gc.thewhiterose-第34部分

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　　　I'd　heard　it　before。　In　equally　furious　circumstances。
　　　In　Juniper；　as　the　contest　between　the　Lady　and　the　Dominator　neared　its　climax；　with　her　ensconced　in　a　castle　on　one　side　of　the　city　and　the　Dominator　trying　to　escape　through　another　on　the　far　side；　we　discovered　the　Taken　meant　to　do　the　pany　evil　once　the　crisis　subsided。　Under　orders　from　the　Captain　we　deserted。　We　seized　a　ship。　As　we　sailed　away；　with　husband　and　wife　contesting　above　the　burning　city；　the　struggle　peaked。　The　Lady　proved　the　stronger。
　　　The　voice　of　the　Dominator　shook　the　world　as　he　vented　a　last　spate　of　frustration。　He　had　called　her　by　the　name　Bomanz　had　thought　puissant。　Apparently；　even　the　Dominator　could　be　mistaken。
　　　One　sister　killed　another　and；　maybe　or　maybe　not；　took　her　place。　Soulcatcher；　our　one…time　mentor　and　plotter　to　usurp　the　Lady；　it　proved　during　the　great　struggle　at　Charm；　was　another　sister。　Three　sisters；　then。　At　least。　One　named　Ardath；　but　evidently　not　the　one　who　became　the　Lady。
　　　Maybe　the　beginnings　of　something　here。　All　those　lists；　back　in　the　Hole。　And　the　genealogies。　Find　a　woman　named　Ardath。　Then　discover　who　her　sisters　were。
　　　〃It's　a　beginning；〃　I　murmured。　〃Feeble；　but　a　beginning。〃
　　　〃What？〃
　　　I　had　forgotten　Case。　He　had　not　taken　advantage。　I　suppose　he　was　too　frightened。
　　　〃Nothing。〃　It　had　grown　dark　outside。　The　drizzle　persisted。　Out　on　the　Barrowland　ghostly　lights　drifted　about。　I　shuddered。　That　did　not　seem　right。　I　wondered　how　Goblin　and　One…Eye　were　getting　on。　I　did　not　dare　go　ask。　Over　in　a　corner　Tracker　snored　softly。　Toadkiller　Dog　lay　against　his　belly；　making　sleeping　dog　noises；　but　I　caught　a　glint　of　eye　which　said　he　was　not　unalert。
　　　I　invested　a　little　more　attention　in　Case。　He　was　shaking；　and　not　just　with　the　chill。　He　was　sure　we　would　kill　him。　I　reached　over；　rested　a　hand　on　his　shoulder。　〃It's　all　right；　son。　You　won't　be　harmed。　We　owe　you　for　looking　out　for　Raven。〃
　　　〃He's　really　Raven？　The　Raven　that　was　the　White　Rose's　father？〃
　　　The　lad　knew　the　legends。　〃Yeah。　Foster…father；　though。〃
　　　〃Then　he　didn't　lie　about　everything。　He　was　in　the　Forsberg　campaigns。〃
　　　That　struck　me　as　humorous。　I　chuckled；　then　said；　〃Knowing　Raven；　he　didn't　lie　about　much。　Just　edited　the　truth。〃
　　　〃You'll　really　let　me　go？〃
　　　〃When　we're　safe。〃
　　　〃Oh。〃　He　did　not　sound　reassured。
　　　〃Let's　say　when　we　get　to　the　edge　of　the　Plain　of　Fear。　You'll　find　plenty　of　friends　out　there。〃
　　　He　wanted　to　get　into　a　quasi…political　discussion　about　why　we　insisted　on　resisting　the　Lady。　I　refused。　I　am　no　evangelist。　I　can't　make　converts。　I　have　too　much　trouble　understanding　myself　and　unravelling　my　own　motives。　Maybe　Raven　could　explain　after　Goblin　and　One…Eye　brought　him　out。
　　　The　night　seemed　endless；　but　after　three　eternities　which　took　me　up　to　midnight　I　heard　unsteady　footsteps。　〃Croaker？〃
　　　〃In；〃　I　said。　It　was　Goblin。　Without　a　light　I　could　not　read　him　well；　but　got　the　impression　that　his　news　was　not　good。　〃Trouble？〃
　　　〃Yes。　We　can't　get　him　out。〃
　　　〃What　the　hell　are　you　talking　about？　What　do　you　mean？〃
　　　〃I　mean　we　don't　have　the　skills。　We　don't　have　the　talent。　This's　going　to　take　someone　bigger　than　we　are。　We　aren't　much；　Croaker。　Showmen。　With　a　few　handy　spells。　Maybe　Silent　could　do　something。　His　is　a　different　sort　of　magic。〃
