amc.masterharperofpern-第94部分

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　　　〃I　think　you've　hit　on　a　marvellous　future　for　that　young　man；　Sebell。　I　can't　imagine　why　I　didn't　think　of　it　myself。〃
　　　Sebell　chuckled。　〃You　do　have　one　or　two　other　matters　to　worry　about。〃
　　　Robinton　agreed　vehemently　and　went　back　to　solving　those　of　the　most　immediate　concern　…　such　as　reassigning　harpers　for　the　next　turn's　teaching　duties。
　　　But　he　was　ready　with　Sebell's　suggestion　the　next　time　Nip　eased　himself　into　the　Harper's　study；　followed　closely　enough　by　Sebell　with　food　and　drink　for　the　man。
　　　〃I've　someone　you　might　like　to　train；　Nip；〃　Robinton　said。
　　　〃Huh？〃　Nip　scowled。　〃I　travel　faster　alone。　And　safer。　Ah；　thanks；　Sebell；　you're　remarkable　in　anticipation　of　my　needs。〃　He　bit　into　a　meat　roll　and　chewed　while　Robinton　went　on。
　　　〃I　think　you　must　at　least　assess　young　Traller　as　a　possible　apprentice；〃　Robinton　said　firmly。
　　　〃Oh；　well；　if　you　put　it　like　that；　I'll　give　him　a　going…over　then。〃　〃It's　you　or　back　to　Keroon　for　him；　because　we　can't　use　his。。。　special。。。　talents　as　a　harper；　that's　very　obvious。　Weren't　you　saying　that　you　can　only　be　in　one　place　at　a　time？　If　I　need　an　assistant；　so　do　you。〃
　　　Nip　gave　him　plete　attention。　〃Sebell's　no　lad。。。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃I'd　hate　to　put　someone　in　danger；　and　it's　dangerous　up　there　in　Fax's。〃
　　　〃More　reason　than　ever　for　you　to　have　an。。。　assistant；〃　Sebell　remarked　pointedly。
　　　Nip　made　a　noise　in　his　throat。　〃You　mean　'shadow'；　don't　you？〃　he　asked；　jerking　his　thumb　towards　Sebell　who　grinned　back；　quite　willing　to　make　the　criticism　into　a　pliment。
　　　Robinton　blinked　and　grinned；　then　laughed　out　loud；　for　there　was　a　faint　resemblance　…　the　colour　and　set　of　their　eyes；　the　same　dark　hair　almost　to　the　whirls　at　the　crown；　and　strong　features；　chin　and　nose　…　that　spoke　of　their　distant　Blood　relationship。
　　　Sebell　was　now　as　tall　as　the　MasterHarper　and；　over　the　turns；　had　picked　up　some　of　Robinton's　mannerisms　as　well。　Their　eyes　met　and　they　grinned　with　perfect　understanding　and　mutual　respect。
　　　〃He's　outside；〃　Sebell　said；　indicating　the　hallway。　〃I　found　him　on　the　drum　Tower　stairwell；　trying　to　see　who　was　making　such　a　late…night　entrance。〃
　　　〃Well；　now；　that　sounds　promising；〃　said　Nip；　and　himself　went　to　invite　Traller　into　the　room。　The　two　stood　regarding　each　other　as　warily　as　strange　canines。　〃If　you'll　pardon　us；　Robinton；　Sebell；〃　Nip　said　after　a　long　pause　and；　taking　Trailer　by　the　shoulder；　he　pushed　the　lad　ahead　of　him　out　of　the　door。　The　next　morning　Nip　told　Robinton　to　rename　the　boy　'Tuck'　and　to　designate　him　as　an　apprentice　on　special　assignment。
　　　〃I　told　you　he　was　a　natural；〃　Robinton　said　somewhat　smugly。
　　　Nip　snorted。　〃He　will　be　when　I　get　through　with　him。〃　Then　he　grinned　in　his　irrepressible　fashion。　〃He'll　be　good；　too。　Thanks；　Rob。　Oh；　and　he's　ing　with　me。　I've　got　two　runner…beasts　ready　and　willing。　Like　any　well…brought…up〃　…　Nip　smiled　at　that　description　being　applied　to　Tuck　…　〃Keroonian；　he　rides　like　a　leech。〃　He　paused　again　at　the　door。　〃And　he　runs　like　the　wind。〃
　　　Nip　took　turns　with　Tuck　to　deliver　reports　over　the　next　two　turns。
　　　Then　one　night　Tuck　appeared　unexpectedly　late；　grinning　with　delight　when　he　had　startled　Robinton　from　reading　Term　reports　on　the　current　apprentices。
　　　〃Nip　says　that　there's　something　odd　going　on　at　Ruatha　Hold。〃　〃Oh？〃　And　Robinton　was　glad　to　find　some　distraction　from　the　reports。　He　didn't　agree　with　some　of　them；　and　it　always　annoyed　him　when　any　of　his　favourite　'sons'　did　not　measure　up　to　the　high　standards　he　wanted　them　to　achieve。
　　　〃Well；　it　seems　that　it's　not　prospering。　There've　been　four　stewards；　and　each　one　has　failed　to　extract　any　profit　from　the　Hold。〃　Tuck　grinned。　〃It's　as　if　every　attempt　fails；　some　way　or　another。　And　Fax's　not　known　to　be　pleased　with　any　sort　of　failure。〃　〃Hmmm。　That's　interesting。　A　kind　of　subtle　rebellion？〃
