gc.shadowslinger-第54部分

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　　Bullock　sniggered。　Sniggers　turned　into　chuckles。　Chuckles　became　laughter。
　　〃Then　rot　here！〃　Shed　shouted；　and　started　to　leave。　
　　〃Wait！〃　Shed　turned。
　　Bullock　stifled　his　mirth。　〃Sorry。　It's　so　incongruous。　You；　so　righteous。　I　mean；　I　really　believe　you　mean　it。　All　right；　Marron　Shed。　Give　it　a　shot。　And　if　you　manage　it　and　you　get　me　out　of　here；　I　might　not　drag　you　back　to　Juniper。〃
　　〃There's　no　Juniper　to　drag　me　to；　Bullock。　Rumor　says　the　Lady　planned　to　loot　the　Catabs　after　she　finished　the　black　castle。　You　know　what　that　means。　All…out　rebellion。〃
　　Bullock's　humor　vanished。　〃Straight　down　the　Shaker　Road；　past　the　twelfth　mile　marker。　Left　on　the　first　farm　track；　under　a　dead　oak　tree。　You　go　at　least　six　miles　on　that。　Way　past　the　farms。　That's　wild　country。　You　better　go　armed。〃
　　〃Armed？〃　Shed　grinned　a　big；　self…conscious　grin。　〃Marron　Shed　never　had　guts　enough　to　learn　to　use　a　weapon。　Thanks。〃
　　〃Don't　forget　me；　Shed。　My　trial　es　up　first　week　next　month。〃
　　〃Right。〃
　　Shed　dismounted　and　began　leading　the　rented　mule　when　he　reached　a　point　he　estimated　to　be　six　miles　from　the　Shaker　Road。　He　went　on　another　half…mile。　The　track　was　little　more　than　a　game　trail；　winding　through　rugged　country　densely　covered　with　hardwood。　He　saw　no　evidence　man　ever　traveled　this　way。　Odd。　What　had　Raven　and　Asa　been　doing　out　here？　He　could　think　of　no　reason　that　made　sense。　Asa　had　claimed　they　were　running　from　Bullock。　If　so；　why　hadn't　they　kept　on　going　down　the　Shaker　Road？
　　His　nerves　tautened。　He　touched　the　amulet；　the　knife　hidden　up　his　sleeve。　He　had　splurged　and　bought　himself　two　good　short　weapons；　one　for　his　belt　and　one　for　his　sleeve。
　　They　did　little　to　boost　his　confidence。
　　The　trail　turned　downhill；　toward　a　brook；　ran　beside　that　for　several　hundred　yards；　and　debouched　into　a　broad　clearing。　Shed　almost　walked　into　that。　He　was　a　city　boy。
　　Never　before　had　he　been　into　country　more　wild　than　the　Enclosure。
　　Some　innate　sense　of　caution　stopped　him　at　the　clearing's　edge。　He　dropped　to　one　knee；　parted　the　undergrowth；　cursed　softly　when　the　mule　nudged　him　with　its　nose。
　　He　had　guessed　right。
　　A　great　black　lump　stood　out　there。　It　was　the　size　of　a　house　already。　Shed　stared　at　faces　frozen　in　screams　of　terror　and　agony。
　　A　perfect　place　for　it；　out　here。　Growing　this　fast；　it　would　bee　plete　before　anyone　discovered　it。　Unless　by　accident。　And　the　accidental　discoverer　would　bee　one　with　it。
　　Shed's　heart　hammered。　He　wanted　nothing　more　than　to　race　back　to　Meadenvil　and　cry　the　city's　danger　in　the　streets。　He　had　seen　enough。　He　knew　what　he　had　e　to　learn。　Time　to　get　away。
　　He　went　forward；　slowly。　He　dropped　the　mule's　reins；　but　it　followed；　interested　in　the　tall　grass。　Shed　approached　the　black　lump　carefully；　a　few　steps　at　a　time。　Nothing　happened。　He　circled　it。
　　The　shape　of　the　thing　became　more　evident。　It　would　be　identical　to　the　fortress　overlooking　Juniper；　except　for　the　way　its　foundations　conformed　to　the　earth。　Its　gate　would　face　south。　A　well…beaten　path　led　to　a　low　hole　there。　Further　confirmation　of　his　suspicions。
　　Where　had　the　creatures　e　from？　Did　they　roam　the　world　at　will；　hidden　on　the　edge　of　night；　seen　only　by　those　who　bargained　with　them？
　　Returning　to　the　side　from　which　he　had　approached；　he　stumbled　over　something。
　　Bones。　Human　bones。　A　skeleton…head；　arms；　legs；　with　part　of　the　chest　missing。　Still　clad　in　tatters　he'd　seen　Raven　wear　a　hundred　times。　He　knelt。　〃Raven。　I　hated　you。　But　I　loved　you；　too。　You　were　the　worst　villain　I　ever　knew。　And　as　good　a　friend　as　I　ever　had。　You　made　me　start　thinking　like　a　man。〃　Tears　filled　his　eyes。
　　He　searched　childhood　memories；　finally　found　the　prayer　for　the　passage　of　the　dead。　He　began　to　sing　in　a　voice　that　had　no　notion　how　to　carry　a　tune。
　　The　grass　swished　only　once；　just　on　the　edge　of　audibility。　A　hand　closed　on　his　shoulder。　A　voice　said；　〃Marron　Shed。〃
　　Shed　shrieked　and　grabbed　for　his　belt　knife。
