gc.shadowslinger-第56部分

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　　Twenty　minutes　later　Asa　told　me；　〃Almost　there。　Maybe　two　hundred　yards　up　the　creek。　Can　I　stay　here？〃
　　〃Quit　asking　stupid　questions。〃　I　glanced　at　Hagop；　who　pointed　out　tracks。　Somebody　was　ahead　of　us　still。　〃Dismount。　And　stow　the　chatter。　Finger　talk　from　here　on　in。　You；　Asa。　don't　open　your　mouth　for　nothing。
　　Understand？〃
　　We　dismounted；　drew　our　weapons；　went　forward　under　cover　of　One…Eye's　spell。　Hagop　and　I　reached　the　clearing　first。　I　grinned；　waved　One…Eye　forward；　pointed。　He　grinned　too。　
　　I　waited　a　couple　of　minutes；　for　the　right　time；　then　strode　out；　stepped　up　behind　the　man；　and　grabbed　his　shoulder。　〃Marron　Shed。〃
　　He　shrieked　and　tried　to　pull　a　knife；　tried　to　run　at　the　same　time。　Kingpin　and　Hagop　headed　him　off　and　herded　him　back。　By　that　time　I　was　kneeling　where　he　had　knelt；　examining　the　scatter　of　bones。
　　
　　　Chapter　Forty…Four：　MEADENVIL：　THE　CLEARING
　　
　　I　looked　up　at　Shed。　　He　looked　resigned。　　〃Caught　up　faster　than　you　expected；　eh？〃
　　He　babbled。　I　could　make　little　sense　of　what　he　said　because　he　was　talking　about　several　things　at　once。　Raven。　Black　castle　creatures。　His　chance　to　make　a　new　life。
　　What…not。
　　〃Calm　down　and　be　quiet。　Shed。　We're　on　your　side。〃　I　explained　the　situation；　telling　him　we　had　four　days　to　find　Darling。　He　found　it　difficult　to　believe　that　the　girl　who　had　worked　in　the　Iron　Lily　could　be　the　Rebel's　White　Rose。　I　did　not　argue；　just　presented　the　facts。　〃Four　days。　Shed。　Then　the　Lady　and　Taken　could　be　here。　And　I　guarantee　you　she'll　be　looking　for　you；　too。　By　now　they　know　we　faked　your　death。　By　now　they've　probably　questioned　enough　people　to　have　an　idea　what　was　going　on。　We're　fighting　for　our　lives；　Shed。〃　I　looked　at　the　big　black　lump　and　said　to　no　one　in　particular。　〃And　that　thing　don't　help　one　damned　bit。〃
　　I　looked　at　the　bones　again。　〃Hagop；　see　what　you　can　make　of　this。　One…Eye；　you　and　Asa　go　over　exactly　what　he　saw　that　day。　Walk　through　it。　Kingpin；　you　play　Raven　for　them。　Shed；　e　here　with　me。〃
　　I　was　pleased。　Both　Asa　and　Shed　did　as　they　were　told。　Shed；　though　shaken　by　our　return　to　the　stage　of　his　life；　did　not　seem　likely　to　panic。　I　watched　him　as　Hagop　examined　the　ground　inch　by　inch。　Shed　seemed　to　have　grown；　to　have　found　something　in　himself　that　had　not　had　a　chance　in　the　sterile　soil　of　Juniper。
　　He　whispered；　〃Look；　Croaker。　I　don't　know　about　that　stuff　about　the　Lady　ing　and　how　you　got　to　find　Darling。　I　don't　much　care。〃　He　indicated　the　black　lump。　〃What're　you　going　to　do　about　that？〃
　　〃Good　question。〃　He　did　not　have　to　explain　what　it　meant。　It　meant　the　Dominator　had　not　endured　final　defeat　in　Juniper。　He　had　hedged　his　bet　beforehand。　He　had　another　gateway　growing　here；　and　growing　fast。　Asa　was　right　to　be　afraid　of　castle　creatures。　The　Dominator　knew　he　had　to　hurry　…　though　I　doubted　he　had　expected　to　be　found　out　so　soon。　〃There　isn't　much　we　can　do；　when　you　get　down　to　it。〃
　　〃You　got　to　do　something。　Look；　I　know。　I　dealt　with　those　things。　What　they　did　to　me　and　Raven　and　Juniper。　。　。　。　Hell；　Croaker；　you　can't　let　that　happen　again　here。〃
　　〃I　didn't　say　I　didn't　want　to　do　something。　I　said　I　can't。　You　don't　ask　a　man　with　a　penknife　to　chop　down　a　forest　and　build　a　city。　He　doesn't　have　the　tools。〃
　　〃Who　does？〃
　　〃The　Lady。〃
　　〃Then。　。　。　。〃
　　〃I　have　my　limits；　friend。　I'm　not　going　to　get　myself　killed　for　Meadenvil。　I'm　not　going　to　get　my　outfit　scrubbed　for　people　I　don't　know。　Maybe　we　owe　a　moral　debt。　But　I　don't　think　it's　that　big。〃
　　He　grunted；　understanding　without　accepting。　I　was　surprised。　Without　his　having　said　as　much；　I　sensed　that　he　had　launched　a　crusade。　A　grand　villain　trying　to　buy　redemption。　I　did　not　begrudge　him　in　the　least。　But　he　could　do　it　without　the　pany　and　me。
　　I　watched　One…Eye　and　Asa　walk　Kingpin　through　everything　Raven　had　done　the　day　he　died。　From　where　I　sat　I　could　see　no　flaw　in　Asa's　story。　I　hoped　One…Eye　had　a　better　view。　He；　if　anyone；　could　find　the　angle。　He　was　as　good　at　stage　magic　as　at　true　wizardry。