　　　〃Maybe　you'd　better　back　up。　Where's　One…Eye？〃
　　　〃Resting。　It　was　rough　on　him。　Really　rocked　him；　what　he　saw　in　there。〃
　　　〃What　was　that？〃
　　　〃I　don't　know。　I　was　just　his　lifeline。　And　I　had　to　pull　him　out　before　he　got　trapped；　too。　All　I　know　is；　we　can't　get　Raven　without　help。〃
　　　〃Shit；〃　I　said。　〃Double　damned　floating　sheep　shit。　Goblin；　we　can't　win　this　one　unless　we　have　Raven　to　help。　I　don't　have　what　it　takes　either。　I'll　never　translate　half　those　papers。〃
　　　〃Not　even　with　Tracker's　help？〃
　　　〃He　reads　TelleKurre。　That's　it。　I　can　do　that；　only　I　take　longer。　Raven　must　know　the　dialects。　Some　of　the　stuff　he　was　translating　was　in　them。　Also；　there's　the　question　of　what　he　was　doing　here。　Why　he　faked　his　death　again　and　took　off　on　Darling。〃
　　　Maybe　I　was　jumping　to　conclusions。　I　do　that。　Or　maybe　I　was　indulging　in　the　human　penchant　for　oversimplification；　figuring　that　if　we　just　had　Raven　back　our　troubles　were　solved。　〃What　are　we　going　to　do？〃　I　wondered　aloud。
　　　Goblin　rose。　〃I　don't　know；　Croaker。　Let's　let　One…Eye　get　his　feet　under　him　again　and　find　out　what　we're　up　against。　We　can　go　from　there。〃
　　　〃Right。〃
　　　He　slipped　out。　I　lay　down　and　tried　to　sleep。　Whenever　I　dropped　off　I　had　nightmares　about　the　thing　lying　in　the　mud　and　slime　the　Barrowland　had　bee。
　　　
　　　Chapter　Thirty…Six：　HARD　TIMES
　　　
　　　One…Eye　looked　gruesome。　〃It　was　grim；〃　he　said。　〃Get　the　chart　out。　Croaker。〃　I　did。　He　indicated　a　point。　〃He's　here。　And　stuck。　Looks　like　he　went　all　the　way　to　the　center　along　Bomanz's　trail；　then　got　in　trouble　on　his　way　out。〃
　　　〃How？　I　don't　understand　what's　going　on　here。〃
　　　〃I　wish　you　could　go　in　there。　A　realm　of　terrible　shadows　。　。　。　Guess　I　should　be　glad　you　can't。　You'd　try　it。〃
　　　〃What's　that　crack　mean？〃
　　　〃Mean's　you're　too　curious　for　your　own　good。　Like　old　Bomanz。　No。　Be　still。〃　He　paused　a　moment。
　　　〃Croaker；　something　that　was　trapped　there；　one　of　the　minions　of　the　Taken；　was　situated　near　Bomanz's　path。　He　was　too　strong　for　it。　But　Raven　was　an　amateur。　I　think　Goblin；　Silent；　and　I　together　would　have　trouble　with　this　thing；　and　we're　more　skilled　than　Raven　could　be。　He　underestimated　the　dangers　and　overestimated　himself。　As　he　was　leaving；　this　thing　usurped　his　position　and　left　him　in　its　place。〃
　　　I　frowned；　not　quite　understanding。
　　　One…Eye　explained；　〃Something　used　him　to　keep　the　balance　of　the　old　spells。　So　he's　stuck　in　a　net　of　old…time　sorcery。　And　it's　out　here。〃
　　　A　sinking　feeling。　A　feeling　edging　despair。　〃Out？　And　you　don't　know？　。　。　。　〃
　　　〃Nothing。　The　chart　indicates　nothing。　Bomanz　must　have　been　contemptuous　of　the　lesser　evils。　He　hasn't　marked　a　dozen。　There　should　have　been　scores。〃
　　　The　literature　supported　that。　〃What　did　he　tell　you？　Were　you　able　to　municate？〃
　　　〃No。　He　was　aware　of　a　presence。　But　he's　in　a　sinkhole　of　spells。　I　couldn't　contact　him　without　getting　caught　myself。　There's　a　small　imbalance　there；　like　what　went　out　might　have　been　a　hair　more　than　what　stayed　in。　I　did　try　to　get　close　to　him。　That　was　why　Goblin　had　to　yank　me　out。　I　did　sense　a　great　fear；　not　due　to　his　situation。　Only　anger　there。　I　think　he　got　caught　only　because　he　was　in　so　big　a　hurry　he　didn't　pay　attention　to　his　surroundings。〃
　　　I　got　the　message。　Been　to　the　center；　and　in　flight。　What　lay　at　the　center？　〃You　think　whatever　got　away　might　try　to　open　the　Great　Barrow？〃
