gc.thewhiterose-第12部分

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y　but　often　could　not　get　through。
　　　〃Well；　let's　see　the　man；〃　Corbie　said。　And：　〃That's　the　last　bacon。　The　Colonel　better　think　about　farming　here；　just　in　case。〃
　　　〃They　talked　about　it。〃　Corbie　had　befriended　Case　partly　because　he　served　at　headquarters。　Colonel　Sweet　would　play　chess　and　talk　old　times；　but　he　never　revealed　any　plans。
　　　〃And？〃
　　　〃Not　enough　land。　Not　enough　fodder。〃
　　　〃Pigs。　They　get　fat　on　acorns。〃
　　　〃Need　herdsmen。　Else　the　tribemen　would　get　them。〃
　　　〃I　guess　so。〃
　　　The　Colonel　ushered　Corbie　into　his　private　quarters。　Corbie　joked；　〃Don't　you　ever　work？　Sir？〃
　　　〃The　operation　runs　itself。　Been　rolling　four　centuries；　that's　the　way　it　goes。　I　have　a　problem。　Corbie。〃
　　　Corbie　grimaced。　〃Sir？〃
　　　〃Appearances；　Corbie。　This　is　a　world　that　lives　by　perceptions。　You　aren't　presenting　a　proper　appearance。〃
　　　〃Sir？〃
　　　〃We　had　a　visitor　last　month。　From　Charm。〃
　　　〃I　didn't　know　that。〃
　　　〃Neither　did　anyone　else。　Except　me。　What　you　might　call　a　prolonged　surprise　inspection。　They　happen　occasionally。〃　Sweet　settled　behind　his　worktable；　pushed　aside　the　chess　set　over　which　they　had　contested　so　often。　He　drew　a　long　sheet　of　southern　paper　from　a　cubby　at　his　right　knee。　Corbie　glimpsed　printing　in　a　crabbed　hand。
　　　〃Taken？　Sir？〃
　　　Corbie　never　sirred　anyone　except　as　an　afterthought。　The　habit　disturbed　Sweet。　〃Yes。　With　the　Lady's　carte　blanche。　He　did　not　abuse　it。　But　he　did　make　remendations。　And　he　did　mention　people　whose　behavior　he　found　unacceptable。　Your　name　was　first　on　the　list。　What　the　hell　are　you　doing；　wandering　around　all　night？〃
　　　〃Thinking。　I　can't　sleep。　The　war　did　something。　The　things　I　saw　。　。　。　The　guerrillas。　You　don't　want　to　go　to　sleep　because　they　might　attack。　If　you　do　sleep；　you　dream　about　the　blood。　Homes　and　fields　burning。　Animals　and　children　screaming。　That　was　the　worst。　The　babies　crying。　I　still　hear　the　babies　crying。〃　He　exaggerated　very　little。　Each　time　he　went　to　bed　he　had　to　get　past　the　crying　of　babes。
　　　He　told　most　of　the　truth　and　wound　it　into　an　imaginative　lie。　Babies　crying。　The　babies　who　haunted　him　were　his　own；　innocents　abandoned　in　a　moment　of　fear　of　mitment。
　　　〃I　know；〃　Sweet　replied。　〃I　know。　At　Rust　they　killed　their　children　rather　than　let　us　capture　them。　The　hardest　men　in　the　regiment　wept　when　they　saw　the　mothers　hurling　their　infants　down　from　the　walls；　then　jumping　after　them。　I　never　married。　I　have　no　children。　But　I　know　what　you　mean。　Did　you　have　any？〃
　　　〃A　son；〃　Corbie　said；　in　a　voice　both　soft　and　strained；　from　a　body　almost　shaking　with　pain。　〃And　a　daughter。　Twins；　they　were。　Long　ago　and　far　away。〃
　　　〃And　what　became　of　them？〃
　　　〃I　don't　know。　I　would　hope　they're　living　still。　They　would　be　about　Case's　age。〃
　　　Sweet　raised　an　eyebrow　but　let　the　remark　slide　past。　〃And　their　mother？〃
　　　Corbie's　eyes　became　iron。　Hot　iron；　like　a　brand。　〃Dead。〃
　　　〃I'm　sorry。〃
　　　Corbie　did　not　respond。　His　expression　suggested　he　was　not　sorry　himself。
　　　〃You　understand　what　I'm　saying；　Corbie？〃　Sweet　asked。　〃You　were　noticed　by　one　of　the　Taken。　That's　never　healthy。〃
　　　〃I　get　the　message。　Which　was　it？〃
　　　〃I　can't　say。　Which　of　the　Taken　are　where　when　could　be　of　interest　to　the　Rebel。〃
　　　Corbie　snorted。　〃What　Rebel？　We　wiped　them　out　at　Charm。〃
　　　〃Perhaps。　But　there　is　that　White　Rose。〃
