gc.shadowslinger-第47部分

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　　〃They　want　you　over　to　Duretile。　She　wants　you。　Whisper　is　here　to　take　you　back。〃
　　Ever　seen　a　grown　man　faint？　I　haven't。　But　I　came　close。　I　may　have　e　close　to　having　a　stroke；　too。　My　blood　pressure　must　have　soared。　For　two　minutes　I　was　vertiginous　and　unable　to　think。　My　heart　pounded。　My　guts　ached　with　fear。　I　knew　she　was　going　to　drag　me　in　for　a　session　with　the　Eye；　which　sees　every　secret　buried　in　a　man's　mind。　And　yet　I　could　do　nothing　to　evade　her。　It　was　too　late　to　run。　I　wished　I　had　been　aboard　the　ship　to　Meadenvil　with　Pawnbroker。
　　Like　a　man　walking　to　the　gallows；　I　went　out　to　Whisper's　carpet；　settled　myself　behind　her；　and　dwindled　into　my　thoughts　as　we　rose　and　rushed　through　the　chill　night　toward　Duretile。
　　As　we　passed　over　the　Port；　Whisper　called　back；　〃You　must　have　made　quite　an　impression　back　when；　physician。　You　were　the　first　person　she　asked　about　when　she　got　here。〃
　　I　found　enough　presence　of　mind　to　ask；　〃Why？〃
　　〃I　suspect　because　she　wants　her　story　recorded　again。　As　she　did　during　the　battle　at　Charm。〃
　　I　looked　up　from　my　hands；　startled。　How　had　she　known　that？　I'd　always　pictured　the　Taken　and　Lady　as　unmunicative　among　themselves。
　　What　she　said　was　true。　During　the　battle　at　Charm　the　Lady　had　dragged　me　around　with　her　so　the　events　of　the　day　would　be　recorded　as　they　happened。　And　she　did　not　demand　special　treatment。　In　fact；　she　insisted　I　write　stuff　as　I　saw　it。　There　was　just　the　faintest　whiff　of　a　hint　that　she　expected　to　be　toppled　sometime；　and；　once　she　was；　expected　maltreatment　by　historians。　She　wanted　a　neutral　record　to　exist。　I　hadn't　thought　about　that　for　years。　It　was　one　of　the　more　curious　anomalies　I'd　noted　about　her。　She　did　not　care　what　people　thought　of　her；　but　was　frightened　that　the　record　would　be　bastardized　to　suit　someone　else's　ends。
　　The　tiniest　spark　of　hope　rose　from　that。　Maybe　she　did　want　a　record　kept。　Maybe　I　could　get　through　this。　If　I　could　remain　nimble　enough　to　avoid　the　Eye。
　　The　Captain　met　us　when　we　landed　on　Duretile's　northern　wall。　A　glance　at　the　carpets　there　told　me　all　the　Taken　were　on　hand。　Even　Journey；　whom　I　had　expected　to　remain　in　the　Barrowland。　But　Journey　would　have　a　grudge　to　soothe。　Feather　had　been　his　wife。
　　A　second　glance　told　me　the　Captain　was　silently　apologetic　about　my　situation；　that　there　were　things　he　wanted　to　say　but　dared　not。　I　fed　him　a　tiny　shrug；　hoped　we　would　get　a　moment　later。　We　did　not。　Whisper　led　me　from　the　wall　directly　into　the　Lady's　presence。
　　She　hadn't　changed　an　iota　since　I　had　seen　her　last。　The　rest　of　us　had　aged　terribly；　but　she　remained　twenty　forever；　radiantly　gorgeous　with　stunning　black　hair　and　eyes　into　which　a　man　could　fall　and　die。　She　was；　as　always；　such　a　focal　point　of　glamor　that　she　could　not　be　physically　described。　A　detailed　description　would　be　pointless　anyway；　as　what　I　saw　was　not　the　true　Lady。　The　Lady　who　looked　like　that　hadn't　existed　for　four　centuries；　if　ever。
　　She　rose　and　came　to　greet　me；　a　hand　extended。　I　could　not　tear　my　eyes　away。　She　rewarded　me　with　the　slightly　mocking　smile　I　recalled　so　well；　as　though　we　shared　a　secret。　I　touched　her　hand　lightly；　and　was　astonished　to　find　it　warm。　Away　from　her；　when　she　vanished　from　mind　except　as　a　distant　object　of　dread；　like　an　earthquake；　I　could　think　of　her　only　as　cold；　dead；　and　deadly。　More　on　the　order　of　a　lethal　zombie　than　a　living；　breathing；　even　possibly　vulnerable　person。
　　She　smiled　a　second　time　and　invited　me　to　take　a　seat。　I　did　so；　feeling　grotesquely　out　of　place　amidst　a　pany　which　included　all　but　one　of　the　great　evils　of　the　world。　And　the　Dominator　was　there　in　spirit；　casting　his　cold　shadow。
　　I　was　not　there　to　contribute；　that　became　obvious。　The　Captain　and　Lieutenant　did　the　talking　for　the　pany。　The　Duke　and　Custodian　Hargadon　were　there；　too；　but　contributed　little　more　than　I。　The　Taken　carried　the　discussion；　questioning　the　Captain　and　Lieutenant。　Only　once　was　I　addressed；　and　that　by　the　Captain；　who　inquired　as　to　my　readiness　to　treat　casualties　from　the　fighting。