　　　〃It　might　try　engineering　it。〃
　　　I　had　a　brainstorm。　〃Why　not　sneak　Darling　out　here？　She　could　。　。　。　〃
　　　One…Eye　gave　me　a　don't…be…stupid　look。　Right。　Raven　was　the　least　of　the　things　a　null　would　loose。
　　　〃The　big　guy　would　love　that；〃　Goblin　chided。　〃Purely　love　it。〃
　　　〃There's　nothing　we　can　do　for　Raven　here。〃　One…Eye　said。　〃Someday　we　might　find　a　wizard　who　can。　Till　then？〃　He　shrugged。　〃Better　make　a　pact　of　silence。　Darling　might　forget　her　mission　if　she　finds　out。〃
　　　〃Agreed；〃　I　said。　Then：　〃But　。　。　。　〃
　　　〃But　what？〃
　　　〃I've　been　thinking　about　that。　Darling　and　Raven。　There's　something　there　we　don't　see；　I　think。　I　mean；　considering　the　way　he　always　was；　why　did　he　cut　out　and　e　here？　On　the　face　of　it；　to　sneak　around　the　Lady　and　her　gang。　But　why　would　he　leave　Darling　in　the　dark？　You　see　what　I'm　saying？　Maybe　she　wouldn't　be　as　upset　as　we　think。　Or　maybe　for　different　reasons。〃
　　　One…Eye　looked　dubious。　Goblin　nodded。　Tracker　looked　baffled；　as　usual。
　　　〃What　about　his　body？〃　I　asked。
　　　〃A　definite　encumbrance；〃　One…Eye　replied。　〃And　I　can't　say　but　what　taking　him　to　the　Plain　might　not　snap　the　connection　between　flesh　and　spirit。〃
　　　〃Stop。〃　I　looked　at　Case。　He　looked　at　me。　Here　we　had　another　double　bind。
　　　I　knew　one　sure　way　of　solving　Raven's　body　problem。　And　of　getting　him　brought　out。　Betray　him　to　the　Lady。　That　might　solve　several　other　problems；　too。　Like　the　escaped　whatever；　and　the　threat　of　another　escape　attempt　by　her　husband。　It　might　buy　Darling　time；　too；　for　the　Lady's　attention　would　shift　dramatically。
　　　But　what　would　bee　of　Raven　then？
　　　He　could　be　the　key　to　our　success　or　failure。　Give　him　up　to　save　him？　Play　the　very　long　odds　that　we　could　somehow　get　him　in　hand　again　before　his　knowledge　could　hurt　us？　Ever　a　quandary。　Ever　a　quandary。
　　　Goblin　suggested；　〃Let's　give　it　another　look。　This　time　I'll　take　the　point。　One…Eye　will　cover。〃
　　　One…Eye's　sour　look　said　they　had　had　a　knock…down…drag…out　about　this　before。　I　kept　my　mouth　shut。　It　was　their　area　of　expertise。
　　　〃Well？〃　Goblin　demanded。
　　　〃If　you　think　it's　worthwhile。〃
　　　〃I　do。　Anyway；　there's　nothing　to　lose。　Different　viewpoint　might　help；　too。　I　might　catch　something　he　missed。〃
　　　〃Having　only　one　eye　don't　blind　me；〃　One…Eye　snarled。　Goblin　glowered。　This　had　arisen　before；　too。
　　　〃Don't　waste　time；〃　I　said。　〃We　can't　stay　put　forever。〃
　　　Sometimes　decisions　get　made　for　you。
　　　Deep　in　the　night。　Wind　in　the　trees。　Chill　fingering　into　the　shelter；　waking　me　to　shiver　till　I　fell　asleep　again。　Rain　pattering　steadily；　but　not　restfully。　Gods；　was　I　sick　of　rain。　How　could　the　Eternal　Guard　maintain　any　semblance　of　sanity？
　　　A　hand　shook　me。　Tracker　whispered；　〃pany　ing。　Trouble。〃　Toadkiller　Dog　was　at　the　tent　flap；　hackles　up。
　　　I　listened。　Nothing。　But　no　point　not　taking　his　word。　Better　safe　than　dead。　〃What　about　Goblin　and　One…Eye？〃
　　　〃Not　finished　yet。〃
　　　〃Oh…oh。〃　I　scrambled　for　clothing；　for　weapons。　Tracker　said；　〃I'll　go　scout　them　and　try　to　scare　or　lead　them　off。　You　warn　the　others。　Get　ready　to　run。〃　He　slipped　out　of　the　tent　behind　Toadkiller　Dog。　Damned　beast　showed　some　life　now！
　　　Our　whispering　wakened　Case。　Neither　of　us　spoke。　I　wondered　what　he　would　risk。　I　covered　my　head　with　my　blanket　and　left。　Sufficient　unto　the　day　the　evil　thereof。
　　　Into　the　other　tent；　where　I　found　bo