rh.theassassinsapprentice-第82部分

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ands　gripped　mine　as　I　scrabbled　up　a　slippery　cliff。　Gripped　and　held　tight　and　drew　me　in　when　I　would　have　slipped　away。
　　　　　　　Chivalry！　No；　it　can't　be；　it's　the　boy！　Fitz？
　　　　　　　You　imagine　things；　my　prince。　There　is　no　one　there。　Attend　to　what　we　do　now。　Galen；　calm　and　insidious　as　poison　as　he　pushed　me　aside。　I　could　not　withstand　him；　he　was　too　strong。
　　　　　　　Fitz？　Verity；　unsure　now　as　I　grew　weaker。
　　　　　　　From　I　knew　not　where；　I　found　strength。　Something　gave　way　before　me；　and　I　was　strong。　I　clung　to　Verity　like　a　hawk　on　his　wrist。　I　was　there　with　him。　I　saw　with　Verity's　eyes：　the　freshly　decked　throne　room；　the　Book　of　Events　on　the　great　table　before　him；　laid　open　to　receive　the　recording　of　Verity's　marriage。　Around　him；　in　their　best　finery　and　most　costly　jewels；　the　few　honored　ones　who　had　been　invited　to　witness　Verity　witnessing　his　bride's　pledge　through　August's　eyes。　And　Galen；　who　was　supposed　to　be　offering　his　strength　as　a　king's　man；　was　poised　beside　and　slightly　behind　Verity；　waiting　to　drain　him　dry。　And　Shrewd；　in　crown　and　robe　upon　his　throne；　was　all　unknowing；　his　Skill　burned　and　dulled　away　years　ago　by　misuse；　and　him　too　proud　to　admit　it。
　　　　　　　Like　an　echo；　I　saw　through　August's　eyes　as　Kettricken　stood　pale　as　a　wax　candle　on　a　dais　before　all　her　people。　She　was　telling　them；　simply　and　kindly；　that　last　night　Rurisk　had　finally　succumbed　to　the　arrow　wound　he　had　taken　on　the　Ice　Fields。　She　hoped　to　please　his　memory　by　pledging　herself　as　he　had　helped　arrange；　to　the　King…in…Waiting　of　the　Six　Duchies。　She　turned　to　face　Regal。
　　　　　　　In　Buckkeep；　Galen's　claw　of　a　hand　settled　on　Verity's　shoulder。
　　　　　　　I　broke　into　his　link　with　Verity；　pushed　him　aside。
　　　　　　　Beware　Galen；　Verity。　Beware　a　traitor；　e　to　drain　you　dry。　Touch　him　not。
　　　　　　　Galen's　hand　tightened　on　Verity's　shoulder。　Suddenly　all　was　a　sucking　vortex；　draining；　trying　to　pull　everything　out　of　Verity。　And　there　was　not　much　left　to　take。　His　Skill　was　so　strong　because　he　let　it　take　so　much　from　him　so　fast。　Self…preservation　would　have　made　another　man　hold　back　some　of　his　strength。　But　Verity　had　been　spending　his　recklessly；　every　day；　to　keep　the　Red…Ships　from　his　shores。　So　little　left　now　for　this　ceremony；　and　Galen　was　absorbing　it。　And　growing　stronger　as　he　did　so。　I　clung　to　Verity；　fighting　desperately　to　reduce　the　loss。　Verity！　I　cried　to　him。　My　prince。　I　sensed　a　brief　rallying　in　him；　but　all　was　growing　dim　before　his　eyes。　I　heard　a　stirring　of　alarm　as　he　sagged　and　caught　at　the　table。　Faithless　Galen　kept　his　grip　on　him；　bent　over　him　as　he　went　to　one　knee；　murmuring　solicitously；　〃My　prince？　Are　you　quite　all　right？〃
　　　　　　　I　flung　my　strength　to　Verity；　reserves　I　had　not　suspected　in　myself。　I　opened　up　and　let　go　of　them；　just　as　Verity　did　when　he　Skilled。　I　had　not　known　I　had　so　much　to　give。　〃Take　it　all。　I　would　die　anyway。　And　you　were　always　good　to　me　when　I　was　young。〃　I　heard　the　words　as　clearly　as　if　I　had　spoken　them；　and　felt　the　breaking　of　a　mortal　bond　as　strength　flowed　into　Verity　through　me。　He　waxed　suddenly　strong；　beast　strong；　and　angry。
