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第18部分

anner.vittoriothevampire-第18部分

小说: anner.vittoriothevampire 字数: 每页4000字

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 One man said to buy the damned tray; while the other said the infant wouldn't even live and the gift was premature; and a third man said the woman would wele the beautiful gorgeously painted birthing tray anyway。
 They stopped when I entered the shop proper to look at all the imported wares; but then when I turned my back; one of the men uttered under his breath; 〃If she has a brain in her head; she'll do it。〃 I was struck by the words; so struck that I turned at once to snatch a handsome plate from the shelf and pretend to be much impressed with it。 〃So lovely;〃 I said; as if I hadn't heard them。
 The merchant got up and started to extoll the contents on display。 The others melted into the gathering evening outside。 I stared at the man。
 〃Is the child sick?〃 I asked in the smallest most childish voice that I myself could muster。
 〃Oh; no; well; I don't think so; but you know how it is;〃 said the man。 〃The child's smallish。〃
 〃Weak;〃 I volunteered。
 In a very clumsy way; he said; 〃Yes; weak。〃 His smile was artificial; but he thought himself quite successful。
 Then both of us turned to fussing over the wares。 I bought a tiny porcelain cup; very beautifully painted; which he claimed to have bought from a Venetian。
 I knew damned good and well I should leave without a word; but I couldn't stop myself from asking him as I paid; 〃Do you think the poor smallish weak child will live?〃
 He laughed a rather deep coarse laugh as he took my money。 〃No;〃 he said; and then he glanced at me as though he'd been in his thoughts。 〃Don't worry about it; Signore;〃 he said with a little smile。 〃Have you e to live here?〃
 〃No; Sir; only passing through; going north;〃 I said。
 〃North?〃 he asked; a little startled but sarcastic。 He shut up the cashbox and turned the key。 Then shaking his head as he put the box into the cabinet and closed the doors; he said; 〃North; eh? Well; good luck to you; my boy。〃 He gave a sour chuckle。 〃That's an ancient road。 You better ride as fast as you can from sunup。〃
 〃Thank you; Sir;〃 I said。 Night was ing on。
 I hurried into an alleyway and stood there; against the wall; catching my breath as though someone were chasing me。 I let the little cup fall and it shattered loudly; the noise echoing up the towering buildings。 I was half out of my wits。
 But instantly and fully aware of my situation; and convinced of the horrors I had discovered; I made an inflexible decision。
 I wasn't safe in the Inn; so what did this matter? I was going to do it my way and see for myself。 This is what I did。
 Without going back to the Inn; without ever officially leaving my room in the Inn; I turned uphill when the shadows were thick enough to cover me; and I climbed the narrowing street towards the old ruined castle。
 Now all day I had been looking at this imposing collection of rock and decay; and could see that it was indeed utterly ruined and empty of all save the birds of the air; except; as I have said; for the lower floors; which supposedly held offices。
 But the castle had two standing towers remaining to it; one that faced over the town; and another; much fallen away; beyond and remote on the edge of a cliff; as I had seen from the lower farmland。
 Well; I made for the tower that overlooked the town。
 The government offices were shut up of course already; and the curfew soldiers would soon be out; and there was noise from only a couple of taverns that obviously stayed open no matter what the law was。
 The piazza before the castle was empty; and because the three streets of the town took many a curve in their way downhill; I could see almost nothing now but a few dim torches。
 The sky; however; was wondrously bright; clear of all but the most rounded and discreetly shaped clouds; very visible against the deeper blue of the night; and the stars seemed exquisitely numerous。
 I found old winding stairs; too narrow almost for a human being; that curved around the useful part of the old citadel and led up to the first platform of stone; before an entrance to the tower。
 Of course this architecture was no stranger to me whatsoever。 The stones were of a rougher texture than those of my old home; and somewhat darker; but the tower was broad and square and timelessly solid。
 I knew that the place was ancient enough that I would find stone stairways leading quite high; and I did; and soon came to the end of my trek in a high room which gave me a view of the entire town stretched out before me。
 There were higher chambers; but they had been accessible in centuries past by wooden ladders that could be pulled up; to defeat an enemy and isolate him below; and I couldn't get to them。 I could hear the birds up there; disturbed by my presence。 And I could hear the breeze moving faintly。 However; this was fine; this height。
 I had a view all around from the four narrow windows of this place; looking in all directions。
 And most especially; and important to me; I could see the town itself; directly below me; shaped like a great eye … an oval with tapered ends … with random torches burning here and there; and an occasional dimly lighted window; and I could see a lantern moving slowly as someone walked in a leisurely pace down one of the thoroughfares。
 No sooner had I seen this moving lantern than it went out。 It seemed the streets were utterly deserted。
 Then the windows too went dark; and very shortly there were not four torches that I could see anywhere。
 This darkness had a calming effect on me。 The open country sank into a deep dark tinge of blue beneath the pearly heavens; and I could see the forests encroaching on the tilled land; creeping higher here and there; as the hills folded over one another or sank steeply into valleys of pure blackness。 I could hear the total emptiness of the tower。
 Nothing stirred now; not even the birds。 I was quite alone。 I could have heard the slightest footfall on the stairs down below。 No one knew I was here。 All slept。 I was safe here。 And I could keep a vigil。
 I was too full of misery to be frightened; and frankly I was prepared to take my stand against Ursula in this spot; preferred it; in fact; to the confines of the Inn; and I feared nothing as I said my prayers and laid my hand on my sword as usual。
 What did I expect to see in this sleeping town? Anything that happened in it。
 Now; what did I think that was to be? I couldn't have told anyone。 But as I circled the room; as I glanced again and again down at the few scattered lights below and the hulk of the descending ramparts beneath the glowing summer sky; the place seemed loathsome; full of deceit; full of witchcraft; full of payment to the Devil。
 〃You think I don't know where your unwanted babies are taken?〃 I muttered in a rage。 〃You think that people who are down with the plague are weled right through the open gates of your neighboring cities?〃
 I was startled by the echoes of my own murmurings off the cold walls。
 〃But what do you do with them; Ursula? What would you have done with my brother and sister?〃
 My ruminations were madness perhaps; or might have seemed so to some。 But I learnt this。 Revenge takes one's mind from the pain。 Revenge is a lure; a mighty molten lure; even if it is hopeless。
 One blow from this sword and I can strike off her head; I thought; and heave it out that window; and then what will she be but a demon stripped of all worldly power? Now and then I half…drew my sword; then put it back。 I took out my longest dagger and slapped the palm of my left hand with its blade。 I never stopped walking。
 Suddenly; as I made one of my boring circumlocutions; I happened to spy far away; on a distant mountain; in which direction I really didn't know … but not the direction by which I had e … a great quantity of light playing behind the mesh of the sylvan darkness。
 At first I thought this might be a fire; there was so much light; but as I narrowed my eyes and focused my mind; I saw that this was out of the question。
 There was no riotous glare on the few visible clouds above; and the illumination; for all the breadth of it; was contained as if it emanated from a vast congregation gathered together with a fantastical quantity of candles。 How steady yet pulsing

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