　　The　meeting　had　only　one　point　so　far　as　I　was　concerned。　The　assault　was　set　for　dawn；　day　after　the　one　ing　up。　It　would　continue　till　the　black　castle　was　destroyed　or　we　lost　our　capacity　to　attack。
　　〃The　place　is　a　hole　in　the　bottom　of　the　ship　of　empire；〃　the　Lady　said。　〃It　has　to　be　plugged　or　we　all　drown。〃　She　entertained　no　protests　from　the　Duke　or　Hargadon；　both　of　whom　regretted　asking　her　for　help。　The　Duke　was　now　impotent　within　his　own　domain；　and　Hargadon　little　better。　The　Custodian　suspected　he　would　be　out　of　work　entirely；　once　the　threat　of　the　castle　ended。　Few　of　the　pany　and　none　of　the　Taken　had　been　at　any　pains　to　conceal　their　disdain　for　Juniper's　odd　religion。　Having　spent　a　lot　of　time　among　the　people；　I　could　say　they　took　it　only　as　seriously　as　the　Inquisitors；　Custodians　and　a　few　fanatics　made　them。
　　I　hoped　she　went　slow　if　she　intended　changes；　though。
　　Like　so　slow　the　pany　would　be　headed　elsewhere　before　she　started。　You　mess　with　people's　religion　and　you　mess　with　fire。　Even　people　who　don't　much　give　a　damn。　Religion　is　something　that　gets　hammered　in　early；　and　never　really　goes　away。　And　has　powers　to　move　which　go　beyond　anything　rational。
　　Morning　after　the　day　ing　up。　Total　war。　All…out　effort　to　eradicate　the　black　castle。　Every　resource　of　the　Lady；　Taken；　pany　and　Juniper　to　be　bent　to　that　end；　for　as　long　as　it　took。
　　Morning　after　the　day　ing　up。　But　it　did　not　work　that　way。　Nobody　told　the　Dominator　he　was　supposed　to　wait。
　　He　got　in　the　first　strike　six　hours　before　jump…off；　while　most　of　the　troops　and　all　the　civilian　laborers　were　asleep。　While　the　only　Taken　patrolling　was　Journey；　who　was　the　least　of　the　Lady's　henchmen。
　　It　began　when　one　of　those　bladder…like　things　bounced　over　the　wall　and　filled　the　gap　remaining　in　the　Lieutenant's　ramp。　At　least　a　hundred　creatures　stormed　out　of　the　castle　and　crossed。
　　Journey　was　alert。　He　had　sensed　a　strangeness　in　the　castle　and　was　watching　for　trouble。　He　came　down　fast　and　drenched　those　attackers　with　the　dust　that　melted。
　　Bam！　Bam…bam…bam！　The　castle　hit　him　the　way　it　had　hit　his　one…time　wife。　He　fishtailed　through　the　air；　evading　the　worst；　but　caught　the　edge　of　every　crack；　and　went　down　smouldering；　his　carpet　destroyed。
　　The　banging　wakened　me。　It　wakened　the　entire　camp；　for　it　started　the　same　time　as　the　alarms　and　drowned　them　entirely。
　　I　charged　out　of　the　hospital；　saw　the　castle　creatures　boiling　down　the　steps　of　the　Lieutenant's　ramp。　Journey　hadn't　stopped　more　than　a　handful。　They　were　enveloped　by　that　protective　glow　One…Eye　had　encountered　once　before。　They　spread　out；　sprinting　through　a　storm　of　missiles　from　the　men　who　had　the　watch。　A　few　more　fell；　but　not　many。　They　began　extinguishing　lights；　I　suppose　because　their　eyes　were　more　suited　to　darkness　than　ours。
　　Men　were　running　everywhere；　dragging　their　clothing　on　as　they　rushed　toward　or　away　from　the　enemy。　The　laborers　panicked　and　greatly　hampered　the　pany's　response。　Many　were　killed　by　our　men；　vexed　at　finding
them　in　the　way。
　　The　Lieutenant　charged　through　the　chaos　bellowing　orders。　First　he　got　his　batteries　of　heavy　weapons　manned　and　trained　on　the　steps。　He　sent　messengers　everywhere；　ordering　every　ballista；　catapult；　mangonel　and　trebuchet　moved　to　a　position　where　it　could　fire　on　the　ramp。　That　baffled　me　only　till　the　first　castle　creature　headed　home　with　a　body　under　each　arm。　A　storm　of　missiles　hit　him；　tore　the　bodies　to　shreds；　battered　him　to　a　pulp；　and　nearly　buried　him。
　　The　Lieutenant　had　trebuchets　throw　cannisters　of　oil　which　smashed　on　the　steps　and　caught　fire　when　flaming　balls　were　thrown　after　them。　He　kept　the　oil　and　fire　flying。　The　castle　creatures　would　not　run　through　the　flames。
　　So　much　for　my　thinking　the　Lieutenant　was　wasting　time　building　useless　engines。
　　The　man　knew　his　job。　He　was　good。　His　preparation　and　quick　response　were　more　valuable　than　anything　done　by　the　Lady　or　Taken　that　night。　He