gc.shadowslinger-第51部分

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　to　move　down　the　coast；　confuse　our　trail；　and　hook　on　with　someone　out　here；　at　least　till　the　Lady's　armies　closed　in。　As　they　would　someday。
　　The　Lady。　I　kept　thinking　of　the　Lady。　It　was　all　too　likely　that　her　armies　now　owed　allegiance　to　the　Dominator。　We　located　both　Pawnbroker　and　Kingpin　within　hours　of　going　ashore。　Pawnbroker　had　arrived　only　two　days　before　us；　having　faced　unfavorable　seas　and　winds　during　his　journey。　The　Lieutenant　started　on　Kingpin　immediately。　〃Where　the　hell　you　been；　boy？〃　It　was　a　sure　thing　Kingpin　had　turned　his　assignment　into　an　extended　vacation。　He　was　that　sort。　　〃You　were　supposed　to　e　back　when　。。。〃
　　〃Couldn't；　sir。　We're　witnesses　in　a　murder　case。　Can't　leave　town　till　after　the　trial。〃
　　〃Murder　case？〃
　　〃Sure。　Raven's　dead。　Pawn　says　you　know　that。　Well；　we　fixed　it　so　that　Bullock　guy　took　the　rap。　Only　we've　got　to　hang　around　and　get　him　hanged。〃　　　　　　　　
　　〃Where　is　he？〃　I　asked。　　　　　　　　
　　〃In　jail。〃
　　The　Lieutenant　reamed　him　good；　cussing　and　fussing　while　passersby　nervously　eyed　the　hard　guys　abusing　each　other　in　a　variety　of　mystery　tongues。
　　I　suggested；　〃We　ought　to　get　off　the　street。　Keep　a　low　profile。　We　got　trouble　enough　without　attracting　attention。　Lieutenant；　if　you　don't　mind；　I'd　like　a　chat　with　Kingpin。　Maybe　these　other　guys　can　show　you　places　to　hole　up。　King；　e　with　me。　You；　too。〃　I　indicated　Silent；　Goblin　and　One…Eye。
　　〃Where　we　going？〃　Kingpin　asked。　〃You　pick　it。　Someplace　where　we　can　talk。　Serious　like。〃
　　〃Right。〃　He　led　the　way；　setting　a　brisk　pace；　wanting　to　put　distance　between　himself　and　the　Lieutenant。　〃That　really　true？　What　happened　up　there？　The　Captain　dead　and　everything？〃
　　〃Too　damned　true。〃
　　He　shook　his　head；　awed　by　the　idea　of　the　pany　having　been　destroyed。　Finally；　he　asked；　〃What　do　you　want　to　know；　Croaker？〃
　　〃Just　everything　you　found　out　since　you　been　here。　Especially　about　Raven。　But　also　about　that　guy　Asa。　And　the　tavern…keeper。〃
　　〃Shed？　I　saw　him　the　other　day。　At　least　I　think　I　did。　Didn't　realize　it　was　him　till　later。　He　was　dressed　different。　Yeah。　Pawn　told　me　he　got　away。　The　Asa　guy；　too。　Him　I　think　I　know　where　to　find。　The　Shed　guy；　though。　。　。　。　Well；　if　you　really　want　him；　you'll　have　to　start　looking　where　I　thought　I　saw　him。〃
　　〃He　see　you？〃
　　That　idea　caught　Kingpin　by　surprise。　Apparently；　it　hadn't　occurred　to　him　to　wonder。　He　isn't　the　brightest　fellow　sometimes。　〃I　don't　think　so。〃
　　We　went　into　a　tavern　favored　by　foreign　sailors。　The　customers　were　a　polyglot　lot　and　as　ragged　as　we　were。　They　spoke　a　dozen　languages。　We　settled　in　at　a　table；　used　the　language　of　the　Jewel　Cities。　Kingpin　did　not　speak　it　well；　but　understood　it。　I　doubted　that　anyone　else　there　could　follow　our　discussion。
　　〃Raven；〃　I　said。　〃That's　what　I　want　to　know　about；　Kingpin。〃
　　He　told　us　a　story　which　matched　Asa's　closely；　the　edges　being　about　as　uneven　as　you　would　expect　from　someone　who　hadn't　been　an　eyewitness。
　　〃You　still　think　he　faked　it？〃　One…Eye　asked。
　　〃Yeah。　It's　half　hunch；　but　I　think　he　did。　Maybe　when　we　go　look　the　place　over；　I'll　change　my　mind。　There　a　way　you　guys　could　tell　if　he's　in　town？〃
　　They　put　their　heads　together；　returned　a　negative　opinion。　〃Not　without　we　had　something　that　belonged　to　him　to　start　with；〃　Goblin　opined。　〃We　don't　got　that。〃
　　〃Kingpin。　What　about　Darling？　What　about　Raven's　ship？〃
　　〃Huh？〃
　　〃What　happened　to　Darling　after　Raven　supposedly　died？　What　happened　to　his　ship？''
　　〃I　don't　know　about　Darling。　The　ship　is　tied　up　down　at　its　dock。〃
　　We　exchanged　glances　around　the　table。　I　said；　〃That　ship　gets　visited　if　we　have　to　fight　our　way　aboard。　Those　papers　I　told　you　about。　Asa　couldn't　account　for　them。　I　want　them　to　turn　up。　They're　the　only　thing　we　got　that　can　get　the　Lady　off　our　back。〃
　　〃If　there　is　a　Lady；〃　One…Eye　said。　〃Won't　be　much　pumpkin　if　the　Dominator　broke　through。〃
