gc.shadowslinger-第6部分

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an　and　Annalist。　I　now　have　knowledge　for　which　she　would　flatten　kingdoms。
　　The　face　in　the　fire　extended　a　tongue　like　that　of　a　salamander。　Goblin　squealed。　He　jumped　up　clutching　a　blistered　nose。
　　One…Eye　was　draining　another　beer；　back　to　his　victim。　Goblin　scowled；　rubbed　his　nose；　seated　himself　again。　One…Eye　turned　just　enough　to　place　him　at　the　corner　of　his　vision。　He　waited　till　Goblin　began　to　nod。
　　This　has　been　going　on　forever。　Both　were　with　the　pany　before　I　joined；　One…Eye　for　at　least　a　century。　He　is　old；　but　is　as　spry　as　men　my　age。
　　Maybe　spryer。　Lately　I've　felt　the　burden　of　time　more　and　more；　all　too　often　dwelling　on　everything　I've　missed。　I　can　laugh　at　peasants　and　townies　chained　all　their　lives　to　a　tiny　corner　of　the　earth　while　I　roam　its　face　and　see　its　wonders；　but　when　I　go　down；　there　will　be　no　child　to　carry　my　name；　no　family　to　mourn　me　save　my　rades；　no　one　to　remember；　no　one　to　raise　a　marker　over　my　cold　bit　of　ground。　Though　I　have　seen　great　events；　I　will　leave　no　enduring　acplishment　save　these　Annals。
　　Such　conceit。　Writing　my　own　epitaph　disguised　as　pany　history。
　　I　am　developing　a　morbid　streak。　Have　to　watch　that。
　　One…Eye　cupped　his　hands　palms…down　on　the　countertop；　murmured；　opened　them。　A　nasty　spider　of　fist　size　stood　revealed；　wearing　a　bushy　squirrel　tail。　Never　say　One…Eye　has　no　sense　of　humor。　It　scuttled　down　to　the　floor；　skipped　over　to　me；　grinned　up　with　a　One…Eye　black　face　wearing　no　eye…patch；　then　zipped　toward　Goblin。
　　The　essence　of　sorcery；　even　for　its　nonfraudulent　practitioners；　is　misdirection。　So　with　the　bushy…tailed　spider。
　　Goblin　was　not　snoozing。　He　was　lying　in　the　weeds。　When　the　spider　got　close；　he　whirled　and　swung　a　stick　of　firewood。　The　spider　dodged。　Goblin　hammered　the　floor。　In　vain。　His　target　darted　around；　chuckling　in　a　One…Eye　voice。
　　The　face　formed　in　the　flames。　Its　tongue　darted　out。　The　seat　of　Goblin's　trousers　began　to　smoulder。
　　〃I'll　be　damned；〃　I　said。
　　〃What？〃　the　Captain　asked；　not　looking　up。　He　and　the　Lieutenant　had　taken　opposite　ends　of　an　argument　over　whether　Heart　or　Tome　would　be　the　better　base　of　operations。
　　Somehow；　word　gets　out。　Men　streamed　in　for　the　latest　round　of　the　feud。　I　observed；　〃I　think　One…Eye　is　going　to　win　one。〃
　　〃Really？〃　For　a　moment　old　grey　bear　was　interested。　One…Eye　hadn't　bested　Goblin　in　years。
　　Goblin's　frog　mouth　opened　in　a　startled；　angry　howl。　He　slapped　his　bottom　with　both　hands；　dancing。　〃You　little　snake！〃　he　screamed。　〃I'll　strangle　you！　I'll　cut　your　heart　out　and　eat　it！　I'll。　。　。　。　I'll。　。　。　。〃
　　Amazing。　Utterly　amazing。　Goblin　never　gets　mad。　He　gets　even。　Then　One…Eye　will　put　his　twisted　mind　to　work　again。　If　Goblin　is　even；　One…Eye　figures　he's　behind。
　　〃Settle　that　down　before　it　gets　out　of　hand；〃　the　Captain　said。
　　Elmo　and　I　got　between　the　antagonists。　This　thing　was　disturbing。　Goblin's　threats　were　serious。　One…Eye　had　caught　him　in　a　bad　temper；　the　first　I'd　ever　seen。　〃Ease　up；〃　I　told　One…Eye。
　　He　stopped。　He；　too；　smelled　trouble。
　　Several　men　growled。　Some　heavy　bets　were　down。　Usually；　nobody　will　put　a　copper　on　One…Eye。　Goblin　ing　out　on　top　is　a　sure　thing；　but　this　time　he　looked　feeble。　Goblin　did　not　want　to　quit。　Did　not　want　to　play　the　usual　rules；　either。　He　snatched　a　fallen　sword　and　headed　for　　One…Eye。　I　couldn't　help　grinning。　That　sword　was　huge　and　broken；　and　Goblin　was　so　small；　yet　so　ferocious；　that　he　seemed　a　caricature。　A　bloodthirsty　caricature。　Elmo　couldn't　handle　him。　I　signaled　for　help。　Some　quick　thinker　splashed　water　on　Goblin's　back。　He　whirled；　cussing；　started　a　deadly　spell。
　　Trouble　for　sure。　A　dozen　men　jumped　in。　Somebody　threw　another　bucket　of　water。　That　cooled　Goblin's　temper。　As　we　relieved　him　of　the　blade；　he　looked　abashed。　Defiant；　but　abashed。
　　I　led　him　back　to　the　fire　and　settled　beside　him。　〃What's　the　matter？　What　happened？〃　I　glimpsed　the　Captain　from　the　corner　of　my　eye。　One…Eye　stood　before　him；　drained　by　a　heavy…duty　dressing　down。