　　　　　　　Verity's　hand　rose　to　grip　Galen's。　He　opened　his　eyes。　〃I　shall　be　fine；〃　he　said　to　Galen；　aloud。　He　looked　around　the　room　as　he　rose　to　his　feet　again。　〃I　but　worried　about　you。　You　seemed　to　tremble。　Are　you　sure　you　are　strong　enough　for　this？　You　must　not　attempt　a　challenge　that　is　beyond　you。　Think　what　might　happen。〃　And　as　a　gardener　pulls　a　weed　from　the　earth；　Verity　smiled；　and　pulled　from　the　traitor　all　that　was　in　him。　Galen　fell；　clutching　his　chest；　an　empty　man…shaped　thing。　The　onlookers　rushed　to　attend　him；　but　Verity；　replete　now；　lifted　his　eyes　to　the　window　and　focused　his　mind　afar。
　　　　　　　August。　Attend　me　well。　Warn　Regal　his　half　brother　is　dead。　Verity　boomed　like　the　sea；　and　I　felt　August　quail　at　the　strength　of　the　Skilling。　Galen　was　too　ambitious。　He　attempted　that　which　was　beyond　his　Skill。　A　pity　the　Queen's　bastard　could　not　be　content　with　the　position　she　gave　him。　A　pity　my　younger　brother　could　not　dissuade　his　half　brother　from　his　misplaced　ambitions。　Galen　overstepped　his　position。　My　younger　brother　should　take　heed　of　what　es　of　such　recklessness。　And；　August。　Be　sure　you　tell　Regal　privately。　Not　many　knew　Galen　was　the　Queen's　bastard　and　his　half　brother。　I　am　sure　he　would　not　want　scandal　to　soil　his　mother's　name；　or　his。　Such　family　secrets　should　be　well　guarded。
　　　　　　　And　then；　with　a　force　that　put　August　on　his　knees；　Verity　pushed　through　him　to　stand　before　Kettricken　in　her　mind。　I　sensed　his　effort　to　be　gentle。　I　await　you；　my　queen…in…waiting。　And　by　my　name；　I　swear　to　you　I　had　naught　to　do　with　your　brother's　death。　I　knew　nothing　of　it；　and　I　grieve　with　you。　I　would　not　want　you　to　e　to　me　thinking　his　blood　on　my　hands。　Like　a　jewel　opening　was　the　light　in　Verity's　heart　as　he　exposed　it　to　her　that　she　might　know　she　had　not　been　given　to　a　murderer。　Selflessly；　he　made　himself　vulnerable　to　her；　giving　trust　to　build　trust。　She　swayed；　but　stood。　August　fainted。　That　contact　was　gone。
　　　　　　　And　then　Verity　was　shoving　at　me。　Back；　get　back；　Fitz。　That's　too　much；　you'll　die。　Back；　let　go！　And　he　cuffed　me　like　a　bear；　and　I　slammed　back　into　my　silent；　sightless　body。
　　　　　　　
　　　　　　　CHAPTER　TWENTY…FOUR
　　　　　　　The　Aftermath
　　　　　　　IN　THE　GREAT　LIBRARY　at　Jhaampe　there　is　a　tapestry　that　is　rumored　to　contain　a　map　through　the　mountains　to　the　Rain　Wilds。　Like　many　Jhaampe　maps　and　books；　the　information　contained　was　considered　so　valuable　that　it　was　encoded　in　the　forms　of　riddles　and　visual　puzzles。　Figured　on　the　tapestry；　among　many　images；　are　the　forms　of　a　dark…haired；　dark　man；　stout　and　muscular　and　bearing　a　red　shield；　and　in　the　opposite　corner；　a　golden…skinned　being。　The　golden…skinned　creature　has　been　the　victim　of　moths　and　fraying；　but　it　is　still　possible　to　see　that　in　the　scale　of　the　tapestry；　it　is　much　larger　than　a　human；　and　possibly　winged。　Buckkeep　legend　has　it　that　King　Wisdom　sought　and　found　the　Elderlings'　homeland　by　a　secret　path　through　the　Mountain　Kingdom。　Could　these　figures　represent　an　Elderling　and　King　Wisdom？　Does　this　tapestry　record　the　path　through　the　Mountain　Kingdom　to　the　Elderlings'　homeland　in　the　Rain　Wilds？
　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　Much　later　I　learned　how　I　had　been　found；　leaning　against　Burrich's　body　on　the　tile　floor　of　the　steams。　I　was　shaking　as　with　an　ague　and　could　not　be　roused。　Jonqui　found　us；　though　how　she　knew　to　look　in　the　steams　I　will　never　know。　I　will　always　suspect　that　she　was　to　Eyod　as　Chade　was　to　Shrewd；　not　as　assassin　perhaps；　but　as　one　who　had　ways　of　knowing　or　finding　out　almost　anything　that　happened　within　the　palace。　However　it　was；　she　took　mand　of　the　situation。　Burrich　and　I　were　isolated　in　a　chamber　separate　from　the　palace；　and　I　suspect　that　for　a　while　no　one　from　Buckkeep　knew　where　we　were　or　if　we　lived。　She　tended　us　herself　with　the　aid　of　one　old　manservant。
