gc.thewhiterose-第8部分

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　　　Chapter　Nine：THE　PLAIN　OF　FEAR
　　　
　　　The　Lieutenant　himself　stirred　me　out。　〃Elmo's　back；　Croaker。　Eat　some　breakfast；　then　report　to　the　conference　room。〃　He　was　a　sour　man　getting　sourer　every　day。　Sometimes　I　regret　having　voted　for　him　after　the　Captain　died　in　Juniper。　But　the　Captain　wished　it。　It　was　his　dying　request。
　　　〃Be　there　soonest；〃　I　said；　piling　out　without　my　customary　growl。　I　grabbed　clothing；　stirred　papers；　silently　mocked　myself。　How　often　did　I　doubt　voting　for　the　Captain　himself？　Yet　when　he　wanted　to　resign；　we　did　not　let　him。
　　　My　quarters　look　nothing　like　a　physician's　den。　The　walls　are　floor　to　ceiling　with　old　books。　I　have　read　most；　after　having　studied　the　languages　in　which　they　are　written。　Some　are　as　old　as　the　pany　itself；　recounting　ancient　histories。　Some　are　noble　genealogies；　stolen　from　widely　dispersed　old　temples　and　civil　offices。　The　rarest；　and　most　interesting；　chronicle　the　rise　and　growth　of　the　Domination。
　　　The　rarest　of　all　are　those　in　TelleKurre。　The　followers　of　the　White　Rose　were　not　gentle　victors。　They　burned　books　and　cities；　transported　women　and　children；　profaned　ancient　works　of　art　and　famous　shrines。　The　customary　afterglow　of　a　great　conflagration。　So　there　is　little　left　to　key　one　into　the　languages　and　thinking　and　history　of　the　losers。　Some　of　the　most　plainly　written　documents　I　possess　remain　totally　inaccessible。
　　　How　I　wish　Raven　were　with　us　still；　instead　of　dwelling　among　the　dead　men。　He　had　a　passing　familiarity　with　written　TelleKurre。　Few　outside　the　Lady's　intimate　circle　do。
　　　Goblin　stuck　his　head　in。　〃You　ing　or　not？〃
　　　I　cried　on　his　shoulder。　It　was　the　old　lament。　No　progress。　He　laughed。　〃Go　blow　in　your　girlfriend's　ear。　She　might　help。〃
　　　〃When　will　you　guys　let　up？〃　It　had　been　fifteen　years　since　I　wrote　my　last　simpleminded　romance　about　the　Lady。　That　was　before　the　long　retreat　which　led　the　Rebel　to　his　doom　before　the　Tower　at　Charm。　They　do　not　let　you　forget。
　　　〃Never；　Croaker。　Never。　Who　else　has　spent　the　night　with　her？　Who　else　goes　carpet…flying　with　her？〃
　　　I　would　rather　forget。　Those　were　times　of　terror；　not　romance。
　　　She　became　aware　of　my　annalistic　endeavors　and　asked　me　to　show　her　side。　More　or　less。　She　did　not　censor　or　dictate；　but　did　insist　I　remain　factual　and　impartial。　I　recall　thinking　she　expected　defeat；　wanted　an　unbiased　history　set　down　somewhere。
　　　Goblin　glanced　at　the　mound　of　documents。　〃You　can't　get　any　handle　on　it？〃
　　　〃I　don't　think　there　is　a　handle。　Everything　I　do　translate　turns　out　a　big　nothing。　Somebody's　expense　record。　An　appointment　calendar。　A　promotions　list。　A　letter　from　some　officer　to　a　friend　at　court。　Everything　way　older　than　what　I'm　looking　for。〃
　　　Goblin　raised　an　eyebrow。
　　　〃I'll　keep　on　trying。〃　There　was　something　there。　We　took　them　from　Whisper；　when　she　was　a　Rebel。　They　meant　a　lot　to　her。　And　our　mentor　then；　Soulcatcher；　thought　them　of　empire…toppling　significance。
　　　Thoughtfully；　Goblin　remarked；　〃Sometimes　the　whole　is　greater　than　the　sum　of　its　parts。　Maybe　you　should　look　for　what　ties　it　all　together。〃
　　　The　thought　had　occurred　to　me。　A　name　here；　there；　elsewhere；　revealing　the　wake　of　someone　through　his　or　her　earlier　days。　Maybe　I　would　find　it。　The　et　would　not　return　for　a　long　time。
　　　But　I　had　my　doubts。
