gc.shadowslinger-第8部分

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　　〃The　Enclosure？〃
　　〃It's　not　illegal；　Shed。　It　keeps　the　Enclosure　cleaned　up。〃
　　Shed　scowled　righteously。
　　〃Shed；　it's　less　wrong　than　going　through　somebody's。　。。。〃
　　Shed　controlled　his　anger。　He　needed　allies　inside　the　enemy　camp。　〃Firewood　could　be　like　money；　Asa。　No　provenance。〃
　　Asa　smiled　fawningly。　〃Thanks；　Shed。〃
　　Count　called；　〃Shed。〃
　　Shed　shook　as　he　crossed　the　room。　Krage's　men　smirked。
　　This　wouldn't　work。　Krage　wouldn't　listen。　He　was　going　to　throw　his　money　away。
　　〃Count　says　you've　got　something　to　give　me　on　account；〃　Krage　said。
　　〃Uhm。〃　Krage's　den　could　have　been　ripped　whole　from　a　mansion　high　up　the　wall　of　the　valley。　Shed　was　stunned。
　　〃Stop　gawking　and　get　on　with　it。　You'd　better　not　give　me　a　handful　of　copper　and　beg　for　an　extension；　either。　Picked　a　warm　doorway　yet？　Your　payments　are　a　joke；　Shed。〃
　　〃No　joke。　Mr。　Krage。　Honest。　I　can　pay　over　half　of　it。〃
　　Krage's　eyebrows　rose。　〃Interesting。〃　Shed　laid　nine　silver　leva　before　him。　〃Very　interesting。〃　He　fixed　Shed　with　a　penetrating　stare。
　　Shed　stammered；　〃That's　over　half；　counting　interest。　I　hoped　maybe　seeing　as　how　that　would　put　me　ahead。　。。。〃
　　〃Quiet。〃　　Shed　shut　up。　　〃You　think　I　should　forget　what　happened？〃
　　〃That　wasn't　my　fault；　Mr。　Krage。　I　didn't　tell　him　to。　。。。　You　don't　know　what　Raven　is　like。〃
　　〃Shut　up。〃　Krage　stared　at　the　coins。　〃Maybe　something　can　be　arranged。　I　know　you　didn't　put　him　up　to　it。　You　don't　have　the　guts。〃
　　Shed　stared　at　the　floor；　unable　to　deny　his　cowardice。　〃Okay；　　Shed。　　You're　a　regular　client。　　Back　to　the　regular　schedule。〃　He　eyed　the　money。　〃You're　ahead　three　weeks；　looks　like。〃
　　〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Krage。　Really。　You　don't　know　how　much　this　means。　。。。〃
　　〃Shut　up。　I　know　exactly　what　it　means。　Get　out。　Start　getting　another　payment　together。　This　is　your　last　reprieve。〃
　　〃Yes。　sir。〃　Shed　retreated。　Count　opened　the　door。
　　〃Shed！　I　may　want　something　sometime。　A　favor　for　a　favor。　Understand？〃
　　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　　〃All　right。　Go。〃
　　Shed　left；　a　sinking　feeling　replacing　relief。　Krage　would　make　him　help　get　Raven。　He　almost　wept　as　he　tramped　homeward。　It　never　got　any　better。　He　was　always　in　a　trap。
　　
　　　Chapter　Ten：　TALLY　TURNAROUND
　　
　　Tome　was　typical　of　towns　we　had　garrisoned　recently。　Small；　dirty；　boring。　One　wondered　why　the　Lady　bothered。　What　use　were　these　remote　provinces？　Did　she　insist　they　bend　the　knee　merely　to　puff　her　ego？　There　was　nothing　here　worth　having；　unless　it　was　power　over　the　natives。
　　Even　they　viewed　their　country　with　a　certain　contempt。
　　The　presence　of　the　Black　pany　strained　the　resources　of　the　area。　Within　a　week　the　Captain　started　talking　about　shifting　a　pany　to　Heart　and　billeting　smaller　units　in　the　villages。　Our　patrols　seldom　encountered　the　Rebel；　even　when　our　wizards　helped　hunt。　The　engagement　at　Madle's　had　all　but　eliminated　the　infestation。
　　The　Lady's　spies　told　us　the　few　mitted　Rebels　left　had　fled　into　Tambor；　an　even　bleaker　kingdom　to　the　northeast。　I　supposed　Tambor　would　be　our　next　mission。
　　I　was　scribbling　away　at　these　Annals　one　day；　when　I　decided　I　needed　an　estimate　of　the　mileage　we'd　covered　in　our　progression　eastward。　I　was　appalled　to　learn　the　truth。　Tome　was　two　thousand　miles　east　of　Charm！　Far　beyond　the　bounds　of　the　empire　as　it　had　existed　six　years　ago。　The　great　bloody　conquests　of　the　Taken　Whisper　had　established　a　border　arc　just　this　side　of　the　Plain　of　Fear。　I　ran　down　the　line　of　city…states　forming　that　forgotten　frontier。　Frost　and　Ade；　Thud　and　Barns；　and　Rust；　where　the　Rebel　had　defied　the　Lady　successfully　for　years。　Huge　cities　all；　formidable；　and　the　last　such　we　had　seen。
　　I　still　shuddered；　recalling　the　Plain　of　Fear。
