gc.shadowslinger-第5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！


　　Shed　looked　at　the　door。　He　did　not　want　to　go　outside。　They　might　be　waiting。　But　then　he　looked　at　Raven　again。　The　man　was　cleaning　his　nails　with　that　wicked　knife。　〃Right　away。〃
　　It　was　snowing　now。　The　street　was　treacherous。　Only　a　thin　white　mask　covered　the　mud。
　　Shed　could　not　help　wondering　why　Raven　had　intervened。　To　protect　his　money？　Reasonable。　。　。　。　Only；　reasonable　men　stayed　quiet　around　Krage。　He　would　cut　your　throat　if　you　looked　at　him　wrong。
　　Raven　was　new　around　here。　Maybe　he　did　not　know　about　Krage。
　　He　would　learn　the　hard　way。　His　life　wasn't　worth　two　gersh　anymore。
　　Raven　seemed　well…heeled。　He　wouldn't　carry　his　whole　fortune　around　with　him；　would　he？　Maybe　he　kept　part　hidden　in　his　room。　Maybe　enough　to　pay　off　Krage。　Maybe　he　could　set　Raven　up。　Krage　would　appreciate　that。
　　〃Let's　see　your　money；〃　Latham　said　when　he　asked　for　wood。　Shed　produced　Raven's　silver　leva。　〃Ha！　Who　died　this　time？〃
　　Shed　reddened。　An　old　prostitute　had　died　at　the　Lily　last　winter。　Shed　had　rifled　her　belongings　before　summoning　the　Custodians。　His　mother　had　lived　warm　for　the　rest　of　the　winter。　The　whole　Buskin　knew　because　he　had　made　the　mistake　of　telling　Asa。
　　By　custom；　the　Custodians　took　the　personal　possessions　of　the　newly　dead。　Those　and　donations　supported　them　and　the　Catabs。
　　〃Nobody　died。　A　guest　sent　me。〃
　　〃Ha！　The　day　you　have　a　guest　who　can　afford　generosity。　。。。〃　Latham　shrugged。　〃But　what　do　I　care？　The　coin　is　good。　I　don't　need　its　provenance。　Grab　some　wood。　You're　headed　that　way。〃
　　Shed　staggered　back　to　the　Lily；　face　burning；　ribs　aching。　Latham　hadn't　bothered　to　hide　his　contempt。
　　Back　home；　with　the　fire　taking　hold　of　the　good　oak；　Shed　drew　two　mugs　of　wine　and　sat　down　opposite　Raven。　〃On　the　house。〃
　　Raven　stared　momentarily；　took　a　sip；　maneuvered　the　mug　to　an　exact　spot　upon　the　tabletop。　〃What　do　you　want？''
　　〃To　thank　you　again。〃
　　〃There's　nothing　to　thank　me　for。〃
　　〃To　warn　you；　then。　You　didn't　take　Krage　serious　enough。〃
　　Latham　tramped　in　with　an　armload　of　firewood；　grumbling　because　he　couldn't　get　his　wagon　out。　He　would　be　back　and　forth　for　a　long　time。
　　〃Go　away；　Shed。〃　And；　as　Shed　rose；　face　hot；　Raven　snapped；　〃Wait。　You　think　you　owe　me？　Then　someday　I'll　ask　a　favor。　You　do　it。　Right？〃
　　〃Sure；　Raven。　Anything。　Just　name　it。〃
　　〃Go　sit　by　the　fire；　Shed。〃
　　Shed　squeezed　in　between　Asa　and　his　mother；　joining　their　surly　silence。　That　Raven　really　was　creepy。
　　The　man　in　question　was　engaged　in　a　lively　exchange　of　signs　with　the　deaf　serving　girl。
　　
　　　Chapter　Eight：　TALLY：　CLOSE…UP
　　
　　I　let　the　tip　of　my　blade　drop　to　the　inn　floor。　I　slumped　in　exhaustion；　coughing　weakly　in　the　smoke。　I　swayed；　feebly　reached　for　the　support　of　an　overturned　table。　Reaction　was　setting　in。　I　had　been　sure　this　time　was　the　end。　If　they　hadn't　been　forced　to　extinguish　the　fires　themselves。　。　。　。
　　Elmo　crossed　the　room　and　threw　an　arm　around　me。　〃You　hurt；　Croaker？　Want　me　to　find　One…Eye？〃
　　〃Not　hurt。　Just　burned　out。　Been　a　long　time　since　I　been　so　scared；　Elmo。　Thought　I　was　a　goner。〃
　　He　righted　a　chair　with　a　foot　and　sat　me　down。　He　was　my　closest　friend；　a　wiry；　old　hardcase　seldom　given　to　moodiness。　Wet　blood　reddened　his　left　sleeve。　I　tried　to　stand。　〃Sit；〃　he　ordered。　〃Pockets　can　take　care　of　it。〃
　　Pockets　was　my　understudy；　a　kid　of　twenty…three。　The　pany　is　getting　older　…　at　least　at　its　core；　my　contemporaries。　Elmo　is　past　fifty。　The　Captain　and　Lieutenant　straddle　that　five…zero。　I　wouldn't　see　forty　again。　〃Get　them　all？〃
　　〃Enough。〃　Elmo　settled　on　another　chair。　〃One…Eye　and　Goblin　and　Silent　went　after　the　ones　who　took　off。〃　His　voice　was　vacant。　〃Half　the　Rebels　in　the　province；　first　shot。〃
　　〃We're　getting　too　old　for　this。〃　The　men　began　bringing　prisoners　inside；　sifting　them　for　characters　who　might　know　something　useful。　〃Ought　to　leave　this　stuff　to　the　kids。〃　
　　〃They　couldn't　handle　it。〃　He　stared　into　nothing；　at　long　ago　and　far　away。