　　　Darling　is　a　young　thing　yet；　just　into　her　middle　twenties。　But　the　bloom　of　youth　has　abandoned　her。　Hard　years　have　piled　on　hard　years。　There　is　little　feminine　about　her。　She　had　no　chance　to　develop　in　that　direction。　Even　after　two　years　on　the　Plain　none　of　us　think　of　her　as　woman。
　　　She　is　tall；　maybe　two　inches　under　six　feet。　Her　eyes　are　a　washed…out　blue　that　often　seems　vacant；　but　they　bee　swords　of　ice　when　she　is　thwarted。　Her　hair　is　blonde；　as　from　much　exposure　to　the　sun。　Without　continuous　attention　it　hangs　in　straggles　and　strings。　Not　vain；　she　keeps　it　shorter　than　is　stylish。　In　dress；　too；　she　leans　toward　the　utilitarian。　Some　first…time　visitors　are　offended　because　she　dresses　so　masculine。　But　she　leaves　them　with　no　doubts　that　she　can　handle　business。
　　　Her　role　came　to　her　unwanted；　but　she　has　made　peace　with　it；　has　assumed　it　with　stubborn　determination。　She　shows　a　wisdom　remarkable　for　her　age；　and　for　one　handicapped　as　she　is。　Raven　taught　her　well　during　those　few　years　he　was　her　guardian。
　　　She　was　pacing　when　I　arrived。　The　conference　room　is　earth…sided；　smokey；　crowded　even　when　empty。　It　smells　of　long　occupation　by　too　many　unclean　men。　The　old　messenger　from　Oar　was　there。　So　were　Tracker　and　Corder　and　several　other　outsiders。　Most　of　the　pany　were　present。　I　finger…signed　a　greeting。　Darling　gave　me　a　sisterly　hug；　asked　if　I　had　any　progress　to　report。
　　　I　spoke　for　the　group　and　signed　for　her。　〃I　am　sure　we　don't　have　all　the　documents　we　found　in　the　Forest　of　Cloud。　Not　just　because　I　can't　identify　what　I'm　looking　for；　either。　Everything　I　do　have　is　too　old。〃
　　　Darling's　features　are　regular。　Nothing　stands　out。　Yet　you　sense　character；　will；　that　this　woman　cannot　be　broken。　She　has　been　to　Hell　already。　It　did　not　touch　her　as　a　child。　She　will　not　be　touched　now。
　　　She　was　not　pleased。　She　signed；　〃We　will　not　have　the　time　we　thought。〃
　　　My　attention　was　half　elsewhere。　I　had　hoped　for　sparks　between　Tracker　and　the　other　westerner。　On　a　gut　level　I　had　responded　negatively　to　Tracker。　I　found　myself　with　an　irrational　hope　for　evidence　to　sustain　that　reaction。
　　　Nothing。
　　　Not　surprising。　The　cell　structure　of　the　movement　keeps　our　sympathizers　insulated　from　one　another。
　　　Darling　wanted　to　hear　from　Goblin　and　One…Eye　next。　Goblin　used　his　squeakiest　voice。　〃Everything　we　heard　is　true。　They　are　reinforcing　their　garrisons。　But　Corder　can　tell　you　better。　For　us；　the　mission　was　a　bust。　They　were　ready。　They　chased　us　all　over　the　Plain。　We　were　lucky　to　get　away。　We　didn't　get　no　help；　either。〃
　　　The　menhirs　and　their　weird　pals　are　on　our　side；　supposedly。　Sometimes　I　wonder。　They　are　unpredictable。　They　help　or　don't　according　to　a　formula　only　they　understand。
　　　Darling　was　little　interested　in　details　of　the　failed　raid。　She　moved　on　to　Corder。　He　said；　〃Armies　are　gathering　on　both　sides　of　the　Plain。　Under　mand　of　the　Taken。〃
　　　〃Taken？〃　I　asked。　I　knew　of　only　the　two。　He　sounded　like　he　meant　many。
　　　A　chill　then。　There　is　a　longtime　rumor　that　the　Lady　has　been　quiet　so　long　because　she　is　raising　a　new　crop　of　Taken。　I　had　not　believed　it。　The　age　is　sorrowfully　short　of　characters　of　the　magnificently　villainous　vitality　of　those　the　Dominator　took　in　olden　times：　Soulcatcher；　the　Hanged　Man；　Nightcrawler；　Shapeshifter；　the　Limper；　and　such。　Those　were　nastymen　of　the　grand　scope；　nearly　as　wild　and　hairy　in　their　wickedness　as　the　Lady　and　Dominator　themselves。　This　is　the　era　of　the　weak　sister；　excepting　only　Darling　and　Whisper。