　　We　crossed　it　under　the　aegis　of　Whisper　and　Feather；　two　of　the　Taken；　the　Lady's　black　apprentices；　both　sorceresses　orders　of　magnitude　above　our　three　puny　wizards。　Even　so；　and　traveling　with　entire　armies　of　the　Lady's　regulars；　we　suffered　there。　It　is　a　hostile；　bitter　land　where　none　of　the　normal　rules　apply。　Rocks　speak　and　whales　fly。　Coral　grows　in　the　desert。　Trees　walk。　And　the　inhabitants　are　the　strangest　of　all。　。　。　。　But　that　is　neither　here　nor　there。　Just　a　nightmare　from　the　past。　A　nightmare　that　haunts　me　still；　when　the　screams　of　Cougar　and　Fleet　e　echoing　down　the　corridors　of　time；　and　once　again　I　can　do　nothing　to　save　them。
　　〃What's　the　trouble？〃　Elmo　asked；　slipping　the　map　from　beneath　my　fingers；　cocking　his　head　sideways。　〃Look　like　you　saw　a　ghost。〃
　　〃Just　remembering　the　Plain　of　Fear。〃
　　〃Oh。　Yeah。　Well；　buck　up。　Have　a　beer。〃　He　slapped　my　back。　〃Hey！　Kingpin！　Where　the　hell　you　been？〃　He　charged　away；　　in　pursuit　of　the　pany's　leading　malingerer。
　　One…Eye　arrived　a　moment　later；　startling　me。　〃How's　Goblin？〃　he　asked　softly。　There　had　been　no　intercourse　between　them　since　Madle's。　He　eyed　the　map。　〃The　Empty　Hills？　Interesting　name。〃
　　〃Also　called　the　Hollow　Hills。　He's　all　right。　Why　don't　you　check　him　out？〃
　　〃What　the　hell　for？　He　was　the　one　who　acted　the　ass。　Can't　take　a　little　joke。　。。。〃
　　〃Your　jokes　get　a　bit　rough；　One…Eye。〃
　　〃Yeah。　Maybe。　Tell　you　what。　You　e　with　me。〃
　　〃Got　to　prepare　my　reading。〃　One　night　a　month　the　Captain　expects　me　to　exhort　the　troops　with　a　reading　from　the　Annals。　So　we'll　know　where　we　came　from；　so　we'll　recall　our　ancestors　in　the　outfit。　Once　that　meant　a　lot。　The　Black　pany。　Last　of　the　Free　panies　of　Khatovar。　All　brethren。　Tight。　Great　esprit。　Us　against　the　world；　and　let　the　world　watch　out。　But　the　something　that　had　manifested　itself　in　Goblin's　behavior；　in　the　low…grade　depression　of　Elmo　and　others；　was　affecting　everybody。　The　pieces　were　ing　unglued。
　　I　had　to　pick　a　good　reading。　From　a　time　when　the　pany　had　its　back　against　the　wall　and　survived　only　by　clinging　to　its　traditional　virtues。　There　have　been　many　such　moments　in　four　hundred　years。　I　wanted　one　recorded　by　one　of　the　more　inspired　Annalists；　one　with　the　fire　of　a　White　Rose　revivalist　speaking　to　potential　recruits。　Maybe　I　needed　a　series；　one　that　I　could　read　several　nights　running。
　　〃Crap；〃　One…Eye　said。　〃You　know　those　books　by　heart。　Always　got　your　nose　in　them。　Anyway；　you　could　fake　the　whole　thing　and　nobody　would　know　the　difference。〃
　　〃Probably。　And　nobody　would　care　if　I　did。　It's　going　sour；　old…timer。　Right。　Let's　go　see　Goblin。〃
　　Maybe　the　Annals　needed　a　rereading　on　a　different　level。　Maybe　I　was　treating　symptoms。　The　Annals　have　a　certain　mystic　quality；　for　me。　Maybe　I　could　identify　the　disease　by　immersing　myself；　hunting　something　between　the　lines。
　　Goblin　and　Silent　were　playing　no…hands　mumbletypeg。　I'll　say　this　for　our　three　spook…pushers：　They　aren't　great；　but　they　keep　their　talents　polished。　Goblin　was　ahead　on　points。　He　was　in　a　good　mood。　He　even　nodded　to　One…Eye。
　　So。　It　was　over。　The　stopper　could　be　put　into　the　bottle。　One…Eye　just　had　to　say　the　right　thing。
　　To　my　amazement；　he　even　apologized。　By　sign；　Silent　suggested　we　get　out　and　let　them　conclude　their　peace　in　private。　Each　had　an　overabundance　of　pride。
　　We　stepped　outside。　As　we　often　did　when　no　one　could　intercept　our　signs；　we　discussed　old　times。　He；　too；　was　privy　to　the　secret　for　which　the　Lady　would　obliterate　nations。
　　Half　a　dozen　others　suspected　once；　and　had　forgotten。　We　knew；　and　would　never　forget。　Those　others；　if　put　to　the　question；　would　leave　the　Lady　with　serious　doubts。
　　We　two；　never。　We　knew　the　identity　of　the　Lady's　most　potent　enemy　…　and　for　six　years　we　had　done　nothing　to　apprise　her　of　the　fact　that　that　enemy　even　existed　as　more　than　a　Rebel　fantasy。
　　The　Rebel　tends　to　a　streak　of　superstition。　He　loves　prophets　and　prophecies　and　grand；　dramatic　foretellings　of　victories　to　e。　It　was　pursuit　of　a　prophecy　which　led　him　into　the　trap　at　Charm；　nearly　causing　his　extinction。　He　regained　his　balance　afterward　by　convincing　himself　that　he　was　the　victim　of　false　prophets　and　prophecies；　laid　upon　him　by　villains　trickier　than　he。　In　that　conviction　he　could　go　on；　and　believe　more　im