　　　Tuck　gave　the　sort　of　snort　that　Nip　affected。　〃With　that　bunch　of　drudges？　They're　the　most　useless　load　of　inpetents　I've　seen。　And　since　I've　been　north〃　…　he　gestured　with　a　thumb　…　〃I've　seen　every　sort　of　way　to　avoid　hard　work　that's　been　invented。　And　then　some。　The　only　jobs　which　get　done　in　a　halfway　decent　fashion　are　helped　along　by　an　overseer　with　a　whip　standing　over　the　workers。　Fax　has　only　so　many　men　and　too　many　holdings。〃　He　grinned　broadly。　〃Though　his　supply　of　metal…knotted　whips　seems　inexhaustible。〃
　　　〃'One　hold；　one　holder'　is　a　good　adage　to　remember；〃　Robinton　said　sententiously。
　　　〃To　be　sure。〃　Tuck　glided　past　that。　〃Nip　specially　said　to　tell　you　about　Ruatha。〃
　　　〃What　could　be　happening　there？〃　Robinton　asked；　more　or　less　rhetorically。　〃If　there　is　no　one　able　to　foment　trouble；　is　it　trouble；　or　pure　carelessness　on　the　stewards'　parts？〃
　　　Tuck　shrugged　his　shoulders。　He　had　grown　into　a　wiry　man；　not　much　taller　than　his　panion。　He　might　practice　being　nondescript；　but　he　hadn't　quite　the　knack　Nip　had　and　could　never　disguise　the　bright；　interested　gaze　of　his　dark　eyes。
　　　〃But　there's　something　there。　Sort　of。。。〃　He　tilted　his　hand　sideways　in　a　gesture　he　had　obviously　learned　from　close　association　with　Nip。　〃A　general　uneasiness。　Like　something　watching　all　the　time。　Only　who'd　watch？　And　what　are　they　watching？〃
　　　〃I　should　take　a。。。〃
　　　〃No；　you　shouldn't。〃　Tuck　held　up　a　hand。　〃Harper　Blue　is　a　target　for　any　of　Fax's　soldiery。　I　don't　say　the　best　is　at　Ruatha；　but　you're　not　to　risk　your　neck。。。　Master　Robinton。〃　He　added　the　title　as　a　respectful　afterthought。　〃Bargen's　increased　his　activities　in　High　Reaches；　by　the　way；　now　that　he　has　more　folk　in　the　Weyr。〃
　　　〃He's　being　careful；　isn't　he？〃
　　　〃Bargen's　so　careful　he's　womanish；〃　Tuck　said　with　disgust。
　　　Then　he　sighed。　〃Of　course；　he　wants　to　stay　alive　long　enough　to　take　High　Reaches　Hold　back。　So　no　one　really　minds　when　he　sends　them　out　to　do　what　he　plans。　And　he's　pretty　good　at　making　trouble。〃
　　　〃Without　embroiling　others？〃
　　　〃They'd　rather　do　something；　Master　Robinton；　than　nothing；〃　Tuck　said。　〃They've　got　some　pride　left；　you　know。〃
　　　Robinton　nodded。
　　　〃Isn't　the　Benden　clutch　about　to　hatch？〃　Tuck　asked。
　　　〃Soon。　Jora's　dead。〃　Robinton　had　had　the　details　from　a　letter　sent　to　Master　Oldive　by　Lord　Raid's　journeyman　healer；　who　had　been　brought　by　R'gul　to　try　to　keep　the　Weyrwoman　alive。
　　　Remembering　how　Jora　had　gorged　herself　at　the　Impression　Feast　…　and　that　had　been　turns　ago　now　…　he　had　no　trouble　believing　that　the　woman　had　died　of　overeating。　The　healer　had　been　appalled　at　the　state　she　was　in　and　had　agreed　that　she　should　be　interred　between。
　　　〃I　heard　the　drums；　but　did　I　hear　correctly　that　the　queen　produced　a　gold　egg？〃　Tuck　cocked　his　head　hopefully　and　Robinton　nodded。　〃That's　pulling　up　pretty　close；　isn't　it？〃　Robinton　nodded　again；　and　Tuck　asked；　〃You'll　be　going　to　the　Impression？〃
　　　〃I　hope　to。〃　Robinton　wasn't　sure　that　any　invitations　were　going　out　from　the　Weyr；　but　that　didn't　mean　that　a　CraftMaster　could　be　excluded。　There　had　been　few　enough　clutches　and　Impressions　since　S'loner　had　died。
　　　〃Nemorth'll　last？〃　Tuck's　expression　was　anxious。
　　　〃Probably。　At　least；　that's　my　reading　of　queen　dragon　behaviour。　Even　without　her　rider；　Nemorth　will　try　to　last　until　her　clutch　hatches。〃
　　　〃D'you　think　the　next　Weyrwoman　will　be　an　improvement　on　Jora？〃
　　　Robinton　gave　a　snort。　〃I　don't　see　how　any　woman　could　be　worse。〃
　　　〃Then　the　riders'll　be　on　Search；　won't　they？〃
　　　〃I　would　presume　so。〃
　　　Tuck　was　the　one　to　nod　now。　〃I'd　best　go。〃
　　　〃Where　to？〃
　　　〃I'm　to　meet　him〃　…　which　always　meant　Nip　…　〃at　High　Reaches。　Fax　is　there；　preparing。。。〃　he　grimaced　〃。。。　to　go　on　one　of　his　'tours'。〃
　　　〃'Tours'？〃
　　　〃Inspections；　to　find　out　why　he　isn't　getting　what　he　expects　out　of　his　holdings。〃
　　　〃I　wish　him　luck；〃　Robinton　said　drolly。
　　　〃Not　him；　the　poor　unfortunates　he'll　be　beating　up。〃　Then　Tuck　was　out　of　the　door。
　　　Over　the　next　few　days；　Robinton　had　a　feeling　of　imminence；　of　s