide。　Getting　out　of　the　empire　is　the　way。〃
　　〃She'd　e　after　us。〃
　　〃Why？　Why　shouldn't　she　be　satisfied　with　what　she's　had　of　us　these　ten　years？　We're　no　threat　to　her。〃
　　But　we　were。　We　very　much　were；　if　only　because　we　knew　of　the　existence　of　the　reincarnation　of　the　White　Rose。　And　I　was　sure　that；　once　we　left　the　empire；　either　Silent　or　I　would　spill　that　secret。　Of　course；　the　Lady　did　not　know　that　we　knew。
　　〃This　chatter　is　an　exercise　in　futility；〃　the　Captain　said。　〃I'd　rather　not　talk　about　it。〃
　　〃As　you　wish。　Tell　me　what　we're　going　to　do　here。〃
　　〃The　Lady　is　ing　in　tonight。　Whisper　says　we'll　begin　the　assault　as　soon　as　the　auspices　are　right。〃
　　I　glanced　at　the　black　castle。
　　〃No；〃　he　said。　〃It　won't　be　easy。　It　may　not　be　possible；　even　with　the　Lady　helping。〃
　　〃If　she　asks　about　me；　tell　her　I'm　dead。　Or　something；〃　I　said。
　　That　won　a　smile。　〃But；　Croaker；　she's　your。　。　。　。〃
　　〃Raven；〃　I　snapped。　〃I　know　things　about　him　that　could　get　us　all　killed。　So　does　Silent。　Get　him　out　of　Duretile　before　she　gets　here。　Neither　one　of　us　dares　face　the　Eye。〃
　　〃For　that；　neither　do　I。　Because　I　know　you　know　something。　We're　going　to　have　to　take　our　chances；　Croaker。〃
　　〃Right。　So　don't　put　notions　into　her　head。〃
　　〃I　expect　she's　forgotten　you　long　since；　Croaker。　You're　just　another　soldier。''
　　
　　　Chapter　Thirty…Eight：　JUNIPER：　THE　STORM
　　
　　The　Lady　hadn't　forgotten　me。　Not　even　a　little。　Shortly　after　midnight　a　grim　Elmo　rousted　me　out。　〃Whisper　is　here。　Wants　you；　Croaker。〃
　　〃Eh？〃　I　hadn't　done　anything　to　arouse　her　ire。　Not　for　weeks。
　　〃They　want　you　over　to　Duretile。　She　wants　you。　Whisper　is　here　to　take　you　back。〃
　　Ever　se