　　　〃I　thought　they　were　going　to　get　her？〃
　　　〃Yeah。　The　stories　you　hear。　Going　to　have　her　in　chains　before　the　month　is　out。　Been　saying　that　since　first　we　heard　of　her。　She's　light　on　her　feet。　Maybe　light　enough。〃　Sweet's　smile　faded。　〃At　least　I　won't　be　around　next　time　the　et　es。　Brandy？〃
　　　〃Yes。〃
　　　〃Chess？　Or　do　you　have　a　job？〃
　　　〃Not　right　away。　I'll　go　you　one　game。〃
　　　Halfway　through；　Sweet　said；　〃Remember　what　I　said。　Eh？　The　Taken　claimed　he　was　leaving。　But　there's　no　guarantee。　Could　be　behind　a　bush　someplace　watching。〃
　　　〃I'll　pay　more　attention　to　what　I'm　doing。〃　He　would。　The　last　thing　he　wanted　was　a　Taken　interested　in　him。　He　had　e　too　far　to　waste　himself　now。
　　　
　　　Chapter　Twelve：THE　PLAIN　OF　FEAR
　　　
　　　I　had　the　watch。　My　belly　gnawed；　weighted　by　lead。　All　day　dots　had　traversed　the　sky；　high　up。　A　pair　were　there　now；　patroling。　The　continuous　presence　of　Taken　was　not　a　good　omen。
　　　Closer；　two　manta　pairs　planed　the　afternoon　air。　They　would　ride　the　updrafts　up；　then　circle　down；　taunting　the　Taken；　trying　to　lure　them　across　the　boundary。　They　resented　outsiders。　The　more　so　these；　because　these　would　crush　them　but　for　Darling…another　intruder。
　　　Walking　trees　were　on　the　move　beyond　the　creek。　The　dead　menhirs　glistened；　somehow　changed　from　their　usual　dullness。　Things　were　happening　on　the　Plain。　No　outsider　could　prehend　their　import　fully。
　　　One　great　shadow　clung　to　the　desert。　Way　up　there；　daring　the　Taken；　a　lone　windwhale　hovered。　An　occasional；　barely　perceptible　bass　roar　tumbled　down。　I'd　never　heard　one　talk　before。　They　do　so　only　when　enraged。
　　　A　breeze　muttered　and　whimpered　in　the　coral。　Old　Father　Tree　sang　counterpoint　to　the　windwhale。
　　　A　menhir　spoke　behind　me。　〃Your　enemies　e　soon。〃　I　shivered。　It　recalled　the　flavor　of　a　nightmare　I　have　been　having　lately。　I　can　recall　no　specifics　afterward；　only　that　it　is　filled　with　terror。
　　　I　refused　to　be　unsettled　by　the　sneaky　stone。　Much。
　　　What　are　they？　Where　did　they　e　from？　Why　are　they　different　from　normal　stones？　For　that　matter；　why　is　the　Plain　ridiculously　different？　Why　so　bellicose？　We　are　here　on　sufferance　only；　allied　against　a　greater　enemy。　Shatter　the　Lady　and　see　how　our　friendship　prospers。
　　　〃How　soon？〃
　　　〃When　they　are　ready。〃
　　　〃Brilliant；　old　stone。　Positively　illuminating。〃
　　　My　sarcasm　did　not　go　unnoticed；　just　unremarked。　The　menhirs　have　their　own　flare　for　sarcasm　and　the　sharp…edged　tongue。
　　　〃Five　armies；〃　said　the　voice。　〃They　will　not　wait　long。〃
　　　I　indicated　the　sky。　〃The　Taken　cruise　at　will。　Unchallenged。〃
　　　〃They　have　not　challenged。〃　True。　But　a　weak　excuse。　Allies　should　be　allies。　More；　windwhales　and　mantas　usually　consider　appearance　on　the　Plain　sufficient　challenge。　It　occurred　to　me　the　Taken　might　have　bought　them　off。
　　　〃Not　so。〃　The　menhir　had　moved。　Its　shadow　now　fell　across　my　toes。　I　finally　looked。　This　one　was　just　ten　feet　tall。　A　real　runt。
　　　It　had　guessed　my　thought。　Damn。
　　　It　continued　telling　me　what　I　already　knew。　〃It　is　not　possible　to　deal　from　a　position　of　strength　always。　Take　care。　There　has　been　a　call　to　the　Peoples　to　reassess　your　acceptance　on　the　Plain。〃
　　　So。　This　overtalkative　hunk　was　an　emissary。　The　natives　were　scared。　Some　thought　they　could　save　themselves　trouble　by　booting　us　out。
　　　〃Yes。〃
