gc.shadowslinger-第53部分

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f　bottomless　loneliness。　He　had　been　a　loner　all　his　life；　but　never　alone。　This　exile　was　filled　with　pain。
　　He　was　walking　a　narrow；　shadowed　street；　slogging　uphill　through　mud　left　by　a　nighttime　rain；　when　something　in　the　corner　of　his　eye　sent　chills　to　the　deeps　of　his　soul。　He　stopped　and　whirled　so　swiftly　he　knocked　another　pedestrian　down。　As　he　helped　the　man　rise；　apologizing　profusely；　he　glared　into　the　shadows　of　an　alley。
　　〃Conscience　playing　tricks　on　me；　I　guess；〃　he　murmured；　after　parting　with　his　victim。　But　he　knew　better。　He　had　seen　it。　Had　heard　his　name　called　softly。　He　went　to　the　mouth　of　the　gap　between　buildings。　But　it　had　not　waited　for　him。
　　A　block　later　he　laughed　nervously；　trying　to　convince　himself　it　had　been　a　trick　of　imagination　after　all。　What　the　hell　would　the　castle　creatures　be　doing　in　Meadenvil？　They'd　been　wiped　out。　。　。　。　But　the　pany　guys　who　had　fled　here　didn't　know　that　for　sure；　did　they？　They　had　run　off　before　the　fight　was　over。　They　just　hoped　their　bosses　had　won；　because　the　other　side　was　even　worse　than　theirs。
　　He　was　being　silly。　How　could　the　creature　have　gotten　here？　No　ship's　master　would　sell　passage　to　a　thing　like　that。
　　〃Shed；　you're　worrying　yourself　silly　about　nothing。〃　He　entered　a　tavern　called　The　Ruby　Glass；　operated　by　a　man　named　Selkirk。　Shed's　landlord　had　remended　both。
　　Their　discussions　were　fruitful。　Shed　agreed　to　return　the　following　afternoon。
　　Shed　was　sharing　a　beer　with　his　prospective　partner。　His　proposition　seemed　beneficial；　for　Selkirk　had　satisfied　himself　as　to　his　character　and　now　was　trying　to　sell　him　on　the　Ruby　Glass。　〃Night　business　will　pick　up　once　the　scare　is　over。〃
　　〃Scare？〃
　　〃Yeah。　Some　people　have　disappeared　around　the　neighborhood。　Five　or　six　in　the　last　week。　After　dark。　Not　the　kind　usually　grabbed　by　the　press　gangs。　So　people　have　been　staying　inside。　We　aren't　getting　the　usual　night
traffic。〃
　　The　temperature　seemed　to　drop　forty　degrees。　Shed　sat　rigid　as　a　board；　eyes　vacant；　the　old　fear　sliding　through　him　like　the　passage　of　snakes。　His　fingers　rose　to　the　shape　of　the　amulet　hidden　beneath　his　shirt。　〃Hey；　Marron；　what's　the　matter？〃
　　〃That's　how　it　started　in　Juniper；〃　he　said；　unaware　that　he　was　speaking。　〃Only　it　was　just　the　dead。　But　they　wanted　them　living。　If　they　could　get　them。　I　have　to　go。〃
　　〃Shed？　What　the　hell　is　wrong？〃　He　came　out　of　it　momentarily。　〃Oh。　Sorry；　Selkirk。　Yeah。　We　have　a　deal。　But　there's　something　I　have　to　do　first。　Something　I　need　to　check　on。〃
　　〃What？〃
　　〃Nothing　to　do　with　you。　With　us。　We're　ready　to　go。　I'll　bring　my　stuff　up　tomorrow　and　we　can　get　together　with　the　people　we　need　to　close　the　deal　legally。　I　just　have　something　else　to　do　right　now。〃
　　He　went　out　of　the　place　practically　running；　not　sure　what　he　could　do　or　where　he　could　start；　not　even　if　he　was　sane　in　his　assumption。　But　he　was　sure　that　what　had　happened　in　Juniper　would　reoccur　in　Meadenvil。　And　a　lot　faster　if　the　creatures　were　doing　their　own　collecting。　He　touched　his　amulet　again；　wondering　how　much　protection　it　afforded。　Was　it　puissant？　Or　just　a　promise？　He　hurried　to　his　rooming　house；　where　people　were　patient　with　his　questions；　knowing　he　was　from　out　of　town。　He　asked　about　Raven。　The　murder　had　been　the　talk　of　the　town；　what　with　a　foreign　policeman　having　been　charged　on　the　accusation　of　his　own　men。　　But　nobody　knew　anything。　There　was　no　eyewitness　to　Raven's　death　except　Asa。　And　Asa　was　in　Juniper。　Probably　dead。
　　The　Black　pany　would　not　have　wanted　him　turning　witness　against　them。
　　He　shed　an　impulse　to　contact　the　survivors。　They　might　want　him　out　of　the　way；　too。
　　He　was　on　his　own　with　this。
　　The　place　where　Raven　had　died　seemed　a　likely　place　to　start。　Who　knew　where　that　was？　Asa。　Asa　was　not　available。　Who　else？　How　about　Bullock？
　　His　guts　knotted。　Bullock　represented　everything　he　feared　back　home。　In　a　cage　here；　but　still　very　much　a　symbol。　Could　he　face　the　man？