　　〃I　don't　know；　Croaker。〃　Goblin　slumped；　stared　into　the　fire。　〃Suddenly　everything　was　too　much。　This　ambush　tonight。　Same　old　thing。　There's　always　another　province；　always　more　Rebels。　They　breed　like　maggots　in　a　cowpie。　I'm　getting　older　and　older；　and　I　haven't　done　anything　to　make　a　better　world。　In　fact；　if　you　backed　off　to　look　at　it；　we've　all　made　it　worse。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃That　isn't　right。　Not　what　I　want　to　say。　But　I　don't　know　how　to　say　it　any　better。〃
　　〃Must　be　an　epidemic。〃
　　〃What？〃
　　〃Nothing。　Thinking　out　loud。〃　Elmo。　Myself。　Goblin。　A　lot　of　the　men；　judging　by　their　tenor　lately。　Something　was　wrong　in　the　Black　pany。　I　had　suspicions；　but　wasn't　ready　to　analyze。　Too　depressing。
　　〃What　we　need　is　a　challenge；〃　I　suggested。　〃We　haven't　stretched　ourselves　since　Charm。〃　Which　was　a　half…truth。　An　operation　which　pelled　us　to　bee　totally　involved　in　staying　alive　might　be　a　prescription　for　symptoms；　but　was　no　remedy　for　causes。　As　a　physician；　I　was　not　fond　of　treating　symptoms　alone。　They　could　recur　indefinitely。　The　disease　itself　had　to　be　attacked。
　　〃What　we　need；〃　Goblin　said　in　a　voice　so　soft　it　almost　vanished　in　the　crackle　of　the　flames；　〃is　a　cause　we　can　believe　in。〃
　　〃Yeah；〃　I　said。　〃That；　too。〃
　　From　outside　came　the　startled；　outraged　cries　of　prisoners　discovering　that　they　were　to　fill　the　graves　they　had　dug。
　　
　　　Chapter　Nine：　JUNIPER：　DEATH　PAYS
　　
　　Shed　grew　increasingly　frightened　as　the　days　passed。　He　had　to　get　some　money。　Krage　was　spreading　the　word。　He　was　to　be　made　an　example。
　　He　recognized　the　tactic。　Krage　wanted　to　scare　him　into　signing　the　Lily　over。　The　place　wasn't　much；　but　it　was　damned　sure　worth　more　than　he　owed。　Krage　would　resell　it　for　several　times　his　investment。　Or　turn　it　into　whore　cribs。　And　Marron　Shed　and　his　mother　would　be　in　the　streets；　with　winter's　deadly　laughter　howling　in　their　faces。
　　Kill　somebody；　Krage　had　said。　Rob　somebody。　Shed　considered　both。　He　would　do　anything　to　keep　the　Lily　and　protect　his　mother。
　　If　he　could　just　get　real　customers！　He　got　nothing　but　one…night　chiselers　and　scroungers。　He　needed　residential　regulars。　But　he　could　not　get　those　without　fixing　the　place　up。　And　that　he　couldn't　do　without　money。
　　Asa　rolled　through　the　doorway。　Pale　and　frightened；　he　scuttled　to　the　counter。　〃Find　a　wood　supply　yet？〃　Shed　asked。
　　The　little　man　shook　his　head；　slid　two　gersh　across　the　counter。　〃Give　me　a　drink。〃
　　Shed　scooped　the　coins　into　his　box。　One　did　not　question　money's　provenance。　It　had　no　memory。　He　poured　a　full　measure。　Asa　reached　eagerly。
　　〃Oh；　no；〃　Shed　said。　〃Tell　me　about　it。〃
　　〃e　on；　Shed。　I　paid　you。〃
　　〃Sure。　And　I'll　deliver　when　you　tell　me　why　you're　so　rocky。〃
　　〃Where's　that　Raven？〃
　　〃Upstairs。　Sleeping。〃　Raven　had　been　out　all　night。
　　Asa　shook　a　little　more。　〃Give　me　that；　Shed。〃
　　〃Talk。〃
　　〃All　right。　Krage　and　Red　grabbed　me。　They　wanted　to　know　about　Raven。〃
　　So　Shed　knew　how　Asa　had　e　by　money。　He　had　tried　to　sell　Raven。　〃Tell　me　more。〃
　　〃They　just　wanted　to　know　about　him。〃
　　〃What　did　they　want　to　know？〃
　　〃If　he　ever　goes　out。〃
　　〃Why？〃
　　Asa　stalled。　Shed　pulled　the　mug　away。　〃All　right。　They　had　two　men　watching　him。　They　disappeared。　Nobody　knows　anything。　Krage　is　furious。〃　
　　Shed　let　him　have　the　wine。　He　drained　it　in　a　single　gulp。
　　Shed　glanced　toward　the　stair；　shuddered。　Maybe　he　had　underestimated　Raven。　〃What　did　Krage　say　about　me？〃
　　〃Sure　could　use　another　mug；　Shed。〃
　　〃I'll　give　you　a　mug。　Over　the　noggin。〃
　　〃I　don't　need　you；　Shed。　I　made　a　connection。　I　can　sleep　over　to　Krage's　any　time　I　want。〃
　　Shed　grunted；　made　a　mask　of　his　face。　〃You　win。〃　He　poured　wine。
　　〃He's　going　to　put　you　out　of　business；　Shed。　Whatever　it　takes。　He's　decided　you're　in　it　with　Raven。〃　Wicked　little　smile。　〃Only　he　can't　figure　where　you　got　the　guts　to　buck　him。〃
　　〃I'm　not。　I　don't　have　anything　to　do　with　Raven；　Asa。　You　know　that。〃
　　Asa　enjoyed　his　moment。　〃I　tried　to　tell　Kra