　　　〃The　Peoples〃　doesn't　properly　describe　the　parliament　of　species　that　makes　decisions　here；　but　I　know　no　better　title。
　　　If　the　menhirs　are　to　be　believed…and　they　lie　only　by　omission　or　indirection…over　forty　intelligent　species　inhabit　the　Plain　of　Fear。　Those　I　know　include　menhirs；　walking　trees；　windwhales　and　mantas；　a　handful　of　humans　（both　primitives　and　hermits）；　two　kinds　of　lizard；　a　bird　like　a　buzzard；　a　giant　white　bat；　and　an　extremely　scarce　critter　that　looks　like　a　camel…centaur　put　together　backward。　I　mean；　the　humanoid　half　is　behind。　The　creature　runs　toward　what　most　would　take　as　its　fanny。
　　　No　doubt　I　have　encountered　others　without　recognizing　them。
　　　Goblin　says　there　is　a　tiny　rock　monkey　that　lives　in　the　hearts　of　the　great　coral　reefs。　He　claims　it　looks　like　a　miniature　One…Eye。　But　Goblin　is　not　to　be　trusted　where　One…Eye　is　concerned。
　　　〃I　am　charged　with　delivering　a　warning；〃　the　menhir　said。　〃There　are　strangers　on　the　Plain。〃
　　　I　asked　questions。　When　it　did　not　answer　I　turned　irritably。　It　was　gone。　〃Damned　stone　。　。　。　〃
　　　Tracker　and　his　mutt　stood　in　the　mouth　of　the　Hole；　watching　the　Taken。
　　　Darling　interviewed　Tracker　thoroughly；　I'm　told。　I　missed　that。　She　was　satisfied。
　　　I　had　an　argument　with　Elmo。　Elmo　liked　Tracker。　〃Reminds　me　of　Raven；〃　he　said。　〃We　could　use　a　few　hundred　Ravens。〃
　　　〃Reminds　me　of　Raven；　too。　And　that's　what　I　don't　like。〃　But　what　good　arguing？　We　cannot　always　like　everyone。　Darling　thinks　he　is　all　right。　Elmo　thinks　so。　The　Lieutenant　accepts　him。　Why　should　I　be　different？　Hell；　if　he　is　from　the　same　mold　as　Raven；　the　Lady　is　in　trouble。
　　　He　will　be　tested　soon　enough。　Darling　has　something　in　mind。　Something　preemptive；　I　suspect。　Possibly　toward　Rust。
　　　Rust。　Where　the　Limper　had　raised　his　stella。
　　　The　Limper。　Back　from　the　dead。　I　did　everything　but　burn　the　body。　Should　have　done　that；　I　guess。　Bloody　hell。
　　　The　scary　part　is　wondering　if　he　is　the　only　one。　Did　others　survive　apparent　certain　death？　Are　they　hidden　away　now；　waiting　to　astound　the　world？　〃
　　　A　shadow　fell　across　my　feet。　I　returned　to　the　living。　Tracker　stood　beside　me。　〃You　look　distressed；〃　he　said。　He　did　show　one　every　courtesy；　I　must　admit。
　　　I　looked　toward　those　patrolling　reminders　of　the　struggle。　I　said；　〃I　am　a　soldier；　grown　old　and　tired　and　confused。　I　have　been　fighting　since　before　you　were　born。　And　I　have　yet　to　see　anything　gained。〃
　　　He　smiled　a　thin；　almost　secretive　smile。　It　made　me　unfortable。　Everything　he　did　made　me　unfortable。　Even　his　damned　dog　made　me　unfortable；　and　it　did　nothing　but　sleep。　Much　as　it　loafed；　how　had　it　managed　the　journey　from　Oar？　Too　much　like　work。　I　swear；　that　dog　won't　even　get　in　a　hurry　to　eat。
　　　〃Be　of　good　faith；　Croaker；〃　Tracker　said。　〃She　will　fall。〃　He　spoke　with　absolute　conviction。　〃She　hasn't　the　strength　to　tame　the　world。〃
　　　There　was　that　scariness　again。　True　or　not；　the　way　he　expressed　the　sentiment　was　disturbing。
　　　〃We'll　bring　them　all　down。〃　He　indicated　the　Taken。　〃They　aren't　real；　like　those　of　old。〃
　　　Toadkiller　Dog　sneezed　on　Tracker's　boot。　He　looked　down。　I　thought　he　would　kick　the　mutt。　But　instead　he　bent　to　scratch　the　dog's　ear。
　　　〃Toadkiller　Dog。　What　kind　of　name　is　that？〃
　　　〃Oh；　it's　an　old　joke。　From　when　we　were　both　a　lot　younger。　He　took　a　shine　to　it。　Insists　on　it　now。〃
　　　Tracker　seemed　only　half　there。　His　eyes　were　vacant；　his　gaze　far　away；　though　he　con