tw.theburningman-第2部分

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er…to…be　that　he　was　not　imprisoned　or　executed；　but　instead　strongly　encouraged　to　leave　Nabban。　His　countrymen　thought　he　took　his　household　to　Erkynland　because　any　nobleman　could　be　king　in　that　backward　country　…　my　country　…　but　Sulis　had　his　own　reasons；　darker　and　stranger　than　anyone　could　guess。　So　it　was　that　he　had　brought　his　entire　household；　his　knights　and　kerns　and　all　their　women　and　children；　a　small　city's　worth　of　folk；　to　the　shores　of　the　Kingslake。
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　For　all　the　sharpness　of　their　swords　and　strength　of　their　armour；　the　Nabbanai　treated　the　Lake　People　with　surprising　courtesy；　and　for　the　first　weeks　there　was　trade　and　much　good　fellowship　between　their　camp　and　our　towns。　It　was　only　when　Lord　Sulis　announced　to　the　thanes　of　the　Lake　People　that　he　meant　to　settle　in　the　High　Keep；　the　deserted　castle　on　the　headlands；　that　the　Erkynlanders　became　uneasy。
　　　　　　　Huge　and　empty；　the　domain　only　of　wind　and　shadows；　the　High　Keep　had　looked　down　on　our　lands　since　the　beginnings　of　the　oldest　tales。　No　one　remembered　who　had　built　it　…　some　said　giants；　but　some　swore　the　fairy…folk　had　built　it　themselves。　The　Northmen　from　Rimmersgard　were　said　to　have　held　it　for　a　while；　but　they　were　long　gone；　driven　out　by　a　dragon　from　the　fortress　the　Rimmersmen　had　stolen　from　the　Peaceful　Ones。　So　many　tales　surrounded　that　castle！　When　I　was　small；　one　of　my　mother's　bondwomen　told　me　that　it　was　now　the　haunt　of　frost…witches　and　restless　ghosts。　Many　a　night　I　had　thought　of　it　standing　deserted　on　the　windy　clifftop；　only　a　half…day's　ride　away；　and　frightened　myself　so　that　I　could　not　sleep。
　　　　　　　The　idea　of　someone　rebuilding　the　ruined　fortress　made　the　thanes　uneasy；　but　not　only　for　fear　of　waking　its　spirits。　The　High　Keep　held　a　powerful　position；　perhaps　an　impregnable　one　…　even　in　their　crumbling　condition；　the　walls　would　be　almost　impossible　to　storm　if　armed　men　held　them。　But　the　thanes　were　in　a　difficult　spot。　Though　the　men　of　the　Lake　People　might　outnumber　those　of　Sulis；　the　heron　knights　were　better　armed；　and　the　discipline　of　Nabbanai　fighting　men　was　well…known　…　a　half…legion　of　the　Imperator's　Sea　Wolves　had　slaughtered　ten　times　that　number　of　Thrithings…men　in　a　battle　just　a　few　years　before。　And　Osweard；　the　new　Great　Thane；　was　young　and　untested　as　a　war　leader。　The　lesser　thanes　asked　my　grandfather　Godric　to　lend　his　wisdom；　to　speak　to　this　Nabbanai　lord　and　see　what　he　could　grasp　of　the　man's　true　intention。
　　　　　　　So　it　was　that　Lord　Sulis　came　to　my　grandfather's　steading；　and　saw　my　mother　for　the　first　time。
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　When　I　was　a　little　girl；　I　liked　to　believe　that　Sulis　fell　in　love　with　my　mother　Cynethrith　the　moment　he　saw　her；　as　she　stood　quietly　behind　her　father…in…law's　chair　in　Godric's　great　hall。　She　was　beautiful；　that　I　know　…　before　my　father　died；　all　the　people　of　the　household　used　to　call　her　Ricwald's　Swan；　because　of　her　long　neck　and　white　shoulders。　Her　hair　was　a　pale；　pale　gold；　her　eyes　as　green　as　the　summer　Kingslake。　Any　ordinary　man　would　have　loved　her　on　sight。　But　'ordinary'　must　be　the　least　likely　of　all　the　words　that　could　be　used　to　describe　my　stepfather。
　　　　　　　When　I　was　a　young　woman；　and　falling　in　love　myself　for　the　first　time；　I　knew　for　certain　that　Sulis　could　not　have　loved　her。　How　could　anyone　who　loved　have　been　as　cold　and　distant　as　he　was？　As　heavily　polite？　Aching　then　at　the　mere　thought　of　Tellarin；　my　secret　beloved；　I　knew　that　a　man　who　acted　as　my　stepfather　had　acted　towards　my　mother　could　not　feel　anything　like　love。
　　　　　　　Now　I　am　not　so　sure。　So　many　things　are　different　when　I　look　at　them　now。　In　this　extremity　of　age；　I　am　farther　away；　as　though　I　looked　at　my　own　life　from　a　high　hilltop；　but　in　some　ways　it　seems　I　see　things　much　more　closely。