　　Would　the　man　tell　him　anything？
　　Finding　Bullock　was　no　problem。　The　main　prison　did　not　move。　Finding　the　courage　to　face　him；　even　from　beyond　bars；　was　another　matter。　But　this　entire　city　lay　under　a　shadow。
　　Torment　racked　Shed。　Guilt　cut　him　apart。　He　had　done　things　that　left　him　unable　to　endure　himself。　He　had　mitted　crimes　for　which　there　was　no　way　of　making　restitution。　Yet　here　was　something。　。　。　。
　　〃You're　a　fool；　Marron　Shed；〃　he　told　himself。　〃Don't　worry　about　it。　Meadenvil　can　look　out　for　itself。　Just　move　on　to　another　city。〃
　　But　something　deeper　than　cowardice　told　him　he　could　not　run。　And　not　just　from　himself。　A　creature　from　the　black　castle　had　appeared　in　Meadenvil。　Two　men　who　had　had　dealings　with　the　castle　had　e　here。　That　could　not　be　coincidence。　Suppose　he　moved　on？　What　was　to　keep　the　creatures　from　turning　up　again；　wherever　he　went？
　　He　had　made　a　deal　with　a　devil。　On　a　gut　level　he　sensed　that　the　net　in　which　he　had　been　taken　had　to　be　unwoven　strand　by　strand。
　　He　moved　the　everyday；　cowardly　Shed　to　a　throne　far　behind　his　eyes　and　brought　forward　the　Shed　who　had　hunted　with　Krage　and　eventually　killed　his　tormentor。
　　He　did　not　recall　the　cock…and…bull　story　he　used　to　get　past　the　wards；　but　did　bullshit　his　way　in　to　see　Bullock。
　　The　Inquisitor　had　lost　none　of　his　spirit。　He　came　to　the　bars　spitting　and　cursing　and　promising　Shed　an　excruciating　death。
　　Shed　countered；　〃You　ain't　never　going　to　punish　nobody　but　maybe　a　cockroach　in　there。　Shut　up　and　listen。　Forget　who　you　were　and　remember　where　you　are。　I'm　the　only　hope　you　got　of　getting　out。〃　Shed　was　amazed。　Could　he　have　been　half　as　firm　without　the　intervening　bars？
　　Bullock's　face　went　blank。　〃Go　ahead。　Talk。〃
　　〃I　don't　know　how　much　you　hear　in　here。　Probably　nothing。　I'll　run　it　down。　After　you　left　Juniper；　the　rest　of　the　Black　pany　showed　up。　They　took　over。　Their　Lady　and　what…not　came　to　town。　They　attacked　the　black　castle。　I　don't　know　how　that　turned　out。　What　word　there　is　makes　it　sound　like　the　city　was　wiped　out。　During　the　fighting　some　of　the　pany　guys　grabbed　a　ship　and　got　out　on　account　of　their　masters　were　going　to　turn　on　them。　Why　I　don't　know。〃
　　Bullock　stared　at　him；　considering。　〃That's　the　truth？〃
　　〃From　what　I've　heard　second…hand。〃
　　〃It　was　those　Black　pany　bastards　got　me　in　here。　Framed　me。　I　only　had　a　fight　with　Raven。　Hell；　he　almost　killed　me。〃
　　〃He's　dead　now。〃　Shed　described　what　Asa　had　seen。　〃I　have　a　notion　what　killed　him　and　why。　What　I　need　to　know　is　where　it　happened。　So　I　can　make　sure。　You　tell　me　that　and　I'll　try　to　get　you　out。〃
　　〃I　only　know　approximately。　I　know　where　I　caught　up　with　him　and　which　way　him　and　Asa　went　when　they　got　away。　That　should　pin　it　down　pretty　close。　Why　do　you　want　to　know？〃
　　〃I　think　the　castle　creatures　planted　something　on　Raven。　Like　a　seed。　I　think　that's　why　he　died。　Like　the　man　who　brought　the　original　seed　to　Juniper。''
　　Bullock　frowned。
　　〃Yeah。　Sounds　tall。　But　listen　to　this。　The　other　day　I　saw　one　of　the　creatures　near　where　I'm　staying。　Watching　me。　Wait！　I　know　what　they　look　like。　I　met　them。　Also；　people　are　disappearing。　Not　too　many　yet。　Not　enough　to　cause　a　big　stink。　But　enough　to　scare　people。〃
　　Bullock　moved　to　the　back　of　his　cell；　settled　on　the　floor；　placed　his　back　against　the　wall。　He　was　quiet　for　more　than　a　minute。　Shed　waited　nervously。　〃What's　your　interest；　innkeeper？〃
　　〃Repayment　of　a　debt。　Bullock；　the　Black　pany　kept　me　prisoner　for　a　while。　I　learned　a　lot　about　that　castle。　It　was　nastier　than　anybody　guessed。　It　was　a　doorway　of　sorts。　Through　which　a　creature　called　the　Dominator　was　trying　to　get　into　the　world。　I　contributed　to　the　growth　of　that　thing。　I　helped　it　reach　the　point　where　it　attracted　the　Black　pany　and　its　sorcerer　friends。　If　Juniper　has　been　destroyed；　it's　as　much　my　fault　as　anybody's。　Now　the　same　fate　threatens　Meadenvil。　I　can　do　something　to　stop　it。　If　I　can　find　it。〃
　　Bullock　sniggered。　Sniggers　turned　into　chuckles。　Chuckles　became　laughter。
　　〃Then　rot　here！〃