　　
　　　Chapter　Forty…Three：　MEADENVIL：　WARM　TRAIL
　　
　　I　did　not　have　a　good　night　after　visiting　Raven's　ship。　It　was　a　night　of　dreams。　Of　nightmares；　if　you　will。　Of　terrors　I　dared　not　mention　when　I　wakened；　for　the　others　had　troubles　and　fears　enough。
　　She　came　to　me　in　my　sleep；　as　she　had　not　done　since　our　grim　retreats　when　the　Rebel　was　closing　in　on　Charm；　so　long　ago。　She　came；　a　golden　glow　that　might　have　been　no　dream　at　all；　for　it　seemed　to　be　there　in　the　room　I　shared　with　five　other　men；　illuminating　them　and　the　room　while　I　lay　with　heart　hammering；　staring　in　disbelief。　The　others　did　not　respond；　and　later　I　was　not　sure　I　had　not　imagined　the　whole　thing。　It　had　been　that　way　with　the　visits　in　the　way　back　when。
　　〃Why　did　you　abandon　me；　physician？　Did　I　treat　you　less　than　well？〃
　　Baffled；　confused；　I　croaked　out；　〃It　was　run　or　be　killed。　We　would　not　have　fled　had　there　been　a　choice。　We　served　you　faithfully；　through　hazards　and　horrors　greater　than　any　in　our　pany's　history。　We　marched　to　the　ends　of　the　earth　for　you；　without　plaint。　And　when　we　came　to　the　city　Juniper；　and　spent　half　our　strength　storming　the　black　castle；　we　learned　that　we　were　to　be　rewarded　by　being　destroyed。〃
　　That　marvelous　face　formed　in　the　golden　cloud。　That　marvelous　face　drawn　in　sadness。　〃Whisper　planned　that。　Whisper　and　Feather。　For　reasons　of　their　own。　But　Feather　is　gone　and　Whisper　has　been　disciplined。　I　would　not　have　allowed　such　a　crime　in　any　case。　You　were　my　chosen　instruments。　I　would　permit　no　machination　of　the　Taken　to　harm　you。　e　back。〃
　　〃It's　too　late；　Lady。　The　die　is　cast。　Too　many　good　men　have　been　lost。　Our　heart　is　gone。　We　have　grown　old。　Our　only　desire　is　to　return　to　the　South；　to　rest　in　the　warm　sun　and　forget。〃
　　〃e　back。　There　is　much　to　be　done。　You　are　my　chosen　instruments。　I　will　reward　you　as　no　soldiers　have　ever　been　rewarded。〃
　　I　could　detect　no　hint　of　treachery。　But　what　did　that　mean？　She　was　ancient。　She　had　deluded　her　husband；　who　was　far　harder　to　fuddle　than　I。　〃It's　too　late；　Lady。〃
　　〃e　back；　physician。　You；　if　no　one　else。　I　need　your　pen。〃
　　I　do　not　know　why　I　said　what　I　did　next。　It　was　not　the　wisest　thing　to　do；　if　she　was　feeling　the　least　benevolent　toward　us；　the　least　disinclined　to　e　howling　after　us。　〃We　will　do　one　more　thing　for　you。　Because　we　are　old　and　tired　and　want　to　be　done　with　war。　We　will　not　stand　against　you。　If　you　do　not　stand　against　us。〃
　　Sadness　radiated　from　the　glow。　〃I　am　sorry。　Truly　sorry。　You　were　one　of　my　favorites。　A　mayfly　who　intrigued　me。　No；　physician。　That　cannot　be。　You　cannot　remain　neutral。　You　never　could。　You　must　stand　with　me　or　against　me。　There　is　no　middle　ground。〃
　　And　with　that　the　golden　cloud　faded；　and　I　fell　into　a　deep　sleep…if　ever　I　had　been　awake。
　　I　woke　feeling　rested　but　worried；　at　first　unable　to　recall　the　visit。　Then　it　slammed　back　into　consciousness。　I　dressed　hurriedly；　raced　to　the　Lieutenant。　〃Lieutenant；　we　got　to　start　moving　faster。　She　won。　She's　going　to　e　after　us。〃
　　He　looked　startled。　I　told　him　about　the　night　vision。　He　took　it　with　a　pound　of　salt　till　I　told　him　that　she　had　done　the　same　before；　during　the　long　retreat　and　series　of　encounters　that　had　brought　the　Rebel　main　forces　to　the　gates　of　Charm。　He　did　not　want　to　believe　me；　but　he　dared　not　do　otherwise。　〃Get　out　there　and　find　that　Asa；　then；〃　he　said。　〃Candy；　we　move　on　that　ship　tonight。　Croaker；　you　pass　the　word。　We're　pulling　out　in　four　days；　whether　you　guys　find　Raven　or　not。〃
　　I　sputtered　a　protest。　The　critical　thing　now　was　to　find　Darling。　Darling　was　our　hope。　I　asked；　〃Why　four　days？〃
　　〃It　took　us　four　days　to　sail　here　from　Juniper。　Good　winds　and　seas　all　the　way。　If　the　Lady　left　when　you　turned　her　down；　she　couldn't　get　here　any　quicker。　So　I'll　give　you　that　long。　Then　we　hit　the　sea。　If　we　have　to　fight　our　way　out。〃
　　〃All　right。〃　I　didn't　like　it；　but　he　was　the　man　who　made　the　decisions。　We　had　elected　him　to　do　that。　〃Hagop；　find　Kingpin。　We're　going　looking　for　Asa。〃
　　Hagop