　　　　　　　I　awoke　some　two　days　after　the　wedding。　Four　of　the　most　miserable　days　of　my　life　were　spent　lying　in　bed；　limbs　a　twitch　but　not　at　my　mand。　I　dozed　often；　in　a　deadened　way　that　was　not　pleasant；　and　either　dreamed　vividly　of　Verity；　or　sensed　him　trying　to　Skill　to　me。　The　Skill　dreams　conveyed　no　sense　to　me；　other　than　that　he　was　concerned　for　me。　I　grasped　only　isolated　bits　of　knowledge　from　them；　such　as　the　color　of　the　curtains　in　the　room　he　Skilled　from；　or　the　feel　of　a　ring　on　his　finger　that　he　absently　twisted　as　he　tried　to　reach　me。　Some　more　violent　jerk　of　my　muscles　would　shake　me　from　my　dreams；　and　my　spasming　would　torment　me　until；　exhausted；　I　dozed　again。
　　　　　　　My　periods　of　alertness　were　as　bad；　for　Burrich　lay　on　a　pallet　in　the　same　room；　breathing　hoarsely；　but　doing　little　more　than　that。　His　features　were　swollen　and　discolored　such　that　he　was　barely　recognizable。　From　the　beginning　Jonqui　gave　me　little　hope　for　him；　either　that　he　would　live；　or　that　he　would　be　himself　if　he　did　survive。
　　　　　　　But　Burrich　had　cheated　death　before。　The　swelling　gradually　subsided；　the　purpling　faded；　and　when　he　did　awaken；　he　proceeded　to　recover　himself　swiftly。　He　had　no　memories　of　anything　that　occurred　after　he　took　me　from　the　stable。　I　told　him　only　what　he　needed　to　know。　It　was　more　than　it　was　safe　for　him　to　know；　but　I　owed　it　to　him。　He　was　up　and　about　before　I　was；　though　at　first　he　had　times　of　dizziness　and　headaches。　But　before　long　Burrich　was　getting　to　know　the　Jhaampe　stables　and　exploring　the　town　at　his　leisure。　In　the　evenings　he　would　return；　and　we　had　many　long；　quiet　conversations。　We　both　avoided　topics　where　we　knew　we　would　disagree；　and　there　were　areas；　such　as　Chade's　teachings；　where　I　could　not　be　open　with　him。　Mostly；　though；　we　talked　about　dogs　he　had　known；　and　horses　he'd　trained；　and　sometimes　he　spoke；　a　little；　of　his　early　days　with　Chivalry。　One　evening　I　told　him　about　Molly。　He　was　quiet　for　a　time；　and　then　told　me　that　he'd　heard　the　owner　of　the　Beebalm　Chandlery　had　died　in　debt；　and　that　his　daughter　who　had　expected　to　inherit　it　had　gone　to　live　with　relatives　in　a　village　instead。　He　did　not　remember　what　village；　but　knew　someone　who　would　know。　He　did　not　mock　me；　but　told　me　seriously　that　I　should　know　my　own　mind　before　I　saw　her　again。
　　　　　　　August　never　Skilled　again。　He　was　carried　from　the　dais　that　day；　but　as　soon　as　he　recovered　from　his　faint；　he　demanded　to　see　Regal　immediately。　I　trust　he　delivered　Verity's　message。　For　while　Regal　did　not　e　to　visit　either　Burrich　or　me　during　our　convalescence；　Kettricken　did；　and　she　mentioned　that　Regal　was　most　concerned　that　we　recover　quickly　and　pletely　from　our　accidents；　for　as　he　had　promised　her；　he　had　forgiven　me　pletely。　She　told　me　how　Burrich　had　slipped　and　struck　his　head　trying　to　pull　me　from　the　pool　when　I　went　into　a　seizure。　I　do　not　know　who　concocted　that　tale。　Jonqui　herself；　perhaps。　I　doubt　if　even　Chade　could　have　e　up　with　a　better　one。　But　Verity's　message　was　the　end　of　August's　leadership　of　the　coterie；　and　all　Skilling　as　far　as　I　know。　I　do　not　know　if　he　was　too　afraid　after　that　d