　　　Corder　responded　shyly。　〃The　rumors　are　true；　Lord。〃
　　　Lord。　Me。　Because　I　stand　near　the　heart　of　the　dream。　I　hate　it；　yet　eat　it　up。　〃Yes？〃
　　　〃They　may　not　be　Stormbringers　or　Howlers；　these　new　Taken。〃　He　smiled　feebly。　〃Sir　Tucker　observed　that　the　old　Taken　were　wild　devils　as　unpredictable　as　the　lightning；　and　the　new　ones　are　the　predictable　tame　thunder　of　bureaucracy。　If　you　follow　my　meaning。〃
　　　〃I　do。　Go　on。〃
　　　〃It　is　believed　that　there　are　six　new　ones；　Lord。　Sir　Tucker　believes　they　are　about　to　be　unleashed。　Thus　the　great　buildup　around　the　Plain。　Sir　Tucker　believes　the　Lady　has　made　a　petition　of　our　destruction。〃
　　　Tucker。　Our　most　dedicated　agent。　One　of　the　few　survivors　of　the　long　siege　of　Rust。　His　hatred　knows　no　bounds。
　　　Corder　had　a　strange　look。　A　green…around…the…edges　look。　A　look　that　said　there　was　more；　and　all　bad。　〃Well？〃　I　said。　〃Spit　it　out。〃
　　　〃The　names　of　the　Taken　have　been　enscribed　on　stellae　raised　in　their　respective　demenses。　At　Rust　the　army　mander　is　named　Benefice。　His　stella　appeared　after　a　carpet　arrived　by　night。　He　has　not　actually　been　seen。〃
　　　That　bore　investigation。　Only　the　Taken　can　manage　a　carpet。　But　no　carpet　can　reach　Rust　without　crossing　the　Plain　of　Fear。　The　menhirs　have　reported　no　such　passage。　〃Benefice？　Interesting　name。　The　others？〃
　　　〃In　Thud　the　stella　bears　the　name　Blister。〃
　　　Chuckles。　I　said；　〃I　liked　it　better　when　the　names　were　descriptive。　Like　the　Limper；　Moonbiter；　the　Faceless　Man。〃
　　　〃At　Frost　we　have　one　called　the　Creeper。〃
　　　〃That's　better。〃　Darling　gave　me　a　cautionary　look。
　　　〃At　Rue　there　is　one　called　Learned。　And　at　Hull；　one　called　Scorn。〃
　　　〃Scorn。　I　like　that；　too。〃
　　　〃The　western　bounds　of　the　Plain　are　held　by　Whisper　and　Journey；　both　operating　from　a　village　called　Spit。〃
　　　Being　a　natural　mathematical　phenomenon；　I　summed　and　said；　〃That's　five　new　ones　and　two　old。　Where　is　the　other　new　one？〃
　　　〃I　don't　know。　The　only　other　is　the　mander　over　all。　His　stella　stands　in　the　military　pound　outside　Rust。〃
　　　The　way　he　said　that　abraded　my　nerves。　He　was　pale。　He　started　shaking。　A　premonition　gripped　me。　I　knew　I　would　not　like　what　he　said　next。　But；　〃Well？〃
　　　〃That　stella　bears　the　sigil　of　the　Limper。〃
　　　Right。　So　right。　I　did　not　like　it　at　all。
　　　The　feeling　was　universal。
　　　〃Oh！〃　Goblin　shrieked。
　　　One…Eye　said；　〃Holy　shit；〃　in　a　soft　awed　tone　that　was　all　the　more　meaningful　for　its　reserve。
　　　I　sat　down。　Right　there。　Right　in　the　middle　of　the　floor。　I　folded　my　head　in　my　hands。　I　wanted　to　cry。　〃Impossible；〃　I　said。　〃I　killed　him。　With　my　own　hands。〃　And　saying　it；　I　did　not　believe　it　anymore；　though　I　had　had　faith　in　that　fact　for　years。　〃But　how？〃
　　　〃Can't　keep　a　good　man　down；〃　Elmo　chided。　That　he　was　shaken　was　evidenced　by　the　smart　remark。　Elmo　says　nothing　gratuitously。
　　　The　feud　between　the　Limper　and　the　pany　dates　to　our　arrival　north　of　the　Sea　of　Torments；　for　it　was　then　that　we　enlisted　Raven；　a　mysterious　native　of　Opal；　a　man　of　former　high　estate　who　had　been　done　out　of　his　titles　and　livings　by　minions　of　the　Limper。　Raven　was　as　tough　as　they　e；　and　utterly　fearless。　The　robbery　sanctioned　by　Taken　or　not；　he　struck　back。　He　slew　the　villains；　among　them　the　Limper's　most　pete