　　I　recalled　that　Raven　had　been　pretty　good　with　tricks。
　　His　biggie　had　been　making　knives　appear　out　of　thin　air。　But　he　had　had　other　tricks　with　which　he　had　entertained　Darling。
　　Hagop　said；　〃Look　here；　Croaker。〃
　　I　looked。　I　did　not　see　anything　abnormal。　〃What？〃
　　〃Going　through　the　grass　toward　the　lump。　It's　almost　gone　now；　but　it's　there。　Like　a　trail。〃　He　held　blades　of　grass　parted。
　　It　took　me　a　while　to　see　it。　Just　the　faintest　hint　of　a　sheen；　like　an　old　snail　track。　A　closer　scrutiny　showed　that　it　should　have　started　roughly　where　the　corpse's　heart　would　have　lain。　It　took　a　little　work　to　figure；　because　scavengers　had　torn　the　remains。
　　I　examined　a　fleshless　hand。　Rings　remained　on　the　fingers。　Various　metal　accoutrements　and　several　knives　also　lay　around。
　　One…Eye　worked　Kingpin　over　to　the　bones。　〃Well？〃　I　asked。
　　〃It's　possible。　With　a　little　misdirection　and　stage　magic。　I　couldn't　tell　you　how　he　did　it。　If　he　did。〃
　　〃We　got　a　body；〃　I　said；　indicating　the　bones。
　　〃That's　him；〃　Asa　insisted。　〃Look。　He's　still　wearing　his　rings。　And　that's　his　belt　buckle　and　sword　and　knives。〃　But　a　shadow　of　doubt　lingered　in　his　voice。　He　was　ing　around　to　my　way。
　　And　I　still　wondered　why　the　nice　new　ship　had　not　been　claimed。
　　〃Hagop。　Hunt　around　for　signs　somebody　went　off　in　another　direction。　Asa。　You　said　you　lit　out　as　soon　as　you　saw　what　was　happening？〃
　　〃Yeah。〃
　　〃So。　Let's　quit　worrying　about　that　and　try　to　figure　what　happened　here。　Just　to　look　at　it；　this　dead　man　had　something　that　became　that。〃　I　indicated　the　lump。　I　was　surprised　I　had　so　little　trouble　ignoring　it。　I　guess　you　can　get　used　to　anything。　I'd　paraded　around　the　big　one　in　Juniper　till　I'd　lost　that　cold　dread　that　had　moved　me　for　a　while。　I　mean；　if　men　can　get　used　to　slaughterhouses；　or　my　business…soldier　or　surgeon…they　can　get　used　to　anything。
　　〃Asa；　you　hung　around　with　Raven。　Shed；　he　lived　at　your　place　for　a　couple　years；　and　you　were　his　partner。　What　did　he　bring　from　Juniper　that　could　have　e　to　life　and　bee　that？〃
　　They　shook　their　heads　and　stared　at　the　bones。　I　told　them；　〃Think　harder。　Shed；　it　had　to　be　something　he　had　when　you　knew　him。　He　stopped　going　up　the　hill　a　long　time　before　he　headed　south。〃
　　A　minute　or　two　passed。　Hagop　had　begun　working　his　way　along　the　edge　of　the　clearing。　I　had　little　hope　he　would　find　traces　this　long　after　the　fact。　I　was　no　woodsman；　but　I　knew　Raven。
　　Asa　suddenly　gasped。
　　〃What？〃　I　snapped。
　　〃Everything　is　here。　You　know；　all　the　metal。　Even　his　buttons　and　stuff。　But　one　thing。〃
　　〃Well？〃
　　〃This　necklace　he　wore。　I　only　seen　it　a　couple　times。　。　。　。　What's　the　matter；　Shed？〃
　　I　turned。　Shed　was　gripping　his　chest　over　his　heart。　His　face　was　marble　white。　He　gobbled　for　words　that　would　not　e。　He　started　trying　to　rip　his　shirt。
　　I　thought　he　was　having　an　attack。　But　as　I　reached　him；　to　help；　he　opened　his　shirt　and　grabbed　something　he　was　wearing　around　his　neck。　Something　on　a　chain。　He　tried　to　get　it　off　by　main　force。　The　chain　would　not　break。
　　I　forced　him　to　take　it　off　over　his　head；　pried　it　out　of　stiff　fingers；　held　it　out　to　Asa。
　　Asa　looked　a　little　pale。　〃Yeah。　That's　it。〃
　　〃Silver；〃　One…Eye　said；　and　looked　at　Hagop　meaningfully。
　　He　would　think　that　way。　And　he　might　be　right。　〃Hagop！　e　here。〃
　　One…Eye　took　the　thing；　held　it　to　the　light。　〃Some　craftsmanship；〃　he　mused。　。　。　。　Then　flung　it　down　and　dived　like　a　frog　off　his　lily　pad。　As　he　arced　through　the　air；　he　barked　like　a　jackal。
　　Light　flashed。　I　whirled。　Two　castle　creatures　stood　at　the　side　of　the　black　lump；　frozen　in　midstep；　in　the　act　of　rushing　us。　Shed　cursed。　Asa　shrieked。　Kingpin　zipped　past　me　and　drove　his　blade　deep　into　a　chest。　I　did　the　same；　so　rattled　I　did　not　recall　the　difficulty　I'd　had　during　our　previous　encounter。
　　We　both　hit　the　same　one。　We　both　yanked　out　weapons　free。　〃The　neck；〃　I　gasped。　〃Go　for　the　vein　in　the　neck。〃
　　One…Eye　was　up　again；　rea