　　〃Something　wrong？〃
　　He　shook　his　head；　then　contradicted　himself。　〃What　are　we　doing；　Croaker？　Isn't　there　any　end　to　it？〃
　　I　waited。　He　did　not　go　on。　He　doesn't　talk　much。　Especially　not　about　his　feelings。　I　nudged。　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　　〃Just　goes　on　and　on。　Hunting　Rebels。　No　end　to　the　supply。　Even　back　when　we　worked　for　the　Syndic　in　Beryl。　We　hunted　dissidents。　And　before　Beryl。　。　。　。　Thirty…six　years　of　same　old　same　old。　And　me　never　sure　I　was　doing　right。　Especially　now。〃
　　It　was　like　Elmo　to　keep　his　reservations　in　abeyance　eight　years　before　airing　them。　〃We're　in　no　position　to　change　anything。　The　Lady　won't　take　kindly　to　us　if　we　suddenly　say　we're　only　going　to　do　thus　and　so；　and　none　of　that。〃
　　The　Lady's　service　has　not　been　bad。　Though　we　get　the　toughest　missions；　we　never　have　to　do　the　dirty　stuff。　The　regulars　get　those　jobs。　Preemptive　strikes　sometimes；　sure。　The　occasional　massacre。　But　all　in　the　line　of　business。　Militarily　necessary。　We'd　never　gotten　involved　in　atrocities。　The　Captain　wouldn't　permit　that。
　　〃It's　not　the　morality；　Croaker。　What's　moral　in　war？　Superior　strength。　No。　I'm　just　tired。〃
　　〃Not　an　adventure　anymore；　eh？〃
　　〃Stopped　being　that　a　long　time　ago。　Turned　into　a　job。　Something　I　do　because　I　don't　know　anything　else。〃
　　〃Something　you　do　very　well。〃　That　did　not　help；　but　I　couldn't　think　of　anything　better　to　say。
　　The　Captain　came　in；　a　shambling　bear　who　surveyed　the　wreckage　with　a　cold　eye。　He　came　over。　〃How　many　did　we　get；　Croaker？〃
　　〃Count's　not　in　yet。　Most　of　their　mand　structure；　I'd　guess。〃
　　He　nodded。　〃You　hurt？〃
　　〃Worn　out。　Physically　and　emotionally。　Been　a　while　since　I　was　so　scared。〃
　　He　righted　a　table；　dragged　up　a　chair；　produced　a　case　of　maps。　The　Lieutenant　joined　him。　Later；　Candy　brought　Madle　over。　Somehow；　the　innkeeper　had　survived。　〃Our　friend　has　some　names　for　you；　Croaker。〃　I　spread　my　paper；　scratched　out　those　Madle　named。　The　pany　manders　began　drafting　prisoners　for　grave…digging　detail。　Idly；　I　wondered　if　they　realized　they　were　preparing　their　own　resting　places。　No　Rebel　soldier　is　paroled　unless　we　can　enlist　him　inescapably　into　the　Lady's　cause。　Madle　we　enlisted。　We　gave　him　a　story　to　explain　his　survival　and　eliminated　everyone　who　could　deny　it。　Candy；　in　a　fit　of　generosity；　had　the　bodies　removed　from　his　well。
　　Silent　returned；　with　Goblin　and　One…Eye；　the　two　smaller　wizards　bickering　caustically。　As　usual。　I　do　not　recall　the　argument。　It　didn't　matter。　The　struggle　was　all；　and　it　was　all　decades　old。
　　The　Captain　gave　them　a　sour　look；　asked　the　Lieutenant；　〃Heart　or　Tome？〃　Heart　and　Tome　are　the　only　substantial　towns　in　Tally。　There　is　a　king　at　Heart　who　is　allied　with　the　Lady。　She　crowned　him　two　years　ago；　after　Whisper　slew　his　predecessor。　He　is　not　popular　with　the　Tallylanders。　My　opinion；　never　asked；　is　that　she　should　dispose　of　him　before　he　does　her　further　harm。
　　Goblin　laid　a　fire。　The　morning　hours　were　nippy。　He　knelt　before　it；　toasting　his　fingers。
　　One…Eye　poked　around　behind　Madle's　counter；　found　a　beer　jar　miraculously　unscathed。　He　drained　it　in　a　single　draft；　wiped　his　face；　surveyed　the　room；　winked　at　me。　〃Here　we　go；〃　I　murmured。　The　Captain　glanced　up。　〃Eh？〃
　　〃One…Eye　and　Goblin。〃
　　〃Oh。〃　He　went　back　to　work　and　did　not　look　up　again。
　　A　face　formed　in　the　flames　before　frog…faced　little　Goblin。　He　did　not　see　it。　His　eyes　were　closed。　I　looked　at　One…Eye。　His　eye　was　sealed；　too；　and　his　face　was　all　pruned；　wrinkles　atop　wrinkles；　shadowed　by　the　brim　of　his　floppy　hat。　The　face　in　the　fire　took　on　detail。
　　〃Eh！〃　It　startled　me　for　a　moment。　Staring　my　way；　it　looked　like　the　Lady。　Well；　like　the　face　the　Lady　wore　the　one　time　I　actually　saw　her。　That　was　during　the　battle　at　Charm。　She　called　me　in　to　dredge　my　mind　for　suspicions　about　a　conspiracy　among　the　Ten　Who　Were　Taken。　。。。　A　thrill　of　fear。　I　have　lived　with　it　for　years。　If　ever　she　questions　me　again；　the　Black　pany　will　be　short　its　senior　physician　and　Annalist。　I　now　have　knowledge　f