　　〃Don't　even　think　that。〃　For　no　sound　reason　I　had　convinced　myself　that　the　Lady　had　won。　Mostly；　it　was　wishful　thinking；　I'm　sure。　〃Kingpin；　we're　going　to　visit　that　ship　tonight。　What　about　Darling？〃
　　〃Like　I　said。　I　don't　know。〃
　　〃You　were　supposed　to　look　out　for　her。〃
　　〃Yeah。　But　she　kind　of　vanished。〃
　　〃Vanished？　How？〃
　　〃Not　how；　Croaker；〃　One…Eye　said；　in　response　to　vigorous　signing　from　Silent。　　〃How　is　irrelevant　now。　When。〃
　　〃All　right。　When；　Kingpin？〃
　　〃I　don't　know。　Nobody's　seen　her　since　the　night　before　Raven　died。〃
　　〃Bingo；〃　Goblin　said　in　a　soft；　awed　voice。　〃Damn　your　eyes；　Croaker；　your　instincts　were　right。〃
　　〃What？〃　Kingpin　asked。
　　〃There's　no　way　she　would　have　disappeared　beforehand　unless　she　knew　something　was　going　to　happen。〃
　　〃Kingpin；〃　I　said；　〃did　you　go　look　at　the　place　they　were　staying？　Inside；　I　mean。〃
　　〃Yeah。　Somebody　got　there　before　me。〃
　　〃What？〃
　　〃The　place　was　cleaned　out。　I　asked　the　innkeeper。　He　said　they　didn't　move　out。　They　was　paid　up　for　another　month。　That　sounded　to　me　like　somebody　knew　about　Raven　getting　croaked　and　decided　to　clean　his　place　out。　I　figured　it　was　that　Asa。　He　disappeared　right　after。〃
　　〃What　did　you　do　then？〃
　　〃What？　I　figured　you　guys　didn't　want　Bullock　back　in　Juniper；　so　we　got　him　charged　with　Raven's　murder。　There　was　plenty　of　witnesses　besides　us　saw　them　fighting。　Enough　to　maybe　convince　a　court　we　really　saw　what　we　said。〃
　　〃You　do　anything　to　trace　Darling？〃
　　Kingpin　had　nothing　to　say。　He　stared　at　his　hands。　The　rest　of　us　exchanged　irritated　glances。　Goblin　muttered；　〃I　told　Elmo　it　was　dumb　to　send　him。〃
　　I　guess　it　was。　In　minutes　we　had　e　up　with　several　loose　ends　overlooked　by　Kingpin。
　　〃How　e　you're　so　damned　worried　about　it；　anyway；　Croaker？〃　Kingpin　demanded。　〃I　mean；　it　all　looks　like　a　big　so…what　to　me。〃
　　〃Look；　King。　Like　it　or　not；　when　the　Taken　turned　on　us；　we　got　pushed　over　to　the　other　side。　We're　White　Rose　now。　Whether　we　want　it　or　not。　They're　going　to　e　after　us。　The　only　thing　the　Rebel　has　going　is　the　White　Rose。　Right？〃
　　〃If　there　is　a　White　Rose。〃
　　〃There　is。　Darling　is　the　White　Rose。〃
　　〃e　on；　Croaker。　She's　a　deaf…mute。〃
　　One…Eye　observed；　〃She's　also　a　magical　null…point。〃
　　〃Eh？〃
　　〃Magic　won't　work　around　her。　We　noticed　that　clean　back　at　Charm。　And　if　she　follows　true　for　her　sort；　the　null　will　get　stronger　as　she　gets　older。〃
　　I　recalled　noting　oddities　about　Darling　during　the　battle　of　Charm；　but　hadn't　made　anything　of　it　then。　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃
　　〃I　told　you。　Some　people　are　negatives。　Instead　of　having　a　talent　for　sorcery；　they　go　the　other　way。　It　won't　work　around　them。　And　when　you　think　about　it；　that's　the　only　way　the　White　Rose　makes　sense。　How　could　a　deaf　and　dumb　kid　grow　up　to　challenge　the　Lady　or　Dominator　on　their　own　ground？　I'll　bet　the　original　White　Rose　didn't。〃
　　I　didn't　know。　There　had　been　nothing　in　the　histories　about　her　powers　or　their　noteworthy　absence。　〃This　makes　it　more　important　to　find　her。〃
　　One…Eye　nodded。
　　Kingpin　looked　baffled。　It　was　easy　to　fuddle　King；　I　decided。　I　explained。　〃If　magic　won't　work　around　her；　we've　got　to　find　her　and　stay　close。　Then　the　Taken　won't　be　able　to　hurt　us。〃
　　One…Eye　said；　〃Don't　forget　that　they　have　whole　armies　they　can　send　after　us。〃
　　〃If　they　want　us　that　bad。　。。。　Oh　my。〃
　　〃What？〃
　　〃Elmo。　If　he　didn't　get　killed。　He　knows　enough　to　put　the　whole　empire　on　our　trail。　Maybe　not　so　much　for　us　as　in　hopes　we'll　lead　them　to　Darling。〃
　　〃What're　we　going　to　do？〃
　　〃Why're　you　looking　at　me？〃
　　〃You're　the　one　seems　to　know　what's　going　on；　Croaker。〃
　　〃Okay。　I　guess。　First　we　find　out　about　Raven　and　Darling。　Especially　Darling。　And　we　ought　to　catch　Shed　and　Asa　again；　in　case　they　know　something　useful。
　　We　got　to　move　fast　and　get　out　of　town　before　the　empire　closes　in。　Without　upsetting　the　locals。　We　better　have　a　sit…down　with　the　Lieutenant。　Get　everything　on　the　table　for　everybody；　then　decide　exactly　what　we'll　do。〃
　　
　　　Chapter　Forty…One：　MEADENVIL：　THE　SHIP
　　
　　Ours；　apparently；　wa