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　Sulis　was　a　clever　man；　and　could　not　have　failed　to　notice　how　my　grandfather　Godric　hated　the　new　Great　Thane　…　it　was　in　everything　my　grandfather　said。　He　could　not　speak　of　the　weather　without　mentioning　how　the　summers　had　been　warmer　and　the　winters　shorter　in　the　days　when　he　himself　had　been　Great　Thane；　and　had　his　son　been　allowed　to　succeed　him；　he　as　much　as　declared；　every　day　would　have　been　the　first　day　of　Maia…month。　Seeing　this；　Sulis　made　pact　with　the　bitter　old　man；　first　by　the　gifts　and　subtle　pliments　he　gave　him　but　soon　in　the　courting　of　Godric's　daughter…in…law　as　well。
　　　　　　　While　my　grandfather　became　more　and　more　impressed　by　this　foreign　nobleman's　good　sense；　Sulis　made　his　master　stroke。　Not　only　did　he　offer　a　bride　price　for　my　mother　…　for　a　widow！　…　that　was　greater　than　would　have　been　paid　even　for　the　virgin　daughter　of　a　ruling　Great　Thane；　a　sizable　fortune　of　swords　and　proud　Nabban　horses　and　gold　plate；　but　Sulis　told　Godric　that　he　would　even　leave　my　brother　and　myself　to　be　raised　in　our　grandfather's　house。
　　　　　　　Godric　had　still　not　given　up　all　hope　of　Aelfric；　and　this　idea　delighted　him；　but　he　had　no　particular　use　for　me。　My　mother　would　be　happier；　both　men　eventually　decided；　if　she　were　allowed　to　bring　at　least　one　of　her　children　to　her　new　home　on　the　headlands。
　　　　　　　Thus　it　was　settled；　and　the　powerful　foreign　lord　married　into　the　household　of　the　old　Great　Thane。　Godric　told　the　rest　of　the　thanes　that　Sulis　meant　only　good；　that　by　this　gesture　he　had　proved　his　honest　wish　to　live　in　peace　with　the　Lake　People。　There　were　priests　in　Sulis'　pany　who　would　cleanse　the　High　Keep　of　any　unquiet　spirits；　Godric　explained　to　the　thanes　…　as　Sulis　himself　had　assured　my　grandfather　…　and　thus；　he　argued；　letting　Sulis　take　the　ancient　keep　for　his　own　would　bring　our　folk　a　double　blessing。
　　　　　　　What　Osweard　and　the　lesser　thanes　thought　of　this；　I　do　not　know。　Faced　with　Godric's　enthusiasm；　with　the　power　of　the　Nabbanai　lord；　and　perhaps　even　with　their　own　secret　shame　in　the　matter　of　my　father's　death；　they　chose　to　give　in。　Lord　Sulis　and　his　new　bride　were　gifted　with　the　deserted　High　Keep；　with　its　broken　walls　and　its　ghosts。
　　　　　　　Did　my　mother　love　her　second　husband？　I　cannot　answer　that　any　better　than　I　can　say　what　Sulis　felt；　and　they　are　both　so　long　dead　that　I　am　now　the　only　living　person　who　knew　them　both。　When　she　first　saw　him　in　the　doorway　at　Godric's　house；　he　would　certainly　have　been　the　light　of　every　eye。　He　was　not　young　…　like　my　mother；　he　had　already　lost　a　spouse；　although　a　decade　had　passed　since　his　widowing；　while　hers　was　still　fresh　…　but　he　was　a　great　man　from　the　greatest　city　of　all。　He　wore　a　mantle　of　pure　white　over　his　armour；　held　at　the　shoulder　by　a　lapis　badge　of　his　family's　heron　crest。　He　had　tucked　his　heimet　under　his　arm　when　he　entered　the　hall　and　my　mother　could　see　that　he　had　very　little　hair；　only　a　fringe　of　curls　at　the　back　of　his　head　and　over　his　ears；　so　that　his　forehead　gleamed　in　the　firelight。　He　was　tall　and　strongly…made；　his　unwhiskered　jaw　square；　his　nose　wide　and　prominent。　His　strong；　heavy　features　had　a　deep　and　contemplative　look；　but　also　a　trace　of　sadness　…almost；　my　mother　once　told　me；　the　sort　of　face　she　thought　God　Himself　might　show　on　the　Day　of　Weighing…Out。
　　　　　　　He　frightened　her　and　he　excited　her　…　both　of　these　things　I　know　from　the　way　she　spoke　of　that　first　meeting。　But　did　she　love　him；　then　or　in　the　days　to　e？　I　cannot　say。　Does　it　matter？　So　many　years　later；　it　is　hard　to　believe　that　it　does。
　　　　　　　Her　time　in　her　father…in…law's　house　had　been　hard；　though。　Whatever　her　deepest　feelings　about　him；　I　do　not　doubt　that　she　was　happy　to　wed　Sulis。
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　In　the　month　that　my　mother　died；　when　I　was　in　my　thirteenth　year；　she　told　me　that　she　believed　Sulis　had　been　afraid　to　love　her。　She　never　explained　this　…　she　was　in　her　final　weakness；　and　it　was　difficult　for　her　to　speak　…　and　I　still　do　not　know　what　she　meant。
　　　　　　　The　next　to　the　last　thing　she　ever　said　to　me　made　even　less　sense。　When　the　weakness　in　her　chest　was　so　terrible　that　she　would　lose　the　strength　to　breathe　for　long　moments；　she　still　summoned　the　strength　to　declare；　'I　am　a　ghost。'
　　　　　　　She　may　have　spoken　of　her　suffering　…　that